#but it has been stuck in production hell for who knows how long now | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thedivinershiddenarchive · 1 year

Text

the childhood best friend.

CHARACTERS ; yandere!imaginary friend!childe;tartaglia x fem!reader

SUMMARY ; It's been a while that you've last met your imaginary friend, more specifically, your childhood one. But his intentions with you are different. Now, he's changed. He's much more forceful and possesive and now he can't take in the sight of you being miserable. And he wants to fix that, but he made it much worse for you.

CONTENT ; dub-con, imaginary friends, possesiveness and jealousy, usage of "(little) dove/girlie/sweet girl/darling/sweetheart", childe can read/hear your thoughts, riding, fingering, biting and sucking, teasing, mentally-broken reader, very minor character death, a bit of gaslighting, very small implication of manipulation, praise kink, unprotected sex, vaginal sex, creampies, supernatural or is it all in your head?

masterlist | tag system | 17-, MASC-ALIGNED DNI!

“Ginger!” you cheered, running up to the ginger that was playing alone on the sandbox. The moment his eyes laid on you, he stood up quickly and sprinted towards you, hugging your figure and swinging you around with a laugh. “Dove, you’re here!”

“Of course I would be! Where else do I go when I play?” you pout and he chuckled, “Well, your other friends.”

“You mean the ones that I’ve left to travel somewhere else? Yeah right.” you puffed your cheeks, causing him to pinch them. “Hey!” you grinned and ran up to him and pinched him, causing the boy to snicker. “Can’t help it.”

“I just realized you’ve only been calling me ‘Ginger’ a lot.. I think it’s time for me to have a real name like a real person!” he lilted and you gripped your chin, thinking hard on what name you’ll give him. Hah, no wonder you haven’t given him a title, none stuck out to him and you couldn’t think of anything. “I don’t know at all…” you whine and he pouts.

“[Y/N], can you come with me? I need to buy some Ajax detergent so I can clean the house a bit.” your mother calls out from the bench, standing up and gathering her things laying on the seat and you feel your smile widened. “Ajax!” you pointed at him and you saw Ajax’s eyes glimmer.

“I’ll take it! It sounds so good!” you felt proud, even putting your hands on your hips, pleased with his given name despite getting it from a cleaning product. “[Y/N]!” your mom calls you again and you jump a bit and scurry over her, giving your hand to your friend and he takes it, walking with you towards the woman who was waiting for you with a confused face. “What is this girl into right now?”

“Don’t be scared, I’m here!” Ajax cooed as he held you close to him, you weren’t a big fan of horror movies, especially when you’re so young. Having nightmares aren’t a normal occurrence but you were thankful to have the ginger close to you so you could feel safe.

“You can open your eyes now,” you trusted his words and open them, you feel him hold your hand and lips placed on your knuckles. You leaned onto him more, his touch… Felt so real.

Your promise started here, out of the moment, you confessed that you wanted to be friends ‘til the end. That you want him to be near you and have each moment between the two of you be fun and amazing. You just didn’t know how this promise has improved your relationship with each other the older you got, you may or may not have regretted making that. You know how he likes his promises to be kept and takes them seriously.

You were about eight years old when you started making up imaginary friends, how lonely were you that you used this to cope? Now you have three more people in your jumbled mind to tolerate. Well, they aren’t that bad. They can’t hurt you in any type of way but it does stress you out more.

Now you’re a twenty year old working a dead-end job, you’ve never encountered them ever again. Even after the promise you’ve made with “Ajax” that you guys will still be connected, he hasn’t appeared, thankfully. Hell, it's been so long that you don't even know what he looks like now.

“Get these papers done by the end of your shift, [Y/N].” your co-worker demanded, dropping a stack of paperwork on your desk and leaving you with it. You let out a frustrated groan and almost slammed your fist down the table but you kept your cool.

This will take a while.

You tiredly flopped on your couch, you would’ve slept right there right now if it weren’t for something sinking on the cushion. You exasperatedly looked over your shoulder to see someone sitting on it. You immediately widened your eyes in horror, knowing that someone might have broken into your house and you quickly got up.

What you didn’t expect was a normal-looking teenage boy who looked like he just got out of bed, but the said boy looked familiar. Way too familiar. That tired grin and blue ocean eyes that showed no light whatsoever looking right at yours. “Did I disturb you, dove?”

Dove? Why did that feel like you’ve heard this before. Maybe you did but you’re just forgetful. “I’ll take that as a yes, you did have a hard time at work. Not like it’s a foreign sight to see you on your desk as you handle those pesky paperwork. Maybe that’s why you don’t have time for me anymore..” that whiney voice, how did he know all that? I mean, yeah it’s obvious that you were a minimum wage worker but literally anyone with your job can be tired of it. But what creeped you out is that out of all the employees that worked at your place, you were the one who he spied on the most.

“Who are you?” you questioned, raising your brow in suspicion. He only chuckled loudly, almost psychotically. “You still don’t remember me? Ah… When was the last time you’ve imagined me again…? Right, when your stupid crush rejected you at work and that was a year ago. Or maybe two..? Hah, even I forgot,” you sweat, his brows knitted together and his crooked smile widening, “it’s been that long, huh?”

“You didn’t tell me who you are, ginger..” you scowled, moving away, picking your phone up from your bag in case. “Ginger.” he mutters, cupping his cheek with his palm. That nickname was anything but unfamiliar.

“Is that really your name?”

“No way. Seriously, if you don’t know my name, should I just tell you?”

“Should’ve done that when we first met.”

“First met? I promise you this, [Y/N]. We’ve met a lot. And I don’t take my promises lightly.” it came out as a growl, you know better than to not piss him off but he did make you angry at first. Though that isn’t an excuse to be straight up dead right now.

“Call me Ajax, okay, little dove?” Ajax whispers when he crawls to you to get closer to your ear, his deep voice is much more clearer and it makes you shiver. And scared. Instead of hearing one voice, you hear multiple. You hear four in total, you feel unsafe, afraid.

You pushed him away but he caught your wrists in his and gave you a playful grin, “Does it ring a bell?” Indeed it does. Ajax, The one who comforted you through the harsh rejection of your co-worker, the one who played with you for so long when your friends couldn’t keep in contact with you because of you constantly moving out.

“You make a promise, you keep it. Or the ice breaks your tongue and you never lie again.” The man spoke those very specific lines from the nursery rhyme he got from TV. “And we promised to be together, be friends ‘til the end. I would’ve actually stayed if you hadn't kept me away for so long.”

He pushed you on the couch and you struggled against his hold. What is this? He was supposed to be an imaginary friend! Someone who can’t hurt you, someone who can’t hold you physically, so why can he touch you?

“Ouch, I’m hurt. You only think of me as an imaginary friend? Someone who can’t touch you like this?” he emphasizes with a knee on your clothed crotch, rubbing lightly. “I can hear your thoughts, girlie. Because I’m just a figment of your mind, so it’s interesting hearing what you have in that brain of yours.”

“Stop!” you push him, kick him, anything, but he wouldn’t budge. It looked like he wasn’t even bothered with the fight you’re trying to put in. “Why should I stop?”

You’re thinking hard, thinking of him just disappearing. To stop his rough grip on your body. Your breathing quickens when his teeth touch your neck, his tongue working on your skin and sucking on it.

You quickly went quiet when the voices in your head told you to, you didn’t know what had come to you. You didn’t know why you listened to it, you know that what you did was on command and that you no longer have control.

“Finally, you shut up. It was getting really frustrating to deal with you being noisy.” he had you on his lap, lightly grinding his tented crotch against your clothed pussy, moaning quietly as his cock slowly stimulated.

Ajax tickled your skirt before bunching it up and stroking your cunt through the fabric of your panties, you hate your body for reacting to it. You know you don’t want it, no. But your body reacts differently from what you’re thinking right now. “Aww, look how wet you got? Do you actually like this?”

“I thought you could read my thoughts, asshole. Of course I don’t.”

“Then why are you getting wet?” he murmurs, letting his fingers slip in your clothing and into your hole. “Let yourself go for me, babe.“ purring, he connects his lips into yours and drinks up your moans. You absolutely hate how good he makes you feel, even if you didn’t want this. Didn’t want to get fingered by your own imagination.

“Still thinking about that? Even if you’re lost in pleasure?”

“Shut up already..” you grunted as he curled inside of your pussy. He loves the way your nose scrunches as you try not to make too much noise to satisfy him or to let your neighbors hear. You’ll feel embarrassed when they check up on you and see you moaning at nothing.

“Like I said, let yourself go.” he emphasizes with a harsh thrust that has you gripping on his digits tight. Ajax pulls them out and forces them into your mouth to taste yourself, “Suck.” That command alone had you doing what he said. You were afraid of him going too rough on you. And he knows that.

He doesn’t mind how hard you cling onto his shoulder blades, how your teeth bit into the skin of his fingers. He only focused on how good he made you feel to even forget how much of an asshole he was.

Your breath hitches when his lengthy digits hit your throat before pulling them out of your mouth, seeing the string of saliva connected to his fingers. He takes them into his mouth and tastes your saliva mixed with your juices, letting out a satisfied moan from how good you taste.

“You think you’re ready for me, sweet thing?” he said with a hint of persistence in his tone. He must be much needier than you, most likely after the both of you became disconnected for so long.

“N-not yet.”

“Why not? You seem more than ready. Don’t tease me, now.” he pulls your collar towards him, making you fall with him. Ajax was now laying on the couch by his back while you were sitting up on his hard-on.

“Take my pants off. You better take it all once it’s inside.” he demands, a scowl appearing on his face as he sees your hesitant hands trying to unbutton his jeans. “Don’t be so slow. It’s frustrating me.”

You whimpered when his hands gripped your hips, forcing you to roll your crotch over his. He moaned quietly as he continued the procedure until you finally undo his pants. “Touch it already.”

“You’re quite demanding for someone that’s under me.”

“You wanna switch positions then? I don’t mind which way. As long as I can make you fucked out of your mind, I’ll be satisfied.”

You purse your lips, deciding to stay silent, even when he lowers his underwear and palms his length right in front of you, letting out groans of pleasure while he glances at you, begging you to touch him. The sight of his cock had you distracted, the sheer size with the veins popping out. “Are you gonna watch and look pathetic or are you gonna take it for me?”

Ajax forces himself out of his briefs and has you hovering over his cock. He lightly brushes the tip over your wet entrance, letting your juices stain his hard-on until it was dripping on his entire length. You muffled your moans through closed lips, not wanting to satisfy him further.

“You sound and taste so good, I wonder how you feel inside of me.” He grinds upwards, letting you sink into his dick with each roll of his hips. This went for a while ‘til he filled you to the brim with his member. He threw his head back while his nails marked your waist from how hard he was squeezing.

“Feels much more amazing, fuck…” his breath hitches as he sets a pace, plunging upwards that it even starts hitting your cervix from how deep he was. You hated him, even if you haven’t interacted with him for a year. Even if you get wet from his praises.

But it felt so good, he felt so fucking big that he hits inside every sweet spot. Ajax felt the same, how you clenched around him and how your breasts jiggled through the fabric of your loose shirt.

He admitted that he hated watching you from afar, looking miserable. But he hated it more when you cried over a man who didn’t deserve your affection. I mean, it was fine to reject someone but to embarrass them about it? That was what had his blood pumping in anger.

Nobody would know where his body is now nor will they know what happened to him. Now you’re wondering, how could someone get physical when they’re not real? There has to be a reason, right? A reason for how he’s touching you, holding you, and even making you feel so good.

“Mine, all mine. I'm all that you'll ever need...” he growls whilst pulling you towards him and smashing your lips on his, drinking up your gasp and whines. You know how obsessive he can be if you think back on it, jealous of how other kids try to play with you but you always get pulled back by an invisible force.

Ajax has you for himself now. But he has a deal with your other friends so he has to make every second worth it. Even if you can’t take it anymore.

You keep bouncing on his cock, taking in how good it feels with each hit. You grasp on his shoulders so tightly as he continues making sweet sounds into your mouth. “Sweet girl, you feel so good, god..” he snuggles into your pair of breasts, giving them open-mouthed kisses. His saliva dripped on the skin and bruises that he made.

Your bodies were intertwined with one another, sweat can be seen dripping on your foreheads as the both of you continued your rough sessions. “Are you close, sweetheart?”

You could only groan in response, nestling your face on his neck to find comfort in as he continues lunging inside of you. Ajax can’t let you go from how hard he’s holding your waist.

Even as you wail in pleasure and see stars, you still hide your face from him. The twitch of his hips as he empties himself inside of you and long soughs can be heard from near your ear.

You felt comfortable enough to pull out of his neck but the moment you laid your eyes on the supposed man under you, he was gone. You furrow your brows in confusion and look at the lower half of your body to still see that it hasn't changed.

What was that? I mean it was just a figment of your imagination but it felt so real to the point it can touch you… The bruises on your body were still there. You believe that this wasn’t something mental. You were too focused on your thoughts that you didn’t notice the door knocking.

