#unrevised

[mistyheart]

THINKING ABOUT… 𝐆𝐎𝐉𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐁𝐎𝐒𝐒

You were the assistant to a well-known magnate in Tokyo. You've seen the man on magazines, both as a big-shot business lord and as the wet dream of women all over Japan. When you decided to study business and finance, you never thought you would land an important job in a prestigious company. Sure, you had dreams and what no, but never actually thought you would be accepted as anything more than just another 9-5 office employee. But despite the great salary and the luxuries that surrounded you, the heir to the Gojo clan made it impossible to like your job. He represented everything you loathe in a man; Satoru Gojo is condescending, self-centered, a playboy, and is not ashamed to flaunt his money. He makes sure to annoy you whenever the opportunity present itself, like complaining when you bring him a coffee from his favorite café claiming that “you don’t know how to order it” knowing you use the exact words he gave you. To your experience, he’s insufferable, it’s why you don’t understand why your heart fires up when he looks at you with those majestic eyes for more than a few seconds, or why your hands get clammy at the thought of being stuck in his family private jet when you have to accompany him in a business trip. Even when you went to sleep, flashes of the white-haired man invaded your nights, dreaming about his fingers caressing your body, getting on his knees like you are a goddess worthy of being worshiped, gawking at you like he might get punished for not taking in your essence. And when you wake up at deadly hours of the morning, you might even wish it wasn’t a dream.

[susan-gampre]

Home for the Unfortunate

"You're a real pain in my ass, Devron."

The cheekiest of grins was the Madam's only answer. It had taken every fiber and neuron of Rickie's very being to refrain from prodding the tiger any further than she had this morning. While she had been exceptionally bright and early coming up to seek Susan's guidance, it came at the cost of disturbing her initial company --

"What a babe," the Wanderer muses to herself.

Grey eyes glance over her shoulder to watch the retreating figure before closing the door to the Madam's office behind her, committing now to what she had originally came for. But even still Rickie could not help how her eyes strayed, taking in the evidence of the office at hand.

From the love seat -- with a disheveled blanket strewn carelessly over it's back -- which sits parallel to a smoldering hearth... To the coffee table which stands nestled comfortably between the fireplace and seating, to Rickie's recognition the furniture is of dark Gilnean wood and architecture, crows carved into the proximal portions of the legs. Atop this table sits a drained wine bottle and a pair of empty wineglasses, the sight of which would only cause Rickie's smile to widen into something truly shit eating. But when looking toward the unamused visage and pointed stare of the Madam, Rickie knew better than to comment.

"Alrigh' love, I'm sorry for strolling in at a bad time, it's just I'm gettin' alittle antsy, sitting around--," (the Madam interjects with a sharp 'You've been fucking around with half my employees and locals for the last week, hardly sitting on your hands') "-- so I was hoping..," Rickie continues unfettered by the Madam's haughtiness, "You might have some things that I can do. Start paying off your, shall we say, generosity?"

Susan purses her lips with consideration, turning atop silver heels to begin her ascent to the opposite end of the room toward a magnificent executive desk of similar wood and design to the coffee table. Her emerald velvet gown sways with each step, the silvery cords keeping the gown atop her shoulders glittering in the sunlight peeking through large windows. From the peripheral of Rickie's gaze she'd catch a similar glittering on the floor, turning her head to witness a long silver chain tossed haphazardly to the floor. It looked to be a necklace of some sort.

Odd.

Putting the thought to the back of her head the Wanderer follows in the Madam's wake.

The working desk is tidy and meticulously organized despite the common theme of the office with it's eclectic and maximalist tastes. Notably, amongst the personal effects, a beautifully designed silver vase with a singular twilight jasmine, standing at full health. Behind this desk sits a secondary hearth of which it's once roaring fires have smoldered over time as well. It is to be presumed these dual hearths are designed to work together to keep the chill of the open balcony from freezing out whoever had the pleasure of such a space.

