#nostalgia hours my dude

[moths-and-mantids]

FUCKING PEDKY BIRDDDDDDD

Pesky bird ✨✨✨

[gunstellations]

calm before the storm

[tgcg]

happy day of egbert

CG: DON'T YOU JUST HAVE THE MANUAL SOMEWHERE?

TG: dude its the most overwhelmingly basic thing on the planet trust me i literally did all the other settings for you

TG: all you gotta do is point the thing at egbert

TG: half press to focus subject

TG: press down fully and bam done the shit is shot

CG: BUT --

TG: i know youre desperate for this to be rocket science but its genuinely like first grade biz i promise whatever pic you take is gonna be fine

===

EB: yeah, come on karkat!

EB: i am only going to be the birthday bad ass for like, 24 hours total you know.

EB: longest birthday of my LIIIIIIIIFE. haha.

EB: oh hey, from one birthday-dooms day guy to another…

EB: i am pretty sure you understand the magnitude of what i just said!

===

CG: OH HEY. FUCK YOU.

CG: I'M JUST ACCOUNTING FOR THE LITERAL FUCKING INEVITABILITY THAT WHEN I TAKE THIS PHOTO, SOME INSIDIOUS LITTLE KARMA GNOME WILL FROLIC ONTO THE SCENE IN AN UNBELIEVABLE STROKE OF LOATHSOME SERENDIPITY TO BURY ME IN 12 CUBIC METERS OF FOOL-GRADE FUCKING IDIOT POWDER.

CG: AT WHICH POINT ANOTHER HEFTY BOULDER WILL BE ADDED TO THE BULGING MACRO-BINDLE OF SHAME YOU PEOPLE HAVE FORCED ME INTO CARRYING MY WHOLE LIFE.

CG: SHIT, SOMEONE HAS GOTTA LOOK OUT FOR MY ASS.

TG: alright give us a sec

TG: huddle formation

EB: psssshhh, alright.

===

TG: youre not gonna fuck this up

TG: your ass is completely secure dude

TG: i got the double foam padded booster seat and you know that shit is strapped on this 5mph drive through quaint ol piss-easyville

EB: you know if it really is so bad you can just re-take it, right?

EB: it is really not worth aggravationing your sponge over.

TG: 'xactly

TG: knights honor that shit isnt hooked up to my ishades and will not instantly forward me a copy in crisp HD of whatever blunder youre cooking in your beautiful nugbone

===

CG: IT'S NOT JUST THAT.

CG: HAVEN'T I SHADOWED YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SHENANIGANS LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU TO TOSS ME A GODDAM BONE?

CG: I MEAN. I FEEL LIKE I'M READY FOR THIS. I'VE BEEN PRIMED FOR THIS BULLSHIT FOR EQUINOXES AT THIS POINT, WATCHING YOU PRANCE AROUND WITH THIS FUCKING THING.

TG: woah wait youre legit into it?

CG: YES, I AM LEGIT FUCKING INTO IT.

CG: AND I KNOW IT HAS SETTINGS YOU'RE HIDING FROM ME. WHAT IF I WANT TO TAKE A BLACK AND WHITE SHOT, HUH? WHAT IF I WANT TO ADJUST THE "APERTURE" OR THE "EXPOSURE" OR SOMETHING.

TG: alright i dig the enthusiasm but maybe we can unwrap that shit when we dont have someone waiting for us

TG: i didnt know you were scoping photography man you shoulda said something!

CG: I WAS PLANNING TO! I DIDN'T ENVISION IT COMING UP SO FRIGGIN SUDDENLY MAN.

TG: i promise ill open the pandoras fuckin box of snap addicts anonymous afterwards alright

===

CG: OK, FINE. BUT I AM HOLDING YOU TO THA --

===

CG: HA HA EGBERT. VERY FUCKING FUNNY.

CG: FOR YOUR SAKE I SERIOUSLY HOPE THIS IS JUST AN EMBARRASSING NOSTALGIA-DRIVEN LAPSE IN HUMOR AND NOT A GENUINE ATTEMPT TO "PRANK" ME. I REALLY DO!

EB: huh? who is this "egbert" you speak of? i have never heard of such a character.

CG: OH, JUST THIS BULGECRUD-HUFFING IMBECILE THAT FALLS BACK ON SHITTY PRACTICAL JOKES SO PLAYED-OUT THAT THEY PHYSICALLY HURT TO BEAR WITNESS TO.

CG: MY LOWER JAW IS THREATENING TO REVERSE-DROP WITH ENOUGH VELOCITY TO BURROW DIRECTLY INTO MY THOUGHT SPONGE, KILLING ME INSTANTLY.

CG: SO EITHER GET SOME NEW MATERIAL OR GET ME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, YOUR PICK.

EB: damn, ok. that does sound like some pretty serious bullshit, but…

===

EB: whoever that weirdo next to you is kind of seems like he needs medical resistance more than you do!

CG: WHAT

[wilwheaton]

favorite goncharov character

Goncharov! Holy shit I haven't thought about Goncharov in YEARS!

I remember seeing it at the Vista theatre downtown in ... I want to say 1983? It was either 82 and I was 10, or 83 and I was 11. Now that I think about it, it must have been Spring of 83. I remember that Kimmy Mendini was my babysitter, and she drove my friend Ahmed and me all the way downtown to see Goncharov. She would have been at least 16, but I feel like she was a little older. I remember that she LOVED movies and just never stopped talking about European cinema.

Ha! I can still her her sort of roll "Cinema" out of her mouth. Movies were for the masses to watch, while sophisticated adults experienced Cinema. I'm just realizing now that she absolutely pronounced it with a capital C. She was like "you are so lucky to see a clean print of Goncharov!"

I had no idea what a clean print was, but I understood it was important and impressive.

She had read about this screening in the LA Weekly, which I didn't know at the time was TREMENDOUSLY subversive in our suburban part of Los Angeles County, and we were going to an old theatre in maybe not the greatest part of town, but Kimmy had been watching me since I was in second grade and was like my big sister. I knew we'd be safe with her.

That old theatre (which is now a fucking swap meet) was just so beautiful inside. 100 foot ceilings, box seats, gold paint and murals. It felt like a place you went to experience Cinema, but, like ... it had absolutely seen better days. I remember that I felt kind of bad for the place, a little embarrassed, like when I got a good grade and accidentally made eye contact with a friend who got a D.

Okay. This clearly hit a memory artery, and I appreciate you staying with me this far, when we finally get to the fireworks factory. We're walking up to the box office, and she tells Ahmed and me that we have to wait on the sidewalk, because *technically* it's rated R, and she's not our legal guardian, but what does this guy making two bucks an hour know about art anyway?

So we wait. She buys the tickets, and then we all walk in as casually as we can.

I remember how scared I was that we were going to get caught and they'd call the cops (that's how it worked in my anxiety-ridden brain), but literally nobody cared. The theatre wasn't even half full, and everyone there was a dude at least as old as my parents.

You know the story, so I don't have to recount all of it, but I can at this very moment remember how shocked I was when Bruno was shot. This was the first time, ever, I had felt an emotional connection to a character. I didn't cry when Bambi's mother was shot, I didn't cry when ET died, I didn't cry E V E R.

But when Bruno died? I didn't make a sound. I just silently wept. Tears just poured down my face and I wanted to roll back time, rewrite the movie, and get him out of that room.

I obviously understand now, all these years later why I connected to him and why his story meant and means so much to me, but at the time I had no idea. I just thought the actors were that good.

I can't believe that guy who played him died so young. I think he was like 40? I remember thinking that was old. Now I know different.

When the movie was over, Kimmy asked us how we liked it. Ahmed was obsessed with the photography (he grew up to be an illustrator), and I obviously had my Bruno Moment.

We got Thrifty ice cream on the way home and listened to Donna Summer in her Datsun.

I haven't thought about Goncharov or Cinema or Kimmy in FOREVER. Leave it to Tumblr to boost my nostalgia check to a natural 20.

tl;dr: Bruno. I know he's supposed to be that character we all hate, and there are so many valid reasons for that. But when I was 12 ... well, I was a different person.

Oh! And now that I know what a "clean print" is, having seen so many "dirty prints" in revival houses before they all turned into swap meets or churches (hey, two places where people sell you stuff and take your money!), I retroactively appreciate it in a way that would make Kimmy happy.

Thanks for the trip into the crumbling mall that is my childhood memories. I haven't been here in awhile and it was nice to visit.

[dontyouworrydaddy]

Can you please do 141 where the reader and them are talking about there Highschool years and like “I would have dated you in high school “ type thing THEN they see a pic of reader in high school (prom,first day,or any thing for that time) SHES FINE FINE like imagine 90s type vibe, then they remember what they looked like in that same year and they say back “ IM glad u didn’t meet me then cause u would have no interest “ AND SHES STILL FINE FINE where they think it’s a recent photo!

idk know what I’m doing I just got an idea and your my favorite writer so I wanted to let you know!!!!

YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

thᥱ most bᥱᥲᥙtιfᥙᥣ ᥕomᥲᥒ ιᥒ thᥱ ᥕorᥣd

Task Force 141 + fem! reader

I ABSOLUTELY love this idea!!!! Like as soon as they see your pictures they‘re like "damn. I‘m glad we didn’t meet back then because she would definitely reject me and on top of that probably make fun of me." I‘m sorry but especially with Soap😭 This dude probably had the craziest hair back then (he still has but we love him for it).

Also I‘m so thankful for your kind words🥺🥺 They really mean so much to me and you just lighten up my entire day<33 I wish I could hug you right now☹️ Remember that you’re also always loved by someone and MEEE🫶🏻🫶🏻💘💘

Thank you really so so much 🌸💕💕

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Simon Riley

It was a quiet evening at the your apartment . Simon found himself reminiscing about your high school years. As the conversation flowed, nostalgia filled the air.

