#&&dad of the year? sure okay (main verse)

[xbomboi]

yapping about Briar. fellow Briar enjoyers assemble.

okay okay i don’t make it too obvious (or maybe i do, i wouldn’t know) but briar is my personal favorite character. i think about where the stories of all the characters would go and what their arcs would be a lot, but hers in particular is really important to me.

so i wanna talk about it.

first of all, she’s narcoleptic coded, right. we all know that. but her mom on the other hand reads to me, like, an alcoholic mother? and her dad is just willfully ignorant. either way, there’s a huge sense of neglect going on in that family. i mean go figure why briar would be the one doing most of the work raising her brothers. and of course she’s a party girl, because who’s gonna stop her? her parents? see yeah exactly.

so i don’t think it’s unreasonable to say she doesn’t have very strong parental figures in her life, at least not at home. but, and now you have to really hear me out about this one, i think baba yaga could take up a parental role in her life.

i know it isn’t much, but the seeds for her having at least a hint of a connection with baba yaga are there.

in the webisode “Stark Raven Mad”, baba yaga scolds briar for rambling about her party, and then as the commotion picks up she’s still exercising authority over briar in particular.

then there’s thronecoming, wherein, when briar is sulking at the dance, upon noticing the picture on the projector, she asks baba yaga for answers, who provides them.

and then skipping all the way to epic winter, after the girls become a little creeped out by her mannerisms and book it, briar is the one who makes sure to peak back in and give a parting remark.

so i think there’s potential there to be explored. her feeling neglected at home and then finding solace in another adult at school would be neat.

but the fact that it’s baba yaga is important, so just put a pin in that and we’ll circle back to it.

now, i think out of the core four, she was (at least at first) the hardest to actually pin-point what the future of her story could look like. with raven, i think it’s pretty clear her journey is just continuing to combat the prejudices of the world as she fights for change, apple is now pretty much on a path to figuring out her own future as ruler of a kingdom and what that’s going to entail, and maddie is the goofball that’s there to have fun and be supportive along the way.

then there’s briar. and, let me be clear, no, in my mind that girl is not sleeping for 100 years with where things are heading; in the main universe of the story, briar will be free of the sleeping beauty destiny.

but it’s like, if she’s not gonna sleep, what more is there to actually do with her? what direction COULD her life go in? because if she’s no longer fated to sleep 100 years of her life away, then she can’t just party like there’s no tomorrow anymore. she’d need to decide what she actually wants to do with her life.

and i think i have an idea.

i mentioned her narcoleptic coding at the start with intent to bring it up again. see, you might notice that a lot of the fairytale aspects of ever after high can be read as allegories for real-world problems. for example, hunter and ashlynn’s relationship is treated in their world the same way society may look at queer couples or biracial couples. or how raven’s mom being trapped in a mirror is their world equivalent to not paying child support.

with that kind of correlation in mind, i think treating briar’s curse as a condition could open up an interesting opportunity. i think, in their world, curses as a whole could be viewed as a separate branch of medical specialization, with briar spearheading this notion of thought.

we know briar is well-versed in chemythstry already. in the webisode “Briar’s Study Party” she makes note of the fact that she’s been studying forever-after, and she demonstrates enough knowledge in the subject to enthusiastically teach it to her friends, who all end up acing their tests on it as a result.

i think this is something she could potentially make a career out of. i think she could come to the conclusion that she wants to be able to help break curses for people everywhere, and could pursue learning to develop potions and elixirs to do so.

which could happen under baba yaga’s tutelage.

picture this: briar declares her newfound goal, to which baba yaga offers to teach briar all she knows in order to achieve what she’s set her sights on. briar—with an ounce of hesitance—accepts, and baba yaga officially takes her under her wing with the intent of mastering sorcery.

obviously, she wouldn’t lose who she is in this. she’s still gonna be an impulsive, adrenaline junkie who desperately needs a screentime limit on her mirrorphone. but in this process, she’d be rounded out by baba yaga and would in turn mature a bit from the experience. she’d get serious about life, but she wouldn’t let go of who she is at heart.

this could lead to her becoming the resourceful one in the main group. like on adventures, she’d be able to pull out a potion or whip something up (because i’m not going to let raven’s magic make her too o.p. she’s gotta have limitations) as a solution to problems. she could really have a role that proves useful and important to the story.

that’s my ideal pitch for where to take briar’s character.

[sweetiecutiedarling]

So I've fallen head first into what I have labeled as an "Untitled MHA Project" on my computer and written 10 chapters and a prologue over the past 3 weeks. It's great, I've loved a good soulmate AU since forever (the first fanfic I ever wrote, using paper and saving it in a binder in like the 5th or 6th grade, was a Marauders Jily soulmate fic) and I'm having a lot of fun with the alterations that I've made to the MHA canon timeline.

Anyway, there are two main couples and Izuku and Katsuki are the big one. (Shocker to everyone seeing the amount of bkdk content on here, I'm sure.) They are lifetime soulmates (if you like this concept I'm begging you to check out the Zero-verse series by Toboe1087 on AO3, so so so good, the last in the series is not complete yet but there's a lot to read before you get there and hit subscribe) which is wild in the world for three reasons: 1) soulmates never never meet that young, 2) they somehow managed to go 25 years (!!!) without confirming their bond?, 3) Izuku doesn't seem to have a quirk?

The concept is that they were afraid of being in danger because of a serial killer that targeted soulmates. When the serial killer was caught they'd already succeeded for years, and had a significant impact on Japanese culture re: soulmates. So Katsuki wanted to be sure that they were strong enough for any freaks that might hurt them, but what he *said* was that their bond was platonic (if you like the idea of a platonic soulmate bond between Katsuki and Izuku, then I can recommend Are those... chains? by the_lanes on AO3, it is such a beautiful love story to both romantic and platonic bonds). So Izuku has spent like 10 years thinking 'Okay, Kachaan wants it to be platonic, so I'm gonna prove to him that I can do platonic! PLUS ULTRA!'

Anyway, this means that Izuku (sweet, sweet idiot that he is sometimes) has been a veritable heartbreaker in the most devastating way to his three exs and does not understand why because his concepts of love and romance are so so skewed by a lifetime of being bonded to Katsuki.

Oh and also he starts out as Deku: The Quirkless Wonder and I just adore that for him.

No idea if I'm going to do anything with this soulmate AU, but I might have to start talking about it on here because my poor husband can't possibly handle all of my rambling and my friends are into different animes all together.

((Oh and because the world at large calls them Dynamight and Deku, with little to no recognition of their real names because that is kind of the point of the hero names, their couple name on the internet is 'Dynaku' and I ADORE it. I don't care if it is cringy it is the best.))

((And we get Hisashi in the story because my brain cannot just drop the whole Izuku dad thing- oh he travels a lot for work? NBD? Hmm, sure, that's why Inko asked All Might, a stranger she doesn't even refer to as his real name, to help her fucking raise her son. because her husband is such a good and present guy. [so much sarcasm]))

[patibato]

[Bitter Sweet Sixteen] 002-A10 - We Know They Live

Akuta: Hi-shi-o! Hi-shi-o!

Momiji: Yes yes, I've made sure to order enough for everyone. Shodoshima's famous "hishio rice bowls"!

Sakujiro: It appears to be a rice bowl utilising soy sauce and moromi made in the Home of Hishio. I'm rather looking forward to it.

Akuta: Hi-shi-o! Hi-shi-o!

Momiji: (Looks like Akuta-kun goes full power in front of delicious food. His body's shaking so much…)

*thump*

Muneuji: Isotake, that hurts.

*thump*

Kiroku: … … Too… intense…

Momiji: (He keeps bumping into Muneuji-kun and Kiroku-kun's shoulders…)

Akuta: Hi-shi-o! Hi-shi-… ooh!?

Hey hey. Kiroku, what's that picture on your lockscreen?

Kiroku: Ah…?

Akuta: It reeeally struck me, so lemme get a closer look.

Kiroku: …Okay.

Akuta: Woah, this is actually sick. It's like, suuuper sharp and new-wave, mysterious and sinister while vivid and cool!

C'mon c'mon! Everyone have a look!

Momiji: You're right…! It's colourful and very creative.

Muneuji: Whose art is it?

Kiroku: ……M …mine.

Momiji: Amazing! So you've got a talent for art, huh.

Kiroku: …It's not…… really… talent.

Akuta: Not just anyone could draw something so amazing! What would you call this? Unique talent? A peerless existence?

I'm so crazy jealous! Wonder if I could draw something like that if I learned~

Kiroku: …Aren't you…just… flatter…

Akuta: Huh, what what? Platter?

Kiroku: …… ing… me.

Muneuji: Kinugawa, Isotake isn't the type to flatter.

Kiroku: …

Momiji: (Ah, Kiroku-kun's expression softened a bit… his face was so stiff until now.)

Kiroku: …

Momiji: (On top of that, he's trying to casually show Akuta-kun his phone screen…!)

Akuta: What's that? You're saying I can eat your appetisers? Thanks! I'll dig ri~ght in!

Kiroku: … …

Momiji: (Looks like he misunderstood in the weirdest way…)

(But still, it seems like these two got a little closer!)

Ah, right, Muneuji-kun. A bit late saying this, but thanks a lot for earlier.

Muneuji: What are you referring to?

Momiji: When everyone was being rowdy, you handled Ushio-kun so casually… And then everyone finally went quiet.

Muneuji: Aah, that's nothing to thank me for. I simply did what was expected, nothing more.

Momiji: Kiroku-kun's amazing, but I thought you were amazing then too! Do you study aikido?

Muneuji: No, I'm from a martial arts family… more specifically, the leading authority in archery.

Other than that, I've done ancient martial arts, horse rising… most of my relatives are from families well versed in a martial art, so I've also received some instruction in aikido etiquette. It would be presumptuous to say I "study" it.

Momiji: So that's it…! You were always wearing that helmet, so I had more of a science-y impression, but you're from an old school family.

Muneuji: I wear that for future reference. I'm aiming to become an astronaut… to go to space*.

Sakujiro: Kaguya-kun's space helmet is rather well-known within the school.

There are rumours among the students, wondering if he wears it even while bathing or sleeping and such.

Muneuji: In the void of space, I'll have to wear it all the time.

So even now, I don't take it off for as long as I can. …That's what it means to train.

Momiji: (That helmet did look like it'd been through some years. I suppose that's the fruit of Muneuji-kun's efforts and hard work…)

Speaking of which, the other day there was news about some millionaire building a house made of ice on Mars.

The space industry and space tourism will both steadily progress from here, huh…

Akuta: When regular people can easily get to space~ I'll shoot a movie where the main actor is an alien~!

Kiroku: …I want to…… sketch an alien.

Momiji: That's great! I'm sure you'll be able to!

When Muneuji-kun becomes an astronaut, he can play a vital role at the core of the space industry!

Muneuji: …

Momiji: (Huh? He doesn't look very enthused by that idea…)

Uuh… um, why do you want to be an astronaut in the first place, Muneuji-kun?

Muneuji: … I made a promise with my dad.

Akuta: What, that's it?

Muneuji: It's reason enough.

