#shes v cute 10/10 a great addition

[moonlit-tia]

Lucifer looks like a dad who regrets letting his child drive

[br1ghtestlight]

ranking all bob's burgers holiday episodes except in different categories to be fair to the holidays i don't care about <3

VALENTINES DAY

v for valentine-detta (AMAZING episode so funny and the introduction of nat who is iconic!!! also adorable subplot w/ bob and gene. not even really about romance)

can't buy me math (SOOO FUNNY tina and darryl have the best dynamic their fake dating was so stupid. don't even remember what bob and linda did in this episode tbh but im sure it was cute)

bob actually (super cute episode!!! jimmy jr and tina are so nerdy/adorable and i love rudy and louise's kiss. bob and linda were cute too <3 don't really care abt gene's subplot with the cafeteria lady but its not bad or anything and i prefer it to him having an actual romance subplot)

my fuzzy valentine (i actually forgot this episode existed bcuz i don't rewatch early seasons very often but its cute!!!! it has the kids wearing raincoats and jumping in puddles so it automatically gets an A+ from me)

the gene and courtney show (I FORGOT THIS WAS A VALENTINES DAY EPISODE LMAO its actually very sweet and genuine?? i think gene and courtney work better as friends but their relationship was very cute and gene's song for courtney was an actual 10/10. your hearts not broken its only growing 😭😭💕)

romancing the beef (this episode is okay!!! fun to rewatch and i love gene and louise's hijinks when serving the customers and their slow dance song Also the origin of the iconic arm hair line from linda and teddy. this is also the lastest appearance of hugo when will he return home from the war <\3)

ferry on my wayward bob and linda (a late addition because for some reason this episode isnt listed as a valentines day episode on the wiki??? idk i enjoyed bob and linda they were cute :) and i loved jen's stupid boyfriend and his stupid voice that subplot was. soo)

bed, bob and beyond (this episode being last makes it seem like i don't like it very much BUT ACTUALLY I THINK ITS A SUPER INTERESTING EPISODE I DONT REALLY GET THE HATE bob and linda having an actual argument is something we rarely see and it was interesting to see how the kids responded to it and also everything with the broken bed makes me laugh for some reason. we love dirty laundry and broken beds in this household)

HALLOWEEN EPISODES

the apple gore-chard but not scary (no real reason this episode is my favorite i just dont care abt most of the halloween episodes and this episode is VERY silly and fun. loved bob and louise going on a field trip together and gene/tina/louise's absolutely ridiculous costume like What is their problem)

the pumpkinening (a gayle episode where she's actually pretty okay and not the antagonist wow?? also i love having a peak into her and linda's high school years and their pumpkin smashing. very fun episode honestly my favorite to rewatch ALSO GAYLE AND LINDA SAY I LOVE YOU TO EACH OTHER AND GAYLE SAYS OF COURSE SHE CARES ABOUT LINDA AND WANTS HER TO BE HAPPY THEYRE SISTERS <33)

tina and the real ghost (FULLY unhinged episode but very funny i love louise lying about the ghost and tina's extremely fake ghost boyfriend. bob immediately knowing that louise was lying bcuz she is her Fathers Daughter. also jimmy jr and zeke were great in this episode love their philosophical debate about life after death)

the hauntening (GREAT episode i love the family working together to scare louise!!! truly a worthy successor to what an (april) fool believes but everytime i rewatch it all i can think about is how louise has been obviously scared SO MANY TIMES in episodes before this so her saying she's never been scared before is just straight up lying. like she faced Death she had a gun to her head cmon now.... but also it kinda makes sense that a nine year old would lie about that it feels very in character. cute episode)

heartbreak hotel-oween (this is such a weird episode i feel like everybody forgets it exists?? teddy linda and bob's subplot is a little gross but the story about the woman and her dead boyfriend who she tries to summon every halloween like GIRL WHAT???? idk its such a weird sad pathetic episode im kind of obsessed with it. how did they even come up w/ that one and why was it a 70s halloween party. many questions)

teen-a-witch (WE GOT MR AMBROSE IN THIS EPISODE HELL YEAH‼️‼️ other than that not very memorable but louise and gene's relationship w/ tina in this episode was very sweet they're great siblings But also they did use her magic to cheat on their homework and get free tater tots at school.....)

nightmare on ocean avenue street (not a bad episode i just forget it exists sometimes LOL but teddy's extremely gay subplot with the handyman was hilarious and the kids were cute too. easy episode to rewatch around halloween without it being too freaky)

the wolf of wharf street (THIS EPISODE IS SO??? love teddy's sexy nurse costume and kinda's cher costume?? gene is my favorite fruity boy. there are some good jokes but otherwise not an episode i think abt too often)

full bars (gun to my head i couldnt tell you a SINGLE thing about this episode i haven't ever rewatched it so it feels almost unfair putting it on this list bcuz i don't remember much?? they went to king's head island and bob accidentally killed teddy's pet rodent or smth. probably not a bad episode and i believe this was the first introduction of king's head island which eventually gave us sasha and ducan so of course i can't hate it)

pig trouble in little tina (this episode is so WEIRD like not bad and i think the hayride is kinda cute but the dead pig corpse.... god that fucking corpse haunts me)

fort night (dont like millie in this episode AT ALL and don't like how they almost die and nobody gives a fuck. don't like bob and linda in this episode who don't care that their kids never came home for their costume and get passive aggressive about it when they were KIDNAPPED???? don't like millie in general and this was her first appearance. but i think their box fort was pretty cute and i would like to see it again, plus all the neighborhood kids hanging out together was fun)

MOTHERS DAY EPISODES

amelia (IT TECHNICALLY COUNTS OKAY IT WAS AIRED AS A MOTHERS DAY EPISODE anyway maybe one of my favorite episodes of the entire series so heartfelt and beautiful. louise's presentation + exploration of cultural misogyny + the ending song make this episode an absolute killer and an amazing season finale)

sauce side story (it was a tough call between this and mo mommy mo problems but i LOVED learning more about linda's family history and gayle was so great in this episode. still obsessed with gayle pretending to be their mom its so funny this episode is so good)

mo mommy mo problems (cute episode!!! for some reason i really appreciate the detail of the snack bar inside the ferry in this episode and the seating area bcuz i have taken MANY many ferries and boats in my life and i rarely see that aspect of island culture represented in media?? very unhinged ending with the squirrel blood SHE PEELS THEM LIKE FRUIT ROLL UPS but overall a sweet episode every character is so likeable and fun!!!! also just a hilarious episode tbh)

mom, lies and videotape (fun episode!! not really too much to say about it bcuz it was another three stories type episode but the kids were very cute and i loved gene's REAL performance where he was out of synch for literally every line of that song. god bless America. also louise's fictional play was very fun you can tell how much they all love and respect linda <3)

tell me dumb good thing (not a bad episode but the main storyline was pretty boring so i dont think about it too often. LOVED bob's subplot with the fucking internet cucumber however this might be one of my favorite subplots in the entire show they gave him such a big win. he loved that cucumber so much AND THE CUCUMBER GUY LET HIM INTO THE BASEMENT??? TEDDY TOO???? it makes me cry its so wholesome and sweet. also appreciate the clever way that they connect bob and linda's storylines in the end)

THANKSGIVING EPISODES

dawn of the peck (this episode is actually tied w/ stuck in the kitchen with you BUT i decided to put it in first place bcuz i think i maybe enjoy rewatching it like 0.5% more. every line of this episode is comedic gold like easily one of the funniest episode of the show if not the actual funniest it should have a higher rating than it does on IMDB. i dont care how high its rated it should be higher!!!! also rudy my beloved)

stuck in the kitchen with you (i dont expect this episode to be ANYBODY ELSES favorite but for me its such a wholesome and fun episode to rewatch and pretty funny too. bob and louise's relationship is great. the parade the kids throw with zeke's help is so funny. linda's subplot with sargent bosco is HILARIOUS and bob telling louise "i was being too much of a cook and not enough of a dad" is something i think he could stand to say more often in thanksgiving episodes. but also he's autistic and i understand)

i bob your pardon (very fun heist episode?? louise running out to protect the turkey from the ACTUAL WOLVES and bob saying that he'll save the next turkey from wolves gets me everytime. this episode is honestly just fun and silly its a great time)

turkey in a can (maybe this episode should be higher?? its SO FUNNY and also confirms bisexual bob is real. wholesome ending and i love that bob invited teddy and mort over for thanksgiving dinner along with gayle <3 they're his family)

thanks-hoarding (teddy focused episode :) loved finding out more about his family and relationship with them and learning a bit more about his mental interior and how he copes with stress and childhood trauma. very fun episode to rewatch)

putts-giving (ACTUALLY I REALLY ENJOYED THIS EPISODE louise and tina's relationship is always interesting to explore esp as tina grows older and matures/leaves her siblings behind. loved the mini golf setting and i would like to see it again someday but i think they got a lifetime ban.... from the mini golf course......)

an indecent thanksgiving proposal (absolutely unhinged episode?? any episode w/ fischoeder is great and i love drunk bob mourning his turkey friend even if his jealousy of the kids and linda kinda makes me sad <\3 HE LOVES BEING LINDAS WIFE HE LOVES BEING THE KIDS DAD OKAY HE DOESNT WANT IT TO BE ANYBODY ELSE and linda saying at the end of the episode that she doesn't want to be anybody else's wife not even for pretend is very sweet)

gayle makin' bob sled (this episode is very interesting and i love gayle's relationship with bob in it. also linda and the kids trying to cook thanksgiving dinner without him is SO FUNNY like gene and louise especially oh my god. "maybe its a good thing if your family annoys you sometimes because.... it means you have one" 😭😭)

the quirk-ducers (this episode is CRAZY but also very funny. louise spraying dead animals guts and blood all over the play's audience was deeply unhinged as was them publically performing tina's erotic friend fiction as a play to their families and teachers. amazing song which im assuming gene wrote)

now we're not cooking with gas (bob was just SLIGHTLY too crazy in this episode and i feel bad that he couldn't cook his special turkey :( but the kids getting the giant log from the park and almost killing somebody always gets me like?? WE ALMOST DIED AND MAYBE KILLED OTHER PEOPLE BUT THATS NOT IMPORTANT WE GOT THE LOG bob needs more wins in thanksgiving episodes i think)

diarrhea of a poppy kid (this episode is really sweet tbh!!! louise and tina comforting gene when he's sick by telling him stories and him being holed up in the bathroom playing with makeup and writing a thanksgiving song which was of course very catchy. him and bob were also adorable in this episode and i love bob saying that he loves to cook for gene!!!! <3 they're both so supportive very cute episodes but the stories they tell are not very memoriable tbh)

CHRISTMAS EPISODES

the plight before christmas (this is such an obvious choice but it really is an amazing episode there's a reason its the highest rated episode of the show!!!! its so incredibly sweet and loving with really solid pacing and jokes throughout the episode and gene's musical ability saving the day without being turned into a joke. obviously tina and louise's relationship in this episode too. and i see my sister with something that looks like gingerbread on her glasses 😭😭💕 louise's poem GETS me every single time. also weirdly helpful birds eye view of seymour's bay at the end

father of the bob (INTRODUCTION OF BIG BOB!!!! honestly this episode is just very cute and interesting love analyzing the dynamic between bob and his dad.... it almost seems like big bob likes linda more than he likes bob. cute ending and i always like learning more abt bob's family so this episode is a 10/10 from me)

yachty or nice (THIS EPISODE WAS SOOO CUTE jimmy pesto and bob actually having a bonding moment and the kids subplot with teddy 😭😭💕💕💔 love that they call him their uncle father santa teddy and that he knew in the end they would do the right thing bcuz they're good kids so he saved a special toy for them. he loves those kids so much. jimmy pesto redemption arc could be real if we believe)

the bleakening (this episode was very fun!!! AMAZING songs and i really enjoyed the ending with the gay christmas party and everybody dancing together. some very funny jokes in there too and i just love the creepy vibes of the kids sneaking out of the house and tina being smart enough to bring the emergency phone along w/ them. genuinely a great two parter episode)

god rest ye merry gentle mannequins (THIS EPISODE IS SO???? still dont know what was going on with the crazy mannequin guy but i honestly think its sweet that lily's brother let him live there for free for so many years even when he didnt really need to. also i believe the first time bob's mom is mentioned in the series??? idk this episode is really fun and i love all the different holiday displays they do)

have yourself a maily linda christmas (nothing too interesting to say abt this episode its just silly and fun!!! linda episode!!!! also something about tina and bob trying to entertain the grandparents and keep the peace while everybody else is gone is SO funny theyre the worst at talking to people. the ending with louise gene and tina was adorable too)

nice-capades (honestly its been a minute since i rewatched this episode but from what i remember it was very sweet and silly. LOVE how many random adults were willing to drop everything to help these kids put on an ice shaking performance for santa. also louise being worried that she isn't a good person. gene giving rudy the last taco just because he Cares about him and wanted them to be happy. this episode was cute and they really are such good kids)

better off sled (I ALWAYS FORGET THIS WAS A CHRISTMAS EPISODE because the main plot doesn't have anything to do with christmas it feels like the die hard debate of bob's burgers holiday episodes.... either way bob and linda knitting scarves for the kids was cute and i liked the snowball fight subplot. very sweet and simple episode)

the last gingerbread house on the left (fun episode?? there are some funny jokes and i liked seeing linda and teddy go singing together w/ the kids while bob is tormented and experiences the horrors of gingerbread houses. lily mention!!! noticing that christmas episodes tend to be the episodes where bob's family gets brought up the most i wonder why that is???? absolutely unhinged gingerbread house competition btw but they should let felix join them :(

christmas in the car (i remember this episode being SO STRESSFUL like he tried to kill that family Good god. teddy was very funny in thjs episode and i did enjoy it otherwise)

gene's christmas break (i feel bad putting this episode in last place bcuz I LOVE GENE but it wasn't that interesting an episode tbh 😭 i did like getting to see younger gene even with his terrible autotuned chipmunk voice and seeing how he uses music to relate to his family. we need another gene-focused christmas episode at some point they flew too close to the sun here)

ONE-TIME-ONLY HOLIDAY EPISODES

what an (april) fool believes (AMAZING EPISODE proably one of my favorite episodes of the entire show tbh. bob and fischoeder are so funny + homoerotic and gene not wanting to scare or upset anybody by pranking them is so cute <3 my baby)

eggs for days (the one and only easter episode!!! honestly this episode is really fun overall just a great time. love bob and linda being Extremely Hungover and the rotting egg and the raccoons.... they need to bring back easter episodes tbh there could be something there)

flat-top o' the morning to ya (this episode is so weird bcuz in order to make it a saint patrick's day episode the description and promo has NO MENTION of the main plot of this episode and only focuses on teddy and linda's subplot for some reason?? which makes it extremely hard to find the main plot of this episode if you dont remember the subplot despite it being Literally the focus. but other than that honestly i think its very funny and bob's story with the kids is sooo..... me when i accidentally rope my kids into committing Grand Theft Auto w/ me. sad that bob never got his discounted plates that man deeply needs a win)

[vanadisvalentine]

RWBY Volume 9 Episode 10: Of Solitude and Self

i have thoughts. here are some of those thoughts.

I am going...to try and keep this in chronological order, but it's midnight, and I tend to ramble the longer I've been awake. So bear with me.

First off, okay, so we're definitely going to get details of exactly what happened with Summer later down the line. Presumably, she, Raven, and Qrow ('cause who else would Raven have portaled too yanno), along with maybe some others who knows, went on the offensive vs Mommy Salami and things didn't work out. If that's the case, boy does that color Qrow's character even further. It's no wonder he used to stay far away from the people he cares about. Also wow Raven nice to see you again, been a couple of volumes.

I'm glad that Rubes got to have a sort of posthumous pep-talk from her mother, even if it's something as simple as "I love you the way you are". I appreciate that she didn't need to be talk-no-jutsu'd into getting the theme of the volume, but rather it's a conclusion she came to herself. After a whole volume of seeing her all morose and depressed, it put the biggest smile on my face to see her finally accept that she is Ruby Rose, and that's all she's ever needed to be.

On a less profound note

WHOOOO RED LIKE ROSES PART III FUCK YEAH BABY THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITIN FOR THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. Whoever animated that first little sequence of Ruby going ham on the cat with Crescent Rose? I want to kiss you. You deserve the world. Brings me right back to volume 1. (Was it Arryn? I feel like it was Arryn considering how much they love Soul Eater but I can't remember if they've done any combat sequences aaaah)

The Cat got the shit kicked out of them in a great team fight. Doing a whole ass 5 v 1, even with someone as formidable as the CC in the fray, couldn't have been easy to choreograph, so props to the whole team on that one for making it feel sick. The Cat is a bit of a more tragic character in retrospect with the tale the Blacksmith told (also--the Ever After is the primordial world? The Brothers didn't make it? Shit, color me surprised), but at the same time...yeah RIP Bozo.

'Twas curiosity that killed the cat or something like that idk

The fuckin piano reprise of This Will Be the Day oh my GOOOOOD. Chills. The music in this volume has been absolutely phenomenal. Of course there are the vocal tracks, but the score??? Martin Gonzalez you beautiful man. Bless your heart, bless your body, bless your soul.

Neo. Neo Neo Neo. Neopolitan, baby girl...I'm gonna miss you, as I'm sure a lot of people will. Even the people who hate this show like you because you're just so much fun. I remember back in the day when I was a kid and unironically used the word waifu to describe female characters I was fixated on, you were my precious little Ice Cream Wife and I would burn the world for you. It's so weird thinking about your origins as a character (Inspired by a genderbent Torchwick cosplay, Monty threw you in at the last second in order to not have to animate Torchwick escaping...though I'm sure there's more to it than that), to how you've progressed, to where you are now. This is the last we're gonna get of you for now, I'm sure. But at the same time, I can totally see you showing up for the final fight vs Salem or Cinder or whoever to get your licks in. You were a welcome addition this volume, even if you DID drive Ruby to drink the Bad Tea. It's hard to hate you when you're so fucking cute.

