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#she actually did great in the sp
celaenaeiln · 3 months
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is the dickbabs romantic relationship always as bad as in Tom Taylor’s run or is it actually enjoyable in other runs? i want to read more of dick’s og nightwing run but ik dickbabs is a recurring thing and i strongly dislike what i’ve seen of it in modern comics (absolutely no offense to anyone who ships it!!)
also sort of related, but have dick and babs really been BFFs since grade school or is that new canon? i remember the initial new 52 run referencing him and babs as on and off but nothing about being childhood besties.
finally- what would you consider to be key dick grayson runs?
Surprisingly Dickbabs is pretty nice to read in other runs. I know this sounds weird coming from someone who hates Dickbabs as a ship but really it's only bad like 85% of the time and the majority of that is because of the Batgirl comics. Batgirl comics treat Dick like shit and it's a losing tossup whether he's treated well in Oracle related comics.
But to get to your point, Dickbabs in Nightwing (1996) was originally pretty good. Tom Taylor's run of Nightwing is the weird one because in every other run you have Dick + relationships whereas in Taylor's you have relationships + Dick. That being said, I highly, highly recommend reading the og one. At one point it does get toxic but Barbara leaves almost immediately after that and aside from that the ship was pretty nice for the most part.
Dick and Barbara have NOT been BFFS since childhood or whatever and this gets on my nerves that Tom Taylor and Hope Larson did that. This is one of the problems I have with the Dickbabs ship. Writers who write them love changing the story to erase Dick's friendships with the Titans. They literally love to pretend Wally, Donna, Roy, and Garth don't exist. BARBARA IS NOT HIS CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND!! They literally keep deaging her and for what?? First she was like two decades older than him, then she's five years older than him, and now she's the same age?? Just let her be older! Barbara being the same age as Dick makes no sense because it takes away her maturity to turn her into this childish, selfish character she has no business being. She's not even enjoyable when she's deaged this far. I'm still on the she's 5 to 6 years older than Dick canon timeline and there is no way she was childhood besties with him.
The way I picture Dick and Barbara's relationship is this:
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DC should've just let it at this, this was peak Dick and Barbara relationship.
Very narrow starting out list but some must read Dick Grayson runs are:
Nightwing (1996) - If you don't feel like reading anything else just read this
Nightwing (2016) - Really good up until Tom Taylor's run
Batman: Gotham Knights - pretty good and lots of cute Tim and Dick!
Titans (1999) - This is a must read if you're not interested in the original Teen Titans comics
Outsiders (2003) - Love him so much in this
JLA/Titans - Important for understanding his relationships with Titans and Batman
Nightwing (2011)
Justice League (2011) Issue #25 and Forever Evil - Same arc
Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush
Robin era
Batman - One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze - If you want to skip the medal ages but still want to know what Dick was like as Robin, this comic is all you need to understand his character and personality and beliefs.
Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet - Dick's gauntlet test!
Robin: Year One - For fun :)
Dick!Bats era
Batman: Battle for the Cowl - To get into Dick's batman
Batman (1940) Issues #682 to #713 - Batman Dick. Incredible. Dick was such a good batman and so fun to read.
Batman and Robin (2009) - Dick and Dami!
Batman: Streets of Gotham - Also Dick and Dami <3
Justice League of America (2006) Issues #41 to #60- Dick leading his own JLA team as Batman! SO FUN!!
Detective Comics (1937) Issue #864 to #881 - Honestly Batman Dick was so good I can't tell if I like Dick more as Nightwing or Batman. Obviously it's better for his mental health if he's nightwing but he just did such a great job as Batman.
Spy era
Grayson - YESSSS. Just everything about this.
Batman and Robin Eternal - It was really good up until near the end but then it got better again
Dark Crisis - Definitely, without a doubt, no question
Additional: The ones above are focused on him but if you finish reading this then Tim's Robin (1993) Comic is a fantastic one. He doesn't appear in every single issue but he appears a lot and it's a lot of Dick and Tim characterization. Also Teen Titans (2003) for more Dick and Titans relationships.
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Request: Velvet and Eleanor reacting to Magilou flirting with their younger sibling (the reader) right in front of them.
(Tales of Berseria) Velvet and Eleanor reacting to Sibling!Reader getting flirted with
To quote our lord Steve Harvey, "KILL"
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Velvet was always protective of Laphicet and (Y/N), even before she became a daemon.
And since (Y/N) was the last person Velvet had in her life, she wasn't going to let anything hurt them.
Even beyond just protecting them from harm, her big sister instincts still remained.
Which meant especially that people trying to engage romantically with (Y/N) was signing their death warrant.
And so enters: The Magilou.
(Y/N) was in the middle of preparing dinner for the night before hearing footsteps approach them.
(Y/N) "Hey, whoever that is, could you pass me the ladle? I need to do a taste test."
(Magilou) "Oh, here you go, dear (Y/N)!"
(Y/N) "...Oh no-"
Magilou hopped in front of them, dramatically extending her hands upwards to the sky, ladle in hand.
(Magilou) "Fear not, for I, the great Magilou, will help prepare a dish fit for the gods above!"
(Y/N) "Respectfully Magilou, I don't need help. Velvet taught me everything I need to know about cooking."
(Magilou) "Surely you jest! There's nothing Velvet can do that I cannot perform better!"
She leaned in close to them with a smirk.
(Magilou) "In fact, ignore your sister for a moment and listen to my advice! You may even win my heart, should you perform well enough!"
(Y/N) "I...doubt that.-"
(Magilou) "WHAT?! Am I not the prettiest woman you have ever laid eyes on?! How can you resist such alluring charms?!"
(Y/N) "Listening to you speak, for one-"
(Magilou) "Psh! It seems a foul mouth runs in the family-"
Suddenly, a young voice came from behind the two.
(Laphicet) "VELVET! MAGILOU IS PICKING ON (Y/N)!"
(Magilou) "What the-HANG ON YA LITTLE TYKE! I WAS JUST-"
Before the three of them could even blink, Velvet closed the distance from seemingly nowhere
Magilou fumbled with the ladle in genuine shock as Velvet began speaking.
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Magilou backed off in fear, hiding behind (Y/N).
(Magilou) "H-Hang on now! I was just playing around, it was a goof! It was a gag!"
(Laphicet) "That's not what I heard! You said that both Velvet and (Y/N) had a foul mouth!"
(Magilou) "And you have a loose one, ratting me out like this!"
Velvet grabbed the ladle from the floor, and hit Magilou over the head with it.
Saying nothing else, she scooted Laphicet to sit next to (Y/N) before crouching down and turning to her sibling with a softer expression.
(Y/N) "Sis, you don't have to end Magilou, it's nothing she hasn't done before. And thanks to you too, Laphicet."
Laphicet nodded with a big smile as well.
(Laphicet) "Mhm!...Oh, we need to clean the ladle now!"
(Velvet) "Yeah. Give me a sec and we'll see how you did on the soup."
Magilou rubbed her injury, muttering to herself.
(Magilou) "Freakin' sister complex-"
(Velvet) "I heard that."
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Eleanor was completely against (Y/N) joining her as she chased Velvet and her group, but the Abbey had decreed it so.
Which resulted in both of them being taken as "prisoners".
She feared for their lives, but she didn't realize that she also had to fear for their love life.
And she sure as hell would not let (Y/N) date anyone from this group of misfits.
Especially a certain one.
Well, two, actually. But Velvet didn't really seem to care about dating, thank god.
Neither did option one, but that didn't stop her from being an absolute nusiance.
(Magilou) "(Y/N)!"
(Y/N) was offput by her sudden arrival, considering that they were just in their room thinking.
(Y/N) "What the- Why did you kick open my door?!"
(Magilou) "How can our days be brightened without the young exorcist's beloved sibling? Instead of being with us, you are cooped up in your room!"
(Y/N) "E-Eleanor told me to stay here for a little bit. I'm not exactly inclined to against her wishes-"
(Magilou) "Ah, but you are shackled in here, like a bird in a cage! You must let your wings spread out and fly, little dove!"
(Y/N) "I think I'm good, thanks-"
(Magilou) "Y'know, listening to your big sister all the time will leave you maidenless for the rest of your life! She'll shield you from all the joys and wonders of the world!"
(Y/N) "I'm not doing your laundry, Magilou. And neither is Eleanor!"
(Magilou) "Fine, I'll just have to put on my dazzling magics to get you to see reason-"
(Eleanor) "YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!"
Eleanor stomped towards Magilou, shoving her outside the room before standing at the doorframe, arms crossed.
(Eleanor) "Do not engage my little brother/sister in your tomfoolery! I will not allow it!"
(Magilou) "See? This is exactly what I'm talking about! Eleanor will prevent any kind of love from blossoming-"
(Eleanor) "BE QUIET!"
She turned to (Y/N), getting even more flustered and angry.
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(Y/N) "I don't think any other person will be like Magilou...I-I hope."
(Magilou) "Hmph! Both of you don't know a true dazzler when you see one-"
(Eleanor) "All I see is someone trying to leech off my sibling just to get their laundry done!"
(Magilou) "Why does everyone assume that I'm just here for my stinking clothes?! Can't I be here for romance, drama, or even anything else?!"
(Y/N) and Eleanor glared at Magilou.
(Magilou) "And for your information, I was here to recruit either of you to make dinner instead of me!"
(Y/N & Eleanor) "GET OUT!"
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Unexpected 37
Sequel to Unsolicited
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Warnings: non/dubcon, pregnancy, pegging, Lloyd being the worst, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.
My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.
As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.
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You lazily eat the penne, noodle by noodle, from the plate balanced on your stomach. The evening air cools as Suzanne sits close by, her pasta mostly untouched as she sips non-alcoholic wine from a glass.
Lloyd has been elusive since his return, though you've heard some telltale banging. He continues to haunt you like some Poe horror.
"I couldn't do it," Suzanne trills, "I can barely stand more than an hour with the jackass and I get paid to."
"Mmm, yeah, wasn't exactly my first choice, but accidents happen. Actually, you know him, no such thing as an accident, more a lack of accountability."
"Oh, ew," she scrunches her nose, "he didn't strike me as the baby type." 
"Me either which is why… well, nevermind."
You spear another noodle and carefully angle it past your lips, trying not to dribble any sauce. It's been a while since you had someone you could just talk to. Dottie is a great support but she's still Lloyd's mother.
"What?" She prompts as she leans her chin in her hand.
"Oh, you know, I'm the mother. Means I'm gonna be doing all the work. And why? Because he thought it would be fun… he gets to have the shiny bright moments and I'll be changing diapers and cleaning up puke."
"Typical," she snarls. "Never likes to get his hands dirty."
She takes another sip of wine and she slowly puts the glass down. Her lips slant as a thought sparks in her eyes. She points at you and clicks her tongue.
"What happened with the mustache?"
"What do you mean?"
"He shaved. Months ago. Was that you?"
You cackle as you recall that. It was rather amusing to witness the shame and panic of his drunken mistake. You rest your fork against the rim of the plate.
"Did it himself. Got blitzed off his face and just, shoop, gone," you make a motion above your lip, "idiot."
“Ha, wow. Damn. I was hoping you had a bit of vengeance on the prick. I mean… you still could. Wait til he falls asleep…” she smirks, “you know once, were were on a flight and I probably could’ve done it.”
“I’m already expecting one baby, I don’t need another,” you scoff. “Here, can you get this?”
You lift the plate and hold it out to her. She’s quick to take it and puts it beside her own. You plant your hands on the sides of the chair and grunt, pushing yourself up with excruciating effort. You manage to sit forward, breathless.
“Jeez, you need help?” She hovers near you.
“Probably,” you struggle to turn your legs over the edge.
“Is it really that miserable?” She asks.
“What? Being with him?”
“I mean, that too, but being pregnant,” she offers her arm.
“Eh, it’s just the cherry on top of an already stacked shit sandwich.”
“I see why he’s with you,” she snorts, “you are both very creative. Disgustingly so.”
You roll your eyes and grab onto her arm. Before you can stand, you hear your name. Not ‘peaches’, not ‘baby face’, not ‘sweet cheeks’, your name. Lloyd stomps out, waggling his finger.
“Suzanne, step away from my wife.”
“Huh?’
 Suzanne twists to face Lloyd, “Christ, I’m helping her.”
“No, you’re not,” he storms down, shoulder back, nostrils flaring, “she’s not supposed to be walking around.” He comes up to you and puts his palm up to stop you, “I’ll take care of her.”
“Lloyd, I can make it inside.”
“The doctor said–”
“God, I know what the doctor said,” you hiss.
“So listen. Neither of us wanna end up back in the hospital, now do we?”
You sigh. You and Suzanne share a look. You recognise the dull twinkle in her eye. You’re kindred spirits. Cursed with the nuisance of this man, only she gets to walk away.
“So, Suzanne,” Lloyd plants a hand on your shoulder as he faces his colleague, “you on your way out?”
“Um, I guess, but–”
“That’s great, I don’t need to show you out, do I?”
She smiles dryly and tilts her head, “not at all. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Lloyd sputters.
“Oh yeah, we’re doing lunch, right, babe?” She looks at you expectantly.
Your brows lift and you take a second to register what she’s doing. You nod. “Uh, yep, yeah, that’ll be great.”
“Peaches, you should be relaxing. You’re all tense,” Lloyd squeezes your shoulder, “I can feel it–”
“So that probably means she needs a nice back rub, huh,” Suzanne suggests with a devilish glint in her eye.
Lloyd clucks, “yeah, I guess it does so… leave.”
Suzanne chuckles. She raises her palms and backs away. “Fine, I’ll fuck off. For now.”
Lloyd sneers at her as she slowly turns and she struts off proudly, fishing in her pocket until her car chirps and unlocks. You watch her get in and deflate, just a little. It’s just you and him. Again.
You shrug Lloyd’s hand away and rub your stomach, keeping one hand on the lounger. As Suzanne backs down the driveway, you issue a glum sigh. Without her to distract you, you feel ever pang and pinch in your muscles.
“Alright, where to?” Lloyd faces you.
“Huh?”
“Sofa, bath… bed?” He winks, “I think I could help ease the tension.” 
“Just… inside,” you mutter, “please.”
He pauses. You avoid his gaze as you look out across the yard. It’s only then the heavy epiphany settles over you. This place is a prison. It’s the last place you’ll live for the rest of your life. With him and soon his child. You’ll never be without a warden to keep you in line.
“Alright,” he bends and scoops you up, slowly, with effort. You feel horrible as he turns cautiously, steps stunted and stiff. 
“Lloyd, you’re going to hurt yourself doing this,” you hook your arm around his shoulders and try to ease the weight.
“I’m fine,” he grunts as he gets to the door.
You reach for the door to open it. He turns and sidles in awkwardly. It’s a tight shuffle but he makes it inside. He carries you back to the living room and sits you on the couch. He stands, cheeks tinged and forehead sweaty.
“Tea?” He offers.
“No,” you recline with a groan, “why are you being nice?”
“I’m your husband.”
“You were yelling at me an hour ago.”
“Because I’m worried.”
“About me or the baby?”
He sniffs and grips his hips, “both.”
“Eh, sure,” you dismiss him flatly, “I just wanna lay her. Alone.”
“Well that’s not going to happen,” Lloyd states.
“Of course,” you grumble.
“I am going to rub your back and you’re going to relax. You need to, peaches, for yourself as much as the kid.”
“Yeah, yeah,” you mutter. “Really, don’t bother–”
He pushes you up, grasping your shoulders as he angles onto the couch behind you. He sits between you and the arm, hooking his leg around you as he settles in. He rolls his thumbs into you, forcing a moan from your lips as you muscles contract in response.
“Feels good?” He asks.
“Erm,” you refuse to indulge him.
“Come on, baby face.”
You’re quiet as you hang your head forward. You’ll enjoy it but you don’t have to admit it. You hug your stomach as he slides his hands down your back, pressing his knuckles into each knot.
