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nat-20s · 3 years

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MEDIA THAT I RECOMMEND YOU CONSUME INSTEAD OF SUPERNATURAL FOR BOTH HEART AND HEALTH BROKEN DOWN BY TYPE OF MEDIA AND WHY YOU MIGHT LIKE IT IF AT ANY POINT YOU, LIKE MY POOR POOR SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD SELF, WERE INVESTED IN THIS ABSOLUTE GARBAGE FIRE OF A SHOW

with apologies to anyone on mobile who’s readmore function APPARENTLY doesn’t work

(I haven’t watched supernatural for at least five years and, given any sort of luck, I will never do so again, do not @ me)

hello babes. I am talking to you know bc I keep seeing supernatural, unironically, on my dash, and I think we can all do better. I see what’s happening and I think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU3i_o5Xd4g

Supernatural is fudge stripes. You are Megan. We can fix this.

So a list of alternate things that I think are overall better written/characterized/just generally more enjoyable that might scratch some of those itches:

TV SHOWS

Good Omens

okay look if u were on tumblr last year u probably already watched this show but like. If u haven’t, it’s only six episodes babe and there’s a large enough fandom that u can go down a fanart hole for days on end

Basic summary: the antichrist has reached that lovely young age where he’s supposed to bring about the apocalypse. An angel and a demon who have decided that actually they like the world as is, thank you very much, try to stop the end times. They’re not very good at it though, which makes for a comedy of errors.

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: theologic (mostly christian) exploration/parody/imagery without inherently being a religious show. Fighting off the apocalypse narrative, which I think pretty much always goes hard as hell, but that’s just me. There’s a gay angel who’s socially awkward. There’s a fun very British demon. Touches on the hierarchies of heaven and hell, with framing Heaven as a bureaucracy and blurs the differences between angels and demons. Pining. Tenderness. A deep nostalgia for 80s music, though in this case it’s specifically queen, and who doesn’t love queen. Main character has a weirdly strong bond with his black vintage car. Satan is (sort of) fought.

Gravity Falls

sometimes...things that are kids shows...with a set story and a predetermined ending...are better

(also this isn’t relevant to any of what I’m talking about but I really appreciate that Gravity Falls specifically went against the thing that most begged me about ATLA aka that a 15 year old girl would be like yeah I’m into a 12 year old boy because the 12 year old boy has a crush on me and I apparently don’t get to really have a say in this. How does that make sense.)

Basic Summary: Twelve year old twins Dipper and Mabel go to stay with their Grunkle Stan for the summer in a small Oregon town called Gravity Falls. Turns out this town is filled with all sorts of strange phenomena that they often have to confront, work around, learn about, or befriend!

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: The core focus of the show is a close sibling duo, but like It’s obvious that the siblings actually like and love each other and while they have their spats it’s still incredibly clear that they deeply care about each other even with their differences LIKE SORRY SUPERNATURAL YOU CAN’T JUST TELL ME THAT SIBLINGS CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER AND THEN THEY SPEND ALL THEIR TIME FIGHTING AND LYING TO EACH OTHER AND GENERALLY ACTING LIKE THEY CAN’T STAND EACH OTHER’S COMPANY BUT THEN OOOHHH YOU CRY ON TOP OF THE HOOD OF A CAR EVERY THREE EPISODE AND SUDDENLY THEY’RE SOULMATES OR WHATEVER

Anyway. Yeah. GF has a solid sibling dynamic. Monster of the week that builds up to greater over-arching plot. A little bit of body horror, you know, for humor. Fair amount of meta humor playing with the tropes of the genre. A Good Ol Big Bad that tries to pit the siblings against each other. Have to fight the apocalypse (you’ll see this point on like a good half of these recs, I really like ‘what are we gonna do about Armageddon’ media). Interesting creature design. Planned, satisfying ending (which supernatural absolutely does not have, but I still think if it had ended with the season 5 finale like it uhh pretty obviously was supposed to, that would sort of counted. Don’t revive shows that have clearly already told their stories kids.) Tie in media that gives you some fun extra stories when you miss the characters. (yes I read some of the supernatural novels when I was a c h i l d, yes I’m pretty sure there’s one or two of them still buried somewhere on my laptop, no I don’t wanna talk about it.) Older father figure (?) who owns a tbh kind of shitty shop. Both already in place and found family.

It’s a good show, and it’s two seasons. John Mulaney Voice: I dunno it’s 40 episodes

MINI REC ALERT! (mini recs are basically things that I’m not gonna go into detail about for whatever reason [probably either due to i’m not familiar enough with it OR I just don’t like. Have a bunch to say about it in regards to how it will scratch the itches presented to u by spn] but still seem like a Good Watch)

Mini Rec: Over The Garden Wall. Spooky Kids Media! Episodic! Miniseries so you can watch it in like 2 hours! Cool ass Animation! About two brothers encountering said spooky stuff! Big Bad tries to pit brothers against each other! Might haunt you for the rest of your life! Check it out!

The Haunting of Bly Manor

I think about this show every goddamn day of my life. (Also not relevant but Greg Sestero makes a brief cameo in it and I was like hi greg my friend greg!)

Basic Summary: An girl named Dani, while staying in London, decides to take on an Au Pair job for two young children, an older brother named Miles (age 10) and the younger sister Flora (age 8) at the spoooooky and mysteeerious Bly Manor, and she gets far more than she bargained for.

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: Okay so supernatural doesn’t actually do this but I know I KNOW why we let ourselves be queerbaited in 2012. Four words for you: CENTRAL! GAY! TRAGIC! ROMANCE! You want some pining? Some tenderness? Some LOVE? Some dealing with internalized homophobia but no, like, actual violent onscreen homophobia? HAVE I GOT THE SHOW FOR YOU. If ur favorite episodes where the ones that make you sob (for me it was kevin’s death on god), I recommend this show. If you wished that supernatural literally ever had consequences or perma deaths or didn’t retcon major plot events like every five goddamn episodes so that there could be some exploration of like grief and trauma through the lens of/ higher stakes of horror, I recommend this show. If you really do stay up at night picturing a supernatural that wasn’t made by dumbass cishettie white men hack writers but was actually allowed to have Dean and Cas be in love over the course of the show so they could have like actual development and not the most homophobic gay reveal of all time, I recommend this show. Hell, if you just want a banger ghost story in general, I recommend this show.

As for what they actually have in common: horror setting/aesthetic without actually being all that scary most of the time. A strong sibling duo, though they’re not nearly as much of the focus of Bly Manor. Found family. Strong themes of grief. Questions of what turns someone into a monster (and done much better) An actual, much better noble sacrifice done out of love. Escalation of stakes until there’s a big final confrontation. Semi-big bad trying to tear this family apart. Found and pre-installed family. Sad orphans.

Watch this show. Vibe with me. Cry with me. Yell at me about Owen Sharma

MINI REC ALERT!

Haunting of Hill House- spiritual predecessor to Haunting of Bly Manor, though they’re not actually the same universe/story. However, it’s made by the same dude and has a shared aesthetic/sensibilities/some of the cast. This is only a mini rec bc I haven’t actually seen it, but I’ve heard good things and that it, while much more heavily leaning into family dynamics, has similar themes of exploring Grief and Trauma through ghooossstttsss.

Community

Okay I know that this may seem like a Wild rec considering community is a school sitcom with basically Zero paranormal elements but just like. Hear me out. And no this isn’t just because I think it’s a realy good show and I want more people to watch it, though that is a factor. If I was just recommending comedies that I think are good and more people should watch regardless of them serving as a replacement for supernatural I would demand you all go watch Galavant and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. I’m gonna demand it anyway. Everyone go watch Galavant and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Now back to your original program:

Basic Summary: A group of students at Greendale Community College form a Spanish study group, and things quickly go Off The Fucking Rails in the best way possible.

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: All right I’m gonna be real honest this rec is for all of my (correct) bitches who’s favorite episodes of Supernatural were French Mistake, Changing Channels, and/or Mystery Spot. You think if Supernatural would’ve been fucking fantastic if it had been a committed comedy instead of a CW melodrama that occasionally landed some admittedly really fucking funny episodes/concepts, Community (and the movies on this list) will gently take you into its loving arms and give you everything you desire. It’s about the Meta comedy. It’s about the discussion, exploration, and subversion of common tropes within the format. It’s about the grand use of group/ found family dynamics in order to max both the goofs and the heart. It’s about fantastic callbacks. It’s about having one of the few “asshole with a heart of gold” leads I can actually stand because. You know. Growth. It’s about the INCREDIBLE genre and pop culture parody. Which genre do they parody, you ask. All of them. They parody all the genres. The glee parody episode is a fucking masterpiece of television. If you don’t want to watch a show that features a Halloween party where everyone turns into zombies and the ABBA discography blasts in the background, you can stop reading right now, because I can guarantee you won’t be interested in a damn thing I have to say.

MINI REC ALERT: The X-Files. I’ve also never seen this but a: everything I’ve seen out of context has been fantastically weird and delightful b: it appears that there’s a general consensus that Scully and Mulder are one of the only valid straight couples so it’s probably pretty fun and c: let’s all be honest. Supernatural was already basically an x-files rip off, it had like half of their original writers swiped from the x-files crew, I’m pretty sure if you liked especially the first couple of seasons of supernatural, you’re gonna like the X-files.

Subcategory: TV SHOWS ( A WHOLE TWO OF ‘EM, OR MORE LIKE ONE AND HALF IF YOU WANNA GET TECHNICAL) I’M SPECIFICALLY RECOMMENDING FOR THAT COCAINE HIT OF PURE UNADULTERATED UNCUT 2012 TUMBLR NOSTALGIA

BBC Merlin

Yes, I know the show ended in 2010. Yes, it still provides that 2012 Tumblr nostalgia. 2012 Tumblr is a feeling, not an actual time period.

I love this stupid show. I plan on rewatching it all over the month of January. I harbor a deep amount of fondness for it. It’s why every time I see literally any depiction of Merlin I get just so fucking excited, and why I’ve consumed as many ridiculous Arthurian adaptations as I have (side note: my two favorite other ridiculous Arthurian legend adaptation are Avalon High, a DEEPLY silly DCOM that is required viewing to level up friendship with me, and The Kid Who Would Be King, which is the only movie that I think truly understands the comedic potential of playing a King Arthur Adaptation mostly straight but everyone in it is 12. I’m not sure it intended to be as fucking funny as it was, but again, they’re all middle schoolers. I have never been more jealous of an actor than I was of the 22 year old that got to play a 16 year old dumbass Merlin who was sometimes also Patrick Stewart and did all of his magic with ridiculous hand gestures That should’ve been me that should’ve been me that should’ve been me. Also Sword in the Stone by TH White is pretty good, because Merlin knows germ theory in the fantasy 400’s and he just uses it to be petty mostly. Also listen to High Noon Over Camelot by The Mechanisms. Also Also I tend to prefer family friendly adaptations because they don’t have the uhhh. You know. Incest and sexual violence of the original legend. Love to Not have that shit!) Whether you watched it initially and are due for a rewatch, or you’re intrigued enough by the concept of the show to watch it for the first time, you should join me on this wild wild ride.

Basic Summary: You know who Guinevere, Arthur, and Merlin are, come on. BBC said let’s make em all YOUNG let’s make em SEXY let’s make em FAMILY FRIENDLY and let’s make magic REALLY SEEM LIKE A THINLY VEILED ALLEGORY FOR BEING GAY BUT TO THIS DAY IM NOT SURE IF THAT WAS INTENTIONAL OR NOT BUT IT SURE SEEMS LIKE IT WAS. @ THE BBC MERLIN CREATORS WHAT IS THE TRUTH BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME INTERVI-

Basic Summary but like a bit more helpful: A BABY version of Merlin (and by baby I mean like 20 year old.) is sent from his small town to the big city the Kingdom of Camelot to find his destiny. Staying with the town physician and friend of his mom’s, Gaius, he ends up as both his assistant and personal manservant to Prince Arthur. But in a kingdom where magic is punished with death and the prince seems hell bent on getting himself into situations that are going to kill him, the young sorcerer has his more than his share of work cut out for him.

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: Primo supremo queerbaiting. Like, yeah, okay, it’s queerbaiting, you know it’s queerbaiting, but you watch some of the scenes and ur like okay. I know why I let this bait me. Obviously with a modern show, I would expect more, I would expect better, I would raise my standards, but I gotta admit. Some of these scenes are fuckin compelling as hell, and the subtext is like barely sub. Monster of the week shenanigans. Some awful CGI creatures but like a charming awful. Like the kind of awful that tells you their very limited budget was more focused on cool swords than realistic creatures. Episodic stories build into a more overarching plot, with things getting darker in season 4/5. Shitty father that end up eating shit and while the son of said father is rightfully conflicted and upset over the death it’s cathartic and victorious as all hell for the audience. Multiple hot evil women, and I love hot evil women. There’s also nice hot women, which is a bonus. These women don’t all immediately stupidly die, so that’s a nice change. Also like a LOT of sarcastic humor and shenanigans if u like Sass Merlin is there for u personally name a more iconic line than “Oh I’m sorry, how long have you been training to be a prat, my lord?” AND THAT’S IN THE FIRST FUCKIN EPISODE brilliant amazing fantastic show stopping. Also you know those like dumb hijink episodes where like Dean was possessed by the spirit of a dog or some shit? You bet your bottom fuckin dollar BBC Merlin has those kinds of storylines. Also I know some people go to spn bc it had that HUGE fanbase and like BBC Merlin’s fanbase is still SURPRISINGLY poppin even though it’s been a decade since there was new content so like. Have fun!

Doctor Who but Specifically the RTD Era

Look I’m not here to say that the first four seasons of reboot doctor who are the only good doctor who or inherently better than all the rest (though the RTD era is my favorite personally) BUT when ur seekin that sweet sweet superwholock frenzy nostalgia, this is the ‘who’ that is being referred to. Also like. Stan 9. We should all collectively stan the ninth doctor. Chris Eccleston, the Objectively Best Famous Chris, deserved better.

Basic Summary: An immortal alien that goes by “The Doctor” travels across time and space with a variety of different companions, often to try and save the day or fix a (sometimes self created) mess. It’s distilled campy sci-fi with a family friendly tone that has made me cry on several occasions.

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: Monster of the week that, you guessed it, builds into bigger overarching plot style narrative. Fighting off the apocalypse, but like every couple of weeks because worlds are in danger a LOT. A semi-tragic romance that made people go absolutely buck fuckin wild bc pining n shit. Wamen, but they aren’t fridged. (actually for real though none of the main women die and I just think that’s really fun and flirty even though I could go on a COMPLETELY SEPARATE rant about the injustice of one of the character’s ending YES season 4 is my favorite season and one of my favorite pieces of media ever and I am currently actively recommending it to you YES im still fucking pissed over how it ended YES we exist) Specifically, a Wonderful and Very Excellent woman named Donna who goes on a spa trip that doesn’t end up going very well. That seems like a highly specific example, and it is, but it did happen in both shows. (Also, to anyone that continued watching SPN after like idk season 9 what happened to Donna? I always liked her and I know she became a recurring character so like DM whatever probably injustice was the end of her story line pls and thank you) I’m also extra specifically recommending for Supernatural Fans and also The World At Large: Season Four of Reboot Who. I rewatched it last year and it still goes so fucking hard. Donna Noble is the best character in existence. In regards to the appeal for SPN, personally I think the best part of SPN was when people who are soulmates went on adventures and tried to save the day and it was a good mix of banter and sincerity AND GUESS WHAT’S BASICALLY THE ENTIRETY OF SEASON 4 OF DOCTOR WHO. It’s so good y’all I wish Everything was about soulmates going on adventures and trying to save the day.

OKAY TV SHOWS DONE TIME FOR M O V I E S which I don’t have nearly as many recs for but uhh here goes

What We Do In The Shadows/ Shaun of the Dead

I’m lumping these two together bc my reasons for recommending them are largely the same, and I would call them tonally similar enough that if you like one you’ll probably like the other

Basic Summary (Shaun of The Dead): Uh-oh! London’s had a break out of some of that good ol’ zombieism. Shaun and friends decide to hunker down in a local bar, but they have to get there first. Will they survive? Will they fuck up some zom zoms? Who’s to say?

Basic Summary (What We Do In The Shadows): Some vampire roommates dick around. I think there’s technically, like, a plot, but it’s really just about some vampires Doin Their Thing. Vibin.

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: This is kind of similar to the Community recommendation, in that supernatural had the opportunity to be one of those things that was both a parody of a genre but also just a really good example of the genre. WWDITS and SotD are both those things for vampire and zombly movies, respectively. Have the aesthetic and some of the themes of a horror but is not actually all that scary. Horror Comedy is a god tier genre and I don’t know why it’s not more widespread. Fun monsters/cast of characters in general, so at least one person in it is probably going to make you go “oh gender” ya know? With SotD you have the fantasy power trip that comes with like any piece of media that involves hunting monsters. With WWDITS I go “yep that’s how bisexuals dress” and I Will Not Clarify which character I’m talking about.

MINI REC ALERT: All of Taika Watiti’s filmography. Thor:Ragnarok is one of like 3 marvel movies that I consider genuinely fucking fantastic completely independent of the MCU and my own tendency to be like “hurr bdurr I love. Superheros”. For the one that is most tonally like Supernatural But Significantly Better and Written By Someone Competent I think I would say try out Hunt For The Wilderpeople. It’s got a reluctant curmudgeonly father figure and I KNOW some of you motherfuckers were so invested in spn when you were like 16 bc you had daddy issues. This is a callout post for my friend [REDACTED], who I should text to watch Hunt for the Wilderpeople, actually.

MINI REC ALERT X2!!!: Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I’ve never seen it but it has both Winona Ryder AND Keanu Reaves so like. Goth bi rights.

Happy Death Day (and Happy Death Day 2 U)

happy death day was one of those movies that I saw the trailer, went “eh”, heard other people say it was great, watched, and went holy fuck this slaps. Not nearly as much of a slasher film as the trailers implied if im remembering the trailer correctly

Basic Summary: Our main character Tree keeps waking up on the day she was murdered. The day resets every time that she dies. That’s right, it’s a time loop storey babey!!!!!!!!!!!

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: If you were anything like me you were foolishly lulled into supernatural for way longer than you should’ve been on the promise that the characters would idk like grow and change and become better and learn lessons and some of that would be through the power of receiving love and kindness. You know. Like how good writers would do it especially if their main characters are kind of dicks that really should make some changes. Well, Happy Death Day fucking delivers on that promise in SPADES. It’s about growth! It’s about change! It’s about making the active decision to become a better person and putting effort into doing so! There’s heavy themes of like grief and trauma and acknowledging them and facing them head on in order to move on and the negative consequences of refusing to do so and just trying avoid it until it goes away. There’s a romance that makes my dumb little self do the pleading face emoji. Tree is also one of the only good asshole with a heart of gold characters. I also think media is improved by having at least one character that is a Good Good Boy (note: Good Good Boy character does not have to be a man.) and Happy Death Day has Carter. Oh on that note: Tree Voice: I’ve only had character for (the same repeating over and over) a day but if anything happens to him I’ll kill everyone here and then myself. Also the movie is funny so like hell yeah.

that’s all I got for relevant movies right now

BOOK RECS

jk i’m illiterate. Everyone should feel free to go ahead and add their own suggestions for this section The best I can do is uhhhh I think y’all would probably like Mira Grant’s novels, particularly the Newsflesh stories, bc sibling dynamics. Also the book The Haunting of Hill House is really good. Ballad of Black Tom slaps? There’s of course the Good Omens novel that the show was based on. I’m about to recommend some podcasts after this section which will include to Welcome to Nightvale because of course it will and the tie in novels for that slap, especially It Devours!, and I’m pretty sure they work as stories even if you know nothing about the podcast. Also also I think you should read “The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers It’s not thematically similar to supernatural at all but it’s one of my all time favorite sci fi novels and only like four people have read it which is a goddamn TRAVESTY.

Anyway yeah that’s it that’s all there is. Onto the medium that is like books but I can fold laundry or cook while consuming their narratives.

PODCAST RECS

Okay so this is getting uhhh wicked long so I’m gonna limit myself to only three full blown recs and a

mini rec

Alice Isn’t Dead

Fuck me running this show is so good. Literally hands down my all time favorite (and scariest!) horror podcast. Mamma mia, that’s a good fuckin story. The Book version is also good and has fewer Weird events but some further character development so I recommend them both.

Basic Summary: After her wife Alice disappears mysteriously, Keisha takes up a job as a long haul trucker, traveling all across America in order to find her, but ends up finding so much. Pursued by a deadly creature she calls The Thistle Man, the stakes of her journey are raised.

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: okay so I have a lost of bullet points of things that appealed to me specifically about supernatural and how no other shows covers all of them which sucks bc it means I basically Yearn for a show that’s supernatural but good. Alice isn’t Dead, however, hits the most of these bullet points AND is so fucking good. It has monster hunting. It has stopping a cataclysmic event BUT also discussion of the cyclical nature of events such as these and how the fight never truly ends but you can make some fucking progress nonetheless. It has a central gay romance that’s actually a central gay romance. It’s the ONLY show on this list that really hits that the weird and dark underside of americana vibe but specifically the americana of not like suburbs and shit but that eerie haunted feeling you get when you’re hours into a late night drive on open roads with no civilization around and an expansive sky and it just Seems like something should be watching you. Have you ever been out for a walk at midnight and encountered a deer and you looked into each other’s eyes and it felt like it was telling you a message that you couldn’t possibly hope to parse? Have you ever felt an incredible sense of deja vu eating in a restaurant you couldn’t have possibly been in before, because you’ve been to a thousand diners a thousand times just like one, and there’s an incredibly sense of homogeneity even though you’re 2000 miles away from anyone and anything that could possibly know you? Have you ever traveled to an area that seems to be stuck in a bubble of time, the only thing that shows any evidence of having aged past 2006 being yourself, and you wonder how your cell phone even works around here? THAT’S the spooky americana I’m fuckin talking about! Messed up road trips! Too much goddamn space! America is scary because it’s big and Filled With Things but also Not Enough Things! Fuck yeah!!!!! That time bubble fuckin EXISTS in Wyoming the most recent song on the radio I heard was fuckin Hey Soul Sister!

Also has a thing where like are there even good guys and bad guys in a conflict or is it all just one umbrella nightmare that you’re trying to stand against in anyway possible (u kno..like how the overarching structures of both heaven and hell were kinda fucked in spn? No spoilers but similar shit be happenin in Alice Isn’t Dead). Exploration of what makes someone into a monster, like how do you go down that path? Also this is the only show on this whole damn list that southern gothic music really suits it so points for that.

The Magnus Archives

You know I had to do it to ‘em.

Basic Summary: Jonathan Sims has just become the Head Archivist at the Magnus Institute, a “research” “facility” that looks into paranormal/esoteric/unexplained phenomena.

John Mulaney Voice, Again: Nobody knows what the archivist is going to do next, least of all the archivist. He’s never been in an archives before, he’s just as confused as you are.

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: Oh fuck this document is over 5k long I said I wasn’t gonna do this hhhhh so lipton lightning round: Slowburn Gay Romance but Actually Canon, Monster Hunting but Hey What Even Is A Monster Anyway, Acts Somewhat like a Loosely Connected Horror Anthology until it DOESNT, Little Things Build to Bigger Narrative, Characters Be Goin Through It (On God These People Need Therapy), Trying to Prevent/Fix The Apocalypse (X2!!!), Smug Asshole Big Bad, Horror as a Metaphor For Various Shit, Basically if you thought that the Men of Letter concept slapped and you think it should’ve been the whole damn show including being Deeply British you would probably really fuckin like TMA. Also if ur like the ideal piece of media is a horror tragedy but also like it’s a wacky sitcom but also also fuck cops. U will like tma.

Welcome to Nightvale

IF ANY 2012 TUMBLR FANDOM DESERVES TO MAKE A MASSIVE COMEBACK AND BE EVERYWHERE AGAIN AND ABSOLUTELY FLOOD MY DASH IT’S WELCOME TO NIGHTVALE WHY DID WE ABANDON THE SHOW THAT TREATED US THE MOST KINDLY DID YOU KNOW THAT EPISODES 108-110 ARE THE BEST FUCKING BUILT UP NARRATIVE REVEAL THAT I HAVE WITNESSED IN MY LIFE DID YOU KNOW THAT IT CONTINUED TO BE REALLY FUCKING GOOD AFTER MOST PEOPLE STOPPED LISTENING DID YOU KNOW CECIL AND CARLOS ARE MARRIED AND THEY HAVE A DOG AND A TODDLER NOW BECAUSE OF ALL THE GAY PODCAST PROTAGONISTS CECIL GERSHWIN PALMER LOVE OF MY LIFE ELDRITCHIAN CHEERLEADER AND CERTIFIED BIMBO KEEPS FUCKIN WINNIN BABY. DID YOU KNOW THAT CECIL THINKS PEANUT BUTTER IS A ROCK.