I am...not going to pretend to not be a little disappointed that Boomer Jaune was but a temporary thing. When The Blacksmith was talking about Alyx fixing what she'd broken, I was expecting like, idk, his sword to be repaired, but I quickly realized that she wasn't even the one who did that, and then I was like "oh no" and before I knew it, BAM back at it again with the yee-yee ass haircut. At least next volume comes with new designs so we won't have to deal with that any longer. I appreciate the streaks of grey, symbolizing that it's not like he's regressed in any way, but...Jauney Boy, get that wolf's tail back. You rocked that shit.

That's all I can bring myself to write down for now. I'm sure I'll be talking about this episode--and this whole volume--for a WHILE. I'm gonna sit on it for a bit, but I think it might take volume 6's spot for my favorite of the bunch, which is impressive because volume 6 is hella good y'all. Thank you so much to the crew (GOD I hope certain people who worked on this volume return for the next one, I could feel the love they have for the craft and for this show and I've adored getting to see their thoughts on each episode as it aired these past few weeks) and everyone involved in bringing to us. It's been rough lately, that's for sure, but I mean it when I say that RWBY is one of my favorite shows out there, and I wish nothing but the best for its future and the future of everyone who brought it to life.

now I wait probably about a year or so to see Nora/Ren/Sun's reaction to Blake and Yang finally getting together. Until then, I will drown myself in fanfiction.

[cartoonemotion]

if we were able to get another fethry episode in ducktales, what would you want it to be about? or, alternatively, things u wish we got in ducktales but never did

I REALLYYYY REALLY WISH THEY COULD HAVE MADE FETHRY IN MERVANA WORK.... i know it's probably because there were just too many characters or maybe his stuff with the mermaids was just too distracting from the main stuff of the ep but he would have just been so perfect for it like literally. hippie free love friends of the ocean sharing is caring mermaid society. these are his people fr. i think i also just kind of wanted fethry as a part of group family adventures bonding with everyone at large more in general like honestly not a whole lot it's a big cast to balance ! but can you not help but feel bad for the guy he was at the bottom of the ocean for 4 and a half years. invite him to some stuff

as far as things i wish we had got i do really wish we could have gotten more of a scene of him and gladstone reuniting with della :v[ LIKE i know with pacing and time you have to pick and choose what you focus on and moonvasion was just completely jammed packed but on the other side of things she was on the moon for 10 years like everyone thought she was probably dead and nobody told either of them she was back 😭 i just wish there had been a cousin group hug at the very least...

as far as prospective ep ideas that's a little less specific fbshsishgh !! anything that explored more of fethry and huey's parallels would have been really great !

i figure gladstone (kinda ? technically but not really ?) got play chaperone to team magic, so fethry being group chaperone to huey, boyd and violet would have been really cute ! and violet gets to be in both groups because she's great-- and she's a junior woodchuck, along with huey and boyd ! fethry has his jwcgb under his hat just like huey does as we know, maybe it could be some fun little adventure stemming from that :v]

i would have loved to see him and webby team up too !!!! i just think their energies would have matched really well ! both of them have such unbridled enthusiasm and passion for literally anything they're doing, and i think they also share a certain kind of sense of empathy and sensitivity, theyd just be such a good choice to bond as well i think

and more broadly thinking i would have loved more group cousin shenanigans. i knowww the comics have plenty with don gladdy and fethry but what they DONT have is della, and she would have been a perfect addition their dynamic to really round everything out and it would have just been so fun to watch. what could have been

i also kind of wanted della to give scrooge a flying elbow from the top line for leaving fethry at the bottom of the ocean but i'm mean ! to that old man in specific ! so it is what it is

[honey-hippie-harper]

In-Laws Being In-Laws (Re-upload)

 Hiii!

So, this is basically an old fic, which I deleted from my other account ( @dawniebb ) and was requested to be uploaded again.

This feels like a lifetime ago afgshjka, but I remember it was written for a Renegades content swap event, and it was for @healing-winston-pratt (hello, wifey!). The prompt was, basically, Nova and one of the Renegays being in-laws, and it was super fun to write! <3

If anyone’s reading this: Hi, you’re a beautiful human being, and I love you <3

In-Laws Being In-Laws

Dear Dread Warden,

I am not quite sure you will get this message because it is been a while since I last used my communicator but, in case you do: I  hope you are having a nice morning. 

The reason I am writing you this is that, as you must already be aware, right now Sketch and his teammates are taking part in the Annual Renegade Convention as special guests to be awarded for their heroic participation in the Second Battle for Gatlon. Hence, they are out of town. Due to my temporary resignation from the team, I declined the offer to attend the event and, for instance, to receive an award. This means that, unlike theirs, my routine remains the same as usual.

Unfortunately, I must see my therapist for my weekly appointment in two hours, and after that I will have to go to the supermarket to pick up some groceries and essential items. Under normal circumstances, given the nature of my relationship with Sketch, he would have driven me to the supermarket and then back to my apartment, as it happens to be located sort of far from the store and it could be pretty difficult for me to walk while carrying all those bags. However, as mentioned before, these are not normal circumstances and Sketch is not currently available.

I reach out to you with no intention to cause trouble; for instance, if I happen to be asking too much or disrupting your schedule (As I am conscious you are a busy person) and you consider you will not be able to help me, I assure you I completely understand. But: Could you pick me up from my therapist's office and take me to the supermarket afterwards?

I apologize for the inconvenience and I promise I will make sure this does not happen again. In addition, I also apologize for the alliteration in the greeting at the beginning of this message. I did not know whether you wanted to be acknowledged by your real name or your alias.

Sincerely,

Insomnia.

-.-

Hi, Insomnia!!!

So nice to see you!... Or should I say read you! Ha! It's been so long, it almost feels like an eternity! I hope therapy is going great! (We're all really proud of you!)

It doesn't bother me at all, sweetheart; of course I'll help you with that. Could you share the location of your therapist's office, please?

Oh, and also: What time do you want me to be there? (Not that I have anything to do today, I just want to be on time).  

I'm excited to see you! Can I take you to eat something afterwards? How does that sound?

Take care!

(Agh. I forgot these things don't actually allow you to write your real  name).

-S i m o n.

(Better).

-.-

He spotted Nova way before parking. She was sitting on a bench outside the building, staring anxiously at her phone. The body language of a nervous person.

Simon stopped the car right in front of where she was, and when she realized he was already here, Nova jumped out of her seat as if it had burned her skin, before jogging in an awkward manner towards the car.

Once she was inside, Simon couldn't help but feel a twinge in his stomach. He wasn't lying when he told her he was excited to see her. In fact, he was more than excited, and he had to hold himself back pretty hard to avoid hugging her, because it was evident she didn't want to be hugged right now, for she just directed a tiny smile at him and said:

"Hi."

She was the same Nova he had met some time ago, but at the same time she was different; she was wearing sneakers, skinny jeans and a basic white v-neck shirt; her hair was a little longer, too, to the point she could tie it in a cute little ponytail; Simon could tell she wasn’t wearing any makeup, but still her face looked healthier than before; less tired, with smaller under-eye dark circles and lips covered in chapstick. Finally.

She looked alive. More than before.

“Hi.” He finally responded.

Watching people get better was always satisfactory, but watching Nova get better was different. He had grown to appreciate her, since the very first moment he saw her with Adrian; since the very first moment he spoke to her and saw nothing but utter heartbreak in her eyes. Nova was hurting, and any sensitive person would’ve noticed that. So, watching her get better was a touching experience for him.

“You look so…”

Nova interrupted him almost immediately.

“I know. I...I barely had time to fix my hair. Gosh. It’s so uncomfortable and I want to cut it but I haven’t had time. I…”

“Oh, no, no, no! Your hair looks gorgeous! “ He chuckled, although he was confused by her reaction. “I was gonna say you look really good. Really, really good. The ponytail looks great on you.”

Nova gulped as she adjusted said ponytail.

“Oh.” She muttered in a hoarse voice. “...Well...Thank you. I thought…”

“No, no.” Simon waved his hand. “You look great. How.... how are you?”

She seemed to be processing the question, even though it was not that difficult.

“I’m…” Nova cleared her throat. “I’m doing great. How are you? How’s ...life going?”

“Absolutely great!” Simon smiled, clapping his hands together. “Things at home are great. You know, Hugh’s not currently here due to the Annual Renegade Convention. Adrian’s not here either (for sure, you already know about that) and Max…”

“Max went too, yeah.” Nova smiled. Her eyes seemed to brighten to the mention of Max’s name. Adrian had mentioned this fact about her a couple of times: Nova was fond of children. And even if she wasn’t, she had a tendency to protect and care about them. Since she had this type of strong personality, Hugh refused to recognize that as a truth, but Simon had no trouble believing it.

It was adorable.

“He called me when he got the invitation. He was eager to go.” She continued. “Which doesn’t surprise me. I...It’s his first time travelling, right?”

“Oh, yeah.” Responded Simon. “We’re planning to go on vacation this year. Because, you know, the convention’s being held not too far away from Gatlon and sadly he’s probably gonna get bored.”

“Bored?” Nova shifted herself in the seat, awkwardly. “Why?”

“Well...those conventions are...well, conventions.” Simon shrugged, smiling at her. “There are a lot of speeches, one after the other and, sure, the guests that represent Gatlon can skip some of them, but others are mandatory and they’re like 2 hours long and it’s so boring and…”

Nova hissed, grimacing, to which Simon nodded in agreement.

“I’m glad I didn’t have to go.” He admitted. “Though I do wanted to be there when Adrian and Max received their award. Too sad.”

Nova tried to speak a couple of times, until she finally had found the correct words to said her thoughts out loud.

“Why...why didn’t you go, then?”

“About that.” Simon chuckled. “Tamaya is going to be there too, as a speaker. And she’s also receiving an award. So...somebody had to take care of the Headquarters and Kasumi and I were left with that responsibility. However, it’s been pretty peaceful, as you may have noticed.”

“I have.” Nova nodded. “Not that I...go out very much, but yeah. Things have been calm.”

“People are behaving for once. And it’s awesome.” he sighed.

Then they stayed in silence. For a while.

Nova stared out the window, avoiding eye contact, while Simon whistled as he tapped his fingers on the wheel.

Not a word. No small talk.

Nothing.

“Sooooo…” Said Simon. “Shall we go?”

“Perhaps we should.” Nova said, immediately, as a flash of relief crossed her face.

So Simon smiled at her once again as he turned on the engine, while Nova put on her seatbelt next to him.

-.-

It took her so little time to come back Simon confirmed she was one of those people who would strategically write their shopping list so they wouldn’t be going back and forth through the aisles. It also surprised him that, being a person so young, she was so...focused on everything.

She really had only bought groceries and essential items. No junk food. No silly things she swore she would need and then she didn’t. Not even candy from the checkout area.

Simon hurried himself out of the car to help her put the bags in the trunk, but once she saw him and guessed his intentions, she quickly said:

“It’s okay. I can do it.”

“I know you can.” He clarified. Because, well, she indeed was a strong person. “But maybe you could use some help. That’s...a couple of bags.”

“Yeah. I know.” Nova nodded, already carrying the first two of the bags. “But I can do it. Please. I’m already causing you too much trouble.”

Simon was yet again confused by her reaction, and he tried to talk to her about it. But just like Nova looked like she didn’t want to be hugged right now, she also looked like she didn’t want to talk about it right now.

So he just opened the trunk for her and held it in case it would go down by its own. It had never happened, but just to be sure. Sometimes Simon’s anxiety made him overanalyze some situations.

Less than 10 minutes had passed by the time Nova finished putting all her stuff in the car, Simon figured she was still training, since she was as agile and fast as she was the day she notified them she would be taking some time off from the team and the Renegades in general.

They got in the car again, and before the silence could get as uncomfortable as the previous one, Simon took the initiative to speak.

“I think...you forgot to answer a part of my message.” He said, carefully. “You know...the part where I told you that maybe we could...go to a restaurant or something?”

Nova’s face, ears and neck turned so red she became a human-shaped cherry, and although in other circumstances he would’ve considered it adorable, this time he couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her. He had been there and done that many times; the messages Nova had sent were peak odd. The type of messages one would overthink over and over again because they had to be perfect. And if something, anything sounded off after you sent it, your world would be in shambles.

So he just smiled to assure it was okay. That he didn’t mind. That those messages didn’t have to be so formal in the first place.

And that, obviously, didn’t work.

For his experience, it never did.

“I...I...Yeah.” Nova scratched her brow. “Pretty much I...I...can recall not knowing how to word that so I just left it blank and I...must’ve forgotten to…”

“Nova.” Simon said, softly. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“Did I...offend you or something?”

“Absolutely no!” He said. “Why would you think that? It’s just a slip. I know it wasn’t your intention and to be honest I still want to take you to eat something so...yeah, there’s no reason to get weird about this. There’s no need to worry.”

Nova took a deep, hasty breath. She was flustered, son Simon tried to keep her calm; to make her feel like she was in a safe environment.

Why wouldn’t she be, in the first place?

She was his son’s girlfriend.

Why would he want to hurt her or make her feel bad?

“Nova, darling.” He said again. “Do you have something on your mind?”

“I do.” Nova cleared her throat, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t really...can eat out right now. I barely manage to afford my groceries, you know? It’s been…”

“But you’re not gonna pay your own bill. I mean, why would you do that?” Simon raised an eyebrow at her, genuinely confused, but still laughing nervously. Sweet rot, who had hurt this child so much? “ I’m the one who’s taking you to eat. You wouldn’t have to…”

“You don’t have to either!” She snapped. Not mad, but rather distressed, while breathing heavily.

Simon went still, afraid he would make it worse. Still, he couldn’t leave it like that, so he gulped and, once he reunited enough courage, he dared to speak again.

“What’s really on your mind, Nova?” He asked, this time in a more soothing voice. Nova’s whole being went red again, but the shadow of confusion in her expression was noticeable and hard to ignore. For this reason, Simon decided to provide some kind of scaffolding.

“For example: Why would you write a message that is directed to me in such a formal way?” He asked, patiently. “Why would you ask me to pick you up as if you were asking me to help you commit a crime? Why would you act so uncomfortable around me when it’s not the first time that we’ve met? Why would you…?”

“Because it’s you.” Nova answered, avoiding eye contact.

And he expected that answer, yes. But, at the same time, he expected to understand the statement once it slipped out of her mouth.

However, he didn’t.

“Can you elaborate?” He requested.

Nova clicked her tongue as she rubbed her neck, staring at the dash right in front of her.

“...I can disappear if you want me to. Would that make you feel more comfortable?”

“No. No, no.” Nova nodded, waving her hands, finally looking at him. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Then...would you tell me what’s wrong?”

Nova thought about it. She squirmed in her seat. Gulped. Coughed. Squirmed again.

Then, playing with her own hands, she spoke.

“...I’m ashamed.”

“Ashamed of what…?” Simon tilted his head to the side. “Ashamed of who…? What exactly are you ashamed of? ...Dating Adrian?”

Nova flinched.

“I would never.”

A spark of pride illuminated his thoughts and his insides in general, but Simon tried to pay little attention to it.

“I’m just...ashamed. Of everything.” Nova said, sighing. “I…”

And she cut herself in the middle of the phrase, realizing that once again she wouldn’t be able to finish it.

Simon didn’t realize he was frowning until he felt the muscles of his face slowly giving in. He understood.

And he knew that anything that had happened during the Second Battle for Gatlon had been her fault. She might have contributed in some way but, at the end of the day, she was just a child.

A very confused and manipulated child who just needed someone to listen without twisting her words as they pleased.

“...I just think that...if I were you I wouldn’t like me either.” She wasn’t crying, nor did she sound like she was about to any time soon. There was so much resignation in her voice that her words weighted as much as a giant rock. “Hugh gave me his blessing to...you know, date Adrian…”

“I can recall giving you my blessing too.”

Nova tripped on her own words.

“I mean, you did. You both did.” She said. “But still… It’s because… because you want him to be happy. And I get it. I really do. And I understand because, like I said, I wouldn’t like me either...I know I am loved. I know I matter for some people...but I also know I did...bad things, and I carry this sort of cursed last name…”

She stopped and breathed for a second before continuing.

“And I…” She finally looked at him. “I get it. You don’t have to pretend you like me, after all that happened. After I stole stuff from your house; infiltrated into your system; caused a terrorist attack...You really don’t have to pretend.”

Simon blinked, and if it wasn’t for her specific and controlled body language, he would’ve thought she was making excuses or even joking.

But Nova was telling the truth.

And it was heartbreaking.

“Perhaps you should think outside the box and picture a scenario in which you realize we’re not pretending.” That’s the only thing he said.

“Perhaps you should realize that we love you and you matter to us.” He reached for her hand and softly touched her knuckles. Her hands were shaking. “And that, yes, we want Adrian to be happy, but we also want you to be happy.”

Nova’s eyes seemed to be covered in crystals, but she remained in silence.

“You’re part of this family now, Nova.” He smiled. “And I’m sorry, but you’ll have to deal with that.”

Nova sniffed, swallowing, while lacing her hand into Simon’s.

“Artino and everything?” She muttered.

“Artino it’s not what defines you.” Simon chuckled. “You’re Nova. Just Nova... And we’re really proud of you. Not ashamed.”

She smiled back at him, wordless, and Simon gave her a quick handshake before putting his hands around the wheel.

Because even now, that her walls were crumbling right before her eyes, she didn’t look like someone who wanted to be hugged at the moment, and he accepted and respected that.

“I was planning to take you to my favorite restaurant, but maybe we can prepare a homemade meal instead?” He suggested. “You know? In-laws being in-laws? … Not to brag, but I make the best lemon pie in the world.”

Nova chuckled. Relaxed.

Happy.

“Sounds great.” She said, nodding.

“Excellent.” Simon turned on the engine.

“Let’s go home.”

