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#My drop isnt bad but yeah I’m a mess- confused mostly.
toadallytickles · 4 years
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BACK FROM ALBANY!!
The Super Bowl tickle party took place this past weekend, and I had a real rough week leading up to it- I thought about not going honestly because I was a mess of anxiety. Though it turned out to be the best gathering for me! It was so much fun, and I met so many wonderful people, including some from Tumblr, and really broke out of my shell~
I definitely really like the gatherings now for socializing. I am socially anxious and don’t do well in new crowds, though this time I actively put myself in social situations, I really enjoyed chatting with multiple people and joking around~ I even sent messages out to hang out one-on-one with those I want to get closer with~ I do consider myself socially feral though because I am so awkward and loud asdfhklfd
I didn’t plan to play with people this weekend, just because I do like to have a good friendship as the base. And honestly I am insecure as a person and lee, feeling like I’m not good enough or fun enough to play with. But after some talking with those I know and being open-minded, I actually ended up having like 3 sessions that all went really well and they definitely boosted my confidence!
I GOT TAG-TEAMED WHILE HIGH!! IT WAS SOOOOO MUCH FUN AND I WAS BROUGHT AN EDIBLE JUST FOR IT WHICH IS SUCH GOALS and oh my g OS h w o w did I get destroyed I didn’t want it to end~ It was terrible aaaahgdgjkjdhj~ and my favourite toothbrush heads were used~ little toad lived out a fantasy~ (˘▽˘ʃƪ)*:・゚✧♡
Also got to Ler a few times~ I love silly little lee boys~ >:)c
Oh, I got to be the model for rope again! Will post photos on Fetlife some time!
I’m also very proud of myself for saying no when I needed to. I got asked to play a few times, which is always very flattering and I don’t mind at all~ Though I’m happy I can say no and not feel bad! And I’m glad people can take a no too! Proud of them too!
Yeah, this gathering was so much fun, the best one yet~ Everyone was super friendly and kind~ It felt very homey and safe, and I really broke out of my shell and opened up more~ Greatly looking forward to making closer friends, meeting new ones, and growing within the community~ ♡
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veldian · 3 years
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tell us more of ur think tank hcs i personally am at the edge of my seat
HELL YEAH ALRIGHT HERE WE GO. some of these might be against canon in some way but that's your fault for trusting me with this
ALSO, AS USUAL, I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE. THIS GOT VERY LONG. when i think about the tanks i go fuckin wild with it
starting with pride headcanons to get the ball rolling
all the tanks are nonbinary, but additionally, dala is a trans woman and 0 is a trans man
8 hates gender he fucking hates it. every day he wakes up and says "today i will make gender my bitch" and then he does. he says this in the game too you just don't know cuz he only speaks in static (don't factcheck this)
if you ask 8 what pronouns she uses, they will shrug and give you a "i dunno" noise. sometimes it'll make a non-committal hand movement and some unintelligible noises. good luck
god this bitch (borous) is gay! good for him! good for him.
he's also intersex! i don't remember where we got that hc but i like it and im holding onto it
okay but borous calls himself bi because yeah Men, but he also loves dala very much and doesn't want to misgender her. also as previously stated, 8's main goal is to confuse everyone about their gender so the tanks all stick with mspec labels to be on the safe side. you never know what'll happen. gender is a ticking time bomb
bi gang: klein, borous, 0
pan gang: dala, mobius
don't ask her about any of her identities she doesn't know the answer either: 8
have i gone off about polytank dynamics enough? i don't think so
8 and dala started dating first because horny bitches gravitate towards each other. they can also "pass" as a "straight couple" so hopefully no one at work will look at them and call them slurs. hopefully
klein and borous knocked things out of the park for being the first gay scientists ever
8 and dala became polyam icons and pulled 0 in. trans bitches gravitate towards each other
klein and borous did the same with mobius. bitches with facial hair gravitate towards each other
???????
idk and then all six of them started dating somehow. the end
somewhere along the way klein and 8 were like "i like you a little too much" and now they're inseparable
okay anyway. misc hcs
ive mentioned this before but when i pretend everything is in modern times, 0 is a tiktokker and he thrives on the attention and making fun of his coworkers on the internet
"watching steven universe repeatedly when i felt even slightly bad transed my gender" - doctor 8 old world blues
i just remembered i made a carrd for the tanks as if they were kinnies in their early to mid 20s
8 kinned pearl su. borous kinned werewolf cookie. 0 kinned rimmer red dwarf. mobius kinned... morbius forbidden planet. obviously. klein refused to put his kins on it. DID DALA KIN FROM DANGANRONPA
i think at one point we had a half-joking hc where klein gets nauseous if he sees blood
and then that changed to he can't see others blood, only his own
while borous can't see his own blood, but he's fine seeing other ppl's
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i know borous said that gabe barked at everyone, but i think gabe trusts the other tanks because he knows borous does
borous set up a kissing booth with gabe. the crowd goes wild
when the tanks get together they usually go to klein's. he's the leader or something. also he has a fucking bar in his house.
he complains about them the whole time but you can really tell he loves having people over. why else would he deck his house out like that? he LOVES hosting stuff. house husband
if you saw my chart where i said klein would rather die than do dishes, i was so wrong. his house is pristine. its easily the cleanest
klein's love language is acts of service. he goes over to his partners' houses when they feel awful and clean stuff up for them when they can't. he also makes them food if they want it. he only complains a little, but you can tell he's mostly teasing
did you know klein has five mugs in his kitchen in-game. he's literally prepared to host his partners at any given moment.
the group have learned that letting 8 come over when their house is a mess is a Huge mistake. it goes from 8 trying to help "tidy up" to "im going to put your books and albums in alphabetical order by artist also your clothes are going to be hue-sorted"
"8 why are there only 8 books on each of my bookshelves"
"it looks better"
"it literally does not"
8 can no longer stomach going into 0's house
on the other hand, 0 hates staying in 8's house. the ticking of all their clocks is sensory hell
on 80 date nights they have to do rock-paper-scissors for which house they go to. or they go out. they love each other but their houses drive the other fucking nuts
oh speaking of their houses. yes dala said she didn't like Literal Teddy Bears but that is null and void considering she has teddies in her house
and she has 5 on her bed. five of them :)
she named all of them after her partners! its mostly cute but there is a slight bit of concern because they know what she does with them <__<
not that 8 has any place to judge. mobius found batteries under its pillow once. all 8 said was "they can vibrate." mobius regrets touching them.
i don't know what to say about dala's mannequins i don't have anything funny im just scared
WHY ARE 0 AND KLEIN THE ONLY ONES WITH BATHROOMS IT DRIVES ME INSANE 0'S BATHTUB ISNT EVEN LAYING DOWN ITS AGAINST THE WALL WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT GENERATOR IN HIS BATHROOM DO THE OTHER TANKS JUST SHIT OUTSIDE I'M SEEING RED
mobius and 0 are both into robotics, and they worked together to make muggy, so they've had date nights where they mainly tinker with electronic things.
0 gets very excited when he makes a breakthrough, and seeing that warms mobius's heart. mobius made a habit of kissing 0 on the forehead or squeezing 0 into a hug when they figure things out.
(0 remembers he likes men.) 😳
dala/klein date nights are essentially just them drinking and gossiping chatting
i asked polycule for some more, so here are ones from your local think tank kinnies
borous -
"klein and borous both like classical music in very different ways. klein mostly likes it to feel smart (see: wheatley) but he just started associating it with the others so it felt nicer And borous just likes it bc hes borous"
klein also likes jazz, but so do all the rest of them
8 has a cochlear implant
"dala likes dressing up to look pretty (see: runway) but is personally embarrassed by it (until she gets encouragement) bc she feels like the others dont support that"
"0 loves collecting and reading those stupid magazines with the birthday party products and themes that ud wanna buy from as a kid but are way too expensive"
"mobius has a secret love for puppetry and will try to bring it up sometimes whenever he can. hes made 3 separate sets of the other tanks as puppets and they freak 0 out"
"borous, in an attempt to better his faults, has started learning from dala and 8 on how to take care of plants instead of what he did before. his basement turns into a cool little green house cozy cuddle area"
"to add on: 8 gardens to cope whenever hes alone bc (projects onto ur kin) he mood drops very fast when alone"
"mobius likes dressing in cozy sweaters and fancy stuff"
0 -
"0 doesn't like anal that much" (thanks.)
dala -
"their new rap album called boyz in the tanks" (THANKS.)
and to top things off, :) here are the normal names for them all, created primarily by our borous kinnie
klein - Ernest Klein (nicknamed ernie)
mobius - Wilbert Mobius (nicknamed bert)
borous - James H. Borous (nicknamed jamie)
dala - Dala Theodore (HER NICKNAME IS TEDDY ITS GENIUS)
8 - Emmett Handley (nicknamed 8 + emmy)
0 - Robert O'Barrick (nicknamed 0/O + robbie (HIM SHARING HOUSE'S NAME IS INTENTIONAL. HE'S TRANS HE PICKED HIS NAME WHY DID HE DO THIS))
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bubbyleh · 4 years
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I See La Vie en Rose - Chapter 8
cw for fighting and blood
Chapter 8: Owe It to You
Tommy: WOULD ONE OF YOU PLEASE ANSWER YOUR PHONE Tommy: PLEASE Tommy: THIS ISNT A JOKE SEND HELP NOW Tommy: I CANT DO THIS I HAVE JOSHUA IM SURROUNDED BY MORTALS Tommy: DARNOLDS HERE YOU GUYS
Tommy almost slams his phone towards the ground in frustration, but he resorts to just gripping it tighter. After all, any noise would alert the skeleton currently tearing the museum apart of their hiding spot behind an overturned display table. Joshua trembles next to him, clutching his arm and wrenching his eyes shut. And Darnold…
“I can’t believe it,” Darnold whispers, mostly to himself. His eyes are blown and distant. “Skeletons are real. I… I thought they were a religious metaphor, or something.”
