#stop digging into very personal stories like that!! rude!!

[annabtg]

You portray Sirius as this stud muffin that everyone was tripping over. It’s kinda vain as a women. Sirius not being able to recognize that his best friend/brother was in love with Lily Evans? Bruh, please. The whole fucken school knew. Sirius doesn’t have tattoos and he’s pretty much asexual in canon from what we know. Not in your fics because he’s fanon and not canon.

I shouldn't even publish this ask, because people will laugh at your lack of reading comprehension, but you started it and I love talking Sirius so here's a breakdown of your seven deadly sins:

1. You completely failed to understand the assignment. Fanon doesn't mean "written by a fan". Fanon means a prevalent version of a character or event which is not supported by canon. Fanon Sirius is a very specific phenomenon, ranted about by @artemisia-black here and summarized by me here. You have failed to provide any examples from my writing that allude to such a portrayal of Sirius.

2. Instead, you complained about my portrayal of Sirius and called it fanon, providing (a pathetic excuse of) examples that aren't anywhere in the fanon version of Sirius and are in fact much closer to canon Sirius. You might have been trying to call my Sirius OOC, but you're probably like twelve and have yet to learn your fandom terminology.

3. "You portray Sirius as this stud muffin that everyone was tripping over" that's canon actually. JKR goes out of her way to tell us how handsome and attractive he was pre-Azkaban every time it comes up:

His face wasn't sunken and waxy, but handsome, full of laughter. (Prisoner of Azkaban)

Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. He was very good-looking, his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James's nor Harry's could ever have achieved, and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn't seem to have noticed. (Order of the Phoenix)

Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so. (Order of the Phoenix)

(I'll stop here because I don't have my books with me and digging up the quotes is proving difficult.)

4. "It's kinda vain as a women" Can You Even English, Bro. Are you saying that I describe Sirius as a person who is as vain as a woman? If so you're not only incorrect, but also sexist.

5. "Sirius not being able to recognize that his best friend/brother was in love with Lily Evans?"

We're talking about My Best Friend's Girl, right? Here's the quote you've been searching for:

Sirius had sometimes thought that James might fancy Lily. He had caught him staring at her, he had noticed something particular in his tone of voice when he spoke to her; and yet, every time he had asked him, James had vehemently denied it.

And because I can't shut up about this story, here's another quote from that same scene:

“D’you think she likes you?”

“We’ll find out.” He grabbed another handful of beans out of the packet in his backpack and stuffed them in his mouth, watching James intently. He had returned to his studying, but he looked vexed. “D’you think I shouldn’t?” he asked.

“Who am I to stop you?” James muttered, his eyes still on his book.

Sirius shrugged to himself. If James insisted on taking it all in stride, he wasn’t going to miss his chance with a beautiful girl on a hunch.

Sirius is not stupid. He knows James has a thing for Lily. But it's not his place or his responsibility to do anything about that for a James that won't so much as acknowledge it to his best friend. And he definitely doesn't think that, just because James likes Lily, Lily shouldn't go out with anyone. She's a free girl and she can like a boy if she wants to, including one whose best friend has a crush on her. Bad luck, Prongs.

(I could talk at length about everyone's behaviour in this fic but I'd rather do that in a separate post and not in one addressing a rude anon.)

6. "Sirius doesn't have tattoos" Still waiting for any quote from any of my stories where he has a tattoo.

7. "he's pretty much asexual in canon from what we know" lack of a sexual relationship ≠ asexual. Your interpretation is not the only valid one.

Final grade: L for LURK MOAR.

[bones4thecats]

Hey there! is it okay to request Hades, Poseidon and Thor with a female reader who is from the anime Fairy Tail (if you've seen it), with a 'Meeting the Family' and somehow got roped into all the crazy that happens in the guild.

Or

The three characters with a female reader who is human who doesn't care that they are gods and just loves them for them, not because they were gods and told them straight to their face. Bonus if the character gives reader affection because of that answer.

Type of Writing: Request Characters: Hades, Poseidon, and Thor Name: {Character} x Erza Scarlet! Reader Who Introduces Her Students Requester: @koushiro23

A/N: I kinda mixed the two scenarios together, and I chose the reader to be themed after Erza Scarlet, since having the 'meeting the family' troupe reminded me of them being like a small family. Also, this may have mentioning of blood, just warning y'all!

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💀 You had met Hades' family quite early in your marriage, since when you guys were dating and courting, you didn't speak to anyone of the relationship, not wanting to cause a clash

💀 Hades would listen to you speak about your three students, Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel, and Gray Fullbuster with such pride when they defeated someone without your help, and hearing how prideful you were of them, he asked for you to meet them

💀 Your students were fairly nervous, but they showed it differently

💀 Lucy was trying to smile through it, Natsu was just being a turd and asking so many questions, making Hades sweat nervously, and Gray would hide behind a cold exterior, reminding him of his younger brother, Poseidon

💀 He smiled as your students sat down at the table and introduced themselves, giving a small portion of their life stories as you scolded Natsu and Gray for acting like idiots

💀 Your personality and his clash at certain points, as you were quite impatient while he was very patient, it comes with raising three boys that all clashed in personalities

💀 Natsu was very excited about meeting Hades, but after a while, he began to dig deeper into your time together before eventually asking why you picked him, not wishing to sound rude, of course!

💀 You just chuckled and looked at the three young kids and looked deeply into your husband's eyes before saying

" I swore to never marry someone without any purpose in life, but, he was far different. Many Gods are very arrogant, and as you'd expect, get on my nerve quite easily, not him. He's patient, caring, and very tender when need be. I value that in him, and while some will oppose our connection, I could care less. He's my one and only no matter what. "

💀 Natsu gagged while Gray just stared at his food while contemplating your words as Lucy awed at your words, Hades on the other hand, was blushing and hiding his face with his hands, you never had been so honest, it was quite endearing

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🔱 Poseidon and you often clashed, but you did fall back in line like a ball being dropped, it always did the same thing, it fell, bounced, and stopped

🔱 When you mentioned your students, Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster, and Natsu Dragneel, were coming over to visit you, since you had been away for so long, he just nodded, determined to stay away from the younglings

🔱 But, he failed that really quickly

🔱 He heard a young voice shriek and one sigh in annoyance, something he could relate in doing whenever Zeus was going through one of his moods

🔱 Gray stared at the God of the Seas with equally dead eyes as Natsu hid behind Lucy, who was patting his head in an attempt in calming him down from his small attack

🔱 You came up from behind your husband and looked at the young students, making them look at you and smile as they went in to hug you, but, they didn't come close

🔱 Grabbing Natsu's ear, you scolded him for being so ignorant as to not be looking where he was walking and how loud he was being, despite your yelling being equally as loud

🔱 Anybody could view you all as a small family, with Gray and Poseidon being the dead father-son duo, Lucy being the only daughter just watching, Natsu being the spunky and wildcard-child, and you being the strict mother-hen who wants some peace

" Is that your husband, Y/N? He's the God of the Seas! "

🔱 You looked at the young girl and let Natsu's ear go as he groaned and rubbed it, trying to relieve some of the resonating pain your hold left

" Of course, why? " " Well, he's a God, you're a mage. Did the others allow this? " " So what if they did or didn't. Being different sub-species doesn't make us any less in love with one another. He may be a God, and I may be a mage, but love is love, no matter the person or their ranking in society. "

🔱 Cue the small hearts inside this man's ocean-coated eyes, shining slightly as you wrapped your arm through his as your students began asking you questions as you walked away to the meeting room Poseidon had

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🌩️ All he heard was quarreling out in the back of the garden, and while he was cleaning off Mjölnir, he stood up and began walking towards the noise, unaware of the trouble he was going to walk in on

🌩️ You were not expecting your students to appear, nonetheless with so many injuries on them!

🌩️ Lucy tried explaining that they had fallen down and landed in a bunch a couple miles away, but, unsurprisingly, Natsu made it sound like they were in a near-death experience while Gray just stood there, trying to ignore the idiocy of his fellow mage

🌩️ Thor stopped behind you and stared down at the three kids, making them back away, though, you believed you were starting to scare them, and when you asked what was wrong, Natsu just pointed behind you

🌩️ You turned around and smiled at your husband, making him nod and wrap his arms around your waist, pressing his nose into the crook of your neck as you blushed and hid your face from the onlookers

🌩️ The three kids looked at you in shock, why was the Nordic God of Thunder hugging you and acting so lovey-dovey here?!

🌩️ While you tried explaining it to them, Natsu all of the sudden busted his cork and began to damn near scream questions at the top of his lungs, making your husband and you glare at him, and once he saw that, he backed off before coughing and allowing Gray to take over

" Y/N, why exactly are you guys together? I mean to offense, of course, but, you guys are different sub-species, with far different life-spans, what made you do this? "

🌩️ You chuckled as Thor took a deep breath and made you speak up

" Why, Fullbuster, the reason is quite simple: Love. " " Love? " " Yes. While we may have differing life-spans and he may end up outliving me, the love we feel for one another will last forever. He has pledged his pure heart and loyalty to one another, despite the cries of protest from other Gods, including Odin's birds, who, funnily enough, now fear me! Isn't that ironic, Thunder? "

🌩️ The kids stood in shock as Thor looked up from his spot in your neck and just agree with you as he kept you embraced in his arms, chuckling lowly as they shacked with a mixture of confusion and slight fear of who you were now

[cannibalcoyote]

Rockstar: Your Story(Interview)

You're a famous rock star being interviewed about the beginning of your career to the current (includes mentions of Mick Ronson, David Bowie, and Mick Jagger):

"Ma'am, can you tell us a little bit about when you first met David Bowie?" The question was so sudden that I could only scrunch my eyebrows at it. I expected David to be brought up sometime, but I didn't expect the first question to be about him.

"Sure, let's see.... I can't remember the exact date, but my dear friend - Mick Ronson - had called me up saying some band was interested in having us as guitar players. I was hesitant because I enjoyed my job as an architect, but something pushed me to go with him; we hopped on the next train to London and did the audition." I explain, tilting my head up at the memories resurfacing. Ronno had been unsure as well, but I'm glad we went.

"We heard it wasn't a pleasant experience? What happened?" They emphasize 'wasn't', clearly looking for some juicy gossip on Bowie, and who am I to disappoint.

"Well, David had accepted Mick but rejected me, and Ronno originally turned down the offer because of that. He didn't even tell me the truth, just grabbed me by the arm and lugged me as well as the guitars out of the building. I knew it hadn't gone well because he had this angry glare in his eyes, which is strange, because if you've ever met him, then you'd know he's rather sweet, and has a very discerning disposition.

I asked what was wrong and he just said that they didn't want us. I knew he was lying, but I didn't want to argue with him. We spent the rest of the time wandering around London sightseeing." I state, folding my hands up in my lap as I look at the interviewer. I don't like looking back to the '70s, a lot of stuff happened, and I fear what they will bring up.

"What happened after that?" The interviewer continues hastily digging, wanting more information. I guess this person isn't going to quit until they get the full story.

"We had stopped by a restaurant and were having lunch. Ronno was saying we should catch the train home after, but we were interrupted by David. I don't know how he found us, I just remember being shocked when he started begging Ronno to join his band. I was also a little confused, and I remember saying, 'I thought you didn't want us?'

To which David responded, 'No, I want him, I just don't want you.' That line had run through my head the following 3 years until I realized how lucky I was David didn't want me." I say the last few sentences in a softer voice, not liking to relive that particular memory.

"He said what?!" The interviewer over exaggerates their movements, getting the audience laughing just as they had hoped. I laugh a little too, David saying something so rude does seem rather uncharacteristic.

"Yah, I was rather astonished as well because the words left him in such a casual way, as if choosing what bread to buy at the market." I say, gently chuckling at the visual of David buying bread in such a critical way.

"What- How, how did Mick react to that." Their eyes widen, the crowd quiets down as they await my answer.

"Oh, he almost punched David! But I grabbed him and pulled him aside, asking why he lied and all that stuff." I respond, remembering the beautiful anger that he so desperately wanted to act on.

"I bet the last thing you wanted was for him to join David's band, right?" The interviewer asks the question humorously.

"That's... Wrong actually. He was vehemently against playing in a band without me, this is mainly due to the fact that ever since we were 12, we've always played together. But, I wanted him to take the opportunity, to show the world his ability, and to be able to be a confident player without me." I explain in a gentle voice, vaguely thinking of how self-conscious he was at the time when it came to him playing guitar.

"You seem to be a really supportive friend, (Y/N)." The tone of their voice turns genuine, the whole conversation losing the humorous quality that had been sustained.