[scabopolis]

Oh, hey. So. What about a continuation of Come Rain or Shine? “You’re Carrie’s Logan?” “Lilly’s Veronica?” Ummmm ya we need more of that world.

Title: Happy Together, Unhappy Together (a continuation from this fic I wrote five years ago, holy moly what is time??!!) Rating: PG-13 for some swears and kinda some smut glitter Pairing: Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars (mentions of Lilly Kane/Carrie Bishop) Additional Tags: Logan and Veronica probably being schmoopier than acceptable, pillow talk and nonsense Word Count: 910   *** This one is dedicated both to @ayy-ohh​ and @jjmazzy because in a total brain meld they each requested it approximately 10-minutes apart from one another. It was very difficult to reacquaint myself w/ this little universe so I worry L/V are totally different people from the first fic, but *shrugs*. 

Also, there is a lot I left on the cutting room floor (approximately 2,000 words worth) because most of it was trash. I’ll post little snippets of the cuttings in my author room on the VM Fic Club discord if you’re interested.

Have I stalled enough?  *** Carrie and Lilly’s wedding ceremony begins at 5:00 PM. By 5:33 PM, vows are exchanged. The first platters of champagne make their rounds in the largest ballroom at the Neptune Grande at 6:30 PM. Right around 6:55 PM, Veronica Mars makes a terrible first impression (or, depending on who you ask, second impression) on Logan Echolls. And by 10:41 PM, her bra is off, her dress is hitched up around her waist, and Logan has her pressed up against the wall of his hotel suite. 

(Okay, so that leaves almost four hours unaccounted for. She realizes that. It’s just that Logan’s mouth is doing something pretty great at the juncture between her neck and shoulder and—holy shit did she just moan?—so she can’t really be expected to give an accurate accounting of every minute of the wedding reception. Can she?) 

She wakes up the following morning to the sight of Logan’s naked back, his limbs akimbo and cheek pressed into his pillow. It is painfully cute and Veronica has every intention of doing something about it but first, bathroom. She brushes her teeth, pulls her hair back into a messy top-knot, and helps herself to one of the bathrobes hanging on the door. Back in the suite, Logan hasn’t moved. She stands by her impulse from when she first woke up. The impulse that was something along the lines of again, now! 

It’s just—

She also wants breakfast. 

She’s perusing the room service breakfast menu when there’s a knock on the suite door. She ensures her robe is tied and by the time she makes it to the door, looks through the little peephole, there’s a breakfast cart waiting for her to collect. 

Well, she’s not going to say no to that. 

Logan wakes up as she pours herself coffee. 

“Morning,” he says. His voice is deliciously gruff and reminds her of the aforementioned again, now! thought. Then there’s the hair which sticks up ten different ways. He runs a hand through it, making it even more of a mess. 

(There was a moment last night, where he was propped up against the headboard, she was in his lap, fistfuls of his hair in her grip as he—)

She focuses on her coffee, stirring the cream and sugar until it’s the perfect color of brown. “When did you manage this?” she asks. 

“When you were in the shower last night.” 

“God, you’re good.” 

“I know.” 

“Conceited.” 

“Self-assured.” Logan gets out of bed and settles behind her. He rests one hand on her hip and uncovers the breakfast plates. “Sweet or savory?” 

“Sweet.” 

The hand on her hip bunches up her robe, and she feels Logan press his smile into the crook of her neck. God. This is going to be a problem. He is going to be a problem for her. 

Breakfast is a peculiar affair. Peculiar in that Veronica would never think to describe morning afters as easy. But this one is. 

She eats blueberry pancakes and bacon, all while she and Logan joke and jibe about the wedding the night before. They can’t joke about how happy both Lilly and Carrie looked, though. 

“They’re going to make it. Right?” 

Logan nods as he takes a sip of his coffee. “They’re going to make it.” 

“Speaking of couples—”

“—Oh, you already think of us as a couple?”

“Logan.” 

“Do I get a pin or a letterman’s jacket?” 

She pinches his nipple. 

“Ouch,” he says, batting her hand away. “You’re a pest.” 

She shrugs, not denying it. “Speaking of couples,” she tries again, “word is going to get back to Lilly and Carrie about what we told Duncan.” 

“Oh no, Sandy! Whatever will we do?” She goes to pinch him again and he smacks her hand away. “Be nice.” 

“You don’t think that is a problem? That our best-friends are going to hear we told my ex we were dating?” 

“We’ll explain it to them.” 

“Oh.” She runs a finger through the syrup on her plate. “Yeah, that’s logical.” 

“And you find logic to be disappointing?” 

She sighs. “I think I like you.” 

Logan moves the plate away from where it sits separating them and scoots closer. Their knees touch and he runs his hands over her bare thighs, up under her robe. “I would hope so.” He tucks a strand of hair that’s fallen from her top knot behind her ear. “Because if what you did to me last night is what you do to people you don’t like?” 

She pushes at his shoulder and he reaches up to keep her hand there. “Veronica.” She curls her fingers like a fist. Presses that fist into Logan’s skin. 

Her name on his lips is sotto voce. Like a secret. She leans forward and rests her forehead on his chest. ���What?”

“Maybe let’s try?” 

“I live in San Francisco,” she tells his sternum.

“I know that.” 

“You live in San Diego.” 

“I also know that.” She looks up at him. “I also know that I am very rich.” 

“Why do I know so many rich people?” 

“It’s a 90 minute flight.” 

“Think of the greenhouse gas emissions.” 

“Veronica.” The way he says her name is part rebuke, part plea. It’s tempting to ignore it. Insist it’s a dumb idea to start a relationship with 500 miles between them. Only, she doesn’t want to. 

“Okay.” She kisses the space above his heart. “Maybe let’s try.”

[eyelessdoll-y]

Hey i really like Alice's , so like , you should give us some facts about her

Oh seriously?? You want to know about my girl? 🥺🥺I'm glad to know you're interested so I'll leave here 15 facts about Alice ❤️😘🥰

15 facts/curiosities about Alice Kagami♡

1° fact: Her whole name is Alice Kagami, or Alice "Mirror" in translation. Alice has this surname because mirror originally symbolizes truth, sincerity and purity! Which matches her, (purity not too much rsrs) like wisdom too, which Alice also possesses.

2° fact: Alice was born on 08/03 and is the sign pisces♓.

3° fact: She was raised by her grandparents until she graduated and moved to live alone in a rental house, which she paid for with her job.

4° fact: Alice is very good with crafts and confectionery, she is hardworking and already worked for some events.

5° fact: Alice L O V E knit and does anything with needles and ball of wool. Loves making clothes and pets because she is very g4y and thinks cute.

6° fact: Alice collects socks and heels. She loves to combine the two, but most of them collect more socks.

7° fact: Alice's favorite food is Condensed Milk Pudding.

8° fact: Alice is known for her cherry red eyes, so she has a tattoo of a small cherry on her hip, in addition to wearing various accessories and clothes that live up to her eyes.

9° fact: She also loves playing with animals. Her favorite animal is the dog.

10° fact: Alice don't know how to play instruments but finds harp a very beautiful, delicate and soft instrument. She dreams of learning one day but she's too busy with work.

11° fact: Alice loves challenges, to this day she tries to deal with her greatest challenge which is to tame the beast that is her crush. (i think you already know who is)

12° fact: Alice is shy and quiet but when she gets used to it she talks a lot, plays and is very affectionate with touches. ♡

13° fact: Alice is not a perfect girl even if she has some gifts and kindnesses. She's stubborn, insecure, sensitive, dizzy, scared, sometimes jealous and can get cocky when in a bad mood.

14° fact: Alice loves listening to music and dancing them. About dancing, Alice always wanted to be a ballerina but could not finish due to her study and work, so when alone she trains and redoes some steps of her childhood to kill the longing.

15° fact: Although Alice has her mature and gentle aura, she is for S and M. Alice also loves to tease others, sometimes touching wounds and etc.

I left only these points, I did not want to leave too big! Alice doesn't get to be a self-insert but it's an Oc with a part of me, she's special! ❤️❤️ Thank you so much for the ask, I had a great time!!

[carriagelamp]

April l was apparently the month for me to revisit some children’s authors who are steeped in controversy at the moment. So here’s my hot (well, lukewarm) takes on issues that absolutely do not need a single other person talking about them. Also some actual good books that I read this month!

Badger in the Basement

The Animal Ark books are a childhood classic — though I recently found out that apparently there’s a difference between American and British publications, and the American versions didn’t include a lot of actual COOL animals which is… bizarre. As a Canadian stuck in the middle of this, this nonsense drives me nuts. This one was about the main character, the daughter of pair of vets, trying to protect a local badger sett from men wanting to participate in badger digging and baiting. These books are always feel-good, and it was a nice single-day-read while I waited for a library book to come in.

Chi’s Sweet Home

The cutest manga series about the misadventures of a little kitten, Chi, who has been adopted by a loving family. I’ve never bothered to read them in order, but apparently this time I stumbled across the last in the series -- whoops! Still, stood on it’s own pretty easily, and it was a fun read! Things get tense when the family realize that they may have found Chi’s original home… and may have to give up Chi forever.

Earth Before Us: Dinosaur Empire!

This was an odd graphic novel, I feel like I’m not sure who the target audience was exactly. It was a nonfiction comic done in a Magic School Bus style, with the purpose of teaching current, up-to-date facts about the animals that lived in the Mesozoic Era. If you’re into dinosaurs, you’ll probably enjoy this! The art is absolutely adorable, I love the dinosaur illustrations, and I learnt some really neat facts. That being said, the pages are really dense, and there’s a lot of info crammed in… some of it will probably go way over a child’s head without specific additional teaching or a very strong personal interest. But that being said, a dinosaur obsessed kid is still probably going to really dig this… as would a dinosaur obsessed adult. It wasn’t my cup of tea exactly but I’m sure it is someone’s.

assorted Dr Seuss Books

I love these types of controversies because it means getting to listen to every moron who has never had an opinion on Dr Seuss ever start generating a mile of them out of the aether. So many people are so mad about the six books that are getting retired and I bet most of them haven’t even read them. These are not the friggin Cat In The Hat or The Lorax or even the likes of Yertle The Turtle. I was raised by a grade one teacher, was a voracious reader who loved Dr Seuss, and wrote my university thesis on children’s literature, and I still only knew two of the six books on that list. So by all means, if you want to write an essay explaining why those specific books are worth clinging to, feel free, but if you haven’t even heard of them maybe it’s not a big deal. *grumble*

Anyway, my grousing aside, it gave me the urge to reread a bunch of Seuss books, including the two retiring books I personally knew: McElligot’s Pool and To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street. I do still enjoy both, especially McElligot’s Pool which always sparked my imagination, but it’s obvious why they’re being retired and I personally think it’s the right choice. There’s so much good kidlit out there, we can survive without these.

Goodbye, My Rose Garden

A f/f romance manga, fairly standard fair though cute if you’re looking for some historical angst, pretty dresses, and mutual pining. A young Japanese woman moves to England in the hopes of meeting a writer (Mr Frank) who she has long admired. Along the way she is employed by an enigmatic woman with plenty of money, rumours, and melancholy following her. I’ll be honest, uncut romance isn’t really my genre, but I’ll probably still try to the second book to see if the story picks up.

From The Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes: The Autobiography of Robert Clary

It’s no secret that I’ve been on a Hogan’s Heroes kick. This is the autobiography of Roberty Clary, who plays my favourite character in the show, Louis Lebeau. And holy shit what a life this man has had. He was a Jew growing up in France before the start of the war, and who was one of many children taken away from his family and sent off to the concentration camps in Germany. This was an amazing, intense, inspiring, and heartbreaking read… it has Clary’s voice all over it, and it tells everything from the charming childhood he had, to the horrors of the concentration camps, the brutality of survival, and then about his exciting journey into the entertainment industry afterwards. It’s an experience, would recommend if you’re a fan of the show.

The Ickabog

The second controversial author I read this month. Originally I was going to give Rowling’s new book a miss, given everything that’s been going on over the past few years, but in the end my curiosity got the better of me. Politics aside, it was a fun read! Not groundbreaking, but enjoyable enough and written in an interesting style. It didn’t read the same as a lot of modern kidlit, it felt more like a cross between a classic fairytale and a Dahl book. Perhaps a bit like Despereaux. It tells the tale of how an idyllic country gradually falls into ruin through the ignorance, inaction, and greed, and how a supposedly fictional monster hides the very real, human monsters at the heart of the country. It was cute and pleasant and I’m glad I decided to get it from the library, though for anyone who is choosing not to engage for political reasons: you aren’t missing anything major.

Franklin In The Dark

A Canadian classic. I don’t think there’s a single person my age who hasn’t read or been read a pile of these books, and the nostalgia is so comforting. I found this on Youtube and listened to someone read it to me, and honestly 10/10 would recommend for a calm evening.

The big reason I decided to seek this one out though, was because I finally got to the M*A*S*H episode that inspired this entire series! In the episode C*A*V*E, in which Hawkeye is freaking out over his claustrophia while the camp is forced to take shelter in a nearby cave during some intense shelling, he mentions that if he had been born a turtle he would have been afraid of his own shell, and that the other turtles would make fun of him cause he’d be forced to walk around in his underwear. And so this first story about a young turtle who’s afraid to sleep in his own shell and drags it around behind him. So if you were ever curious, Franklin the Turtle is in fact named after Dr Benjamin Franklin Pierce. (this is also why the French version is named Benjamin!)

Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf

I loved the Guardians of Ga’Hoole books as a kid but I never read the Wolves of the Beyond series. This first book was an interesting read, Lasky does a great job creating worlds and societies for the animals that inhabit them. Lone Wolf is about a deformed wolf cub who was abandoned in the wilderness to die. And he would have, if a desperate mother bear, who had recently had her only cub killed, hadn’t stumbled across him and saved him, vowing to raise him as her own...

Petals

A “silent” graphic novel. It has beautiful artwork and is told entirely through pictures, no text at all. It’s loves and heart-wrenching, though it left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied… I felt like there should have been more. Still, a neat story.

The Southern Book Club‘s Guide To Slaying Vampires

What a banger of a novel!! I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s about a group of suburban mothers in the ‘80s who form a book club out of a shared need for community and a love of grisly true crime novels. But when a strange drifter appears in town and starts setting down roots… and when children begin disappearing… these women need to band together to confront the horrors that have invaded their neighbourhood, and face down not only a terrifying monster among them but the patriarchal system that allows it to flourish. To quote the preface:

“Because vampires are the original serial killers, stripped of everything that makes us human — they have no friends, no family, no roots, no children. All they have is hunger. They eat and eat but they’re never full. With this book, I wanted to pit a man freed from all responsibilities but his appetites against women whose lives are shaped by their endless responsibilities. I wanted to pit Dracula against my mom.    As you’ll see, it’s not a fair fight.“

The Weirn Books: Be Wary of the Silent Woods

I love Chmakova’s graphic novels, though I’ve only ever read her slice-of-life middle grade series before. This one is pure fantasy and very fun. It’s about two cousin “weirns” — witches with demon familiars — who attend the local night school. Things get strange though when an ominous figure appears outside the old, abandoned school house deep in the Silent Woods, and begins tempting children down its path…

I’m very much looking forward to word of a second book and was honestly kind of surprised that I haven’t heard more about this book given how popular her other series is. This has all the same charm and quirks but for those of us who prefer stories based in fantasy rather than reality.

And A Bonus...

For some masochistic reason I got a Garfield book out of the library. Jeez, if I didn’t love these as a kid, I found them absolutely laugh out loud hilarious, and now I just don’t see it anymore. But here I will share the one strip in the book that actually made me laugh

[thebudgetgarden]

The Budget Garden 3: Seven Seas (V-Premium)

Hello Cardfighters. So this post might be quite unique in the aspect that I don’t really have anything to really “teach” or that much to discuss either to be honest. The Seven Seas archetype has been a mainstay of the Granblue Clan, as a powerful sub-clan that initially dominated the G-era meta during late 2016 up until early-to-mid 2017, where it was hit and left to die as G was entering a new format.  People are only familiarized with them due to their very boysterous and loud presence in the G-meta game, but when the time came for them to be rebooted in the new V-series format, which, at the time, didn’t really have any truly cheap budget decks, their aggro playstyle was pushed to the limit in order to create a cheap deck that could steal games from the otherwise very slow and methodical meta of Nightrose and Scharhrot Vampir.  The formatting for this instalment is going to be quite unique as we are required, maybe, in a way, even FORCED to run every single card that includes “Seven Seas” in the card name. Therefore, there won’t be much in terms of options for tech choices, as about 90% of the deck is already decided for us. 

Let’s begin with our grade 3 line-up… which also just so happens to be the ONLY grade 3 unit that we are going to be playing in our deck, Lord of the Seven Seas, Nightmist.

[AUTO](VC/RC):When its attack hits, choose one of your (VC) or (RC) without any

Treasures

markers, and put a Treasures marker.

[CONT](VC):You get all of the effects below according to the number of your Treasures markers.

• 1 or more - All of your rear-guards with "

Seven Seas

" in their card names can attack and intercept from the back row.

• 3 or more - During your turn, all of your units with "Seven Seas" in their card names get [Power]+5000.

• 6 or more - This unit gets "[AUTO](VC):At the end of the battle it attacked, [Stand] all of your rear-guards with "Seven Seas" in their card names.".

To the majority of people that are having a full on Aneurysm reading this skill, I don’t blame you. The Treasure Markers are just that, markers that are placed on your circles, and that give off specific skills and unique abilities depending on the unit that is in top of them. Think of them as an indicator to know when your cards have their unique abilities and skills, instead of having to keep track of them yourself. Spoiler alert for every single card incoming, every single memeber of the Seven Seas archetype have the skill that allows you to obtain a treasure marker on one of your circles when they perform a successful attack.