You perk up and quickly wore your panties and used your skirt to hide what was under it. You looked through the peephole to see… nothing? You opened the door to see what was actually outside but you only spotted a picture of you hugging nothing. You went stiff, you could only theorize you were hugging the same ginger-haired boy but he wasn’t there.

You convinced your parents to take a picture at some point and of course, they were weirded out when no one was by your side but they played it off as some innocent childhood play that you were in.

You flipped the picture to see another one attached to it, it was you on the couch trying to push, again, nothing. It’s all invisible. If he isn’t there at all, what was touching you? Why can you feel it when in reality nothing was there?

Now this was something unexplainable but scary. Was it really in your head? You’ll have to learn more somewhere else. But you still have work from nine-to-five. So maybe you can check in the library tomorrow after your shift. Hopefully, you won't meet him again there.

#notsodivininglover ; king’s pages #childe x reader #childe smut #tartaglia x reader #tartaglia smut #genshin x reader #genshin impact smut #genshin impact x reader #genshin smut

467 notes · View notes

1-800-c0sm1c · 2 years

Note

Hey!! Sorry if I’m doing this wrong I am new to this kinda stuff but do u mind writing headcanons on how the p5 phantom thief boys would take care of the reader when they’re on their period? If not it’s fine!

꒰baby im yours !꒱

p5 boys when their s/o is on their period headcannons !

character x afab!reader

includes joker, ryuji, yusuke, and akechi !

warnings : mentions of periods, obviously lol

a/n : its shark week for yours truly so i thought now is the best time to write this :D i wasnt sure what gendered reader you wanted, so i just decided to leave it as afab, hope thats alright :))

JOKER // REN AMAMIYA

maybe this is biased, but i feel out of everyone on this list hes the most prepared.

like, hes not overbearing but he knows just enough to spare you both any awkward conversations.

he doesnt have any feminine products in his bathroom since its technically shared with leblanc customers and he doesnt want to embarrass you or anyone else, but you know theres always a few of whatever you need in his school bag or his dresser!

hes a very calm person, which can be very relieving, especially when you accidentally bleed on something.

you both were hanging out one day after school, and when you got up off of his bed to go make some food, you noticed a red spot on the sheets.

you were internally freaking out, trying to figure out what to do knowing how some guys tend to find it gross, while ren literally just comments "dont worry about it, i needed motivation to do laundry anyways." and asks if you need anything.

you feel like youve just been given whiplash, no way thats it, hes so cool with it?

he even gives you a pair of his boxers and sweatpants since you bled through your clothes, and when you come out of the bathroom hes got a steaming hot cup of coffee and some chocolates on the counter all ready for you. <3

SKULL // RYUJI SAKAMOTO

confused, embarrassed, and a little bit (a lot) dramatic. he tries to act like its not a big deal, but in reality he doesnt really know anything about periods, and hes convinced youre secretly in a lot of pain. (which i mean, you could be depending on cramps… but you get what i mean.)

hes horribly uneducated on this topic, and definitely the worst person to be stuck with when you start.

hes calling ann asking her to explain what to do with the reddest face youve ever seen. 🧍

ryuji definitely thought it was a little gross at first too, but once he understood it was just a normal thing your body did he felt more okay about it.

hes trying super hard to be a good boyfriend, but hes stuttering over his questions. barely able to ask you if he needs to get you anything.

i swear his eyes almost popped out of his head when you said all you wanted was for him to shut up and cuddle with you. 💀💀

he tries to be there for you as much as possible, but if you tend to get more angry, just note that hell try to stay away a bit.

he has issues keeping his temper under control, even when it comes to you, and he doesnt want to start any unnecessary arguments.

at the end of the day, communication is key when it comes to you guys relationship, he just wants whats best for both of you!

FOX // YUSUKE KITAGAWA

yusuke has probably never felt the touch of another human being before you so hes very… confused to say the least.

what do you mean youre bleeding? and its normal? this happens monthly? his mind is blown.

i dont see him being weird in the way he wants to use your period as inspiration for a painting, but weird in the way that hell track it.

maybe this just a personal thing who finds it weird when a guy wants to track when your on your cycle, but it seems right up yusukes alley 😭.

hes a little strange, and he just wants to help! but he also doesnt really know what hes doing, so his presence can be a bit overwhelming.

gets pouty when you end up snapping at him, but once you explain why hes a lot more aware of how much hes bothering you.

hes also willing to get you whatever you need, as long as youre buying.

one time you had asked him to get you pads/tampons, and he called you 30 minutes later saying that he didnt have any money…

however, unlike someone else on this list, hes not embarrassed about it. more so genuinely curious, as he loves learning about you and he thinks its important to know how your body works!

hell probably draw you something nice as well if it makes you feel better. :)

CROW // GORO AKECHI

oh boy, akechi sure is a character. and i think with him it depends.

usually though hes just a pretty average guy. hes not stupid, but he also isnt the best at understanding your emotions, or his own, for that matter.

youre in public, akechi talking to one of the tv hosts after hes finished appearing on a show, and you gently tug on his jacket to let him know you started your period, and need the restroom.

hes conflicted, whats supposed to come first, you or his reputation? when it comes to him, he makes any simple situation way more complicated in his head.

he makes an eternal sacrifice to shoo away the people talking to him, and he quickly takes off his jacket to wrap it around your waist. you both find a bathroom nearby and he paitently waits for you outside.

when you walk out, he offers to pick up whatever you may need (including some food) and take you home.

at your front door, he kisses your cheek, but cant help but noticed the nervous expression on your face.

its only then when you mention that akechis jacket is, in fact, a light color, and is most definitely stained now with bright red blood. his face goes blank, and youre worried for a second he might be mad.

he only shrugs at that, same detective prince smile as always, and jokes that youre paying for his dry cleaning.

#✧;;↬ my work.❞┊🍓#✧;;↬ baton pass.❞┊🪄#✧;;↬ 1 more.❞┊🎭#persona 5 #persona 5 x reader #shin megami tensai persona #persona #joker x reader #ryuji sakamoto x reader #joker x you #ryuji sakamoto x you #yusuke kitagawa x reader #yusuke kitagawa x you #goro akechi x reader #goro akechi x you #fox persona 5 #skull persona 5 #crow persona 5 #joker persona 5

481 notes · View notes

dukestewart · 1 year

Note

I actually have a question, I'm wanting to start a webcomic at some point in the future myself, do you have any recommendations or advice for me?

Okay, I have a million things to say on the subject but to save you a lot of scrolling I’ll cut it down to the main things I wish I knew when starting my webcomic.

Don’t overprepare

It’s easy to fall into the trap of perfecting your art style or developing your character arcs before you actually, like, make the thing. The truth is you get diminishing returns on the pre-production phase, and too much planning will just waste your time. I once wrote an entire script and sketched out 200 pages for a graphic novel version of my webcomic Roundhouse, 90% of which is now redundant or contradictory. Probably took me hundreds of hours. Whoops. Make a basic plot line and some concept pictures by all means, you gotta start with something, but you’ll be much more motivated to make the comic when you’re already making it.

Collect references

This might sound kind of contradictory to my previous advice but bear with me. It’s important to prioritise creation over planning but gathering a compendium of your favourite artworks and writing techniques will save you time in the long run. If I’m ever stuck on how to draw a certain expression for example I know I have a folder full of expertly drawn faces to remind me how nostrils work. Personally I keep separate reference folders for colour, anatomy and character designs. Fantastic cure for artist’s block, swear by it.

Get someone to proofread

You have no idea how important it is to get a second opinion. No one in the history of media has ever been better off without a different pair of eyes to catch a mistake. They’ll see the obvious things you missed, a typo, a pacing issue, a joke that makes no sense… if you’re embarrassed to show it to anyone in your life then get an internet friend to have a look. Hell, I’ll have a look. Send me a message, I’m easy.

Even the most talented creators struggle to be seen

A good comic will always have a better chance of success than a crap one but that’s only a part of the equation. We’re forgetting our two troublesome neighbours, Monsieur Marketing and Lady Luck. It stinks, but we operate in an algorithm-based economy, and getting things out there takes a lot of hard research. I hate the marketing side of things, personally. I’d much rather make a page every week and not care whether it’s seen or not but such is the nature of capitalism that I have to try and monetise my work any way I can. Knowing someone in the business can’t hurt either.

Look, I’ll never be able to condense everything I know about webcomics in a single post so consider this my declaration to give advice to anyone who asks for it. Got a specific question about comics? Message me.

#webcomic #webcomic tips #webcomics #webcomic advice #I should probably make a tag for these text posts

151 notes · View notes

ralexsol · 1 year

Note

Thank you for being the only reasonable person I've seen in this godsforsaken fandom

I think a lot of people are reasonably upset, but are taking a somewhat harmful approach to making things better.

It's difficult to see a show with such openly queer characters and not your own demographic (poc, disabled, women). They think that they should have a place there too, which they should! But you have to consider situations in part of a bigger picture of where we're at as a society.

Right now, the queer community has a lot of attention, and it's easier for pretty much all people to take a walk in their shoes. "I'm a man who loves women, you're a woman who loves women. Well, the only thing that's different is who exactly you love, but you still love, so I don't have a hard time imagining your circumstances."

And while poc have been crying out for attention for years now, most notably in 2020 with the BLM movement, it's much harder for a white man to imagine the experience of a black woman. And considering that if you do it wrong you're canceled, it's easy to see why people shy away from it. People say, "Oh, it's just a person! Act normal!", and yes that is true, but the white man may still accidentally perpetrate a stereotype. And then he's yelled at for not doing research first. It's a cycle that people can get stuck in.

As for physically disabled people, depictions of them are so stigmatized in media at this point that it's hard to know right from wrong. There are going to be mistakes made. That doesn't make it totally okay, but progress is a process. Disabled people have been silenced for a very long time, and they deserve a hell of a lot better. But if we just tell the Council to include them, how are the Council to know exactly what that looks like? We need to give them ideas, we have to guide them.

And as for women, yeah, there's definitely a lot to be desired. Frankly, they're a bunch of white guys; it's bound to happen. What we can do is clamor for more women who aren't only milfs. Yes, we love them, but regular, strong ladies like Jay are needed all throughout the campaigns. Give Jay some love. She's amazing. Condi does great with her.

The JRWI community has the unique position of being able to actually influence the creators. While Disney artists and writers are hidden away behind a big corporation and continue to pump out the same white, straight, cisgendered characters, we have one on one contact with the Council.

Tell me: if you went up to a Disney executive and screamed at them to include a black ambiguously bisexual or lesbian woman in one of their movies, do you think that would help the issue? No, they wouldn't care. They'd just say you're trying to brainwash their children again.

Meanwhile, the Council are a small group of four white, mostly cisgendered and straight men. And yet, they've included gay, lesbian, bisexual, nonbinary, unlabeled, asexual, transgender, and black people! That's awesome! We should be celebrating the fact that this podcast even exists! It's incredible.

Don't scream at them. That's counter-productive. Have civil conversations, encourage them to do more, show them what representation should look like while giving them room to be creative with it. Tell them what they do wrong and then point them kindly in the right direction.

I don't want this community to kill the podcast. I don't want all of this negativity to force Grizzly to leave - and I think it could get to that point if things continue the way they do.

Art is the best way to influence the Council. Draw the pcs with mobility aids! Give the poc characters love and attention, expand on hcs. Make ocs that showcase aspects of these lesser-represented communities. There are so many things you can do.

#jrwi #rrays answers #ive been wanting to talk about all this #guess now's the time #i just hope i dont dramatically offend anyone #i think a lot of people need to go touch some grass and remember the state of the real world #and how lucky we are to have a show like jrwi #with creators who are willing to listen and change their behaviors

93 notes · View notes

mjfsupremacy · 2 years

Note

Hello! Could you write an imagine with MJF and the reader who is the daughter of Triple H and Stephanie? Maybe she confronts CM Punk for everything he has said about her family and now about MJF and the situation gets out of control and Max is there to protect his girl and end super fluff

Had to come back from my mini writing break to slap something together for you. I hope it's okay, I've never really written anything like this before and also I'm as shit at writing conflict as I am with getting into it irl (aka very shit.) I hope you like it!

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are your parents. Safe to say you aren't afraid to stand up for what you believe in, and you definitely aren't afraid to stand up for your boyfriend, MJF.

Typed out on my phone, apologies for any errors. The reader accidentally ended up being gender neutral just fyi ☺️ the jokes about the turtleneck are from Archer (my beloved)

Moderate swearing, mentions of CM Punk.

You were a McMahon, if there was one thing you had it was balls.

Max loved that about you, not that he’d ever told you that. You were never afraid to say what you thought or stand up for what you believed in, hell, you were the kid of Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, the owners of WWE and yet you still chose to date him.

The pair of you were the constant top story in the wrestling media but you didn’t care. You came to as many shows as you could, you openly spoke about what AEW did better than WWE and much to Max's delight; you were not afraid to tell TK to his face when he was being stupid. He was completely enamoured with your fierceness.

