#sth 98

[fyeahsonicthehedgehog]

[gorgeousfrankenstein]

[polling-sonic-fans]

Polling Sonic Fans for their opinions on all manner of things. Share good questions to indicate what you want asked. Submissions open.

[sailfish-serum]

Who am i if i dont make my silly goofies sonic characters!!!!

[anime-grimmy]

Guess who got their ass up and actually wrote a fanfic. No, Im not a writer, this is a stream of conciousness which I cannot promise doesn't have obvious flaws, but I wanted to write one of my prompts from here. (it's the "Vash has soft hair" one)

Based in the '98 anime, Vashmeryl-centric.

______

As triste and unforgiving the land of planet Gunsmoke was, the festive atmosphere in the many saloons showed the bright sides of the hard lives of its populace. Meryl and Milly found themselves in one of the most joyful saloons they have been in a while.

The town they were in was barely on the map, just a small cluster of buildings that held maybe a few dozen residents. But as Meryl had gathered from fleeting conversations, despite all odds the small settlement was experiencing a small economic boom. She could have guessed as much, considering all the construction sites they’ve passed just at the outskirts of the town, or the fact the number of thomas in the stables and the cars blocking half the streets seemed out of the ordinary for such a small residency.

So it was no surprise how lively the people were. The saloon was basically glowing, the small lamplights reflecting off the many risen pints of beer. The atmosphere was so joyful with all the shouting, laughing and singing.

Meryl could not care for any of it.

Milly and her were cramped at a small table in the corner of the room, Meryl slumped back in her chair, hands idly turning her whiskey glass in circles without taking a sip. She was just so, so tired, the exhaustion weighing heavy in her bones.

Their few days long travel through the desert felt like it had taken weeks. From encountering sandstorms and bandits, to one of their thomas running off, everything that could have gone wrong, had gone wrong. When Milly and her had arrived at the inn and finally taken a much deserved shower, Meryl had been ready to flop into bed and not open her eyes for at least 11 hours.

To her dismay, the warm water had seemingly energized Milly to the point where she acted like they hadn’t just spent days full of sandy torture. Meryl really had wanted to decline, maybe even let Milly go by herself, but she just knew that the nagging feeling she’d get wouldn’t let her get a wink of sleep.

So, 30 minutes later found them in the brightest saloon for iles, Milly already downing her third drink while Meryl just stared off into space.

It really wasn’t too bad, actually. Milly was having a blast and Meryl was too tired to care for even the rowdier patrons. She just kept on watching the people with mild interest.

Maybe then it was her exhaustion that didn’t make her instantly panic when a very familiar broomhead made his way towards their table. Milly immediately waved Vash over when she spotted him, patting the stool next to her in invitation. Vash was all grins and drunken blush, probably having a big deal to do with the busty brunette slung under one of his arms.

Usually by now, Meryl would be filled with dread, disgust and a lot of other harmful words, but she found her mind was a bit too zoned to get riled up. Instead, she was honestly surprised Vash had managed to land such a woman, knowing how terrible he was at flirting.

It didn’t take too long for her to figure out how though.

The way the brunette was totally playing into his schtick, clanking drinks with him and even complimenting him, yet also keeping him at a physical distance, screamed gold digger to Meryl. She opted not to comment, it was weirdly enjoyable watching Vash dig his own grave.

A little flirty whispering here, some more coins clanking on the table there and a well-manicured hand brushing through the straw hair of his with barely disguised disdain over the woman’s face, Meryl was quite enjoying the show.

Ah, but then Vash got greedy, or too drunk to understand his companion’s signals.

His hand kept sliding too close to areas the brunette didn’t see fit, and after his third attempt, there was palm on his face and a second later, the seat next to him was vacant.

Meryl pulled her glass to her mouth, if only the hide the smile on her lips. The absolutely shocked and longing look he threw after the brunette was so sad that it was hilarious.

Milly, in comparison, didn’t have Meryl’s filter, especially not four pints in. Milly’s laughter was both sweet and boisterous which made Vash turn his hurt gaze onto her. With a loud whine he slid onto the tabletop, crying dramatic tears as usual. Milly slapped his back in comfort (a bit too hard if Vash’ wince was anything to go by) and shouted for another round of drinks.

Half a glass in and the whole escapade seemed to have been forgotten.

With her immediate show now over, Meryl let her eyes slide back over the crowd. Milly, despite being way too deep into her glass, seemingly had Vash under control. As long as the two of them just kept drinking together they’d stay out of trouble, probably, hopefully.

Meryl sighed. She was honestly too exhausted to care much.

The moments ticked by without anything really catching Meryl’s attention. She tuned into some conversations she could overhear or watched people lose at poker, but most patrons seemed to just drink and enjoy each other’s company. With nothing interesting to focus on, Meryl felt her eyelids grow heavy. She really didn’t want to fall asleep in the saloon, not when Milly was too drunk to find her way back to the inn, but the shouts and laughs soon turned into a low buzz in Meryl’s mind.

She was sure she was about to lose her fight against sleep when something blonde popped into her vision.

Meryl jerked back slightly, quickly blinking the drowsiness from her eyes, and turned to look at Vash.

He was leaning forward in his chair, closer to her, staring at her with squinted eyes. Meryl rose her brow at his…accusing? No, maybe puzzled look? She couldn’t quite describe his expression, but he sure was concentrating hard on her.

They spent a few moments like this, Vash just staring intently and Meryl waiting for him to speak what was on his mind. His head cocked to the side and Meryl swore she could see his eyes adjusting. A second later, they flew wide open.

“Holy crap, insurance girl, were you here the whole time?!”

Meryl pinched the bridge of her nose. He couldn’t be serious.

Vash laughed loudly, his chair scraping on the floor as he scooted closer to her. Meryl couldn’t help but lean back a bit when his beer breath hit her nose.

“Wow, you were so quiet, I didn’t even notice you! Wait, is that a new technique so you can watch me from the shadows?!”

Oh boy, he was being so serious about this. This time Meryl was sure his squinted eyes were supposed to be accusatory. She shook her head with a sigh.

“No, Vash, I just really don’t have the nerves today to pity you for being a terrible flirt.”

Vash gasped in offense, his hand flying to cover his heart. Meryl only rolled her eyes.

“Excuse you, that girl was all over me.”

Meryl gave him a deadpan look.

“More like all over your wallet.”

Vash’ hand slid from his chest to his pocket, protectively cradling the bag inside as if Meryl was the one trying to steal it. He held her gaze for a moment, before he cleared his throat and rebutted with way less confidence.

“I might have tried to appeal to her with some of my funds, but I know that my good looks sparked her interest.”

Meryl scoffed. The way the brunette had tried to cuddle up to him with as little touching as possible spoke more of aversion than attraction, which, if Meryl was being honest, was kind of surprising. She may call Vash a lecherous creep sometimes, but he was relatively harmless and not to mention far more handsome than most drunken patrons. Not that she’d tell him that.

“Really now, Vash? You really think that girl was into you? She bolted the moment you tried to make a move on her.”

