#<- because a lot of my asks are keeper themed

[bookwyrminspiration]

I know taking my time with asks and prioritizing other things isn't something I need to apologize for, but I still want to say if you've sent me an ask and I haven't answered it I promise I am not ignoring it. I will answer and I do really appreciate it.

I genuinely haven't had an empty ask box since around Dec 2020-Jan 2021 (somewhere around there, I don't know exactly) but I love to answer those asks and share ideas! so please know it is not you or your ask, and that I am doing things as I can.

I just know I've got a few that've been sitting for a while and wanted to say I'm not ignoring you, I promise! I just have Life and there are many of you, so please be patient :)

[yanderecrazysie]

Twisted Zoo: Chapter 11

Prologue (beginning): here

Previous Chapter: here

Next Chapter: here

Note: THE TAGS BROKE AGAIN, I'M SO SORRY!

This is based on the stories of a keeper reader with the octotrio by @ashensgrotto and @merakiui

Also @twistedcece @cenatour @xiaopleasecomehome @bearshideout @koebishrimpuwu @vash-yuu @twstsandturns @help-whatdoimakemyusername @secret-potion @magmdnv @sunshine-for-serotonin @the-ace-reader @mel-star636 @silkkorchid @pamv11 @coffee-or-hot-cocoa @hrhqueenfox @goseew @luxthestrange @juno-of-wonderland @who-mst @despairingy-obsessed @lanxianschoenheit @ceramic-raven @m0063576 @kimdourden @rammylog @sushiperson @starshiningsirius @im-here-for-the-fun-of-it @the-monochrome-jester @owodi @girl-nahh-two @obeythehuman @berry-efoy @ivorette @the-broken-truth @losingmybrain @sxftiebee @queens-unheard-thoughts @medicine-san @strugglingsleeper @asdorlia @nightskylark @cashmerek @rocketstyx and @ryovel wanted to be tagged! Let me know if anyone else wants to be tagged for future chapters. If you no longer want to be tagged, please tell me! (I have removed the tags that weren’t working for me, apologies if yours was removed!)

Summary: You’re a brand new zookeeper at The Halfling Zoo- a place where half-animals live in captivity. Your job is simple- feed them and study them. Your main worry is that one of the more dangerous halflings might kill you. 

Unfortunately, that may become the least of your worries.

WARNINGS: yandere themes

Note: All characters are aged up, since there will be mature themes in future parts.

Also, I can’t promise I’ll finish this. I suck at finishing stories.

NOTE 2: Sorry that it took over a month to write this, but I needed inspiration + my new job is kicking my butt. It’s pretty short and bad but I didn’t have a lot of inspiration.

—-------------------------------------------------------

You were on your way to the birds’ enclosure when you heard your name being called. You turned around to see Crowley making his way towards you, one arm raised to flag you down. You hurried over to him.

“Yes, Mr. Crowley?”

As you drew closer, you could see the concern on his face. 

“I need you to come with me,” he said softly, leading the way to the aviary. You nodded and followed him, worry starting to consume you.

“Is everything okay?” you asked.

Mr. Crowley led you around to a side of the aviary you hadn’t been to before- a side that faced neither the employee entrance nor the zoo visitors. It took only a few seconds to realize why he had led you there.

The metal enclosure had been dented outwards, as though a lot of force had been applied to it from the inside. The seams were starting to split apart, artificial light from inside the enclosure peeking through the cracks. It looked like an elephant had been body-slamming the aviary’s walls.

“Wha- what happened?” you asked, stunned.

“We’ve had some… incidents recently. All of the halflings have been acting up more than usual and, as you can see, there’s been some damage to the aviary’s metal dome.”

“But the birds are so well-behaved!” you protested in shock.

“That’s the thing,” Mr. Crowley said gravely, “It seems to happen after your visits. The halflings become… agitated when you aren’t around.”

You couldn’t believe that the gentle, friendly birds had caused this kind of damage to a metal enclosure. And because of you? It was almost unthinkable.

“I don’t understand,” you said in a near whisper, “Why would they do this?”

Mr. Crowley sighed wearily, “Halflings form strong bonds, that’s why we have so many bonded species at this zoo. They will especially latch on to anyone who shows them true kindness. You clearly mean a lot to them and your absence upsets them.”

“I didn’t mean to cause any trouble,” you said, a pang of guilt tugging at your heartstrings.

“I know, and I don’t blame you,” Mr. Crowley reassured you, “But we need to find a solution.”

“Do you have any ideas?” you asked.

Mr. Crowley went silent and avoided eye contact. A thrill of apprehension shot up your spine but you willed it away. Mr. Crowley would never put you in danger, right?

“For now, just continue as normal,” Mr. Crowley replied, “We’ll work on fixing the enclosure.”

You nodded and the zoo director dismissed you with a careless wave. You hurried to the enclosure’s employee entrance and were disturbed to hear, instead of the usual quiet, the sounds of squawks and hoots and other cries. 

You stepped inside and were surprised by the scene you were met with. The halflings were clearly distressed: pacing in their cages and looking around wildly, feathers fluffed up in agitation. Even calm-and-collected Vil looked ruffled.

“Guys? Are you alright?” you called out softly.

Ace was first to respond, “Where were you?” he demanded to know, voice tinged with panic, “You’re late! You’ve never been late before!”

“I’m sorry, Ace,” you said, trying to sound as soothing as possible, “I was talking to Mr. Crowley about some… problems with the enclosure.”

Ace’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “Problems? What problems?”

“It’s nothing to worry about,” you said, feeling a little nervous by the intensity of his gaze. Glancing around, you could see that every bird halfling had their eyes trained on you.

Trey flew from his birdhouse to his perch, landing gracefully on the wooden perch and fixing you with a stern glare and saying, “You can’t disappear.”

You nodded, trying to calm them all down, “I understand. It won’t happen again.”

Vil stepped forward, his beautiful feathers out of place and ruffled. His eyes were narrowed and he was frowning as though disappointed in you, “You always leave us.”

You were overwhelmed by all of their intense gazes and you felt a lump form in your throat. “I’m here as often as I can be.”

Epel looked up at you with watery eyes, “We worry when you leave. Not safe out there.”

You forced a gentle smile to your lips, “I’m perfectly safe. And I’m here now. Let’s all calm down everyone, okay?”

Slowly, the halflings relaxed. Rook stopped pacing, Vil smoothed his feathers, and Trey flew back into his bird house. Even though the tension had mostly disappeared, the underlying worry and hint of possessiveness remained.

You turned to Deuce, who hadn’t spoken yet, but instead looked at you wistfully. “Are you doing okay, Deuce?” you asked.

Deuce’s eyes softened, but the troubled frown remained on his face, “I’m fine,” his voice was strained, “I missed you.”

Your heart ached, “I missed you too,”

Ace piped up in an annoyed tone, “Why can’t you just stay here with us?”

You blinked in surprise, “I have a life outside the zoo. I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here.”

It was Cater’s turn to speak, and the expression he gave you made your stomach twist unpleasantly, “You’re too good to stay with us halflings, mademoiselle? We do not have a life outside this zoo, but we deserve that, don’t we?”

“Wh-what? Of course not!” you spluttered.

“Then stay!” Epel whined, a tear sliding down his cheek.

“I- I can’t,” your voice came out in a whisper. You shook yourself and turned around, heading for the staff door,  “I’ll go get your meals…”

There was an eerie silence as you passed out their meals. Each of the halflings took their salads and set them aside, their appetites gone. The tension in the air was so thick you thought you might choke on it.

Finally, the time came for you to leave. As you turned towards the staff door, a hand grabbed the back of your shirt. You turned in surprise to find Riddle outside his enclosure, his pink feathers standing on end.

“Promise… you’ll come back.” Riddle choked out, fighting back tears.

You turned to him and gave him a gentle smile before pulling him into a hug. “Of course I’ll come back.”

“Promise!��� he demanded.