Nightmist, apart from having really great artwork, is the main unit of our strategy, and the only real “payoff” for us actually obtaining these force markers. Do not be fooled by the shiny “protect” sumbol on the upper-leftmost corner, this is an insanely fast and loose Aggro deck, aiming to obtain 6 Treasure markers in order to perform 11 attacks in a single turn. This is perfectly reflected in Nightmist’s skill. The first skill allows for your backrow to attack your opponent’s units, just like a test-run version of Magnolia, as well as allowing them to intercept from the backrow, which seems very random but it will become obvious in a second. 

The second skill gives your entire board a very nice boost. With 6 Seven Seas units on your circles, it gives your board an overall surplus of 30k power, while also allowing your grade 1 units to hit force numbers, effectively allowing you to rush against all 3 gifts. 

The third skill is awesome, but really hard to pull off. If you have laid 6 successful attacks on your opponent and their units, Nightmist gets an effect that allows your ENTIRE board to restand, effectively giving you 5 bonus attacks.

Sound awesome, right? In the 25-30 games I have played to playtest for this very blog, I have managed to resolve this final skill on about 5 or 6 of them, either because at that point of the match I had either won the game or lost the game. It pops up SO LATE into the game that you might as well have already won, but when you do get to pull it off, it feels amazing … just don’t expect it to come up that often.

Nightmist is a hilariously bloated card, clearly being designed to fix holes that existed with this strategy before he even got printed. Nightmist is also the most expensive part of the deck, as a playset will set you back about 5-10 euros. 

Moving forward to the grade 2 line-up, the units in this segment arent nearly as complicated or long-winded as Nightmist, as the grade 2 line up does an excellent job of adding some much needed consistency and raw power. 

Our Grade 2 line-up consists of three units, Nightspinel, Negrolazy and Slash Shade. 

[AUTO](VC/RC):When its attack hits, choose one of your (VC) or (RC) without any Treasures markers, and put a Treasures marker. [AUTO](VC/RC):When placed, COST [Counter Blast (1) & put two cards from the top of your deck into the drop zone], and call up to one card with "Seven Seas" in its card name not named "Seven Seas Pillager, Nightspinel" from your drop zone to (RC).

[AUTO](VC/RC):When its attack hits, choose one of your (VC) or (RC) without any Treasures markers, and put a Treasures marker. [CONT](RC):During your turn, if there is a marker on this unit's circle, this unit gets [Power]+15000.

[AUTO](VC/RC):When placed, you may call a grade 0 from your drop zone to (RC).

  There really isn’t a lot to say, Cardfighters, these are the two types of skills that were really needed for some added consistency and power. Nightspinel not only fulfills the role of the “waifu" card in this archetype, she’s also a very nice way of setting your drop zone up for certain ressurection effects, but she is a single card that can provide more board advantage in a deck that calls a lot of its hand onto the board. Also, she’s very cute, which is also a plus. And in the category of “not so cute, but much more playable” comes Slash Shade, a card with a very simple, yet powerful effect. He can make himself a 24k attacker by just existing on a circle with a marker on it, key word being ANY marker. A protect II gift, which manifests itself as a marker on a circle also works with this skill, so a protect II market makes Slash Shade, even while unboosted, a 29k attacker. Couple that with Nightmist’s second skill, 3-4 of your circles are most likely going to be attacking from the backrow for 29k-34k.  Slash Shade is, in a complete turn of events, the true boss monster for the Seven Seas, as he is by himself an attacker that requires a 20k or more shield from your opponent per attack, making him the unofficial win condition for this deck.  Negrolazy seems like an odd addition, as getting a trigger back onto your board seems rather useless. It is. However, Negrolazy has great synergy with a grade 0 unit that we will be discussing in a little bit.  While the grade 2 line-up is quite great for what it does, the most important aspect to any Blitz/Aggro strategy lies within the Grade 1 line-up, as it needs to provide some sort of value/recursion to offset the early hand loss. The grade 1 units that we will be using are the following: Witch Doctor of the Seven Seas, Raistutor Seven Seas Helmsman, Nightcrow Skeleton Sea Navigator Witch Doctor of Powdered Bone, Negrobone

[AUTO](VC/RC):When its attack hits, choose one of your (VC) or (RC) without any Treasures markers, and put a Treasures marker. [CONT](RC):If there is a marker on this unit's circle, this unit gets "Intercept".

[AUTO](VC/RC):When its attack hits, choose one of your (VC) or (RC) without any Treasures markers, and put a Treasures marker. [ACT](Drop zone):If you have a vanguard with "Seven Seas" in its card name, COST [Soul Blast (1) & retire a rear-guard not named "Seven Seas Helmsman, Nightcrow"], and call this card to (RC).

[ACT](RC):COST [[Rest] two rear-guards], and put five cards from the top of your deck into your drop zone.

[ACT](Drop zone):COST [Discard a card from your hand & put this card on the bottom of your deck], and call a grade 1 from your drop zone to (RC). If your drop zone has ten or more cards, you may call any grade instead. As you can see, all of the cards in our grade 1 line-up offer some form of utility, and it is as basic as it is good. Raistutor gives herself the ability to intercept, which works really well in conjunction with the Nightmist’s skill, as well as letting herself become a 20k backrow interceptor if there is a protect II marker on her circle. Nightcrow works really well while he is in the drop zone, as he can turn any unit on our board into a copy of himself for a soulblast. Also blasting the cards from our soul means more options in our drop zone, so he’s a fun addition that works well with the rest of the archetype. Skeleton Sea Navigator is our mill engine. Granblue decks love to put cards from the top of their deck in the drop zone to fulfill certain conditions or allow for more options. Since we cannot afford to put many cards that mill our own deck, as space is very tight, the Navigator allows up to mill ourselves for no cost at all. Negrobone is a powerful payoff for milling ourselves. Reviving a grade 1 unit isn’t awful since they provide us with value or more Seven Seas units for attacks, but his ability to be able to revive a unit regardless of grade means that we have another way to get our Slash Shades back onto the board. So these are our options for the grade 1 units, but don’t touch that dial, we have a consistency boosting grade 0 unit that helps us find the right Seven Seas units at the right time. (I’m too lazy to make a grade 0 introductory section for a single card)

[AUTO](VC/RC):When its attack hits, choose one of your (VC) or (RC) without any Treasures markers, and put a Treasures marker. [ACT](RC):COST [Bind this unit & put two cards from the top of your deck into the drop zone], and return a card with "Seven Seas" in its card name not named "Seven Seas Apprentice, Nightrunner" from your drop zone to your hand. He mills our deck, he reccurs cards, he gets revived from Negrolazy, he mops the floor, Nightrunner does it all. He is an excellent addition for our deck as he does pretty much everything that our deck wants to do, with an added layer of consistency. 

Decklist and Final Thoughts.

GRADE 3  x4 Nightmist Grade 2 x4 Nightspinelx4 Slash Shadex3 Negrolazy Grade 1 x4 Nightcrow x4 Raistutor x3 Skeleton Sea Navigator x3 Negrobone Grade 0 x4 Nightrunner 8 critical triggers (2 sentinels) 4 draw triggers (2 perfect guards) 4 heals1 Starting Vanguard This deck is one of my favorites. It’s a deck that provides a very unique and interesting take on what a “protect” deck should be, and it allows for some of the most hectic and fun board states compared to the majority of decks in general, not just budget decks. However, time has not been kind to this beauty, as it has been powercrept quite a bit compared to the other budget decks descussed previously. However, if you want a deck that, from the moment that you flip your vanguard over, is chaotic and hectic fun, as well as a very unique take on an aggro deck, look no further than Nightmist and his treasure-loving posse. Thank you all for reading ! If you have any questions or any suggestions as to what I should cover next, please don’t hesitate to contact me on Discord, I would be happy to hear any suggestions or ideas that you might have ! (Bloom#8890) That’s all for now, Cardfighters ! See ya next time. Bloom, aka thebudgetgarden.

[rye-views]

Vincenzo. 빈센조. 7.9/10

I would recommend this drama to my friends. I would rewatch this drama.

Yeon Bin is v pretty. Taecyeon is still hot. Han Seo was kinda cute as well. Mi ri was pretty. Gi Seok was cute at times. Min Seong was also kinda cute sometimes.

Jeon Yeon Bin is doing great acting with Cha Young's character. And everyone else actually. Cha Young has a very unique personality and it's possible that she wouldn't be as likable if she weren't this pretty and that sucks. I love how idiosyncratic she is with both humor, sass, and bossness.

Every time Vincenzo drops his lighter, I'm like how many do you have?

Jo Han Chul has such a different vibe here and in Hometown Cha Cha Cha. Yet, also the same.

I'm here for the Min Seong and Vincenzo's meet-cute. This was such a tragic love story one-sidedly.

This show is the right amount of serious and ridiculous. We are hating corruption and the man while wanting to beat the system. We also have a daily slice of life fun with good-hearted people with idiosyncratic vibes.

We love Alkong and Dalkong.

Gi Seok acts so cute. His facial expressions appeal to me.

lol at the 2pm references and cameos. LOLL when Cha Young was like why is everyone in this plaza so talented?? True. I enjoy the Mi Ri hair bits. Lmao, that fighting scene between the hospital husband and wife in the courtroom would never happen irl. Lmao at the Elizabeth Holmes reference. Mr. Nam riding the bike backward to block the entrance is so amusing. Lmao at the 3 questions Yeong Un asked the monks to distract them.

The monks blocking the entrance after Mi ri runs for help is so baller and supportive. Vincenzo's mom is so sweet and respectful. I loved all scenes with her in it. I definitely cried. I love how supportive everyone is of Vincenzo. I also like the side crushes on him. I really like how unique all of the Geumga Plaza family are. I also loved their backstories being revealed. They really are such great additions to the drama, unexpectedly. I enjoyed the tailor who supported Vincenzo when he was trying on suits.

I cried so much by the end of this. Fuck at Han Seo's death. I can't believe the actor for him is the same age as me because he seems older.

It's interesting to see Han Seok fear death at times. He also didn't want torture. What's his desire to live? What is Myung Hee's driving force? Why is she so hell-bent on ruining the lives of others? What does she really gain?

Memorable Quotes: "깨달음 그 싸움이 전리품이지요." "모르는건 죄가 아니예요. 알리고 하지 않는게 죄악이지요." "정의는 완전무결할때만 옳다." "그래서 난 인터넷에서 믿는건 딱두가지 뿐이예요--날짜와 시간." "Il male è grande e vasto."

[surveys-at-your-service]

Surveys #447-448

(one from yesterday, one from v early this morning)

How did you and the last person you kissed start talking? By both being meerkat RPers on YT back in the day. Do you think someone is falling in love with you? Definitely not. Do you have a bad temper? Nah. What was the last song you listened to? SOBS "Suteki Da Ne" from FFX. If your mom was a teacher, would you want to be in her class? Hell yeah. She actually has been my substitute teacher before, as she worked at my elementary school with the special ed kids. Are you comfortable with people going through your phone? No. I have nothing to hide on there at all, but still... I just don't like it. Do you really care about what toothpaste you use? So long as it's mint-flavored, no, I don't care. Would you like it if the whole world spoke one language? I mean, I think it's pretty inarguable that that would be a beneficial thing. For all humans to understand each other, like in dire situations where information needs to be brought across. However, I don't believe we should actually try to change that now with so many languages already developed. That would be way, way too big a task and not that important. Would mind-reading really be a blessing or a curse? I'd find it more to be a curse. Would you ever get a pet turtle? Why or why not? Nah. They just don't interest me as pets. Do you tend to daydream a lot? If so, about what? Yeah. .-. About a lot of stuff... How I want my future to be, things I wish would happen, how I'd change past errors... What shop/store/brand would you model for, if given the choice? I would 110% model for Cloak if for whatever miraculous reason they wanted me to because a bitch supports her favorite human asdkfajkwle. I'd totally do some goth modelling for Rebel's Market, too. Do you actually read your friend’s surveys, or do you just copy and paste them and fill them out yourself? I read my friends' answers, yes. I like learning obscure things about them. Which is your favorite episode of I Love Lucy? Bar none, the "Vitameatavegamin" one. It's fucking hilarious, man. I love that show. Do you consider yourself a deep thinker? WAY too deep. Name two people who you are closest with? My mom and Sara. Which one of those two people would you eat first, if you were starving? Neither. I would absolutely rather die. No one cares whether or not you believe in love at first sight… but, do you believe in hate at first sight? Well, let's be real. If you witnessed someone being abused or raped or something like that, wouldn't YOU hate the villain immediately? I sure as hell would. When you were a kid, which comic strip was your favorite? I didn't care for those. How do you feel about fake plants? They can look good, they can look tacky, and they make great additions to some animal enclosures, like reptiles and bugs, for cover and new textures. Does it make you uncomfortable when people ask you your shoe size? Er, no? Would you feel guilty about cheating on your taxes if you got away with it? Yes. I tend to have a guilty conscience. Are you happy with your weight? NO. Do you go to church? If so, do you actually pay attention? No. When I was forced to go as a kid, I never paid attention. As a very young adult when I super rarely went, I would try to, but my attention definitely wavered. Would you rather have your nose or tongue pierced? Tongue, if it just didn't damage my damn teeth. :( I miss my snake eyes. Ever peed in your pants after the age of 10? It's very embarrassing, but yes. A few years ago, I had this very strange period of premature incontinence when I slept. I had to be put on some medication and a schedule to wake up in the night to use the bathroom. It oddly just... vanished as randomly as it started. Had any surgeries? What kind? I had tubes put in my ears as a baby, and then at the start of 2017 (I think), I had to have a cyst removed from my butt. :^) Ever told your parents you hated them? I've told Dad that, yes. Are you sober? Yeah. Do you have a crazy side? Not really, no. I'm boring. Do you have siblings over the age of 18? All of my siblings are. Do you think that downloading music illegally is immoral? Yes, and yet... I do it anyway. :x Have you ever sworn at a policeman/woman/cop? No. How far do you agree that the mother is more important in a child’s life than the father? I Don't agree with that. Would you ever let one of your children enter a beauty pageant? If they were old enough to make their own decisions, I'd have no say. But as a little kid, no. I do not support those damn things. What was your favorite Pokemon as a child? Charmander! :') Do you have a favorite name? What is it? Alessandra. It's so beautiful. What was the topic of the last assignment/essay you wrote? Toxic masculinity. I got SO into that essay. What’s your favorite type of juice? Probably peach mango. What was the hardest language you’ve ever tried to learn? LATIN. Like holy shit. What’s your younger sibling’s name? Nicole. What kind of cookie is your favorite? Chocolate chip. What would you do if your ex contacted you? I would just be... so happy. But also scared of where it would lead. What age would you like to have a child? No age, because I never want any. Are your parents wealthy? Definitely not. My dad SEEMS decently well-off, but he is most certainly not rich. Have you ever asked someone out? Yes. Your ex tells you they want you back, what do you say/do? I know I'd say yes, very quickly. -_- Do you know anyone that smokes weed? More like she's addicted to it. Is there one person you look at and automatically smile? Oh, that's Mark for sure, ha ha. Especially if he's laughing. It's game over for me if he's laughing. What’s your favorite hairstyle on a guy? Don't even fucking @ me, I love the emo hair swoop alskdfjalkwje;kjrwklejarwe Do you know anyone who’s won the lottery? No. What’s the name of the last cat you pet? Roman. What have you been up to today? Anything interesting? The only thing I've done today that deviates from my normal routine is I had to get blood drawn for some tests for my upcoming check-up. I don't know what was up with that needle, but it hurt this time. Are you the type of person to dwell on the past? I live there. Did your grandparents teach you anything? Not really, no... besides being old-fashioned is not an excuse for being an uptight... er... this answer is so mean, given the grandmother I'm talking about is dead, oof. Do you want/have a Bachelor’s degree? I wanted one... but I don't have one and never will. Are you a fan of penguins? Yeah, they're mega cute. Who do you think about most constantly? Why? Anyone who reads these can answer that very, very easily. Have you ever considered yourself to be something other than heterosexual? Yeah; I'm either bi or pan. I think pansexual as of very recently, but for simplicity's sake and also for almost all of my family to not think I'm crazy, I really just say bisexual. Have you ever been in love? With who? Yes; Jason and Sara. Dolphins, whales, sharks, or narwhals? Dolphins or whales. Have you ever gotten anything amputated? No. Have you ever tied your tooth to a door to lose it? No. What do you do on the computer? Oh jeez... I'm pretty much, well, always on the computer, so I do a whole lot. I watch/listen to YouTube, write, clean out my dA notifications and browse artwork, scroll through Facebook, play World of Warcraft, edit the Silent Hill wiki, do way too many surveys, talk to Sara on Discord... Anything your parents should know about? No. Do you have a life? It sure as hell doesn't feel like it. I do nothing noteworthy. Do you have a microphone on your computer? It's built-in, but it doesn't work. Does your mouse light up? Yeah; red normally, blue when it's charging. Then it's also purple sometimes??? I have no idea what it means. Were you ever physically abused? No. Verbally? No. Sexually? No. Do your teachers like you? Not to brag or anything, but all my teachers loved me. Do your parents like you? I know they love me. Do your siblings like you? I don't feel like they do half the time. :/ It's my own fault for not knowing how the fuck to interact with them. Did you have a tail when you were born? At first I saw this question and was confused as shit, but then I remembered this was actually a thing, ha ha. But no, I wasn't. Do you enjoy school? I hated it. Are you shallow? No. Greedy? I don't think so, no. It feels good to share. Do you have a piercing in an inappropriate spot on your body? No. A tattoo? Well, I have a tattoo over my heart, so it's on my breast, if you wanna count that? Are you stubborn? God, am I. Are you incestuous? Fuck no. Do you respect your body? Meh... Yes in some ways, in other ways no. Have you ever been to therapy? Did you like it? I've been in therapy for most of my life, and yes, I find it helpful. Have you ever used Duolingo to learn another language? No. Are you unhappy at the moment? Yes. I usually am. Do you have any gay friends? Yes. Have you ever watched iCarly? Yeah, I used to enjoy it. Who’s your favorite Disney character? Probably Dory. What was the last thing you wrote in a word document? This survey, actually. It's how I format it and save my progress. What did you last take painkillers for? A headache. Are there any hobbies you want to get back into? Drawing. :/ Have you ever been on a date with someone you met online? How was it? Yeah; when Sara and I were together and I went up to visit her, we had a breakfast date once. :') Do you find it difficult to get rid of material possessions? Yeah. I hold a lot of nostalgia in many items. What sort of games do you like to play? Horror and fantasy, mainly. They need a story, too, and I ESPECIALLY enjoy games with multiple endings. Then I also play WoW, which is an MMORPG. Do you know anyone who is deaf? No. Have you ever been married? Nope. What is your favorite thing to dip fries in? Ketchup. Do you still talk to anyone you went to high school with? Just Girt, really. Have you ever had to dispute a charge on your credit card? I've never had my own credit card. Quick! Choose pink or purple. Pink, duh. What's your favorite book genre? Fantasy. Would you say you’re generally fit and healthy? Why/why not? No. :/ I'm trying to change that though by going to the gym. Would you ever want a job working with animals? My main aspiration is to be a wildlife photographer, if that counts? Sara also wants to be a ball python breeder, and we talk all the time about it and how I'd love to be like an assistant and help with my own future snakes. Most recently, I will definitely have to have experience with them as pets first and see if I can handle it, but I've considered breeding tarantulas on the side. The hobby could ALWAYS use more breeders to prevent wild-caught specimens being taken from the wild, and it would help lower their prices. I've gotten so passionate about those furry bastards that I would really enjoy helping out with that. Do you believe in your horoscope? Even if you don’t, do you still read it? Not at all. I don't, because it feels like a waste of time if I don't even believe in it. If a couple is married, do you think there should be any legal punishment if one person cheats? No... I am firmly against cheating, but that sounds extreme. Do you enjoy Tim Burton films? Which one is your favorite? Of course! My favorite is Corpse Bride.