Basic Summary: Welcome to the sleepy desert town of Ņ̶̏ight V̶͚̰̮͗̔̊̊ale! Community radio how host Cé̵̟͚͕̗̞̙͂͑̽̄́c̵̤̼̞͈̪͓̍̽̋̚̕͜il Pǎ̵̧̨̢͚̻̈̂̄̇͐̇̊̀̆ͅl̶͚͎͕͉͖̬͓͑́̐̒̍̿̈́͢͜͝ͅm̸̧͙̟̖̠̳̬͋́͋́͌̚̚ͅȩ̙̖͎̖͂́̒͐͜͞r̢̢̛̰̻̮̺̩͙̼̈́͋̀͘ is here to k̠̠̰̦͙̯̥̎̄̆͌̎̀̿̔̌̚ê̷̢̬̥̞̩̯̘͒̽̈̓͐̂̔̍e̶̡̝̗̺̫̪̜͆̓̿̈͌͌̆͒͞ͅp̏͐͐��̵̹̗̬̼̠̬͙̅͊͊́͟͞ͅͅ ỷ̛͙̞̦̦͖̑̉̌̎͞͡͡͝ͅo̧̧̥͎̻̥̲͇͋́́̔̈͌͞ǔ̸̬̯̫͇̦̮͕̤̲̯̽̔̀̔͆͋̈́͘̚ up to date all the local happenings, including w̸̢̢̢̧̡̡͍͖̻̳̹̼̼̰̬̭̱͔̲͙͍̰̠̥̺̝͖̺̖̼̮̼̞̳̞̜͉̤̯͇̖̳͖̠̙̺̲̤͇͈͚͓̮̭̱̭̩͚̟̥̬̟̻̝̼̖͚̘͐̆̅̂̃̈́͆͊̉̏͒́̈́̋͗͑̄̉́̐̌́̿̌͛̾̎̊̾̃̈́̉̔̍̐͛̕͘̚͜͜͠͠é̵̢̡̧̨̨̡̧̨̡̛̹̥̥̞̮̯͙͈̻̝͓͖͙̦̰͍̖̜̲̰̞͎͈̭̯̳͕̗͓͈̭̫̼̯̪̞̯̰̲̘̭͎̪̱̗̝̝̞̤̱͉͙̯͎̬͎̙̜̗͉̩̦͕̪̳͇͙̺̙̰̠͚͎̜̠͔̬͎̺̣͕̜̊̓̃̐̂́͂̎̐̾̔̽̀̉́̍̊̂̿̎͂͐̎̐̄̍̔̋̐̃͗̈́͂̀̒̊̎͘͘̕̚̕͜͝͝͝͠ͅͅa̸̡̧̡̡̨̡̨̛̛͙̣̘̳͎͖̥̝̟̱̩̥͙͉̝̲̙̮̩̩̹̱͔͎̥̹̻̜͚̭̬̳͚̤̙̖̯͎̱̫̞̪̻͖̱̞͔̭̻̺͚͚̯̬͓͓̳͇̳̦͓̞͈̮̤̭̣͉̲̞͚̘͗̆̃͌̅̍͊̓̈̇̌̒͊͑̊̏̊͌̈̓̿͗̒̏̒͊͒̏̃̎̒̀̅̾̍̀͘͘͜͝͠ͅt̵̢̡̨̧̧̛̛̛̯̤͓̘̻̤͓̪̰͔̪̝̫͎̻͔͈͎͔͙͕͈̰͓͍̀̏͒̆͋̈́̈́͂̔͋͆͂̅͗̍̆̍̆̔̑͊̏̈͒́̽͊́̿͂́̓͛̽͐͌̌̐̈̇̃̓̆̍̅̃̔̚̕͜͝͝͝ͅͅh̸̨̨̡̢̢̡̢̧̡̧̢̡̨̡̭̜̬̬̙͕̗̙̻̯̠̘͙̻̥͉͚̼̗͚͇͉̰͍̥͉̗͎̬̫͖͉͔̼̮̯̞̫̬̟̻͉̖̙̥̫͖̬͚̟̜̭͇͎̭̘̝̲̤͕͎̰̭̗̯̮̤̙̙̯͍̞̭͚͔͎̞̹̲̟͉̩̭̖̱̠͍̺͈̟̩̋̆̈́͆̍̆̄̏͜ͅͅȇ̸̢̢̨̨̧̛̜͍̺͎̬̪͙̻̝̣͓͈̺̩̳̟̲̠̣͈͎͎͈͉̙̪͖̳̺͇̹̊̍͊͑̿͊̌͛̿̓͊̾̀͂͛̉͆̾̽͆̈̏͛̊͛̍̈́̇͋̔͂̑͐̂̿͊̽͑͘̚͘͝͝͠͝ͅͅŕ̵̨̡̨̨̢̧̡̧̨̘̟͙̦̲̲̪̦̙̼̠̳͚̞̦̞͖͚͇̳͖̲̭͕̜̫̳̖̙͖͉͎̘̘̤̠͈̬͕̝̻͚̥͍͕̠̥͙̙̪̖̯͍̘̘̲̣̹̜̪̲̭̟̮̫̖̤̰͔̩̩͉̲͚̟̝̦̬̪̘̬̮̱͔̻̦̼̃̐̂͋̐̅̋͒̉͛́̅̈́̒̒͆̑̆͊̒͒̀̍̈́̍͌̍̏̔͋͌̒̍̌͛̓̈̂̐̕͘͘͜͜͝͝͝ͅͅͅ ̶̢̡̨̛̠͇̹̯͕͍̻̟̼̼̗̩̱̗̙̱̥̜̬̫̜͎͉̺̣͓̟̯̱͖̣̞̠̝̥͍̲̳̙̠͔̹̘̲̲̻̖̈́̊͋͜͜ą̵̡̧̟͕̬̳̜͈͈̳̝̜̣̬͔͈͈͎͉͍̯̟̞̺͎̝͇̰̥͖̬̯͙̤̬̼̲̦̯̭͓̠̺̳̱̰̮̎͋͆̈́͌͆̎̉̓̇̐͋͋́̃̉̈̄̏̓̉̿̅̒̉̒̉͂͛̄̀̇̒͊͛́͊̎́͆̌̆́̌͂̈́̽̋͛͗̑̊̀́̍͊̌͆͊͐͆̅̒̊̉̾̄͛̑̕͘͘͘͘͝͝͝͝͠͠͝n̸̡̛̛̛̛̛̙͎̬̦̠̼͓͈̝̾̍͑͛̅̒̾́̌̍͛̇̋̇̓̏͛̔͛̈́͆̿̌͐̿͊̿́͒̍̃̀̈͐̐̆͐̉̒̂̉̀̅̇̾͋̍͒̋̈̌̿͒͐̍́͗̀̌̌̚̕̕̕͘̚͘͘̚͜͠͝͝͝d̴̡̢̢̛̛̛̺̠̳̬͎̞̲̣̲̱̳̪̹͉̝̠̱̗̙̫̠̹̼̙̝͉̲̟̮̙̙̮̻̹͈̦̙̞͚̜̙̖̞͓̙̭͉̃̽̌̅̔̾̈́̒̽͑́̒͋̓̈́͆͋̽̒̃̽̋̐͌͂̍͑́̽̋̍͗̋͗͂̅̽̈̈̾͐̄̃̕̕͜͠͠͝͠͝ͅͅ ̵̡̡̢̛̛̗͚͍̺͇̲̳̯͓̰͍̙̮̙̜̟̞̣̼͕̝͔͙̺̫͈͈̠̻̘̱͍̦̭͔͈̤̺̗̮͕̦̞̘͍̯̻̝͓̤̳̫͔̩͉̬̈́͋̈́̐͒́̔́́̿̓̆͐̎͆̇͒̄̈̿̓̑̾̏̔̿͊̌͆͒̒͊̓̅̓́̔̅̀̀̀̃̿̂̑͂͆̅̎̾̏̓̂̈́͛͌̇̾͌͐̈̂̆͐̅̓̍̓̃̆͗̃͛̏̒̌̀̅͊́̽̐̆̿́̌͘͘̚̕͘̕̕͜͜͜͠͝͠͝͠t̷̢̥͓̄͗̾̄̅̚͜r̵̨̡̨̧̧̢̛̛̛̛̛͍͙͚̥̱̞̜̦̜̼̺͉̠̬͎̰̻̜̼̫̤͓͖͖̤͇̞̥̖̈́͊̆̓͊̑̑̋̒̈́̔̆͆́̐͛͑͊͋̇̈́̓̑̍̏͐͛̽̋̎͑̃̈́͒̇̂̇̌͂̀̍̊̇̓̋̈́̌̏̕͘̚̕̚͝͝͠ǎ̴̡͓͓̯̘̥̱̱͖̦̺͓̘͉͖̞̟̦͈̜̥̰̘̞͈̦̠̼̯̙̭̼͚̟̖̲̠̝̜̐̅͆̏̈́̍́͂̃̾͑̓͋̽̄̾́̾̆̾͒͋̎͂̈́͘̕̕̚͜ͅͅf̷̢̡̡̧̢̨̡̧̢̢̧̡̧̫͖̖͇̲̫̮͕͉͓̩̪̳̹̩͎̖̟̤̤̲̟̪̫̻̻̖̟̦͉̼͎͖̭͍͖͎̖̳̳͙̜͉̝̘̺̖͚̙͉͕͙̯͖̞͚̮̲̻͉͙̺̭͓͎̤͙̦̦̺̯͕̜̰͍̳̙̦͉̪̥́͋̓̅̀͋͐̀̄̊̆̉̒̐͒̀̏̈̇̊̉̆̐̏̾̀̀̓͛͆̍̾͗͌̀̄̔͒̀̍̈́͆̔̒̑̏̍̏͆́̾̐̂͋̂̔̂́̓̓̌͌̉͛́̒̐̽̏́̑͊́̌̆̂̑͋̇̈́͌̑̿̅͗̚̕͘̕̚͜͠͝͝͠͠f̴̨̨̛̹͌̂̓͌͛̀͑̾̓̍͗̽͆̉̊͗̇́̍͌̊͐̔̈́̊̇͆̄̃̑̕̕͘͘͘͠͝͝͝͠i̴̧̡̢̢̧̢̨̨̧̧̧̛̛͎̗̳̦̘̙͓̦̙͔̜̼̘͇͇̺̭͉̠̩̟̤̥̘͙̤̩͔̪̱̻͈̪̼̼̞̠͎̟̹͕̻̭̤̪̲͕̟̺̻̻͖͕͚̣͇̖̰̝̩͈̤͕͇͕̝͙̙̪͔̗̫͇͎̙̲̲͖̗̘͉̲̣̤͎̔̐̆͒̄̈́̀̎̃̃̅͆̌̈́̽̈́̅̈́̑̄̇͒͐̀̐̀̒̍̀̓͌͗̓̽́͗̓̎͂͛̅̑̔̀͛̈́̽̾̃̊͊͆̄̍͑̍̆̌̾͗̄̊̽̉̅̆̀̎̀͑̿̎̋̄̆̃͐̾̏͛͒̍̋̅͘̕̚̕̕͜͜͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅc̷̛̛͚̝̻̣̞̓́̃́̀̃̓͗͌̂͛́̒̊͑̓͆̇̈́͑̏̆̀͌̑͂͂̄͌̉̔̋́̎͒̿͗͒͛̇͛̿̎̍̕̕̕͝͝͝͝͝ ̴̢̧̢̡̨̢̡̨̡̢̢̛̺̘̹̯̤̩̘̯͔̞̟̬̠̣̟̻̥̜̤͔̥͕̠̥̞͎̗̩̱̮͉͔͎̲̯̱̙̜̥̳̮͔̦̣͖͔̜͉̗̪̳̹̦̤͇̣̙͕̯̫̖̝̼̹͍̠͎͓̗͎̦͓̲̯̱̠̰͇̮̹͔̝͉͙̹̜̹͈̹̥͖̣̳̲͖̓́͌̈́̈́̀͌̄͂̌̾́̍̔̊̓̿͋͂͋̈́̋́́̒̓̀̒̃͂̀͑̐͛̆̆͒̈́̅̿͊͌̍͗̌̌͆̂͌́̉̏̒̓͊̾̒̓̋̽͐̏̾͘̕͜͝͠͝ͅͅr̸̨̢̛̪̞̬͓͔̥̤̣͔̭̥̙͉̦̗̠̳̩͙̂̈́͑͑̿̋̓̀͋͆̋̕͝͝ë̴̢̡̨̬͈͉̖̞͔͎͓͖̼̘̬͕̰͈̥͈̝̩͎͉͉̫̜͚͕̤͔̟̯͓͎̟͙̜̭̩̗̮͎̗̤͇̝̩͎̜̺̯͕͇̝͎̯͙̖͙̮̗̮̘́̑͑͛̂̅̄̌̽̓̒̾̿͆̏̏͐͛̾̂̃͑͆̅̄̿͋̅͂̈́̽͋͒̎͐̒̓͆̌̉͑͊́̀̈̾͛̋͑̋̎̈̀̽̀͊̏͘͝͝͝͝͠͝ͅp̴̧̧̡̢̢̢̛̛̛͚̟͓̖̭̪̻̪̲̬̥̙̥̰̼̹͎͕̪̞̮̺̰̬̘̫̤͉̦͙̮̖̙̹̻͔̖̮̲̞̣̻̜̠͇̬͚̱̦̼̲̮̀̂͌̍̈̒̍̋̌̏͐̓͛̉̂̈̀͑̈́͊͗͋͗́̂̎̎̃͆͒̅̑̇́̈͐̾̀̔̒̉͑͒̅̓̈́̋͋̀̍̄̿̌̀̉͆̇̔̈́͗̋̄̓̇͗̎̉̆͊̒͗̚̕͘͘̕̕̚͜͜͝͝͠͠͠͠͠ͅͅͅơ̶̢̡̧̨̡̛̛͔̦̼̰̠̯̰̟̲̣̜͙̲͙̪̱̱͕̺̪͈͉̺̻̙̥̲̩̲̩͔̠͚̩͓̞̠̯̟̫̣̗̦̰͉͚͙̺͎̼͖̥̙͈̯̲̝̞͎̻͕̮͔̰̖͔̭͙̩̼͔̫̹̘͓͔̜̘͍̍̅̄͋͑̋̍̊̉̄̈̽̈͐̀͌͐̆͊͂̐̋̃̎͆͛̐̀̂̿̈́͂́̈̌͐̇̀̒͋͑͐́͌̐̇̊͆̀͂͋̏́͋͆̏͗͂͑̂̓̽͘͘̚̕̕̕̕̚͘͜͜͠͝͝ͅͅͅr̴̨̨̨̧̨̛̘͕͈͔͙̠̬̯̩̗̰̗̬̦͈̗̝̣͓͓̟͕͙͈̠̘̻͓̭̝̘̦̦͓̭̘͙̻̙̼̩̰̝͈̱̝̱̬͉͙̣̖̮̲͈̙̱̩̣͕̦̰̮͔͈͓̙̮͍̳̟̠̞͎̱̣̰͕̩̝̲̝͐́́̍̈͐͋̐̑̌͋̓̈́̈͗̿̈̈́͗̑̚͜͜͜͜͜͝ͅͅţ̴̢̨̧͇͉͎̣̬̣̝̗̬̹͇̮̞̈́̐̌̇̈́̌͊̐̅̂̌̂͒͌́̈͌̂̊͗̍̿͑͋̎̓͂̀̎̎͒̾̏̒͌̃̄͋̌̾̍̈́̐̏͑̊̍͑͆̉̓́̆̌̾̓͊̊̈̑͘̚̕͘͘̕͝͝͝͝͝s̴̢̢̡̛̬̹͚̻͉̦̦̣̦̠̜͕̤̳͓͙̟̬͕̘̦̿͗̉̏̒͆̓̄͊͌͛͂͑̒̃͛͘͜͝͝!

Shared elements with supernatural that you might Vibe with: Honestly, probably bc Nightvale and Alice are by the Same Dudes, a lot of these points are the same as Alice Isn’t Dead, but it’s less scawy and more funney. Also hits the “horror, but make it kind of a sitcom” vibes. Doesn’t have the same road trip vibes, but DOES capture the exact weirdness of South Western USA, so I’m still giving it “fucked up americana” credit. If you’ve never been to New Mexico ur like this is an exaggeration clearly no desert town is subject to like ACTUAL cosmic horror and unexplainable sights but I’m telling you New Mexico is just Like That. (I highly recommend visiting the land of enchantment if you ever get the oppurtunity it is a deeply odd and wonderfully unsettling experience.) Look man it’s gay it’s a horror comedy cecil has a wonderfully soothing voice and it hates capitalism so fucking much like oh my god so much what more could you want.

MINI REC ALERT: Wolf 359! I have nothing deep to say about this I just like it and my gut tells me that y’all would enjoy it too I know there isnt much for physical descriptions in the show but I know in my heart that the main character is so so pretty and so so stupid. I KNOW yall like some himbos that experience character growth.

Okay since It’s my party and I’ll speak if I want to rapid fire list of podcasts I just like and want more people to listen to even though I’m behind on like all of them shhhhh: The Penumbra Podcast, BomBARDed, Dungeons and Daddies, Stellar Firma, Wonderful!

SONG RECS

okay these aren’t like replacement recs or anything they’re just really good and I almost certainly would have put them on some sort of supernatural playlist in 2013 but I don’t, like, have a good playlist for them now so I’m subjecting y’all to them also they all have the youtube link for ease of access

Woah There Kimmy- Felix Hagan & the Family

Devil’s Backbone- The Civil Wars

Blood On My Name- The Brothers Bright

Awake O Sleeper- The Brothers Bright

The Bottom of the River- Delta Rae

Old Number 7- The Devil Makes Three

The Bullet- The Devil Makes Three

In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company- The Dead South

Bartholomew- The Silent Comedy

Pomegranate Seeds- Julian Moon

Curses- The Crane Wives

Tongues & Teeth -The Crane Wives

OKAY THAT’S IT! THAT’S ALL FOLKS! FUCK!

#long post #if you didn't want this blame of-mice-and-mentality for enabling me posting #supernatural

44 notes · View notes

snexy-the-snail · 4 years

Note

I hope I made brat child happy! But I noticed that you said that you make short vore stories for different fandoms. So, Have you heard of Bendy and the ink machine? I personally see the ink demon absorbing his prey(sense the dude literally can't open his freakin mouth) and take them to a safe zone if danger is around. Maybe the ink also doesn't hurt them, just drain energy, which is probably the ink demons food source.

Oh this is a good idea! Bare with me I've just sorta binged all the game plays and theories))

Henry wasnt sure what compelled him to come back to the old studio, maybe it was for nostalgia or the fact it was closing down and it would be his last chance...either way he went.

He expected a quick in and out but what he got was a survival practice in case ink ever took over.

"It'll be fun, just for old times sake." He grumbles sarcastically to himself, trudging down the ink slicked hallway. Trying to find a way out of this hell hole had been a joke. He was just going further down into the hellscape.

He throws his hands up in exasperation when the hallway just ended, no exit no rooms just wall. Better yet the ink he learned to avoid was bubbling in its puddle.

"Fuck."

That was an understatement. The ink creatures rose from the ink letting out noises he had grown to hate. Thankfully he had an escape and most likely wouldnt need to fight.

He spun around ready to hightail it when he noticed that no he did not have an escape. The tall twisted Bendy that barely fit in the hallway was standing there. This wasnt the 'little darling devil' he had drawn years ago.

"Fuck." It was repeated but he didnt exactly have a good plan. Behind himwere bloodthirsty ink creatures and infront if him an ink demon that never would've made it past censoring.

Ink latched into his pants making him hiss in pain. It was like a thousand needles stabbing into him. What these things were actually made of he didnt know nor did he want to find out. He wasnt sure if moving would alert the Bendy so he stayed painfully still.

He curses and stumbles back when the twisted thing infront of hin hobbled towards him. Apparently Jurassic park rules didnt apply here.

"Come on- this cant be how it ends." He says mostly to himself. The ink creatures shrieked at the thing coming towards him, a few detaching but twostubborn ones latched onto him like glue.

He stared up at the twisted thing half expecting a mouth full of razor sharp teeth to open. The demon simply swatted the stubborn creatures away making noises that had to be from hell. "Well? What are you going to do?"

The creature tilts his(its, her?) Head at him like he was asking a stupid question. He stared definatly at it, very surpised when not human arms reached out, clawed liked hands grasping his shoulders.

The ink behind him bubbled in rage but it didn't stop the twisted Bendy, if anything it acted quicker with whatever he was doing.

"Nothing speaks here does it."

No answer. He should've figured that already. He wasnt sure if the thing even had a mouth. He was pulled forward for a moment before he got his bearings and dug his feet into the ground. Bendy let a soft growl out and just tugged harder, Henry having no choice but to basically face plant into the body infront of him.

"Ya giving me a hug?" Probably a stupid thing to say, but that's all he could describe it as. He was pressed against its inky body, the arms keeping him from doing anything other than wriggle.

A soft croon. That sounded friendly at least, better than the growling and hissing behind him. The 'hug' didn't last long. The body had been firm for a second, now he was just simply sinking into it. That coudlnt be good. He tried squirming away, looking despretely up at the creature. When had it crouched down? Why was he sinking into its middle?

"Bud this... I dont know what you're doing but this will kill me."

It crooned in response, hands pushing him into the ink which gave way ridlciously quickly. He couldnt crane his neck comfortably to peer at anything else, now forced to stare at the void.

The ink was warm, it washed over him like a soft comforter. He expected something less..comfortbale. He was completely surrounded in soft plush darkness which was humid compared to the bitter chill of the building. He was completely inside the twisted Bendy. The whole ordeal only took a couple of seconds.

Sticky tendrils clung to him but he found he didnt have the energy to try and wipe them off, actually he didnt have the energy to do much. He squints slightly trying to find some sort of light source.

He stuck his hand out, frowning when it just connected with a plush (it wadnt flesh it coudlnt be) wall. He sunk further into it, briefly wondering why until he realized his arm was no longer supporting him

"What is-" he trailed off his throught getting jumbled. He couldn't remember what he was going to say. Everything shifted around him and he didnt relaized he was comfortably cradled until his eyes were slipping closed. It was hard to tell when they were opened or closed, everything was just so dark and very warm.

Henry scowls to himself trying to put a bit of a fight though none of his limbs were obeying, they felt like lead. He grunts to himself trying to at the least sit up. It failed miserably. He was at the ink's mercy here, whatever it was doing he coudlnt stop it.

Cold fresh air woke him up. He wasnt sure when he had closed his eyes or had fallen asleep but here he was, hands guiding his torso out from the soft prison.

There wasnt much he could say. What could he say to soemthing that didnt have the capabilities of speaking back to him

He glances around, surpised to find no deathly puddles of ink anywhere, just solid blissful ground. His knees buckle slightly as the thing attempted to set him down. He felt weak, which wasnt a good thing to be down here. The thing seemed to agree, letting a warning noise out.

His legs miraculously gained strength after that noise. It was probably a new rush of adrenaline. A heavy weight settled on his head, like the thing was patting him. He looks up, gaping in surpise. Did this twisty Bendy just save his life? His thoughts slowly became more coherent as the ink dripped off of him.

The thing seemed content that he was standing and started walking the opposite direction leaving Henry to wonder what the hell just happened.

#bendy and the ink machine vore #soft vore #v.vore #snex content

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j-mysticalien · 3 years

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🔫 the oc content, hand it over /lh

you don’t have to if u don’t want to lol I just saw you said something about ocs and 👀 I am interested

FIRST OF ALL 🥺🥺🥺

SECOND OF ALL OKAY OKAY HERE TAKE IT

(I ended up dumping a lot ... I saw the opportunity and ran with it I didn’t mean to oops)

These guys have been in my head for y e a r s and even though I'll abandon them for months at a time, there are plot points I've forgotten, it’s very very unfinished, and clearly influenced by my freshman year interests, they're some of my favorites to imagine and write like every time I do a picrew chain or something I make them too for myself okay okay-

So. Exposition. For ages the demons and dark things have slipped between the veil and into the world. As evil rises, so do those who stand against it. In some parts of the world The Order was established not to eradicate or wage war against the demons, just to keep everything in their proper dimensions and destroy those who refuse. Members of the Order work in groups with assigned roles, often passed down generations. 1: trained in the physical aspects of fighting creatures, they have the unique and mysterious ability to survive in the other dimension-at least better than the average mortal. 2, “Alchemist”: Usually a witch, human descendant of a magical being, or a particularly skilled mortal even. they provide the magical aid since the other cannot perform magic themselves. (Though Witches tend to form their own communities or work with the demon realm which historically has caused tensions) While fewer and well hidden, this secret society guards the mortal realm to this day...

There’s a small, quiet town in the northeast. Nothing much happens- the power may go out or the weather may turn within seconds and figures may appear and shift into the shadows but it all turns out fine eventually. Nothing to worry about. But those who know a little too much know where to go when things need to be taken care off. Bloom’s Florist and Garden Shop, a sweet little store in the middle of town staffed by the owner’s two teenaged kids. They’ve got a lovely selection of flowers and herbs. If you hear noises from their basement, best to ignore it. If you see the kids sprinting down the street, best to stay out of their way. If they tell you to avoid the woods one night, you listen...

OCS MY BELOVED HERE THEY ARE

Dante Achilles Sindweller. He is type 1. He’s tall, thin but muscular, almost dangerously pale. His hair is blue, eyes blue though they sometimes look red. Riddles with piercings and pale scars. Cocky bastard but well deserved. Friendly and deadly all at once. He’s good at what he does and is always up for a challenge. Low key high key losing his sense of humanity. You see actually being in the demon dimension is draining because of the pure chaos of it but returning to reality is rough too. Because of the hunter’s ability (I’m pretty sure they have this ability bc the og demon hunters secretly fucked a bunch of demons so Hunters have demon blood and cannot “die” in the hell dimension but idfk at this point) they can adapt to the word with a combination of demonic attributes and idealized forms that disappear when he gets back. So um the mental toll is very much a thing that he hides very well...at least at first. He doesn’t actually have to travel too often thought, just during emergencies and later he genuinely visits some chill demon friends there.

Cordelia Emerys Bloom, “Cordie”. 5′2″, dark brown skin, black hair she keeps in two short braids, round rimmed glasses. She’s the alchemist. a few of her far off ancestors were fae. Her own magical battery is low so she’s become skilled in working with. potions and magical plants. She’s the most serious member. of the trio. She knows the job, she has a rhythm, she doesn’t like change. This group had three braincells and 90% of the time she has all of them. She likes her plants, her books, and Dante. She’s a little high strung and stubborn but she’s clever, intelligent, and really warm person once you get past her shields. She grew up way too fast and with all her adult figures gone, Dante slowly slipping (though she denies it to the point where Alice bright it up and they didn’t talk for a week), and this irritation turned fear that Alice’s presence is temporary leaves her with some issues but it’s okay im determined to let her be happy, she just has to let herself accept happiness.

Alice Barnet. A witch. Thick, bright red hair, hazel/ blue eyes. Absolutely stunning. and a fashion icon. She moved to attend to uppity private school right outside of town. She stumbled upon the shop and immediately sensed the great power hidden in there. So she just walked in- because of the dimensional portal not because the girl at the register she saw through the window was so pretty what are you talking about it was witch instinct only- and announced herself and offered her services. She’s a flirt, though a sincere one. She projects a confident, fun vibes even if she doesn't actually feel it. Fake it until you make it I guess. Coffee addict will memorize your birth chart, Starbucks order, and all the little behavioral things. Most of my early drabbles with her involve her sitting on Cordie’s desk sipping her iced coffee while Cordie is like “how tf did you get in here” “good question. Better one: they didn’t have the black tea you like is green okay?” She actually is part of an informal coven but that’s a whole side story with its own cast of characters I haven’t touched in ages

Dynamics dynamics so Cordie and Dante are siblings in all but blood, they’ve been together for almost their entire lives. (Cordie’s parents are almost always away-either on Order business or just vibing idk they’re cool though. Dante’s parents are dead but only Dante himself seems to know that-Something about demon blood and dimension hopping doesn’t let their kind live long) They’re really close. If they met at this point in life they probably would never have been friends and Cordie probably would despise him but as they are they love each other and *know* each other. Technically Dante is older but Cordie is the eldest sister of the relationship.

The two of them have opposite reactions when Alice enters their life. (This entrance is one of the few *full* scenes I actually wrote down) Dante is allured-not by her but by the potential adventure she represents. She states her case and he’s like oh this’ll be interesting. They become best friends almost instantly. Their sass, confidence, and more adventurous sides click harmoniously- much of the time to Cordie’s dismay. To Cordelia, Alice is something unknown, something potentially dangerous. She makes her assumptions (prissy, incompetent, entitled, inexperienced) and tolerated her. Alice has had a crush on her since day 1. She was determined to prove herself to the group and really she’d just like to get her trust and friendship at some point, gushy feelings be damned. They fall in love slowly, they learn to trust and be weak and learn to know each other and be themselves Alice is genuinely interested in all the stuff Cordie knows about the magical world and Cordie gets to try to be a person outside of that world. The recent stuff I’ve actually written down involves a lot of sleepy conversations and whispered confessions and soft touched and hhh

Some of the non-human characters

“Lady”: the ghost that haunts the basement/ Order base. She can’t really speak and isn't always visible, never fully. They don’t know who she was or why she’s there. She helps out when she can though. Might help Dante in the very end.

All of the actual demons are off ideas. Like each deadly sin has it’s own demon (they didn’t realize some humans had grouped them together for some time but they think it’s funny, sometimes they hang out just because of that) The gang doesn't directly meet a lot of them but

Curiosity aka “Apple” aka “Heather” aka “Bee”aka...:The spark that fuels innovation ne the spiral of a downfall. frequently visits human world, team switches between stopping them from blowing up a building to playing Mario kart together. Like he definitely causes trouble and should not keep escaping through the portal but like...he’s fun to got to the mall with. Funky Lil dude who’s there for a good time and some chaos. Changes aliases all the time.

Nostalgia aka “Honey-Lavender”: the kind that leaves the ghost of a smile on your face, the kind that drowns you in the past, the kind that makes you want to go back, or forget. mostly stays in hell. One of the demons Dante visits and is acquainted with. They lay and talk. She can be a downer but he doesn’t mind, he appreciates the company and some days she keeps him tethered to his life and sanity (on the bad says she has the opposite effect, she can’t help it)

OKAY AHAHA THATS ENOUGH OUT OF ME THERE THEY ARE THANKS

#OH BOY UM OKAY #j mysticalien ocs #I’m cringing putting some of this on here but #j mysticalien speaks #Dante Cordie Alice

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nightwingshero · 4 years

Text

OC Mannerisms

I was tagged by @risenlucifer and @mackie-hattwie thanks lovelies! I updated Wren, so I added her on here, too.

Tagging: @deathvalleyqueen because uh...I’m interested in hearing about two wonderful boys you got there. I think everyone has pretty much done this...

Wren Blake

How they smile

Wren smirks, a lot. She’s not arrogant, it’s just how she smiles sometimes (she’s not smug, I swear...well, not all the time). If someone makes a sly joke, pun, or says something amusing, she’ll chuckle and smirk. A lot of times its just a pull on the side of her mouth, indication that you did amuse her, but she’s not gonna make a big deal with it, you know? Sometimes it’s going to be hidden behind her hand/finger though because she likes to hold her face and cover her mouth (its easier for her to hide her expressions that way and to keep her from saying things she shouldn’t—also a nervous thing), or she may even be biting her thumbnail. If you make her super happy or excited, she smiles wide and shows teeth. The girl BEAMS. Her actual small smiles are caused by nostalgia or contemplation, or something super thoughtful and cute. If she’s recalling something sweet or soft, a good memory of hers, she’s looking to the side with a small and soft smile, almost like in a daydream.

What their “tell” is for lying

Wren doesn’t like to lie; she hates it and values honesty. That being said, that doesn’t mean she’s bad at it. It can be hard to tell when she’s lying because well…she’s genuinely a trustworthy person, only very few people can tell. She gets more defensive and arrogant when she’s lying. She’ll jut her chin out and dare you, in her own way, to accuse her of lying if you’re doubting her. If it’s someone she loves, she will avoid eye contact and hide her hands, closing herself off from them. Whether that’s shoving them in her pockets or tucking them with her arms crossed over her chest. She grows a bit cold and distant, to help or ease the guilt of lying. She’s way more obvious about it then. But the more she likes/loves/cares about someone, the worse she is at it.