Max supposes he should’ve seen it coming. You can’t have a loyal spitfire for a partner and not expect them to verbally smackdown someone like CM Punk.

You’d never really had a problem with Punk before tonight. Sure, he was a bit of a dick when you were a kid and he left without a word but you understood. Everything he said about WWE was true. You might be a McMahon but you knew right from wrong and you hadn’t hesitated to voice it then and you weren’t hesitant to voice it now. But costing your boyfriend his big moment was way over the line and you decided to make it your business.

You knew Max was disappointed, his return had been months in the making. Meticulously planned to the second and all it took to make him old news was the new AEW champion, his idol, opening his big mouth in a press conference a few minutes after the show.

You were furious and no matter how many times Max tried to grab your attention, tried to get you to leave with him, you refused. You had some choice things to say to the so called second city saint.

“Mac,” Max pulls your attention away from the closed door you were pacing in front of with the nickname he’d teasingly called you the first time he met you that had just stuck. “C’mon, I’m tired, I just want to go home and I don’t want you to fight with him.” He mutters, squeezing your hand.

“I just want to talk to him then we can go.” You reassure him, pressing a quick kiss to his hand before letting go. He sighs but accepts.

The pair of you waited outside his locker room. You, pacing angrily while Max sat on a production box kicking his feet out, still dressed in the full black ensemble. His mask and his scarf tossed beside him. You didn’t have to wait long before the AEW champ rolled from his room and you didn’t hesitate, pouncing the second he opened the door.

“You're a real piece of work, you know that right? I’ve never met anyone so willing to call everyone else an asshole while being the biggest asshole currently walking the earth.” You hiss fiercely. Max rolls his eyes. He knew he shouldn’t have believed you when you said you just wanted to talk.

“You haven’t taken enough from Max already? Now you have to take away his big moment too? What, couldn’t handle Max and Tony’s little surprise after you won? Had to find a way to make this all about you again?”

Punk scoffs, bringing his suitcase to a stop beside him. “This has nothing to do with you, Sugar and it definitely has nothing to do with your silly little boyfriend. Get out of my way.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so, I don’t think I’m going anywhere until you give Max an apology.”

“You are way out of line right now Little Mac.” He sighs as if you are nothing more than a childish nuisance, making a point to use the nickname he’d given you in 2008 when you’d been a ten-year-old glued to his leg while he carted you around indulgently.

“Don’t call me that. You don’t get to call me nicknames like we’re still friends, like I was just some stupid kid who annoyed their favourite wrestler. You don’t get to be angry that I’m standing up for the person I love when you went out of your way to ruin one of the biggest moments of their career. You don’t.” You are gasping for air, like your anger had filled your lungs and refused to make room for oxygen.

“This wasn’t personal, I had some grievances I needed to air, I’m not going to apologise for setting the record straight and I’m definitely not going to apologise to that asshole.” He jabs a finger at Max who doesn’t even look mad, just a little annoyed but mostly worried for you. “After everything he’s said and done to me, no way.”

“And newsflash kid!” He continues his voice still quiet but matching yours in sharpness. “You were just an annoying kid that I put up with, you were the boss’s favourite grandkid. Not like I could tell you to scram.”

“That's enough,” Max spits, shooting up and quickly coming to stand in front of you. “You can hate me all you want, you can try and ruin me and ruin this company with your stupidity and selfish bullshit, but you don’t talk about Mac like that or I will leave you in a pool of your own blood, again.”

Punk and Max square off each refusing to give while you twisted your hands into the black material of Max’s shirt all the fight leaving you like air after a swift kick to the gut.

Punk scoffs, grabbing his suitcase and wheeling it away refusing to look back at you even as the guilt started to eat him up.

You buried yourself in Max’s back and felt him sigh, “you okay?” He whispers, eyes still on the door to Punk’s locker room. “Mac,” He sighs quietly when the only answer you give is the tightening of your fingers in his shirt. “Please, I need to know if your okay.”

You nod against his spine and he relaxes. “I’m sorry he’s such an asshole.”

“Don’t be. Not your fault. I’m sorry he ruined your return.” You mumble softly in reply. You can’t believe he was your favourite wrestler once upon a time. You can’t believe if it wasn’t for your shared childhood love of CM Punk you and Max may have never gotten together.

“Don’t be. Not your fault.” He mimics back, you can hear the small smirk in his words. You thump him on the shoulder earning a chuckle.

He turns around, wrapping you in his arms, tiny smirk still firmly in place. “Be honest, how wrinkled in the back of this turtleneck right now?” You roll your eyes to the ceiling. “I’m serious! This is woven from the purest Azerbaijani cashmere wool, it was $900.”

“Say, is this black or dark black?”

“Don’t be stupid. You know it’s dark black.”

“Of course, how could I be your sweet cheese, your good time boy and not know the difference between black and dark black? I shouldn’t have even joked.”

“Sweet cheese? Awfully romantic and presumptuous of you. Bold. Did the rats teach you that one? It reeks of the pungent desperation only they can create.”

“Yep,” You nod. “They also taught me the single ladies dance, analysed Vonnegut, weighed the pros and cons of the Kardashian’s removing their BBL’s, and taught me how avoid STD’s. Very well-rounded people those ring rats.”

“How do you avoid STD’s?”

“Don’t sleep with patient zero. I got the information a little late.”

“Ha-ha. Wow. So funny. Is that part of the tight ten you’re working on? I’d cut it, it’s not landing as well as you think.”

You laugh and he smiles. “That’s better. I hate seeing you sad.” You bury yourself into him with a content sigh. No one was better at turning your mood around than Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

“Same. It’s why I had to say something to him. I know how much it hurt you what he did.”

“It did. But it’s over. He can’t ruin tonight for me; do you want to know why?”

“Why?”

“Because during your little revenge rampage, you told him you loved me.” He says sounding awfully smug.

You retrace your words realising you had in fact said that. A blush brightens your cheeks. You had really promised yourself you weren’t going to be the first one to say it. Damn CM Punk.

“Did I? How strange.” You reply in a faux disinterested tone.

He nods seriously, “You did.”

“Hmm,�� You hum, swallowing down the nerves. You meet his gaze. “Lucky I meant it then.”

“Yeah, I guess it is?”

“Yeah.”

“What will Hunter and Steph say about their precious baby being in love with the enemy?”

“Probably something along the lines of ‘great, how long until we can sign him to a bazillion year contract and make him not the enemy?’ they won’t come out and say it, but I think they are hoping I will seduce you to the darkside.” You grin.

“You think your parents are prostituting you?”

“I mean you have met my dad; he is all about what’s best for business.”

Max laughs, tightening his grip on you. “I’m very happy in AEW.”

“I know. I like dating the enemy. It’s all very Romeo and Juliet, except less misogynist, less creepy, and you are way more of an asshole that Romeo. Romeo was also way more open about his feelings too; I mean, he told Juliet he loved her within like eight minutes. You could learn a thing or two.”

“Are you trying to manipulate me into saying I love you by making me feel bad about not stacking up emotionally against a child?”

“I don’t know, is it working?”

“I love you.”

“Cool.”

#maxwell jacob friedman #mjf #aew #mjf fanfic #mjf reader #mjf fanfiction #mjf imagine #maxwell jacob friedman fanfiction #maxwell jacob friedman fanfic #mjf x reader #mjf x McMahon reader

136 notes · View notes

weebsinstash · 1 year

Text

not to be Valentinoposting again because I'm sure most of you are tired of hearing about this nasty moth man but I was on YouTube and came across a video and like, since Hazbin has been online for so long but is only in its now-finished production recently, a lot of actual canon show lore has been given over livestreams and such, and it can be easy to miss, but--

The whole 'sinners not being able to die unless by an angelic weapon or special circumstances' thing? Can you only imagine how miserable that could be? I mean yeah, it makes sense, Hell is supposed to be a punishment, there are canon implications that Heaven and the angels are actually super rigged and fucked up and that "most" humans go to Hell anyways, but like, for it to be canon that you're stuck there suffering forever?

Reader is in Hell because they killed themself or something and then finally loses it and tries again and realizes "oh god I'm fucking stuck?" and I can only imagine the ensuing depression and panic from that realization

But can you imagine how being under Valentino's thumb makes this so much fucking worse though 😩 you're forever stuck at whatever age you died at and you can't overdose or anything so you're basically forever young and cute for him to play with. Can you imagine just being at your wits end and downing a bottle of sleeping pills and leaving a note behind and you just, pop back up again to see your employer standing there with your note crumpled up in his hands, absolutely furious because, he knows you were fine (besides whatever awful effects the resurrection and the overdose has) but it's the fact you tried to 'run away from him', that he was sitting here maybe catching some feelings for you and you've 'betrayed' him, that you were going to LEAVE

But I mentioned before how he would get super mad if he found out Reader has another job but like, really, could you imagine, going to serve him a drink and everything is fine and suddenly he grabs your wrist "what the fuck is this" because your hands are calloused and cracking and you've got little scratches and cuts. But even more than that, imagine a scenario where you're not even doing anything wrong, and you're out on the town with Angel one day and you're waiting outside a store getting some fresh air when someone behind you asks "you Val's girl?" And when you turn around to answer, BAM, you're getting jumped by multiple guys who absolutely beat your ass, and before Angel can come and rescue you, you're being grabbed by your hair "tell your boss Big Donny says to actually fucking show up for the meeting next time" or some shit like that. You're the unlucky little messenger caught between Valentino and another gangster's dispute, and fast forward to you having no choice but to go up to Valentino in sniffles to give him his message and he just looks furious and you're worried he's going to blame you when he just grabs your chin and starts examining your face and growling about all of this could SCAR. Don't these punks know how hard he's working to keep you in mint condition?

I can also see that if one of those punks happened to, say, knock one of your teeth out, that eventually you find yourself being dragged along to a dentist and before you really know what's happening, you have that same iconic gold cap that both Valentino and Angel sport, and you just know from then on that a certain Overlord all but wants to put you on a keychain and carry you around because, not only does he need to make sure you stay bruise and blemish free, not getting yourself up to any potential bullshit, or worse, cheating on him, but also because, now, every time you look at him and flash a smile or give a little laugh, there's that tooth, a roundabout mark of his ownership, sitting there anchored in your mouth, forever

#yandere stuff #hh #sinprompts #also like. i keep getting ideas for like. imagine if val ignored you but takes an interest after vox gets a crush #like imagine a female reader and val and vox are like in bed one night and vox is just all hey i think i might actually be bi #and val is initially pissed because who tf has caught his boyfriends attention this much #and when he finds out its you then hes curious what vox sees in you so now youve got two possessive overlords for the price of one

44 notes · View notes

aletterinthenameofsanity · 6 months

Text

Izzy Amnesia Fic Excerpt (Spoilers)

Since "show the excerpt" won by a wide margin, this is getting posted. But since a portion of you didn't want it, I'll put the actual excerpt under a "read more" banner.

Note: this is from about I'd say a third of the way into the fic? So this is definitely not guaranteeing an angsty ending. Just that there is going to be some Shit That Goes Down on the way. (Also, that there is a lead up to this. It doesn't just come out of nowhere.)

With that being said, I'm warning you now that this excerpt is going to end on an absolutely gut wrenching note. And yes, I am extremely pleased by that.

---

the blessing only comes with bitterness (all that you believe in can survive this one)

Title is from "December '04" by the Oh Hellos, one of the main songs on my playlists for this fic. (And yes, I made TWO playlists for this fic. I'm at 15k and it's still got at least a few thousand left and it spiralled. Whoops. At least I'm posting this excerpt, for better or worse.)

---

“I forgot how absolutely bitter and repressed you were. You can't handle the thought that someone else could turn Blackbeard's eye, or hell, your own,” Lucius says, furious tears in his eyes, and the words cut across Izzy's ribs like Hornigold’s whip. “How would you feel if I told you that you're married, now? And to someone that isn't Blackbeard? Doesn't that make you want to shrivel up into a tiny ball, the idea that someone loves you so much that they would vow their life to you, and that it isn't the man who created you? Doesn't that just terrify you to death?"

Izzy has his sword out, the sharp side of the blade against Lucius’ throat, but Lucius’ vicious smirk doesn't slip even a millimeter. He knows which nerves of Izzy's are the rawest. He knows what strings hurt the most to be plucked. He knows how to dig his claws into the softest parts of Izzy's heart that he thought long ago calloused over. He knows about parts of Izzy that he has never shared with anyone, even Edward himself.

(Pete has his own sword out, but it is held by his side as he glances frantically between them, clearly uneasy about letting his blade join the conversation.)

“Where is this man or woman you claim I decided to turn against my Captain to marry?”

Lucius and Pete exchange a glance and some acidic mix of insecurity and rage crunches Izzy's stomach. He's been struggling since he woke up, head in agony, and whoever this fucking spouse didn't care enough to help him, to ground him, to care for him when he was laid up with a fever and woke missing years of memory.