-------

Was the last book you read for fun, or was it for some type of assignment? It was for fun. Do you think you would be a good match for your celebrity crush(es) assuming you have one? Why? If you don’t have one, who was the last person you saw that you found attractive? No, honestly. He really doesn't like seeing people not pursuing their utmost potential, and, uhhhh, look at me, lol. I'm in no way good enough for that god of a human being lmao. How old were you when you had your wisdom teeth removed? I still have them. I only have two, and my mouth has enough room for them. Do you wish you were taller or shorter? My height's fine. Where was the last job application you filled out sent to? Food Lion. Have you ever been fired from a job? No. I quit way too early for that to ever happen. .-. What poster is hanging closest to you? My big Metallica one. Which cuisine do you like the least? I honestly haven't experimented enough with foreign foods to decide on one specific cuisine I really don't like as a whole. Are there any foods you dislike because of the texture? There are A LOT. I am very, very sensitive to textures. Which type of chocolate do you like best? Milk chocolate. Do you let your pets sleep in your bed? Absolutely. Well, obviously not my snake Venus, but Roman? Yes. This is his house, too, and he deserves a comfy space to sleep. If you wear makeup, what are your preferred brands? I don't have one. Have you ever made sun tea? I have no idea what that is. Do you prefer powdered or liquid coffee creamer? I don't like coffee. Did your school have somewhere for girls to get emergency pads/tampons? Yes. Do you think they should make a movie about Hatshepsut? Now here's a question I haven't heard before, ha ha. I actually think that would be quite interesting and certainly empowering to women. Do you like to go to the movies alone? I actually did that for the Warcraft movie, and it was pretty chill. I prefer going with others, though. Have you ever dried down any flowers to keep them? No. What is your favorite thing that you have made by yourself? Probably my Pyramid Head/Halo of the Sun drawing. I worked my ass off on that, and I love how it came out. Do you like using clay and/or peel-off masks for skincare? I don't use those specifically, no. Have you ever made a pillow out of an old T-shirt? No. If you want to be cremated, do you want your ashes scattered anywhere? I haven't really thought of this, but I know I want them to be scattered somewhere. I don't wanna be cremated and have no lineage to cherish the ashes so I just end up thrown away or scattered in someone's backyard or something like that. I guess the desert would be pretty cool, if it was one with meerkats. Would you ever have a deceased pet stuffed? No. I have mixed feelings on taxidermy, but doing that to your pet just... seems wrong somehow. Like I feel that there'd be an unhealthy attachment to a dead body, and it feels like you're not allowing your beloved pet to truly, fully rest. Even if there is nothing beyond death, it's just a respect thing to me. Would you ever have a pet cremated? Teddy was cremated, yes. I WANTED to cremate my first ball python and Chinese water dragon, and both were in the freezer for a long time, but it just... never happened. It's not cheap. Mom also had Cali (her dog) cremated, but didn't keep the ashes herself because of it, once again, being expensive. Personal cremation costs more than a group one. Do you believe in the existence of parallel universes? Nah. How many times a day do you brush your teeth? Once. Collect anything? Any and all meerkat stuff and Silent Hill merchandise. Can you stick your fist in your mouth? ... I'm not about to try that. When was the last time you were high on anything? Never. Ever had a bloody nose? Yes. Have you ever caught a fish? Yes. Ever been up a mountain? Ugh, I wish! What are you listening to right now? I'm watching Gab Smolders play Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Do you have any birthmarks? Yeah; it's on my right forearm, near the elbow. Have you ever been slapped? I've been spanked and slapped on the arm by my mother when I was younger. And sometimes not so young. What do you want pierced? My collarbones, nostril, way more in my ears, and possibly my back dimples if I shrink down to a size where you can actually SEE them clearly... Do you like taking pictures? Of nature and animals. Sometimes people. Do you like getting your picture taken? Hell no. Have you ever started a rumor? No. Do you have your own pool? No. What do you want a tattoo of? You're asking someone who wants to be COVERED in tats, ha ha. I have a billion ideas. Have you ever been skinny dipping? Nah. Have you ever been chased by cops? No. Do you ever wear shirts do show your belly? OH FUCK NO. What about cleavage? I wear tank tops more than anything, so some. What theme does your room have? It doesn't have one. Do you like cows? Awwww, I love cows. :') <3 Which slow animal is your favorite? Sloth, turtle, or snail? Turtles aren't that slow; it's tortoises you're thinking about, so I'll consider them instead. Regardless, I think I find snails the cutest. If you had to create an app, what would it be for? I have zero clue. What is one television finale where you were upset with how it ended? I don't know. Other than mandatory lockdowns, have you had to quarantine at all for CoVid? No. What steps would you take in order to track down a thief? ... Not many, tbh, given JUST how afraid of confrontation I am, ha ha. What is something that one of your family member collects? Dad collects Cleveland Browns and Carolina Hurricanes sports stuff. What are some questions that you would ask your favorite celebrity? I've... never thought of this, believe it or not. I'd be too busy blubbering about how important he is to me and thanking him for everything he's ever done alskdjfkla;wje Have you ever legitimately forgotten to do homework? Yes. That was very, very rare, though. Depending on where you live, why might a day of school get canceled? If there was a 1% chance of half an inch of snow. :^) Everyone flips their shit here when that happens. Also, hurricanes. What types of transportation do you think we will see in the future? Besides possibly flying cars, idk. Which freaks you out more - clowns or porcelain dolls? aklsdjflajdsALSKDFJA;LWJE D O L L S. Porcelain dolls creep me out, man. Do you like salami? Yeah. Do you know your mum's first pet's name? I actually don't, no. Do you like car racing? No. I think it's stupid, honestly. People can get and have gotten seriously hurt, or worse. Who hugs you the most often? My niece and nephew, probably. Has your favorite actor ever been stuck to a project you dreaded watching (e.g., stuck on a bad TV show for years)? No. When you were a child did you wish you were named something else? What sort of fantasy life did you imagine for yourself if you’d only had this other better name? Bro I shit you not, I wanted to change my name to "Dory" because of Finding Nemo, lmao. I never thought about how my life would be different, though. Are you a plant person? How do you feel about the trend of owning many, many houseplants? Nah, plant maintenance isn't for me. I don't care how many plants you own so long as you care for them. It seems pointless to buy plants and just neglect them. What are you sick of hearing about? Anti-vax bullshit. Do you wish that you had more followers on any platform? Do you even pay attention to how many likes/comments/followers you have? The only places I really care about that are my photography Facebook page and deviantART because ffs I TRY to make progress as a photographer lasdkfj;lawe but neither move very fast at all. Are you currently working on an art project? No. :/ I need to draw something for once. If applicable, what color are you planning to dye your hair next? I have three in mind: lilac, pastel pink, or silver. Do you have a sibling who looks like your twin? No. My older and younger sister look remarkably similar, though. People have confused them a lot. Do you think you'd make a good actor or actress? God no, I'd feel far too awkward. Do you believe you have a lot of potential? Ugh, I don't know, dude. Would you like to be rich and own a vacation home? Who wouldn't? Have you ever walked through a labyrinth? No. What eyeshadow color do you think looks best on you? Black. I only wear black. Do you shop in the girls, juniors, or women's section at the store? Women's. Do you play video games? I haven't played a game other than WoW in a long time. :/ I only have a PS2 and Wii, and most of the games I want to play are for newer generation consoles. Is your house more than two stories tall? It's not even two stories. Have you ever had the flu? No. *knocks on wood* Have you ever been unfaithful in a serious relationship? Nope. Would you ever get a lip tattoo? No. I want tons of tats, but that sure isn't one of 'em. Has any place hired you underage for a job? No. Have you ever carried a concealed weapon? No. Does eating breakfast make you sick? No. I'm one of those people that wants to eat right when I wake up. What four states in the USA would you most like to visit? Which four countries would you most like to visit? States: Alaska, Utah, Wyoming, and some southwestern state where I can visit the desert and maybe see wild tarantulas. Countries: South Africa, Germany, Canada, and uhhhh idk. Would it bother you if your boyfriend hugged other females (think hypothetically if you don’t have one)? Why or why not? No? Hugs can just be a friendly gesture. They don't have to have underlying romantic implications. If you had snow-days as a kid, how did you spend them? Do you like the snow, in general? Oh man, snowy days were the epitome of joy when I was a kid. The #1 thing I wanted to do was make a snowman with Dad and my sisters if the snow was the right texture to pack. We loved snowball fights, making snow angels, watching the cats play... and you CAN'T forget making sugary snow cream. Do you know anyone who does hard drugs? Would you ever befriend someone that did? No one that does hard drugs now, no. I honestly don't know how I'd respond to wanting to befriend a hardcore druggie... Like I'm totally aware drug addicts are not innately bad people, but it can be dangerous to associate with them. So idk. Do hospitals make you nervous? Why or why not? Do you have any bad hospital experiences? Yes. I do NOT like being in hospitals. I've never been treated badly in one or anything, but I just have way, way too many ER memories from being suicidal and just stripped of everything that could somehow be interpreted as a "danger." Even books had to be approved. Technology of all kinds, forbidden. All I did was sleep on that godawful bed and wish I was dead. But I'm rambling; point is, I really don't like any health care establishment just because of negative memories. Do you still talk to the first person you ever dated? If not, would you want to? Why or why not? No. We just don't. I wouldn't be opposed to knowing what he's up to. What do you like most about your favorite animal? Their loyalty and bravery are purely astonishing. Do you need a job? Yes. I'm a leech in my house. I serve no financial purpose to assist my mom in paying bills and all of that. I'm a full-grown adult that should be benefiting humanity. Who do you love the most in your life? My mom, cat, and best friend probably top the list. What is your mom doing right now? I hope she's asleep, but she tends to sleep very badly and is frequently tossing and turning around this time. Where does she work? She's on disability. For the type of cancer she had, she automatically got it with her diagnosis. It's recently been a year since her last chemo session, but let me tell you from witnessing it: It takes A LOT out of you. It was actually torturous for her. She's still regaining her strength and healing before she can wisely get another job. Do you have Netflix? Yeah. What was the last thing you quit doing? I don't know. Have you ever read a book that changed your life? No. Who did you last talk to before you went to bed last night? Sara, if through text counts. Have you ever taken Xanax before? Yes; I was prescribed it for quite a while. Have you ever suffered from anxiety or depression? Try both, buddy.

[debbiechanclub]

Best Two Out of Three, Part 10

I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS PART 10! Have we even been doing this a month, @what-does-mine-say? Anyway, I was going to wait a little while longer to post this because I feel like I’m spoiling you all (jk jk, I love spoiling you because you spoil me), but I’m too excited. I love this part. There’s so much tension and just - unf. Also, don’t worry, @lancearcherinrippedjeans - I haven’t forgotten about dear Chuckie. It will be addressed :) 

Best Two Out of Three

Part: 10/26

Pairing: Kenny Omega x OFC x Cash Wheeler and Adam Page x OFC

Warnings: Alcohol use, language, angst

Word Count: 4.5k

Catch up on previous parts here.

Alex rummaged through her walk-in closet, trying to decide what to wear to Adam and Callie’s cookout. She’d decided to go, after all. If nothing else, she needed a distraction.

Kenny hadn’t gotten back to the hotel room until after 1 a.m. on Friday. Alex had stayed up waiting for him until the anxiety of it had become too much, so she’d taken a hot shower to calm her nerves and gone to bed. He’d woken her up as he’d crawled in beside her and pulled her close, nuzzling her neck as he’d apologized for not returning sooner. It’d taken a long time for her to fall back asleep after that, her mind racing with the day’s events all over again. In the morning, she’d woken him up with kisses and climbed on top of him, riding him deep and slow. Looking for the reassurance she hadn’t gotten the day before. It had worked in the moment. But it hadn’t lasted.

“No, no, definitely not,” she said as she went through each piece of clothing. She didn’t like the look of anything today. It was going to be hot—it was summer in Virginia, after all—and she wanted to look cute but still casual. She got to her dresses and frowned; she didn’t want to wear a dress. But then she remembered: she’d bought a romper not that long ago. She moved a little bit further down and pulled it off the rack. It was a pretty sage green color with a spaghetti strap V-neck and decorative buttons down the front. Perfect, she thought.

She pulled it on and looked in the full-length mirror on the closet door, satisfied. That was one thing down. Now she needed to decide on shoes. She moved over to where she kept her sandals—but a pair of strappy espadrille wedges caught her eye. She picked them up and set them on the carpet, sliding her feet in and buckling the straps at the ankles. She went back over to the mirror. The wedges combined with the short hem of the romper made her legs look a mile long. She smirked, feeling good; but then she worried at her lip. Will I be taller than Cash if I wear these?

She stopped, staring at her reflection with wide, surprised eyes. “Oh my God, I’m trying to look good for Cash,” she realized aloud.

Her phone chirped from her bed, interrupting her thoughts. She walked over and picked it up. She had a text from Adam.

Have you left yet or are you running late like usual?

She pursed her lips as she typed up a response. Give me 30 minutes. I’ll tell you my ETA once I’m out the door.

She threw her phone back on the bed and went back to getting ready, trying not to think about Cash.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Me, Adam, Cash, Dax, Alex,” Callie repeated to herself as she made sure she had enough of everything for the cookout. “One for luck. Maybe two for luck…” she said as she counted out steaks for the grill. She’d just started to season them when Adam snuck up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist.

“Thank you for doing this,” he said as he kissed her cheek. “It really means a lot to me.”    

“Well, this isn’t all for Alex’s benefit.” She turned in his grasp and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling up at him. “I don’t want Cash and Dax thinking I don’t know how to look after my man.”

He let out a laugh. “Trust me, once they see the amount of beer and whiskey we have, they won’t doubt you for a second.” He glanced at the salad bowl on the kitchen island and tried to snatch a tomato, but Callie smacked his hand.

“Would you stop eating everything? Go buy the booze.”

Adam held his hands up in surrender. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, and Callie smirked as he grabbed his keys and went out the door.

She continued prepping for the party, gathering all the ingredients to mix up a batch of her favorite cocktail. As she opened a cabinet to grab a pitcher, she heard car tires crunching up the gravel in the driveway. She glanced curiously out the window, thinking maybe Adam had forgotten something; but her face fell at the sight of a familiar dark green Jeep Wrangler. Alex.

Callie went back to mixing up the pitcher, quietly bracing herself, wishing that Dax and Cash had been the first to arrive instead. She heard the car door close, and a few seconds later Alex let herself in.

“Hey,” she greeted when she saw Callie in the kitchen. She glanced around, obviously looking for Adam. “Where’s Adam?”

Callie tried not to roll her eyes. “He’s out getting the alcohol. He shouldn’t be long.” She didn’t feel the need to open with niceties; she and Alex weren’t friends. “You can just put your bag wherever for now. Adam will show you your room when he gets back.”

Alex put her bag down next to the couch in the living room. After that, she wasn’t sure what to do. She awkwardly smoothed out her romper as she stood in the space between the living room and the kitchen. “Can I help with anything?” she offered just to say something.

Callie didn’t even bother to turn away from mixing up the cocktail as she answered. “No, I’m good. Everything’s under control.”

Alex rolled her eyes behind her back. But Adam had asked her to try; so, for his sake, she was going to do her best. “What’re you making?”

There was a pause before Callie answered. “Well, you all have your favorite drinks, so I thought I’d make mine.” She took the pitcher and carried it back to the sliding door that lead out to the backyard. Alex hurried after to help open the door. “Thanks,” Callie begrudgingly said.

“What is it?” Alex curiously asked.

“Sex on the Beach,” Callie returned as she set the pitcher on a serving table they’d set up on the patio. She smiled, briefly forgetting that she didn’t like Alex. “It’s my go-to cocktail.”

Alex’s eyebrows arched. “I don’t think I’ve had one of those since college,” she commented. “They’re good, though,” she hastily added. Callie just pursed her lips.  

They fell into awkward silence again. Alex looked around the backyard; they’d certainly gone all out for this cookout. The serving table was already laden with a pitcher of sweet tea, fruit salad, tortilla chips, and a large bowl of homemade bean dip to snack on. The patio table and chairs sat underneath a shaded pergola decorated with string lights, which was a new addition since the last time Alex had been there. She tried to remember when that was. Before Adam had started dating Callie, she realized.