Posture

Wren is usually pretty straight-spined and stiff with people she doesn’t know. She’s on her guard, and she won’t let it down. She will be very tense and her nerves…they’re going to be shot, and she’s going to be a bit jumpy and defensive (my girl is claustrophobic, okay? She will tense up in a closed off space or feel boxed in around people she doesn’t know. Cut her some slack). If she’s in a comfortable place, or with people she’s comfortable with, she’s much more relaxed and open. She leans against things often or has her hands on her hips on occasion, completely at ease. If she’s sitting, her legs and feet are up in the chair/couch with her. She will hold her knee as she leans back or sit up straight with her legs crossed under her. The girl never sits in a chair properly.

Volume of speech, if they’re verbal

Wren has a pretty even tone, sometimes leaning more towards the soft side. But she’s been known to raise her voice when she’s angry or if she’s more serious, it’ll have an edge to it—borderline sharp. When she’s taunting you, pulling that dark siren/judge thing, her tone is gonna be subtly venomous. Its not like Whitney, where it’s sugary. Its more…husky and seductive. She’s so damn articulate and smooth when she’s in her element. She may not like talking to people because she’s introverted, but she knows how to (it’s actually doing it that’s the problem). She’s pretty easy to approach, for the most part, even though she not to put herself out there to be. If she’s nervous, her introverted nature–her true nature–will show. She will clam up, stutter, ramble, and even talk in circles. Most of the time, it’s usually around someone she’s not comfortable with/doesn’t know, someone that has taken control of the conversation away from her, someone she’s attracted to/really likes, or if something happens out of the blue that throws her off completely.

Nervous tics

Wren will get super quiet and avoid direct or focused eye contact if she’s nervous. She’ll bite her lip (or her thumbnail) or shove her hands in her pockets, maybe even cross her arms. She’ll sway and constantly scan the room (most likely looking for an escape route—she’s a runner). Wren will also sigh, and she rubs her thumb, tracing her vine tattoos if she doesn’t put her hands in her pockets. Honestly, that’s a go-to. Its usually with her thumb, pointer, or middle finger, and she will lightly trace the whole tattoo on her wrist/thumb. She gets fidgety with her hands/fingers, mostly tapping rhythmically as if she were playing a piano or drumming them to a song that’s in her head. If she’s sitting, she’ll steeple her fingers, or cover her mouth with her fingers while resting her head on her hand. Just pretty closed-off behavior, to be honest.

How much eye contact do they make

A decent amount, it’s really big with her. Wren likes to look people in the eye, mostly because it’s respectful (or at least, that’s how she was raised. It was kinda drilled into her) and because she’s also genuinely listening to the other person. Like, obviously don’t pull a Joseph (dude, seriously, take notes), but I mean, keep some to let them know you’re listening. The only times Wren won’t meet your eye is when she’s nervous, unsure of herself, lying (depending on who you are), and because she knows herself well enough that her true emotions live and show there. It also helps her feel connected to you, in a way. Like, she’s not very touchy when she first meets you (although it’s one of her love languages, and it’s something she craves), so that eye contact is gonna be important to her.

In a group conversation, how close do they stand to others? Are they off to the side just listening and occasionally speaking or are they right next to people?

With people she knows, she’ll stand closer in the group. She has no issue with being a part of a group she knows, especially if they’re friends. She participates, although she would be so drained afterwards. Girl hates crowds, no matter who it is. If it’s a mix of people she knows and doesn’t know, she will either keep her distance, or choose a person she knows well (Randy, Jane, Ro, a SO, for example), and sticks with them. If she’s too uncomfortable with a group (which definitely happens), she’s going to be leaning against the wall or sitting at a table away from the group, listening and only talking when she needs to. Wren is very much to herself, and she hates being put in those situations. It’s honestly hit or miss with her, but she’s guarded, so she will try and distance herself if the people are new. If she’s sitting on something like a table or a box, she will drum with her hands to a song that’s in her head and sing to herself.

When standing, what do they do with their hands? Talk with their hands, cross their arms, put hands in pockets, prop up against the wall, etc

This all depends on who she is with and what the situation is. Wren can be animated, and she definitely talks with her hands. She’s just an expressive person, even if she doesn’t mean to be. The more open she is with you, the more expressive. Touching, gesturing, light punches. It depends. Now, on the other hand, her closed off behavior involves her crossing her arms, being stiffer, and if she’s away from the group, she’s leaning against something. She doesn’t mean to come off as standoffish, but she doesn’t want you in her space, either. If she’s nervous, she will absolutely shove her hands in her pockets. But that’s if she’s wearing her jacket. If not, she’s tracing her wrist tattoos absentmindedly. She will also place them on her hips.

The sound of their footsteps

Wren can be light on her feet (have you seen how tiny she is?), which is why stealth works well for her. She has no issue going barefoot (she grew up in Oklahoma, this was a regular thing), and her combat boots (or converse) aren’t super loud. She also knows how to stay silent when it’s needed. But you bet your ass she’s stomping away when she’s pissed. Her in heels is another story. She genuinely loves to hear the clack of her heels, so you’ll definitely hear her coming. It’s probably one of the reasons she loves wearing them. Plus, they make her ass and legs look good, so there’s that.

Nonverbal greetings: do they wave, nod, hug, glare, punch, high five, something else?

Wren will nod or give a small wave to acquaintances with a small smile. With friends, it’s more personal. She waves and, depending on who, will hug and give high fives. Now…Wren will lightly punch or smack if she has a crush. She will also playfully shove. She will do it significant others (established relationship), too, if she’s feeling playful. Other than that, it’s a hug and a quick kiss to the cheek, because Wren is always affectionate to her SOs (and best friends).

How do they get others’ attention? Raise hand, clear throat, etc

She’ll clearing her throat or try to catch their eye and give a nod, kinda like a “come here” gesture. She will touch their shoulder with a squeeze and lean into whisper. (Mostly with friends or SOs). Most of the time, she might just touch your arm in passing with a verbal greeting. Wren is not above putting herself in your line of sight, either. She can be passive aggressive about it if you’re ignoring her. That’s the point where she will go out of her way to make sure she has your attention, especially if you’ve pissed her off.

Randy Miller

How they smile

Randy doesn’t always smile, but that doesn’t mean he’s in a bad mood. He just…he’s so damn laidback. Randy has his arms crossed, mostly with his hands open and pressed against his chest, and when he laughs, he’ll bend forward a bit and his shoulders shake as he nods. He’ll go a lopsided grin as he strokes his beard, looking off to the side or shaking his head. Sometimes its just his lips pressed together with a small smile.

What their “tell” is for lying

Randy isn’t a liar. That’s…that’s not how he is. It’s always “I ain’t gonna lie to ya…”, because he’s gonna give it to you straight, whether you want it or not. He’s not a sugar coater. I mean, he’d rather not say anything at all than lie to you, but Randy is more direct than that. He’s gonna just tell you how it is.

Posture

Not the best, honestly. Like stated above, he mostly has his arms crossed and is looking down with his shoulders hunched a bit. That’s 99% of the time. Most of it is because it makes him less intimidating, but he’s just mostly contemplative and silently listening to everything going on around him. He slouches in chairs, leaning back with his legs spread and stretched out in front of him. He’s a leaner, too. He’ll lean forward on things or against a wall, because he’s just chilling.

Volume of speech, if they’re verbal

Randy talks lowly, most of the time. He has somewhat of a deeper voice, and its definitely husky. It can take a lighter tilt when he’s being super expressive and exaggerating. When he’s pissed (don’t fuck with the people he cares about, yeah?), his voice raises and fuck, is he scary. He’s been known to bellow, and yeah, that’s terrifying. But so is when he gets in your face and whispers very lowly and menacingly. I don’t know which is worse, either way: you’re fucked.

Nervous tics

Mostly just nodding and stroking his beard. He might clear his throat here and there out of habit. He’s also known to shuffle his feet in the dirt or gravel while he’s looking down. Randy will also shift is weight from one foot to the other and crack his neck.

How much eye contact do they make

It’s a toss up with this guy. He doesn’t shy away from it, but he’s just usually looking down or scanning the area around him. But when he does make eye contact, its piercing and intense (not a creepy way, he’s not Joseph), and just direct. Some people can’t handle it, to be honest, because its just…raw, in a way. It’s unfiltered, unapologetic, and it’s like he sees right through you—and knowing him, he probably does. His eyes are usually hold his emotions, but sometimes they’re super hard to read because is eye contact is direct and focused.

In a group conversation, how close do they stand to others? Are they off to the side just listening and occasionally speaking or are they right next to people?

It depends on the group, to be honest. Randy is more outgoing, though he can have introvert tendencies—mostly around people he can’t stand/trust or because he doesn’t want to deal with people (just his dogs). He has no issues being a part of a group in general. But he’s been known to sit or stand further away, slouching or leaning while listening to what’s being said. Randy is super attentive and observant that way. But he can strike up a conversation with anybody when motivated to do so or if someone talks to him, he’s quick to engage. He’s just comfortable in his skin, and honestly, he could be with a group of people he’s never met, and you’d think they were all good friends. He’s so sure of himself.

When standing, what do they do with their hands? Talk with their hands, cross their arms, put hands in pockets, prop up against the wall, etc.

Randy isn’t much into talking with his hands. Like I mentioned, his arms are crossed most of the time (people don’t complain—have you seen his arms???), so his hands are pressed against his chest, with his thumbs up. He might pull a hand up and stroke his beard as he’s nodding in the middle of a conversation. If he’s making a point, being exaggerative or going into a huge “speech” moment, then he might wave his arms around to emphasize his point (like the moment he confronts Wes in the WrenWes canon). He might use the hand he’s rubbing his beard with, and wave it or do a slow “karate chop” movement when discussing things like strategy or something that requires deep thinking.

The sound of their footsteps

Randy tries to be stealthy, he really does, but its not his strong point. The man is…he’s big. And he wears boots most of the time, and that combo isn’t very good. He’s tried hunting, he’s bad at it. The only time he’s good at that is when he’s tracking someone down—kidnapping or capturing them for Eden’s Gate (*cough*WREN*cough*). Most of the time, you can hear him coming. He doesn’t stomp, he’s just a bit heavy on the heel. He might shuffle his feet along if he’s not looking forward to doing something or going somewhere.

Nonverbal greetings: do they wave, nod, hug, glare, punch, high five, something else?

Randy is a nodder. He’ll give you a quick and polite nod in acknowledgement. If he’s walking up to a friend, he’ll give a playful little elbow nudge and a nod. He will also tilt his head down a bit and raise his shoulders a bit, and that’s more for the people he has a deep respect for. But yeah, he doesn’t really wave. He might playfully shove people he’s super close to or clap them on the shoulder with a nod (yes, again with the nodding). The only people he really high fives are Wren, Jane, or a few others depending on the verse. He also grips your hand, wrapping his hands around your thumb/hand and give you a slap on the arm/shoulder. He’s also known to grasp your forearm with a nod.

How do they get others’ attention? Raise hand, clear throat, etc

Yeah, I dare you to try and ignore this guy. Randy is huge and will get in your direct line of sight when he needs your attention now. He’s a direct guy, he doesn’t deal with bullshit when things need to be discussed or dealt with. When he has a purpose, you will see him coming. He will do a sharp whistle while making his way to you to grab your attention or make you aware he’s about to approach you. And no, he’s not doing it to be offensive. He’s a dog dad, he’s honestly just used to it. If you know Randy, you’ll know he’s super respectful towards people (until you don’t deserve it). Randy will nudge you or walk up to and use his either his pointer or middle finger knuckle to kinda gently tap your arm if he needs to be discrete.

Rowan Palmer

How they smile

Rowan smiles brightly and shows her teeth. Same when she laughs. She’s honestly just a bright and sunny person. Not like a cheerleader, but genuinely warm. Ro just kinda has an optimistic disposition. She’ll also so a side smile, soft and a bit funny, but it shows off one of her dimples, and it’s adorable.

What their “tell” is for lying

She’s actually a good liar. She’s super outgoing and charismatic and has a spine. If she has to lie to you, she absolutely will, and good luck telling the difference. Rowan will always do what she has to, and if she has to lie for your own good, she absolutely will. But her tell is her becoming more…cold. She’ll hold her head high, her back will be straight (straighter than normal, that is) and purse her lips only slightly. Honestly, if you don’t know her really well, you’re not gonna make the connection. But she’s a bit more detached when she lies.

Posture

Ro has good posture, mostly thanks to her time in the Air Force. It just never really left her. Her arms are always loose at her sides, her back straight and her shoulders back a bit. She’s very confident in how she presents herself. She might lean against the bar on occasion or slouch in a chair, but not that often. She will sometimes bend a knee with her hands shoved in her jacket pockets or with them on her hips

Volume of speech, if they’re verbal

Rowan has a rather even tone, which has kind of a…I wouldn’t say deepness, but it’s definitely not tilted. I wanna say its deep with a warmth to it. It’s very calm. Even when she’s mad, she won’t raise her voice, it just hardens. But most of the time, it’s a lower to even tone.

Nervous tics

She’s really bad at biting the side of her cheek and doing that puckered-mouth-to-the-side thing. She’ll also scrunch up her nose a bit from time to time. Ro will also shift her gaze from person to person. Rowan also rises up on her tip toes sometimes, just for the movement of it. She’s fidgety when it comes to her feet. She will also mess with her camo ball cap, if she’s wearing it, or her braid/ponytail.

How much eye contact do they make

Rowan is a lot like Randy in this aspect, at least in terms of directness. Ro isn’t one to shy away from eye contact. She’s naturally observant (especially when outdoors), so she’s always scanning fields and the tree line. It’s the hunter in her, she gets excited seeing deer and other wildlife. While she gives direct eye contact, it’s not that intense. She’s actually a bit soft on the eyes, so she doesn’t really come off as intimidating (and if you assume that she’s not a threat, that’s your mistake, buddy), but rather open and warm. When pissed off, that changes drastically. She can be a hard ass, glaring at you heatedly and making you feel six inches tall.

In a group conversation, how close do they stand to others? Are they off to the side just listening and occasionally speaking or are they right next to people?

Rowan is very much in it. She’s less likely to be off to the side, because she likes talking to people in general, even if its meaningless small talk. Rowan’s gonna be close to who she knows best, while making herself warm and open to those she doesn’t. She’s not a bubbly person, she’s just…warm. I really don’t know how else to explain that. She’s more extroverted than introverted, so crowds never really bother her.

When standing, what do they do with their hands? Talk with their hands, cross their arms, put hands in pockets, prop up against the wall, etc.

Mostly they’re at her side or tucked in her jacket pockets with a knee bent with her weight shifted to the other leg. She gestures with her hands in her pockets and does a lot of shrugging and nodding. She’s not one to really talk with her hands unless she’s pissed. Then it’s a lot of waving around, pointing, and throwing them up in the air in exasperation.

The sound of their footsteps

You’ll never hear her coming, honestly. Stealthy as hell, this one. Rowan has been hunting all her life and being Survival Instructor (in the SERE program) helped with that too. The girl is a fucking camo ninja with a compound and recurve bow. Ro is so damn light on her feet, even when she’s pissed. Some people get used to it (like Wren, Randy, and Jane), but most people jump because she sneaks up on them unintentionally (insert the Dwight and Angela meme: here).

Nonverbal greetings: do they wave, nod, hug, glare, punch, high five, something else?

She waves at mostly everyone, to be honest. You’ll most likely get the casual wave: her hand near her shoulder as she gives a quick wave or wiggles her fingers. If you’re further way, her arm is higher, and depending on how excited she is to see you, she’ll wave harder. Ro will also tip her hat, because she’s often wearing a ball cap (yes, it’s camo). It’s more of a respect thing and it’s usually when she’s doing her ranger thing.

How do they get others’ attention? Raise hand, clear throat, etc

Mostly waving or calling “hey, ___!”. If she’s super excited to see you and trying to get your attention, she’ll bounce on her tip toes as she waves high in the air. Any other time, she’s putting herself in your space, immediately taking control of the conversation/situation. She’s an assertive person, she doesn’t do passive aggression. If she wants your attention, she will get it. She tries to be respectful about it, really, she just has a tendency to grab attention when she needs it, and it can rub people the wrong way (mostly Hurk Sr and Jess).

Jane Williams

How they smile

Ha! Jane smiling…that’s the best joke I’ve heard ever. Jane…she’s not very expressive when it comes to positive emotions. Her laughs are more scoffs, low chuckles, or snorts with a roll of her eyes. Her “smiles” aren’t much better. She doesn’t really show her teeth, and when she does, it’s a tight-lipped smile where you’ll see the tiniest sliver of white. But you gotta get close to her for that. Mostly you’re getting sarcastic or condescending smirks or sneers. Yeah, she’s an asshole, but honestly, it’s just a front. Once you get to know her and she’s warmed up to you, you can catch the slight upturn of the corner of her mouth. Not saying that you have to be close to cause her small smile, but most people don’t catch it. It’s not a tell people, who don’t know her that well, catch onto.

What their “tell” is for lying

There isn’t one. Jane doesn’t really have a second thought to lying, she’ll do it with a straight face if you’re not someone she’s close to. She doesn’t care, you’re not her problem. Jane will not spare your feelings. Her expression is usually impassive or deadpan, almost bored….and irritated, at times. Now…if it’s someone she has a lot of respect for, or someone she begrudgingly cares about (it happens more often than not, guys. She tries to shut those emotions down—doesn’t mean she doesn’t have them), you can catch a tick in her jaw and her nostrils will flare a bit.

Posture

Jane—in blatant terms—either has a stick up her ass or doesn’t care. Depending on her mood. 9/10, she’s gonna fuck off, and lean against anything she can find with her arms crossed and a scowl or a bored expression. If there’s something to sit on top of—table, bar, car, etc—she’s mostly gonna be sitting. Jane will also climb up on a low branch in a tree and just chill. She’s also known to just sit against a wall with her arms resting on her knees. She’s also super proud (*cough*andenvious*cough*), so if you insult her, rub her the wrong way, or just piss her off, her spine is straight, shoulders pulled back, and head held high. She will dare you to step up and say it again all from her body language…good luck with that.

Volume of speech, if they’re verbal

A bit on the lower side and sharp. Naturally, it’s a bit of a higher tilt, but she sometimes makes the conscious decision to lower it, and mostly because she mutters a lot or doesn’t want to bring attention to herself. Once she gets nice and irritated (or passionate/emotional in general), you’ll hear her voice on a regular octave, and honestly, she really does have a nice voice. She just…doesn’t like bringing attention to herself and she’s a grumpy asshole most of the time.

Nervous tics

Jane clenches her jaw when nervous. Honestly it comes out as frustration than anything, so a lot of sighing, rolling her eyes, crinkling of her nose, and death glares. She hates being put in uncomfortable situations and will direct it towards you (which is why people joke about her stabbing you). You just gotta learn to read the room, honestly. Because her being genuinely pissed off is her getting in your face and posturing like said above. Most people don’t know that though, so people keep their distance which is what she wants (she’s been through it, guys, cut her some slack). She will also bounce her leg, tap her foot, or play with her knife…okay, the stabbing thing might have some truth to it.

How much eye contact do they make

That depends. If she’s disinterested (like she is most of the time), she’s not gonna spare you a glance. That doesn’t mean she’s not listening. Yes, she’s one of those “pssh, I don’t care, so I’m not gonna look at you…but hear every little thing you say and remember it” people. Mostly because she can get information to use against you, but sometimes she really does care, she just can’t show it. On the other hand, if you get her riled up, she will get in your face and stare you down. Her gaze is sharp, piercing, and—unlike Randy—means to be intimidating. When she’s uncomfortable (emotionally or physically), she will avert her gaze, mostly to glare at something because her pride is wounded, and she really doesn’t want to show you emotions. She’ll do what she can to avoid that.

In a group conversation, how close do they stand to others? Are they off to the side just listening and occasionally speaking or are they right next to people?

You’d have to drag her kicking and screaming if its people she doesn’t know or want to associate with. You’re probably wondering “Jane, how are you gonna get to know them if you don’t try?” and her answer would be “I don’t fucking want to.” She hates socializing, she hates crowds of people, she’s gonna be hiding in a corner, huddled up and giving the vibe of “come near me, and I’ll fucking kill you”—figuratively…and literally.

When standing, what do they do with their hands? Talk with their hands, cross their arms, put hands in pockets, prop up against the wall, etc.

Definitely crossed. Jane doesn’t do a lot with her hands or arms, because she really does try to be impassive and unexpressive. She will occasionally flip someone off while making a face, but mostly because someone (looking at you, Wren and Randy) decided to poke the bear. She’ll clench her fists and keep her arms stiff at her sides when she’s super pissed and yelling at someone. The only time she uses her hands is when she’s gesturing to make a point and can’t find the words.

The sound of their footsteps

She’s light on her feet, not as good as Rowan, but pretty damn close. Jane is very much a silent killer—both with her sniper rifle and her capability to sneak up on people. She will stomp her feet when she’s pissed though, and it’s not really on purpose, but Jane is…she’s a force to be reckoned with and that emotion has to come out somehow. While Ro will sneak up on someone and make them jump when she greets them, Jane won’t even bother. She’ll stay there until you notice her and its…I swear, she does it on purpose sometimes. It’s payback a lot of times.

Nonverbal greetings: do they wave, nod, hug, glare, punch, high five, something else?

Jane isn’t too big on greetings that’s not her just giving a small, sharp nod. Like, her glancing you and acknowledging your presence is greeting enough to her in most cases. She shoves Randy, though, because they’re close, or she’ll punch his arm. Usually the greeting is verbal and clipped, her calling the person by their last name.

How do they get others’ attention? Raise hand, clear throat, etc

Jane isn’t normally out to seek someone’s attention. You need to talk? You come to her; she’s not coming to you. Most of the time, anyway. If it’s in regard to something that needs to be done (like for Eden’s Gate or performing her duties as a Chosen), she’s gonna walk up to you fast, tell you what needs done, and walk off. She’s not gonna put up with the “needing to grab your attention” bullshit, she’s gonna take your attention, and not care how you like it, because chances are she didn’t want to really talk to you anyway. If she’s pissed or greeting a friend, she might yell: “hey asshole!”. Yeah, good luck figuring out which one it is…chances are if you’re not sure, it’s the former.

How they smile

What their “tell” is for lying

Posture

Volume of speech, if they’re verbal

Nervous tics

Jane clenches her jaw when nervous. Honestly it comes out as frustration than anything, so a lot of sighing, rolling her eyes, crinkling of her nose, and death glares. She hates being put in uncomfortable situations, and will direct it towards you (which is why people joke about her stabbing you). You just gotta learn to read the room, honestly. Because her being genuinely pissed off is her getting in your face and posturing like said above. Most people don’t know that though, so people keep their distance which is what she wants (she’s been through it, guys, cut her some slack). She will also bounce her leg, tap her foot, or play with her knife…okay, the stabbing thing might have some truth to it.

Whitney Seed

How they smile

Whit has a bright, warm, contagious smile when she’s happy. She shows teeth most of the time, and her cheeks will get a little rosy. Now…you have to be careful, because Whitney has a lot of different smiles. That bright, sweet, motherly smile will have sickly sweet poison dripping in it if you’ve crossed her. You can usually tell when that is because of how she says “honey”, “sweetheart”, “bless your heart”, “sweetie”, or “darling” (much like Wren). You can usually tell you’ve crossed a if you catch the infliction is off, and it will definitely make a chill go down your spine. She will also smirk proudly and condescending when she’s “right” or you “prove her right”.

What their “tell” is for lying

Whitney can overdo it with the sweetness if she lies and you’re onto her. She becomes more expressive with her hands, more touchy-feely, trying to ease you and convince you. Of course, if you know this, it can be obvious. But if you don’t…well, she can come across as super reassuring and safe. Despite the kinda sickly sweet nature of Whitney, she really doesn’t like to lie. Not really. So it’s not only to try and convince you, but also herself.

Posture

Whitney tries to be the perfect lady, like Nancy raised her to be, so her posture is almost perfect. She crosses her legs and always presents herself well. At home, when she’s not around people, she slacks a bit (good for her though, right?) and just relaxes. She’s more reclined and at ease. But outside, she has a role to keep, there’s pressure with being the Mother of Eden’s Gate, so she has to be perfect. Her posture is no different. She holds herself high in that regard.

Volume of speech, if they’re verbal

High tilted with a twang. While Wren’s Oklahoma accent slips, Whitney’s southern twang is something that woman embraces. It gives a honey feel, adding to the motherly/homey persona that she is, so it’s definitely to her benefit. When she’s pissed or frustrated, her voice can be a bit shrill, sometimes like nails on a chalkboard if she’s worked up enough. You don’t want to be around for that.

Nervous tics

Her voice goes up an octave, and she talks faster. She’s gonna flip her hair more often too and examine her nails. Honestly, do anything she can to appear put together and confident, in her element even though she isn’t. Fake it till you make it, baby! Whit will also laugh a little bit more, and you can sometimes tell it’s forced, but the woman is really good at hiding it. She’ll also tap her heels if she’s antsy enough.

How much eye contact do they make

Whitney is naturally charismatic, outgoing, and open, so she’s big on eye contact. Healthy and normal eye contact (take notes, Joseph). It helps her gain trust with people and honestly, it’s easier for her to read you that way. And Nancy always taught her to make eye contact, it’s only polite to do so. She’s also just used to it, it shows you’re listening and engaged, and she genuinely is. Whitney is an active listener, despite all the manipulation and stuff. She does genuinely care about conversations and hearing people. She’s gonna show that with eye contact, establishing trust and offering a safe feeling.

In a group conversation, how close do they stand to others? Are they off to the side just listening and occasionally speaking or are they right next to people?

Close! Whitney has a way of becoming the center of attention without trying, part of the reason Joseph chose to marry her (don’t…ugh, don’t get me started on that). People are drawn to her because she’s shiny, bright, and a bit bubbly. The girl has no issues with crowds whatsoever and will always make a place for herself in someone’s group, and they don’t say a word because it’s not long before they’ve forgotten she wasn’t really apart of them in the first place. And it’s not fake, its so genuine, but it does get manipulated and used later.

When standing, what do they do with their hands? Talk with their hands, cross their arms, put hands in pockets, prop up against the wall, etc.

Whitney is very touchy-feely and expressive. She’s either going to wave her hands a bit, but most likely will touch you. Like a squeeze of your arm/shoulder, rubbing your arm, picking lint off your shirt, or just messing with anything she can get her hands on (purse, phone, anything within range etc). Even go as far as holding your hand in both of hers. She will also flip her hair or momentarily mess with it. If she walks past something reflective while talking, she’s gonna check her makeup while continuing the conversation.

The sound of their footsteps

You’ll always hear Whitney, she’s not really sneaky, and she’s always wearing either heels or wedges. On the days she wears flats or regular sandals, her steps are a bit softer by nature, and hard to pick out. And it’s not like she stomps, because she doesn’t. Even when she’s angry, she tries to avoid overly expressing negative emotions (hurts the image, you know?). So, it just really depends on what she’s wearing, I suppose.

Nonverbal greetings: do they wave, nod, hug, glare, punch, high five, something else?

She’s a hugger, to the extreme. Whitney is hugging you, touching you, even if you don’t know her (much to Wren and Jane’s distaste). Whitney is so damn accepting and loving, and just overall affectionate. Don’t be surprised if she grabs the tops of your arms and kisses each cheek—whether its an actual kiss or just kissing the air while pressing her cheek against yours. If she’s greeting you from further away, she’ll twiddle her fingers at you or a polite wave.

How do they get others’ attention? Raise hand, clear throat, etc

Whitney is going to gasp and call your name a bit excitedly with that twang of hers. And yeah, I dare you to try and pretend to ignore that. Woman is relentless once her sights are on you, be prepared for a conversation. She will also “politely” clear her throat to get your attention if she’s trying to get your attention and ignore her in some situations. She will grab your hand, arm, or shoulder with a squeeze, pulling your attention to her, as well.

#deputy wren blake #randy miller #rowan palmer #jane williams #whitney seed #my ocs #far cry 5 #tag game

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hermannsthumb · 5 years

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Your writing is amazing!! I’ve been super homesick recently so if you’re still taking fall prompts would you consider doing one where after PR they get to go back to the northeast and Newt gets to have a proper fall for the first time in years. (Not a lot of hay rides and pumpkin patches in Hong Kong) THANK YOU!!!

Anonymous said: Hellomst :) Can I please request 28 and 29 (with possibly some 30 thrown in if you can manage it) for the Autumn Fic Meme you reblogged? (For Newmann ofc :) ) We don't get cold weather over here(currently it's 90 with 82% humidity....) so I gotta live that fall life vicariously

from autumn fic meme here: 28. flannel shirt + 29. hiking (and unofficially: bedsharing and huddling for warmth eyes emoji)

& of course @problemwithtrouble!!! prefacing this by saying: @k-sci-janitor and i did a little collab fic with basically this plot back in march, newt and hermann taking a road trip around new england to look at the changing leaves, so if you want a LONG version of this idea feel free to check that out here

--------------------

“Smell that,” Newt says. “Do you smell it?”

