#but people are obviously buying them anyway so who knows

[dairy-farmer]

I've thought about the consequences of Damian killing Tim and Jason killing Tim. It just occurred to me that I've never thought about the consequences of Dick killing Tim.

It's going to be very OOC obviously but imagine Dick having the worst breakdown the Bats have ever seen. Absolutely love it when Dick gets one.

Anyways, the Bats tell Dick it was an accident. But was it? Was it really? It probably was but the guilt and horror eats Dick up so much he goes insane.

Ooohh!!! Just had an idea!! You know about those stories or news of people going into shock after they discover their loved ones' death and then they go about their day like nothing happened at all??

Dick does that. No one was there to see Dick strangle his little brother to death. No one was there to save them both. No one was there to see Tim crying and using up the last of his breath just so he could tell his brother he forgives him. So no one was there when snaps out of whatever made him kill his little brother and his immediate descent into insanity.

He tells himself that, Oh, Timmy passed out. Been telling him to get some sleep before he falls asleep on patrol. He bridal carries Tim and takes him home to his Nest. He tells everyone that Timmy fell asleep on their stakeout and that he's taking him home.

He bathes him and clothes him for bed. He talks to Tim the whole time until he falls asleep next to Tim on the bed. When he wakes up the next day, he still won't register that Tim is dead. To him, Tim was just tired that's why he slept for so long. The next days, he remains in denial. He tells himself that Tim is sick or just tired and he tells the bats the same thing. He ignores the black spots forming on his brother's skin or the smell of decay that permeates the room.

Although he gets cold and it can't be very good for Timmy as well to have the room as cold as a meat freezer, he still does it although he doesn't know why. The few times Dick goes out, he buys flowers and fills Tim's room with the scent of them. Dick talks to Tim the whole time, waiting and not waiting for Tim to respond.

When the bats finally came for a visit 2 weeks later, they find their decaying bodies. Dick clutches on to his brother's body who never returned his embrace. Autopsy shows that Tim was strangled and the handprints belonged to the man who died from hypothermia cuddling the corpse of the brother he killed.

Honestly wanted this to be a scenario where Dick lives and faces consequences but this got away from me lol.

-🦆

oh accidentally killing tim would absolutely DESTROY dick psychologically 🥺

he freaked out bad when he thought he'd killed the joker but killing tim? there's no way he' be able to cope with the reality and so the only way his brain could possibly protect him would be to enter a psychosis where tim was still alive.

#answered asks #asks #anonymous

[misc-obeyme]

If the bros worked in a nightclub, what roles would they have, along with their stage names? Oh, and today is my birthday! I just wanted to share it with you🥳💕

Happy birthday, anon!!

Um, so I might not be the best person to ask about nightclub related things... I haven't been to many of them. I am an introverted homebody lol.

I'm not sure what you mean by roles? Like what kinda jobs they'd have if they worked at a nightclub?

Because if that's what you mean, then I can tell you what I think they'd all do! And I'm gonna say that Asmo just came up with stage names for all of them because he felt like it, no matter what they end up doing.

Asmo is absolutely on stage. No question about it. Whether he's singing or pole dancing or doing drag or whatever, that guy's the center of attention! Stage name: I kinda think he'd go for the single name. It's just straight up ASMODEUS. Probably stylized all in caps like that, too.

Beel is the bouncer. Not working the door, but watching things on the inside. Big and quiet and can easily pick up rowdy demons and toss them outside without a second look. Stage name: I kinda think Asmo could talk him into doing pole dancing. Because you know, it's super athletic and requires a lot of strength. I kinda feel like it'd end up being something about his muscles. Mr. Buffington perhaps. LOL. I dunno how serious these stage names are. Beel would probably be like uhhhh I'm just Beel.

Mammon is the finance guy. Most of the time, he's just crunching numbers, but when the club is in action, he's out on the dance floor, just kinda bringing some ambiance with his enthusiastic personality. Yeah, he might be trying to get people to buy the most expensive drinks, but he's also having the time of his life so nobody minds. Stage name: I like the idea that Mammon regularly gets into his dame outfit. Either straight up calls himself Goldie or something like... Lady Grimm. LOL!

Satan is bar tending. I don't know why, but I just think he'd be good at it. And he's probably the most competent one to be handling all that booze anyway. Lucifer would probably do a good job, but he can't be trusted around the Demonus. Stage name: because Asmo makes him wear cat ears all the time, he's obviously going to be something like Kitty Meow Meow. Anyone who actually calls him this gets decked.

Levi is handling all the tech. Stage lights? Fog machine? Audio equipment? This guy is on it! Hides most of the time and plays video games when he's not needed. Hates being out in the main area so hides in vip lounges all the time. Stage name: Lord of Shadows! Asmo can come up with whatever cutesy thing he wants, but Levi won't go by anything else. It doesn't matter because he would never actually be on stage so Asmo lets it be.

Belphie helps out with bar tending. He's too sleepy to partake of too much alcohol, it'd just make him sleepier. But he's smart and he's good at keeping an eye out for creepers trying to roofie drinks. He looks like he's not paying attention, but he notices everything. Subtly lets Beel know when there's a creeper that needs to be escorted out. Stage name: because I like the idea that Belphie will also sometimes do the dame thing and then he just goes by Belle - simple, elegant, and Asmo approved.

Lucifer oversees everything. He's the manager, of course. Makes sure everybody else is doing what they're supposed to. Hires extra muscles for Beel when needed. Only has the best demons working the door. Books musical gigs when Asmo's not performing. Keeps himself away from the alcohol and the Anti Lucifer League lol. Stage name: only on rare occasions does Lucifer do anything that would require a stage name and then he goes by Morningstar. Asmo's so awestruck he wouldn't even dream of protesting.

OKAY well I did my best lol. I'm sorry if this isn't really what you were looking for! You can always send me another ask with more detail on what exactly you're thinking of. But yeah, my knowledge of this stuff is lacking in general.

Either way, I hope you had a fabulous birthday, anon!

#can you tell I almost never go to nightclubs #probably #I think it's pretty obvious lol #obey me #obey me nightbringer #obey me brothers #anon asks #misc answers

[eepybogboy]

so i had heard that some of the newer releases of Monster High dolls were being made with a different type of hair fiber and that a lot of people were upset about this.

i did not, until last night, realize exactly how bad it is.

i had some of the original MH dolls as a kid, but i wasnt able to tap into the collecting hobby until i had become an adult, years after my old toys had already been donated (a tragedy, but not really the point) and before the new reboot was launched. so my doll collecting hobby really began with Rainbow High. i loved that they came with a second outfit, they had long, soft, styleable hair, and they had substance to their bodies! unlike barbie dolls, RH has curves and weight in your hand when you hold them. i thought that was awesome.

anyway. i knew that RH didnt use the saran hair that barbie often used, and that mattel used for MH back in the day and in the reboot. being new to the concept of different types of hair, it didnt matter much to me. i could see the pros and cons of both saran and the type of hair RH used.

now, recently, i tried to buy Skulltimate Secrets Draculaura for my roommate for their birthday, and amazon let me wait a whole month for them to ship it before saying, just kidding, we dont have it, heres your money back. RUDE AS HELL!

well fine. now the SS Fearidescent is out, so ill just get them that one instead. i see in the reviews that her hair type is different, they voice disappointment but ultimately shes still cute and theres not a lot that we, as consumers, can do about it except maybe complain.

and im thinking, whatever, im used to RH hair anyway, and yeah its more staticky but its still pretty soft, so how bad could it be?

well, she came in the mail yesterday, and we were pretty disappointed at just how bad it could be.

ive come to realize that RH hair is not made of polypropylene, the new material theyre giving MH as of this line (ive heard that theyve given g3 clawdeen this type of hair before, which is a whole other can of worms that isnt one of the points of this post), but for rainbow high they generally use Nylon (correct me if im wrong) which is still cheaper and less authentic to real hair than saran, but is still generally pretty soft.

ive never had a doll with pin straight hair (and almost no styling product) feel this BAD in my hands. its coarse, lightweight, and easy to frizz, just from a quick finger comb. i soaked her in hot water and conditioner, and shes only a little bit softer.

i had my partner, who, besides being supportive of my hobbies and listening to me talk about it, knows next to nothing about the differences between types of dolls, feel the difference between the first g3 Drac, RH Karma Nichols, and Fearidescent Drac. on a few quick comparative touches, they noted that saran feels the most like real hair, while RH nylon feels kinda soft but not quite as nice. then they touched new Drac, and all they said was, "ah. depression."

i didnt have my hopes up at all but my expectations were still shattered. i legitimately didnt realize it was this bad. the downgrade is Immense. ive seen people rag on RH hair, and this is WORSE. i seriously cant believe how much worse it is. i didn't think mattel would make a $30 Beloved Brand Name doll with all those accessories and give her DOLLAR STORE KNOCKOFF HAIR, but i guess thats on me for holding a corporation to any sort of production standard in 2023 🙃

anyway, all this is to say, hair fiber snobs, im so sorry and i get it now. this shit sucks.