Callie went back inside without a word. Alex blinked, unsure if she should stay outside or follow her back in; but, remembering the way Callie had told her she had everything under control, she decided to just stay out of her way. So, with nothing else to do, she took a seat at the table, pulled out her phone, and started to scroll through Twitter. It was only a few minutes when Adam rounded the corner of the house in the backyard, carrying two cases of beer and a bag of liquor looped around his wrist. Alex jumped up when she saw him.

“Thank God you’re back. It’s been like talking to a wall.”

He gave her a look as he set everything down on the patio. “She’s trying, Alex,” he returned. “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course.” She reached up to give him a hug. He looked her over as they pulled apart.

“Who’re you all dressed up for?”

Her face flushed. “This is not dressed up,” she insisted.

He smirked. “Uh huh.”

She whacked his shoulder just as Callie returned from the kitchen, carrying the salad bowl in her hands. She shot them a look. “That was quick,” she commented.

Adam nodded. “Where’s the cooler?”

“Over there,” she answered with a nod toward where the cooler sat on the ground next to the serving table. Adam opened a case of beer and started transferring cans into the ice. He stopped to offer one to Alex.

“Want one?”

She gave him a flat look. “You’re offering me a warm beer? The hell is wrong with you, Hangman?”

He smirked again. “There’s a few cold ones in the fridge. Go help yourself.”

Alex didn’t need to be told twice. She went back inside and made a beeline for the fridge. She didn’t want to get drunk tonight—the last thing she needed was for Mariposa to make another appearance—but she needed to take the edge off; especially when she heard Adam give a shout from the backyard.

“What’s up, guys!”

Alex froze. Cash and Dax had arrived.

“Alex is in the kitchen,” he continued. “Dump your stuff inside and I’ll show you around in a bit.”

“Shit, shit, shit,” Alex muttered to herself. She paced around the kitchen, unsure what to do, her heart already hammering in her chest. Why am I nervous? I should not be nervous; I’m with Kenny. Sort of. But all her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when she saw Callie walk into the kitchen followed by Dax and Cash.

“Hey, Alex!” Dax greeted as he and Cash set down their bags. “So you decided to come after all?”

“Yeah—oh,” she was briefly caught off-guard when he walked over and gave her a hug. “I figured why not? Adam always puts on a good time.”

“So he claims,” Dax returned. “We’ll be the judge of that.”

She gave a small laugh—and then her eyes connected with Cash’s. He looked her up and down as he walked over. “You look great,” he said, and he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into a hug. Alex’s entire body heated as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Fuck, he smells good.

“Thanks,” she said. He lingered a second longer before pulling back. She didn’t mind at all.

“Is that your Wrangler out front?” he asked.

“Oh,” she bashfully pushed her hair behind her ear. “Yeah.”

He nodded in appreciation. “That’s a nice car.”

She blushed again. “Thanks. I think so, too.”

The kitchen fell quiet, and Alex and Cash suddenly realized that Callie and Dax were staring at them. Alex took a sip of her beer to cool herself down. It didn’t work.

“Well,” Callie started with a look at Dax, “would you help me take the rest of this outside?”

“Absolutely.” He grabbed the platter of steaks while she rounded up the utensils for the grill, and soon Cash and Alex were left alone in the kitchen. Alex cursed Callie in her head; she’d probably done that on purpose.

“I’m glad you came,” Cash said into the silence. And then he quickly added, “I mean, it’s good we can all hang out.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I think so too.” Their eyes met again, and Alex reflexively bit her lip. The way he was looking at her made her feel some type of way—and she needed to leave. “Well, I’m gonna go see if Adam needs a hand with anything.” She flashed a smile and walked past him back toward the backyard, drawing in a deep breath as she went. She was in trouble, and she knew it.

* * * * * * * * * *

A little while later, everyone sat around the table eagerly digging into their food, country music playing lowly in the background. Alex was trying her best not to embarrass herself while eating her corn on the cob, which felt like an impossible task sitting next to Cash. She had a feeling it had been Adam’s doing seating them together. She could tell by the way he’d smirked at her when she’d sat down.

“Well, no one’s talking so it must be good,” Adam commented.

“It’s really good,” Cash complimented as Dax nodded. “Thanks for having us over, man.”

“Yeah, thanks for cooking the steaks, Adam,” Alex said. And then she added, “And thanks for doing everything else, Callie.”

“Whoa!” Adam proclaimed. “I also got the booze.”

Alex let out a laugh. “Callie made booze!” she argued. It took Callie by surprise. Was she actually being… nice?

“You’re welcome, Alex. And thank you for noticing; I did do everything else,” Callie commented with a smirk at Adam.

He sarcastically shook his head. “Just take all the credit, why don’t you.”

“Oh, stop complaining,” she returned. “I’ll do you later, too.”

Alex snorted while Cash nearly did a spit take of his beer. Adam’s eyebrows arched. “Well, yeehaw,” he said as he raised his drink.

“And on that note,” Dax segued, “how far are you from here, Alex?”

Alex had to compose herself from laughing at Adam’s reaction before she could answer. “I’m about two hours from here. It’s actually a really nice drive.”

“Where is that you live, again?” Cash asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

She bit her lip. “I’m in Roanoke.”

He nodded, remembering. “Oh yeah, I’ve been through there. I didn’t see much of it, but it seemed nice.”

“It is,” she nodded. “It’s quiet, in the mountains. I don’t know; it’s where I’m from and I never saw any reason to leave.”

“Can’t say I blame you. Sounds like my kinda place,” he said. Alex took a sip of her beer to hide her blush.

“You’re not too far from Asheville either, right?” Adam asked, a sly grin on his face. Alex sent him a look. It was obvious what he was doing, but she answered anyway.

“No. It’s only about two hours from Asheville, too.”

“Hm,” Adam smirked between her and Cash. “Well how about that?”

Alex bit down on her jaw. She wasn’t going to play into Adam’s charade. “Well, you in live in Florida now though, don’t you?” she said to Cash.

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m in Orlando.”

“Still,” Adam insisted. “You two aren’t from that far from each other.”

Cash smirked to himself as he looked down at his plate. It was blatantly obvious to the entire table what Adam was doing now. So obvious, that Callie cleared her throat.

“Hey Alex, will you help me mix up another pitcher?” She sent her a meaningful look as she picked up the nearly empty cocktail pitcher and stood from the table. Alex was both surprised and confused by the offered lifeline, but she took the hint and followed her into the house. As soon as they were gone, Cash looked at Adam.

“What’re you doing, Adam?”

Dax smirked. “I think he’s trying to be your wingman.”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Adam returned. “I thought you said you wanted to get to know Alex better?”

“I do,” Cash started; but then he stopped, frustrated. “Isn’t there something going on with her and Kenny?”

“Kenny ain’t here,” Dax quipped with a drink of his beer. It earned a smirk from Adam.

“I don’t know what’s going on with her and Kenny. I don’t think Alex even knows,” Adam answered. “But I’ll tell you this—she sure as hell didn’t get all dressed up for me today.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Alex stood just inside the back door, eavesdropping on the conversation taking place outside. She’d started to slide the door closed when she’d heard Cash ask Adam what he was doing; and because she wanted to hear what she had to say for himself, she’d left just enough of a crack in the door so that she could listen as she stood hidden from view. Her stomach went all warm and tingly when she heard Cash confirm that he wanted to get to know her better. She was in trouble, alright. Deep, deep trouble.

“What’re you doing?” Callie suddenly asked.

Alex jumped and slid the door completely shut. “Nothing. Let’s go make that pitcher,” she said as she walked quickly past her toward the kitchen.

“Were you listening to their conversation?” Callie asked. She sounded surprisingly excited about it. “What were they talking about? Or who?” she slyly added.

Alex stopped and turned around to face her. There was a confused expression on her face. “Okay, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t know how else to ask this so; why are you suddenly acting like you’re my friend?”

Alex expected Callie to answer with a roll of her eyes and some snide comment like usual. But much to her surprise, she frowned. “Look, Adam cares a lot about you, and I love him. It took me awhile to realize that what you two have is just friendship, and I’m sorry for that. So we don’t have to be friends… but I’m trying for his sake.”

Alex stood there in silence, floored by Callie’s response. She could tell from the look on her face that she wasn’t just saying that—she actually meant it. “Well, thank you. I want to try for his sake, too.”

Callie nodded. “And besides,” she added. “I’ll admit I’m a bit of a romantic… and I’ve seen the way you and Cash have been looking at each other ever since he got here.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “The way we’ve been looking at each other?”

“Yes!” she proclaimed. “You know he likes you, right? He was upset when he found out you left Britt’s party with Kenny. He tried to act like it didn’t bother him… but it definitely did.”

Alex uncomfortably rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly feeling hot again. How did Cash even know she’d left Britt’s party with Kenny? Who’d told him that? Adam?

“And judging by your reaction right now… I think it’s pretty obvious you like him, too,” Callie smirked.

Alex’s brow furrowed. Part of her knew she did, too. But she didn’t want to admit it. “I think I’ll take one of those cocktails now.”

* * * * * * * * * *

The sun had gone down and the temperature with it, making it a perfect night to sit drinking around the fire pit. Alex had switched back to beer after just one of Callie’s cocktails. It probably wasn’t the best idea in the world, but the girl had mixed those pitchers stiff; and again, Mariposa did not need to make another appearance tonight. Especially not with how sexy Cash looked in the firelight right now.

Alex had caught herself staring at him more than once ever since her conversation with Callie in the kitchen. After she’d poured herself a drink, she’d texted Kenny before going back outside, hoping he’d remind her why he was the one she wanted. But his responses had been few and far between. Eventually, when Adam made a comment about how she was paying more attention to her phone than the company, she’d tossed it back inside with her things. Now, as she sat next to Cash on one of the patio couches around the firepit, Kenny was the furthest thing from her mind. She subconsciously bit her lip as she looked him over. Mariposa didn’t need to come out for her to want to do bad things to him.

He looked at her and she flushed. He smirked. It was obvious she’d been staring. “You want another drink?”

She nodded. “Sure.”

“What’s your poison?” he asked as he pushed himself up.

You, she thought. But she said, “I should probably stick with beer.”

He gave her a roguish grin. “What’s the fun in ‘probably’?” he returned as he walked toward the drinks. Alex bit her lip again. Fuck.

“Alex was right,” Dax suddenly said from where he sat in a chair on the other side of the fire. She’d almost forgotten anyone else was outside. “You know how to host a good time, Adam.”

“Thank you, sir,” Adam raised his glass from where he and Callie sat cuddled up on the other couch. “You and Cash are welcome back any time.”

“You sure your tag team partner won’t have an issue with that?” Dax quipped.

Adam shrugged. “If he does—fuck ‘em.” He sent Alex a meaningful look across the fire. She glanced away. No matter how confused she was feeling, she wished he’d give the you shouldn’t be with Kenny thing a rest.

“Here you go.” Cash returned and handed her a beer. She arched a brow as she took it.

“I thought there wasn’t any fun in ‘probably’?

“I’m a gentleman, Alex,” he said as he sat back down next her—closer than he’d been before. “At least until you ask me not to be.”

Alex’s breath hitched in her throat. FUCK.

There must have been something in the air, because over on the other couch Callie ran a finger down Adam’s chest. She smirked up at him. “I’m ready for the rodeo, cowboy.”

Adam’s eyebrows arched. “Well, we’re gonna call it a night,” he said as he hastily downed the rest of his whiskey. “Y’all stay out here as long as you want; the fire will burn itself out.” He jumped up and pulled Callie with him; but before he could drag her into the house, she sent Alex and Cash a smirk.

“There’s blankets in there,” she said with a nod at the storage ottoman in front of the couch where they’d been sitting. “You know, if you want to get comfortable.”

Alex shook her head as Callie disappeared back inside with Adam. That hadn’t been subtle at all.

“I think I’m gonna call it, too,” Dax said as pushed himself up from the chair. Just like Callie had, he gave them a crooked grin as he passed. “You two have fun.”

He went back inside, leaving Alex and Cash alone with nothing but the crackle of the fire and the sound of the cicadas singing in the night.

Alex looked down at her beer, her heart hammering in her chest already. She could see Cash looking at her out of the corner of her eye. “Are you cold?” he asked.

She nodded. “A little, actually. Yeah,” she honestly answered.

He stood and walked over to the ottoman and pulled out a fluffy cream colored fleece blanket. When he returned, he sat down and draped it over his lap. “Come here,” he motioned with his head for her to join him under the blanket. Alex hesitated—but she slid across the cushions as he lifted his arm for her to tuck herself against his side. He pulled her close, and she placed her head on his chest and let out a contented hum. She wasn’t sure what was going on with her and Kenny. But this? This felt right.

“So, I overheard something today,” she said as she watched the flames grow lower in the fire pit.

“Oh yeah?” Cash asked as he stroked his thumb back and forth across her bare arm. Goosebumps prickled over her skin. He drew her closer.

“Mmhm. And Adam’s right—I didn’t get all dressed up for him today.”

She looked up at him. He brushed her hair away from her face. “What’s the deal with you and Kenny?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she honestly answered. “What’s the deal here?”

He smirked. “I don’t know. But I like you. I want to spend more time with you. And maybe I’m wrong... but I feel like you feel the same.”

Alex sat up. Cash brought his arm around her waist, and she looked into his eyes as she placed her hand behind his head, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. She felt him shiver against her. “I do,” she said. “I felt that way at the party last week. I’ve felt that way all day today. And even though I left the party with Kenny… if I’d had the choice, I know would’ve left with you.”

Cash brought his other hand to her hip. Alex leaned into his touch, wanting him to feel her. “Trust me, I didn’t want you leaving with anyone else that night,” he said. “But I’d had a lot to drink, too. And when I take you home, I want to be able to treat you right.”

Her stomach fluttered at his choice of words. “When?”

“When,” he returned.

Heat rose in Alex’s core. It was a struggle not to straddle him right then and there.

“Mm,” he hummed as his eyes fell closed. “And if you don’t stop playing with my hair like that, when might be tonight.”

She didn’t stop. “You promise?”

“Alex,” he grinned as he gently removed her hand from behind his neck, still holding her close. “Trust me, there’s nothing I want more right now than to take you inside and throw you on the bed in the guest room. But I don’t want either of us to go behind Kenny’s back.”

Alex calmed down a bit then. He was right. She didn’t want to go behind Kenny’s back, either. But the thought of telling him how she felt about Cash left a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Come on,” Cash said. “We should go to bed before we get in trouble.”

He stood up and offered her his hand. She took it, and he laced their fingers together as he led her back into the house. It was too soon before they arrived at the guest bedroom where she was sleeping. Alex turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around her waist, holding her tight against his body in the darkened hallway. Alex hummed again, taking in his scent. It felt different in Cash’s arms than it did in Kenny’s. Deeper. Realer.

“Stay with me,” she said. “I want to sleep cuddled up with you tonight.”

He laughed softly against her. “Sweetheart, there’s no way I could just cuddle with the way you’re making me feel.”

Butterflies exploded in Alex’s stomach. She wanted to hear him call her “sweetheart” a million times over.

He unwound his arms from her waist and looked into her eyes as he brought his hands to cup her face. He leaned in and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek. “Sleep good,” he said in her ear. As he pulled away, he took her hand in his again, and they held onto each other’s fingers for as long as they could as he backed down the hall. And as she watched him disappear around the corner toward where he was sleeping, Alex knew she needed to talk to Kenny.

[buckysrighthanddoll]

Gluttony

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader (college AU)

Warnings: drinking, fluff, a teensy bit of angst (y’all know it’s me lol), swearing

A.N.: This is part two of my Seven Deadly Sins series!!! Read part one here called “Envy” with Bucky Barnes :)

You were never the drinking type. Throughout high school, you maybe had three drinks. It wasn’t that you were consumed with your bookwork or couldn’t sneak out to parties. You had plenty of opportunities.

It was now the third year of college. You were well on your way to your degree, you had an established friend group, and you had a decent enough social life. But when MJ invited you to a party this Friday, you found yourself feeling nervous.

There were a few parties in college that you attended. Every time you got uncomfortable and left early. Every time you stood in the corner with one or two of your friends from class. Every time you were home by midnight.

This time was different.

“MJ, you know--”

“That you’re a lame-ass who won’t hang out with some friends?” MJ interjected. “Come on, (Y/N), it’s just us. Even Ned is gonna be there.” Before you could even respond, she spoke again. “Peter said he’d be there.”

That caught your attention. You contemplated the decision in your head--the party was this Friday, which gave you today to prepare; however, you had a test at 10:00 am on Saturday.

“Fine. You said it was at your apartment, right?”

“Yes. Be there at 10 to help me set up,” MJ smiled, pivoting on her feet and heading to her next class. You sighed and gave a half-smile at her.

MJ knew damn well that you had a thing for Peter. And, beyond that, she insisted that he liked you, too. It was a load of bullshit, but she wouldn’t change her mind.

Finishing your classes for the day was easy. Today was Thursday, which meant you had Art appreciation, Spanish 312, and organic chemistry. That night, you set up your studying supplies and got to work.

Within an hour, you lost focus. You kept worrying about that damn party, but you logically knew that you didn’t need to. It was a few friends. Peter, Ned, MJ, and her boyfriend Mark were the only people that were supposed to be there. They were all people that you knew and trusted. As long as you didn’t drink, you’d be fine.

“Hey (Y/N/N),” Peter said, making you jump. He laughs, which immediately eases your anxieties. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I left my door unlocked again, didn’t I?” You asked, standing from your desk. He nods his head and sits on the chair by the kitchen counter. “You want something to drink?”

“Water, please,” He responds. He was always so polite, even though you’d known him since sophomore year of high school. The two of you knew everything about each other. He knew about your past traumas and experiences; you knew that he was Spider-Man.

Ya know, the usual.