Izzy snarls. "They're clearly not here, so they must be a fucking coward. Better dead than alive if they can't even be relied upon to stay by my side when I have a fever, much less years of missing memories-"

“Don't you dare fucking talk about my husband like that,” Pete seethes, fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.

A stone drops into Izzy's stomach. "Your husband? I thought we were talking about my witless spouse?”

“They're standing right in front of you, you impertinent jackass,” Lucius says, tone vicious as he pulls back the neckline of his tunic to yank out a wooden ring on a leather strap. His wooden finger jerks to the side to point at the wooden ring on Pete’s hand. “Surprise. You're stuck with us.”

Izzy has to be hallucinating. He must have gotten an infection. All of this must be the product of a fevered mind.

There is no way that the scribe who humiliated him in front of the crew and the guy he slapped the head of and called a “useless fucking fucker” a few days ago could possibly have decided to marry him.

All Izzy knows is violence and control. All he knows is Edward and the sea. He does not know softness and weakness and the sort of gormless sentiment that would let himself be tied to the idiot twins.

This can't be real. He's hallucinating, that's it.

Ed is still here. Stede Bonnet's ragtag group of idiots are going to fail at their attempt at a fuckery tomorrow and Ed is going to kill Stede Bonnet and this scribe and his boyfriend will be nothing but the guys who Izzy caught fucking in the storage hold and all of this will have been a horrible, terrible nightmare-

“You’re lying,” Izzy snaps. “You absolute-”

“Twats?” Lucius offers with a horrible, gut-wrenching, fond smirk, and if Izzy ever decided to marry this man, he’d be a fucking fool.

---

But also, because I can't leave you on such a downer, and because I'm nice, here's one of my favorite lines from later in the fic when things are on the upswing:

Lucius Spriggs is a rotten bastard, an absolute bitch, and also one of the kindest people Izzy has ever met.

#fanfic #aletterinthenameofsanity #izzy hands #lucius spriggs #black pete #amnesia fic #ao3 #my fics #excerpt #lucius x izzy x pete #lucius x izzy #sprizzy #lupeteizzy

10 notes · View notes

nixie-writes · 11 months

Text

Here's something I wrote while high on pain pills

I pulled the plot for this out of my ass and it's a little wonky because I was feeling wonky and now I'm wearing a wrist brace lol. Under the cut because it's 8 pages long lmao

Willow belongs to @willowaudreykeyes , Nixie belongs to me

Willow’s POV

It was a long day. I had many patients today, most of them arriving hoping to get narcotics, which I rarely prescribe. A lot of Hell has drug abusers. I did, however, prescribe Xanax to a young trans girl who had panic attacks when she thought about her family abandoning her. I felt bad for the poor thing, alone in a world that doesn’t support trans people very well. Regardless it had been a long day and I was ready to retire for the night.

At least, that was the plan. I was taking off my bloody gloves when Alastor burst into my office, the body of a small child in his arms. The sinner child couldn’t have been older than 5. He was beaten, bruised and bloody. How did he end up in Hell? I motioned Alastor to put him on my operating table so I could get a better look at him.

I parted his black hair and found a healed bullet wound. That explained how he died; it must have been recently if he still had the scar. I looked down at his arms and saw several scrapes but nothing severe. He had a stab wound in his stomach, covered by his hand. He seemed reluctant to let me see it. I gently pulled his hand away and examined the stab wound. It was shallow and not bleeding heavily, likely caused by a kitchen knife. His kneecap was busted, he would never walk properly again. The bone was shattered, I could feel the pieces beneath his skin. When I touched his kneecap he cried out in pain, recoiling. I moved on to his other knee, which appeared fine. Aside from the shallow stab wound and his busted kneecap he was okay; I could get him bandaged in no time flat.

“Alastor, where did you find him?” I asked; Alastor looked away. “I caught a gang of demons hitting him. They’re past tense now but they were beating him badly. I found him like this,” Alastor explained in a hurried voice. “Can you help him?” Alastor begged. I knew he had a soft spot for children but he seemed especially concerned for this child. “I’ll need some supplies from the living world to patch up his stab wound, can you sit with him until I’m back? The bleeding has stopped but I imagine he doesn’t want to be left alone,” I requested. Alastor nodded his head in response. “I’ll take good care of him my dear,” he promised.

Nixie’s POV

I was busy with Niffty, folding up clothes. I tried my best to mimic the perfect way she folded towels but I was no good at it. “Don’t worry Miss Nixie, you’ll get it eventually!” She encouraged me. I appreciated that she believed in me. I slowly folded a towel, freezing when I heard a door fly open. It was probably Angel coming back to the hotel high off his ass on Xanax again, so I ignored it and continued folding.

I was almost done folding the clothes with Niffty when Willow appeared in the door frame. “Nixie, a word please?” She requested. I patted Niffty on the head and walked to the door frame, leaning on it. “What’s up?” I inquired, leaning on the door ledge. Willow told me about a young sinner child who came in severely beaten and she needed products from the living world to fully take care of him. I rose back to full height, surprised at what she told me.

“Can I come? You know Hellborns can enter the living world,” I persisted. Willow looked hesitant but sighed and gave in. “Yeah, you can come. More arms to carry more supplies,” she agreed. I dusted off my work uniform and followed Willow to her room, where she drew portals to visit the living world. This was my first time visiting the human world so I wanted to present my best.

Willow took a pen to her wall and drew a circle with odd symbols. “I assume the guy with a cane stuck up his ass taught you that?” Willow rolled her eyes. “No; I’m part angel, remember? I can transverse dimensions too. I learned this from Lucifer,” she explained as she finished the circle. The portal glowed and opened, revealing a blue sky, green grass and fresh air. It was a far cry from the stifling hot air of Hell. Willow stepped through the portal and I followed.

Taking in a deep breath I sighed happily. “I could get used to this place, I see why sinners miss it so much,” I commented. I glanced over at Willow, who had taken a human form. Her hair was still brown but her skin was almond colored and she only had two arms. “What happened to you??” I asked incredulously. Willow rolled her eyes. “In the human world you have to take up a disguise so no one suspects you’re a demon,” she explained as if she expected me to know that.

Lifting my head I imagined how I would look as a human - blue wavy hair, pale skin and with the same body type I had now. Taking a deep breath I concentrated as hard as I could and I felt magic swirling around me. When I opened my eyes I only saw out of one, the other blinded. It was weird not having depth perception.

“It gets easier with time,” Willow assured me as she took off at a brisk pace. I followed after her, glancing around. Insects with pretty wings fluttered around. One flew right in my face and I jumped back. “Nixie, it's a butterfly,” Willow sighed. “They’re harmless. It just wants to know if you’re a flower or not,” I stood still while the insect landed on my hand and examined me with its proboscis, tasting my skin. I shuddered at the sight, I did not like the insects in the living world. After a few moments the butterfly lifted back up into the sky. “They’re pretty from a distance but I don’t want one on me ever again,” I commented as we continued our journey.

As we briskly walked we came upon a garden. The flowers were many colors, more than the shades of red in Hell. I plucked a yellow flower with star-shaped petals and presented it to Willow. “What plant is this?” I inquired. Willow sighed, rubbing her temple. “It’s a daffodil Nixie. We need to keep going,” she insisted. I buried the flower so it could regrow and followed Willow, who was getting more irritated with me every time I stopped.

We left the park behind us and found ourselves in a small city. Willow looked around, presumably trying to find the building where her supplies would be. I noticed a sign on a small gas station that advertised cigarettes. “Willow you stay here, I gotta make a pit stop,” I told her, walking towards the gas station.

Upon entering the gas station I was met with a rainbow of lights, blinding me for a moment. Glancing around I found the employee and approached him. “Hey bud, a pack of Newport 100’s please,” I requested. He asked for my ID. Luckily I was smart enough to have a fake one made by a sinner. I presented it and he looked at it for a full 3 seconds before passing it back to me and grabbing my cigarettes. I handed him the cash I had in my pocket and left, opening the pack to smoke a cigarette real quick.

Willow’s POV

I watched as Nixie entered the gas station, my face dead panned. I thought she came to help but instead she’s on a tour of this city. I couldn’t go looking in supermarkets for my supplies until she came out, I needed her help carrying supplies. I watched as she exited the gas station, lighting a cigarette in the process. I stomped over to her.

“Nixie, the hell are you doing? We have an injured child and you’re worried about cigarettes??” Nixie shrugged. “They’re cheaper here than they are in Hell,” she reasoned. It was a good reason to take advantage of the cheap prices.

“Well, keep your cancer stick away from me and let’s get these supplies,” I told her, taking her free hand to make sure she didn’t wander off again, and made my way through the city looking for the medical store.

Alastor’s POV

With the two women gone I was left alone with a sobbing child. It was awkward. If this were an adult I would take immense pleasure in seeing them writhe in pain but this poor child was suffering and for once, I felt bad for him.

“Tell me kiddo, who sent those demons to beat you?” I asked him, trying to weasel out information about my next target. The child coughed, his body wracking with the effort. “My… my father,” he replied. “He thought I was a mistake and wanted me gone,” he explained between grunts of pain. I felt a fire light inside my chest. Every child deserves a loving parent, but not every parent deserves a child. “What’s your name sweetheart?” I cooed, trying to relax the child. He looked at me for a moment before staring back up at the ceiling. “My name is Andrew,” he stated. So, Andrew’s father put out a hit on him. I knew a certain demon who talked about his unwanted son Andrew. I’d pay him a less than savory visit later, but for now I was focused on Andrew, who had his hands covering his stomach wound as though he was protecting it.

“It hurts,” Andrew whined. I wasn’t sure what to do but I knew Willow had a stash of painkillers in her safe, and I knew the combination. Opening the safe I pulled out a bottle that read Tylenol. I knew it was a painkiller and emptied two pills into my hand. I put away the pill bottle and turned back to Andrew, filing a cup with water. “These pills will help with your pain. They’re not big, they're easy to swallow.” I soothed him as I approached. I held him down by his shoulders and dropped the two pills in his mouth, holding the glass of water to his lips. He drank fervently, swallowing the pills. “Can I have more? I’m so thirsty,” he sounded hoarse. I didn’t like it but I would have to use Nixie’s water to hydrate him. I reached into Willow’s fridge and pulled out a bottle of Nixie’s water. I held it to Andrew’s lips and he guzzled the water. When he finished he laid back down on the table, a little more light in his eyes.

“I miss my mother,” Andrew hummed. I cocked my head to one side. “Where is she?” I inquired. “She’s still alive as far as I know,” he replied. I placed my chin on one hand, the other on my leg. “So how did your father die?” I asked. Andrew shrugged. “I don’t know. He never liked to be around me,” he explained. I felt my anger towards Andrew’s father continue to grow.

“Don’t worry about it, try to get some rest,” I suggested as I placed a blanket over Andrew. He snuggled into the bed and shifted onto his side. His stomach was no longer bleeding and the scab looked good enough to hold. Exhausted, I sat in Willow’s chair and opened a book. How she did this every day was beyond me.

Willow’s POV

I held Nixie’s hand like she was a toddler and finally found a supermarket that sold the stuff I needed for my patient. I pulled her inside and released her hand. “You have a little money, spend it wisely,” I warned her as I walked off to the pharmacy. I noticed Nixie running to the candy like a child and rolled my eyes.

I approached the pharmacist. “Hello, I need bandaging, rubbing alcohol and self-adhesive sports wraps, please,” I requested. I knew I couldn’t make a cast for the kid’s knee but I could at least clean him up and wrap his knee so it doesn’t hurt as bad. The pharmacist looked like she really didn’t want to be there, but turned into the pharmacy to get what I requested. As I was waiting I noticed Nixie approaching me, eating peach rings. “Are you gonna be done with those before I need your help?” I inquired. She nodded, popping another one in her mouth. “I’m almost done, and it doesn’t look like anyone’s in a rush to get what you asked for,” she noted. I hated that she was right. Would they move faster if they knew it was for a kid?

While we were waiting a young man approached us, brushing his hair back with his hand. “What’s two pretty little things like you two doing alone? Don’t you want a man to protect you?” He asked, flexing his tricep while he brushed back his hair. Before I could respond Nixie snapped at him, “we both have men, we’re not interested,” she retorted. The man scoffed. “Clearly they weren’t interested in making sure you two were safe.” I could see Nixie’s one magenta eye narrowing, she looked ready to pounce on him. He turned his attention to me and approached me. “I’m sure I could show you things your boyfriend could never do for you,” he suggested. I didn’t understand the context, but before I could ask Nixie walked up behind him and kicked the back of his knees, making him fold to the ground. She grabbed him by a pressure point and pressed down hard enough to leave a mark. “I believe I said we both have men,” she growled. In her anger she was beginning to lose her human form, water dripping from her fingers.

