#oli white dirty

[xxbimbobunnyxx]

Being Weird Is Cool

(SingleDad!Eddie Munson x SingleMom!Reader)

Summary: You and your son are new to Hawkins and meet Eddie and his daughter at the park. WK: 1.7K

Warnings: None really, this is just a fluffy sweet little self indulgent meet cute. Eddie and Reader are in their mid 20s and their kids are around 5 going into Kindergarten. Modern AU. Reader is implied to be alternative but it doesn’t have to be read that way.🩵 But as always, my blog is still 18+

A/N: So this is just a cute little blurb that came to me. I always see single dad Eddie but I hardly ever see single mom reader so I thought this would be cuteee. My son has a speech condition and I never see kids with special needs in fics so this is just something small n cute n close to my heart. Maybe I’ll turn it into a series of blurbs about these four, we will see. If anyone has any ideas/requests for these four I’d totally be open to writing them. 🤭🖤Part 2 - My Masterlist - Series Masterlist

“Excuse me, is that your child?”

You looked up from your phone, hearing the voice of an irritated sounding woman, ready to defend your son at a moment's notice. But when you looked up she wasn’t talking to you, she was standing in front of the man who was sitting on the bench next to yours. A scowl on her face, her hands on her hips, and a pudgy little boy with tears in his eyes and chocolate smudged all over him by her side. She tilted her head towards the little girl across the playground that had been playing with your son since you got here. She was very clearly this man’s daughter by the way the unruly brown curls on their heads matched. She was sitting on the ground next to your son with her hand on his shoulder, seemingly comforting him.

“Yeah, she’s mine. What’s up?” The man sounded annoyed, rightfully so.

“Well, she just made my son cry.” The woman scoffed.

He raised an eyebrow at her, looking at your kids then back at her.

“What happened?”

“Apparently she yelled in his face and pushed him over, you really need to teach your daughter how to behave.” The woman’s dirty blonde ponytail that was so tight it looked like it was going to make her eyes bulge he out of her head waved from side to side as she spoke.

“Charlotte! Can you come over here please?” The man called to his daughter, waving her over.

You watched as she stood, dusting wood chips off her black white colored dress before reaching her hand out to your son. She pulled him behind her as she walked over with a determined look on her face.

“Daddy! That little boy was mean to my friend! He told him he was weird and was mocking fun of his voice!” She stomped a little black booted foot and pointed her finger towards the boy in question.

“Charlotte… honey, did you push him over?” He asked her as he stood to his feet, crouching down so he was eye level with her.

At this point you had fully turned your body in their direction, ready to intervene.

“Oli, are you okay baby?” You asked him gently.

“Mommy!!!” He ran over to you and wrapped his arms around your legs, burying his face into your knees.

“What happened honey?” You ran your fingers through his hair and he buried his face further into you. You look over at the man beside you, who looks at you apologetically before turning back to his daughter.

“Char… did you push that boy over there?”

“Yes! But-“

“Hey, no buts, okay? We don’t push people no matter what they do, it's not okay to push.” He told her and he gently rested a large ringed hand on her little shoulder.

“Okay daddy…” she looked down at her little feet with her hands behind her back, bashful.

“Now, do you want to tell me what happened? Calmly.” He titled his head so she was looking him in the eyes again and she pouted. “Come on baby, we can’t fix it if we don’t know.”

“Her PUSHED me! I was just trying play with them and she yelled and pushed!” The little boy spoke up, pointing at her from behind his moms legs.

“No! No! Mean!” Your son, Oliver, who was normally very soft spoken and shy raised his head from your knees to yell at the other boy.

“Okay whoa whoa whoa, let’s everybody calm down.” You looked down at Oli and smiled, rubbing soft circles on his back to try and keep him calm.

“Hey sweetie, your name is Charlotte, right?” You asked her.

“Mhm” She stuck her bottom lip out and nodded.

“Can you tell us what happened please?”

“Yes! That kid!” She pointed and glared at the chocolate covered boy “was being mean to MY new friend! He was mocking fun of his voice and calling him weird! But that’s just not nice!”

It didn’t take you long to figure out what she meant, Oliver was a late talker and very shy. He didn’t talk much and when he did it was only to people he was comfortable with. This wasn’t the first and probably wouldn’t be the last time this happened. Most parents didn’t take the time to teach their kids that everyone is different so you’ve had to take it upon yourself to explain it to them on more than one occasion.

“So that other little boy was being mean to Oli about his voice and you stood up for him, right?”

“Yes! I didn’t want him to play with us and he wouldn’t go away and kept mocking fun of him! so I told him my dad said being weird is cool and I MADE him go away!” She was still stomping her little foot and pointing her little finger at the kid and you had to hold in a laugh at how cute she was.

“Well thank you for standing up for him honey, that’s very sweet of you. But I don’t think your daddy wants you to push people even if they’re mean, right?” You look over to her dad and make eye contact, silently asking for backup.

“Yeah baby, it’s very nice of you to stand up for your friend but I want you to apologize to that little boy for pushing him over, okay?” He put his hand on her back and tilted his head toward the boy and his mother.

“Well is him gonna say sorry? To my friend?” She narrowed her eyes at her father and looked between him and the other child.

“He has nothing to say sorry for! You pushed him! And maybe his mother needs to teach him how to communicate better!” She definitely should not have fucking said that.

“Fucking excuse me???” You stood up and walked past Oliver and straight up to the woman’s pinched face. “We were trying to do the right thing and teach our kids that hitting is never okay but if you want to play it like that?? Okay. How about you teach your son how to treat people? That everyone’s different and it’s not okay to just talk down to people because you don’t understand them? How about you wipe his fucking face and get the fuck out of mine before I show them that maybe hitting isn’t so bad after all.” You practically growled, your eyes boring into hers.

“You people are fucking insane, who let people like you even have children??” She gasped before turning on her heel and leaving the park, dragging her son behind her.

“Fucking bitch.” You scoffed, turning to Oliver and crouching down in front of him. “You okay baby?”

“Yeah mama, okay.” He smiled at you and gave you a thumbs up.

“That was fucking awesome.” The man next to you chuckled and slapped his thigh. “Her face!! She couldn’t even believe you were talking to her like that!!” He laughed.

You looked over at him and smiled, this was the first time you were really looking at him and wow. He was beautiful. You had already noticed his hair but now that you’re looking directly at him you can see his pretty brown eyes, and plush pink lips. When he smiles you see two cute little dimples appear on each side of his mouth and he’s dressed really cute too. Ripped jeans, old band tee, beat up sneakers and a leather jacket. Damn.

“I promise you that is not the first time I’ve dealt with a woman like that and I’m positive it will not be the last.” You chuckled.

“Well you handled it like a goddess, if I was a woman I might’ve punched her.”

“Well I absolutely wanted to.” You both started busting up laughing.

“I’m Eddie, by the way, and you already met Charlotte.” He smiled at you and extended his hand, you took it and told him your name in return.

“And this is Oliver, who you already kinda sorta not really met.” You gestured to your son and Charlotte came bounding over.

“Oli! You want play with me still?” She smiled big at him.

“Yep! Mhm!” He clapped.

“Gotta catch meeeee then!!!!” She ran off towards the playground and he went chasing after her.

“You’re a good dad, not a lot of kids take the time to understand that other kids are different, just because they aren’t taught that at home. You clearly teach her well.” You said with a smile.

“Yeah, I try to teach her that everyone’s different. I mean look at me, it’s not like I had the easiest time growing up, or even now other parents judge me and look down on me for being a single dad and well, just being me. I never want her to feel like that.” He watched his daughter run after your son with a fond smile.

“Yeah” You looked down at your own ripped jean shorts and tights and smiled. “Yeah, I think I get that.”

“Are you guys new in town? I haven’t seen you around and I think I’ve seen everyone in this town at least once”

“Oh, yeah, me and him just moved here last week so we don’t really know anyone yet. I’m hoping once the kids start school next month he will have a bit of an easier time making friends.” You sighed. “He’s just really shy, he has a hard time talking and he gets really nervous.”

“Well, it looks like he already has one friend.” He smiled at you and pointed towards the playground where Oli was pushing Charlotte on the swing.

“Looks like it.” You looked over at Eddie and smiled.

“And that goes for you too, you know? You have one friend now too, if you want.” He smiled at you hopefully, those cute dimples showing.

“Yeah? I think I’d like that.” You felt your face warm when you smiled back at him.

“We were going to get ice cream after this, do you guys want to come? It’s just down the street we usually walk from here.”

“That actually sounds really nice Eddie, thank you.”

“KIDS!!! Ice cream!!?!!” He yelled the magic words and huge grins spread across both their faces as they came running full speed towards you.

Maybe Hawkins wouldn’t be so bad.

[fritz-federleicht]

Maid dress/ Oliver Sykes x reader

Summary: Oli asks you to put on a maid dress

Warnings: dirty talk, your ass is seen briefly

Words: 953

"Honey I have something for you." Oli enters the room and holds something out.

"What's this?" You take it. Oli grins proudly.

"Please put this on."

"Oli where did you get that?" In your hands is a far too short black and white maid's dress. You run your fingers over the soft fabric.

"I saw it on a website and thought it would suit you." He takes the dress from your hand and holds it in front of your body. You look down at yourself. "It's so short." You say listlessly.

"Oh yes it is." He says dirty and winks at you with a cheeky grin. You punch him in the chest. He pouts.

"I'm not wearing that. Forget it!" You shake your head.

"Why not? You'll look beautiful in it."

"No!"

"Oh come on." He follows you, "I'll dress it after you." You stop aprubtly at this statement.

Slowly, you turn around. "You're putting it on?"

Oli nods hesitantly. "Yes." You giggle, the thought of Oli in that little dress is just wonderful, you stand in front of him laughing.

He crosses his arms. "So you'll do it?"

You gasp and straighten up with tears in your eyes. "Mhmm."

Oli wipes the tears away with his thumbs. "Thanks honey, that means a lot." He gently kisses your nose.

"Me too. After all, I'm going to see you in that beautiful way too short dress." Now you're grinning cheekily at him.

He hugs your waist and whispers in your ear. "I'll do anything to admire you in it." You take a deep breath. Oli kisses your temple, grinning. "So now you know what you have to do."

You roll your eyes and take the maid's dress from his hands. You want to go into another room to change, but Oli clasps your wrist.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to change."

"You can do that here too." You give him a death stare, immediately he lets go of you.

"I'll be right back." You leave the room.

Shortly after, you enter it again. Oli has made himself comfortable on a chair. When he sees you, his eyes open wide. His mouth is open in amazement.

You are so embarrassed by the situation that you turn around. And because the dress is really not that long it slips up. For a short time your ass is visible. Quickly you tug the skirt and blush. Olis staring look burns in your back.

You slap your forehead inwardly. Why did you let yourself get involved?

"Wow it fits perfectly. Your body is...a work of art." Oli motions. "Why don't you turn around?"

You shake your head. Oli stands behind you, spinning you in his arms.

Your red face stares against his chest in shame. He puts his finger under your chin, forcing you to look at him.

"You look beautiful." His eyes full of adoration.

You screw up your face. "But why did it have to be a dress like that? Couldn't it have been a nice long summer dress?" You emphasize the word long.

Oli shrugs his shoulders. "With a long summer dress, I wouldn't have caught a glimpse of your beau..." You press your hand over his mouth.

"Don't you dare keep talking. This is so embarrassing." You feel him placing light kisses on your palm. His eyes plead for forgiveness.

A slight smile settles on your lips. "You're sweet, but don't think I forgot. Now it's your turn!" You release your hand from his mouth.

Immediately, he starts to contradict. "Do I really have to? Wouldn't you rather keep that dress on? You look stunning in it." He pulls the skirt apart to admire it's beauty.

"No I don't. You have to keep your promise. Come on, I did it too even though I didn't want to."

Oli lowers his head. "Alright." You clap your hands and go to change.

Afterwards, you press the dress into his hand. While you sit down on the chair, Oli takes off his t-shirt and pants.

"Y/N the dress won't close." He whines. You grin. He stands in front of you with his arms bent, his black underpants peeking out.

"Honey, it fits perfectly. Your body is a work of art." You repeat his words and burst out laughing.

He stares at you with an emotionless look, waiting for you to calm down again. Unfortunately, it makes the whole thing even funnier.

At some point he starts to smile slightly.

You stand up laughing, your hands run over his arms until you lace your hands.

"No really honey, you look wonderful. It's the size. If it is a few sizes bigger you can perform like this at the next concert." By now you've calmed down, the tears of laughter still glistening on your cheeks.

"You always cry when you're happy." Again he wipes your tears away with his thumbs. He looks down on himself. "I think it's kind of good."

You look him seriously in the eyes. "Now you can admit it. You actually ordered it for yourself so you could try it on, but you saw that it was too small and turned it on me."

"No I didn't. It was for you." He combs his fingers through your hair. "You can keep it, you don't have to wear it in public. There are still other opportunities, after all." He winks at you.

"Why are you so filthy today?" You just turn around and leave him standing there in his maid's dress.

He calls after you. "I'm always like this Y/N, always."

[hcwells]

[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed { oliver howell } walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who { he } is ? they kind of look like { leo woodall } and i could be wrong but i think that they might be { twenty eight } years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last { twenty eight years }. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of { cameron sullivan } from { the white lotus }. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at { the salty sailor bar } as a { bartender }. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the { the philophobe } of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty { dismissive } at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty { flirtatious } to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that { two bedroom } apartment beside me over in { sunny shore }. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you!  { rae. 27. she/her. gmt. }

triggers: addiction, alcoholism, overdose, domestic violence, child abuse! please read ahead with caution as all of the above is mentioned consistently throughout.

Oliver didn't grow up with much. Money wasn't a thing, new clothes were unheard of and he was lucky to even get food put on the table at times. He thinks of his childhood and he remembers a tiny dirty apartment, he remembers his parents screaming at each other and he remembers hiding away in his room.