“Skeletons are real,” Tommy confirms, but he quickly focuses on Joshua. “Josh, you- you need to recall yourself right now.”
Joshua whimpers. “I-I’m trying!” he says, “But I can’t! It’s not working!”
Okay. Okay fine. Just another real quick addition to the to-do list Tommy apparently has now. He can’t take Darnold up too, the Viewing Pool isn’t rigged that way, but he can at least warn him.
“I’m- I’m sorry,” Tommy places a hand on the side of Darnold’s face, turning him to face him. “I was going to tell you.”
Tommy grabs onto Joshua’s shirt, and…
Nothing happens.
No that can’t be right. Tommy tries again, wills himself to appear back in the Viewing Pool, but the scene around him doesn’t change. And Tommy notices, for the first time, a distinct lack of a divine connection that he usually feels.
In the few times Tommy has fought a Skeleton before, never has he lost his escape home. He’s not even sure that they have the power to do that! Did… did his family do this?
“Tell me what?” Darnold asks.
Tommy grits his teeth to stop himself from shouting. Can SOMETHING go right today!? He shoves both his phone and Joshua into Darnold’s arms.
“If someone- if someone texts me back, tell them what’s happening,” he says.
“What are you-” Darnold starts, but.
Well.
It’s kinda hard to continue your train of thought when your boyfriend, who normally looks like a regular person, turns into a faceless figure of light wearing princely attire. Tends to leave people speechless.
While he may not be able to get back home, Tommy can still teleport. It’s short range, sure, but he isn’t going too far. Jumping over the table would, after all, give away Darnold and Joshua’s hiding place. In a flash of light, he reappears on the other side of the room, standing atop a pile of rubble from the museum’s collapsed ceiling.
The Skeleton is too busy wreaking havoc on the museum to notice him, and Tommy has the vague notion that it might be looking for something. Wordlessly, he gathers divine energy around his hand and fires it at the Skeleton. A concentrated shot meets its target head-on.
It falls to its knees, but with the creaking of bone, the Skeleton turns to face Tommy.
Damn it, not enough.
The Skeleton rushes him, and though Tommy’s quick to sidestep it, he isn’t able to avoid the punch it throws. What the fuck!? How does it hurt so much!? It’s a bone hand for fuck’s sake!
That might be a broken nose. As Tommy stumbles back, gripping at his face, the Skeleton continues its attack. It seizes his shoulders, pressing hard into them. And when Tommy looks up into its empty eye sockets, it
he
he feels
cold.
they’re so
empty.
he wants
he can’t
he
A piece of rubble collides with the side of the Skeleton’s head, and all at once it’s like a spell is broken, and Tommy can think again. The Skeleton releases its grasp on Tommy, causing him to fall on his ass. It darts towards the source of the projectile, and Tommy looks up and sees…
Darnold.
He’s left the overturned table, and he’s standing out in the open. He’s shocked still, but Tommy isn’t! He can’t let that thing reach him! Another burst of energy fires from Tommy’s hand, hitting the Skeleton in the spine.
The Skeleton drops forward, and Tommy knows he doesn’t have much time, getting to his feet and scrambling to catch up. He puts all his power into a divine stomp and crushes the Skeleton’s head under his foot.
That does it. The bones turn to ash under him. He heaves a sigh.
As what remains of the Skeleton fades away, Tommy begins to hear noises. Cheers, elation, excitement.
Oh right. The other museum patrons. Damn, he’s not used to these fights happening in such public locations.
Tommy looks up, towards Darnold. His staring at him, his eyes a mix of confusion and amazement. Tommy’s heart aches, just a little bit. He nods towards the overturned table, hoping Joshua is still there. Darnold seems to get the idea and makes his way back.
Once again, Tommy teleports. The transition of wounds from light to flesh sucks, and Tommy hisses. Opening his eyes, the first sight he’s greeted with is Joshua jumping on top of him.
“Uncle Tommy, that was so cool!” he rambles. “You beat up the bad guy, and you were shooting at them like you were a cowboy! Why don’t my dads let me watch you fight!?”
Then Joshua looks up at him, his expression souring almost immediately. Tommy doesn’t understand at first, until he feels his own blood dripping from his nose. Oh yeah, that happened.
“Tommy?”
Darnold’s back, a sad look in his eyes. He kneels beside him.
“I- Darnold,” Tommy stammers. “I’m sorry, I’ll tell you everything, let’s just-”
But Darnold doesn’t let him keep speaking. He pulls Tommy into a hug, burying his head in his shoulder.
“I was so scared,” Darnold whispers.
For a moment, Tommy is stunned. Then, he wraps an arm around Darnold, feeling a sharp sting where the Skeleton grabbed him. “Yeah,” he admits. “I was- I was too.”
☆○☆○☆
The three of them make it back to Darnold’s apartment in one piece. The place is still a mess, but there’s enough room to set Joshua in front of the TV so he can watch a cartoon. Tommy disappears into the bathroom to clean off his face while Darnold keeps an eye on Joshua.
It hurts to touch around his nose, but the bleeding has stopped and Tommy is eventually able to wash away most of the blood. But the jolt of pain everytime he moves his arms reminds him of…
Of whatever the hell that was. Tommy has never even heard of Skeletons being able to do that, let alone experience it firsthand. Just thinking about it gives him chills. Not to mention the fact that the divine tug from home is still missing, and he still hasn’t heard back from anyone! Kind of makes Tommy feel like it’s the end of days, which isn’t fun!
Tommy shakes his head. He can’t get scared now! He has to have a serious and important conversation with his boyfriend! Maybe one he should have had earlier, if he had found the time or the words…
Stepping out of the bathroom, the first thing Tommy notices is the fact that Darnold was leaning against the wall next to the door, waiting for him. He startles, but Tommy doesn’t see the disappointment he expected to be written all over his face. Instead, Darnold just looks concerned.
“Everything’s good?” he asks, fear tinting the edge of his voice. He catches sight of Tommy’s nose and winces.
Tommy nods. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” He tries to smile.
Darnold only frowns. “I have a feeling I’ll be worrying a lot after this. Do you wanna talk in the kitchen?”
Tommy glances towards the kitchen door. While he’d like to say yes, that would put a wall between them and Joshua. And with everything happening, Tommy’s not sure he wants to take his eye of the little god anytime soon. But the kitchen is really the only place in Darnold’s apartment to sit and talk, considering he uses the couch to pile notes…
Wait hang on?
“You cleaned off the- the couch?” Tommy questions.
“Uh, yeah,” Darnold confirms. “I thought Joshua would want to sit on the couch, but…”
They look towards Joshua, who is sitting way too close to the TV for comfort. Yeesh, if Tommy didn’t think he needed glasses before now…
“We can talk there?” Darnold asks.
“Yeah,” Tommy says.
The second he sits on the couch, Tommy decides he’s never letting Darnold put his research on here again. This thing is way too comfortable to not be supporting humans.
Darnold practically collapses next to him. “So,” he says.
“I’m really sorry I- I didn’t tell you about this, before,” Tommy repeats. It definitely would have been an easier blow if not for current circumstances. Dang, he really messed this up.
Tommy’s shocked when Darnold takes his hand in his own. “It’s fine, Tommy, really,” he assures him. “Tell me now?”
“O-okay.” Tommy takes a deep breath. “I’m the God of Discovery.”
Tommy is able to witness Darnold’s thought process in real time. He squints at Tommy, then looks away for a second, then looks back.
“I’ll believe it,” he nods. “What else?”
“All my friends you’ve met are- are gods too. A-and so is Joshua.”
This one takes a little longer for Darnold to come to terms with. After about ten seconds of internalizing it, Darnold claps his hands together. “Okay! It, uh. It makes sense, yeah,” he rationalizes. “I do need to know who’s who, though.”
“Well, Josh is too- is too young to have a domain. But Bubby’s the- the God of Fire, Coomer’s the God of Strength, Gordon’s the God of- of Order, Benrey’s the God of Chaos, and, well,” Tommy swallows. “Um, you haven’t met him, but my dad is the God of Time.”
“Mhm,” Darnold nods, very clearly trying to keep his cool. “That- I don’t know what to say to that!”