"You know, Y/N, if we had met in high school, I would have totally dated you." Simon said with a playful smirk, leaning back against the wall.

You chuckled, a blush creeping onto your cheeks. "Oh, really? And why is that?"

Simon's gaze turned thoughtful as he recalled those distant memories. "Well, you are always confident and stunning. I would have been a nervous wreck around you."

Grinning, you teased, "Are you saying you weren't attractive back then?"

Simon chuckled, running a hand through his dark hair. "Let's just say my teenage years weren't my finest hour. I had an awkward sense of fashion, let’s not talk about my hair... Definitely not the smooth operator you see in front of you today."

Curiosity piqued, you both began reminiscing about those high school days. Simon had a mischievous idea and suggested pulling out old photo albums to see just how different you both were.

Rummaging through the dusty boxes, you stumbled upon a photo of your younger self. It was a picture from prom, in your beautiful dress. You were radiant, your smile lighting up the frame. Simon's eyes widened as he took in the sight.

"Damn, Y/N, you were fine then, and you're still fine now!" he exclaimed, feigning surprise.

You laughed, not realizing his little trick. "Well, thank you, Simon. I try my best."

Simon's expression shifted, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia. "You know, seeing this picture reminds me of why I'm glad we didn't meet back then. I don't think I would have stood a chance with you. You would've rejected me in a heartbeat."

Your smile softened as you leaned in closer. "Simon, you underestimate yourself. I would have seen the incredible person you were, braces and all. It's the person you are inside that truly matters."

Simon's eyes locked with yours, and a genuine smile graced his face. The air was filled with a sense of camaraderie as you both laughed at the absurdity of it all.

As the evening came to a close, Simon made a decision. He carefully tucked the photo of your younger self into his pocket, a keepsake of a moment he cherished. You remained unaware of this little secret, but somehow, deep down, you felt that this memory would always be a part of your bond.

John MacTavish

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and John and you were lounging on the couch, flipping through old photo albums. The nostalgic memories flooded your minds as you reminisced about your high school years. The room was filled with laughter and teasing as you playfully pointed out your younger selves in various snapshots.

John looked at a picture of you, radiating confidence in a stunning prom dress. He couldn't help but stare in awe, captivated by your beauty and timeless charm. With a grin, you turned to him and said "You know, John, I would have totally dated you in high school."

John's eyes widened in surprise, his heart skipping a beat at your words. He never expected you to make such a bold statement. "Really?" he asked, a mix of curiosity and disbelief in his voice.

You nodded, a mischievous glint in your eyes. "Oh, absolutely. You are the mysterious and brooding type. I was drawn to that kind of intensity back then."

A flicker of doubt crossed John's face as he remembered his own high school years. "I'm glad you didn't meet me then" he said, his voice tinged with self-deprecation. "I had this crazy hair phase, and trust me, you would have immediately rejected me."

You chuckled, playfully swatting his arm. "Come on, John. Show me that picture. I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad."

John hesitated for a moment, then reached for another album. He turned to a page and revealed a photograph of himself, his hair styled in an over-the-top, eccentric manner that seemed to defy gravity. His expression was a mixture of embarrassment and amusement as he looked at his younger self.

You burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching your stomach. Tears formed at the corners of your eyes as you struggled to compose yourself. John couldn't help but join in, the embarrassment fading as he found joy in sharing this memory with you.

Once the laughter subsided, you looked at him with a smile. "John, you have no idea how much I would have loved to meet that version of you. That hairstyle is absolutely cute!"

John's face softened, his heart swelling with affection for you. "You're incredible, you know that?" he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "Even if I looked like a total goofball, you would still find a way to make me feel special."

You reached out and took his hand, intertwining your fingers with his. "That's because I've always seen the amazing person you are, regardless of how you looked or what hairstyle you had."

John leaned in and gently kissed your forehead, his love for you evident in his eyes. "I'm the luckiest man in the world to have you by my side," he whispered and kissed you on the lips.

John Price

You and John sat side by side on the couch, flipping through an old photo album filled with memories from your high school years. The two of you had decided to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane. You couldn't help but smile as you stumbled upon a particular photograph that brought back a flood of memories.

"Oh my gosh, John, look at this!" you exclaimed, pointing to a picture of yourself at the high school prom. You were dressed in a stunning vintage dress.

John's eyes widened as he gazed at the photograph, taking in your breathtaking beauty. "Wow, you were absolutely stunning" he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "If I had known you back then, I would've also been head over heels for you."

A playful grin spread across your face. "Oh, really? So you're saying you would've dated me in high school?"

John chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Well, I probably would've been too intimidated to ask you out. Plus, I had a weird sense of style back then. Trust me, you wouldn't have been interested."

Curiosity piqued, you leaned closer, showing him the photograph of yourself. "Well, let's see if that's true" you challenged him.

John's eyes widened even further as he looked at the picture. "Wait a minute, is this recent? You look exactly the same!"

You burst into laughter, your heart warming at his genuine surprise. "No, John, this is me in high school. That's why I said I would've dated you back then."

He let out a low whistle. "Well, damn. I definitely lucked out then."

You playfully nudged his shoulder. "Come on, John, you can't be that bad. Let me see your high school days."

John reluctantly handed you another photograph from the album, showing his younger self with a mischievous grin. He sported a rather peculiar outfit that seemed to be a mixture of different styles. It was elegant and had a touch of cowboy style, mixed…

You burst into laughter once again, unable to contain yourself. "Oh, John! I can't believe this was your fashion sense back then."

He smirked, looking slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I had a bit of a weird phase. Trust me, if we had met during those years, I would've been instantly rejected."

You shook your head, still laughing. "Oh, John, you have no idea. Even with that fashion sense, I would've been all over you."

His eyes sparkled with affection as he pulled you into a tight embrace. "Well, I'm glad we met when we did, then. I wouldn't change a thing about how we found each other."

You smiled, savoring the warmth of his embrace. "Me neither, John. We're perfect for each other, weird fashion choices and all."

Kyle Garrick

Kyle and you sat side by side on the couch, surrounded by photo albums from your high school days. You decided to take a trip down memories from back then together. As you flipped through the pages, looking at the good old times, you stumbled upon a photo of yourself from prom night.

"Oh, wow!" You exclaimed, holding up the photo for Kyle to see. "Look at me back then. I can't believe how much has changed."

Kyle's eyes widened as he took in the sight of you in your beautiful prom dress, radiating a timeless beauty. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret as he thought back to his own high school days.

"I would have dated you in high school" you mused, oblivious to the effect the photo had on Kyle. "You're such a great guy, I would have definitely dated you."

A small smile played at the corners of Kyle's lips as he stared at you, captivated by your words. "Thank you love, but believe me, you're better off not having met me back then. I was a total nerd."

You furrowed your brows in confusion. "What are you talking about? I‘m sure you were cute."

Kyle's expression turned pensive as he reached for another photo album and opened it to a picture of himself from the same year as your prom. His hair was a mess, his glasses too big for his face, and his clothes screamed "geek."

"See?" Kyle pointed to his photo, his voice laced with self-deprecating humor. "I was a freak. If we had met in high school, I would've been immediately rejected. You would've never given me a second glance."

Your eyes widened in surprise, and then you burst into laughter, shaking your head. "Baby stop. You look adorable!!"

He blinked, unable to comprehend your words. "Wait, what?"

"I'm serious!" You continued to laugh, your heart swelling with affection for the man beside you. "You're looking at this picture like it's some embarrassing relic, but all I see is the person I fell in love with. Baby Kyle looks so so cute here"

Kyle's gaze softened as he absorbed your words. The weight of his insecurities began to lift, replaced by a newfound confidence in your unwavering love. "I‘m 17 here love… not 6…"

Placing the photo album aside, you leaned in closer to Kyle, intertwining your fingers with his. "High school was just a phase, but what we have now, this incredible relationship, is what matters. I love you, Kyle Garrick, then, now, and always."

Kyle smiled, his heart overflowing with love for you. "I love you too, more than words can express."

[miyuhpapayuh]

21

As soon as Leon walked through the door of Brandon's apartment, nostalgia hit him like a Mack truck.

The air still felt familiar. Every memory of their friendship within these walls came flooding back to him.

“You turned this into a bachelor pad, huh?” Leon cracks.

Brandon laughs. “Ah, had to upgrade the futon and card table at some point, right?”

Leon joined in the laughter, shaking his head. “We lived a lil rough, I won't lie.”

“We made do, though.”

“Please, our mamas woulda killed us if we didn't.”

“You right about that.” Brandon nods, as they move into the living room and take a seat.

The first conversation they've had in five years.

“So, what's up?” Leon asks.

“I wanna start by apologizing to you. I know I was a hothead and I blew you off, a lot. I said some fucked up shit to you and I can't take it back. It took me a long time to realize that you were just looking out for me, cause I just wanted to have fun with my dawg. I wasn't thinking about later in life or the consequences that would come. You were like a brother to me and it's been hell out here without friends like you in my corner.”

Leon nods, knowing it took a lot for them to get to this point, and he knew it was a genuine apology.

“It's all good, man. I said some fucked up shit to you too. I was mad for a while. A long time. Cause we was into it over crazy shit. Petty shit. Yeah, you blew me off a whole lot and I used to take up for yo ass at every stop, cause you was my boy. But I couldn't stick around for the disrespect. But, we can't go through the rest of our lives holdin’ onto that shit.”

“I understand that. I understood it then, it just pissed me off cause fuck you mean we ain't cool no more?” He laughs, Leon joining in. “I'm just glad that I could get you here and sincerely say that. I didn't know what to say for a long time. Sorry just didn't seem good enough. I'm sorry for that, too.”

“It's all good, seriously. I'm sorry, too.” Leon says.

“For what?” Brandon’s brows scrunch.