Meryl was pretty proud of herself how little contempt and judgement clouded her voice as she said this. Still, Vash dramatically recoiled.

“She was just intimidated by my handsome-ness!”

Meryl sighed.

“Yeah, sure.”

Vash gave her the stink eye before leaning in close. Meryl wasn’t entirely sure what he was going for, but any seriousness was off the table with the way his lips pulled into a childish pout.

“She said my eyes were pretty.”

“Aha.”

“She also said my smile was nice.”

“Oh, how original.”

“She ALSO said my hair was great.”

At that, Meryl laughed.

“Vash, that girl barely dared to touch your hair! Not to blame her, I wouldn’t want to stick my hand in a haystack either.”

Vash’ jaw actually dropped at that. Meryl was taken aback how the look on his face wasn’t his usual theatrical performance but looked actually offended. A disapproving noise came from Vash’ throat as he jabbed a finger at her.

“How dare you! My hair is perfectly fluffy and stylish to boot! I will not allow you to insult my soft locks!”

Wait, fluffy?

“Fluffy? You can’t be serious.”

Vash slid the palms of his hands along his hair and then went to frame his face with a hand under his chin. He gave her a dazzling smile.

“Why yes, my dear insurance girl, my wonderful hair is the smoothest silk known to man.”

Meryl’s brow twitched. There was no way. No way in heaven and hell was that broomhead of his anything but dried grass. She’s seen it in action, it never lost form, and even when drenched to the bone his hair managed to look somehow spikey.

“There’s no way.”

“Yes way.”

“I don’t believe you.”

With a huff, Meryl fell back against her chair, crossing her arms in the process. She glared up at Vash, who was only staring back with just as much stubbornness.

Ugh, why was she arguing with him. Her body was almost melting into the chair from how drained her muscles felt, and here she was spending energy bickering with this idiot. And by the way his eyes shone with a challenging glint, she knew their argument was going to go on for hours at this rate.

Even while mulling over how to easily diffuse the situation, Meryl herself didn’t drop her gaze, therefore keeping the tension between the two alight. Vash’ own eyes flitted about, seemingly also analysing the situation, when he suddenly bent forward.

Meryl jerked back at the sudden movement and watched him angle beneath her eyelevel and then turn his face downward.

“Try it.”

Meryl stared at him for a moment.

“Excuse me?”

“Touch my hair.”

Again, Meryl recoiled, thrown off kilter by the sudden demand.

“What, no!”

Vash turned his head to pout up at her.

“Hey, you said you don’t believe it! This is the easiest way to prove it!”

Meryl held his gaze, seeing the dangerous mix out stubbornness and determination written all over his face. She really did not want to touch him, but at the same time, she was just so over this argument.

So, with a defeated sigh, she gave him a small nod.

“Fine, fine, I’ll do it.”

A big grin broke out on Vash’ face before he bend downwards again, presenting her the crown of his head.

Meryl was still hesitant. Somehow, this felt way out of bounds of their relationship, not that she was even sure where the two of them stood on an intimacy basis. But getting a bit flustered being so close to him beat bickering with him for another hour or so.

Swallowing another sigh, Meryl slowly raised her hand to the top of Vash’s spikes and gently took a strand between her fingertips. She rubbed them together slowly to properly feel the texture of his hair, and felt her eyes widen.

There was no way.

Meryl brushed a few more strands between her fingers, still doubting what she was feeling.

The hair felt soft.

Too stunned to accept this fact just yet, Meryl turned her palm towards Vash, gingerly pressing the hair down atop his head. It gave way immediately, bending down with the pressure she put on it and bouncing back up straight once she removed her hand.

Meryl could not believe what she was seeing, could not believe what she was feeling. Of all the impossible things she’s seen Vash do, this somehow felt like the most implausible. It just seemed so out of the laws of physics. After all, she had seen how his hair behaves. Once it was spiked up, his hair never seemed to stray out of its shape. While moving or being caught in the wind, his strands always seemed to move as one form.

But this, this looked and felt like something that should not be happening. Meryl bunched a bit of his hair in a fist, again evaluating how it felt. It wasn’t exactly silk like, how Vash had claimed, it reminded her more of finer, more strand-like thomas down.

Meryl released his hair and pulled her hand back slightly. Eyes still glued to the blonde mess in front of her, Meryl could hear a small voice in the back of her head screaming at her not to do what she had in mind, but her curiosity was too strong to not overrule her logic.

So, tentatively, she let her fingers comb through his hair. She let them slide from atop his forehead into his hairline until all her fingers were submerged in a sea of blonde. Meryl cringed slightly as she could feel some sand and grit in between his strands, but she kept kneading through his locks, untangling some knots she came across.

Meryl hated to admit how fascinating this was. She had always assumed such a dry and rough texture from Vash’ gravity defying hair, and yet, her fingers glided through even smoother than through Milly’s hair after a fresh wash. This blew all of her expectations out of the water, so she couldn’t help but marvel at the experience.

Meryl was only dragged out of her little trance when Milly’s giggling caught her attention. She turned her head towards her colleague, raising a brow in question.

Milly was trying to hide her highly audible laughs with a hand to her mouth, but Meryl couldn’t judge her as the poor girl was swaying in her seat from her buzz. The tall girl was also struggling to get a sentence out between her uncontrollable giggles.

“Aww, Mr. Vash looks like a kitten getting pats!”

Milly burst out into more laughter at her own quip, but Meryl immediately froze as reality caught up to her. With a hammering heart, she looked down towards the man whose hair she’s been toying with for the last few minutes.

Vash, for his part, looked to be in absolute bliss. There was a big, content smile on his face, body laying on the table with his arms serving as a pillow for his head. He had his eyes closed and was humming a sigh every few moments, bright cheeks getting even rosier as his smile grew.

Meryl only noticed now her hand was still scratching at the back of his head.

Flustered, Meryl jerked back her hand, instead opting to press it against her pounding heart. Vash wailed in protest, looking as if he had been ripped out of a cozy dream. Milly only laughed harder.

Oh god, what had she been doing? Was she really that zoned out that she was giving Vash, the absolutely insufferable Stampede, head scratches? This exhaustion must be making her delirious. Yes, that’s what it must have been, the exhaustion.

With a resolute slap on the tabletop, she rose from her seat.

“Ok, that’s it, party over. C’mon Milly, we’re going.”

Twin whines met her ears, but Meryl only glared at the other two.

“No, enough is enough. It’s late, we’re exhausted, and the table is filled with almost a dozen pints. It’s time to turn in.”

Now having her resolve back, Meryl whirled on Vash and flicked him against the nose.

“This also counts for you, Mr. Fluffybuns.”

Resolute on finally getting her well-deserved sleep, Meryl slapped some double dollars onto the table, grabbed Milly by the arm and Vash by the ear, and headed out the saloon.

Sweet bed, here she comes.

______

That was easier said than done, however.

As fate and circumstances would have it, the small size of the town only provided one inn for the whole town, so Meryl found herself dragging two drunken giants along with her.