Tommy places a hand on his shoulder. “Take your- your time. Like a… like the biggest crop that grows all season!”
Darnold’s head falls into his hands, but Tommy can tell that he’s laughing.
☆○☆○☆
It takes a lot of explaining, but eventually, Tommy manages to get Darnold on the same page as him. They end up leaning against each other while watching cartoons with Joshua. Occasionally, Darnold will mumble out another question (“How old are you actually?” “Five-hundred thirty-seven.”), but for the most part they are quiet and enjoying each other’s company.
Darnold seemed concerned when Tommy said that he couldn’t get in contact with the others, or even make it back home, but he quickly hid it. He assured Tommy that it’s only been an hour since they lost contact, and he should wait a bit longer before getting worried.
Tommy glances at the clock, and yikes! It’s two in the afternoon! Though it’s not a typical day by any stretch of the imagination, it’s still Joshua’s naptime! And now that he’s paying attention, Tommy notices the kid is actually rubbing his eyes a lot.
“Crap,” Tommy says. “Darnold, uh- Joshua needs to take his- his nap.”
“Oh.” Darnold looks around. “Well, I have a spare blanket and pillow, do you think he’s okay on the couch?”
Tommy thinks so, and the two of them split off to set up Joshua’s impromptu nap. But just as Tommy manages to corral Josh onto the couch, Darnold showing up with the pillow, he feels something.
A tug. Not a physical one, but something divine.
“Ugh. Darnold?” Tommy turns to him. “Are you- are you okay watching Joshua for a bit? I think I can head back now.”
Darnold tilts his head. “You’re not taking him with?”
“I-” Tommy frowns. “I’ll come back later, it’s just… I have a- a feeling it’s a mess up there.”
“Alright, I get it.” Darnold crosses his arms, but he does smile up at Tommy. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Tommy kisses his cheek. “Text me if- if you need anything.”
And with that, Tommy heads home.
☆○☆○☆
Tommy’s return is not met with fanfare. No shouts of joy, no exclamations about his broken nose. There’s nobody around, but there are signs of them.
Signs of them like how the entire Viewing Pool pavilion is littered in scorch marks and cracks, completely destroyed in some parts. The stillness of it all mocks him.
What the hell happened here?
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sunsetswurve · 5 years
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Overcome / Numb (G.D) part 1
"Woah, hey, please stop working yourself up. Breathe. No like really, deep breath in. Hold it. Now let it out slow. Okay. Good. That's really good. Tell me what you're thinking, Sky, please. Don't keep whatever it is you're feeling in. Please?" Grayson was sitting across from me, hands on my shoulders.
Skylar Martins has been going through a lot, mentally and emotionally. She’s lost in her own head. Everything is getting worse for her and she feels like she’s all alone, even when people are asking her if she’s okay. Feeling like a burden and a problem, she’s set on her life being like this from now on because there is no way out for her. That is until an old friend pops back into her life, seeing through her lies and getting her to see there’s more to life than what she’s doing. 
A/N: Sooooo I’ve been going thru some rough stuff and this is the first time in a while I’ve written something. It’s been even longer since I posted any writing on the internet. Depression and anxiety are talked about. Suicidal thoughts are mentioned so trigger warning for that. Also, I’m not sure if this is going to be a friend!Grayson or like a relationship. heck I’ve always been bad at continuing stories so who even knows how far this will go. All depression and anxiety writing is from my own experience, I’m not trying to romanticize it or anything and i’m definitely not trying to make it that Grayson “cures” the main character. Let me know what you think, just please go easy on me <3
"Skylar, are you getting out of bed today? Don't you have work?" My mother asked from my doorway.
"Called out." I mumbled under my covers.
"You okay?" she asked, concern filling her voice.
"Yeah, I'm just tired and have a migraine."
"How are you tired? you've been in bed for the past 3 days. AND you've called out one day each week for the last month just to stay in your room. Do you even have sick time anymore?"
"Yes mom. Dont worry, I have enough hours. I just need to rest."
"Okay, we'll see when you lose your job for missing too much work. This isnt working Skylar. What’s going on?"
"Nothing. I'm fine." Lies. Truth was my depression was the worst it's ever been. I haven't had any energy to do anything.
"Have you been taking your pills?"
"Yes." Lies. I don't care to anymore. It's ridiculous that I have to depend on stupid pills to be a normal human. If this is who I'm supposed to be. What’s the point.
"Bullshit." She rolled her eyes and slammed my door. I heard her go down the stairs and the front door slammed shut also. Nice. Very mature, mother. See, I'm so miserable and annoying my mother doesn't even care anymore. Just leaves me here to rot. I sighed and rolled over, looking at my phone. It was 2 in the afternoon. This is what my life has come to at 23 years old. Alone. Stuck in my room.
I used to try. I used to have energy to try and fight this. But recently its gotten harder and harder to get out of bed. I can see everyone's worried looks and heads shaking with disapproval, but its like there's this wall between what I know I should do to help this and myself. I'm stuck in this cloud of self doubt, self hatred. I hate that I'm like this. I see myself getting worse and yet I just can't put myself out there to say anything to anyone or express what I'm feeling.
To be honest, I'm not even sure what I'm feeling. Numb, mostly. I'm just sick of being alone. I've always felt like I'm the third wheel in all situations. Always in a group of three friends, but the other two were closer and there was me. I've always been a shy person but after high school and stuff I went through in my first year of college, it got worse. I get nervous meeting new people, but I'm also nervous talking to people I haven't seen in awhile. I mean yeah, I have my family and even though I was that third person with friends, I still had friends. I'm also so close to my family. My cousin's been one of my best friends since I was born. But she's gotten pretty serious with her girlfriend so I'm pushed to the side once again. Not to mention they're talking about moving to the other side of the country. It's just gonna get worse.
I sound so selfish. But these are the thoughts that run through my head constantly throughout the day. Its all consuming. I'm alone. I'm alone. I'm alone.
With everyone in the house gone, I go downstairs and grab some cookies in the cabinet and sit in front of the tv. I'll be here for the next few hours until my parents and/or brother come home and then I'll head back upstairs. This is how it's been, avoiding everyone and eating junk to try and make myself feel less numb than I have been. I was switching on netflix when my phone buzzed.
"Hey Skylar, haven't talked to you in awhile. how have you been?" It was a text from Grayson. One of those friends I haven't talked to and don't freaking know how to talk to anymore because I'm a mess. I re-read the message a few times and wonder what I should respond with.
oh ya know, just wondering if I'll finally grow the balls to end my life or keep living in the hell I've created for myself. Oh yeah, that'll  go down swimmingly.
"Hey, I've been fine, just working. How are you?"
"Oh are you working today? Could use a hair cut haha ;)" people only talk to you when they need something from you, they don't really care about how you're doing, silly.
"I'm actually off today, Gray." I turned back to the television, desperately trying not to dwell on the thought that he only wants to know what I'm doing just so I can do his hair. I understand with being a hairstylist that people want me to do their hair but its like. Even the people I see constantly do this, they see my behavior has changed, I'm not the happy person I was before. They've asked me how I'm doing -- at the most inopportune times, mind you. But if you think there is something really wrong, you shouldn't want to ask me while you're on hold with our supervisor, this conversation WILL end up with me sobbing and I really really don't think you're ready for it, Margaret so of COURSE I'm going to say I'm fine. A few minutes later, my phone lets out another buzz.
"Do you want to hang out?" That's different. No one's asked me that recently. Not that I'm the best person to hang out with right now, with the buzzkill I've become. I don't answer. Let's add "flaky" to the long list of flaws I've developed over the passed couple of months. Sometimes it's just easier to act like nothings happening. I turn over on the couch and fall asleep.
..only to be woken up 20 minutes later to the doorbell ringing
The hell? We live on a secluded dead end, no one ever comes here unless its planned, like ever. I open the door to reveal Grayson Dolan on my doorstep with a small grin on his face.
"Gray, what are you doing here?" I ask opening the door more for him to step inside.
"When you didn't answer my text, I figured you fell asleep because you've always loved your naps" he chuckled, since he could tell from the look of confusion on my face that is exactly what happened.
"ohhh" I'm not sure what else to say, honestly. I told you I haven't been the best with conversations lately.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asks, taking in my disheveled appearance and greasy looking hair. Greasy looking because I haven't showered in days. Ya know, the things that happen with depression the internet and media don't tell you about when they're glorifying it for their aesthetic.
"Uhhh yeah. I haven't washed my hair in a few days. Look Gray I don't think--"
"No Skylar, really, are you okay? I was scrolling through twitter, saw one of your tweets and it's concerning."
"oh uh.. it's nothing, its just shit that comes to mind at night when I can't sleep." I say, hoping he doesn't press anymore. When I feel really low and don't know what to do, I let it out on twitter, no ones ever said anything before about it so I thought it didn't matter or they didn't care or whatever. It's been like this for years, so this really caught me off guard.
"Are you sure?" no.
"Yes." He gave me a look that definitely said he wasn't convinced, but shrugged anyway.
"Okay, so what are we watching?"
"Oh um, I'm catching up on Supernatural."