“I harbored some hatred for you when you and my sister started… whatever y'all got goin’ on. Did the usual overbearing brother thing, but she was hellbent on you becoming a stand-up dude, and I can see that she wasn't lying. It was just so weird to me.”

“I get it, honestly. I mean, that's your little sister. I would never disrespect either of you, things just sorta happened. We knew how it looked and I knew that you and I needed to talk.”

“Well again, I appreciate that man. And just as long as I ain't gotta knock your head between the stove and refrigerator, I'm cool with you and Eryn doing what y'all doing.”

“I know that came straight from the heart.” Brandon nods before laughing.

“I'm glad you know,” Leon says, laughing as well.

“Now that all of that is out the way, what's new with you? Cause I did hear about a girlfriend.”

“Man, ima marry that woman.” Leon shakes his head, a smirk appearing on his lips.

“Word??” Brandon asks, cocking his head to the side.

“No doubt about it.”

“Damn, what's that like?”

And boy, did Leon spend the next almost hour filling his old friend in on everything he'd experienced with Zora thus far.

“Am I invited to the wedding, at least?”

“Come on man, of course!”

They slapped hands and hugged like the brothers they've always been.

✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿

Returning back to his apartment, Leon was immediately greeted by his yawning girlfriend, as she decided to stay up and wait for him.

“Hey baby,” he says, placing a kiss on her forehead as she wraps her arms around him, swaying in their hug as usual.

“Hey, how'd everything go?”

“It went well, actually. We both apologized to each other, caught up like old friends and he's invited to our wedding now, whenever that is.” He snorts, making her join in with her own laughter.

“I'm glad y'all made up, that puts me at so much ease, cause now you're at ease.” She says, rubbing his back.

He smiles, kissing her nose. “Me too, baby. Is that why you're still up?”

“Yeah, I thought something happened. I contemplated on calling you, but then I heard the door unlock.” She smiles.

“You still sleepy?” He asks.

“Eh, not so much anymore. We can still jump back in the bed though. I'm freezing.”

“I'll say,” he steps back to look over her attire, which consists of one of his sweatshirts pulled over her nightgown and fuzzy socks.

“What?” She laughs, playfully smacking his cheek as he shakes his head, his eyes landing back on her face.

“You look beautiful.” He says before scooping her up in his arms and carrying her back into his room.

Back under the covers and in each others arms, the couple flip through the channels to find something to watch.

“Martin?”

“Nah. Half & Half is on tv??” Zora squints, making Leon snicker.

“Did you forget your contacts again?”

“No, I just didn't wanna put them back in yet cause I might fall asleep again soon. I brought my glasses, I just need to get them out of my bag.”

Without another word, he hands her the remote and slides out the bed to retrieve them for her.

“Thank you,” she giggles, putting them on.

“No problem, is that what you wanted to watch?”

“Mmm… nah, let's see what else is on. It's just interesting that it's accessible like that. It's hard finding what you used to watch all the time.”

“Yeah, you right. I remember how hype I was when they brought Jamie back into the rotation.”

“See, he's better than Martin!”

“Yeah, I have to agree.”

“He was way too sexual for me, personally.”

“Yeah, what you be saying? Men are gross? I agree.”

“Good. Plus, you're not a man, you're an angel.” She kisses his face, making him laugh.

“And you're not a woman, you're a goddess.” He pulls her closer to him, continuing to flip through the channels.

“Ooh, my girls!” She all but yells as Living Single pops up.

“There we go.” He chuckles, sitting the remote down.

“Oh, it's one of my favorite ones too!”

“This the one where they were in a singing group?”

“The flavorettes, yes!”

“O had that nasty ass piece on his head, man.” He snickers.

“That was so ugly, I agree. It was so cute how he was still smitten by Synclaire and she was being so mean!” Zora laughs.

“We like that shit.”

“We know,” she responds, still laughing.

After watching Max fall of the stage and get hit with roses, she dozed off again, this time more comfortably since Leon was back underneath her.

“I love you.” He whispers, kissing her forehead.

✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿ ... ✿°•∘ɷ∘•°✿

“I don't wanna work here anymore.” Zora mumbles to herself as she leans on the bar.

“Then quit!”

“Not that simple,” she sighs, tapping her nails against the freshly disinfected countertop.

As if on cue, the restaurant phone rings.

“Thank you for calling the pub, what can I get you?”

“Yeah, let me get the Wednesday special and a side of Zora Jean!” Nique says before cracking up into the phone.

“Girl!” Zora laughs, covering her mouth and looking around her area.

“What do you want, man?”

“What time do you get off?”

“Six, why?”

“You'll see when we get there. I'll meet you at your place.”

“Do I need to dress up or something?”

“Nope. No more questions! See ya later, love you, bye!”

After work, freshly showered and dressed down in her comfy sweatsuit and uggs, she trudges towards her best friend's car as the wind picks up.

“Hey, lover!” Nique greets once Zora’s situated inside.

“Hey! Where’re we going?”

“You'll see,” she sings, before pulling out of the lot and to their destination.

“So, how was your day?”

“Tiring. I think I'm kinda ready to let it go, friend.” Zora sighs, sticking her finger in the middle of her curly bun to scratch.

“Really?” Nique smirks. “Why what happened?”

“Nothing happened,” she laughs. “I'm just kinda over being there. And I know, we talk about it all the time and I continue to stick it out and I've made it work for me, so it's been extra great.. but I'm not feeling it anymore. The money isn't even worth it.”

“It's okay to feel burnt out. That's why I've always been pro-fuck that job. And no, I'm not gonna insist that you come work with me, I know we're past that. But this could be a good thing for you. You wanna find a new job?”

“No, I need a revamp on my career, as a whole. I wanna… I wanna be the artist of my dreams, again.” She somberly smiles, looking toward the window as her emotions slowly take hold of her.

Nique looks in her direction for a split second, unable to hide her smile.

“I was hoping you'd say that.”

Looking back in her direction, Zora begins to ask what she meant, but then she begins to recognize her surroundings.

“Dominique.”

“Zora-Jean.”

“The Mint?”

“The one and only, babe.” She cheeses, just as Zora covers her face, unable to hold her tears in any longer.

“Oh my god,” she sobs.

“Oh, Jean. Don't cry on me!”

Coming to a red light, she consoles her best friend, rubbing her back with her free hand.

“It's okay, I've been feeling like crying for weeks now. You know how I hold shit in— but, seriously this is so surreal. You just know what I'm thinking and how to execute it every single time. Who are you!” She hysterically asks, making them both laugh as the light turns back green.

“The greatest friend in the world— at least that's what my badge says.” She shrugs.

“Jesus,” Zora playfully scoffs, wiping her wet face.

“Seriously, though. Thank you.”

“Come on, you know you deserve this. It's been in the works for almost six years!”

“Ugh, that's so depressing. Isn't it?”

“Nah. It would be depressing if you still wanted to come home covered in grease after six years. You've had your epiphany and now it's time to plan!”

“You said it! I'm ready.”

“That's all I need to hear!”

Moving inside the spacious museum, the two look around and begin formulating their ideas.

“Wow, I haven't been out here in so long.” Zora looks around in awe.

“Yeah, they rightfully changed some shit around! It was starting to get stale in here.”

“Hm, what pieces could I put in here?”

“All of them?” Nique looks at her like she'd just grown a second head.

“Stop looking at me like that! I'm just asking. I also need to create so much more.”

“Mmhm, get that portfolio together and fast. You know we gotta start making ourselves real familiar with these people. “

“Yes, mom. I'm on it.” 

It feels good to be back.

@ghostfacekill-monger @sheabuttahwrites @honestpreference @thegifstories @harmshake @henneseyhoe @headcannonxgalore @blackpinup22 @motheroffae @mauvecherie-writes @blackerthings @megamindsecretlair @abeautifulmindexposed @blowmymbackout

[indestructibleheart]

Hi, fam! Okay, so I'm going to be out at an appointment tomorrow morning, so I'm kicking this off a little bit early. It's technically Wednesday in several timezones and very nearly Wednesday in mine. I'm... also a bit eager to share this, ngl.

I know that I've shared a lot of angst lately, but I swear that's not all I'm doing. 😅 In fact, the actor/playwright AU decided to wallop me in the face out of nowhere after sitting in my WIP folder for months. I'm really excited about it, so I'm gonna share the first scene!

(Also, those of you who have been to New York with me will recognize my favorite brunch spot in this scene lmao.)

---

You probably didn't even know I was in the room, but I noticed you straight away. You were talking with your friends, happy and animated and fully alive—a person living in dimensions I couldn’t access—and so beautiful. Your hair was longer then. You were the center of attention, but you weren’t afraid. You had a yellow ipê-amarelo in your pocket. I thought, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen; I'd better keep it a safe distance away from me. I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire.

INT. MOM'S KITCHEN & BAR - HELL'S KITCHEN - LATE MORNING

"I'm telling y'all," Alex is saying, punctuating with dangerously large bites of his pancake burrito. "The dude's a dick." 

It's been two hours since the nightmare audition, but Alex has been on this tirade since June and Nora first slid into the retro diner chairs across from him (at least forty-five minutes ago).

They're at Mom's: a restaurant-bar in midtown that can only be described as millennial nostalgia incarnate. The trio fell in love with it two years back—post-karaoke, stumbling in right before closing—when Alex saw God in their Fruity Pebble pancakes.  Since then, it's been his favorite place to eat his feelings.

Mom's is just really fucking comforting in general, honestly; whether it's the televisions cycling through episodes of 'Rugrats,' 'Dexter's Laboratory,' and 'Hey, Arnold!' or  the rainbow straws and Lisa-Frank-looking menus, Alex can't be sure. It doesn't hurt that they've made friends with several of the waitstaff, including an eccentric bartender, Pez, whose pink hair and painted nails fit right in with the decor. 