"I try to be, the last thing I want is for people's failings or regrets to be because of me." I smile, my relieved guilt ebbing away as I think of where he and I are now.

"As well as being supportive, you also seem to be fairly protective, at least, that's what I got when Mick told us the story of you traumatizing his high school bully! With that in mind, how did you feel when you learned he was earning next to nothing during the tour?" The beginning of the sentence sent the interviewer and audience into a bit of a laugh, I laugh as well at the memory of scaring off Ronno's bully.

The laughter lightly quiets down to a more serious tone at the end discussion.

"I was appalled! I hated myself for a while because of that, because I pushed him into this situation where he was barely getting paid. Which was the opposite of what I thought would happen, especially after their popularity went through the roof!"I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I relived the shock; the ebbing guilt rushing forward tenfold.

"I heard you went to some extreme measures in order to help him out, what exactly did you do?" The interviewer goes on, the questions digging into lesser known information.

"Well, I joined any band I could, I would try and get hired by restaurants for live music during nights, and then during the day I had a job as a waitress as well as working part time as a lyricist." I explain, just saying that makes me remember how tiring my schedule was back then.

"Now that's a lot to juggle, and I'm sure you have some great stories from those days, but we have a specific story. What happened during one of your many tiring nights of live music?" They ask, this question is sort of a bore to me, one I'm frequently asked to retell.

"I had been band hopping at the time, and was hired for a gig when I didn't have a supportive group, so I improvised. I played my guitar and was singing live, but before that I had recorded the drums and rhythm guitar parts for the songs I was scheduled to play, so when I got up there I just started the recording and played along.

This was for a club where they wanted rock, so it was heavier playing. It was during my guitar solo I noticed someone in the crowd." I divulged, deciding to add in some information I had never shared before.

"Ooh, is this when you met the Rolling Stones?!" Someone screams out, the crowd and interviewer looking in shock before they all burst out laughing at the person's eagerness.

"Yes... but I technically only met Mick Jagger that night. I wasn't a big fan of the Rolling Stones at the time, but I did have an appreciation for their music. I was actually playing one of their songs at the time. Either way, it just surprised me to see him." I continued after we had all calmed down.

"I know you joined their band after that, but can you tell us what exactly went down?" I squint slightly at my interviewer's vernacular before deciding to just answer them.

"I don't think I can tell you all the details, I worry J might get embarrassed! But, I can tell you that he met me backstage after I was done and asked me if I was available tomorrow to meet him at a recording studio. It was the weekend the next day, so I said yes, he wrote down the address and time on a piece of paper, handed it to me, then said goodbye and walked away." I state in a jovial tone, Jagger is one of my favorite people to talk about, because he loves to call immediately after the interview and schedule a meet up. He's strange like that.

"Sounds strange? How did you feel after that?" They looked intrigued, clearly wanting me to divulge the information that I withheld.

"I was shocked. The next day I went and met him and his band mates, then they started playing a song together and asked me to improv. I had never heard the song before, so I just started watching their movements and playing off of that; by the end they asked if I was interested in joining their band, which I clearly said yes to." I exclaim, the interviewer's face looking shocked by what I just said.

"Wow, that all sounds like it went really fast?"

"Oh it was, we had only been playing for 20 minutes when they all stopped and asked me to join. I was going to say no because I needed to make enough money to send to Ronno, but when they mentioned how much I would make weekly I immediately accepted." I reply, chuckling as I remember my astonishment.

"I know after joining the Stones, your career skyrocketed, your solo albums have done well, and you write all your own songs?" They continue, motioning to my newest album sitting on their desk.

"Yes, my solo albums have done surprisingly well, and I write my own songs. I do accept and sing other songs sometimes, but I usually have a story told throughout my albums, and throwing in a random song messes that up." I explained.

"Did you and Mick Ronson keep in contact during this?" They question, looking at me in interest.

"Of course! In the beginning, Ronno and I called every week at the least, and we would send letters sometimes too!" I state ecstatically before calming myself down.

"How did that work? He was touring at the time right?" They ask in a befuddled way.

"Yes he was, but he would tell me the places he would be as well as the dates that he would be there, and I would do the same with him. It was a little complicated, but it was worth it." I reply, my hands waving as I mimic us writing letters.

"Honestly though, what would you send him that couldn't be said over the phone?" They ask after a few moments, laughing as their mind runs.

"Photos, drawings, songs, food-"

"Photos?" I can hear what they're implying, and I can't help but squint my face in disgust. The crowd's laughter magnified at my reaction.

"Stop thinking like that, you all have dirty minds! I would take pictures of me and the band, as well as the places around me. I loved drawing as well, so I would send him some, as well as some songs that I thought he would enjoy playing. Lastly, I knew he was getting food, but I knew it wasn't food he was used to, so I would bake him something, or buy him local snacks and ship them off to the correct address." I explain, describing the different things I would send him.

"Did he ask you to do any of this?"

"No, Ronno was never a complainer, he hated telling people his issues. I was usually the exception, but he prefers telling me in person as compared to over the phone or in a letter. He did enjoy them though, and he would send me songs and pictures as well. I remember him snapping a picture of his drummer scarfing down some cookies I made!" I jubilantly state, smirking as I remember that the picture is still hanging on my fridge.

"You sent him all these lovely things, what did he send you?"

"I never asked for anything more than a letter or a phone call, but he would send me these extravagant songs, asking me how I thought they sounded and if I liked them. He would also send me drawings - he's not really an artist, but he knows I love the little doodles he does randomly, so he started sending them to me." I grin, knowing Ronni will be embarrassed by me sharing this information.

"Was this an easier time in your life or would you consider it one of the more stressful?" Ah, here it comes, the questions I am most dreading.

"The fame and fortune made my financial issues about none, but socially I felt isolated. I had played in popular bands before, but never like this, I was only consistently around my band mates and the people that worked for them. I only really talked with Jagger and Keith, and then Keith randomly started hating me, so I was down to only talking to Jagger." I reply almost subconsciously, my mind wanting to distance itself from these memories.

"What about Ronson? I thought you said you had weekly phone calls and sent letters?" They ask in confusion.

"We did, but about 3 months into that, David started complaining to Ronno that he spent too much time talking to me, and that he was ignoring his band mates for someone he might never see again." The answer in a short tone, clearly still holding resentment for David's decision.

"David said that?" They say in shock.

"Yah, he said it straight to Ronno's face. We obviously didn't stop talking, we kept calling and messaging each other, but it lessened after that to about 1 call every 2 weeks. They became much longer phone calls though, he said that David was limiting his amount of calls, but stated that David couldn't limit his time, so we would end up talking through the entire night!" I smile on glee, our weak form of rebellion still makes my heart warm.

"We've talked about Ronson and his band mates reactions, but how did your bandmates react?" They continue, going down a different avenue.

"Well, everyone basically made fun of me and said we were in love. They told me to stop being so desperate because I was probably annoying Ronno, that remark actually made me start to overthink a lot. I started worrying that I was annoying him, and that he didn't like talking to me anymore. I think that's around the time I began to develop anxiety, I was already depressed, so that just added on to my plate." I responded before realizing I was over sharing on live TV.

"Did you tell Ronson about that? How did he react?" They gratefully kept moving right along, not leaving an awkward silence.

"Well, I never actually told him about that, I think this is the first time he's hearing this." I smile in discomfort, and an uncertain smile on my face.

"Really? You never spoke to him about any of this?" They ask in surprise, slightly taken aback.

"My anxiety had me thinking that saying a single word to him was annoying him, so no, I didn't just start talking about this to him. It was a really dark spot for me, the person to pull me through was Jagger actually. He noticed my extensive isolation, how I stopped eating around others, how I stopped talking. He really pulled through for me, which is probably why I'm still friends with him." I voice solemnly, deciding that I might as well be honest about the situation since there is no going back now.

"I know this is a heavy topic for you, I have some more questions, but if you're uncomfortable we can move on." Wish you had said that earlier, but oh well.

"Ask away, we can just skip the ones I'm uncomfortable with." I smile in response.

"Alright, what did Mick do? Did he just pull you aside and talk to you?"

"No actually, he wrote a song and asked if I would listen to it." I responded.

"What?" Perhaps I should rephrase my vague response.

"That's honestly what he did. But he wrote a song with true meaning, it was rather dark, and it actually made me cry and begin to hyperventilate. We were alone, so he just rushed over and helped calm me down; he didn't ask me any questions until I had completely relaxed." I explained honestly.

"What did he say exactly?" They continue.

"He just apologized, asking if I wanted to talk. I said no at first, but then he asked why I've been distancing myself from him and the band, why all the songs I was writing were either dark or sad.

I told him the truth, that I was depressed, that I felt so intensely alone, and that I could no longer talk to Ronno because I was probably annoying him." An uncomfortable shiver ran up my spine, reliving those memories makes me feel nauseous.

"How did he react to that? I can't really picture him being the best at giving advice and comfort." She smiles in a joking way, attempting to lighten the conversation.

"He was lovely, he hugged me like a giant teddy bear and told me that he would help me through this. We talked for a while, he asked me why I thought I was annoying Ronno, and I told him what the band had said to me." I answer, feeling a small smile appear at the memory of Mick comforting me.

"What did he say to that?"

"He told me that they were a bunch of single idiots who were jealous, and that I shouldn't ruin a meaningful relationship with my best friend by believing the words of immature drug addicts." I respond, barely withholding my laughter as I watch everyone's reaction.

"He said that?!" They nearly yell, everyone laughing at my answer.

"Yes, and the next day he told them all off for belittling me. During our talk he spoke to me about my isolation, I explained that I did that when I was sad or feeling out of place, and he asked what he could do to make me feel like a part of the team. He honestly made me cry a couple of times from how caring he was. Then he started talking about heavier subjects, such as why I wasn't eating during lunch breaks, why I never accepted snacks, and why I was noticeably losing weight." I state, realizing that I was now broaching the subject of my eating disorder.

"That must've been tough." They state seriously.

"It was, I realized at that moment, how much I missed Ronno. I asked Jagger if he wanted me to leave the band since I was such a problem, but he told me to stop being an idiot. The next day I was given a few sheepish apologies from my band mates, and Jagger became a very prominent person in my life from that day on." I explained.

"That's good. So Mick Jagger stepping up to help you must've put him pretty high on your list of friends right?"

"Yes, I only realized how much he was doing for me when he barged into my room during a depressive episode and all but shoved the phone into my hand. I distinctly remember him telling me not to come out until tomorrow morning. When I held the phone up, he had actually dialed up Ronno, who sounded very tired and confused, as well as concerned." I smile, these are the memories that I hold onto dearly.

"Really? How did he know what number to call?"

"I assume he went snooping around my desk, in one of my drawers was a paper with dates, addresses, and numbers. It was one of the sweetest things anybody had ever done for me." The look on my face was genuine, that was honestly one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me.

"I know you two are still good friends, but was there ever the possibility of anything more?" Oh boy, I hate it when they try to talk about this subject.

"I did find him to be attractive if that's what you're asking, but I was never in love with him. He did ask me out on a date and I had said yes, the date was lovely, but we got caught in a crowd of fans and he was like how he normally is. It made me remember how many groupies I'd seen leaving his room, and how many women I've seen smothered over him at all times, and it scared me away from ever allowing myself to love him." I reply sincerely.

"Could there have been something? If you hadn't cut it off?" They continue to push the topic.

"There could've been something eventually - from the despondent look on his face when I said I didn't want a relationship, I think he wanted us to become something more. I don't regret what I did, I like the friendship I have with him, the last thing I wanted to do was ruin it with his promiscuity and my need for loyalty. We've moved on though, I kind of see him as the older brother I never had." I reply, explaining my reasoning and the aftermath.

"Well, since that ship has definitely sunk, what about Ronson? Was there ever anything there?" They just won't give up will they?

"No... Well, there was one time in high school when we thought we should try dating, but that was spurred on by our teenage inability to understand that we loved each other, but not in that way. We realized that that wasn't us when we tried to act like a couple and both noticed that it felt forced. Ever since then we've been best friends." I state.

"Gosh, you're shooting down all of the fan favorites. Are you interested in anyone? Anyone at all?" They sound slightly exasperated, maybe I should throw them a bone.

"Hmmm... Maybe." I smile, a mischievous glint surely in my eye.

"What do you mean maybe? You can't leave the fans hanging like that!" I can tell that I have their genuine attention now.

"Well, ever since David and I have become friends, I've been... slightly interested in him." I say, jumping straight into the deep end.

"..." The silence could almost be described as palpable, it almost makes me want to laugh at how everyone is stunned into silence.

"Well, don't just stare at me." I laugh lightly.