You got the glass of water and threw a couple of personal pan pizzas in the oven. “I thought you were gonna study for the test on Saturday.”

“I got bored,” Peter shrugs. You sit next to him and rest your arm on the counter. “Figured I’d come to see my favorite girl,” He smiles. He gives one of those small smirks that he (recently) found to drive girls mad, but you simply raise your eyebrow.

“She’s probably in my room.”

At the perfect moment, a fuzzy black cat prances into the kitchen. Her name was Razzle, Razz for short, and she was the cutest damn cat to grace your existence. Peter adored her. There were times when you’d come home from class and see him playing with her on the floor. There were times when Peter would stay the night, and you’d wake up to see a fuzzy black ball on his chest. The scene was so cute that you took a picture (which may or may not be your lock screen, shh).

Razz jumps into Peter’s lap and immediately starts purring. His smile gets even bigger, and he scratches under the cat’s chin (the sight alone makes your heart soar).

“You wanna watch a movie?” Peter asks.

The oven dings, making you stand up to get the pizza. “As long as we can go over the vocab for the test afterward.” Peter groans, but you know that it’s sarcastic. “Deal.”

Peter goes to the living room area and turns on a random movie. You place the pizzas on paper plates and carry them out to where he’s sitting on the couch, his feet propped up onto the table. At least he had his socks on.

Thirty minutes into the movie, you weren’t paying attention anymore. All you could focus on was the way the screen lit Peter’s face; the way his eyes followed every action; the way his body jerked during a fight scene; the way his lips looked so soft and kissable and--

“Is there something on my face?” Peter asked. You snapped your gaze to the empty plate ahead of you. That’s one thing that you loved about Peter--besides his improved spidey-senses, he (sort of) grew out of his awkwardness.

“No, uh, I got lost in thought,” You lied. You grabbed his empty plate and took it to the kitchen to throw in the garbage. Taking a second to collect yourself, you went back to the couch. You scoffed at Peter, who was under a blanket and taking all three spots. “You’re such a dipshit.”

“But I’m your dipshit,” Peter retorted. You rolled your eyes as he sat up, allowing you to sit where his head just was. You plopped yourself down, and Peter rested his head on your lap, lying on his side to still face the TV.

Peter fell asleep twenty minutes later. Your hand was in his hair, softly playing with his curls, and soon enough, the soft snores ensued.

You stayed there for several moments after the movie ended. It was easy to bypass the credits rolling on the screen, especially when Peter was right there. Head in your lap. An arm draped across your thighs. You could see yourself doing this every weekend with him--waking him up, getting to the bedroom, holding each other until the early morning.

It was stupid how much you loved him. He was your best friend throughout high school and college. He was with you through every smile and tear. It was just impossible for you not to harbor anything more than a friendship.

Once the title screen popped back on, you shook Peter awake. He hums groggily and opens his eyes. As he realizes that he fell asleep on your lap, he goes red in the face and sits up.

“I didn’t realize I was even tired,” He says, letting out a breathy laugh. “I’m sorry. I, uh, I gotta get home, though. We have an 8 am tomorrow.” Peter gets up from the couch and makes his way toward the door.

“Yeah, yeah,” You said, standing up and following him. “Goodnight. Be safe, love you,” You added, hugging him.

“‘Night (Y/N/N), love you, too,” Peter responded. He left, and you took that as your cue to get to sleep.

Your classes breezed by the next day. You and Peter’s 8 am class was spent reviewing material for tomorrow’s test, and your ten am consisted of you being a TA for your Spanish professor. She just had you look through papers while she taught about the subjunctive tense.

At your apartment, you texted MJ to ask what you should wear. She arrived twenty minutes later and immediately began searching through your closet. She explained that it was still casual since it was just a few friends, but your usual plain t-shirts and jeans weren’t going to cut it.

MJ picked a tight-fitting shirt with a v-neck. She said that it made you look insanely attractive, especially when paired with the (extremely short) denim shorts that you hardly ever wore.

You decided just to straighten your hair and do basic makeup. It consisted of only eyebrows, eyeliner, and mascara; it was a bit more than your daily makeup, but if you were going to a party, you didn’t want to mess it up.

After getting dinner, you and MJ went to her apartment and began setting up. There was a beer pong table, food set out on another table, and all of the alcohol she could afford on a third table. You put a playlist on her TV screen and then put the remote behind it. It was all said and done within an hour.

You turned on the strip lights right as Mark got there. He greeted his girlfriend with a short kiss, and then he came and hugged you. Mark was a sweet guy; he treated MJ right, and he was great at communication, plus he made an effort to be friends with her friends.

Ned showed up half an hour later, and Peter was right behind him. You already had three shots, but they hadn’t kicked in yet; it was probably for the best because all you could think when you saw him was damn.

He wore a dark grey v-neck shirt and dark denim jeans. He looked like he had just gotten out of the shower shortly before leaving, as his hair was still slightly damp. MJ had to hip check you to pull your attention back to the conversation.

“You need to tell him eventually,” She starts. “I mean, he totally has it bad for you, too.”

“Bullshit,” You sang. “He’s my best friend, besides you. That’s it.” You looked at the table and picked up the peppermint schnapps. “Another shot?”

“Using liquor as a negative coping mechanism. Same,” MJ nodded, smiling as she grabbed the shot glasses. “Competitive?”

“Bet,” You answered, pulling out a five from your pocket. She threw down an additional five and called Mark over to call it so that it wasn’t biased.

You both set the shot glasses on the counter and got ready. Mark slapped the table, and you and MJ threw the glasses back and slammed them back down. You won by a fraction of a second, making you throw your arms up.

“Didn’t think you were a drinker, (Y/L/N),” MJ laughed.

“I’m not,” You smirked. You grabbed the money and put it in your pocket, lining up another shot and downing that one too. “But distractions are distractions.”

“You really need a therapist,” Ned laughed.

Within an hour, you were blasted. Although you’d been slightly tipsy before, you’d never been full-on drunk before. MJ was right there with you, Mark was somewhat behind, and Ned was tipsy. Peter, who had slowly been sipping on his drink, was hardly beyond sober.

The five of you were playing Cards Against Humanity in the living room. MJ had the lead, but that didn’t shock anybody; she was declared the friend group’s funniest. You were near behind, though, which was shocking only because you’d thought Ned should be in your position.

It wasn’t like it mattered to you. All that mattered was that you and Peter sat next to each other, thighs pressed to one another, and his arm was resting on the couch cushions behind your head. If you thought that dealing with your emotions was hard when you were sober, then you were in a world of trouble when it came to you being drunk (and him being this close).

Gluttony was not your usual sin. Indulging in vices like drinking wasn’t typical of you. On any other day, you’d throw yourself into your studies, or maybe you’d be planning your study abroad that was coming up. But drinking? That was out of the ordinary.

Tonight was different. You wanted to let loose--to forget about your emotions. But that wasn’t happening, now was it?

After your game was up, you partied some more. You expected to forget about your emotions; instead, you found yourself forgetting how to care about preserving them. A few shots here, some dancing there, and you were more carefree than you had been in years.

Around three in the morning, you were tired. More than that, you had to be up at eight to get ready for your test at ten. You found yourself stumbling to get your things together so you could walk home, but Mark was trying to stop you.

“(Y/N), it’s past midnight in a college city, and you’re as drunk as a skunk. Just stay here,” Mark tried. MJ was right behind him and insisting that you at least call a taxi or an Uber.

“I’ll be fine,” You assured, nearly falling over as you slipped your shoes on. Peter, thankfully, catches and steadies you. He keeps an arm around your waist, which makes your already reddened face burn even hotter.

“I’ll take her home. I’m sober,” Peter says, looking at MJ. “Besides, we both have a test in seven hours--I need the sleep.”

“Drive safe, man,” Mark says, pulling Peter in for a hug. Peter gives MJ and Ned a hug, and then he’s by your side, leading you to his car.

It was a short and silent drive. Thank gods. You weren’t in any state to be talking to someone who you’ve harbored romantic feelings for.

Peter took you inside your apartment. The moment the door shut behind him, he locked it and got to your bedroom. He picked out some sleep shorts and an old shirt for you to sleep in, and he left you to change while he grabbed some water for you.

You sat in bed as he walked back into the room, setting the glass on your nightstand.

“You’re too nice,” You whined. “Aren’t guys supposed to be assholes or something?”

“I’m the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man--I’m not quite like most guys.” Peter smiles and lifts the covers, letting you get under them. Once you’re laid back, you take a sip of your water, and he closes the windows and curtains. He comes back to pull the blankets over your chest. Then, he starts to leave.

“Peter, can you stay the night here?” You asked. He turns to you and gives one of the softest smiles you’d ever seen (maybe it was just the rose-tinted glasses, or perhaps it was the staggering amount of alcohol in your blood). Nodding his head, he gets in on the other side of the bed.

Peter had stayed the night here plenty of times, but he always slept on the pull-out couch in the living room. He never once stayed in your bed with you also in it. You figured it was either out of concern for boundaries or respect.

The truth was, Peter was also head-over-heels for you. He’d told MJ, not that he needed to--MJ was good at reading people, and he certainly wasn’t subtle about his attraction for you.

You were the first person he came to when he became Spider-Man. You were his reason to fight after he got dusted (along with you). You were his favorite person to see after a mission--you’d been at the tower anytime Tony Stark told you that Peter was coming home. You were always there for him. You were it. You were the one that Peter wanted to be with, even if it didn’t work out in the long run.

Once Peter settled into the sheets, you rolled over and cuddled into him. Your head rested on his chest, an arm around his torso, and a leg tangled with his own. Both of you heaved a sigh of relief; this felt good. This felt right.

“Peter?” You asked.

“Yeah?” He responded.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“No, like, I love you,” You confessed, looking up at him through heavy eyelids. “Like, I wanna kiss you and cuddle you like this and hold your hand. I wanna tell people that I’m your girlfriend, and you’re my boyfriend.”

“Baby, you’re drunk.”

“I’ve been hiding this for years, Peter,” You insisted. “It isn’t because I’m drunk. The only thing this liquor is doing is helping me say what I want to say without worrying.”

“If I’m honest, (Y/N), I love you, too. In that same way. But you’re not even going to remember this in the morning.”

“Will you remind me?”

“Yes.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Not when you’re drunk.”

“Damn,” You sighed. “Did you set an alarm for the morning?”

“I already have one set,” Peter assured you. “Let’s get to sleep.”

“And Peter?” You called. “Thank you for taking care of me.” He hummed in response.

The next morning, you were shocked that you only had a small headache. You were even more surprised that you woke up next to Peter.

Last night was fuzzy for you. Bits and pieces were clear as day, like winning thirty bucks from MJ. But what happened? Was Peter as drunk as you were? Did you say something stupid? Why was he in your bed right now?

No matter the reason, you found yourself not wanting to leave this spot. You were the closest you’d been to Peter.

The alarm on Peter’s phone rang, making you jump. Then, you grabbed your aching head. Peter awoke with a start before looking down at you. He shut the ringtone off, and then he wrapped his arms tighter around you. His hand ran up and down your arm, which made you feel happy and warm, but why the hell was he holding you like this?

“Good morning,” Peter said groggily. His morning voice was hands-down, the most beautiful thing ever.

“‘Morning,” You responded.

“Want me to put some coffee on for that hangover?” He asked.

“I’m not that hungover, actually,” You answered. “I can go make some.”

Peter nodded his head, so you got up. Three scoops into the filter, some hot water, and a few minutes later, you both had cups of bitter coffee to wake you up. You both started to get ready for the day by brushing your teeth and putting on some new clothes (Peter had to find some clothes that he’d left here last month).

It was going to be a casual and laid-back day; that much was certain. Your body was aching, and your head only started to worsen even after taking some ibuprofen. There were still thirty minutes before you needed to leave for the campus, so you and Peter sat on the couch.

“Did I say anything stupid last night?” You asked, holding onto your mug.

“Only that you loved me and wanted to kiss me,” He smirked.

You groaned and threw your head back. “I’m sorry,” You started, looking him in the eye. “I shouldn’t have said that while I was drunk.”

“Did you not mean it?”

“Of course I meant it,” You said, laughing drily. “Peter, in the seven years we’ve known each other, I’ve felt like this for six of them. I just shouldn’t have told you while I was drunk.”

“Last night, I said that I loved you, too,” Peter said. “And then you asked if you could kiss me, but I wasn’t going to let you do anything in that state.”

“Oh,” You muttered, looking down in embarrassment and setting down your coffee. Peter’s lifted your chin and then cupped your face before leaning in and kissing you. The initial shock wore off quickly, and then you were kissing him back. It was soft and sweet--precisely what you’d have expected your first kiss with him to be like.

When Peter pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours. “You wanted me to remind you when you were sober. Was that okay?”

“More than,” You smiled. You closed the distance again, tangling your hands in his hair. Peter smiles against you.

After the test, Peter took you on your first official date as a couple. He held your hand and bought you a coffee, and you carried a conversation like everything was natural. Like everything was right.

(And, for the record, you passed that exam despite the light hangover).

[kinetic-elaboration]

April 10: 2x14 Wolf in the Fold

Watched Wolf in the Fold last night. The only thing I really remembered about this ep going in was that it was a Scotty ep. Which is true but also… slightly misleading. Also that it had to do with Jack the Ripper—which is more true than I remembered!

A decadent intro… I get why Spock isn’t here but I actually DO think he would be into it.

Matchmaker Kirk lol.

Scotty is so awkward. This is the other detail I remembered from this ep, actually: how Scotty wants to applaud using his hands no matter what. (Even with those cool lights RIGHT THERE lol). Old Aberdeen pub crawler…

This is honestly such a bizarre back story: Scotty got a concussion because someone who happened to be a woman made a mistake and now not only is his head all funny but he has a “total resentment toward women.” Like okay, nothing creepily sexist in that concept. Also –they ultimately barely even use it! I know it’s the implied rationale for why he would suddenly start murdering women and also not remembering it but it’s like such a flimsy excuse that they never say it out loud in so many words for fear it should sound too stupid. Which it would. Honestly, you really only need the concussion imo. Why go into the weird misogyny thing at all?

And now Kirk and Bons head off to a brothel, giving me a total resentment toward men.

Nice eerie fog out here. Very Aberdeenian.

Okay, so this woman was stabbed a dozen times but she only screamed once? And then a second later, Scotty had somehow teleported several feet away, still holding the knife? He’s good at his job but he’s not that good. This is already deeply suspicious.

“Therapeutic shore leave.” Trying to cure his hatred of ladies lmao.

So this weird little bald man, Hengist, from Rigel IV. Is he an alien? I suppose he must be. Rigellians are a race, as we know from Journey to Babel. It’s not always clear to me which groups of people are Earth colonists who have migrated to or been born on other planets and which are humanoid aliens.

The Aurelians are a gentle, harmless people. Cute. I like these aliens.

I wish we could hire aliens to be our administrators. Alien Overlord and Taylor.

“I’ll be taking over, since I am the highest official.” He out-officialed him.

I like this guy and his slightly creepy empath priestess wife. I feel like Spock would like them, too.

Speaking of: Spock in the captain’s chair. Hot.

I don’t get how this planet is the only space port around. Like… could not any planet be a space port? What does that even mean?

Oh no, a woman with the lie detector machine! She must be incompetent and/or to be despised.

I love Sybo’s outfit. Her hair and jewelry too. Honestly just a great head-to-toe look.

Another murder! Sorry but this one is on the Aurelian for just leaving the murder weapon out there unattended.

Generally speaking, the costume and set people are doing allllll the work in this episode.

Hengist went to look for suspects and he came up with the victim’s father and fiancé?? He’s not even trying lol. Anyway, he obviously did it.

How can you NOT tell if a lock was picked or not? I mean I know McCoy is a doctor, not a locksmith, but come on. It can’t be that ambiguous.

Spooky mumbo-jumbo.

Interesting that Spock doesn’t trust the mumbo-jumbo either. I guess he only approves of it when it’s Vulcan.

When Sybo says “monstrous evil” the camera is looking right at Hengist. Not suspicious at all. He’s only clearly railroading Scotty, looked right at the second victim before she was killed, was in the perfect position to take the murder weapon after it was carelessly left about, and is the most obvious non-Scotty suspect here.

I love how loyal Bones is. He literally saw Scotty holding Sybo and the knife with blood on his hands and is like “It’s impossible he could have done it.”

So many of the “truth discovery” devices on TOS are truly creepy. Like they’re all clear plot devices, and for that reason depicted as completely reliable, and the more completely reliable they are, the more deeply disturbing they become upon any reflection at all.

That’s a pretty computer though. All those pretty flashing lights! And it runs on floppy disks.

I literally just remembered what happened.

“Scotty, lie to me, how old are you?” / “Twenty-two, Sir.” Yeah, I’d say that’s a lie.

So like this allegedly all-powerful computer is literally just a lie detector. That’s it! A lie detector that picks up on psychological signs of lying, just like our lie detectors today. I mean… you could have just said that straight out. All they do is show what a person believes to be true, so in the case where someone truly doesn’t remember something, the usefulness is… limited.

My mom suggested a Vulcan mind meld which, actually, would pretty much solve the problem! But for once Spock actually treats it like something serious and not to be thrown out as a solution to all problems at the merest suggestion.

Someone needs to do a fashion line based entirely on the Argellian outfits.

Spock is internally eye-rolling at all this drama. I feel like he’s a real advocate for the computers today. That’s like… really his only role.

The computer’s linguistics banks don’t know what this word means? Maybe we should get Uhura on the case.

Plot twist: the killer was Jack the Ripper the WHOLE TIME! The last one you’d ever expect.

I don’t get how the computer made the leap from Redjac to Jack the Ripper since that is not a real word and no one outside of this episode of TOS has ever used it for Jack the Ripper.

“Everyone feeds on death, even vegetarians.” So dark, Spock. So emo.

Aw, alien creatures that derive sustenance from love. Adorable. There should have been an episode devoted to them. (Wait a minute…. Idea coming on…)

Speaking of gaseous cloud aliens…the Companion?

