#or maybe the algorithm™ just liked that one but...

[afniel]

Oh yeah fully understood on those points. When it comes to looking at symbols and who's using them for what, I tend to approach it all from the angle of not so much, does this make me personally upset, which I don't give much weight insofar as people are totally allowed to do things I don't like, but moreso are they punching up or down. And the Catholic Church is historically (and currently) very powerful, so to me it's like...it is definitely offensive to use those symbols in that way, no doubt, but it's not like, systemically harmful, which is mainly where I'm looking.

And also I think that at this point I'm just very used to the eclectic/syncretic pagan experience anyway, which is that nobody is using any of the symbols normally, and anything could mean anything to anybody, so hanging out for any length of time in that space you tend to get a skin thick enough to be called an exoskeleton or you move on. I stuck around for over a decade. I'm very hard to surprise now.

(Also also I'm ethics [obligation to reduce measurable harm as much as possible] >>>>> morals [local/cultural definition of acceptable vs. unacceptable behavior] to a degree that I think can be a little strange to others, but I'm always running the 'which course of action minimizes real harm' algorithm in the background somewhere. So someone actually can offend the hell out of me, and if the only real harm being done is that I'm annoyed for a bit...yeah, I'll still vouch for their right to offend me, because that's much less harm than censorship, and that actually does feel satisfying as a conclusion to me. I may just be extremely Weird™ though.)

But I'm also coming at this from a personal religious viewpoint that would be downright blasphemous too, so! Y'know. It's easier to be unaffected. And I get that too.

But yeah I really did go to more than one youth rally that harshed the hell out of the otherwise decent vibes by suddenly going, "Hey also your secular music is big-E type Evil, and Satan personally wants you to listen to it because it'll make you go to hell! Listen to these bands instead!" And to be fair the bands they pitched instead had legit cool sounds and I'd have been happy enough to just add them to the rotation (if I could remember who they were, but I was 16 and I'm 41 now sooo I've slept a few times since then. But I'd kill to remember who they had in place of Metallica because those guys shredded)...but the part where the rejection of the 'secular world' often has nothing to do with spiritual growth and is really being employed as an isolation tactic to make people more reliant on their church in-group and more estranged from non-church social contacts...yeah, even as a teen I smelled bullshit.

And just from the viewpoint of someone who has been Christian before and does still very much respect it as a thing, just not a me thing, being afraid of Satan doesn't equate to having a good relationship with God anyway so the whole approach of scaring people with the threat of Satan is kinda fucked. It's not a 2D line with one guy on either end, and having outside perspectives to help you consider your own beliefs ultimately makes them stronger. Even if it was being done with fully good intent, it still isn't gonna be helpful or healthy to convince people that nearly the entire world is out to get them, and the only people you can trust to not gleefully commit you to a fate literally worse than death is this one group. Like there's metaphorical roads to places paved with that kind of intent, and after the life I've lived which basically sums up to 'Local Man Removes So Many Pairs Of Blinders That It's Uncertain How They Even Fit On His Head To Begin With (#4 Will Shock You!),' I am maybe a little too sensitive to anything approaching it.

But yeah for everyone who's reasonable like you and is like, 'I don't get along with this group because they're using symbols with a deep meaning to me in a way that's contrary to my beliefs and that's uncomfortable to me,' there's someone out there going, 'I think all secular music is bad, no exceptions,' and you're like, 'Surely there's one exception. Come on,' and they're like, 'Okay, okay, you got me, my secret guilty pleasure is the Charlie Brown Christmas movie soundtrack,' and you're like, 'They explicitly brought up Jesus's birth in that movie though. Like they actually quoted the Bible. That's not secular.' And they're like, 'Well yes, but it was mostly about the tree, which is a pagan icon, and the music isn't really about Jesus,' and you realize that this is going nowhere pleasant fast.

I think I don't remember the point I'm even trying to make now. Rambling is fun and easy and I think I lost myself in the imagery somewhere. But you get me. We're basically on the same page, even, I just should have numbered my pages better so it was more obvious from the start <- (normal type of things said by a guy who is still, evidently, lost in the imagery)

Was talking to a work friend about music a d he was telling me that someone suggested a band to him but when he listened it was all satanic stuff and he had to nope out.

It was Ghost.

[genderpresentationmichael]

all my amvs have like 100 hits except bakudeku cascada which has 17,000 hits since i checked last. i see how it is, bnha fandom.

[wandering-pirate]

Mouthwashing Crew Headcanon

The Crew has a Crush~

You, it's 🫵🏻

Captain Curly

You walk into the control room, and Curly’s full-on beefing with the ship’s voice assistant

Turns out, he programmed it to be more “human” for fun... welp, the AI's definitely having fun roasting the captain

“I’m the captain! You’re supposed to obey me!”

“Obey? Sir, you can’t even obey a map.”

You're struggling to keep it all together because Curly’s already TOMATO RED from embarrassment (and maybe from the fact that you’re watching)

He tries to play it cool, though

“This is just a glitch. Totally fixable.”

“Yes sir, I'm fixable. What’s not is your love life, tho.”

The crew knows he’s into you, and now even a literal system algorithm's joining in on the teasing

The man's not even surprise when the voice assistance turned a 180° on you and treated you like a queen... he ain't complaining tho

Nurse Anya

You came to the med bay for a papercut

You’re expecting, like, a band-aid or maybe some ointment, but what you got was a full medical intervention

“This could get infected. Let’s disinfect, bandage, and monitor it. For safety.”

“…It’s just a papercut.”

She keeps pulling out stuff from the cabinet:

Medical tape, okay so far

Gauze... a bit...much

Wait, is that... surgical gloves?

You’d think you crawled in with a gunshot wound

When she actually started treating your cut, she goes on a call mute, like she’s concentrating way too hard and you can't reach her

You catch her sneaking glances at you...cute

But what makes it more diabetically adorable is with both your slight accidental touches

She’s immediately short-circuiting, mumbling “sorry, does it hurt? wait, why would it hurt?? oh my gos--”

Girl is fighting for her life over brushing your sleeve while she's fully holding your hand with both hands

Meanwhile, Swansea’s strolling past the med bay, just shaking his head like, “Anya, just tell ‘em you like ‘em already."

Co-pilot Jimmy

You’re helping Jimmy with a minor maintenance task (he totally didn’t ask for your help; you just “showed up,” okay?)

He’s being his usual smug self, but you know he’s flustered because he keeps snapping at you for no reason

“Don’t touch that, you’ll mess it up."

“I literally haven’t even touched anything yet.”

“Well, don’t think about touching it either!”

He’s trying to show off and “teach” you, but keeps fumbling because you’re watching him too closely

The crew’s already onto him. Curly literally walked past once and muttered, “Subtle, Jimmy. Real subtle.”