The inn was a mere five minute walk from the saloon, but the sheer difference in size, mass and drunkenness made it an ordeal for Meryl to keep her two friends on track. She felt like she was running after children that tried their hardest to run off. Only the kids were over a head taller than her and probably could throw her around as easily as a sack of potatoes.

So, it took them a good twenty minutes to finally arrive at their five-minute-away inn, and Meryl all but slumped against the counter. She was just about to ask for their keys when two heavy weights barrelled against hair, squashing her against the table and knocking the air out of her lungs. With a loud groan, she pushed them off of her, shoving them in the direction of the stairs.

“Off with you two! Let me get our keys in peace, geeze.”

Meryl turned with a huff, trying not to look too disgruntled at the man at the counter. Thankfully, if anything it was amusement crossing his features. He offered her a laugh.

“Rough night out?”

“You don’t even know. The keys to room 104 and…”

Meryl noticed she had never asked Vash for his room number. As she turned to yell after the two drunks, a small jingle caught her attention.

“And 107.”

Two pairs of keys were dangling before her eyes. She met eyes with innkeeper who only smiled at her.

“Your buddy came in just a few hours ago, and I wouldn’t forget such a gaudy get up for a while.”

A nervous laugh made its way out of Meryl’s throat. So far no one in town seemed to even have an inkling that Vash was, well, THE Vash the Stampede. Still, comments like these unnerved her just a bit.

“Oh, yeah, he just really tries to stand out, you know. Thinks it’s going to land him some points with the ladies.”

Meryl bit the inside of her cheek. Even to her that explanation sounded kind of fake, but to her relief, the innkeeper’s chuckle seemed sincere.

“Well, just make sure that he doesn’t do anything stupid. The women here are vicious. If he makes the wrong move, they gonna put a bounty on him and come for his head!”

The man cracked up at his own joke, Meryl laughing only to hide how much this unsettled her. She knew it was meant as a joke, but from experience, things always liked to end badly.

So, as not to spill something she didn’t mean to, Meryl yanked the keys from the man’s hand with as much restraint as possible and hurried after her friends.

Milly and Vash were struggling up the stairs as she approached. For a moment, her heart almost jumped out of her throat when the two of them bent backwards at an alarming angle, but they managed to readjust themselves with a loud thud on the stairs, breaking out in drunken giggles.  Meryl moved to shove them up the stairs, trying not to hurry them too much as to prevent them from falling over.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Meryl, they arrived at their room door. Meryl had to grab onto Milly and Vash so they wouldn’t mindlessly keep wandering down the hallway. She spun them to face her and thankfully caught their attention. Dangling the key in front of Vash’ face, she placed it in his palm, turned him around and pointed down the corridor.

“Just three doors down from here, alright?”

Vash blinked slowly, moving his eyes from the empty hallway to the key in his hand, down to Meryl and back again. Meryl waited with waning patience as his fuzzy mind processed her order, but not too long and he gave her a lazy smile and an even lazier salute and went to trudge down the corridor.

Sighing in relief, Meryl turned to her own door and unlocked it with a swift movement. The door was barely open a fraction when Milly squeezed through, making a straight beeline for her bed. Meryl could only smile, Milly really had the right idea. Collapsing in bed seemed like the best course of action right now.

However, just as Meryl moved to close the door, a nagging little voice in her mind made her hesitate. With apprehension, Meryl leaned back to see beyond the door and down the hallway.

Vash had, thankfully, found the correct room and was currently trying to push his key in the lock. Emphasis on trying.

With Vash’ glasses on, she couldn’t really read his expression but by the way his brows furrowed and he kept missing the keylock entirely, she was pretty sure his eyes refused to focus. Meryl watched him miss the hole sometimes by an inch, other times barely even striking the metal of the doorhandle. When one miss sent the key clattering to the floor but Vash kept repeating the hand motion still, Meryl groaned in resignation.

She threw a quick glance into her and Milly’s room, only to find her colleague passed out on the bed. Meryl closed the door and locked it, just to play things safe, then quickly crossed the small distance between her and Vash’ room.

Vash, for his part, had finally caught up with the fact that the key was not in his hand anymore. The way he flexed his fingers and frowned down at them were enough to clue Meryl in. When she came up to his side, she gently pushed him back a little.

“Move a bit, will you?”

Meryl noticed him startle, but as soon as recognition settled in he smiled and took a step aside. Meryl bent down to retrieve the fallen key and smoothly unlocked the door. Just like with Milly, the moment the door was open just a slit, Vash pushed his way inside. Meryl threw a glare after him but ultimately let her shoulders slump with a sigh. At least he was safely in his room.

Sticking the key on the inside of the door, Meryl turned to Vash to remind him to lock it after she left, when he suddenly stunned her into a pause.

Instead of flopping into bed, Vash had his duffle bag over his shoulder and was currently pushing open the window. Meryl only managed to startle herself out of her stupor when Vash swung a leg outside the window. With a few quick steps, Meryl bound across the room, grabbed him by the bag and dragged him back into the room. Vash fell flat on his ass, the momentum bringing his feet up in the air, and Meryl used the short moment to slam the window shut.

She whirled on him with an incredulous look on her face.

“What the hell are you doing, Vash?!”

Vash sat up with lighting speed, eyes so big they peaked out from behind his glasses.

“What does it look like, I’m bailing! They’re already after me!”

Meryl felt her heart drop down to her knees. Vash was being pursued? Why hadn’t he said anything until now? Wait, if he was being followed why had he even stopped here? And how could he let himself get this plastered knowing there was danger?

Shaking her head wildly, Meryl quickly dispelled the mounting questions from her mind. Now was not the time to fall into panic.

“Vash, what are you talking about? Who is after you and since when?”

Vash was back on his feet again, trying to edge closer to the window, but Meryl planted herself as a barricade, not allowing him to leave before she got the answers. With an indigent whine, he met her eyes.

“Didn’t you hear the innkeeper? They’re already out for my head! There’s no telling how long it will take ‘til they get me!”

Air tight in her lungs, Meryl’s eyes widened as realisation hit her.

Then she smacked Vash upside the head.

Meryl rubbed her face tiredly as irritation burnt through even her strongest haze.

“Vash, you idiot, the guy was JOKING. Now stop acting stupid and get your drunk ass in bed.”

When Vash still looked resistant, Meryl’s patience was worn too thin to talk him into doing anything. Instead, she just yanked the bag from his shoulders, grabbed him be the suspenders at his back and dragged him over to the bed. With a strong shove, she pushed him onto the bed. Vash landed with a pained grunt, but the moment he realised the softness he found himself in, his body went lax with a content sigh.

Feeling a headache come on, Meryl rubbed her temples as she thought about what to do next. With a longing look at the door, she debated whether to just leave and finally get the sleep she so desired, but Vash was hanging halfway off the bed, still fully clothed and with a gun strapped to his leg. Against her better judgement, Meryl went to close the still wide-open door and go help Vash properly get into bed.