“I promise.”

With the way they all looked at you, with victory and possessiveness, you halfway wondered if you had sold your soul with that promise.

[redjademilktea]

Last night's episode of 4 Sided Dive was absolutely wonderful in terms of the amount of insight and perspective we got. Not only the Crown Keepers interlude, but also for campaign 3's themes as a whole.

Specifically what fascinated me though, was the incredible analogy Aimee drew between the Ruidian culture and colonial influence on indigenous/colonized spaces in real life (around the 1h32m mark for reference). It was amazing question to ask and I'll love Aimee endlessly for it because it touches on am interesting parallel between the discourse surrounding the Exandiran gods and what they thematically can represent to us as an audience.

Before I dive into my thoughts, I want to preface this by saying this is my specific perspective as a queer woman of color and daughter of a refugee. While my year-5-in-a-PhD-program brain may just be over analyzing this too much, what Aimee brought up just deeply resonated with me in a way that I don't really see talked about in discussions around the themes of campaign 3. Additionally, the ideas I'll be talking about borrow heavily from Christine Taitano DeLisle's Placental Politics: CHamoru Women, White Womanhood, and Indigeneity under U.S. Colonialism in Guam (2023). Its an incredible piece on indigenous knowledge production and political action that importantly looks to decenter colonial perspectives and history (and more importantly recenter indigenous histories, knowledge, and perspectives in a way that allows us to dislodge the idea that colonialism is something that is immutable and inevitable.)

To quickly summarize Aimee's point/follow up question, she pointed out that the way Ruidians have engaged with, repurposed, and were resentful towards Exandrian cultures mirrors some of the real life experiences of colonized/marginalized communities in relation to colonialism. It was such a powerful comparison to make because in a lot of ways, the struggle of the Ruidian people over the course of the campaign along with the looming question about the gods and whether or not to save them is (intentional or not) deeply resonant with the idea of colonialism and the ways it is deeply ingrained in the even mundane aspects of our life.

In a lot of ways, the Exandrian pantheon can be seen as a colonial force. One that came in and displaced a preexisting order of things and entrenched itself in the new way of being it established. Ashton and Laudna have repeatedly pointed this out throughout the campaign. There was life and existence before the gods. The gods are merely a different mode of being, not the only and inevitable mode of being. Life, society, and being can and did exist without them.

And its important to recognize that aspect of the gods, because it helps us understand their motivations that much better. Aabria in her description of what Opal saw in the Spider Queen as she tried to take Opal as her champion was poignant. Opal did not see an omniscient, unknowable entity. She saw a woman. A woman who was frustrated, angry, and most importantly frightened. They keep Predathos chained away not to protect life on Exandria nor because they feel a moral obligation to do so. They are doing so because they are afraid. Their mortality is at stake. And, as Aabria keenly pointed out, their pride is as well. Every action, every move is out of self preservation. An attempt to save themselves because Predathos demonstrate that not even the gods are a permanent thing.

You'll find (as Anne Stoler writes about frequently) that colonial systems are much the same. They are vehemently intent on self preservation. Any action they undertake and any narrative they create about themselves is solely done to preserve the way things are currently. And that includes narratives that the way things are currently is somehow inevitable. That things were always coming to this moment. Often, this is done at the expense of framing other modes of being as somehow antithetical to the way things are now. That it needs to be this way. And that this way is right and forever.

To me, its important to recognize these parallels. While Ruidians may engage with, adapt, and innovate off of Exandrian ideas, culture, and art, it is only because - as Aimee aptly phrased it - Exandrian culture as a direct result of the gods actions has "sucked all the air out" everything. What is there to engage with, if not the looming orb in the sky that has shaped every aspect of their existence?

It really brings the campaign-wide question of "should we save the gods?" into new light, at least in my opinion. Because its suddenly not about "saving the gods in a morally righteous act to preserve all life." It becomes a layered and complicated network of issues that makes the answer to that question incredibly difficult to answer. Is preserving the status quo because its how things operate now worth it at the expense of the suffering of others? What would saving the gods and the Ruidians look like? Is it even possible to save both? What changes to how things operate would be a result of that? How would those changes be handled?

I bring this up because there is a tendency in some discourse that I've seen to frame questioning the validity of saving the gods as inherently the "wrong" choice to make. When instead, when you see the cast struggling over the question, its because the answer is not straight forward. The gods are not necessary for life. They never were. They just are necessary for life the way things are now. And the question of what disrupting that means is such a fascinating one to engage with.

[charliemwrites]

(losing my fucking mind rn tumblr closed out on me and made me have to rewrite this ask from the beginning 😞😞)

but anyways!!! obedient sitting on johns lap, dozing off in their heavily decorated house (he bought her every holiday themed decoration her lil heart desires, the theme of their house is light and snowy with white tinsel and pretty garlands and fairy lights around every corner, accenting the dark wood floors and oak furniture perfectly <3) the smell of cocoa heavy in the background. price never ever lets her drink, but tonight is an exception. shes cupping a mug of peppermint schnapps in her little hands, sipping on it slowly and price laughs so hard at the sight of his good girl being tipsy, the vibrations of it rumbling through his chest and slightly jostling her; but shes too sleepy and warm, almost asleep from the combination of her keepers big burly arms wrapped around her and the heat in the house being cranked due to the cold outside. shes chatty today, probably because of the drink but mainly because of how excited she is to finally see her owner again. they talk about their days, share stories about childhood holiday experiences (she cant seem to remember hers though..), share lots of little kisses and snuggle each other; watching various winter themed hallmark movies and giggling about how corny they are (she secretly loves them and more than once, price catches her peering up at him from her place on his lap; her big doe eyes staring at him in adoration) shes more than a little drunk when she ends up falling asleep on him in front of the roaring fire. he chuckles to himself and kisses her head, shifting just barely to keep from waking her; as he grabs a big plush throw (one she picked out!!!!!) and spreads it out over them. they wake up the next morning, tangled together and faintly smelling of mint and his cologne. they both get up to go potty a little while after price nags obedient enough; and her legs feel like mush from sleeping on the couch overnight. (even if she technically slept on price, EVEN though their couch could count as a small twin sized bed its so big and cushy) its okay though, because price is off for a week and has time to help his kept bake and cook all day!!!! (rare holiday leave<3, he might get called in but god help whoever he has to face if it means taking away from the time he has with his babygirl) they make lots of cookies, end up feeding each other half of them before they even get to icing them (!!!!! they make a game out of it, seeing who can get more of the unused icing on the others face !!!!!!!!!!!); and price hasnt seen his pet this happy; ever. if only he had time off all the time!!! oh. oh. he wont bring it up just yet, but retiring is starting to sound like a good idea…

-🎄🎄anon (happy holidays love!!!!!!!)

Oh I hate when tumblr does that, you’re a trooper for rewriting it. Fun fact, if my computer doesn’t save something I’ve written, I just about abandon the whole project. It’s only happened a couple times, but it drives me a special kind of crazy.

Now for this little Drabble I’m utterly obsessed with. 🎄🎄?? This is brilliant. Ever since @ceilidho made that bear!price fic, I’ve been yearning to just hibernate through the damn winter with this man. I love everything about this, no notes. Just a deep deep need to have this experience.