“SHUT UP, CURLY.”

“…Do you want me to leave?”

“No! I mean--just stay over there. Quietly.”

He’s the human equivalent of a malfunctioning toaster, and it’s both annoying and adorable

Mechanic Swansea (Gruff Dad Energy™)

You pranked Swansea by hiding his tools, thinking he’ll just scowl and grumble like usual...huge, BIG mistake

This man plays chess while you’re playing checkers

The next day, everything you own is missing: Shoes? Gone

Favorite mug? Gone

Your bunk? Covered in engine parts

Swansea doesn’t even deny it, just smirks and chuckles, “Don’t start wars you can’t win, kid.”

But here’s the thing: later, you find your stuff neatly returned with a plate of snacks he definitely didn’t make (he asked Curly "what young'ins like these days" and got a canned latte from the vending machine)

He never forgets to remind you that he doesn't care... sure, Swans, the dad energy definitely NOT palpable

Daisuke (Your #1 Fanboy)

Daisuke decides to “help” you cook one day

By “help,” I mean he’s hyping you up like you’re Gordon Ramsey while also lowkey getting in your way

“Y/N, you’re amazing. Look at how you chop those veggies, Bob Ross for foodies. You should open a restauran- no, actually, you should open a chain.”

“...Dai, the stove's literally barbecuing your shirt."

He panics, trips over his own feet and in one catastrophic motion, takes down a pot of soup, a chair, and somehow a shelf that wasn’t even near him

The room is wrecked. But before anyone can process, he just shoots up from the floor, finger guns and grins “DON’T WORRY. THE SOUP'S FINE.”

At this point, you don’t even question when this whole fanclub started. Probably cause you're the only one slipping him some sweets every once in a while (you're aware of the man's sugar addiction)

Having a personal hype man is great, even if he’s one accident away from taking down the whole ship

The whole crew's in pure chaos. What have you done to them??

Jimmy’s crush is LOUD, flustered, dramatic and side-eyeing Curly and Anya when they're standing within a foot of your proximity

Curly’s out here showing his 'captain privileges', but one compliment and he’s short-circuiting, probably off to “check the crew” (aka scream into the void)

Anya? Combusting at the slightest thank-you for the snacks and meds and also avoiding eye contact like it’s a sport

And Daisuke? Man’s your 24/7 cheerleader, yelling “YOU’RE AMAZING!” at 6 AM while trailing you like a puppy. The rest of the crew’s this close to losing it ’cause he’s stealing their thunder

Everything's unfolding while both you and Swansea watch side by side

The man sighed and muttered something under his breath. He’s got the tiniest smirk, though

“Yeah, these idiots are on you now.”

[hrrtshape]

　　　　　　　　　　　3 nights in the in-between

hi. i shifted to my waiting room and obviously everything was devastatingly adorable. so here’s the lowdown before my soul bursts out of my collarbones from trying to contain the serotonin . .

　　shift length : 3 days but like… biblical. i was alba on day one. alba on day two. and then alba again on day three. except in this essay alba is a state of metaphysical blondeness and not a roman martyr. i was soft-lit. i was god’s favourite jpeg. i woke up like i’d been cured of every disease i didn’t know i had. i woke up honey-glazed and airbrushed. i woke up as if lana del rey herself had kissed my eyelids and whispered, "no thoughts, just frosted roses."　

　　place : the cinderella manor and no like. this is not an architectural joke. this place is disneycore™. not tasteful-italian-villa pinterest-core. it’s birds and rococo staircases that creak when you giggle too loud. it’s baroque-but-make-it-fairytale. like if sofia coppola directed a sleepover. you blink and suddenly your reality is being scored by harp strings and pink icing.　

　　　　　　　okay so ,

there’s a private cinema hidden behind a copy of the divine comedy. push it like a girlboss opening a portal to hell and BAM!! letterboxd-core viewing experience unlocked. i watched actual movies (auteur realness) AND got to view curated top-ten-most-deranged moments with coryo. it was like a highlight reel of my delusions. i was giggling like an orphan seeing snow for the first time.

kitchen stocked with marie-antoinette-adjacent snacks. like petit fours. sugar-dusted things that don’t exist in the waking world. i had a raspberry macaron. it knew too much. it was watching me.

lucifer was there btw. the lucifer. devil of hell. morning star. slay incarnate. jk the cat. he’s a literal infernal entity but he cuddles like a plushie possessed by the spirit of a golden retriever. we watched a noir movie together and he fell asleep on my shoulder. duality of cat etc etc.

my wardrobe was pinterest-core to the point of hallucination. like it was curated by an algorithm that knows my blood type. little bows. embroidered stuff. silk things. pretty dresses. i dressed like i was haunting an opera house.

my bedside table knew me biblically. it had whatever i needed before i even wanted it. a book. a journal. rosé. a phone. a lip balm.

i also had a telescope. like. capital-T telescope. i could see the stars. constellations were making a groupchat just for me. i saw venus doing a twirl.

back garden = eternal picnic. gingham blankets. dewy grass. someone always playing the cello in the distance. i ate strawberries and i was being filmed in soft focus. not really, at least i hope not.

also… scripted tiktok edits of my dr selves. narcissism... yes. therapeutic.... also yes. i was literally watching someone edit ME in final cut pro to hozier songs. i saw my fame dr on a red carpet and got secondhand butterflies.

there’s a lake. didn’t go in. was too pretty. too sacred. it glistened like the inside of a pearl. i stood there for ages like a protagonist mid-season arc. it changed me.

coraline door moment!!!!!!! it exists. it's small. gold-trimmed. do i know where it leads? no. did i script that? also no. is it ominously glowing sometimes? slay

i did script a small town nearby. never entered. cowardice won that battle. but its little cobbled streets were visible through the manor windows and they looked like plotlines waiting to happen. maybe next time.

have i mentioned the massive teddy bear. like. he’s just sitting there. coryo-sized. plushie of the void. i’ve sobbed into him twice and he took it like a champ. emotionally supportive king.

the AIR. smelled like… warm vanilla. roses. post-cry clarity. a scent that makes you feel forgiven. girl i don’t even know what the molecules were doing but they were in sync.

the manor isn’t like… photogenic. it’s animated. i live in a disney animated original movie but with higher stakes and better set design. the floorboards squeak narratively.

library includes painting zone. one night i stayed up tracing brushstrokes and the moonlight was literally bending to make me look artsy. it was like painting inside a poem. cried a little. obviously.

now. mirror. the mirror. i looked into it and saw every version of blonde me. honey blonde. platinum. 90s supermodel blonde. messy juliette lewis blonde. soul left my body and came back.....i need to bleach my hair.

my teapot brews based on my subconscious. i woke up to vanilla-rose-lavender earl grey with tiny sugar cubes that giggled when i stirred them. it’s fine. it’s normal. it’s called being built different.

also. trunk of film cameras. every one records me in a different genre. my tuesday was shot like a wes anderson girlhood docu-comedy. thursday had horror lighting. friday was soft focus teen romcom with slow fades. i am my own filmography.

anyway. it was perfect. 3-day slay. i’m in mourning now. but i’m also planning my next arrival. maybe next time i’ll open the coraline door. maybe i’ll dive into the lake. maybe coryo will show up and ruin my life in a cute way. who knows.

ok love you bye.