She returned to him no 10 seconds later, and his hip was already sliding off the mattress. With a result huff, Meryl grabbed him by the belt of his coat and dragged his body fully onto the bed. She made quick work of the clasps of his boots, sliding them off and arranging them next to the bed. Next followed the knee protectors and his gun, which she decided to keep on the nightstand to still be in quick reach for him. Once again, Meryl pulled him up by the suspenders that connected to the back part of his coat, and settled him against the wall to more easily open the buttons of his coat.

She took a moment to read his expression, mostly to see if he was still awake. The reflection of his glasses didn’t give her any insight on what he might be thinking, but when his lips slowly stretched into a smug grin, she was at least sure he wasn’t asleep.

“Oh my, insurance girl, didn’t peg you for the handsy type.”

Meryl just rolled her eyes at the overly suave tone and slapped him against the chest.

“Oh, shut up, you. Don’t spout such nonsense, rather help me get this off.”

At her comment, Vash’ grin only grew but he did as he was told. With practice ease the last few buckles and buttons popped open and he slid out the form fitting coat like it was no problem. With a little shift of his hip, he tugged it out from under him and let it crumple to the floor. Apparently satisfied to be freed from excess weight, Vash let himself fall back onto the bed with his hands behind his head.

Meryl just shook her head at his antics and retrieved the coat from the floor. She was honestly surprised his coat was in such good condition with how little care he seemed to handle it. She hung the coat up on a chair and took the time to right the discarded duffle bag as well. Stepping back to Vash’ bedside, Meryl reached down to eventually pluck the glasses from his nose.

To her surprise, an arm snaked around her waist and pulled her down. With a startled gasp, Meryl tried to retrieve her balance but ultimately found herself sat down the edge of Vash’ bed. He was grinning up at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes, but Meryl only graced him with a huffed sigh. She placed his glasses by his gun before trying to peel off his hold on her.

“Come on, Vash, let go, I wanna get to bed as well.”

Meryl bit her lip, believing she might have given him just another sentence to easily turn into a tease, but Vash only laughed softly and secured his grip on her waist.

“Aww, come on, insurance girl, just until I’m asleep? Don’t wanna get nightmares. It will be real quick, I promise.”

Now, that was an unusually honest sounding request. Meryl peered down at him. Vash’ looked and sounded rather sincere, which perplexed Meryl a great deal. Even if drunk, since when did he act like this in front of her?

Still somewhat taken aback, Meryl gave a slow nod and let herself relax against the bedside. Vash looked content, small smile turning gracious, and closed his eyes with a sigh.

As he promised, he slipped off into sleep only a few moments after. Meryl couldn’t help but watch him. His little smile soon turned lax, his jaw even hanging open slightly. The arm around her loosened its grip until Vash’ hand lay slack on her lap. She could easily unwind herself from him now, leave and finally get to her own bed, but something in the carefree, calm and dare she say, vulnerable expression on Vash’ face made her so mesmerized she couldn’t get herself to move.

Then, a little twitch of the hand in her lap. Muscles tensing in his arms up to his shoulders. His jaw clamped shut and his brows furrowed. His dreams seemed to turn sour.

Meryl watched him still, apprehensive on what to do. Had he actually known he’d experience a nightmare? Was it something that had happened, or was it the alcohol that made his mind turn dark?

Either way, he seemed to have anticipated it even in his drunken stupor, and he had asked Meryl to stay.

Slowly, with her own hand trembling, she laid her thumb on the crease of his brow. With gentle strokes, she tried to ease the tension, staying attentive on how his body reacted to her touch. His muscles relaxed just a bit, the arm around her not clutching at the fabric of her shirt anymore. But the furrow in his brow and the downturn of his lips wouldn’t leave his face.

The image of a goofy smile and feeling of feather-light texture beneath her fingertips rushed through her mind.

Ever so slowly, her fingertips glid across his forehead until they met the base of his hairline again. With one smooth motion, Meryl buried her fingers in his hair. She let her nails lightly scrub against his scalp and once again carefully loosened any tangles she could find.

The effect was instant. She had not brushed her fingers through his hair three times when a heavy sigh left him, and so did the tension. The knit of his brow immediately evened out and his mouth popped back open in tiny breaths. His body basically melted into the bed after only few moments of her combing through his hair.

Vash was doing fine, he was fine. She could leave.

Meryl really didn’t want to leave.

A humourless laugh left her. She felt so selfish, enjoying an intimate moment like this even though Vash was so vulnerable underneath her hands. Meryl couldn’t deny the happy buzz beneath her skin to see him so content, so at ease. She also couldn’t deny the thrill it sent through her as smooth locks glid in between her fingers.

She wanted this, she wanted this so badly, but she also knew she couldn’t for so many reasons.

She knew Vash. No matter how big a flirt he was, intimacy was just something he seemed to deny himself at any cost, be that physical or emotional. Not that she was any better. Meryl had to bitterly admit that she was not ready to act truthful to her emotions either, she was too prideful and scared to do that.

So, sharing such a calm moment together, while one half was in drunken, sleepy daze, felt both exhilarating and awful at the same time.

But still, Vash had let her close, had requested her presence, even if he was drunk. So even if it was egocentric of her, if only for a few moments more, she wanted to be self-indulgent and enjoy the quietness and intimacy she could only dream of.

Vash was drunk out of his mind, he wouldn’t remember this.

He would never have to know.

______

Except when opening her eyes the next morning, an aquamarine gaze was staring right back at her. There was surprise, confusion, realisation and some kind of excitement sparkling back at her, and Meryl couldn’t stop the thrum that went through her body.

Oh, she was not ready to face these feelings just yet.

So a scream, a slap and a flustered march back to her own room would have to do for now.

[larabar]

my orchestra's doing a rock concert and im losing my mind because its reminding me of the sonic symphony and .oubg i wanna play sonic music soooo bad,,

[anime-grimmy-art]

It's officially Stampede Saturday and we know today is just gonna be another emotional doozy, so sth cute and lighthearted cos I CAN.

Inspired by that one scene in ep2 of the 98 anime where Vash tries to be all smooth but Meryl dies of cringe. The way he looks at his finger will never not be funny to me.

Plus lil role reversal cos I love cute Meryl to bits.

[jaengofficial]

98 Wolfwood is just...

Can we all agree that every Trigun fan has fallen for 98 wolfwood at least once during their time in the Trigun fandom??? Like there's sth about this man that I just can't put words into it to properly describe but yeah, he's just...THAT

Trust me when I say it was Wolfwood who got me into this whole Trigun hell hole. I mean look at him-

Sorry I was spiralling a bit lol but yeah, Vash sure is 1 hell of a lucky mfker

[linghxr]

75 MORE essential single-character verbs (单字动词)

People seemed to really enjoy my recent post 75 essential single-character verbs (单字动词)...so here's 75 MORE VERBS.

It was really difficult to put together the first list. I had a spreadsheet of literally hundreds of characters that I had to whittle down. So I was happy to give some of the eliminated characters a second chance.

Definitions are from MDBG. For some characters with additional meanings, I have bolded the meanings I want to highlight.