Once behind her desk the Madam would rifle through a stack of paperwork, seeking a quad-folded map of printed, legible markings of both size reference and general design. She would make short work of unfolding the original blueprint before coaxing the Wanderer closer, remarking quite candidly - that hateful tone now slacking as they stepped into more pertinent discussion:

"There is a barn on the back end of the property, a good three or four acres away-- Closer to the base of the mountain cliffs. I've had every intention to put workers out there to begin reconstructing it into a up to code rehabilitation center. International Animal Welfare groups have begun to poke their noses into my operations and expect effort on my part to build a proper facility. And that is where you will come in," Susan smiles as she pushes the plans toward Rickie, said woman frowning briefly at the presented idea.

"I... I don't know Susan, sure I'm handy and can build you another house, but a facility? This is quite abit you're asking of me. I can't guarantee it'll be perfect. Fuck, I'm not even familiar with rehab center codes."

"I'm asking you to build the foundation. I can find you a proper code book, but for the most part I have those parameters mapped out for you. I can also get my hands on the required facility equpiment. If you can't finish the job, fine. But you, and selected builders to follow your order, can atleast get it started for me, yeah?"

Rickie still looked quite abit unsure, a hand rubbing the back of her neck as she leans over to begin reviewing the plans with further consideration.

Meanwhile the Madam would fold her arms beneath her chest, pacing toward the threshold of the balcony to peer out in the direction of this said barn -- The surrounding forest provided just the right amount of privacy to prevent seeing too far into the heart of the land, but in her mind... It was a magnificent building bustling with life, wounded or unfortunate creatures of all walks of life finding home and purpose in it's quarters. A hopeful expression befell her visage then, one which Rickie would catch sight of and, ultimately, breathe out a sigh of defeat.

"Okay, okay--," she begins to roll the plans up, a smirking Susan turning to face the raven haired woman with some triumph, "Let me get out to this barn of yours and get a good idea of everything that needs to be done. Inspections save money, after all. Then I'll hire my own team to get this contract underway."

"Fine," Susan agrees, "Either way this is more or less free labor. I will be patient with your pace, but please don't take advantage of this fact, Devron. My time is precious, I'd quite like to have no qualms with you. As annoying as you can be... You're quite reliable."

Rickie pauses here now, her eyes wide and mouth agape as she looks upon the Madam with some expression of awe, feigning a tone of squeaky joy as she croons, "Oh, Susan, you actually like me?"

"Okay, you're going too far," comes a deadpan response.

With a bright chuckle Rickie would wave off Susan's indifference, musing, "Oh stop it, you're gonna make me blush! Now I can go about this with pride, knowing the Madam Susan Gampre actually values me as a friend!"

The Madam would roll her eyes most pointedly, "I'm officially regretting ever sponsoring you for your Stormwind tiff..."

"Don't lie to me, Sue," Rickie tuts gently, moving to stand before the Madam now, a charming smile twisting her lips, "You know you secretly love me."

The Madam would scoff, sending a balled fist into the Wanderer's chest with a half hearted punch, "Don't make me gag," she snaps before turning to apply deliberate space between them. With her back to Rickie the Wanderer would give in to the ache, rubbing at her sternum with a grimace -- Her eyes would catch a stray trifolded letter left laying on the floor by her foot, her brows risen at the slight reveal of it's title: A summons to war. With a quick glance to Susan's back the woman makes a split second decision to snatch the paper up, tucking it into her hand clutching the blueprints before turning atop her toes, boots squeaking against the floor.

"Okay! Well! I'ma head out," she calls back to the woman, hastily moving towards the office door from whence she came. "I'll get a look into that barn of yours. Start getting shit in order. Wouldn't wanna waste any of that precious time of yours."

Though suspicious of Rickie's quick departure, the Madam would shake it off strictly as eagerness to get the job afoot. Thus, with a wave of her hand, she calls out, "Just keep me updated with what you need, Devron. And don't break anything."