[sha-brytols]

im afraid to open a can of worms, haha, but can i ask you what do you like about solas and his romance? coming from a genuine place of curiosity because i never romanced him

i liked him decently on my first playthrough where i befriended him, but when i tried to romance him on another try, my lavellan and him clashed so much, arguing constantly and gaining disapproval like crazy 😭 so i didn't continue it

maybe it's on me for choosing to play as an older keeper and grandmamancing him (romancing him as a grandma), i thought it'd be a fun dynamic but grandma lavellan's freak was left unmatched...

what solas and elnora's dynamic is like? what drives them to romance? what makes them click? i rly want to know

i can't remember if this was sent before or after i wailed about how much i miss blackwall's romance but if its the latter this is really funny. anyway i'm flattered you're asking me of all people since i feel like i'm probably on a solavellan blacklist somewhere LOL

this post ended up longer than expected so um. woe readmore be upon ye

my enjoyment of his romance is like almost purely from a meta perspective so take my opinions with several grains of salt because i am like the furthest you can get from a standard solavellan fan; like on an actual emotional level i just physically cannot fucking stomach imagining myself in a relationship with him even in a self indulgent "sexy older man with Issues" fantasy. which might be the root of your problem too idk what your personal preferences are but full disclosure this is NOT my usual taste LOL

but um. i think for me the biggest part of solas' romance that i enjoy is being able to play off of his character and his flaws and motivations etc. elnora was like my 50th inquisitor so i kind of had the privilege of meta knowledge allowing me to write her relationship to him from a more informed place than someone would be if they were going in blind (which is what i think contributed to me enjoying the game just in general so much, having the ability to go into certain situations already knowing how things will play out and making sure my character complimented the themes and plot structure accordingly).

like for elnora specifically, i gave her a more unorthodox take on her faith (she believes in the maker as well as the creators and tries to follow the wisdom of both andraste And mythal from a place of open-minded curiosity), which meant it was easier to talk to solas and gain some common ground without the constant feeling that you're just being talked down to, which in turn i think made him as a character a lot more digestible to me because i think when you approach his dialogue from a position of genuine interest—even from just a roleplay perspective and not necessarily your own interest in the material—it makes the whole thing a lot more enjoyable because it feels less like an argument and more like a character study (if that makes sense.?) like for me i HAD to detach myself from my character's beliefs to get the most out of it. this isn't even to say you have to make a character that constantly agrees with him because elnora SURE DIDNT LOL but i think it's just about having a character that values his wisdom i would say, because it really shifts your perspective of him and makes it easier to appreciate him as a character

also. yeah. sorry i think the grandma part might have contributed LOL solas' romance does seem like its geared more towards like. mid-30 year old lavellans Max. or at least people who dont have the same amount of life experience that he posits to have. again i think understanding that a lot of the condescension is completely unintentional is important because from solas' perspective he really is just trying to set the record straight for someone who he believes is genuinely just uneducated in a subject matter he is well versed in (you know, it's that thin line between pride and wisdom). so yeah it's probably going to be extra irritating to have a character that DOES actually know what she's talking about and is having to listen to him mansplain elfy shit to her LOL. the power imbalance is a big part of the romance, so it's kind of something you have to accept or at least find a way to navigate that works for your personal comfort level

my favorite part about elnora and solas' relationship i think is that they're pretty much the same person but at two different stages of their journey. elnora is the free-spirited skeptic who just wants to understand as much of the world as possible and carve out her place in it. solas is the bitter old sage who's learned the hard way the cost of his ambitions and is looking back on his own journey with a heavy dose of regret. neither of their outlooks are inherently right or wrong, so there's always this kind of push-and-pull where they're learning from each other but also trying to change each other's minds and they both eventually reach a line where they can't cross over. i think that's why it made so much sense to me for them specifically to have a relationship rooted more in the emotional intimacy as opposed to the sexual and this is only partly because the mental image of solas being sexual in any way makes me feel violently ill.

my FAVORITE part about the romance though that i think is what ultimately sealed it as one of my favorite dynamics is the fact that lavellan can be Angry with him. i love when he shatters her entire world and then immediately decides to dump her on the spot in the most clinical and detached way possible and she can say "are you FUCKING kidding me?!" and storms off. i love that she can confront him later and Not Allow him to play it off like it was nothing. i love that you can shout "YOU LIED TO ME" when you finally meet him again in trespasser and when he tries to brush it off ("only by omission") she just gets angrier and then they literally square off like this.

but like the reason why i like that is because the game never once tries to strongarm what you should do with that anger. lavellan can be angry and also still love him. the ability to adopt that "fuck you you can't push me away i'm bringing you home even if it's kicking and screaming the whole way" mentality is soooo delicious to me. i love how much agency she has in how she can react to him after he essentially betrays her (multiple times) and how that reaction does not necessarily misalign with what she wants to do in terms of his fate. its such an interesting dynamic that really allows you to explore the character from angles that you don't really get to see very often because video game romances tend to be VERY binary in terms of your characterization (and as much as i adore da2 i do fully believe even the rivalmance/friendmance paths fall victim to this). idk i just think it's super cool

also uhhhh i like drama. yeah thats the post

[psychhound]

ttrpgs in the classroom (part 4)

howdy!! back again after,, a time away (grad school is insane <33 save me <33) for a long overdue classroom post!!

so this one is about our first big essay assignment, the personal narrative essay! we'll actually be going over a number of games for this one!!

the assignment:

write a 900-1200 word personal narrative essay by playing a solo journaling ttrpg and reflecting on the experience using the prompts provided

the prompts:

What memory surfaced while you were playing the game, and why do you think that is?

What was your main emotion while playing, and where do you think that emotion came from?

What story from your childhood did your playthrough remind you of, and how did you come to know that story?

How did playing through the game inspire you? Is there a change you want to make in your life because of this experience?

Did playing through the game remind you of a success or failure from your real life, and if so, how did playing help you reflect on this?

the games: (as presented on the assignment sheet)

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the Universe by @lostwaysclub

You are a lighthouse keeper in the far reaches of space. Every day, there is work to be done to maintain your lighthouse, safeguarding passing ships from the edge of the universe. Log your observations, maintenance, and events while facing threats like emotion-driven weather.

Yourself

You have just discovered that you are a changeling: something between human and fey. Over five acts, you will reckon with this new discovery, and let your feelings shift and grow.

Snow

There’s something on your mind. There’s snow in the driveway. As you take the time to shovel it out, you think through and process your situation, whether mundane or life-altering.

Long Haul 1983 by @seanpatrickcain

You are a long-haul truck driver making a journey through an empty but dangerous world. Each day, you face a long, lonely highway filled with threats—whether mechanical, supernatural, or psychological. Each night, you make a payphone call to your most important person and leave them a message, though they never pick up.

Last Tea Shop (CW: death)

You own a tea shop on the border between the worlds of the living and the dead. As people pass from the first to the last, they stop into your teashop to have a drink and talk with you.

&

village witch - which was not on the assignment sheet but one student asked special permission to play this one after we listened to an actual play podcast that played this game (alone at the table by @ladytabletop) and the themes of the game really spoke to her

(if folks know other tumblrs for the creators feel free to tag them!!)

the results:

i was really really happy with these essays overall. the students wrote about some very impactful memories and emotions, and all seemed to get a lot out of playing

i had a lot of essays that came back and said "i never thought i'd be a gamer but i really enjoyed this" or "i didn't think i would get anything out of this experience but it really moved me". i was particularly happy with the essay from the business major that said "this was way better than being on my phone" considering these are 18 year olds still adjusting after years of the pandemic and leaving home for the first time and also this was homework

the most popular game played was last tea shop, and i had a mix of responses of "this made me realize how much i value my friends" to "i really need to value my friends and memories with them more" to "i really want to make more friends". i also had students who said this game helped them process grief over losing loved ones

long haul was also a popular one, and i got my most descriptive writing out of this game. it was interesting who the students chose to make their calls to, as well as what they chose the threats to be. one student got a bad ending and decided to play the whole thing again so he could make it home

the students who played lighthouse found it really soothing, as the game intends, and said it was a good way to process things that were on their mind after some of them had rough days leading up to playing (one student said he had to start over because he almost fell asleep on his desk after the game was too relaxing)

and with snow, none of the students chose to meditate on things directly from their lives, but all ended up finding that they had unconsciously put things they needed to process into the game and found new perspectives on them from playing. the kids who chose this one were the most surprised at what they got out of the experience

no one ended up choosing to play yourself, so i may switch this one out for future classes

the reason i chose these games in particular is that they all have an element of choice, and they all deal with emotions in some way. i thought this was a really successful first assignment and was glad the students all seemed invested and excited to play more after this

[cyb3rsku1l]

Hallo, I'll make a request for 1995 Undertaker please: he finds a big rip in his coat soon before he has to go make his entrance, and a stagehand who is always shy and quiet but secretly likes him a lot offers to go out of her way to fix it for him, then later Taker is in the graveyard and finds that same stagehand, looking sad, they talk and she tells him she was orphaned young and she always feels alone, as they speak the feelings between them are growing until Taker holds her in his arms and they kiss sweetly, officially becoming together now, makeout and kiss somemore and Taker carries his now girlfriend inside his spooky house lol. Sorry if it's long.. -_-

AN: Thank you for your request! I'll try my best to deliver this is my first fic so yk lol enjoy!