This episode really relies a lot on the computer to provide information and otherwise move the plot along.

Kirk keeps ignoring everyone to just talk to Spock.

“Cloud the issue” lol that’s a good pun. (Already can’t remember who said it but… point stands.)

The cloud entity feeds on women because they are more easily and deeply terrified. That sounds fake but okay. It’s also not in keeping with what Sybo said, is it? She mentioned a hatred of women. That’s not the same as finding women useful.

Hmm, when do we get our Martian Colonies, @ perseverance?

Oh, Rigel IV, you say? There seems to be a Rigellian right here!

This whole history of the entity is bizarre. The first killing sprees (that we know of) are on Earth, and Kirk specifically says that when man left Earth to explore, he took this with him. Does that mean… the cloud creature/entity originated on Earth? Truly a bizarre hypothesis, when you think about it.

Are you the entity, Sir?

There is actually very little Scotty in this Scotty-centric episode.

Lol the knife originates with the hill people of Rigel IV. What is this, Deliverance?

Omg Kirk punched the entity right out of that man!

So to summarize: “Jack the Ripper is actually a gaseous cloud that is capable of infecting the computer system of the Enterprise, thus hijacking the whole ship” is the basic, wacky concept of this episode.

This tranquilizer could quiet a volcano. Where was it during the volcano scene in STID hmm?

Kirk’s plan to keep people from being scared by the maniacal voice of the entity: Tranquilize the entire ship. That’s why he’s paid the big bucks.

Yet another twist on the old Kirk v. Computer plot. Time to use Math to defeat it.

Kirk is so unimpressed with the entity. “Eh, shut that off.” He would not be moved by a haunted house.

“This is the first time I’ve heard a malfunction threaten us.” Sulu can man his post AND be funny; he’s multi-talented.

Kirk and Spock don’t need tranquilizers because they’re smart enough to know this high-pitched voice yelling random threats just isn’t actually scary.

Kirk is really insistent that Sulu man his frickin’ post!

Oh no, not PI!! My nemesis, PI!

I’m really living for Sulu here.

If the entity entered a tranquilized person, it might take up knitting. I gotta say, that doesn’t make any sense as a plot point but I like it anyway.

That was a very efficient tranquilizing job! Everyone in a 400+ person ship in like 10 minutes? Get the medical team on the Enterprise in charge of the vaccine distribution stat.

Kirk just outright assumes that Spock won’t be a hospitable entity choice. And he’s not even wrong! The entity chooses the dead body over Spock or Kirk. It knows when it’s not wanted.

Hengist has been revived!

The entity is honestly, truly hilarious. Die, die, everybody die! Kill! Kill you all! Maniacal laughter! All while being carried by a still utterly unimpressed Kirk down the halls of the ship.

Spock’s like “get out of the way, you tranquilized idiot. Got some entity-scattering to do.”

“I gave them a pretty big shot, Jim!” Think you might have slightly overdone it, Bones? You didn’t need to make everyone useless for 6 hours for a problem that was solved in 5 minutes!

This is one of those moments, Kirk trying to get Spock to see the pretty ladies with him, when Spock seems super gay. Like, I don’t even think he is, that’s not my reading of him, and I also assume that wasn’t the intention here, but that’s just so clearly how it reads.

Aw, Kirk doesn’t want to go the strip club alone. Poor bb.

Weird how Lt. Leslie was in this when he died in the last episode.

Overall, I’d actually have to say that was a very crack-y episode. I liked the ending the best because it was so ridiculous.

What I don’t understand, in addition to whether or not the entity was really supposed to be from Earth, was how it came to be Hengist. Like, it can enter and leave bodies (or computers) at will, so perhaps it just entered Hengist, a normal Rigellian, at some point. But if that’s so, putting him on the transporter and scattering him into space was a pretty cruel thing to do. Also, why did he die (or appear to die) when the entity wasn’t in him? That implies he is the entity’s physical form. But then, first of all, how is also a Rigellian? Like did the entity mate with a Rigellian? Did the entity take over a baby Rigellian? Did the entity just claim to be Rigellian but is really just humanoid in its physical form—we did establish that some aliens, like this one, or creatures or whatever, are gaseous sometimes and solid others, so maybe its solid form is humanoid. Which would fit well with it originating in Earth, although that also brings a new and perhaps unintentional layer of creepiness to the story. I have to assume that’s the situation, but still, wild. And it doesn’t explain this: why does Hengist “die” when the entity “leaves” him, as opposed to just disappear entirely when the entity changes form??

Anyway, I know I’m overthinking this very wacky premise. Overall, I think the episode was fine. It didn’t have enough Scotty (for being a “Scotty episode”) and it changed genres an awful lot for 50 minutes. There was a tad too much misogyny going on. And overall I didn’t feel like the characters—even Kirk, and in actuality this was a Kirk episode much more than a Scotty episode, and purposefully so—were at their most interesting. Tbh Sulu ultimately stole the show in the final minutes.

Next up is the Trouble with Tribbles! Also a funny episode but at least undeniably purposefully so!

[phoenotopia]

2019 December Update

The game is officially playable from beginning to end!

That battle has concluded...

Soon begins the war! But first, a brief reprieve for the holidays.

And I must throw in the usual caveats. We're still playtesting, we're still polishing, we still gotta get age ratings, more red tape, etc etc. And most importantly, we need to figure out the launch strategy. Think Megaman, charging his shot for 5 and a half years... We're not allowed to miss at this point. It has to HIT.

Luckily, we're in a relatively stable position where we don't have to rush the game out immediately. It's not LAUNCH or STARVE - it's... take some time to aim a little. We don't want to launch in the shadow of a bigger behemoth game, and we don't want to launch completely unknown either. We have to build up the game's media presence, which has been neglected so far. I know it's annoying to have to continue to wait... but please bear with us a little longer!

Here's what we've been doing for the past couple months.

---------- THE SCRIPT ----------

The script sits at over 80,000 words. I didn't realize the significance until a teammate told me that that's actually as long as a novel! I looked it up, and sure enough, it's a little longer than the first Harry Potter. But unlike Harry Potter, hardly any of these words are wasted on, pffft, narration. It's all juicy dialogue!

(Some of the game's golden nuggets of dialogue)

There was actually a lot of mundanity getting to the end. Pirate, acting as my editor, caught tons of errors and inconsistencies. One of the most recurring issues had to do with capitalization. I like to capitalize things, often inconsistently. Some common questions that arose:

Why is this text highlighted yellow, and this one highlighted blue?

Why is this monster name capitalized, but this monster not?

Why is this item capitalized, and this one not?

... and so on!

All very mundane issues, but all very necessary to tackle. And there was a TON of 'em. (em vs 'em was another thing we had to make consistent). I actually did some research to see what capitalization rules Zelda had. From what I could tell, when it comes to animals and monsters in the Zelda universe:

All monsters are capitalized

All regular animals are not capitalized

The Cuccos are special, and ARE capitalized

(a collage of Zelda pictures I assembled to study)

In the Zelda universe, all regular items are lowercase, but highlighted blue when mentioned in a quest context (e.g. "butter", "hylian wheat"). Items can be uppercase, if they are special named items (e.g. "Sheikah Slate"). We adopted similar rules as Zelda in some cases, and deviated in others. For instance, in the Phoenotopia universe, there isn't a clear distinction between animals and monsters - that fish monster is really just an animal that happens to be the alpha predator in its natural habitat. So most entities are lowercase, but "big deal" entities can be uppercase.

(we made a formal document to consult whenever a question regarding capitalization arises)

---------- A SAMPLING of QUEST AND CHARACTERS ----------

A lot of new quests have arisen in our great writing effort extending over the past several months. And with it, new characters, big and small. I'll tease a sampling of some of them here (warning: some light spoilers ahead):

My favorite new quest is undoubtedly our game's new "Trading Quest". This one takes inspiration from the Zelda series - the trading quest similarly has you roaming the world and its towns in search of needy people who desire a particular item. Deliver them the item they desire, and get a new item. Do this 10 times, and the ultimate weapon awaits you at the end.

I tried some things to vary up the formula. Some NPCs don't reveal what they need right away - steps have to be taken to get them there. It's also possible to go down the wrong route in the sequence, and have to double-back. We try to keep it interesting.

---------- LOOT PLACEMENTS & GAME BALANCING ----------

A great effort was also spent towards balancing the game this past 2 months. Because even one good healing item, easily obtained, can throw the game's whole difficulty off-kilter. And this same principle applies to other areas, like the money economy and player powerup options. Altogether, they form a very delicate ecosystem for enjoyment.

One of the recent things I did for this game was put down exactly where each heart ruby, energy gem, and moonstone could be found. And this was actually a rather involved process because you have a limited number of rewards to distribute (you wouldn't want the final max HP count to be a weird number like 297). Put too many rewards in the beginning, and the late dungeons would have no rewards to offer. Put too much in the end, and the inverse happens.

I found myself going back into earlier areas and plundering their rewards to fill the later areas. And then to ensure a relatively even spread of rewards within each area themselves, I drew crude maps of the dungeons & their reward spots, so that they could be studied from a bird's eye perspective.

But it was still not enough. With NPC quests and towns also taking up their own allotment of the rewards, I found myself running low on things to distribute. So I went back to the books and upped the number of rewards across the board. Before there were 44 Heart Rubies to collect - there are now 55. Before each Heart Ruby boosted your max HP by 5, but now each one now boosts your max HP by 4, so your final max HP count would still end up the same. It's kinda similar to what happened with Twilight Princess, where they broke with tradition and made 5 heart containers required to gain a new heart instead of the usual 4. Overall, the final tally for treasure to find is:

55 heart pieces

30 energy gems

108 moon stones

Who's crazy enough to collect them all?

---------- BADGES / ACHIEVEMENTS ----------

As one of the game's finishing touches, there's a menu for BADGES - they're this game's version of achievements. This is an ongoing task that we hope to stamp out this December. A few favorites of mine from the original flash game will return ("Pillow Connoisseur" is among them).

(The menu looks like this before any badges are earned)

I allocated slots for just 33 badges, so we're selecting the badges very carefully. We got rid of most of the fluffy ones that appeared in the flash game - we wanted to reduce the number of badges that you would earn automatically for just playing the game (so no more "1st boss", "2nd boss", "3rd boss" achievements). We're aiming for a healthy mix of easily earned badges, hard earned badges, collectathon badges, secret fun badges, and so on.

The badges have another twist - they bear miniaturized portraits of characters from the game! In the initial brainstorm mockup phase, I wasn't really fond of the badge designs. You got a medal of a heart because you collected some hearts, and you got the medal of a moonstone for collecting moonstones, etc. It just seemed so... expected.

(various badge mockups)

How could we engage the players on a more fun and deep level? The idea came - what if we attached pictures of the people you meet on your journey? And these people's stories and character would have a connection with the achievement? That could keep the player guessing which character would come attached with an achievement, or even reveal a hidden detail about the character you didn't know.

---------- MUSIC ----------

Will has just one more task to do. And that's to recut the song for the trailer. One of our other goals for this December is to make a really good trailer... again. There's actually 2 other trailers we cut and never made public for reasons. Maybe I'll talk about them one day in the post-mortem.

Since this may be the last conventional update, we wondered with which song to best leave the audience. And we decided that the most suitable song is "Sanctuary". It's a song that the player will often encounter often when they happen upon a quiet resting place in the world.

There's a little story behind this song. Two and a half years ago, I linked Will the Earthbound song, "Buzz buzz's prophecy", and told him, make a song like that!

In response, Will made "Sanctuary".

Give it a listen HERE. What do you think? Did Will hit close to the greats?

---------- FAN ART ----------

Three fan arts have come in the last couple months. I display them here proudly:

Another submission by Cody G! Gale looking shy as she flashes the V sign for the camera. I like how Cody G's art is continually evolving. Note the additional detail on her eye, and how her hair is drawn extra fluffy. Very nice!

Shafiyahh is another consistent contributor, and made one in the spirit of Halloween. I really like their costumes! Gale as an angel, and Lisa as a demon, fittingly captures their relationship, since Gale is the responsible one and Lisa is the troublemaker. So cute!

A contribution from a new artist, Negativus Core! Wow, Gale looks so bada-- here! We often forget about Gale's tough side due to the cutesy graphics. This is probably how her enemies see her. And the gummy (slime) is a cute touch!

---------- FINAL NOTES ----------

Similar to last year, this will be the last update for a while. If things run too slow, I'll post a status update come end of February 2020.

It's possible, and this is a BIG IF, that something notable happens sooner than expected - like we're going to a con or we have reason to drop the trailer sooner than later. If so, this blog will update earlier than expected. BIG IF. Otherwise, it's end of February till next you hear of us.

The game's development has reached a new uncharted territory. We're going to take the time and figure out exactly what our next steps are. In addition, we'll still be doing some playtesting and script polishing. And we'll be taking a break too. It is the holiday season, things move kind of slow around this time of year. We'll enjoy the company of our family and friends.

Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[oh-phineas]

21. 10 Characters You’d Like to See

Lmao I was gonna go in order but honestly WHATEVER people started doing this and I wanted to join and everything is crazy rn and I needed a distraction

STARTING WITH WHO I WANT (but also tbh most of these I would just like to see as well do not interpret this as me staking my claim lol)

1. Corey from Onward. I’ve been thinking about her for a while and even wrote an app but other stuff took precedence because I wanted to get in on Pride U stuff. I just love a character who used to be a big star and now... works in an office. I’d have her be a manager at Interpride maybe in accounting or marketing who occasionally makes appearances on DnD podcasts or gives motivational speeches. Just your average semiretired manticore dragon hunter :) And I love Danielle Brooks for her but maybe I’d make her a little older so I’m not sold

2. ROZ. When the skeleton for Roz posted I was like something about this calls to me and Pet said that she thought it would and like idk this is a similar impulse to wanting Corey I just love the idea of an older lady who’s been through some shit and now she just has an office job. Also I’d give her a wife of like 20 years and they would be cranky but v cute. And I mean come on I can never resist joining another ~society~ I’d love to get in on RAS stuff.

I don’t really have a FC idea at the moment I just love her.

3. Evelyn Deavor. Okay she honestly might be my next for real. I’ve been thinking about her since like May but I’ve had other character ideas take precedence and I feel like playing her would require a lot of plotting/planning and when I first came back I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that. But I feel like I am now. And I just love villains who think they’re doing the right thing and I think especially in light of the election and all the magic drama lately she would fit in so WELL I would love to plan a magical disaster that she created and I feel like she would really stir things up in a fun way. And could partner with other villain characters and really get some stuff moving. We’ll see though because I’m not allowing myself to get another character until Thanksgiving I just don’t think I can handle 5 characters at school.

Bouncing around a few fc ideas tbh

If you couldn’t tell the theme is hot lady w/ pixie cut suggestions are welcome

4. Isabella Garcia-Shapiro. Actually the whole Phineas and Ferb Crew Thank You. Okay now we’re getting into the characters I don’t actually think I would play but who I would just REALLY love to see. Isabella because I love her energy and she was so great in the new movie and she’s so cute but also will Fight You and I love teens who want to take over the world just give me more of that energy pls. I just don’t think I have enough ideas for her as a character but here are a few things I would like to see: take advantage of the canon hyphenation of her last name and make her parents queer! Make Fireside Girls a normal Girl Scout Troop by day and amateur mystery-solving girl squad by night! Make her a witch!

I think Ariela Barer would be really cute for her.

5. NAVEEN. PLEASE. Pls give me Naveen as a waiter at Tiana’s Place who gets on her last nerve. Maybe he turns out to be a really good musician and tries to make “singing waiter night” happen that could be funny. Also I just think his skeleton is hilarious now that we have lost our beloved Fflewddur please bring us another narcissistic prince of a foreign land who plays an instrument.

6. Remy, Our Ratatouille, The Rat Of All My Dreams Give me REMY. I know this is partially because of all the time I spent on RatTok but the fact that we have no Ratatouille characters rn is a crime. And I have ideas to incorporate this with Tiana’s Place stuff and I think it would be really fun. Please please please.

7. Sadness from Inside Out. I actually had like half an app written for her and I think there are some cool things that can be done with that character. I would love to see her as someone who got “gifted” (cursed) with magical empathy (feeling people’s feelings by touching them or being near them or something) and that’s why she’s sad all the time-- she’s overwhelmed by people’s feelings. Idk I just thought it would be a cool idea for a character but I didn’t end up having enough muse. But I’d love to see someone run with that idea.

As for FC suggestion my main one is my beautiful amazing former FC for Merryweather Belissa Escobedo she is so cute and she even has GLASSES in the majority of her gifs. She would be perfect.

8. The Boy and the Mom from Bao or the Man and the Woman from Paperman. THE VOLCANOES FROM LAVA. Disney Shorts in General. I noticed that “Disney Shorts” is a category on the main but there are no characters in it. Let’s change that! Disney shorts have very little character development lol but they can be real tearjerkers sometimes (See: the three I named above). And I think it would just be a cool challenge to figure out how to adapt them as characters.

8. Rapunzel or Rupi/Ruby as I would rename her because seriously what kind of name is Rapunzel. That is the main basis for what sparked my interest in her in addition to thinking that Maitreyi Ramakrishnan from Never Have I Ever would be so great for her. And I think she could have some cool plots with the fairies-- maybe someone could pick up Blue Fairy or Merryweather and she could track them down.

9. DARLA. Bring back my crazy queen please. She was so fun and now that I play a mermaid I would love to give the merfolk some more stuff to be scared of. There are so many possibilities with her!! I just don’t really have the muse but someone else could do an amazing job. 

10. Tow Mater. Come on, guys. Ladies love him. Everyone loves him. The cars fandom wasn’t built around Lightning McQueen, it was built around Tow Fucking Mater. He would be such a cute country boy. He’ll fix your car. Another character I thought about but abandoned. I could see him and Launchpad being buds. Just imagine the possibilities. 

This has been my TED Talk thank you for your time