The Coyote would grin in response, sending the Madam a flirty wink before closing the office door behind her, heart hammering against her chest as she considers what boundaries she must of crossed by snatching the paper from Susan's office like that. But before Rickie could hate herself further she'd pull the singular piece of paper out to better read it, brows furrowing instantly at it's details of summoning to the Lordaeron warfront and the efforts to revitalize the lands from the scourge.

Instantly her mind flashed back to the retreating figure from earlier.

"No kidding," she hums, shoving the paper into her pocket haphazardly. Useful information? She hadn't a clue. But certainly interesting.

With a shake of her head the Wanderer is set off, the rolled up blueprint clutched firmly in her hands and her mind wild with theories of such a short but interesting meeting with the Madam.

Mentioned: @rickiedevron

[jamethinks]

(Unrevised rant)

A major theme through Deborah's story was reclaiming one's power. For most of her career, she had been defined by the people around her. The most notable case was the rumor that she had burned down her husband's house. Rather than defending herself, she chose to play into it even though it was a lie and painted her as a violent, spiteful woman. In her mind, it was either you be laughed at or you laugh along with them. She stayed comfortable and complacent with the world around, very rarely pushing for more.

Upon losing her residency at the palmetto (and having spent time with Ava ofc), Deborah came to realise that she needed more than ever to reclaim her name. No longer was she going to let people tell her who she is or what she can or can not do. She changed her show from the traditional insult style to a more modern introspective version. She was humble and honest about herself and made herself vulnerable. This was her first step in reclaiming the narrative about herself; defining Deborah Vance on her own terms. She launched a tour on her own a practiced her material until she got it right.

The problem with the original material was that it did not suit her comedy style. So, to maintain the theme of it but also apply her own approach, she turned it into a self drag. She insulted herself while also opening up to her own audience. Once again, she was able to control the narrative around her. This is who Deborah Vance is. A complex woman with a long life of challenges and failures. She's not a pitiful victim, and she has no intention of making the audience sympathize with her. She just wanted to control the way people perceived her. That resulted in the biggest success of her career.

Another important moment was when she tried to pitch her special. She was told that she would not have control over the final product. The company would cut it in half and splice her into some compilation with a bunch of other women. They were interested in her story but rather just trying to meet a quota. Again, refusing to let the people control the narrative, she chose to release the special herself. It was her story, and she wanted to tell it the way it should be told. And of course, it was majorly successful because Deborah is that bitch.

So, with the late night show, we see Deborah returning to her old ways. She would bend and twist to the networks demands. She was scared of losing the show that she had worked so hard for and, in turn, just let them control her show (her narrative, her identity). Deborah falsely assigns this control to the producer lady (cannot remember her name, very sorry). She makes her the big bad that was compressing her creative freedom, and therefore, if she got rid of her, then she would regain her power. In reality, she blamed a random woman for her own insecurity and ended up making he close her career and likely her credibility. It's the same thing she did to her sister. She found an easy target and blamed them for all her problems (kinda).

Her decision to simply leave the show was the amalgamation of all the lessons she had learned in the past few seasons. The fact that Bob was so willing to let go of the producer and wanted to throw away Ava so quickly made it abundantly clear what kind of person he was. For a moment, Deborah thought she had the power over him. Even Ava implies that she is one with the power in the relationship. But the fact is he was the one in control, just like with her husband and the palmetto guy.

But the only reason she had the show was because she had to the power. She took control of her story and made it what she wanted it to be. What would be the point of all of that if she was going to let the company take everything away from her. Ava was her voice, and she was integral in creating the image that made Deborah successful in the first place. The fact that they were willing to throw her away even though it would deplete the quality of her work showed just how little they actually cared about her. That once again, she was their puppet, and it was only a matter of time before their dumped her the same way her husband did, and the palmetto did. They didn't care about her craft. She was just another cog in the machine.