Warnings(?): None really just kissing :]

Not proof read! My first fic please be nice

TuT👍

You strolled through the halls of backstage. You managed to land your dream job working for one of the bigger companies, WWE. You got a job as stagehand. this job could be tedious since you had to run around setting things up, fixing wrestlers costumes, making sure props were switched with their breakable counter parts.

It was just a usual day for you. Everything was going good, the crowd was loving the show. You were sitting in the "costume room" making sure none were ripped from stunts and such when you heard the door open with an ominous creak. You looked up to see The undertaker in all his intimating scary glory. You didn't say anything you just glanced up at him and back down to the costume you were finishing up with a minor repair needed. You assumed he needed a part to his costume or something. Vince McMan the owner of WWE always seemed on edge with the undertaker given how he acts his ominous presence just being there. You got how Vince felt you were already pretty shy around the wrestlers male or female but with Taker...you really tried to have limited interaction with him because of his intimating appearance and demeanor. You couldn't lie you might have had some feelings for the Deadman. Just how he was so ominous and vague...it intrigued you. You wanted to know more about the Deadman and what drives him to be the way he is...

Your thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice rumbling out in the small room as the Deadman removed his coat. "There's...a rip in my jacket. Fix it." You deadpanned as you looked up at the black leather jacket that Taker held out to you his cold eyes scanned your face as you took his jacket without a word. You had a line of costumes you had to fix but you stopped to fix Takers jacket for him because he was on soon. You began to sew the tip for him as he just stood there staring at you under his back and purple Fedora. As you finished up, you tied the knot to secure the repair and gave it a little test tug before handing it back to him. You smiled up at the Deadman which caught him by surprise. "It shouldn't rip in that area unless you cut it or someone pulls really hard on it." You turned away as Taker put the jacket on and slightly nodded his head before leaving the room just as his theme began making the crowd go wild.

Later that night you stood over your parents graves. You placed a new set of their favorite flowers in the little side jar in between their respective resting places. You stepped back and just stood there. The slight wind blew gently through your hair seemingly trying to be a sort of comfort.

As you stood there you let a couple of tears fall. The bright beautiful moon made them shimmer as they fell down your face. You felt a Presence behind you and you turned around thinking it was a grave keeper that was coming to tell you that they were closing up for the night. Instead you were met with Taker...he stood behind you without his hat this time. You turned your head wiping your tears as Taker tilted his head slightly. "What's wrong little one?" Taker asked his voice low with a bit of curiosity. You looked up and then looked away again before you said in a small voice, "Nothing just visiting some people..." You felt Takers hand take your chin with surprising gentleness. Your eyes met his as he asked again, "Don't lie. What's wrong?" Your heart skipped a beat as you felt a new wave of tears film your eyes as they slowly trailed down your face Taker used his thumb to wipe them away.

"I'm visiting my parents...they passed when I was little so...I had nobody growing up. I guess I'm just reflecting on that." You said, your voice small and timid. "I see" Taker said his voice low and rumbly as he looked away then back to you before he slowly pulled you close and held you in a surprisingly gentle hug. You paused before hugging him back. Your arms were unable to wrap all the way around his waist due to his muscular body.

Taker tilted your head up and stared into your eyes. You stared back a light blush creeping up your neck coloring your cheeks. Suddenly Taker leaned down, capturing your lips in his. You froze but then closed your eyes and kissed back. You placed your hands on his chest as he pulled you closer by your waist.

Taker's tongue invaded your mouth making you let out a small gasp which made him chuckle. You wrapped your arms around his neck as you kissed taking little breaths in between. When Taker pulled back you were left slightly panting as he stared down at you with a slight smirk. You blushed as what you just did set in. You buried your head in his chest as your blush covered your face. "It's alright love. A kiss never hurt anyone right?" Taker chuckled as he picked you up into his arms bridal style. You squeaked as your blush intensified. "Wait!" You called out making Taker look down at you as he made his way to his manor. "Do not fret love, I am taking you home, where you will be safe with me in my arms and sights always." You thought about it for a moment, 'how bad can this be?' you thought to yourself as you leaned your head on his shoulder a happy smile painted on your face.

[musicalmoritz]

this gonna be a weird question but ever since i have know Aoinene. I have always found a consistent theme of Aoi being a lesbian. While it cool, interesting and all, it hard to found anything canonically to use to prove the interpretation beyond "it just a vibe" . It doesnt interfer with the shipping experience but it still an interesting HC that i would love to found some canon material to build on.

I’m so glad you asked this, I’ve been trying to find a way to talk about my feelings on the lesbian Aoi headcanon for a while now. I’ve written it in my own fics a lot but I have some issues with the way people treat it so I’d like to make this a more nuanced discussion

First off, where does it come from? To answer that question you have to keep in mind that as the manga chapters were being released, fans had no idea where AidaIro planned to go with Aoi and Akane’s relationship beyond what they could infer. While it seems obvious in hindsight that Aoi always liked Akane, a lot of lesbian readers overlooked those hints because they were able to relate to being pursued by a relentless man that they didn’t want. They found comfort in Aoi’s character because her perceived disinterest in Akane was something they could connect to their own experiences with their male best friends falling for them

Then we have this scene, which is a whole rollercoaster in and of itself. At this point in the manga, fans didn’t know Aoi was faking her personality. She only existed as Nene’s popular best friend, the girl with the rumors. And, of course, the girl who kept rejecting Akane. Aoi and Nene seemed to have a very close friendship, so when this scene came out, many readers jumped to the conclusion that Aoi planned to confess to Nene. This, coupled with her constant rejection of Akane, led many fans to believe Aoi was a lesbian. Not just as a cool headcanon, but as an actual theory. To this day some fans still call her queercoded, and that’s where I have a bit of an issue with the headcanon

Because, despite all of this, Aoi isn’t a lesbian in canon. She’s not even coded to be one. In fact her and Akane’s characters aren’t able to develop without each other. Some fans chalk this up to bad writing or lesbiphobia, stating that Aoi never showed interest in Akane up until chapter 69, but this simply isn’t true. There were numerous hints that Aoi liked Akane back, since his feelings for her were first introduced. She’s shown to be absolutely devastated at the possibility of him dating someone else, and in the Clock Keepers arc we see that she’s been encouraging his pursuit of her this whole time. Fans may not like them, but it’s impossible to deny they’ve been set up since the beginning of the manga- on both sides

However, if you were to call Aoi sapphic coded/bi coded in canon, you wouldn’t be far off. In the Hanako-Kun Of Magic au, Mei fell in love with Aoi through a spell. After the spell wore off, they were confirmed to still hang out. They hang out so frequently, that it makes Mei’s little sister jealous because Aoi is stealing all her attention

It wouldn’t be a reach to assume they’re dating in this au, which would make Aoi bi or bi-coded in canon (though it’s very up to interpretation so I wouldn’t say she’s as strongly bi-coded as Kou or even Nene). It rubs me the wrong way when people discuss her potential queercoding and entirely ignore her feelings for Akane just because they don’t like the ship, it feels biphobic. It’s also been implied that Aoi has liked men (or people in general) other than Akane, he joins school clubs based on whoever her current type is