“Do you always have to ruin everything?” You ask at last.
“What?”
“Chase away everyone. What am I not allowed to have friends?”
“What–”
“If you don’t want me… like this,” you gesture helplessly, “you have to give me something, anything, that doesn’t make me absolutely miserable.”
He exhales and his hands keep moving. You let your head drift to the side as you laze into his touch.
“You don’t know Suzanne. She’s… well, she’s a lot like me.”
“Funny, cause she said the same about me.”
“Oh, really,” he scoffs.
“Yeah, think you’ve rubbed off on me.”
“Hell yeah I have,” he snickers, “rub off to you and over you, on you…”
“Would you– do you ever just stop?”
He hums and puffs out through his nose, “alright, peaches, you’re right. You can’t be all alone all the time. Just…keep those walls up. You got good instincts.”
“Mmm, yeah, just bad luck.”
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Expanding on that post I made of Noir adopting Hobie but I love the idea of that making Peni and Hobie adopted siblings. Soooo general headcanons and thoughts time! (Inspired by @ryderdire and @queercoded-disney-villain and the comments they left!)
This got a lot longer than expected so there is a lot more stuff under the read more!
I like to think that Peni and Hobie already knew each other beforehand but in passing. Hobie knew of her and occasionally they talked but he never really got to know her
Of course that all changed when Gwen gathered her small team of Spider Folks to save Miles
After everything goes down and they have time to actually hangout, Hobie tries to get to know her at first. He thought her mech was pretty sick. She mostly avoided him though. He didn’t exactly know why but didn’t care. He assumed it was cause her and Miles weren’t on the best of terms anymore. And while her, Noir, and Ham were still close, there was some tension between them. Especially since she sided with Miguel (at first).
When Noir adopted him (that’s an entirely different story to tell later), he was sorta shocked that Peni was Noir’s adopted daughter. He thought the two weren’t on great terms. Noir explained that despite what she did he still loved her. Fathers are supposed to love their children no matter what right?
Of course since Peni was Noir’s daughter, that meant they had to be around each other more often than not. It was…very tense at first to say the least. Noir usually hung out with Ham (he wasn’t allowed to stay with Peter B after Mayday was born) so it was an awkward experience having serious conversations in a cartoony world.
Eventually, Hobie cracked what was eating at Peni. Despite her being more closed off (which everyone who knew her said was odd) Hobie somehow managed to break through her walls. Jokes and his general demeanor slowly eased her.
In general, Hobie and Peni are a force to be reckoned with. With him being more reckless in his fighting style and Peni being more coordinated, enemies are afraid of even getting near them. Especially cause of SP//dr.
If anyone dare lay a hand on Peni, Hobie would be sending an electric guitar through their head with no hesitation. That’s his sister goddamn it.
Hobie does like to paint his nails and allows Peni to do his sometimes. He’ll do Peni’s for her too but they end up more messy than what she can do. They’re still passable though as he’s done Gwen’s before a few times.
As they get more comfortable around each other, Hobie absolutely will tease the hell out of Peni. She isn’t good at teasing him as he just doesn’t give a shit but does eventually finds some fuel.
Like Noir, Hobie will carry around Peni on his back if asked.
Secretly, he taught Peni some curse words so when she said fuck around Ham, he was immediately on his tail. Hobie doesn’t regret it though. He thought it was hilarious.
Hobie will carry Peni under his arm like a sack of potatoes when she’s not in her mech occasionally. He’ll be just hanging out with someone and have her under his arm.
Peni will fall asleep if held for too long. She just finds it relaxing. Hobie finds it amusing.
Hobie has taken Peni to his world and has let her join in on his rioting. She actually ended up being more of an anarchist than Hobie. He was THRILLED about it.
She was even given yellow shoelaces by Hobie and goddamn Noir was proud as hell
Speaking of Noir, he does also have blue shoelaces but keeps them around his belt. He doesn’t want to make them dirty or destroy them by accident. Hobie is secretly very happy Noir accepted them and wears them.
The two siblings will argue about their world’s food. Hobie says that his cuisine is unique and good but Peni just tells him that he’s clearly never had Japanese cuisine. They will always argue about this.
Occasionally they’ll go to Noir and ask him. He’s literally only had 1930s food so he thinks everything is amazing. Everything except beans on toast. Telling Hobie he’s had this in his world before as a cheap meal.
Hobie will play his guitar for Peni and has learned songs that she likes. Even if they aren’t from his era. It gives him a chance to learn more stuff and make Peni happy.
He refuses to play anything that he considers too slow though. He’d rather rock out than play a slow waltz.
Peni will sneak into Hobie’s world and replace his alarm clocks with indestructible ones. He HATES when she does this.
Once when Hobie got burnt slightly by a rouge molotov, Peni ended up making him a sorta protective bandage that was fire proof to wear under his suit. He ends up using it both for him and anyone who is with him. Peni was extremely happy to help.
Speaking of riots, Peni once got pushed over and nearly shot by a cop but Hobie DID NOT let anything else happen to her. Let’s say his guitar needed an extremely good wash afterwards. Brains aren’t easy to get out of guitars. Ham was horrified but Peni kept telling him she’s seen worse. That didn’t help.
Peni and Gwen do have girl days which means Hobie isn’t allowed. Despite trusting Gwen with his life, he will tell her to bring back Peni unharmed or something will happen. Gwen knows he’s serious about that.
Peni loves to tease Hobie about his romantic relationship with Miles and Pavitr which surprisingly makes him flustered. No one knows how she does it but she does.
(I’ll explain their romantic relationship in more detail later but Hobie is dating Miles and Pavitr while Gwen is dating just Miles. Pavitr is still dating his girlfriend while dating both Hobie and Miles. Gwen was never romantically attracted to the others except Miles.)
Hobie will get dragged along to the mall by Peni. It’s a hilarious sight. Just this punk dude with his younger, more preppy sister.
Since Hobie can purr like most Spider Folks (silly headcanon of mine), he does it a lot around Peni. She can’t purr but enjoys hearing Hobie purr. It’s comforting.
Hobie will hold Peni’s hand if she asks and isn’t ashamed of it. He’s a big brother goddamn it, he will act like one.
He did teach her a bit of guitar too. He even gifted her one. It was a not so great one but Peni treasures it. It has a bunch of stickers on it.
When Peni cries over her past, Hobie is very commonly the one that is immediately there to comfort her. Purring nonstop and giving her words of comfort. He knows what it’s like to have no one to cry to and no comfort.
Hobie doesn’t cry much but when he does, which is rare, Peni is always nearby. She doesn’t even hesitate. Hugging him as hard and close as she can. He appreciates it.
Peter B likes to call them Peni and Hobs (like Calvin and Hobbes)
Hobie wears some pins on his jacket that Peni gave him. They’re mostly just similar to the normal ones he already wears but some are cutesy. He will not take them off even if he’s made fun of.
They rarely stay over at Noir’s place (he lives with Ham) but when they do, they’ll share the guest room. It’s always chaos.
Ham has gotten more than one noise complaint from his neighbors about loud guitars playing at night. He loves them both but god they give him a headache.
If Hobie wasn’t held back by anyone when he met Miguel again after becoming Peni’s brother, he would have already bashed Miguel into oblivion. He was NOT pleased about him manipulating Peni.
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sendme-2hell · 1 year
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The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore - Kim Fu
Summary: A group of young girls at sleepaway camp get stranded in the woods by themselves in Canada (sound familiar?). The narrative alternates between what happened in the woods, and a vignette from each girl in their adult life.
Yellowjackets connection: This book is so spiritually similar to Yellowjackets it’s wild. The way that we see what happened in the woods and flash forward to the adults and how it affected them. The way that it's partially about the viciousness that comes out when girls are left alone. The way that hierarchies break down in the woods. I find myself thinking about this book while watching Yellowjackets.
Is it queer?: only a very little with one character in her adult life
My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante
Summary: Elena and Lila are two intelligent girls growing up in poverty in 1950’s Naples. They have an obsessive and competitive relationship. Elena is able to get an education when Lila is not, and their paths diverge here. The entire four-part book series follows their relationship and distinct lives into late adulthood.
Yellowjackets Connection: My Brilliant Friend is about a lot more than just female friendship, class differences foremost. But obsessive homoerotic female friendships and their complications are front and center. The Neapolitan series follows Elena and Lila as they grow into adults and have their own children, so it shows young women and the adults they grow into. Also has themes of trauma, unreliable narrators, patriarchy, jealousy, ambitious women. 
If you follow my tumblr you know I will connect anything to MBF but Yellowjackets writers did it for me in the show. They literally said Shauna/Jackie = Elena/Lila. If you don’t remember, this is when adult Shauna has dinner with Jackie’s mom who says she’s reading MBF and that the girls in the book remind her so much of Shauna and Jackie. She meant it as an insult to Shauna but it really is a great comparison. Especially since Lila and Elena def had something vaguely fruity going on (but also for other, spoilery reasons). Elena Ferrante is pretty much the go-to when it comes to writing about complicated female friendships so it is not a surprise that they reference it in the show. If you are obsessed with the Shauna/Jackie “friendship” this book series is for you! 
Is it queer? if you consider Jackie and Shauna’s relationship to be queer then yes. There is a lot of subtext and in the later books a little more than subtext. 
Cat’s Eye - Margaret Atwood
Summary: A painter returns to where she grew up and memories that she blocked out of a traumatic childhood friendship resurface.
Yellowjackets connection: Women thinking about their traumatic friendships! And how these affected them going forward in life. The girls in this are a little younger than Yellowjackets girls but I think it is still a foundational text about traumatic female friendships and unreliable narrators. I am absolutely a Margaret Atwood apologist so don’t come for me (or do. I love messages in my inbox)
Is it queer?: no ):
Big Swiss - Jen Beagin
Summary: Greta is a transcriber for a sex therapist where she learns all sorts of intimate details of his clients. She becomes obsessed with a client and even starts a sexual relationship with her! She does not disclose her prior knowledge of this woman so things get messy. 
Fun fact for Killing Eve fans: It is going to be made into a series starring Jodie Comer!
Yellowjackets connection: This is the only book on this list that doesn’t really flash between old and young versions of a character (a bit at the end). Yet I think it deserves to be on this list because messy queer women and obsession and mental illness. Also now that I am thinking about it actually the main character does think about her childhood in the woods a bit...
Is it queer?: The main relationship is between two women and they have a lot of sex. So, yes!
Trust Exercise - Susan Choi
Summary: Don’t want to spoil any of the big reveals but it’s vaguely about highschool  theatre kids and their unhealthy dynamic with their abusive theatre teacher. Trigger warnings for statutory rape and general predatory behavior.
Yellowjackets connection: The reason I put this on my list is because it is about women in high school going through trauma and their adult selves dealing with it. It is about the stories they tell themselves to cope. It is about unreliable narrators. It is about narrative and truth and figuring out what actually happened. The book will not tell you directly, you have to discover it yourself (or read a review that explains it).
Is it queer? no ):
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unexpectedgeese · 2 years
Text
Major Orv spoilers but anyways
Been thinking about the way that Sing-Shong built up the secretive plotter, the oldest dream, and tls123. The first impression you get from them is that they’re these all powerful deities who can shape the world as they see fit. And that first impression is horribly, ironically wrong.
The Secretive Plotter is introduced to us as a minor player, as a constellation so weak he was never mentioned in the original story. And even as Kdj realizes that he’s actually really powerful, the idea that he’s a being outside of the story sticks with us. SP is the first character we see that can travel between world-lines. He’s literally an outer god- a being outside of the story. But when you actually connect the dots and realize that he’s Yjh, that gets flipped on its head in the most delicious way possible. He’s literally the protagonist. He’s the one that’s MOST trapped by the story- he watches himself fail again and again and again until he gives up on ever escaping that narrative.
The oldest dream is the same- although we don’t see much of him until his identity is revealed, Sing-Shong does a great job of hyping him up as this big final boss that the characters are going to have to face. We don’t know much about the oldest dream, but we do know that he’s powerful. He’s Yjh’s sponsor, after all- a being so revered that nobody can mess with him, not even the bureau. We know that we hate him, too- pretty much everyone, readers included, are PISSED about the whole regression thing. We assume that he’s just like the other constellations- Some uncaring asshole who created a world filled with torment just to watch it unfold. Hell, if you’re still hung up on the whole author thing, you might even assume that the Oldest Dream is tls123. And that’s reversed SO. WELL. with the reveal- he’s literally the most powerless being of them all, to quote Uriel. He’s a kid, dreaming of a world where he’s not alone. He didn’t create this world out of some morbid curiosity of his; He loves the story more than anyone else. He’s not the author, he’s the reader. He’s Kim Dokja, and he’s not a monster.
And God, tls123? Don’t get me started. The identity of the author is one of the central mysteries of the story. As the audience, we’re trying to figure it out the second we start reading- Is the secretive plotter the author? Is the Oldest dream the author? And in the middle of all this guesswork, literally NOBODY suspects Han Sooyung. As the readers, we just kind of assume that the author is going to be some all-powerful deity who created the world on a whim, Because they’re the author. But we’re entirely wrong on that. Hsy didn’t create the world. If anything, she did the opposite- Writing WoS is the action that cements the timeline in stone. She ended it, in a way.
It’s like... Throughout the whole series, you’re waiting to meet God. You expect that the world’s the way it is because there’s some guy making all the rules, doing evil, perpetuating the cycle, etc. There has to be a guy- who would the protagonists fight otherwise? How else are they going to break the loop?
And then you figure it out, and you realize that there isn’t a guy. There’s no one, singular person in charge of the story. The author can’t write without a protagonist to write about, and a reader to read their story. The protagonist can’t move forward if the author doesn’t write the next page, and the reader doesn’t read it. The reader can’t read if there’s no book, or if there’s no character. They all need each other to get anything done.
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chattegeorgiana · 3 months
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Hello Chatte,
How have you been doing?
I have this thing that's been pestering me for a while now. A lot of NH defenders/shippers swear on their life that there are strong parallels between her and Kushina and it's a hill these people are willing to die on.
They love to cite examples from that god forsaken series called Boruto, where they have comical moments of Hinata being the ''scary mommy'' trope and a ''hot headed wife'' just like Kushina. This doesn't sit well with me and I just see it as SP being SP, nothing more, nothing less; and for the NH fan to be like ''ohh..... look...... there are so many parallels between MK and NH. NH was planned from the beginning. yay...... '' Those sorta BS (pardon me my French).
Also, I'd like to point out that I'm an anti ender not because of the pairing reasons but because of how the ending happened. All thanks to each and every character being nothing more than a pairing fodder, the show has left many debates as to what it's messages and themes are.
I really have zero reasons to like female characters like Sakura and Hinata but this, this is beyond character assassination and also an insult to the fan base, especially those who gave common sense and aren't blinded by pairing choice. For me how the characters are treated is way more important than shipping.
Also, when is your next YT video on Boruto being Oro's genjutsu gonna be released?
Thank for reading my somewhat lame and a long comment and I wish you the best with Kaika Saisei
Cheers!
Hi there,
Well, for the whole NH thing, the reason why they insist is because the sequel did a 180 and changed her characteristics, so ofc they are willing to die on that hill.
But we all know if we look at the actual content from the manga that she has nothing in common with Kushina nor Minato like they like to say. Kushina is loud and passionate. Where have you seen Hinata display those qualities? Whereas Minato is calm & calculated, something that she isn't once again. She's quiet & shy but that doesn't equate the calmness Minato displays. Not to mention we've seen even in this one shot that Kishi wrote that Minato can also get super passionate from time to time, whereas Hinata has never displayed that feat.
All in all for this whole thing to work they had to turn her into Sakura. It's clear as daylight to anyone who isn't a NH. Even a neutral. So why consume your energy with what they're saying? It's not like it's true. The evidence to support that is those 15 years of serialization prior to the ending that holds all the weight.