[whorbidmore]

okay, so, I've fallen victim to the leon kennedy brainrot steadily overtaking me, following me from Tumblr to Pinterest, to Instagram and even the absolutely fucking dreaded application of TikTok. I don't even use it that often??? and the algorithm is just like 'wow, yeah, this little fuckers gay as hell send in the 40 year old meow meow!!' and having watched Death Island fairly recently, I'm gonna have my opinions on what this dude would be like. Cus my brain loves to rationalize shit and think ab 'what if this mf was someone real?' so... fuck it.

Leon Soft Kennedy Headcanons

SFW

accidentally bigoted. - im sorry but let's be so fucking real here. he's a 40 something year old man who spent the majority of his life in either the military, a police training academy in the 90's, or otherwise working under the U.S Federal System with minimal/no time between missions to unpack absolutely everything he's got going on... the guys gonna have some problematic tendencies. Obviously that doesn't mean he means any of that or is incapable of change, etc. etc., but I know for damn certain this dude would laugh a little at Bill Burr's borderline to blatantly misogynistic material and has probably chuckled unironically at the attack helicopter jokes. But, he's not a complete dick, and would definitely become more critical of those kinds of jokes if it's pointed out to him.

honest to God, Dad Without Kids™ - it's not simply enough for me to leave it at 'but it's the vibes!!' so, I'm gonna break this shit down. Leon is absolutely Gen X incarnate. I can fucking guarantee you that on his off days he accidentally ends up dressing as an undercover cop; I'm talking cargo shorts, light blue button up, those fucking standard issue boots cus "they're perfectly good shoes" and those stupid ass sunglasses... you know the ones I'm talking about. Let's say you're living with him, right? And you're... you, and you wanna watch something on TV. This dude would strain himself getting up like a turtle fallen backwards on its shell, stand up, walk right in front of the TV screen and stand there with his hands on his hips. It doesn't matter that he had to piss, he needs to get a better look of what's happening! Does those really loud, obnoxious coughs and sneezes, absolutely blows his back out doing one at least five times a year.

Only watches British Reality TV - Considering he's canonically a film buff, I'll say that this is purely for whatever he gravitates towards on general streaming services. I honestly don't see him being the type to regularly tune in to standard American cable TV, or only does so under specific circumstances like American Ninja Warrior or maybe Forged in Fire if there's absolutely nothing else. It's not something that's exclusive to Americans, — I'm from New Zealand and I do this too, — but Leon absolutely falls into the category of watching British Reality and Game shows purely because of the accents. I'm talking Jeremy Kyle, The Big Fat Quiz of Everything, Taskmaster, The Great British Bake Off and so on and so forth. It doesn't matter that baking isn't his forté or a passion of his, if Josephine curdles her buttercream by over mixing, his hands are in his hair in utter disappointment. 100% tries to mimic their accents too. We all do it, don't lie.

Has... very dated music tastes - I don't know if you could guess, but the last paragraph included me calling myself out and name dropping some shows I watch anyway or grew up watching, and I'm just saying that this is gonna be no different. If anything? This'll be worse! Since I'm very passionate about the music I listen to and have the inability to keep my interests separated from the other, of course my love of particular bands will bleed over into my interpretation of Leon's character! Anyway, all that for me to say that Leon fucking LOVES 90's grunge musicians, specifically Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, as well as early nu metal bands like Korn (their dubstep phase did not happen.), TOOL, and Rage Against the Machine — and no, he unfortunately doesn't see the irony of him being a fed and listening to Rage, — but would also have a soft spot for psych rock, post-punk and shoegaze. My man's definitely laid awake at night, sobbing without expression as he struggles to accept that Ada never really wanted him like he wanted her while listening to fucking Slowdive. My hottest take here is that he doesn't really listen to Deftones. Like he'll occasionally blast My Own Summer, Change, Bored or Rosemary, but anything outside of those? He just didn't listen to 'em. My second hottest take is that he does NOT like Slipknot, which kind of pains me 'cus I do, but I fucking bet you this dude would actually adopt one piece of "Gen Z lingo" or whatever just call them cringe. Though admittedly he would've been jamming the fuck out to Psychosocial and The Devil in I when they came out. Went off the deep end in Vendetta, obviously, and drunk-cried himself to sleep on the couch listening to Linkin Park.

Very confusing spending habits - On one hand, we all understand that Leon came from money, — he was implied to have been born into a mob family from my understanding? And I doubt he'd ever really had to worry about being fully, irrevocably broke, — but I'm sure that growing up in the U.S Foster Care System made him at least a little more cautious of where his money comes from, where it's going, what he's spending it on, etc. So, on the one hand, he's apprehensive to spend recklessly, particularly on perishables. But also, if he can drop over $100,000USD on a motorcycle that got absolutely fucking cheese grated into the road, and spend a perceived, metric fuck ton of money on designer leather jackets and massive watches, it's gonna be hard for me to call him 'financially conscious'. On one hand, he gets apprehensive on spending more money than he needs to on food since he's "just gonna shit it out later", but if he sees a cool watch or a nice suit in a shop window? Money's suddenly not an issue! Not because he's materialistic, but because the one thing he really maintains a sense of control over in his life are his possessions and the way he dresses. The D.S.O can call him in for another months long mission whenever they please, and all he can realistically do is allow the government to tug on his leash and put him where he's needed. He may as well spend their money on things he wants!

Gets out... enough? But also, not really? - So, personally I've pegged Leon as more of an introverted person, — amateurly typed his MBTI as possibly ISFJ? — so he doesn't really feel the need to go out and meet new people or really hang out with anyone. If somebody invites him out? Sure, he'll go. Otherwise, it rarely occurs to him to meet up with friends or colleagues at a cafe or anywhere. I think he'd prefer to just go there alone, mostly for the sake of having somebody else cook for him as opposed to actively seeking out the atmosphere. It's pure convience in his mind. And remember when I said in the beginning about him accidentally being at least a little misogynistic? Yeah, that was me trying to say that he regularly tries to hit on younger waitresses. Not because he actually wants anything to do with them, but simply because it's an ego boost. He likes that he can make girls half his age blush or offer him their numbers, because it tells him that he's still desirable, and ultimately, that gives him the power to reject them politely and go about the rest of his day. If they don't reject him first, of course. Admittedly, Leon's audacity towards women peaked during Infinite Darkness.