Today, it's the combination of breakfast sausage, bacon, eggs and cheese wrapped up in a syrup-soaked pancake that's really doing something for him. It could also be the margarita the size of his face, which Pez placed in front of him before making himself uncharacteristically scarce. But it's fine. He's probably just busy.

Alex won't admit it out loud, but what really helps is having June and Nora here to talk to… even though Nora is scrolling on her phone.

"I'm sorry," June says. She pokes an ice cube with her straw, and Alex watches as it bobs around her mimosa like a buoy. "That sounds like it sucked, but if he's really that rude… maybe you didn't want to work with him anyway."

Nora doesn't look up as she pops a home fry into her mouth. 

"Several sources say he's difficult to work with," she adds, evidently reading about Henry on the internet. "Though, in his defense, his dad did just die, like, three years ago… and there was that whole thing when he came out after. Remember?"

Alex does remember. Henry's grandmother, Mary Mountchristen, runs a pretty major company that used to own half the theatres on the West End. When Henry came out last year, she tried blacklisting his shows from her properties to punish him—which totally backfired when it got around. At least a dozen other queer writers and producers started talking about how they were also denied the space, and Mary was stoned on the streets of the theatre district. Like, metaphorically. 

Alex, Nora, and June had just moved to New York, but between June's position at Newsday and both Alex and Nora on the audition circuit, it was all anyone in their new circles could talk about. They were some of the first to know when the Mountchristens were bought out of their properties and Henry moved to the States.

This show is the first of Henry's being produced here—and it's autobiographical, which Alex has to admit is pretty fucking baller. So, yeah, Nora's not wrong. He has reason to be standoffish. Still, it doesn't explain why Alex was only halfway through his audition monologue when Henry abruptly stood up and exited stage left as if pursued by a bear.

He shoves another forkful into his mouth. "It's just, like, they're the only people who let me into the room," he says, barely finishing chewing. "Nobody wants to take me seriously, and I really thought this was my shot, you know?"

June and Nora both know Alex is having a hard time landing serious roles after growing up on a sitcom—Nora more than most, as his former co-star. What they don't know is that losing this role, specifically, feels like a kick to the stomach. From the moment Alex saw the script, he wanted to be a part of it. He can't even explain why, and now he'll never figure it out. Henry wouldn't give him a chance.

"It wasn't your only shot, and you know it." Nora fixes him with a look. "Seriously, I get it—I do—but it's just one play, buddy."

June nods. "Something will happen for you, baby brother."

At that, Alex finally groans. "Okay, calling me baby brother doesn't help me feel better about the entertainment industry infantili—"

"—itty bitty, teeny weeny—"

Alex throws a home fry at her face. 

It bounces off her forehead and into the giant gauntlet holding her mimosa with a very unappetizing splash. Just as Alex throws his hands into the air with a victorious whoop, his phone buzzes on the table. 

A glance is all it takes for him to see that it's his agent, Zahra.

"Damn," he says, deflating. There goes that upswing. "You answer it."

June balks. "Me?"

"I don't need to hear how fucking badly it went. Trust me, I got the message." Alex blinks innocently, like he's six years old again, asking her to lie to their mom about that broken vase. "Please, Bug? Besides, Zahra actually likes you."

"Everyone likes me." June rolls her eyes, but she caves—answering the phone with a haughty, "Alex Claremont-Diaz's office," before breaking into a smile. "Yeah, Z. It's me… No, Alex is feeling a little sensitive today."

(He throws another home fry at her. This one misses.)

To her credit, June's face remains totally blank as Zahra no doubt tells her how Alex insulted Henry Fox's name and all of his inbred ancestors just by showing up, or whatever—which is extremely annoying and unhelpful—but, once she says goodbye and sets the phone back down on the table, her face breaks out into a grin.

"Guess you didn't suck too bad," she says. "They want you for the part."

He doesn't know if it's Nora throwing herself at him or the shock that knocks him onto the floor.

Tagging some lovelies. If you haven't been tagged and you want to be, consider this your tag!

@anchoredarchangel, @barbiediaz, @cha-melodius, @cricketnationrise, @guillermosfamiliar, @hgejfmw-hgejhsf, @hippolotamus, @inexplicablymine, @jettestar, @junebugclaremontdiaz, @kiwiana-writes, @lizzie-bennetdarcy, @missgeevious, @mulderscully, @myheartalivewrites, @ninzied, @nontoxic-writes, @notspecialbabe, @priincebutt, @rmd-writes, @rosedavid, @three-drink-amy, @treluna4, @vanillahigh00, @welcometololaland, @orchidscript, @ships-to-sail, @stereopticons

[piss-pumpkin]

🌲home🌲

Older!Dipper pines x reader

~3.2k words Chapter 1 of Douce amere,

Master list

The air in Gravity Falls was different. Maybe nostalgia clouded your perception, and maybe that was okay. It still smelled like pine and cedar and adventure here. And the day had that electric feel. It was the day they were coming.

Your alarm blared, and you groaned in response, grasping under your pillow to find your phone and silence it. Nine AM, on the dot. An early morning at the start of summer was a punishment in itself, but you had good reason today. Their bus came in at noon, and you had to be ready, meet them at the stop with the Grunkles and gang. You stumbled out of bed, and started to get dressed.

Half of you wanted to just wear pyjamas and spare yourself the trouble. The other half wanted to dress as nice as possible to snag attention. They hadn’t seen you in person in a year, even him. You sighed at yourself for giving into the stereotype, but you did want to catch his attention. No pyjamas today.

As you started to brush your teeth, you could feel the anxiety. As exciting as it was to start a new summer with them, it was scary too. What if they’ve changed? What if I’ve changed? You texted and called a lot, but… 

You shook your head, trying to clear the thought. They were friends. Always were and always will be. You hoped. 

Still, that wasn’t the only pain. You were older now. It was one of the last summers you’d be able to spend here with them before high school ended. You had to squeeze every bit of fun out of it while you could. Time seemed to slow here, but it still passed. Summer still ended eventually, despite everything. 

You shook your head again. The very beginning wasn’t the time to think about the end. 

Dressed and ready, you grabbed an apple and started to the mystery shack, a few hours before they were set to arrive. “Bye, Y/n! Have a good day!” you aunt shouted from the kitchen. 

“Bye, Susan, you too!” You called back. She was incredibly kind to let you stay with her, lazy Susan. 

The shack was close, and the soft grass folded under your shoes and wet them with dew. “Y/n!” You hear Soos call from the porch. He was still sporting the question mark shirt, but it was under a suit jacket, and the hat he wore was the fez Stan had given him all those years ago. 

“Soos!” You shouted back, waving as you jogged your to him. 

“Dude, I am so stoked for today, you don’t even know,” he said, leading you inside. 

“Dude, I know too well,” you laughed. “Ugh I can’t wait, I should have slept in more.”

Wendy popped her head in from the break room, “amen, man, I’ve been here since seven.”

You cringed, and clenched a fist near your chest, “My condolences.”

The mid morning passed quickly though, despite everything. There was still that static feeling, and it only grew as the day went. And eventually, the time did in fact come. The time to go to the bus stop and meet them. You had to. All of you. Stan, Ford, Soos, Wendy, none of you were willing to prolong the meeting any further. The only shame was that Candy and Grenda were still out of town. 

                                             …

The bus was rolling in, all to slowly for your liking. For everyone’s liking. You could feel how the people around you were buzzing with excitement too. One year was far to long away from these people. Your people. The bus came to a stop seemingly at your feet.

The door seemed to slide open agonizingly slowly, but against all odds, it opened. Out came Mabel, screaming.

”Aaaaaugh! Guys!” She yelled, jumping out of the bus and skipping the stairs. She threw he luggage aside as she managed to envelope everyone in a group hug before they had time to respond. 

Stan was the first to recover, quickly leaning into the hug. “Kid, you get taller every time I see you!”

Ford laughed, “You almost beat Stan and I.”

You almost spoke, but your eye caught on the second person leaving the bus. Dipper had a wide smile on his face as he watched the scene. With a sigh, he placed his bags with Mabel’s and joined he hug. 

“Dip!” You found yourself exclaiming, along with Wendy. The both of you maneuvered to let him in the centre of the hug. 

There they were, at last. Dipper and Mabel, Mabel and Dipper. Here. Home. You smiled, barely hearing the words around you as you buried your face in Mabel’s hair and Dipper shoulder. They smelt a bit musty from the bus ride, and a bit like Mabel’s strawberry shampoo. This was the place to be. You squeezed tighter. So did they.

                                               …

Walking back to the shack was nice, pleasant, nostalgic. Dipper and Ford talked science, while Stan interjected to call them nerds. Soos and Wendy were chatting, and You and Mabel were catching up behind them. 

It wasn’t like you didn’t call and text, but there was so much you had to just say. But Mabel was, on occasion, a stinker. She had a smug grin on her face as she drifted back a bit behind he others, prompting you to follow. 

“So Y/n, are you gonna do anything about your crush on-“

You threw your hand towards Mabel, and covered her mouth before she got his name out. She immediately started to lick it, but you stayed strong. Your head whipped in front of you to Dipper and the rest of them before looking back to Mabel, who’s smirk you could see in her eyes. “Dude, what the fuck?” You whispered. Or maybe it was more of a hiss. “Don’t just say that! Not now!” You wiped your wet hand on your pants.

She giggled. “Fine, fine,” Mabel shrugged, still smirking smugly. “Just trying to help is all.”

You pursed your lips, and squinted at her. “Somehow I don’t believe that… and who says I need help?” You turned your head away from her with an uplifted chin to add an air of smug snottiness to your question. 

“Uhh, the fact that you’ve been pining for like, two years, and are still single?” Mabel said dryly. You could still hear the shit eating grin in her voice, “But hey, what’s a professional matchmaker to that, hmm?”