Canon aside though, I’d like to talk about why people like the lesbian Aoi headcanon. Namely, why I still like it in fanon despite feeling that it has a very weak basis in canon. Because for some fans, Aoi’s true personality reveal only made their love of the lesbian Aoi headcanon stronger

Remember how I said fans overlooked Aoi’s feelings for Akane because they projected onto her? I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with that as long as they aren’t bringing their bias into analyses. I’ve read many Aoi queercoding analyses where the creator completely ignores Aoi’s attraction to men in canon due to their own projection, and I hate to say it but that is a bad way to analyze. I’ve mentioned before that I strongly relate to Nene’s shallow crushes on men because they remind me of my own experiences with comphet, but I would never call Nene lesbian coded because that would ignore her entire arc with Hanako. Project onto characters all you want but leave that out of your analyses

Anyways, the reveal that Aoi had been faking her personality only gave the lesbian Aoi headcanon more fuel. At this point in the manga, fans were already fully convinced that Aoi was a lesbian…so to find out the pretty popular girl was hiding her true self from the world?? I mean that sounds queercoded as hell. And I won’t lie, I relate to that a lot too. The need to hide who you really are is a nearly universal queer experience, so pretty much any character that has that storyline is going to hit home for a lot of queer readers. That same trope also plays into Mitsuba’s queercoding, so yeah. Despite all the romance stuff with Akane that happened in those chapters, the big takeaway for lesbian Aoi truthers was that Aoi had been hiding a part of herself that the world would shame her for

This is furthered by her relationship with femininity. Aoi plays the role of the ideal popular girl, a common archetype in media. These girls are feminine, passive, kind, humble, and all the boys love them. That is the image Aoi presents to the rest of the school. However, the real Aoi is nothing like that. I wouldn’t go as far as to call her masculine, but she doesn’t act like the poster child for femininity when she’s being her true self. She’s bitter, arrogant, spiteful, and she only really cares about two people. Lesbians tend to have a very complicated relationship with femininity, because heteronormativity asserts that the defining trait of being a woman is your relationship to a man. As a woman, you are someone’s wife, daughter, mother, sister. So when a woman has no interest in men, she loses a core part of her “femininity.” Some lesbians choose to embrace this, they have no interest in femininity so they perform whatever gender presentation they want. Other lesbians reclaim femininity as something defined by themselves, not society. So when lesbians see a character faking her personality to conform to the societal expectations for her gender…oops she’s one of us now lol. This is also why the transmasc Aoi headcanon is popular, though I won’t be getting into that today

There are more simplistic reasons people like the lesbian Aoi headcanon. It fits a trope, the popular girl who’s pressured to be perfect is secretly a lesbian. Then she falls for her fun and quirky bisexual best friend. Unfortunately this is where the headcanon gets very boiled down, people want Aoi to be something that she’s not in canon. They want her to be a trope rather than her own, unique character. The aesthetic girlboss lesbian. She hates Akane and has a huge crush on Nene, maybe some mommy issues and that’s all there is to her. I don’t like these type of headcanons very much, they reduce queerness to an aesthetic rather than an experience. As I mentioned, the lesbian Aoi headcanon does have potential for fanon content, but some fans sadly reduce it to a stereotype

I’ve written both bisexual and lesbian Aoi, and I think they both have their perks. Lesbian Aoi requires a bit of stretching/rewriting of canon, which can be fun but it has to be handled very carefully. Otherwise you get fics that villainize Akane and ignore Aoi and Nene’s complexities. It’s perfectly fine to project onto a character and headcanon them a certain way for comfort, but in terms of characterization I would recommend people try to look past those biases when they’re writing analyses. Fanfic is a bit different bcuz that depends on whether or not you’re trying to stay in character lol, this might be controversial but some writers just don’t care and that’s fine too. They’re just writing it for fun, it doesn’t have to be that serious. Still, I would like to see more fics that keep Aoi and Nene closer to canon (they absolutely exist dw)

The reason I hesitated for so long to address this headcanon is because I wanted to find a way to talk about it sensitively. Queer fans, especially lesbians, already get a lot of flack for their headcanons and I didn’t want to make it seem like I was invalidating anyone’s experiences. If the lesbian Aoi headcanon brings you comfort then, yes, Aoi can absolutely be a lesbian. Fandom is about fan enjoyment, not authorial intent, so headcanon the characters however you want. Just don’t push those headcanons into others, and try to at least be aware of what’s going on in canon. And again, don’t write an analysis if you’re going to be biased. A better way to do it would be something like “I recognize that AidaIro didn’t go this route but it would’ve been interesting if they made Aoi a lesbian.” An analysis like that might have some weight to it!! Aoi and Akane are a super cute ship, but another straight relationship is nothing revolutionary in fiction. However, canon lesbians in a shonen series?? That’s something you don’t see every day. People have valid reasons for wishing Aoi had been written differently, I just wish they would accept that she didn’t get written that way rather than ignoring canon

Sorry if this isn’t what you were expecting, I hope I explained all sides of the headcanon well enough. Tbh a lot of it is just “vibes” but once you look past the surface, it goes a lot deeper. I also want to clarify that Aoi faking her personality reading as queercoding could absolutely work with her being bi too, bisexuals also have to hide a part of themselves and that’s something other lgbtq+ individuals often overlook. The reason it reads specifically as lesbian coding to some fans is because of her projection of femininity being fake so, by extension, her encouragement of the men who pursue her must be too. That’s obviously not canon but some fans believe it would’ve been a cool route to go. Okay that’s it I think I covered everything lol

Thanks again for the ask, I’m glad I finally got the opportunity to talk abt this <3

[luguangs]

Shaking your hand shaking your hand shaking your hand. Thank you for being the first person to engage with my rambling 1000xRESIST post. Also compliments on the username; I do think ORV has some parallels in 1000xRESIST. Specifically how both Dokja and Iris were in isolation, and duplicated themselves in a way where their copy hated them and tried to kill them. The main difference being that Dokja had others who cared about him, but Iris had already gotten rid of anyone who might intervene in her new world. And both of them are EXCELLENT at being works that have no single all-consuming thesis, but instead are complex and interwoven narratives that cannot be consumed and understood in a single attempt, or even by a single viewpoint.

absolutely insane ask to wake up to. hello. a fellow 1xr AND orv enjoyer oh my gosh..... how does it feel having immaculate taste!!! we are melding minds rn 🧠🤝🧠

throwing up blood at the dokja/iris parallels i feel sick to my stomach!!! thank YOU for being the first person to bring up the orvcore of this game. i've been literally vibrating out of my skin without anyone to scream about this hyperspecific niche with so i hope you don't mind me rambling for a sec lmao

you're SO right about their similarities and it's breaking my heart.... also the way both iris and dokja only know how to sacrifice, and the tragic irony of how they both take after their mothers in this because it's the only way they know to love. and the contrast between iris deciding to show everyone her past which led to her eventual demise vs dokja hiding his past at all costs and taking up the blade to doom himself.

also! the themes of stories and memories. how the keepers/occupants were referencing memories and the outer gods were beings of excised stories. and the concept of death and remembrance as a transfer. how a story is alive as long as someone out there is thinking of it. a person living through the memories of others. how because of this both dokja and iris remained and remained and remained after death.

i also see a lot of similarities between watcher and od... both scattered across time and having lived too many lifetimes, lost in reminiscence in an endless train. they're the reason their current timeline exists because they embodied that balance between remembrance of the past and hope for the future... even if that future didn't include themselves.

the difference was watcher communed in an attempt to understand, and od dreamed out of love for that one story... but in a way, just like orv said, isn't trying to understand someone a labor of love? how you can keep rereading a person's story and find something new each time, and still never fully understand them?

oh!! i absolutely love how you articulated that last part about narratives that can't be completely understood by a single viewpoint... i've often found those to be my favorite kind of stories; the ones that raise questions without any one definitive answer, that allow for different interpretations and multiple readings. and you're right, both of these stories are PEAK in that regard 🤌

also if you'd like another story with similar vibes, interwoven narratives, and nuanced themes i highly recommend a manhwa called Truth or Dare (Jinsolhan Segye) by Yu Myeong. it's fairly short and it starts out slow but gets very philosophical and is a social commentary on so many things... i posted some rambling propaganda here if you're curious but tbh i'd rec going in blind! i don't want to say too much about it because just like with 1xr and orv there's so much joy in gleaning the themes in a story for yourself <3

[ariannaserissa]

Inquisitor and Solas Post-Breakup? 👀

Argh, this one just needs a few more scenes to come together and then it'll be ready to post. Hopefully soon!