Choosing to leave the show reflected her growth as a person and confidence she developed over the course of the show. The faith she had developed in herself and her story is what got her as far as she did. By leaving the show on her own terms, Deborah reclaimed her power and her narrative. The Deborah Vance show should be about Deborah Vance, not the network.

[thesnowflake18]

Revival Theory (Deltarune Theory)

!!!THIS IS PRE-SWEEPSTAKES PT2, I'LL REVISE LATER!!! I just need to get this out!

Let me get some key observations out of the way because all of these points connect.

Kris seems to have experience with souls

Kris was scared to enter the dark world Ch1

Kris "chickened out" around the bunker

Kris and Noelle's friendship fell out after Dess disappeared most likely

Kris knows how to play piano despite not having one in their home. In Ch2 they're angry that they can only play one note.

Kris seems to stay completely still before heading to the piano and leaves once someone notices them.

We hear ocean.ogg when we first enter the dark world

Dark "fountains"

Onionsan telling Kris of a song from the sea

Sweepstakes mystery chair covered in darkness with ocean.ogg. "What if it could get darker than dark?"

Seam says that we best get home before dark, suggesting a change after dark in the DWs, leaving it up to interpretation of what's different at nighttime.

IMAGE_DEPTHS

Leaving the sink tap open, as the sound of running water fills the environment and they leave their soul under the cabinet.

THE ENTIRE GONER MAKER SEQUENCE

Gaster connections (Goner sequence, Dark Darker yet Darker, calling us into Deltarune)

Having the Red Soul (US) shoved into Kris, removing most of their autonomy

Kris's wagon "having seen many crashes" and that mysterious stain. Our soul is thrown into that cage at the end of CH1

Kris looking that the camera at the end of CH1, as well as multiple times throughout the game

Kris likely knows of a player existence and seems to plan ahead of us so they can set their ideas in motion

Susie says it would be cruel to have Toriel bury her own child after making threats at Kris multiple times

Susie says suggests Toriel would be better off without Kris, and Kris is said to have said something that made Susie back away and leave.

Kris is suggested to not sleep well, sleep through class a lot, and has been commented to look sickly, and zombie-like

So what does this all mean?

(This is all yap and random thoughts, buckle up)

First, it establishes the fact that Dark Worlds are connected to water imagery. The deeper into DWs you go, the darker it gets. The deeper you venture into an ocean, the darker and more dangerous it gets. Kris seems to be connected to this web, as they are the ones who hear this ocean sound when first falling into a dark world.

The fact they have history with the bunker, likely a dark world that wasn't sealed, and that they back away from the closet DW suggests to me that they have some vague knowledge of them. Perhaps some trauma, even if they don't fully understand what DWs are till after CH1.

I'm fully on board with the idea that it was only Kris and Dess who explored the bunker for some reason. Perhaps Noelle was too afraid and Asriel stayed back with her, or perhaps neither of them were there, as Noelle does say that "they never found anything interesting in the forest." Dess and Kris being the boldest ventured inside, but Dess never returned.

This is where I have a different idea of what happened.

The bunker perhaps is not where Kris and Dess ventured. Or perhaps it was connected to a different DW. I'm suggesting that this DW they discovered was water-themed, and they discovered it during night time. I believe that DWs become less welcoming at night, perhaps new creatures appear who are more aggressive, and the environment is harsher. We can imagine what would happen in a water DW at night, and it's not the calming scene that Kris and Susie had, but harsh waves and high tides, and creatures reminiscent of those found deep in the ocean.

Would it be too crazy to suggest that perhaps, neither Kris nor Dess made it out of that Dark World??? I believe both of them were to be lost in the darkness, DROWNED IN THE DARKNESS. Kris, however, encountered a mystery guy of sorts (YES THIS IS GASTER I'M SORRY BUT I HAVE TO INCLUDE HIM). Since they were so young, I can't imagine they remember much, except waking up once more to feeling numbed out.