"... I'm sorry, just processing. Does David know this?" They ask in hurried confusion.

"Well, if he's watching like he said he would, then he knows now." I laughed once again, but this time it had an air of uncertainty to it.

"Don't tell me you just confessed over live TV, in an interview no less!" They say in shock, looking at me with wide eyes.

"What if he doesn't reciprocate!" Their response makes me shiver in discomfort at that possibility, but I respond in humor.

"Then I die of embarrassment, cut all ties, and become a hermit!" I state loudly.

"Oh don't do that Y/N! Only healthy reactions are allowed on this show." The crowd laughs lightly at our convo.

I'm about to respond, but my Motorola starts ringing in my bag. I look to the interviewer before quickly digging through my bag and pulling out the phone. I sheepishly glance at it, the audience having fallen silent at the interruption.

"Is it alright if I answer this? It might be important." I state, I know this sounds bad, but it could actually be important since I left my home and animals under the care of my neighbor.

"Of course, but you owe us one more question before you leave then." They respond, holding out their hand.

"Deal!" I agree, shaking their hand quickly.

"Hello, this is Y/N." I state in a professional tone, getting a funny look from the interviewer at my seriousness.

"Y/N darling!" I am thrown off by the happy and familiar tone.

"...David?!" I state in slight confusion, everyone seeming to lean in closer.

"...Yes?" He responds in the same tone, making fun of the way I responded.

"Why are you calling me? I'm in an interview." I explain, swiftly going back to my professional tone.

"Yes well, when someone confesses they are interested in dating you, I thought the first thing one should do is accept." He responds in a joking yet serious tone.

I'm silent for a few moments in surprise, did David just say he wants to date me too?

"Well, don't leave me without a response darling... Will you go on a date with me?" His serious and self assured tone dwindled slightly, I can hear his uncertainty.

"Yes." My response was short, it was rushed and all I could muster with my amount of shock.

"Good, I'll pick you up after the interview, so I'll see you in a few minutes." He stated before hanging up.

I can't contain the overjoyed smile that spreads across my face, most certainly accompanied by a warm blush. The audience snickers as I clumsily put my phone away, then they start laughing as the interviewer stares at me with a smug grin.

"Who was that?" They ask tauntingly.

"Ohhh... no one." I try to brush it off, but I know no one is believing.

"Really! Does this no one happen to be named David Bowie?" They continue.

I avert my eyes in embarrassment, the audience laughing even louder as I sheepishly nod my head.

[topgunreacts]

please share your thoughts on canon ice with the peanut gallery. character analysis i beg of you. this funky little guy has been shaking in my parlor like a sopping wet chihuahua and i cannot understand him by God. break him down for me. explain him.

what are your thoughts. feelings. complaints, concerns. rude remarks. who is Iceman what’s he about

Omg I'm so bad at these. Please take everything I say with a grain of salt. I will try my best. My real character dissertations are in my stories.

Thots

Tall

Moist

I don't give a shit what color his eyes are; it's running gag of mine (and only funny to me) to switch up his eye color between stories

Stop wearing sunglasses indoors

Great bone structure in the fingers

Fuckable but not by me

Misunderstood

Gum problem

So fucking tired

Incredibly bad at talking about his feelings. So bad. But god he tries his best to make Maverick feel better after Goose goes to the Untitled Game in the sky.

Too smart for his own good

Afraid of emails

Home of sexual

Every time I give him anxiety, I also give him a huge cock as a consolation prize. It's what he deserves.

Could use a good consensual caning. He could learn from Chance Engagement Ice.

Goes to bed at 9 PM

From California or Hawaii or Michigan or Canada or somewhere, a place definitely, with a location that is real

Is NOT a rule follower. Look at his fucking hair. He says YO to Viper. He is unapologetically Doing His Own Thing. Werk.

Concerns

Iceman is regarded as a shallow villain-antagonist by many people. This is very silly. Just because Maverick is The Hero doesn't mean he's right about everything or that what he does is justified. Each and every time Ice calls Maverick out on his behavior, he's (1) correct and (2) motivated by a desire to go home alive at the end of each day. Maverick IS dangerous. He IS unsafe. His behavior SHOULD be regarded with suspicion re: his intentions by his supposed allies. These people are flying around in high-speed metal triangles. Have you ever seen the end result of a mid-air collision between aircraft that AREN'T going mach speeds? Here is an example! [image depicts plane crash debris, no bodies, but...nobody survived this] [TCAS wasn't invented until after the 1956 Grand Canyon collision!!!!!] The DC-7 was the faster jet in the incident, with a max speed of 406 mph (653 km/h, 353 kn). Those little regional jets you might have flown on for short domestic hops can hit speeds of 600 mph in the modern era. A Tomcat, remember, can go supersonic. Ice would become confetti. I'd fucking say something, too!

At no point does Ice come across as cruel when he makes these comments about Maverick's performance, also. He shit talks (cough cough bullshit) but it always struck me as standard issue locker room talk crap. It's not Personal. He's not trying to throw Maverick off his game or anything. Ice isn't there to make FRIENDS he's there to WIN is at TOPGUN ready to do his job and kick ass. And he also, you know, wants to survive to graduation without getting slammed [aerially] by the guy who thinks it's fun to break aviation regulations over an ACTIVE AIRFIELD. People like to compare Ice to Hangman in terms of attitude. A lot. And Ice is not even remotely like Hangman. Asking Maverick whose side he's on after Maverick demonstrates careless piloting--behavior that directly endangers Ice and others--is not the same thing as bringing up somebody's dead dad as like, a dig.

Feelings

Spoonable.

Val Kilmer's little mole is cute.

Complaints

Needs more gay

Needs more lines

Needs more ass shots like the ones Miranda got in Mass Effect 2*

Rude Remarks

Take off your fucking shades in tha club, you absolute square.

*(Did you know the person who made the ME2 mod to remove Miranda's ass shots made a mod for the legendary edition to re-add the ass shots? The studio took out the ass shots on their own for legendary. To be modern and corporate-approved feminist or something. And this modder was like no. Only I can do that. They took Miranda's ass out of this world and they're going to put it back in.)

Conclusion

pussy shot.

[maenecoon]

so like

remember how i used to be a phayurain blog -

@alittlebitofrainbyyourside inspired me, a few months ago, to write something about vampires and biting.

soo i'm thinking about sire phayu who's fangs are aching. it flares up occasionally because of his improper vampire development phase (long story short, phayu was neglected as a fledgling and thus has some "defective" vampire traits).

when phayu's fangs ache, they ache like a bitch, bc of Vampire Urges, he needs to sink his teeth into something. hard. preferably repeatedly. he'd use to teeth on wood, but it's not the most comfortable thing to chew, not to mention it doesn't taste great (phayu, having the rare vampire phenomenon of having functioning taste buds).

enter fledgling rain, who is eager to help his sire. a bit too eager. when rain's teeth ache, phayu offers him his thigh/neck to fang warm, so it's only right that rain returns the favour. he offers himself as a chew toy, baring his pale neck and blinking up at phayu innocently. waiting for phayu to use him and bite him.

phayu who might be a bit hesitant initially because he's afraid of overwhelming and hurting rain. he's extra careful with the pain control, making sure rain feels as little as possible, making sure his bite stings as less as he can make them. making careful little bites in the fat of his shoulder.

and then rain who, very rudely, grabs phayu by the hair, pulling him away from his neck. phayu who overlooks the insubordination and is just about to apologise when rain whines because phayu isn't biting hard enough!

phayu is a bit confused, but honestly, he should've seen it coming bc rain is a pain slut and he knows. i think he's just so used to being Too Much for his other partners that he treats rain the same way by default - like he's glass. (honestly phayus fault for corrupting rain tho ngl)

anyways. phayu who starts to play down the numbing effects of his bites. waiting for rain to have one of his mouthy little rants before phayu bites him down hard. rain letting out a wobbly yelp of surprise. phayu deciding he loves the way rain sounds when he cries, so pretty and wrecked. having to bite him again and again and again.

next time he won't use his aching fangs as an excuse. next time he'll bite so hard that it draws up blood, blood warm from rain's previous feed (basically, phayu's own "blood", lmao). no longer showing any inhibition when digging his fangs into rain. in fact, using his sire control to further disable rain's pain control, making the sensation of the bite feel further heightened.

(i think it'd make rain cum on the spot. phayu continuing regardless, praising rain for taking his bites so well, praising rain for being so pretty when he cries, his voice so beautiful when he screams from pain and over sensitivity.)

just! biting! biting biting biting! clearly i am missing the og vampire boys a little bit :,))

tbh,, it was thinking about vampkimchay that had me thinking back to vampphayurain (love bites au) and how i just completely stopped writing them because i couldn't get past the courting stage. the story needed to continue with phayu trying to court rain. i thought smut was the hard part to write but i didn't consider ✨feelings✨ would be the scarier thing. let's not get into how that reflects on me personally LOL but anyways!

if you're still here, thanks for listening to my rambles. the first installment of this au is linked below. i've written five parts of vampphayurain being cute/horny/trying to navigate their relationship as sire and childe, so if that interests you then maybe you could check it out 🦇

[taizi]

I don't know if you're taking prompts, but I would love to see you do a fic where Mikey runs away. I'm reading your Wishes are Fishes story right now and the scene where Mikey announces his plan to run away and I love Raphs reaction to the news. Would love to see what the big brothers do if he actually does run. Love your works, by the way. If I can write half as well as you one day, I'll die happy!

x

Mikey didn’t show up for movie night and he wasn’t answering his phone. 

Raphael is a juggernaut of a human being at all times, but especially where his brothers are concerned—and at some point when none of them were looking, Mikey had slid into the sibling role seamlessly. 

So there’s really nothing Donnie can think of that would come close to stopping him from marching up the front path of the Campbell’s big house and knocking smartly, on just the right side of outright banging, on the imposing door. 

When no one answers right away, he works his jaw and knocks again. Donnie knows what it looks like when Raph is only going to get louder until he gets results. He darts a nervous look at Leo. Leo shakes his head, arms folded tightly. Ready to let this play out. 

Donnie texts Mikey again, feeling silly for the way his fingers are shaking. It’s probably nothing. There’s no reason for him to be freaking out over six read receipts and zero replies. 

Raph is raising his fist to knock again—and from the set of the shoulders, this time he’s definitely going to be rude—when the door is yanked open from the inside. 

Mikey’s foster father says, “What now?”

Leo says, in a tone that probably sounds polite to a stranger, that makes Donnie want to shiver from how cold it is, “Hi, sir. Sorry to bother you. We’re just looking for Mikey.”

“Jesus,” the man says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It never ends.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Raph bites out, and then winces when Leo digs his elbow into his side. 

“We’re his friends,” Donnie volunteers. His eyes move past the man into the foyer, straining for a glimpse of that bright boy who so effortlessly drew the three quadruplets out of their shells. “We had plans.”

“Michael doesn’t care about anybody’s plans but his own,” the unfamiliar man says curtly. “You should find yourself a better friend.”

Despite his temper, Donnie isn’t a violent person. Raph and Leo aren’t, either. Sensei taught them self-control before he taught them anything else. Donnie knows better than to act on anger. 

But he pictures himself punching that man in the throat hard enough to make him choke so clearly that he’s distantly surprised he hasn’t actually done it. Likewise, Leo’s hand darts out to grab Raph by the arm, his grip white-knuckled. Donnie can’t tell if it’s an attempt to keep Raph in check, or himself. Maybe both. 

A sharp voice from further inside the house says, “Tony, enough!” 

The man throws his hands up in sarcastic surrender and moves away from the door. His wife glares at him as he goes by, one arm hugged around her own middle protectively. The sharp look on her face relents slightly when she looks at Donnie and his brothers. 

“I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

“Where’s Mikey,” Raph grits out, very much at his personal threshold of shit he’s willing to take. Mrs. Campbell’s expression does something it hurts to look at. 

“He’s gone,” she says quietly. 

Please please please, Donnie thinks through the white-noise filling up his head. Please please please. 

“What does that mean?” Leo asks in a wooden tone. 

“His room was empty this morning,” she says, blinking rapidly. Her arm tightens around her stomach. “It’s my fault. I know I haven’t been what he needs, I know he’s unhappy here. I thought—I thought he would be excited to have a sibling.” 

Of course. Donnie understands as easily as if Mikey were standing right there to explain it to his face. 

Mrs. Campbell was going to have a baby, and Mikey would be an unwanted child again. Of course he would think so. That’s the truth of the world as he knows it. That’s the life that he’s lived, one home after another. How could he be expected to assume that someone would actually choose to keep him? 