We all know TL & the other products at the end were made so that they can retcon the pre-established narrative.
The show ending the way it did basically destroyed everything Naruto once as a story stood for. Sad, but true.
I always said I wouldn't have had any issue with the choice of pairings if done correctly. After all, I used to be a multishipper once. I saw the potential that all had in the beginning. It's just that when part 2 launched, the story was clear of its direction - of course, until they decided to retcon again and to hell with everything.
And sadly, the girls got the short end of the stick. Both Hinata & Sakura, if we're being true to ourselves. But these people are ready to die on a hill just because they're so attached to their opinions rather than seeing the story for what it is - a great emotional impact story, but with a lot of issues underneath it if you put aside the emotional impact.
It's the reason why it pulls so many people into it. Because it's filled with emotional manipulation, in a way. Look at the way the franchise also directs its marketing campaigns for other materials/products. They scan the internet, see what the talk is in the fandom & then bam, there they are with their products that just so happen to have the thematic of whatever talk is in the fandom - like when they are some sort of servants because at some point NH & SS were arguing about who's richer and who's the servant and who's the patron and all kind of BS like that.
Or when we in the NaruSaku fandom had an extensive talk about tarot and the symbolism that surrounds NS and 6 months later bam, there they are with products with tarot themes.
Or that game they have and I saw two of the concepts I had for Sakura combined into a third one.
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They basically combined these two artwork concepts into the third one that is their image from the game.
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So what can I say? As you can see, Pierrot be doing whatever it is to get their way, lol.
If you think about the girls - when they thought Hinata was more profitable, they pushed her in everybody's face so much so that it affected the story's ending.
Now that Sakura's more profitable, they discarded Hinata like a used toy and she barely makes any appearances outside her mom-like persona.
This only shows anyone with a little critical thinking that SP has no respect for any characters nor the story. It's just about the $$$ and that's it. Nothing more, nothing less.
But meh, anyway, at this point is more than funny lol. It's just Pierrot being Pierrot tbh... Nothing good can be expected of that studio.
As for my next video, I'm planning on getting back to work on these somewhere in March.
Last year I've been caught up with a major life event so it really hindered my capacity to take care of everything that I wanted to do, but as I said, I'm planning on getting back to these.
It's just that I'll need to edit some things since I initially envisioned it in a certain way and there are certain changes that happened in the meantime, that kind of rendered some of the things I worked on obsolete, so I'm trying to adjust to that. But yeah, as soon as I have everything up and running again, I'll definitely start working on it.
And aah dear, don't worry, your question was not lame! Thank you for dropping into my inbox and for your wishes regarding Kaika!
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cocogrrrl · 10 months
Text
daisies
you find yourself growing close and eventually developing feelings for kenny—a guy you met at a party. you develop hanahaki because of it as well. now, what are you gonna do?
kenny x implied fem!reader but with they/them pronouns (hanahaki au) cw: n/a, just angsty wc: 5064
an: this is part of an sp au where different versions of the reader has hanahaki and is in love with the main three! read the other two parts here!
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Hanahaki is a disease something that affects many daily. From a small seed in your lungs, you’ll experience petals and flowers coming out from your mouth. It could take days, weeks, months, or even years to develop. Many hypothesize that it happens because of a love not returned, a love waiting on a bench.
Fortunately, it isn’t something that everyone will experience in their lifetime, although it is common. For those who catch the illness, you only have a few choices to pick from.
First, the sickness doesn’t last because the affection is returned. Many of those who survive this still need to receive medical attention for the healing process, depending on how severe the sickness had become. Many of these people who experience this are bound to live a happy life, though.
Second, you undergo a safe medical procedure that, while cures you, makes you devoid of any sense of love anymore. These operations usually do not pose many health risks, and the survival rate is high.
Lastly, you could just bear the pain, although you will suffocate to death.
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
You’re in your junior year right now. It’s been a few months since you moved to South Park. You moved over the summer, and now you were a month or two into classes.
The people here were often hit or miss. Rarely some of them hit, like your close friend Wendy, but there were a lot of other people that missed, like a decent population of the town.
You would say that you were adjusting to the place just fine. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t perfect as well. You could handle this place. It felt new and exciting, frankly.
Now, you were preparing for a house party at Tolkien’s. You didn’t know him that well, but you shared some classes with him, and he seemed like a pretty normal guy. Funnily enough, he might be the most normal guy here, even if he was better off financially than most people here.
Wendy was going to pick you up anytime right now, so you sat nearby your door waiting for her. Honestly, you thought she was going to be picked up by her girlfriend, Bebe, but she told you that Bebe had to pick up her friends Red, Lola, and Jenny.
You heard your phone ring as your doorbell did too. It must be Wendy. You opened the door and were greeted by a big hug.
“Hey, YN!” She beamed as she eyed your outfit up and down. “You look amazing! Where’d you get the shoes?”
“Oh, I thrifted it, actually.” 
“Woah, we should go do that some time! I’d love to thrift with you.” She said as you walked out the door, double-checking your keys and locking the knob. “It’s great for the environment, plus you might already know some great thrift areas here.” 
As you two got in the car, you continued chatting. Be it about music, art, poetry, and of the like, the ride was never quiet. Although you were a relatively approachable person, you didn’t talk a lot. With Wendy, it was the opposite. You found yourself going on long tangents and ranting as she listened happily.
“Really? Edgar Allan Poe?” Wendy mused. She was intrigued by your fascination with the writer during your middle school years. According to her, you didn’t seem like the type of person to enjoy his work.
“Yeah,” you sighed, chuckling at her bewilderment. “I mean, you don’t strike me as an Oscar Wilde enjoyer either.”
“What can I say? I like the simplicity and beauty of his writing.”
“Well, I like Poe’s use of imagery and dark themes.” Like dark and light were you two sometimes. Two sides of the same coin, yet somehow complete opposites.
“We’re here, by the way,” she said as she pulled up by the sidewalk of Tolkien’s house.
“Alright,” you replied, unbuckling your seatbelt as you exited the car.
Though it was just 9 PM, the place was already packed. The place somewhat reeked the smell of weed and alcohol already, and bright, colorful lights swayed and flashed nearly everywhere. Music was blaring, and peoples’ chatters filled the room and blasted your ears. It was an overwhelming atmosphere. You had been there for just 10 minutes, and you already felt like you were about to pass out. 
“Hey, Bebe’s already here, so I’m just gonna say hi to then I’ll show you around.” She smiled at you. You answered with a nod, and she headed away in a dash. To keep your head above water, you decided to stand in the middle of a hallway, where it was a lot more quiet—just to ground yourself.
You were leaning back against the wall, minding your own business and calming down from the mess that was earlier. Needless to say, you were overwhelmed.
“Well, I haven’t seen you here,” A voice spoke in front of you. Immediately, you snapped your head up to see who it was. You were confronted with a taller guy sporting a dirty blonde mullet. He didn’t look shabby. No, not at all.
“Are you new here?” He smiled, casually bringing out his hand out for a handshake.
“Well, I’ve been here for a few months already.” You hesitantly shook his hand.
“Then why haven’t I seen a pretty face like yours around here?” You wanted to cringe, but you also wanted to be polite. You were intrigued as well, though. You’ve never been approached like this.
“I, unfortunately, do not go out a lot.” You sighed.
“Hmm… But you seem really familiar.” He paused, deep in thought. “Oh! You’re YN from English class, yeah?”
“You just noticed right now?” You raised a brow, giggling at his slowness.
“Well, sorry, we’ve only had school for a month, and I skip most of my classes. Forgive me if I’m a little slow.” He lightheartedly joked. “Do you know who I am, though?”
“Some guy from my English class, I’d assume.”
“Ouch. A cute person doesn’t know I exist. Ahhh, it hurts.” He placed his hands over his chest, acting as if he was having a heart attack. “The only cure is a kiss on the lips.” He said, fluttering his eyelashes.
“You’re desperate.” You rolled your eyes. “I’m not saving you.”
“On the cheeks?”
“Still no.”
“On the hand?”
“Nope.”
“Anything!” He placed the back of his hand on his forehead. “Woe is me, dearest YN!”
“Do you want my number?” You chuckled, pitying him a little bit. While he does seem a little weird, he was definitely an interesting and fun person to be around. You just have to keep your distance, you figured.
“Why thank you, great YN!” He said, handing you his phone. You chuckled, feeling a little bit embarrassed for him. You put in his number and handed it back to him. He sent a ‘hi’ on his phone, and you heard your phone ring with his number on it. “I’m Kenny if you don’t already know.”
“Huh, nice to meet you then.” You smiled at him—just to be polite, though. “I’m guessing you’ve already had a lot to drink.” You said, smelling the booze and weed off of him. His scent was the entire party.
“You know it, baby.” He winked at you before turning on his heel to head back to the main area of the place. “I’ll see you in English, YN. Byeeeee!” He waved.
You waved back, knowing he wouldn’t turn back to look at you anyways. You didn’t know why, but you seemed to like the guy’s presence. It felt inviting, unlike a lot of the people you’ve met here so far.
“YN!” You hear a voice call you out from the end of the hallway. It was Wendy with Bebe trailing right behind her. “There you are! I’ve been looking around the whole place for you.” She said, grabbing your shoulder.
“Ahh, sorry, Wends.” You apologized, feeling a little guilty for not telling Wendy where you were. “I was overwhelmed by the place, so I needed to find some place a little quieter…”
“That’s alright! You shouldn’t apologize for making yourself comfortable.” She patted your back. “Now let me show you around,” she said, whisking you away from one of the only quiet areas in the mansion.
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
That night was a blast. You didn’t drink too much, but you had enough to get you a lot more chattier than usual. Besides Kenny, whom you did not tell Wendy about yet, you met three new people! They were of the names Tweek, Craig, and Jimmy. Tolkien was a part of their friend group, but you couldn’t say hi to him since he was plenty busy getting more ice for everyone.
You also remembered meeting Kenny’s friends last night. Stan, Kyle, and Cartman. You were only really well acquainted with Kyle. You’ve talked to him a few times outside academic matters, so you’ve come to learn that he had a boyfriend, which was the other guy mentioned earlier—Stan, who also happened to be Wendy’s boyfriend for a while.
All this history between a few people interested you, but it also kind of hit you like a truck. This town was built on years of people with deep connections. You had just moved in, and many of these people probably didn’t want you in your group, seeing how they’re comfortable and happy in their cliques. This made you upset at first, but then you realized you were happy to know that there were people who accepted you into their lives wholeheartedly.
You were recalling the events of last night, remembering that Kenny had approached you once more that night.
“So, how are you liking South Park, pretty?” He slid beside you on the couch. Wendy was currently getting drinks for the two of you, so she was currently occupied in the kitchen right now. “Is it good? Bad? I know it's sometimes pretty batshit weird here, but you just gotta trust me when I say-”
“I think I need more time to fully grapple with a single opinion on this place,” you answered, feeling a little dizzy from the alcohol. You didn’t realize it, but you laid your head on his shoulder as you spoke. “There’s a whole lot of niche people in this town. At least that means I can explore it from different angles.”
“Huh…” Kenny didn’t seem to be at all fazed by your touch. In fact, he indulged in it, even going so far as to pat your head. “That’s a very positive outlook—compared to all the other ones I’ve heard from here. I like that.” Really, yours was probably one of the most cheerful views among the town full of negative minds.
“Haha, thanks. You were kinda weird at first, I’ll be honest. Like, earlier in the hallway.” Your bluntness from being tipsy served you an appreciative comment from Kenny, but maybe not anymore. “I think I like you, though, Kenny, or at least I think I will.” You said mindlessly.
“Oh, really? What’ll make you really like me then?” He asked lightheartedly, expecting a dry reply from you.
You leaned back on the couch, removing yourself from the comfort of Kenny’s shoulder, as you looked at Tolkien’s ceiling to think. “Go to class more. If you do, maybe I can get to know you better.”
There was a quiet between you. All Kenny did was nod. While the party was booming and more live than ever, you were up in your little world enjoying the feeling of the alcohol pumping through your body.
That silence was disturbed when Wendy came back and handed your drinks. “Kenny? What are you doing here?” She asked. For a moment, you could tell she seemed slightly annoyed by his presence, but you didn’t ask her about it—not wanting to press on any possible wounds.
“I was just giving them some company.” He said, getting up from the couch. You felt the couch gently rise back to, what you could assume, was its normal state. “I’ll get out of your hair now. See you, YN.” He winked at you as he walked off.
How did you feel about the whole thing? A little weary because of how agitated Wendy seemed when she saw you two beside each other. Of course, it was more logical to trust your close friend over someone you just met. You just wondered why she didn’t like him.
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
It was the day after the party. You were in your first subject—English class—and most of the students were absolutely hammered—including you. That didn’t matter, though. You had a blast that night, and you were sure that all the fun you had was worth it.
While waiting for your teacher to come, heard a crash by the front of the classroom. Curious, you looked up, and, to everyone’s surprise, it was Kenny. He scanned the classroom for empty seats and took the one next to you.
“Hey, angel face.” He winked at you. You rolled your eyes and quietly waved at him. Maybe the party brought some bad things as well. It’s not that you hated Kenny, but it’s just that you didn’t want to be flirted with nonstop.
You were currently just doodling in your notebook whatever you thought. Some scribbled-out lyrics and quotes here, some drawings there. “I thought you skipped school often. What happened?”
“I wanted to see you,” he answered, leaning his head on his palm as he watched you write away. He took a glance and saw your notebook. “Hey, is that Bocchi?” He said, pointing to a little sketch you indeed made of the character earlier.
“Yeah,” you said, surprised he knew who it was. Although, you were a little weary of the type of fan he was. “You’ve seen Bocchi the Rock?” You turned your head to him as you dropped your pen, your interest in him being piqued.
Now you’ve certainly got him excited. He lifted his head from his palm and leaned in closer to you. “I recently binged the show with Stan.”
Maybe this was a chance for you to know him outside of the flirty names. You decided to start somewhere simple. “Who’s your favorite character?”
“Hmm…” He sat there, thinking for a split second. “If we’re talking about the people in the band, Ryo, I think. If we’re talking about all of the characters, definitely the drunk bassist girl. She’s cool.”
“Kikuri?” He nodded. “Well, I can’t say I’m too surprised to know that she’s your favorite.” You chuckled.
“Huh? What does that mean?”
You hummed teasingly, continuing to draw in your sketchbook. He kept asking, but you kept prancing over the answer lightheartedly. This wouldn’t go on for long, though, since the class was about to start.
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
The whole week was honestly a blast. You and Kenny bonded over your love for animation. You spent time at his place, he spent time at yours, and you two endlessly watched and rewatched a bunch of movies and shows.
He wasn’t much of an artist, but he did have a huge appreciation for animation and art in general. He told you once that it was his little sister who actually sparked his interest in the medium. You found it endearing.
Asides from that, you realized you two were becoming closer. He wasn’t as cheesy as you initially thought, but it was still definitely there nonetheless. Under the surface of pet names and bad pick-up lines was a genuinely positive and charismatic guy underneath all that.
I don’t know, you found him fun to be with, and you were looking to be friends with more people here. Kenny seemed to fill in that role. He seemed like someone you trusted, seeing how you’d already been to each others’ houses. You two grew close, needless to say.
“YN, can I tell you something?” Wendy’s voice snapped you out of thought. You were currently in her room with her and Bebe. She invited you first, and you said no because you thought you’d be intruding on the couples’ time alone, but she insisted for some reason.
“What is it, Wends?”
“Well,” she nervously trailed off. “I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with Kenny, and while that’s great and all, I need you to know the person he actually is…”
“What do you mean by that?” You replied, a little confused.
“He’s,” she paused, seemingly hesitant to continue. “He’s kinda known to go around flirting with other people.”