“Nixie, I think he gets the message,” I insisted. She snorted contemptuously but let him go. He spun on us. “You’re both a pair of bitches, you know that? I could do so much better than almond milk and the feminist behind me,” he snarled as he stood up to leave. Nixie grabbed a box of batteries and threw them at the back of his head and they landed. He held the back of his head but didn’t turn around as he left. I looked at Nixie. “ What did he mean by showing me something Alastor can’t?” Nixie just sighed heavily. “He was trying to have sex with you,” she responded in a blunt tone. She noticed the water dripping from her fingers and hastily wiped the water onto her work shirt to hide the evidence.

“You almost lost your human disguise there,” I warned her. Nixie nodded slowly. “It’s harder than it looks to hold up a human disguise,” she retorted. “I have to focus on keeping this form and I just want to get back to Hell so I don’t have to wear a disguise for hours on end,” she muttered the last few words but I heard them.

The pharmacist, who I’m sure hid during Nixie’s little spur with the guy who approached us, handed me my supplies. “Rubbing alcohol, bandaging and sports wrap, right here for you ma’am,” she passed the supplies to me. Nixie ate her last peach ring and threw away her wrapper. “What do you want me to carry?” She offered. I passed her the sports wrap. “Don’t get it wet or it won’t stick,” I told her. She nodded, tucking it under her arm. “Let’s get out of this pisshole,” Nixie suggested as she made her way to the exit of the supermarket.

Nixie’s POV

I took the quickest path out of the supermarket, rushing for fresh air. I had the sports wrap tucked under my arm just in case I began to lose my physical form again. Willow paced after me at a brisk speed, finally catching up to me. “That guy really got under your skin huh?” She mused. I rolled my good eye. “What bothered me was that he was trying to get you in bed with him; it’s perverse and nasty to pick up random girls when they’re alone or in a small group,” I ranted on for a moment, Willow nodding her head in agreement.

“I wasn’t exactly comfortable with it either,” she agreed. “I was just wishing Alastor would form out of nowhere and handle him,” she admitted. I scoffed. “What, was I not your knight in shining armor? Am I not red enough?” I joked, giving her a snarky smile. Willow giggled; “no, you dispatched him just fine,” she replied.

I grabbed a piece of chalk and passed it to Willow. “Get us out of here, I want to go back to the correct Hell-hole,” I told her. She got on her knees and drew a crude circle with the same symbols from earlier. Willow pricked her finger and dropped the blood onto the drawing and it opened a portal to Hell. She hopped down first and I followed her, happy to drop my human disguise.

Alastor’s POV

I read a book while Andrew slept. His sleep was fitful, it sounded like he was having nightmares. I would have woken him up but I don’t know how to comfort a child after a nightmare. I am a nightmare. I looked up from my book here and there to make sure Andrew was comfortable. He occasionally mumbled incoherently, curling up under the blanket.

I stood up from my chair and gently patted Andrew on the head. “There there, the nightmare is just that - a nightmare. The real world isn’t as bad as you think it is,” I tried to comfort him as he slept. As though he could hear my voice he relaxed a little, settling down in the bed. I sat down again and went back to my book.

About two hours had passed when I heard the hotel door open. I didn’t hear Angel flaunting whoever he had sex with. I didn’t hear Charlie talking excitedly to Vaggie about hotel campaigns. In fact, I didn’t hear anything. Leaving the room and closing the door I walked to see who entered and froze in the spot. A demon, very similar to Andrew, stood in the foyer.

“I want my son,” he demanded in a growl. I forced myself to not look in the direction of the clinic. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied. I knew he wanted Andrew. The demon approached me and grabbed me by the wrist. “Give me the boy or I’ll make sure you’re in the same condition he’s in,” he threatened. I snarled, grasping him by the throat. “No one who threatens the Radio Demon makes it out alive,” I threatened in return. I knew I could kill him with no effort. But I knew that Andrew, a 5 year old, still loved his father regardless of what he did to him. I didn’t want to hurt the boy. I threw the demon to the ground. “Leave this hotel or I’ll drag your soul through every circle of Hell,” I warned him. I really didn’t want to crush Andrew by killing his father but it seemed like I didn’t have much of a choice.

The demon stared at me in uncertainty. Standing up he paced back a few feet. I already knew he was farcing an exit, and I was ready for him to rush at me. So when he did I summoned a tentacle, grabbing him by the arm. It pulled him down and he fought against it feebly. “The hell is this?!” The demon demanded. I snorted. “I warned you,” I taunted. Another tentacle grasped him by the throat, pulling him down to the ground. He writhed to get free but the tentacles only tightened. He was suffocating. For a split moment I worried about having to tell Andrew his father was dead but I couldn’t show this demon mercy. Not when he put out a hit on a child. The tentacle around his neck tightened until all he could make out were spitted nonsense. I watched with glee as he choked on his own vomit. His writhing had stopped, he had lost too much oxygen to move. He began twitching violently as his muscles restricted and begged for air. He jerked harshly for about 30 seconds before falling limp. I waited until I knew he was dead before I removed the tentacles. I approached his dead body and kicked him in the stomach. “Killing a child. No class,” I chastised him before turning around and entering the clinic.

Andrew was wide awake, laying down, eyeing me with fear. “I heard my father. What did you do to him?” I didn’t want to go into detail about how I slowly killed his father. “He won’t be around to hurt you anymore,” I promised him. “Now get some more rest, the ladies will be back soon with the supplies they need for your wounds.” Andrew closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, swiftly falling asleep again. I sat down in my chair and returned to my book.

Willow’s POV

Now that we were back in Hell I could carry all the supplies. Nixie gave me the sports wrap, surprisingly dry, and we headed back to the hotel. Nixie pulled out her phone and opened her GPS. “Alright, take two rights and a left and we’ll be there,” she instructed. I nodded my head in agreement. “I hope that kid’s okay, he’s been through so much,” I mused. Nixie hummed. “Alastor is watching over him. I don’t trust the guy with you but he would never hurt a child,” she assured me. I nodded my head in agreement. “Of course, he would never hurt a kid,” I reasoned with myself. It wasn’t him I was worried about. I was worried I couldn’t help the kid and I’d fail him, but I would never voice my insecurities to Nixie. She’d just go on a tangent about the patients I’ve helped and how capable I am of helping. Which is usually what I need to hear but right now, with a child’s life on the line, nothing could comfort me.

Nixie and I followed the GPS, eventually arriving at the hotel. I fished out my key and opened the door, and gasped in horror. Lying on the floor of the foyer was a demon who looked eerily similar to the child I was caring for, dead on the ground. I approached the body to examine how he died. He had constriction marks on his throat and left wrist. He was suffocated to death. He hadn’t even begun to smell, this murder was recent. I knew who was capable of this - Alastor. Had the child’s father come back for him? I would never give up the kid to his father after what he’d been through but murder seemed excessive. Carrying my supplies I stepped over the body and entered the clinic. The kid was asleep and Alastor was reading a book. I cleared my throat and he glanced up, dog-earing the page he was on. I sat down my supplies as quietly as I could so as to not wake my patient and I beckoned him outside of the clinic. “Mind explaining the body in the foyer?” I inquired suspiciously. Alastor smiled ever so sweetly at me. “My dear, that was Andrew’s - the boy’s - father. He put a hit on his kid because he never wanted kids. I simply gave him what he tried to give Andrew.”

I crossed one set of arms, propping my hand on my chin with the other set. “Well he’s certainly a piece of shit but how do you plan on explaining to Andrew that his father is dead?” I asked him. “Ho ho! I’ve already told him. He looked relieved.” Alastor never made a move to help someone in need unless it benefited him, but here he was killing a child’s father because his father simply never wanted kids.

Nixie peered around the corner of the clinic. “I hate to interrupt your makeout session but we have a patient to attend to and I have a meeting in an hour. Could we get this show on the road?” I rolled my eyes at her crassness. “Of course, let’s take care of Andrew,” I agreed.

I gently roused Andrew and told him to lay flat on the table on his back so I could see the stab wound. It had scabbed over by now but still needed to be cleaned. I split the skin open and Andrew whined. I motioned for Nixie to give me the rubbing alcohol and she passed it to me, looking away as I poured it into Andrew’s wound. He cried out in pain. “It burns!” He wailed. I waited for his sobbing to end. “It only burns because it’s cleaning the wound. It’ll be fully healed in about a week,” I told him. It still surprised me how fast sinners healed from their injuries.

Afterward I requested the bandaging and Nixie handed it over to me, willing herself to watch me at work. I gently wrapped his abdomen and back in the bandaging to stop any bleeding and prevent the scab from tearing again. I waved for the sports wrap and Nixie approached me with it. She examined Andrew. “He looks like he’s been through literal hell,” she commented. Andrew laughed wryly. “You could say that,” he hissed through clenched teeth as I wrapped his shattered kneecap. “No walking for two weeks, we’ll take care of you here,” I told Andrew. He nodded, eyes closed in pain.

Nixie’s POV

While Alastor and Willow were tending to Andrew I went back to the foyer, where the dead body lay. I knew Alastor was going to eat the corpse eventually but I didn't want him to get blood stains on the carpet again and drive Niffty into a flurry. Grabbing him under the arms I hauled him out of the hotel, kicking the door open behind me. I dragged the corpse to the back of the hotel, away from prying eyes. No one would see Alastor eat him. I knew his sense of smell was keen and he’d find the body with no issue.

Entering the hotel again I changed into more casual clothes - a pair of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt. I sat down at my computer and opened Zoom, preparing for my meeting.

Thirty minutes passed and no one had joined the meeting so I clicked off. Clearly the meeting wasn’t being held today. I walked my way to the clinic to check on Andrew. He was fast asleep and Willow was tinkering with some bottles of mysterious fluid. When she noticed my arrival she gave me a hush signal. As quietly as I could, I slipped up behind her. “What are you doing?” I whispered. Willow hummed. “I’m trying to make fertilizer for more of Hell’s plants.” So essentially what she always did. I walked to the door, waving. “I’m gonna do my own thing, you have fun,” I whispered as I left.

I noticed Husk was actually attending the bar for once and approached the bar, planning to only have one drink. I sat down on an empty stool and requested a sex on the beach. He lifted an eyebrow in doubt but said nothing as he prepared my drink. When he passed it to me I chugged it like a shot of vodka, it was gone before it melted the ice. I was already tipsy but I had a stressful day and dammit I deserve to unwind. “Give me a shot of whiskey,” I slurred. Husk shook his head in disappointment and passed me a shot of whiskey. It burned my throat and chest going down but I wasn’t about to pussy out. I drank the entire shot in three gulps.

“I’m impressed. Not many demons can chug straight whiskey,” Husk complimented. I giggled, most definitely intoxicated. “Oh Husk, you’re so funny! You know my body waters down the alcohol so it isn’t as strong, silly.” I was hardly aware of myself when a hand patted me on the shoulder. I looked over to see Willow. “Nix, I think you’ve had enough. It’s time for you to go to bed,” she suggested, Alastor behind her nodding his head in agreement. I lifted a finger to her face; “you’re not my mom,” I slurred, but obeyed her, standing up to walk to my room. “Goodnight kitty!” I called out in a sloppy voice before retiring to my room. Alastor sighed.

Willow’s POV

“So, when’s the wedding?” I teased Husk. He snorted. “Ask that again and I’ll find a way to make you drink toilet water,” he threatened. I just shrugged him off. “I’m going to bed too, wanna join me? You can read a book while I sleep,” I offered. Alastor nodded his head; “I’d love to,” he agreed. We ascended the stairs to Alastor’s room for the night. Changing into my nightgown I asked him, “are you going to eat that body?” Alastor chuckled darkly. “Let’s just say they won’t find the remains”.

#hazbin hotel x reader #alastor x reader #alastor #angel dust x reader #angel dust #husk #husk x reader #nixie speaks

30 notes · View notes

vampsquerade · 1 year

Note

Could u do the task force finding out that the male reader (who is part of the task force) used to date valeria

oh hell yea i can do this >:o thank you so much for requesting anon! happy new year btw, i wish for nothing but love and prosperity upon all ye who gather round 💕

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Task Force 141 x Male!Reader (Rudy, Valeria, and Alejandro Included): Resurfacing Pasts

Trigger Warnings: slight angst, mentions of past drug use, past relationships, unresolved emotions, platonic friendships

“Ay, que lindo…you dogs decided to bring in—not just one—but two little surprises while interrogating me. How many years has it been, amor, since we last saw each other?” Valeria asks. You push down every bit of venom you want to spit out at her, remembering your prior relationship to her. You look over at Alejandro, who’d been previously pissed off and was even more pissed. “We’re not here to recount memories of prior relationships. We’re here to get information—now you best start talking before you see the difference between the military, and me.” Phillip said menacingly. And of course, the interrogation of Valeria caused a lot of emotions to flow from both you and Alejandro during this time.