His dad was around but he may as well have not have been. He was a drug addict, an alcoholic, most days he was passed out on the couch drunk or high and the times that he wasn't he was screaming at Oli's mother, hitting her and when he was done there he heard the footsteps making their way to his room. It was his turn next.

Up until he was 13 years old Oli was a quiet kid. He didn't want to talk to anybody his age, he didn't want to talk to adults, teachers were a definite no. If he didn't talk then people didn't ask and that is how he wanted to keep it. He had bruises? He wasn't going to respond anyway so why ask?

At 13 his life changed. His mother was at work, she was a cleaner at some place, he had finished school and walked it all the way home. He opened the door and his dad was in the usual spot.. passed out on the couch. Oliver went on with his routine of putting away his things quietly, making his way to the kitchen and rummaging for any kind of food he could find quietly.. except he knocked over a glass cup causing it to fall out of the cupboard and smash on the ground. He froze. He was scared, unable to move and waiting for his dad to wake up and the inevitable to happen but it didn't.

After 5 or so minutes Oli realised his dad wasn't getting up to come and hit him. His dad hadn't even moved a muscle. Finally allowing himself to breathe and move away from the glass he cleaned up the evidence and then slowly made his way into the living room and over to his dad lay down asleep.

Turns out his dad wasn't asleep but dead. Overdose. Anybody would be upset to lose a parents but not Oliver, he finally felt free. He was at peace. This was for the better. He didn't have a phone so he had to walk to the apartment next door and for the first time ever speak to his neighbour, the neighbours that heard every fight, every plate smash against a wall, every cry for help. His first words to them being by dad is dead on the couch.

Oli graduated school with terrible grades and had no idea what he wanted out of life. He was confused but free from his dad and that's all he really cared about. he started living his life to the best of his ability, got a job working in a bar and just lived life as it came to him. He figured out he enjoyed partying, whether he drank or not he had a great time. He was always a little cautious when he drank because his dad was in the back of his mind and he was the last person he wanted to become, he stayed clear of drugs completely and still refuses to touch them to this day.

Emotionally he's quite shut off, he doesn't like the idea of allowing anyone the opportunity to hurt him. His kind of upbringing would do that to a person. He's seen his mother and himself go through shit. One of the people who were supposed to take care of him, shelter him and love him unconditionally put him through the worst. Once he feels as though somebody is breaking down his wall he freaks out and acts out.

HEADCANONS

He gets a little grumpy when he's sleepy, he doesn't mean to get so snappy and will pretend it never happened the next day or after his nap.

When he's anxious or in uncomfortable situations he tends to start cracking jokes.

He keeps his room pristine. He grew up living in filth and mess so now he can't stand to be around it.

He saves as much as he can because he doesn't want to end up living with nothing again.

Oli's longets relationship was with Alyssa. This ended when she caught him cheating.

[dagarbagerat]

Younger Oli garbage rat headcanons including: he knows some French from living in Paris; he dreamed of being and tried to be a “normal” rat while in Paris (especially around Remy); his fur is actually white when cleaned; and kid Oli and Shubble were both as dirty as Oli is today (but Oli’s splotches were in different locations since he cleaned up for a bit).

Not quite pictured but also: Remy was kinda proof to him that changing who you were meant you could do more and Remy’s death was the catalyst that drove him to be a garbage rat again because changing who he was didn’t provide any protection.

[ice-cap-k]

By the Light of Santa Perla

Day 2 of Whumptober. Is this Whump yet?

Cross-posted on AO3 here: By the Light of Santa Perla

_____________________________________

Sausage scratched at the walls of his cell mindlessly. The rough-hewn stone had already worn down his fingernails to nubs. The skin beneath tore open wider and wider with every scrape against the rock. A red stain was spreading out in an arc with every motion. It was small for now but would grow as the blood accumulated and dripped down in little red rivulets, just like before. 

Red like the granite and bricks in the roofs and walls of the Sanctuary he built for himself. He could do so much better than the sorry excuse for a builder that put this place together. If they had put him in charge, he could have made the cells just as bleak and intimidating. Moreso, even. Vaulted ceilings and a more interesting mix of colors and materials could strike fear into hearts better than a stone brick box. This place could use more black. More red. Red carpets. Red masonry. Red sheep… no. He shook his head, though nobody was around to see it. No red sheep. That was a different life. He was an angel now.

His wings dragged the floor behind him as he scratched away. White feathers were stained brown and grey where they mopped up the damp and grime. Bent and broken primary shafts scraped across the floor with every twitch of his shoulder muscles, and if he were to stand up and pace the length of the room, then some of the looser, more damaged ones would fall in a trail behind him. The rotten patches were more numerous among the primaries at the far ends of his wings. Only when the rot started to fester on the coverts close to his muscle and bone did he start ripping out feathers to keep it from settling as an infection. Feathers could grow back. Wings could not regrow. Unless he died again, but that was impossible. This was his last life. The life after all others. A gift from Santa Perla. He wouldn’t throw it away needlessly.

So many others had already done so. Scott, Jimmy, Gem... Flickering lights that flared too bright and fizzled out as one by one they burned through their lives. He hadn’t been the only one left when he left the cathedral. Oli was still back there, and he hadn’t seen Joey or Shubble for a while. They could have still been around. But that world was so brutal. A life in itself is so fragile. He had lost track of how much time he had been there. Months? He hadn’t thought to keep count of the sunsets or sunrises. And by the time that it occurred to him to keep track, would anyone be left to find him If he came crashing back down?

Scratch.

Scritch.

Scratch.

Maybe he should have died. Let it end on the whims of fate like his friends. As far as he knew, he was the only one that chose to leave. And that had backfired royally. The guiding light of the moon had been good to him. Smiled on him with all the warmth and radiance of his goddess, promising direct passage to her waiting arms. The wind had practically swelled beneath his once pristine feathers, spurned on by the heartfelt tribute Oli sang for him as he departed. It was a beautiful hymn. Oli always had a talent for music. He hadn’t felt alone then.

But now he was. He was alone. Alone. Alone. Alone alone alone alone alone alone alone-

Sausage’s head twitched sharply, rattling with a hollow thunk as it bounced off the wall. None of that. Not now. Not today. Not tonight? Was it tonight yet? One look at the little window across the room framed an empty square of navy. Soon, but not quite. 

Scritch.

Scratch.

.Sometimes he imagined he wasn’t. Alone, that is. He was good at coming up with voices. And he knew his friends. They may have moved on to somewhere he couldn’t reach, but his memories remain vivid and bright. Being left to sit in a dirty grey box for so long had done nothing to dull their sparkle.

He pulled his hands away from the wall. One finger swiped absently at his lip. He licked away the blood still pooling at the ragged edge of his fingernail. “What do you think, Scott? You’ve got an eye for design. I think this place could use a bit more red.”

There was no answer. He had to fill that space himself.

Scott’s voice was a bit more nasally. A bit softer spoken. He couldn’t do the accent justice, but he tried. “Red? You always go red. You’re not planning on starting some blood cult again are you?”

“What? Me? No way. That’s crazy. You know I’d never do anything like that, heheheh.”

No answer. Oh right. Scott had to answer.

“Likely story. Those walls aren’t helping your case, mister.”

Sausage waved away the jab, switching back to his own natural voice. “You’re one to talk. You spent one of your lifetimes as an actual vampire. I don’t know why I even asked you. All of your builds are teal.”

“Yes, and they’re all on point, thank you very much.”

“Got me there buddy. What do you think, Gem? Psst! Gem!” He lowered his voice. “Back me up here.”

Silence. He had to fill that void to. “You know Scott,” he trilled, dropping Scott’s accent and pitching up his voice. “Sausage has a point. Red is a lovely color that can be used in a lot of good designs. Especially ones that don’t involve blood magic.”

“You too, Gem?! You too? Betrayal! Oh the humanity. That wasn’t even during this adventure. I’ll have you know that I am a changed man. An Angel! Remember?”

“I thought those were just for show.” A new voice this time. Teasing and scratchy, more self-assured than it had much right to be.

“You stay out of this Jimmy! Or do you want us to go back to teasing you?”

“WHAAT!”

Sausage couldn’t do Jimmy’s shout of exasperation justice. It just didn’t sound like him. He laughed, dropping the voices completely. He instead folded his arms across the tops of his knees and let his head drop. Forehead bounced on his forearm before settling. Too long strands of brown hair slipped down along his head. Draped along the sides of his knees. Eyes screwed shut against a tide of tears. He made no effort to keep the shake out of his lungs. Didn’t try to stifle the sobs as they rose with his shoulders. Why bother to hide it? There wasn’t anyone around to care that he was crying. 

It was about all he had left. There was no way out. No food. No tools. Nothing that he could use to damage himself and put an end to it all, not that he would. But the thought was starting to grow tempting. 

The people who had snatched him had been lucky that he had left behind his worldly possessions. Had he thought to bring his sword, he would have smote them with divine and righteous fury. 

They were committing a crime against the heavens by keeping him here. But his captors were clever. He hadn’t crossed the threshold to the true Afterlife yet when they found him. Had yet to reach the world beyond the world. The place where Santa Perla resided. He was no fallen angel, but he was outside the direct influence of the divine. They found him before he could cross that line. 

Even now, his goddess couldn’t reach him. Only look down on him from the silver moon in the sky, the light from which was only visible for an hour between the bars in the only window Sausage’s captors had afforded him. 

He had tried breaking out, of course. That window had been the first thing he tried. The bars were sturdy, but after a few nights started to loosen as he constantly worked at them. His heart had soared the day he managed to knock out the first bar. It fell outside. He never heard the thump or clank of it hitting the ground. The second bar took more time. By then, he was growing tired. He felt low on energy all the time. His captors had not bothered to provide meals over the days. Wiggling the bars a little each day was about all he could manage.

Eventually, the second bar came loose as well. Without it, the window was just an empty gap in the wall above his head. It should have been enough. It should have been an open door to his freedom. But when he managed to crawl up to its ledge, it was all he could do to stick his head through the gap. It was too small to fit through, no matter what angle he tried. His shoulders were too wide. Even without the wings, the window was just too small. 

The next logical conclusion was to make the gap bigger. His options were limited. There were no tools or utensils he could use to chisel away at the wall. That was where the habit of scratching at the walls must have started.

Sausage let his head roll to the side. He eyed the window at the far side of the room through the screen of his hair. The outline of the now star dappled night sky was framed by black and brown. Layers upon layers of dried blood crusted the edges, but from this distance and with the tears still in his eyes, those edges were a bit blurred. He could almost convince himself that the red patches on the sides of the gap were actually curtains. 

The stone block making up the bottom ledge of the window, however, was unmarked. Not a speck of red on it. There had been a different brick there before. One that had been considerably more stained than the others. That had been his last hope. 

It had taken so long, but even rock can be shaped by the friction of bare palms and nails and teeth, if you keep at it long enough. He had kept up as best he could, considering he had been running on empty for who knew how long? Breaks were frequent, but so was his worrying away at the mortar holding the rock in place. He had been foolish enough to get his hopes up when he started noticing the heavy brick getting looser. It got to the point where he could rock it back and forth a little if he pressed at its top hard enough with a severe enough angle. If he could just move that one brick, he could have enough room to fit his head and shoulders out the window. That was all he needed.

But that hope died in his chest when he woke up from one of his mid-day naps to see that someone had replaced the brick and bars while he was passed out. The new mortar was spread out messily from the edges of the new rock. It was already dry to the touch when he managed to stumble within reach. 

Everything he had worked on could be undone in the span of, what? An hour? The futility of all of his efforts hit hard, and he didn’t bother picking himself up after the impact.

“At least I still have you, Santa Perla,” he managed to croak out. As if in response, the edge of a half-moon crested the corner of the little window. Her silver glow washed over him, making his ruined feathers sparkle a brilliant white like they once had.  

It was almost blindingly bright in his dreary box. He raised his head and stretched out an arm towards the window. Shafts of moonlight broke over his fingers and knuckles, wrapping around his wrist like someone taking his hand in theirs. He could almost picture the goddess’s sad smile framed within the bright disk in the sky. 

He leaned into the light, basking in her glory. She couldn’t be with him directly. Couldn’t reach him. But he knew she would stay with him like this for as long as possible, offering what comfort she could.

A smile played at the corner of his lips. He started to pray. The words came to his tongue easily. He knew these words well. It was a prayer he had sent to her every night since he got here. One that he believed deep down would be answered someday.

He prayed for freedom. For deliverance. To one day return to her side as he had fully intended. And that those who saw fit to keep him here burned in the deepest, darkest pit of the Nether.

[the-helper-house]

(oh my god, they never even tried to finish describing the kids, okay hold on…)

(Narrator, otherwise known as Owen, is a pale, surprisingly scrawny kid with messy, long brown hair. He’s wearing a pair of slightly beat-up glasses that do still manage to function, and some clothing seemingly fit for colder weather, a sweater and some pants.)

(Guide, now known as Lauren is a young girl wearing a safari hat and a simple beige tee and shorts. She has shoulder-length hair with a couple braids in the back)

(Connie, or Connor, has black hair that’s surprisingly well-kept, and a jacket that feels almost uncanny for a kid his age to be wearing. Perhaps his mother’s trying to make him a model or something)

(Knock-Off, otherwise known as Oli, when he first arrived here looked the dirtiest of the kids. Not quite anymore because the Helpers seemed to give him a shower, but previously he was the most physically dirty, with raggedy clothes that looked a little too big on him. He wears a worn, beige cap over top a dark mop of hair)

(And finally, Delivery Man, now Elodie, is wearing an outfit similar to what Owen is wearing, something certainly designed for colder weather. He’s wearing a grey, striped sweater and a blue scarf around his neck, with some simple pants designed to protect from the cold. What you may notice is that he no longer has the signature black and white static around him, and his physical form no longer seems to be distorting)

(In fact, all these children just look like that; Normal kids! How interesting! especially opposed to how they looked previously)

[jerichoes]

🎧🎧🎧

one emoji one song right lmao

beaming white by east india youth conversation stretched to fill the night / revelation drained a hole inside / take my thread and hem me in again / there's no dawn to talk of anyway

it's the entire hook cause uuuh?? uuumm?? just look at it???

kicks of consumption by dirty pretty things she tells me other people get the best of me / so maybe she will never get the best of me / there must be a devil at the BBC

something about the way he sings it, idk

ram pam pam by bess tuntuu että olis toinen jalka jo haudas / jos tää on rakkautta niin nyt jumalauta (i swear that I’m almost at the end of my road / but if this is love, then love is not what I want)

i'm putting my trust into strangers on the internet here lmao

[findthebae]

Howdy! I'm known as "The Sheriff" but my name is Jimmy Solidarity! I am from season 2 of Empires SMP, though a but of an alternate timeline where I'm a cow hybrid (was around 6ft with dirty blond hair, horns, white cow ears that had brown splotches, a cow tail, and a non-human nose). I already found Scott and Oli, though I am looking for anyone else that remembers me? Including Hermits from Hermitcraft given the crossover also happened in my timeline!