You winced, “Okay you have a point.” You snapped your eyes back to her, and smiled, a slightly evil and cunning smile. “But this summer, I have a plan… this is the one I can feel it.”

Mabel faked a gasp, pressing her palm to her open mouth, “My gosh? A plan?” She mocked. “You sound like Dipstick now.”

”Oh god, don’t say that,” you laughed. “This isn’t like his plans, this one is simple, honestly.

Mabel looked quizzically at you in response. Her hands started to come it her eyes, nearly forming her skepticals.

”No really, don’t even with that,” you said, swatting her hands down. “I say plan but it’s really just… an idea. I’m just gonna flirt, like a lot. Like really smooth, hopefully. Or try to, at least.” Saying it out loud, you almost felt embarrassed, a slight heat creeping onto your cheeks.

Mabel on the other hand, looked ecstatic. Her head was on a swivel looking between you and Dipper. “Okay, that’s a plan I can get behind,” she said. “I think you could have moves, I see the potential.”

You stifled a laugh, “Glad to hear it, glad your rooting for me.”

”Of course I am!” She said, hands flying into the hair for effect. She turned to you as you walked, and pointed to your face with one hand, the other resting on her hip. “And I will do my absolute best to assist your noble quest whenever possible, should you choose to call upon my services!” 

You played into the bit. “Appreciated, you are like my loyal knight and this is a war which we must win together.” You clasped her pointing hand in yours, “We will prevail!”

Mabel’s eyes lit up, “Fuck yeah we will!” She yelled. A bit too loud. Dipper and Soos turned their heads in front of you, shooting you curious looks. 

Ever smooth, you shot them back a snap and a finger gun. Dipper only smiled, giving Soos a light punch punch the  arm before drifting back to walk with you and Mabel, at your side. He laughed, “Fuck yeah you will what?”

You smirked, and stroked your chin with faux smugness. “Mmm, wouldn’t you like to know, Dip.”

Mabel chimed in, “Yeah, we got secrets, we’re scheming!”

Dipper rolled his eyes as he chuckled, “God, that has to be a new record for you guys, we’ve been here a whole five minutes and you’re already plotting shit.”

You smirked, and did your best to maintain eye contact. “Hey, I always am, it’s how I keep life interesting.”

”Life is very much that when you’re involved,” Dipper laughed. 

You could feel Mabel’s eyes burning into the back of your skull as she held her tongue and listened to your banter. Involuntarily, your smile widened.

”And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. 

You laughed, “You couldn’t even if you wanted to.”

He blushed, his cheeks turning a slight pink colour, hopefully at your comment. First blush of the summer, hopefully the first of many you’d get from him, he was rather cute when he blushed. You were particularly fond of how the corners of his mouth curled up when he did, in the slightest of smiles.

”Welcome home, kids!” You heard Stan yell in front of you.  He turned around to walk backwards toward the shack so he was facing you and the twins. “Finally, am I right?”

Ford kept his back to you, but turned his head so you could see his eyes, “we’ve been looking forward to you kids coming back for a while, if you couldn’t tell.”

”Stans been driving me up the walls talking about you guys for months,” Wendy chuckled. “Y/n too for the last few days.”

You couldn’t help yourself, ”Hey, I did not!” you defended.

Soos snickered, “dude, you totally did.”

You pursed your lips and hummed lowly in disapproval. They were probably right, but that wasn’t something you’d outwardly admit. “Yeah whatever, nerds, that’s not how I remember it.”

Stan cackled, ”The congratulations, you got Alzheimer’s before the seventy year old man!”

You grumbled, trapped in this conversational corner. Mabel smiled, and elbowed your side, “Awww, somebody missed us!”

Dipper spoke too, “That much?” he asked, a little too innocently. Innocent enough to be mocking. 

You scoffed, “like you guys are any better.”

You all moved inside the shack to get settled in the living room, all still chatting. Dipper and Mabel’s suit cases were leaned against a wall by the stairs. 

Mabel pushed Dipper hard on the back towards you. “You’re right, Y/n, this little rascal hasn’t shut up about you guys for a week.” Dipper whipped his head around to glare at her, as if a threat. She snickered, “especially you, Y/n,” she teased. 

Dipper spun his head back around to look at you, and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not like that-“he sputtered, a blush in his cheeks. 

You smiled. If you had to guess, you’d call if fifty/fifty it was actually not like that. You hoped anyway. Fifty/fifty on a good day, twenty-five/seventy-five against you on most others. “I believe it, Mabel is a half reliable source at best.”

”Hey!”

Stan chimed in and spoke to Mabel, “Hate to agree with Y/n, but they are completely right, sweetie.”

                                             …

The conversation moved, and you all caught up with everyone. As much as you already had, having arrived a few days before the twins, there was always more to say, more stories to tell. A lot can happened between summers. 

And eventually, it simmered down, and the twins started to try and settle in. 

There was a double edged sword to that, being, the twins still shared a room despite their age. It was slightly more annoying now then it was when they were twelve, especially to you, who occasionally wanted to hangout there with Dipper, and divorce yourself from Mabel’s match making antics from time to time. 

Mabel took her bags up first, running up the stairs with haste and excitement. You walked up behind Dipper, catching his attention, and did you best at a little bow. “May I help with your bags, m’lady,” you asked.

Dipper grimaced and recoiled, but a smile crossed his lips. “You sound like a redditor,” he snickered as he started to pick up his suitcases. 

You shrugged, “Your loss.”

He smiled, “I wouldn’t let m’lady strained their perfect hands.”

You laughed as you walked with him up the stairs. “Ew, yeah, I hear it. Never again, no more m’lady, too neckbeard for me.”

”Good, because I took a lot of psychic damage from that,” he said. “You can mimic the Redditor mannerisms with freakish accuracy, right down to the face.”

You put your hand to your chest, feigning hurt. “I take incredible offence to that, I do not have Reddit face,” you scoffed. 

As you approached the door to the attic, you stepped in front of Dipper to open it for him, who had full hands. Mabel was already laying on the bed with Waddles, kicking her feet in the air as she laid on her stomach. There were already posters on the wall and stuffed animals on the bed, too. 

Dipper barely batted and eye, moving to his side of the room with a small comment, “you work fast.”

Mabel shocked, ”You know me, they call me sonic in the-“

“Buddy,” you cut her off. “You finishing that sentence would actually kill me.”

She smirked, and rolled on her back to face you. “There’s a joke there about finishing, but I don’t wanna look for it.”

”Everyday you find new ways to disgust me.”

“Imagine living with her,” Dipper added, taking folded clothes out of his suitcase. 

Mabel grumbled, but said nothing and instead rolling over and looked at her phone. Waddles oinked beside her.

“Hey, it’s summer, I can imagine it perfectly well.”

Dipper laughed, and sat on the bed, looking at you with a smile. “Yeah… you do pretty much live here in the summer, huh?”

You sat down next to him, and grabbed the old musty pillow that rested at the head. “Good thing or bad thing?” 

He looked away, and laughed slightly, “Good thing.”

                                            …

The day went by, remarkably fast. The sun set, the energy simmered, people left. Soos and Wendy went home, leaving you chatting with Stans late at night. You didn’t quite want to leave yet. Instead, you nodded and snapped a finger gun to Stan and Ford, and quietly ascended the stairs to the twins room.

Mabel was sleeping already, snoring lightly. Not loud enough to bother you much. Dipper though, was reading. A small lamp in the bedside table illuminated the small space by his bed, where he sat upright against the headboard. “Dip,” you said quietly. “What are we reading?”

He looked up from his novel with wide eyes, as if broken from a trance. “Oh, God- y/n,” he stuttered, startled. “Are you staying over?”

You bounded over to the bed and took a seat next to him, nestling your feet under the blanket. “Yeah, but that’s not the point,” you said, leaning on his shoulder and glancing at the books pages. “What are we reading?” 

His skin was warm on your hands and arms as you leaned on him. His loose t-shirt was soft, too. He stammered a bit, “Oh, well- it’s a mystery novel, a murder, detectives…” Dipper looked at you for a flicker, as if checking to see if you were still interested. “There’s these two brothers that are the main characters, and this one guy who’s their partner.” Dipper taps the pages, and chews his lip. “But I have my suspicions about one of them.”

You hum slightly in a hushed laugh. “So tell me now, who’s the killer?”

Dipper rolled his neck, cracking it. “Man, I really think it’s the partner guy, but it’s awful because one of the brothers is in love with him.”

You winced, “oh shit.” You knew the feeling, empathy for a doomed character. “That kind of sucks for him.” Dipper nodded, and turned the page. He was maybe halfway through the book. you read along with him, trying to gain whatever you could from the out of context scenes. “So should I pick it up, or wait for you to finish it so I can read your next book with you?”

Very quickly you felt heat radiating from him. You did your best not to pull away in the inherent embarrassment of closeness, pushing though the fact that you made him blush again to stay leaned against him, your chin rested gently near his collar bone. “Well I mean- this one is really good, I’ll admit, but I may have just spoiled it for you…”

You waved your hand as he turned another page. “Eh, I don’t mind too bad. Mystery isn’t even my main genre, I just love the book club,” you said. It was nothing but true, it didn’t matter the quality of the book if you were reading it with him, or anyone really. But mainly him, or sometimes Mabel. Even if it was the worst book ever written, it was at least fun to discuss it and make fun of it together. 

“Well in that case, yeah I’d recommend it,” he said. “Wanna borrow my copy when I finish?”

”Mmhmmm,” you hummed, tired. “Or I could just read with you, I guess. I’m sure the first half wasn’t that important.”

Dipper shook his head, a slight and baffled smile forming across his lips. “I disrespectfully disagree with you,” he said, turning the page.