The two of you are yelling that she’s a liar, and nothing good would come from her if either the 141 or Shadow Company strike any deal with her. The amount of anger you held caused you to step out, infuriated by the whole ordeal, and spend some time talking with Alejandro about her before the rest of the 141 steps out and begins asking you how you met. “What the bloody hell was that in there? You’re from a completely different task force than her and you knew her before she started selling drugs?” John asks. You sigh, letting your shoulders slump as you let your guard down, “Before I joined the military, I was kind of stuck in a position that caused me to rely pretty heavily on marijuana. I met Valeria before she started selling drugs, dating in secret due to her admitting to me of her crimes beforehand. Told her I didn’t care and eventually once she started her business, she supplied me.” you explain.

Johnny’s eyes widened, crossing his arms against his chest, “So for how long did you date her?” he asked. “A good year and a half. Like I said, I relied heavily on the products she was giving me. At some point I was the tester for the marijuana she sold and she would sell what I said was the best—I made her a lot of money off those decisions, and I wish I could take it all back.” you say. “Well, I guess you can now. We caught her, so there’s a good chance we stopped any and all business she has.” Simon says, crossing his own arms against his chest. “I suppose you’re right. But…at least I’m fixing things by throwing her in a cell. She took advantage of me when I was at my lowest and used me to grow her empire. El Sin Nombre will be the last I ever know of her.” you say.

“If only we didn’t leave you back in Al Mazrah. Maybe we could’ve gotten this kind of information sooner if we brought you over with us.” John says. Shrugging it off and giving him a limp wave to not dwell on it, you give him a soft smile, “Happens. Sometimes we don’t realize the people we know tend to hold more significance in operations. Hell, I didn’t even know I was eventually going to be on the opposite side of her.” you say. “Glad to have you around, though. I can’t lie, but I reckon she’s a bit daft for not making you sober—you’re a bloody genius when it comes to tactical attacks, mate.” Kyle chimes in, bumping his fist against your shoulder. You laugh, playfully doing the same to him, “The same could be said about you, Gaz. I wouldn’t know half the shit I do now if it wasn’t for you.” you say.

Kyle gives you a grin, only for it to falter once John puts a hand on his shoulder. “Enough. You boys go and find somewhere to rest yourselves before our next objective.” he says. You all agree, walking over and finding a place to settle down both yours and Alejandro’s nerves. “So, what’s Valeria like? In a romantic sense, of course.” Johnny asks. “Fuckin’ hell…” Simon mumbles, shaking his head. “What?! I just want to know!” Johnny exclaims, putting his hands up in defense. “Well don’t ask me, cabron. Te tumbo los ojos si tratas de preguntarme.” Alejandro says, only to be calmed down and reassured by Rodolfo that Johnny’s question went to you.

“I’m not too sure how she was with Alejandro and I won’t ask to avoid getting the shit beat out of me, but when I was with her…she was kinda just very controlling. Sure, she loved me and all that, but she needed every single thing to be the way she kept it. Any interruption for anything also irritated her to the point that she’d get rid of her own men,” you say, only to be then cut off by Kyle’s curiosity. “So you could say that she’s like a cobra—deadly once a wrong move is made.” You give a nod and hum, “Mmmhm. But, she had the capacity to be very loving. She constantly bought me whatever I wanted no matter how much or how little it cost. She’d always call me sweet names and took very good care of me. After all, I was her puppet until I broke out of my trance and escaped.” you say.

“And how was she whenever you needed to test out a new product?” Johnny asks. “Overbearingly nice. She would pamper me and smooth talk me into trying it, calling me her ‘good boy’ whenever I eventually agreed.” you say, slightly flustering as you recount such a memory. “Interesting…I can make some jokes about that.” Johnny says. You laugh, clearly making sure it was as malicious and sarcastic as possible. “You do that and I can very much assure you you’ll be dead in a ditch in no time if you did.” you threaten, giving him a cheeky grin. “Very blunt, just like Lt. here. Think you’ll ever fall for another woman like her?” Kyle asks. You put a finger to your chin quizzically, pondering the thought.

While it would be nice to just be taken care of, you wouldn’t really want it the way you did all those years ago. Rather, you’d want someone to help find love within yourself and themself and make sure that there was nothing ever attached to that love other than romance. “Nah. Love’s gotta be done the right way—gotta be completely pure and careful with it. There can’t be any interference.” you say. “Hm, wise words coming from the mind of an ex-addict.” Simon says. You simply shrug, “One learns a lot when they get their head out of their ass once their time in the clouds comes down.” you say. “Agreed. Now then, let's just take our time to relax for a bit, yeah? No more silly questions about the enemy’s role as a partner.” Kyle says. “But don’t you think it’s just a tad bit amusing to talk about?” Johnny asks. “No.” both you and Alejandro say simultaneously, causing Rodolfo and Kyle to laugh as Johnny pouts.

85 notes · View notes

gorgeousgalatea · 4 months

Text

You know what I'm trying to finally write again and anywhere is a good place to start so here are some bite sized reviews of my bite sized YA binge (including two other books I read a few weeks earlier):

The Narrow, by Kate Alice Marshall: This was a book I borrowed after skimming it with a strong impression I would enjoy it, and thankfully I was right! The main character is the daughter of two well off but neglectful parents who spend way more time on her deeply troubled brother, to the point where she doesn't find out they forgot to pay for her final year at boarding school until she's already arrived. Fortunately the wealthy parent of a sickly student is willing to cover her tuition, as long as she rooms with and takes care of that student for the year. Pity she's pretty sure she's the reason that student is sick. Oh, and their dorm room is haunted as hell.

The Narrows deals a lot with the subject of abuse--both romantic and familial--while couching it in an atmospheric ghost story. I liked the tone and the characters, and one thing I really enjoyed is that it used its first person narrative to paint a very familiar romantic fiction picture of the main character having no one else to relate to or rely on other than their new love interest who is ~the only one who understands them~, and deliberately made that the product of her own insecurities. The ghost and possession element also explored sense of self and identity in a way that pinged pretty hard with my ozqrow days. Bittersweet ending, but would recommend for anyone into sapphic ghost stories.

Before the Devil Knows You're Here, by Autumn Krause: Ehh this was the mediocre apple story. I loved the summary--the main character's struggling single father passes away suddenly, and before she even has time to mourn, the monster her father has been warning her about her entire life shows up on their doorstep to steal away her brother as well, so she sets out to find the monster and save her brother. I dunno, the problem could be me, that summary had me expecting Guillermo del Toro style Labyrinth--which I am now realizing someone could say "don't you just mean Pan's Labyrinth" and no, I mean the relationship with maturity and sexual awakening where the monstrous is outwardly monstrous--and that's...really not what it was at all. It was "what if Johnny Appleseed made a deal with the devil," which kudos, I have not seen before, but wasn't really into in its execution. I do appreciate a heroine with guile, though, and she does have that.

I Fed Her to the Beast and the Beast Was Me, by Jamison Shea: The premise of this one is pretty straightforward--a talented black ballet student makes a deal with a dark entity to have the opportunity to actually make it into the prestigious Parisian ballet troupe she's been chasing after her whole life, and discovers that being part of a cult with monstrous powers is actually less toxic than being a girl of color in the Parisian professional ballet scene. I really liked this one, it wasn't afraid to have its leading lady be monstrous and cruel and wrong, and it also made it clear which parts of her mindset were just the product of spending so long in a cut-throat industry that spent every moment rejecting her. The ending was a bit too neat for me, but overall the atmosphere was great. Genuinely almost anything with a title like that is probably something I'll end up enjoying lmao

What Stalks Among Us, by Sarah Hollowell: Two best friends get stuck in an evil corn maze! This wasn't my favorite, but I still enjoyed it a lot; the main character's habit of self-censoring even among friends was very resonant with me. The story hits the ground running and has good momentum on exploring the mystery of the maze and how it came to be. The nature of the maze is ultimately rooted in [womp womp] trauma, so that's a major element of the story, and unfortunately there is greater focus on the main character's trauma with her best friend supporting her, but I guess that's to be expected in a first person narrative. It still is ultimately about their friendship! Which is portrayed as valuable as is without developing into anything else.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, by Andrew Joseph White: Ultimately the most brutal of the books but I think that was what I liked about it. The main character is a trans boy in an 1882 London where mediums are a hot commodity but the women are only prized as potential baby makers for male mediums. The main character is caught trying to escape his conservative family and inevitable impending marriage, and sent to a corrective boarding school designed to turn mentally unwell spiritually sensitive women into demure brides. This boarding school is run about the way you would expect, and most of the story is the main character realizing just how bad it is and figuring out what can be done to escape. The exactly one way he's gotten lucky is that he and his future betrothed turn out to be t4t and are really quite cute together, but the main character is an aspiring surgeon and that means the story is not afraid to get visceral. Which really elevated the tone; there's room for a sequel in the ending to this one that I wouldn't mind reading.

#I did it! I wrote the thing!#don't mind me just nattering on about stuff

8 notes · View notes

tryslora · 5 months

Text

ND Creative: Time, Focus, Organization

Time, focus, and organization can be complicated things as an ND creative.

Objectively, I know what I need to do. I know all the steps. I even know that in order to get it done, I have to list out all of those steps, note how long each will take and their dependencies, then reorganize them into a timeline.

Then I stare at the screen, or the piece of paper, and my brain just stops. Says nope. Hits the mental and emotional back button to get the hell out of that mode.

Makes it kind of hard to get anything done.

I’m currently struggling with this exact thing on multiple levels. Why am I blogging about it? Well, I’m hoping that if I talk about the places where I’m stuck, maybe I’ll become unstuck.

Oh, the funny ways we try to trick our minds, yeah?

Big List Things I Need to Do:

Publishing stuff with DPP (timeline not under my control)

Publishing stuff for independent book (oh hey, a release date would be nice and I’m the one who has to set that)

Plotting and outlining the next PHU novel (is it over a year overdue? I’m sure no one noticed…)

Plotting and outlining the next 7Lakes novel (because when the first one comes out, “where’s the sequel” will hopefully be the obvious first question)

There are a million other things on my list in various sizes from small through medium and even large, but none quite as unwieldy as all of those.

I’ve been blocked on these timelines—both for publishing and for plotting—for a long, long time. I feel like I’m trying to do too many things at once, or attacking things on too many fronts. I worry about well, what if one thing overlaps with another—are the people who want to read my work going to be like “nah, I can’t buy two books” and just nope out of everything? Am I screwing it all up?

I keep telling myself I need to let go and just Do The Thing.

Seriously.

Do The Thing.

So, let’s break down what needs to be done at the highest of levels for the writing-related things (and ignore all the blog posts, TikToks, video editing, etc that also needs to be done).

For publishing with DPP, there is: 2nd edit on book 2, large revision on book 3 before it goes to first real edit, then 2nd edit on book 3, and final edits on all of that. Plus cover reveals, blog posts, teasers. Pulling out quotes I want to use for stickers. I am pretty sure I’m forgetting things. The nice thing is that all of the big overhead things like planning a campaign has been done for me. YAY Duck Prints (Seriously, they are AWESOME). I think my sticking point here is that I have no realistic expectation for how long each editing round will (or should) take, so I’m not sure how to slot it in. Plus I know it’ll be overlapping with the other book.

For solo (independent) publishing, I have so much more to do. I have to create accounts with both the private and public profile information that’s required on publishing platforms. I need to create a logo and develop a description of my “publishing company” (me, it’s just me) and I need to business work for that company, like buying ISBNs. I need to finish the final book editing, then do the layout so I know what the spine width is. Then I can contract for and get a cover. After that it should get easier, right? Pull out quotes, do blog posts, cover reveal, announcement of the release date (probably not in that order). Get the news out. I can set a release date once I get everything else on a calendar. And if the bulk of the editing is done sooner rather than later, my editing energy can be spent on the DPP books while I’m doing production and marketing for the 7Lakes book.

Okay. This all starts to feel like something I can get my arms around. I’m going to let the high level/low level plotting go for now, and come back to it in another post.

So—why is this a blog post anyway?

I mentioned before that I was trying to unstick my mind. By talking out loud to someone else—even though I can’t see that someone, and who knows, maybe I’m shouting into the abyss—I feel like I’m being held accountable. I’m working through it in public. In plain sight. It means I have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, considering every word. It has to get out of my fingertips and onto the page because I am here, not just trying to make notes privately for myself.

I can’t back button out of it.

Sometimes that’s how I get things done.

Will this translate to me taking the things I’ve said above and moving them into something where I can add timeframes, and schedules, and put it all on a calendar with due dates and start breaking it down into even smaller tasks?

Gods I hope so. It’s a goal, anyway.

Getting back to where we started… time, focus, and organization can be complicated as an ND creative.

Time—I spent thirty minutes and a thousand words of chatter.

Focus—It’s like body doubling—by talking to you, I got something done.

Organization—I think I have a list. Or a start of one. It’s more than I had!

It’s a complicated way of doing things, but fingers crossed that my next step is getting to cross off the first part of my timelines task.