I miss my Rancher, my Tango Tek dearly and want to find him most of all. We essentially continued our relationship we had from Double Life. He still lived over in the Goblands but we had a small ranch in Tumble Town! He was a frostborn, basically the snowy/ice version of his usual blaze-y self considering he's a dungeon master at the time of him entering the rift?

I'm hesitant to really talk with fWhip or Joel for obvious reasons.

I just really miss my friends and soulmate!

The body is 19 so no one under 18 please! Contact us through DMs or Discord (viridianartist_#8372).

! ! !

[peanutbuttercreamjelly]

Noise - Jack Maynard

Where you live in the apartment a level lower than Jack and you can’t sleep because Jack has way too much fun with a girl.

Warning: Mentions of smut

Ugh, I know it’s short, but I’m thinking about making a part 2 maybe...

It was nearly 2 am, and Y/N couldn’t sleep. She lied awake, actually having to study for her upcoming finals tomorrow, but she was too tired for that. She really wanted to rest, she needed to, but she couldn’t. And there was only one reason why.

Jack Maynard.

Out of all people, he had to live in the apartment above hers. He was the loudest person she had ever met. She didn’t even know when he slept, because there were people over yelling and cheering in the middle of the night, or he would bring random girls home literally 24/7. Two days ago, it had been 9 am, and they were so loud that she did not only hear them in her bedroom, but in her living room, too. Today though, they reached a whole new level of noise. It sounded as if they were about to break the bed. She didn’t mind him having an active sex life, she had one herself, but she didn’t do it so loudly that everybody else in the entire building lied awake and was forced to listen.

Enough was enough. She had an exam tomorrow, she could not go there completely sleep-deprived, so she decided to go up there and disrupt their little... encounter.

She took the lift, went one floor up, and rang his bell. Y/N was surprised that she couldn’t hear them as well as from her bedroom below. When nothing happened, she rang again. And then she just kept ringing until finally, the door opened, revealing a thoroughly fucked out Jack.

“What do you want?”, he asked as he recognized her. She had caught his eye once or twice as they met at the mailboxes or as they shared a lift.

“Look”, Y/N said, “I’m glad you have a healthy sex life and all but will you please try not to pierce a whole through my ceiling with your bed? Thanks.”

She wanted to turn around and go back to bed, finally getting some sleep, but there was something that caught her eye. It was a very prominent, purple hickey that started right at his collarbone. She took a closer look at his state now, finding that his face was flushed, his hair a mess, and his body was bare except for a pair of boxers that he apparently had put on in a rush.

She suddenly became very aware of her soggy pajama pants and her top that, as she discreetly looked down, revealed way more than she wanted. To top it off, she didn’t wear a bra and the chilly air in the hallway made her nipples stand out through the thin fabric. She felt herself blushing, but there was nothing that she could do about it.

“Look, I know we might have been a bit louder, but... we’re done soon, okay?”, Jack said and tried to shut the door.

But Y/N wasn’t having any of it. She placed her foot in between Jack’s door and the frame, wincing slightly as the door squeezed her foot. She hadn’t bothered to put shoes on, she just went up there in fuzzy socks.

“No”, she said. “No, it’s not okay. I have a bloody exam tomorrow and I can’t sleep because you choose to ruin your bed right above of mine. I don’t care what you are doing to her, but keep it low”, she stressed the last few words, “or I’m calling the security guy.” Then she turned around and stomped back to the lift.

Jack really was an idiot, although she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she had had when she saw him like this. Still, she reminded herself, he was an idiot.

Based off this post from @dailyau

[imoonf1]

COOKING WITH DADDY [D.R3]

Masterlist

Open request

Request: yes

Pairing: Dad!Daniel Ricciardo x F! Reader

#5 - coming home to the other one making a huge mess in the kitchen with the child(ren) because they were trying to make cookies

#50 -“Have I told you I love you today?”

Summary: Dad Daniel makes cookies with his son despite his poor kitchen skills

"Put the cup of flour where the mixture is, like that, stop stop sop" Trying to get Olí to stop throwing the flour, half was on the ground and the other in the mixture

"What happened daddy??"

"Nothing mate, come on you have to mix all and then cut the cookie"

cooking cookies should be quick thought Daniel before starting, but he didn't think that with his few culinary skills and a four year old it would take long, that's what he thought two hours ago.

To cook you only needed one container, but in the kitchen sink there were four of them, there were flour stains, dried egg whites on the counter and milk in some places.

"Mommy will like this, Mommy's food is very tasty, I want to cook like her" Oli said with a lot of concentration trying to cut the cookies

"Ohh you're going to do it mate, if mom doesn't kill us first" saying the last part in whispers saying it to himself

"I'M BACK, WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?" the voice was heard from the kitchen

"MOMMYYYY" Oli yelled as she got off Daniel's lap to run towards the entrance of the house

"Heyy babyy, how are you Oli baby??" I told him as I got to his height to hug him

"So good mommy, we are baking cookies with daddy it look very good, I'm going to be like you" As he grabbed me with his little hand to take me to the kitchen

It was impossible not to know my heart squeezed when he said he wanted to look like me or Danny, he was such an observant child and willing to learn about everything, in that sense he looked like Daniel, and he tried to be as careful as possible with everything, in that he was not like Dan, there was no doubt about that.

When Oli had said that he was cooking, I prepared myself not to be surprised by the mess that would be in the kitchen, leaving Daniel there was not a good sign, adding a hyperactive four-year-old child, Sometimes it was like having two children with different bodies

"Hey love" said Daniel waving his hand with a nervous smile

"Hey Dan" returning his greeting and I stood looking at all the mess around

"Have I told you I love you today?"

"Nop" I said looking at him with that little smile and making the P sound loudly

"Well, I love you darling"

"You're lucky I love you, but you're going to clean this up" With a smile as he pointed out all the dirty corners

"LOOK MOMMY, THIS IS SHAPED LIKE A DINOSAUR"

[ask-kiku-and-friends]

Howdy friends. I'm open for asks. (INFO PAGE)

Any asks. You can send Esther(they/them), Japan(he/they), Saturn(she/they), Italy(he/they, but doesn't care too much), Germany(he/him), Elizabeth(they/them), and Tsukasa(any and my version of 2p!Japan/Kuro) asks. Also, Italy and Germany are dating and have been for 2 years.

Sometimes the mun, Oblivion, nicknamed Oli, will be featured. You may send me asks. But keep these to a minimum. I don't want to be the center focus of this blog. It's called ask Kiku and friends for a reason, not ask Oblivion. I'm not part of the friend group. Sadly. I use he/they/voi/ghost pronouns. I'm fine with you only using they/them though.

Japan is Demisexual/Demiromantic + Bi. Italy is also bi and Germany is mlm. Esther doesn't care(unlabeled). Elizabeth is questioning and Hanako is also unlabeled.

Esther is s h w o r t (5'4/162cm)

Saturn is t w o l l (6'/182cm)

Japan is short (5'5/165cm)

Italy is 5'7 and Germany is 6'2.

Elizabeth is the same height as Saturn.

Saturn has long, yellow fading into orange hair, a black sweater, cuffed jeans, black socks, brown loafers, a belt, and fishnet gloves(idk what they're called). Saturn is also white.

Hanako is the same height as Kiku.

Esther has short, brown hair, they wear a flannel CONSTANTLY and they wear jean shorts w/lace, tennis shoes, bandages on arms because they take martial arts and have to protect their arms while training w/a partner, and purple and white striped thigh high socks. Esther is white as a damn ghost.

Italy often wears a checkered black/white hoodie, but sometimes wears a plain ___ colored shirt. Whatever bottoms he can find, if it's a skirt then so be it, he really couldn't care less.

I can't draw Germany so telling you what he looks like/wears is pretty unnecessary and won't pay off. Despite that, he looks like a 40yo mom who knows nothing about LGBTQ+ but is still supportive nonetheless. Is also often seen in a dirty apron. I think he'd get along with Oliver/2p!England.

Japan has short, black hair, an ear piercing, tanjiro/hanafuda earrings, probably a anime/game merch shirt, black jeans, checker patterned converse. He.. wears this way too much. Wears red eyeliner because prebby. Hides eyebags with makeup.

Eliza wears a band tee over a black hoodie, baggy jeans, and Doc Martin's. They have black hair with green/teal bits in the front and a star/rhombus type shape on their neck. It's a birthmark that they will not explain. It blends into their hair so you can't really see it, but they do have a curl. They're also kind of an asshole. I just think that's important to note

Tsukasa is pinterest emo but make it ✨️pink✨️ will kill 8 people and 2 kids and skip off with the happiest look on his face. Never stops smiling. Never. Like canon Feli but on an unhealthy level.

Can you tell I'm getting lazier and lazier with each word? Because I am

[sucuretcannelle]

Character Designs/Descriptions:

Nova (19): A 5’1” woman who was literally dragged here. She’s basically just the quiet kid who’s fed up with everyone’s shit.

Danniella (23): A 5’9” demon hybrid with more money than sense. She’s the spoiled rich girl and the one who encourages bad ideas.

Oli (19): He’s an overly loving dumbass who can’t walk for shit. He and Nova share a braincell and they lost it last week. At least he can still brag about being an inch taller than her.

Bonnie (20): A tiny 4’8” bitch with depression, anxiety, and too much self-awareness for one rp character to have.

-----------------

Writer: She's 19, and a complete gremlin at 5'11. Currently wears long sleeved shirts and jeans with blue sneakers.

-----------------

Prompt (30): The ex-prince of the Vybian Empire, and the only one with a brain cell. 8'0. Typically wears a black suit, black pants, and black dress shoes.

Alexi (22): The god of birds and travel, but this man is 8'9 of actual chaotic goodness. Wears a brown jacket with a gray undershirt, blue jeans and black shoes.

Amoris (20): The sister of Prompt and Alexi's 7'3 sidekick. Wears a brown cloak over a sapphire blue dress and black dress shoes.

Pippin (11): The pure hearted child and the 4'10 child of a demon lord. Wears a large brown coat with a white undershirt, black jeans and white sneakers.

-----------------

Aibreanne/Moira (20): An immortal, 8'1, demon doe god that has issues upon issues and should probably be in a mental hospital. She has dark brown skin and freckles with brown hair that reaches halfway down her back. She has red horns that stick up and red and purple eyes. She wears an off the shoulder red dress that meets her 5 inch pumps. She wears a lace top and dress pants, a suit jacket and heels; all in mahogany red. Oh, and she has wings in all black.

Nash/ Xor'orek (27): An immortal, currently 10', demon/goat god that happens to be Satan's son. He has yellow-ish skin with idk what color hair cuz I'm lazy and green eyes. He typically wears an oversized varsity jacket, A black turtleneck shirt but like... sleeveless? And jeans with sneakers. Oh, and he also has wings...in all black.

Char/Charlotte (25): A 5'2 human that's from the same universe as Ai (Nostea) that happens to be a ginger. That's gotta suck. She usually wears a wife beater with a unbuttoned flannel shirt over it, which she has 12 guns hooked into, and denim shorts (Or jeans, depending on the temperature) with white sneakers

Jason/Jace: A 6'4 human that happens to be Char's older brother, and happens to be my oldest character from Nostea (At 27 years old!) He's a ginger with slightly curly hair that stops right below his ears, with tattoos all over his arms, and he has one on his neck as well. What he wears always changes so he doesn't really have one type of outfit that he wears.

Regina/Adelaide (23): A 5'5 human popstar from Nostea that happens to be friends with the rest of my Nosteaan characters. She has dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, and she typically wears a hoodie and baggy sweatpants when she's not performing

Atlas/Vretiel (24): The God of the Stars that was created from sand and his father's blood. He has dark purple skin with white hair and purple eyes. He typically wears a dark brown button shirt with black dress pants and dress shoes.

Orion/Onyx (22): A 12'0 demon/angel hybrid that runs on coffee and sarcasm. He has blueish-purplish skin with pink eyes and long white hair. What he wears isn't that extra, usually just a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

Azrael/Azzy (25): A human/angel, 8'9 king that just likes to be a good person. He has soft white-ish blonde hair that reaches right below his neck, and ash brown skin. He wears a white suit with a black undershirt and a white tie. He also wears a crown that has orange and white gems. His eye color is unknown, as he keeps them closed.

Jay (19): A 6'1 demon that works under Nash and Cinna as a sniper. He had short black hair and green eyes, and he typically wears a black hoodie, baggy black cargo pants, and sneakers

-----------------

Woods (26): Protector of the Mythic Vale. 6ft tall. Butterfly/human hybrid, with long green hair in a ponytail that rested on their shoulder, and they have yellow eyes. They wear a black fading to blue Hanfu. They also have extremely large butterfly wings on their back, which was a gradient of silver to gold, and they have antennae on their head. Most interestingly, they didn't seem to have a noticeable gender; they didn't seem to be male or female.