"Nice!"
"Gray do you even watch Supernatural?"
"No, but if you're watching it, I'll watch it with you. I wanna hang out and you're not busy. I miss you, so let's go! press play already." I gave him a weird look, this is different. Usually Grayson is really busy between doing stuff with Ethan and/or filming.
"What's going on? Where's Ethan? You two are inseparable."
"He's doing some stuff today. Tattoo and other errands. He'll be gone until tonight."
ahh, so he's just here because Ethan is busy and has nothing better to do
"What was that?"
"What do you mean?"
"You just got this disappointed and annoyed look on your face. What are you thinking, Sky?"
"It's nothing."
"Listen, I know we haven't talked in months but this is not the Skylar I've known for years and I know you're not okay no matter what you're saying behind that fake smile. I'm not going to push it. You don't have tell me right now. But I'm here for you, even if we just sit and watch TV, okay?" My jaw dropped a little, I was not expecting this. Especially since we haven't talked in a while. But Gray has always been able to sense when I'm feeling off. So I'm not too surprised. But to still want to hang around me even if I don't want to talk, like damn, that's so sick of him.
"Thanks G." I say, smiling slightly and lean into his shoulder, a small gesture to show my appreciation. We focused in on the tv and got lost in it for the next few hours.
I didn't notice how many episodes we got through until the front door opened and my mother stepped in.
"Wow. You're out of your room AND someone is here? I'm shocked." She said sarcastically and turned to Grayson. "Hi honey, are you staying for dinner?"
"Hi Mrs. Martins. I'd love to."
"Good! I'm glad someone's been able to get her out of bed." my mother comments as I roll my eyes and continue to focus on the television. I could feel Grayson gaze on me though, I kept facing forward, hoping he would let it go and thankfully, he did. I couldn't focus back into the show though. He knows somethings wrong. But like he really knows. And I'm gonna have to tell him something soon or he'll just be wasting his time and get sick of me just like everyone else. I started biting my nails as I watched forward feeling anxious and sick of myself.
"hey do you still have your PS4?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Do you wanna go play some before dinner?"
"I don't really have any two player games."
"That never stopped us before. We can take turns doing stupid stuff on GTA?"
"Wow I haven't played that in the longest time."
"Lets go!" He said, standing up and waiting for me to follow him upstairs to where we have the playstation set up. I slowly stood up and went along with him. "Remember when we used to play online all of the time?" He asked as I set it up.
"Yeah, remember how angry Ethan would get when asshole twelve year olds would kill us before we could even do anything in the game and I had to figure out how to start a server for just us?"
"Oh man, back when we were living in apartments our neighbors would get PISSED at how loud he would yell."
"And I'd be up here swearing, thinking no one could hear me but one day my mother came up here PISSED because I dropped the f bomb like a million times in a minute."
"She lectured all three of us the next time me and E came over." We both laughed at the memory.
After some time, my mother called up, letting us know dinner was ready. My brother and father were both home now and we all sat down for our meal.
“Grayson! It's been so long since you've been over! How are you and your brother doing?" My father asked
"We're good, Mr Martins. We're working on some new video ideas and Ethan is getting stuff for it today."
"That's great to hear. Its nice to see Skylar out of her room and have company over for once. She's just been in her room for months."
"Dad. seriously?" I ask, do we have to talk about how I'm fucked up at dinner?
"Well she doesn't help herself if she's not taking her medications." My mom comments not looking up from her plate.
"Mom!"
"Skylar why aren't you taking your meds?" My dad turns to me, everyone turns to me actually. I feel my face start to heat up with all of the unwanted attention. My anxiety rising for being put on the spot like this when Grayson was here, or anyone actually.
"And we wonder why I'm finding excuses to not sit out here with you guys all of the time?" I say, rolling my eyes before standing up and hurrying up the stairs to my room.
----
I go into my room and throw myself on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Now he's definitely gonna know I'm not okay. He's definitely gonna walk talk to me about that and probably try to help. He'll stick around for a week or two, see how annoyingly sad and stubborn I am and give up. Just like everyone else has when I've been like this in the past. As if he could hear my thoughts, I hear a knock and Grayson quietly say my name, trying to not disturb the silence.
I look up but don't make a move.
"Sorry you had to awkwardly witness all of that." I mumble. He comes in, gently shutting the door behind him. He lays next to me, also looking up at the ceiling.
"You know they're just worried about you, right?"
"I know," I sigh.
"You also know I'm worried about you, right?"
"Don't be."
"How can I not? Your tweets are literally screaming that you're not okay. You aren't taking care of yourself and distancing yourself from everyone trying to help you." My eyes start filling up with tears and my breathing start to get heavy. My skin is on fire, feeling like hot pins and needles are stabbing me all over. "Skylar?"
I can't say anything. It's like the floodgates have been opened. I dont feel numb anymore but I feel everything. Hurt, sad, angry and frustrated. All I do is curl into a ball, sobbing and gasping for air. I feel Grayson try and pick me up to bring me closer to him but I push him away. It feels like I'm being smothered with nothing touching me at all. I know he means well but when I'm like this, touching doesn't help. I feel him start to pull away, probably to get my mother since somethings wrong and he doesn't know what he should do. but I grab his hand and shake my head.
"Panic attack. Stay. Give me a few minutes." I manage to get out between strangled sobs. He nods, staring at me with worry. I'm not surprised he's freaked out. Usually when I have panic attacks like this I'm not around anyone, so he definitely hasn't seen me like this before. My mother has only heard me have them because I used to call her when I was in college. That was when they started to get really bad. He doesn't let go of my hand though, it would be hard to with me squeezing it, trying to ground myself while focusing on my breathing.
It feels like an eternity, but it was probably just a few minutes later when my breathing slowed and the pins and needles sensation had left. I let go of Grayson's hand and wipe my face, groaning once it really hit me that I just had a panic attack in front of someone for the first time in so long.
"I'm so sorry about that Gray"
"Did you just have a panic attack?"
"Yeah, again, so sorry"
"Don't be! You know I have panic attacks too. I've just never seen you have one and you've always been okay with hugging and stuff so that just threw me, I didn't know how to help you."
"I usually have them at night or I'm not near anyone when they do happen. Uh, I uh feel like I can't breathe and my skin feels like it's on fire and I'm getting stabbed with hundred of needles all over my body so I freak out even more when people try to touch me when they happen.
"Jesus, Skylar. Why don't you tell anyone you're going through this?"
"I don't know" I shrug, "I don't like to bother people."
"Are you serious? You wouldn't be bothering anyone, you just need to tell people how you're feeling when they ask, because I know they've been asking. They're really worried. I'm really worried."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. I just need you to take care of yourself."
"That's really hard right now, G."
"Then let me help, let someone help, stop locking yourself away and thinking you need to go through this by yourself." Tears are now streaming down my face and I'm quietly sobbing. He brings me in for a hug and kisses my forehead. We stay like that for awhile. "We're gonna get through this. I promise."
For some reason, that just makes me cry even harder. Why can't I take care of myself? I used to be strong and independent. Now I'm weak. I need people to take care of me at 23? What is this? What the fuck is wrong with me?
"Woah, hey, please stop working yourself up. Breathe. No like really, deep breath in. Hold it. Now let it out slow. Okay. Good. That's really good. Tell me what you're thinking, Sky, please. Don't keep whatever it is you're feeling in. Please?" Grayson was sitting across from me, hands on my shoulders.
"I, uh, okay." I take a deep breath again. "I'm just so fucking weak. And helpless. You shouldn't have to be making these promises and be worried about me." I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts and take a few more breaths. "Like this is sad. Ridiculous. How did I get myself in this situation. I don't get it. I don't know or understand myself anymore and I don't know how I got like this." My panic was turning into anger now. Anger at myself. The world. God or the universe or whatever seems to be in control of all of this.
"Stop beating up on yourself for like two seconds to see that people care about you and love you. Sometimes life gets hard and we need help. If I was in this position I would want someone to help me. I can't stand seeing you like this. I WANT to help. Life got busy and I was a shitty friend that grew distant. But I'm here. Your family is here. I know for a fact that if Ethan was here he'd be agreeing with me. We've known each other for years. I know you ARE strong. You just need a little help right now. The only question is if you're going to accept the help or stay stuck." He got a little louder, was it because it's Grayson and he's just loud or wanting to make his point come across clearly? both, probably. I took a few deep breaths, really calming for the first time in hours.
"Okay."