“Here,” she says, pulling a folded piece of paper from the pocket of her cardigan. “I sent a picture of it to his caseworker already. I can’t let you have it, just in case—well, just in case. But you can read it.”

Raph all but rips it out of her hand, and holds it out so Leo and Donnie can read with him from each side. 

Their friend’s messy handwriting spills across the page in smeared graphite, a short goodbye and very little else. Donnie’s eyes are drawn to the P.S. at the bottom. 

Tell the guys I’m sorry. 

“That little moron,” Raph breathes out. He shoves the paper back at Mrs. Campbell, knowing himself well enough to know that if he holds onto it for a second longer he’ll tear it to pieces and set it on fire. She takes it quickly, looking pale and upset and worried for them. 

“Don’t be angry at him,” she says. “He’s such a sweetheart. Better than I deserve. Really lives up to his name.”

Through the dull, horrified daze he’s wading through, something about that remark pegs Donatello as strange. The name “Michael” means “who resembles god,” which isn’t the sort of off-hand knowledge he would expect Mrs. Campbell to comment on. 

“What do you mean?” he asks. He barely recognizes his own voice. 

She turns over her shoulder to frown at something short and impatient that Tony says from another room. At Donnie’s question, she says, “Oh, you know. Michelangelo? He can be a lot of trouble, but he really is an angel. Anyway, I need to go. I’m expecting a call from—”

Leo’s hand catches the door as it starts to close. All those years of single-minded focus on martial arts have made him an immovable object to match Raphael’s unstoppable force. That door isn’t moving again until he lets go. 

Beside him, Donnie thinks Raph is holding his breath. Donnie knows he for sure isn’t breathing. 

“What did you call him?” Leonardo asks very carefully. 

Mrs. Campbell looks between the three of them like she’s trying to make sense of a foreign text. 

“Michelangelo,” she says, confused by their confusion. “The name he came home from the hospital with.” A smile touches her face, the barest turn of her mouth. “When I saw his file I thought… whoever named him must have loved him a lot.”

Her husband is coming back and his voice is all loud. Leo’s hand slips away from the door. With a soft goodbye, she closes it, and leaves them standing on her porch. 

“Do you think,” Raph starts, and stops. 

“It’s not possible,” Leo says. His tone says he’s trying to convince himself as much as anyone else.

But that’s stupid. It’s stupid. They know already. They’ve known this whole time. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Donnie doesn’t believe in fate or magic or any kind of higher power, but he believes in that phantom pain he’s carried in his chest his entire life. And it always hurt a little less when Mikey was around.

There may not be a god, but there are invisible strings that tie people together. There are ghosts with guiding hands. Maybe mom was helping all along, pushing them gently towards each other. 

It doesn’t matter. Donnie doesn’t care. 

Even if Mikey was totally unrelated to them and all of it was a huge, incredible coincidence, Donnie would want him back.

But if Mikey is his brother, it’ll be a lot easier to keep him. 

“Call dad,” he says abruptly. Leo and Raph turn to look at him, but Donnie’s eyes are on his phone. He’s opening that one-sided text thread. The fog in his brain is clearing and he’s all lit-up with the kind of single-minded purpose that could outrun the apocalypse. “Let’s get ahead of this.”

Pick up the phone this time, Angie.

He gives it a minute exactly, counting the seconds in his head. They’re still standing on the Campbell’s porch. Leo is making a phone call of his own. Raph is tense, a coiled spring, waiting to burst into movement as soon as he’s given a direction to move in. Then Donnie taps Mikey’s name and the blue call button and puts the phone to his ear. 

After four rings, the call is picked up. 

That dear voice on the other end, all thick and warbly with tears, mumbles, “‘Angie’?” 

It’s impossible that Donnie should be able to smile after the morning he’s had. He might have to rethink his stance on miracles. 

“We have a lot to talk about, Michelangelo,” he says. “Wherever you are, start thinking about heading home. If we have to come get you, Raph’ll be pissed.”

“I’m already pissed,” Raph says loudly, jostling close to the phone. 

“Mikey, Mike, are you okay?” Leo says over them both. 

“Sorry,” Mikey says, and he’s audibly crying now. “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t want to go.”

“It’s okay,” Donnie tells him. He’s ready to bend the entire world into the shape he wants it to take with his bare hands if he has to. “You’re not going anywhere.” 

[multi-lefaiye]

a modern ghost story - wip re-intro

finally, a re-intro for my first ever writeblr wip intro... waow how time flies.

taglist (i'm gonna be real with y'all, i lost track of the taglist and had to dig it up again--tentatively tagging the original taglist as well as folks i thought might be interested): @albatris @skitzo-kero @anexor @lychniscitrus @transmasc-wizard @chaieyestea @vacantgodling @kingkendrick7 @jezifster @manuscriptsatmidnight @fictionalbullshitter @astral-runic

(if you'd like to not be tagged in posts relating to this wip going forward, lmk!!! <3 and if you'd like to be added to the actual taglist, also lmk!!!)

synopsis: A Modern Ghost Story is the tale of the four members of The Cyclone Seekers, a group of semi-famous storm-chasers, and their harrowing adventures chasing after storms in Nebraska in 2006. On the way, they quickly come to learn that they have far, far more than tornadoes to worry about waiting for them in the storms. Something sinister is afoot, and their past may come back to haunt them in a very literal way.

setting: various fictional locations in Nebraska, United States, in 2006

genres: postmodern horror (?) with traces of comedy--fundamentally a road trip story, though, about healing and facing the horrors head-on.

vibes except it's not clear what these mean: late nights at sleepovers where no one wants to go to bed yet, a mason jar full of bottle caps, the highs and lows of a long road trip with your friends, strange messages on the radio in a voice you thought you'd forgotten, the past is always one step closer than it appears to be, the coppery taste of blood on your tongue, your heart pounding in your ears as the world roars around you, a group of queer adrenaline junkies, "therapy is expensive, but sitting in your car while it rains is free."

characters:

picrew: [link]

Roach - 29 - they/them - 5'2"

Roach is not the face of Cyclone Seekers, as they find the idea of actually appearing on camera daunting. For the most part, Roach prefers to stay behind the scenes, most often handling their budget, equipment, and transportation, as well as acting as their cameraman. A lifelong smartass, they always say exactly what's on their mind and they're not particularly graceful or tactful. Why would they be, after all? Talking around the point only wastes time, and Roach hates to stop when there's important shit to get done.

Despite their blunt and often rude nature, Roach has a big heart deep down, and they care deeply for their fellow Cyclone Seekers, considering the others their best friends in the world. Roach doesn't have a lot of people in their corner, and they're steadfastly loyal to the end.

Oliver Cox - 32 - he/him - 6'1"

Oliver, like Roach, is not the face of the Cyclone Seekers. Instead, he is the manager of their ViewTube channel and website, as well as the one who usually deals with the people side of things. He's very sweet and enthusiastic, and generally a very gentle man who hates to even raise his voice. While, like everyone else, Oliver has his moments of anger, he prefers to redirect this anger into something productive rather than taking it out on others.

This isn't to say, of course, that Oliver is an innocent child. He's had his fair share of hardships and struggles in his life. However, he believes wholeheartedly in the goodness of humanity and the world around him. And this extends to the team, especially Roach--despite their often prickly exterior, Oliver considers them a very dear friend and is very happy to have them in his life. He sees the best in everyone until they give him reason not to.

Sydney "Syd" Ambrose - 29 - they/she - 5'11"

Syd is a friend of Roach's from college, an extremely anxious person who, at heart, has always wanted to leave their mark on history in some way. With their thirtieth birthday rapidly approaching, they want to do something great before the big day. This has, in part, reflected on their work with the Cyclone Seekers. As one of two hosts of the show, Syd is often in the spotlight, despite their severe anxiety about public speaking. When the cameras are rolling, their fear falls away, and they easily steal the show.

Aside from their ambition to do something great that lands in the history books, Syd has had a lifelong fascination with storms. The world of more traditional meteorology wasn't for them, so they've decided a more fulfilling career is to chase storms around and study them directly. It's working out so far, despite Syd's growing restlessness regarding the group's lack of mainstream success.

Yara Key - 30 - she/her - 5'7"

Yara is the other host of the Cyclone Seekers, and she's the much more outwardly optimistic and outgoing one. Their bit on the show is that, though Syd is the anxious one, they're also first to jump headlong into danger just to get a good look at a tornado; Yara, meanwhile, is friendly and outgoing but also the first to hide. It's a good bit and one that brings her a lot of joy, though it does irritate her sometimes to have people assume she's actually a coward. Because she isn't--she's just not stupid.

Though Yara hasn't known the others that long, she's a loyal friend who cares about them all deeply, and her not-so-secret crush on Syd is something Roach teases her about rather frequently (to which she gladly responds by teasing them about their similar crush on Oliver). When it comes down to it, fame isn't important to Yara, but she has a genuine love for entertaining people. And if she can do it while educating them about dangerous storms at the same time? All the better.

Vincent Cruz - 28 - he/him (questioning they/them) - 5'9"

Vincent Cruz is not a member of the Cyclone Seekers, nor does he have any particular interest in joining their little group. In fact, he thinks they're pretty ridiculous, and more than that, they're fucking stupid. He's grown up his whole life in a small town in Nebraska and knows all-too-well how dangerous storms like the ones they seek out can really be. They're going to get themselves killed, and they'll be lucky if it's quick.

However, Vincent feels an obligation to help them, or at least to make sure they can't put themselves or anyone else at risk with their antics. He isn't sure what makes him feel such a desire to protect them, but he insists it's not out of any care for them. They're just stupid. If he doesn't do anything, then they'll die. Simple math. (Ignoring the fact that they're his first friends in years, and they seem to genuinely like him for who he is when few others do.)

Vulture - 31 - he/him - 6'2"

A mysterious figure from Roach's past, one that they, until now, were completely certain was out of their life forever. Vulture is cold and cruel and pretentious, seeing himself as quite literally better than everyone else. He loves to hear himself talk and wants everyone to think he's the coolest motherfucker in the room at all times, for better and for worse.

For the most part, he doesn't seem interested in Roach, for which they're grateful. However, he has been contacting them again for the first time in nearly ten years, asking to meet up again.

[omgitslin]

BADSANSUARY DAY 8 - BOXED IN

CAN YOU TELL IM EXCITED?!?!? DUST IS MY FAVORITE

so when i heard "boxed in" i thought about being boxed into this opinion that everyone has made about someone because of something that they did and it causes them to be treated badly just because of something they're trying to make reparations for

kinda like being boxed into a stereotype just because of your personality and appearance, but different? i guess??

anyway here's the story

Dust x Self Insert (platonic mostly)

Lin was so done with everything. They were at their wits end, completely ready to just run away from the stupid town they lived in and leave everything behind just to get a break.

No matter how they tried to present themselves, all people saw was the person they used to be.

Lin used to be a not so nice person. They had a very negative mindset and they were just.. Rude.

Nowadays they regret all of that. They tried to make amends. They've apologized. They've started therapy. Worked on their behavior. Stopped acting like such a bitch.

But nobody cared.

Everyone still continued to treat Lin like they were still that same old person they didn't want to be anymore.

They had to get a break.

So, they started walking. They didn't have a direction in mind. They didn't pack anything aside from their phone and their wallet. They had nothing worth packing, anyway.

They walked until they reached the next town. It was late at night. They began looking around for a hotel just to stay the night.

They eventually found one, but it was old and in low condition. They didn't really care.

They talked to the receptionist to get their room key and on the way there they almost bumped into somebody. They had not been paying attention at all and accidentally shoulder checked.. Well, whoever they just bumped into.

“I am so sorry-” Lin started to say.

“watch it, asshole,” the person.. no, skeleton, said. He was wearing a hoodie that had spots of dust on it.

Lin hoped it wasn't what they thought it was.

The skeleton had a hood up, too, and his eyelights were mismatched. Both of them were red, but one had a ring of blue around it.

“Wow. Rude.” Lin furrowed their eyebrows.

“oh, im sorry, im guess im supposed to be all sugary sweet when i nearly get pushed to the ground, right?” the skeleton said.

Lin fought to keep themselves calm, digging their fingernails into their hands. They took a breath, before smiling brightly at the skeleton, forcing the anger and obvious annoyance off their face.

“You're right. I was the one in the wrong. I apologize. Won't happen again!” Lin said.

The skeleton looked a bit stunned, like he expected more of an argument.

“what?”

“What, I'm not allowed to be polite?” Lin continued, keeping their tone sugary sweet.

“...heh- hehehh…” The skeleton began to laugh. “you're funny. you're obviously upset yet you continue to act like a fuckin’ customer service worker- pfftahahhaha-!”

Lin just continued to smile at him.