Momiji: (…His attitude is a little awkward. Maybe it's something he'd rather not touch on…)

Muneuji: …

Momiji: (H-his face is getting more and more stiff. What should I-)

Sakujiro: …

Incidentally, are you all familiar with the Fermi Paradox?

Momiji: Ah, you mean the contradiction of how we've never come into contact with aliens despite how many times the possibility of extraterrestrial civilisation has been proposed! I've heard of that!

It's true that in this day and age, we may have unknowingly come into contact with aliens who've come to earth-

Akuta: … …

Muneuji: …

Kiroku: ……

Momiji: Why are you all exchanging looks…?

Akuta: It's nothiiing. Right!

Muneuji: Indeed.

Kiroku: …Mhm.

Momiji: (It kinda feels like they're plotting something bad, but also not…)

Staff: Apologies for the long wait! Five large servings of hishio rice bowls!

Momiji: (It's hard to read the thoughts of adolescents, but-)

Muneuji & Akuta & Kiroku: Woah~~~! The sashimi's so soft~~~!

Momiji: Hishio bowls are the best…!

Momiji: We're back!

Kiroku: … It was tasty… …the hishio bowl.

Akuta: For real! My mouth was watering like thirty times more than normal**! It was super good, but where are the idiots who didn't come eat~

*footsteps*

Akuta: Oh! Found idiot number one~!

Ushio: Wah! Don't suddenly get clingy!

Akuta: Ushio's escaping that way! Kiroku, there, over there! Block his path!

Kiroku: …Huh? ……Okay.

Ushio: Don't you guys go making cliques now…!

Momiji: (Haha. They're full of energy.)

(Woah! They left a huge mess after eating the somen snacks. I'd better clean up.)

(The trash… I think it goes in a bag outside.)

Momiji: Alright… hm?

Muneuji: It's no problem. … … yes. It's here.

Nanaki: Okay, got it. … …

Momiji: (Nanaki-kun and Muneuji-kun…?)

*Muneuji says "astronaut" in English, then in Japanese, so I rephrased it a bit to make sense in English

**Akuta says "ほっぺた30個くらい落ちた", which would literally be "my cheeks fell off about thirty times", with "my cheeks fell off" being a way of calling something delicious

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Masterlist

[jacksgreysays]

Omg thank you for the innsights!!! I also find Naruto hard to write and I personally find him very annoying lmao. Bleak!primadonna au is amazing because it builds on the last big conversation shikako and naruto have before he leaves, in the land of birds, where shikako tells him to find a better solution then years later in a similar situation (avenging a twin!!!) he can’t. We all know that if shikamaru is not okay, shikako is also not okay. And if shikamaru died shikako would burn the world for him. Also this is your ‘verse, but i headcannon that after the war the twins find a bit more balance in their relationship (not amazing but not a cold war either) and without shikamaru, even if she hasnt needed him to orient her in this world for a long time, post canon without him she just loses her need/will the be a ninja. Nothing matter anymore. She has been close to breaking for a long time already in canon and i just think she was closer to breaking as a person than everyone realized. Also i think tsunade would find it naruto is the one who mismanaged his ninja and deprived konoha of it’s seal master and jonin commander in the same move. Like i think she would totally ask him if losing shikako, purely as a resource (sensor, seal mistress, political, reputation, former anbu) is worth the slight to his morals? Like to tsunades reign she was probably one of her most valuable resources and the loss of such a resource is not to be taken lightly. But she 100% thinks shikako was rash and foolish, but thinks naruto should have had the foresight and known shikako better.

Also i headcanon that shikako resigned from anbu under kakashi, so she never swore absolute loyalty to naruto, which i think would be a very interesting dynamic, especially if he tries to use the tattoo function to (like the hyuga main line!!!!!!!!) to remind her of her vows and his orders and will and then she just turns around and reminds him she was never anbu under his command. (Like i don’t know if this is in character for naruto at this stage of his life, but naruto loves to remind people of their responsibilities and doing the right thing so???). Ahhh delicious delicious conflict!! (Hope i didn’t step on your toes or anything, i am like 99.9% sure i will never write anything in any form for this so it’s all up for editing/interpreting/ignoring) i love this verse and your writing thank you so much <3

Hi again, anon! Let's keep this bleak!primadonna AU brain rot party going! :D

Because, oh my god, I agree so much.

Naruto is hard to write! Or, well, he’s hard to write in such a way where his naivety/stubborness is charming/endearing instead of annoying/ridiculous :( I think SQ does thread that needle pretty well in DoS, but I think there’s also a reason why Sasuke has more “screen time” than Naruto even if you take into account the whole “Naruto is traveling with Jiraiya and Sasuke didn’t defect.” Even in the fandom, there’s more fanfic with Sasuke than Naruto because he’s just so difficult to write him well! He is a moral compass in a fandom that loves nuance, RIP.

I also think that the twins find a better balance in their relationship, especially because so much of Shikako’s secret keeping was because she wanted to keep Shikamaru safe from the incoming S-rank threats. Now that the war is over, no more S-rank threats (theoretically) and so significantly less secrets that need to be kept from Shikamaru. (She does still keep secrets, because I think that’s just how she functions, but a lot less than before.) But yes, definitely for her to be so blindsided by his assassination and then being denied her right to avenge him IS so final straw for her that she would just snap. Like I said before, it almost would have been understandable to her if their dad had been the one assassinated or, at least, Shikamaru would have been alive to slow down Shikako’s immediate, brutal revenge, but for her to lose Shikamaru after EVERYTHING they’ve been through? Like if it were the Akatsuki or something, then she’d almost understand it—or, at least, it would be justified for her to take out that level of S-rank threat. But some weird political bullshit trying to get Temari to go back to Sand, and then when Kankurou sends the councilors over as weregild, Naruto DENIES her that justified revenge? WHAT?! HOW DARE HE? It truly would be a betrayal to Shikako that Naruto would hold his own moral opinions above the Nara clan’s political/legal right to mete out whatever punishment they choose for the Sand councilors that killed their heir.

And yeah, Tsuande definitely thinks Naruto made the first mistake. Shikako reacted extremely to it, which was a mistake as well, but the FIRST mistake was definitely on Naruto for that reason.

I love the headcanon that Shikako resigned from ANBU under Kakashi—less because of the “oath to the Hokage” thing, but more because of a matter of timing? Because the reason why she even joined ANBU in the first place is because of her rapid promotions and also the fact that her (and Sasuke’s) reputation(s) were growing much faster than their skill. They needed to be able to gain experience without having a major target on their backs while also leveling up skill-wise enough to match their reputations. So by the time Naruto would have been Hokage, there’s no need for that subterfuge anymore. Shikako’s time better serves Konoha by being open about her movements/missions/abilities. I see it a lot in Kakashi-centric fic, but the idea that after the Uchiha Massacre in particular, they really flaunted Kakashi’s reputation around as a sort of “see we still have a Sharingan and it’s sooooo powerful, woooow” kind of thing to the point that they wouldn’t even let him do ANBU missions anymore because they needed him doing missions under the Sharingan no Kakashi PR as opposed to the (semi-)anonymous ANBU Hound.

Like. If Naruto is to a level of being Hokage, then Shikako (who in all practicality, is the better Hokage candidate) is similarly such an overt S-rank nin that being in ANBU would, if anything, hinder her abilities since she’d have to anonymize her skills.

I also don’t know if Naruto would try to use the tattoo function in that way—although, that would absolutely be such a… hm… not dark arc, per se, but a “you have crossed a line and we can never go back to what we were” sort of thing. Like in a desperation to just get her to listen he tries it and it doesn’t work but that fact that he even tried it. I don’t think it does torture/pain like the Caged Bird Seal, but it probably does a “pay attention to me” type of thing. Like if the Hokage needs to signal their ANBU guards without being too obvious about it kind of thing. So it’s more of a “hey, listen, I’m about to drop a secret mission on you” than a “you must submit to my will or else” but I think it is the chakra equivalent of grabbing someone’s arm when you’re in the middle of an argument which is sort of like escalating from words into potential violence. Especially if the argument started as Shikako to Naruto, former teammates and childhood friends, both feeling betrayed by each other and mourning Shikamaru but then Naruto trying to use the ANBU tattoo to make her listen to his side suddenly brings in his Hokage status and how legally he can do whatever he wants—it is a military dictatorship, after all, “peace” or no—but then it also highlights the whole issue of this bleak!primadonna AU which is that, legal or no, Shikako literally can do whatever she wants due to her power and ingenuity.

Oh, the Hokage says these people are going to jail instead of receiving the capital punishment? What, is he going to protect them personally 24 hours a day for the rest of their lives? And so what if he does? Shikako’s far sneakier than that. What obstacle has Shikako ever been up against that she couldn’t solve eventually? And it’s so easy for her to do harm, she often has to actively curb her more harmful ideas, it’s so much harder for Naruto to enforce his incorrect decision than it is for Shikako to enact hers. Which, again, the whole issue of this AU.

Anyway, anon, I really appreciate your enthusiasm for this weird AU I made. It makes me so happy that other people are thinking about it as often as I do :D

[justbrothings]

2 Cousin-fucking Songs

Hi, i originally wanted to submit this to @shipcestuous-two but since i can't send it from a sideblog, i'll just make my own post instead, i hope that's okay!

The two Songs i want to talk about are both in german but i will provide a translation for the lyrics below the cut.

Both songs are pretty recent and explicitly about someone's relationship with their cousin (idk how popular MELE's song is but Bologna was played on the radio a lot) which i find very interesting!

Song 1: Deine Cousine by MELE

This one is about a person* who is in love with their cousin and has an on/off-affair with her, hooking up whenever they meet at a family gathering. They both think they should end it but are just too attracted to each other so it keeps happening.

*the video shows a guy, but since the song is directed at 'you' it is actually gender neutral for the main character.

-------

Song 2: Bologna by Wanda

This one is less of a full story (like the first one) and a bit more abstract. In the verses the narrator says how they would love to live/dance/sleep with their cousin, but they don't dare. The refrain is about aunt Ceccarelli who once used to have a love story in Bologna. According to an interview, this actually refers to the songwriter's aunt who used to live in bologna and was in love with her cousin before he sadly died in WWII.

Disclaimer: I am a native german speaker but i'm not an expert at translating text into english, so excuse any errors/awkwardness 🙏

I tried my best, though!

Song 1: Deine Cousine by MELE

[link to the german lyrics on genius.com]

The way she's sitting there in her floral sundress Her smile let's you imagine what is waiting beneath it And you watch her helplessly You don't care about the cake on the table Back then, in the bathtub, she was the first person you got to see naked and now you want her exactly there

What would your mother say? What would your grandma say?

Aah, she's your cousin Is this just hormones or is it true love? Aah, she's your cousin Are you going to do it or not?

And then suddenly she was naked You loved each other, her pelvis on the beat* A dream comes true And she says, she'd like to be a couple

What would your dad say? What would your neighbours say?

Aah, she's your cousin Is this just hormones or is it true love? Aah, she's your cousin Are you going to do it or not?

And year after year it's always the same Whether it's a communion or an 80th birthday** Afterwards you're going to confession After every meeting comes the question Was that it? You both say: 'this needs to end' You would like to swear off her if only she didn't turn you on so much

Aah, she's your cousin Is this just hormones or is it true love? Aah, she's your cousin Are you going to do it or not? Aah, she's your cousin Is this just hormones or is it true love? Aah, she's your cousin Are you going to do it or not?