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modernlcve · 5 years
Text
little info dump of lizzie’s la muses
ADELAIDE LINDHOLM  :   they still need a last name but . whatever. i was gonna make her like really boring n a lil mean but. i changed me mind. she’s still uninterested in fame but im pulling her out of management she did it for like 3 years and then realized it brought her nothing but stress and pain so she quit and is doing temp work for the time being she’s trying to figure some stuff of her own out but deflects it onto still trying to boss around her siblings all the time. this sounded more interesting in my head. know it all, bossy, putting on a front of being in control of her miserable life
plots for her include  :  former clients she completely abandoned when she snapped, im working on more but sometimes... being a big sister is a full time job am i right girls
ALISON COLLINS  :  a woman at a crossroads . wants to follow her big artistic ambition of [redacted] but it just hasnt worked out for her yet so she’s teaching elementary art classes at a Hippie School to pay the bills til something comes her way , but its hard to be the edgy artist type when u got the school breathing down ur back and checking 2 make sure ur on the straight and narrow.
plots for her include  :  another big sister im ltrying to think of plots for but . sometimes things arent easy you know. she could have art circle friends who make fun of her for Selling Out and making pipe cleaner crafts for a living now
BRUNO VARGAS  :   i’m copy pasting the fc meme. he bought a “capitalism is unsustainable” sticker off of amazon. prime example of that “little confused but he’s got the spirit” meme. he threw himself into the social activism scene after he dropped out of college and ran away to the city to really make something of himself. he really wants to do good things for good reasons his heart is in the right place he’s just a dumbass. grew up in a traditional catholic military family but hasn’t had contact w them for a minute. lives in the fold because he thinks its cool 2 force people 2 hang out with him. works for an indie underground news publication.
plots for him include  :  yeah  maybe i am still stuck on the boyfriend/girlfriend plot. im not married to it being bf n gf if it just works 2 be 2 gfs or 2 bfs anyways. plot would be that one partner bruno has had longer and has openly been with for a minute now. second partner would be more recent and bc of that less of the whole official We’re Together :) kind of thing. both partners would know he’s seeing other people, but he hasnt gone out of his way to specifically out either of them, p2 just knows about p1 bc they were openly w bruno whereas they arent yet. if that makes literally any sense
COLE EDWARDS  :  bit of a weirdo. she does something behind the scenes i was thinking like set design because thats something that weirdly really interests me. anyways shes a doormat but in a different way than molly could be read that way she really just likes to be involved in things and help people. ~quirky~ but one day , she will snap. u can tell when u see her at craft night and she gets so much hot glue on her hand but doesnt even react. its like she cant feel it... feel better cole...
plots for her   :  cole could work for laguna beach or as the mystery novak stepsib im not married to her being on the show or not yet. i figured she could be fun there because she would be a light addition to all these Reality Tv Bastards u know. her bg and plots will fit whichever subplot i use her for so . tba
HOLLIS MESSINA   :   kill him NOW .   hollis is a bad man. not to godmod michele but in my head their parents are also like weird arsty types not necessarily famous but always very into the arts all thru their childhood. they grew up eating a lot of kale and maybe thats why hollis is the way he is. he’s vapid and very insecure because he wants so bad to be cool and funny and talented and suffers from major impostor syndrome which contributes to his online shopping addiction. take a nap hollis...
plots for him  :  we know im always looking for a plot where my musician writes a song about how crusty their ex is and their ex doesn’t appreciate it, or in general just maybe someone who got past the Phony Fakeass Cool Hollis act but then he decided to be very mean to them because soemtimes it hurts to let people in
JAMES ZAMORA   :  instagram model and youtuber. new media thot. she makes beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and travel related content. her entire brand is being A Sexy Little Trollop for people to envy. came from humble beginnings believe it or not, but she will never tell anyone that. as far as they need to be concerned shes been toddling around in heels since day one. lives in the fold because it makes for quirky content but once a month she threatens to get the hell out of here.. no one knows why she stays..
plots for her  :  frankly between the Novak Boyz and the mean girl squad im happy w her plots for now but shes always around to *cheryl blossom voice* create a little chaos if needed...
MOLLY SEKULIC   :   for the first week he lived at the fold noah thought she was a ghost :0  jadede film school student who thought she would get to do real documentary work at a place like b*zzfeed news but got put on projects shes not as passionate about 2 put it kindly. constantly planning her escape from the fold and worth it and all of that but 2 depressed to actually put any of it into play so she just sticks around and hopes one day she’s tapped for something with Substance
plots for her  :  she just doesnt get out much. shes got her Horrible sons (alec and [redacted]) and the girlies she hangs out with at the fold so shes not a completely friendless loser. with muses also working in film i think it could be fun to have a plot where they went to school together/worked on a project earlyo n together but now shes doing this and is embarrassed to talk to them abt it not that its even that real of a plot..
NOAH FITZGERALD  :  i wrote an intro for him in fold and im just gonna link it here. tldr hes very shy,, be gentle,, he wants to be liked and validated which is a common theme for me becuase yeah maybe in my core i dont believe anyone pursuing art does it for any reason but validation i sure know i do 
plots for him  :   he’s got a little going on but other fun stuff could be musicians he jams with that could catch onto his and bradys Scam, maybe some other dorks to commiserate with ive obvisosuly not got as many ideas as i let on huh,
WYATT SONG   :   gay writer bitch. came from money so he’s just casually pursuing writing full time minus the time he spends on the show (bit less than everyone else just because watching him sit in his home office and do nothing for hours just isnt interesting) but i kinda like the idea of him being a Villain within the show like idk what dynamics we were wanting to set up but i feel ike since he’s more reclusive than the others and when he is around hes Annoying he could be someone the show kinda frames as Not Likable which mostly doesnt bother him but . stings a little
plots   :  someone whos really nice 2 him off cam but plays to that villain thing on cam, which could work for a few muses on different levels like a friend whos just flighty to someone he’s ~ secretly dating ~ bc it would mess up the current plot of the show if they were fucking just yet
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sebongie-loves · 6 years
Text
dog cafe!mingyu
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mingyu is super cute qsadwb
enjoy! < 3 
the whole dog cafe thing honestly wouldn’t be happening without mingyu
kim mingyu is the epitome of puppies 
 he is a barista in this cafe or basically the one who’s in charge on making drinks 
AND DAMN THEY ARE GOOD 
when the cafe is full and his works on drinks are finished, he’d go to the kitchen helps jihoon and chan 
he does aim for higher 
but for now he’s enjoying his work very well 
seungcheol is very generous with the salary anyway so why not
spends hours innovating new drinks worth it 
the reason why he chose to work in seungcheol’s Cafe? 
dogs!!!!!!!! 
the dogs love him 
they love to stick with him like 
“YAH STOP I AM BRINGING OUT DRINKS” 
he is super clumsy 
which with the dogs it drives him insane 
but he likes it
so he’s in constant confusion between
“lEAVE ME ALONE BUT I LOVE YOU STAY WITH ME”
often stays with wonwoo the dog care taker before the cafe opens
mostly because wonwoo thinks mingyu is better with dog that he does
even though mingyu is like a big puppy
mingyu loves his drinking station so much 
you can find him overworking just to clean up his station
at first, seungcheol be waiting for him until the poor guy fell asleep
but now seungcheol just like “f that here’s the key come first in the morning or else i’ll dirt the station myself”
what kind of owner is that but yeah so
mingyu often leaves last and comes first
when he comes first, he’d prepping the drinks but after he is done he’s just bored
he offers wonwoo to help to walk the dogs and wonwoo gladly takes the offer
so he’s enjoying the morning breezes with cute puppies
cAN U IMAGINE THAT I MEAN ISNT THAT THE CUTETSYSHJDGEHSIUYEGDHBWSJ ok sorry
this cute drinks maker is really serious with his jobs tho
he wants everyone to enjoy his drinks 
the cafe has this stalls, infront of his station, like the one in bars 
so if the people only wants some coffee or cakes and free wifi and alone, there ya go
it’s jeonghan’s idea inspired by a bar 
considering beside the dogs the cafe actually does sell good cakes and nice coffees
so one day,
you are finishing your assignment 
and the wifi is being a bitch so you decided to go on a small trip to a nearby cafe
the dog cafe
you often went there obviously
but never been alone
this time you got no choice but to go alone so there you are
sitting on one of the stalls 
you’re messy af 
well, cannot blame anything but the essays you need to submit by tonight so
you don’t even care anymore
the cafe was busy like it always does 
but as the night goes by, the cafe goes quiter
you’re still there though
mingyu just got back from helping the kitchen is now cleaning on his stuffs like what he always do
then he spotted you
“wwwwwwwwwwwow.”
his jaws drop 
he was starstruck
smitten by you
fecdgsqhjoipiuygqhwospxagfchjkopxsbjdkopsxkzbvhjkojsxb idk why that moment just need a keyboard smashing
he is looking at you for the whole night but ofc you don’t notice him at all because of tHAT GODDAMN ASSIGNMENT
however the cafe needs to close for the night
without you realizing, you’re the only one left
so jeonghan called mingyu 
“can you tell that person we’re closing? it’s late, the meeting gonna starts soon.”
mingyu nods but in his head it is a battle between excitement and he’s scared and he’s shy
nothing he can do tho, it’s his jOB AFTERALL
so with confident steps he goes up to you
and pokes your shoulder with his pointy figure
“uhh, s-sorry but we need to close down. . . . . “
you look at him and look him straight in his eyes
ofc he’s hot and stuffs but you yourself is overwhelmed by all of that assignment so like you can’t even care 
“oh shit, really?” you take a glance at the time and it was late. 