(76) 欠 qiàn - to owe / to lack / (literary) to be deficient in / (bound form) yawn / to raise slightly (a part of one's body)

(77) 顿 dùn - to stop / to pause / to arrange / to lay out / to kowtow / to stamp (one's foot) / at once / classifier for meals, beatings, scoldings etc: time, bout, spell, meal

(78) 逗 dòu - to tease (playfully) / to entice / (coll.) to joke / (coll.) funny / amusing / to stay / to sojourn / brief pause at the end of a phrase (variant of 讀｜读)

(79) 沉 chén - to submerge / to immerse / to sink / to keep down / to lower / to drop / deep / profound / heavy

(80) 挡 dǎng - to resist / to obstruct / to hinder / to keep off / to block (a blow) / to get in the way of / cover / gear (e.g. in a car's transmission)

(81) 晒 shài - (of the sun) to shine on / to bask in (the sunshine) / to dry (clothes, grain etc) in the sun / (fig.) to expose and share (one's experiences and thoughts) on the Web (loanword from "share") / (coll.) to give the cold shoulder to

(82) 聚 jù - to congregate / to assemble / to mass / to gather together / to amass / to polymerize

(83) 派 pài - clique / school / group / faction / to dispatch / to send / to assign / to appoint / pi (Greek letter Ππ) / the circular ratio pi = 3.1415926 / (loanword) pie

(84) 叠 dié - to fold / to fold over in layers / to furl / to layer / to pile up / to repeat / to duplicate

(85) 缠 chán - to wind around / to wrap round / to coil / tangle / to involve / to bother / to annoy

(86) 嫁 jià - (of a woman) to marry / to marry off a daughter / to shift (blame etc)

(87) 逼 bī - to force (sb to do sth) / to compel / to press for / to extort / to press on towards / to press up to / to close in on / euphemistic variant of 屄

(88) 喊 hǎn - to yell / to shout / to call out for (a person)

(89) 躲 duǒ - to hide / to dodge / to avoid

(90) 抓 zhuā - to grab / to catch / to arrest / to snatch / to scratch

(91) 藏 cáng - to conceal / to hide away / to harbor / to store / to collect

(92) 瞒 mán - to conceal from / to keep (sb) in the dark

(93) 挑 tiāo - to carry on a shoulder pole / to choose / to pick / to nitpick

(94) 扑 pū - to throw oneself at / to pounce on / to devote one's energies / to flap / to flutter / to dab / to pat / to bend over

(95) 踏 tà - to tread / to stamp / to step on / to press a pedal / to investigate on the spot

(96) 断 duàn - to break / to snap / to cut off / to give up or abstain from sth / to judge / (usu. used in the negative) absolutely / definitely / decidedly

(97) 捡 jiǎn - to pick up / to collect / to gather

(98) 拖 tuō - to drag / to tow / to trail / to hang down / to mop (the floor) / to delay / to drag on

(99) 肯 kěn - to agree / to consent / to be willing to

(100) 挖 wā - to dig / to excavate / to scoop out

(101) 摔 shuāi - to throw down / to fall / to drop and break

(102) 伸 shēn - to stretch / to extend

(103) 摸 mō - to feel with the hand / to touch / to stroke / to grope / to steal / to abstract

(104) 绕 rào - to wind / to coil (thread) / to rotate around / to spiral / to move around / to go round (an obstacle) / to by-pass / to make a detour / to confuse / to perplex

(105) 飘 piāo - to float

(106) 碰 pèng - to touch / to meet with / to bump

(107) 染 rǎn - to dye / to catch (a disease) / to acquire (bad habits etc) / to contaminate / to add color washes to a painting

(108) 搁 gē - to place / to put aside / to shelve

(109) 铺 pū - to spread / to display / to set up / (old) holder for door-knocker

(110) 托 tuō - to trust / to entrust / to be entrusted with / to act as trustee

(111) 捧 pěng - to clasp / to cup the hands / to hold up with both hands / to offer (esp. in cupped hands) / to praise / to flatter

(112) 剥 bō | bāo - to peel / to skin / to shell / to shuck

(113) 挠 náo - to scratch / to thwart / to yield

(114) 填 tián - to fill or stuff / (of a form etc) to fill in

(115) 瞅 chǒu - (dialect) to look at

(116) 蹲 dūn - to crouch / to squat / to stay (somewhere)

(117) 溜 liū - to slip away / to escape in stealth / to skate

(118) 坠 zhuì - to fall / to drop / to weigh down

(119) 撩 liáo - to tease / to provoke / to stir up (emotions)

(120) 牵 qiān - to lead along / to pull (an animal on a tether) / (bound form) to involve / to draw in

(121) 装 zhuāng - adornment / to adorn / dress / clothing / costume (of an actor in a play) / to play a role / to pretend / to install / to fix / to wrap (sth in a bag) / to load / to pack

(122) 望 wàng - full moon / to hope / to expect / to visit / to gaze (into the distance) / to look towards / towards

(123) 编 biān - to weave / to plait / to organize / to group / to arrange / to edit / to compile / to write / to compose / to fabricate / to make up

(124) 冻 dòng - to freeze / to feel very cold / aspic or jelly

(125) 抛 pāo - to throw / to toss / to fling / to cast / to abandon

(126) 喷 pēn - to puff / to spout / to spray / to spurt

(127) 刻 kè - quarter (hour) / moment / to carve / to engrave / to cut / oppressive / classifier for short time intervals

(128) 逃 táo - to escape / to run away / to flee

(129) 偷 tōu - to steal / to pilfer / to snatch / thief / stealthily

(130) 吐 tù - to vomit / to throw up

(131) 摁 èn - to press (with one's finger or hand)

(132) 瞪 dèng - to open (one's eyes) wide / to stare at / to glare at

(133) 递 dì - to hand over / to pass on / to deliver / (bound form) progressively / in the proper order

(134) 扭 niǔ - to turn / to twist / to wring / to sprain / to swing one's hips

(135) 轮 lún - wheel / disk / ring / steamship / to take turns / to rotate / classifier for big round objects: disk, or recurring events: round, turn

(136) 混 hùn - to mix / to mingle / muddled / to drift along / to muddle along / to pass for / to get along with sb / thoughtless / reckless

(137) 揪 jiū - to seize / to clutch / to grab firmly and pull

(138) 卷 juǎn - to roll up / roll / classifier for small rolled things (wad of paper money, movie reel etc)

(139) 瞧 qiáo - to look at / to see / to see (a doctor) / to visit

(140) 刺 cì - thorn / sting / thrust / to prick / to pierce / to stab / to assassinate / to murder

(141) 搜 sōu - to search

(142) 遮 zhē - to cover up (a shortcoming) / to screen off / to hide / to conceal

(143) 争 zhēng - to strive for / to vie for / to argue or debate / deficient or lacking (dialect) / how or what (literary)

(144) 撤 chè - to remove / to take away

(145) 闪 shǎn - to dodge / to duck out of the way / to beat it / shaken (by a fall) / to sprain / to pull a muscle / lightning / spark / a flash / to flash (across one's mind) / to leave behind / (Internet slang) (of a display of affection) "dazzlingly" saccharine

(146) 耍 shuǎ - to play with / to wield / to act (cool etc) / to display (a skill, one's temper etc)

(147) 忍 rěn - to bear / to endure / to tolerate / to restrain oneself

(148) 摇 yáo - to shake / to rock / to row / to crank

(149) 戳 chuō - to jab / to poke / to stab / (coll.) to sprain / to blunt / to f*ck (vulgar) / to stand / to stand (sth) upright / stamp / seal

(150) 晃 huàng - to sway / to shake / to wander about huǎng - to dazzle / to flash past

[tititiri]

Frog dance

A short explain to my over-interpretation of his frog-like appearance

I'm going to get 0♡

Frogs have different symbolism in many cultures. Japan is no exception in this. The word kaeru meaning frog is a homphone of a word meaning to return or to go back . Therefore, they were linked to the idea of returning to a place or travelling safely.