“y'know what? i was bein’ outta line. sorry, you didn't deserve that,” the skeleton said, “i’m dust. and you?”

Lin let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. “I'm Lin.”

Lin didn't talk much to him after that, although Dust told a few jokes to them. Lin felt a bit better. They went to bed that night, thinking that maybe they should stay in this new town for a while longer.

____________________

Dust Sans belongs to Ask Dusttale!

[vacantgodling]

alright time to once again kick a hornet’s nest, this time trope edition:

tl;dr this take is wrong lmao (imo)

let’s do my usual shtick and add a definition:

basically i just dislike the assertion that “enemies” always has to be someone you are actively stabbing. that it has to be a constant action packed physical altercation. i also dislike the assertion that enemies to lovers can’t be one sided on one character’s end because that’s like …. literally the entire plot of p&p — a lot of the emotions lizzie was experiencing and the hatred she had towards darcy for 1. meddling in her sister’s relationship 2. betraying wickham and 3. being condescending towards her 4. she just deadass states outright that she hates the man so…. that qualifies in my mind as enemies to lovers—on the side of lizzie. darcy not seeing it that way doesn’t make it Not enemies to lovers. but let me explain further:

(to me) enemies to lovers is when one or more characters in a proposed relationship follow more closely the actual definition of what an enemy is: people who are opposed or hostile to one another. the confines of their situation and universe will actually dictate how they are able to showcase their emotions or act out on their hatred but even the act of feeling it and feeling like enemies is fair game in calling something enemies to lovers.

in the case of lizzie and darcy: lizzie cannot be rude to darcy outright because he is of a higher social class than her and it would be unbecoming and bring shame to her family if she were to act out. so she opts for more subtle ways to show her displeasure, ie (and btw these are mostly taken from the 2005 movie cuz it was my special interest for years and i have the most on hand brain knowledge of it): the dig at the first ball where she overheard him saying poetry was shit and her interfering just to say she disagrees to undercut his prideful stance. the way that, when she was staying at merryton, she stopped reading when darcy acknowledged it as a good thing, she actively went out of her way to politely, but still pointedly disagree with near everything he said, etc. TO LIZZIE he is her enemy and adversary and the cause of the unhappiness in her life and she wants nothing to do with him. clearly, that’s not how darcy feels, but if we focus on lizzie, her storyline is an enemies to lovers. darcy was her enemy and she grew to love him.

he wasn’t “just” an annoyance to her like he legitimately fucked up parts of her life that were important to her—like jane’s feelings, or the injustice to wickham and the cruel view he had of her family.

also as an aside, you clearly don’t understand p&p if you think darcy for any moment disliked lizzie. like he literally didn’t and that is Also apart of his storyline but i digress.

circling back around the the physical altercation thing: not every character is going to want to put their hands on someone (for a variety of reasons, whatever those may be; be it character morals/values, the plot or story restraints — such as p&p it’s unbecoming for lizzie to put her hands on darcy even though i’m sure she wanted to strangle him after she found out about how he separated bingley and jane) and, more importantly even: not every character who puts their hands on each other are enemies.

let’s use a very generic example: (to me) two characters who are on opposite sides of a war aren’t always enemies. their factions may be enemies, and they may have to fight each other for their loyalty to said factions, but they themselves might not actually hate each other specifically. and i think what hinges on making a Good enemies to lovers dynamic is the actual personal dislike, distaste, and hatred the characters have for EACH OTHER.

final point i will make is tbh where do you draw the line in the sand from just disliking someone to actual enemies? if your only metric for deciding someone is an enemy of someone else is their propensity for physical violence then you’re missing out on a whole plethora of delicious ways that characters can hate each other and display it despite the confines of their situation. if all your thought process is is just yeah they aren’t killing each other so clearly they aren’t enemies then like idk! you’re just missing out! having reasons why these characters can’t fight each other or even Won’t fight each other is what makes an enemies to lovers dynamic so interesting, fascinating, and fun to play with. is it fun when characters beat the shit out of each other? absolutely. but is it also fun to see two people who clearly don’t like Anything about each other be forced to play civil? absolutely!!

tl;dr: tropes are tools not bibles let people have fun and if you don’t see more of what you want in the world then maybe make it yourself

[oreoskys]

Scales and Sails pt. 1

Next Chap.

Sounds of a rope being pulled taught against a pulley, followed by a splat.

Pain seared through Vil's arms and tail, as he thought about how it was humiliating to be so unceremoniously thrown onto the deck of a ship. Although, the pain was quickly stopping him from making any more coherent thoughts. Digging his nails into the cold wooden deck, he rose his head and glared upwards through sopping strands of hair.

Of course, fate willed that this was the worst possible scenario. Peering down at him, seated atop of a wooden crate was a pirate but not just any pirate;

The captain of the Drowned King.

Notorious for their senseless slaughtering of merpeople. This was a nightmare. How could he be so foolish...

Going even meters close to the surface was a risk, even if the rewards were great. He believed he had found a lost crate filled with shining jewels... and a mirror. It was so delicately crafted that he was mesmerized. Vil didn't even notice the harpoon that wedged itself into his tail. Right above where ankles would be on a human. Trying to swim away was excruciating, so he tried to hang on to a rock instead. That didn't work either, he could feel his flesh ripping and taste the blood in the waters around him. Another harpoon, directly into his arm. Vil let out a cry and his gills pulsated frantically. From there, he knew where this was going. Straight onto the deck, glaring at the captain. Her face, along with her uncovered chest had multiple large scars, some going town her torso, some further.

Maybe if they were a little deeper I wouldn't be in this situation. Vil scoffed, mustering enough strength to prop himself up with an arm. Her arms were covered in tattoos of various plants. None of which he recognized.

It was strange, the captain wasn't what the stories described.

She was perhaps even worse.

The captain finally spoke, slapping a hand against her thigh and barking out an order to her first mate, "Jack!" She called, a growl in her voice, but no apparent malice on her face.

That changed when her eyes met Vil's. She leaned forwards and tilted her head, the feathers that adorned her hat moved along with her, except for the occasional breeze that changed their flow. "Get the brig ready, we don't want this gem slipping out of our hands, do we?"

The captain stood, grabbing the sword that was wedged between the planks and giving one last sneer to Vil before disappearing below the deck.

He would have been offended at how rude this was, if he weren't just kidnapped, bleeding out, and now destined for some horrible demise at the hands of whoever these pirates decided to sell him off to.

Would his scales become makeup for a noble lady?

Would his fins become adornments on a kings' throne?

He shuddered at the thought. He hated to admit it but he was scared. From what little he had seen, Vil knew the horror stories from wounded merfolk were true.

The first mate, a wolf beastman apparently named Jack, stood in front of where his captain was sitting shortly before. His stare was different from the captain's, it was... well, Vil couldn't quite tell. He didn't have any time to figure it out either, because he was picked up and slung over Jack's shoulder. Despite the situation, it wasn't the worst view imaginable. The first mate was clearly very well built. Be it from personal training or hauling merpeople around, Vil didn't know.

And then he was seated on a cell floor, it was a strangely delicate gesture, followed by a SLAM of the cell door. Still Bleeding, his tail began to itch, and a burning sensation took hold as he squeezed his eyes shut, groaning in pain as he reached out to the steel bars, trapping him inside the small cell. He'd never been claustrophobic before, but the gravity of the situation began to fall upon him. Like a boulder trapping him under and crushing him, stealing the air from his lungs.

Air, he gasped. His gills were gone. Vil had to blink a few times, and feel where his gills once were to believe it. His tail was gone. In the place of it were two human legs peppered with patches of scales. On the ground around him was what looked like a jellyfish made out of snake shed. Or perhaps the reverse of that... With this shock, Vil felt suddenly very cold, as if he had just been exposed to a chill he was once immune to.

Steps sounded from the stairwell again as the first mate appeared to be carrying a bundle of cloth, and being tailed by a small, red-headed person.

"You've shifted already?" Jack asked, it seemed to be rhetorical, whatever that 'shifting' was made Vil feel like he was peeled out of his own skin. "The first time's always the worst, I hear" Jack continued, dropping the pile of cloth, clothes, Vil assumed he'd seen some before while exploring some cargo wrecks, near the bars.

"So you'll clothe me, but you'll also let me bleed out?" Vil scoffed, he didn't expect to, he was shivering and his voice felt hoarse. Terribly so.

"That's what he's for" Jack tilted his head down to the short man, "He's all yours Riddle. Let me know if ya' need me to hold 'im down" He crossed his arms, letting out a huff.

"You're awfully confident" Vil spat back.

"You're awfully wounded" The redhead, Riddle, retorted. His eyebrow was quirked, as if what he just said was common sense.

But, Vil supposed it was. He was in no condition to fight back, especially now that he had legs that he did not know how to use, and a gash in his arm.

The gash was hideous against his once-perfect skin. Bright red mingling with the saltwater dripping off his arm.

"AUGH" he cried out, when a cloth dipped in some kind of cleaning agent was pressed against his wound. The pain, mixed with the strong smell from the mystery substance made his mind go blank.

It was searing. It was horrible. He felt he could die at any moment.

Panting heavily, digging his nails into his own flesh.

He went out like a light.

Next Chap.

[honeybeewhereartthee]

PINK KKOMAS KOHAKU OUKAWA 34

Spoiler for my stories

Doll and reaper Manage to find Mad hatter before it was so late, it's already morning by that time they saw a bug whole in the ground and four people digging the ground. In the middle is the head of mad hatter who's sipping a juice made by Grey spider who pat his head after he drink it.

Grey spider: ♡(ӦｖӦ｡) *pats hatter being a good boy for drinking to stop hydration.

Mad hatter: thank ya... (´ε｀ )

Baby Blue spider, digs using small shovel yet nothing change as the other keep being stuck on the ground: ｡:ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡!!!

Mad hatter: (^～^;)ゞ pls don't cry. That Lucifer incarnation have put some magic into the soil so you can easily dig me out. (；^ω^）

Blue spider, point at the truck that still failed to dig hatter out since earlier is now out of fuel: (￢ ￢)???

Mad hatter: (；⌣̀_⌣́) we can't do anything about that if it's broken then it's broken, besides where did That guy even get that truck to begin with???(ー_ー゛)

Red spider who arrive holding a very questionable vermillion liquid and poured it over mad hatter head: (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧*.✧

Mad hatter, who's now drenched with vermillion wrath tea:

Mad hatter: (￢_￢;)no it don't do anything, why would you throw a vermillion tea on me anyway??? (`ー´) you do know what it is don't you.

Red spider chuckle evilly but it come out as a voiceless laugh that only mad hatter can hear: ( ꈍᴗꈍ)~

Mad hatter who's not amuse by what he heard: (*^‿^*)

Mad hatter: (*^‿^*) just because your free with your hands out you can free to insult your domain master. (ʘᴗʘ✿) I will remember this.

Red Spider: ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ ) ~~!!! ~!!

Grey spider who wipe the tea off Mad hatter along side the Baby blue spider: ?? (◍•ᴗ•◍)???

Mad hatter: (*´ω｀*) I mean this place is nice I guess. Not the hole I'm stuck in of course (`ー´)

Blue Spider: (◔‿◔)???

Mad hatter:... σ(￣、￣〃) I want to ...

As doll and reaper listen in to how Mad hatter seems to be a crazy person who seems to understand those voiceless puppets, doll accidentally step on a twig catching the attention of the spiders and mad hatter.

Doll: well thats so Clichy way to get caught spying on someone. (￢ ￢)

Reaper: well... (^～^;)ゞ it's rude to do so either way.

Mad hatter: hihi! Are you two lost or something. I don't think you'll go stumbling upon this place. It's miles away from the main place of this world. (ㆁωㆁ)

Doll:..

Reaper: were gonna help you out! Cause we're worried about you!

Mad hatter, unfazed: oooh (◍•ᴗ•◍)

Doll:???

Mad hatter: I don't even know how to undo the spell that bird brain cast on me.

Doll:pff -- bird brain ahaha. That's a good one.

Reaper:... (^～^;)ゞis this cause you call him Lucifer incarnation??

Mad hatter: hmm. Btw do you guys wanna meet my group? They wanted to know you two as well.

All the spiders all turn to look at the two in a very odd and scary manner that they almost screams and punch someone. Especially when they use blood effect to look like there's blood pouring out from their mouth.

Bee/doll: AHHHHHHHH!!!

[oriocookie]

good omens fic list

Digging For Gold by WorseOmens as soon as this list gets too big, itll separate into smaller, more specific categories

masterlist

A Tale of Two Londons (or: Into the Ineffaverse) by cyankelpie

Now that they have plenty of time to do as they please, Aziraphale and Crowley take a trip through the multiverse. On another version of Earth, bookshop owner Ezra Fell and barista Anthony Crowley have a very interesting day.