10 past 10 minutes YALL AHAHAHHAHAHAHA SORRY
BUT
whether this is a bad or good luck you had no idea but your assignment has still not done yet
it gets you thinking 
would it be shameless if you asked to stay for a little longer? 
“uuh sorry, but i reaally need to use the wifi. just for a little longer, is it fine? can i talk to your manager?”
mingyu is taken back and loses his focus for a couple seconds but luckily, he’s got back to his senses pretty quick
“oh, i’d talk to the manager!”
by talk, he means beg at jeonghan like
“PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE”
seungcheol sees this and being the nice owner he is, he lets you to stay for a little longer
so you did stay a little longer
too long even
the meeting ended up early tonight and mingyu sees you still not done with your assignment 
so he comes up to seungcheol saying things like 
“hey, i wanna make new drinks i’m gonna stay late”
everyone left beside you, mingyu and the dogs that are sleeping or playing on their living space
when he’s making drinks, he takes some shy glances at you
he makes you a drink
“here for you.”
this time, you are the one that is surprised
how can you not? you’re using the cafe’s wifi when everyone is gone and got free drinks
is this a cafe or a charity place
“b but? i’m being a nuisance here.”
mingyu smiles at you and just like giving you a hand gesture like ‘nah that’s fine drink it’
you realized 
damn this boi is C  U   TE   E E E 
“it’s on me”
“thank you”
after a couple while you’re finally done with your works
you see mingyu, dozing off in his personal chair 
it makes you feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel bad
what can you do though?
you poke him
a couple time until he finally gets his consciousness back
“ah you’re done?” he looks at you and smiles 
your heart skips a beat
for once, tonight, you finally realized you look like a mess but like there’s a handsome guy infront of you 
“i’m sorry for staying late..”
“well, in exchange can i know your name and phone number?”
he asks with his cute grins and slightly flushed cheeks eydhujoiuygdhs
“i’m y/n!” 
“mingyu! now, phone number?” he chuckles. “i’m just kidding though, are you going now?”
but you ended up writing on the piece of paper you have laying around and finally left
you two ended up being kind of close
like lowkey
BUT STILL CLOSE?
non-stop texting, shy glances everytime you’re in the cafe, “the drink is on me” kind of thing
the boys are like ;)))))))
so one day, wonwoo
the one that really cares about mingyu but hides it like crazy
with the plans that the other 11 guys have, talked to you
saying stuffs like, hey i cant be around tommorow to walk the dogs and mingyu usually comes first can u help him u r the only one plsplsplsplsplsp
so you did 
why not tho doggies are cute
mingyu doesn’t know what’s coming at him but when wonwoo tells him he cannot be around he’s like yeah sure bro
his jaw drops and his eyes widen when mingyu sees you in the morning
“wHY ARE YOU HERe???”
“WONWOO TOLD ME TO COME WHY ARE YOU BEING LIKE THIS I’M HERE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME BUT I FEEL SO ATTACKED RN”
mingyu does realize what wonwoo’s trying to do 
because he used to do this when seungcheol with his patner are still friends
you two ended up walking the dogs for a couple minutes early because when it’s usually just mingyu it takes longer since he’s alone
you + doggos + morning breeze 
what could make mingyu happier at this point
so he confessed 
“wait you like me?”
“wait you don’t like me back?”
“NO! that’s not what i mean”
“SO WHAT DO YOU MEA-- WAIT THE DOG IS BITING MY LEG”
mingyu and you come back to the cafe as a couple like the cutest thing
you two are the fluffiest and the cutest
young love oh young love
you often accompany mingyu during his late night works for wifi no jk
and play with dogs 
and tasting his drinks
mingyu makes a few drinks inspired by you ofc
like, if he’s an artist, you are his muse
he named it after you and it’s all cringy and greasy and you know he gonna regrets it later but like yeah you in the future deserve it : )))
when you cannot be around him during the night, he’d visit your place
showing of his cooking skills 
mingyu gives you the warmest, longest, and the most comfy hug ever!!!
“hey i’m gonna earn lots of money and buy us an apartment together and let’s adopt lots of puppies and doggies!!!!!!!!!!!”
so to end this, 
you two’s relationship is the cutest and the most cringy and romantic
mingyu is a big puppy that always affectionate towards you and you love him to death and he does too and he’s good at everything and you need him in your life so you cherish him and again, he does that too 
other members: seungcheol  - jisoo - wonwoo - minghao - hansol
sorry if that gets too long bUT MINGYU IS SOOOOOOOOOO CUTE SO
THANK YOU FOR READING! < 3 
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comicteaparty · 6 years
Text
September 6th, 2018 CTP Archive
The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on September 6th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on MORBIDITY by Charu.
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Featured Comment:
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Chat:
RebelVampire
COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!
Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing MORBIDITY by Charu~! (https://tapas.io/series/MORBIDITY)
Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!
QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?
Superjustinbros
Ello!
RebelVampire
good day, SJ
Superjustinbros
Good day to you as well
RebelVampire
lets see, i think not so much a full scene, but one of my favorite moments is when Yuuto asks Keagan why Keagan let him in if Keagan doesn't recognize him. and keagan just has the best expression while saying he wonders himself. it was such a great insert of comedy in that moment that i couldnt help but laugh. i also think it was kind of a great showcase for keagan's personality as well
Superjustinbros
https://tapas.io/episode/1111726 I dunno why but I got a bit of a chuckle out of this scene
With how... sudden the tone changed
RebelVampire
i do enjoy how confused keagan looks in this part. i like the sense of ominous with that broken piece on the plant though. it screams with beautiful foreshadowing i hope at least.
Superjustinbros
Yeah
RebelVampire
ive also been enjoying how the recent chapter has been going. mostly with how its framed in that we never really get to see who i assume is ryo really. its focused on keagan and i like that it makes ryo seem a tad more mysterious
saetje
My favorite scene is definitely near the end of the content where Ryo starts freaking out/getting corrupted. I think it’s at that point we’re getting a sort of taste for a mood shift that’s going to be happening
Superjustinbros
I couldn't think of a good way to mention that little... episode earlier
but it definitely seems strange(edited)
saetje
I also agree I like that ryo is only seen through Keegan’s eyes right now. Solely focusing on Keegan’s perspective leaves ryo on a pedestal currently. I have a feeling we’re going to learn more about ryo later, but it’s smart to start us off through Kaegan’s eyes
RebelVampire
i like how with the whole mood shift that ryo was super accurate in that he was spoiling the mood. i particularly loved when yuuto caught up to ryo cause at that point just the sheer imagery and what was going on made me feel that the situation was truly dangerous
mathtans
I made it. ^^ Rebel, I liked that same scene, where Yuuto then remarks on how it's good he's trustworthy or whatnot.
Superjustinbros
MATH
mathtans
I didn't even notice the planet, whoa.
Hi all!
Superjustinbros
The end of the chapter looks like the start of some kind of crazy creepypasta(edited)
mathtans
Yuuto's attitude in general is pretty fun in my mind (okay if I play games?) but it definitely took a turn with the reactions towards the end. I think he didn't do his research on Keagan.
RebelVampire
haha it does kind of have a creepypasta vibe. i can picture the reddit thread for r/nosleep now. XD
to be fair to yuuto its been like 16 years so ryo would be a poor source of keagan info and maybe keagan is an internet hermit who doesnt even have facebook
saetje
I think it’s an interesting thought that kaegan’s attachment to Ryo is a little selfish. It seems as though it’s literally tethering Ryo’s ghost from moving on and putting his spirit (and others?) in danger, as well as ruining kaegan’s own relationships and life. Kaegan does seem quite overly obsessed(edited)
mathtans
It's possible. I wonder if Ryo was paying more attention to Keagan for a long time (either of his own volition or not) and only recently got his brother involved... then Yuuto didn't realize how bad things were.
seatje: Agreed. I wonder if maybe he was partly responsible for Ryo's death.
saetje
Oh that’s an interesting thought, math!
RebelVampire
yeah tbh i adore how grey it is. cause you could make an argument equally as valid in saying its selfish for ryo to ask keagan to move on. and i love that cause its what makes the conflict complicated and complex. cause there isnt one right answer cause you just cant make ppl feel things you want to feel at the drop of a hat.
saetje
So true
mathtans
I can't think of another good reason why he'd obsess that much. Even if they were lovers (which is kind of implied), I figure there has to be more to it...?
Yup, humans are a complex mess.
RebelVampire
nah they werent lovers cause huge age diff. i think the summary says it was a one-sided crush.
Superjustinbros
Right they are, math
RebelVampire
so theres def something fishy going on here
mathtans
I'm actually kind of reminded of a serial I wrote on a similar topic, which occurred to me as I was reading too. It's a good theme to build on.
saetje
I’m a little confused by the timeline- was kaegan young and just had a crush on an older ryo or did they get to a point of being consenting lovers?
Oh! Rebel answered
mathtans
Rebel: Ahh, good point, missed that. Guess I jumped to conclusions given the circumstances of when we first heard the name.