“Alright, and?” Now you were confused. Sure, you enjoyed Kenny’s company, but you weren’t entitled to it. “I don’t like like him, Wendy.”
“That may be true, but I’m just looking out for you, okay? Whether you like him or not, I want you to know the type of person he is so you’re aware of the type of people you surround yourself around.”
Wendy made sense, though. Maybe he was a bad person, maybe he wasn’t. Should you start distancing yourself from him? You didn’t want to, definitely, but should you? Could you? You didn’t quite know what to do. You really enjoyed his presence. It felt easy being around him. You felt like you could be yourself around him. Wendy too—no questions asked—but you couldn’t just also rely on her forever. You had to grow at some point.
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
That night, you were deep in thought about what Wendy said. Was it even important anyways? Or did you just have nothing to think about? You weren’t sure. You were slumped against the bed, thinking about your choices.
Something caught you off guard, though. You felt something stuck in your throat. You gagged on it, scared of the feeling. Once you got it out, you looked at what it was—a daisy? Why, when, and how on Earth would you have swallowed an entire flower whole?
The next few minutes were wash, rinse, and repeat as more flowers bubbled up your throat and out your mouth. You were terrified, to say the least. Did you eat a daisy seed, and it grew in your stomach? Were you about to turn into one big flower?
There was no way you were telling this to anyone, though, not until you find out what it is. You looked up your symptoms and saw the diagnosis exactly aligned with what was happening to you right now—Hanahaki Disease.
Before you got in bed, though, you continued to look into it a bit more. So, your choices were either to confess, to get surgery, or to let it consume you. Yeah, you wanted to avoid the first two as much as possible.
That all lead up to the question of who was it you had a crush on? You sat there, a little confused. You skimmed through your options until it hit you—it was probably Kenny. Was this what Wendy was warning you about? Chancefully and quite likely as well.
You would just have to wait for tomorrow and see.
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
Your first subject was English once more. You were currently wearing a mask, just in case you coughed and didn’t catch a petal or flower. You sat in your usual seat, scribbling away in your notebook.
“What’s with the mask, YN? Trying to be edgy or something?” Kenny said from behind you. After that, he took his place beside you.
“I’m actually sick, thank you very much.”
“Oh, well, get soon then.” He casually said, patting your head. “There’s an outdoor cinema showing tonight. I think they’re showing Fantastic Mr. Fox. You wanna go?”
“We just watched that a few days ago.”
“Who says we can’t watch it again?”
You hummed, finding yourself agreeing with him.
You were interrupted by a string of coughs, feeling the many flowers rise. Last night and earlier this morning, they weren’t too bad, yet why now did it seemingly amplify? You excused yourself to the bathroom just to get rid of the flowers, still trying to process the pattern of your flowers’ frequency.
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
A little later, it was now lunch. Your mom had packed you some food, so you were by the bleachers of the field watching Wendy and Bebe practice for their upcoming cheer competition. 
In your peripherals, you saw Kenny hanging out with a girl. You didn’t pay too much mind to it. I mean, who are you to judge him for having friends? Yet Wendy’s comment from last night seemed to have popped into your head. Should you really be wary of him?
Well, you did have another clue as to what to do as you saw Kenny get closer to the girl. Probably a bit too close for it to be considered friendly. You were confused, though—he never told you about him having a girlfriend. Perhaps Wendy was right.
You felt your throat closing on you again as you started to cough violently. This was the second time today you had flowers sprouting more violently than usual. You sighed, already exhausted from this disease, as you leaned back on the seat behind you.
Seeing how Kenny may or may not have a girlfriend, you began to rethink your choices. You most probably did start to like him, but what are you gonna do about it? Would it be best to confess, or is surgery—and even death—the answer?
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
“Are you ready for our date?” Kenny winked, pulling you out of the door by the arm. You found yourself blushing at his statement.
“Not really, but that is a very bold question to greet me with. I’ll give you that.” You hummed, letting go of his hand that was attached to your arm.
Your night with Kenny was fun. It wasn’t fancy or anything, but it was a very cozy night. You remember it in flashes. From takeout in 7/11 to the actual movie itself, it felt like there was a blurred line between romance and platonic. For you, at least.
You could recall many moments that night where you stared off at Kenny instead, telling yourself ‘You know, I think I’m okay with liking this guy.’ You fully accepted that you liked him.
You remember that, at one point, you were lost in his eyes. Your jaw was slightly agape, your eyes were off in the distance, and you were just focused on him. You hated how smitten he got you in a week or less, yet you also really liked spending time with him. The blame is probably on you.
You could just sit there and stare at him, though. You lost his appearance. The way his hair was always unkempt, the way he was so careless in his outfits yet so stylish, the way freckles littered all over his body, the way you noted the small gap in his front teeth whenever he smiled at you, the way his fingers seem so calloused. You were lost in it all.
“YN?” He called. “YN!” He shooked your body, not with too much force—just enough to snap you back into reality.
“Ah, sorry,” you apologized, shaking your head. “What were you saying?”
“The movie was fun, right?” For a moment, you could’ve sworn that there was a glint of worry in his eyes. Like your opinion actually mattered. You were probably just making things up, though.
“Of course. I mean, it’s not called Fantastic Mr. Fox for nothing, right?” You gave a comforting smile at him, in case by the off-chance what your eyes saw in his was right.
Maybe you were right cause you saw him beam after that. “You’re right. That final fight sequence where there are explosions and stuff will always get me.” He happily taped on the steering wheel of his extremely worn-out car. “You wanna go somewhere else right now, princess?”
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
Eventually, you knew you had to tell Wendy all about this, though.
“Wendy, I have Hanahaki, and I think it’s because I like—”
“Kenny?” You nodded. “What did I tell you?”
You sighed. It was a few days after your little outing with Kenny. You felt guilty. You should’ve listened to Wendy and gotten away before you had the chance. “Yeah, I’m sorry. You can’t fully blame me, though. I never thought I would like Kenny.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry for being harsh about him.” She pouted, rubbing your back as you buried your face in your hands. “What are you gonna do about it anyway?”
“I wanna try confessing, but I have my doubts. I mean, you’ve seen him with other girls, right?” She nodded. “If ever it doesn’t work, I’m not quite sure what to do…”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure things’ll work out for you.” She smiled hopefully at you. These were not the type of situations it’s easy to maintain hope, but definitely, you knew you could be alright for now as long as you keep your head above water.
“Thanks, Wends.”
“Of course, YN.”
⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。⋆
A week went by. You were trying to build up the courage to tell him, but every time you did you were often greeted by someone talking to him first. It was either that or you were too ashamed to show your face to him anymore. You began to keep to yourself instead.
It couldn’t last like this forever, though, at some point, you did have to see some results appear. Kenny was starting to message you more often, and you could feel the worry from his messages. All this for someone you’ve only known for like two weeks?
It was either go all in or go with nothing. Seeing how your life was on the line, you decided it was probably best to confront him. You even asked Wendy about it, to which she was kinda annoyed with how you had even spaced yourself away from him. Thinking about it now, it was kinda stupid.
You called him up on the phone reluctantly. Luckily for you, he answered.
“Hey, Kenny?” You said, your voice much raspier over the week.
“What’s up, YN?” There was a hint of concern in his voice. You had been dodging him a lot recently—it was only right of him to worry.
“Are you busy right now?”
“No, not really. How come?”
“I can’t explain right now.” Your hands were shaking over the phone. Your chest was filling up with nervousness. “Can you meet me behind the school? Like, right now?”
“Alright.”
Minutes later, you found yourself playing with your hands on your lap. With every passing minute, flowers bloomed more and more out of your chest. Before Kenny could arrive, you tried to pull them all out of your mouth.
“What’s the problem, YN?” Kenny suddenly appeared by your side as he slid on the bench you sat on. The distress on his face was greater than you could possibly imagine. To be honest, you felt really guilty for making him feel this way.
“I like you, Kenny.” You said. Straight to the point, easy, quick. Painless, like ripping a bandaid off a wound. The question is if it’ll sting right after.
“I know,” was all he said. 
“Huh?” You were confused. How could he possibly have known? Were you just that obvious? “Kenny, I like you a lot. Like, romantically.” You sighed, shaking your head.
Quiet was all you heard. This was new, at least for you. It would always be a little noisy whenever you were with him.
When you looked up at him, you could only see him staring at you, mouth agape like you on that one night. Not in a way that he was astonished by you, no, in a way where he was shocked.
You might as well explain everything while you’re at it. “I developed Hanahaki because of it, and I saw how close you were with others a lot.” You left out the part Wendy told you to stray away intentionally, not wanting him to be offended or anything. “I figured why even try to confess if it seemed like you were going to reject me anyway?”
“What made you confess, then?”
“I knew had to stay alive, and I had to face the fact that you were my only hope.”
He wrapped your arms around you in a comforting hug. You assumed the worst with his silence. You assumed that he didn’t like you. You felt the flowers in your chest push themselves out of you. You hunched over, detaching yourself from his embrace, coughing violently as flowers slipped out of your mouth.
He patted your back, and, before you could realize it, you started to cry. Was this it for you? Your life is at its end because a guy flirted with you at a party? That’s so stupid.
He noticed your tears, though, and he pulled your hair behind your ear. “Why are you crying, princess?”
“Isn’t it obvious? You don’t like me, and now I have to decide what horrible fate I have to put myself through!” You felt guilty for putting the blame on him, but you were scared. What the fuck were you going to do now?
“Woah, there.” He suddenly stopped you, pulling you up from your slumped position. “Who said I didn’t like you?”
You paused right then and there. For that very moment, all flowers growing in your chest and all tears threatening to pour had stopped. “Huh?”
“I like you too, YN. Ever since.” He chuckled at your dumbfoundedness, pulling you into another hug.
“You didn’t say it, though!”
“Were all the pet names and, quote-unquote, ‘dates’ I took you to not obvious enough?”
“I thought you were like that to everyone else…”
“Sure, but that was before.” He sighed, shaking his head as he laughed. “I thought you were a really pretty thing at first when I met you at that party, YN. It was shallow, I know, but our conversation later that night really sparked my interest in you. I’ve liked you ever since.”
“But the girls…”
“I was asking them for advice.” He smacked his lips. “I just never went through with them because I noticed you were distancing yourself away from me. I thought you were, like, trying to subtly say you didn’t like me anymore—or even at all.” 
“Kenny,” you hummed against his chest.
“Yeah?”
“I’m so sorry. Thank you very much.” You whispered against his chest.
“Always and forever, pretty.”
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shuttershocky · 11 months
Note
[Slams door open]
SHUTTERS!
[Puts photo on table]
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This is not a drill, this woman hates me but accepted the hiring process and I don’t know what to do now.
Alright let's bring out the FAQ
Is Kal'tsit a good replacement for most medics?
No, both her Medic class and her Standard Medic subclass are filthy lies. She has an extra row of tiles additional range over standard medics, a lower ATK stat, higher HP and DEF, and prioritizes healing herself and Mon3tr over other units, making her a poor choice for a healer. Mon3tr himself is a Protector, Centurion, or Dreadnought depending on if Kal'tsit is running S1, S2, or S3, with a 25 second redeploy time and some truly monstrous stats.
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Look at this shit. Her spine dwarfs most operators.
How do you use Kal'tsit then?
First, you leave 2 slots open in your deploy limit because Kal'tsit and Mon3tr take one each, equip S2 if you need a Centurion or S3 if you need a Dreadnought that also has 3 block, and then you kill with Mon3tr. Kill everything. S2 has very high DPH while increasing both Mon3tr and Kal'tsit's ASPD, meaning Kal'tsit heals Mon3tr very rapidly while Mon3tr chews up most enemies even through their high DEF.
On the other hand, her S3 gives Mon3tr True damage at the cost of a slowly decreasing ATK. This skill is for when you no longer want to think and simply want to kill. With True damage, you don't have to worry about evasion, most damage reduction, defensive stats, nothing, Mon3tr will hit exactly as hard as its ATK stat advertises, which is very, very high.
When do I use Kal'tsit?
When the game gets hard because some stupid boss deals 3000 damage and has defensive gimmicks out the wazoo, you bring in Kal'tsit and suddenly the game is not hard, because you can simply say no to most game mechanics and club their brains in. Very few bosses can deal with Mon3tr, most of them do so by flying so they don't have to fight Mon3tr.
When do I not use Kal'tsit?
Kal'tsit is a bad pick in SSS, where Mon3tr cannot be given Tactical Equipment, in poison maps as Kal'tsit is programmed to heal herself or Mon3tr first before any other operators, in stages with a very low deployment limit as Kal'tsit and Mon3tr take up 2 (and even then, if they can solo the stage then even that doesn't matter), or in stages that only have all ranged or all melee tiles (since Kal'tsit must be deployed to deploy Mon3tr, and Mon3tr can only be deployed in melee tiles). Otherwise, she can brute force most content with her versatility, DPS, and ridiculously cheap SP costs.
What skill do I M3?
Both S2 and S3. They're both ridiculously strong, but if you have to pick one to start with, go with S3 as True damage is very rare, and Mon3tr's is among the easiest to use.
What about S1?
The skill numbers are actually pretty good, but you don't need Mon3tr to tank. You need Mon3tr to kill.
Can other medics heal Mon3tr?
Only Kal'tsit can directly heal Mon3tr, otherwise Mon3tr has the no healing tag. Regeneration that works on Musha or summons still work on Mon3tr though.
Which module do I get?
Both are really good, and they do different things as well. X to increase Mon3tr's survivability and use him as a fast redeploy true damage bomb, Y when using Mon3tr as a stable laneholder to amplify his already great damage output. Yes I know it's not fair for Kal'tsit to get two big upgrades when she's already Kal'tsit, but she sure did get some great modules.
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parab0mb · 28 days
Text
So, now that I finished the game (again) and the DLC chapters, I'm going to ramble about Crosscode C:
This game is really bizarre in the sense that, to be completely 100% honest, there isn't any particular part of the game that I think is all that mind-blowing. But all the individual elements (heh) of the game come together so well that the resulting product ends up being so much stronger and memorable than the sum of its parts.
Like, most indie games have one or several notable flaws or shortcomings (and understandably so) but this game is such an airtight experience that I can't help thinking about it and just being like "the how HECK is this game so GOOD?!"
...I am of course just getting started, I've got a wall of text of things I liked and thought her just "meh" under the 'keep reading' if you're interested (you've been warned (also spoilers obviously)):
The combat is definitely one of the strongest elements of the game and probably one of my personal favorites; its brutally difficult and sometimes feels like bullshit (and maybe there is one or two instances where it actually is just bullshit) but once you get the hang of it is really is flashy and satisfying and makes you feel badass to pull off. Plus its got the whole easy to learn, hard to master thing going on (like most of it is just charging SP and pressing the space bar, but knowing what moves to use and when def play into things).
I dunno how much of a hot take this is, but I really liked the puzzles in this game! I won't deny that they can sometimes drag on and interrupt the pacing of a temple, but personally I didn't mind. And just like the combat they're so well constructed that, while you'll spend minutes staring blankly reminded that you're a simple-minded creature and that the human mind wasn't made for this and you should be foraging for mushrooms in the woods and risking death over your next meal, they rarely feel impossible to solve without having to resort to a playthrough and are really satisfying to finally figure out (not to brag but there was exactly one puzzle in the game where I had to look up the solution and another where I did solve it on my own but then looked it up cause I thought I cheesed it by mistake). At first I wasn't a huge fan of how fast/precise you have to be for some puzzles on top of just finding out the solution in the first place, but after a while you kinda get used to it (and there is an option to slow things down which is really nice of the devs to include).