#writing #neurodivergent #nd creative #nd series

11 notes · View notes

hellotherekenobi · 2 years

Text

───CRY YOUR NAME

CW: Eddie Munson x reader; HUGE SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4 VOL 2!! Please do not read unless you have seen episode 9!!; not completely proofread; angst; mentions of death and grieving... I’m pretty sure you know what this is about without a summary (apparently this is how I’m coping.)

Word Count: 1,931

The pounding, whirly music coming from the cassette player in the corner didn’t exactly do Metallica justice, but if you turned the volume up any louder then you’re sure the walls would start to shake. There was a time when you would have complained about the noise, saying it would turn a person deaf, yet today you need it. You already have an extricating headache but you simply don’t care for the pain right now as you sit on the edge of the bed, fingers wrapped around one of Eddie’s shirts that had a rip right down the side of it.

He was planning on stitching it up, “giving it some character”, but he never got the chance. It was hell to come back to this place without him here, but even with your mind spinning, you had thought to patch up the shirt yourself even after everything that has happened, for Eddie. Maybe it was stupid and pretty inconsequential, but with nothing else to hold onto you thought that maybe he would have wanted you to fix it up for him. Maybe, after everything, it would have been just what he needed.

For now, all you can do is simply stare at it, lightly rubbing the fabric between your fingers as silent tears cascade down your cheeks, coating over the previous dried-out stains that you hadn’t bothered to wipe away. The silent, wet heartache spatters onto the skin of your hands, dripping down the curves and lines to soak into trembling flesh. It was too difficult to stop yourself from crying, far more complicated than you would have imagined, but at least you were at the point where you weren’t hysterical anymore, even though you fear that relapse is just around the corner.

It’s not like you’ve been given much time to mourn or to even be open about your feelings; of how much it hurts to even think back on a memory of him since your mind would contort into showing you his weakened and bloodied face like a cruel joke—since the whole town still title Eddie as a killer, not even knowing that he sacrificed himself for the very townspeople who were at the ready with pitchforks—having only been two days since he died, and how disgusting it was to know that his body was still there in the Upside Down. The body you had tried to drag back to the gate, screaming and pushing at those who told you to leave him.

How could you, though? Even now, sitting alone in his bedroom, you can’t ever leave Eddie Munson. It was delusional and a product of the grief, understandably, that you picture him beside you when it all becomes too much, just wishing that you could run into his arms and feel his warmth just one more time. His skin was cold the last time your hands were on him, and you can’t ever shake the feeling from your fingertips. The shiver up your spine still remains and the sound of his breath failing was something you had to drown out with one of his cassettes, as well as knowing that if you were to be alone with your thoughts too long you would crumble in a particularly ugly way.

It wasn’t fair. He didn’t deserve to die. That damn idiot had to fight back, didn’t he? He couldn’t have just stuck to the plan like everyone had agreed upon. Like a mantra in your head, you wish that he would have run away just one last time. He could have made it out, could have been here with you and with his uncle and you could all point the middle finger to Hawkins and get out of this place. Now you’re alone, left with only the ghost of him in your mind.

Eddie was still in his bedsheets, his music, his posters, but he wasn’t here. An attempt to feel like he was is in the way you hold the shirt up to your nose, closing your tearful eyes shut as you breathe in the scent of the fabric. Maybe he didn’t smell great all the time and maybe this shirt was a little musty, having been shoved under a pile of other clothes, but you’re breathing it in like your life depends on the scent, like you can convince yourself that he’s still right here as long as you can still smell him. You don’t want to think about how eventually even something as personal as his smell will be gone.

Then, the music playing through the cassette shuts off. At first, you don’t even realize it as you choke through a sob, but that’s when you hear a familiar voice speak out to you, and you spin around so fast that you could give yourself whiplash when your eyes land upon a pair of brown eyes that you had sworn you’d never see again, and the dimples that press into his cheeks as he offers you a smile. “You’ll go deaf with that up so loud, you know?”

The focus you have on the man standing across from you in the doorway is partially straining that you begin to see spots through the tears welled up in your eyes, furrowing your brows as you wonder if he’s really here or if you’re just imagining things again. But it’s breathless when you reply, voice hoarse still from all the screaming. “That’s my line.”

He chuckles, his shoulders rising slightly enough that as you watch the crease in his denim vest and feel just how sturdy his voice actually is, you all but lose your breath as you stand on shaky legs, his shirt holding on with only two fingers until it falls to the floor by your feet.

“You’re alive,” the sob breaks through, and you run from the bed straight into his arms, hearing the breath in his chest almost knock out from under him as you press yourself against him tightly, your arms wrapping around him and gripping for dear life into the back of his jacket as you breathe him in. “It is you.”

“Yeah, I’m back. I’m okay,” he assures you, wrapping his arms around you just as tightly and nuzzling his nose into the crook of your neck, his lips on your skin sending a rush of goosebumps across the surface. “I’m right here.”

“But how?” it seems impossible, and you shake against him. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s a long story,” he sighs, pulling back from you enough to look you in the eyes, his hands reaching up to hold either side of your face. The chill of his silver rings against your skin comforts you with a sense of familiarity. “I don’t understand it myself but Henderson can tell you all the details. It’s all sorted with the town, too. Back to normal, finally.”

“Good,” your fingers comb through his hair, reacquainting with curly brunette locks you thought you’d never feel again. “That’s good. I’ve missed you so much,”

He offers you a smile, something that usually settles the beating in your chest but this one sparks it with fire. “I know, sweetheart. You don’t have to miss me again, I promise.”

You nod at his words, trying to help them sink into the sudden change. What a cruel past few days it’s been with all the freight, the fear, the hopelessness, and the mourning. You were upset that he wouldn’t have a proper burial and that if you managed to organize a funeral it would be gatecrashed by those convinced of Eddie’s bad name, not even knowing that they’re shouting at an empty coffin. But now you don’t have to worry about that. Now Eddie is home safe, and he certainly better live up to his promise of you never missing him again for a single day moving forward.

He shrugs one arm lose from his hold on you, gazing down at the watch around his wrist. “Well, except for band practice,” he chuckles, grinning at you. “The guys are waiting on me at the garage and I can’t keep them. I just had to see you. I’ll be back in a couple hours, though. Then you can tell me everything I’ve missed, alright?”

“Okay,” you breathe out, managing a very small smile at the thought of him playing with his band again like how he used to. It’s a lot of information to process, but with your hands still holding onto him, it helps in putting your mind at rest.

“Good,” he leans forward and presses his lips against yours ardently, breathing in the euphoria through his nose, both hands squeezing your shoulders. “I’ll be back before you know it!”

Eddie laughs, turning around as he barrels through the doorway and practically shakes the whole trailer with his speedy exit, leaving you standing there, finally, with a genuine smile on your lips. Raking a hand through your hair, you’re completely speechless, tears welling in your eyes out of relief. You can’t believe it still, not even now—wondering if he was ever really there, to begin with. Your mind is spinning this time out of excitement, ready to turn back around and pick his shirt up off of the floor to patch it up before he gets back, until a voice speaks your name and your focus on it draws you out of your thoughts.

The voice says your name again and this time paying attention to it has your eyes fluttering open, beginning to adjust to the darkness of the room, slightly confused about what’s just happened and who is speaking. Nothing settles for a moment while you lie there, slowly registering your position. Then reality comes in with a harsh slap against your face when taking in your surroundings finally come into focus, your eyes adjusting to the dark completely and knowing exactly where you are right now—right where you left you.

Eddie’s uncle, Wayne, sits beside you on the couch in the trailer, his hand on your shoulder from his effort on waking you up. “Hey,” comes his voice, the same voice that was speaking your name. “It’s half-past ten.”

No, please no. You can’t be back here, not after you had thought that everything had worked itself out. Not when you let yourself fall into convincing yourself that he was right there in front of you like not a day had passed and not a single bad thing had happened.

Breathing in is the worst thing you can do because it comes through broken and short, painful in your chest, as you come to grips with where you are and what just happened. “It was a dream... it was just a dream,” the whisper falls short, drowning in the sadness once again.

Wayne’s hand on your shoulder applies more pressure when you gasp and turn onto your side, both palms against your eyes as the tears fall out in desperate, pathetic rushes of pain. You can feel your arms shaking, having no control over how your body is reacting, and Wayne does his best to console you with another study squeeze, his voice shaky as he tells you that he’s sorry, even though it’s not his fault and you know he’s breaking apart at the seems as well.

Crying against the cushioned seat of the couch, you shatter into pieces even more at knowing that your mind was playing tricks on you again and that everything you thought had just happened was only a figment of your imagination.

And Eddie Munson is still dead.

#eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson x reader #stranger things spoilers #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things season 4 #stranger things s4 #stranger things volume 2 #stranger things vol 2 #eddie munson #stranger things s4 spoilers #stranger things vol 2 spoilers #st s4 #st vol 2 #spoilers

231 notes · View notes

spurgie-cousin · 1 year

Text

ok I'm watching Alyssa & Katie's pregnancy Q&A here's what stuck out or what I just want to bitch about:

1. Weirdest craving: Alyssa's was bbq chips on a sandwich, which Katie said 'ew', and her's was spicy 'Ray-man' (Ramen) noodles with peanut butter M&Ms (way grosser imho than chip sandwiches, which actually sound good). In a later question they say they both have been craving Little Cesar's pizza and crazy bread.

2. Most unexpected thing about pregnancy/postpartum: both agree that they had no idea how constipated they'd be from the medications they have to take lol. Katie is so embarrassed admitting this that he ears turn red and says she starts sweating (oh my sweet summer child). Alyssa says for postpartum it was just all the pain and soreness that lingers for so long.

3. One thing that's not talked about that you wish you were prepared for: Katie says she wasn't prepared for so much interrupted sleep during pregnancy, she expected her sleep issues to begin after the baby was born. Alyssa says post partum, she had crazy night sweats that she was not at all anticipating.

4. Hardest thing to give up while pregnant: Alyssa says sex, especially in your first trimester when you're nauseous, she says that's when she has the hardest time doing the deed and misses it. Katie turns bright red and says "I can't believe you said that!", I say hell yea Alyssa for admitting you miss the D. Katie gets too embarrassed to even answer.

5. How to deal with stretch marks: Alyssa says she doesn't worry about it so much because she believes them to be genetic (I'm inclined to agree with her but not sure tbh). Katie says she just rubs herself down with every product she can find every night just in case one of them works lol.

6. Worst part of postpartum: Alyssa again says that she misses getting some on the regular which, kudos to her libido tbh. I mean I get it, those hormone fluctuations have to suck when you can't act on them lol, Katie is again visibly uncomfy of course (on one hand I get why, on the other it's not like Alyssa is going into vivid detail or anything but whatever).

7. (Just for Katie) What has been the most surprising part of pregnancy for you?: Katie literally says that she was surprised pregnancy wasn't more..............glamorous. Which I find to just be an absolutely absurd thing for someone who's known so many pregnant women to say, like do they all really communicate this little about what it's actually like??? She actually says that she thought it was going to be all cute bump photos and outfits and now that she's sick and struggles to put on makeup most mornings she's having a rude awakening like, I'm sorry I know she's young and ignorant but this has to be one of the most completely ignorant things I've heard any of them say. If there's anything these bozos should at least be partial experts on its babies and pregnancy, and none of Katie's sisters have had 'glamorous' pregnancies?? That one got me riled up lol.

8. (For Alyssa) if this is going to be your last pregnancy, how do you plan to prevent other pregnancies in the future?: She isn't sure and says she's still looking into her options for now. She cuts her answer short by saying this question might actually be a little too personal which ??? you just mentioned your (apparently vigorous) sex life not once but twice and I don't get how that's any less personal, especially in your corner of the Christian universe, but ok (I guess maybe baby prevention could really be that much more taboo than even openly talking about sex).

9. A pregnant follower who's afraid of tearing asks Alyssa if she's ever experienced it: Alyssa says yes, esp with her first baby she had to get stitches. Katie says tearing and aftercare are her worst fears along with pooping during birth. Alyssa says she's also afraid of pooping and it's happened to her once so far (don't get me wrong I love that she's being so candid but again how is this less personal than birth control).

10. Is sex weird when you're pregnant?: Alyssa is again the only one that answers, Katie gets red and looks away from the camera (oh c'mon Katie). Alyssa says yes, when you're 9 months pregnant and huge sometimes you gotta get creative (that made me lol).

11. Is it normal for husbands and wives (in their world I'm assuming) to talk about the details of pregnancy?: Alyssa says it depends, and that some guys aren't as interested as others or maybe only overhear stuff that sisters are discussing with each other. Katie says she feels like she can talk openly with Travis about everything so far (which at first I was like great!), Alyssa jokes that Travis can watch this video to help prepare him. Katie says "omg no I'd be too embarrassed!!" and my previous optimism about their open communication deflates lol. At this point I'm like ok, I mean this in the nicest of ways but grow up tf Katie. Alyssa's mentioned MARRIED sex in the *vaguest* of terms and you haven't said anything even remotely scandalous (unless you count poop as scandalous), that shouldn't be embarrassing in front of your hubs of all people girl!!