Since I'm planning on posting more NSFW headcanons for this guy, — and more NSFW kinds of posts, — here is the obligatory Minors DNI attachment. For your own safety, I don't care if what I have to say is tame so far, you can hold it off I promise.

[the-most-humble-blog]

🦇 When Men Could Flirt Without an HR Report: A Love Letter to the “King of the Wicker People” Era

---

Watched Batman (1989) the other night. Yeah, that one. Burton's gothic jazz-noir Gotham. The Joker with a smile that won't quit and a trench coat full of war crimes.

But forget the villains. Forget even the Bat.

I want to talk about the most emotionally radioactive thing I saw in that whole movie:

🧠 A man flirting — unironically — without fear of cancellation.

Context.

New girl walks in. First day on the job.

---

He leans over her desk. Flirts. Boldly. Directly. Charismatically awkward. He's not suave — he’s interested. He doesn’t pretend he’s just “being friendly.” He doesn’t ask for consent to offer a compliment.

He makes a play. Full male signal flare. And it’s obvious.

But instead of calling him creepy? Instead of whispering “ew” behind her Starbucks? Instead of rushing to HR or groupchat to dissect his emotional crimes against feminism?

💥 She just says no.

---

And the other women watching the movie with me? Did they screech about harassment?

Nope. They said:

“He really likes her… but she’s focused.” “She’s into Bruce Wayne.” “Aww, he has no game.”

That was it.

No lectures. No outrage. No Tumblr threads about male entitlement or fragile masculinity.

Just three women. Watching a man shoot his shot. Miss. Then become her ride-or-die sidekick.

Like a fucking human.

You Know the Scene

He’s the one who called Bruce Wayne “Bruce Vain.”

The one who cracked that iconic line:

“He must be king of the wicker people!”

He insulted the billionaire. Then got a damn GRANT from him. Why? Because Bruce could tell he was loyal. Sharp. Genuinely protective of her.

Even after getting curved, he never turned cruel.

---

He just pivoted to protector.

And that? That’s a lost archetype.

When Did This Become Illegal?

Flirting used to be a risk. And we honored the risk. A man had to brave embarrassment. Get rejected. Eat it with a smile. Try again — maybe differently.

Now?

If your tone is one decibel too low: "Creep." If your compliment is 2% too personal: “Predator.” If your eyes betray even 0.7 seconds of admiration too long?

Congratulations. You’re now a threat.

We went from:

“He has no game, poor guy.”

To:

“He should be fired, arrested, and publicly neutered.”

And somehow, we're shocked men are unplugging from dating entirely.

We’re Not “Safer.” We’re Just Colder.

---

You don’t get passion, mystery, or loyalty from sanitized algorithms of “appropriate courtship.”

You don’t build mythic couples from ✔️ HR-approved compliments ✔️ Vetted eye contact ✔️ Consent forms for attraction

You get NPCs. You get mannequins with trauma disclosures.

But back in Batman?

This man — no plot armor, no tech suit, no billion-dollar trauma budget — actually cared about her. Shot his shot. Lost. Stayed loyal anyway.

He flirted. Got rejected. And became a fucking legend in her story anyway.

Not a villain. Not a misogynist. Not a case study in “toxic masculinity.”

Just a man.

Trying.

And for a split second, in that movie?

We remembered what it meant to be human.

___

🧠 TL;DR:

Bring back the man who flirts poorly but with purpose. Bring back the woman who can reject without ruining him. Bring back the era where intention mattered more than perfection. Where misfires didn’t equal moral failure.

Bring back the King of the Wicker People.

🔁 Reblog if you remember when men could flirt without being labeled predators. 🛡️ Save this post for your sons. They’re going to need it. 🔥 Send to someone who still believes in flawed, beautiful, human connection.

DISCLAIMER:

🛐 This post is Blacksite Literature™. It’s a trigger trap disguised as a nostalgia post. If you're offended: you probably think Batman is problematic. Which means your libido’s been hijacked by critical theory. Unplug. Recalibrate. Get laid.

🔁Reblog to keep my signal to mankind going strong.

[dennydraws]

Onto 2025~

Happy New Year friends~ I say 3 days later... xD;; In 2025 I plan to vastly cut on my "to-do" list and focus on 1-2 things at a time. That tends to usually fall very quickly with me being - alright, I can squeeze one more thing.

I want to focus more on my physical health this year, at least in the first half, and less on "art goals," which I tend to prioritize. I'm kinda excited to plan my meals again and try new recipes. I won't get another body, I should pamper and cherish this one more.

I do want to work more on my site too. It's still a work in progress but it's coming together xD Please Look Forward To It™ It's going to be my little arts and projects hub! I don't think I have the energy to do youtube and to be honest, I'm not happy with youtube. I feel like whatever time and energy I may pour there will ultimately go towards feeding the algorithm of a soul-crushing capitalistic-driven hell that I yap against so very often. I still enjoy doing art videos when time and energy allow it but I don't want the pressure of racing with youtube's standards or whatever and being immediately flooded with "how to make good videos!" recommendations like some looming nasty voice asking me to "do better" and "do more" ... nah, I ain't about that life lol I also don't want to put anyone through the friggin ads that pop all the time. F that noise.

So, if I do more art videos, I will see about posting them on my site. I think it's a matter of habit to work on it and gradually make it a cozy little corner for me. I feel like with all social media hubs nowadays we have forgotten the joy of owning a site and having your own little space.

And lastly, it's the year of the snake!! It's Sneric's year :D! I hope to finish "The Snake, The Firebrand and The King of All" this year ...which I haven't updated since October(?) (ahhh!!) but I'm working on line-arting the next chapter. I didn't want my Holiday time off to be just hunched over the iPad drawing the comic...xD;; so I admit, I didn't prioritize it as much. I also want to do a New Year drawing of our favorite Sneric since it is his year!! But likely not this week.

I have started a really cool book that was in my backlog for SO long and now I can't put it down... I'm halfway there, maybe I can finish it before the vacation is over! It is so very chonky! 600 something pages... Sadly it's in Bulgarian and not translated (yet?) I hope one day it will be so I can recommend it. ;u;

With that said... I'm back to my book! I hope everyone is having a great 1st week of 2025 ~

[august-in-january]

Ok I can't be the only one fucking exhausted by being alive every day. Like maybe I've curated my plethora of online algorithms to serve the most revolting slop humanly possible or there's just an over abundance of heartless clickbait and interaction farming spat into my fucking eyes. Why do I have to be bombarded by shiny products and advertisements with catchy and popular music that is artificially created to be comforting to the general population™ pleasantly blasting my fucking ears off with it's insistence into my fucking money when I just want... like a drink. I can't fucking take it anymore dude.