The story is... pretty alright. Yeah. I honestly don't have much to say about it. Bit of a slow pace, does the job, and has it's share of twists and emotional moments, but the narrative itself doesn't really do anything mind-blowing either so... you know. I definitely think it's the characters themselves that are memorable and prop up an otherwise average story. I mean every single one of them is just the hugest goober and even characters who initially seem forgettable or one-dimensional end up subverting your expectations and being super endearing/compelling/layered. Oh yeah, and Lea is a character that can only say like 10 words and SHE DESERVES THE WORLD I WOULD KILL FOR H-
Also, since the DLC is brand new to me I do wanna say that the ending was the tiniest bit underwhelming. Like you break into Vermillion Wasteland, fight a (surprisingly easy) boss, and that's... just it. Like 20 minutes top. I dunno, it feels like... something was missing. Still thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing and it is nice for the cast to get their happy ending (not quite as emotionally impactful as the base game's end imo, but still great and I'm glad they gave us more time with these dorks).
The platforming and navigating the overworld is tedious, which sucks a bit since that makes up a good chunk of the game. Idk man, having to scale different elevations of platforms is made frustrating by the fixed camera and the fact that the different "levels" of platforms aren't distinct from each other at all, so its easy to get duped by the perspective and jump to something you can't actually reach (yes you can use projectiles to check but it still isn't fun). Even without everything blending into each other visually, trying to find which obscure paths from four rooms ago will bring you to a chest just isn't all that enjoyable (some of the later maps like Sapphire Ridge were okay though, if only cause they started to have actually interesting puzzles to do). Basically they're just... there, between the actually fun stuff.
The trading system and farming for resources is confusing and kind of a chore. That's all I got.
Guess I'll touch on the art/music since I don't have too much to say about them. To be perfectly honest I'm not actually super crazy about the artstyle (blasphemy!), but I won't deny that the sprite-work and overall aesthetic are still super-well done, even if they aren't my personal taste (tl;dr I'm neutral on it). The soundtrack isn't something I'd put on my phone and listen to in the car, but like the art it's still well-made and perfectly suits the mood of/drives the emotional impact of the game, and there are still a handful of standout bangers (Lea's theme will live rent-free in my brain of course).
One last thing I'll say (that I mentioned before) is that as fun as this game is, it feels like a commitment to get through at times. Even when I first played it and had more free time, sometimes this game just felt "imposing" to pick back up after a break. Idk its hard to describe, but at least for me it was hard to play any other games alongside this (especially with my limited free time) which kinda sucked a bit.
To wrap things up, if I had to give the game an arbitrary number rating, I have to give Crosscode a 0/10 because its an indie game that doesn't have a fishing game (smh honestly how could they make such an obvious mistake 😔).
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plothooksinc · 4 months
Note
If you’re still taking prompts for the No Rest For The Weary adjacent fic, can we see the guys’ first trip back to Hueso’s pizzaria? With or without April and Mayhem tagging along?
Also, I just found the series and binged it in like 2 days
I'm glad you enjoyed it, anon! Because I can't shut up, you get the weeks preceding it too-- (Note: if the formatting is wonky I apologise but my first attempt to post it took every single space out, hngngngn) Niño idiota: >> aww dont sweat it bm ill be back to dazzle your customers soon!!   
The message came in at lunchtime, and he didn’t see it until the rush had been and gone.  Hueso scowled down at it as if Leonardo had personally insulted him and tossed it into the corner of the kitchen.  Their first day re-opened was chaotic, with many customers seeking a sense of normalcy or not having access to their usual haunts—he’d like to say he was thinking of them by reopening so quickly, but in all honesty, Hueso was a businessman (and previously a pirate to boot) and knew the best way to recoup his loss from the enforced closure was to take advantage of the mess.  That it was also an excellent way to take stock of who had come through the invasion unscathed had nothing to do with it, of course.
He didn’t get back to his phone until late in the evening, having fielded a number of annoying encounters along with customers over-ordering pizza like the invasion was just taking a brief intermission—and dealing with Hop, who timidly called him to make sure the ‘crazy lady with the knife’ was nowhere in evidence before he dared to front for his shift—and by then he was exhausted.  But Leonardo had messaged him again—with a nonsense string of kissy faces and hearts followed by a row of question marks, and he sighed.  A five year old’s need for validation, honestly.
Hueso: >> 💀💀💀✨✨
The boy seemed like his normal self.  He told himself it was less of a relief and more of an annoying reminder that his break from seeing one of his most destructive customers-slash-temporary-waiters was destined to be a short one.  He should take advantage of it while he could.
He didn’t hear from Leonardo again.
Days later, he attempted a call and found the phone was out of service.
He was not worried.  One of the boys would surely come by for pizza now that he was open and he could make polite inquiries.  Asking after a customer’s health was permissible.
(Michelangelo had said he was recovering.  The phone was purely a coincidence.  Leonardo had merely forgotten to pay his bill like the irresponsible boy he was, or he had been using it before being cleared by doctor’s orders and the phone had been confiscated with great prejudice by his brothers.  That was all.)
--------- 
He did not see a single turtle in his restaurant.  
He did, however, hear from someone else; a phone call that took him by surprise, coming in on the main delivery line and asking to speak to the manager.  He came to the phone already annoyed, anticipating some complaint of my pizza is cold, or your special mystic sauce is flirting with my roommate! (It wouldn’t be the first time.  Sometimes his ingredients were very fresh.)
“This is Senor Hueso and I am busy,” he said curtly.  “Your complaint had best be of a suitably drastic nature.”
There was silence for a moment, and then a woman’s rueful voice.  “Ah.  Welp.  You weren’t a hallucination after all, huh?”
It took him a moment to place her, and then Hueso blinked and retreated into his office, closing the door behind him.  “Mrs O’Neil?”
“Just Carol’s fine,” she said.  “You, uh… I’m just trying to ground myself?  A little?  Things have been weird.”
“And so you decided to call the skeletal owner of a mystic pizzeria to feel normal again,” he said drily.  “I see. It makes perfect sense.”
“You’d be surprised.  Listen, I have two reasons to call—I know you’re busy so I won’t keep you tied up.”
He found he didn’t mind, actually.  It was rare that a human willingly associated with the yokai, though it spoke volumes that the two humans he’d found that would do so were related to each other.  “Go ahead.”
“First was just to, uh, touch base?  And make sure you got my message, and—I meant it.  You helped out a lot.”
“You are welcome, Senora.”  He nearly added any time, but frowned and thought better of it.  Hueso did not wish to encourage anyone to rely on him.  That was foolish.  “And the second?”
There was a brief pause.  When she spoke again, she sounded almost sheepish.  “...yeah.  Uh… it’s another stupid question, probably.”
“Of course.”  He braced himself for another inane question about skeletons.
“Yeah.  Does your, uh… pizzeria… even though we’re human, um—”
He blinked.  
And then, almost against his will, he smiled.  
“Senora, that is a stupid question.  Kindly remember all the times my employees have delivered to your daughter.”
“Oh, thank god.  Or...whatever you guys believe in—”
“Quit while you are ahead, perhaps.”  But now he was outright amused, leaning back in his chair.
“Yeah, noted.  Okay.  So some more spicy chicken…?  Two, I think.  We’re at a hotel right now, will that be a problem?”
“Not at all.  I will pass the order on to the staff.”  He hesitated.  “At a hotel?  Your apartment is a lost cause?”
“For now.  April’s, uh, friends?  Are paying for us to stay here, and I guess they’ll give us the all clear. Hopefully soon.”
Ah.  Sometimes it did, in fact, pay to ask sociable questions.  He leaned forward, voice rising eagerly.  “You have met her friends? The—” Turtle boys.  He stopped himself from saying it, because in all likelihood she had not met them and, annoying though they may be, that was a secret he would keep.
“No.” She paused, and then added shrewdly, “But April is staying with them, and I’m sure she’d have said something if they weren’t doing okay.”
He wasn’t sure April would have said anything at all, actually, given how tight-lipped she’d been on the topic of both mutants and yokai.  But knowing that she was staying with the boys did give him some level of reassurance that they hadn’t just vanished from the face of the earth.  
“Gracias,” he said anyway, and reached for his notepad.  “I had lost contact with them, so was… curious.  Tell me your hotel and room number and I will get your order ready.”
--------- 
His delivery girl came back with a hotel business card in one hand, Carol’s mobile number scrawled on the back, and a brief message:
Just in case. I’ll ask April about them in the meantime xx Carol
Well.  That certainly was an offer.  A perceptive woman, indeed.
He tucked the card into his business card book, face down so the message was hidden.   
--------- 
Perhaps Leonardo was avoiding him.  
The idea filled him with annoyance.  He also knew it was extremely unlikely, but he far preferred this irritating potential reason over anything more serious.  Hueso let himself believe this for a day and a half before he had to acknowledge that, foolish though the boy might be, he would not avoid the pizzeria just because Hueso had made a comment about an extra shift to pay for damages.  He would own up to it, if only to make childish comments about how much Hueso could rely on him and filch extra slices of garlic bread when he thought nobody was looking.  And potentially cause even more damage, because that seemed to be par for the course these days.  
The thought made him smile faintly-- until he realised he was very close to daydreaming about Leonardo accidentally trashing his pizzeria, and he nearly snapped poor Hop’s head off when he fumbled a serving a few moments later.  What a ridiculous thought.  (And he was annoyed at himself, not the staff, so he made sure to let Hop leave a few minutes early as an apology.)
Perhaps Leonardo had attempted to open a portal while concussed and had accidentally stranded himself in some remote farmstead.  That seemed as likely as avoiding him.  Or he had been portal jacked by pirates, and any moment now Piel would open the door to his restaurant and drag the turtle in like some waterlogged kitten, draped in seaweed and clinging to his ridiculous sword and wearing both those ridiculous eyepatches again, good grief what had the boy even been thinking (clearly he hadn’t been) and Leonardo would beam at him and launch into a tale of all the mermaids he’d met and flirted with until Piel dropped him mid-spiel and stormed out again.  
Perhaps he had quite deliberately portalled his family to Tahiti this time to recover in luxury.
...doubtful.
Perhaps…
Perhaps he was thinking about this too much.
Hueso put it aside and went to serve the family of googlyschmootzes that had just arrived and didn’t think about it again.
For a good twenty minutes.
--------- 
He broke.
Hueso: >>Buenas noches, Carol.  Could I ask if you have any word? >>This is Senor Hueso.
Senora O’Neil: >>Evening!  I will see what I can do.  I’m sure they’re fine.
-------- 
They were not fine.
Carol did not text him.  But the following evening, his waitress Gloriana knocked on his office door to tell him that one of the turtle boys had arrived and was asking for him, and he barely let her finish before Hueso was moving past her and through the kitchen at a speed a little too risky for an area full of sharp implements.  
April was at his front counter, peering listlessly at one of the menus, and he took a moment to observe just how tired she looked before he took in the hunched bulk that was Raphael slouching next to her, and he froze.  He already knew April had been injured—had seen her arrive with her face a mess, knew about the attack—but it was the sight of the large snapper that made him feel the first unfamiliar touch of… anger.  
Fear.  
Raphael’s arms were thoroughly bandaged, swathed above his plastron and neck, and his eye was covered in a patch that made him think nonsensically for a moment, ah, so it was pirates after all.  But it was the large chunk missing from the curve of his shell that horrified him, the sight of a near miss that was far above and beyond their usual shenanigans.
They are children, he thought.  This is too much for children.
If Raphael was the only one to visit him, how badly off were the others?
He did not ask.  Instead, Hueso regarded them with a face he hoped was impassive, and tugged the brim of his hat down slightly.  
“I see life has not been kind to you lately,” he said.  “I hope you do not think this entitles you to a discount.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” April said politely, but the knowing smirk that curved onto her exhausted face warned him ahead of time.  “Especially as we’re not here for pizza.”
...ah.  Carol had ratted him out.  Very rude, considering he had not once mentioned he was concerned.  He flicked his gaze to Raph, who gave him a wan smile of his own, blinking slowly with his one good eye as if he were considering going to sleep right there at the counter.  
Hueso sighed.  It wasn’t the end of the world.  
“I suppose you had better come through to my office.”
--------- 
April’s nose was newly bandaged and her bruises were that particular array of colours that always arrived in the process of healing.  That was something, at least, though Hueso couldn’t help but note the smaller bandage patch behind one ear.  She had been hurt more since he last saw her.  Perhaps they all had.  It made him fret over Leonardo’s last message and out of service phone all over again.  
“My doctor insisted on checking it out, but it’s all healing well,” she said, taking the mug of coffee from him. She was sitting on one edge of the worn couch he kept in his office, slouching against its side with a carelessness that made him wonder how long it had been since she’d slept well.  Raphael was taking up the rest of it, sitting there with his hands clasped on his knees and clearly trying not to fidget.
“I did not ask,” Hueso said levelly, and held out another mug to the turtle.  He didn’t seem to notice.
“No, but I ain’t blind,” April retorted.  “Mikey’s right, you are a big softie.”
He sighed.  “A terrible slur upon my reputation.”
“Sure it is.” She grinned over the rim of her mug, and elbowed Raph in the side, who started and then finally noticed Hueso’s outstretched hand.  “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with us.  Right, Raph?”
“Right,” Raph said automatically, taking the mug.  Then he blinked.  “Wait, what?”
Dios mio.  Hueso raised an eyebrow.  “Raphael.  How long has it been since you slept?”
“Uhhh…”
The fact that he trailed off and frowned spoke volumes, and Hueso sighed again.  Well, he hadn’t been fooling them anyway.  Or, at the very least, he hadn’t fooled April.  He turned on his heel and went to the cupboard. “I assume your mother asked you to stop by.”
“You assume right,” she said, relaxing back with her coffee.  “Guess I’m doing a proof of life tour today.  I checked in with her, she asked me to follow up.”
“I see.  I feel you should have left this one home to sleep.”  
Raph frowned at that.  “Yeah, well, this one thought April could do with company.  It’s been a, uh, week.”
That gave him pause.  “Does this ‘a, uh, week’ begin before or after the zombie attack at the O’Neil apartment?”
“Man, don’t ask him to count days at this point,” April said wryly as Raph took on a more confused expression.  “Just assume things have been chaotic as hell since the day the sky opened up and rained bubblegum on us.”
“Such a misleading way to describe an alien invasion.” Hueso snorted, hiding his worry.  Not that it seemed to matter with this company.  “That almost sounds cute.”
“Never had bubblegum in your hair, huh.”
Hueso served her with A Look.  “In my clearly bountiful hair?  No.”
Then he threw a blanket from the cupboard across, hitting Raph in the face, and pointed.  “You, nap.  You.” To April. “Tell me what has happened, and why Leonardo’s phone is out of service.”
Raph blinked as the blanket slid off his face and landed in his lap.  “Wait, it is?”  And he started to fumble for his phone, until April put a hand gingerly on his shoulder.  “April?”
“Yeah, uh, it’s okay,” she said, eyes wide.  “We didn’t know it was out of service, but it makes sense.  I remember the last place he had it.  I think Leo needs a new phone.”
That was at least vaguely reassuring that Leonardo was alive and in need of technology somewhere, but April’s dancing around the point only served to irritate him.  “You are both very tired, it seems, if you did not realise before now.”
“Yeah well, you try dealing with two invasions in the space of a week,” April shot back.  “Leo’s phone getting eaten is kind of less important than, you know, Leo himself.  And Mikey.  And everyone losing their freaking homes and—”
And Raphael put out one of his giant hands to settle her back on the couch before she could get to her feet, grimacing faintly at Hueso, and he put up his skeletal hands in a gesture of apology.  
“I did not mean to imply any stupidity,” he said faintly, reeling a little at the sheer amount he needed to unpack in that small rant.  “I am merely… concerned at how exhausted you are.”  There, now he was being honest.  What was the world coming to?  He didn’t know where to start, so he started with the most bizarre.  “His phone was eaten?”
“It wasn’t me,” Raphael muttered, and April broke into a laugh before she could help herself, slapping a hand over her mouth.  