Ppl handed out small amulets in the shape of frogs to bring good luck or protect someone on their journey.

It is also possible to ascribe to the frog symbolism related to transformation and the life cycle. This is related to the fact that, in the case of frogs, their growth  involves a transformation from a tadpole to an adult form - this is called metamorphosis I guess.

It is important not to forget abt Kappa, water demons, which have the form of a frog or turtle combined w human/monkey. These creatures are known for their mischievous nature, as they play pranks or cause problems. Also they can even be murderous (sth like kelpie :/). However, they can be befriended, and make a good companion who delivers on promises.

I figured that since lotuses grow in water and frogs also live near the water it could be combined. The plant itself also has separate meanings in different mythologies.

I am not going to explain here the fan theories that are the inspiration for this pic-gold colour. Which 98% of the fandom knows about.

Disclaimer:

Please don't think of me as his stan. He's not one of my favourite characters, despite the fact that we have a compatible mbit, "classical" and Chinese zodiac sign. This is the strangest trivia about me....I guess. Now I'm going back to my basement XD

[mimikoolover]

So I watched the Minimoni video just now, and 2 things:

1. I am sad that Namjoon prefers MUSE over Face. Mostly because imo Face is more interesting in concept, execution and lyrics. Oh well. Personal preference.

2. The concept for MUSE is, if I understood correctly, that all the emotions of happiness and excitement JM feels are somewhat temporary. Like a crush that just goes nowhere, it's built more on how your brain romanticises a person and less on who that person actually is. We get crushes on people based on a few minutes of interactions, but at some point that feeling fades. And to Jimin, that's kinda what his entire life feels like. As a GenZ (98), I relate soooooo hard to that. There's these moments of elation, when you do something fun, but soon enough real life kinda drags you down again. The future isn't that exciting to look at and hope kinda flies out the window. To be fair, for most of my generation that's based a lot in feelings of economic fear - sth Jimin doesn't experience- but I think he experiences a lot of other emotions that equate to sth similar. Especially since SK, like many other countries tbh, kind of seems to not take enough steps forward socially to combat all the issues created by the ruling classes of the last decades (aka Baepsae). Anyway.

These feelings of good moments and happiness being fleeting doesn't mean the moments or emotions in that moment were faked. But since it comes and goes, and the lows tend to get very low (also mental illness is a big part that doesn't get mentioned directly in MMM though Jimin has touched on it before), you tend to catastrophise a lot. It's like imposter syndrome for feelings of happiness.

As a separate closing thought: a lot has been made about Who as a song and how you'd fit it into Jikook. Or how it disproves Jimin being in a happy potentially queer relationship, but imo the MMM really highlights how the whole love and crush narrative of MUSE is just a big metaphor. It's not even about JK specifically, but I think it would do Jimin a huge disservice to assume that this album he has worked on for over a year just contains very surface level songs. Yeah, they are about love and yearning, but just like "Fake Love" or any song on the Love Yourself trilogy are about loving someone else on the surface, it essentially is an album about self-reflection. It can be both. Similarly, I find it insulting of people that they assume the "she" was forced on Jimin because he isn't in the credits of the song. As if they wouldn't have re-written the whole thing if it didn't fit Jimin's vision. Don't infantilize him just because it doesn't fit with our (yes, I'm a shipper) view of who Jimin loves.

"She" is a concept, a dream and not real. In that sense, "she" reminds me of Marlena - a female stand-in for inspiration and music as used by the Italian band Maneskin. But that's a reach. And I don't want to discount the literal layer of the song either. I personally don't believe Who is this big red stamp of "hey, I'm here, I'm not queer and looking for a woman to love, please call hit me up" others see it as. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't actually reflect how much Jimin is yearning for someone to love him how he wants to be loved.

I think Jikook is real because of how they behave around each other, and from how they talk about each other. Even the latest mention in MMM, how they (and Yoongi, poor 3rd wheel) spend hours talking about music and singing screams "and they spend the rest of their lives living together, historians call them very good friends" to me. But I won't be upset if it turns out, they did have relationships for years with other people. I won't make up theories and stories to invalidate whoever they end up spending the rest of their life with - we're not larries. Even if I find GCF Tokyo and Saipan, Rosebowl, the regular carrying and the 7000 other instances very hard to contextualise in a hetero way.

Sorry for the essay but I was kind of getting sick of all the sides currently out and about, both the antis and shippers need to chill out.

I really enjoyed reading your thoughts so thank you for sharing!

see I think for jimin muse as an album perhaps was more about his journey going through creating it, it was a labour of love and something he made from scratch with a team of people. it was probably a real challenge too and it seems like he went through a lot of growth creating this album. I think it's quite hard to judge the 'real' meaning of songs to jimin and everyone having their opinions is valid but as you said we would all do well chilling out😂for me this time it almost seems like the 'concepts' behind the songs are not as deep as maybe face was but the entire process of creating muse was more meaningful to jimin.

[some-thrilling-heroics]

omg I don't think I sent you any ?s for the ask game??? what a dink i am. If you've already answered these, pick some ones you didn't get asked yet <3

🌊What moment in the game had the strongest emotional impact on you? 

💧Is there a ship you wouldn’t write yourself, but love reading?

🔥Is there an aspect of the game’s story that you think it could have done better?

heyyy! no worries!

🌊What moment in the game had the strongest emotional impact on you?

first time I reached the ansur plot and the fact that there's a dragon and we could make him our ally and then the backstory with the emperor - that hit me HARD. i loved it. it quite literally had me with my jaw open for majority of the thing

and then i got robbed. why is the game forcing me to kill the dragon? 😭 noo, i don't wanna!