"Smell what?” Hermann says.

Newt puts his hands on his hips and takes a long whiff--of the fresh mountain air, of the dying leaves, of plain and simple dirt--and smiles. “Nature, dude. Fall. Fucking fantastic.”

Hermann, meanwhile, wrinkles his nose and takes special care to tuck it beneath his scarf, then takes special care to tuck that into the flannel he borrowed off Newt. He’s been whining about his allergies since they set out this morning and whining about being cold even longer. “Decay,” he says, voice muffled. “Mold. Death.”

“Pretty leaves,” Newt counters.

Hermann shuts up while Newt helps him over a particularly large root and around a felled tree, but the second Newt’s hand slips away from his arm and he’s left to fend for himself once more, it’s back to complaining. “When’s the trail meant to end, anyway?” he says, breath rising up in small white puffs. “I’m starved.”

“I told you to pack a lunch,” Newt says, because he did, about fifty times. (I’ve just eaten breakfast, Hermann said with a little sniff. I’ll be fine.) “I told you you’d get hungry.”

“I didn’t realize we’d be out all day!” Hermann snaps.

It’s only been an hour. They left for their hike at eleven sharp on the easiest trail possible (no incline, a nice, easy, flat loop around the park lake, beginning and ending right by their rented cabin), and they’re already halfway finished. They can’t have more than another hour ahead of them. Hermann’s managed much longer under much worse conditions willingly, and it’s not as if he didn’t have the choice to let Newt go alone. He’s the one that insisted on coming. Still--the more well-fed Hermann is, the less likely it is he’ll annoy the shit out of Newt for that hour and the hours following when they get home. (Newt can already picture Hermann hovering over his shoulder and making snide remarks while Newt tries to cook dinner.)

He fishes an apple from his backpack and tosses it over; Hermann catches it. “Here, just take mine. I made a sandwich too.” He waves his reusable sandwich box. “You want it?”

“What sort of sandwich?” Hermann says, narrowing his eyes.

“Fluff and Nutella,” Newt says.

Hermann makes a face. “The apple is satisfactory.”

“It must be hard to have no taste,” Newt says, and digs into the sandwich himself.

Hermann stops complaining after that, and Newt is left--in peace--to enjoy the scenery and the simple knowledge of it being autumn. He hasn’t had a proper autumn in years. Not since MIT. Maybe not even since before the kaiju. He still decorated the lab for Halloween every year and donned dumb costumes, of course, tracked down as much artificial pumpkin-flavored junk he could find, but it just wasn’t the same. No hay rides. No pumpkin patches. No changing leaves anywhere within decent distance. He explained as much to Hermann when he talked him into this little excursion in the first place: they deserve a good nostalgia-fueled autumn, and together, at that.

Last week, he took Hermann on a hay ride to a pumpkin patch, and they carved pumpkins for their tiny front stoop on the floor of their equally tiny kitchen. (Hermann claimed he’d never done it before, but his design kicked Newt’s design’s ass by about one thousand percent.) The week before that, he sat Hermann down for a good old-fashioned horror movie marathon and threw popcorn at him each time he tried to critique the logic or explain how the science really wasn’t all that accurate. This week, he’s tossed a disgusting amount of his PPDC savings at a log cabin rental in the middle of scenic, autumnal nowhere and only managed to talk Hermann into accompanying him under very select conditions: one, Newt would foot the entire bill, two, Hermann could have the big bed, and three, he’d swear to leave Hermann alone for at least an hour every day to read or knit or brood or whatever the fuck it is Hermann does in his kaiju-free time these days.

Newt agreed to the conditions. Mostly. Half an hour seems more than enough time for Hermann to chill alone, is all.

“Look,” he says. He stops and points through a break in the trees, where the mountainside is newly visible on the horizon: the treetops form a swaying, vibrant blanket of red-orange-yellow that seems to stretch on forever. It’s beautiful. Newt whips out his phone and snaps a quick photo of Hermann framed against it and privately considers having it framed.

"’S just a load of trees,” Hermann grumbles, but Newt catches the ghost of a smile on his face as he turns away.

Dinner is an uninteresting affair of canned clam chowder Newt heats up over the shitty electric stove with no small amount of difficulty. Only one burner is working, and it seems to have doubled in inefficiency since last night. “I’m starting to think we should’ve just gone into town for dinner,” he calls to Hermann from the kitchen; Hermann looks up from his crossword puzzle, eyes owlish behind his glasses, cheeks rosy from the fire he’s nestled himself in front of. He’s still in Newt’s flannel. “Gotten Chinese or something.” He pokes at a lump of clam with the end of a warped plastic stirring spoon. “Ugh.”

“It’s soup,” Hermann says. He bustles in to shove Newt aside and deal with it himself. “How hard can it possibly be?”

“Don’t push me--”

“I’m not pushing, you moron, I’m--”

“It’s the fucking stove,” Newt says. “It’s, like, eighty years old. It’s--”

“Then use a different burner--”

They get the chowder heated up eventually. Hermann takes more than his fair share of both it and the sleeve of saltines Newt cracks open, and when he’s finished, feigns sleep back by the fire so he doesn’t have to help Newt with the dishes. “You’re making breakfast tomorrow,” Newt says, kicking the foot of Hermann’s rocking chair.

Hermann doesn’t even crack an eye when he tries to trip Newt with the end of his cane. Jerk.

After he gets dinner cleaned up, Newt pulls a blanket over his lap and curls up comfortably in the second rocking chair at Hermann’s side. He’s contemplating getting up and finding his stash of s’more stuff for dinner round two (which would be a much more satisfying dinner) when Hermann startles him by patting his hand. “Thank you for cooking,” Hermann says, stiffly and awkwardly, while Newt blinks. “I...appreciate it.”

“Oh,” Newt says. Lately, Hermann’s been working on communicating his emotions better in methods that don’t involve just shouting at Newt. This is probably part of it. Yesterday, he clapped Newt’s shoulder just as stiffly in thanks for driving them here. “No problem.” Newt smiles.

“Or,” Hermann says. “Your attempts at making us dinner, I should say.”

“Ah,” Newt says. Yeah, that makes more sense.

“Seeing as I had to step in--”

“I get it,” Newt says. “Thanks, Hermann.”

He gets another rare Gottliebian smile, though this one seems slightly more amused than the last, and Hermann pats his hand again before pulling away. “What do you have in mind for tomorrow afternoon?” he says. He slips his glasses back on and resumes his puzzle. “The old quarry? A drive into town?”

Newt saw a signpost for the abandoned quarry when they were driving up to their cabin yesterday. It’s only a ten minute hike away. He doubts there’s anything substantial worth studying left in there, maybe some larger chunks of that dusty red rock he’s been finding around, but it could be fun to play geologist for a day nonetheless and show off in front of Hermann. On the other hand--there’s a harvest festival in the town tomorrow, which they also saw a sign for, and Newt’s never been one to pass up rides and junk food. He bets he could even coerce Hermann into getting on a ferris wheel with him. “Whatever you want,” Newt concedes.

Hermann nods. “We ought to wait and see what we’re in the mood for tomorrow.”

Newt watches him fill out another few clues, lulled into a strange relaxation by the crackling of the fire and the scratch of Hermann’s pencil. Hermann himself. Hermann is always unfairly cute when he’s lost in thought like this: he fiddles with his glasses, he frowns, he hms under his breath, he mutters things like no and maybe and it could be to himself. He used to do the same in the lab at his chalkboard. “Forty-two down is spelled wrong,” Newt says. (A strand of Hermann’s hair is sticking up funny. He wants to smooth it down.) “It should be an E, not an A like you have.”

“So it should be,” Hermann says. He fixes it. “I must’ve written it in a hurry. Thank you, Newton.”

“Mmhmm,” Newt says.

It’s all very domestic. Newt thinks he’d like to get used to it.

Hermann takes the big bed again that night as per their agreement. It’s full-sized and lumpy, with a quilt that looks at least a hundred years old, and it sags so deeply in the center Newt is half-worried Hermann will sink down into it and never be seen again. Newt himself takes the small twin bed in the loft above. There’s no central heating, just the fireplace, and it’s a bit of a pain to hustle up and down the stairs to toss on more logs when the fire starts to die, but it sure as fuck beats shivering to death. Or being bitched at by Hermann to death. “They have luxury cabins,” Hermann says, cacaooned in a blanket and watching Newt stoke tonight’s fire, “with bathtubs with jets, and working stoves, and radiators, and yet you’ve condemned us to--”

“Stop whining,” Newt says. He hefts another log onto the fire and has to dodge the resulting spray of sparks. “It’s about the experience. Luxury cabins are for wusses.”

“Hmph,” Hermann declares.

Newt’s woken up three hours later by three things: the intense shivers that wrack his body, the realization that the fire’s gone out, and the heavy pounding of rain on the roof. On the leaky roof. A droplet of water hits Newt’s forehead. Newt curses, louder than he intends, and rolls out of bed to his socked feet. Another raindrop hits his shoulder.

“Newton?” Hermann hisses.

“Sorry,” Newt hisses back. “I didn’t mean to wake you up. Go back to bed.”

“You didn’t,” Hermann says. Normal volume. “I was already awake. It’s cold.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Newt sighs. He tugs a sweater on over his head--the only sweater he owns--and slips down the creaking staircase. “I’ll do up the fire again.”

Or he would’ve, anyway, if their stockpile of logs wasn’t totally used up. Hermann apparently stayed up longer than he did and had been steadily tending to the fire the whole time. A quick foray out to the woodpile confirms Newt’s suspicions: the protective roof didn’t manage to save the other logs from the wind-blown rain, and they’re all totally soaked. Completely unusable. “I should’ve just grabbed more after dinner,” Newt says, kicking off his muddy docs. He finds Hermann crouching at the hearth in front of the pitiful ashy embers with two of Newt’s flannels and the quilt from the bed pulled on. “We’re kinda screwed.”

Hermann mumbles out a stream of curses and something that sounds suspiciously like the luxury cabins would’ve had dry wood. Newt drops down next to him and also tucks himself beneath the quilt. “Do you want to borrow one of my blankets?” he says. “I have an extra up in the loft.”

“You’re getting me wet,” Hermann sniffs, but he shifts the blanket over to give Newt more of it. He’s shivering pretty badly. The guy needs some insulation, man.

“Okay,” Newt says, nursing another thought. “What if we double up?”

This makes Hermann freeze. “Double up?”

“You,” Newt says, “me, together, in your bed. It’ll be warmer.” He grins. “I’ve been told I’m a very good cuddler.” He snakes an arm around Hermann’s waist and squeezes it just to make his point. Hermann jumps.

“Ah,” he says. It could just be a trick of the low light (the single lamp they’ve turned on is resting on the bedside table across the room), but Newt could swear he’s blushing. “Well. That’d be--you don’t have to.”

“It’s no problem,” Newt says, and then lies, because he, on the other hand, can generally get by with his own natural insulation, probably even tonight if he tosses on an extra sweatshirt, “You’d be keeping me warm too. Symbiosis. It’s biology.”

“How scientific,” Hermann says.

“Also,” Newt says, “the roof’s kinda leaking above my bed.”

“Ah.”

Hermann surprises him by automatically adopting the position of little spoon when they slip under the covers. In Newt’s occasional fantasies of sharing a bed with Hermann--occasional, very occasional, he’ll admit to that--Hermann has always been the opposite. He’s got those gangly skinny limbs, you know, perfect to wrap around Newt like a bony octopus. It seems like a shame to waste them. Tonight is probably just a special case. “You’re like a bloody hot water bottle,” Hermann declares after ten minutes.

“Who the fuck still uses hot water bottles?” Newt says against his neck. “Are you some Victorian dandy?”

Hermann bristles. “They’re perfectly common.”

“They’re one step up from tossing a bunch of coals in a pan and calling it a day,” Newt says. “Just buy a space heater. They cost, like, twenty bucks.”

“Fire hazards,” Hermann says.

“You can have mine,” Newt says.

Hermann pinches his arm. “Shut up. I’m trying to sleep.”

“Dick,” Newt says.

He snuggles a little closer to Hermann anyway. Lack of fire and Hermann’s bony elbows aside--between their combined layers of blankets, the gentle rise and fall of Hermann’s chest against his arm, and the patter of rain on the roof, Newt’s feeling pretty damn cozy. Even Hermann’s stopped shivering. (Newt could definitely get used to this.)

Before he can help himself, he plants a small kiss to the borrowed plaid fabric at Hermann’s shoulder, then follows it up with a gentle nuzzle against his neck. “Mm. G’night, Hermann.”

“Goodnight,” Hermann says, oddly breathless. He curls his fingers through Newt’s.

#newmann #maria's fanfiction tag #problemwithtrouble

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ice-cream-nekogirl · 5 years

Text

Everyday (Midoriya Izuku X Reader) PART 1

I DID IT! I DID IT!! The long-awaited sequel to “I Gotta Go My Own Way!”: https://ice-cream-kitsunegirl.tumblr.com/post/182685534444/i-gotta-go-my-own-way-midoriya-izuku-x-reader

And honey I am servin’ ya’ll up for some angst! But there WILL be a happy ending! And we are cool for the summer!

This is probably my longest fic EVER... I actually hit 30 pages with this one but turns out... there’s a limit... no one will say I didn’t try but... I decided to split it up in 2 so no one’s waiting to long... but the second part won’t take long to finish at all~ You’ll get Part 2 soon!! In the mean time... enjoy some angst!! :3

Some songs here were referenced just for the hell of it btw, soooo... enjoy some childhood nostalgia!! :3

“SHE DID WHAT?!”

The entirety of Class 1-A shouted as soon as Aizawa said that you have “officially left UA.”

The only ones who didn’t shout were Izuku, Bakugou and Todoroki, but the two latters were just as surprised/shocked as the rest of their classmates.

Especially Bakugou. He’s known you since childhood; you weren’t a quitter and you had wanted to get in this school just as much as him and Deku did. And as much as you annoyed the hell of out him, he always knew you were stubborn and no-nonsense and didn’t let anything bring you down and would never just get up and leave the ones you cared about.

For all that Bakugou couldn’t stand you half the time, he didn’t doubt that you loved stupid Deku with all your heart. Which was one of the many reasons he hated him so much; Bakugou never did understand why you loved the damn nerd so much, especially when you actually met him before Deku, but there was nothing he could do about that, he just knew that you loved him. And so, he assumed (correctly) that you left because Deku did something to make you leave.

Izuku on the other hand, was in complete melancholy as he sulked in his seat, staring hollowly at nothing with listless eyes as he slowly turned his head to look at your empty seat. Just last night you got up and left because of the horrible things he said to you and the way he had treated you throughout the durance of yours and his relationship. And now he was absolutely miserable without you here with him, but it was his own fault. You were gone and it was all because of him.

“(L/N) said that she had to leave for ‘personal reasons’ according to Principal Nezu. He mentioned that she told him her reasons in confidence, so there’s nothing else we can do about that. So… she’s gone.” Aizawa bluntly explained the situation of why you left, as much as he knew at least, but even he was sad that you were gone now. And you didn’t even tell him anything, not even a goodbye nor did you confide in him. He could have helped you...

Even as his class started talking, he decided to let them have their small-talk and let them process this. And then stop them if they got too overwhelmed, he couldn’t let this distract them after all.

“She just… got up and left…? Oh man (Y/N), why…?” Kirishima looked very dismayed, as he had been good friends with you despite his friendship with Bakugou. “I didn’t even get to say good bye…” The redhead muttered, his red eyes downcast as he gave a small sigh. Come to think of it, yesterday was pretty awkward since he and the rest of the class were well aware that you and Izuku weren’t exactly talking to each other...

“None of us did… but I wish she could have at least stuck around so we could have…” Yaoyorozu said, not hiding how sad she was because she was also a fairly good friend of yours as she helped you study, and you helped her whenever Mineta was being a damn pervert.

“But… why would she just get up and leave so suddenly without warning…?” Uraraka sadly wondered, despite the fact that she was always a little jealous of you because of your relationship with Izuku, it didn’t stop her from being your supportive friend.

“Mr. Aizawa said she had personal reasons… yet I wish I knew, maybe we could have helped her…” Iida thought, his sad look giving him away because he had liked you and thought you were an upstanding student and a good friend.

“Midoriya, she’s your girlfriend… did she tell you why she left or why she wanted to leave?” Todoroki asked politely, even though he had no idea that you definitely DID tell Izuku why you left and why you wanted to leave, and it just made him sulk even more as his closest friends all cringed at how miserable the normally upbeat green-haired boy was. Which made Todoroki kind of nervous.

“I… I didn’t mean to…” Todoroki tried to apologize but Izuku shook his head. “No… it’s okay Todoroki… it’s my fault…” Was all he had to say, but that just confused most of his classmates.

But Izuku didn’t feel like talking or discussing the details with anyone because he was still grieving over you leaving and everything you had said to him last night. He didn’t really get any sleep last night because he was too busy thinking about the way you looked at him, and the last time you hugged him. And now you were gone… he wouldn’t see you smile in the morning anymore, he wouldn’t feel you hug him anymore or hear your sweet voice whenever you spoke to him or told him a silly joke…

“I think I might know what Midoriya’s talking about…” Tsuyu said lowly, looking just as sad as the others despite her blank stare and she looked over to see the sulking Izuku. But because she didn’t want to see her friend anymore miserable than he already was, she made sure to speak as quietly as possible.

“Maybe if we text her! I mean… she can’t just be like… gone-gone right?! We should check to see if she’s okay at least!” Mina exclaimed, sounding actually pretty worried since it wasn’t like you to hide things or to just leave without a good-bye. Almost everyone seemed to agree with that, but Bakugou was getting fed up with everyone’s fretting.

Even if it was true. You wouldn’t just leave like that and clearly you had your reasons, but since everyone was starting to get frantic, it was time to shut them all up so they don’t get so distracted.

“Will you all just shut up? She’s gone. Get over it. Saying you could have helped her isn’t going to bring her back and she’s not going to want to text you idiots after she just left, so just shut up about it.” He rather harshly said to his anxious classmates, and for once many of them were shocked at how callous he was coming off as. It was no surprise to them, but it still stung.

“Damn… have a least a little bit of a heart dude… she was your friend too wasn’t she?” Sero was the one to kind of reprimand Bakugou for his comment, but all the latter did was scoff. “No! We couldn’t stand each other! Now just shut the hell up and get over it! If she left, it was probably for something stupid! Because she’s always been stupid like that…” He barked back in return, and didn’t see Izuku actually snap out of his misery for a moment as soon as he heard that, and actually stood up out of his seat for a little bit…

“Don’t ever, EVER… call (Y/N) stupid…” Izuku’s voice was low, and almost like he was warning his childhood friend to NOT try saying anything else. Bakugou was surprised that his rival actually talked back to him like that, but at the same time it seriously pissed him off.

“Or what?! What’s the matter Deku? Upset because your girlfriend dumped your dumbass? All your moping is pathetic…” He didn’t know what kind of fire he was playing with, even with Izuku starting to seethe a little bit and all the very disapproving looks he was getting from his classmates, even Kirishima as he tried to stop him from upsetting the already miserable Izuku.

“Hey c’mon man stop that… don’t kick him while he’s already down…” However, Kirishima’s words fell on deaf ears from both of his friends. “Kacchan…” Izuku was going to warn him again, but Bakugou was relentless. It’s not like he enjoyed saying this, he didn’t necessarily want to HURT Izuku, but the drama was getting on his nerves.

“I’m right aren’t I? I don’t like Warp-Girl, but it’s clear she left because of you, and you know what? I don’t blame her, you sucked at being her boyfriend...” Bakugou was one to talk, since love wasn’t something he cared about at all but he paid attention to your’s and Deku’s relationship. He knew how Izuku didn’t really return what you gave…

But that was enough to drive Izuku mad as he lunged at the blonde, and threw the first punch right in Bakugou’s face with a rare look of pure anger. “Shut up Kacchan!” It wasn’t the first time Izuku’s stood his ground against Bakugou since coming to UA, but now… the latter was playing with fire just by mentioning your name and badmouthing her.

Needless to say that sudden blow shocked the explosive teen, but it completely set him off all at the same time, “Why… you… SHITTY NERD!!”

The two boys threw down in a full-on brawl, prepared to outright injure each other as they activated their respective quirks… at least until Aizawa stopped them both with his scarf and giving them both a very stern, pissed glare that erased their quirks.

“That’s enough. Both of you.” He didn’t need to raise his voice to get them to shut up, even if Bakugou was trying to resist, and Aizawa was surprised to see Izuku still looking angry, but mostly hurt…

“I know you’re all still clearly upset about (L/N)’s sudden leave, but we can’t let that distract us, not when we still have work to do. So that’s enough, get back in your seats and be quiet.” Despite his personal feelings, he got down to it and reminded his class to focus on the now, and deal with their feelings later as to avoid getting distracted during training or testing.

Class 1-A reluctantly understood and obeyed their teacher as they all settled down and stopped talking, but Aizawa knew that even with his advice, that you were all they could think about. Especially Izuku…

AFTER SCHOOL…

Aizawa was more than aware of the relationship between you and Izuku, and of course he knew there was nothing stopping young love at all. So he didn’t mind the fact that two of his students were dating, so long as neither of you let that get in the way of hero work. However, now that you were broken up, he was left with a heartbroken Midoriya…

All-Might knew the kid more than anyone else here, so he let him try and comfort the distraught student while he goes to speak with another student about his new opportunity now that there was an empty spot in his class…

Toshinori Yagi was the Number 1 Hero and Symbol of Peace, or at least he was until he retired. But everyone still knew him as the Symbol of Peace because he was their ideal hero who could save everyone with a smile on his face.

But if there’s one thing the for Number 1 Hero was unprepared for. It was his protégé’s broken heart after his girlfriend broke up with him and left for another school. And All-Might felt so awkward when he entered the Heights Alliance, and the other Class 1-A students could tell as they remained silent when he passed by. They obviously all knew that he was here for Izuku.

All-Might was a bit unsettled by how quiet the dorms were, since he often heard that it was pretty lively here but after your departure it was like time had stopped for the students now that a fellow classmate just got up and left. And then it didn’t help that their other classmate that they adored was clearly depressed and therefore, many of them were feeling depressed as well.

He did find Izuku though, but he was sitting at the sofa and just looking out the window, and All-Might couldn’t see the boy’s face.

“Young Midoriya.”

All-Might gently called his student’s name, surprised by the silence as Izuku slowly turned to face his hero, but the woeful look on his face was completely foreign to All-Might. Unhappiness evident in his entire expression, his eyes moist with sadness as his reddened cheeks were streaked with tears he had been crying for quite some time, but he didn’t regard the concerned look on the Number 1 Hero’s face as he returned his gaze out the window, as if he were waiting for you to come back.

It made All-Might extremely nervous, as many times as he’s seen Izuku cry, this time he was crying was for a different reason. Every time he cried it was hard to watch, but Izuku’s broken heart was just painful to witness as he heavily sighed. He was worried that he wouldn’t know how to comfort him…

“I was told that you weren’t feeling well.” He started off slow, not wanting to trigger or upset him any further. And when Izuku didn’t respond, he had to poke just a little bit just so he could try and get some words across to him. “How are you feeling right now? I know that Young (L/N) meant a lot to you…” Mentally he scolded himself for mentioning you, but he knew that he couldn’t walk around on eggshells if he was going to try and help his protégé.

“I should have paid more attention to her…” He finally responded as soon as All-Might mentioned you. “Kacchan was right… I was a terrible boyfriend… s-she left because of me…” All-Might panicked as soon as he heard the familiar crack in his voice as he let out a small sob.

But as soon as he cried, the fatherly instincts All-Might had been growing for this boy emerged, and the first thing he did was get up to sit down next to him to try and comfort him by putting his hand on his shoulder. “I-I put my training first b-but… I-I forgot to be there for her… I-I turned d-d-down s-s-so many… d-d-dates… a-and h-h-hurt… I hurt her…” Izuku openly cried, barely coherent as he covered his eyes as tears poured down his face. All-Might was ready to hug the sobbing teenager, but as soon as he tried…

“And it’s because I listened to you!” Izuku suddenly raised his voice, tears still streaming down his cheeks, his expression suddenly angrier despite his tears. The pro-hero didn’t say a word, but he was shocked and his eyes went wide by the sudden outburst.

“(Y/N)… she always said that I was working too hard… chasing after Kacchan… and following in your footsteps to be like you… a-and letting you put all this pressure on me… a-and she was right… I didn’t… I didn’t even listen to her those times because I was too focused on myself… o-on t-trying to be like you… and now because of all… a-all of that… she’s gone… she’s gone! She’s gone and you probably don’t even care!” When All-Might tried to put his hand on his shoulder, Izuku for once smacked the hand away, a rare act of hostility from the normally friendly boy.

“She’s gone! She’s gone! And it’s all my fault! It’s all my fault!” Clutching at his hair, Izuku’s body racked with sobs as he shut his tearful eyes. He knew getting mad at Bakugou and All-Might was unfair and that he shouldn’t have taken it out on them, but he was just so upset, and also starting to feel really guilty for getting mad at them.

Sighing, All-Might persisted as he tried to hug the emotional boy, even if he kept trying to fight and push him away, but at the same time he was desperate for comfort so he gave up trying to resist as he sobbed into his hero’s chest, clinging to him as he let the tears fall.

All-Might felt horrible and he could feel himself dying a little inside the more he listened to Izuku’s heartbroken cries. Maybe he did put too much pressure on the boy and made him focus too hard on training. He almost forgot that the boy was still young and still had to be a teenager before he becomes a hero. And All-Might liked you, he thought you and Izuku were just the cutest couple and loved to tease the shy boy about you. He thought you were the perfect person for Izuku, always encouraging him, looking after him and bringing him out of his shell by taking him out to places and sharing your energy with him.

He had no idea that you didn’t entirely approve of his training methods with him though, but now that he heard Izuku mention them. You had a point… his training and advice to Izuku made him forget that he had other people in his life that he still needed to pay attention to. But he couldn’t let the boy blame himself for you leaving.

“It’s not your fault.” He said after Izuku’s cries quieted down a little bit, “Young (Y/N) wasn’t wrong when she said you worked too hard, and that I put pressure on you… I wasn’t aware that I was… or aware that you were training harder than anyone thought. But that does not mean it’s your fault.” All-Might was partially relieved when Izuku stopped crying for a little bit to listen to him talk.

“You’re still a child. It’s true that time is moving faster and your goals are approaching closer, and making you take initiative to keep getting stronger so you can be a hero… but (Y/N)… she had that youthful spirit to her…” All-Might smiled when he thought about you, and Izuku’s bottom lip quivered as he nodded in agreement just thinking about you, “It’s that kind of attitude that makes you remember that even if there’s work to do, there’s also time to have some fun and happiness everyday… be with the people you love… they remind you of your reasons to become a hero in the first place… but at the same time, they also remind you that you still have to enjoy time with them. So… from now on… we’ll ease up on the training every now and then…” He finally came to the conclusion, wanting his sad protégé to take it easy now that he was still recovering from this fresh break-up.

Izuku’s eyes slightly widened when his hero gave him that kind of wisdom that he didn’t know he needed to hear, even though it made him tear up again as he wished he had said that earlier before you left. “(Y/N) loved you with all her heart… I don’t think she’s gone for good… the two of you need your space though… I recommend giving her space and giving yourself some space so you can process everything…” All-Might gently stroked his hair and offered him the best advice he could give about this situation, while also expressing some positivity that you would come back to him someday.

Although Izuku heard what he needed to hear, his heart was still hurting after being broken in half. “Y-You’re right… I think she’ll come back… s-someday…” It was Izuku’s turn to be positive, but when he tried to smile it broke his mentor’s heart. The smile was broken, obviously he was trying to reassure All-Might that he was supposedly okay right now.

But All-Might knew better, he wasn’t okay.

And Bakugou knew better too as he leaned behind the corner of the hall, crossing his arms with an annoyed, yet soft look on his face, having overheard everything his personal hero and his rival had said to each other.

Both of them knew that the boy would be okay eventually, but right now, Izuku wasn’t okay.

IN THE EAST…

Shiketsu High. So, this was your new life from now on. God you were nervous as hell, you didn’t know anyone here, not really at least, because you only met them briefly when you got your hero license not too long ago.

It felt weird and heartbreaking to not be close to the friends you made. No Izuku, no Kirishima, no Tsuyu, no Yaoyorozu, no Iida, no Mina, no Kaminari, no Todoroki… hell, even no Bakugou. He wasn’t really your friend, at least not since you were 7 years old, but you got used to seeing him...