Dhruv (26): A shapeshifting dragon god. God of Cosmos and Planets in his world. He has iridescent wings and an iridescent feathered tail on his back, his eyes are a platinum color and his hair is a soft gray color that stops just below his ears. There are scars littered all over his almond-colored skin - namely his face and arms - some big and some small. He wears a loose white tank top and gray sweatpants.

Ilma (24): Goddess of Knowledge of Medicine. 6'1 feet tall. Has vanilla toned skin and bubblegum pink hair. She wears a red crop top with an unbuttoned white coat over top, along with light blue jeans and black sneakers. Her nails are long and painted red, and she typically holds a wooden staff that has a lantern on it. She has a second staff on her back that always has herbs on it. Deer antlers sprout from her head and she has a small deer tail.

Abaddon (24): God of Destruction and Chaos. 6′10 feet tall. He has espresso toned skin, with dark red hair along with cats ears and tail. His eyes are a muted pink while his sclera is black. He wears a brown jacket with a red button-up shirt underneath, with black pants and brown boots to finish the outfit. He wears glass and has a golden earring on one ear.

[popculturebuffet]

Top 20 Animated Episodes of 2020 Part 2 (#10-#1)

And we’re back.. The first part is HERE, which includes the first 10 and my thoughts on this past year in animation, so we can cut the long intro and get right into it. This is the best episodes this year had to offer in animation, and it’s , without meaning to, at least a third bojack horseman. On with the show. 

10. I Am My Monster (Steven Universe Future)  “We all had Steven when we needed him, but the only person who's never had Steven is Steven. He's always been there for us, so... how can we be there for him now?“ Oddly “The Future”, a finale I did really truly enjoy.. is not on this list. Really good episode, it’s just Future was easily one of Steven Univereses best season, tightining up the pacing without loosing what made the series feel special and really digging into some of more unhealthy aspects of steven’s life. And while the future is good and certanily the needed epilogue.. this episode is the climax, the cumilation of EVERYTHING Steven had done and gone though and something fans sadly saw coming and just had to simply watch, unable to help as Steven slowly lost himself. Previously on this list we saw him hit rock bottom and it only got worse: He went to home world, attacked white diamond due to his pent up trauma and once again ingored attempts to help him, this time from the diamonds and spinle, angrily refusing to listen to his own words she she sang Change at him.  This only got worse in the briliant and sadly edged out of the list “Everything’s Fine’ A really damn painful episode where steven tries to assert he’s okay and act normal.. only he cant and he destroys everything around him, and even repeats pearl’s text trick from a single pale rose with a pained voice message to connie saying to help steven. But the pressure of the LONG overdue intervension and the fact it came too late.. means steven confsses his recent sins.. and instead of taking them for twhat they are, spur of the moment acts caused by a toxic influence and a fuckload of ptsd and unreseovled issues with white that while certanly not okay are symptoms of a larger issues takes it to mean “Im a fraud”.. and thus he horriingly corurpts.  So here we are as Greg, Connie and the main gems all gap ein horor as Steven has corrputed himself, reduced to a monster whose not even malcious just.. sad.. so full of self loathing he can’t function and at risk of STAYING like that. And the relization hits hard.. and hits everyone who joins in hard. The auxilery crystal gems soon join but attempts from both groups to stop Steven do nothing. The diamonds arrive.. and not only are saddneed by what htey’ve doned but equally powerfless to stop him.  Everyone breaks down, blaming themselves for not seeing this sooner and for speding YEARS piling their issue on the kids, everyone ready to give up as they loose the person they care about most.. except one. Connie proves to be the hero of the episode, rallying the others with the above, pointing out Steven would happily help them if he could.. and that’s the problem. He’s spent his whole life fixing other peoples problems and focusing on that.. but never had someone to be HIS Steven. Fighting him’s not going to work.. he needs to know he’s loved... in the end the final battle of the series is not some struggle of life and death.. but of love. What wins the day isn’t a fight, though our heroes various powers do come in hand to restrain steven.. but it’s all of them, one by one telling them they love him in easily the most tearjerking moment of the series, cumilating in connie softly playing a kiss on his nose... and it’s this that FIANLLY frees steven from his self made prison.. finally realizing h’es not alone and that no matter who or what he becomes.. his family loves and forgives him. While we REALLY needed the next episode to wrap things up after this swell of emtitions. this was the climax the series desrved: after spending 6 seasons trying to help everyone ELSE and fix their issues he never should’ve had to.. it’s eveyrone else who gladly pitches in to fix steven’s own issues, to help HIM when he’s at his lowest point like they’ve been, and make it so he can FINALLY heal and finally find himself once and for all. IT’s one of the finest episodes of the series and easily the best of future. 

9. The Perfect House (Close Enough)  “I’m this close to connecting garfield, TO JESUS”  This one’s just really funny, charming and creative. Simple as that.. I could move on but eh i’m a wordy bastard. Once again we’re focused on Emily, this time as we find out an endearing hobby of hers: She likes visiting open houses and fantasizing about affording a better place she likely never will afford, one with trash can nooks, a kitchen and a living room that are fully seperate, and indivudal bins for tea and sugar... and when it’s pointed out she dosen’t drink tea it’s only because she has nowhere to put it.  But after Josh and Candace get them thrown out, if adorably so, Emily is forced to face reality... i.e. Alex, in one of the series finest gags, in his underwear with conspiracy boards trying to connect garifled to jesus and having a jug of his urine around for some reason. Did I mention I love this weirdo because I do. Brigette is painting in the ktichen.. using her body as the canvas, though in a bikini because the show wasn’t streaming only yet. You’ll have to wait a season for possible boobs. Naturally this just stresses her out so she goes to visit more houses while Josh vows to buy a family bike, a large circular bike for the whole family, as an activity because of course he does and of COURSE he also has a recurring issue of being mocked by some random kid about not having one. 

So she escapes and meets dave and caitlin, a husband whose family life is miserable and a child star who got emanicapted and they quickly form a psuedo family to look at open houses.. only to, as if to remind you what show your watching, instead end up in a tgif sitcom... and trapped in a styigian void, with only Emily desperate to get out. Also she’s been missing three days and Josh has some thoughts on that and goes after her.  Naturally given she’s crashing in on her fake sitcom family, this oly has him seen as a plot element, and Emily’s attempt at cursing and everything she can , while hilarious fail.. but the climax is what makes the episode and what inches it slighlty above quack pack.. which itself was fucking awesome. Instead of FIGHTING the format... Emily is forced to play into it, and realizes a cheesy moment of emtional honesty is what’s needed. She apologizes to her fake family, saying their nice but she has to face the world and to josh and much like Donald, seroiusly this episode was made years ago and there’s no way in hell frank knew about it, she just needed an escape but it’s more healthy: instead of wishing for a life she never had Emily just wants a break from the life she does for five minutes. She’s happy where she is, with her loving husband, wonderful daughter, impulsive but still carring best friend.. and well okay maybe not Alex, there’s somethihng really wrong with him, but as much as I love the guy I admit he’s not for everyone. I’m also a borderline feral man covered in hair who wants people to know i’m smart. I get him. 

IT’s this that sets her free.. and we get another amazing gag as Dave’s family shows up and Dave chooses the fantasy.. though instead of this being thorughly pogiant it’s just “classic dave”. COmplete with title sequence. And of course it ends on a family bike with Emily getting those tins from Josh. Their relationship.. is REALLY what makes both this show and this episode in paticular work. Here while Emily screws up, it STARTS innocently enough, simply faking being a family and spirals into tgif because while this show isn’t, possibly, in the regular show cinematic universe, it’s defintely in the same multiverse. She just wants some peace of mind from a chaotic life, but dosen’t resent her husband or anything.. he just frustrates her sometimes which is fair. But he’s never portrayed as an abusive asshat which you think would be a low bar to clear but.. you’d be suprised. Point is it’s a wonderfully weird and somehow still unique despite being one of three tgif parodies this year. Seriously that shit is a goldmine. It’s how Dashieel Driscoll got half a season out of full house and a good chunk of a very special epsiode as a whole out of it. Though a certain incident helped. 

Point is good show, jolly good show... and ew’ll be right back with the rest afte the cut

8. Agony of a Witch/Old Bodies, Young Souls (The Owl House) “You always thought you were better than me! That I could never Beat you at anything! “  “I AM Better than you!” “Then WHY WERE YOU SO EASY TO CURSE?!”  The Owl House was a show I took WAY too long to catch up on after missing the second half of season 2.. minus Enchanting Grom Fright which I caught first run and we’ll get to that story shortly. Point is my procastnation did me dirty here as this show , which was already fantastic just got better and better, cumulating in this epic, heartdestroying, soul punching, beautifully animated finale that takes everything the show has built up thus far, blows it up in some places and uses it to beautifully end in others, leaving us with a new road for the future.  So yeah naturally it’s been a long ride as one of Owl House’s strength.. is that no episode is filler. No really, each one has a purpose great or small in the larger narrative, and every major arc has been expertly paced and crafted, bringing us to this point. The only major arc or plot thread left out is Amity, and that’s honestly for the better. Make NO mistake, she’s a great character.. but like fellow great Donald Duck, she was left out because the episode had a LOT of emotional stuff going on, a lot of plot to fit in, and a lot to do and it’s simply better for her character and for the moment’s she’s bound to have in response to well.. everything happening here, to let it breathe next season rather than try to shove it into an already stuffed two episodes.  But this episode is one long string of payoffs, and payoffs creating more setups: So all season Eda, our loveable witch, has been grappling with a curse that turns her into an owl beast, one that’s been getting worse as far back as the mid season finale Escape from the Palisman. She’s been needing more and more elixer to combat it, a harrowing parallel to some real world diseases: Sometimes your meds can only DO so much to combat something actively killing you.. thankfully this time.. not speaking from personal experince.  And Luz finds out soon into the episode as Eda makes a cloak of witches wool, which can deflect powerful spells, to protect herself.. only to black out and go owl just as she’s saying she’s fine. Like most parents would Eda hid just how bad things have gotten and it’s gone from needing just one bottle of elixer to needing their entire suply, and even that barely worked. Despite her mentor’s assurances, Luz is now PAINFULLY aware her mentor is on borrowoed time... not helped by the fact the coven attacked earlier that morning and she finds out by finding hooty playing tea party with them, meaning Eda is outgunned, outmanned and while Lilith failed, again.. the emperor can now easily find her himself and send whoever he wnats and however many people he wants to fetch her.. and Eda can’t use too much of her magic or else.  So while Eda and King, touched by how much Luz has changed them, decide to throw a suprise party with King making a big cake to jump out of and Eda using witches wool she intended for herself to make her a cape. Meanwhile as you’d expect Luz.. is plotting a dangerous and life threatning mission: with a field trip to the Emperor’s Coven that day, one she was going to sit out because you know they hate her second mom for dogmatic and vile reasons the episode fleshes out, she finds out they have an artifact called the healing hat that can seemingly heal anything.  So she does what Luz does and comes up with an impulsive plan to heist the thing.. but for once her impuslivness isn’t played for laughs. Her mother figure is slowly sucumbing to a fate worse than death, for once instead of just acting rashly because Luz.. she’s doing so because she KNOWS, that she has no other choice. Nothing else in sight and she’s smart enough to know that if Eda had a cure she’d of told Luz about it. Even if it was dangerous or required a sacrifice or something Eda would’ve just left that part out.  But the trip serves a few other purposes besides getting Luz where she needs to be for the plot that makes it work: it elaborates on just what the emperor’s coven is like and WHY Emperor Belos gets away with everything: He claims to speak for the titan,  the giant dead monster whose body makes up the boiling isles and who, as Luz has discovered, is the source of the magic there. So when he bloodily, I mean it’ sa kid show so they dont’ say so but given how violent this one is i’m asssuming bloody, took power, he claimed they were doing magic wrong, killed any hertiics and set up the rigid coven system. It explains just WHY the boiling isles limits themselves, gives the whole thing a creepy dogmatic religion vibe.. something that i’m REALLY suprised disney let them get away with as they had to fight for gays in the series.. but at the same time shouldn’t be because hunchback of notre dame exists and Soul , released the same year, was a big gamble against the bible belt. So their not afriad of religious groups.. but they ARE afraid of homophobic groups.. which have a lot of overlap. 

Point is it’s a good storytelling device.. and cathartic given i’ve been playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses as I finally bought it with some christmas money. Good game, probably will talk about it in the future, not the point here. 

The point is that the visit gives us some worldbuilding that helps show just how much of a threat the coven is and why their so intent on capturing Eda. We also finally meet belos, god emperor and man tired of Lillith’s shit and giving her till twilight to get Eda.. or presumibly die. I mean he dosen’t say it but he sure is implying it as loud as he can.  That’s when things go pear shaped for Luz who finds the hat.. and LIlith who has found her barganing chip to lure Eda to her, which works as well as you’d expect and leads to the best figh tin the series thus far and one of , if not it’s best scene; A duel between edith and lilith. And while they fought back in Covention this time  it’s not a petty squabble between siblings masquerading as one trying to capture the other.. it’s  fight NEITHER can afford to loose. Eda can’t loose her protege and Lilith will loose everything, dying at best being cast out of the coven at worst, if she fails not to mention loosing what she feels is her only chance at saving her sister.  But it’s also VERY clear Lilith is groosly outmatched, and while no slouch herself Eda’s constant bragging about being “the most powerful witch on the boiling isles”.. is entirely backed up. Lilith barely is able to hold herself and only gets ahead by using a child as a shiled, going even lower than her sister. However the stress of this, the build of having been the older sister of someone who constantly outshined her then turned entirely against her, finally causes lilith to snap.. and reveal the curse is her fault. Cissy Jones delivery here.. is jsut perfect, showing a mixture of rage and pain, showing that she’s spent YEARS hiding this, years resenting her sister for constnatly being better desptie working harder and doing the right thigns. Even when she’s trying to HELP Eda, genuinely trying to undo her mistake as we find out and as we’ve seen genuinely sees the emperor as the wise and benevlolent god he portrays himself as.. she can’t let it go. SHe can’t see past her own bitterness to see her sister is right and if she could just let this go and work on Eda’s terms instead of forcing Eda into her world, then maybe it wouldn’t of gotten this bad. Maybe she could’ve told her. 