Are you going to do it or not?

*I chose a literal translation for this part but i'm not sure if it makes sense in english. I think it's a pun because Becken (pelvis) and Becken (cymbal) sound the same? on the beat i guess means they're moving rythmically? Idk man, they're having sex, you get it.

**this part is talking about different occasions for family gatherings where they meet, not sure if that's clear

-------

Song 2: Bologna by Wanda

[link to the german lyrics on genius.com]

I surely can't sleep with my cousin, even though i would like to, but i don't dare I surely can't talk to my cousin, even though i would like to, but i don't dare

Aunt Ceccarelli once made amore in Bologna Amore, my city Aunt Ceccarelli once had amore in Bologna Bologna, my city

I surely can't live with my cousin, even though i would like to, but we don't dare I surely can't dance with my cousin, even though i would like to, but she doesn't dare

Aunt Ceccarelli once made amore in Bologna Amore, my city Aunt Ceccarelli once had amore in Bologna Bologna, my city

And remember one thing: If anyone asks where you're going say to Bologna If anyone asks, what you stand for say for amore, amore

Aunt Ceccarelli once made amore in Bologna Amore, my city Aunt Ceccarelli once had amore in Bologna Bologna, my city

Aunt Ceccarelli once made amore in Bologna Amore, my city Aunt Ceccarelli once had amore in Bologna Bologna, my city

Bologna, my city Bologna, my city

-------

If anyone has questions about the lyrics or anything feel free to ask!

Hope y'all find this as interesting as i did :)

[thankssteveditko]

A brief introduction

Hi. My name's Bobby. (She/her.) You may know me for running my inexplicably widely known Archie Sonic blog Thanks Ken Penders, or for making the game Super Lesbian Animal RPG. Maybe you just know me as a furry artist. I wear a lot of hats!

While it's not one of the main interests I'm known for, I've been a fan of Spider-Man for most of my life, ever since the fateful weekend in 2002 when my dad decided to rent a certain Sam Raimi movie. He passed on his love of the character to me. Spider-Man remains my favorite superhero to this day, even in an age when MCU fatigue is really setting in. My tastes in fiction (and, by extension, my own writing) were surely influenced by the mix of fantastical and relatable elements found in Peter Parker's stories. The way he can go on these adventures swinging all around New York and then be like "shit, I forgot to pay my rent for my hellhole apartment." As my dad put it, unlike a lot of other superheroes, under the mask Spider-Man's just a normal guy from Queens.

I'm not the most hardcore fan, sure, but I've enjoyed plenty of takes on the character across different storytelling mediums. Movies, cartoons, video games, etc. That is, with one notable exception. The original comics. The Earth-616 Spider-Man comics that have been going for 60 years now. Even though I was the rare 21st century elementary schooler with a comic shop pull list, the mainline Marvel universe seemed completely impenetrable to me. I didn't know where to start, and every year I put it off, the backlog only grew larger and larger. I did read the first few volumes of Ultimate Spider-Man in middle school because my local library had them, but that was about it.

Recently, though, being in a Spidey mood thanks to the Insomniac games and Spider-Verse movies, I had a crazy idea. What if I just... read the main universe Spider-Man comics from the start?

I've read plenty of other long comics. Manga series that span hundreds of chapters. All sorts of Sonic and Transformers comics. I read all of Homestuck. I'm a One Piece fan, for Christ's sake. It can't be that hard, right?

Right?

...Okay, yeah, this is gonna take forever. Which is why I've made a whole blog for my little Spider-Man posts as I casually read these comics. Enjoy!

[danwhobrowses]

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Quickfire Review

So I am out of the cinema, and I have thoughts

We've finally reached the sequel to the epic Spider-verse movie, which in itself rewrote the rules on animation while being able to juggle a large cast outside of the Marvel machine.

So let me tell you my experience with the movie

Spoilers for the movie, you've been warned

Okay, this was a lot

It was really good, but it was a lot

I really don't want to speak badly about this movie because it is not at all bad, it's a visual spectacle with many twists and great characters. But I think the plot lost me. The main reason I think it lost me was the crux of 'Canon Events', which I will get more into, but given that last movie was about anyone being a Spider it was irksome that the story is also 'yes but you also have to have the exact same experiences which strips your story of agency'. I also think that the retcon that Peter A would've survived is wrong, and if all Spiders are meant to have the same chain of happening then why is Miles, the anomaly, subject to that rule in a universe where that chain has already happened? Also if he's an anomaly why didn't the universe disappear after a year of him and the Spider from Earth-42 being in this world? In a way it does threaten to lose the heart of what made the first movie so good too.

I also feel like it was two or three movies stitched together, Gwen's story was great, albeit with so much angst, Miles' story in his universe barely got going and Miles vs Spider Society was the main part of the narrative, and while it was woven together well I think the magnitude of it all took me out of it a bit, a lot of the times I felt like it was gonna end and then it went on for another 10-30 minutes, and it is a bad sign when you can feel the length of a movie. Honestly we could've easily gotten away with a Spider-Gwen movie of her own, let it cliffhanger with the cold open we got then have the final interaction with her dad and the infinite amount of colour palettes in this movie with just the Miles stuff going on.

My main character critique is probably the sourness that they did EXACTLY what I feared they would do to Miguel O'Hara. Spider-Man 2099 is my favourite Spider-Man but they really did decuple down on the edginess over the basis of his suit and powers. I mean sure, he has trauma that has killed off the last of his lighthearted value we saw in last-movie's post-credits scene, but most Spiders have trauma, and he did essentially steal another man's life for his own. I think the fact that he puts a ton of pressure on himself to uphold other timelines didn't quite come across so well, because they needed him to take over as the primary antagonist and 'the guy who tells Miles the stuff his mother warns him people may say to him'. Also, Miguel is different from most spiders because he doesn't have his Uncle Ben moment, he was a dick who caught conscience and Alchemax tried to silence him and accidentally gave him spider powers, so that also hinders the 'Canon Events' plot of Uncle Ben and Captain Stacy moments happening. Jessica Drew I struggled to get around to, loved her at the start but then she just started being cold, same can be said for Miles' parents towards Gwen, they picked one thing she couldn't have known they'd dislike and that was their tone towards her for most of their interactions after.

B U T !

Do I intend to watch Beyond the Spider-Verse? Yes! Absolutely.

Because even with the narrative flaws and the irksome nature that some characters are just being cold for little reason and that one of your favourite comics Spider-Man is not represented the same way, there is an extremely good movie in here. The art was amazing, in between all universes, the music was AMAZING, like Gwen vs Vulture just had an amazing soundtrack on its own. And gods all the Easter eggs; game and live action continuity weaved in, Ben Reilly, Unlimited Spidey, Julia Carpenter, adult MayDay Spider, Venom movie shop, even Prowler Donald Glover! There is so much to enjoy and the more you know about the several iterations and media of Spider-Man the more you find to enjoy.

But Hobie (Spider-Punk) stole the fucking show, everything he did was gold, Pavitr was fun but we needed more of him same with Spiderbyte and really Peter B and Miguel, Spot was hilarious too and then terrifying-looking when he reached his full potential, also Penny has an EVA now. The Spiders chase was well done with its clever quips and dynamic use of other spiders, the cold open was also inventive with Renaissance-verse Vulture. And then of course we got a very gripping cliffhanger, I like the squad we have for Gwen to rescue Miles and I can only beg that Lord and Miller manage to tone down and bring Miguel around in a satisfying manner without having to compromise the integrity and heart of the plot as Miles seeks a way to save his father without erasing his universe.

If anything this movie will keep you on your toes, it is stylistic beyond anything you might have seen before, but it can easily get overwhelming. I personally enjoyed as much as Guardians 3, maybe more by a slight margin (the highs are higher but the qualms are greater so hard to tell), but I also feel like it's not better than the first plot-wise just because of that feeling of being overwhelmed. It is worth a watch though for sure.

[ofstoriesandstardust]

day 3 - war is over - Coyote and Rebel

a/n: seeing everyone in my notes re-reading same mistakes makes me think there’s no better time for this... i have been working on this since july and (forgot about it) decided to add this to ficmas since it was halfway done. if you remember Coyote being from anywhere other than Savannah Georgia, no you don’t, and if you see any inconsistencies, no you don’t.

summary: The Christmas Coyote and Rebel spent together

title comes from happy x-mas (war is over) by john lennon 

12 days of ficmas | main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist | same mistakes-verse 

warnings: swearing, homesickness, angst, death of a parent, Javy’s mom is certifiably The Best, naming Coyote’s sisters was the hardest thing i’ve ever done, i still don’t know how the Navy works, i hate John Lennon but this song fit so well, disclaimer i’ve never been to Georgia, i mention the government shutdowns in passing, the end’s kind of rushed but i wanted to get this done

word count: 3,951

You sighed, sinking farther down into the seat on the couch. You’d just gotten off the phone with your Dad, hearing what you’d already suspected, that he wouldn’t be able to make it home for the holidays. You’d already called Ice, only to learn he was going to be in D.C. over the holidays for Navy business. He’d told you you were welcome to join him and Sarah out there, but spending the holidays being chummy with the Navy’s top leaders and the nation’s politicians sounded less than ideal. You could go home, but you’d be going home to an empty house with no family to spend it with. 

The common room door opens and you don’t look up, instead choosing to kick your legs up and move so that you were fully laying down. You grabbed a pillow and shoved it over your face, willing yourself not to scream. 

The holidays got harder every year, you and Dad got farther apart, and with Ice’s illness, it just... never made for a happy holiday. Which sucked, because Christmas was arguably your favorite holiday. 

A familiar laughter rang out as you hear the footsteps stop next to the couch. You hear shuffling and then weight being pressed on the back end of the couch. “All good there Rebel?”

“’m fine.” You mumbled into the pillow and he chuckled again. Hands you didn’t see gently wrestled the pillow away from your face and you blinked, taking in the sight of your best friend. 

“Try again. Couldn’t quite hear that.” You sighed, rolling so your back was facing him.

“I’m fine Coyote.” He sighed.

“Oh yeah, I’m sure you are.” He says and you hear his footsteps move into the little kitchenette. You can hear him make coffee and you glance up at him when his legs appear in front of you. He offers you a cup and you take it, eyeing it. 

“I didn’t need this.” He nods, taking a sip of his own drink. 

“Oh yeah, this is more for me, but my mother raised a gentleman.” He pulls the armchair closer to the coffee table across from you and sets his drink down, gesturing his hands towards you. “Okay, out with it, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” You say, shifting to sit up in a cross-legged position. He raises an eyebrow. 

“You’re a terrible liar.” You shoot him a look but he doesn’t waver and you set the cup down on the coffee table. 

“It’s stupid.”

“I guarantee you it’s not.” You sigh, wondering how to approach it. You shrug, grabbing the pillow from the back of the couch to have something to play with. 

“Just the holidays. I found out from Dad he’s not gonna be able to come home for Christmas and my godfather is going to be in D.C. so I don’t have any family to spend it with. I’ll probably go home anyways, but it’s gonna be tough going back to an empty house, knowing I’ll be spending the holiday alone. Again. I don’t know, stuff like this makes me realize how much the Navy has torn my family apart and I can’t think too far into that or it’ll make me really upset.” 