[twocubes]

I have a tarot reading request about my work + social life situation. I am basically burnt out from my job to the point that I'm unable or unwilling to accept even thanks or praise. Most of it relates to my manager, who has an imprecise yet emotionally blunt and at times exacting manner of communication that feels tailor-made to make technical discussions nearly impossible (I am a software engineer, and a fairly sensitive person. He is a military veteran who believes strongly in doing the fastest thing that works, and has been known to critique people to their face openly in group settings.) So I know the "correct" thing to do is grind up my LeetCode and start job hunting … but that would mean sitting down with a traditional data structures & algorithms text when I feel like I would much rather invest myself intellectually in my pipe dream of learning mathematics / getting, someday, to participate in the new univalent foundations of mathematics (maybe even as a programmer.) At the same time, the usual outlets I might have of getting to go for long walks / socialize on weekends feel increasingly out of reach, since I live in the outskirts of my city and the public transit authority there has been cancelling the trains for shuttle buses for most weekends, for what is going on 2 years now (at least since after the pandemic.) Having to ride buses instead of just hop on a train on weekends, for promised signal improvements that feel like they will never come, is slowly killing any sense of spontaneity and connection with casual human society outside of work for me. And even thinking about moving feels impossible (I have a housemate, my sibling, who I love dearly but I'm just not sure I want to commit to another 3-5 yrs. of cohabitation with.) Every direction in which I might reasonably turn for some vision of life outside of the cramped, artificial one where our company is super great! and everything is super exciting! despite the burnout and the constant reorgs and the whole new managerial clique we just got that's in charge of everything now, and, and, and … feels increasingly closed off. Would love any interpretation you could offer.

thank you for volunteering your fate to be decided by our still experimental divinatory process, here at dorothy twocubes' 24-hour bad advice hour™! as always, i must remind you, that this should only be taken seriously if it's good advice; otherwise, it's a joke, haha, why would you take it seriously? anyways let's get started

you seem to have some idea of what you want, and you seem to need advice regarding what to do next, so i will try with that mainstay, that good old spread that everyone likes and uses, Sun Tzu's five factors that decide battles. also i haven't done this in a while and this one i used a bunch before so maybe it's appropriate idk

alright.

Purpose: ONE OF FISHES, reversed Purpose here means what you're trying to do, your goals. If you were like, a leader of a group, it would be the reason that other people follow you. What keeps you going as like, an entity. FISHES are to do with your social position in the world, where you are relative to others in the way that it defines who you are. ONE is to do with something being complete, filled, all there, enough. that sort of thing and it's reversed

Landscape: ONE HALF OF HEARTS, reversed Landscape here means the environment you're navigating. Where you are relative to other things and other people in the sense of like, obstacles or resources or... yknow, things that must be practically considered HEARTS are to do with perpetuance; with what it is that sustains, what allows something to continue to exist. health, both literal and metaphorical ONE HALF is to do with stuff being incomplete; things that are started but not finished, things that are there but not sufficient, partialness and it's reversed

Climate: NINE OF DIAMONDS, reversed Climate here means transient stuff that affects the landscape. The mood of the world, the weather. The way the world is changing. DIAMONDS are to do with what you value, what gives your life purpose, meaning. What fulfills you. and it's reversed

Doctrine: OMEGA PLUS ONE OF DIAMONDS, upright Doctrine is what you are trained to do, what your standard operating procedures are. What you can do without having to learn to do new things. OMEGA PLUS ONE is to do with utopia. While OMEGA is to do with your ideals, that which you pursue without particular expectation that you might ever attain, OMEGA PLUS ONE is to do with the world that you might imagine if you attained your maybe-unattainable ideals. and it's upright

Leadership: EIGHT OF DIAMONDS, reversed Leadership is the strategy you chose, given all the other things here. EIGHT is to do with networks. Stuff being connected to stuff that is connected to more stuff. and it's upright

In addition, there is an arithmetic relationship between the cards:

8 + 1 = 9 this suggests that we should think of our interpretation of 9 as being a more direct consequence of the coordination of 8 and 1

I read these cards thus:

You are in a situation here where, in principle, your social position is fully secured, but your desire here is to leave this security.

The world you live in is one where people are struggling to support themselves and what-makes-them-themselves, and at the moment people are overall having to make hard choices regarding the pursuit of those precious things that make their life worth living.

You have the ability already, without having to learn it, to do what you think you would do in ideal circumstances.

So, given all this, the cards are suggesting that you should reach out in pursuit of what-gives-your-life-value and work with others; friends, acquaintances and acquaintances-of-acquaintances. In particular, the hard choices other people are making may give you some form of opportunity to change your social position.

...

Anyways, that's my reading. Maybe these cards make sense to you in some other way? Maybe this is helpful? Maybe it isn't? Either way, I claim no responsibility :p

Thanks for this opportunity to further test our experimental variant on the classic card-based rpg solitaire "cartomancy". i would be happy for feedback or a tip, but, it's also absolutely fine if you'd rather not. it's your choice, and we respect that.

[chthonicgodling]

it’s 1 am which is a good time to make a post on ~*the trusty nsfw blog*~ which is - as always - exactly right here on this very blog but you have to imagine we’re all taking one half step over to the side, to differentiate.

‘kay. ANYWAYYY SO,

due to whatever algorithm I’ve accidentally broken, my fyp on tiktok has somehow shifted to constantly showing me a litany of videos fancy kink collars and they’re PRETTY and like, hilariously here in the Elysian Fields, kink capital of the underworld, ( I believe it’s common knowledge that) due to our stupid shenanigans Maci’s palace contains no less than three individuals who do wear “permanent” collars currently (Which. oops. how’d that happen.) this post isn’t about Chal and Ty though it’s ABOUT how WELL my fucking problem is I’ve been whining to myself that I should have designed the one stuck on EeL better cause I— really did not put any artistic thought into it, , and he’s certainly been wearing it just casually in all of those comic parts loooool so it’s just. THERE THAT WAY NOW.