#my only hope is that MAYBE mattel will see everyone complaining about it and realize they can't keep getting away with it #but people are obviously buying them anyway so who knows #if the monster ball line has poly hair im gonna be so fuckin mad legitimately #why would they do us like this #the SS drac i wanted originally has saran hair #but EVERYONE wants her so she's been at scalper prices on amazon CONSTANTLY and i cant find her at target at all #if this shit continues ima have to go back to my Discount at walmart. fuck. #im not shelling out $30 for a doll they cut corners on. #playing with their hair is half the reason i like having dolls #the other half is the clothes #but petting their hair is a sensory stim for me and they literally ruined it #the straight haired RH dolls are my favorites because theyre so silky #even if they do get staticky if i brush them too much. at least the fibers are smooth #i didnt realize id be so upset about this but i also didnt realize it would be this fucking bad #anyway. #monster high #rainbow high #dolls #mh #rh #monster high skulltimate secrets #monster high fearidescent #draculaura #monster high draculaura #doll collector #📝

[spiritofjustice]

i don't hold it against any customer who chooses to buy a book off of Amazon rather than B&N because of pricing or availability but you don't need to tell us that. cause we'll say it's fine 'cause of course it is, it's your money and what works best for you, but most of us are internally like (go fuck yourself) about it BHSDH

Amazon is a fucking monster in the bookselling world. they're destroying the publishing industry. most bookstores hate them ya know, so we don't really wanna hear about it is all

#psy's no punctuation posts #i think especially cause some customers have this utter smugness about choosing amazon bcs they have better prices #ya no shit they're cheaper. they don't sell books for what they're worth and they screw over authors in doing so #like obviously it's fine if you buy from Amazon!! lower prices in this economy are huge but they're a terrible company insofar as the impac #they have on book publishing n bookstores #and it's funny because BARNES AND NOBLE used to be that! but now they're like the underdog #don't get me wrong they're a shitty corporate company like any other but it's so funny how B&N is now the one #fighting for its life against a company that's consuming its competition #B&N has the benefit of being inherently local to any area #because it's run by people who live there. the book choices are often dictated by us. we love those books and we believe in them #vs. an unfeeling algorithm online ya know #anyways i'll get off my soapbox i really don't care i just get annoyed hearing 'i'll use amazon :)' sometimes

[splatoonmaster69]

.

#vent time #so out of the 6 people im gonna invite to my birthday only 2 of them are people i want there #the rest are just cuz i dont wanna be a fucking asshole #more than that if you include my siblings cuz i want my sibling there but i dont want my little brother #anyways but yeah the 2 people i actually want there are my best friends and i love them and if they disnt wanna come id straight up cancel #theres my friend from school who i want to be there but i know her and one of my best friends wouldnt get along #my friend from schools friend who i hang out w enough that i should invite them but who i dont know that well #and who would absolutely get in a fight with said best friend that wouldnt get along with them whcih is not something i wanna deal with #theres best friends friend who is kindof my friend but i havent talked to him enough in years for him to feel like a friend #hut i invited him last year so it would be weird to not invite him #and then theres my friend who like. gets along well enough with my best friends but just #hes fun to hang out with but i cannot trust him to not make me cry and i am not crying at my birthday party 2 years in a row #and then if we count siblings my sibling obviously i want there theyre fun and actually care and shit #but my little brother. frankly i dont want him around my friends at all since that time he took his shirt off #and laid down in front of the tv. while my friends were there. right in front of them. #which is gross as hell but even if we ignore that he is so fucking horrible to be around all of the time #he would actively try to cause the one thing that is not supposed to happen at this party(me crying) #but if i tell him to stay in the bedroom while my friends are there im being mean and a bad brother and blah blah blah #if i wanna go extra far i dont even want my dad there beyond him buying to food since he absolutely doesnt care about me not crying #but even though i only want 3 of these people there all of them have to be there because otherwise im being mean #just thinking about it kinda makes me feel like crying tbh because i dont think ill even have the energy for that many people #but not inviting any one of them would be me being a huge fucking asshole #i hate it really really genuinely #id almost rather not have a party but my sibling would get upset and think its their fault #plus frankly. i want pizza #which is probably the worst reason to have a party but who cares #its even worse cuz the only day i can do it is a day when i work so i get to come home w an exhausted social battery #and then a few hours later immediately deal with 6 extra people in the house #and because theres 6 people none of them will even wanna talk to me because i am always always always the least favorite friend #so ill just. what. sit there. maybe play kindom hearts or eyes of heaven if i want attention so bad im willing to get it thru being mocked

[tatoasting]

Hehe, I really like them <3

#hollow #I'm a fucking idiot and I'm going to drive over an hour to pick them up. bring them back to my house. #and then drop them back off at their house over an hour away. the next day. #I am about to drive like 6 hours in the span of two days just so I can spend time with them I'm literally so insane for this #I dont even like. know how to drive. #thats a lie but I'm not very confident and its a little scary but I'm gonna do it #and I didnt tell them the real reason I'm doing this #I said its so they can come to boardgame night with my friends but really its because my sister is buying pizza for it #and I know they've been craving pizza but have no money at all right now #plus I'm hoping they get along with my friends so they can have more people in their life that they maybe care about #I know only having me to talk to is taking a toll on them bc like. obviously. I'm only one person!...kinda #idk I just want to give them the world but this is all I can do right now so I'm going to do it #plus then we can fall asleep together #AND we could watch OTGW!!! #and plus also I'm planning on bringing home icecream from work for them! #and cooking pasta for them #just. so they have food to eat for once #I literally hate doing nice things for people so much who even am I anymore #anyway literally all we talked about today were our favorite shapes #which is cute idk! #their favorite is a circle and mine is a semicircle and idk I just. I like that

[lisztig]

how are there so many people buying easels just to use them as decoration??? like what are you trying to achieve? are you trying to fool people into thinking you're artsy????? PUT YOUR ACTUAL HOBBIES ON DISPLAY?

#I'm looking for used easels and I found two listings so far that mention the easel is unused because it was just decoration #THAT'S NOT WHAT ARTISTS ARE LOOKING FOR #your off-brand easel that was never used is not worth 50€ wtf I want to see paint stains on it? #like how the fuck am I supposed to know it's built to last and not a wobbly mess if it's never been used hello? #I found a really great listing for an atelier easel for 45€ that looks like it's been through years of use #charcoal and acrylic stains everywhere #THAT'S what I'm looking for! #buying an easel for decoration smh my head. be proud of the hobbies you actually have jesus christ #SAME AS #OH MY GOD I JUST #REMEMBERED AHH #SAME AS THOSE PEOPLE WHO BUY GRAND PIANOS TO PUT THEM IN THEIR LIVING ROOM AS DECORATION WTF IS WRONG WITH THOSE PEOPLE #AND THEN THEY LET THE PIANO GO TO SHIT #NEVER SERVICING IT OH I COULD MURDER THEM DON'T DO THAT #IT'S NOT OKAY THAT YOU GET TO AFFORD A GRAND PIANO AND THEN LET IT DETERIORATE TO A POINT IT'S UNSALVAGEABLE #YES I AM JEALOUS NO I'M NOT TOO PROUD TO ADMIT THAT #AT LEAST SERVICE IT! AT LEAST HAVE SOMEONE COME IN YEARLY TO TUNE IT SINCE YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY AFFORD IT #i'm sorry i. got very emotional there. #anyway the point is I don't get it. just put your actual hobbies on display. cringe culture is dead. #like just put your steelbooks and figurines up if you're a gamer or weeaboo or whatever it's fine #if someone thinks lesser of you for it kill them

[xiaoluvss]

scara college au ! ݁ ˖๋ ࣭‹3 ⭑

(compsci major!scara & fine arts major!reader)

this is my first time writing,, pls go easy on me😭n im literally doing this while paintingggg

♡ collegestudent!scara who is also your.. really cold roommate that's a compsci major.

♡ collegestudent!scara whose first impression on you was that he didn't like you, due to the cold and stoic expression that was always on his face. and the way he talked to you at first as if you annoyed him just by breathing.

♡ collegestudent!scara who eventually warms up to your soft personality and doesn't seem as cold as before. he now accompanies you everywhere. even to your favorite café.

♡ collegestudent!scara who has a completely different music and fashion taste from yours.

♡ collegestudent!scara who used to hate being called 'kuni' by you but had warmed up to it by now. he knows something's wrong when you don't call him that.

♡ collegestudent!scara who stays up late often and then gets sick as a result, so you have to take care of him every time. he throws a lot of cuss words at you but you know deep down he appreciates you. he actually really loves your cooking.

♡ collegestudent!scara who also scolds you whenever you stay up late sketching or painting, dragging you harshly to your bed to tuck you in. yet it's somehow okay when he stays up late?