Wasn’t that the understatement of the century. 

Bradley hadn’t spoken to you in years, Goose was gone, Carole was gone, Mom was God knows where, Ice was busier and busier, Dad getting further away with every admiral he pissed off. 

Coyote sighed. “Sounds real tough of a problem you’ve got there.” You narrow your eyes at him.

“K, last time I tell you anything.” He chuckles. 

“How long’s your leave for?”

“Same as yours. I’ve got to be back on the 4th.” He sighs, eyeing you. “What?”

“Why don’t you come home with me for the holidays?” 

“No.”

“No?”

“No.” You confirm as he stares at you.

“Why? Why do you hate me so? Don’t want to spend your favorite holiday with your best friend?”

“And impede on his family’s celebration? No thank you.” You say, shaking your head. 

“You wouldn’t be impeding. Mom loves to host and you’ve never been to Savannah. I can take you, show you around, make us even for the San Diego trip.” You sigh, shifting in your seat, tapping the mug.

“Coyote, I don’t know... You sure your Mom would be okay with it?” He nods. 

“Positive. Mom would love to have you.” 

“Okay, if you’re certain.” He nods again.

“I am.” A smile break out over his face. “Oh, this is gonna be so fun, my sister’s are gonna love you.” 

-

“Okay, so walk me through it again one more time.” Coyote looks up at you from his phone. You’re sat on your suitcase as you sit at the busy Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. 

Wasn’t that a mouthful. 

You’re sitting off to the side at the pick-up area, waiting for one Coyote’s sisters to come get you. “Okay, Robin’s my Mom. The kindest woman you will ever meet. Heart of gold. She’ll love you. Viola’s the youngest at 14. She’s very sassy. Scarlet is the middle sister and she’s 23. She just graduated from college with a B.S. in Political Science. And then there’s Willow, whose 26 and 6 months pregnant. Her husband is Alex and they’re having a baby boy. They will ask you for name suggestions.” You nod, appreciating Coyote’s extra tidbits, so you at least had a starting point. “And if Mom happens to make a comment about us dating, ignore it.” Your eyes widen, starting to panic. 

“What? Coyote, I love you but not that much. Don’t tell me you told your Mom we’re dating.” He shook his head.

“No, I was very clear we’re just friends and that you needed somewhere to go for the holidays but she- first time I’m bringing a girl home, friend or not, and she’s getting excited. She thinks that if she just encourages it she’ll get another grandchild out of it.” You snort, playing with a string on your NAVY hoodie. 

“She should meet my Dad.” 

“Anyways, she’ll drop it after the first day or so, but she’s excited.” You stare at your shoes, scuffing them against the wet concrete. “Hey, I’m serious, it’ll be fine. Everyone’s excited to meet you and you’re gonna have a good time. Look, here’s Scarlet now.” He says as a car pulls up. You bite your lip anxiously as a woman gets out from the front, moving to hug Coyote. “Scarlet!″ He exclaims, moving closer and you follow slowly, dragging your suitcase behind you. “It’s so good to see you!” 

Why was having luggage suddenly the most embarrassing thing in the world?

“Javy, did you get taller from the last time I saw you?” She says, bringing him back into another hug after giving him a once over. Your heart twists, thinking about what you should be doing with your Dad right now in San Diego. 

“Maybe.” He says, smirking as he pulls away again. “This is my best friend and wingman.” He says as he introduces you. Her attention turns to you as she takes you in. You smile nervously, rubbing your hands together. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Javy’s told me so much about you.” You say, offering her your hand and she looks at it. 

“Oh none of that, if you’re family to Javy, you’re family to me too. C’mhere.” She says warmly, pulling you into a hug. Her grip is tight, like Coyote’s, and you bring your arms up to wrap her in a hug. You’re hit with an overwhelming amount of homesickness in that moment and try to blink the tears away. “Alright, well, let’s get you both back to the house, yeah? Mom’s excited to see you both.” He nods and takes both of your suitcases while you climb in the back row of the car. The pair chat excitedly, getting each other caught up on their lives as you sit in the back, fiddling with your phone. 

Ice had texted you, asking how the flight had been, and you took the time to let him know you’d landed. You smiled as he asked for pictures from your trip and your fingers slipped quickly over the keyboard to confirm that yes, you’d send him and Sarah plenty of pictures. 

You looked out the window, taking in the city. It was different from your city, the city you called home, but it was Coyote’s so it would do. You bit down the homesickness you’d been feeling since you got to the Green Vipers, one that had only gotten worse since you’d been shot down. Before you know it, the car is pulling up in front of a cute little home, lights twinkling. You take a deep breath as Coyote turns in his seat to give you a thumbs up. You get out of the car as Coyote grabs your suitcases from the back and you pull your arms further back into your sweatshirt, not trying to show how nervous you were. His Mom opens the door and is quick to wrap him in a hug. You have to blink back tears as you get hit with another wave of missing your Dad. She fusses over him for a moment, but eventually lets him go and he moves to reveal you. 

“Mom, this is my best friend.” You extend a hand. 

“Hi ma’am, it’s nice to meet you.” You say and she brushes past your hand as she pulls you into a hug. 

The Machado family must have a gene, you think, for giving hugs that make you feel safe. 

You hug her back, blinking back your tears. You were supposed to be having a good trip and the homesickness would not ruin that. 

She finally lets you go, hands resting on your arms as she takes you in. “It’s very wonderful to meet you dear. I’m glad my boy has someone to look out for him.”

“I’d protect him with my life.” You say, the words ringing ever so true. She sighs, letting you go. 

“Have the two of you eaten? Come on in, let’s get you out of the cold and get some warm food in your stomachs.” Coyote pats you on the shoulder as you move inside the house, Coyote’s sister having taken the suitcases up to his room. His other two sisters are gathered on the living room couch, along with who you think is Willow’s husband, watching a Christmas movie. Alex pauses the movie and stands up, walking over to introduce himself as Willow waves from the couch. 

“I still don’t think she’s not your girlfriend Javy.” Willow calls from her seat on the couch and Coyote rolls his eyes. 

“She’s too pretty to be his girlfriend.” Viola calls and you snicker as he protests. He turns to you, catching your amused look. 

“Stop it.” He reprimands and you shake your head, laughing silently. He groans, turning back to his sisters, who are looking at him with shit-eating grins. 

“It’s gonna be a long two weeks, isn’t it?” 

“May I remind you that this was your idea?”

“Yeah, well, I’m heavily regretting it right about now.” 

Another laugh escapes you, making your shoulders shake as your best friend shoots you a look.

-

You slip outside into the backyard, admiring Robin’s garden as you answer your Dad’s call. The connection is weird as he cuts out for a few moments, giving you time to sit down on the stray folding chair left outside on the porch. “Dad?”

“Hey kiddo, sorry about that.”

“No worries.” You hum, running your hand through your wet hair, just having gotten out of the shower when you got the text that your Dad was going to call soon. You’d hurried to dress so you could slip outside and talk to him in private for a minute. 

“Happy holidays. How’s Georgia?”

“Good.” You answer, looking around the backyard. It’s small, and yet so uniquely the Machado’s. “Javy’s family is really nice.” 

“That’s good to hear. I’m happy you have someone to spend the holidays with.” 

“Mhmm.” You agree, feeling the lump crawl up your throat. “I really miss you, Dad.”

He sighs from the other end of the line. “I miss you too kiddo. Next Christmas, okay? I promise.” 

He never meant to but somehow those promises always ended up getting broken. 

You nod, even though he can’t see you. “Okay.” There’s shouting from the other end of the line and he sighs again. “Have to go so soon?”

“Yeah. Kiddo, I’m-”

“No worries Dad. Go save the world.” You say softly, standing up from your chair. 

“I love you, kiddo. I’ll call as soon as I can.” 

“I know. I love you too.” The call ends, the line going dead before you can say anything more. “Merry Christmas.” You whisper, looking back over the yard, where the rain is beginning to drizzle once more. Sighing, you slip back inside, drifting towards the kitchen in search of food. You pause just outside of it, catching Coyote’s voice murmuring softly. 

“-don’t think she’s enjoying herself.” 

“Javy, she’s in a new place spending the holidays with people she’s never met.” The voice belongs to Javy’s younger sister, Scarlet.

You hear him sigh. “Scar, I know- I just-”

“You want to make the holiday good for her. I get it Javy.”

“It’s more than that, she just has such a hard time with the people we work with and she needs something good-” 

You nudge the kitchen door open, slipping through it and effectively cutting him off. Scarlet offers you a smile, wrapping her hands tighter around her mug. “Hey, how’d you sleep?” 

You give a half-shrug, pulling the sleeves of your sweatshirt down further around your hands. “Okay. Where’d you disappear off to?” You asked, turning to Coyote. 

He waves a hand at the bag sitting on the counter. “Wanted to get fresh pastries at my favorite bakery in town. Was gonna ask if you wanted to come with, but you were already in the shower.” 

“Yeah, ‘m sorry about that. Needed to shower and then my Dad called.”

“How’s he doing?” You shrug, opening the bag.

“Dunno, we didn’t get that far. Can I?” You ask, looking up at him and he nods. 

“Be my guest.” 

You pick through the box in the bag, pretending you don’t see the look Javy shoots Scarlet. 

-

You’re propped up against the wall, scrolling through Twitter when Coyote slips through his bedroom door. It shuts with a click behind him as he walks towards the bed. He sighs, nudging your shoulder. “Scooch.”

You sigh and move, allowing him to take your spot as you pull your legs criss-cross underneath you. “You’re supposed to be sleeping on the floor.” You say, shooting him a look. He rolls his eyes, but says nothing more as you snicker. 

Coyote’s house was small, and Robin had insisted you have a bed to sleep in, leaving Coyote to sleep on an air mattress on the floor of his bedroom. It hadn’t actually panned out that way, you and Javy fine with sharing a bed with one another, but what his Mom didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. 

It’s quiet in the room as your eyes continue to flicker over the screen, now reading a thread about the looming possibility of a government shutdown, when Coyote speaks again. 

“You’re not having a good time.” He says quietly and your eyes flick up to look at him, even though he’s pointedly looking at the wall just behind you. 

You sigh, clicking the phone shut. “Coyote, that’s not-”

“You can admit it, it’s okay.” 

“No, no, it’s not that I’m not having a good time, I just-” You sigh again, struggling to find the words to voice just exactly what you were feeling. “You’re family has been wonderful. Your sisters are so funny and your Mom is so kind, it’s just-” You swallow, cheeks feeling hot as tears prick at your eyes. “Holidays are hard for me. They just-” You pause. 

The years when Carole was sick. The year where you were stationed halfway across the world and Dad was declared MIA. The first Christmas after Bradley left. The lonely years with just Ice and Sarah. Being passed around everyone’s Christmas celebrations because they all felt sorry for you. 

“They’re not a good time for me.” You finally say, voice soft in the stillness of the house. 

He sighs. “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?” 

“Say something like- say something that might finally let me into the truth about who you are and then stop yourself.” 