Eda takes it about as well as you’d expect, and Lilith.. uses this to threaten luz’s life and force eda to use up her magic to save her, leading to the series most heartbreaking moment and Wendy Mallick’s best acting so far as she bids her appretnince a tearful farewell. Luz RIGHTFULLY and angrily lashes out at lilith calling her a monster while Lilith takes Eda and urges luz to go home... and after a tearful ending with king realizing something’s deeply wrong.

So thus next episode after a history lesson from king and some suprisinging caution as he KNOWS what Luz is up against.. Luz still decides she dosne’t care. Eda’s sacrificed herself, to Luz it’s her fault she’s in this which while KINDA accurate missues some fine points such as her sister’s stubborness or the fact had lilith not shown up she could’ve taken the hat. And the fact LIlith saying the hat was junk was pretty unreliable. What i’m saying is maybe the child shoudln’t blame herself for being kidnapped while genuinely tring to reach the same goal. 

But Lilith soon learns to her horror her sister was right. While Belos restores Eda’ss sentience even fully owled.. he has no intrest in helping her, eveyr intrest in publicly petrifying her, and not even the slightest hint of remorse at betraying lilith this deeply. After all her faith in the man.. Belos spat in her face and told her to like it.  Meanwhile Luz goes on the warpath, and we see just how far she’s come.. and WHY Belos is probably so restrictive with magic and put it on such a tight leash: we see that with her natural power and just a handful of spells, the four she’s pciked up over the season, she easily curbstomps the conformotrium staff, gets to Eda fairly easily.. and fines sshe can’t free her and eda wants the door destroyed so whatever Belos wants with it, he can’t have it. Luz heads home, ready to destroy the door.. onlyt of ind two things. her magic dosen’t work there.. and Lilith followed her and grabbed king. After a breif fight and Luz angrily and rightously confroting the asshole, wish she was in Eda’s place.. Lilith admits luz’s right and gives her backstory: That her insecurity was so great that on the day before a duel with Eda to determine who got into the emperoror’s coven, she curfsed her own sister, with no idea it’d last this long or get this bad. And with no idea Eda had lost intrest in it and WILLINGLY gave her sister teh spot.. It’s very clear despite her masssive flaws that will need to be adressed.. lilith never stopped caring about her sister, and it took all this to make her realize that trying to fix the mistake on HER terms without including her sister.. instead has almost cost her it.  So Luz and King relucntnatly take her help, though the other two are quickly capatured when theyt ry to get to hte exceution platform and thrown in the cage with Eda.. which dosne’t help the coven’s reputation as gus and willow try to make a case for Eda. Meanwhile we get the SECOND best fight of the series as Luz challenges Bellows.. and it’s UTTERLY chillling and while he’s had scenes before this it’s here we get the true scope of who he is ..and that like eda the god complex is something he can back up. Whlie Luz proves just how strong she’s gotten by keeping up with him it’s barely, and it’s clear from the moment go, and one of the series best shots, with Belos creeply materlizing behind her before announcing “sure, i’ll play” that this is a game. She’s no challenge to him and he simply wants to see waht she can do and is mildly impressed if a tad annoyed at her actually damaging his mask. But with Eda, King and Lilith’s lives in the ballance the only way Luz can save htem.. is to give him waht he wants. 

Thing is, just like Lilith, just like everyone has, good an dbad all season.... Belos undereesitmated luz.. who left fire runes on the door, willnig to sacrifice ever seeing her mom again if it meant keeping him away from her. While he has no invasion planned whatever it is CANNOT be good. Luz saves them, and Eda flies them off with Belos saying the titan dismissed them. Also that Belos has a big penis.. super huge, size of a tractor that one. Yeah that’s the ticket. 

But we get  a happyish ending as LIlith does what she should’ve done a long time ago and apologizes, and Eda starts to fogive her, brought on by King earlier standing up to her as whle he’s not happy with her either, he realizes from her story she’s not a bad person.. just a very messed up one who couldn’t own up to her mistakes. One who belivied in the wrong person to fix her problem and finally takes repsonsiblity and part of the curse into her. So with the sequel hook of Eda having lost her internal magic power but still being able to use glyph’s like luz, we also find out the Emperor has the door and a mysterious masked minon,.. who i’m fairly certain isn’t amity only because it’s too obvious. This is simply how you end a season: It’s engaging, heartbreaking, well animated and pays off EVEYRHTING so far while setting up the season to come. It’s going to be a LONG wait till next time, mid-this year.. but I can wait. The high from this one’s going to last a while. 

7. Good Damage (Bojack Horseman)  “ That means that all the damage I got isn't good damage. It's just damage. I have gotten nothing out of it and all those years I was miserable was for nothing. I could have been happy this whole time and written books about girl detectives and been cheerful and popular and had good parents, is that what you're saying? What was it all for?! “

Bojack Horseman is one of the best shows of the last decade, and an important one to me. it was the first one I watched when we switched to all streaming. I really related to Bojack and his struggles with depresion and self loathing.. which backfired given he’s a much worse person than me and while I could relate, I also compared myself too much to a character who in retrospect is both far worse  and has FAR MORE issues than I do and diffrent ones at that outside of the depression and self hatred.  The point i’m framing is that the series and I have a complicated relationship and that coupled with how bad 2020 was meant it took until a few days ago to finally finish it, almost a year later. But I cannot deny how good the show is: it has faults, a bit of reptititon in some character arcs, casting a white woman as a Vietnamize-American woman (something both Ralph Paul Waskerberg and Alison Brie have apologized for to their credit), and .. I can’t think of a last one. They never brought Ralph back? Yeah let’s go with that one what the fuck there. So I felt I owed the show one last round and it payed off as the final stretch, while easily the hardest to get through due to covering the collapse of Bojack’s life, is easily one of it’s best. 

But before the fall, we get Good Damage, which instead of focusing on BoJack focuses on Diane, said asian woman voiced by a white lady, neurotic writer and Bojack’s best friend, who has moved to Chicago to be with her boyfriend guy, a chill, charasmatic and likeable buffalo cameraman. Things are going better than they ever have: she’s in a supportive relationship and thanks to her antidipresenants, while still her loveably neurotic self, is now not obessing over shit as much and is solving her problems with applomb. Even the weight gain from her meds, which she dreaded in the previous half of the season.. has insteead only made her look healthier and happier, and more beautiful than ever. 

The only problem is she can’t write her long promised Memoir, which Princess Carlolyn, her former boss, agent and loveable pink cat and single mother, has promised to a lot of celebrities. She TRIES, she puts lots of work into it, keeps trying to sit there but nothing comes out. And what makes the episode truly great is how this is presented. Bojack is no stranger to beautiful, visually diverse episodes, Stupid Peace of Shit being a notable example and one similar to this one but uniquely great in it’s own way, but this one is easly the bes,t using a squiggly crude style to show just how chaotic and uncomfortable diane is and how stuck she is. She’s TRYING, but she just can’t make her life’s story into anything GOOD, she can’t get the words out which as someone whose had reams of projects I never startd, even to this day and who has genuine trouble writing fiction.... I related to this like all hell. But even people who have never had an intrest in writng can just get the feeling thanks to the wonderful writing and animation, from cameos by the rest of the cast to Diane’s father showing up as a goblin to the word boxes showing what she’s writtne it’s just a treat.  But what centers this amazing visual represtnation is Diane’s internal struggles as an encounter with a rude sales person leads her off on a tangent..and to Ivy Tran, a teen detective whose upbeat, optimstic, and in a great bit outlines who she is in jsut the right amount, and solves mysteries in a food court. It’s a genuinely good idea, one I honestly think could support it’s own series... seriously get on that Ralph-Bob. Get on that. Point is it’s good.. but Diane’s so hung up on what she SHOULD be making, she can’t see what’s right in front of her, despite guy saying the passages are good.  Things come to a head when Diane makes a huge mistake and goes off her meds.. which from experince never ends well: for the entire episode she’s been under the impression she can’t write because of them.. only to be proven HORRIFYINGLY wrong. It’s a  VERY necessary aseop: that your medication will always be with you and that going off it suddenly, or blaming it for writers block not only isn’t true but is DANGEROUS. Diane spirals, cries and her writing gets dark and full of self hate. It’s then Guy proves just how fucking majestic he is: he figures out what’s going on after she tells him, and helps her get to bed so she can rest, puke whatever she needs and they’ll talk about things after she takes her meds again and gets her head on straight, when she’s in a good place to do so. As someone with mental illness.. ti’s nice to see a character who not only supports someone fully, but knows how to handle it. Instead of a shitty third act breakup like many shows would do guy stands by her.  He does however step SLIGHTLY over the line, if iwth good intentions and reason and send Princess Carolyn the Ivy Tran pages, because as he puts it he made an executive decision.. and when Diane is a bit annoyed by that as it does sound a tad douchey, he rightly points out she was in a really bad hole of a place, stuck in a loop doign something that even before going off her meds was clearly hurting her and going nowhere, and needed SOMETHING to snap her out of it, and did so not to hurt her or because he thought he knkew better or , like her ex husband, because he was oblvious to her needs; he did it because it was the hard but necessary thing to get her to seee she had something special and that she dosen’t have to constnatly tear herself up by diving into past traumas because of some internal obligation. 

Naturally Diane dosen’t take it despite Princess Carolyn not only being impressed but PREFERRING the ivy pages, as she was genuinely unaware Diane had something so happy and charming in her. While Diane is worried about it when the two end up meeting in person, we soon find out why: If all the damage she went through wasn’t “good” damage, things she could writ eabout and use later.. what was it for? Could she of just been happy this whole time? Did she waste her life. And in a rare moment betwen the two PC helps Diane walk it back, explaning that she can do what she always wanted: write something that makes someone like her feel not alone. That she dosen’t HAVE to make her life story into something complicated, just make what makes her and other people happy. Something PC’s daughter could enjoy one day. So Diane finally accepts that maybe there’s something else for her.. and then we get a segue into the next episode with bojack having a panic attack and pasing out but that episode, good as it was didn’t make it so moving on.  We also check in with Penny, the daughter of an old friend of bojacks who he nearly slept with and is stil haunted both by the decision and a drunken later visit to apologize... which isn’t helped remotely when max and page, two reporters inovlved in teh subplot that tears bojack’s life apart, start hounding her. While they have good intentions, exposing Bojack’s connection to Sarah Lynn’s death, the two’s methods still come off as creepy, following a, at this point , 21 year old girl whose been through ENOUGH home. While the two aren’t terrible people their actions.. are.. while getting hte story ismprotant is it truly worth genuinely harming this person. And penny wonders if she SHOULD air her story.. she ends up not.. but only because her mother, while lettiner he decide, poitns out it may not be worth all the pressure and possible trauma it digs up,especially since Bojack is getting what he deserved anyway. IT’s a decent subplot tha tties up a loose end but really makes our journalist characters feel like assholes for again, basically stalking and harassing a young woman who didn’t want to rehash the worst moment of her life. Otherwise top notch stuff. 

6. Heart (Parts 1 and 2) (She Ra and the Princesses of Power) “Don't you get it? I love you! I always have! So please, just this once... STAY! Stay. “

Now we get to the gays winning.. and to one of the best series finale in recent memory. And given the other two titanic shows ending, one of which we’ll get to’s ending in a moment, last year, it’s a huge compliment. Heart is how you end a space opera... with big wonderful speeches, great payoff, a huge climax.. and a beautiful cathartic kiss paying off the relationship at the heart of the series that ends up saving the universe.  So let’s just go ahead and crack open that pinata: The kiss.. was easily one of the best moments of animation this year and, at a time when the quarantine was starting, misery was spreading, and things looked pretty damn bad, having a major animated show, one of the biggest of the last few years, climax with an emotional moment between two women, one the series had been setting up since day 1... it was a huge step foward for gay representation in children’s animation, and warmed my big bi heart. And it’s not just good because of that: the fact it’s a giant pile of representation is wonderous, but it’s because it’s also well baked into the show. This is the conclusion of both their character arcs: Catra finally realizes Adora will not abandon her and her leaving the Horde was not choosing them over her.. it was simply doing the right thing. So instead of running or trying to escape she’s grown enough to fight for what she wants and fight for a future with Adora.  Adora meanwhile finally overcomes her martyer complex, her determination, especially after Angela’s death, to make sure no one else is gone and she’s the only one that suffers and looses. To make sure there’s nothing else. It’s Catra’s confesssion that FINALLY gets it through her thick skull that she dosen’t have to be alone or bear anything alone.. she’ll always have someone with her to do that.. and even before Catra.. she’s always had friends for that. She dosen’t have to be alone. So the two embrace and it’s fucking beautiful..and gives adora the full power of the doomsday device they went to shutdown in the first place, restoring the planet.. and allowing her to destroy horde prime’s fucking soul. I just want to reiterate that because it understandably got lost in the shuffle of the gays winning, but our heroine fucking tears out the main villian’s soul.. and it is SO damn satisfying given what a truly repulsive , irredemible, asshat Prime was. So the two finally get a future together, a chance to build and to stop letting the past define them. It’s wide open.  But while that alone would probably net it on this list but it’s damn good otherwise, an epic final struggle between our heroes and the horde for the fate of not just their planet but ALL of htem as Prime prepares to finally wipe everything else out in egomanical genocide. There are just.. tons of awesome moments in this one: Bow and Glimmer’s suprising but welcome love confession, Seahawk annoying mermista into fighting her chip, the people of etheria fighting back.. and the reason they do is easily the second best moment of the episode. With the chips down, not literally, and things looking bleak Bow hyjacks Prime’s egoamnacial hologram.. and broadcasts for everyone to fight, to fight back, and to END THIS. After spending most of the series as the one trying to keep his friends together, the glue of everyone.. it’s bow’s heart, courage, and voice, the one that lead his friends through some rough times and severed as reason when they needed it most wether they listned or not.. that frees the world and with Entrapta turns the tide at long last. It’s just a hell of a moment.  And the only other moment equaling it is Hordak freeing himself and deciding he is his own man, he made himself tha tway for better and worst and kills prime, at least before adora finsihes the job with the badass “I am HORDAK and I DEFY your will. “ It’s just a wonderful, epic finale that pays off most of the shows major arcs, gives our heroes a MUCH deserved happy ending after spending their lives at war, and let it be said one last time, gave gay representation in children’s cartoon one hell of a win.