♡ collegestudent!scara who always picks you up after your classes.

♡ collegestudent!scara who has made it a habit to have late night visits to the nearby convenience store with you. he makes sure to stay by your side at all times.

♡ collegestudent!scara who comforts you by either taking you to your favorite café and buying your favorite drink & pastry . . or taking you to an art museum/art store even though he's not interested in art.

♡ collegestudent!scara who always complains about having to accompany you to the art supplies store but goes anyway.

♡ collegestudent!scara who watches you paint when he's bored and has nothing else to do.

♡ collegestudent!scara who once heard people gossiping about you in the hallway and sent a death glare towards them that scared them away. luckily he didn't punch them.

♡ collegestudent!scara who so obviously has a crush on you that his friends tease him about it, and even has a gallery in his phone full of candid pictures of you. some of them were sent to you and were put on your instagram story.

♡ collegestudent!scara who absolutely adores your artworks but never shows it. he once found multiple sketches of him when he flipped through one of your many sketchbooks. he definitely didn't take a picture of that.

♡ collegestudent!scara who will and always admire you, from afar or not.

♡ collegestudent!scara whose favorite artist will always be you.

♡ collegestudent!scara whose soft spot will always be you.<3

#꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹ lexchi writes! #꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹ scara #scara #scaramouche genshin impact #scara fluff #scaramouche modern au #scaramouche genshin #scaramouche x you #scaramouche #scaramouche x reader #scara x reader #scara x you #scara modern au #genshin modern au #scara college au #scaramouche college au #genshin impact x reader #genshin #genshin impact #kunikuzushi x reader #kunikuzushi #scaramouche fluff #genshin fluff #genshin college au #genshin impact college au #genshin x you #genshin x reader #scaramouche headcanons #scara headcanons #genshin scaramouche

[aww-canon-no]

Projects self all over Deaf Steve: 

He wants to be a writer, but after getting made fun of by his English teacher, he never tells anyone about this.

He was born Hard of Hearing with progressives loss.  By kindergarten he’s profoundly deaf, but crappy parents just stick him in mainstream school and hope for the best.  They live in a small town so resources are terrible and Steve scrapes by with his horrible bulky hearing aids until he just abandons them because being cool is better than sound anyway.

He learns ASL because he’s got one speech therapist who actually learned about the Deaf community, and it sits in his brain so much better, but it makes switching from ASL to English hard and everyone thinks he’s dumb.

His teachers have written him off.

He starts writing out of spite- learning to turn sentences into lyrical, poetic prose that feel like water rushing over smooth stones whenever he reads them.  But he doesn’t show anyone because when he goes over his work he still finds spots where he gets nouns and verbs swapped, and he drops articles and plurals are hard to remember, okay?  They just don’t make any SENSE in English sometimes.

And yeah his teachers were probably right, even if he never lets go of his petty dreams.

He gets a job working for his dad.  It’s all hearing people and it’s hard and the end of the day he’s exhausted in spite of the fact that it’s not hard labor.  He naps a lot.

He’s still close with the kids he used to babysit so on some days he goes to visit Mike’s house and annoy Nancy who pretends like she’s not happy to see him now that they’re just friends.  The kids have been MIA for a while and Steve finds out why.

He goes down to the basement and one of the prettiest men he’s ever laid eyes on is sitting on a makeshift throne with a book propped up in front of him.  Steve can’t see his lips so he can’t make out what he’s saying but whatever it is, he can tell the guy’s really into it by how the boys are really into it.

His name is Eddie and he talks with his whole body.

When he notices Steve, he also starts throwing in some signs which...

Steve will unpack that later.

Later, Dustin explains DnD to him.  It’s story telling, and it makes Steve feel things.  He’ll never admit to being interested.  Ever.

But he shows up more and Eddie invites him to sit and peek at his notes, and Steve starts making quiet suggestions behind the partition on his fingers once he realizes Eddie’s not fluent but at least conversational.  Eddie looks at Steve with big doe-eyes and an expression of wonder.

He personally invites Steve back.

Together they start planning a campaign and when it’s over--it lasts twenty-eight hours played over two weeks--Eddie cups his face and tells him that it was beautiful thanks to Steve.

At some point, they kiss, because they’re both so obviously in love there’s no point in hiding it anymore.

Eddie shows Steve his music, and Steve buys Eddie some really powerful ear plugs so Eddie can experience how Steve listens to it.

One day Steve suddenly feels like he can’t hide anymore so he shows up at Eddie’s house and dumps a thumb drive in his palm and tells him it’s stupid but he just wanted to share something.

Eddie disappears for two days, and Steve thinks yeah.  It was that bad.

Then Eddie appears with spicy chicken sandwiches in a greasy bag and throws Steve onto his bed and kisses the breath out of him before signing to him that his stories were the best things he’s ever read, and the world should probably know.

Steve doesn’t think he’ll ever actually pursue writing.  But he might write more for Eddie.

#Deaf Steve Harrington #Steddie #Steve x Eddie #Eddie Munson #Steve Harrington #Modern AU

[steddieas-shegoes]

love confessions in line

Another stupid little thing because I’m in the car and bored. It’s not edited or really anything much beyond just putting these boys in love in situations.

Rated t | tags: love confessions, established relationship, robin being so fed up with them

————————

“Why do we have to be here so early? My dinner hasn’t even digested properly yet,” Robin complained.

And, okay. It was cold and there were a lot of people standing in line outside of the only Walmart carrying the very specific guitar amp Eddie wanted. He’d called every Walmart in Indiana. Multiple times.

But he had to go all out for Christmas this year. Eddie had already said he’d gotten Steve something he’ll never outdo, never even believe. Obviously, that meant Steve had to do better than the Metallica hoodie that was stashed in his closet for the last four months.

“It’ll be worth it. There’s hardly anyone in line ahead of us and if we go straight to the electronics in the back—“

“You mean where everyone is going?” Robin interrupted, folding her arms across her chest.

Steve sighed.

“Yeah, well. I’ll run. It’ll be fine. I doubt anyone else here is interested in a guitar amp.”

As if the words ‘guitar amp’ were magic, someone who looked a lot like Eddie walked up to one of the security officers standing by the front doors.

Robin noticed at the same time as him.

“Is that…?”

“It can’t be. He said he was going fishing with Wayne in the morning and didn’t wanna end up stuck in crowds shopping,” Steve said.

But then the man turned back to the line.

“Steve?” Eddie yelled, eyes going wide when he realized Steve and Robin were there.

“Uh.”

“Um.”

“I thought you guys were going to Indy for this!” Eddie smiled as he walked up to them. “I don’t think this store will have what you’re lookin’ for.”

Steve panicked. There’s only one thing Eddie could be here for. He could go anywhere else. He could have stayed in Hawkins for that matter.

“Uh. Just wanted a change of scenery.”

Eddie’s brows furrowed as his smile fell slightly.

“O…kay. Well, I’ve got an amp to buy so I guess we’re all in this together now.”

Steve ignored Robin’s snort and mumbling.

Eddie glanced over at her with a questioning face.

“You two are unbelievable. Truly.”

“What? Why?” Eddie asked, genuinely curious.

His finger traced along the back of Steve’s hand subtly, out of sight of the people behind them in line.

“I.” Steve sighed.

Oh well. Maybe he could just try to get concert tickets the next time Ozzy came to Chicago.

“I was gonna get the amp for you for Christmas. I’ve been planning it for weeks,” Steve said, looking down at the ground.

Eddie was surprisingly quiet.

Absolutely no response.

After a full minute, Steve made eye contact with him.

He had tears building in his eyes and Steve felt himself start to tear up, too.

“You were?” Eddie choked out. “But this is-“

“The only place selling it on sale in the state, yeah.”

Robin was grumbling to herself again, but neither of them were paying attention anymore.

“How did you even know?” Eddie asked after a deep, calming breath.

“You mentioned it last month after a gig. Said you needed a new one anyways and this was top of the line or something. That a lot of the bands you like were switching to this kind for studio recording or whatever because of the…crisp? Sound? And then when no one else was selling it at all, I had to call around the Walmarts to see who had it on sale because $300 is a lot of money, Eds, and I wish I could afford that, but I don’t really have that lying around after paying for school and rent so when this place finally said they’d have it for $100, I made Robin promise to come with me since you’d be busy. And I guess you’re not that busy, but. I needed to do my best to get it.”

Eddie’s smile grew the longer Steve rambled. Robin was already walking away, probably back to Steve’s car, halfway through his speech.

“I love you.”

Steve’s jaw dropped in shock.

They’d been saying it in every way except this way for months, nearly a year, really.

It started as Steve taking care of Eddie when everyone else was busy taking care of the Upside Down.

It kept going as Steve was the one listening to Eddie slowly pick the guitar back up, working through the crying about his fingers not working right or his arm getting tired too quickly.

And then five months ago, Steve kissed him.

Took the plunge and kissed him.

They’d done everything together since. They’d become boyfriends. They came out to their group, together, always together.