I was unsatisfied by how few characters reacted to Solas and Lavellan ending their relationship in-game as well as, in my case, Lavellan no longer having her face tattoos, so this story focuses on that. (I know including more in the game would have devoted a lot of resources to a niche outcome few players would probably see, thus it wasn't worth the cost.) I'm sure there are many stories that explore this theme, but hopefully I'll be able to put my own spin on it.

From the WIP Ask Game here!

----------

The Inquisitor returned to Skyhold alone, her face unmarked by vallaslin and her heart broken. She had thought it would be a romantic trip away with Solas. She had never been more wrong.

Kaliska paused when the Inquisition’s headquarters came into view. As she studied the fortress walls, she reached up to touch where Elgar’nan’s twisting vines had been on her cheek. She had come to regret asking Solas to rid her of the tattoos that had marked her as Dalish. There were a great many things she regretted now.

She heard footsteps behind her and tensed but did not turn around. She recognized Solas’ stride by the sound and rhythm alone, and he was not a danger to her, at least physically. Emotionally was another matter. He had been standing by her side for so long, a formerly comforting presence that had turned hurtful now.

 “Why are you here?” she asked dully, her voice flat and empty. She could not bear to look at him, keeping her face toward Skyhold in the distance instead of the elf by her side.

“I traveled behind you, but close enough to ensure that you came across no danger on your own.”

She had been too caught up in her own thoughts to notice that he had been following her all along. She could not find it within herself to be grateful that he had been watching over her right now, not when her emotions were still so raw.

“I thought you would leave.” She wished he had. If they truly could not be together anymore, it would be easier if she never had to see him again, especially when he refused to tell her why he had ended things.

“I still have my part to play in what transpires next. Corypheus is not yet defeated.”

“You just want that elven Orb he has,” she accused, her hands clenching into fists. She welcomed the anger. It was better than the numbness or the grief. She had shed too many tears over this man already. “Is the only reason you joined the Inquisition and stayed through everything because it was a means to an end?”

Solas was silent for a moment. “The threat remains. I hope to see you put an end to Corypheus with my own eyes.”

The anger left her as quickly as it came, replaced by weariness. “I thought about running away instead of coming back,” she found herself admitting to him.

“What changed your mind?”

“I have nowhere else to go.” She did not know how her clan would react if she returned to them with her face bare of vallaslin. Receiving the markings was a rite of passage to show that the recipients were now full members of the clan. No adult elf who called themselves Dalish lacked vallaslin.

Even if her clan accepted her back within their ranks, which she doubted they would do now, she was not sure she wanted to join them again and resume her role as First to the Keeper. She had not thought much about what would happen once the Inquisition’s task was complete – her focus was on defeating Corypheus, a challenge that often seemed impossible – but when she imagined her future, she had pictured a life spent traveling with Solas. She had seen too much of the world now to be content as a future Keeper.

“And like you said,” she added, “this isn’t over yet. I can’t abandon the Inquisition when Corypheus is still out there.”

“You would never have come as far as you have without such tenacity.” He paused. “And it will continue to carry you forward.”

She snorted at that. Yes, she would continue to endure as she had from the beginning. The world needed the Inquisitor, the Herald of Andraste, not the broken-hearted, uncivilized elf who had given her love to a man who had denied it without telling her why.

Solas had never once reached out to her during their entire conversation. His arms remained at his sides. He seemed to realize that any touch or kind gesture from him would only hurt now.

Still, there was a part of her that wished his stoic façade would break and he would at least indicate her wanted to comfort her, even if he stopped himself from carrying the motion out. He had usually kept her at distance, his walls coming down only occasionally. Those rare moments of affection, warmth, and passion were the reason she had fallen in love with him.

She took a deep breath. “Wait until tomorrow to enter Skyhold. Let me have one night without you near.”

Solas inclined his head. “As you wish.”

She hoped he spent the night cold and miserable. Squaring her shoulders, she made the final leg of her journey.

[dangermousie]

Tagged by @tavina-writes

1. why did you choose your url?

This nick and my icon is all the way from Farscape forums back in early 00s. I picked it because I enjoyed the Dangermouse cartoons.

2. any sideblogs? if you have them name them and why you have them.

I made dangermousie2 in the event the main one gets banned or there is some other issue, but I don't use it. I am old enough that I started when people didn't have theme/sideblogs and that's how I roll.

3. how long have you been on tumblr?

2011? 2012? I am a LiveJournal refugee who first got an account when LJ started being unreliable but only switched in a meaningful way when I got into Spartacus and all the fun fandom was here.

4. do you have a queue tag?

Nope. Impulse control and planning, what's that?

5. why did you start your blog in the first place?

I first got LJ back in 2005 (I think) because a cousin got me into it; I was posting about things like books and Bollywood and Star Wars then. And then here I am all these years later.

6. why did you choose your icon/pfp?

Fits my user name. A very kind person made it for me back on long defunct Farscape boards back in 2003/2004.

7. why did you choose your header?

I don't have anything there, it's whatever tumblr gave me.

8. what’s your post with the most notes?

I have NO idea how to find it out tbh. But it might be:

9. how many mutuals do you have?

No idea how to check.

10. how many followers do you have?

6581

11. how many people do you follow?

2565

12. have you ever made a shitpost?

Nope

13. how often do you use tumblr each day?

Way way way too often.

14. did you have a fight/argument with another blog once?

Yes. I am a lot less likely to do so now but when I was younger and more impulsive, oh yes.

15. how do you feel about ‘you need to reblog this’ posts?

You say that, I will not reblog and will likely block you to boot.

16. do you like tag games?

Sometimes.

17. do you like ask games

Sometimes.

18. which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

I have no idea. Thankfully we are largely past the era of BNFs and I am glad for that.

19. do you have a crush on a mutual?

I am waaaay too old for that question. No.

20. what is the last song you listened to?

ТІК & Ірина Білик - Не цілуй

21. what are you currently watching?

I have a pinned post about that but a bunch. My faves out of the airing stuff I am watching are Love in the Desert, Black Out and Iron Family.

22. sweet/ savoury/ spicy?

I have no spice tolerance so the other two.

23. what is your current relationship status?

Married. To a man who is OK with listening me describe Wu Chang Jie to him in excruciating detail so def a keeper.

24. what is your current obsession?

Lust in the Dust (iykyk), Cass Morris' Aven Cycle, coffee.

25. what are nine albums/ songs you've been listening to lately?

no idea, it changes.

Tagging @aysekira @silviakundera @renewedmotionforjudgment @fake-married-my-dead-fiance and anyone else who wants to

[snackara]

Hey there! Sorry it took me so long, but I finally got my questions ready for your "Solomonar Chronicles"!

I remember that this series was inspired by how bad "Fantastic Beast" got after the first film. (which I get, the other two were such wasted potential) Is anything else from Harry Potter being used for inspiration for your series?

How did you come up with your character names?

Who would say is your favorite character that you made?

Do these characters get trauma like the ones in "Upon a Star?"

Are you going to do more Draconology Files? That one caught my interest the most since I'm studying dragon biology for a villain in my superhero story.