A sigh left your lips as you nervously stepped foot through the gate, anxiously glancing at the buildings and trying to ignore some confused looks from the students in their admittedly fabulous uniforms as you looked around to see if you could find the classrooms. However, you didn’t expect to see this guy again…

“I remember you!”

Yoarashi Inasa.

Instantly his overenthusiasm startled you a little bit, and yet his stance and demeanor were still laced with politeness, “You’re the girl with the warping quirk! From UA! I am extremely honored to be in your presence!” He might have been shouting, but his loudness reminded you of your dear classmates.

“Thanks.” You smiled at him nervously yet politely. “I don’t know if we even officially got to meet back then… I’m (L/N). (L/N) (Y/N). It’s nice to meet you Yoarashi.” You finally gave him your name, and you swore you have never met anyone who was gleaming with as much energy and happiness as he was.

“It is very nice to meet you (L/N)! Please! Forgive my rudeness by not introducing myself first!” He bowed forehead first onto the hard ground which made you jump a little bit… especially when he drew blood again…

“But wait!” He got up real fast, not bothered at all by the self-inflicted injury, “What brings you here to Shiketsu?! Are you not attending UA?” Yoarashi was still a bit at 10, but he sounded only slightly calmer at the last question.

“I… I was…” You started off nervously, “But…” Sighing, you felt ashamed to just admit this but you wouldn’t lie to him, he seemed like a nice guy. “It’s kinda embarrassing, but I’ll be honest I… left UA because… my… boyfriend… see… we got in together and my dream was to become a hero with him… but when we got together…. I don’t know… things just started falling apart… I wanted to remember everything with him and do everything with him, but he… wanted to do things on his own… dates were cancelled… everytime I worried about him when he got hurt, he would say to not worry and I guess I… worried too much to follow that wish… because I don’t think he worried about me the way I worried about him…” You sadly explained and you were surprised to see that Yoarashi was listening to you intently, his exuberant expression turning into one of concern and he shut up for once.

“I loved him. But I don’t think he was ready for a relationship, and apparently, I don’t think I was either… I loved him so much too… I didn’t want to leave him, but I wasn’t becoming the hero I wanted to be with him in our unsteady relationship… so I’m here now, I’m going my own way so I can be the hero I want to be. I still want that, and I can’t let him distract me.” You sounded a bit more determined, even if you were clearly still sad about what happened.

Yoarashi understood what you were saying though. All of it. He knew exactly what it was like to stray away from UA because someone turned you away from it, and you shrieked a bit when he suddenly placed his larger palm on your shoulder.

“Your story has moved me! I understand everything you are going through!” He was shouting, but there was still sympathy in his voice and you perked up a little bit. Staring up at him, you were surprised to see a somewhat soft look on his face, “We can’t help it when something we love is tarnished even a little bit by someone we once looked up to. BUT! That does not mean our passion fizzles away gently! We can still be the best heroes we can be!” Yoarashi was very optimistic as he spoke to you, still shouting and yet it was his words that touched you.

Of course, Yoarashi knew exactly what you were going through, and he had been in your situation before with Endeavor and Todoroki. You loved Todoroki but that was a real dick move on his part… at least he had gotten a lot better though.

“You’re right… you’re absolutely right!” You nodded, more energy and will in your demeanor as you put your hands on your hips, which Yoarashi loved as soon as he saw the passion in your eyes. “I’ll get stronger here. Work more on myself so that way I can be my own hero! I’ll do whatever it takes to become the hero I want to be!” You suddenly exclaimed, Yoarashi’s energy having rubbed off on you a little bit, and that just seemed to excite the already excitable guy.

“THAT’S THE SPIRIT!! JUST AS EXPECTED FROM A UA STUDENT!!” He shouted even louder than you had ever heard yet, and he enthusiastically grabbed your hand and took off running, “Come on new classmate! We have classes to attend and training to do! I hope you’re ready! It’s about to get intense!!” Yoarashi was impossible for you to not here as you shouted in shock as he took you on a ride all the way into your new classes.

“O-OKAY!!”

Despite how fast everything was going, and how over-enthusiastic Yoarashi was, you were ready for this. You were ready to become stronger so you can be the hero you want to be.

ONE MONTH LATER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16C03JbiubM

I'm not gonna stop Not gonna stop 'til I get my shot That's who I am, that is my plan Will I end up on top? You can bet on it, bet on it Bet on it, bet on it

You can bet on it, bet on it

Your songlist played in your earbuds while you huffed and panted heavily after a rather vigorous training session with the new friends you made. Yoarashi was relentless in his training, but he was so encouraging too and never once tried to put you down. And because of that, you were pretty positive that you got much better with your quirk. Your speed grew, you closed your portals quicker once someone stepped through them and you could hold them open a little while longer for yourself or for someone else to run through.

“You’ve gotten quicker.” Your new ally, that guy Seiji Shishikura gave you some praise for your improved speed, “But you still slack off from time to time. You let your feelings and your music get in the way.” Pouting a bit at the way he looked at you sternly you stuck your tongue out.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…”

Suddenly you threw a portal right in front of the blue-haired boy before he could even attempt to sneak-attack you, and those nasty fingers of his instead went right through it and out the new portal you opened a meter away. Your distance of where you can open portals had increased as he appeared stunned at how you managed to outsmart him.

“You’re still overconfident.” Smirking a bit, you walked right past him as he retracted his fingers from the portal with a low grunt of annoyance and you closed it up.

I wanna make it right, that is the way To turn my life around, today is the day Am I the type of guy who means what I say? Bet on it, bet on it Bet on it, bet on it You can bet on me.

Turning off your music, you put your hands on your hips, nodding in approval at yourself for the newer and improved skills you had manifested since you’ve been at this school.

“YOU ARE A.MA.ZING!!” Yoarashi once again had praised you for probably the 100th time since you’ve been here. And frankly you enjoyed it, because it made you feel like you were getting better, and as much as you loved your old friends, often times it was Bakugou, Todoroki or even Izuku getting praised…

God you missed Izuku…

You missed your friends and even though you did keep in touch with some of your friends, at the same time your new schedule had made you busier and you got a few visits from friends like Yaoyorozu, Tsuyu, Iida and Aoyama.

But you missed having fun with them, hanging out with them and just talking to them. “Thank you Yoarashi…” You smiled at him, and he exchanged a big, happy grin with you. “No problem (Y/N)! Keep up the good work! We will repeat all of this tomorrow! But harder! More intense! MORE PASSION!” He exclaimed cheerfully, as if he were looking forward to it as you smiled nervously…

Yoarashi became a good friend to you though. Encouraging, sweet, loud, but helpful and even in just this month you picked up some new skills that you couldn’t wait to show off in combat someday…

Still, you missed having a good time with your friends. Maybe you could take these guys out somewhere, just to take a break. “Hey… you know what? It’s Saturday. And I’m going on break. Come on, let’s go out. The three of us. I have a bake sale to do tomorrow, I wanna have some fun before I go back home to work.” You suggested, but didn’t really give much of a choice since these two worked too hard. Everyone at Shiketsu did in fact…

“We’re going to be heroes yeah, but if we wanna be heroes we gotta take care of ourselves and have a little fun right?” You thought outloud, knowing Yoarashi would understand. He was a passionate guy, but he liked to kick back every now and then, especially if it meant doing something fast-paced.

“YEAH! I agree! We have to replenish our energy and our passion! A hero can’t be a hero without passion and energy!” Yoarashi was your opposite in terms of energy, but he understood what you were trying to say. Fun and happiness were necessary to one’s well-being, and to him, happiness and drive was passion. You had drive, and you liked to have fun, and he loved that.

“Yeah! You’ve got it dude!” You gave him a thumbs up as you flushed with joy, really glad that you and him ended up becoming great friends. He had kind of taken care of you the whole time here at Shiketsu.

But Shishikura wasn’t having any of it. “Why waste time? There’s nothing productive in fooling around like children.”

“We ARE children Shishikura. We might be children training to be heroes, which might not sound right to most people, but we are children anyway. And we should have a little bit of fun everyday somehow, even if it’s just a little bit, so as to not lose ourselves in all the work.” You explained when Shishikura once again tried to use his logic and sense of superiority against you. And it was a shame, you respected the guy, especially after what he did to Bakugou during the Provisional Hero License thing. Plus he was cool, not the nicest person on the planet, but he had helped you with your training too.

However, he wasn’t really fun to argue with. “Don’t put me in that category. I’m not going to waste my time doing nothing. I have work to do.” Shishikura stated rather stubbornly as you pouted in annoyance.

You didn’t want to fight though so you just threw your hands up in the air, “Fine. Yoarashi and I can just go have fun by ourselves, and you can leave your uptight butt here all by yourself.” Still you gave him an amused, somewhat smug smile when he flinched at how you insulted him.

“I am not uptight! Don’t talk about my butt!” He exclaimed, looking very annoyed and somewhat embarrassed for some reason.

“Buddy, I’ll never talk about your butt…” You snickered a little bit, surprised when you saw pink tinting his pale cheeks. “I’m just saying, if you want to stay then by all means go ahead, every group of friends needs their ‘square friend’ who acts all boring and tells the fun people to not have fun.” You said, thinking fondly of Iida though since he was your square friend…

“Don’t call me that!” Shishikura found you extremely annoying at times, or at least that’s what he always said. You thought he was weird about it sometimes, but you just assumed that was just how he was.

“Okay. I’ll just call you the boring friend instead.” And your words annoyed him further when you called him ‘boring’ as you already started to walk. “C’mon Yoarashi! Let’s go out to the mall, maybe play some Dance Dance Revolution and show off to everyone or sing an old song from High School, Musical, Camp Rock or one of those things!” You suggested cheerfully to Yoarashi, and he happily went along with you with his fist pumped, “YES! Dancing is high-energy! I love high-energy!”

It annoyed Shishikura when you and Yoarashi were going out, again. And now he had no choice but to go with you both to spare himself from being labeled ‘boring’, AGAIN. “Damn…” He muttered under his breath and reluctantly followed you both.

“But I refuse to dance.” You smiled when he actually came with you guys again, “You ain’t got to~. I’m perfectly fine to let someone see my bad dancing~.” You sang-songed, bumping hips with Yoarashi. “There’s no such thing as bad dancing!” Yoarashi said cheerfully as you laughed, annoying Shishikura…

But you were still missing Izuku, and you missed him too much to notice the fact Shishikura secretly spent his time staring at you whenever you didn’t notice. Which was very often.

Because you still loved Izuku. You wondered how he was doing, and you really wished he was here with you. He went dancing with you a few times… or at least, he danced with you when it was only the two of you at home…

You at least had Yoarashi to dance with at the mall with other cool people. But your heart was still longing for your dear Izuku. You still loved him, and you were still missing him, even if you had become stronger, you still missed him.

AT UA…

Although Izuku had eventually accepted that you were gone, it didn’t mean that he was over you. At all.

In that month without you, even with a bunch of new crazy things happening that kept him occupied you were always on his mind. And with this overwhelming melancholy clouding his mind his grades had slowly started dropping and barely even registered the fact that Shinsou had become their new classmate. Which became a problem during the first month when a bubbling pit of anger enabled Izuku to outright forbid Shinsou from sitting in your old seat, and managed to startle the irritated brainwasher and it forced him to sit somewhere else.

They didn’t fight or nothing, but Izuku didn’t take the news of Shinsou arriving in their class as their newest classmate well, to him it felt like Aizawa had some audacity to replace you. He was polite to Shinsou, but didn’t go out of his way to make him feel welcome, not while he was still missing you and wishing you could be back here in class.

Aizawa and Iida probably should have told Izuku to get a grip, but they were honestly a little worried about how he would react since he had acted a lot moodier and a little more unreasonable, a far cry from the mild-mannered, level-headed and sweet boy they knew.

Even when Aizawa talked to him about this, Izuku didn’t really press on the details of the heartache that had consumed most of him because it was painful just trying to talk about it. And Aizawa wasn’t good with talking about that teenage drama, he was getting too old for that shit…

Which is why he relied on Iida and the rest of the class to try and make the boy feel better, so to save him from failing the Hero Course. And here they were now, all in the same common room and although they were each minding their own business, they all had their ears out to listen to some of Izuku’s closest friends to try and talk to him.

Even his new classmate Shinsou was concerned since this was certainly not the Midoriya he met at the Sports Fest. His new classmates gave him all the information about you and how you left UA, and Shinsou did sympathize with the poor guy, but comforting wasn’t something he considered himself good at. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t try though.

“Midoriya. I understand that you are still in pain after (L/N) left… but we are here for you.” Iida took the first initiative and tried to comfort his miserable friend, who was just slumping on the couch in the common room, practically limp as he stared at the floor.

“Deku…” Uraraka frowned as she looked at the very sad boy that she had a crush on. As much as it hurt her heart, she knew that Izuku was in love with you, and you were her friend. She wanted you both to be happy, and right now, she felt the need to do something to make Izuku feel better.

It wasn’t just her. It was nearly the entirety of the class, especially Iida, Todoroki, Tsuyu and Aoyama, his closest friends. That’s not to say his other good friends Kirishima and the others weren’t concerned, they especially wanted to help too. Because Izuku was turning into a shell of his former self as he just wallowed there in his misery.

“It’s a nice day outside! How about the five of us all go out on a nice walk together?” It was small, but Uraraka smiled in hopes to lift Izuku’s spirits and get him outside for a little bit instead of sulking indoors like he had been for the past month.

“(Y/N) liked going on walks…” Izuku muttered, his dull eyes somehow looking even more hollow when he thought about it. And his friends all could see it. Even Todoroki. It made them all nervous as they each frowned in concern.

“Perhaps you should do something productive. We can train together if you want.” Todoroki suggested, not enjoying at all seeing just how sad his friend looked. He’s seen Izuku sad before, particularly when Bakugou had gotten kidnapped by the villains, but during that time he was forcefully taken. This was an entirely new kind of sad because you left on your own free will.

It was difficult since Todoroki wasn’t exactly good with comforting people, but he knew what it was like to love someone so much and to be separated from them. He wondered if training would take some of Izuku’s mind off of the heartache since he knew how much the boy strived to train as hard as he could to be as strong as All-Might.

“(Y/N) liked training together… I should have trained with her more… why didn’t I train with her more…?” Izuku repeated, which did nothing to make his friends, and even Todoroki feel better as the latter sighed. It seemed that no matter what they suggested it would always go back to you.

“Midoriya… buddy, instead of training, we should maybe all go out and do something fun instead. What do you think?” Kirishima chimed in with a bashful grin in hopes that it would make Izuku perk up just a little bit, “He’s right! Do you want to go to a karaoke bar?” Mina quickly suggested rather cheerfully since everyone (sans Bakugou) was focused on trying to cheer up their broken-hearted classmate.

It wasn’t working.

“(Y/N) always wanted to go to a karaoke bar… and I never even bothered to try and take her out to one…” He mumbled, almost oblivious that the rest of his friends were even here since all he could think about was how he didn’t do enough of those things with you and it was his fault. Because now he was starting to remember how you would ask him if he wanted to go on a simple walk together or train together. And then there were the times where you asked if he would like to go see Captain Marvel, go out for ice cream or check out the karaoke bar together. Three of those were some of the five dates he had turned down…

No wonder you left him…

“This is serious…” Sero worriedly muttered, thinking that their classmate was beginning to shut down in front of them because Izuku wasn’t even giving them a reaction of any sort, other than sadness and he only talked about you.

“I think he’s broken guys…” Kaminari nervously said outloud, since no one was getting through to him, and many of his classmates were beginning to think exactly that as they each frowned and nervously glanced at each other. As if quietly asking one another to come up with something, anything to make Izuku feel slightly better.

“I’m gonna go check (Y/N)’s room! Maybe she left behind her bra or a pair of her panties! That should rejuvenate him!” Mineta enthusiastically suggested as he panted like the lustful little creature he was. He quickly and perversely headed towards your dorm room despite the protests coming from his classmates, but he squealed and froze when a sudden speed of light outran him.

No one other than Izuku, sparkling with One-For-All that allowed him to move probably faster than ever before as he stood in front of your door and shielding it to prevent the little pervert from DARING to try and step foot in the room that belonged to you. No one was getting in here.

Mineta trembled when seeing the shadow loom over his usually mild-mannered classmate’s face. Until Izuku stared down at him with wide, frenzied eyes as he gave his classmate a rare, almost threatening and seething glare that was beginning to alarm and even scare some of the rest of his classmates. It shocked many of them, even Bakugou was unnerved as he looked at his old childhood friend in shock. He’s seen brave looks from Deku before ever since they got to this school, including the look he gave him last month after her badmouthed you. But the damn nerd looked like he really wanted to outright murder that little shit. He has never seen Deku give anyone a look like that…

Izuku didn’t say a word as Mineta shook in terror, backing away with his hands up as he got the non-verbal message and quickly ran off to cower behind his larger classmates who were all glaring at him. Once Mineta was away from your sacred space, Izuku’s glare quickly softened into his heartbroken look. He forgot about the rest of his classmates at the moment as he looked at your room, and went inside, locking the door so no one would talk to him.

Even if you were gone, and almost all of your things were gone since you had sent some people for them, he still wanted to try and engulf himself in the room that was yours simply because it reminded him of you. He looked at the space where your small TV was, now vacant but not without memories of the times when he would spend time in here with you. The times you would happily chat away with him and try to get him to watch Stranger Things, Friends and The Office with you and the way you shared your hidden stash of candy with him. How he wished he just paid more attention to you and savored those sweet moments more…

Although, he remembered that one time you were watching The Office, and how you adorably got emotional that one episode and how he held you the whole time when you hugged him during Michael’s sadness.

The song in that show came to him as he almost unknowingly turned on the song on his phone since that heartbreaking song had been stuck in his head the first time he had heard it. Now was the perfect time because it reminded him of you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jAyZ4njHsc

Goodbye my lover Goodbye my friend You have been the one You have been the one for me…

“Goodbye my lover… G-Goodbye my friend…”

Izuku reenacted the moment from the show, his voice breaking as he sung the lyrics while his tears spilled down his face. Sniffling, he tried desperately to not cry again but the pain in his heart combined with the crushing lyrics made him break as he threw himself into your old bed, sobbing.

And yet even when the song ended, he played it again…

And again… and again for his classmates to hear once again as it became common for Izuku to stay in your room listening to James Blunt’s song on a loop.

But now that he was preoccupied, it gave them the chance to talk to each other about him.

“You really are the worst Mineta…” Tsuyu was the first to reprimand their perverted classmate for that horrible suggestion. Even if it did get a reaction out of Izuku, it was the last thing he needed to hear.

“No kidding. Way to go you little skeeze.” Sero crossed his arms as the little grape-boy cringed at how all his classmates glared at him.

“I-I was only trying to help!” He pathetically claimed, but nobody was buying it. “Yeah right. Now he probably feels worse…” Kirishima sighed, really feeling for his friend as he started tearing up because he could hear that song playing from the room. And now Izuku was playing it on a loop for his concerned classmates to hear.

“Dammit Midoriya… you’re gonna make me cry now… that song is one of the saddest songs ever…” The redhead clenched his fists as he held back his tears. Because he missed you too, and Izuku’s heartache was really painful to watch. The song he was playing on full-blast did nothing to help…

“It’s the hymn of the broken-hearted…” Tokoyami sighed heavily, but couldn’t quite quell Dark Shadow from suddenly popping out.

“IT’S JUST SO HEART-WRENCHING!!” He practically wailed, much to his hosts’ slight aggravation but he did agree with his shadow. Tokoyami felt horrible for his classmate, and it truly did hurt to see him and hear him so heartbroken.

“I can’t take it! My heart! It’s breaking for poor Midoriya!!” Mina cried out, getting a bit teary-eyed herself as she wiped her eyes when tears started to fall.

“I… can’t stand seeing Midoriya so upset…” Since Mina was crying a little bit, Aoyama expressed his own sadness as he teared up when he had to watch his dear friend be so unhappy and missing you, and he missed you too. You were nice to him.

“I wish (Y/N) was here…” Uraraka couldn’t help herself as she felt herself tearing up over her crush’s sadness and the fact that she couldn’t do anything about it. “It’s okay Ochaco… it’ll… it’ll be okay… Midoriya will be okay… and (Y/N)… maybe she’ll come back…” Tsuyu comforted the girl by holding her hand, but soon the two girls hugged each other with tears in their eyes.

It felt strange for Todoroki to see some of his classmates beginning to cry, but his best friend was so upset, and then you were gone too. He had missed you too, he knew you through Izuku as he spoke very highly of you and Todoroki had grown fond of you. So seeing everyone so sad and not having you there, was making him feel really sad too as his eyes were downcast as he resisted any urge to join his classmates in getting emotional.

“I miss (Y/N)…” Yaoyorozu admitted as soon as she heard your name, starting to get emotional herself as she covered her mouth when she could feel the tears threatening to spill. “I miss her too…” Jirou admitted shortly afterwards with a sad look on her face as she hugged Yaoyorozu to try and comfort her, and she looked over her shoulder to glance over at some of her other classmates, many whom looked like they were going to cry too.

“So do I!” Kirishima didn’t want to cry, but the more he listened to the songs lyrics and the more he thought about how he missed you combined with Izuku’s sadness made him burst into tears as Mina quickly followed and openly started crying with him, “I miss her so much!” She exclaimed as the two hugged each other and sobbed somewhat dramatically, which urged Sero and Kaminari to go over and try and comfort the two as they sniffled and quietly cried with them.

When you weren’t worrying about Izuku, you were the class dork, or at least that’s what you called yourself, and you prioritized fun and happiness and sought out to make sure everyone was safe and happy by telling them really lame puns, cartoon and movie references and bad dancing. That’s why many of them missed you, your friends have grown to adore you.

“Classmates! Please… do not cry! (L/N) was a dear friend of ours, but we can’t get overwhelmed or make ourselves upset, not when Midoriya is…” Iida tried to get his classmates and friends to hopefully stop crying, but Kirishima, Mina, Sero, Kaminari and Uraraka drowned out the room with their loud, almost comical sobbing, which just enabled some of the others to cry a little bit louder too.

It was too much for Iida to handle, he couldn’t lecture them now not when his eyes were welling with tears as he choked on a sob and started crying himself after focusing too much on his crying classmates.

Little did they know that all their crying was really starting to piss off their explosive classmate. Bakugou growled when the sounds of his classmates crying and that stupid song rung rather loudly in his ears as he vibrated with rage and discomfort. He normally hated seeing people cry because he viewed it as weakness, but he actually secretly LIKED some of these morons, especially Kirishima… so hearing him cry was both pissing him off and making him feel kind of bad. And on top of that it’s because you were gone… it’s not like he missed you or anything, but you were his friend at one point…

Til you decided to hang out with Deku more than him.

“Midoriya.” Before Bakugou could think more about you, Shinsou suddenly knocked on your door. He wasn’t close to many of the Class 1-A kids, but he didn’t like seeing them cry at all. “The song’s a bit much don’t you think? You’re just bringing everyone down…”

“I’m not coming out.” Was all Izuku said from behind the door, having shut down at the moment as he lied in your bed, much to Shinsou’s annoyance as he gave a heavy sigh. Maybe it was better to just give him his space since he clearly didn’t want to talk or do anything other than mope…

However, Izuku was almost completely oblivious to the rest of the world and his crying classmates. And his very, VERY irritated rival…

“DAMMIT DEKU! Get the fuck out of there already and man the hell up! It’s fucking creepy moping in Warp-Girl’s old room! Get over it already! You can’t stay in there forever!!” Bakugou then pushed Shinsou aside and harshly banged on the door, if his soft classmates weren’t going to slap him silly for being such a crybaby, then he was.

“Yes I can.” But despite Bakugou’s tone, Izuku still ignored him and stood inside the room. And if Bakugou could, and he certainly wanted to. He would have blasted this fucking door down…

“Fine! Well go ahead and go back to the way you were! A fucking crybaby! Where’s the Deku who can suddenly fight huh?! Where is he?!” Bakugou was never good at things like this, and he still didn’t really care much for Izuku, but he was getting tired of seeing the determined boy turn into such a zombie…

“The Deku who started coming to this fucking school wouldn’t just give up and mope like a damn loser…” He muttered harshly, unaware that Izuku did perk up ever so slightly when he did hear what Bakugou was saying…

But Bakugou couldn’t take all the crying anymore as he shouted in frustration and started marching out of this fucking place and ignored the calls coming from Kirishima and Iida when they realized that he was leaving…

And as soon as Izuku opened the door, he was surprised and shocked to hear from his classmates that Bakugou had left the dorms to go to God knows where…

END OF PART 1...

@saeranoppa

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eldritchsurveys · 4 years

Text

850.

1. What kinds of genres of music do you listen to? >> It’d be easier to name the genres I don’t listen to...

2. Are there any types of music that you don’t listen to at all? >> ...which would be bluegrass, polka, uh... noise... K-pop... yeah, that’s all I got right now. Honestly, K-pop is probably only here because I just haven’t gone to check out any songs, not because I actively don’t like the genre.

3. Do you own any band tees? >> Yeah, most of my t-shirts are band shirts.

4. Name some of your favorite male solo artists. >> Eddie Vedder, David Bowie, Steve Vai, Orville Peck, Sam Cooke.

5. Name some of your favorite female solo artists. >> Elle King, Sia, Beyoncé, Anita Baker, Céline Dion.

6. Name some of your favorite boy-bands. >> Okay, so are we talking boy bands, like Backstreet Boys and One Direction, or just bands with dudes in them? Because I don’t really listen to boy bands anymore (aside from songs that I remember from childhood), so.

7. Name some of your favorite all-girl bands. >> Hmm... I’m not sure I listen to any all-female bands. There’s some female-fronted bands in my library, but the rest of the members are dudes.

8. Name some of your favorite bands/groups in general. >> Oof. Here’s five: Zeal & Ardor, Coheed & Cambria, Pearl Jam, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Volbeat.

9. Do you sing in the shower? >> Sometimes, if a song I know the lyrics to is playing. I listen to music every time I shower, it helps distract my hell brain.

10. Do you sing along with the radio in the car? >> I don’t sing along in the car because Sparrow has a thing about people singing.

11. Do you listen to music while you are cooking, filling out surveys, or cleaning the house? >> Sometimes I listen to music while taking surveys, but I don’t do it often because I find it too distracting. I do listen to music while cleaning, or taking walks, or doing any other task that mostly involves my body more than my brain.

12. What’s the name of the song that you’re listening to right now, if any? What’s the name of the band/singer? >> I’m not listening to music.

13. What kinds of music do your parents listen to? Do you think that their music taste differs greatly? Whose music taste is better, in your opinion? >> I grew up listening to soul, R&B, gospel, that sort of thing. I still listen to that stuff because I enjoy it.

14. Do you ever listen to music without any words? >> Sure.

15. Are there any famous musicians that you’ve met? Are there any that you would like to meet? >> Yeah, I’ve met uhh... Avenged Sevenfold, Coheed & Cambria, and Sevendust multiple times, as well as Halestorm, Steve Vai, three-quarters of Volbeat (lead singer wasn’t feeling great so he left the venue early)... yeah, I think that’s it. I used to be really into that kind of thing, but I’m largely over it now; I actually think it would be cool to see Sparrow meet Hozier, because she’s not had that experience.

16. What was the first concert you’ve been to, if any? How about the last/most recent? Which, out of all of the concerts you’ve attended, was the best? >> First concert was Avenged Sevenfold and Coheed & Cambria (co-headliner tour), in Asbury Park, New Jersey, in April 2006. The last concert I went to was Hozier here in Grand Rapids, last year sometime. I think it was last year. :x My time sense is all fucked up. Anyway, I’ve been to way too many concerts to start naming one as the best one ever, that’s crazy. Most of the shows I’ve been to were awesome as fuck (there were a couple ehhhh... ones, and then there was one I was way too high to enjoy lmao, but usually I have a great time).

17. Do you have a favorite movie soundtrack? What is it? >> I have a favourite movie soundtrack composer, actually, and that’s Clint Mansell. Everything he does is just... AAAAAAAAA for me. I can always tell when he’s done a score because I can just feel the music in my bones, and then I look at the credits and I’m like “OH OF COURSE IT WAS YOU.”

18. Would you want to be a band groupie? Why or why not? >> I had a phase way back when where I was obsessed with groupie culture (from like the late sixties through the eighties) and if you’d asked me then, I’d have said yes. I’ve wised up by now and I definitely would not want that.

19. What is a band/singer you would like to see but haven’t gotten a chance to yet? >> Yeah, there’s a lot of bands and singers like that. But I’d have to be really picky nowadays about who I went to see, because I just can’t deal with most concert environments as well as I used to anymore.