But iiiiii have been desperately wanting to upgrade it Fancier???? into something more like. metally jewelry?? I dont know there’s just SO many different types again I did NOT look into it at all, Chal’s and Ty’s both work with their respective aesthetics but I can’t have three of the sameeeeee aaAHHHH BUT BUT BUT but because I’m neurotic I don’t want to backtrack retcon anything and so if it changes it’s gonna have to be a canon change and a Whole Thing™. which like. am I gonna get around to that?????? I don’t know 😭 maybe 😭😭 idk when the opportunity is gonna arise itself AUGH

and here comes my tiktok algorithm taunting and terrorizing me with endless possibilities now?!!!! I’m suffering???? I’m making the algorithm worse cause I keep bookmarking options that are cute if I DO manage to steamroll a canon moment??? what even ISSSSS MY LIFEEEEE THE ELYSIUMVERSE IS SOOO UNSERIOUSSSSSSS AAHHHHH well there’s my current plight. puppy collar remains until further notice because that’s what it is but. I could have done better and mMMAYBE I WILL IN MY WILDEST DREAMS AAHHH

[suenitos]

Ah u know what that is completely fair. I keep forgetting tht not everyone has access to the same information as people in the fandom do especially with how hard it would be to even find any of our posts outside the fandom

As an experiment i tried to google 'tommyinnit controversy 2024' and only found surface lvl logan paul twitter drama and a few dwt2 posts that only discuss his current yt videos (and also a wildly misinformed post on his reddit page that ofc made the dteam devil incarnate 😭) but none of the actual '''''drama'''' stuff that we know about so damn I didn't expect it to be that hard

Trying to even begin research on any of that opens up like 700 other topics because now u also need to look up those things while also trying not to fall into either of the opposing sides biased views on those situations but also lets not forget the actual topic at hand ect

While i cannot claim that this changes my opinion from my previous essay andy post completely it did certainly made me extend more grace towards her

I try to always assume incompetence instead of malice but something abou drantis and general anti dream rethoric makes me Evil. So even seeing his face or hearing his name nearly made me black out💀💀

I am still mad tho cuz damn another wave of braindead people (slash jey) sucking tommys dick because Hes One Of The Good Ones and not Evil like those Other Minecraft Youtubers™😞

yeah exactly stuff like this is what i mean like as much as information on the internet is catalogued extensively and can be found in some form or another you need to know WHERE and HOW to find it. what sources to trust, timestamps. if stuff has been deleted from source is there a way to find it in reposts, or discussions on blogs? is there a community on twitter? does it look the same as it did four years ago when the drama was prevalent? what about suspended accounts, people nuking stuff, and archives that arent preserved anymore? did anyone bother to preserve it at all? theres so many questions you need to ask if youre willing to deep dive or research ANYTHING and the truth unfortunately is there are a lot of people who just dont have the time or care to do so which again leads back to the type of reactionary and awful drama channels we DONT like. or deep dives that are either extremely deep or surface level no in between. thats not even getting into algorithmic bias at all!! which is also a serious problem in preservation and archiving

im glad you could humor my point a little bit, and i can still completely understand why anything having to do with general drantiness causes that reaction because though i dont get this way with chommy i definitely do have a visceral negative reaction when different people are brought up too. as for your last part yeah. that also pisses me off too i dont necessarily wish any ill on him but i really need people to move on from that sort of thinking so bad, not in the sense that all people from any group are evil but that your parasocial expectations of a person can be very different than the reality :/ maybe im not wording that right but i hope you understand what i mean there

[carltonstar]

TikTok vs Tumblr: my experiences

As someone who has recently replaced Tiktok with Tumblr (and other apps and Life™ but yk im gonna focus on Tumblr rn), after not really being active on it since like 2017, I gotta say it's such a creative little site. For a lot of people it's like their little hellsite with their hidden demon creatures on it and whatever, but it's really just this big communal blog, and I think it's so beautiful. It's like a collage everyone can add to. There is space for music, poetry, art, photos, videos, quotes, just every type of media. And it's a lot less addictive too.

The way I personally use it, is by looking up things that I feel like looking at at that moment, and kinda focusing on that. And then once I've gotten my specific fanart/gifsets I can be satisfied. On TikTok, one is never satisfied. I know there are millions of studies about it, but it's genuinely so wild to see the difference, even if it's just using one platform instead of the other. It's also just easier to Create™ on here since you just have to write and I do that a lot anyway.

Now you might be asking, what about Youtube/Instagram Reels? Aren't they just as addictive? And what about keeping up with useless TikTok drama? Well, I've found that Instagram Reels only gives me the same type of sad content (maybe that's just me though, but it's definitely not as addictive as ragebait, I get one sad video and I click away but it Doesn't Understand That), and Youtube gives me gross AI ads and Career Ladder videos and that's really it. The algorithms are just a lot more basic and don't really know how to capture my attention. And once I inevitably think 'yikes', and click away, the more 'boring' content is there.

As for the drama: Youtubers make concise videos explaining it, without needing to delve into it yourself! It's incredible! You can just put on an essay about whatever influencer is scamming people now and go about your day, informed and entertained without a rotting brain.

In general, I just think TikTok is an attention sucking void, filled with ragebait and horrible practices. There are a lot of cool creators too, but their art gets pushed down by slop, trash, and lies. And once you finally find something beautiful in the junkyard, you don't even have the attention left to really appreciate it. You just scroll past it halfway.

Disclaimer: I do think it's a great app for creators. But honestly, if we're talking about creating regardless of format, Tumblr is the most accessible way to do it in my opinion.

[joffyworld]

FURTHERMORE,

PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD,

IGNORE THE NUMBERS

They mean nothing.

One thing I forgot to mention is that there's this expectation some people I've spoken to have that if their post doesn't do its usual numbers of notes or comments or likes, whatever the platform you're on uses, then it wasn't "worthwhile" or people "didn't like it".

Dude. Bro. Girly. They. It.

Whatever notes you get, whether it's 10k or 1 is a genuine life touched. People don't come on here and reblog or share or like without having felt something. Okay, yeah, sure, maybe you didn't explode and reach 50 thousand people and they didn't all simultaneously explode from excitement.

BUT THAT'S OKAY.

Social media platforms are designed around algorithms to push content they assume people want to see. Quite frankly, however, these algorithms suck balls. Tumblr might be one of the better in terms of posts reaching audiences and old posts gaining recognition for a long time after they were posted, but it's still just a computer throwing shit on a screen.

I see, and talk to, a lot of artists that feel they can't OC post or that they have failed because "my usual audience size didn't all see the post I made" when there's a dozen things beyond their control that affect whether or not people even know they've uploaded. Here's a short list of shit that can affect whether or not your post is seen by the average joe:

Tags

Notes

Fandom or OC

Followers

Time of Day

The weather outside

The Algorithm™

Luck

Hype around a fandom at a given time

Trends

A total of ONE of these you can control, being the tags. You have literally no say whether your post does well or not, at it SHOULDN'T MATTER. As discussed in the original post, do art for you! These numbers are genuine people behind a screen that have felt touched by what you have made. It doesn't matter whether that's one person ever, or a million people at once. People were altered even in the smallest ways by your creation, whether it was a smile or a happy cry, and that's beautiful. That's what art is, an expression of self that others can find comfort in when shared. But the key words are "EXPRESSION OF SELF." Not what the audience wants, not what God wants, but what you want.