You narrow your eyes. “That’s not true, I don’t do that.” 

“Yes, you do!” He insists. 

“You’re my best friend Javy.” 

Suddenly, you’re at a loss for words, not sure what else to say other than that.

“And yet, I don’t know anything about you at all, not really.” 

You scoff, sliding off the bed and stand up. “If you don’t know me at all, then why invite me here? Better yet, why stick around and be my friend? Why stick your neck out for me?”

“Rebel, don’t go there.” He groans, one of his hands coming to rub his temple. You shake your head, clutching your phone in your hand as you walk around the bed and towards the door. “Rebel, where are you going?” 

“Why does it matter?” You mutter, pulling the door open. “I’ll get out of your way.” You slip down the stairs, pausing in the living room. Robin and Scarlet’s attention turns to you and you give them a small smile. 

“Sorry, I, uh- just came downstairs to get some water. Didn’t realize anyone else would still be awake.” You softly, eyes flickering over to the Christmas tree, it’s soft glow the only thing illuminating the room.

“No worries, honey.” Robin says sweetly as Scarlet stands up from the couch. 

“Well, I’m off to bed.” She says. “Goodnight Mom.” 

“Goodnight Scarlet.” 

You walk quietly towards the couch, taking Scarlet’s place as Robin’s mom continues to knit. “Are you having a good holidays, sweetheart?”

You nod, pulling your sweatshirt further around your fingers as you grab a blanket off the back of the couch. “Yes, I am. Thank you so much for having me; you have no idea how much I appreciate it.” 

She waves a hand. “Oh, it’s no trouble at all. I wasn’t all too surprised when Javy called me and told me that he had a friend he was bringing home with him for the holidays. I’ve lost count of the years his good friend Jake has spent the holidays with us.”

You raise an eyebrow at the mention of someone you had yet to hear of but said nothing more on the matter. “Anyways, I was just surprised you wouldn’t be going home for the holidays.” 

You shrug. “I would’ve liked to, but my Dad’s military. I don’t... I don’t get to see as much of him as I would like.” You say softly, crossing your legs under the blanket. 

She looks up at you. “I take it holidays are a tough time for you?” 

You nod silently, saying nothing more.

She sighs, setting her knitting needles down and moving closer to you. She takes your hands within her own, squeezing them. “The years after Javy’s Dad passed were a touch time for this family. Even before he passed it was hard, because he was never home, always traveling the world.” You look up at her. “Holidays can be a tough time for a lot of people, for so many reasons. But this is why you have people in your life to meet you where you’re at, to support you through the hard days, including the holidays. But you have to lean on them for the support.” 

You offer her a small smile. “You raised Javy well. I can tell where he gets his good heart from.” 

She chuckles, smiling. “He’s a good person, isn’t he?”

“The best I know.” She squeezes your hands again as there’s movement on the stairs, a figure appearing in the doorway. 

“The best you know?” You roll your eyes, slumping against the side of the couch. 

“Oh shut up.” He huffs out a laugh, walking into the room. Robin smiles and clears her throat, giving her son her place on the couch. 

“Well, I’m off to bed. Goodnight you two. Merry Christmas.” 

“Merry Christmas.” You both say softly as Coyote settles on the couch, pulling the pillow off the couch and up in to his arms as he sits next to you. He sighs, fingers running over a loose thread on the seam of the pillow. 

“Rebel, I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to upset you. I just- I want us to figure out how you trust me on the ground and not just in the air, but trust isn’t so easily given and I know that’s asking a lot from you, that that might be hard for you to do but I really want us-”

“This is my first Christmas not at home since my Dad was declared MIA.” His head swings over to face you as you continue. “It was a couple years ago and I’d just gotten re-assignment orders days before Christmas Eve. I’m not even really sure where in the world I was, I think  maybe I was in Germany, I don’t really know. But I got the call that night and I’ve just- I’ve always made a point to be home on Christmas since, even if he isn’t there.” 

“Rebel, I-”

“The holidays are really fucking hard for me, especially not being home, but how are you supposed to know that if I don’t fucking tell you? I’ve spent so many years being passed around because people feel sorry for me and it’s not-” You pause, feeling tears sting at your eyes. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I just don’t-” You swallow. “I don’t trust myself. I don’t have a good track record with friendships and I can think of quite a few of my ex-friends who’d tell you to run in the other direction as fast as you possibly could. One probably wishes I was dead. I mean, you didn’t even like me at first and-”

“And it was a poor judgement call on my part because you are a kickass friend and my life would suck without you in it.” He interrupts.

You let put a watery laugh, reaching out to nudge his shoulder. “Shut up, you can admit I was kind of annoying-”

“Rebel.” He says, narrowing his eyes. “You’re a fucking amazing person and I’m lucky to call you my friend. I didn't invite you here because I felt sorry for you. I invited you here because you’re one of my closest friends and I wanted you to spend the holidays with people who loved and cared about you, even if it couldn’t be with your Dad. The last thing I wanna do is fight with you.” 

You sniff, pulling your sleeve to wipe away some of the tears. “I should’ve just been honest with you.”

“Yeah, but- holidays aren’t so simple. It’s not easy to explain why they’re hard and I understand it. I’ve lived through it and I know better than to an expect an answer.” 

You sigh as he moves closer, wrapping you in a hug. “Let’s go get some sleep and enjoy the rest of our trip, yeah?” 

You nod into his shoulders, wrapping your arms around him. “Yeah, okay.”

“And whatever you need, I’m here, okay?” 

You nod again, squeezing him. “I know.” 

[casliveblog]

Custom Toonami Block Week 173 Rundown

The Witch from Mercury: Okay so I have a notoriously hard time of comprehending Gundam plots so if I get anything wrong… that’s just how it’ll have to be. So it’s the old chesnut Gundam franchise have been milking for forty years now… Earth vs Space, like seriously I haven’t even seen all the Gundam serieses and I am SO sick of setup and everyone philosophizing about how going into space gives people superpowers and shit like can Gundam as a series think of anything else to do? But yeah apparently in this verse they originally were making prosthetics for people that had muscle dystrophy and shit from being in space and then as someone always does they went ‘cool but what if we did WAR with it?’ and now regular mobile suits and Gundams are just quietly being built in the background even though no official war is going on and the Gundams make people fucking die from a combination of information overload similar to the Zero System in Wing and that shit in Pacific Rim that made it so you needed two people to coordinate motor functions of a huge robot. Enter Eri, tiny girl with a mysterious connection to the big Barbie Gundam being built by her parents who are definitely not surviving this episode. It’s her birthday because this backstory is REALLY gonna kick her in the metaphorical nuts and the Space People have decided ‘Gundams kill their own guys, I’M supposed to kill their guys, that’s not fair bro’ which, A+ politicianing, no notes, I’m sure that’d go over well with a CEO just shouting about how he wants to kill people on the battlefield before they can nobly sacrifice themselves and that’s why he has to shutdown the big superweapons will go over great, like anime politicians can just get away with saying the wildest shit while real politicians come under fire if you don’t say the word god enough in a speech. But yeah instead of just shutting them down and destroying their research they just fucking come out swinging and do a full Space Colony ARK and murder everyone in the station (I think these guys were Earth-Alligned despite being in a space station idk this is why I have a hard time keeping track of this shit) like I feel like that was overkill and just PR nosedive for no reason but Eri needs a tragic backstory. Like is there functionally any reason they had to go murder everyone instead of just going ‘your shit’s illegal now, hand over your research OR will kill you’ instead of going ‘hand over your shit AND we’ll kill you’? Like I guess they’re doing a scorched earth approach and wanting to make sure and are prolly gonna say the unarmed scientists resisted to a level that required lethal force but that really seemed unnecessary, like you probably could’ve tied that up in courts and had them hand over all their shit instead of murder. While all this is going on Eri’s in the Barbie Gundam and surprise surprise she can get it to work when no one else can, her dad and the random technician lesbian take out the non-Barbie gundams and murder everyone except for the angsty pretty boy in the obligatory regal-looking suit that’s fancier than normal but technically not a gundam to get around plot shit while Eri and her mom get away in the Barbie Gundam which I’m honestly kind of surprised Eri’s mom gets to live I was expecting a full familial wipe from a backstory going this hard on the trauma and eerie innocence of its main character.

Inuyasha The Final Act: After the events with Moryomaru, Koga’s joined the group and Shippo notes how it changes the dynamic now that he’s actively stoking the Inuyasha/Kikyo/Kagome love triangle and Shippo doesn’t like it but I kinda do, it’s kinda funny to have a party member that isn’t super friendly with the others. Meanwhile Naraku reabsorbs Onigumo’s heart, theorizing that if he can’t directly kill Kikyo without it, he can use the overt shittiness of humanity to corrupt the purifying light she puts into Kohaku’s shard to try and purify him. So that gives him the ability to shoot spiderwebs of bad vibes at people to corrupt them mentally since I guess Onigumo’s fine with mindbreaking Kikyo even if he can’t overtly kill her. Kikyo’s absorbed Miroku’s miasma and give her own was never fully healed she’s like 75% poison at this point and basically half dead so she has to ditch Kohaku so he doesn’t get corrupted, luckily Sesshomaru takes over the Kohaku Babysitting duties for the time being. Meanwhile Kagome is once again the only one who can save Kikyo and we have to play the song and dance of ‘does Kagome want Kikyo to literally die for a love triangle?’ again even though we’ve established time and time again the answer is fucking no, though this time we have Naraku actively pumping bad vibes into her to at least give her doubts while she goes to get the only bow that can purify Kikyo. This part’s kinda trippy since we see a bunch of illusions of Kikyo and Inuyasha and they keep going ‘no it’s real this time’ like an episode of Rick and Morty until we show that Kikyo and Inuyasha are still outside the shrine so absolutely none of it was real. Kagome has to AGAIN reject the idea of wanting her romantic rival to literally die though this time coming out on the side of her and Kikyo being equals because she’s sick of feeling like a Johnny come lately trying to vault over the First Girl and has a whole series of character development to relate to Inuyasha with so that’s a nice little moment of her in-universe being sick of the fucking endless tests of her heart, like Kagome’s fundamentally a good girl and yeah constantly getting asked this question has gotta be grating when it’s something she barely ever thought about.

Castlevania: We get Hector’s backstory now so we have all the pieces on the humans Dracula’s recruited while Carmilla’s still stirring the shit trying to get someone to go after the Belmont house and I’m still not entirely sure if she’s the one that will cause infighting that will ruin the bad guys’ plans or if she’s the more dangerous villain ready to take over for the more sympathetic Dracula The Rock style. Meanwhile Trevor’s group do come across the Belmon treasure trove and it is kinda sweet to see him reminisce over his childhood and family legacy despite how much he seemed to disown them in season 1. He gets a cool new weapon and Sypha gets to read books and shit but Alucard’s basically walking through the vampire version of the holocaust museum so he’s more than a little freaked out. Back at Castle Castlevania Godbrand’s a bit concerned that human genocide is kinda like cow genocide in that it makes everything kinda shitty on the food chain and Dracula just wants to be done with humanity. Their interaction cues us that Dracula’s actually kinda pulling a better-explained Raizen from YYH and slowly starving despite still being ridiculously powerful and may be plotting to let vampires die out with humans so everything’s just a quiet empty void (like I think vampires can still survive without humans but it’s a lot less pleasant so idk if a vampire genocide is really in the cards but it’s not something people are clamoring for). Still Carmilla’s just here to play the Starscream and take things over so I guess get ready for Carmillavania in Season 3.  