12. How did you know you were ready to start having kids?: Alyssa says she doesn't know if she ever felt 100% ready and that she's not sure if that's even something that's possible (I agree!). She adds that as long as the circumstances are good, you can afford it, you're in a good place with your partner, and you're otherwise as prepared as you can be, just go for it if you know it's something you want for yourself (Katie doesn't answer but nods).

13. How do you avoid repeating baby names in such a large family?: Both Alyssa and Katie say repeating names or having similar names isn't something the family really worries about, because it's understood that with so many people, you're bound to run into duplicates or similarities at some point. They both seem very nonchalant about it and I wish all the people who think similar-sounding baby names cause big drama in their families could hear that lol.

14. Do you get annoyed when people touch your pregnant belly?: Both say no if it's family or good friends, but that they don't really like being touched by strangers or acquaintances as much and I'm totally with them there. I think it's weird as hell to just touch a stranger's stomach without consent. Katie says she's not comfortable telling people not to touch her though, so when it happens she just kind of stands there with a strained smile (aw).

15. Baby item that you don't think is useful or is silly: Alyssa says baby wipe warmer lol, which is always something I've thought is silly so it's good to have that confirmation. She says you're grabbing wipes on the run so much that it's not worth it to get your kids used to warm wipes bc they'll just freak out when they have to be changed elsewhere with cold ones. Katie says she has one on her registry and shopped for a long time to find the exact right one 😂

Overall I thought the video was super cute and entertaining, I love the dynamic between Alyssa and Katie where they're kind of polar opposites but really good friends. I really appreciated Alyssa's answers more than I expected, I think she's just gotten to that phase of life where she realizes it's silly to be uptight about things that are just facts of life and I can appreciate that.

Katie mentions being uncomfortable again in their sign-off and says that she talked about things in this video that she usually doesn't even talk to her sisters about, which again makes me a little sad bc I really hoped they'd be closer and more open than that (hopefully she's just saying for youtube because she's embarrassed and shy). I just think if that's true and she can't talk to her sisters about sex or bodily functions or pregnancy who can she talk to about that stuff, ya know? Travis I would hope, but she kinda kibosh'd that as well. They end with Alyssa promising they'll do it again, and that Katie won't be so bashful next time 😂

#im not shitting on katie for being shy btw i get why she is #my 31 y/o oversharing self kind of rolls my eyes at it but more than anything i just really hope its not true that she doesnt have anyone t #to talk to about the most intimate or private things in life #again i hope she was just saying things bc she was on youtube and feeling shy and that she actually can go to travis or her sisters about #sensitive stuff. bc i dont know how you function without someone for that its so important #if anything just to know someone gets you and youre not the only one whos experienced something yaknow #fundie youtube #alyssa webster #katie clark #the bates family

44 notes · View notes

howdy-folks-its-showtime · 11 months

Text

Elegant, confident and straight forward, Sammy is the spitting image of what people envision when the title of conductor or music director comes up. A man who knows what he wants and will be unhappy if he doesn’t get it. A man with a strong vision of his art and is impatient with those who don’t see it. He’ll be even more unhappy if anyone dared to imply what he does isn’t art, lucky for most Joey is by his side to stop him from throttling anyone for such comments.

Yes, Sammy is quite the character, to contrast his husband’s constant smile Sammy has a near permanent frown he wears around the studio and his life. Many question how such different characters could come together and decide to spend the rest of their lives together, Sammy usually responds saying when he first met Joey he almost couldn’t believe someone hadn’t already swooped in to take his heart. Despite what most assume, Sammy will happily admit he fell for Joey first and practically knew he’d held such feelings for the man since they shook hands during his interview. He knew Joey was an artist, a man with a strong vision, and wild imagination the moment he saw him.

Joey could always find a way to make the wild and fantastical so real, Sammy couldn’t think of something he’d rather do than bring his characters and stories to life with music. He takes great pride in the work he does too, in fact when he first was hired at the studio he was a one man band. He still brags about those days when the staff was rather small and he was the only music producer making instrumentals for cartoons that at the time had no lyrics or words in them. Who knew how fast the production would grow in such short time, with voice actors, songs that now needed lyrics and Sammy knew just the man to write them.

Of course Sammy had to pick his childhood best friend Jack Fain, the two had been a musical duo before their studio days after all and if anyone could help him, it was Jack. The two always had each other’s backs, even when Sammy’s home life pushed him out of the home and onto the streets, the two stuck together. Of course Sammy saw it coming. His rather religious parents never truly approved of their friendship but he didn’t care, finally getting out of that hell of a house also allowed Sammy to change his body to match both his current name and identity. Sure surgery isn’t the kind of thing to try doing when you’re an amateur but for Sammy, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

With such a rough childhood and upbringing, it’s no wonder Sammy was so quick to adapt to the lifestyle he has now. Becoming the kind of elegant and respectable music director the investors love, so long as he and Joey are subtle about their behind the scenes romance of course. Sammy has all he could’ve ever asked for when he was younger, a loving, charming husband and a studio that truly values his work… What more could anyone need?

#batim #bendy and the ink machine #sammy lawrence #batim sammy #bendy and the dark revival #bendy and the ink machine au #batdr #it's showtime #toon #cartoon #artists on tumblr #It's showtime #refs #ref #website stuff #not ask #implied transphobia #implied homophobia #on the parents stuff in case it wasnt obvious KJHFGKJDHFSD

14 notes · View notes

why-so-serious-lucifer · 8 months

Text

K-pop Discography Deep Dives: NCT Dream

A Disclaimer: I was planning, when I first started Tumblr, to be a lurker, but then I began an office job and needed something to listen to to keep myself occupied. And then, I started going through entire K-pop groups’ repertoires, album by album, and jotting down my thoughts. And then, I stumbled into K-pop tumblr and decided, you know what, there’s at least four people on this hell site who would read in depth rants about these discographies and at least five who wouldn’t read it and then get mad because it’s kind of our job as K-pop fans. My lukewarm takes should be taken with an entire silo of salt and the knowledge that this is completely for fun and occupying my very bored, very neurodivergent brain. With that being said, enjoy!

So, we’re talking about NCT Dream today; here are my credentials. I haven’t been interested in them for very long, to be honest. It’s only been since around the beginning / middle of June, when I was recommended their videos. Since then, though, I’ve listened to a decent amount of their songs (mostly title tracks but a few b-sides too), and while I wouldn’t call myself an NCTzen, I would definitely call myself a fan.

They debuted in 2016, at around ages 14-16 (and now, no longer being those ages, I wince internally), with the song Chewing Gum, which I did like. It has a nice mix of hip-hop and singing, but it’s definitely not as much my style as their later work. For obvious reasons, it feels childish, and I’ve never been a fan of sing talk.

The other two songs in their first single “The First”, are My First And Last and Dunk Shot. My First & Last starts out with a surprisingly hard-hitting beat, reminiscent of SHINee, and I liked it a lot more than I expected. Dunk Shot is actually my favorite, continuing the SHINee vibe, which of course I loved, hence the blog name.

What stuck out to me the most in these early songs is how distinctive and honestly great their voices are, even as young as they were. (I know I keep emphasizing age here, but being a celebrity at 14…just let that sink in.) I can almost always tell who’s singing, even not knowing their voices very well.

The voices who stood out the most, though, are probably Mark and Haechan. Haechan’s voice has a great balance of nasality and chest voice, and as a singer myself, I think he has great control. Mark’s is very different from that, but unlike many rappers, I almost always enjoy his parts in the songs; his breaks are good, he has flow, and a good singing voice too. Renjun, Chenle, Jisung, Jeno, and Jaemin have good voices too (especially Renjun’s lower tones, which offer a good contrast)

The next comeback is We Young, which, despite its somewhat silly intro, manages to balance the youthful feeling and their talents well. It feels like a day at the beach or a road trip, and also a bit like Seventeen. Walk You Home is my favorite b-side from the EP, because I’m a sucker for acoustic guitar, but I also love the anthemic nature of Trigger The Fever.

I know I’ve heaped praise on them so far, but as a first year of material, these songs are really good. Unfortunately though, we then get to NCT Empathy 2018, and their song Go, which feels far more like an NCT 127 song than anything to do with Dream…which unfortunately isn’t a good thing. After all the beautiful harmonizing and the floating melodies, the hip hop beat and pop-trap mix feels especially harsh.

We Go Up follows the hip-hop sound that Go established, although the chorus, though less melodic than the other ones before, is alright. The b-sides are also less melodic but better than the title; Dear Dream especially is very sweet and makes me smile, especially the “I’ll be your home”.

Some of their best songs are the nostalgic, feel good, and somewhat understated ones, with a stripped back production that allows the Dreamies’ voices to carry the weight and harmonize together, turning something average into something quite good, like Candle Light, written when Mark left the group due to becoming an adult. (He did return, although not for two years, and his absence is clearly felt; the songs feel a bit less full.)

Fireflies is also sweet; the full chorus is a welcome return to form and it becomes an anthem in its later moments. Boom, meanwhile, returns to the hip-hop sound, and although the choruses are alright, it’s also not close to their best. We Boom (Boom’s album)’s b-sides are also (mostly) not it. They embrace the NCT 127 idea of uncomfortable sing talk and waste their great voices, Stronger especially. Dream Run is pretty good, though.

Ridin’ is not their best, and again I’m reminded that they have so much potential that isn’t being used. The chorus is almost great and usually I can articulate better, but something stops me from liking it more.

Hot Sauce marks….well the return of Mark (sorry), and as happy as I am to hear him bring more balance, I wish he could’ve gotten a better song for that. The sing talking is back in spades and its genuinely grating on the ears, which I never thought I’d say about an NCT Dream song. The b-sides are alright, with All Night Long, Be There For You, and especially Irreplaceable (which feels a lot like old Dream with its bright energy) as some nice hidden gems.

Hello Future is, at last, a title track that reflects the best of NCT Dream: upbeat, hopeful, and optimistic, It’s delightfully odd and a bit off-kilter, and manages to blend hip-hop, straight pop, and even a little bit of the dreaded sing-talk in to make an honestly delightful song, which isn’t an easy talk. Bungee is a great b-side from this album too.

But, of course, this can’t last, and we’re back to the sing-talk with Glitch Mode, which I’ll admit is marginally better than Hot Sauce but still gets on my nerves because it has a pretty good build-up in the pre-chorus, but just no pay off, which is one of my pet peeves, I’ll admit.

The b-sides are all pretty good (barring Fire Alarm), and I especially liked the sleepy warmth of Teddy Bear, the upbeat drive of Better Than Gold, the chill road trip vibes of Drive, and the electro / R & B influences of On The Way. In fact, their b-sides after Hot Sauce are almost all good, and even the ones that don’t end up on my playlist, I don’t usually find myself skipping much.

Candy is a cover of H.O.T., but I really like it. It’s very much a holiday feeling song, which surprisingly I, a certified Christmas cynic, don’t mind. It’s fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is a must with this kind of subject matter.

Graduation isn’t technically a single, but since it has an MV (and because I’m biased but let’s pretend I have a legit reason), I’m treating it as such. In my opinion, it’s one of Dream’s best songs. What could so easily become just another easy listening b-side turns into an honestly lovely ballad with their voices adding sweeps of genuine emotion. Overall, I think that it’s one of their most honest songs, which makes sense if you know the backstory, and it reminds me of my own (quite imminent) graduation, which means I never fail to sing along.

Broken Melodies starts like an understated ballad, but soon spirals into an anthemic song with an earworm of a chorus, a great chorus, and excellent use of their voices, which sound imbued with warmth and better than ever. It’s no wonder that I became a fan after listening to this song.

ISTJ, the actual single from the album, isn’t as good as Broken Melodies, but it’s miles ahead of Hot Sauce and Glitch Mode; the chorus is sprawling and definitely has me tapping my head. I’m not a fan of the intro though. As for the b-sides, Blue Wave has a nice beachside beat, but my favorite is Like We Just Met, which was written by the band members themselves, and feels like a warm hug or a walk by the water.

Overall, again I’m super glad I did this. I’ve added a lot of b-sides and early songs of theirs to my playlists and gained a whole new respect for the members’ voices. I think after my deep dive, I can consider myself an NCTzen, at least of NCT Dream, although that doesn’t extend to the other subunits yet.

So my top five songs by NCT Dream are Graduation, Broken Melodies, Fireflies, Hello Future, and Trigger The Fever / Dunk Shot (because I couldn’t choose). Overall, NCT Dream gets an 8.5/10 from me, because they are pretty good most of the time but when they lean into the sing talk…well, I don’t need to repeat myself. I do really enjoy the greater part of their discography though, and when they stick to their strengths, they’re hard to beat.

See you next time for a girl group!

#k-pop #k pop boy groups #nct dream #nct #nctzen #mark lee #haechan #jaemin #jisung #jeno #chenle #renjun #K-pop deep dive #review #Spotify

10 notes · View notes