Ars Daemonologica by Luinlothana

Drunkenly buying a book with demon summoning rituals and then attempting those without proper preparation doesn't seem like it could solve one's problems. Harry did it anyway.

A light-hearted take on a summoning story

In Heaven by AppleSeeds for detectivedawn

Famous radio DJ Crowley takes to Twitter to share the fact that he's just encountered the most gorgeous man he's ever seen in his entire life on the train. When he receives a tweet from someone saying that her friend has just told her that he's sitting near to Crowley, Crowley's followers begin to speculate that they might both be talking about the same person, and Crowley finally summons the courage to talk to him.

Godfathers (Again) by theshoparoundthecorner

Crowley and Aziraphale have been enjoying nearly a year's worth of peace since the Not-So-End of the World. Spring is in full swing, and they have found a certain peace in the uneventful.

That all changes very quickly when an excitable two-year-old girl makes herself known in the bookshop one evening after closing, with no idea as to where her parents may be.

Once it becomes clear that no one is coming by the shop to retrieve her anytime soon, Crowley and Aziraphale take it upon themselves to return her to her family, wherever they may be.

It goes just about how you'd expect.

In which Aziraphale frets, Crowley grapples with the concept of goodness, and an odd day out makes a family of two into a family of three.

Blacks Coffees and Hot Chocolates by StarlightPhoenix

Since opening her coffeeshop in Soho, Jess had a few regulars. Anthony came in every day and ordered one black coffee and one hot chocolate. They were Jess' favorite regular.

Mr. Fell, on the other hand, was her least favorite regular. He was rude, he insulted her scones, and she was sure he was mafia.

She didn't realize that her sweet Anthony was with that nasty Mr. Fell.

#ace solidarity by EnchantressEmily

When Rosemary's date learns about her asexuality, he doesn't react well - but then the couple at the next table take a hand in things.

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square by ThetaSigma

Sam had settled into his job at the Ritz nicely. For example, no one there cared that his birth certificate listed him as Samantha and female and accepted him as Sam and male easily. It's a job he really loves, not least because his supervisor is possibly the nicest person to roam the Earth.

Sam also may be the first waiter in all of history to find out why the wine bottles fill up again when Aziraphale and Crowley have dined there.

***

He discreetly cleared away the empty bottles on the table and went to put them in the recycling, same as he always did.

Jim stopped him. “Not those bottles, son.”

“But they’re just empty bottles, Jim. Nothing left.”

“I know. But trust me. Cork them and put them back on the shelf, especially if those two ordered more than four bottles total.”

Digging For Gold by WorseOmens

Crowley finally stops hiding his visits to the bookshop, now the celestial powers-that-be have decided to butt out, only to be faced with a whole new challenge.

(OR: The people of Soho make sure this newcomer isn’t about to hurt their beloved local madman)

Caffeine Eden by WanderingAlice

The proprietor of a small coffee shop next to Aziraphale's bookshop has opinions about Mr. Fell, other opinions about Mr. Crowley. They aren't exactly the opinions one would expect.

Mr. Fell's Bookshop ficlets by Dannye Chase (HolyCatsAndRabbits), HolyCatsAndRabbits

(no description)

serpent matchmaking service by doctormissy

Getting an angel and demon to admit their feelings for each other really shouldn’t be a part of a snake’s job description, Antoinette mused, but she’d be damned if she didn’t do it anyway. If they speak one more word on the subject of star-crossed lovers or some other whatnot, she’s going to strangle someone, and it won’t just be a mouse.

Or: Crowley gets a pet snake, who subsequently becomes stuck as an unfortunate intermediary between his and Aziraphale’s mutual pining, and decides to take matters into her own… well, whatever the snake equivalent for hands is, anyway.

Hiding in Plain Sight by ourownmaking

The premise of the project was simple enough; choose a place - somewhere in or around London, preferably - that you have a strong personal connection to, and which is at least a bit historic. Look into the history of that place, make a report, et cetera. It was all very straightforward, all very simple.

What wasn’t simple was explaining why the same man had owned A. Z. Fell & Co. since it opened.

Outside Opinion by PurpleRose (Purple_Rose_Writes) for ICanSingNoRequiem, ranguvar82

John has been running a bakery for a full year now. He absolutely loves it and all of his custormers. There is one man that he finds rather odd though -- Mr. Fell.

Big Spooky Fan by WorseOmens

A scout troop tells spooky stories around a campfire, and one ex-Londoner has an interesting tale to tell about Soho's most bizarre urban legend: AZ Fell and his antique bookshop.

(Or: Aziraphale gets mistaken for a ghost)

Safe as Houses by nightbloomingcereus

Aziraphale and Crowley go shopping for real estate.

I live next door to a haunted bookshop owned by an immortal cryptid bastard. AMA! by kyaticlikestea

Before anyone reports this post, I got this AMA authorised by posting proof to a mod, so there.

Hi, Reddit! I’m no-one special, but about 6 months ago, I moved into a flat above a cafe next door to a bookshop, and my life has never been the same since, because the man who runs the bookshop is some sort of ageless (mostly) benevolent eldritch being. By all accounts, he hasn’t aged a day since at least 1944, sometimes he seems to have just too many eyes, and I once saw him turn water into wine (a nice rosé). His coworker / best friend / boyfriend / shadow entity is also definitely some kind of cryptid, but despite trying harder to be a bastard, he’s somehow less successful at it.

So, if you have any questions about what it’s like to live next door to an eternal bastard man, AMA!

Or, a cryptid bastard man haunts Reddit, trying to find out how to ask out his crush of the past 6,000 years and getting downvoted to literal oblivion. Just normal stuff on the world wide web.

it's a new craze by attheborder

CROWLEY: I try not to make a habit of gratitude, but I must give our appreciation to everyone out there who’s been listening and subscribing to The Ineffable Plan. AZIRAPHALE: Ooh, yes, we’ve become quite popular, haven’t we? CROWLEY: Yeah, just hit number eight on the advice charts … No advertising at all. AZIRAPHALE: Mm. How … miraculous. CROWLEY: … Aziraphale. You did not.

***

Crowley and Aziraphale are very possibly the people least qualified, on the entire planet, to start up an advice podcast.

But what else is there to do when the world isn’t ending anytime soon, you’re technically on indefinite sabbatical from your lifelong careers, and you need a plausible excuse to spend more time with your best friend who you’re definitely not, absolutely not, maybe just a little, actually maybe overwhelmingly in love with?

A Guide to Fame for the Enterprising Demon by asideofourown

tildeathdoustogether ok friends so i know we all joke about, like john mulaney and keanu reeves and hozier being immortals, but… i really think we gotta add anthony j. crowley to that list

thelongest27yearsofmylife reblogged and said: Christ, Beth, Anthony Crowley is an increasingly popular, openly queer creator with explicitly queer rep in his work that’s really important to some people, can you not make this into a meme for ONCE in your life?

tildeathdoustogether reblogged and said: you think i’m joking but.  i’m not.  l i s t e n  i did not get a history degree for nothing, i have RECEIPTS. buckle in kiddos this is a wild ride

[Crowley accidentally gets a bit famous, and the internet figures out he may be a bit immortal]

Anthony J. Crowley, Retired Demon and Airbnb Superhost by TheOldAquarian

What are you supposed to do when you've been fired from your sweet job in Hell for thwarting the schemes of Satan, you've got a swanky flat in Mayfair, and you're looking for an excuse to spend all your time in someone else's bookshop? Obviously, you turn to the dubious world of short-term vacation rentals.

The resulting Airbnb property has been variously described as "an instagram trap," "a vampire den but make it botanical," and "the weirdest bed and breakfast in the shared history of beds and breakfasting."

[cannibalcoyote]

Rockstar: Your Story(Interview)

You're a famous rock star being interviewed about the beginning of your career to the current (includes mentions of Mick Ronson, David Bowie, and Mick Jagger):

"Ma'am, can you tell us a little bit about when you first met David Bowie?" The question was so sudden that I could only scrunch my eyebrows at it. I expected David to be brought up sometime, but I didn't expect the first question to be about him.

"Sure, let's see.... I can't remember the exact date, but my dear friend - Mick Ronson - had called me up saying some band was interested in having us as guitar players. I was hesitant because I enjoyed my job as an architect, but something pushed me to go with him; we hopped on the next train to London and did the audition." I explain, tilting my head up at the memories resurfacing. Ronno had been unsure as well, but I'm glad we went.

"We heard it wasn't a pleasant experience? What happened?" They emphasize 'wasn't', clearly looking for some juicy gossip on Bowie, and who am I to disappoint.

"Well, David had accepted Mick but rejected me, and Ronno originally turned down the offer because of that. He didn't even tell me the truth, just grabbed me by the arm and lugged me as well as the guitars out of the building. I knew it hadn't gone well because he had this angry glare in his eyes, which is strange, because if you've ever met him, then you'd know he's rather sweet, and has a very discerning disposition.

I asked what was wrong and he just said that they didn't want us. I knew he was lying, but I didn't want to argue with him. We spent the rest of the time wandering around London sightseeing." I state, folding my hands up in my lap as I look at the interviewer. I don't like looking back to the '70s, a lot of stuff happened, and I fear what they will bring up.

"What happened after that?" The interviewer continues hastily digging, wanting more information. I guess this person isn't going to quit until they get the full story.

"We had stopped by a restaurant and were having lunch. Ronno was saying we should catch the train home after, but we were interrupted by David. I don't know how he found us, I just remember being shocked when he started begging Ronno to join his band. I was also a little confused, and I remember saying, 'I thought you didn't want us?'

To which David responded, 'No, I want him, I just don't want you.' That line had run through my head the following 3 years until I realized how lucky I was David didn't want me." I say the last few sentences in a softer voice, not liking to relive that particular memory.

"He said what?!" The interviewer over exaggerates their movements, getting the audience laughing just as they had hoped. I laugh a little too, David saying something so rude does seem rather uncharacteristic.

"Yah, I was rather astonished as well because the words left him in such a casual way, as if choosing what bread to buy at the market." I say, gently chuckling at the visual of David buying bread in such a critical way.

"What- How, how did Mick react to that." Their eyes widen, the crowd quiets down as they await my answer.

"Oh, he almost punched David! But I grabbed him and pulled him aside, asking why he lied and all that stuff." I respond, remembering the beautiful anger that he so desperately wanted to act on.

"I bet the last thing you wanted was for him to join David's band, right?" The interviewer asks the question humorously.

"That's... Wrong actually. He was vehemently against playing in a band without me, this is mainly due to the fact that ever since we were 12, we've always played together. But, I wanted him to take the opportunity, to show the world his ability, and to be able to be a confident player without me." I explain in a gentle voice, vaguely thinking of how self-conscious he was at the time when it came to him playing guitar.

"You seem to be a really supportive friend, (Y/N)." The tone of their voice turns genuine, the whole conversation losing the humorous quality that had been sustained.

"I try to be, the last thing I want is for people's failings or regrets to be because of me." I smile, my relieved guilt ebbing away as I think of where he and I are now.

"As well as being supportive, you also seem to be fairly protective, at least, that's what I got when Mick told us the story of you traumatizing his high school bully! With that in mind, how did you feel when you learned he was earning next to nothing during the tour?" The beginning of the sentence sent the interviewer and audience into a bit of a laugh, I laugh as well at the memory of scaring off Ronno's bully.

The laughter lightly quiets down to a more serious tone at the end discussion.

"I was appalled! I hated myself for a while because of that, because I pushed him into this situation where he was barely getting paid. Which was the opposite of what I thought would happen, especially after their popularity went through the roof!"I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I relived the shock; the ebbing guilt rushing forward tenfold.

"I heard you went to some extreme measures in order to help him out, what exactly did you do?" The interviewer goes on, the questions digging into lesser known information.

"Well, I joined any band I could, I would try and get hired by restaurants for live music during nights, and then during the day I had a job as a waitress as well as working part time as a lyricist." I explain, just saying that makes me remember how tiring my schedule was back then.

"Now that's a lot to juggle, and I'm sure you have some great stories from those days, but we have a specific story. What happened during one of your many tiring nights of live music?" They ask, this question is sort of a bore to me, one I'm frequently asked to retell.

"I had been band hopping at the time, and was hired for a gig when I didn't have a supportive group, so I improvised. I played my guitar and was singing live, but before that I had recorded the drums and rhythm guitar parts for the songs I was scheduled to play, so when I got up there I just started the recording and played along.