Hueso texted a message out to his kitchen staff and took a seat, feeling far more brittle than he had a few minutes ago.  Teenagers.  Very tired teenagers.  The laugh had sounded less amused and more borderline hysterical, so when he spoke again, he was as gentle as he could be.
“Perhaps you ought to start from the beginning.”
--------- 
Gloriana knocked on the door ten minutes later with a platter of cheesy bread sticks and spicy meatballs.  By then, April had finished telling him about the attack on the lair, Agent Bishop’s involvement and mistakes, and Leonardo and Michelangelo’s rescue.  The mention of Bishop would have set his hair on end if he had any; he was familiar with the man, given his restaurant straddled the line between the Hidden City and New York, and there had been harassment before certain rules were put in place and Bishop promptly lost interest.  
Raphael had fallen asleep during April’s spiel, and she had tucked the blanket over him without so much as a pause and carried right on, and the practised move was doing something unfortunate to Hueso’s emotions.  Or perhaps that was just the realisation of just how terribly things had gone after Leonardo’s last message to him; how close the family had come to tragedy.  
They were children.  
(Also, Leonardo’s phone being eaten by a possessed train was nowhere on his spiralling bingo card--)
He took the platter with a nod of thanks and closed the door, sliding it onto the coffee table in front of them.  April needed no encouraging and snagged two breadsticks with the flash of a grateful smile.  He sat and politely let her wolf them down before he spoke again.
“They are all right now?”
“Mikey just overextended himself and is sleeping it off,” she said, and he wondered how much of an understatement that was.  He did not pry.  “Leo’s… not doing great, given the timing, but he’ll be okay with time.  Might be a while before he’s back to pester you, though.  Or take any shifts.”
“I will somehow manage without this added disruption in my life,” he said with a straight face.  He was partly relieved; mostly, however, he was quietly calculating just how hurt the boy must be to be gone for a while.  To be taken straight from a hospital bed before he had a chance to recover-- “And you say both of these aliens are now dead, yes?”
“With extreme prejudice,” April said with satisfaction.
“I am sure my customers will be relieved to hear the danger has fully passed, then.”  He sipped his tea.
“Oh yeah, sure.” She grinned at him, snagging another bread stick.  “And I’ll let Leo know you were worried about him.”
He frowned at her over his cup.  “You will not.  He is insufferable enough as it is and I will confess to nothing.”
“Hmm, I dunno…”
“I can still charge you for those bread sticks you are eating.”
“Man, you think my silence can be bought?”   She waved at him with the bread stick in question before biting it in half, and he sighed.
“I was under the impression humans were easily corruptible, yes.” 
“Oh, we totally are.”
The O’Neil women were definitely going to be headaches in his life, weren’t they.  Hueso found he wasn’t particularly annoyed by that fact, but he made sure to sigh again.  It gave him an opening in any case. “Would you like to take some food home with you?  The family must surely be quite exhausted, if they are all dead on their feet like the two of you.”
“That would be amazing and my lips are sealed,” April said sunnily.  “Only can we get stuff that isn’t pizza? We kind of, uh, wanna hold off on that for a bit.  Long story.”
Odd.  But he didn’t care enough to question it.  She had overloaded him with enough stressful exposition already.  “I will put together some other options.  It...may take a while, if you care to rest until it is—”
A green hand landed flat on top of the meatball pile, and they both jumped.  And watched as Raphael grabbed a full handful of meat and shoved it into his mouth, chewing slowly before letting out a snore and sinking back into sleep again.
Well, then.  He was beginning to understand why Raph had defended himself about eating phones.  
“Does he do this often?”
April cackled.
--------- 
Mayhem was in his kitchen.
Having a staring contest with Hop.
Hueso counted to ten.  And then tapped the rabbit yokai politely on the shoulder, pretending he didn’t see the boy jump more than strictly necessary.  “You have work to do.  I will deal with the interloper.”
Hop nodded vigorously and then took off the front counter, stumbling over his own big feet on the way out the door.  Hueso sighed.  And took his place, staring down the tiny yokai with the most unimpressed look he could manage.
Mayhem stared mildly back.
“I am going to put together some pasta and burritos for the Hamatos,” Hueso said finally.  “When I am done, kindly make sure it gets back to wherever they are staying and deposit the two in my office directly into their beds.  Then I will consider us even.”
Mayhem tilted his head as if he couldn’t possibly know what Hueso was talking about; as if the little sneak hadn’t dumped humans in his lap not one week before.  His tail dipped off the ledge he was sitting to wave dangerously close to a pot full of bubbling mince.
Hueso pointed a finger bone at him.  “Do not threaten me, pequeña mierda.  I know where you came from.”
Mayhem stuck his nose in the air and turned away.  But his tail curled around him obediently and his ears twitched back.  
Just so long as they were agreed.
--------- 
April was snoring on top of Raphael when he returned.  He took a picture, careful to cut Raphael out of the shot, and sent it to Carol.
Hueso: >> You told her I was concerned.  A lie and a terrible betrayal.
Carol’s response took a while in coming.  He wondered if she was laughing at him.
Mrs O’Neil: >> Which is it? 👀 A lie or a betrayal it can’t logically be both 
Hueso: >> We will have words about this later.  For now, I am sending your daughter home to bed.
Mrs O’Neil: >> Gracias, Senor.  
--------- 
Knowing the family were okay did set his mind at ease somewhat.  His restaurant seemed much quieter without the turtles coming through, but it wasn’t as if Run of the Mill was a picture of serenity without them.  Not with his customer list including mob bosses and smugglers and the occasional pirate, but largely his customers knew very well to treat his restaurant with respect and cause no issues (providing, of course, he did not double-book certain parties ever again.)  
Life settled into some semblance of normal over the next week as the invasion became more distant; for the majority of the yokai it had been merely a source of hushed gossip, trapped as they were quite safely in the Hidden City’s lockdown.  (Hueso was under no illusions.  If the invasion had not been halted on the surface, the Krang would have found them all eventually.  He kept that to himself.)
Carol messaged him some days later, minutes after closing, and he glanced down at the message and couldn’t help his faint huff of amusement:
Carol: >> YOU DIDN’T SAY HER FRIENDS WERE GREEN >> also thank you for the complimentary cheesecake how did you know
Hueso: >> I didn’t say they were human, either. >> I have my ways. You can work them out yourself I’m sure.
Carol: >> A lie and a terrible betrayal!!! >> You saw the delivery address.  More stupid questions?
Hueso: >> I do not think that is the clever retort you think it is.  I neither lied nor betrayed.  I am an honest man* >> * Terms and conditions apply >> Also yes, but you are welcome.  Your home is intact?
Carol: >> For the most part.  Some minor repairs needed.  >> The boys are fine.  I only met one, but he’s charming in an awkward sort of way.  They’re coming for dinner next week!
Ah.  Hueso closed the door to his office, leaning against it, and felt… lighter.  That was promising.  In more ways than one.  If the boys were going to a family dinner, they were okay.  And Carol had met a turtle and invited him to dinner.  Truly, a unique human being.  He suspected he was going to enjoy their conversations.
(He wondered if she threatened the turtle with a knife first.)
Hueso: >> All of them?
Carol: >> As far as I know.  Does that help?  Would you like me to pass on a message?
“Like you did last time?” he muttered.  But he appreciated the offer even so.
Hueso: >> That is quite all right.  If they are well enough for dinner, I’m sure I will be seeing them myself sometime soon.  Gracias.
He saw the dots come up and vanish again, then reappear, and he waited patiently.  
Carol: >> You’re welcome 🥰
He wondered what she had been typing.  But his curiosity was only mild, and it had been a long day; Hueso collected his briefcase, checked in with the closing staff, and made his way home in a surprisingly good mood.  
--------- 
The following weekend, he woke to find she had sent him a picture.  He opened it over breakfast and promptly spat milk across the table.  
It was a picture of April, holding up her phone with a wide grin, her camera panned back to catch Donatello perched on the back of a couch like a menacing and mildly deranged vulture.  Those strange machine hands of his were extended down with markers in their pincers, scrawling on the side of a sleeping Leonardo’s face.  Michelangelo was leaning over one side of the couch with a marker in his hands but it looked like he was laughing too much to contribute, and he could just see Raphael—a much less exhausted and less bandaged Raphael, for which he was quietly relieved—looking at the camera with a grin and gesturing at his brothers, his mouth smeared with… chocolate?  That was probably chocolate--
Carol: >> Proof of life 🎊🎊
Hueso: >> A terrible invasion of their privacy.  
Carol: >> I’m innocent!  My daughter is the fiend here.  You don’t hae to worry, I didn’t say a word >> *have
If Leonardo was sleeping at this dinner, he was still healing—but clearly in safe territory, if his brothers were… well.  Being brothers.  He’d certainly woken up several times as a child to find his bones decorated in all kinds of rude messages.  Hueso grimaced at the memory and took a closer look.  
The boy had lost weight.  Not enough to be frightening; enough that Hueso contemplated whether he could get away with inflicting more food on them without the repercussions of Leonardo’s smarmy grin and assumptions.  Probably not.  Besides, he had faith that Carol would have fed them well and Michelangelo was an excellent chef in his own right.  He was not needed here.
Hueso: >> Gracias. >> Is it all right if I print this?
Carol: >> You may do with it what you like.  April knew what she was doing.
Like mother, like daughter.  The girl was a menace.  But in this case… he smiled and tucked back into his breakfast, wiping up the spilled milk with a napkin.  April was all right.  He would have to let her know that her family was welcome at his pizzeria, provided they were not easily shocked by some of his clientele.
--------- 
Carol🗡️: >> Maybe a quieter night.  Do you have quiet nights?
Hueso: >> First Wednesday of the month is Human Night Out.  It only attracts the younger yokai.
Carol🗡️: >> Sounds ominous.  Human Night Out?
Hueso: >> Wherein we hide all traces of the Hidden City and pretend we are a human pizzeria.  There are costumes.
Carol🗡️: >> ...that’s actually something yokai are interested in?
Hueso: >> You don’t have theme nights in your own restaurants?  The younger yokai are fascinated by humans.  The older… not so much.  It is quieter.  There are ‘exotic’ dishes which I think you would find fairly mundane.    The yokai would think you were just in disguise.
Carol🗡️: >> Okay that’s amazing.  Don’t you lose money though?
Hueso: >> Not when people pay a premium for the exotic dishes.
Carol🗡️: >> I detect a con.
Hueso: >> I’m sure I have no idea what you mean.  Booking for 7pm?
Carol🗡️: >> We’ll be there.  I’ll review your exotic dishes.
Hueso: >> I’ll give you a discount for your first time if you review them positively.
Carol🗡️: >> We’ll see 😁
--------- 
[unknown number] >> I know I know youve been so worried about me I amhere 
Hueso: >> New phone, who is this
Niño idiota: >> Ohohoho OUCH we gotta work on ur meme skills u did it wrong
Hueso: >> I’m sure I don’t care.
Niño idiota: >> well when u decide u do care as u inevinnev something something do its ‘new phone who dis’
Hueso: >> ‘inevitably’.
Niño idiota: >> that’s what i said >> anyway sorry i was out of touch i lost my phone??  prolly left it somwhere u know how it is >> I owe u a shift just lmk when
Hueso is typing… Hueso is typing…
Niño idiota: >> did I break u with like responsibillity want me to be an idiota just to balance things??
Hueso: >> I will not need anyone for a few weeks.  But do not think you are off the hook.  I am sure I can find something tedious for you to do. >> You are already an idiot no need to rub it in.
Niño idiota: >> u love me and u know it
Hueso: >> Debatable.
Niño idiota: >> Debatable!!!  thats not a no u no
Hueso: >> Get some sleep and learn to spell.  I am busy.
Niño idiota: >> ✨🎊👏👏😘😊😏 >> in that order or
> Read 3.48pm
Niño idiota: >> you leave idiota on read???  rude tbh jail bla bla bla >> 🥺🥺🥺 >> 😎see u soon✨
--------- 
“—get it, but I wish you’d told me before this!”  The voice was whining and petulant and very, very familiar. He felt a Pavlovian sense of annoyance rise up almost as fast as the sheer relief, and Hueso opened the kitchen door a crack to peer out.  
Sure enough, there they were.  Finally.  Leonardo was leaning against the closest booth to the alleyway portal, but he was on his feet and that was good enough.  Michelangelo was latched onto one arm and Hueso couldn’t tell if it was clingy affection or for extra stability.  Perhaps both.  Leonardo’s pout was ridiculously overdramatic, which told Hueso the boy was perfectly fine with whatever he hadn’t been told, and if he had eyes, he would roll them.  Teenagers. 
“Sorry, Leo, we kinda forgot.”  Raphael rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.  The eye patch was gone with no sign of wounds beneath.  “It was a spur of the moment thing, but the kid’s never had pizza, so—”
“Nah, I get it,” Leo said, waving his free hand.  “But I’m totally complaining about this injustice for the rest of the night, just so you know.”
“Oh nooo, a surprise no one could have foreseen, however will we manage your-- oh wait, I have headphones.” Donatello, moving around them with a look of complete disinterest and his phone in his hand.  
There.  All four of them.  
Hueso breathed.  Hop had already picked up his notebook and was rounding the counter; he managed to catch him by the shoulder before Hop could get further (another jump, were all rabbit yokai so anxious or just this one?) and took the notebook from him, gesturing with his bony chin toward the kitchen.  The message was clear:  trade places.  
Then he waited until all four were seated—pretended he wasn’t paying attention to the way Michelangelo helped Leonardo into the booth—and sauntered over, the picture of nonchalance, grateful that his voice was dry as the desert when he spoke.  “Ah, my most destructive customers.  I thought it had been quiet around here.”
Donatello didn’t even look up from his phone, which was the very picture of normal for him.  But the other three did, with Raphael and Michelangelo throwing him cheerful smiles.  Leonardo lit right up with a flash of teeth in a smug grin that said he was about to say something incredibly obnoxious.  Good.  Business as usual.  Even if he wasn’t currently flailing at Hueso with his usual dramatics, which he suspected meant the boy was still sore, at the very least.  
“Bone man!”  Leonardo beamed, then sprawled in the booth with a barely-there wince, propped up by his little brother.  “Toldja it’d be soon.  Miss me?”
“Yes,” he said flatly.  “But my aim is getting better.”
Donatello snorted at his screen, and Leonardo made a face.  “Seriously?  That’s like… so old, you need to hang around someone younger with better jokes—”
“Someone like you, perhaps?”  Hueso pinned him with a look, tapping his notebook.  “You seem to have forgotten where I heard that from in the first place.”
“Memory issues,” Michelangelo said solemnly, pushing Leonardo delicately upright again.  “Concussions will do that to ya.”
Hueso raised the notebook to hide his smile as Leonardo shot him a betrayed look.  “You told him?”
“I’m sorry, was that meant to be a secret?”  Donatello glanced up finally.  “We’ve been incommunicado for weeks after an invasion and he called you while you were sleeping it off.  What do you think we told him?”
“I told him, technically,” Michelangelo said cheerfully, “But it’s okay, Leo!  I didn’t tell him anything else! Pinky promise.”
Raphael raised a hand sheepishly.  “Yeah, uh, but April and Raph might’ve...”
Leonardo’s expression flickered from surprised to guilty to mildly distressed before it settled on the sulkiest frown he’d seen on the boy yet.  “Well, that’s not fair.  I was gonna like… derail him with tales of our epic adventures and everything, and you beat me to it.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘regale’, Nardo.”  
“Derailing may still happen,” Hueso said dryly, tapping his finger bones on the edge of the table to get their attention back.  “If you intend to continue this fascinating conversation rather than order your food?”
“Hah,” Leonardo muttered.  “That’s totally what I meant—”
“Hush up,” Michelangelo said, leaning past him.  “I’m hungry.  Can I get the mystic lasagna?”