💧Is there a ship you wouldn’t write yourself, but love reading?

hmmm🤔 maybe in a way anybody / astarion? bc I do enjoy him with tav / durge and some others but i don't really write him.

he is tricky for me to write. the most im gonna have in my current wip is have him sort of pine sort of long after tav but very lowkey? less abt romance and def not abt desire but very intense feelings of wanting.... approval is not the right word, idk how to explain it better. the one thing he and halsin share in my fics is feeling indebted to tav. i enjoy astarion still having that anxiety that if he's not useful tav will kick him to the curb and a vibe i got from one fic i read how they all are strays taken in by tav or durge. so that. whatever you make of that XD

ultimately tho, i love other charas that have a spoonful of fics dedicated to them specifically compared to the bathtub that astarion has, so i don't particularly care abt writing any astarion -centric fics

🔥Is there an aspect of the game’s story that you think it could have done better?

i mean. wyll and karlach. abso-fucking-lutely. granted i haven't reached the epilogue since it's been added 😩but their stories should have some proper conclusions WITHIN the game not off camera in the epilogue if you squint maybe. you know?

other than that i wish there was a way where friendship + high approval is treated more like partnered dynamic by the game. like, i have 98 approval and companion is highly open to my suggestions, but won't do x simply bc we haven't kissed / fucked. that's bullshit.

also idk maybe it's me and not being familiar with that type of games but i remember being frustrated the first time around that i fucked up the tiefling party romance offer and by the time i realized THAT was the trigger i was deep in act 2 or sth and i WANTED that romance 😩 i had to console myself awkwardly fucking the emperor. yay me.

thank you for asking these!! 💛

[sobeksewerrat]

Why is it hard 2 find Muslim communities/posts where it's not filled with homophobes/transphobes and muslims nitpicking everything as a sin :/

No fr tho. But the Muslim nitpicking shit annoys me most.

"Ummmmm, actually, listening to music is haram!!" -> Making an Azhar level ruling on a debate topic by themselves which I am 98% sure is a sin on its own

"You shouldn't talk to the opposite sex!!" -> literally just poorly veiled misogyny that disguises itself as "preventing zina" or whatever

[Insert that weird YT comment about intersexism I saw] -> what??? Dude, have you never picked up a biology book??? WHY ARE YOU MAKING A RULING ON STH YOU DONT KNOW JACKSHIT ABT?!?!?

Then there's the leftist islamophobes.

Btw b4 any idiot says anything we r both Muslims

[mirabella96]

So I watched Ghost MV in the morning and was confused af™ and kind thought nothing of it (because I was focused on song itself) and then I had the understandable urge to watch it again only to not being able to stop crying bc is so sad but in a good way

And it not suprising bc like 98% of his songs are cry worthy but there is sth different this time

[homeless202]

No Home Prompts/Headcanons

[feel free to use these as inspiration for fanfics or fanart. tag me if you post it!!]

(disclaimer 1: this is prolly very ooc but it's also not supposed to be realistic. disclaimer 2: a lot of these are centered around Haejoon and Eunyung and can be interpreted as /r or /p)

HJ stopping someone from harassing EY, similar to the frying pan scene. [one concrete scenario i have is a teacher/supervisor wanting to cut EY's hair and HJ, who's standing next to him (i imagine all dorm boys lined up for the lights-out roll call), grabs the scissors out of their hand and throws it out the window. HJ: "you should go grab them if you don't want them to rust" so the supervisor goes away. badass HJ (altho he's too much of a model student to spite a teacher like that). EY is confused and in awe. bonus points if there's witnesses who marvel at HJ's badassery and authority defiance.]

all 6 MCs hanging out in the clubroom and HJ does sth cool or impressive (maybe sings out loud and it sounds good). juwan and minju are panicking bc 'holy shit he's so hot i want him carnally' like tearing up, rolling on the floor type craving. marie is watching them freak tf out, completely unimpressed, with an expression like she's on the office. hara is like 'hey man, that sounded really good' like the golden retriever sunshine puppy she is. EY is just staring very intently at him like trying to figure out a puzzle with a faint thought of 'he should join the theater club'. HJ, poor him, is so fucking confused as to why everyone is overreacting and a little embarrassed that he accidentally did that.

minju and juwan craving the 184cm mommy issues ghost guy be like:

^^ this is how i imagine juwan's internal monologue like 98% of the times he interacts with HJ. just constant gay panic.

all the other boys in their dorms who have to listen to HJ and EY's screaming matches all the time. poor fuckers. they all often choke on the tension those two create in the room they're in. but the fighting is basically like free live reality TV prime-time entertainment, so they can't be too bothered (unless they're trying to sleep). and generally, everyone is weirded out/confused by their friendship (?). like 'why is the nice popular pretty guy hanging out with model student bully who sees ghosts, especially when they're always just fighting?' <- #confusion. but it's entertaining so eh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

HJ helping EY study, maybe forced by a teacher, or from EY's own volition (doubtful), or per juwan's suggestion when EY failed too many exams/classes to keep living in the dorms. i wonder how that tutoring session would go. would probably end bloody.

whenever HJ goes to the grocery store to buy food he also buys a pack of sweets or snacks. every time EY sees them in their room he asks if he can have some. HJ lets him open the pack. EY always asks if he wants some too and HJ almost always says no. after the 6th time this happened, EY confronted him abt it 'why are you buying these if you're not eating them?' and HJ is like 'i buy them for you. i know you like them.' EY is surprised and juwan is happy they're not fighting anymore (but also insanely jealous -> 'when did they get so close? grrrr')

(/r) HJ chilling on the couch in the dorm living-room, reading a book for class and EY comes and wants to lie down but there's no more space so he spreads out on the couch with his legs on HJ's lap, who's a bit like 'wtf' but decides against picking a fight. EY is chilling on his phone in a skirt shorts and with his hair undone. they just chill like that for a while and every poor soul who passes through that room are confused and uneasy abt their lack of fighting. at some point HJ notices the scars on EY's knees and rests his hand (the one not holding the book) on them, then goes back to reading while absent-mindedly rubbing his thumb over the scars. EY is startled and also like 'wtf' but let's it be bc he has crypto to mine.

juwan-marie mlm/wlw solidarity. all 3 boys are not surprised when she comes out as a (disater) lesbian but their reaction is 'oh really? i never would've guessed (/s)'. she comes out to them bc she needs help making hara figure out she likes her in an non-obvious way.

the boys' reaction be like:

marie likes hara, minju likes marie, and hara likes her sport (karate? idr). marie is frustrated at hara's cluelessness, minju is annoyed marie doesn't take her advances seriously, hara is oblivious to the turmoil she's caused. [a scenario i came up with is all 6 in the clubroom where minju just goes full out after shit's been building up for a while like ' why do you like hara and not me? i'm here trying my best and she doesn't even care! how is she so much better than me?' marie is beyond embarrassed and also very done with the bs. she pulls minju outside the clubroom and slaps her in the hallway promptly rejecting her. the other 4 saw everything through the door window and are jaw-dropped-flabbergasted. marie enters again after minju left and everyone asks if she's ok. hara's like 'you like me?' and marie says 'now's not the time for that. don't you have practice or sth?'. after a bit of convincing hara leaves for her lessons and the 3 boys ask marie why she doesn't like minju -> 'she doesn't like me, she just likes the chase. if we were to get together she'd get bored in less than a month and break up with me.' juwan agrees bc he knows minju best and that's something she would absolutely do. marie starts tearing up bc this is overwheming and embarrassing but the boys are there to comfort her. (<- what's even more frustrating in all of this is that marie did like minju in the beginning, before she swindled marie for the clubroom, was disingenuous abt their friendship, and friendzone marie when she told minju that she liked her.) ohh how the turn tables]