You yawned, “That’s… rude.” Your eyes were sluggish as they followed along with the words. Dipper started to turn the page again, before you were ready. You quickly cut him off, “Hey, hey, wait for me, I’m tired, alright?”

He turned the page back, “Alright, alright,” he yawned in response. 

You pawed at the pages when you finished, and on the next one, Dipper waited for you to do it again before turning it. And then, again. 

And somewhere along the way, you fell asleep, sitting with him on his bed, head leaned on his shoulder, and feet warmly huddled under the blanket. It was summer, and everything was okay again, home, in gravity falls. Whatever the summer held for you, whether it be mystery, adventure, love… you were ready. Whatever summer could throw at you, you were ready

Next chapter

Hello! This is a part of my Multi chapter dipper x reader story, I love it a lot, it’s one of those fics that’s like my baby. This was the first chapter written so yeah, it’s kinda rough. I really don’t wanna reread it so if there’s spelling errors lmk I guess😭

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

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Update 27 Nov 2023

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My beautiful wonderful amazing incredible readers and fellow simpers. Whether you’re here to read or to laugh at the unending simpfest, this is for you, to make your navigation through this shitshow of a blog a little easier.

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But no anyway. You can call me Nyarla. Or Yo She-Bitch. I’ll also answer to dude, bro, chick, weirdo, dumbass, just toss any general noun in my direction and I’ll probably respond. As an unknowable horror, gender is relative.

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[nana-doodles]

A new threat is among you all within my twisted transformers Animated AU! However this one is original...

Meet Obsession, a way for Optimus Prime to reach the real world! Obsession was once a man in a mascot costume now turned into a mindless zombie infected by the corruption who does Prime's bidding from beyond the TV world!

He mainly roams around the mall late in the night after closing hours.

How he hunts is by merely shuffling around looking for any victims he could drag back to Optimus. He's not too quiet as his wet and squishy footsteps are very much... Audible, but don't be fooled. He can set traps to get you stuck, injured, or that can make noise, thus honing him in on your location.

You can avoid him by not triggering his traps, and just don't walk near him if you see him shuffling, he is MUCH quicker than you think he is...

Some say if you look close enough at the mask, you can see the face of the poor man...

Now for the tape...

TFA season 4 cancellation tapes- Obsession

(this tape isn't a tape made by the animators warning the others, rather this time, it's a journal entry. The way it sounds was as if it was made in private. This tape was found at the crime scene of (redacted) at the (redacted) mall. Not much is known about the victim (or at least what's left of him), he's male, 21 years old, and was found wearing a staff shirt for the channel, Nostalgia TV, it's unknown what he was doing in the mall this late, but it's clear what happened to him..)

(The audio tape begins: Dude I just saw the freaking mascot in the mall!!! Its midnight... The mall closed hours ago, and the whole transformers meet and greet event ended as well!... Shouldn't he be at ho- Wait... What is that black liquid leaking from the crevices in his suit?... Wait... That's not the mascot... Who on earth is that... He's coming towards me... Oh sh- (tape cuts and ends.)

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

thank you for your work in the Taylor Swift trenches, i find her so psychologically fascinating. i think i remember you enjoying 1d back in the day so i’m curious what you think about harry styles seemingly being the one bf she feels lingering nostalgia for after all this time

so glad you asked. my deepest belief about her and harry is that they have an understanding about each other as people whose incredible gift beyond any question of artistry or musicianship or creativity or stage presence is simply being preternaturally good at being famous and navigating the waters of fame. they go about it in different ways but their kinship on this matter transcends trivial surface matters of style (heh). i think they spent the whole time watching each other’s post-haylor PR shenanigans and embodying the concept of game recognize game. so if she has actual nostalgia for him as opposed to merely being on good terms (which i think she is with the werewolf kid these days too, and the jonas brother till she sided with his ex in the divorce) i think it’s because that kind of mindmeld can’t be easy to find when you are in possession of such a rare gift. it’s like sherlock and moriarty on elementary, you know? he’ll never go back, but god, what it meant once to be understood!

also i’m too lazy to find it now but during the 1989 press cycle she def did an interview where she alluded to some of the songs being about “a relationship” that was like, so off and on that it was the kind of relationship where at your wedding some part of you would wait for them to interrupt…. ok i typed that out and was like, did she really say it like that or am i projecting? but yeah she did. her little wink wink “i never have to name names :)” in there is so funny too because in another 1989 press interview when asked about “style” she said “we should have just called it ‘i’m not even sorry.’” people cry “unhinged behavior” when she writes songs about dudes NO! this right here is the true derangement of taylor! this is the same interview where she’s like “bad blood is about this woman celebrity who was always super weird to me and then tried to sabotage a tour by hiring everyone away from me” which she years later retconned to be like “i said it was about a friend and i can sleep at night knowing i never pointed fingers at anyone :)” lolololololol.

sorry i got distracted by her serial killer antics. anyway. so there is some relationship where she never had a real sense of closure, and like maybe she still feels this way about this person 9 years later - sounds bonkers but It’s Taylor - but equally probably i think she just finds the narrative of the one that got away to be romantic and dramatic in a way that is compelling to return to artistically.

my other insane haylor conspiracy theory i don’t really believe is that they are true blue PR4PR soulmates (see above) and while i think they probably wrote some stuff about each other i also would not be surprised if they have a mutual agreement that it’s cool to use each other as a misdirect to write about other people while hiding in plain sight. when one direction taylor swifted taylor swift with “perfect” young harold DID say “if you’re looking for someone to write your break-up songs about…” this would align perhaps with the whole matty healy Situation which who knows what ever happened there but which i do kinda think she was planning to Launch as a the-one-that-got-away-returned-to-me type narrative based on their shenanigans this summer (mouthing “this is for you you know who you are i love you” in concerts a few days apart). oh my god i have spent soooo much mental energy on this woman this year but it was just so funny how 36 hours after the break-up was official she was like “remember how i spent six years talking about how much i love being private and hiding my real life away? well i fuckin LIED.” anyway. so there’s a part of me that’s like, well taylor knows if she puts green eyes in a song everyone will go “harry” and that’ll be that and harry won’t mind because game recognize game. and this will always work because they never go out of—[forcibly dragged offstage because of giant cartoon hook]

[sanctum-of-ramshackle]

“See You Next…”

[TWST AU]: An MC/Yuu who was spending time at the now famous Gravity Falls, Oregon.

[Synopsis]: In this timeline, MC/Yuu, a family member of the Pines Family were staying over during the summer at the now busy Mystery Shop.

Gender Neutral MC/Yuu

[(A/N)]: Oh my god. Memories from middle school are coming back. Nostalgia and cringe as I remember being obsessed with the Disney Channel show with the secret codes and stuff. I couldn’t help but regret writing nonsense involving the show during my Wattpad days. It’s like “Yikes. What the hell was I writing about?” Thank god the TWST fandom is an easier base to write with.

Many years had passed since Weirdmaggedon ended and the town called Gravity Falls is now famous for tourist attractions and the reputation that was put up.

13 y/o MC/Yuu Pines wants to spend their summer over in Oregon so they can see everybody, including their aunt and uncle: Uncle Dip and Auntie May-May (The Pine Twins: Dipper and Mabel Pines).

During the bus ride from California to Oregon, MC/Yuu reminisces spending times with their family members laughing, bonding, and telling stories about their adventures. They gained interests and hobbies from Uncle Dip and Auntie May-May such as mystery novels, arts n’ crafts, science, therapeutic knitting, etc.

Also Auntie May-May taught MC/Yuu how to fangirl/fanboy/stan their favorite music group.

After the long ride, they finally arrived to Gravity Falls and the bus stopped at the bus stop. Over there was someone you expect after working for years as a loyal former handyman, waiting to pick them up.

MC/Yuu Pines: *Steps out of the bus with their luggages* Oh my god! Uncle Soos! *Tackles hugs him*

Soos: Whoa, dude! *Hugs back* Haha, it’s good seeing you too.

MC/Yuu Pines: *Lets go of him* How’s your family doing? Is Aunt Melody okay?

Soos: Your aunt is doing great! We should head back. There’s new items for the museum.

MC/Yuu Pines: Aw sweet!

After Soos helps pack the luggages on a newer golf cart, the two sat inside and head straight to the good ol’ Mystery Shack.

When they arrived, nostalgia hits MC/Yuu when they see the shabby cabin in all its glory with the letter “S” still left alone and not repaired.

They cried a little after seeing the building.

Soos: Dude, are you okay?

MC/Yuu Pines: *Sniffs* Sorry. I got glitter in my eyes.

The two enter inside and Melody, MC/Yuu’s God-aunt and Soos’s wife, greets the young teen with a warm hug and she’s holding a small baby (presumably Soos & Melody’s child). They chatted and excited to spend time together.

Melody guides MC/Yuu upstairs in the attic which is where they’re sleeping for the whole summer.

MC/Yuu told Aunt Melody they will come down later after unpacking their stuff and relax a little from traveling.

An hour passed by and MC/Yuu comes down, entering to the museum part of the shack.

MC/Yuu Pines: Uncle Soos? Hello? I’m back down, ready to help with new attractions.

Just as they roamed around while picking up messes like an axe, a taser gun and a plain notebook with a pen attached to the spine. MC/Yuu questioned why are these items scattered over the place. ‘Great Grunkle influence…’

After looking around one more time, they spotted an intricate body mirror by a faux statue of “THE SASCROTCH”. (Yes, a knockoff of Bigfoot. Keep going.)

MC/Yuu thought it’s only temporary and Soos put it there. They didn’t question much, and steps over to the reflection of the one-way glass.

MC/Yuu Pines: If spending summer over here, I’m sure there’s adventures to experience. I can’t wait to show them what I’ll discover.

Then suddenly the mirror’s reflection wobbles and it starts glowing bright.