Jujutsu Kaisen: So turns out Megumi’s technique is like Pokemon and you have to fight the big monsters before you get to capture them and send them out for you and getting help means you don’t get the capture but you do get to try again if you need to and there’s a super secret legendary pokemon that no one’s every caught before and actually killed a Gojo-level guy in the past, though it obviously kills the person summoning it first. So much for Megumi being all ‘I’m not throwing my life away’ a few episodes ago because his first response to being attacked by a C-tier asshole is summoning the Ultra Necrozma nuke. I assume this is the technique that he’s been talking about all those times we’ve gone ‘oh he’s gonna do a big attack’ except probably the time against Todo because that wouldn’t make any sense but given the mass carnage here I’m kinda glad he didn’t pull it out until now because it definitely would’ve murdered a fuckton of people in the process. Sukuna steps in because Megumi doesn’t technically die until hand-hold guy dies so as long as he’s able to keep them alive while fighting Ultra Necrozma here everything’s cool. The rest of the episode is basically just a ridiculous slugfest between Sukuna and Ultra Necrozma because this guy’s like Amazo from Justice League and adapts to any and all attacks so the only way to beat it is to obliterate it on an atomic level with something it’s never seen before. Realizing and implying there is something sneaky about his ‘cut anything forever’ attack, Sukuna uses his Domain which is basically like sticking something in a blender combined with that glitch in OoT that’s just infinite sword swings and for good measure hits it with the fire arrow thing from last time to make sure it can’t regenerate. The end result basically turns Shibuya into Made in Abyss with a giant fuckoff hole in the center. He gets Megumi to safety and kills hand-holding guy FINALLY and then he just hands consciousness off back to Yuji who now remembers EVERYTHING from the past three episodes or so all at once and gets flashes of the hundreds of thousands of deaths his body is responsible for. So… yeah, that’s rough buddy.

Delicious in Dungeon: Just getting this out of the way but this is another of those ‘have you ever played an RPG before?’ anime that is ridiculously video gameified and kind of relies on all the tropes you already know about games for its worldbuilding and like luckily it’s charming enough on its own to not have that wreck the show for me but the over-reliance on making every fantasy setting a video game is REALLY a pet peeve of mine. But yeah, this series is rather silly, Laios’s sister Falin gets eaten by a dragon and there’s a medium-level urgency to get her back before she’s digested. Like the stakes are really confusing because several characters make it very clear how important getting her back is but part of the comedy seems to be how they’re not in a huge hurry and stop for food every five minutes, plus it’s not entirely clear if this is one of those video game fantasy settings that has no consequences for dying since they seem kind of chill about finding corpses and Marcille refers to a life-threatening situation being her ‘first time’ dying despite there being graveyards and shit so this is the kind of shit that really bugs me about video game-style fantasy worlds and I assume it’ll get explained later but it gets under my skin. Still the whole thing basically turns into a Food Wars episode as Laios is very passionate about monsters like in a Garou-level sense of just being hyperfixated but also has no idea how to go through the manual skill needed to actually cook them which is strange given he seemed to be kind of looking for an excuse to do this for years. Still, luckily they find Senshi, a guy whose whole deal is having already done this for years and basically treats it like a Martha Stewart show and it’s pretty funny watching them meet halfway between Food Wars and Toriko. Like there’s not much more to it than that, they make some scorpion soup and some vegetable tart and Marcille gets an obligatory tentacle scene though it’s not protracted and doesn’t have any fanservice shots so I get the feeling it was just something to fuel fanart as opposed to actually showing anything which is an interesting way to take things, let the R34 machine run itself without having to dirty their own hands. It’s fun, the setting is one of my least favorite things about modern anime and the tone is kind of confusing but I’m sure that’ll even out with time, I am enjoying it thus far.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: The first bit of the episode is a little adventure developing the new group dynamic now that Stark has joined and Fern isn’t really sure what to do with him. Frieren gets to meet some more of the people touched by her adventure and the far-reaching festivals made in honor of their deeds. The real meat of the episode is in the second part though and we get some really good stuff here. The group enters a new town when Frieren senses demons and goes into attack mode, but turns out these demons wear clothes and shit and are all fancy and the like, being ambassadors to try peace talks with the village. Since Frieren just attacked a foreign ambassador they throw her right the fuck in jail and Fern gives her the scoop that one of the Demon King’s generals took over after he died and is now leading the charge but the ambassadors have decided that peace may be an option. Frieren is ridiculously racist against demons but also kinda describes how they kinda deserve it by telling a story of a demon girl that was trusted by a community only to murder more people and only using sympathetic words to save herself from attacks. Or at least that’s how Frieren sees things, the real story is the girl was taken in by the town and still hated for the people she had previously killed so in a truly utilitarian sense she stole a replacement child for the one she’d murdered just to get their racist asses off her backs and the evil Frieren sees in her is an ignorance of emotion, someone that’s not necessarily good or bad and is an alien to human connections acting in ways that appear horrendous to those that have them. Someone just like Fern. That’s kind of the part that gets me, like earlier this same episode we see how foreign basic social skills are to Fern and Frieren herself and granted they’re not murdering people but it’s the same kind of not fully understanding people thing that throws off the ‘measure of a man’ speeches because if you say someone that lacks compassion or social understanding is a monster what happens when a human shares those qualities, someone who’s antisocial or autistic and can’t be bought in by the ‘love makes us human’ answer to the kind of sentient being whose life we should or shouldn’t value, if that’s where we’re going with this I’m really excited. Still for the time being the demons are right dicks and manipulate the guards with all the right words of ‘oh but we’ve suffered too, let’s have peace’ that would absolutely wreck any Naruto-minded Talk no Jutsu protagonist despite demons literally not having families (and this seemingly crucial fact apparently not being widely known). Turns out the ambassadors’ plan is to make peace and then have the town lower its barrier so they can burn it to the ground which… doesn’t make any fucking sense like it’s not like you’re disarming a weapon you’re asking them to take down a purely defensive shield that can’t actually hurt anybody and promising ‘we won’t attack bro’ without giving any sign of good faith on your end, might as well ask them to tear down their walls like that probably protects them from non-demon creatures and judging by last episode is a crucial part of border control, like that’s a dumb plan. It’s frustrating because their emotional manipulation is ridiculously good but their actual plan doesn’t make any sense. Still this complicated situation is about to get a lot simpler because one of the junior ambassadors just fucking barges into the dungeon, kills a guard and is ready to kill Frieren, like these guys are so fucking dumb even if Frieren wasn’t a demi-god how are you going to explain a dead guard outside the cell while the fugitive elf died in the cell like you just blew your whole dumb barrier-lowering plan because you couldn’t think of a diplomatic way to get in to see the prisoner and had to kill her right fucking now.

Vinland Saga: Thorfinn and Snake continue their fight and are surprisingly evenly matched despite Thorfinn just using his fists and not being as small and nimble as he was when he first developed his knife style. Thorfinn isn’t defeated but does lose the battle of the terrain when Snake is able to move over to the cart and get to Gardar. He makes a good point that he can’t justify just letting Gardar go since he really cares about his whole crew and taking anything less than revenge would be an insult. Now obviously this is still wrong but making the ‘an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind’ argument is a little difficult when you’re in Viking times and have like five seconds before this guy stabs him. Snake starts making plans of what to do now that Thorfinn and Arnheid have disobeyed him and Gardar just… pops up out of the cart like a daisy and stopped the sword with his astonishing pecs or some shit because he gets Snake in a sleeper hold and knocks him out. Arnheid talks him down from killing Snake and Gardar’s still gonna die anyway so the rest of the episode is just a big schmaltzy sendoff for Gardar and all the regrets he’s had in his life and it’s a pretty cool sequence for someone whose character development mostly came from other people. Like just saying, Askeladd was basically the main character for a while and all he got was a final speech and Gardar gets a whole dream sequence of finding his obviously dead son. Still now we’re in the weird position of Arnheid being taken by Ketil’s guards and Ketil himself coming home to find his bottom bitch and his favorite slave tried to start a revolt over a guy he’s never heard of while war with the king is looming on the horizon, so… awkward, I guess.

[doueverwonder]

'Just Shoes'

Pairing: A side of AusHun (not the main focus though)

Warning: Alcohol mention.

Notes: okay so, I was having feelings about baby Liechtenstein and her stuffy Austrian dad, and then I was listening to My Fair Lady, and then I'm also writing stuff for my friends as a Christmas present. And this happened, first thing I've been able to finish in a week. Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Erzsébet walked through the house wiping her hands on her apron while looking to make sure she didn't miss anything. She liked to tease Roderick far too often that being his lover should come with 'not being the maid anymore' privileges, but she also knew she would be bored without the daily chores. Speaking of though, she couldn't seem to find Roderick or Liesl anywhere. Usually Roderick would come around by this point insisting she had done enough for the day; or Liesl would show up wanting to help. Something Erzí never let her do. She didn't mind it anymore, but she was also insistent Liesl wouldn't end up working for someone else. Her excuse for the six year old was always something along the lines of 'What if your prince shows up? Will you want to be covered in dust to see him?'  it always worked. 

Her wandering took her to the side of the house with the ballroom. The large room wasn't used often... but Roderick was one for parties so whenever he decided to have one on a whim she preferred to not have to clean it when there were other things to do. She hated the parties, having to dress up and be overly nice to people she hated. Roderick and Liesl both adored them though, well, Liesl adored watching people show up for them. The girl had to go to bed before it even officially started, she had been excited about her 'debut to society' for years already. She asked every year without fail when she could go to her first one; and Roderick told her every year without fail as soon as she was sixteen. 

"No, no, no, your timing is off!" Erzsébet stopped at the closed door, listening, Roderick's voice was easy to identify inside. She assumed it was Adéla he was scolding, he always claimed she embarrassed him at balls. 

"But papa! You're doing the counting!" Instead of hearing the Bohemian woman she heard her daughter, giggling as she argued with her father. 

There was a loud huff, "You can't blame your partner for your own shortcomings," 

Erzsébet heard the counting resume, along with footsteps far too heavy to be her lovers. She listened as the counting died out replaced with humming; Liesl started singing mimicking the sounds the song would make on a piano. 

"See" The footsteps stopped with Rodericks voice, "That's where you lose your stride, when you start singing" 

"I can't stay quiet, you hum, and mama sings when you two dance" 

"Your mother and I can keep our step," she listened as the steps continued this time with Liesl counting out loud, Erzí opened the door just a crack looking in. She tried not to laugh as she saw Liesl standing on Roderick's feet; stepping in unison with him. They went through the motions a few times, she recognized quite quickly they were doing the waltz. 

"Finally!" Roderick exclaimed, "I've never seen so much potential, just a little more practice and you'll be a dancing protégé" 

"Really?" 

"Absolutely. Don't you think so, liebling?" Roderick looked towards the door making it known that he had seen her. Erzí opened the door the rest of the way, coming into the room as Roderick picked up Liesl. 