RebelVampire
“Nine year old Keagan had a onesided crush on eightteen year old Ryo. Then, Ryo died. Nearly sixteen years later Ryo's little brother Yuuto comes into Keagan's life to tell him to "get over Ryo's death".”
just so everyone can be on the same page
Superjustinbros
Thanks, Rebel.
RebelVampire
i take the implication to be that ryo died when keagan was 9
saetje
Okay, there you go! Thank you
RebelVampire
which man, props to keagan for A+ memory. i barely remember anything from when i was 9 XD
mathtans
Could still have been somewhat responsible though, even if young.
I barely remember things from last week sometimes. O.o
Superjustinbros
I remember a lot of things from my childhood
just saying
I practically remember how all the rooms in my house looked when I was that age
saetje
I was just thinking that, ha. Sixteen years is a long time to hold onto something, especially from childhood in such a strong way. But I guess it was also such a traumatic event for him, which tends to stick more too
Superjustinbros
and how my schools looked at the time I attended.
RebelVampire
yeah i guess if were being fair id have remembered a traumatic death. but it implies super closeness i think that goes beyond a one-sided crush. so theres definitely more to see there
QUESTION 2. While it’s clear that Keagan and Ryo had past history, a lot is left to question. How do you believe Keagan and Ryo met, especially considering their age difference? Why do you think Keagan crushed so hard on Ryo despite the age difference between them? Do you think the attachment to Ryo was born purely out of affection, or do you think there’s more to Keagan’s past that explains the attachment? Do you think the way Ryo died has something to do with why Keagan can’t move forward? Or is it something in general perhaps about Keagan’s past history with Ryo? Lastly, why do you think Keagan remembers Ryo so well but seems completely clueless about Yuuto?
gives self A+ for beautiful segway
mathtans
Or segue, even.
saetje
Oh that’s true- how could he not know yuuto?
mathtans
Maybe Yuuto's a half-brother?
saetje
I have a thought that yuuto may be a trans man? So perhaps he transitioned and presented as a girl on the past?
Superjustinbros
I wonder, if Ryo didn't die, would Keagan find it more easy to move forward?
mathtans
Yuuto's also younger, so maybe Ryo left home at 16 or something and didn't talk about his family.
saetje
Just feels as though the artist is fairly good at drawing anatomy of all sexes, not shying away from lgbt content, and yuuto seems intentionally more slender and androgynous. But it’s just a passing thought/hunch , I could be wrong
mathtans
On the topic of how they met... maybe they met online first? Or through some sort of spiritual connection? That could also explain the difficulty in letting go.
saetje
Yeah it’s also possible he never met Yuuto?
Superjustinbros
What was technology like back when Keagan was younger
I wonder
mathtans
Saeje: Could be, I guess based on some of the Q&A stuff I just see him as a guy with his own style.
Superjustinbros
Cause when I was that age the internet was like, brand new
mathtans
That who never met Yuuto, Keagan or Ryo himself?
saetje
Ah, I tend to skim q&a stuff so it’s possible I missed some key character insights
RebelVampire
dont discount the trans theory. never impossible. and i assume theyre following our time line so internet was probably like it was 16 years ago.
i feel like keagan must of met yuuto tho
just cause yuuto showed up thinking keagan would obviously know him somehow
and if they never met there is no reason for yuuto to assume that
and in all honesty it seems most likely that keagan met ryo through yuuto
just cause yuuto and keagan seem closer in age maybe
mathtans
I guess I just assumed that the "would obviously know" part came from the fact that if you're obsessing over a guy for 15+ years, you'd look into his family. Come to think, maybe they met at the funeral and Keegan simply doesn't recall that.
Assuming that there was a funeral, and it's not a case of Ryo's body vanishing after being murdered by an evil demon that Keagan unleashed upon the world.
saetje
just found this on the 'q&a' section, but might not be canon:(edited)
mathtans
(Oh no, new channel, I can't do my trolling face...)
Superjustinbros
Dawwww!!!
saetje
so I'm probably wrong aaand! I guess they did know each other, but it's just likely Kaegan didn't recognize him right away. I mean his style did change quite a lot
mathtans
Right, I saw that, I guess I didn't immediately think it was an actual photo as much as an artist rendering.
RebelVampire
ah yeah i was just gonna point that image out from the Q&A!
mathtans
Yuuto dyes the hair now.
Superjustinbros
well people do change a lot when they age
mathtans
I wonder if he went into the practice in part because of whatever happened to Ryo.
Maybe it used to be Ryo's thing.
Now gotta pick up the slack in the family.
RebelVampire
yeah to be fair if yuuto and keagan lost contact, of course he probably doesnt recognize yuuto after 16 years old.
Superjustinbros
Exactly
saetje
yeah
RebelVampire
and yuuto is silly in retrospect to expect that. but hard to say what the nature of the relationship was
maybe keagan and yuuto were bestest friends, yuuto introduced keagan to ryo, and then keagan was like "who are you im busy crushing on this cool older fellow"
saetje
It's not improbable they (kaegan and yuuto) were friends first, and Kaegan just crushed real bad on the older brother, which would also make sense why it was so one-sided but they would also be hanging out (as he was probably hanging out with/chaperoning his little brother, and consequently his little brother's friends as well)(edited)
mathtans
Maybe it's something a bit more supernatural. Like, Keagan tried some sort of "forget" spell on Ryo but it backfired so much that he forgot Yuuto instead.
RebelVampire
thatd be tragic, tho would be more likely itd be yuuto doing the spell casting.
albeit to this notion of keagan and yuuto being friends, we dont really see yuuto in the flashbacks so far so its also possible something else was going on. like ryo was keagan's tutor or something
im gonna go out on a limb and suspect that keagan did not have a happy home life
and thus the attachment to ryo cause ryo was an adult who was showing him kindness
mathtans
That's a very good thought.
Interesting how in the bit of flashback we've seen, Ryo is trying to get Keagan to skate on his own, metaphor for life?
Superjustinbros
Oh yea
That would traumatize someone, seeing an adult that they once loved died
RebelVampire
oh ya know what, i wasnt even reading that scene metaphorically. good catch, math~!
metaphorically i certainly is very telling of what keagan is feeling
mathtans
Seems like even back then, before Ryo died, Keagan had issues. Tied in with your unhappy home life thing.
Superjustinbros
^
RebelVampire
but im just taking a stab in the dark tbf. i just feel like theres gotta be more than one-sided crush. and that ryo's death is tied up in personal demons
albeit you could be right that keagan somehow caused ryo's death
mathtans
Keagan introduced the cat, not knowing about the deadly cat allergy.
RebelVampire
has it been stated how ryo died?
mathtans
If so, I missed it.
I just offer up my crazy theories.
RebelVampire
i dont recall either so how ryo died could have a lot to do with things even if keagan didnt cause it
QUESTION 3. The entire plot of the comic is essentially based around one question: will Keagan be able to move on from Ryo? What do you think is holding Keagan back exactly? Is it fear of the future without Ryo, true love, or some sort of inner demon? Do you think Keagan is sincere when he says he has tried to move on, or do you suspect self-sabotage? Even if Keagan gets over Ryo, do you think Ryo will successfully be able to move on? How do you even think Keagan might get over Ryo? Also, what do you think Yuuto and/or Suzy’s role if any might be in helping him move forward? Finally, do you have any theories in general for future events of the comic?
mathtans
I feel like it's one of those things where after you move on, you're worried you'll forget details... which is true enough. But Keagan's got himself so tied up in it that he might forget things about himself. I don't know that it's anything external.
RebelVampire
oh ya know what, i never thought of it from that perspective. that he doesnt want to move on cause hes afraid of all the memories vanishing in the breeze
mathtans
Also, I think Keagan might have tried to move on in the past, but after it didn't work a couple times he just goes through the motions now to appease others around him.
Not just memories of Ryo, but memories of how happy he was back then. Maybe the happiest he'd ever been?
Superjustinbros
Perhaps
Then again it can be hard to move on form something
and even if you do, memories of what happened can still haunt you(edited)
RebelVampire
tbf this makes me reconsider that maybe keagan's attachment is not bred from a bad past, but a lackluster present.
Superjustinbros
That could be the case
RebelVampire
in that maybe keagan has continually had life issues that have made him cling to that happiness
like what does keagan do for a living even O_O maybe he missed out on dat dream job
mathtans
Could be a bit of both.
Maybe he's an insurance salesman.
"Please buy this life insurance... I have this whole story about how sad people will be if you die..."
RebelVampire
spirit insurance. if only yuuto had come to him sooner, yuuto couldve gotten ryo's spirit state ensured. yuuto is gonna miss out on that sweat afterlife policy money now
in regards to keagan's sincerity in trying to move on, i actually think it was subconscious self-sabotage. so in that he was doing everything he was told mentally and physically, but there was that small tiny part of his brain continually whispering how nothing would ever be right again without ryo
mathtans
Which reminds me, I wonder where Yuuto had to go to get the stone.
There probably was some self-sabotage, or at least Ryo seemed keen on calling him on that.
Maybe Yuuto was guided to find the stone by Ryo...? Wait, no, because Ryo didn't even think it would work. We're not sure what any of their day jobs are, are we?