MC/Yuu quickly grabs the weapons (axe and taser gun) from before for defense, then the mirror shunned brightly as the young teen was sucked into the mirror-turned-portal along with the blank notebook from earlier.

After getting sucked into the mirror and traveled to another world, like in the canon storyline, they somehow get transported to Twisted Wonderland, got chased down by Grim, dragged into the dorm-sorting ceremony by Headmaster Crowley, the same feline-like menace creating chaos, etc.

Except MC/Yuu stops Grim by holding him up and tasing the two NRC students with the taser gun they equipped. (R.I.P. Azul and Riddle /j)

MC/Yuu Pines: That’s enough! I don’t know what in Hot Belgian Waffles is going on here, but this is more insane than my aunt’s weird troll juice.

Crowley: Hot Belgian Waffles? Who are you?

MC/Yuu Pines: Uhh…Someone from Gravity Falls?

Crowley: What place?

MC/Yuu Pines: Oh crude. I’m in another world.

[Campus]

MC/Yuu Pines: *Looking around their surroundings* Uncle Dip is gonna flip about this place called Twisted Wonderland. I need to start a journal. Oh right, there would be some government agents going after the mirror too for experimentation if they find out about it.

Deuce: Did you say government agents?

MC/Yuu Pines: My family has dealt with them in the past when my Great Grunkle Stan was getting his brother, Great Grunkle Ford, to return back from another dimension.

Deuce: What?

MC/Yuu Pines: What? I would do the same if my family were in danger.

[Library]

MC/Yuu Pines: You guys don’t happen to have gnomes around here, right?

Jamil: Not that we know of, why?

MC/Yuu Pines: Funny, but traumatic story. My aunt, Auntie May-May, was almost kidnapped by hundreds of gnomes from the start of her and Uncle Dip’s summer. At first, she thought she scored a “hot gothic” summer boyfriend, but my uncle was skeptical about him. Towards the end, he was right. It’s hundreds of gnomes attempting to kidnap his sister to become their queen.

Kalim: Oh wow. Your world sounds crazy.

MC/Yuu Pines: There’s many stories involving their summer vacation.

[Visiting Gravity Falls]

[Little lore: Fortunately the mirror portal in the museum is a gateway between Twisted Wonderland and the ol’ town.]

[Smile Dip back in stock!!!]

MC/Yuu Pines: Smile Dip? I remember Auntie May-May consumed a ton of this candy and warned me not to eat it as she experienced major side effects.

Jack: What? Like rotten teeth?

MC/Yuu Pines: No, trippy hallucinations. I think LSD was added in back then.

Jack: Oh Great Seven.

[Mystery Shack]

[Epel and MC/Yuu hanging by the porch carved apples together.]

MC/Yuu Pines: You know, I’m glad I met you guys. Back home, I never made friends as most kids my age would bully me for having relatives retelling stories to think they’re mentally crazy or others try to catch clout as my uncle is a famous author and my aunt is a cheerful fine arts professor at a prestigious college. It’s really hard to find anyone decent without ill intentions.

Epel: Wow. MC/Yuu, I’m sorry to hear this.

MC/Yuu Pines: Don’t worry. At least I won’t get into drama these days. *Tries to hide their brass knuckles away*

Ace: Why do you call your uncle “Dip”?

MC/Yuu Pines: He has an abnormal birthmark on his forehead that aligns exactly like the Big Dipper. I couldn’t say his full nickname when I was younger so it just stuck as Dip instead.

Deuce: Do you have something like that in your family?

MC/Yuu: I have marks aligned only as a triangle. It weirded out my twin relatives, especially Uncle Dip. I don’t know why, but he only mentioned as long there isn’t anything in the center.

Jack: Your uncle sounds like he’s keeping a secret.

MC/Yuu Pines: Maybe. Probably when I’m old enough he’ll tell me.

[Surrounded by vicious trolls in the woods during MC/Yuu’s adventures.]

MC/Yuu Pines: Oh, what the #$@%? *Pulls out their axe*

Idia: *Surprised* H-How did you do that?

MC/Yuu Pines: Do what?

Idia: You cursed.

MC/Yuu Pines: Oh! You mean #$@%? Yeah, for some reason, my world couldn’t stand curse words. Or this. *Pulls out the middle finger*

[Then a flyer flies in blocking their hand.]

Idia: *Perplexed* W-What is with this world’s settings?!

MC/Yuu Pines: *Shrugs* I don’t know and it’s the Grunkle influence. *Kills a troll behind them*

✨Reblogs help creators and creates more content✨

[whitelotusherald]

I said I may or may not write my opinion about Blue Eye Samurai and guess who finished the first season and felt like sharing some stupid thoughts! (Gonna use they/them pronouns for Mizu - I think the creators' been using she/her but they just have that vibe, sorry.)

First of all, I'm NOT gonna praise it and say this is the best animated series I've ever seen in the samurai genre - this show is at most an okay copy/retelling of the classic Japanese revenge stories, however, it is still captivating.

For me, it felt like a mixture of two of my fav stories, namely Kaze Hikaru and Bakumatsu Kikansetsu. Mizu is pretty much like Kaze Hikaru's Sei (though a hundred times stronger and a million times more bloodthirsty with just an ounce of mercy) with a though start in life thanks to links to the Western world, losing family and wanting revenge so much that both of them end up leading the life of a man, often encountering how much better they are off in this role. On the other hand the whole show's vibe and Mizu's design remind me of Bakumatsu Kikansetsu's more serious tones and its hero, Akizuki - mysterious dude with unconventional clothing, blue eyes, a badass special sword, with the occasional rampage. Maybe my nostalgia towards both stories made me watch this one within a day.

The mix of Japanese and American storytelling was fun, although I must say that the baddies lacking complexity whatsoever made me itch sometimes. (Except for one dude, who really managed to fool me for so long.) Fowler is plain and boring, the most typical big brute Western guy they could depict, though it's fun to think this was an intentional copying of similar anime archetypes of Western characters. Taigen felt like a cheap imitation of Zuko being honor-bound but getting his ass constantly kicked, but who, by the end of the day, seemed to learn nothing. Ringo was fun and proved to be a million times useful indeed, though he just went and followed his heart in the twenty-fourth hour instead of his common sense, not helping those who would've needed it after all (though in the end it seemed like his help was not even needed lol).

Ah yes, this was my big problem with the show. Sometimes people just went to do stuff that... resulted in nothing. Like. Okay, go, warn people of imminent danger but what is the use when they can just...spot the danger like five minutes later without the warning and those minutes make zero difference? Ringo almost abandoned Mizu several times just to go after them eventually, for what?

But the series also offered some very clever ideas. For example, I truly thought that "oh my god are we going to get a two floors/episode fight or what? getting to Fowler will be like a stupid video game" just to have some pleasant surprise instead. Mizu's weapon... I'm not gonna go into that because I'm so in love with it! The red-light district and Madame Kaji and her girls were also A+ content.

This is again, something the show handled tastefully. Since anime can't show nudity without censorship (I think that law still exists?), I don't think there's any show, hentai or not where they could've got away with these sex scenes, but in an American animation on Netflix? No problem. I'm really not a fan of hentai or this type of mature content (I'd choose the most disgusting gore over it any time) but didn't bother me that we had a sex scene in every episode. (Maybe except in the last one.)

As for Mizu. Their whole aesthetics is so badass. You cannot not fall in love with them, ruthlessness or not. I know their whole character is built upon the fact that women couldn't get their revenge in the shogunate's era thanks to the strict patriarchy, and really, the most a women could achieve was rather Akemi's path. However, there are a few instances where it's not that easy to decide whether they are just pissed to be looked down upon as a woman, want to keep their secret, or there's more than that. They might be considered an unconventional woman who could never be satisfied with the traditional roles of women. One, who is forced to take on the role of a boy and does not know how to forget that when they can return to their womanhood. But that womanhood also feels forced. As if they're just simply outside of this whole shit that dudes are honorable samurai (or artisans / farmers / merchants), women are cooking and raising kids. That's part of the reason why I loved the idea that their sword is actually multifunctional and can be used as a naginata. Naginata became the weapon of women in the Edo era, so even though we're not there yet, it seems to have more feminine connotations than a katana. This double-shape of their weapon seems to reflect their soul. This is further emphasized by their outcast half-breed status, which, again, means they're not entirely one, not entirely the other.

Anyway.

Go watch the show.

It's worth it. Mizu is like some cockroach that refuses to die and kills at least a hundred people and just wants to be left alone to kill their enemies.

Please, watch it, otherwise we may never get to know how the fuck will white dudes die by the hands of a lowly half-breed who has the most crazy and determined eyes you've ever seen.

[masteraqua]

ok so that post made me want to pull out recoded, and for nostalgia's sake i went into the avatar menu to read all the avatar sector levels i collected back in the day because i remembered them being really funny (spoiler alert they're still hilarious)

but then i started wondering if...those are even common knowledge? the game is more than a decade old now and it was never very popular to begin with so it wouldn't exactly surprise me if people weren't aware of this one obscure mechanic hidden in the optional game mode

so i guess if you're not aware, recoded had a (hugely fun vastly underrated) mode called the avatar menu, whose intended purpose was to let you collect parts for your avatar by connecting with other players via tag mode (essentially streetpass). when you made a connection, you'd receive an avatar sector floor (combat level) that would be added to a library of levels you could play for fun. every level would have the avatar of the person you tagged displayed alongside it, as well as their DS profile

but what if you live literally anywhere that's not japan and finding another human being who owns the game had similar odds to winning the lottery?? what then squeenix???

well not to worry, o friendless teenager, they've got you covered! the wonderful devs in charge of the avatar menu created a whole host of predesigned avatars that could be used collect levels, complete with their own profiles full of delightful flavor text. most of these preset avatars were based on kh and ff characters (even ones that didn't appear in the series like the ff13 cast!) and they're absolutely adorable

the catch is that, in order to collect these guys, you had to use tag mode in conjunction with another Nintendo system. in my case, i connected through one of the channels on the wii, but according to the wiki, you apparently could also use picto chat on a second DS, which i did not know!

the devs probably did not intend for players to abuse this feature and spend hours downloading dozens of avatar sector levels with which to expand their avatar's closet, but by golly that's what 15 year old me did. what can i say, i like dressup games 🤷‍♀️

anyway, that's a brief overview of the secret preset avatars. i'm not sure how many of them there are total but i have about 60 of them in my collection. but i only learned about them from reading forums circa 2011 so, as previously stated, it's probably not super well known info in this day and age lol

anyway here are some of my favorite avatar profiles in my library:

"forced laugher" still kills me

you might want to talk to someone about that my dude

the tina shoutout LOL

NOOOOOOO 😭😭😭 but also nice touch with the 14 trophies

and last but not least, we stan a gnc fashion disaster!!!!