"Of course, we should just go ahead and send you to France to learn ballet," Erzsébet teased lightly, watching as Liesl held onto her father tighter. 

"Please don't" both her parents quickly assured her she wasn't going anywhere, not as long as they could help it, calming Liesl down quite fast. 

"What were you two doing in here exactly?" Erzsébet asked, trying to play it off as if she hadn't been watching them for the past ten minutes. 

"Obviously I was teaching her how to dance, our princess needs to be well versed in many things" Roderick almost rehearsed the line, it was heard at least once a day in their household both them, and the other people living with them stating it. Liesl was Roderick and Erzsébet's daughter but by now she was being raised by everyone in the house. The theory that everyone would stop cooing over her after they got used to her presence, turned out to be completely incorrect. Even with Adéla who claimed to hate both the girl's parents with every ounce of her being. 

Erzsébet knew her partner though, and knew dancing and now holding Liesl however small she may be was tiring him out quickly. "Edesem, why don't you go find Emma and see if she has anything for you to do?" 

At the mention of the Flemish woman, Liesl half wiggled out of her fathers arms running for the hall with both her parents yelling after her to not run in the house. 

As soon as Roderick was sure his daughter was gone, he simply sat down on the floor, immediately eliciting a laugh from Erzsébet. 

"That tired are we?" she asked him, sitting down next to him. 

He nodded, "She has endless amounts of energy, I swear it comes from your side" 

"Oh I don't think so," she countered him, "Maybe she got it from your brother" 

Roderick groaned, "Don't ever make me think about Liesl inheriting anything from any of my siblings ever again" 

She rolled her eyes at him a little, thinking him being overdramatic. "She has endless energy because she's six Kedvesem" 

"I am aware..." he trailed off for a moment, "You're sure you want another one?"

"I want three more" Erzsébet quickly countered,

"Three!" Roderick laid down completely putting his hand to his forehead, "I think I need a beer to even deal with the thought" 

She laughed at him again, "That's what you said when we found out we were expecting Liesl" 

"No, then I needed a beer and a chair," He jokingly patted the ground, "Now I'm already sitting so I just need the beer" 

"You love her" she smiled at him. 

"I never said I don't" Roderick countered, sitting back up. 

"Let me finish, I know you love her because you danced with her, letting her scuff your favorite pair of shoes" 

"They're just shoes," 

Erzsébet hummed, "They're never 'just shoes' with you."

[elvesandlanterns]

DC verse Theater 4

“So what there’s just a universe out there where Tim and Jason are best friends or something?”

It was confusing and Konner wasn’t sure how Tim could ever forgive Jason what he’d done in Titans Tower but ….

“Pppfftt. Best friends? This is the multiverse we are talking about! Here I’ll show you some funny ones to lighten the mood!”

Dick felt relieved, two videos in and he wanted to shake his family members. It was nice that Jason and Tim were friends tho, he wanted his brothers to be brothers to each other! He did! But it also left his mouth with a bitter feeling. What is wrong with him?

The scene started with Jason, this one was wearing a suit! No white in his hair to be seen.

Bruce felt something in his chest loosen at the sight.

Jason wrinkled his nose in disgust.

[“- cost Lexcorp hundreds of thousands of dollars in-“] some lawyer aspoused before being cut off.

[“You know what I don’t care if Tim murdered his entire family. Tim is like a son to me.”]

Cass dropped her popcorn, wow just wow.

Konner wrapped his arms around the shorter boy, he was crying.

…

[“Did you really mean that Jason?”]

Tim’s mind was screaming, of course he didn’t mean it. He couldn’t he hates you. Your real dad didn’t want you, Bruce didn’t want you, why would you Robin want you?

[“Of course Tim. Your parents were assholes anyway.” ]

The pit in Jason burned, “So what if I hadn’t died I would have adopted the brat? If I hadn’t died I would be working at Wayne tech and everything would have been all better?” What fucking bullshit.

And what did his counter part mean about Tim’s parents being assholes? Tim was some rich kid who had parent that gave him everything and he still became Robin.

Roy gave him a nudge, “Whatever.”

The next clip played.

Xxxx

[“Tim your parents were extremely neglectful.”]

Jason froze.

[ “No they weren’t.”]

Konner pursed his lips, even after all these years Tim was still in denial.

[“Tim they left you alone for 11 months out of the year.”]

“Well at least they didn’t do that in our dimension!” Dick tried to break the ice, they couldn’t have done that. Not to Timmy, Bruce would have known. He would have known and he wouldn’t have let Tim go back to them.

“Tim?”

“What it’s not a big deal?”

Bruce felt like he had been slapped. No no no no. Jack and Janet weren’t the best people he knew that but they wouldn’t have…Tim had told him it was okay that they called and visited and that he had a nanny and and Tim was a liar. Bruce knew he knew and there was no more telling himself Tim hadn’t lied to him. There was no more space left to say he had actually believed him ethier. Bruce knew.

Xxx Next clip

[“No body is shooting my brother! Imma say this one time you make a move at him and you’ll be dead before you hit the ground you understand!”]

“Tt what mess did Drake get himself into know?” Damian was a tad affronted about this. So it would seem that in these worlds Drake and Todd were close. Tt, well it made sense. Todd hated anyone who hurt kids and it would seem Drake didn’t have the sparkling childhood he had thought he did.

[ I’m feeling untouchable, untouchable]

Roy couldn’t help but chuckle, “Look at how smug he is that you have his back.” Jason rolled his eyes, he did that here too. Sure he didn’t say anything about it but … it’s not like he still had a hit out on him anymore.

[crinkled-emotions]

OK so the hoodie content has gotten its hooks in me🥰😍

First of all Ouch😭

But also Mav deffo has some other older ones. Imagine him giving one to B when he's a having a really bad time; hurt, nightmares, sick whatever. Like obviously in an attempt to comfort him, but it just makes him remember and he gets all emotional and even more upset 😭

#Bradley needs a hug everyone!

Okay look, I was just gonna reply with lmao mood or something adjacent but then a lil plot bunny smacked me in the face with it's cute lil tail and I went okay yeah sure I'm gonna write a drabble!

(this does mention Dee, but Rooster and Mav are probably the main characters here. I should also mention that while I am going to cover Bradley's anxiety in the Fixin' to Break verse, this drabble is not linked so much as I'm just borrowing the characters for a sec)

(I'll put them back I swear)

(This made me miss my dad and I literally saw him three days ago)

-

"I came as soon as I could; it sounded serious- oof!"

Maverick caught Dee when she threw herself into his arms, sniffling as she tried to stop crying.

"Hey, hey; what's wrong? Is it the kids?"

Maverick carefully hugged her back, glancing over his shoulder to see if he could spot the three of them running around. James was asleep in the playpen on the floor, but the two girls were nowhere to be seen.

"It's your kid," Dee whispered hoarsely, sleeve to her face as she tried to wipe the tears threatening to fall. Maverick's eyes widened for a moment, cleared his throat, and then he gestured towards the hallway.

"Is he still in bed?"

"He said his stomach hurts but I'm not buying it."

"Dee?"

Dee shrugged, glancing wistfully over her shoulder toward the stairs leading to their master bedroom suite.

"He's been off the last couple days. He just says he's tired but it's more than that. Feels more like building anxiety. Something's wrong, Mav..."

Maverick frowned for a moment, and then he looked to Dee.

"What's the date?"

"Uhhhh... February 7th- oh, fuck."

Dee and Maverick moved, darting up the stairs together. Dee gently knocked on the bedroom door, poking her head into their room.

"B, you awake? Someone's here for you."

Rooster glanced up from his pillow, putting his phone back on his bedside table.

"Who is it?"

"Hey, kid."

"Mav."

Bradley pulled himself to sit up, drawing his knees to his chest. Dee glanced at the two, and then cleared her throat.

"I'll give you two a minute. Roos, when you're ready, come downstairs and we'll talk."

Rooster nodded, eyes on Maverick the whole time. When the door closed behind Dee, Maverick moved to the bed and sat on the edge.

"I miss her too, kid," he said softly. Bradley sniffed, gaze moving to his knees that he'd drawn to his chest.

"It's not just that. I- I can't hear dad's voice like I used to, and- and sometimes I go to pull that old hoodie out of my closet but then I remember I tore it years ago and I had to throw it out, and that was my last connection to them."

Maverick frowned, running his hand up and down his back.

"That's not your only connection, Roos. I'm connected to them too, and I still remember what your dad's voice sounds like."

Bradley frantically looked away, fighting the tears, so Maverick nudged his leg.

"It's okay to miss them, B, and it's okay to feel like you might be losing them. I'll be here to remind you."

He let out a gasping sob, and Maverick pulled him into a hug.

"Alright, kid, okay," Maverick soothed. While Rooster let out gut-wrenching sobs into his shoulder, he reached for his phone to text Dee. He knew exactly what Rooster needed but he'd need her help to get it.

-

Dee carefully crept into the room, running a hand through her husband's hair and smiling at Maverick.

"Looks like you got through to him."

"Ah, not quite. Did you grab the stuff?"

"I did. Here."

Maverick reached for the jumper, inhaling the scent a little himself. It still had Goose on it, even after nearly thirty-nine years. He carefully pointed the spray of the cologne away from his sleeping godson, lightly covering the fabric in the cologne before tucking it into Bradley's arms. Dee put a hand on Maverick's back.

"I can't thank you enough, I- I was really worried about him."

Maverick nodded up at her, watching Rooster circle his arms around the hoodie.

"I was worried about him too," he confessed. Dee watched them for a minute, sighing.

"I'm just glad he has you. I can't pretend to understand what he's going through, losing both his parents so young-"

"-you don't have to understand it, Dee. Just... be there for him. That's what he needs, more than anything."

-

[thenotsorealdess]

Rules & Info

About Me

Hiya! My name’s Val or Valentina, but you can pretty much call me whatever you want, or call me Dess if you like, since I try not to make too many ooc posts on here. I’m genderfluid and pretty much okay with any pronouns.

About the Blog

This is a blog focusing around Dess from Deltarune, including multiple versions of her. I follow back from @thewholesomebean and am open to roleplay with both mutuals and non-mutuals. However, I may not follow back depending on a blog’s content or how often I expect to interact with them.

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I will not outright block someone unless they make me uncomfortable. Otherwise, I’ll just softblock and move on. However, whatever you want to do is entirely up to you, it’s your decision, not mine.

Writing Style

Asks directed towards Dess will be answered in quotation marks with Dess speaking. Responses to roleplay starters will be formatted in a third-person style, with dialogue bolded and thoughts italicized. Texts will be in brackets and will have the character’s name in front of them.

Activity

I’ll be somewhere around semi-active, but I will try to at least check the blog once a day and reblog some roleplay things. I may go through long periods of inactivity due to getting busy or burnt-out, but I’ll try to announce when those happen.

Boundaries

Despite my muse being an adult in some versions, I am a minor and will block anyone who sends me anything with 18+ content. Occasional PG-13 jokes or implications and such are allowed, but if it makes me uncomfortable, there is a chance I likely just ignore it unless it is extreme. Flirting towards my muse is acceptable so long as the character doing it is in a similar age range to that version of the muse.