Let me put it this way:

If you open a hospital, and are used to treating a million people a day but then suddenly have a day where only 5 people show up in need of help, is that a bad day? Or is it just good that people didn't need help? One day they might and you'll still be there because hospital equipment doesn't just vanish into thin air one day.

Audiences will see your work when they need to, and when they don't they won't. There's no two ways about it, you're fighting impossible odds if you try to make it any other way. So just let it be, do art for you and fuck everyone else. Because ultimately, the only person you're fucking by doing otherwise is yourself, and the world does plenty of that for us by default.

So go ahead, OC post! Create porn! Create the most angst-riddled depressing shit you possibly can! Don't worry about whether or not it'll do numbers and blow up big, because it doesn't matter! All that matters is that you had fun, and every life you touch with your work is a genuine human connection made over impossible distances that otherwise would've never occurred. Even posting this I'm speaking to people all the way from China to Mexico.

Will they see it? Who knows! But it doesn't matter, as long as one person sees it then that's a good thing. If nobody sees it that's great too! It means nobody needed to, so the world didn't need more lecturing on how to be happy.

Live life folks. No matter who you are, someone loves you, whether they know it yet or not, whether you know it yet or not.

Thank you for coming to my inane rant, have a good day! :D

From,

Jofferson

DO ART FOR YOU! 🫵

FUCK EVERYONE ELSE!!!

Seriously.

I'm so sick and weary of logging on here and seeing creators I adore, and people I don't even know alike, apologising for not uploading or basically begging for a break like they're not a human with needs.

You're literally a human being, with thoughts, feelings and emotions. You're not an art factory, you're not some positivity pump, you're nothing other than a genuine human being living a genuine life experience.

SO GO LIVE IT!!!

YOU OWE THE INTERNET NOTHING!!!!

There should be, and realistically is, no shame in just fucking leaving if you want to. There's no contract you signed, there's no permit you bought or lease you hold. You're a person who decided to share their art with the world, FOR FREE, and garnered an audience of faceless people behind screens who enjoy that art because YOU wanted to make it and share it.

Let me be frank as best I can. You owe the internet nothing, you owe the world nothing and you owe yourself EVERYTHING. You are the only person who can live your life, you are the only person who can create the things you create and you are the only motherfucker that should matter to you when you create those things.

Art is supposed to be a wondrous joy that inspires the mind and indulges ideas that other creatures can't even comprehend. It's supposed to be a magical and fun fantasy land where anything is possible because you make it possible. It's not a 9-5 unless you make it one, so stop making your hobby a 9-5 unless you're getting paid for it, and even then put in limits because no job that you choose to do should end in you burnt out and wishing you'd never started in the first place.

Remember when we were all kids? When we all drew and wrote for fun simply because we could? We'd show people are shit and be like "Mama look!" and she'd clap her hands all proud. But she wasn't why you picked up that crayon, you just did it for you because you wanted to make some shit.

That's how it should be. That's how it is unless you let those fake ass numbers on a screen rule your life. It's all meaningless, the praise may be genuine but that doesn't mean you should spend your whole life running in circles and performing for an audience.

Be a human being! Be an artist! Fuck everyone else!

Just be yourself <3

[autisticempathydaemon]

Hi! If you're still doing the ask pairing thingy, here's my submission! This is kind of a lot of stuff, so a quick apology for the Sheer Volume of Said Stuff, and let's get into it!

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

Channeling the Idiotic Nerd Energy here, but hear me out:

Mathy video essays are my lifeblood. What can I say, rat brain craves sustenance. These are two of my favorites.

This is an hour-long essay on the continuity of splines, and Holy Shit. It tickles the few braincells I have left in the most wonderful ways... (Cool stuff!!)

https://youtu.be/jvPPXbo87ds

This one's a little shorter, but it explores the basis and applications of a different number system than the reals, known as "p-adic numbers." (Also cool stuff!!) Scratches the brain cell SO GOOD.

https://youtu.be/3gyHKCDq1YA

What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why?

И ты пытаешься снова дать очень дельный совет мне/Но я бы твоему рту предложил лучше скотч.

(Trans. You're trying again to give me such wise advice, but I'd offer that your mouth is better suited for scotch.)

The above lyrics are from 19 by ssshhhiiittt! (Fantastic song, though a little depressing). My russian is limited, but I Love this Song. This lyric, along with the rest of the verse, stands out to me because it captures the feeling of needing to change in some way, but nobody is giving that advice that you need; the advice that is pertinent.

Re: the Bois

As for the Bois™, I was never able to vibe with Asher or David (at least, not in a romantic sense.) Nothing against them, just not that into them. Platonically, I would forcibly befriend Lasko for nothing but "nefarious" reasons (DnD and hyperfixation talk).

Re: Eepy Talky Subjects

I get eepy and talk about either fountain pens or pretty dice. They bring so much joy to the rat brain. I could talk about fountain pen inks and bodies and makes and models until the universe dies, probably don't quote me on that though.

Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to.

I could probably recite most of Fantasy High or The Unsleeping City (both season 1) off memory. They're both part of Dimension 20, a live-play DnD show hosted on Dropout, and just, *chef's kiss*. Brennan Lee Mulligan (the GM) is a goddamned national treasure.

Other stuffs

Other than this, I'm just. A Guy. I'm studying to be a math teacher and I'm a type 5 on the Enneagram. I can tend to be a nervous wreck, and I also have Extreme Cool Guy Syndrome (my doctor says it's called ADHD.) So, ye! Have fun deciphering this trainwreck of an ask!!

Oh, we abso-fucking-lutely stan a couple in STEM. The nervous math teacher and the soft-spoken technician- you and Anton would be a great pair.

Type Five’s are characterized as inquisitive, innovative, and intellectual; it can be so fun to pair Fives with together because you’ll learn so much from each other and it’ll be flirting! Maybe even do the flirting in Russian, because that definitely was a factor in my complex, matchmaking algorithm.

Anton seems like the type who would love to listen and absorb, to pass the minutes hearing about the hyperfixation of the moment. Your students, math, dice sets- I don’t believe this man’s ever played a single session of a TTRPG in his life, but he’d try just because of the way your face lights up when you talk about it.

Song:

So, please, you must have faith in me/ There's no place, I'd rather be than home with you/ Where all is safe and warm/ But now I need to fight this storm

I’ve obviously got to plug my favorite Russian-singing boy. What can I say? Rybak is a dreamboat, and 5 to 7 can work really well for Anton missing you while he’s sequestered away at ETS. (Ignore the sad bit. Don’t listen to the third verse, or do! Maybe you’re an angst with a happy ending kind of babe.)