RebelVampire
well yuuto said he was a spirit medium. albeit doesnt mean thats a career technically speaking. idk if being a spirit medium can pay these days without people staring and accusing you of being a fraud. or ya know if you get a reality tv show.
cleary the entire comic is just a tv show hoax so yuuto can become the most prolific spirit medium on tv
mathtans
A spirit medium's rare.
He seems to know what he's doing though. I wonder if Ryo sought him out for that reason, or if it's just a freebie for the family.
Superjustinbros
Now that'd be quite a twist
RebelVampire
that or ryo just had nowhere to go. i mean its like theres much to do as a ghost i imagine
cause you cant touch things or anything
or talk to anyone
you just float around and look at stuff
but considering the cover to chapter 1, i will say that its not just keagan holding ryo back. cause ryo is clearly chained to both yuuto and keagan and i dont think yuuto has quite moved on himself.
mathtans
Oh, that's an interesting point with the visual. Does the chaining work both ways, I wonder, or is it a matter of Yuuto's moved on but is still linked to Ryo out of necessity?
Ghost karaoke might be pretty neat.
Superjustinbros
Poor Ryo :<
For real tho ghost karaoke sounds metal as heck(edited)
mathtans
As far as the future of the comic goes, I figure we'll see the results of a spirit being darkened somehow, either directly or in the history books or something.
RebelVampire
oooooh
did not consider that but i hope thats the case
that we actually get to see a vengeful spirit not ryo
cause i feel like keagan is the type who goes by the mantra seeing is believing
in the sense that yuuto will tell him, keagan will be like "suuuure"
and then vengeful spirit will be seen and keagan will be like "RYO NOOOOOO"
mathtans
"You see this building?" "No." "That's because a ghost KNOCKED IT DOWN." "Ahhhh!" ^.^
Do you think Ryo can see other spirits? Like, would have an idea of what's happening to himself? Or is it not obvious internally?
RebelVampire
idk about seeing other spirits but maybe? i do think ryo has some idea about whats happening to him tho. cause i get the impression that its not so much the spirit ceases to be themselves as it is that they become engulfed in their own emotional vengence and can think of nothing else
mathtans
Ryo: "Look, the ghost of Christmas Future."
RebelVampire
but dont quote me on that, cause theres a lot to be learned about spirits
mathtans
Ooh, emotional vengence is an interesting one... do you think Ryo might hurt Keagan? (And that Keagan would just totally take it?)
RebelVampire
QUESTION 4. Events in the comic come about solely because of the actions of the mysterious Yuuto. Do you believe Yuuto’s motivations are purely to protect his brother’s spirit, or do you think he might be up to something else? How do you think Yuuto wound up becoming a spirit medium? Was it family tradition, a career choice for Yuuto to connect with spirits (and his brother by extension), or was it happenstance? Considering it’s been 16 years, why do you think Yuuto waited so long to come to Keagan? Did Ryo’s spirit only come to Yuuto’s attention recently, or did Yuuto feel no need to take action until Ryo was becoming a vengeful spirit? Additionally, why do you think Ryo has been stable as a spirit over all those years and is only now coming undone? What consequences would there be if Ryo became a vengeful spirit at the end?
RebelVampire
if ryo became of vengful spirit then yes
cause the vengful part implies vengence
and clearly the vengence is gonna be aimed at the ppl not letting you move on
Superjustinbros
Well it's part of the name
mathtans
Could just be aimed at humans in general. Or for that matter, at spirit mediums, maybe that's part of the reason Yuuto's motivated. Doesn't want ghosts messing up his profession.
RebelVampire
could be. it actually would also depend how mindful of vengful spirit is. cause if theyre driven by pure emotion than they might not be consciously able to target their hurt and just lash out at anyone
mathtans
Also, maybe Ryo hasn't been stable as a spirit over all those years? Maybe he was more etherial, and it's only in the last year or so that he's been able to manifest himself to Yuuto.
RebelVampire
that could be
Superjustinbros
Seems like that could be the case, @mathtans
He's never been stable cause he's had someone latching onto him for years
even in death
He can never escape affection
RebelVampire
or ya know, we have no idea how long yuuto has been a medium
maybe yuuto has literally been a medium for all of 2 weeks
and just happens to be smug about it XD
mathtans
He graduated from being a small last year.
Maybe he's not even the most powerful medium in town, just the one most connected? Keagan might seek out others for more information.
I wonder if Ryo can possess people, now that he's levelling up.
saetje
That would be scary
I’m interested to know how like a corrupted ghost like ryo could/will harm those around them
mathtans
Oh! Maybe Keagan is just a prognosticator, because Ryo is going to possess Suzy, and that's why he used the name at the start.
"I have foreseen this."
Superjustinbros
Guess this is gonig further into the idea that this story's gonna get a lot more creepier
mathtans
I think it can still be lighthearted though. In fact, that makes some of the other moments (a la Release Me) all the more eye opening.
Superjustinbros
Yea
good point
RebelVampire
possession would certainly be quite dangerous. though idk how that fulfills vengence. unless the plan is to possess keagan, spend all keagan's money, and then roll out
Superjustinbros
Christ
that's cold
mathtans
"I spent it all on potato chips."
Superjustinbros
I would totally do that
RebelVampire
if im going to assume yuuto is actually also chaining ryo to the mortal plane, i actually want to assume ryo has been around for a while and yuuto himself just didnt want to do anything about it. and was like "nah its fine well get you to move on soon bro lets spend time together." and only now when ryo is going crazy is yuuto like "oops"
but this begs a question suddenly
how the heck did they even know its keagan's fault?
like is there magic ghost senses going on here?
are they just visiting everyone who knew ryo and accusing them?
Superjustinbros
All this time I was thinking "who is this ghost boy just chilling around everyone" until I noticed it's Ryo
mathtans
I suppose I just figured that Ryo would know who was tying him down/thinking of him.
Given the need to have the stone, I don't think they'd be walking around semi-randomly.
I'm also not convinced that Yuuto is tying him down. Maybe he's just acting as an anchor, like, to keep you from getting pulled way over there to the dark places, hold onto a piece of me.
Superjustinbros
I can see that
mathtans
Though it could have morphed into something else over all this time.
Maybe even something neither of them see.
What with both of them wearing glasses.
Superjustinbros
Lol
mathtans
Actually, any comments on art style? I'm very bad for really noticing that stuff. Nice shading though?
Superjustinbros
It's got some good shading, I'll say.
Backgrounds aren't super detailed but that's alright since they're not the focus
https://tapas.io/episode/1089748 Though some of the more trippy ones like these are cool
mathtans
Spirit craziness.
Superjustinbros
Playing with spirits is some really trippy stuff
"What kind of drugs are you taking"
mathtans
That androgynous look that sae brought up is a good point too; I can see it, but Yuuto still comes across as male (and in the genderbend art for q&a as female).
RebelVampire
visually i think the comic stands out most when the tone shifts to the creepy. cause thats when the effects really are A+ and just capture that nice unsettling feel
Superjustinbros
Exactly
saetje
I think the art is pretty good! Artist has a good eye for anatomy, I appreciate the character designs.
I agree the art style is neat when it gets creepy
Superjustinbros
Anatomy especially
Plus the creepy stuff is out of place that it can surprise the viewer when comparing it to the comic's normal art
saetje
Yeah, they vary their body types and really understand anatomy! Very solid character construction
Superjustinbros
Indeed
saetje
Ohh yeah good point Superjustinbros
It sort of gives this vibe of duality
Superjustinbros
Indeed
Like you got a normal world
and a creepy spiritual one
like dimensional rifts between two universes that don 't belong
saetje
Yeah!
mathtans
I liked seeing how some of the character designs shifted in the behind the scenes stuff.
As for my usual shipping thoughts.... hmmm... Suzy and Yuuto? He did feel bad for her. ^.-
saetje
He also seemed to check her out walking up the stairs
RebelVampire
i do hope suzy has a role in this because at the very least i hope she gets her underwear back XD
saetje
Ha! Also bras are expensive so, yeah, definitely.
mathtans
Oh, right! That little whistle.
Superjustinbros
Gotta go for that underwear! XD
saetje
She needs those back
Superjustinbros
Definitely
mathtans
It's interesting that Yuuto has an earring which is an inverted cross too, I think.
Superjustinbros
Well this is the last minute, so I'd like to say good luck to charuchii on continuing the comic.
mathtans
I'm all for more Suzy partly to see if she has some girl friends she talks to as well. Normal people.
Superjustinbros
It was fun chatting~
mathtans
It's a very interesting premise!
RebelVampire
COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!
Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Charu, as well, for making MORBIDITY. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Charu’s efforts however you’re able to~!
Read and Comment: https://tapas.io/series/MORBIDITY
Charu’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/charuchii
Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club
Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about Gemini Journey by Tracy MacLauchlan & Yesenia Carrero. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, September 13th, from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!
Comic’s Main Site: http://geminijourney.com/
Comic’s LINE Webtoon Mirror: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/gemini-journey/list?title_no=111693
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