I don't believe that red soul is theirs. They have a lot of connections to other soul-types (one can argue Orange or Light Blue. For this theory it doesn't really matter), so it's my belief their soul shattered in their demise, but as they were found and saved by Gaster, they were given a new chance at life through a new SOUL. The soul associated with persisting after death. Gaster could not let the only human that could work as a vessel perish. They really are the only hope for this world with a forseen demise. (Maybe this is why Gaster made us create a vessel, since Kris was likely very sickly due to this event??)

I believe that perhaps Kris tried to return to life as normal, but knowing Dess's fate eventually made it too awkward and painful to be around Noelle, therefore they went their separate ways. I also want to think this is where Kris started feeling an inkling of their autonomy slipping away to a higher force. Something or someone was pulling strings their strings, testing how far they could go. This is why they get so still, as it's someone acting for them, and they likely resort to the piano as a way to shake themselves out of that foreign control. Eventually they have to resort to removing their soul entirely, and it becomes second-nature to them by the time we're in the picture.

I headcanon Gaster to be morally grey, doing heinous things for a greater cause. It's likely he knows of Dess being alive somewhere in that vast darkness, and is trying to help however he can through controlling Kris's new determination soul, but has consistently failed. Perhaps he's even had Kris live through other DWs and nothing yet has worked. Maybe he already saw or foresaw to an extent the demise of the world, so that's why he is finally resorting to us, an even higher being to accomplish the main goal of finding Dess, course correcting this world and hopefully giving Kris and Noelle and their families a happy ending.

I'm sure that's why he attempted to give us a new vessel, but the Angel (the incarnation of fate) has kept sabotaging his attempts to save Dess and the world, landing us into Kris's body and becoming their new controller. Now he's standing in the sidelines as we try our best to fulfill this prophecy he crafted to lure us in.

Perhaps we'll have to make Kris face their biggest fears yet. Perhaps they'll have to venture into that water DW again. Maybe this is the only way to find Dess at all. I'm not sure if they're happy that they're here again. It seems like their life has only gotten worse since that incident. Perhaps that's why they've become more quiet and reserved. Perhaps that's why they keep removing their soul, it's not like it belongs to them, it was given. And for what? They don't know, but they're too scared to fall into darkness again. It's suffocating to them. Like they're drowning again. Perhaps that's why they don't back down to Susie's mean comments, and they truly believe it wasn't fate to have them survive instead of Dess. Susie says it would be cruel to have Toriel bury her own child. Susie says Toriel would be better off without them. There's an irony to her words that only Kris knows. At this rate who is Kris to back down to those statements, maybe in another timeline that would be true.

[kallistoriae]

yeah I’m so normal about Iphigeneia. what do you mean?

[ihavethegrimoire]

@birdhousematerial

I got drunk and wrote more in one sitting than I have in months. Here is some of that progress. To be posted most likely during @itafushi-week free day, July 27.

Inspired by this post.

[mxtxfanatic]

I know Xie Lian is morally upright, but I don't know about Hua Cheng. I've seen people say he just does what he wants and saw some people say he is actually as good as Xie Lian. What do you think?

Idk about Hua Cheng, either… jk 😂 Idk why people act like “doing what you want” can’t possibly include “being a morally upright person,” especially in an mxtx novel. We don’t really get a lot of info on what Hua Cheng was doing in the interim years before the present timeline starts outside of knowing he was looking for Xie Lian, but we do get glimpses in the Guoshi info-dump convo, like how E-ming came to be:

“There are nothing but monsters and demons inside TongLu, the common people can’t break out at all, and could only suffer the fate of becoming nutrients. However, for whatever reason, that vicious ghost, in its state of muddledness, took that large group of live mortals under its wing and fled for many days. In the end, they were still surrounded by millions of ghosts, trapped in a dead end, and it was going to be eaten along with those humans.” Xie Lian knew that this lonesome, drifting feral ghost must have been Hua Cheng! “And then?” He pushed, “Was there a way to break away to safety?” “Yes.” Head Priest replied, “Forge a blood weapon, and kill to break the siege.” Mu Qing still couldn’t help but chip in, “Then wouldn’t the easiest sacrifice be...” Wouldn’t it be those humans that fell into the state of devastation! Feng Xin and Mu Qing looked to White No-Face and Hua Cheng who were completely focused in their vicious battle, “Did... did he...” Xie Lian also held his breath. Head Priest said, “En. He made a move.” Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s expressions all became unreadable. Xie Lian however, didn’t move a muscle, and only waited for Head Priest to continue. Sure enough, Head Priest answered his anticipation, “He made a move. In a fit of madness, it dug out one of its own eyes.”

—Chapt. 237: Bloody Sought Flower; Vicious Battle Against White No-Face (Part Two), fan translation

Hua Cheng was also good enough to ascend to the heavens, and he rejected the call:

“Apparently, after that battle, the heavens sent forth a heavenly calamity, and it struck straight into Mount TongLu.” Head Priest, “Do you understand what that means?” Was there any need to explain what it meant? To have a heavenly calamity be sent forth, it meant, the heavens believed there was someone who was worthy to ascend within Mount TongLu. Xie Lian grabbed Head Priest, “Who was it? Who ascended??” “This is all hearsay.” Head Priest said, “But, there wasn’t any heavenly officials in the Upper Court that came from Mount TongLu. Either what I heard was purely fabricated, or...” The one who ascended jumped back down, and rejected the heavenly realm!

We also get how he founded Ghost City to be a refuge for unfairly persecuted ghosts and demons:

“Just talking about it brings anger to my heart! Twenty years ago, there was a village where a pig monster went mad, and overthrew the master’s house. The house collapsed, the whole family’s dead. That pig fled to the Ghost City. I’d only just entered the trade at the time so I went after it, but was beaten to a pulp by a bunch of ghosts and had no choice but to escape. What humiliation! He also sent a lackey to tell me that there was no reason why you can eat a whole family of pigs but a pig can’t slaughter a whole family in revenge. If the pig didn’t seek revenge then it’s your lucky day, if it did then you deserved it. Now tell me, what is that rotten logic!” “What a coincidence! Our sect experienced something similar, but it was over a rooster spirit!” “Our story’s simple. Because the god we worshipped in our sect was one of the one’s he listed for that challenge, so no matter how many temples we build he’d burn them down. What an outrage! Absolutely unreasonable!” “Me too, me too. You all know of my shixiong, right? Talented with infinite future! He only had one small vice: he loved playing women. Decades ago, a little prostitute ghost seduced my shixiong and sucked him dry into a human jerky, and that Hua, Hua, Hua, that demon king dared shelter her.” The criticisms were flaming down below, but above them, Hua Cheng looked bored, not even bothering to give a taunting smirk. Heaven’s Eye said, “I think I’ve heard of your shixiong before. Wasn’t he that guy who under the pretense of conducting rituals and ceremonies would confound and force himself on married women? The one who was locked up for three months?”

— Chapt. 137: Upon Barren Hills; Rioting the Black Hearted Inn (Part One), fan translation

But honestly, I think the main drivers of the “morally ambiguous!hc” headcanon is that 1) Western cnovel fans have still yet to let go of their Christian sentiments “anything pertaining to death or demons is evil,” 2) they haven’t let go of their colorist leanings that dark colors represent bad people, and 3) they think that Hua Cheng being an asshole to their favorite characters (who have mistreated him) and encouraging Xie Lian to not help them solve their own self-inflicted problems means that he’s amoral.