Would this be formatted like a regular book, or play out like a movie?

Is Solomonar Chronicles like a series with each chapter being an episode, or one large story broken up into chapters?

Why did you choose the 1920's for the setting? Its not a bad thing, I actually really enjoy stories set in that period. I'm just curious.

Will we see designs for the characters some day?

Any major villains coming up we should know about?

Are there other fantasy creatures in this world, or just dragons?

I was also curious about your "Dinosauroids Project" story too. I finished the first story of my "Visitors From Pangea" trilogy, so I'm curious how you would write a dinosaur based project.

In regards to original stories we're making, I'm currently creating one called "SuperZeroes", where its a story inspired by all the CBM I grew up with. Not sure if you're into heroes, but I was hoping I could share some stuff I have with you? At least while I'm still building the world and characters.

Thank you! 🐶

Oh hell yeah, ask away!

I took a lot of inspiration from problems I found in the world-building. If you want an in-depth look at the flaws in the Wizarding World, I highly recommend this video. It’s very long, but very good. The main flaw I wanted to tackle with this series is the whole Statue of Secrecy, and how it’s more harmful than helpful for mages and non-mages alike. Also this is not a Harry Potter thing, but weirdly enough Deadpool and Wolverine had a heavy influence on the story.

I looked up lists of common names from the 1920s and picked out some that stood out to me for first and last names. Except for Atticus and Clara. Those two just sort of came to me.

Either Atticus or Jesse, it’s a tough choice. On one hand you have Atticus ,who’s deeply traumatized and scarred but over the course of the story slowly heals and finding good in the world again. And on the other is Jesse, who’s just an absolute sweetheart and so supportive of his lover.

Oh heavens no…it’s so much worse in this series. Just look at Atticus.

Yes, I have a couple in my drafts I’ve been meaning to work on.

Im hoping to get it published as a real book series someday, so it’s formatted like a normal novel.

More like a larger story broken up into chapters, for the most part.

Mainly because that was when the Fantastic Beasts trilogy was set. I’ll probably tie it into the themes of the story better with prohibition and the non-mage government, but for now that’s it. Shallow? Yeah. But it works.

I’ve been digging through concept art to use as references lately. So far the pickings are a little slim for how I envision dragons, but I still have some stuff.

Edward Donahue. He’s basically the head of the mage CIA but somehow worse (Keepers), is the strongest believer in keeping non-mages and mages separate, and oh yeah basically started all of this by killing William Torrence and burning half of Atticus’ face off. So yeah, not a great guy.

There are plenty. I’m not sure how I’ll fit them in at the moment, but they will appear, because I have some interesting interpretations. One fun idea I have is making fairies more like bugs than tiny humans.

It’s based of a theory originally created back in the 1980s by David Russell which explores the question of “What if dinosaurs never went extinct and involved human-like intelligence?” It’s a really fascinating concept that I’m surprised more people haven’t picked up on. My own story is based on concept art created by C.M. Koseman and Simon Roy. Unfortunately I don’t have a solid story yet, just some worldbuilding stuff.

Yes please

And thank you for the asks!

[maaikeatthefullmoon]

This week I have mostly been reading...

May 27th – Jun 2nd, 2024

This week has mostly been taken up by reading the behemoth that is Rough Enough…AND I finished my WIP – all details below. It’s been a week.

Completed works I've read this week:

Rough Enough For Love by Nekhen Rated E – A GO Human AU classic. It’s *extremely* E rated, so pass it up if that’s not your thing – the NSFW isn’t skippable. It’s an absolute BEAST at 403,339 words over 42 chapters and took me most of the week to read but I was HOOKED. It’s a D/s themed story, but atypical and beautifully written. There is so much beautiful vulnerability and the most achingly gorgeous CARE ever written. Also major, hardcore Pining™️ & ©️Yearning. I’ve got some experience in D/s spheres and thought I had my preferences iron-clad in my head and this story has managed to turn EVERYTHING on its head, or at least it's given me a lot to think about. This is one of those fics which will stick with me. As someone with family-related trauma, I’d add a content warning for family judgement/feelings of severe inferiority due to family trauma.

Terminus by @emotional-support-demon-crowley Rated T – This was on my WIP list but has now been completed - *sniffle*. Astronaut A is guided back to Earth by controller C after 92 years in space. There are many difficulties both of them have to face and they develop an amazing rapport. Ch 17/17 posted this week.

WIPs which have updated this week (which I devour as soon as I get the update!)

There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out by @phoen1xr0se Rated M - A is a researcher (puffins!), C is a lighthouse keeper on the island where A has run away to to escape his problems and do his research. The author has recently spent a week studying puffins - which is the ultimate dedication, if you ask me. Ch 9/26 posted this week

Find The Light by @klikandtuna Rated E - Headmaster A and Rockstar C. The story teases out a fraught history between them whilst keeping a tension between them in the modern day. Ch 8/? posted this week.

Oddity by @tsyvia48 Rated E - Actor C is contracted by (useless) Gabriel to guest curate an exhibition at the museum where A works. After getting off on the wrong foot, can they work together to pull off this show? Ch 24/26 posted this week

Under The Summer Stars by @pannotbread Rated E - This wonderful fic has taught me more about physics than school ever did (mostly because I never did any physics, but...well). A & C have to share their time at an observatory because there is Only One Telescope. Not only will you learn about astrophysics, astrobiology, and astroecology, you'll also read some of the most poetically, beautifully written masturbation scenes I've ever seen. *ahem* Ch 8/13 posted this week.

Exodus_2 by @tismrot Rated E – Human AU set in a dystopian future. The summary says it best, really: Ezra studies programming at the University of ha-Gan. He’s as determined as he is damaged, as fastidious as he is precise, and likes to believe he'll stop at nothing to achieve his goals. His beliefs are challenged when a new student appears late to the first Ethics module lecture - and his life is changed forever. It's the future, it's dystopian, it's cyber and it's punk. It's political, grimy and slick with tears, lube and chemical snot. TW: Sex, drugs, trauma. Ch 30/35 posted this week.

Free by well, me: imposterssyndrome Rated E - A & C meet (again?) in an acute mental health ward after both having had mental health crises. A runs a bookshop but is very much under his parents' control. C has been homeless since childhood and has struggled his entire life. They do not trust each other when they first meet, but feel strangely drawn to one another all the same. Where will this lead them? This is a passion piece for me. There is a lot of lived experience in it, and extensive research from both professionals and peers. It has been a real journey for me to write it, and as I'm coming closer to the end it's becoming very emotional for me. Ch 48/56 posted this week – I officially finished writing this this week! I’m updating more frequently now, although I still have to proof & edit each chapter before I publish it.

Want more recommendations? This is last week's list.

[meadow-roses]

Hey can you explain the main plot of keepers?

I'll do my best, I hope this will answer your question 😂

So the main concept of "The Keepers" is a collection of stories that play with the crossover trope. It's hard to say exactly what the plot of the keepers would be at this point in the development, since we're still coming up with the plots of all the individual stories that make up the crossover.

Each of the main characters has their own story they were/are the protagonist of, who's "happy ending" is interrupted by the instability of the universe. They end up meeting and teaming up when they realize they all share exactly the same villain and he's still trying to win.

The main villain is a scientist driven mad by grief, still trying to make his vision a success despite all the loved ones he's lost along the way as a direct result of his research. His end goal isn't necessarily bad- bringing magical equality to the world- but ends don't justify the means and he's tearing apart the universe trying to make everything "fair".

Functionally, Skylar is the main protagonist, mainly because his story kicks off the plot time-bomb but also because he's kinda the one rolling around the multiverse inadvertently collecting allies. (Despite the fact he vehemently insists he's a one man show lol) The other Keepers are Ketsler, Felix, and Betty, but as you might have noticed the cast is pretty extensive. 😂

Skylar's story is a folk fairytale style adventure of two brothers trying to learn what it means to be a Man and also break a curse, but unfortunately the end of the world happens.