5. Nice While it Lasted (Bojack Horseman) 

“ No, I need to tell you... thank you... and... it's going to be okay... and... I'm sorry... and... thank you... “

Back to back finales here and honestly both are REALLY close in quality, both satisfyingly paying off their series. But both take equal and opposite routes: Heart is an epic finale in scope size and impact... while Nice While it Lasted is a very stripped down character piece: there are other characters in the background but after the intro the only voiced characters in each segment are Bojack and one of the main cast, each one both showing how much said relationship has evolved since the show began, and giving Bojack time to reflect on his possible future. I say possible because one of Nice While it Lasted’s best aspects it that there’s no real concrete ending for Bojack. Ther’es still closure: after his life emploded and he nearly died, more on that in a bit, Bojack ended up in prison, offically for breaking and entering but unoffically for all the shitty things he did with him glumly accepting it. So one year later he’s out thanks to Princess Carolyn for her wedding, sober again thanks to prison and even started his own acting class at the prison he’s geninley invested in, inteding to continue it once he gets out. But otherwise.. his future’s in flux. HE’s sober for now, but he’s painfully aware that could change again, his friends while, with one excpetion, still having a place for him in their lives, have moved on, and his career is on the upswing again despite being a pariah a year ago because as I mentioned earlier and as PC brilliantly puts it

So he could become a better man, get his career back, make amends for what he did and stay sober.. or backslide and fall down into the same traps he always has. It plays into an aseop the series has always preached: There are no real endings, life just goes on. Even for the rest of the cast hteir lives aren’t over.. their just in a good place.. maybe bojack will, maybe he won’t. Tha’ts up to the indvidual viewer and I like that. While ambgious endings can be frustrating and I get while some preferred the more concrete if still somewhat ambgious ending of a view from halfway down, I feel this fits the series better: Bojack, like the end of every season is moving on to something new, but this time we don’t know what, and that’s okay. IT’s time for us to move on.  Well okay not from this entry as each vingette deserves some praise: Our first has Mr. Peanutbutter pick up Bojack from prison, and even get him a new suit.. and then another one offscreen because predictably for his life BOjack got meatball all over it. He also calms our hero down when he wants to go back to jail, letting him know it’s okay and he’ll be there for him.. unless his friend Erica shows up but what are the odds... 1:1. But what’s nice about it is while Bojack still makes jabs, it’s clear he’s gone from truly hating and resenting PB for being the betterversion of him.. to truly seeing the guy as one of his best friends, his jabs having gone from hurtful and bitter to wry and warranted. I mean they were warranted a lot back then too he’s just a lot softer about them. 

At the wedding Todd and Bojack finally reach some form of understanding after years of awkwardness, the two having reconclied but not being really remotely close or in each other’s lives hardly anymore after Todd’s understandable blow up at Bojack in “It’s You”. Here Todd has Bojack rush him to the beach to cary him on his shoulders.. to watch fireworks because he could tell he was overhwelmed, the two having found a rhtym again, with, like with mr peanutbutter, Bojacks jabs being a lot friendler and Todd having a respect for his own needs while actually being present for bojack instead of ignorant of how bad things were like he was at the start. He even helps BOjack see even if he DOES replase.. he can get right back on the horse, couldn’t resist that one sue me, and as the hokey pokey says turn himself around. 

After, in one of the best payoffs of the series, finally trying Hondedew and finding it’s not so bad, Bojack dances with PC, admittingh e half hoped he’d have to help her go thorugh with it before the two run through the scenario, and PC expresses some honest fears with bojack helping her showing how the two hav egone from a horribly stiffing relationship.. to two close friends who are probably stuck with one another for life. Sunk costs and all that. And if bojack does want to act again she knwos some people. But for now PC finally really has everything she ever wanted:: A daughter, and a loving husband in judah. 

Finally we have the most painful of the group because of course the Bojack finale wouldn’t be all sugar and would have to punch us in the gut. Bojack finds Diane again who hasn’t talked to him.. because he called her the night of his near death/sucidide and due to putting the blame on her due to being high out of his mind, made her feel like it was his fault during the 7 hours she could reach no one and thought he was dead. Diane is hurt, feeling betrayed that bojack promsied he’d be fine then possibly left her with the pain of his death on her concious forever. Thankfully she’s doing fine, as she’s now married guy and Ivy Tran is a huge success and probably a series now.. but it’s abudnantly clear her friendship with Bojack is over.. but even this bittersweet, and necessary, seperation, as Diane has moved past LA and Bojack needs to stop relying on her and stand on his own two hooves, still warms the heart as she thanks him and lets him know i’tll be okay, and endugles him in telling her one last story, a rathe rfunny one about prison movie night bfore the series ends on the melancholy and apporriate song mr blue as the two gaze out and they see each other and we see them for the last time. 

4 The Wasteland (Infinity Train) 

“I'm as good as dead, and if my last act is to bring you with me, sliver, I can't imagine a better way to go!” “Well, I can! “

So from a bittersweet ending to holy shit that’s depressing, we have our only entry from Infnity Train on the list. That’s not to say the series did bad this year. Season 2 was easily the series finest hour, taking the framework from season 1 and crafting a gripping story of a teenage mirror person who just wanted to live without assholes trying to kill her for what she fundementally IS, and be recognized as a person, with the help of a magical deer and a more optimstic teen grappling with his peer pressure issues.  The series was still undoubtly silly with a parasite voiced by Bill Corbett, wonderfully so, and again a magical deer named Alan Dracula, long may he reign, it simply deconstructed the nature of the train and thus opened up the floodgates. By giving us a denzin who, after years of being someone’s reflection in both senses of the word, just wanted to live and how that clashed with the train and the racist assholes she met alnong the way, from the ones who wouldnt’ stop trying to kill her.. to humans who considered her as nothing more than a plaything at best and something to get rid of at worst. While Season 3 was not bad, if a bit way too strcuturally messy and trying to do too much at once, Season 2 still handled the same issues but in a much tighter frame storywise.  And that’s why only one episode made it: Most of the episodes, espicially the later ones, are pieces of a large whole, with the show being heavily seralized. Which while a great approach intended for streaming, also means it was hard to find a chapter that worked that well on it’s own, steven universe future had similar issues. But I did and the wasteland is easily the darkest, harshest and most intresting episode out of the batch.  The episode opens at MT’s darkest hour: The apex told the mirror police where she is, Jesse is gone, and MT is now running for her life from the sadstic assshole and his spinless partner who want her dead just for existing.. gee can’t imagine why a bunch of assholes refusing ot acknolwedge other peoples opinons, rights or even existance was a big topic last year.. or this year. 

So while Mace, the main mirror cop, manages to handcuff her MT manages to throw him under the train. THe result is her trying to escape the train by wondering i’ts vast desert, forced to drag Mace along as he taunts her, bleeding out slowly from you know being bisected by a train. It’s a really moody peace as Mace mock’s mt’s dreams of escape and justify’s his own selling out, while MT pokes holes in that: he was so desperate to not nonexist.. he’s willing to kill others who just want the same. IT’s a damn hard watch but fuck if i’ts not compelling. 

And the climax is what makes it. MT finds out she can’t leave the bounds of the wasteland, as it only projects so far and after escaping the ghoms ends up back on the train, with Mace, not long fo rthis world trying to kill her.. so we get a 13-14 year old GRINDING HER HORRIFYING ABUSER UNDER A TRAIN WHEEL. Just jesus.. I mean I kind of get HBO Max’s point that MAYBE this is a bit much for kids. I mean i’ve seen other really dark stuff but holy fuck a man died.. and we see his blood splatter. But it’s this horrible, harsh moment that makes the episode.. as is MT”s reaction.. not one of triumph.. but of exaustion and horror at what she’s done, before steadying herself to prove him wrong. A hard one to write about but damn it was good. 

3. Enchanting Grom Fright (The Owl House)  “Dear Luz, will you go to Grom with me- Amity”  Now we THANKFULLY get to something lighter: the gays winning.. again. Coming out during pride month, phrasing, and only a month after the she ra finale we got this delightful episode. As I said earlier I watched this one first run: while I was super behind, I couldn’t resisit to the point I watched it before that week’s amphibia. I was that curious what was going to happen.  See as i’ve given out about quite a lot.. and I mean a LOT, Disney dosen’t have the best track record with gay representation: they don’t do horrible sterotypes or anything.. but they also don’t do much of anything for the most part. Alex Hirsch has outright spoke about how much he had to fight just to get Blubbs and Durland firmly together in the finale, and how the symbols for the love god were widdled down to just male and female. And around the time this episode came Disney was coming out of a REALLY bad batch of pr stunt gay representation: They made a big deal about the first gay x in an x having gay characters in avengers endgame, star wars: Deep Hurting and onward.. but these were cameos AT BEST, with the endgame one being so minor I genuinely didn’t realize the character was talking about dating a man and only found out afterwords. Sure Ducktales had gay dads, which is awesome and always will be.. but none of the major cast was allowed to be openly gay. I mean we know webby and lena are gay but hell if disney would allow that.  But miracoulsy.. shockingly and wonderfully.. Disney DID mange to finally just say fuck it and let some big gay rep in, something so obvious it can’t be ignored and that actually features the main character and one of the most major supporting characters. And what do you know, the good press and pats on the back outweighed the bad. It’s almost if giving up homophobic markets in exchange for doing the right thing.. is a GOOD thing while also being profable. Who’d a thunk. Point is via sheer perstiance, Owl House creator Dana Terrance got to not only make her lead bi, which Terrance herself is, but have her love intrest be a girl. And I find it genuinely wonderful that gay, bi, pan and what have you children can watch this and say “tha’ts me and this is okay”.  But even minus Owl House saying gay rights.. the episode is just REALLY good and part of it is who it focuses on. Amity easily has the most character devleopment out of the cast going from someone who walls herself off from everyone, revels in her superiority.. to slowly opening up to heroine Luz, realizing Luz is not a bad person and that Amity herself dosen’t have to be, and right before this starting the road to patching things up with her former best friend willow. Allt hrough this said friendship had been prettty, prettyy, prettyyy gay. And that’s wonderful obviously, but part of why I watched this was while I HOPED they’d get to be couple.. I wasn’t convinced since see a fucking bove. But I was happy to realize that oh my god I was wrong, the gays won all along. 

So with Amity a better person she’s naturally syampthetic when sh’es put front and center at hexside’s prom equvilent which while having a dance, gromprosals and a disco ball tha’ts also a sentient being, becuase boiling isles, it also has the queen or king forced to fight a horrifying monster that manfiests as your greatest fear. And, as we find out towards the end.. Amity’s is being rejected by Luz, having her love letter, which she fails to deliver due to running into luz.. and co (which is my faviroite gag of the episode and the adorable smiles gus and willow give in response are what make it). And . it makes sense. When you stop and think about it.. Luz is the best thing in her life. She got her to change as a person, genuinely cares about and adores her, just wants to be her friend and thinks the world of her. Given her siblings, while trying to be better, are two disaster bisexuals who just stopped a lifetime of untietonally harsh bullying and her parents are controlling asshats who made her abandon her best friend at a young age and she sees LILITH as a mother figure, just let that sink in given a few entires back.. yeah.. no wonder sh’es utterly terrified of rejection. Poor baby. 

Of course WE know Luz wouldn’t. Luz may be many things, including oblvioius to thte freaking obvoius as this story line has revealed, but shes not cruel and even if she said no, which I higlhly doubt she would, she woudln’t be a dick about it. But being surrounded by cruel assholes for some time has made Amity a bit paranoid so Luz volunteers to sub in to both genuinely help her friend.. and to prove to eda she can do this. Eda is also chaperoning. and looks neat in a suit, while King and Gus get a wonderful b plot of mcing the dance with the egotisticl king having issues with stage fright. I will get more into that when I review the episode proper, come back in a month for that.  But yeah while Luz does well when the time comes, and while sadly not wearing her otter suit does wear a wonderful tuxedo with a tutu.. she has her own repressed issues to adress as Grom takes the form of her mother, as Luz has been nursing guilt over not telling her the truth about what’s going on. Luz runs, and Amity ends up facing her fear to save her crush and the two get a wonderfully romantic, and desturctive dance together as they face hteir fear, untie as one and kill that motherfucker... well okay i’m not sure grom can die but it’s gone for now.  The dance sequence.. is easily one of the best scene’s all year, beauituflly animated and painstakingly planned out, with wonderful music.. it’s just awesome and what takes the episode ove rthe top, with the two perfeclty in synch as they take grom out in less than a minute. Also king become prom king and queen, he is best of both as Luz’s own personal issues put a damper on things. Also someone’s been writing her mom. 

Overall just a perfect episoe and a perfectly gay episode of one of the best shows going right now. Speaking of a perfect episode of one of the best shows going right now, tha’ts also on disney. 

2. Escape From the Impossibin! (Ducktales)  ”We have to keep them safe” “But not like this!”  So from some emotinal torment mixed with some lovely shipping, we get a whole buttload of emotional anguish but with a robotic scrooge and the time loop room and the time loop room and the time loop room, and time l...