[blackplaaague]

My fatal flaw is that, despite the tiktokification of analogue and digital indie horror, and the fact that everyone treats media as something to mindlessly consume, I genuinely enjoy stuff like Lacey's Games, Chezzkids Archive, FNaF VHS, WTD, TWOMP, and The Walten Files.

I can tell a lot of time went into making them, and the creators are very proud of all the effort that went into producing something they thought was spooky and fun, even if a bunch of ipad kids and hobbyless trolls spam every comment section as tiktok slowly consumes any of the series' remaining dignity.

I like this stuff, though. They remind me of being 11 years old, crouched over the family computer, with the screen slightly tilted so my parents can't see I'm reading Creepypastas, wholeheartedly believing in stuff like The Backrooms and Jeff the Killer and the Russian Sleep experiment.

Spooky internet stuff is escapism for me, so I don't care if it's not "dignified horror" because dignified horror isn't even a thing. You just make whatever you think is scary and you show it to people.

I don't think analogue/digital stuff made by, like, a team of 3 people needs to be super sophisticated and the pinnacle of all art, I just like the nostalgia of finding something made by some dude on the internet and watching it till midnight. I think we should be allowed to enjoy stuff that makes us happy, even if it's cringe or weird or has bad sound mixing and plot holes and stuff.

People have been making goofy, creepy stuff since the dawn of the internet, and it doesn't have to mean anything. And if it means something to someone? Respect that.

I hate all the stuff big companies are pumping out mindlessly, so I may as well enjoy something that doesn't make sense until you've seen six hours or weird blurry lore videos.

[jaybird-redhood]

chapter one ☆ a mutual hatred of sorts

☆ next chapter ☆

series masterlist

add yourself to the taglist!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jason Todd is a dick, and that’s putting it nicely.

See the thing is it’s impossible not to fall into the Wayne orbit when you’ve gotten as close as you have. They have a way of just pulling you in and not letting go.

In your case a chemistry project, knack for Mario Kart, and apartment perfectly placed in the middle of a certain red and yellow moron’s patrol route led to your spot in the bat’s clan. (And the subsequent need to clear out your closet for the obscene amount of first aid supplies that kept showing up in odd places.)

So, an accidental acquisition of the secret identity of one birdy (which really wasn’t Tim’s fault, sleep deprivation and a worried friend work wonders for uncovering secrets), led to the identities of all the bats, and soon you have the honor of getting fitted with top-of-the-line security in your apartment courtesy of Mr. Batman himself.

However, with the introduction of some of the bats came the introduction of all of them.

Including Jason.

A literal piece of shit.

“You know, he’s actually not that bad when you get to know him,” says Tim, head on the arm of your sofa.

“Yeah, one time I thought he was going to punch me,” Steph chimes in, “but then he like swerved at the last minute and knocked out the dude behind me.”

An almost comical look of contemplation crosses over her face before you can see an even more comical frown.

“He did let me get stabbed by that other dude though,” she says.

“So what, he feels complete indifference? Like that’s really any better?” you ask them. “He’s an asshole to you guys and you let him be because of nostalgia or some shit.”

“He’s actually pretty nice I swear you just have to give him a chance to prove it to you.”

You sit up from where your head was on Steph’s lap to glare at Tim.

“He broke into my apartment last week at like 6 in the morning to steal my last donut that I was saving and flipped me off when I nearly had a heart attack and threw a book at him.”

“His nearest safehouse is like half an hour away and he has 8am classes in the opposite direction on Wednesdays,” Tim tries to justify.

“And to be fair,” Steph throws in, “flipping you off may have been because of the book not because of the throwing.”

“Yeah, if had been like a lamp or something you probably would’ve been in the clear.”

“Ok fine,” you say, “what about the time that you twisted your ankle and he filmed you hobbling back to my apartment in pain instead of helping you.”

Tim rolls his eyes at you.

“It was a twisted ankle! That’s not even that bad I was fine.”

You give him your best glare, though your view is slightly obscured thanks to Steph’s arm on your face.

It seems to pay off though when Tim whines, “Shut up I really was!”

Steph snorts at that comment.

“You texted me saying you were dying.”

“Seriously Timmy? God you’re dramatic,” you chide. “That’s not even the point though, he sent me the video he took of it happening the next day with the caption- and I quote- ‘lol’”

You can hear a chuckle from his end of the couch.

“No! Not funny! He let you suffer and then laughed about it!” you groan, throwing the pillow next to you at him.

“That was the same week that you came to the manor and took the bookmark out of the book he was reading,” Steph points out.

You sit up to face her, blurting, “That was a minor inconvenience at best, and that was revenge for the-”

“And the day after you stole the bookmark you got a hold of his laptop and renamed all his case files to romcom movie titles,” Tim cuts you off.

This time you smack him, and he has the decency to not look offended as he rubs his arm.

“Only because the night before he came into my place and doused my couch in blood!” you shout, arms flailing. “When I woke up I thought someone had been murdered in there! You try cleaning that much blood out of green linen!”

Steph starts stroking your hair, and as patronizing as it is you can’t help but lean slightly into it.

Stupid comforting best friend.

“You know what,” she says, “you’re right. Jason is such an awful person and you’ve been through so much you poor, poor, thing.”

“Shut up with the fucking baby voice I’m too old for this shit,” you moan, slinking down onto the cool floor.

Steph lets out an offended squeal.

“You’re not even that much older than us!”

Tim follows that up with a cough that sounds suspiciously like, “mentally two years younger.”

You take that as your cue, getting up from off the floor to walk to your door and open it.

“All right that’s it out of my apartment jerks,” you say, before being hit with a brutal chorus of ‘we-haven’t-finished-the-movie-yets’.

You’ve learned by now to ignore them, but the way Tim is looking at you like you’ve just murdered his dog is making it hard.

“You’re rich enough that you don’t need to watch it on my Netflix account,” you protest, “go buy the film studio or some shit.”

They stop whining, but with the silence comes a barrage of puppy-dog eyes on Steph’s part.

You sigh, looking up at the ceiling for a considerable moment before pointing at the door. They both begrudgingly stand and pick up their bags, dragging their feet towards the door.

“Highly trained vigilantes my ass,” you say under your breath.

When they are both standing outside your apartment you feel a touch worse about kicking them out.

“You guys know I love hanging out with you,” you say apologetically.

They both frown.

“I have an essay to write that will not get written with the both of you here.”

Then Tim smiles?

He steps back in and says, “What I’m hearing is that one of us can stay! Bye Steph!” and with an unapologetic grin shuts the door in Steph’s face.

You glower at him, opening the door back up again, pushing him out with “Bye Tim”, and closing the door in his face this time.

“I hate you,” comes a muffled shout.

“Hate you more,” you reply.

You stand head against the door until you can no longer hear them clamoring down the stairs.

One last deep breath, you think, before trying to deal with your paper.

When you turn around your eyes widen. You barely have time to register the vaguely familiar figure before your instincts kick in.

And you punch him directly in the face.

Shit.

“Jesus you fuckhead!” Jason yelps, holding his face in one of his hands. “Your first reaction is to nail me in the jaw instead of, I don’t know, screaming or some normal shit!”

A quick once over determines he isn’t injured enough to warrant a scolding from Tim if you’re a little mean. Just a few knife wounds that look pretty shallow.

“Just be glad it was your pretty little jaw,” you smile sweetly. “It’ll be your dick next time you sneaky little bastard.”

He drops his hand from its place on his jaw, pacing scarily close to your couch, and only taking a few steps back towards the kitchen table when you make eye contact.

“You think I’m pretty?” he asks coyly, turning around to face you.

Even a silent reminder to breathe can’t stop you from cursing at him under your breath.

“Of course that’s what you take away from this conversation,” you snark, “not the direct threat.”

“I’m too pretty for threats,” he quips with the worse grin you’ve ever seen.

You scowl at him, picking your laptop off the table and bringing it to the couch to get comfortable.

“The med supplies are where they always are,” you tell him flatly. “Tim brought more by a week ago. Take what you need and leave.”

He flashes you a mock salute and spins around.

“If I see any blood anywhere other than the trashcan,” you shout to him, “I will not hesitate to make that threat reality.”

“I am going to fucking kill you,” he shouts back.

Unfortunately for you armor and several guns strapped to a body readily increases one’s intimidation factor.

You listen for a while at the rustling of fabric and crinkling of sterile bandage wrappers.

It isn’t until you hear his boots clanking and the metallic sound of a grappling hook that you realize he’s on the ledge of your window about to leave.

He’s not wearing his helmet, just a domino, his torso wrapped in white.

Your gaze catches his eyes.

You’re surprised to find them on you.

Tilting your head to the side, you give him a forced smile, and blow a mock kiss at him.

He grimaces immediately, mirrors your fake little smile and catches your kiss, flipping you off in the process.

‘Asshole,’ you think, and watch him swing out your window before opening your file back up.

☆ next chapter ☆