And now, in a Walmart parking lot during the busiest shopping day of the year, Eddie was telling Steve he loved him.

“Because of the amp?” Steve asked, hesitant.

Eddie knew what he was really asking.

Because I’m buying you something nice?

“No, sweetheart. Because you listen to me. You know what makes me happy. You’re doing something for me that no one else would have even bothered to try to do.” Eddie laughed. “I have never wanted to kiss you as much as I want to right now.”

“Not even that time I wore a crop top and your boxers?”

Eddie groaned. “That was an outlier. You know how that affected me.”

“Oh, I sure do,” Steve smirked. “Too bad we’re in public.”

“The doors open in an hour right?” Eddie asked, checking his watch.

“Yep.”

“And then you have to take Robin to her parent’s house?”

“Probably should.”

“And then what?” Eddie asked, already knowing exactly what.

“And then I’ll come to the trailer and I’ll walk right to your room and hopefully-“ Steve cut himself off to whisper the next part. “You’ll be naked.”

Eddie’s brows raised. “You want me naked? What about Wayne being home?”

“Wayne’s been sleeping with ear plugs for months now. Can’t hear a thing,” Steve pats Eddie’s blushing cheek. “Said he didn’t need to hear what his nephew got up to.”

“We really should just move my stuff into your new place,” Eddie suggested for the fifth time in as many days.

Steve wasn’t opposed at all.

In fact, he’d planned on asking him to move in once he got more settled.

But.

“Wayne wanted another Christmas with you at home, baby. He won’t say it, but when I brought up you moving in with me, I thought he was actually gonna cry.”

“Yeah, yeah. With this new amp, he’ll change his mind.”

“What makes you think you get this amp before Christmas?” Steve put his hands on his hips.

“Because now I know you’re getting it!”

“Uh-huh. And it’s getting wrapped with your other gift to be opened on Christmas morning. No early gifts on my watch.”

“Steeeeeeve. Please! I could use it at our show next week!”

Steve shook his head. “Your amp works fine. Christmas is only a month from now.”

“You’re getting revenge on me,” Eddie pouted.

“Revenge for what?” Steve snorted.

“You know what.”

Steve did. He felt his cheeks and neck heat up with a blush.

“Fine. Yes. Maybe it’s a little bit revenge.”

Eddie huffed, but didn’t argue further.

“You know I love you, too, right?” Steve whispered.

And Eddie forgot about everything else except the way Steve was looking at him, like he needed Eddie to understand how much he loved him.

“Yeah, sweetheart. I do.”

———————

Three days later, Steve set the amp up in the second bedroom of his rented house.

When Eddie came over, he pushed him into the room and wrapped his arms around his waist.

“You can play it here, but I’m still wrapping it up for Christmas and you aren’t allowed to bring it to shows until after. Okay?”

Eddie was bouncing on his toes and squeezing Steve’s hands so hard he was losing feeling.

“Okay! Thank you, thank you! I love you! Thank you!”

Eddie smacked a kiss on Steve’s cheek before pulling away and running to the amp.

“You need your guitar, honey,” Steve laughed.

“Right!” Eddie ran from the room to grab his guitar from his van.

Steve shook his head, but couldn’t help his fond smile as the front door banged open.

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #drabble #Black Friday is a curse but if you think I’m not gonna write these idiots in the situation #robin buckley

[na0koz]

haikyuu boys meeting your family !

atsumu, kageyama, suna,

pre timeskip, female pronouns

atsumu is so scared. like he’s terrified. he’s convinced himself your parents won’t like him and they’re gonna force you to stop seeing him, but he won’t tell you that.

the plan was to go on your date in the city and then come home for dinner with your family; it can’t be that bad, right? wrong apparently. the whole journey home atsumu is pretty quiet, he’s trying to decide how to act while he fiddles with the bouquet wrapping that he insisted he buy for your mom. every time you ask if he’s okay, he just smiles at you and tells you he’s tired from walking around so much. once you guys get to your house atsumu’s gotten over the shaky nerves and he’s now onto the cocky, overconfident nerves, which is pretty close to his personality anyways. the whole time he’s complimenting your mom’s cooking, playing with your younger sibling and he was even humble about volleyball. you smile into your food when he says “ahh i’m not sure if i’m the best setter ‘round here” knowing full well that’s what he usually calls himself. he makes sure to thank your parents a lot.

after he goes home your parents tell you how nice he seems and how you did well. after you shut the door while he smiles and waves he lets out a huge breath, one he’s been holding all day. “they liked me,” he muttered to himself as he zips up his jacket and takes himself home.

kageyama is oddly relaxed. he declines hanging out with the team since he’s going to your house to properly meet your parents, which he says almost dismissively. a few minutes later he’s asking what the big deal is and how it’s “just meeting her parents?”; noya and tanaka and practically yelling in his face “dude. she’s like, totally in love with you if you get to meet her parents.”

he only realises how big of a deal it is when he notices how sweaty his palms are as he raises his hand to knock on your front door. he chews his lip while he waits for you and can suddenly only focus on your parents liking him. he’s snapped out of his thoughts when you open the door and pull him into a hug before you lead him into the lounge area to say hi. kageyama doesn’t really know how to talk about himself, you know that so you help him along by asking him questions like “don’t you have a game next week?” and prompting him to talk about the details. he’s also not very good at eye contact or even looking at people when he’s talking to them but at least he’s talking. while he’s helping you clean up he nervously asks if he did good so you take his hands and make sure to tell him just how well he did.

after he goes home your mom says “he’s cute” while you exclaim and punch her shoulder. he opens his phone and sees a bunch of texts on the team group chat asking how it went. he decides to tell his sister how it went before his friends.

suna is calm. he tells himself he’ll try not to be an asshole because who would want their daughter dating a sarcastic, snarky guy? he obviously loves you, but if your parents don’t like him then who is he to go against their wishes and keep seeing you? if they want him to leave you alone, he will.

he’s discreetly asking you stuff that will affect how he acts during the week before he’s scheduled to have dinner with you and your family. suna asking you which shirt you like better was new, so you were a little suspicious but you decided to ignore it. he did slip a couple times, he swore once and told a story with the details that parents don’t need to know left in, but he saved it well enough by saying he wasn’t part of it and it’s just something he heard from a classmate.

your mom seemed a liiitle apprehensive about suna but you did your best to tell her he was just nervous and he’s not a bad guy. he texted you later in the evening asking if he had fucked up, you told him he didn’t and how he heard your parents saying he seemed like he really cared about you. that lifted a little weight off his shoulder.

#haikyuu x reader #atsumu x reader #atsumu miya x reader #atsumu headcanons #atsumu miya #kageyama tobio x reader #kageyama x reader #kageyama tobio #haikyuu fluff #suna rintaro x reader #suna rintarou x reader #suna rintarou #suna rintaro

[skamenglishsubs]

Subtext and Culture, Young Royals, Season 3, Episode 1

Season 3 picks up a short while after the jubilee speech by Wilhelm. Both Wilhelm and Sara have been absent from school for a noticeable amount of time, so maybe a week or two later? The show isn't very diligent in ensuring a perfect timeline, but this would put us in early March perhaps? Anyway, we're off to the castle for a meeting to deal with the fallout of Wilhelm's speech and Sara reporting the video to the police.

Subtext: The Queen is so pissed she's not even looking at her son, a reversal from the opening to season 2, when Wilhelm was pretty pissed at his mom.

Subtext: This is probably the first time that Wilhelm gets a hint that the Queen is seriously ill.

Cinematography: Same procedure as last season! Every season opens with a fourth wall break where Wilhelm stares in to the camera during the opening titles, defiant as ever.

Culture: For practical reasons the end of season 2 was filmed in April 2022, while the beginning of season 3 was filmed in February 2023. That said, the spring in Sweden can be pretty fickle, and it's not uncommon to have surprise snowfall as late as April. If you want a cinematographic interpretation of this scene, it's supposed to show how cold and unwelcome Simon feels arriving at the royal palace.

Cinematography: In reality, the monarch would be the last one entering a meeting after everyone else has arrived, but having Simon arrive like this makes it look more like he's entering a court of justice or some kind of disciplinary meeting. It's of course not a coincidence that the royal family represented by Jan-Olof is all on one side of the table, while everyone who has been causing them problems is on the other side.

Subtext: Jan-Olof is trying to minimize the video, by using "so-called", and by calling it an intimate video and not a porn video. However, for something to fall under the definition of "revenge porn", it's enough to depict people in an intimate situation, it doesn't have to meet the much higher threshold for when it's considered actual pornography, so he's at least admitting that it was an illegal video.

Culture: Nordiska Motståndsrörelsen is unfortunately a real organization of actual neo-nazi white supremacists in Sweden, with offshoots in neighbouring countries.

Lost in translation: The subtitles are struggling here, it's "piss person" in one, and "shitty person" in the other. The former is literally what they're saying in Swedish, but the latter is probably the better expression in English.