He took their orders after that, watching them carefully as they talked.  Raphael’s eye was a little red, but was tracking correctly and obviously focused.  A good sign, he hoped.  Donatello seemed utterly like his normal self, and Michelangelo was wearing what seemed to be compression gloves.  Leonardo… was still thin, and looked very tired, but Hueso had seen him far more exhausted.  There were splashes of vivid colour creeping over the top of his shell which he couldn’t help but stare at, trying to work out what they were.  
Leonardo tilted his head at the curiosity, and then smiled more genuinely, twisting slightly so that Hueso could get a better look.  “Like it?  My little brother is awesome, as usual.”
“And don’t you forget it,” Michelangelo huffed, but he was grinning as Hueso stared at the beautifully painted marigolds, petunias, and tulips winding their way across Leonardo’s shell.  
The boy was an impressive artist; not just for the careful love and detail on such an unusual surface, but the way he’d crafted his art to disguise injury.  Because Hueso had to pay very close attention to see the repair job to the shell beneath.  
The damage had been… extensive.  He’d thought Raphael’s shell had been bad; no wonder he had been incommunicado for so long.  
Leonardo’s smile shifted strangely on his face, and he sounded almost uncertain.  “What do you think?”
Ah.  It was hard to translate what Leonardo really wanted to hear.  But given the way Michelangelo had gone so far to hide this injury… he leaned back again, humming thoughtfully.  “I think the next time I would like new art for the restaurant, I should see if your brother is free.  It may perhaps be a less destructive option than waiting tables.”
Leonardo grinned in pride as Michelangelo brightened next to him.  “Really?  I would love to do some art for you, Senor Hueso!  I could bring my portfolio next time!”
“You have a portfolio?” Raphael looked confused.  “Wait, what’s a portfolio?”
“It’s a port just for me, duh,” Leo drawled, and then reeled back as Donatello threw a wad of napkins into his face.  “Hphh!”
“That was terrible and you know it.”
“It was pretty great, actually.”  Leonardo spat a piece of napkin at him and smiled lazily.  “You’re just jealous I thought of it first.”
Donatello resolutely ignored him and turned to Raphael.  “It’s a collection of sample works that illustrate an artist’s skill and range.”
...had they forgotten he was here?  Typical.  He coughed loudly, and watched them all swivel back to him attentively.  “Yes, bring your portfolio.  I suppose I am interested.  The flowers look very lovely.”  He paused, but in the end he couldn’t resist.  “Though it does make you look like you’re about to be thrown at a wedding.”
“Sounds like a fun sport,” Donatello drawled.  “Let’s get Kendra married off so we can bowl Leo at her bridal party.  If she has enough friends for that.”
“Can—can we wait until he can survive that first, Raph would like not to panic all over again—” 
“Why should Leo get all the fun?  I’m the small one, let me be the bouquet!”  Michelangelo had literal stars in his eyes.  “I’d love to be a bunch of flowers.”
“Yeah, but you can hardly paint your own back, Miguel.”
“Challenge accepted.  This bitch yeet!”
“Okay, one:  language, and two:  even Raph knows that’s not how it goes—”
“What’s wrong with yeet?”
“Leonardo--”
Maybe he shouldn’t have made the joke.  Hueso sighed heavily, and this time it didn’t stop them from continuing on with... apparently inventing a brand new hobby.  Teenagers.  But lively ones, and he would rather they were here giving him a headache than go through the weeks of quiet that had preceded this one.  
“I’ll take your orders to the kitchen,” he said, and turned on his heel.
“Hey, wait—”
There was a tug on his sleeve, and he turned in surprise to find Leonardo half out of the booth and trying to keep his balance; Michelangelo had an arm wrapped around him to stop him falling, but was still arguing with the others.  Apparently he’d lunged to get Hueso’s attention without thinking it through.  Good grief.  He stepped forward and put his bony hand under Leonardo’s elbow, gently pushing him back into his seat.
“Do not do that again,” he said quietly, and Leonardo made a sheepish face.
“Sorry.  I just wanted to, uh…”
He trailed off.  Hueso raised an eyebrow and waited patiently until he glanced away.
“Did we worry you?”
What an odd question.  Or rather, what an odd delivery.  He would have expected Leonardo to be smug, taking it as proof of their friendship, but Leonardo seemed more anxious about the prospect.  And Hueso thought back to their text conversation.  To the boy’s completely nonchalant dismissal of his silence and missing phone.
“Only a little,” he said, voice mild.  “In truth, I was more impressed by the tale.  One could say that you and your brothers acted like…”  
And Hueso smiled.  Pointedly. 
“...champions.”
Leonardo mouthed the word back in confusion, before realisation lit his face.  Hueso took advantage of the pause to move away, heading for the kitchen with his notebook, listening briefly to the conversation behind him--
“Raph!  Raph!  Hey, gimme a lift, I need to go check the Wall of Champions—”
Hueso vanished into the kitchen and passed off their order to his kitchen hands.  He only had two photos of the boys, after all.  One was still quite firmly pinned to the Maze of Death cheaters wall.  The other--
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?”
His staff shrank back; both at the yell and at Hueso’s wide grin, which admittedly looked downright unnerving on a living skeleton, he could admit--
“Omigosh we’re champions!”
“With this photo!?  YOU’RE DRAWING ON MY FACE!”
“Well, someone had to.  I, at least, look suitably championlike—”
“You look like a deranged gremlin is what you look like.  Couldn’t he, like, edit out the chocolate first?”
“I mean, it could be worse, Leo!  We could have been drawing something that wasn’t PG-13.”
“Where’s April?  I’m gonna kill her.” Leonardo was wailing.  “She sent this to Hueso!?”
Hueso swept through the kitchen and into his office, shutting the door behind him so that nobody could hear him laugh.
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mj-iza-writer · 5 months
Text
SP Special Containment part 4. Human Weapons Whumpee
If you want to get a reminder of how this story is going or need to be caught up, use the hashtag #sp special containment. I'm sorry this has taken so long to post.
The director gave an odd look when Caretaker, Agent Mcgee, and Andy entered their office. He eyed the ice pack.
"It didn't go well I take it", the director sighed.
"Aramais threw slippers at my head, and I had to be rescued", Andy sat in a chair.
Mine threw her lunch at the cameras and told me to leave before they lost it", Agent McGee leaned against the wall.
"Whumpee said my heart was beating out of my chest", Caretaker sat in a different chair, "they get spooky when they know something isn't right."
"You didn't tell them anything?", the director sat back.
"I didn't have time too, she said I smelt like secrets, and needed to leave", McGee frowned.
Caretaker sighed, "I told them I wasn't at liberty to talk about it, they shut down completely, and had no interest in me."
"I made a mistake and left the speaker on while we talked. Aramais knows something is up. He is demanding a meeting with you and the other two weapons to be present. He says he wants you to tell them that they shouldn't know what's going on. He gave a warning that a cornered weapon is a very dangerous thing to play with", Andy paused, "he is refusing to eat until you talk to them."
The director groaned, "great."
"We have decided this is far to dangerous for them and us", Caretaker spoke up, "I suggest you explain to them what is going on."
The director sighed, "can we force feed Aramais."
"If you want to try be my guest, I'm not getting anywhere close to him to force a tube up his nose", Andy looked at him angrily, "I took slippers to the head. You need to talk to them now."
The director eyed the three of them, "okay fine, bring them to the board room. Let's get this over with. Each of you bring two guards with you as well. We've never had them together in a room before, I don't know how this will go. I'll be in shortly."
They all grabbed the wheelchairs and went to get their human weapons.
Andy peaked into Aramais's room.
"I don't have the slippers, what did the director say?", Aramais frowned.
Andy pulled in the wheelchair, and grinned.
"Well, first they mentioned to force feed you, but I told them not in a million years am I attempting that", Andy locked the chair into place, "they have okayed a meeting, the other two are being grabbed right now."
Aramais stood and walked to the chair, "full offense, the director sound like an idiot."
"We were joking saying we should have them take care of you three for three separate days", Andy started to strap in, "tell you guys to be on your worst behavior."
"I'd do it, I'd chuck the slippers at him", Aramais waited patiently as he was strapped in, "speaking of, can I wear those please, my feet are cold."
"I'd record the whole thing in the monitor room to watch later", Andy laughed as he put the slippers on Aramais.
Aramais looked around as he was wheeled to the board room.
"I think this is my first time out of that room", Aramais sighed.
"You were considered high risk do to your rank", Andy stated as they wheeled the chair down the hall close to the room, "you were supposed to be given two caregivers actually, but one of them didn't make the cut. You seemed to like me enough that they left it at one."
"You didn't annoy me that's all", Aramais muttered, "plus you're good to me, and I appreciate that."
Andy saw the room ahead, "here we are. I enjoy taking care of you if that helps."
Aramais nodded, "thankyou, I appreciate you taking care of me."
They entered the room.
"Oh no, you're here", Aramais laughed, "who let Jaimie in?"
"I was about to say the same thing", Jaimie smirked.
"Is this a problem?", Agent Mcgee jumped up, "we've never had you three together, and we are a bit on edge."
The guards also stood at the ready.
"No, we just like to pick at each other", Aramais laughed, "Jaimie and I were classed in the same level so we were teamed up quite a bit, we're friendlies."
Jaimie nodded, "it was for our entertainment, and it annoyed our trainers."
Caretaker rushed in, "sorry we're late, Whumpee wasn't wanting to come out at first, then they wanted to look out a window for a few minutes."
"We have Whumpee here to", Aramais grinned.
"Is that okay?", Andy sighed.
"Everyone gets along with Whumpee", Jaimie smiled.
"I had no idea it was you two that were being held here", Whumpee smiled.
"They've been keeping secrets", Aramais stated, then eyed someone as they walked in, "I bet you that person is the reason", Aramais whispered.
"Good we are all here", the director smiled weakly, ignoring Aramais' comment.
Caretaker, Mcgee, and Andy stood behind their charges as the director climbed up the podium steps.
"Hmph", Aramais sighed.
"I'm sorry?", the director looked at Aramais.
"I don't think you are in any position to stand above us and talk down to us, any of us, our caretakers and the guards even", Aramais stated in annoyance, "I know only one of us has actually seen you. You haven't earned any of our respect, and you're keeping secrets."
The director sighed, "you're a hard one, so the rumors are true."
"Not hard, just not a pushover", Aramais came back, "you have to earn my respect. Just like Andy did."
The director stepped down from the podium, "very well, your point is made clear."
Jaimie grinned.
"So we might as well get right to it. I didn't want anything said until it was fully confirmed, as in people are triple checking paperwork. Their is a chance one of the trainers evaded capture, and we don't know where they are", the director glanced at each one of them, "we didn't want to make you three uneasy. Especially if there was an error."
Aramais frowned at the news. He glanced at Jaimie, then at Whumpee.
"Who is it?", Aramais looked back at the director.
"It's uh, it's Whumpee's trainer", the director looked down, "I'm sorry, all of the holding facilities are on high alert. We started the moment we found out."
Whumpee gulped loudly.
Aramais and Jaimie both looked at Whumpee.
"That's a problem, a very big problem", Aramais gritted their teeth, "he was one of the harshest trainers their, Mitch was a living weapon himself. He was above my level even."
The director sighed, "that's why I didn't want you to know, I'm hoping it was an error."
"You don't make errors", Whumpee almost whispered, their mouth dry, "it's not an error."
"Whumpee?", Aramais frowned.
"He's here already", Whumpee looked down, "I haven't said anything as I thought it was my imagination."
"We don't know that", the director stepped toward Whumpee.
"I've seem him, I've smelt him", Whumpee squeezed their eyes, "they're here."
"You know for sure", Jaimie looked at Whumpee.
"Yes, the day in the cafeteria. Right before the sedative took affect, I saw him, I thought it was because of my blackout, my brain was imagining him", Whumpee looked at the director in tears, "he wears a guards uniform."
"You smelt him even", Caretaker leaned over the wheelchair, "are you sure?"
"Yes", Whumpee cried out, "I know that scent."
"You weren't going to tell us", Aramais looked back at the director, "you were just going to let this slide, and while you did that Whumpee was being targeted."
The director couldn't even speak, 'what now?', was his only thought. A lump sat in his throat as he watched Whumpee fighting panic mode. 'WHAT NOW?'
Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all. @villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived @sacredwrath @porschethemermaid @monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz @bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13
SP Special Containment tags. @written-by-jayy @notpeppermint
Thankyou to those who gave me a push to finish this. Part 5 is in the works and hopefully won't take two months. I hope you enjoyed.
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maskedtruths666 · 2 years
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Short story.
This will be a two or three part series. This story is entirely fictional. Theme was submitted by a fan. Final year uni student decides to make money by being a teaching assistant to a hot up and coming professor from overseas.
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Elizabeth was a final year student in a local uni and as her education draws to a close, she needed to make some extra cash for the potential months of unemployment ahead. She got her chance when the school offered her a teaching assistant (TA) job for $50/hour and sessions last been 2-3 hours daily. On average, that meant that she’d make at least $500 extra a week.
She managed to get a TA position with a new professor that taught sociology and that is something she’s always scored well in. When she first saw her teacher, she had a crush on him. He’s tall, handsome, has a commanding voice and dresses extremely well.
“Hi prof, my name is Elizabeth and I’ll be your teaching assistant for the rest of the year.” Elizabeth said as she confidently introduced herself to him.
“Hi Elizabeth, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Marco and I hope we can get along in the next couple of months.” Marco said as he reached out to give her an Italian greeting by pecking her on both cheeks.
That simple encounter left Elizabeth feeling electrified and left her wanting more. Something primal in her awoken.
The first few weeks went by pretty fast and Elizabeth’s crush grew deeper and deeper. She knew it was wrong but she fantasized about Marco whenever her boyfriend fucked her and she started making him dress like Marco.
Little did she know, Marco too had a thing for her. He always saw Elizabeth in school and dressed well. She knew how to flaunt her curves and being a single expat in a new country, he always wanted to try a local girl. He’s seen his fair share of hot students but none like Elizabeth.
“Are you free after this? Want to grab a coffee before your class starts?” Marco asked Elizabeth as they wrapped up their class.
“Sure, I’d love to. I have time to burn anyway.” Elizabeth said, clearly lying because she had to rush off for her next class.
Marco knew he wanted to ask her out the moment he saw her outfit. It gave him a huge boner and he just wanted to spend time with her so he could take sneaky pictures of her and jerk off to them.
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At the coffee place, they both started chatting like friends instead of a student teacher relationship.
“Hey, do you mind if I ask for your IG? I know it’s not professional but I feel like I want to get to know you more, so we can bond further.” Marco asked, but deep down he already found out her IG and has already started fapping to her pictures.
“Sure, of course.” Elizabeth replied, flattered by the interest from Marco.
“Wow, you’re famous. And you have a fantastic dress sense.” Marco commented upon seeing her IG for the “first time”.
“Oh that’s nothing. Sex sells and guys like to see such things. But in reality, I’m just a potato.” Elizabeth answered.
“Oh no, please never say that. You’re an absolutely stunning individual and your dress sense portrays your confidence and if you’ve got it, flaunt it.” Marco replied, his hand reaching out to touch her hand, comforting her and reassuring her.
“Oh you’re sweet. And I appreciate it.” Elizabeth replied, blushing.
“Pose for me. I want to post an IG story and poll it. Just want to show you how amazing you are.” Marco said, disguising his intent to take a new cleavage picture of her for fapping purposes.
“Awww, that’s very sweet of you.” Elizabeth said as she posed for him.
“You look great. If you have a bf, he’s sure to be a lucky guy.” Marco said, trying to find out if she’s single.
“Oh yes, he compliments me every day. One of the reasons why I love him.” Elizabeth replied.
“That’s cute. Anyway, I’ve taken too much of your time. You should head to class.” Marco replied, wanting to quickly head to the toilet to jerk off to the 7 sexy pictures he got of her.
“Actually, I missed my class. I wanted to spend time with you.” Elizabeth said, feeling a bit guilty.