Runner-Ups:

Gavin, I like for you because I think he would be immensely charmed by the ADHD, nerd energy. Like with Lasko, there’d be so many teaching double entendres. Guy, I also like because he strikes me as a TTRPG kind of guy. He’d love actual play podcasts and series, and his chaotic energy would be great for improv if he actually played.

Note: oh my love you don’t need to tell me who Brennan Lee Mulligan is I worship and serve at the altar of Adventuring Academy 💌

Want a match-up of your own? Read this post, and tell me about yourself! 💌

[snowdice]

Move In (Part 3/3) [Part of the Sometimes Labels Shift Series]

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Virgil & Patton, Virgil & Logan, Patton/Logan

Characters: Virgil, Patton, Logan

Summary: Virgil is getting ready to move into his college dorm… and out of the house he’s called home for the past few years. There are emotions about this fact.

Notes: A lot of crying (not in this chapter) because baby™ is going off to college.

This takes place after my story Sometimes Labels Fail.

Part 1 Part 2

“You’d swear we were transporting nuclear weaponry,” Virgil muttered out of the side of his mouth.

“He gets nervous,” Patton said, looking at Logan with an expression so fond it was gross. “It’s his way to show love.”

Logan was currently running through his list one last time while peering into the back of the SUV. He had a clipboard and everything.

“We should get him a little hat,” Virgil suggested.

“A hat?” Patton asked.

“An orange one that looks official except it says something silly like ‘Bullshit inspector.’”

Patton giggled, bumping their shoulder together where they sat on the front step. Despite being willing to lightly make fun of Logan with him, he was also showing his distress about Virgil moving out via being clingy. He’d sidled up to Virgil to watch the organizational circus and was currently gripping both of his hands.

Virgil glanced at his watch. “At least he has a time limit,” he said. They were set to leave at exactly 7:05am according to the schedule Logan had handed out the other day.

“Mhmm,” Patton agreed, hugging him. Patton was already a bit teary eyed. This was going to be a long day.

Finally, after a few more minutes, Logan closed the trunk of the car for the last time.

“Alright,” he said. “Ready to go?”

“We’ve been ready for an hour, Dad,” Virgil said.

“Good,” Logan said without a blink. “It’s best to be prepared on important days.”

Virgil just rolled his eyes and got in the car.

It wasn’t that long of a drive, though it was a bit longer than it usually would be considering there were a lot more cars due to it being the freshman move in day. They pulled into the line of cars already forming outside the dorm.

Virgil was surprised by the efficiency of what was going on outside. He’d always thought move-in would be a clusterfuck, but he half wondered if someone had asked Logan to organize the move-in days years ago. People in bright yellow shirts, directed them to pull the car into a spot close to the door and already had a cart waiting to load his bags onto. Patton and Virgil unloaded the car quickly and then one of the yellow shirt’s instructed Logan to park in a designated area while Patton and Virgil headed inside. Logan’s car was almost instantly replaced once he pulled away.

A girl with the same yellow shirt and a clipboard told him to get his keys from his RAs who would be waiting on his floor. Then, they were ushered straight to the elevators with another family. They were going to the 12th floor while Virgil and Patton were going to the 7th.

Once on the correct floor, Virgil found his RA in the student lounge. He was a junior boy a couple of inches taller than Logan named Matt. By the time he’d been given his key, a little postcard of first week activities that mostly started that evening, and a spiel about making sure to attend the floor activity that night once everyone was moved in where they’d sign ‘contracts’ with their roommates, Logan was already back from parking the car.

Things went… surprisingly quickly after that. Well, maybe it shouldn’t have felt surprising since Logan had basically invented the most efficient algorithm for this day, but… They’d pretty much gotten everything unpacked and put up how Virgil wanted it within a couple of hours. Patton had insisted on making Virgil’s bed for him (despite this being difficult as Virgil had decided to loft his bed) and had topped it with the quilt he’d made him.

His new roommate, Jeremy, had arrived only about 15 minutes after Virgil, but his family seemed a whole lot less efficient, so it’d probably take them a lot longer to get everything put away.

“So…” Virgil eventually said when it was clear there really wasn’t anything more for them to do in the room but get in the way. “Er…um.”

“Why don’t we go grab lunch,” Logan suggested, and Virgil felt something loosen in his chest at that.

“Nachos?” Virgil asked.

Logan sighed. “McElroy's is going to be so busy today,” he bemoaned, “but fine. We can walk to the union.”

Logan was right, of course. The line in the restaurant was almost outside its doors, and it had just opened. However, it was only going to get worse according to Logan. They were lucky to get a table even then.

Virgil must have made some sort of expression when the food was set down in front of him, because Patton fondly said, “You and your nachos.”

“They’re the only reason I’m going to university,” Virgil declared, pointing one of said cheese and beef covered chips at him before popping it in his mouth.

Patton laughed and Logan rolled his eyes, and for the rest of the meal it just felt like they were having a normal family meal at a restaurant. (Well, other than the line that was growing larger and larger a few feet away until it eventually spilled out into the student union.)

They managed to escape the student union just as it started to get busier and busier with people desperately trying to snag lunch, get their student IDs last minute, and pick up their textbooks from the giftshop.

“You know where my office is from here?” Logan asked when they were standing outside the door to the dorm once again.

Virgil rolled his eyes with a smile. “Yes, Logan. I’ve spent 3 entire summers on this campus.”

“Right,” Logan said, “Yes, of course, I…” He trailed off for a moment and Virgil’s eyes widened.

“Are you crying?” he asked, horrified. “You can’t! If you cry, I’ll definitely cry, and I have a roommate and a bunch of other freshmen to empress with my emo image.”

Logan just shook his head at him, lips pursed and tears on his cheeks and pulled him into a tight hug. Virgil saw Patton over Logan’s shoulder who was not crying for once; he seemed too amused to cry at the moment. Patton smiled at Virgil and Virgil shoved his face into Logan’s chest, trying to wipe off his own tears before they fucked up his face.

He felt Patton’s arms wrap around the both of them. A kiss was pressed to the side of Virgil’s head and then to Logan’s.

“You’re both ruining my image on my first day,” Virgil said through tears and hugging Logan tighter.

“I’m ruining my own image too,” Logan said into his hair. “I can see a group of sophomores that were my students last year looking at us.”

Virgil laughed and reluctantly pulled himself away. “Thank you,” he said softly. He wasn’t just talking about helping him move in today.

“We’ll be right across town anytime you need anything,” Patton promised, gently pulling Logan away. “Now go have fun. I hear they’re having a cookout on the quad tonight for new students. Make sure to snag yourself a hamburger.”

“I will,” Virgil said. “I love you both.”

“We love you too,” said Patton and Logan nodded because he was still too busy crying.

And with that, Virgil managed to make himself turn away and walk into his new home.

Want to read more? Click below!

Labeled Master Post.

My Masterpost.