Felix's story is a sci-fi/fantasy superhero story set in a dystopian future about family, friendship, and what true bravery is. The main character accidentally becomes the leader of a planetary revolution and meets his true love.

Ketsler's story is about "the prophesied one" struggling to fulfill his role when deep down inside he's just another regular dude, but thankfully the power comes from outside and not within. He, his cousin, and the med student they befriend try to figure out what the source of the evil magic is and it goes terribly wrong.

Betty's is still in the early stages, so I don't quite know what the themes will be, but she is an orphan with psychic powers that lets her hear other's thoughts... including the thoughts of ghosts. In search of a way to use her powers for good and also find a place where she belongs, she moves to Earth and joins the interplanetary organization that studies and controls the supernatural. She certainly meets some supernatural things. :)

There are a Lot of other characters, but those are the main four. Other significant persons would be: Gigi (Skylar's brother), Grace (Felix's wife), Vokku (prince of the Fae), Rhyin (Ketsler's cousin), Haru (Ketsler's apprentice), Vinni (Rhyin's girlfriend), Edmund (the bard from Thistled Rose of Glishern) and the kids from the Ageless War wip.

It's a. Really big story because it's kind of like a 12 book series, so there's a lot of stuff still up in the air that could easily change next week or two years from now, but that's how it stands currently.

If you have any more questions or would like clarification on a point Please don't hesitate to send another ask! I don't want to hit you with a three page essay right off the bat lol

Thank you SO MUCH for your interest and your support!!! 😭💕

[tansyuduri]

Writing Meme!

Pick any passage of 500 words or less from any fanfic I’ve written, and stick that selection in my ask/fan mail. I will then give you the equivalent of a DVD commentary on that snippet: what I was thinking when I wrote it, why I wrote it in the first place, what’s going on in the character’s heads, why I chose certain words, what this moment means in the context of the rest of the fic, lots of awful puns, and anything else that you’d expect to find on a DVD commentary track.

Can we do this writing snippet you posted? https://www.tumblr.com/thedaselcor/769138850748563456/i-did-not-expect-that-last-sentence-omg-its-going?source=share

My reading abilities are really very very terrible, but IO was excited about this meme and I did genuinely really enjoy the snippet so... seemed like a good one to request maybe.

Sure sounds great! When it came to doing the third fic in this series, I didn't have really clear ideas at first. I brainstomred with @tiny-and-witchy and they kinda wanted shit to happen to ARTHUR in this fic because bad stuff happened to Merlin in the first in the series. I didn't go with their exact idea about this but while I was brainstoming I remembered having just watched Queen Charlote: A Brigerton story. There is a part of that series where when her husband he is expirancing his mental issuesd she says she will ground him and be there for him.

And I got the idea that lead to this fic.

The lore and some of the emotional themes came a bit later later for this one. The scene is the first time Merlin is looking Arthur in the eyes when he teleports so the first time he sees the eyes turning red.

While Arthur had mentioned that his new abilites feel bad to him and Merlin is on alert for why, this is the first time Merlin realizes HOW MUCH trouble they are in. He can remember the times the sidhe enchanted Arthur before. Or interfered with other things, and it's NEVER been good.

Meanwhile Arthur has been having dreams where he KILLS Merlin and Merlin thanks him for it. It's really been freaking him out, but this is when he realizes the sidhe are possibly sending them. They're trying to take his mind. This is ALSO really bad in Merlins eyes because while he KNOWS regular magic he doesnt know sidhe magic and if it can affect imortality. (By this fic both Arthur and He are Immortal) Even if it can't, the red eyes are proof it CAN affect immortal minds. Sidhe magic is VERY different from usual or what I call "goddess magic" because the eyes turn a different color and a different language is used. Thus it seemed logical to me that is could do things Godess magic could not and possably be a danger in certain ways even to those who godess magic made imortal. I also focused heavily on it being "Enchantment" as side are masters of enchantment (I interpreted this as controling the mind like we see happen in the series) We also see that Enchantments of the mind work gradually. And We know that Merlin was able to break though to arthur for a moment even when it was afecting him in the series. So things are not going to happen right away) My big Mystery here so far is HOW its affecting Arthur? This teleportation ability while normally possably dormant (AKA if I write more in this series I don't know if he'll be able to teleport still. And time passed between the fics with him not doing it.) IS LIKEY tied to him being a Keeper. (A keeper was first brought up as a term in the previous fic and this fic explores it a lot more.) And that is somthing that comes from the godess. SO HOW are the sidhe affecting it? And are there Sidhe around?

[granulesofsand]

Hi, I’ve got a question if you don’t mind answering

I’m just…. Really confused. Because our system has changed and grown so much that we realized that we were a polyfrag system since our experiences perfectly match it, but recently uh. Our gatekeeper found a whole like … sidesystem?? It’s the only term that makes sense because it’s completely separate from the “main” system even with layers and stuff it’s a whole other headspave I guess, and it turns out they have some pyramid heirarchy with themes for each tier and a lot more detail we don’t know about.

My partner got extremely concerned and told me to ask about this because … wtf there can’t be any possible way we’ve gone through ramcoa, it just doesn’t make sense ???? Like yeah I’m shaking as I type this but it doesn’t make sense we barely ‘unlocked’ past sa trauma and even then we doubt that (despite alter patterns)

I’ve got no idea what this is or who to ask since I’m not in any form of therapy and can’t get any professional help, thank you for your time in advance

-🔪

Sidesystems

Sidesystems, as in separate group of alters or multiple systems in one body, can happen to anymany. If it’s more comfortable to explore without the fear of programming, that might be better for your system right now.

Programmed or Not

Anything that happens in programmed systems can happen in nonprogrammed systems. The only difference is external control, which leads to a higher concentration of less common features. The term sidesystem in programming means the same thing, but with external control.

Some symptoms are indicative of particular traumas; flashbacks of being drugged might come with body memories of that experience, clips of cloaks or butchered animals tend to belong to RA.

But even those can be explained away, psychosomatic presentations of passive influence or detailed descriptions and photos of events.

The structuring is unusual, but not impossible. The themes are the same. Memories will be your best indicator, but those will take time and trust to get to.

For some lists of programming (mind control) and other abuse symptoms, explore https://drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/1FqT248H1e6w9P2zWheTnaMXsrvT-ZqzJ/19U3sNkCGBLTuks1ITbm8QhcPlfif5k84?usp=drive_link&sort=13&direction=a from the Legion System.

Support for Healing

You don’t necessarily need a therapist during the initial stages, but we would recommend a support friend or significant other who will learn alongside you and sit with you as you go.

It’s good to have a page of hotlines you can call, and on that list add safe people for unaware system members. Carrying a phone or keeping a calendar is also helpful. Some of the newly discovered ones may be less informed or have trauma surrounding particular dates.

Supporting Your System

If you are trusted with trauma details, you should do your best to sit with the keeper like your support people would for you. Educate yourself and provide care for them, keeping in mind you may be the first in a long time (or ever) to receive this knowledge.

Some common programming environments are high-control groups, and that can mean anything from a small cult meeting in a basement to a multinational trafficking ring. You don’t have to piece together any of that now, but you cannot perpetuate the cycle of shame on your systemmates.

No matter where you come from, abuse is awful. You might come up with recollections of forced perpetration or loss, and it is crucial that you remember it was not your fault. No one is responsible for the abuse done onto them.

You should take time to sort out your own feelings and work through the consequences of knowing. You should not be blaming anyone inside. You have the opportunity to give what these selves always needed and never got. Often, you’re giving love.

Healing Both

The basics of deprogramming are the same as healing from most maltreatment; getting through everything together. You all played a role in your survival, and now you have the chance to live.

So regardless of what this ends up being, try for compassion first. You might have more steps to take, but compassion comes first and last. You can do it. Living well takes practice, but I promise you can do it.