20. Do you care more about the beat of the music you listen to, or the lyrics? >> I mean, when it comes to the first listen, it’s going to be the melody that catches me. If that doesn’t happen, then I’m not even going to bother looking at the lyrics, so...

21. Does anyone in one of your favorite bands play an unusual instrument? >> I listen to some prog bands, so there’s definitely some unusual instruments happening in at least some songs.

22. What are some of the songs that you listen to the most frequently? >> I don’t know, probably Master Boot Record and Zeal & Ardor tracks. I’m a bit obsessed right now.

23. Could you make a playlist of songs that describes your life? What kinds of playlists do you have made? >> I don’t think so. I’ve definitely tried in the past, but when you really start thinking about the vast array of experiences and feelings that make up a life, it becomes fuckin impossible.

24. Do you remember listening to music on CDs and cassettes, not just on the internet? >> Yeah. Definitely don’t miss it, gotta say.

25. What kind of music device do you use in order to listen to music? (iPod, MP3 Player, etc.) >> I use my phone or computer, with Spotify.

26. Is there anyone in your family who is a musician? >> ---

27. Would you ever consider a career in music? >> No. I love music, but as a consumer.

28. What is a song that would describe your current mood? Who is it by? >> I’m not really in any kind of mood. If you know a song about being vaguely tired, then that’s it.

29. Are there any musicians of the past that you really admire? >> Well, sure...

30. Do you listen to Top 40 type music? >> I don’t even know what’s on the Top 40, so... maybe? Probably not, though, I haven’t really gotten into any mainstream-popular artists recently that I can think of.

31. What musical instrument would you like to learn how to play? Have you ever played an instrument before/taken lessons? What was it? >> I don’t really care to learn any instruments. It’s not something I feel passionate about, not like how I feel about listening to music. I’ve taken bass guitar lessons before, in like... 2008 or so? IDK. Years are fake.

32. Do you enjoy watching musicals on DVD or sitting through them as plays? Which method do you prefer, and which is your favorite? >> I would love to watch musicals live, but I definitely cannot afford it. I’m fine watching recordings of them (or movie adaptations, in some cases). My favourite stage musical is Phantom of the Opera (I say “stage musical” because I also have a favourite movie musical, and that’s Repo! the Genetic Opera).

33. What was the worst concert you’ve ever attended before, and what made it the worst? >> Taste of Chaos at Nassau Coliseum. It was the worst because arena shows are just the worst, period. I was right up in front (my friends and I camped out overnight) and I just got repeatedly slammed against the barricade and crowd-surfers landed on my head multiple times, et cetera. I’m surprised I didn’t leave with actual injuries (was wondering if I was gonna need a neck brace by the end), but I did feel pretty damn shitty the next day.

34. Have you ever crowd-surfed during a show or been a part of a mosh pit? >> Nope.

35. Have you ever gotten into an altercation with a drunken concert fan before? What happened? >> Nah, everyone I’ve met at shows have been pretty cool, if not downright awesome. That’s one thing I always loved about going to concerts, I seemed to make new friends every time.

36. Have you ever dated someone who was a musician? >> No, but I’ve fucked a few.

37. What are some of your favorite music videos to watch? >> Oh, man, it’s getting late and while I could go ham on this question, I don’t have the time right now lol. I’ll just say that I love nineties-era music videos, and some from the aughts as well. I feel like those were the best years for music videos, but that might just be nostalgia (and the fact that I haven’t really seen as many videos from the 2010s). As far as recent artists are concerned, I think Orville Peck makes really evocative and moody (not necessarily moody like pensive or depressive. mood-y. mood-evoking) videos that I appreciate.

38. Have you ever made a lyric video on YouTube? >> No.

39. Have you ever recorded a cover song and posted it? What kind of feedback did you receive? >> No.

40. Is there an album cover design that you really admire? >> I’ve seen so many excellent album covers, I couldn’t even begin to address this.

41. What are some of the most overplayed songs right now, in your opinion? >> I wouldn’t know, I don’t listen to radio or anything.

42. Do you watch music awards shows on television? >> No.

43. Have you ever competed in any sort of singing contest before? >> No.

44. Have you ever tried to start your own band before? >> No.

45. What’s the name of a band/singer that you recently have discovered? >> Dreamcar (yet another Davey Havok side project, because he just can’t be tamed, apparently).

46. What are some annoying/weird/funny songs that have gotten stuck in your head before? >> Barbara Ann gets stuck in my head all the time, but that’s okay because it’s fun and I love it.

47. Are there any songs that actually make you cry? What are they, and who are they by? >> There are many songs that make me cry. We ain’t got time for a list like that.

48. Do you listen to any music in another language? >> Sure. Off the top of my head, I can think of fave songs in German, Swedish, Japanese, Indian, and Italian. [a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

#surveys #survey #music survey #my fave kind

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harusha · 4 years

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What are your top pokemon games??

Official or fangame? I’ll just list both. I will say Pokemon Reborn is my top-rated overall if we combine both lists (with HGSS and Collesseum/XD following as 2 and 3 respectively.)

On Official, it’s

1. Heartgold/Soulsilver (My favorite region is Johto, and Ethan is my favorite Pokemon protagonist so…unsurprising. The games are still genuinely good though imo because of the massive amount of content and post-game and QoL stuff like following Pokemon, auto-run, etc.) I also love the nostalgic feeling of the region. Lance is also here, and I like him and his design a lot, not as much as Volkner though. Also Proton is here, and I love the dude so. Pedometer is included here.

2. Pokemon Colosseum/Pokemon XD; I include this together since they’re a duo set in terms of story. XD is the better one gameplay-wise because of the new additions of Shadow moves, more Pokemon choices, QoL changes like saving, etc. but Colosseum is the harder of the two games imo b/c of the sparsity of Pokemon–if you can play it on laptop, mod XD with Pokemon XG for massive QoL changes (Fairy Type, more shadow Pokemon, upped difficulty, etc.)

I like how this set tries new stuff and it honestly showcases how if you the Pokemon IP to a third-party, you end up with something that tries to be different and actually plays pretty well.

3. Pokemon BWBW2; included as a set because of joint story line. Honestly, I feel like BWBW2 are objectively the last great mainline series additions. Even if you didn’t care for the story, they at least tried with it and the rivals. You had the nice rival in Bianca and the “focused/ruder” rival in Cheren, and both encompassed the themes of the game (Truth with Bianca as she realizes her ineptness as a trainer and Ideals with Cheren who strives to overcome his boundaries and the player even if he never can). N is pretty awesome, and I think Ghetsis is a better Lusamine (sorry, idc for how Lusamine’s actions are brushed over and blamed on the space jellyfish). There’s a lot to enjoy in Unova imo.

Also massive post-game stuff like Join Avenue (which encourages one of the main tenets of Pokemon, interacting with others and trading; ex. “Magnemite Coil”), half the region opening up for Post-game (White Treehollow, Kyurem’s abode, etc.). The Legendaries also have home locations for the most part, and their items aren’t just given to you by random people. A lot of stuff to do that isn’t just breeding mindlessly for shinies (I mean I love doing that, but options ya know?) or online battle.

4. Pokemon Conquest; Fire Emblem (or more accurately, Nobunaga’s ambition) meets Pokemon. I like turn-based grid tactic games, and this one’s actually pretty fun. You’re encouraged to roam around and give people different Pokemon to see which ones they’re compatible with. Also another example of what can be done if Pokemon is given to a another developer.

5. Pokemon Explores of Sky (and to a lesser extent since it’s the base, Time/Darkness); you can swap this with Colloseum/XD, BWBW2 or Pokemon Conquest depending on if you prefer Pokemon’s style of play, tactics games, or dungeon crawlers. I like this one since the story’s actually pretty good, the difficulty’s nice, and especially the post-game dungeons and content.

6. Pokemon Platinum and Diamond+Pearl to a lesser extent– the region that actually has a reasonably difficult Elite Four and champion. I love the additions they have like distortion world, the melancholic feel you get at times in the Chateau area and snowfields, and the post-game Battle Frontier. However, the games run so slow without Drayano’s mods. In terms of husbandos, Volkner’s pretty nice as well, and he’s pretty high-tier for me. Cynthia’s here as well, so I guess she counts since she’s a feature every time she shows up.

7. Pokemon FRLG-The definite version of Kanto for me. Sevii Islands, callbacks (callforwards?) to the Johto games with the Rocket Admins, decent difficulty and ability to sequence break somewhat, etc. It gives new experiences for those who’ve played the OG versions, but doesn’t change them drastically. The “you can’t evolve anything outside of the OG 151 before post-game” is stupid though. Lance is here as well, but his half Dragonite/Dragonair team annoys me b/c of how repetitive it is, but product of the time as well and the HGSS first battle had that as well but at least they’re all evolved.

8. Pokemon Red/Blue Rescue Team-I like this one since the story’s still good and incorporates the idea of a human being transported to a Pokemon world, but I just feel like Sky’s gameplay improvements and portraits for everyone trumps this one. I like Gengar a lot and his team. I also think the difficulty on this one (depending on starter and partner) is fairly good at times (The Moltres fight is actually pretty difficult if you don’t have Pikachu or a water type partner).

9. Pokemon Emerald and to a lesser extent Ruby/Sapphire–Battle Frontier, Scott and Smeargle cave (ie. post-game content), beautiful promotional artwork (including ORAS’s), fairly difficult battles at time if you aren’t prepared/going in blind with no excessive grinding (2nd May battle, Flannery, etc.), hidden secrets like Regis and Secret Bases. However, the latter half is so boring with the excessive surfing and lackluster variety. Steven’s here, and he’s a dreamboat even with the sprite graphics.

10. Pokemon Channel and Hey you, Pikachu!-Weird I know. This would be higher if I didn’t think this was a niche pick. It’s just really relaxing, and I want another one, especially if you can get more Pokemon to raise. It’s a lot more fun once you play it. I like exploring with Pikachu and it offers a look into the world of Pokemon as a non-trainer. I really want another one tbh.

11. Pokemon Rangers series (Ranked from favorite to lowest; Shadows of Almia–>OG–>Guardian Signs; all are good but that’s my preference) The gameplay is actually pretty fun, and I wish we got another one. They could use Joycons as a styler. Spencer, Sven, and Lunick are also pretty cute

12. Pokken Tournament- What battles should feel like in mainline if they injected millions of dollars into the mainline, so unrealistic expectation. I think Pokken is a decent fighting game. The moves are nice, and the music is good. This can go lower if you don’t care for fighting games.

13. Pokemon Battle Revolution and Stadium games-They’re mostly battle simulators with some mini-games. The animations are actually pretty lively and fun compared to SWSH’s. I would like to rank this higher, but there is no story mode sadly. It’s great if you want to see what Pokemon would look like in-scale.

14. Pokemon X/Y-I think these are actually pretty nice if only for the fact there isn’t excessive handholding; it’s there but it doesn’t force me to put down the game out of boredom. The outfits are genuinely pretty cute. However, the rivals are ridiculously terrible, difficulty is either too low or unbalanced if you use/turn off exp. share. Let’s put ORAS here as well b/c I think the lack of Battle Frontier and mediocre post-game, getting Lati@s early, etc. drops it down from Emerald. The PSS system is amazing though.

15. Pokemon Trozei and Pokemon Pinball series-Yeah, I’ve played these. Trozei’s actually pretty cool as a match-3 game, and pinball is pinball. You also get slightly more lore into the Pokemon world with Lucy Fleetfoot. I like match-3 and pinball so very much a YMMV. Pop Gates to Infinity and Super Mystery Dungeon here as well. Idk, they just lack the magic of the first two entries.

16. Pokemon Snap, Pokemon Dash, all the other spin-offs I didn’t talk about-they all offer something fun, but I just wish it was either updated for modern times and not released again (like with Snap) or a bit more (in the case of Detective Pikachu and Pokepark series). Pop Puzzle League games here as well. I like them, but they aren’t much besides Tetris games. Same goes for the Pokemon Trading Card games; they’re nice, but not super great imo.

???. Pokemon Box/Ranch/all the other storage games and stuff like Dream Radar-Idk what you’d want me to say since they’re storage space or gimmick games to catch HA Pokemon. You do get Extremespeed Zigzagoon which I love since the little buggers are very adorable.

Bottom Tier. Pokemon SM and USUM. I hate these games. They’re cash grabs (more so than usual) with being $40 a piece and the updated versions being barely changed (and actually feeling like what should have been released first). Incredibly handholding, areas feel half-baked, lacks areas to explore for the most part, Lillie is kinda annoying for me tbh (which hurts because you’re supposed to feel for her and the game’s story hinges on that), and the player is an actual detriment to what they’re trying to achieve story-wise. A big shame b/c Alola is a pretty region and Team Skull is great in concept, but execution is awful. Stated as someone who has bought all 4 versions to keep, and 2 extras for gifting.

Absolute Bottom Tier- Pokemon Masters, incredibly terrible mobage game coming from someone who plays FGO, FEH, etc. lack of meaningful content, grinding but meaningless b/c of said lack of content (ex. FGO gates you with mats but it makes you feel like you’re growing with your servants and offers a story and events to compensate; basically, a sense of achievement). CO-OP is pretty bad when you can just hop over to GBF or something if you want guilds and group content. I’m still gonna wait for Ethan and Volkner to appear though.

Unrated-OG RBGY and OG GSC (the remakes are superior outside of nostalgia factor imo so I think it’d be unfair for them to take a spot), LGPE (didn’t buy them b/c pricing but the colors are vibrant and I love that), SWSH (didn’t buy them because I have opinions on the cuts and stuff and price point doesn’t look appealing for what’s offered), Pokemon Mini (these were included with Pokemon Channel), Magikarp Jump+Duel (Duel was a cash grab and Magikarp Jump is cute but no real opinion on it), Pokemon Go (weird spot where I like it, but I don’t live in an area with safe walking areas so very much area-dependent), Arcade games (I don’t live in Japan for that), Perdue Farm games (they’re flash games made to promote so…), Pokemon Rumble (enjoyable but not memorable for me imo) etc.

Fangames-

1. Pokemon Reborn-150+ hours of content, visible themes that permeate the story and characters, beautiful spritework for some of the areas, intuitive usage of TMs/HMs and some logic (ex. Field Effects that emulate anime battling in turn-based rpg such as Corrosive Field; using Rock Smash to break the glass in some areas to solve puzzles, etc.), actual difficulty that hinges on how much you understand Pokemon (ex. IVs, stats, EVs, etc.) that’s fair but still difficult, puzzles and rewards for exploring and coming back to areas, etc. Fantastic game that I wish Gamefreak had attempted to emulate (perhaps not the darker themes but the ambition basically). Has some kinks with the revolving door of characters and such but still fantastic. Also offers custom shiny sprites, custom egg sprites, and online play like Wonder Trade and battling.

2. Pokemon Rocket Edition-Not done but I think this is a fantastic hack so far story-wise and how it implements its mechanics. You’re a Rocket Grunt, but you aren’t OP. It deals with the politics behind Kanto and Team Rocket. Still being worked on.

3. Pokemon Viridian Version-Another “play as a Rocket” game. Funny yet still can be serious; it takes the tone of the anime and understands when to be serious and when to not be. It feels like it would fit into the canon tone-wise, and deconstructs the “it’s cool to be a Rocket!” thing.

4. Pokemon Gaia-Excellent and a huge callback to classic Pokemon in story. It’s an OG region and offers a lot to do.

5. Drayano hacks- QoL updates but his work actually adds a lot to the games+new events.

Anyways, that’s my list. There’s a lot of Pokemon content, but this is how I feel for the most part.

#long post #i will say Piers is high tier husbando though

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makdynasty · 5 years

Text

Thoughts on the Future of the TF Movie Franchise.

I have to say, after watching BumbleBee and closely examining the status of the franchise, I must say... I don't really have much confidence for the franchise moving forward. These are just my thoughts on the matter though. I"ll briefly do a review of some sorts for the movie as I segway into my main topic of discussion.

Now, I'm not saying that I think the movie is bad or anything, but it was very dry and lukewarm for me. Unpopular opinion, I know. The thing is though, for a movie that is supposedly going to be a "reboot" to a movie franchise that has been standing the test of time for over a decade, it wasn't a very strong start. Pretty much the main thing that it has going for it is the whole G1 appeal that they feel the need to constantly stress along with the fact that this is not a movie directed by Micheal Bay.

Now, unlike some people who I've discussed the movie with, I'm not going to give the movie a ruff time for it's lack of action in comparison to the original 5. I understand that they wanted to tell a more calmer and down to Earth story and I like small number of Decepticons that BumbleBee faced on Earth as well as the battle back on Cybertron was sufficient enough. I also liked how the action was cleaner without too many explosions going on as well as being mostly one-take without the weird jump cuts in movies like TF 4 and TF 5. I am however going to talk about the movies large cast of dry and one note characters.

For a movie that takes pride in how it's story is supposed to be deeper then the past few movies, and how it has a substantial amount of "heart" that the previous movies lacked, apparently, it all feels pretty artificial at times. Most of the characters that are showcased in this movie (Not including the characters that made cameo appearances.) are very one note without much of anything defining them aside from: Charlie, BumbleBee, Dropkick and Shatter, and maybe Optimus. I didn't include John Cena because the dude pretty much played himself, so I'm not exactly sure how to critique his performance. This movie shouldn't even really be called BumbleBee seeing as how most of the movie is spent focusing on her struggles above the struggles of the actual main character that the movie is named after. A common complaint from people who watched the other movies that is conveniently swept under the rug this time around like most of the films flaws.

Next is the how the movie handles emotion. For a movie of it's nature, it handles the subject pretty well. Charlie is by far the best character in the movie with great development and progression making her easily one of the most developed human characters in the movieverse. However, this of course has it's fair share of flaws as well. Most of the emotional appeal is focused on her and her solely to the point where other emotional moments in the film don't feel at all important like Cliffjumper's death for instance. That along with BumbleBee's supposed death midway through. Not only that, but the movie at times feels like it's trying too hard to get a reaction out of you with how it constantly brings up Charlies dead father. I can understand the movie constantly reminding us of his death in order to emphasis that she's constantly thinking about him, but it could've been handled much better if the movie didn't feel the need to have her emotions feel so exaggerated.

It follows in line with how many modern day t.v. shows nowadays try appeal to audiences by making them feel heavily for the characters. It may be charming at first, but over time it starts to feel disingenuous with how much the characters struggles are constantly shoved in front of our faces as if we don't realize that these characters are going through hard times. This issue is especially prevalent in the later seasons of shows like Steven Universe where the feeling has noticeably dipped down for some people because the over-exaggerated emotions eventually leave people out and end up making the characters seem whinny above all else.

BumbleBee is a low budget live action movie and it shows in several cases. Clearly a lot of the design work went into BumbleBee and maybe even Dropkick and Shatter. The CGI while nice enough with G1 designs and realistic looking enough, is noticeably toned down, a little too fluid to the point where every movement made by the Transformers feels oddly floaty and not very grounded, and a lot less detailed than the previous films. For ancient sentient alien robots that have been fighting in a war that has been ravaging their entire planet, they look a little too clean in comparison to how they looked in some of the previous films. Aside from some casual rustware and scratches on all other Transformers that aren't BumbleBee, which you may not even notice unless you were looking hard for these details like I was, there isn't much battle damage or carnage displayed afterwards.

The CGI effects in general seem lackluster at times. It's clear that a majority of the budget went into the Cybertron war scene, though it feels as though that's where the CGI begins to look the most cartoony. In fact, many elements of the Cybertron war scene look suspiciously animated to the point where it feels almost like an odd design choice as a homage to the G1 show and movie. Wouldn't put it past them and it would admittedly make for in interesting design choice if that were the case, yet I feel as though that sacrifices a lot of the believability of the movie for that particular scene. Prime example (No pun intended.), the scene where Ravage was ejected out of Soundwave's chest. That whole transition always look off to me. It was smooth, but very noticeably off in terms of movement. This is just a personal complaint however as I am more used to the realistic movements as well as designs and atmosphere of the previous films.

As I conclude this brief overview of the BumbleBee movie and transition into my main thoughts and feelings towards the future of the Transformers movies, I want to talk about the biggest issue I have with the direction of these new movies. Aside from the people behind these movies not at all knowing whether or not they want these movies to be a fully reboot or not, BumbleBee felt like it was meant to appeal to nobody, but G1ers, people who didn't like the previous films, or just casuals in general really. I feel like this is a big step backwards personally. What made the previous films so special was that they were a thorough rejection of all of the things that defined how Transformers are "supposed" to be. In a time where the franchise was dying out and people where constantly saying that nothing outside of G1 works, these movies came along and proved those statements wrong. In return, the changed the mythology and way we all perceived the Transformers forever. The movies were able to appeal to all forms of Transformers fans because they didn't stand for one single mythology and acted as an amalgamation of many different forms of the franchise. Had they gone with there original plans for The Last Knight, they would have even incorporated Optimus Primal somehow, and that would've in turn appealed to the Beast Wars fans. G1, as good as it is, on it's own does not appeal to everyone which is something that Hasbro doesn't seem to understand. I'm not a G1er, so aside from some semblance of odd nostalgia as well as making it easier to spot out some fan favorites, these designs just don't do much of anything for me personally.

BumbleBee was a good movie, not a great movie imo. It doesn't do anything to try and shake up the formula and feels mainly like it was just meant to cater to fanfare without any proper intentions of being the start of a new generation of Transformers movies. Budget issues aside, the movie plays itself far to safe even for what they had intended for their story to be. It isn't at all perfect and yet it could have been so much more.

...

So with all that said and done, how exactly does this translate into me worrying about the future of this movie franchise???

This personally makes me feel a tad bit worried for the future of the franchise. The franchise now lacks a sense of direction because it's being seemingly forced to transition into this new form without a proper plan of action. As much as I liked what Travis Knight did with BumbleBee, I would prefer if a more experienced director took the wheel from here on out.

As far as money goes, the franchise is also on a step decline with BumbleBee being the lowest performing movie yet. You may say that money doesn't matter in this case seeing as how the movie made back a significant amount of money, it's still considered a financial flop in comparison to the other films, and rightfully so. Transformers is a multi-billion dollar franchise and as such should be expected to make as much money with it's big projects like these. BumbleBee was expected to bring in huge numbers regardless of it's low budget, but didn't. However, because it was well received, it's getting a sequel, but the numbers have to start rising or else.

They also don't seem to know what they want to do with the sequel aside from making it a buddy movie of some sorts with Optimus Prime. At least the director recognizes the importance of staying true to the previous movies to a certain degree to go as far as to include "Bayhem" into the movies going forward.

All in all, the future of the franchise while promising, is by no means going to be guaranteed success. It's very easy to see how they can potentially mess this up without proper direction and focus. That's all for now.

#Transformers #Bumblebee #Hasbro #Michael Bay #Travis Knight #Transformers Movies #Transformers Franchise

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wardencommanderrodimiss · 4 years

Text

baratrongirl replied to your post “Really do not understand why GameFreak took out the Hall of Fame...”

I'd be interested to hear what you don't like about Sword/Shield. For me, it's quite the opposite. I played the hell out of the 3rd and 4th Gens, then struggled to finish White and didn't buy White 2. Didn't finish SoulSilver, or whichever of X or Y I got, and became completely bored about 10 hours into Alpha Sapphire despite being all motivated to play the game with my original Sapphire team only now I know what I'm doing. Didn't even BUY Sun/Moon.

Then I hung out with my Pokemon friends over Sword/Shield launch weekend, watched them playing on the TV, and had to immediately borrow a spare Switch so I could play too. By the end of the weekend I'd bought the Switch and paid to download my own copy of Shield. I have a few issues with it, mostly relating to the lack of clothing options for male characters, but otherwise I'm finding it the blast of fresh air that I needed to get back into the Pokemon games.

I’ve heard a lot of people say something similar, that SwSh was a nice upgrade from the past couple gens. I started slipping around XY - didn’t wanna buy a 3DS and didn’t until Omega Ruby came out, since Ruby was the first one I’d played - and after I finished the Team Flare plot of X I just gave up for three years and only last year finished the 8th gym and the league. I honestly don’t remember much of playing OR. I think it was a weird kind of frantic nostalgia-fueled haze but I genuinely cannot comment on what I liked about that game. It’s a blank in my memory. Really enjoyed Sun and Moon, like Sword but get bummed the longer I think about it. But I did buy it because I did see a ton of people saying it was a change they were enjoying, quality-of-life upgrades, fun new features, etc. Different strokes and all.

My biggest gripe on Sword is that the world feels pretty empty. Besides the Wild Area, and its few secluded corners, though it’s really a straightforward place, there’s nothing to explore. The plot grabs you by the hand and pulls you to every location. There’s nothing off-the-way that you don’t go to for the main plot. There’s nothing like Kanto’s Power Plant, or Alola’s Power Plant - which I didn’t even realize was there on my first pass through, and then I was like “hey what’s this little place, OH MY GOD WHAT THERE’S MORE STUFF HERE.” The region is a linear loop. There’s no weird little caves that aren’t plot relevant that you get scrambled up in. There’s nowhere that’s locked until you beat the League, like the other half of Poni Island or those last upper bits in Unova or the Battle Frontier in Sinnoh. I had canvassed the Wild Area for everything by the time I went to the final tournament. There’s nowhere else to go. Sure I went back through the Wild Area to catch more stuff to fill out my Pokedex, but new places? Nothing. There’s nowhere to go back to once you can cross water except the little lake by the professor’s house. Not like in Sun/Moon where there’s bits on prior islands to go back to with Lapras. That cave underneath the starting island to go check out I’m thinking of. Galar is a pretty bare-bones region and the Wild Area doesn’t fully compensate.

Which ties to my other biggest gripe, which is, there are three legendary Pokemon in the game and one of them is the opposite version’s exclusive that you can’t get. Two legendary Pokemon! Two legendary Pokemon you can catch! And you catch them both in the course of the plot! There’s nothing like the Regi trio hidden by batshit puzzles, or Cobalion/Terrakion/Virizion tucked in out-of-the-way corners. No wandering Lati@s or beast trio. No Tapus or anything. You can catch two legendary Pokemon.

I think we really peaked back in Gen 3 with its visual Braille puzzles and Gen 4 with whatever the everloving fuck the Turnback Cave was on about. The weird locations that hurt your brain. I miss those. I miss the tricky caves you get lost in and spend time figuring it out. Galar didn’t have caves. The mines were basically a straight shot, yknow? When I’d like to go deeper and have more to explore instead of feeling like I’m taking a walking tour of the whole region.

And the DLC looks like it’ll deal at least with that point with more legendaries, which really grinds my gears. In all the discourse about whether or not the DLC is good or bad or neutral, whether the price of video games has needed to go up or the DLC is cheaper than a third version but some people wait for the third version, which I didn’t seek out said discourse but saw pass me by on Twitter, I saw no one mention that we’re paying to get more than two legendary Pokémon and I felt like I was losing my mind for a little while there. I feel like I’m paying extra for something that’s been in every game since the beginning of time, that being more than two legendary Pokémon that I can catch.

And my lesser little gripes: level balance of the game felt a little wonky with the wild Pokemon toward the end higher leveled than all the trainers except Leon, and the always-on exp share made it worse because when I dragged out the plot by catching everything in the Wild Area, my team got way overleveled for the back half of the game and I could curbstomp everyone that passed me. Team Yell were an egregious roadblock and while Pokemon has always had those, the prominence of Team Yell was exasperating. I prefer environmental roadblocks, like water and back when we used to have other HMs, those feel a little better than two dudes standing in the middle of a wide road.

And why, oh WHY, did GameFreak downgrade after XY and only have fitting rooms in boutiques instead of also in Pokemon Centers? I don’t want to fly to another town to change my clothes! Not every town has a clothes shop but everywhere has a Pokemon Center! I was crusading on this point through Sun/Moon and I will not be stopped until GameFreak puts changing rooms back in Pokemon Centers! (They will probably never do that but I refuse to stop. Forget Dexit; this is the real issue of our time.)

I didn’t mind the limited Pokémon at release because I never transfer my teams thru the games anyway - I’m a sentimental anxious idiot afraid of decisions and commitment and I can’t commit to the one-way transfers to move my teams up to new games. And that plus the Wild Area having trade-evolution Pokemon walking around made me feel like completing my pokedex was actually attainable. So I did!

I don’t hate the game, but I am disappointed by it. I’ve never been a Battle Tower or shiny-hunting person, but I’ve ended up doing those because I don’t know what else to do.

So that’s my opinion on why SwSh has bummed me out more as time goes on, since you were curious.

(Joker from Mass Effect 2 when you ask him for gossip about your teammates voice: “But that’s just my opinion, no need to go spreading it around.” ;) I’ll gladly chat with friends but the poke-discourse got too intense on twitter and I am not inviting that kind of bad energy into our lives. None of us deserve that.)