As I said in part 1, Season 3 is easily Ducktales best so far, having far better pacing, character ballance and bolder and more intresting stories than ever before. While the first two seasons are still excellent, this one has taken everything great and honed it and no episode shows off just how great this season is than this one.  This one takes place in the fallout of “Let’s Get Dangerous!”, with the family dealing with finding out FOWL”s not only still alive, but is run by Bradford, head of scrooge’s board of directors former shush agent as we’d find out later, and asshole, who knows all their secrets. And given Scrooge is mildly paranoid on a good day and Beakly is extremley paranoid on her best day, it’s done a number on both as they’ve split the family minus launchpad, who just had a whole episode so fair enough, up: Scrooge has taken Della and Louie, wiht their see all the angels schtick, to test out his new security, while Beakly and Donald are securing the house while Beakly has webby throughly test the boys.  Neither side goes well. The bin ends up locking our heroes out due to Scrooge’s password being changed, and forcing them to work past it. Louie rises to the challenge, as does della.. but as they beat a robot versoin of scrooge, because of course the final test would be a robot version of scrooge, Scrooge is instead of triumphant at not being dead, incredibly depressed and furious. Because when told he’s scrooge mcduck he tellingly replies “AND WHAT IF THAT’S NTO ENOUGH’. For once.. Scrooge is SCARED, up against someone who knows his every move and is one step ahead, iti’s how it’s always been, no matter what he’ll do, he’ll always loose and Bradford will always win. I REALLY need to watch spies are forever, point is he’s scared and Bradford PROVING the point by revealing he was behind it and taking over the robot dosen’t help. Our heroes win though in a damn impressive action sequence, but as it turns out.. it was just a distraction.. but we’llg et back to that.  The other plot though is whyt his is so high. While the first plot is a fun romp with deep eomtional consequences.. the second plot is decidly far darker.. it still has some good bits as webby terorizes the boys and easily one of the best in the season when she horrifying imitates dewey, but its’ only when she does finally attack she realizes she’s taken it way toof ar. She’s terrorized her brothers, caused huey to break his leg and then turn her away when she tries to help.. all she’s done is turn them AGAINST each other and they can’t win this way.  Beakly strongly disagrees and clealry lost in her own paranoia and fear, prepares to attack huey.. and thus Webby steps in... leading to one fo the most heartbreaking and tense fights in the series as grandmother and grandaughter fight one on one but both are outmatched.. but Huey and Dewey, despite everything, refuse not to help their sister and help pull webby up, with Webby panickidly realizing something’s VERY wrong and her granny usually isn’t like this when sparring... and is also chasing them. This leads to the roof, in a rainstorm no less, and Webby relcutnatnly ready to fight even though she clearly knows she both can’t win.. and dosen’t want to anymore. Despite her wilingless to scrap, fight and train.. Webby dosen’t WANT to hurt her granny she just wants to help her. Thankfully, the boys attempt to stop this, while failing horribly, catches donald’s attention as he catches them, ntocies what’s going on and furiously refuses to let this go on. While Beakly tries to ignore it and fight..s he instead slips and despite everything, the rest of the group rescue her, with Webby impressing on her grandmother that they aren’t fowl. They wont’ win acting like them and tearing each other apart.. they need to be the family they are.  But if all that wasn’t enough turns out.. yeah, Bradford’s thing was a distraction and with the rest of the group distracted with Beakly, that meant his plan went off without a hitch: all the missing mysteries have been taken by FOWL, in a masterstorke that ties both plots together and brings what seemed like isolated adventures on their own in a tagnetally related plot into the fore. Everything so far has built up to this.. and despite the loss.. the family, having been through a dark night of the soul, is ready to fight back. They want the rest of the mysteries? Their going to have to fight clan mcduck in their elment. And it’s been glorious so far. A tense, well paced, hard hitting episode, this one’s a winner. and almost got #1.. ALMOST. But as much as I tried to not go with the obvious chocie, the one with tons of press and praise and that’s graced tons of best of lists... I had to go with what was honestly the best. So...

1. The View from Halfway Down (BoJack Horseman)  “Oh BoJack, there is no other side. This is it. “  This episode was my main reason for catching up with the series and finishing it off once and for all. Awash with praise and hype I was curious about this one.. and my curiosity paid off. This is easily one of if not hte best episodes Bojack put out in it’s storied run: it’s creative, impossible to look away from and devistating: in short it’s the show in a nutshell.. and it’s a hell of a view. 

Previously as mentioned before Bojack’s life blew up and he lost just about everything, from his friends, though as the finale bared out only one of them stayed away for good and for good reason, his only family in hollyhock, his house, even horsin around. He had nothing left.. so high on drugs and in his old house he passed out at the end of last episode.. and we wake up here with a recurring dream as Bojack has a dinner party at his mother’s house, another wonderful performance from Wendy Mallick. Everyone there is someone Bojack knew who died: his former best friend he betrayed Herb, Sarah Lynn his former child co start turned washed up 30 something he let die, Courdory, a co star who died trying to get off david caradine style, Crackerjacke, the uncle he never knew who die din the war and his parents, distant mother Beatrice as mentioned and his father, who is in the body of his hero secretariat who comited suiccide in this unvierse due to getting banned from racing, as that’s the kind of weird shit dreams do. Also Zack Braff, who has no real conncetion to bojack but still died during that time Mr Peanutbutters house sunk into the earth and his ex wife Jesscia bIel formed a death cult.  The group play a game of best and worst, lay into each ohter and have some really intresting conversations with Bojack confident of when it’ll end: before the show their always mentioing. But this time, it’s diffrent.. Bojack is there for it so we get a trippy and horrifyimng stage show as Bojack watches the various people one by one vo into a black door, allt he while bojack coughts up sludge and is persued by it, unaware where he was before this. Sarah Lynn gives one last song, a reprise of a song from previous in the series, Courdroy does a ribbon dance and zack braff gets on roller skates. And bojack has a frank conversation with his dad, with his dad/secretariat revealing he DID care but was just so filled with loathing he coudlnt’ admit it to his son and thus was an abusive ass.. and then reveals to bojack he’s not waking up and bojack horryfigngly see shimself, drowning ina pool. And while he frantically, heartbreakingly tries to flee... he can’t. There’s no exit for him. As herb tells him, this isn’t the afterlife, this is his brain making sense of his last moments, and ther’es no way of knowing if he’ll get rescued, no way to do anything but watch.. watch as his father secretairat shows suicide in all it’s horror by letting it know he wouldn’t of done it if he knew “the view fro halfway down”, a horrifingly haunting poem that sells just how bad it was. As beatrice and crackerjack also go we’re down to herb who introduces bojack... before going in himself, claming there is no other side. Bojack tries not to go genle and runs, and in a horrfying sequence is surronded by the ooze as he tries his damndest to escape.. but in the end he can’t. As herb said.. he can’t do anything about this. So speaking to his min’ds version of diane he accepts he probbaly won’t be coming back and we hear a monitor as we fade out. While we know it’s not the end now... there’s no way of telling then. 

The View from Halfway Down is a haunting, beatuflly animated, masterwork, taking 6 seasons worth of communinity and regret and shoving it in bojack’s face in an intresting way, while bringing back characters we thought we’d never see again for one last go round. It was patcually nice to hear LIn Manuel Miranda and Wendy Mallick again,, and Kristan Schaal is always great. The show ALWAYS had a horrifying habit of having it’s penutlimate episode be an utter gutpunch that broke you, with the finale picking up the peices and offering some hope.. and this was no exception. They literally saved the best for last, and it was worth the wait. The view from halfway down may be gahstly,.. but the view of this episode is hauntingly beautiful. 

So that was the list, and it was.. a lot taking 2-3 days to finish all together over both parts. But it was worth it and hopefully we can get back to some regular stuff later today. For now, thank you for reading, and hopefully i’ll see you somewhere in the sunset. 

[falsegoodnight]

some fic recs from the past months:

(this is for the person who requested via an ask!)

i haven’t been reading as many fics as i would like to be reading especially in the past few weeks, but here’s a bunch that i’ve either read or reread in the past couple of months (in no particular order):

make this feel like home by @soldouthaz | 43k

The house on West 28th Street in London is twice the size of Louis', more expensive than the price of all of his house and car payments combined, and is falling apart at the seams.

like it’s a game by @soldouthaz | 32k

there is little harry hates more than truth or dare.

and louis.

let me carry your weight by @soldouthaz | 29k 

louis is fresh out of a bad relationship with someone who made him feel awful about how he looked. on his journey to better himself, he meets harry - the ridiculously attractive and fit personal trainer.

call if you need me by @soldouthaz (a reread!) | 11k

If anyone asks later on, Louis plans to tell them that it’s all Niall’s fault.

* as you can tell, i’m very much biased when it comes to sarah :) especially her last fic which i beta-read! go read!

shouldn’t cry (but i love it) by @bloubird | 7k

They're roommates. They're quarantined. There's a small problem coming up.

Until by @allwaswell16 | 38k

Rural Eagle County, Colorado wasn’t the type of place to find a famous musician or actor. At least not until songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed up with pop star Niall Horan to visit his uncle’s horse ranch, and they just happened to find themselves next door to a reclusive former movie star.

Ours are the moments I play in the dark by @holdingthornsandroses (reread!) | 31k

Jane Austen's Persuasion AU. Nine years ago Louis Tomlinson was persuaded to break off his engagement to Harry Styles, a poor sailor. Since then Louis has come to regret being so easily convinced to give up his one chance of happiness. Now Louis' family is in debt and his childhood home is being sold. In a complete reversal of fortune, Harry has returned to England a wealthy bachelor looking to settle down. Events conspire to bring them together once more though Louis is- must surely be- the last man on earth that Captain Styles would think of now.

Ghost Note Symphony by @crazyupsetter | 96k

Louis is on tour when he first hears about it. It’s all over the news – Harry Styles Attacked By Fan runs in headlines for days. It’s not even just the gossip rags, either. Actual journalists are covering the story. It would have been impossible to avoid hearing about it. Technically, Oli is the one who tells Louis about it, but it’s not exactly being covered up. Harry doesn’t answer Louis’ text asking if he’s alright, but that’s not really surprising. They haven’t spoken for months, and it’s been a lot longer than that since they’ve had a real conversation. The sting of the text going unanswered is still there, less painful than it might have been a few years ago.

It’s not that it’s easy to forget about, exactly. Louis has a whole life outside of One Direction now, though. So Louis goes on with his life, figuring that if Harry was seriously hurt he would have heard about it by now. He might currently be in the same country as Harry, but being on opposite sides of it puts enough distance between them that putting it in the back of his mind is easy. There’s nothing Louis could do, even if he thought Harry might want him to.

That’s why everything that happens next comes as a complete shock to him.

Love’s Truest Language by @smrwine (a favorite of all time) | 53k

The first part was meant as a joke. He didn't really expect Harry to buy anything. It was just Louis’ way of softening the ‘get the fuck out’ blow.

“Where's your order forms, then?”

“I don't want your flowers.” Louis chided before directing all of his attention to the arrangement in front of him.

Harry laughed under his breath as he stood to his full height, “Who said anything about them being for you, love?”

Tainted Saints and Velvet Vices by Toomanytears (reread!) | 126k

A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they're forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.

a trail of honey through it all by @yvesaintlourent | 27k

The boy in front of him, well really, the man in front of him, was like something out of a confusing wet dream. Built, tall, tan and muscular, his skin glistened with sweat after a long day of working outdoors with his hands. He was wearing a cut up old American football shirt, the bottom hem was torn and the sleeves were cut off to the point where the t-shirt was really just a loose tank top. The shorts he had on had clearly been full length jeans at one point, and were now just crudely cut off above the knee. His white socks were pulled up too high on his calves, and the brown work boots he had on were old as fuck, the leather peeling along the edges of the soles. Curly brown hair stuck out from the edges of his backwards snapback, and there was a smudge of grease wiped along his brow bone. The smattering of hair along his jaw proved that he hadn’t shaved in a week or two, the hair growing in thicker across his upper lip and around his chin. His sinfully bowed mouth was pink and plump, and Louis was suddenly hyper-focused on the way that he chewed at the toothpick stuck between his lips. He looked like he needed a shower. Louis wanted to lick him.

Or, the TPH fic we’ve all been waiting for.

kiss like fire by @louizsv | 9k

Harry watches as his uncle's new omega walks around the backyard, serving canapés and drinks to all of the family members gathered. Harry is surrounded by his cousins, all sat together, too young for the adults but too old for the kids and teens. He lifts his beer to his lips and takes a sip when the omega crouches down by one of Harry's younger cousins and hands her a small cracker, sending her off with a sweet smile.

He watches as his uncle comes out of the house, sliding the patio door shut behind him and quickly making his way over to his omega. The omega looks up at him when he wraps an arm around his waist. His pretty lips move with soft-spoken words. Harry has to fight to keep his alpha in check when his dirty old uncle's hand dips down, grabbing at the omega's ass and making him jump.

"Dude," one of his cousins says, "Uncle Darron's new omega is such a milf."

Also, this one isn’t completed yet but I still recommend: 

Lidocaine and Palm Trees by @boldbabe | currently 40k, 4/5 chapters posted

Heat, fake tans and lots of traffic.

Harry never expected to earn his living this way when he moved to LA.

Louis didn't think he could ever be the same after his divorce.

A lighthearted story about two guys trying to find themselves in the vibrant, sprawling city of Los Angeles, with a side of technical porn industry stuff.

that took much longer than anticipated but i hope you (or anyone) enjoy! if anyone asks, i’ll maybe do a rec list for my favorite fics of all time... we’ll see.

remember to give kudos and consider commenting if you check any of these out!! they’re all fantastic!

*let me know if i made any errors :)

[thestorycottage]

Cup of Coffee (Writing Challenge) Part Two

@creeprrmaple​ and I loved our previous story so much we decided to make a part two! The rules are the same as before, only changing the time limit to fifteen minutes instead of ten. After some back and forth, we've pieced together this gem. Sit down, grab something to drink (tea, milk, coffee, what have you), and say hello to the coffee shop boys.

This story's a bit longer than the first one, seeing as the duo have much more to say than their first time around.