This was for a club where they wanted rock, so it was heavier playing. It was during my guitar solo I noticed someone in the crowd." I divulged, deciding to add in some information I had never shared before.

"Ooh, is this when you met the Rolling Stones?!" Someone screams out, the crowd and interviewer looking in shock before they all burst out laughing at the person's eagerness.

"Yes... but I technically only met Mick Jagger that night. I wasn't a big fan of the Rolling Stones at the time, but I did have an appreciation for their music. I was actually playing one of their songs at the time. Either way, it just surprised me to see him." I continued after we had all calmed down.

"I know you joined their band after that, but can you tell us what exactly went down?" I squint slightly at my interviewer's vernacular before deciding to just answer them.

"I don't think I can tell you all the details, I worry J might get embarrassed! But, I can tell you that he met me backstage after I was done and asked me if I was available tomorrow to meet him at a recording studio. It was the weekend the next day, so I said yes, he wrote down the address and time on a piece of paper, handed it to me, then said goodbye and walked away." I state in a jovial tone, Jagger is one of my favorite people to talk about, because he loves to call immediately after the interview and schedule a meet up. He's strange like that.

"Sounds strange? How did you feel after that?" They looked intrigued, clearly wanting me to divulge the information that I withheld.

"I was shocked. The next day I went and met him and his band mates, then they started playing a song together and asked me to improv. I had never heard the song before, so I just started watching their movements and playing off of that; by the end they asked if I was interested in joining their band, which I clearly said yes to." I exclaim, the interviewer's face looking shocked by what I just said.

"Wow, that all sounds like it went really fast?"

"Oh it was, we had only been playing for 20 minutes when they all stopped and asked me to join. I was going to say no because I needed to make enough money to send to Ronno, but when they mentioned how much I would make weekly I immediately accepted." I reply, chuckling as I remember my astonishment.

"I know after joining the Stones, your career skyrocketed, your solo albums have done well, and you write all your own songs?" They continue, motioning to my newest album sitting on their desk.

"Yes, my solo albums have done surprisingly well, and I write my own songs. I do accept and sing other songs sometimes, but I usually have a story told throughout my albums, and throwing in a random song messes that up." I explained.

"Did you and Mick Ronson keep in contact during this?" They question, looking at me in interest.

"Of course! In the beginning, Ronno and I called every week at the least, and we would send letters sometimes too!" I state ecstatically before calming myself down.

"How did that work? He was touring at the time right?" They ask in a befuddled way.

"Yes he was, but he would tell me the places he would be as well as the dates that he would be there, and I would do the same with him. It was a little complicated, but it was worth it." I reply, my hands waving as I mimic us writing letters.

"Honestly though, what would you send him that couldn't be said over the phone?" They ask after a few moments, laughing as their mind runs.

"Photos, drawings, songs, food-"

"Photos?" I can hear what they're implying, and I can't help but squint my face in disgust. The crowd's laughter magnified at my reaction.

"Stop thinking like that, you all have dirty minds! I would take pictures of me and the band, as well as the places around me. I loved drawing as well, so I would send him some, as well as some songs that I thought he would enjoy playing. Lastly, I knew he was getting food, but I knew it wasn't food he was used to, so I would bake him something, or buy him local snacks and ship them off to the correct address." I explain, describing the different things I would send him.

"Did he ask you to do any of this?"

"No, Ronno was never a complainer, he hated telling people his issues. I was usually the exception, but he prefers telling me in person as compared to over the phone or in a letter. He did enjoy them though, and he would send me songs and pictures as well. I remember him snapping a picture of his drummer scarfing down some cookies I made!" I jubilantly state, smirking as I remember that the picture is still hanging on my fridge.

"You sent him all these lovely things, what did he send you?"

"I never asked for anything more than a letter or a phone call, but he would send me these extravagant songs, asking me how I thought they sounded and if I liked them. He would also send me drawings - he's not really an artist, but he knows I love the little doodles he does randomly, so he started sending them to me." I grin, knowing Ronni will be embarrassed by me sharing this information.

"Was this an easier time in your life or would you consider it one of the more stressful?" Ah, here it comes, the questions I am most dreading.

"The fame and fortune made my financial issues about none, but socially I felt isolated. I had played in popular bands before, but never like this, I was only consistently around my band mates and the people that worked for them. I only really talked with Jagger and Keith, and then Keith randomly started hating me, so I was down to only talking to Jagger." I reply almost subconsciously, my mind wanting to distance itself from these memories.

"What about Ronson? I thought you said you had weekly phone calls and sent letters?" They ask in confusion.

"We did, but about 3 months into that, David started complaining to Ronno that he spent too much time talking to me, and that he was ignoring his band mates for someone he might never see again." The answer in a short tone, clearly still holding resentment for David's decision.

"David said that?" They say in shock.

"Yah, he said it straight to Ronno's face. We obviously didn't stop talking, we kept calling and messaging each other, but it lessened after that to about 1 call every 2 weeks. They became much longer phone calls though, he said that David was limiting his amount of calls, but stated that David couldn't limit his time, so we would end up talking through the entire night!" I smile on glee, our weak form of rebellion still makes my heart warm.

"We've talked about Ronson and his band mates reactions, but how did your bandmates react?" They continue, going down a different avenue.

"Well, everyone basically made fun of me and said we were in love. They told me to stop being so desperate because I was probably annoying Ronno, that remark actually made me start to overthink a lot. I started worrying that I was annoying him, and that he didn't like talking to me anymore. I think that's around the time I began to develop anxiety, I was already depressed, so that just added on to my plate." I responded before realizing I was over sharing on live TV.

"Did you tell Ronson about that? How did he react?" They gratefully kept moving right along, not leaving an awkward silence.

"Well, I never actually told him about that, I think this is the first time he's hearing this." I smile in discomfort, and an uncertain smile on my face.

"Really? You never spoke to him about any of this?" They ask in surprise, slightly taken aback.

"My anxiety had me thinking that saying a single word to him was annoying him, so no, I didn't just start talking about this to him. It was a really dark spot for me, the person to pull me through was Jagger actually. He noticed my extensive isolation, how I stopped eating around others, how I stopped talking. He really pulled through for me, which is probably why I'm still friends with him." I voice solemnly, deciding that I might as well be honest about the situation since there is no going back now.

"I know this is a heavy topic for you, I have some more questions, but if you're uncomfortable we can move on." Wish you had said that earlier, but oh well.

"Ask away, we can just skip the ones I'm uncomfortable with." I smile in response.

"Alright, what did Mick do? Did he just pull you aside and talk to you?"

"No actually, he wrote a song and asked if I would listen to it." I responded.

"What?" Perhaps I should rephrase my vague response.

"That's honestly what he did. But he wrote a song with true meaning, it was rather dark, and it actually made me cry and begin to hyperventilate. We were alone, so he just rushed over and helped calm me down; he didn't ask me any questions until I had completely relaxed." I explained honestly.

"What did he say exactly?" They continue.

"He just apologized, asking if I wanted to talk. I said no at first, but then he asked why I've been distancing myself from him and the band, why all the songs I was writing were either dark or sad.

I told him the truth, that I was depressed, that I felt so intensely alone, and that I could no longer talk to Ronno because I was probably annoying him." An uncomfortable shiver ran up my spine, reliving those memories makes me feel nauseous.

"How did he react to that? I can't really picture him being the best at giving advice and comfort." She smiles in a joking way, attempting to lighten the conversation.

"He was lovely, he hugged me like a giant teddy bear and told me that he would help me through this. We talked for a while, he asked me why I thought I was annoying Ronno, and I told him what the band had said to me." I answer, feeling a small smile appear at the memory of Mick comforting me.

"What did he say to that?"

"He told me that they were a bunch of single idiots who were jealous, and that I shouldn't ruin a meaningful relationship with my best friend by believing the words of immature drug addicts." I respond, barely withholding my laughter as I watch everyone's reaction.

"He said that?!" They nearly yell, everyone laughing at my answer.

"Yes, and the next day he told them all off for belittling me. During our talk he spoke to me about my isolation, I explained that I did that when I was sad or feeling out of place, and he asked what he could do to make me feel like a part of the team. He honestly made me cry a couple of times from how caring he was. Then he started talking about heavier subjects, such as why I wasn't eating during lunch breaks, why I never accepted snacks, and why I was noticeably losing weight." I state, realizing that I was now broaching the subject of my eating disorder.

"That must've been tough." They state seriously.

"It was, I realized at that moment, how much I missed Ronno. I asked Jagger if he wanted me to leave the band since I was such a problem, but he told me to stop being an idiot. The next day I was given a few sheepish apologies from my band mates, and Jagger became a very prominent person in my life from that day on." I explained.

"That's good. So Mick Jagger stepping up to help you must've put him pretty high on your list of friends right?"

"Yes, I only realized how much he was doing for me when he barged into my room during a depressive episode and all but shoved the phone into my hand. I distinctly remember him telling me not to come out until tomorrow morning. When I held the phone up, he had actually dialed up Ronno, who sounded very tired and confused, as well as concerned." I smile, these are the memories that I hold onto dearly.

"Really? How did he know what number to call?"

"I assume he went snooping around my desk, in one of my drawers was a paper with dates, addresses, and numbers. It was one of the sweetest things anybody had ever done for me." The look on my face was genuine, that was honestly one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me.

"I know you two are still good friends, but was there ever the possibility of anything more?" Oh boy, I hate it when they try to talk about this subject.

"I did find him to be attractive if that's what you're asking, but I was never in love with him. He did ask me out on a date and I had said yes, the date was lovely, but we got caught in a crowd of fans and he was like how he normally is. It made me remember how many groupies I'd seen leaving his room, and how many women I've seen smothered over him at all times, and it scared me away from ever allowing myself to love him." I reply sincerely.

"Could there have been something? If you hadn't cut it off?" They continue to push the topic.

"There could've been something eventually - from the despondent look on his face when I said I didn't want a relationship, I think he wanted us to become something more. I don't regret what I did, I like the friendship I have with him, the last thing I wanted to do was ruin it with his promiscuity and my need for loyalty. We've moved on though, I kind of see him as the older brother I never had." I reply, explaining my reasoning and the aftermath.

"Well, since that ship has definitely sunk, what about Ronson? Was there ever anything there?" They just won't give up will they?

"No... Well, there was one time in high school when we thought we should try dating, but that was spurred on by our teenage inability to understand that we loved each other, but not in that way. We realized that that wasn't us when we tried to act like a couple and both noticed that it felt forced. Ever since then we've been best friends." I state.

"Gosh, you're shooting down all of the fan favorites. Are you interested in anyone? Anyone at all?" They sound slightly exasperated, maybe I should throw them a bone.

"Hmmm... Maybe." I smile, a mischievous glint surely in my eye.

"What do you mean maybe? You can't leave the fans hanging like that!" I can tell that I have their genuine attention now.

"Well, ever since David and I have become friends, I've been... slightly interested in him." I say, jumping straight into the deep end.

"..." The silence could almost be described as palpable, it almost makes me want to laugh at how everyone is stunned into silence.

"Well, don't just stare at me." I laugh lightly.

"... I'm sorry, just processing. Does David know this?" They ask in hurried confusion.

"Well, if he's watching like he said he would, then he knows now." I laughed once again, but this time it had an air of uncertainty to it.

"Don't tell me you just confessed over live TV, in an interview no less!" They say in shock, looking at me with wide eyes.

"What can I say! If he likes me back then this has worked out great." I respond, grinning at their reaction.

"What if he doesn't!" Their response makes me shiver in discomfort at that possibility, but I respond in humor.

"Then I die of embarrassment, cut all ties, and become a hermit!" I state loudly.

"Oh don't do that Y/N! Only healthy reactions are allowed on this show." The crowd laughs lightly at our convo.

I'm about to respond, but my Motorola starts ringing in my bag. I look to the interviewer before quickly digging through my bag and pulling out the phone. I sheepishly glance at it, the audience having fallen silent at the interruption.

"Is it alright if I answer this? It might be important." I state, I know this sounds bad, but it could actually be important since I left my home and animals under the care of my neighbor.

"Of course, but you owe us one more question before you leave then." They respond, holding out their hand.

"Deal!" I agree, shaking their hand quickly.

"Hello, this is Y/N." I state in a professional tone, getting a funny look from the interviewer at my seriousness.

"Y/N darling!" I am thrown off by the happy and familiar tone.

"...David?!" I state in slight confusion, everyone seeming to lean in closer.

"...Yes?" He responds in the same tone, making fun of the way I responded.

"Why are you calling me? I'm in an interview." I explain, swiftly going back to my professional tone.