I’ve still got a lot of endgame stuff for Sun and Moon, UB hunting and I haven’t made it to the Battle Tree yet because my Moon team is getting its ass kicked by everything because I turned the exp share off and overcompensated in the wrong direction and am chronically underleveled. There’s a certain charm for me in being underleveled because I used to have endless patience to overlevel my team to extremes because my childhood anxiety was something like “if I die in the game I die in real life???” and I was terrified of losing and now I’m like “blacks out twice in a row in Moon as I go toward the postgame stuff yolo”. So when I feel like playing Pokemon I’ll probably spend more time in Alola, when I’m not trying to hatch that damn shiny Rookidee because I accidentally committed to that.

#baratrongirl #replies #the thing swsh did REALLY well is the characters. lots of memorable gym leaders #......-stares at hundred screenshots of leon on my switch- no i dont have a crush its FINE

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neshabeingchildish · 5 years

Audio

Slightly different format, because I just needed y’all who didn’t know this song to hear it, okay? Okay, so I’m about as old as the characters parents could be, maybe slightly younger, because they probably had them a little later in adulthood than I’m far off from them, but I figured, close enough to use MY childhood/youth music for Charlotte’s mom’s taste. At least the general timeline. I named songs and artists, if y’all wanna ever listen to any of it. I haven’t/don’t know if I’m making a Determined Soundtrack/Playlist.

Pretty Brown Eyes

Alright. It was one thing to lean into his kiss, reciprocate his embrace and shift herself into his lap. But, she didn't have to go off the way she did for their first kiss. Because, not only did Charlotte do these things, but she also rocked against him a little, which in turn, he took as an invitation to explore her with his big, strong hands.

She wasn't quite sure how awkward it must've been for Henry and Amelie to see them there when they left through the front door trying not to make any noise for the pair making out on the floor of the main hallway. But, she had to guess it was as bad as her realizing that they had to have seen them whenever they left, because the front door was right down that, very, hallway.

Eventually, she was the one who caught herself and ended the fun. Her head was spinning, nerves tingling and legs wobbling, but she found her senses and pulled herself together. Jasper was a pile of mush, except for the one thing, what, with her doing all that rocking against him. Ugh. Girl, a first kiss is supposed to be soft and sweet. You're not supposed to half grind the dude into the floor of your parents' house. She shivered thinking about his hands on her body, but it was time for that kiss to be put behind them.

"We can't be doing stuff like this," Charlotte said and helped him up. "I had a point before you did that and I don't even remember my middle name right now."

"The magic of love has rendered you temporarily futile…"

"No. The coursing of hormones has thrown off my equilibrium and it does not feel good."

He panicked. "But, it did though? The not good feeling is an afterthought, right?"

"You have to go and I need to lie down." He nodded and tried to give her a hug, but she placed her hands up to halt him and took a step back. “I’m serious.” He nodded and left her, scratching his head and hoping that his stunt hadn’t done the very thing that she was afraid of - ruined things between them.

Morning meetups were awkward. Jasper brought her breakfast, she brought his and Henry’s, but they didn’t really say much to each other. Instead, she spoke to Henry about everything but Jasper and whenever Jasper did speak, she was weird about her reponses.

Work was atypical. While they generally spent most shifts around each other, she now felt like the store needed to be watched at all times, but if he came up, she took that time to go make scans in the Man Cave to be sure they hadn’t missed any calls for help.

In addition to avoiding him big time, she told him that she looked into Amelie pretty deeply and couldn’t find any reason that he couldn’t “get back on track” with her.

“You’d find that reason in the mirror,” Jasper said and she just rolled her eyes and walked away from him. Whenever he told her that things were weird at home and asked if he could crash, she politely asked Henry if it was okay if Jasper crashed at his, instead. Jasper was exasperated, or as Henry said, in an attempt to be funny, exJasperated. Jasper commented that would be the name of his next podcast, and she left them to that conversation to return to the store.

“So… She’s really just moving on like it didn’t happen?” Henry wondered. He’d waited outside for Jasper that night, because he figured that Charlotte would catch herself and kick him to the curb. But, he thought that by now, she would have talked to Jasper about it, fixed their friendship and outlined how it could never happen again.

“No. It’s worst. She’s moving on like it did happen and it was horrifying for her. She refuses to be alone with me and she hardly talks to me, now. I feel like I did something bad to her, but I thought she liked it. I thought she liked me.”

“She liked it and she likes you. You know what this is really about? Self control. She doesn’t trust herself to be alone with you, because she might wind up on your lap, in your arms again and she thinks she shouldn’t be there. You gotta show her that she should be there.”

“How would I do that without being the very creepo that both you and her have told me numerous times to not be?”

“I don’t know. Maybe her family knows something that we don’t? Something that could help us get her for you.”

“Her parents never say much beyond salutations and asking about my day. But… Uncle Rox might help. He loves me and we’re friends on social media. He lived with them for a while. He had to notice something useful.”

Henry nodded, “There you go!”

Jasper made an appointment with Uncle Roscoe at his new house, aka his wife’s house, to set some wheels in motion for wooing Charlotte. The man was all too happy to help. “I LOVE love, Lil’ Nephew,” he told Jasper. “My niece sure can use some wooing. Does she still have an attitude about everything?”

“A huge tude… but I still love her. I find it endearing. She’s polite with people she doesn’t care about, so it’s like… a compliment of sorts when you get that sass from her.”

Uncle Roscoe nodded his head as he made some freshly squeezed juice. “Well, I had a secret weapon to soften her up when she was younger and I found out when I lived at their house that it still kinda worked, depending on the material.”

“I must know!” Jasper said, making prayer hands. Roscoe slid a glass across the island to him and he luckily caught it in his palm. Uncle Rox is super kewl.

“You subscribe to her Spotify?” Roscoe asked.

“No. I don’t believe that we share music tastes.”

“Well, you better get used to it, because that’s gon’ be your bread and butter, Lil’ Nephew. You see, Charlotte has a love for classic R&B, particularly the late 80's/early 90's. She loves all the boy groups that were popular when me and her moms grew up, because that’s the type of stuff that her moms listened to when she was young. Now, most people stop experiencing new music as they get older. They have some nostalgia about their parents’ music, which they pretend like they don’t, like Charlotte be pretending. They have the stuff that was popular when they were growing up, that was their childhood music. And, mostly, by a certain point, they allow very little new music into their worlds. That’s how my sister was. So, a lot of her music was stuff from the 80s and 90s, and Charlotte loves a lot of it, despite her pretenses.”

“You… Think that me listening to 80’s and 90’s R&B boy groups will win over Charlotte?” Jasper asked confused, finally drinking his juice. “This juice is AMAZING!”

“That’s that Roscoe’s Tropical Trash right there. But, no. The listening is just the first step. You gotta know that music, Boi. You gotta learn it. You gotta know what to play and when. You can control Charlotte’s little ass with the right song selection.”

“That has to be made up,” Jasper said, defeated.

Roscoe told him, “Try it out. If she gets mad, pull up “You Don’t Have to Cry by Rene and Angela,” and see if by the end of that song, she won’t be a different woman. Matter of fact, before anything even happens in your day, just put on Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge and see if she don’t have the cheeriest, happiest day.”

Jasper cupped his cup in his fingers and stared at him. “I seriously can’t tell if you’re making up these songs and artists.”

“Boi, here…” He opened his phone and said, “I’m gonna send you a link to Charlotte’s Spotify. Check out them lists. She’s got some of the music by the year and some by the decade, but it’s all kinda R&B on it. She does like a few older than that, but her most frequent ones, I assure you are those 80s-90s ones, with the groups like Troop, New Edition, Boys II Men…”

“I know them!” Jasper cheered.

“Just… The songs I told you about. Use them, then get back to me when you ready to learn musical conditioning for Charlotte.”

Uncle Roscoe used to be a vocal coach for a production studio that went ass end up in the 90s. He was also a musician, DJ, and club promoter. He was a bouncer at a jazz club, at a strip club, and at a popular night club. He still tried to make music sometimes. He played many instruments and he loved to sing. None of his efforts ever worked out fully. But, he still loved the music industry and he always had a good time with his niece, whenever a good song put her in a good mood. He knew what he was talking about, but Jasper might have to see for himself.

Charlotte was about to go upstairs when she heard the opening notes of Rhythm of the Night and bounced towards it curiously. Jasper and Henry were sitting around, and Jasper’s device was connected to the computer. “How do you know this song?” She wondered.

“Uncle Rox shared a DOPE playlist with me whenever I went over for juice. I can’t stop listening to it.”

“It’s a good song. A good feel good song!” She cheered, excited. “I never would have thought you’d like this, though.”

“I love a good feel good song,” he said. She just nodded, smiling and chilled for a little longer, singing along with the song and dancing by herself. It was a little weird for Henry and Jasper to see, but Jasper immediately realized that Uncle Roscoe was right! The music made Charlotte different!

Now, she was heading to the store, but she was pulling up her own playlist, because she felt like dancing around as she cleaned up the store. Henry smiled at her on the camera and said, “This is an adorable version of Char,”

“She’s always adorable,” Jasper said, watching her, enthralled.

Charlotte was glad for the dance party of one. She had been so stressed about letting Jasper down, trying to be his friend, trying to avoid him, trying to forget his lips and hands - she had forgotten to just enjoy herself. How lucky was it that Uncle Roscoe put Jasper onto such great music? And Jasper LIKED it? That just made him more likeable! Ugh. She was gonna groan about it, but Never Knew Love Like This Before by Stephanie Mills came on and she was right back in the feel good zone.

Charlotte had taken to starting her days with some feel good music, because everyday around Jasper was a struggle. She found that even when he said something frustratingly stupid, she still thought he was cute. Somehow, his ignorance was tolerable to her and even somewhat charming? She looked at him do something ridiculous and think - look at this cinnamon roll. Ugh! She hoped that whatever was going on was reversible. Until then, music therapy should do the daily trick. Today, she began her day with Square Biz by Teena Marie, which brought her mother in to jam with her for a little while and volunteer to do her hair while they hung out, singing and stuff. They didn’t often, so that was a super plus of the day. She came out of the house in the highest spirits that she had been in, in weeks.

She had two braids with puffs at the end, with some charms braided in. She had worn some makeup. Her outfit was clutch. Honestly, she was slaying, and she felt amazing heading to the bakery. The guy at the bakery saw her and almost burned himself on the oven. She pretended not to see as she fought a smile. He quickly caught himself and got her order prepared. She said, “I’m in a really good mood, so I’ll also take an assorted box of kolaches and donuts for my work. Surprise me with the flavors…”

They were both distracted by this music outside. Everybody in the bakery looked to see where it was coming from. “Is that Pretty Brown Eyes by Mint Condition?” Charlotte asked herself out loud, right before the doors opened and Jasper came in, singing the song.

“Pretty brown eyes, You know I see you. It's a disguise the way you treat me. You keep holding on to your thoughts of rejection. If you're with me you're secured…”

“What?” She asked herself, frozen in place at… whatever… this was. She loved that song. There was a whole ass band outside. “Uncle Roscoe…” She said, when she saw him and his friends playing Jasper’s music. Henry was there, recording with his phone. She smiled at the clerk and pretended that they weren’t there for her. She grabbed her order, forced a smile at her friends and tried to pass by. Henry took her order and Jasper continued to sing to her.

“You keep telling me that your time is always taken, But I keep seeing you out alone. Listen to love; Your heart is pounding with desire waiting to be unleashed…”

As he did, she tried not to blush and laugh. She walked out, and it was louder out there, with the band playing music, but Jasper’s determined self was following her and singing, much like some kind of 90’s music video. She couldn’t help but be impressed and he was a pretty good singer too.

They’d really missed out, not letting him finish his songs during the musical curse. He danced around her, singing the lyrics and she couldn’t help but bop to the music.

“Quit breakin' my heart

Breakin' my heart, yeah (pretty brown eyes, Uncle Roscoe was singing backup and playing his instrument)

Breakin' my heart, yeah

Breakin' my heart, sugar, yeah, yeah”

She LOVED this song! Whenever Jasper neared the end of his song, she was pretty much weak and he was so fine, and this took so much work and wasn’t she WORTH this kind of trouble? Jasper sure thought so. Maybe he was worth a little trouble too. Maybe he was worth the risks she worried about. That high pitched, “Quit breaking my heart!” Was her sign. She grabbed him, pulled him to her and started kissing him. Henry cheered him on, and Uncle Roscoe returned a favor of calling out, “Get it, Lil’ Nephew!”

Henry sniffled, “I’m so proud, right now.”

Charlotte pulled back, laughed, shook her head and told Jasper, “You’re crazy. Remember, when it sucks, you insisted on this. Now… You’ve got me.”

He looked towards the band and yelled, “We did it, Uncle Rox! She’s mine!”

She rolled her eyes, grabbed his hand and pulled him down the street. Henry stopped recording and looked at the band, “Ummm… Well… You gentlemen, and ladies have a good day.” He caught up with his friends, holding the breakfast while they held hands and smiled at each other the whole time. “Feeling left out,” Henry said.

“You’ll pull through,” Charlotte told him.

Jasper just laughed and gave her a kiss on the temple. “You are so pretty,” he told her. Then, with a big smile, “I can’t believe that I’m this lucky!”

#A Chasper Fic #chasper #henry danger #hd fanfic #Nesha HD Fics #music #Mint Condition #breakin my heart pretty brown eyes

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milkshake-at-pops · 5 years

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Tour of the Heart: Chapter 8

chapter 7/masterpost/chapter 9

let us know if you want to be tagged!

As Hollywood-chic as the tour bus was, it only took a day or so for Archie to get sick of it. It was cramped, and besides, he wanted to see the rest of New York City. This was Ronnie’s hometown, not his, and their first concert was tomorrow. Also, he wanted to get to know Jughead.

The reporter seemed like an interesting guy— he’d mostly kept to himself — and Archie’s manager had told him, in no uncertain terms, that the publicity for this tour could make or break his career. On a more personal level, Archie wanted to know what was hiding underneath Jughead’s beanie and his quiet demeanor.

“Hey Veronica,” Archie said, to his friend who was sitting five feet away from him on the other top bunk. “Do you know any good bars around here?”

Veronica giggled a little, for no reason that Archie could see. “Hmm… who are you taking? I hope it’s me, because there’s no way I’m letting you go bar-hopping on your own.”

“Um, actually, I was thinking of taking the reporter. Jughead, I think.” Archie swung his legs over the side of his bunk, looking at Veronica, who was reading a book, glasses on. Despite her offer to go, she didn’t look in the mood. Books and clubbing don’t mix well, at least according to Ronnie. Archie had never actually gone out clubbing before, it’s not like Riverdale had much of a night scene in a town where everyone went to bed before ten o’clock.

Lowering her reading glasses to look over at him, Veronica let her book fall in her lap. “Jughead… well, that changes things! I actually went to high school with him, fun fact, so I think I can give you two a solid recommendation. He actually dated a friend of mine for a time— before he moved on to Kevin Keller. They were cute, high school sweethearts, but it didn’t last. I wish I’d stayed in touch with him to know how it ended, though. It was very Breakfast Club of them— the theatre kid and the recluse. I swear, the two of them fulfilled every single gay stereotype during high school. Which was breaking stereotypes in its own way, although I do think I did that a touch more than they did. Being a feminine and out bi girl was… something.”

Archie was already down from the bed, tugging his shoes on and picking out a shirt from his suitcase. “What was the bar’s name again?” he asked, completely tuning out Veronica’s ramble.

She sighed. “Metropolitan. It’s in Brooklyn, so you should call an uber. And, fortunately for you and Jughead, it’s pretty cheap.”

“Metropolitan. Sweet, let me just grab Jughead from the kitchen and then we can get going,” Archie said, giving Veronica the smile that, unbeknownst to him, had already enraptured Jughead Jones. “Thanks for the spot.”

He found Jughead in the kitchen, eating a bag of sea salt and vinegar chips. “Oh, hey Archie. Didn’t see you there,” Jughead said, quickly shoving his phone into his pocket the second he saw Arch. “Want some chips?”

“Um, no thanks, because I was kind of wondering,” Archie began, wondering why his words were sticking in his throat. “Do you want to go get a drink or two, and um, get to know each other? I mean, I can’t exactly have the star reporter, Jughead Jones, on my tour bus without getting to um, know him some more than just your excellent fashion sense.” Archie’s eyes moved from Jughead’s beanie to his black t-shirt to his equally black ripped jeans, not sure what to do now that he’d stopped talking.

It took a few seconds for Jughead to respond, his face flushing slightly as he responded. “Sure, I’d love to become more acquainted with the world-class musician that I’m touring with, especially since I’m just…” A Buzzfeed “reporter” who has never actually written an article for their news section before now. “... so excited for the rest of the tour. Let me get my um…” don’t say condom, don’t say condom “Jacket. Because it might be cold. Then I’ll join you in the uber.”

Jughead bolted out of the room and dove into his suitcase under his bed which, unfortunately, was underneath Arch’s bed because Cheryl had already claimed the one under Veronica’s. Trying and failing to not ponder the sheer embarrassment of having in-the-flesh Archie Andrews walk into the kitchen while he had Archie Andrews’ instagram page up on his phone, he grabbed his old leather jacket (with a snake on it, because Toni had bought it for him as a gag gift) and took a deep breath to steady himself before walking back into the kitchen.

Archie Andrews felt a little awkward with his hand in the bag of chips that Jughead had just been eating, but they were addictively good and he was still waiting for the uber. He took note of how the leather jacket Jughead wore fit him well, like the sort of thing Jughead had worn enough that it had just become a part of him. “The uber’s going to be here in a couple minutes, you ready?”

“Yeah, I’m ready to go. I wasn’t expecting this like, at all, but I mean, getting a drink barely requires a lot of preparation. Unless you’re Cheryl, in which case it’s usually an hour of raiding her closet for the best outfit and four selfies before we even reach the bar,” Jughead said, secretly very glad that his friendship with Cheryl meant that he knew rich people took ubers to clubs, not the bus. Or just walking, honestly. Just because Jughead had never actually been to a bar unless Cheryl dragged him didn’t mean that he didn’t know exactly how he’d do it without her.

“Sounds a lot like Veronica, but add the fourteen calls to the manager of the club so that she can get free drinks,” Archie said, laughing a little. His phone dinged in his pocket. “Oh, our uber’s here.”

They got in the uber, and instead of the awkwardly silent drive that Jughead had expected from someone who was as undoubtedly cool as Arch Andrews, the singer talked his ear off. From exploits with Veronica to ridiculous high school stories in Chicago, Arch had no problem sharing his life with someone that he barely knew.

And Jughead found himself, the guy who barely bothered saying more than four words to anyone unless it was via email, talking just as much. He told Archie about all the shit Cheryl had dragged him into, including when she’d demanded that he, as her best friend, find her a girlfriend, and, since it was four AM on a Friday night, Jughead prank called Toni.

“Wait, they actually got together?” Archie said, shaking his head.

“Cheryl and Toni, or fucking Choni, as Cheryl insisted on calling them, went strong all throughout our sophomore, junior, and senior year of college. I don’t know why I decided to play drunk Cupid in that moment, but I don’t regret it,” Jughead said, smiling at Archie’s attentiveness. Their uber pulled up next to the club, and Archie held the door open like a gentleman for Jughead, who wished that his beanie could become a ski mask so that his blush wouldn’t be so obvious. He could only imagine how much he looked like the cousin of a tomato.

They walked inside, and ordered drinks. Jughead took one look at the vibrantly colored menu full of words he couldn’t pronounce, and said “I’ll have what he’s having.” The bartender shot him a wink as he slid their drinks across the bar. Noting that the bartender was shirtless, Jughead took a sip of his not-half-bad cocktail and focused his attention back to Archie.

“So, Toni Topaz. How do you know her? She’s a Youtuber, and um, that doesn’t exactly seem like your crowd,” Archie said, once again taking in Jughead’s “It’s not a phase, mom” outfit.

“It’s not, really. Actually, we were friends way back in high school, she’s a part of my silly friend group. She actually gave me this jacket, by the way,” Jughead said, spinning around in the bar stool to show the back of it. “Which has a snake on it, because our groupchat name throughout all of high school was the Serpents.”

“No way, that’s so cool. Why the Serpents? Snakes are kind of gross,” Archie said, taking a drink from his glass.

“Like all good stories, this one begins with a Taylor Swift song,” Jughead said, feeling a wave of nostalgia as he remembered how it happened. “Okay, so there’s this guy in our group, goes by Fangs. He, for reasons I will never understand, was obsessed with Taylor Swift. Now, I don’t think she’s half bad, but this was next level. Anyways, you know that one video with all the snakes?”

“Yeah, I know it. Where is this going?” Archie said, resting his elbows on the bar and leaning closer to Jughead. “I’m captivated, you’re a really good storyteller. I can see why you’re a reporter.”

Jughead laughed, because this was an absolute gem of a story. “So, approximately five seconds after the video drops, Fangs decides to change the chat name to ‘Snake Bros’ with like, five snake emojis. Anyways, we were all immediately like, ‘No. Dude, don’t drag me into this. We support you, but for god’s sake the groupchat title can’t be about snakes.’ To which Toni, wise-ass as always, responds with ‘we should make it Snakes On A Plane.’”

That got a laugh out of Archie, and Jughead couldn’t remember enjoying a sound more. “But Fangs is insistent that we need to have a ‘squad,’ because he watched the video again while we were all going ‘Fangs dude, what the fuck.’ And he keeps saying that if we won’t be Swifties with him, that we at least need something that relates to his interests as a groupchat title. So obviously, no more titles with B emojis. Which is a tragedy of epic proportions, but that’s besides the point. Sweet Pea, who wasn’t Fangs’ boyfriend yet, but was getting there, suggested ‘Serpents’ because it sounded badass.”

“Okay, that’s good. And, let me guess, it stuck?”

“No, absolutely not. Betty had a freak out about how much she just hates snakes, Toni changed it to ‘Big Chungus’ at least eight times, I think I turned it into ‘Sad Emo Squad’ before Fangs changed it to fifteen more snake emojis. At a certain point, I believe that Fangs and Joaquin had a shouting match,” Jughead said, taking another drink and wondering if he could get lost in Archie’s deep brown eyes.

“That’s awful. Wait, how did you end up becoming the Serpents, then?” Archie asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

“Me and Toni bought Fangs a stuffed snake to try and keep the peace, and quietly asked him if we could just call it ‘Serpents,’ if that would be okay with him. Fortunately for everyone’s collective sanity, he said yes.”

Archie smiled and laughed, returning Jughead’s tale with a yarn of his own. It was almost midnight before Veronica texted them to remind them that yes, they had a show tomorrow. As they slouched against each other on the ride back, Archie and Jughead wondered how people could go from being complete strangers, from pixels on a screen to someone captivating in every way.

#riverdale #riverdale fanfiction #jughead jones #archie andrews #cheryl blossom #veronica lodge #jarchie #cheronica #gay #lesbian #bi #ace #celeb au #tour of the heart #this is so Incredibly late but in my defense its mod j posting for mod * and its. hard

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whatscallion · 5 years

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holiday fluff challenge.

Summary: Once out and about in the stars, the Guardians are bored, which would be fine and dandy if Quill didn’t know what day it was back on his home planet. Tis the season for him to be homesick for a holiday he had fond memories of. So, after a tumultuous regalling of what Christmas entailed, the stars were painted in yuletide joy with the best patchwork family he could ask for.

Written for @buckysbeardliness‘s holiday fluff writing challenge! Yaaaay!!

Word Count: 1,703

The stars always shone the brightest between galaxies. Amidst the vast emptiness where most saw desolation and solace, there was so much more to the cosmos than that. Colors in every shade reigned supreme in giant displays of reality’s making and unmaking. Unfathomable giants tower through the void, granting hues beyond the comprehension of what most believed to be beautiful. Against the velvet backdrop, the beauty of the universe acted as a painting of creation’s design, forever bent to the will of the wild beauty of the unknown.

With every twinkle from a far off star, the Prince of Spartax was forever reminded of his youthful days on Earth, where the same hues burned brightly against the gutters of houses or contorted into some semblance of Santa or his reindeer. There had been times before where he’d grown almost despondently homesick, but a special kind of lament overcame him around this time every year. The holidays that only he seemed to know about reminded him of the solace he’d willingly enshrouded himself with by staying away from his home planet.

More than once Peter Quill found himself wondering if other planets and races had their own traditions like Christmas, for there was nothing quite like it on Earth. He wondered- . . .

“You have been staring out the window for an hour.”

The sudden appearance of a hulking mass next to him was enough to make Quill nearly jump out of his skin. The yuletide trance he’d been in while staring out over a cluster of stars that greatly resembled Christmas lights shattered to pieces in an instant. He might’ve peed a little bit.

“Dude- Drax. How many times do we have to go over this? It’s like I need to put a bell on you or something.” It had grown increasingly difficult to have these brooding moments without interruption as of late. It might be time to take respite somewhere and stretch the crew’s legs. They could really only take so much of each other’s company in the Milano before the screeching and threatening started.

“Putting a bell on me would defeat the purpose of a surprise attack, Peter. What if I needed to sneak up on a space pirate on the ship and slit his throat? A bell would give me away.” Quill leveled his stare on the bigger alien if only for a moment.

“When has there ever been a space pirate on my ship?”

“Yesterday.”

“There was not a space pirate on my ship yesterday!”

“That’s because there was no bell on me when I killed him. Silent. Invisible.”

“Oh my god, not this again.”

The general clammer of the argument of Drax’s invisibility ( or lack thereof ) echoed through the small vessel, basically alerting everyone within that something of a storm was brewing. This only served to bring Gamora to roll her eyes and delve her attention further into sharpening her blade, Rocket to sneer and sneeze while working away on the next planet destroyer, and Groot barely looked up from his video game.

It took roughly ten minutes of arguing that Drax did not master the art of invisibility in order for the berserker to quietly assume he simply needed to work harder at his craft. It had left the patchwork team to settle around the table strewn with various parts to various machines, random bits of what was hoped to be food, and the occasional relaxed leg, as if having feet firmly planted on the ship’s floor wasn’t enough to convey how relaxed one was.

“Whats’a matter, Quill? You look chunky when yah pout.” It was naturally Rocket who’d noticed the underlying morose veil now coating Peter as they all sat there, convening out of boredom. Truth be told, Gamora had noticed, but it’d never been in her nature to say these things out loud and in the presence of others.

Before Peter could answer, Drax added his own delightful comment.

“It’s the posture,” the Destroyer said without looking up from peeling his fruit. This naturally brought about a scowl on the half-Terran’s face, allowing for a subtle change in his stature. Shoulders squared, back straight, chin raised a bit - and all it did was bring the verdant beauty across the table to glance at him with a subtle smirk. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought Gamora found great joy in others tormenting him.

“It’s not- It’s just around this time I get a little homesick.” It was an admission of vulnerability, bringing a sense of weakness with it. Rare was it that an opportunity to prey upon him was given ( purposefully ), and yet the far off jingle of sleigh bells had him lamenting over the yuletide joys of his past.

“Why?” All eyes were on the soft voice that spoke, mostly out of surprise that it’d been Gamora to take it upon herself to open a can of worms in a gentle manner. Across the table, she watched him with curiosity, half expecting this to be some kind of attempt to lead their flock astray with delusions of a planet no one else had ever gone to. It’d happened once or twice before, though she wouldn’t dare admit she had believed him for a second.

“Christmas,” he stated just as quietly. And thus, the mistake was made that he had assumed everyone knew what the holiday was.

“What,” was all Rocket could say. That was when it hit Quill that he’d have to explain this.

“It’s a holiday on Earth.” He figured that’d be enough. But he was wrong.

“There were holidays on my home planet, but I do not get sick for them,” Drax spoke, albeit somewhat pensively. There was almost always an air of constant confusion with the Destroyer.

“No, it’s just a holiday you spend with your family. I just uh, remember the times with my mom- . . .”

“Your sentiment is showing,” chuckled Rocket, earning him a harsh glare from Quill.

“Dude, it’s a nice holiday with lots of food, gifts, and just- . . .”

“Gifts? What kind of gifts? If we are going to celebrate Chrysler. . .”

“-Christmas-”

“Then I have truly given the greatest gift of all.” Leave it to Drax to be humble. Expectant eyes were on him as a smugness overtook his normally rigid features.

“I have kept you all alive. You’re welcome.”

This had naturally sparked a debate over what was to be considered “alive” and how it did not include the general well-being of those kept alive. While such a hot topic was broached upon fairly regularly ( mostly after every job they did as a team ), it still boiled down to the fact that Drax was somewhat right - they were all still alive. It may not have been Drax’s fault that they were all alive, but he could at least take partial credit for it. It’s what teams did.

It’s what family did.