A sunny day. The man walks back into the cafe. A face with darkened eye bags. The whites of his eyes stained pink. It’s Ryan. He’s made a friend in the small coffee shop. The kind barista we call Oliver. Since then, he’s been visiting the shop often. Every odd day or so. Though, without special occurrence. It’s a cozy little place, the coffee shop. It’s on the corner of a street just across from the library. Right next door sits a small flower shop filled with fresh, colorful flowers. He’s just stepped out of the flower shop with a bouquet of white roses. Unlike last time, he’s sporting a business suit, not a hoodie and sweatpants. His hair neatly combed and gelled back, not messy and scruffed. For once in his life, he looks put together.

The small bell above the door jingled as he steps in, carrying his bouquet gently in his arm.

The barista perked up, happy to see the frequent customer. He’s a people person, perfect for the job of a small coffee shop. He kept his arms resting on the counter. "Woah, Ryan, you look absolutely stunning in that suit,” He eyed him up and down, admiring the man. “How are you? What can I get you?" He said happily.

"Black," The brunette answered quickly, barely giving the barista time to take a breath.

He’s slightly taken aback. "That was fast. Not like you to be certain. What happened? Are you on weed?"

“No—”

He quickly noticed the flowers. “Are those flowers for me?” He interrupted, teasing. He stood up straight, taking his arms off the counter.

"My friend died," He said, his voice deeper than usual.

"Oh… Sorry about that," He muttered, shooting the brunette a sorry look, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ryan nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine. Just give me the coffee.” He said, voice unintentionally gruff. Oliver stared at him in concern, before nodding and preparing coffee. Awkward tension heightened, neither of them saying a word, letting the coffee machine fill the silence ever so slightly. The dirty blond glanced back occasionally, not sure what to do or say.

5 minutes later, he came back with a freshly brewed black coffee. He slid it across the counter, tapping it to catch the customer’s attention. Ryan looked up from his phone, glancing at the cup before returning the barista’s gaze with an eyebrow raised. “Um-” Oliver stuttered, not sure what the brunette wanted. “5 dollars, if that’s what you’re asking.” Ryan nodded, shuffling around his wallet before handing Oliver a five-dollar bill. He grabbed the cup and walked to a nearby seat. Meanwhile, Oliver stood at the counter, watching him slowly sip his coffee with his eyes fixated on his phone. As kind as he is, he never knew how to comfort people, especially those who just lost their loved ones. That doesn’t mean he isn’t gonna try.

“So-” He broke the silence. “You, uh, wanna talk?” He asked, his voice laced with concern. “About it, or anything else?”

Ryan shuffled in his seat, shrugging at him. “Sure.”

“Who was it?” He asked nervously, attempting to make conversation.

“Some guy I was friends with in high school, car crash,”

He hesitated, afraid of ruining the mood between the two. “Were you two close?”

“I guess you could say so. We haven’t talked much since graduation, though,” He took a sip of his coffee, pulling away as the heat of the coffee burns his tongue.

“Careful, it’s hot,” He picked up a tissue and handed it to the brunette. “How are you doing?”

He wiped the sides of his lips. “I mean, I’m okay but it really makes you think, you know?”

“What does that mean?” He leaned on the counter once again. A habit he’d never fix.

He paused in deep thought for a moment. “Life’s fragile. One wrong move and you’re in a casket with your high school friend spreading white roses on your grave,” He blew the bit of smoke from his cup of coffee, taking another small sip

“I don’t have high school friends,”

“What does that mean?” He shot back, his voice becoming slightly raspy for no particular reason.

“You see, Ryan, I was bullied in high school,” He grabbed a cloth and wipes the counter around the sink, turning the tap on to wash his hands. “They didn’t like people who were different,” Ryan leaned back on his chair with his cup. “Different how, Oli?” He asked, curiosity tainting his lips with the coffee.

His attention is snapped back to the brunette, a smile forming on his face. Soon, choking out a laugh. “What did you just call me?” He asked, despite knowing very well what the brunette said.

He hesitates, realizing what he’s said to the barista, looking around uncomfortably while fidgeting with his cup of coffee. “Oli,” He muttered quietly in embarrassment.

“Aww, that’s a cute nickname,” He teased as he dries his hands. “You should call me that more often, you know,” He went back to resting his arms on the counter as he always does.

“Shut up, I’m in mourning,”

“No, I’m being serious, I really like that name. You should call me that,” He looked around for more to do whilst they talked.

“Whatever you say, Oliver,”

“Oh, c’mon,” He whined playfully.

“I’ve gotta go to the funeral now. I’m running late,” He emptied the cup into his mouth and sets it back down on the counter, only then noticing the burning on his throat and regretting his decisions. He continued to stand up, stepping closer to the counter to leave the shop.

Oliver leaped forward above the counter and made an attempt to grasp the brunette’s hand, instead only grasping a part of his sleeve. “I’m not letting you leave until I hear you say it again,” The two other customers of the coffee shop began to stare, a slight discomfort between the two as they felt eyes on them.

He laughed slightly, covering his face with his free hand. “I’m never saying that again,”

“Then you’re not leaving,” He said, breathless and raspy as he felt the counter press against his stomach.

“You can’t stop me from leaving,” He pulled his arm away effortlessly, the blond man almost falling and hitting his head on the counter.

He got his feet back on the floor and rested his elbows back on the counter, his head in his hands. “I know, but it’ll make me sad,” He whined once more

“Oh, shut up,” He snickered, looking away from the man. “...Oli,” He muttered under his breath.

“There it is!” He said, excitement in his voice. “Now can I get one of those flowers?”

Readjusting the bouquet in his arms, “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He taunted.

“I’d love that,” He drew circles on the counter with a finger.

“So, you’re not getting one,” A mischievous smile marked his face as the blond began to laugh.

He ran his hand through his hair, pulling stray strands away from his face. “Alright, you should get going now. Wouldn’t wanna show up late to a funeral,” He said with a sigh

“Right, thanks,” He walked to the door, waving a goodbye. “Oli,” He muttered under his breath as he walks out the door, quite liking the sound of the name on his tongue. What didn’t he like on his tongue, honestly? The man was growing on him, his mannerisms and playful taunts brightening his days. According to Ryan, Oli is the best barista in town, able to fuel his morning both with coffee and conversation. Though, he only notices the fact the barista ignored a question of his at the funeral. Why was he bullied in high school? The question only lingered around his mind. Yet, this was a good day.

Word count: 1306

[buttercreamsmut-blog]

Interrupted : Joe Sugg Smut

(requested) - changed it a little oops

“Oh my god, I frickin love this one!” Zoe said excitedly as Harry Potter and the goblet of fire began to play on the TV.

You and your boyfriend Joe were staying with Zoe and Alfie for a few nights at their house. It had been a while since you had seen them so it was quite nice to catch up and spend some time with them.

However, Alfie was out late with Sean and Dave as they were working on a van, turning it into a campervan or something. So you and Zoe had decided to have a girly night and watch some films, of course you both had popped out to M&S beforehand to get some snacks. Joe left you both to it as he had some editing to do, so Zoe had run him a bath and he was upstairs editing in the spare room – where you and Joe were staying.

“I always found this one really scary though.” You said to Zoe, pulling the blanket closer to your body.

“Yeah, if you think about it these films are actually quite scary.” Zoe pointed out.

“I mean… If I get scared watching them then I can imagine lots of other people do.”

Time went by as you and Zoe watched the film. Nala was asleep next to Zoe on the sofa and Alfie still wasn’t back yet. You checked the time.

“How is it half 11 already?” You said, not quite believing how fast the time has gone.

When there was no reply, you looked over at Zoe to find her fast asleep on the sofa. Typical.

You watched about 15 minutes more of the Harry Potter film before your phone buzzed. It was Joe.

‘What you doing? X’

You didn’t reply, the film was almost over so you would go up and see him soon. About 2 minutes later your phone buzzed again.

‘Y/N xx’

Joe hardly ever put kisses in texts unless he was missing you or in a loving mood.

‘Yes?’

‘Come to bed x’

This made you smile. You were feeling quite tired and would love nothing more right now than to go and see your boyfriend. The film was almost over so you decided to head up. You thought about waking Zoe, but decided against it as she’d probably wake up soon or Alfie will wake her when he gets home.

You folded the blanket you were using and placed it on the edge of the sofa. You silently walked out of the living and through the kitchen. You got up the first flight of stairs and opened the door to the spare room, revealing a half naked Joe in his boxers laying beside his laptop on the bed.

“Finally!” He smiled up at you, placing his laptop on the floor and stretching his arms out to you.

“How’s editing going?” You asked, shutting the door and moving over to him.

“Fine, but I missed you.” He pouted and pulled you by your wrists so you got onto the bed next to him.

“Aw babe. I missed you.” You replied, even though you were only apart for 2 hours or so and you were just downstairs.

He wrapped his arms around your shoulders and pulled you into his body, you wrapped your arms around his exposed waist.

“Joe!” You laughed when you felt something hard poke into your leg.

“I know, I really need you right now.” He told you truthfully.

“Well we’re in your sisters house so I don’t think so babe.” You laughed, getting up off the bed and into the en suite bathroom to brush your teeth.

“Fuck sake.” You heard Joe sigh as you walked away from him.

However, when you were almost done brushing your teeth you heard a light moan. Was he really doing this right now?

“Y/N.” You heard your boyfriend moan out. Even though you had just told him you wouldn’t do this with him here, you couldn’t help but feel very aroused at the thought of Joe touching himself to the thought of you.

You walked back into the bedroom and switched off the bathroom light. Joe was sat up, leaning against the head board with a hand wrapped around himself. His boxers were now on the floor. Even though this was the last situation that you would like to be in, you couldn’t deny that the sight in front of you made you weak at the knees. Joe’s eyes were drooping from the pleasure he was giving himself. His eyes never left you as he pumped his length at a steady pace.

“Please.” He whimpered.

That was all it took for you slip off your pyjamas and leave them on the floor at the end of the bed. Joe watched you the whole time you were getting undressed, and when you were finally fully naked, he picked up the pace of his hand movements.

“Can you honestly not wait?” You laughed, climbing onto the bed once again.

“I’m so fucking horny.” He groaned, finally moving from his position so that he could lean forward and press his lips against yours.

Lips still attached, Joe flipped you around so now your back was against the mattress and he was hovering over your exposed body.

Your hands went to Joe’s chest, feeling up and down his toned stomach. This was one of your favourite things about Joe – his abs were so defined and you loved it. One of his hands went next to your head to hold himself up, and the other went to the head board of the bed.

You broke the kiss and stared up at Joe with a smirk. He sent you a confused look.

“What?” He asked.

“I just really love you.”

“Well, Y/N, I love you so much more,” He smiled, kissing you again. “But we’ve got to be quiet.”

Without warning, Joe pushed himself into you. You had to hold yourself back from letting out a moan. You were so used to having sex with Joe at home and making as much nose as you wanted, when you had sex somewhere like this you always struggled to keep quiet.

It’s because Joe knew exactly how to make you feel good. Considering you’ve been together for around 2 years now, Joe knew your body. He loved to make you shake so hard when you cum and to scream out his name. Sex with him was always and intense and you loved it.

He rocked in and out of you, each thrust getting harder. The feeling of Joe’s bare skin on your own was such an intimate feeling which is why you were on the pill. It was such a nice feeling to have Joe completely inside you without a condom, it made the pleasure even more enjoyable and it made you feel closer to him.

“Babyyyy…” Joe moaned into your shoulder before nipping at the bare skin.

You took Joe’s hand that was holding onto on the head board and laced your fingers together. He gave your hand a squeezed and let out a gentle moan, trying his hardest not to make too much noise. Joe’s moans were the most angelic thing you’ve ever heard and you would do anything right now to hear his moans and groans echo throughout the room.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, making Joe stop his actions immediately. When the handle went down, he pulled out of you as quickly as he could and pulled the covers over you both, making it look casual. Thankfully, he was quick enough.

“Y/N?” Zoe opened up the door as she rubbed her tired eyes. “I can’t believe I fell asleep on the sofa!”

“I know! I mean… can’t say I was surprised!” You laughed.

You could hear Joe panting next to you, trying to catch his breath. His cheeks were red but Zoe didn’t suspect anything.

“We’ll have to have another girly night again soon, and I promise I won’t fall asleep.”

“Ok,  Zoe, I’ll believe it when I see it.” You laughed.

“I won’t!” She defended.

“Is Alfie still not back?” You asked.

“No, I’m think I’m going to ring him in a minute though. What are they doing? Surely they can’t get much done in the dark.” As Zoe spoke, you felt Joe’s hand trail up your thigh.

You didn’t think anything of it until he kept on getting closer and closer to your centre.

“Yeah, he’ll probably be back soon though.” You said to Zoe.

Joe’s fingers went to your clit, gently rubbing his fingertips against the sensitive area. You sucked in a breath, feeling uncomfortable with the situation but also still very horny.

“How many days has he been doing it for?” Joe piped up. You squeezed the duvet in your hand as Joe slid his middle finger into you.

“This is the third, I think they’re planning on finishing it on Saturday.” Zoe told her brother and he nodded.

“It’s quite cool that they’re doing this though,” He replied, sliding his finger in and out of you as you bit your bottom lip, trying your absolute hardest to refrain from moaning.

“I think it’s amazing! I can’t wait to see what it looks like when they’ve finished it,” Zoe said. “Well, I’m going to bed now so night you two.”

“Night, Zo.” Joe said, using her nickname.

“G-goodnight.” You literally almost face palmed yourself as you stuttered over your words.

“You alright Y/N?” As Zoe asked this, Joe added another finger.

“I’m fine.” You quickly said as Joe finger fucked you.

“Ok,” Zoe sent you an odd look. “Night!”

“I fucking hate you, Sugg.” You said to Joe as soon as Zoe shut the door.

“You hate me?” He repeated. “Looks like you don’t want me to finish you off then.”

Joe’s fingers left you and you whined at the loss of contact.

“Shut up and fuck me.” You groaned.

“Of course, m’lady.” Joe chuckled, hovering over you and finishing you both off.