Also, we've been told that August's stepdad, Rickard, is one of Sweden's best lawyers. What that means is that he is probably a well-known criminal defence lawyer, and has probably been handling the defence in high-profile cases, and if you're defending obviously guilty criminals, you tend to get a lot of shit from the media and people in general, even though what you're doing is necessary for a fair justice system. This sounds like his way of dealing with that.

Culture: It's a pet peeve of mine that no-one seems to know that the name of the Swedish currency in English is kronor, not crowns. Simon is getting 1.2 million kronor, which amounts to about 105,000€ or $115,000.

Subtext: Linda isn't wrong, they're being strong-armed here. They have some sort of legal counsel, and they wouldn't have to pay any trial costs even if they don't win, but they can't afford to match the resources that August's stepdad can bring, and might get nothing in the end.

Culture: We don't know what Årnäs looks like or how large the estate is, but a quick check shows that you can buy a typical manor house and some farmland in Sweden for tens of millions of kronor. However, the amount of land that some of the other guys were boasting about at the Society party in season 1 would be worth several hundreds of millions of kronor, so it's unlikely that Årnäs is as large as that, because August would have a lot more options if his total net worth was in that ballpark.

Culture: Realistically, Simon isn't wrong. Even if August was convicted on all points, he wouldn't be sentenced harshly because of his age, because he's a first-time offender, and because it's a non-violent crime. He would most likely just be fined a large amount of money and ordered to pay damages, so settling isn't that bad.

Cinematography: The low winter sun creates some lovely golden light, so we know we're in for some sweet love between the boys. Another detail is the difference in how they're dressed and how they're carrying themselves. Wilhelm is tall and proud, he's at home, he's in a suit, he's sure of himself, while Simon is the guest, the intruder, and is almost shrinking away in his oversized purple shirt and jeans. Yes, yes, colour theory, I know.

Subtext: A nice little flashback to season 1 when Wilhelm said the same thing when he visited Simon's place.

Lost in translation: Simon is actually saying "Var det såhär i din dröm?" - "Was it like this in your dream?", which is a reference to the rather steamy dream Wilhelm had at the start of season 2, when he was lying in this exact bed.

Subtext: Absolutely no-one is fooled, everyone knows our two idiot boys were sucking each other's face a minute ago.

Subtext: Both Linda and the Queen are hearing about their sons' awful behaviour for the first time at this meeting. Linda had no idea Simon had been dealing drugs, and Kristina had no idea Wilhelm threatened August with a gun.

Culture: I have no idea here. There's no real-world example for this in Sweden, you can't put someone into the line of succession by giving them a title. The show is just hand-waving this. Alright. Ok. Fine.

Culture: All adults in the line of succession can be called upon to be acting Head of State, if the monarch is indisposed or on vacation or something. This means that once Wilhelm is 18, he would occasionally have to step in and do the job, even though he's not king yet. If there are no royals available for this, the duty falls to the speaker of the house, Riksdagens Talman.

Cinematography: We're returning to Hillerska after the episode intro at the royal palace, so we're treated to a little montage of what those gosh darn rich kids have been up to in the meanwhile, so here's a horse to remind us that some of them are still riding! This is the only horse we'll be seeing this season, because the show really isn't about Rousseau after all.

Subtext: Madison is doing Tarot, and she's got Three of Wands reversed and Four of Wands reversed. The first one represents obstacles and lack of progress, and the second one represents home conflict, instability, and lack of support. A bit on the nose, don't you think?

Subtext: It's true, but the show is also calling out itself for the somewhat inconsistent weather we've been seeing due to actual shooting schedules.

Culture: Graduating gymnasiet in Sweden has a bunch of elements that are the same pretty much across the country, and then there are regional differences and individual school differences. I recognize only a few of the things Fredrika rattles off, but it makes sense that a place like Hillerska has a ton of traditions.

Subtext: All the girls have noticed that Felice isn't doing too great, but Madison appears to be the only one that actually cares. Fredrika still hasn't stopped talking about all the crap the third-years are gonna do, because that's apparently more exciting. However, the trucks she's talking about are pretty common, this is what we in Sweden call a Studentflak.

@hanna-kin wrote a long post on Swedish graduation traditions, and I reblogged and added some stuff here: https://www.tumblr.com/skamenglishsubs/684659770007961600/its-that-time-of-the-year-again-and-if-season-2

Culture: It seems Minou isn't the head of PR for the royal court anymore, this is Farima, and we've actually seen her all the way back in season 1 when she was instructing Wilhelm to smile more in the photographs. Either way, it seems like she's got a promotion, and she's probably not wrong in her assessment. A bunch of old farts would balk at the idea of the monarch being in a same-sex relationship, but a lot of others would see it is proof that the monarchy can change with the times. There were quite a lot of fans in Team Monarchy after all. 👑🌈

Lost in translation: Linda actually says "Du har utegångsförbud", which means curfew. Grounding kids isn't really a thing in Sweden, to us it's some kind of weird thing that only happens in American teen shows, along with detention. What the fuck even is that?

Subtext: Unlike in season 1, Simon now consistently speaks Swedish at home to his mom, further showing us how distant he is from her, and from himself to some extent.

Lost in translation: Linda actually calls Sara a "hemmasittare", which is a Swedish term used for kids who simply refuse to attend school, typically for mental health reasons. What to do about the problem is a hotly debated political issue, and let's leave it at that.

Subtext: This is how the culture of secrecy and solidarity against outsiders work at schools like this. Everyone is abused, everyone participates in abusing younger students, and everyone is told to shut up about it. Every house guards their "secret" initiations to outsiders, to foster loyalty to each other, to your house, and to the school. It's cult behaviour 101.

Cinematography: The show does it's usual trick with the sound design where all outside noise disappears as Simon and Wilhelm retreat into their little bubble, but there are still people in the frame this time, even though we can't hear them, because this time they're snogging in public. Oh, and everyone needs to update their colour theory, new colours dropped, pink and orange, what does it all mean??!?

Blink and you miss it: The list of activities for the point hunt includes:

Tattoo "Hillerska 4-life" on your arm.

Take a selfie at the back of a police car.

Give someone a buzz cut.

Dance the balloon dance in public.

Sext a teacher.

Get a piercing somewhere.

Blink and you miss it: I love Vincent so much, he's just the worst. Oh, and it looks like he's wearing a $2000 Valentino sweater, but I'm not 100% certain.

Subtext: Neither Ayub nor Rosh agrees with Simon when he says he's gonna reply to idiots online, but unfortunately they're not telling him off, because that would lead to less drama in the season.

Blink and you miss it: Ayub and Rosh are talking about going on a hike to Talludden with their school, Marieberg, which is why we're gonna encounter them out in the woods in the next episode. Spoiler alert!

Subtext: Wilhelm puts up the first stanza of a poem by Karin Boye called The Shield Maiden. In English, the poem goes: I dreamed about swords last night. I dreamed about battle last night. I dreamed I fought by your side armoured and strong, last night.

Blink and you miss it: Wilhelm's desk has a ton of stuff, but he's also kept the broken frog prince snowglobe, and he's still got Erik's lighter and cigarette case from season 2.

Lost in translation: The comment in Swedish uses the word "bögar", which isn't quite as offensive as "fags". However, it's more offensive than "gays", so I understand why the subtitles went with this choice. It's one of those words that is offensive or not depending on context, and it's certainly offensive in this one.

Subtext: The soundtrack is on point as usual, highlighting the animosity between Wilhelm and August.

Blink and you miss it: Someone ordered a Horse Girl Desk™ from the props department, and they sure delivered all the horsey things! The book is the Swedish edition of Not on a White Horse by Nancy Springer:

From the day twelve-year-old Rhiannon spots a lost white Arabian gelding in the woods near her small Pennsylvania mining town, her life finds a focus as she learns to deal with family problems and decides the direction her life will take.

As you do.

Subtext: As a throwback to season 1, this time it's Sara's turn to make a surprise visit at their dad's. He is surprised and starts cleaning up his place, but he seems to be in better shape than when Simon originally turned up. His place is just messy, there are no signs of drinking and smoking unlike last time we saw him.

Culture: Who goes to New York to suntan? No-one sane, but sun-starved Scandinavians get a bit of cabin fever after a long dark winter.

Culture: Fake IDs aren't really a thing in Sweden, you're allowed to legally drink at 18, and underage kids are much more likely to have an older friend or sibling or alcoholic parent buy them some booze for a private party instead. Sure, they exist, but equipping your friend group with a bunch of fake IDs to go clubbing is not how it's done.

Subtext: Simon drew a heart on Wilhelm's hand and suggested he get that as a tattoo. Wilhelm objected because he's "not allowed to" as a royal, but here he is, redrawing it on himself, almost as if he's toying with the thought, defying the rules.