[wardensantoineandevka]

truly wild to see what cut or revised stuff is found in the Veilguard files that people pass around as like much cooler or better because every single time it's something that I see and I'm like, y'know, I see exactly why this was cut.

like, most of the time, it makes for a cool single beat, but when I think about it for two seconds and try to imagine how to get INTO that beat and then how to get OUT of it, or how this sits in the overall narrative and themes and whether coheres, or what the pacing would be against everything else, it's like, actually, it's not as good and not as effective and does not cohere with the narrative and its themes, this would be lame as hell actually all things considered

[aotoreiki]

been having thoughts about my almia worldbuilding again lately which also means I've been having thoughts about how (what I know of) PL:A was handled and about sinnoh's remake predicament

(copied from discord):

thinking about it, what pokemon SHOULD have done regarding not only legends arceus, but also the diamond and pearl remakes, is that they should have gone the route with the diamond and pearl remakes that oras went with including things like the delta episode information and the existence of the draconids which was "new" (not in the old games). They COULD have done a remake of dppt that included, connected to and built on the new lore from PL:A, and created a more cohesive world that way, but they didn't, so PL:A is in its own little pocket dimension in a way, and we don't know a lot about how the people, events and progression of time from then influenced the present day sinnoh other than a few things hinted at or self-contained in PL:A and the existence of ancestor characters

[smokeys-house]

My favorite part of Memoirs is when Moominmamma says "smoking is good for you"

[susan-gampre]

"What's your favorite position?" Castellan inquired, as casually as possible, over a glass of wine in her office.

Warning: Highly suggestive content ~

@resolutedefender

Oh? Oh.

The Madam pauses in her sipping, a menacing glint to her bright golden eyes as she peers at the Knight over the top of her wineglass. She could tell from this glance alone he was completely serious with this prompt. The faintest of smirks tugs the corner of her mouth, mostly hidden by the deep drink she'd conduct before setting the cup down, features neutral after this moment.

He would know the consequences of his actions, soon enough.

With a clearing of her throat, a comical gesture as she brings a hand up to gently tap against her sternum, the Madam seems to prepare herself. Quietly then she leans herself back into her chosen seat of the hour, a winged backed chair -- a statement piece of grandeur with it's upholstery fabric being a multi-media of both the hide and leather of a grizzly bear. Her arms remain perched atop the chair's designated leather armrests, long legs crossed with her left draped over her right knee, the fabrics of her gown swinging with this motion. With a moment of consideration she rolls her lofted legs ankle, the jewels bedazzling the toe of her heel glittering in the light.

"My favorite position..," she begins, gnawing her bottom lip as she measures Castellan, eyes shamelessly sweeping across his form before drifting toward the fire place -- finding distraction in it's flames or else she might not be able to keep a straight face:

"Doesn't really exist, darling. I'm not shy about trying them all, save some painfully inventive ones. And for a few, I've certainly had my fantasies... Such which are usually stirred whenever I catch the eye of a particularly coquetteish individual," she glances side long toward Castellan then, an impish smile taking place. "But to give you some kind of a answer... I've imagined riding cowgirl there on that desk before," she nods in the direction of her executive desk, "I've imagined... Face sitting on the clover forest floor. Backshots and missionary, in the throws of passion on the main floor of the brothel during the heat of the night. Maybe even a good ole sixty nine. Such shameless actions hidden in plain sight amongst the others giving into their carnal desires... Even something as gentle and precious as spooning position --," she grins, "I've always favored little spoon, at that. Fuck, even doggy style with some aggressive hair pulling."

She sits up then, hands moving to fold atop her knees with a suggestive glint to her eyes, now holding Castellan's gaze directly as she imagined he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes off her, "That whole week we were being foolish, not talking? I'd see you everywhere, like a ghost haunting me. In the stair well, by the banisters, sitting at the bar stools -- And with every sighting it stirred something. Made me... Day dream," she sits back into the chair then, shoulders shrugging as she confesses:

"Which have, each and every time, ended with frustrating sentiments. After all, what are dreams if not cruel coping mechanisms?"