^^ this is the dynamic i imagine bc it's hella funny /// @ artist on twt

EY wil fight for kids who can't fight for themselves. if he sees a kid/friend get hit by a parent/authority he won't hesitate to throw hands. he'll step in on the spot and sucker-punch the mfer who put their hands on someone weaker than themselves. [the first time the others see this side of him is when they meet marie's brother, who acts like a massive asshole and stupidly smacks marie in front of them. HJ is ready to say sth/jump in but EY is half a second quicker and already gave the bitch a bloody nose. and he fights with the rage he'd fight his dad with, if he ever dared to do that. like a demon possessed, not anywhere near the way he's ever fought HJ before. marie's crying and begging him to stop hitting her brother, HJ and juwan are frozen in shock. juwan wants to try to calm him down but is too scared to approach him when he's like that. meanwhile HJ is just like 'holy shit, this mfer is actually crazy' and goes to pull EY off of marie's brother bc he got too close to killing him. after that everyone is more wary of him in general, marie is somewhat grateful but also terrified of him. from then on the brother either never hits her again or gathers a group of friends to go beat up a blond high school kid.]

i think it would be interesting to see the bullies who forced EY to crawl two stations to get his money back resurface. that group of bullies bumping into our 3 boys and going like 'whoa, EY? is that you? how're your knees doing?' and laughing. juwan is confused as to what they're talking about, HJ immediately knows who the fuckers are bc he knows the knee story, and EY is trying to ignore them with a poker face but really he's terrified inside bc trauma™. HJ has never seen EY so affected/blank/scared/distraught and is concerned. trouble ensues, bonus points if HJ saves the day (aka beats the fuckers up) and bonus bonus points if he doesn't tell EY abt it and does it in secret.

^^ no thought's behind those eyes. only misery and trauma

juwan and HJ gift EY clothes every time they have an excuse like 'oh you passed that exam? nice here is a new pair of jeans' or 'it's Christmas, this is a jacket for you'. bc my boy needs more than one piece of everything. he needs more clothes and his friends noticed and are now providing. they need to have an excuse/good reason to gift the items to EY bc he will not accept them otherwise (he refuses to be indebted to anyone).

whenever EY catches HJ changing clothes in their room, he feels really guilty when he sees the scar he gave him when they first met. every time, he wants to apologize but he doesn't know how to make it sound genuine, and the apology always catches in his throat anyway. he can't say it out loud, so he quickly makes it a habit to leave the room when HJ changes.

idk man, i just wanna see HJ help EY braid his hair. and EY be surprised by how well he can braid or make fun of him for how bad he is at it. [maybe a hand/arm injury that prevents him from braiding his hair himself and he doesn't want to leave the dorm looking like that before he can get to a girl-friend who could do his hair for him.]

EY goes with HJ to provide moral support when HJ has to go back to his old house to pick sth up or when HJ goes to visit his mom's grave (only 52% willingly). [(/r ->) at the house, HJ would definitely have a mental breakdown and EY would be there to unintentionally aggravate the situation, then mend it and comfort him. EY is also terrified of all the ghost items inside that house when he first enters. HJ is a tad happy to see some old faces (<- the ghosts who live/haunt his house). /// at the graveyard, HJ would try his best not to cry, EY would notice and leave him alone for a bit to mourn. when he's done, before they leave, EY looks intently at the mom's grave stone and nods his head once. maybe it's a salute to the mom, or a 'thank you for raising him well', but in any case, that's the first time we see EY use manners. HJ doesn't notice it bc he's busy with his own feelings.]

parallel to that, juwan and HJ come pick EY up from (aka get him out of) his parent's apartment. the parent's are astounded anyone came for their 'good-for-nothing' son. before the boys leave the apartment building's courtyard, EY's mom comes running up to them. HJ and juwan are in defense/protection mode, EY is just so tired and so done with everything he doesn't feel present anymore. the mom doesn't get any closer, she just looks HJ in the eyes and thanks him for looking out for her son. then she turns to EY and says 'don't fuck this up like everything else in your life' and goes back to the apartment. all of them are shocked by the unexpected good nature she's shown and EY is also a bit upset by her comment about his life but he's too tired to give a shit atm.

when EY finally gets back into acting, HJ helps him learn his lines when he has the time. after his first play, HJ is there to give him flowers and tell him how good his acting was. (/r -> this may or may not be the moment EY really (realizes he) caught feelings) also HJ was gen amazed at how good his acting skills are, like wide-eyed 'wow he's actually really really good'.

(/r) i want EY to wear a skirt as a dare or sth and fluster the shit out of HJ (and any other eyes that catch him in that outfit). EY would tease him for blushing so hard and feel powerful bc of the reaction he's got, until HJ grabs him (one hand on a shoulder and one hand on his waist) and pulls him so he can whisper in his ear 'stop that'. the tables turn. EY pushes away like he's been burned, which might be true, seeing how he got so red one would think he's been sunburned.

(/r) idk if it's canon but i for some reason think HJ has weights in their room. so, EY always stares at HJ from his top bunk bed (where HJ can't see him), whenever HJ's using them. specifically at his biceps. EY is unsure whether he's jealous bc he wants those muscles or if he wants those muscles. (if you catch my drift)

i feel like HJ and EY could bond a lot over music. they are often listening to it.

the apocalypse storyline is not talked about enough. someone needs to write this since wanan only gave us a crumb and disappeared.

i mean, look at this ^^. are you gonna stand there and tell me you're not intrigued?

[julie-su]

i apologize if someone has asked you this before.. but i am very curious to learn all about the archie sonic echidna lore. do you know where would be the best place to jump into learning all of that? its ok if you cant think of anything, too! i know its incredibly complicated, but i guess thats what makes it so interesting to me :) thanks in advance

Ooh! Well, I'm currently compiling it, but it has since turned into a full-size book... Your best bet to read it comprehensively and quickly, is to read the Archie comics, start-to-finish; half of why it's such a nerdism to know it all, is that it's all dispersed within the comic itself - so to really become familiar with it, you'd have to read all of preboot, cover-to-cover, multiple times... Join us, it's great fun~

If you would prefer an easier start without all of the bells and whistles, I would suggest starting on STH #13, skipping to STH issue #34 - #36 (you only need to read the Knuckles Solo Story), then head over to the three-part Knuckles Miniseries - not to be confused with the 32-part series Knuckles the Echidna - which you will read directly after.

Then read Super Sonic Special #11 and Super Sonic Special #14, then Sonic the Hedgehog #88 - #91, skip #92, and pick back on #93-#97 - skip #98, pick back on #99-#102, then skip to #106-#109 - pick back up on #114-#118, skip to #120-#125, then go to #131-#145. After that, you'll just want to head to The Complete Sonic Comic Encyclopedia and read the echidna-specific entries.

If you need further assistance, please feel free to message me~

If you're an echidna fan who dissents to my reading order, do let me know - I cut a looooot of fat.