Subtext: Simon doesn't know anything about the initiations since he's a lowly external student, and even though they're boyfriends, Wilhelm automatically tries to play it down. He knows it's true though, he doesn't question that, he just doesn't want Simon to know about it because it's humiliating to talk about it.

Cinematography: A++ Main Villain Entry Walk.

Culture: The Swedish Schools Inspectorate is a very real government agency that has the very real power to shut down schools that are mismanaged in any way, either academically, or socially.

Culture: Just a quick reminder that every single third-year student is 18 or 19 years old at this point in time, and therefore they are legal adults, which means the school has less authority over them. However, since it's a boarding school, they can enact and enforce regulations for boarders, and kick them out from their houses if they disobey the rules, which effectively kicks them out of the school while technically not doing that.

Cinematography: I love the camera angle here where we just about see Vincent giving Wilhelm the evil eye for indirectly causing this.

As a closing note, this season felt a lot less subtexty to me, compared to previous seasons. On the other hand, a recurring theme now is the airing of secrets, of exposing the systems that create toxic environments like this, so in line with the theme, a lot of characters are voicing things that were left unsaid in previous seasons.

#young royals #young royals subtext #young royals analysis #young royals season 3

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for @qwertynerd97; the one where Billy adopts Conner and it actually goes pretty good! Cut for length.

“Sure,” Lynn says, and Billy gets up and thinks to himself–okay, if they’ve got a few minutes before they need to leave . . . 

“There’s one thing,” he says, then ducks into the hall and into the linen closet where he hid Tawky’s stuffed animal form, ‘cause he wasn’t really sure if Lynn would feel outnumbered meeting them both at once, and also wasn’t sure if Kid Flash’s parents would have opinions about wild animals in the apartment and all. Not that Tawky’s wild, obviously–Tawky is a respectable gentleman! But some people don’t understand that, so it just seemed smarter to avoid the issue for now. He didn’t want to make the first time Lynn met Tawky weird or awkward. 

Tawky’s the best. Billy definitely doesn’t want Lynn to get a bad first impression of him because somebody else doesn’t get that. 

“. . . what thing?” Lynn asks after a moment. Billy brushes Tawky’s fur into careful order, because he knows Tawky hates to look messy, then straightens his little bow tie and nice tweed cardigan for him even though they don’t really need it. Tawky wanted to look nice today, for meeting Lynn and all. Billy understood, so he got the magic to make him something to wear too, and he thinks Tawky looks really gentlemanly and refined! 

“I can introduce you, if you’re ready to come out?” he offers, taking Tawky back down the hall and out into the living room with him. It’s not a great time for Tawky to turn into his real form, since they’re indoors and Batman might get the wrong idea about a full-sized tiger suddenly showing up, and also none of the furniture is really gonna fit him at full-size either. Billy makes a mental note to buy more beanbag chairs when they can. He’ll have to ask Batman where he got the ones that’re already here, so they’ll match and all. Or at least be complementary, anyway? He really wants the apartment to look nice for Lynn. 

He hopes Lynn and Tawky get along. Tawky’s his best friend, and Lynn’s his kid, so it’d really suck if they didn’t. And Tawky’s great, and he’s already sure Lynn is too, so he’d hate for them to miss out on making . . . friends, he guesses? 

Well, maybe that’s a little weird. Not that Lynn doesn’t already have a lot of older friends, and obviously Billy does too, but if they’re all gonna be living together, welllll . . . 

Lynn comes out into the hall and Billy brightens reflexively and grins over at him. Lynn’s still wearing the same Superman T-shirt and stuff, but his backpack’s gone. Billy feels pretty good about that. He never felt safe enough in new foster homes to leave his backpack anywhere, no matter who else was in it. Lynn doesn’t have the same experience, obviously, but it’s still reassuring that he’s at least comfortable enough to leave his bag unattended. 

Also, hopefully means he’s not planning to sneak off and run away when they go out. 

“Introduce me to who?” Lynn asks, folding his arms across his chest and looking uncomfortable. 

“This is your Uncle Tawky!” Billy introduces cheerfully, holding Tawky out to him. Lynn stares at him. Then he stares at Billy. 

“. . . a stuffed tiger?” he says slowly. 

“He’s a gentleman,” Billy reassures him, still holding Tawky out to let them both get a good look at each other. He and Tawky already talked about both being careful not to scare Lynn, since they didn’t think he’d be used to tigers or know if Cadmus would’ve told him anything about them. And Lynn’s really little, so he might get freaked out easier than an actual sixteen year-old would, Billy figures. 

. . . well, he guesses actual sixteen year-olds get freaked out by tigers too, depending on the situation? But Lynn’s invulnerable, sooooo . . . kind of hard to guess either way? 

Better safe than sorry, Tawky had said, and Billy had decided that made sense. It’s not like Tawky minds being a stuffed animal, anyway, and a stuffed tiger definitely fits into the apartment better than a thousand-pound one would. And maybe Lynn will like having a stuffed animal around anyway, since he’s technically a baby and all. He’s probably never had one, right? And Tawky really does give the best hugs. 

“. . . Uncle Tawky,” Lynn says, glancing warily at Tawky again. 

“Oh, he’s not your literal uncle,” Billy clarifies. He probably should’ve been clearer about that, considering. “Like I said, I don’t actually have any family or anything except you and my uncle, and he’s awful. But Tawky’s not like that at all! He’s my best friend.” 

“. . . you know how old I am, right?” Lynn asks skeptically, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“Yeah,” Billy says, giving him a puzzled look at the question. Lynn’s four days old. Or almost four days old, anyway. Billy figures the in-pod time was more like an in-utero situation, considering. He’s not sure why Lynn’s asking him that right now, though? 

“. . . . . . right,” Lynn says, then reaches out and very gingerly takes Tawky from him. He holds him kind of awkwardly, so Billy figures he was right about Lynn never having a stuffed animal before. It’s great that they’re already getting along, though! He didn’t think Lynn would want to hold Tawky right away. He seems kind of . . . reserved? Shy? 

Maybe both, really. 

“He can stay in your room, if you want,” Billy offers. “He’ll protect you!”

“. . . sure,” Lynn says, looking mystified as he looks down at Tawky again. Billy figures it’s just the whole thing with not having had a stuffed animal before and beams encouragingly at him. 

“Great!” he says happily, clapping his hands together once. He knows Lynn’s invulnerable, obviously, but he’ll just feel a lot better knowing Tawky’s around to help keep an eye on Lynn whenever he’s busy with Justice League missions and Champion of Magic duties. Plus Tawky’s really good at eating nightmares and stuff like that? And nightmares suck for little kids, so Billy thinks that’ll probably help too. 

He's so glad they’re already getting along.

#qwertynerd97 #wip: billy adopts conner and it actually goes pretty good!

[theminecraftbee]

do you think dl pearl and sl lizzie would've gotten along?

OKAY SO I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS. and i think the answer depends on a lot of factors actually because like... okay lizzie and pearl have SIMILAR arcs but, crucially, they have different responses and attitudes about those arcs and also two hurt people who are lashing out at others. are not. in a headspace to easily make friends necessarily.

so we're gonna have to... i think it depends on whether you say "these are those guys in the MIDDLE of their arc" or "these are those guys AFTER their arc". most of the time i think people mean "if they're in the same series" so it would be during, and the answer is "i think dl pearl would be a LOT more willing to make friends than sl lizzie would be".

so like okay. let's unpack that. so let's start with dl pearl. while she's somewhat defined by being alone, lashing out at people, it's 5 am pearl she's doing questionable things and isolating herself in response to the fact everyone has shunned her, it's not that she doesn't want friends. she opens MOST of her interactions with being willing to open a hand of friendship, it's just that everyone rejects her as 'crazy' or 'dangerous', or she's just like, not really wanted as a friend for some reason or another. and then she lashes out, and tells herself she's fine alone anyway, but the key is she does want the friends.

also of note is that, while pearl is associated with being a red name because her COLOR scheme was red and she had her red name skin on basically the whole time, she... wasn't. she wasn't a red name. she was one of the last yellow names actually she only went red in basically the last episode. she was PLAYING UP being red. she was PLAYING IN to the narrative she was dangerous. but she... wasn't actually on red, and while she's often ATTRIBUTED revenge as a motive, it was less revenge and more a defensive "if you're going to treat me as evil i'll show you evil", if that makes sense.

so like, i could see pearl, in a similar scenario to when she allied with ren and martyn, trying to befriend lizzie. because she would see herself in lizzie! hell, arguably secret life pearl DOES do that! but even mid-arc, worst of herself double life pearl would go "oh you ALSO have a broken heart maybe we can be demons together?" to lizzie i think.

the problem is that i don't know if lizzie would buy it.