Shipping

So long as it isn’t pedophilic, incestous, or toxic, I’m alright with shipping between my muse and anothers.

Content

There will be content including darker topics, though I will do my best to tag any potential triggers when they come up. If there is anything that you would like to be tagged, please send me an ask and I’ll be sure to do it.

Asks, DMs, etc.

My asks are open to anyone, though I’d prefer to not have too many asking questions about me. Personal questions can be directed towards my main blog. DMs are mutuals only, and I will not do any roleplaying in DMs.

Tags

Verses

#a frozen god [og/main verse]

#angel get me out of here [undertale verse]

#guess who never left [never left au]

#its so dark here [void au]

#where the hell am i?? [dark world au]

#this is such a drag [college au]

Other Characters

#my sister <3 [noelle holiday]

#gotta love him [rudy holiday]

#mother [mrs holiday]

#little bastard [kris dreemurr]

#goody two shoes [asriel dreemurr]

#baker supreme [toriel dreemurr]

#dads friend [asgore dreemurr]

#restraining order [berdly]

#good kid [susie]

#absolute badass [undyne]

#full of puns [sans]

#weird old man [gaster]

#the kids alright [chara]

#deserves a hug [vessel]

Events

Currently only planned, some dates will be decided on at a later time and added here.

#colorless event - the Vessel takes over the inbox for a day

#tell the truth event - will apply to any verses, Dess has to tell the truth no matter the question

#undertakeover - Undertale Dess takes over, and she has some rather interesting opinions

#love is in the air event - it’s Valentine’s day, and Dess has dared anyone to try and make her flustered, even platonically (February 14th)

#spooky season event - Halloween has come to town, and the typical spooks and scares have taken over Hometown (October 31st)

#holiday cheer event - with Christmas approaching, Dess has unfortunately been subjected to the infectious holiday cheer of her family (December 25-26th)

#trapped doe event - Dess is taking on an escape room on her own, and has enlisted the help of this blog’s followers to help her

Miscellaneous

#strangers ask me questions [ic ask meme]

#bored as hell [starter memes/prompts]

#who? [anon asks]

#well theres your answer [ic ask meme answers]

#late night thoughts [ic posts and stories]

[passionpluto]

Presenting: The Big Four Preservation Project (AKA Operation: Release the Vickles-Shaye Cut)!

What if the first four Altador Cup MVPs were all part of a secret society, and the only one who knew was Tandrak Shaye? That's the question Jair Tollet finds herself asking when her team captain uncovers a sabotage scheme targeting the Altador Cups's high scorers and asks her for help. All Jair really wants to do is lay low and train her new apprentice Scout, but when an old frenemy from her Team Maraqua days is linked to the sabotages, Jair finds herself pulled ever deeper into the mystery...especially once the saboteurs begin to target Scout for her own burgeoning abilities...

The Big Four Saga was an unreleased Altador Cup 'verse written from 2010-11 for the Neopian Times. It was extensively advertised on Neopets forums, mainly Jellyneo Forums. Two stories (Jair's backstory Jumper and the intro short story Big Four Minus One) from it were eventually published, but its main series The Vickles-Shaye Battles was never released because, even after massive edits, it was continually rejected by the NT. It has only ever been read in its entirety by one person, a suburban father from Kansas City...until now.

Okay, so I wanted to do the crazy Defunctland-style narration for at least one paragraph to make this sound more important than it is, but putting that aside, I asked you all if you wanted to read my old AC fanfics in their uncut, ninth-grade glory, and boy did you guys deliver! I'd been thinking about doing this for some time since I'll be switching computers soon for the first time in a long time and wanted a way to preserve these silly things that still have a place in my heart, but wasn't sure if I should do it publicly or just add them to my Google Docs and call it a day. Due to extensive work writing and marketing my current WIP Premiere Nebula to publishers, I knew I wouldn't have time to fully remaster the Big Four Saga, but figured I'd leave it mostly as-is (more on that later) so readers could see the progress I've made in 13 years. I'd like to think I've grown a lot since then!

But point is, thanks to all your morbid curiosity (that you may end up regretting later), the full Big Four Saga is coming to AO3, alongside Paging Doctor Sparkle and the rest of If You Give a Little Love from FiMFiction. This will include both published stories and the full, unpublished Vickles-Shaye Battles 10-part series. Finally, someone other than my dad is going to see these! Maybe the people who actually waited for this on JNF will stumble on it and finally get to read it!

To finish this little self-promotion segment, I'd like to preface the release with one thing: this is a finished series that I'm releasing purely so I can have someplace online to preserve it. The Big Four Saga ended over a decade ago, and I have since moved onto other projects, one of which actually exists because of the Big Four Saga! You see, after Vickles-Shaye, I had intended on writing a sequel series called Valkaine, which was permanently cancelled due to continued rejection by the NT and me realizing the planned genre shift from a sports story to a magical girl-inspired sci-fi was a bit too jarring. If the concept for Valkaine sounds familiar to some of you, that's because it was the basis for Premiere Nebula! So hopefully, you'll all get to read some form of Valkaine someday, or at least a spiritual successor to it.

This brings me to the one change I will be making to the Big Four Saga before publishing it: Scout's name has been changed. The story explains that she was named for a central figure in the Resistance, but in the original version, her name was Valka. This change comes entirely because the name of the magical girl rebel leader in Premiere Nebula is, you guessed it, also Valka. They were actually the same character for a really long time, but as I developed PN!Valka, she got further and further from the original Valka concept that I thought "why not just name OG Valka something else?" So PN!Valka stays Valka while BF!Valka became Scout, purely to avoid future confusion between the characters should Premiere Nebula ever be published. But for those of you who follow PN, it might still be cool for you to know that Scout was the proto-Valka. :)

[hcllsbigboss]

"As much as I love and support you Char Char, I don't know about this whole -- getting along exercise..." There was some doubt in both his words and the expression that had come over his features. Of course he wanted to get behind his daughter's dreams - because they had been not too far off from his own once upon a time. And, she had even proven to him by now that she was capable of making this work somehow. They had defended off Heaven's extermination and rebuilt the entire hotel from the ground up. Lucifer had promised he would be there to support her no matter what and he had meant it completely. He dared to say that she had given him a reason to start believing that dreams could come true again. Except for one little thing - and that thing was tall, red and in his mind - the tackiest part of the hotel. He didn't trust anything that came out of Alastor's mouth. Not his intent on being there nor his so-called dedication to Charlie's dreams. He knew better than to trust a sinner, much less, an Overlord with something like that. So naturally, when it came up as a topic for the two of them to sort of learn to get along, Lucifer wasn't so sure that was possible. He was more willing to believe that a sinner - who was truly willing - could be redeemed than to believe that he could ever learn to get along with Alastor. "But Dad, you said you'd help out and this is the first step! If we can't all get along here, how can we ever expect to welcome new sinners? We have to set an example!" Charlie said, she reached forward and gave one his hands a tug. Coaxing him to follow her into the parlor. "Pleeease at least try?" Oh he wanted to say no. He wanted to say no so badly, but he couldn't. This was his little princess and he had only just come back into her life. There was no way he could turn her down, even if he didn't want to be involved in these silly little exercises of her's. He knew it was her way of trying to get the guests warmed up to the idea of being reformed. Learning how to be nice again or at all, even. But he still didn't like the idea having to be nice to him. But he swallowed his pride for the time being and followed her along into the parlor where the rest of the gang was already gathered. Lucifer feeling a little more than awkward being among them. They were all sinners -- and he'd never actually taken the time to truly interact with them not since his own dreams had fallen through so many years ago. He was out of touch with his so called 'people' of Hell. The King seated himself though on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other and keeping his hands folded in his lap. His way of greeting the others was with an awkward and sheepish smile and a nod of acknowledgement. Bad timing to say that he'd forgotten all of their names save for the Radio Demon. Why? Well because out of all of them, the Overlord was the only one who had truly gotten under his skin. "Okay now that everyone's here, it looks like we're ready to start!" Charlie said with a clap of her hands in excitement. "Today we are going to be pairing up and interviewing each other to share what we learn about our partners to the rest of the group!" Again she clapped in her excitement, clearly pleased with herself for coming up with such a game. A game that required talking to the one you were paired up with and learning about them. And as he scanned the parlor, taking note on who seemed ready to pair up with who, he could have guessed who he might be stuck with. Somehow feeling as though this might have been Charlie's plan to begin with. It took all the self control he had not to groan out loud at the very thought.

planned starter @harteatiing - Know your Enemy - main verse

[jenna-of-eluria]

Saw IF with the kid yesterday. I don’t know that I’ve seen a movie with such a heavy background plot so vaguely explained. This is not a criticism, even though it sounds like it. The main character’s mother dies of cancer within the first ten minutes and the only way you know that is a quick shot of her in a hospital setting with a colorful scarf on her head.

Then when the main character is a few years older, her dad is in the hospital with a “broken heart,” but aside from a song and dance number with an IV bag that isn’t even connected to him, there’s never any standard hospital paraphernalia. I think the only thing I ever spotted on her dad was a pulse ox on his finger. Even after an operation he was just lying there in his hospital bed in a gown sleeping….no monitoring equipment at all.

The hospital itself is bright and overall friendly.

I appreciate this approach a lot in a kids movie. This is not a critical review of this process at all, I think it’s kinda nice to not have a hospital be a scary place in a kids film.

The main plot was great, with one exception. Ryan Reynolds’ Calvin was a little angrier than I thought he should be. There might be a plot reason for this that I won’t spoil but still… it felt not good at times.

Other than that, it’s a good kids movie. Ok that and nobody laughed at the long drawn out I’m gonna sneeze joke at all, zero kids laughed at that.

And I’m not sure that I understand why there are so many copies of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character?

It doesn’t matter, but it did take me out of the movie a bit.

Since the runtime is so short, there is no explanation for a number of things, and character development is nonexistent. Relationships just “are,” there’s not much depth to them. This movie is 1:45 which unfortunately is not enough time to have two plot lines going coherently. You’re left unsatisfied with both.

I had to explain the twist at the end to my son after the film’s big reveal, because he didn’t catch it. Again, more background story would have helped. Would adults pick up on the clues? Probably. Kids have no hope of doing so until it’s explicitly laid out for them in the next scene, which is also far too short.

Did I cry? Of course. Those few minutes with Bobby Moynihan made me feel things, okay?

Did I leave the theater wishing (spoiler redacted) was MY imaginary friend? You fucking bet.

Fiona Shaw was incredible as always, Cailey Fleming just was not convincing as an actor. She needs a few more years I think. It’s painful when you can see an actor gear themselves up for line delivery in character, watch them deliver the line, then watch them revert back to the actor in between lines. She’s young though I bet she’ll get better.

I kind of love that Brad Pitt played Keith. That’s a great Reynolds-verse in-joke.

As for the draw of so many talented actors and comedians being in this - well… they maybe have a couple lines here and there and that’s it. I don’t know that I would call them cameos, even. It feels like that was a gimmick to get parents to buy in to bringing their kids to see the movie.

It was okay. Wish there had been more time spent on both plot lines. Rewatchability is nonexistent for me. The kid loved it though, which is all that actually, truly matters.

Afterward we spotted a Luna moth just chillin on the theater