"Yes well, when someone confesses they are interested in dating you, I thought the first thing one should do is accept." He responds in a joking yet serious tone.

I'm silent for a few moments in surprise, did David just say he wants to date me too?

"Well, don't leave me without a response darling... Will you go on a date with me." His serious and self assured tone dwindled slightly, I can hear his uncertainty.

"Yes." My response was short, it was rushed and all I could muster with my amount of shock.

"Good, I'll pick you up after the interview, so I'll see you in a few minutes." He stated before hanging up.

I can't contain the overjoyed smile that spreads across my face, most certainly accompanied by a warm blush. The audience snickers as I clumsily put my phone away, then they start laughing as the interviewer stares at me with a smug grin.

"Who was that?" They ask tauntingly.

"Ohhh... no one." I try to brush it off, but I know no one is believing.

"Really! Does this no one happen to be named David Bowie?" They continue.

I avert my eyes in embarrassment, the audience laughing even louder as I sheepishly nod my head.

[incomingalbatross]

“The Librarians and the City of Light”

“The only people I know who believe in UFOs are the same ones who think Elvis was the shooter on the grassy knoll” okay Jacob I’ll give you that point. Definitely one against being an Eliot “never know when you might have to fight an alien” Spencer clone there.

Ezekiel’s a UFO nut! Look at him using his intellect for non-pragmatic things! (Even if Eve does immediately guess he’s planning to sell out the human race. Uh huh. Sure he is.)

Now I’m sad that it’s not going to be aliens, actually. I like aliens.

Ooh, the “City of Lights” title is actually getting linked back to Paris? Good.

Cassandra’s evident “STOP FLIRTING IN FRENCH >:/” reactions are another point toward Cass/Jacob ship down the line (not to wildly extrapolate, but I feel it’s only responsible to keep an eye out for ship hints and be aware if they’re being set up)

Listen, “we’re librarians” IS a genuinely good and diverse cover story! No one is sure exactly what librarians are involved in, so you can basically handwave any topic as being “research” somehow.

Jenkins insisting “UFOs don’t exist” is obviously somewhat silly (and meant to be so) but it’s also good intel for Crossover Purposes. Indicates that the Library is not aware of aliens, although with some wiggle room.

Small-Town Kids bonding is nice, I like that kind of unexpected connection.

Also, Jacob’s “never been more than a tank of gas away from his parents’ front porch, unless he was digging ditches somewhere,” prior to the Librarian job.

I like Jacob getting inarticulate sometimes as a character trait.

And Ezekiel is the one person bringing genuine moral outrage over the BODY-SNATCHING going on here!! Yes, buddy, you’re so morally gray. Look at you yelling at the body-snatchers on behalf of their victims, you’re totally amoral and unprincipled.

I don’t like grabbing Tesla for this plot, though. They could have made up a different, fictional steampunk scientist, given that this becomes basically his Life’s Work in this plot. It seems kinda rude to do it to Tesla.

Aww, Jacob relates to his one-episode love-interest’s plight and so he wants to help her. Don’t care, she’s still in the body-snatcher camp so I’m still with Ezekiel.

(I mean, granted, if yoou can save the body-snatching ghosts from limbo without hurting anyone else, go for it. But no one else even DISCUSSED the living victims here. Will it hurt them?? No one’s SAID!)

Aw yeah Cassandra DID try to shut it down once things started going wrong and risk to the living became a visible factor for her. Good going. Wish she’d hit him with a wrench again, but she still got stuff done!

“I’m so so sorry” no, Cassandra, don’t quote Ten. You're doing so well! You don’t need to evoke Ten Baggage!

Jacob’s Doomed Romance here was very Librarian. I feel like Flynn should be buying him a drink after this.

Aw, I liked the ending. Baird stepping back in as team mom and telling the kids what they needed to be told. The note of hope at the end! Sometimes you just lose... so then you pick yourselves up and try again. Because you can.

[reptilian-with-scalli0ns]

Rage

Summary:  Where has Orange been this whole time?

Word Count:  595

Read on AO3

cws: caps used for shouting, destructive behavior, being restrained, being alone, breaking things out of anger

thanks to @fangirlwriting-stories for beta reading!

_______________

At a certain point there was only so much to smash in here.

Thank fuck for the mindscape repairing things, he supposed, all though it was aggravating every day to wake up to all of his hard work gone.

At least he could walk freely around his room. He'd heard Intrusive Thoughts regularly woke up chained to the wall.

Sides didn't need to eat, but still, he'd kill for a cookie or something. His food summoning skills were non-existent.

He got plenty of sustenance from the way the Core sides were anyways sniping at each other, anyway. It was like little bits of candy, the only treats he ever got.

Oh, and the others visited sometimes, but he'd hardly count that as a treat.

He'd only heard the news about Anxiety rising to "actually seeing Thomas in person" status because Thomas had been frustrated with Anxiety so he'd been paying attention at the time.

Turns out poor little Anxiety had been the frustrated one by the end of the video. It had been highly amusing, and he'd said so when Anxiety came to complain to him afterwards.

But then the Cores, and Virgil too apparently? had decided that little digs at each other were too mean and now they had to stop because it could lead to things like ducking out, as if that had even remotely been what the problem was, and he felt the mindscape shift,

and his room be shoved further down.

Really? Now a little bit of rudeness was too much? Was on the same level of bad as ideas like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute? He'd punched several new holes in the wall and gone to sleep fuming that night.

He'd also woken up to find his door locked. He hadn't been able to leave his room in years, but at least he'd been able to shout down the hallway at the others. Now he'd have to wait for them to come to him. His hand tightened on the doorknob and he ripped it off. What was the point if the door didn't open anymore?

Some time after that, Thomas decided to confront Remus.

Remus.

Instead of him?!

The injustice! How could he? He was so mad he'd actually managed to summon some glass, which he smashed promptly. It was very satisfying, but only for a moment.

Then.

The Wedding.

Thomas had been so angry.

But he'd let NONE OF IT OUT.

He was already alone down here. And after that fiasco...

He tore at the rope on his wrists.

He could only walk a few feet away from the wall now.

Deceit still visited. Well, Janus. No, Deceit. It was Deceit when he was angry.

Deceit wouldn't get within range.

It was a good idea.

He wasn't sure what he would do if Deceit got close.

He couldn't close his eyes, lately. The orange glow was constant, and, nowadays, focused on one side in particular.

"I see you've found your window of opportunity," said Deceit.

He smiled ruefully. "And what else have I got, exactly?

"Nothing, I suppose," Deceit smirked.

"I hate you, you know."

"Who doesn't?"

He snarled and strained against the ropes. Deceit stood and brushed the dust off his cloak. It had gotten very dusty on the other side of the room.

Deceit turned, then paused. "I truly wish you the best." Deceit turned away quickly, but he couldn't quite hide his pitying expression.

He howled, orange light flashing wildly around the room as Deceit closed the door, and the lock clicked shut.

[film-in-my-soul]

Review: Old Fashion Cupcake (2022)

Region: Japan

Aprox. Length: 01:05:42

Viewing Source: Viki

Summary: Sleep, wake, and work — sums up the day-to-day life of 39-year old, Nozue. A routine that eases him, and conversely weighs heavily on him — which worries the hard-eyed but reliable Togawa, a 29-year old subordinate of his. In an unexpected turn of events, the two of them end up visiting a pancake shop bustling with girls.

Overall Opinion:  I have very limited exposure to Japanese BL but of the few I’ve watched I enjoyed Old Fashion Cupcake a great deal. I wish we’d gotten a bit more time for exploring the aspects of Nozue and Togawa’s pre-existing relationship that we don’t know about because of how the show starts but I think that the characters are interesting, the feelings are there, and there’s just something very charming about the whole thing. If you were a fan of Cherry Magic I think you’d also really enjoy Old Fashion Cupcake as well, it’s not the same vibes and I don’t find Nozue or Togawa as complex as our leads in CM, but it has the same soft energy and has an ending that just as satisfying and sweet. I couldn’t stop smiling for the last 10 or so minutes of the final episode.

Technical Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Personal Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

(See under the cut for a deeper analysis/opinions of character/plot/technical aspects. Beware of possible spoilers.)

Main Characters:

Nozue:

Nozue is a character I can really relate to. Even though I’m not his age I feel like we all get stuck in these holes we make for ourselves where life is comfortable, it’s easy and straightforward, but is it really living? Are we actually enjoying our days or just letting the cogs keep turning? I wish we could have seen a bit more of that discontent, but I think that, if you dig a little deeper, it’s clear to see that Nozue keeps his dissatisfaction hidden with a smile. This is especially evident in the last episode where he finally admits how he’s been feeling, how he’s scared of what it means to make uncertain steps, open up new doors, and I think that a lot of people can understand that hesitation.

Some of my favorite moments are when we see Nozue by himself, half interacting with the world because of this fear. It’s the moments he refuses to pet Togawa’s hair, take a bite of the pancakes he wants until he’s pushed, and refuse to accept any promotion thrown his way even though he’s extremely competent. Takeda Kouhei balances a charming but reserved man who doesn’t know how to continue moving forward to enjoy life again very well and was a delight to watch in this role.

Togawa:

Togawa is the stand-out character for me. I think that’s partially due to the fact that his character is far less reserved than Nozue’s, so it can feel like he has a larger range than Nozue does. I also have a soft spot in my heart for pinning characters who are just so obviously smitten with their objects of affection. Togawa is a layered character in how he’s exceedingly straightforward to the point of rudeness while also being unintentionally earnest and absolutely adorable. Nozue never stood a chance.

When Togawa is grieving the relationship he wants so selfishly, admitting that he took the opportunity to help Nozue as a direct way to seduce him, not to just be a good subordinate, Kimura Tatsunari really showed his stuff. I particularly enjoyed his performance in the last episode, after the mutual confession. You can feel his unbridled joy, the youthful giddiness he has over not just getting what he has wanted but helping Nozue get what he wants too. It’s a stellar performance from both actors, but Kimura just gets to show his range as an actor in this role more overtly than Takeda’s intentionally subtle characterization.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Side Characters:

The story predominantly focuses on our main couple and therefore, side characters are not very developed or explored. Notably, I do enjoy Kirishima (who is the head of Nozue and Togawa’s department) and Nozue’s back and forth in the first episode and when she pops in to unintentionally stir trouble with the boys is fun. She’s not enough of her own person within the story to dedicate a section just for her, but she’s amusing.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Story/Plot:

For the plot being as simple as it is, I thoroughly enjoyed this love story. If I were to point out one thing I felt was weak it would probably be how they established Togawa and Nozue’s preexisting relationship. Out of curiosity I read the manga and will say that the show is extremely faithful to the source material, but I found being dumped into their already established dynamic a bit confusing. It took me until close to the end of the first episode to get a good idea of where they already are and I wish that there had been a bit more lead-up into the plot as I couldn’t really understand why Togawa was helping at this moment when it's obvious that Nozue has been passing up promotions for a while now. It also didn't help that I didn’t fully understand his relationship with Nozue until probably the second episode. It’s not a story ruiner for me, but if I’d only had the first episode to watch and wasn’t able to start up the second immediately after I think I wouldn’t have been as gripped with getting to the next.

Outside of that one aspect, I think the slice of life/office romance plot line we get is fairly endearing. None of the jealousy or moments of miscommunication feel forced or like it dives into overdramatic depths and that’s always a plus. There is also a parallel I really enjoy regarding Nozue in the third episode as he’s dealing with Togawa not texting him back. He, for all it seems, is acting like a teenage girl who feels like they’ve been ignored by their crush, and, considering the plot device of Nozue’s “anti-aging” I thought it was a great touch on both his character and the developing romance.

The story is solid, the angst is there but not overpowering, and there’s a highly satisfying ending even if we don’t get a final kiss.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Technical/Visual Execution:

I was fully prepared to give Old Fashion Cupcake 3 stars for the technical and visual execution until the very last episode aired. I’m not sure if I was just more focused on this episode or if the filmmakers really poured their artistic work into the final act, but the camera work, especially in the first scene as Togawa is apologizing, keeping it in that wide shot, no cuts, as he’s retreating, still crying and letting Nozue leave then rack focusing into him barley holding himself together just out of frame? Inspired. Don’t even get me started on the beginnings of the confession scene, the dark alley that Togawa drags them to, the harsh orange light casting them in a beautiful silhouette, it was fantastic.

My only complaint is that sometimes the editing feels weak when they cut back and forth, there’s a large lighting discrepancy on our leads' faces in the final episode when Nozue first comes back that distracted me, and the majority of the show feels standard in how it’s shot. The last episode is masterfully done however and earned Old Fashion Cupcake its 4th star. 

Rating: ★★★★☆

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