SO. secret life lizzie. so the thing is about secret life lizzie is that she is ALSO rejected by the people around her. the difference is, it's not for some perceived quality in her that makes her dangerous; she sort of starts isolating herself first, before she tries to reach out. this is because if i had to attribute a trait to life series lizzie it might be paranoid? ineffectually paranoid, she's not paranoid in a way that's useful, but like. she tends to perceive everyone around her as Weirdos who are Dangerous and Out to Get Her. she's the only sensible one around here in her mind. (note that this is not me assigning lizzie of all people as ACTUALLY the sensible one are you kidding me have you seen that lady. this is me saying this is how she tends to see the world.)

this, in turn, works against her. when she's first trying to get everyone to sleep and then everyone to go to the end--in other words, getting everyone to show up to her party--they don't. and it's not, typically, so much because they personally distrust her. (note the way people talked about lizzie was REALLY not the same way people talked about pearl at all!) it's because lizzie has given them no reason to trust her. she's not an ally, she's obviously trying to do a task, it's possibly a trap, the end is really dangerous, so... thanks but the last party in this series had explosives under it.

the END RESULT is still lizzie being isolated! the END RESULT is still her resentful and alone after no one but joel shows up to her slumber party! but the root causes are a little different. true, you could argue pearl is rejected in part because of her own actions, but it's not in the same way lizzie is. pearl was WILLING to trust, even afterwards, and gets rejected both because of a system that ended up stacked against her and because of one mistake she's not being allowed to make up for. she's persecuted and seen as evil. lizzie, meanwhile, is rejected indirectly, less a rejection of her as a person and more a result of the fact that lizzie doesn't play the social game well, doesn't trust anyone herself, and puts herself at risk as a result of that.

anyway this also adds up with. lizzie was turned red by a horrible careless accident by jimmy. pearl was turned red as part of the final hunt of all the red names on the server, an intentional act. lizzie died first. pearl died last. lizzie was resentful and wanted revenge as a red name, both because of her rejection and because that's who she is as a person. pearl wanted to win as a red name, and her actions as a red name more followed from her already existing actions. pearl was willing to trust and have loyalty, but no one was willing to return it. lizzie doesn't want to have to trust or be loyal in the first place.

the RESULT? i think double life pearl would offer to be friends with lizzie and lizzie would decide that pearl was a crazy person who was mocking her. and which way that ends up resolving to--a friendship, an enemyship, a mutual respect--would be a FASCINATING story to explore from there.

anyway there are people who are better lizzie and pearl experts than me who probably have more to add her and bits of my character interpretation to confirm or deny (lord knows i could have them very wrong i am not good at writing out meta that isn't in the form of a fic) but in conclusion: this too is yuri,

#answered #secret life smp #double life smp #pearlescentmoon #ldshadowlady #BECAUSE THIS ENDED UP BEING AN ESSAY AND A HALF I WILL MAINTAG IT #i don't normally do meta posts but when i do #also god someone write me this fic PLEASE #please i need them to interact PLEASE

[hetaherr]

playing video games with them | anemo boys <3

: kazuha, xiao, venti, wanderer

:mostly crack, a little suggestive but no warnings

well anyway this is another reupload!! added kuni’s part also got lazy to proof read its just a headcanon anyway!!! i play wayy to much video games and id love to share my hobbies with these sweet babies <3

kazuha

i think this baby is a really chill gamer, he enjoys the cozy aspect of video games. thats why i think games like minecraft, stardew valley, animal crossing and the sims!! cozy video game dates are a norm for you guys when its too hot outside or too rainy.

imagine playing stardew valley with him, curled up under the covers with your MATCHING SWITCH CONSOLES. you guys working through the first few years of the game as little farm people doing little farm things. he’d even find some helpful guides online so you guys can maximise your finances in the game. honestly i can see how he gets a little petty at the fact that you MARRIED some npc in the game and he had to watch the whole cutscene while you joked around that he hadn’t given you enough attention and this was all his fault. now kazuha hates that particular npc, and he’s definitely pouting the whole night. give him lots of smooches, tell him that no video game code can replace your pookie wookie baby boy <3

but there, of course are other ways you can make up for it, like asking him to marry you- in animal crossing duh!! he’d take this whole thing very seriously obviously, its a wedding silly. he’d prepare a little wedding venue in his world by the beach, even going as far to design a cute little tux. it’s adorable, also don’t think for a second that he wouldn’t give you a kiss (giggling after) when the wedding officiant says you may now kiss. i also can picture kazuha buying you a promise ring irl , with a maple leaf engraved onto it. yes it was a animal crossing wedding, but it was YOUR WEDDING non the less.

another thing i can imagine is while you were playing the sims kazuha would 100% ask to create a little family with you. he’d even help to go “shopping” online for CC that would fit your characters or homes. kazuha DIES A LITTLE inside as you carefully curate each of the characters, spending hours deciding on the perfect outfits, hairs and personalities. coming up with mini fantasy stories about the mini yous and giggling along with him when they get a little too absurd. your cute family consists of you, kazuha and a little white cat. kazuha likes watching you get a little flustered whenever his character flirts with yours, sending a romantic haiku your way. not to mention the first time your character’s woohoo’ed he teasingly said:

“its honestly a shame that they’re the only ones that get to woohoo you know?”

anyway kazuha is 100% down to try as many games as he can with you, playing games with him is 10 bells out of 10 bells hehe

xiao

gamer xiao… yea he kinda scares me. xiao plays shooter games for sure, like obviously he’s had an eboy valorant phase but lets skip past that for now. its definitely more than normal to hear him grumbling how “dogshit” some of his teammates are. he’s definitely muted from chat on several games, also banned from league most of the time from being toxic in the chats.

playing competitive games with xiao is definitely an experience, and it definitely does not feel like the stereotypical pocket sage and hyper-carry jett. so please proceed with caution. the first time you and him played together, he may have gotten a little TOO HEATED and may have cussed you out on accident forgetting it was his loving, doting and caring partner who just wanted to participate in one of his hobbies. xiao doesn’t mean to get angry at you, please bare with him when the words “how is this person so fucking bad, how are they SO USELESS JUST GET OFF THE GAME DUDE” slip out. and oh boy… xiao immediately regrets his words, he feels so bad. he was actually overjoyed when you asked to play with him, even if he doesn’t actually show it, now he definitely assumes that you won’t ever want to play games with him EVER, hell maybe you want to break up. he’s spiralling. he apologises so much and he’s so awkward and so fidgety. its hard to stay mad at him, when he’s like this you have to admit he’s a little cutie. the next few days he’s definitely cautious and on edge around you, he finds it weird that you let go of the situation so easily and just moved on. he cant believe he let such vulgar words be thrown towards you. so after a conversation about his behaviour, you both decide maybe its best you just be an observer. you’re more than happy to straddle him, chin on his shoulder when he plays at his pc. and xiao LOVES IT, there is honestly nothing more comforting than you give him a little kiss when he starts to get a little too tense. occasionally when you face the screen and watch his games, he gets so nervous to play well. and xiao absolutely DIES when you compliment his abilities. bro needs the praise please, in that moment he thinks you’re so sexy and you have such a caring soul and his ears are tinted so red. don’t tease him though, he won’t be able to play the game properly.

another thing xiao is so weirdly good at is arcade games. i can picture arcade dates and xiao is just godly at them, claw machines, those basketball ones, car racing- you name it sweetheart and he’s earning those tickets like he needs to feed his 20 kids as a single dad. xiao acts so nonchalant about it, shrugging his shoulders as if this talent of his isn’t a big deal, but inside he’s so proud that he’s managed to get you that plushie he knows you’d been eyeing the whole day. he loves the way you grip onto his biceps pulling him to another machine to test his abilities, he may grumble about you overreacting but he’s so happy just to see you smile. and having you cheer him on the side is such an added bonus, you’re such a cute cheerleader. anyway i rate xiao a “please dont scold me baby im trying my best” out of “FUCK YOU FUCKING SUCK”

venti

horror games. literally venti HATES THEM but he cant get enough of it. playing phasmophobia would be so incredibly fun, but also a total shitshow. like im talking him making you do all the work while he intentionally provokes the ghost. at the same time he’s too scared to do anything so, he’s always really close to you. so if anything ever happens, you’d be a total idiot to think he’d try to help you, venti would be the first one out the door and running away. venti is also so horrendously LOUD, literally half the time instead of getting spooked by the game, your having a heart attack inducing jump scare from his random screaming. don’t even get me started on roblox horror games, every week there’s some new game he discovered on tiktok, and you are playing it with him, you have to.

another game venti loves to play is sims, but he’s about 100 times more chaotic compared to kazuha. he loves those ridiculous challenges and he wants to have like 10 babies with you, and then proceeds to cry when they are taken away from the sims version of cps. for some reason he has all the packs and likes to screw around with everything. he makes silly little bets with you in any game, for example in the sims he’d bet with you whether your 23rd child is going to be a boy or girl, most bets are harmless like a kiss or cuddles, unless he’s in the mood.