Once the heat had settled somewhat ( for the fifth time that day, it felt ), the explanation began of what Christmas was without going into great depth. Peter didn’t have it in him to explain the birth of Christ and everything that entailed that particular story. Instead he mostly skimmed over the general idea of the holiday. How it was a time for togetherness, for happiness, for food, for company - all of which they generally had on that cramped ship.

Quill couldn’t have smiled more when they asked specifics about his favorite day, which led to the crew coming up with ideas on how to make the ship more festive for the season that was on another planet at the other end of the galaxy. After promptly coaxing Groot out of his room, which was a feat in itself, they’d managed to find the emergency tethers - the same that were supposed to be used if they were out in space and needed to something to grab onto in order to get back to the Milano.

In no time at all, they hung loosely from Groot’s form, and he was none too pleased about how it limited his movement. It was when it was touched on that he was allowed to play his game all he wanted, just so long as he stood there, that he seemed to get more in the holiday spirit.

“He needs a star,” Quill said as they all stood back to look at Groot, who honestly didn’t care at all that he was being ogled.

“Why?” This time, it’d been both Drax and Rocket speaking in unison. Quill might’ve glossed over why a tree needed a star at the top.

“It just makes the tree prettier- . . .”

“I am Groot,” he said in an obviously offended tone.

“I said prettier. Or what - more handsome? I don’t know how to describe a talking tree.” This had to be worth the effort, and Quill was sure of it. With a glance around the ship, they were all coming up short on what to put on his head. As it turned out, Groot had his own surprise. Atop his head, glimmering spores sprouted as a crown of flowers burst to life. It brought the shabby compartment to life with soft lighting, the lights dancing around the group much like they had on Xandar. It’d become a reminder that they had all come together as each other’s family, whether they liked it or not.

If Quill had been a lesser man, he would sniffed loudly. Rather, he let himself fall back into the nostalgia of it, the sense of the holidays engulfing him completely, settling new memories atop old. So lost was he in this newfound feeling that he barely felt the smaller hand slip into his own, bringing him to pull his gaze to the side, meeting that of rare comfort.

“Just one more thing,” he whispered, reaching into his pocket for a remote. From the speakers of the Milano, an unmistakable song came on, giving the final touch to their evening. Jackson 5′s ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ couldn’t have been a better addition to the moment.

Gamora’s smile widened, turning her head away from him so she could rest her temple against his shoulder. His grip on her hand tightened, signifying his gratitude that she was simply there, existing, living.

Thanks to Drax, who was inquiring loudly about who Sandy Claws was.

#marvelholidayfluff #gotg #starlord #gamora #drax #rocket #groot #mine #this was just cute to write #buckysbeardliness

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jadekitty777 · 6 years

Text

Just Want to See Your Smile

Day 6: Silence for @rwbymlmweek

Summary: When a bad day hits, on a whim, Qrow decides to pick up a gift for Taiyang.

Pairing: Taiqrow (I mean, at this point, what were you expecting)

Rating: K+

Notes: So this was originally written for Day 4 but by the time I finished it I felt it worked better for the theme for Day 6 instead. This is also probably my last entry for the week, but it’s been a blast!

“Thank you, come again!”

Qrow accepted the paper bag from the cashier, throwing it over his shoulder as he walked out of the grocery store. He shoved his free hand in his pocket as he headed down the road, weaving around other shoppers. The streets had a bit more bustle to them now that it was past 5PM, people going to and from stores or filling the sidewalks, though the little island of Patch never did compare to the congestion of the more populated Vale or, on his few unfortunate excursions there, Atlas. Still, he tried to avoid the busy hours as much as possible, and not entirely because of his wild-card semblance (though it made for a good excuse). He wasn’t exactly sure what it said about his personality that the only time he ever felt comfortable in a crowd was back in his Beacon days when he was getting shit-faced drunk in the middle of it all; nor did he particularly feel like analyzing his messed-up personality quirks even if he did wonder how Summer and Tai always made it look so easy to just talk with complete strangers like being friendly was the most natural thing in the world.

(At least, they used to make it look easy).

“Professor Branwen!”

He looked around for the source of the shout, soon recognizing one of his more talented students from his advanced combat classes. The short brunette was waving him over with an excited grin. Sitting on the ground beside him was a large cardboard box. Qrow glanced about before crossing the street, saying, “Hey spikes, whatcha up to?”

“Take a look!” His student, whose name was actually Reggie Rhinestone but Qrow had given him the nickname because his hair was just impossibly ridiculous, pulled up the flap on the box to reveal a gaggle of puppies nestled within. They were fat, stubby-legged little things with barely any tails to speak of and heads that were three-fourth’s ear, though they’d grow into them eventually. “Our dog Misty had them a few weeks ago.”

With the light now shining on them, the bundle of pups seemed to come to life, yipping excitedly and clambering over each other to get to Qrow’s hand when he lowered it towards the top of the box. He smiled a bit when one of them managed to lick his fingertips. “What are you doing with them out here?”

The teenager deflated a bit. “Mom says we can’t keep them so she told me to find homes for them all. But I want to make sure whoever adopts them is going to take care of them.” The smile he sent his way was probably supposed to be cunning, but Qrow saw the question coming a mile away. “You want one? They’re free.”

“Kid, you do happen to remember I almost blew off the roof of the auditorium when I was doing the dust lecture last week right? Responsible isn’t exactly my thing.”

That didn’t seem to deter Reggie any, his eyes growing wide and hopeful. “Ah, come on!” He picked up one of the puppies, one with cinnamon coloring and spots on its nose, and lifted it towards him. “How can you deny this face?”

For a moment, déjà vu hit him like a speeding train, and he had to blink away the double vision a different teenager altogether, this one a few years older and all sunny-bright hair and wide smiles. He shook off the feeling, the lingering nostalgia settling like a strange itch on his skin. “Well,” He tapped the pup’s nose. “I can deny this one.” He looked back down at the box, catching the one that had licked him around its middle and hefting it up. Gray eyes stared back, tongue lolling out. “But maybe not this one.”

“Really?!” His student said. He could have been a dog himself with how excited he was.

“Sure, why not. My nieces’ll love him.”

“Awesome! Now I just got to find homes for these three.”

“Good luck.” Qrow said, and that was some kind of ironic coming from him. He tucked the wiggling animal against his chest, certain his arm was going to be covered in slobber within minutes. “I better be getting home.”

“Thanks so much!” Reggie waved to him. “Bye professor!”

“See ya ‘round spikes.” He called back, starting down the road once again.

It had been way back in his first year of Beacon, when Team STRQ was still new and finding their footing with one another, that Qrow had agreed to go to town with Tai. What had possibly convinced him to hang out with the teammate that, at the time, he had liked the least in an environment he absolutely loathed, he couldn’t honestly say. He just remembered it happening and only because of one specific moment.

They had been walking through the less crowded part of downtown, Qrow trudging along the sidewalk and mostly ignoring whatever the blond was chattering nonstop about as he looked around for a place to eat. He had tuned him out so much, he didn’t notice that the other had drawn up short until a strong hand was gripping the back of his collar, nearly choking him to death. “Hey! What are you-”

“We need to go there, now!” His teammate said, pointing at a shop directly across from them.

He glanced at the sign that said Paws and Claws, and deadpanned, “You gotta be kidding me.”

But Tai had already crossed the street, calling over his shoulder, “Come on, hurry up!” Before slipping inside. Begrudgingly, Qrow followed.

The moment he entered the pet store the smell of pine wood shavings and an overabundance of cleaning product made his nose wrinkle. He disregarded the faunus – because of course it was a faunus – when she greeted him from her register, and headed further into the store. As he searched out the aisles for the wayward blond, the ever-present twittering of birds and hamster wheels followed him, furthering his annoyance at the whole situation.

He had just wanted some lunch, damn it all.

It was as he reached the pet food section that he heard Tai’s laughter, just as loud and boisterous as he could oftentimes be and followed it to the back of the store. The sight of the nearly-adult huntsman laying in the middle of a low-fenced pen and being smothered by no less than eight tiny dogs was without a doubt one of the most bizarre sights Qrow had ever witnessed.

“What in all of remnant are you doing?” He asked as he approached, peering down at him.

Tai grinned up at him, letting one spotted dog nibble at his fingers while he scratched behind the ears of another, fluffier breed. “What does it look like?”

He arched an eyebrow. “Like you’ve lost your mind.”

There was a snort, eyes rolling; though, his exasperation didn’t work so well when he started to snicker as one of the pups nosed at his side. Tai reached out to capture it, picking it up and placing it on his chest. “Aren’t you just the cutest? Yes, you are!” He cooed at it.

Okay this was getting a little creepy. “Seriously buddy, have you been sniffing dust?”

“Dude, they’re puppies. How can you not be excited about this?”

Qrow hesitated, his eventual response stunted, “Pets weren’t really a thing where I grew up.”

“Wait, seriously? Then get in here! You’ve been missing out.”

“I’m,” He started, watching a beagle growl and pull on the laces of Tai’s shoe, “Good, really.”

“Come on Qrow!” He sat up, lifting a dog in either hand and held one towards him. “How can you deny this face?”

He knew he probably meant the dog’s, which was nearly three-fourth’s ears, but it was his teammate’s, blue eyes practically gleaming with enthusiasm and smile wider then he’d ever seen, that lowered his defenses. Despite the fact Tai was generally an upbeat guy overall, Qrow had never seen him quite on this level of nirvana before. He knew if he continued to be, as Summer put it, a ‘grouchy goose’, he was likely going to ruin the other’s mood. While he couldn’t say why the idea bothered him so much when he’d be the first to proclaim himself as the uncaring jackass most people pointed him out to be, the fact was it did.

And so, he found himself reaching out, gathering the puppy in his hands and pulling it up to eye level. It gave little huffing whines as it wiggled its tiny paws, straining its little body towards him.

“Ah, he likes you!”

“It’s a dog. Pretty sure it likes everyo-” Qrow quieted abruptly when the pup managed to wiggle free enough to lick him on the nose. He stared at it like it had just done the most unforgivably adorable thing in the world.

Tai, watching the entire thing, broke out into bright laughter.

About two miles out of town the semi-worn forest trail opened up to large fields of grass, speckled with maple trees, and revealing the two-story cabin with its blooming sunflowers adorning the front. Drawn in by their laughter, Qrow spotted the girls playing in the dirt area they often used for their training grounds, though today it seemed more of an excuse to test their semblances out as Ruby zipped to and fro while Yang tried to catch her in an oversized fishing net (where had she even found it? Why did they even own it?).

“I’m not even going to ask.” He said as he stopped short of entering the dirt, catching their attention.

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby nearly rammed into him when she came flying over, scattering disintegrating red petals everywhere. “You’re home!”

“You say it like I don’t come home every day pipsqueak.” He teased, reaching down to ruffle her hair. “Where’s Tai?”

“Dad’s having a bad day.” It was Yang who told him, balancing the net on her shoulder as she walked over.

“Yeah.” He said solemnly. “I know.”

Ruby looked at her toes, kicking at the dirt. “He’s sleeping on the couch.”

That made Qrow’s stomach knot a bit. “Don’t worry kiddo. I think I got just the thing for him.” He said in a confidant tone he definitely did not feel. He knelt down, setting the bag on the ground and reaching in, plucking out the squirming bundle he had let cuddle between the bread and cheese. The moment the animal was in view, he was predictably gifted with twin shrieks as they reached out to pet the puppy.

“We get to keep it?!” Ruby was practically jittering in excitement, undoubtedly moments away from losing control of her semblance. Knowing the dog probably didn’t need the whiplash, he made sure to place it into her older sister’s hands.

“Well, I think he’d make a good addition to the family, don’t you?”

Yang was laughing as her hand got attacked by excited doggy kisses. “Do you really think dad’ll let us though?”

He got to his feet. “Don’t worry, I’ve got that planned out. We just need to be a quiet for a minute.”

His plan was entirely improvised, of course, as he guided the girls through the back door which opened into the kitchen. He peered into the living room, seeing his partner was sprawled on his back along the couch, fast asleep as promised and snoring softly. For anyone else in the entire world, it probably would mean nothing, might even seem endearing; but for Qrow, he knew it was the onset of one of Tai’s spiraling spells.

He had started to notice the signs earlier in the week, a combination of lost appetite and restless sleeping that sometimes implied nothing but always put him on guard. Then it was other, smaller things – procrastination on chores, forgetting to grade an entire classes’ worth of essays, being a bit more sharp-tempered lately. All things that could be explained or excused off as just coincidental. But today had been his first real red flag when Tai skipped lunch with him entirely and Qrow had found him sitting at his desk in his empty classroom, head burrowed in his arms as he cried. He’d sat with him the entire lunch hour, filling the air with quiet, nonsensical talk but not pushing him to talk back, even once he had calmed down.

While he wanted to know, especially when Tai had been doing so well for so long, he didn’t ask why or what caused the onset. He had learned to accept that sometimes there just wasn’t an answer and all he could do was bear through it until the other bounced back.

It was why he offered to get the groceries, knowing that the small chore would feel like an incredible weight to his friend right now and was hoping to prevent it from pushing him down any more. It seemed something else had though, because napping on the couch always equated to a really bad day and while they weren’t the worst Qrow’d ever had to deal with – those, thank the Gods, seemed to be past them – they still tended to be the most crushing for him mentally since it tended to lead into Tai acting more like a lifeless ragdoll then a human being.

He’d come back to himself eventually; he always did.

It was just a matter of when.

It was lack of knowing that last bit that really scared him.

Qrow motioned to his niece, taking the dog as it was handed back over to him. He looked at him and murmured, “Alright you, work some of that puppy magic, alright?”

His guarantee was just a curiously tilted head and lolling tongue. He supposed that was the best he was going to get.

He tiptoed into the room, moving slowly as it was surprisingly hard to sneak up on the former Huntsman. His semblance and aura were very touchy, so he tended to stir easily when he realized something was approaching. When it came to being out on the field where Grimm could approach at any moment it was incomparably useful; not quite so great when sharing a living space though. But, having lived with him as long as he had, Qrow had the technique down to an art as he inched forward, watching him carefully and pausing any time the muscles in his face seemed to twitch.

Finally, he was able to gently lower the puppy onto Tai’s chest. Qrow sat down on the coffee table and watched as the corgi’s whole body seemed to shake with its wagging tail, taking a few wobbly steps forward to sniff at the man’s chin. He held back a laugh at the way Tai’s expression twisted a bit, softly grumbling sleepy nonsense, “Whaz oo dune?” as he turned his face away. The girls were not quite as successful, muffled giggles coming from the doorway.

When the puppy started to ravish him in kisses, blue eyes finally fluttered open and his eyebrows twisted together in confusion as he looked down. Then yelped, sitting up, and it was probably only his fatherly instincts that had him quickly reaching up to catch the pup before it could actually fall anywhere, cradling it in his hands. “What...?”

As the girls lost it behind him, pulling Tai’s attention his way, Qrow held up his hands and said, “Surprise!”

The look of total, unabashed bewilderment was worth it, the blond gaping like a fish and only becoming further lost when Ruby was at his side, red petals exploding everywhere. “Can we keep him? Can we?!”

“Wha-huh?! Wait-”

“Come on dad, please!”

“But I don’t even know where- ack!” The corgi was shoving his face into Tai’s, licking his cheek. He laughed softly, petting the puppy on the head. “Where did he come from?”

“Uncle Qrow brought him home.” Yang said as she hopped up on the table beside him, trying to hide her own eagerness by mimicking her uncle’s casual stance.

Qrow shifted uneasily when the man stared at him, spluttering incredulously, “You did? But why?”

“It’s, yanno, a birthday gift.”

The singly-arched eyebrow told him Tai wasn’t buying even an inch of that story. “Qrow, you don’t even know when my birthday is.”

“What? Of course I do!” He lied.

“Oh yeah?” He challenged right back, “Alright, when is it?”

Shit. “Uh, it’s uh. Um, J-July-”

“August.” Ruby tried to whisper but her voice was too loud.

“August!” He echoed triumphantly. “Twenty, er first?”

“Fifth.” Yang chimed in.

“Fifth! August twenty-fifth!” He nodded as if he had known all along.

Tai snorted, unable to help the grin as he let the pup settle in his lap, petting him idly. “So you got me a birthday gift in October because…?”

He thumbed the side of his jaw. “Just getting ahead for next year.”

Despite anything that happened before and anything that would happen later, every second felt worth it the moment that knowing, loving smile with its shadows of a more youthful, cheery Tai hiding within, became aimed at him and only him.

“Well,” Tai finally said, glancing down at the puppy. “Guess we better think of a name for our new family member then.”

“Yes!” The showering petals were a given. “Oh! Ohohoh!” Ruby waved her hand up high once she had settled back into this world’s rate of motion. “Blade!”

“He’s not a weapon, Ruby.”

“But it sounds so cool!”

“Well,” Qrow leant a voice, “How about Drooler?”

“You’re not naming it.” Tai decreed, likely thinking of all the ridiculous ones he’d given to his students over the years.

“Oh, because you’re the king of naming things?” He mocked, framing Yang with his hands as explanation. He winced only slightly when his niece punched him.

“Rifle!”

“Still not a weapon Rubes.”

“Doombringer!”

“I said you weren’t naming it Qrow!”

Deep in thought, Yang offered slowly, “What about Possum?”

That actually drew them all up short, and Qrow was the one to ask, “Possum?”

“Yeah, get it?” She couldn’t keep the proud grin off her face as she lent forward, catching the puppy’s feet. “Because he’s so paw-some?”

Tai’s eyes immediately lit up. “Oooh!!!”

“NO!” He and Ruby cried in simultaneous horror.

Zwei.

Many, many terrible ideas and a few decent ones later, along with a lot of laughs, they eventually settled on Zwei. It seemed to meet all the requirements: Cool sounding, cool looking, sort of rhymed with Tai – which seemed appropriate with a family already full of aptly named members – and overall just had that ‘right’ kind of feel to it. The rest of the night was split between playing with their new companion, having dinner and going to the store for toys and canned food, which ended in more playing of course.

Qrow descended the steps of the second floor, having just placed the girls to bed and feeling like he needed his own as he hid a yawn behind his hand. Tai was on the couch again, lying on his side and quietly petting Zwei who was nestled in the crook of one arm. “You’re not gonna fall asleep there again, are you?” He asked as he touched down on the last step.

The mellow smile didn’t falter even as his gaze flickered Qrow’s way and replied, “Not if it’s going to make you worry.”

“I-” He began but never finished, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck.

Tai sat up, moving gingerly so as not to awaken his puppy and beckoned him over. “Come here.” Once he had, taking the free cushion beside the other, a warm hand curled over his. “I’m sorry that I’ve been such a mess these past few days.”

Qrow shrugged, saying to the couch arm. “It’s just how it is sometimes. I get it.”

Fingers caught his chin, tilting his head until he was looking into the other’s honest eyes, tone afflicted with something somber. “I get it too, how it must be for you. And I wish I could promise that someday, this’ll stop but I don’t know if it will, so I can’t.” His hand moved to brush along his cheek instead, the exceedingly tender touch relaxing some of the tightly wound tension Qrow’d been steeped in all day. “I know I don’t often say it while it’s all happening, but I do want you to know just how much I appreciate everything you do when I breakdown like this.”

Even after all these years, Qrow still had never gotten quite used to how his partner could say stuff like this with such sincerity. And like usual, he had trouble accepting them with any level of grace. “It’s just groceries and stuff. Some chores. No big deal.”

Tai was at least aware of the fact he was in love with a socially and emotionally incompetent guy, so he took it in stride. “It is for me. It makes all the difference in the world. Just having you here in my life makes it one of the best parts about living it.”

He swallowed down a sudden rush of emotion, turning away to hide the heat he felt on his face. “Tai…”

A soft kiss was pressed against his temple, softer words accompanying it. “Love you. So much.”

It was almost too much, Qrow’s heart feeling fuller then he’d ever thought possible and as he faced the other, pulling him in for a passionate kiss that he hoped expressed all the mirrored feelings he couldn’t quite find the words to say, he had to wonder how the one guy who had the worst luck in all of Remnant got to be so damn lucky.

~~~

A/N: So, my thought was kind of ‘gestures of love given silently’. To answer a question the blog asked prior, probably one of my favorite headcanons for this ship, Qrow specifically, is that he struggles to verbally say “I love you” so he finds other ways to show it and that Tai both recognizes and adores it. So, I realized this story reflected that a lot – hence why I decided to change the day.

And, yanno, I can just never get enough of these two dorks supporting each other.

#qrow branwen #taiyang xiao long #Taiqrow #ruby rose #yang xiao long #rwbymlmweek #rwby #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

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morshtalon · 6 years

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Dragon Quest

What would be the consequence in the videogame industry if Dragon Quest never existed?

For those who somehow don’t know yet, Dragon Quest, released as Dragon Warrior overseas due to some complications with trademarks, while there is some controversy as to what was truly entirely pioneered by it, is credited as the first game to embrace and present the common tropes we associate with classic, console jRPGs today. Even if those credits can be contested, however, it still bears undeniable meta importance within the zeitgeist of japanese gaming, and countless upon countless games can have their origins traced back into DQ’s legacy...

For example, Mr. Shigesato Itoi would use it as direct inspiration for his mother series (the first game bearing many similarities to Dragon Quest with some fresh coatings of paint), which later went on to itself inspire a certain game called Undertale, don’t know if you’ve heard about it?

For further example, there’s this one series called Final Fantasy that basically owes every aspect of its existence to Dragon Quest, considering most of its own games are improvements and twists on mechanics taken from DQ’s own installments. How’s that one doing now?

Also, if you scroll down a bit, you’ll come across my Lufia 1 review. Give it a read while thinking about this, if you could.

In any case, it’s interesting to form this “genealogy” and view just exactly how powerful an impact one thing can have within its medium.

That said, it is essentially a 1986 game with few guidelines driving its design, drawn from its own inspirations in the Wizardry and Ultima series of western RPGs, which can have their lineage traced back to dungeons and dragons, which emerged from tabletop wargames, which... anyway, I digress. Nowadays jRPG gaming has evolved into something far, far apart from DQ’s idiosyncrasies, going on to develop idiosyncrasies of its own, and therefore with modern eyes the game doesn’t even feel like it belongs in the same place. I’ve read reviewers having trouble distinguishing nostalgia from things that are actual merits of the game, and the answer to the question of whether it is an antiquated piece of vaporware belonging in a museum or the aforementioned different approach to concepts that have drifted away over the years is difficult to answer with that state of mind. The first time I played DQ to completion was in 2018, so bearing absolutely no nostalgia for it, I will aim to answer this question in the clearest manner possible.

Dragon Quest is the story of one lone dude with historically inaccurate viking headwear on a bloodline-driven quest to square off against a not-ancient (!!!) evil dude, who took an incandescent lightbulb (that really has no point being there at all), painted it black so the light wouldn’t shine through the coating and that resulted in the land being overrun with monsters conveniently spread out from his fortress to the hero’s starting position in a balanced scaling level of difficulty, in order to provide the hero with the opportunity to build up his muscles and learn healmore eventually because you can’t win the game without it. In the way, there are no plot surprises, there are no rivals, heck, there aren ‘t even any friends (though there is one quite friendly character), you have one major goal given to you right at the start that never changes and one minor one that’s entirely optional and also pretty much given to you at the same point, a cute little world to explore, a few puzzle-esque minor hoops to jump through in order to reach the final dungeon (which together probably don’t amount to half an hour) and tons and tons and TONS of level grinding to do. But how does it execute it all?

Depending on what you’re looking for, holding dragon quest up to scrutiny with the most recently released wizardry or ultima at the time is akin to comparing a book to a movie: many of the complexities and raw content of the formats being used are eschewed in favor of a simpler, trimmed-out experience with a more visual approach (which is humorous now considering the intense density of text contained in DQ in comparison to modern games). Yuji Horii intentionally designed the game to be an experience that newcomers would find easy to learn but veterans would still dive into the intricacies of the mechanics. There is only one party member, only one enemy per battle, only 2 stats besides HP and MP, spells are few and perform simplistic effects, equipment follows a straightforward progression with no multiple choices to he found and the list goes on. To that end I must say I don’t agree with the second part or Mr. Horii’s statement: of course there ARE people who dissected the entire game and have figured out, mattered and exposed every single assembly line there is about this product, but only liminal knowledge of the mechanics is required for one to complete the game, and there is an at best marginal need to even know what’s going on in order to play it with reasonable success; there is just THAT little to it. The most complex strategies involved in the battles amount to casting sleep or stopspell beforehand to prevent enemies from murdering you if you are at a suboptimal level and otherwise wailing away until one or the other gives in.

Is it possible, then, that one of the pivotal and more dearly beloved games in history only achieved its success due to favorable circumstances and a nice (at the time) coating of paint hiding an otherwise non-daring and understimulating product?

...Yes. It is entirely possible. It’s happened many times before with other media, and it’s happened many times since. So is the game a piece of shit? Well... that’s a more complicated answer.

You see, with many future dragon quest games; there’s always something or other I can pinpoint as being a particularity pioneered or otherwise codified and popularized by dragon quest. For example: 2 made popular the common party member progression utilized in many RPG’s throughout time; 3 brought party customization and archetypes (mostly reworked from its blood fathers) into the mainstream; 4 had that AI controlled party member thing and a creative chapter-based method of storytelling (not to mention having a plot back in the day), and so on. Up until now, I hadn’t been able to do the same for the first installment; as previously showcased, the game doesn’t really have innovation, it’s just a simplified version of older stuff.

Then it hit me: the keyword I’ve been looking all along is structure. It’s so obvious to me now that it baffles me I hadn’t thought of it beforehand.

Allow me to illustrate: Ultima barely knew what to even do with its numbers. Levels didn’t serve any purpose for at least 2 games, HP was gained extremely arbitrarily and so were weapons, dungeons also served little to no purpose and there were more red herrings in the game than not-red herrings. Wizardry was more functional but no less loose; party members were these transient things that sort of mattered but sort of didn’t, stats rose and fell in a completely arbitrary fashion and it was once again difficult to discern any practical function in them whatsoever (there are still discussions nowadays about what exactly they do, with only at best vague answers based on more common sense things). Dragon Quest, in its simplicity, had a clear-cut, very obvious flow, everything does exactly what you think it does, nothing is ever lost arbitrarily and items and equipment are beseeched and acquired in 100% non-obtuse, sensical and understandable fashion with no need for peripherals outside the game. This set the base for further development and complexity as the series went on without ever losing track of the main, core design principle of “anyone could pick this up and spend very little time internalizing the concepts herein”. As the complexity began to accumulate, Horii’s statement forged its path to full realization, and along with Dragon Quest, basically every single jRPG followed suit in its advances.

Therefore, this game’s -practical- importance is still, in my opinion, entirely credulous and valid; it’s a stepping stone and a filter, in its reductiveness refashioning dated concepts and sculpting the mindset of players for the ushering in of a new, refined design philosophy, one which would be built upon by its own successors too, but also its peers, all collectively working to fully inject and transform RPG gameplay into the idiossyncratic identity it retains in electronic gaming to this day.

So, that’s all nice and good to discuss, but what is one’s emotion and response when actually playing the game?

There’s no way to answer this question outside of 100% personal input, so in my humble opinion, it’s enjoyable-ish for the right mindset. I already went into it knowing that I would have to appreciate some stuff more conceptually than practically, and I did in fact get enthralled by its offbeat quirks, for what it’s worth. The game really is one “big” item collection puzzle, almost a simplified King’s Quest if you took out the battles, and this worldwide exploration quest would go on to dominate early DQ’s core mindset, with 5 being the first one to break away from it and offer a more linear progression. Frankly, I really enjoy the fact that these old games can get away with disregarding logic sometimes in favor of making the puzzles more interesting (i.e. abusing map boundaries to circle around city walls and access a secret area), and I’m glad the precedent, for a while, was set with DQ, without going overboard with oblique design the way point and click games usually did - perhaps as a byproduct of the memory being busy handling the RPGness of it - and becoming far more fun for it. As previously stated, there is a lot of level grinding, and nothing can really prepare you from the hours of boredom walking left and right waiting for a random encounter, which does act in the game's detriment, but the remakes have softened up the chore I guess so there’s always that option.

Synthesizing the museum piece and actual game aspect of it, Dragon Quest, to me, deserves a 6 out of 10. It is, unfortunately, too simplistic to warrant any higher a rank, and focuses far too much of its time on gameplay that isn’t fun, almost enough to surprise me that the game fared so well, being so intimidating with its earlygame grinding. As I said, however, its importance hoists what fun the gameplay does have into bearably numbing status, and it will give you a feeling of accomplishment when you do strike that death blow against the final boss, like you completed an initiation ritual. I’d recommend it if you’re a genre enthusiast, but you probably already played it if you are so...

#game #rpg #review #criticism #dragon quest

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