[brokegoatartz]

Guys if you don’t see me making creek fanart it’s not bc I’ve fallen out of obsession with them,, I’m just writing fanfic instead 🙏🙏🙏

[leslie057]

one of the untitleds, dealers choice

hello. you got it. i love this one.

His girlfriend has sworn so many things to him recently. She won’t stop swearing to him.

Not on the eve of Going Day for his family—“going” because “moving” is too productive of a word. If they move, they take a step forward from this life and begin some kind of ceremonial procession to a new one. But, no, that’s not what this is. This is their long-awaited exile from the town they never belonged to. Never, ever belonged to. They are Hawkins’ exhibits, its satirical stars, its sins, and its shames. They are its unholy trinity, stained by their own hands. Ask almost anyone, anyone, and learn that their poverty was self-inflicted, the loss of their patriarch was self-inflicted, and so was Mom’s insanity, and so was his and so was Will’s death/nondeath. And Will’s weakness. And Will’s femininity.

Entertaining a town with your family’s voluntary patheticness is not belonging to it, so now they will go to the West Coast with a telekinetic daughter tucked under their wet brown wings. (Broken wings.)

California’s going to make everything better for all four. (His girlfriend has sworn it so, even if she is an unhappy camper. She says she won’t have anyone once he goes away.)

“You must be so warm,” she swears, her mouth’s motions making a fuzzy sensation for his skin as she sucks intermittently and leisurely on the underside of his jaw, “I know you want to swim.”

His knee bends, his arms hug her waist, and the leaves rustle beneath their blanket. He’s trying his hardest to be present for her, and not just with his body, also with his mind. For several days now, he’s been caught in this trap: this stupid, dissociative episode. Voices are quieter here, his tongue is leaden, and the air can be touched. He’s not in another dimension, but he might as well be.

Honestly? It’s some strange form of self-protection. Could be his way of taking Leaving’s bitter flavor, though he’s never coped with this method before. He doesn’t shut off, just out. I should feel any emotion besides doubt. I should feel the need to reassure this person who says she’ll miss me (or want to run away from her, alternatively). All I am is doubtful.

Far above his face, the sky invites lethargy to bleed wider and longer. It’s a warm, woolen expanse of gray, tiring him with the sadness of backlit storm clouds. Why is this place turning beautiful for him now? That needs to stop. Nancy needs to stop. (Never, ever.)

“Warm? In October?”

She relaxes with the tightness of his arms around her midsection. She likes a snug fit, and so does he. As her sweater rides up, he learns that warm in October is right. In this case, anyway; just the small slice of Nancy’s back that’s been exposed gives off the heat of a candle. Her skin could very well be shimmering with sparks right now.

Her reply is put on hold until she finishes making a hickey, equal parts pain and comfort, on his neck. “Well, yeah, I’m warm. And if I am, then you are. Have you ever noticed that you like to copy me?”

“Okay—”

“You copy everything. I love it.”

[blugrlgroup]

i guess you were right.

i gave you

what you begged for,

what i meant to be

a gentle, enveloping comfort

a familiar embrace, draped

around your neck,

like a favourite scarf,

fell victim to my terrified grip,

like a child

clutching their mother’s hand,

a bouquet strangled

in hesitation,

you look down and see

the knife

i held to your throat,

blinded by the light reflecting

in your eyes

you saw a white rose

and forgot about the thorns

i forgot too,

you never liked scarves

[layzeal]

did you ever end up listening to the tgcf audio drama? what were your thoughts of the revised plot if you did?

I HAVE NOT 😭😭😭😭 i bought the first season but still haven't gotten around to listening to it :')

though tbh i'm not sure i'll be the best person to ask, because while i did read TGCF up until hualian start climbing tonglu mountain, i don't rly remember much of what happens...? there were only two arcs which i actually enjoyed reading (first flashback arc and beefleaf arc) and anything else that happened outside of that is static to me 😭

[carmeloffie]

my toxic trait is i like the cast of the london love never dies better (sue me for really liking sierra boggess!) but i like the revised version much better….