speaking of intimacy, venti needs to be holding you while playing games. arms linked, lying on your lap or you in his, honestly you just let him because he’s so cheeky about it anyway. venti also loves playing music related games with you, duh!! karaoke, guess the song, finish the lyric. ANYTHING!! whether you can sing or not, he just loves to hear your voice, definitely teases you if you cant though hehe. karaoke is so fun, if your shy he definitely eases you into letting lose and breaking out of your comfort zone, duetting with you is something he loves because music is his passion and honestly it hits so close to home for him. you’d often find him squeezing your hand as a form of encouragement.

im rating venti a solid 8 red bulls out of “i’ve already had 15”.

wanderer

this little emo baby is 100% only ever playing single player games, things that are extremely grindy and super lore heavy (bro is on subreddits looking at game theories and conspiracies, he would love to talk to you about them if you ever asked)!! im talking about bloodborne, doom, assassin’s creed and dark souls. he hates online multiplayer games because he doesn’t want to interact with “idiots” as he’s mentioned numerous times. so unfortunately its not often that you have a chance to play any type of multiplayer games with him.

however when it comes to his gaming sessions, he’d subtly invite you to come watch him because you’re like his own little streaming audience, and he loves it. the way you comment about how cool his character looks, or ask questions about gameplay mechanics. he loves how you involve yourself in his hobbies, it turns him to mush. he also loves how you play with his hair while peeking over his shoulder to look at the tv screen as he taps away at the controller. sometimes when the game gets a little boring he notices how your breath bounces off his neck, needless to say, those nights end up a bit more differently than how you originally imagined.

also if your ever interested in the game, kuni would “hesitantly” offer you to play on a new save file. but he’s actually elated that you’re going to try his FAVOURITE video game ever. you take your place in his lap as he explains to you the basics, not many would notice but you can ever so slightly hear the excitement in his voice. kuni complains about you being so lost but he’s so careful with explaining certain things, he’s also so patient as you take hours designing your character, well he’s okay being patient since its you. kuni absolutely DISSOLVES when facing a difficult boss, puzzle or obstacle, you kinda go into a slump against his chest and beg him to help you get past it. he snickers that your so weak, but somehow he manages to get through so swiftly- i guess he needs to show off a little to you. he also may complain a lot but thats just how this baby boy is, dont get discouraged he actually thinks you’re so cute.

also if you ever find yourself playing overcooked, moving out, gang beasts or any of those party games with kuni… good luck, just because he doesn’t like competitive games like valorant, DOES NOT MEAN HE ISNT COMPETITIVE. he gets so worked up and its honestly a little cute if you can look past the crusty white dog behaviour. if you do end up getting into an argument over these games, dont be surprised. im lazy to give a rating so im giving him 10/10, again minus the crusty white dog.

edit: if you saw “anyway wanderer is a straight” HAHA i apologise maybe thats why i should straight proof reading oops hehe

#genshin impact #kazuha #xiao #venti #wanderer #kazuha x reader #xiao x reader #venti x reader #wanderer x reader #scaramouche x reader

[freuleinanna]

I'm still confused about Verna.. I thought she was a demon?? Because why would Death be going around making a bunch of deals with people? After Verna told Pym she decided to go "topside" I thought she was some kind of crossroads demon since it implies she came from below (hell)

Oh! I feel you, and I struggled with that a lot too. She does seem a lot like a demon. I'm not saying I'm 100% correct in my thinking either, but here's why I personally think she's Death. Kind of a long post, sorry. I hope I make myself clear, but feel free to follow up!

So, Verna. An anagram for Raven, that much is established. Ravens are wonderful - symmetrical even - creatures. Bringers of death in a wide understanding. Bringers of good luck in many cultures. The duality is amazing. To me, that also leans majorly into the theme of death being a concept of duality: an enemy for some, a friend for others. Each greets her differently. I'm not talking about the characters here, but people in general.

There's a proverb I came across a while ago that reads 'Death is a great leveller'. Meaning, everyone's equal before her. You have no leverage or buffer against death, and it doesn't matter if you're poor or blindly, feverishly, grotesquely rich (like our folks here). Everyone pays the last bill. For everyone, there's a day of reckoning. It's a major theme with the show, at least. Verna also says 'Buy now, pay the bill later' - although it can still read very demonic, I agree.

She's obviously ancient, and I was leaning toward the demon theory based on all of her talking. Yet - she also keeps ranting about Egypt and pyramids and Cleopatras and such. What's the one thing with Egyptians everyone knows of? They honored death. Death may have been a bigger part of their lives than life itself. The Usher Twins' obssession with all things Egyptian, antiquities, jewelry, swords and such, plays a nice parallel here too, because they're just collectors. They have no grain of honor for the real thing, for what these things are tied to. Kind of a nice thought, I guess.

Anyway, back to Verna. She says on multiple occasions how intrigued she is with us, 'adorable little things'. She saw the pyramids, the expeditions, and she wanted to see what else we do, she wanted to see what Roderick and Madeline will do (in her own words). It's all an experiment to her. She makes an offer just to see what we, people, do.

Here's where my beef with a demon theory comes in. No demonic creature I could think of, be it an actual demon, a trickster, or something else, is that sincerely intrigued. Something something death loving life something something.

Demons, in my understanding, are most interested in winning the deal. They come up with incredible challenges, they enjoy torture, emotional or physical, they never let anyone win. Verna has never once expressed this. Quite the opposite. She gives everyone a chance to step back. Even when the ink has dried and everything's decided, each Usher sibling is conditioned to make a choice: push forward, or step back. Neither of them steps back. Neither of them takes a long hard look at themselves (except Tamerlane, both literally haha and figuratively, as she's the only one to have realized how lost she was in her way - just at the end, when it didn't really matter anymore, but still). Verna is kind to those she takes (sincere pet names, regrets of having to do it this way, making sure they know it's not personal, etc). She grieves with them, just before. Grieving - 'The Raven' being about an expression of grief and trauma - ravens as synonyms for death... you get the gist. Oh! Except Freddie - cause Freddie struck a cord. Infuriated her. So he doesn't get an expressed choice. And he would've blown it like coke anyway, so meh.

And then Arthur Pym. Oh, Arthur Pym. I honestly couldn't imagine a demon kneeling and thanking someone who's refused them.

About Arthur Pym, by the way. It's the one story I hadn't reread, and I should have, it turns out! haha Anyway, a few notes about his travels:

In the story, Arthur Pym is expressedly afraid of white color (North Pole, yada yada, white being the absense of colors/life, and the absense of life is death).

Verna enumerates the moments she witnessed of his travels. Someone getting left in Sahara. Someone getting shot in the Arctic. Something bad that was done to an Inuit woman. Why would she follow Arthur so closely? She didn't know him, he wasn't her favorite. I think it's because she came to collect those deaths. If she is death, she would've been exactly there, where people died. She would have also seen Arthur not partaking.

Aaaaaaaand it makes her 'You saw me' line sound better, because he had sure seen death along his travels.

I think the part about a place of out-of-time, out-of-space creatures and hollow Earth was a bit unnecessary, BUT I can try and tie it in this way:

It showed us how Arthur might have coped with what he saw, and he 'saw a lot', even in his 70s it's difficult for him to recall, and it made him think of humanity as a virus, literally;

He might have thought up that ethereal realm simply because he was in an expedition? Exhaustive conditions for both body and spirit? Traumatic experiences? If he saw Death, he might have cloaked it in his mind to cope with it, thus came his stories;

Verna going 'topside' may just mean that she had to go take a look herself, actually be willingly present for the events - to see the brave little humans conquer the earth. 'Topside', as in, 'visible, present, participating'. If Death exists, I doubt it bothers with our boring human realm but lives downunder, among all threads that weave the world.

So that's that on Arthur Pym.

A few other references my mind is too exhausted to tie in nicely:

Death takes Lenore. THE Lenore from 'The Raven' (mostly) and 'Lenore' (secondary). That happened. Also, death talking to a child of life? Regretting having to take her? Not very demonic of dear ol' Verna, in my opinion.

Her mourning veil, her last toasts to the Ushers at the cemetery? Demons don't tend to grieve their players. Demons don't respect and love them enough, and 'what is grief, if not love persevering'?

Death is the last threshold. Before death, we look upon our legacy (major theme with the show), we remember our losses and loves (Annabel Lee!!!!! love the poem, brilliantly done), we get heavy with regrets. We face death as an enemy & fight, like Madeline did. As a friend, like Arthur did. We confess, like Roderick did. All that is too significant to me overall.

And the last thing. It's Edgar Allan Poe. The whole Death tribute is a giant, incredible, thought-through-to-the-bits hommage to his literature where Death, figuratively and literally, takes the throne.

I hope I managed to express myself alright there. Thanks if you read it through, and as I said before, feel free to follow up or elaborate on some ideas. There are oceans to discuss. <3

#tore a few veins typing it out ughhhhh the poetry #asks #long post #the fall of the house of usher #tfothou #tfothou spoilers #tfothou tv #netflix #carla gugino #verna #meta post #the fall of the house of usher spoilers #edgar poe #edgar allan poe