“That’s not right. You should never skip class for me. You can always have me after class. Now, follow me.” Marco said, stunned but secretly happy.
They walked in silence to his office and he said, “Sit down. We are going to revise what you’re supposed to have learnt today. If you get any questions wrong, you’ll be punished. But for every correct question, you’ll be rewarded.”
“Yes prof. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” Elizabeth said as she excitedly awaited the quiz because she was very sure she’d get all correct.
Alas, she did. She got full marks and that left Marco very impressed.
“How shall I reward you?” Marco asked.
“I want to jerk you off with my tits.” Elizabeth said, leaving Marco turned on but shocked.
“What?” Marco asked, shocked, but getting a boner.
“I’ve seen you stare multiple times. You know you want it. I know I want it. You said you’d reward me. This is ,y reward.” Elizabeth said, as she inched towards him to unzip his pants.
As she did, out popped his huge dick. She stroked it and said, “Everything but penetrative sex. Those are my rules.”
“Ugh fuck, this feels so wrong but it feels so good too.” Marco grunted as Elizabeth started sucking his cock.
After it was lubricated with her saliva, she poured some lube down her chest and tightly wrapped her tits around his cock. She started jerking his cock off using her tits and talked dirty to him, trying to get him to cum faster.
“Prof, did you know how many times I’ve fantasized about you? Especially when my bf fucks me.” Elizabeth said, looking up at his eyes.
“I’ve wanted you to spank my ass whenever I make a mistake marking the papers with you.”
“I’ve wanted to suck your dick or tease you with sexy pictures whilst you’re teaching.”
“I’ve wanted you to put a vibrator in me and tease me for the whole 3 hours when you’re teaching.”
“I wanted you to titty fuck me and blast your cum all over my chest before lesson. I hear post nut clarity is amazing.”
“I want you to remember that only I have the best tits and my tits can get you off.”
The more she talked dirty, the harder Marco got. He was in heaven. His cock was being squeezed by her huge tits. Within minutes, he was about to cum.
“Ugh fuck Elizabeth. I’m about to cum. I’ve never had a titty fuck before but your tits are amazing.” Marco groaned, trying to contain his climax.
“Of course you haven’t. I will control all your orgasms from now on.” Elizabeth said as she titty fucked hi, faster and harder.
Within seconds, Marco couldn’t control it and he unleashed a hot load of cum all over her chest.
“Oh god, that was fucking amazing.” Marco said breathlessly, enjoying the release.
Elizabeth winked at him before licking his dick clean, tempting him further.
Part 1 done. How much more orgasms will Marco get? Will he have sex with Elizabeth? Stay horny to find out more.
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highfantasy-soul · 1 month
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NATLA Episode 8 - Legends (4/4)
[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]
Of course, full spoilers ahead.
<previous
I think the live-action show wraps up the season a lot better than the animated show did. The animated show just…ends with no dialogue between the Gaang, no momentum forward for the next season. Aang just turns back into himself, hugs Katara, and the three of them stare out over the water, the battle won. There's no lingering on the cost, there's no decisions for the future, it's just…over. I like that the live-action has them grapple with what just happened, process the battle and the losses and how it's not going to end. We see the actual loss from the battle - there's none of that in the animated show. We see Hahn's body, the body of the young waterbender who called Katara master, and we get to see Aang's horror at the violence of war (and what the Avatar state can do) now, right after it happened rather than just ending on the 'high' of him defeating everyone and saving the trauma for next season.
We reiterate the arcs of the season: we can't run away from the pain of war, all we can do is keep fighting for a better future. Sokka's worth isn't in his fighting ability but in his heart and using every aspect of his being to help out. Katara is growth and change and standing up for what's right even when the whole world tells her no - and reminding others of those truths too. And above all, they're going to lean on each other to help save the world - they don't have to do it alone.
Again, we have Katara herself being the one to change Pakku's mind, not some connection with a past love, but Katara and her showing him by her actions and arguments that she was right. Love that he offers her a place helping train new waterbenders, recognizing that she has things to teach that no one else knows - but she turns it down because her place is beside Aang for now. They've got a journey to complete.
The scene with Zuko and Iroh is pulled right from the animated and it's another instance of them knowing exactly what to keep the same - but this time, I feel like Zuko is even MORE tired than in the animated show. This really does leave his path forward more open than it was in the animated series. While his father hasn't outright said he can never return, even if he gets the Avatar, Zuko is now questioning if Zhao was right and what he should do if he is. I think that season 2 can open very similarly to the animated series and I'm looking forward to how they do that.
This final scene with the Gaang is a wonderful summation of the season: this war isn't Aang's fault - death and pain are going to keep coming as long as the fire nation can act with impunity, so Aang needs to let go of the past (not let it paralyze him with the fear that it'll happen again) and take steps toward building a better future. Learn the elements, master the Avatar state, and take down the Fire Lord.
Their little banter right at the end was so cute!!!! Sokka talking about food, Katara judging him for it, Aang joking around - perfect Gaang dynamic there. I love that that's the last thing we see of our protagonists this season: not some epic inspiring speech or act, but just three friends bantering as they get ready to take on an insurmountable challenge - a lighthearted moment after all that darkness.
The stinger of the Fire Nation is a great way to set up next season and the specific challenges the Gaang will face. The full circle strategy of drawing the attention to one place while really attacking to debilitate another was such an awesome callback to Sozin's plan with the Air Nomad invasion. Ozai, I think, is playing it even more intricately. He sets many pieces out on the board and even though he has a feeling certain ones will succeed while others fail, the 'weaker' options still have the change of surprising him.
Ozai says it was always a long shot that Zhao could take the North, but Zhao almost surprised him with his ingenuity of the 'killing the moon spirit' plan. Not that it worked out for him, but there was at least a chance it could have worked. Ozai really sent Azula out to take Omashu - the target that had a greater chance to fall than the entire Northern Water Tribe and gave that plan the best chance to succeed - and it did. He's playing the same game with Azula herself and Zuko - he has a feeling Azula is going to be the one to come out on top, so he waters her the most and gives her the greater resources and tasks that have a chance of success, but he's still waiting to see if all the games and hitting of pressure points sparks something in Zuko that will make him claw to the tops of the ranks. He's the underdog, but I don't believe Ozai has counted him entirely out of the running yet.
I think next season can pick up pretty much the same place the animated series did: Ty Lee at the circus now that Azula is off in the world doing things, Mai and her family taking over Omoshu as 'New Ozai', and Azula sent off into the world to collect Zuko and bring him home since his quest hasn't borne any fruit. Then the Gaang hanging out and training Aang with waterbending and then off to find Aang an earthbending teacher. I think there's also a good chance they'll seed in something of a Jong Jong episode where Aang will attempt firebending as well and include some of the other storylines that didn't make it into season 1. I'll write another post about the storylines cut and why I think that might have been as well as a post about storylines they added.
Overall, I think they did a really great job adapting the animated series to this new format. They deepened a lot of things I thought were glossed over in the animated series (Iroh's past as a general and the loss of characters we got to know and like) and added some really great threads such as Katara's waterbending journey being fully linked to the fire nation trying to destroy her culture and the death of her mother, Sokka learning how to be a whole person and not deny parts of himself just because 'traditional masculinity' is what he thought was needed in this time of war, and Aang really taking the time to grapple with coming to terms with the past and stepping into the future to take his place as the Avatar.
I think they kept the hearts of the characters the same - I genuinely believe they kept Katara's anger and fire (but added more layers to it which I think added depth, it didn't 'water it down'), Sokka's unhealthy relationship with non-traditional masculinity and needing to be in charge added realism and a deeper story than just flat, 2000's sexism, and I love love love how we got to see more of Gyatzo and Aang's relationship heightening Aang's desire to keep the Air Nomad traditions of diplomacy, non-violence, and open friendship alive like he wants to in the animated show.
Aang truly is the Avatar needed for this time. He brings joy and the belief that people are, at heart, good back to a world that has been suffering through a 100 year war.
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amuhav · 10 months
Text
Get to Know Me - Sims Style
tagged by @dandylion240 (if anyone else did too I’m sorry, I’m not seeming to get notifs for tags rn???)
tagging @keibea​ because we need more TS3 rep in tag games like this tbh.
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What’s your favorite Sims death?
Old age. Because it means my sim actually made it that far and I just love seeing their life play out. Some of the more quirky, simsy ones are great though. Death by Jellybean or Cowplant come to mind lol.
Alpha CC or MaxisMatch?
I... really don’t like the TS4 MM aesthetic 😅 I really don’t like the clay hair look for my own sims, though think some people do wonderful things with it, and I do like certain Maxis Mix styles, good skin details with clay hair, certain stylised MM styles etc. but the default TS4 clay look is literally why I never moved over to TS4 in the first place, and it took too long for the Alpha scene to really take off in the beginning, so by the time there was enough CC for me to feel I would ever want to jump in, it felt too overwhelming to even try moving to essentially a new medium.
For TS3... I also am not a huge fan of the straight “MM” look either, though I think the distinction is less prominent as it is in TS4. You can easily make most “MM” stuff fit in an “alpha” game simply because they aren’t usually full-on clay the way TS4 MM is, they’re just not quite as detailed as full “alpha” CC. Whereas the other way around isn’t quite as true, intricately detailed alpha stuff might look out of place if most of your other content is vanilla or MM. So I think as well as preferring the aesthetic, I like the flexibility a more “alpha” leaning style can bring.
Do you cheat your sims weight?
Storywise, characters are obviously whatever size I make them lol. 
Uh. I don’t know about weight, because I don’t think any of my sims have put on a lot of weight during gameplay. I have definitely cheated muscle levels though. Traumatic flashbacks to Loch suddenly getting BULKED whilst I was letting him run free during Riv’s BC. Absolutely not you little twink.
Do you move objects?
For gameplay, I used to try to minimise doing so just cos it breaks so much routing and stuff. Now I don’t play so I go nuts with MOO. Who needs working doors or stairs or beds anyway?
Favourite Mod?
So many mods for TS3 are kinda essential to even be able to run the game lol, like almost the entire NRAAS suite. I think I’ll have to go with the Remove Stencil mod though, cos being able to undo EA’s weird obsession with shiny clothes by removing the specular is honestly so lifechanging LOL. no more shiny wool jumpers or oil slick jeans 🥰
First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack?
My first TS3 expansion was Ambitions, because I skipped World Adventures, in fact, I think it was one of the last expansions I bought lol. 
Believe it or not, I do actually own one EP, one GP, and one SP for TS4 lmao, back when I thought maybe, just MAYBE. the game might get better, and I was still trying so damn fuckin hard to force myself to enjoy the actual gameplay. So I have Get to Work, but don’t even ask me what the other two are because I haven’t a fuckin’ clueeeee. 
Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing?
...It just occurred to me maybe it is meant to be “LIV” mode because it’s... like. Living mode. Like, Alive Mode doesn’t make sense. But my brain won’t accept it. doesn’t sound right. Always been “LIVE” mod to me lol.
Who’s your favourite sim that you’ve made?
Oh, jeez. Uhhh, I can’t *really* claim most of my current legacy sims because I didn’t make them, they were born in-game, even if I have tweaked the hell out of them in recent years. So if we’re going for physical appearance, I wanna say actually maybe Sylvie for my TS3 sims? She took so long to get just right, especially because TS3 doesn’t really do curvier sims quite as well as TS4, especially not without a fuck ton of sliders, and I had a really specific look to her face in mind that took forever to get right, had to blend her a custom skin etc. But I am finally super happy with her cute lil sassy round face 🥰 Close runners up are probably Qu or Edge.
God, I’m gonna get so fucking shot for this but here goes. Physically, my fave TS4 sims I’ve made are actually both of Tay’s brothers, Ethryon and Ailos, and also probably father, Qariel. I think because I had a little more experience with using TS4 CAS by the time I got to them, more sliders, more skin details, just generally a fuck ton more CAS CC by then, and more time to tweak them etc. As much as Tay will always be my favourite sim OVERALL... yeah. plznoonekillmebye
Have you made a simself?
Ye. I used to update her like. all the timeee too, whenever I got a new haircut etc. And, ofc, Havoc was my alter ego so she’s like. simself adjacent lol.
Which is your favorite EA hair color?
God I hate EA’s hair colours in TS3. their blondes are so yellow, the highlights don’t blend well etc. always make my own. TS4 hair colours make me want to actually die, but then again, I hate the clay hair and cartoony colours of vanilla TS4 anyway, so.
Favourite EA hair?
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Favourite life stage?
Young Adult, with Teens a close second. You can do the most with the YA age, but the chaos of teenage years are real fun too lol.
Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?
I literally can’t play lmao. I have too much CC in TS3 for it to run well enough to play, and TS4... is it even possible to play TS4? joking joking... mostly. I’m in it for the story.
Are you a CC creator?
No. Never. I do not have a CC page I abandoned whatsoever no idea what you’re talking about goodbye. 💀
Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad?
RBSB represent. 
No I hate everyone equally.
@lazysunjade and @thesimperiuscurse have no choice but to be talked at by me every day. I’m inescapable. 
Do you have any sims merch?
I actually had the TS3 Collectors edition that came with the Plumbob USB and I was devastated when it got broken. Like legitimately heart broken lol. 
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Miss her so much I just want her back
Do you have a YouTube for sims?
Ew.
How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing?
I used to try so hard to stick to whatever gameplay threw at me, following the actual legacy rules, not editing sims etc, all to the detriment of my actual enjoyment of storytelling. Now I care maybe a little too much about how posts look that I get into a rut of not posting oops bye 💀
What’s your origin id?
Probably the same as my username here lol, but I avoid origin at all costs so couldn’t tell you for sure tbh.
Who’s your favorite CC creator?
Oh, way too many to choose. For sims 3 CAS stuff, the still active converters like @rollo-rolls, @vmsims23, @simtanico etc. for build and clutter stuff @kerriganhouse, and @martassimsbookcc for conversions. Honestly, I’m kinda out of the loop atm, but there’s just way too many good creators.
How long have you had simblr?
uh. since 2015, I think? let’s not dwell on it 💀
How do you edit your pictures?
Dunno how to answer this? Photoshop, I guess lol? 
What expansion/ gamepack is your favorite?
It used to be pets, cos I loved having animals in the game. Now I always forget they exist oop lol. Probably Supernatural. 
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sportsthoughts · 28 days
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How did you meet mr. sportsthoughts?
Ooh ok. We met in our late teens because we both did a gap year working for the same org. We had actually met I think a year before that but only in passing? I remember him being extremely tall (he’s 6 foot 5) and very loud and outgoing and a bit much. We worked extremely closely during that year and became really really really close friends. It was one of those bonding through extremely hard work and intense stress kind of situations.
He was my best friend for probably 4 years before we started dating - we laugh about it now but we have some hilarious text chains of me telling him I was not interested in him and him giving me relationship advice re: various past boyfriends. We are proof you can make it out of the friend zone.
We didn’t really get together in a dramatic way - I sort of knew he’d always been interested in me and was lamenting my latest break up with a friend one day and she asked me what I was looking for in a man. Without thinking I said something along the lines of “I want someone who’s etc etc etc like mr sp” and literally then just sat there and thought, right, if he’s the gold standard I’m comparing other guys to, why don’t I just date him? It was a total lightbulb moment and I just sort of thought yeah - that’s it for me. Sounds strange but it was like I just woke up with feelings overnight and it wasn’t that much of a stretch because I already loved him/had loved him for years in a platonic way. Things then moved pretty fast, we dated for about a year, got engaged during the pandemic and then got married a couple of months later.
This is a long answer and super soppy but yeah. He’s great. I’m very fortunate, and I miss him a huge amount because his current work means he’s away from me mon-fri most weeks. We also had a thirty minute argument this evening about how he folded the wrappers of his Easter eggs so, you know, nothing’s perfect.
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