#<- i think this is the first time i've used that tag

[likesdoodling]

Look guys! It's Menolly! (and Beauty) :D:D:D Been re-reading some Anne McCaffrey books. Dragonsong was the first Pern related book I read (wasn't allowed to read the 'grownup' ones till I was 15), and since my other favourite book at the was 'My side of the mountain' (running away from home and living in the forest kinda thing), Dragonsong had me hooked. But it's been a while so coming back to it after a few years was pretty cool.

[positively-knotted]

....you didn't do it locally the first time??? I need to meet that first diftop lecturer and study their brain. But yeah it's still very boring and analysis-y.

You do very quickly stop using any formal definition for stuff. But that's just like any part of pure maths, the first definition/construction is only to show that it exists, then you use its properties. Every manifold M comes with bundle TM that we can think of sort of being directions. A map f: M->N induces a natural bundle map df: TM->TN, whose local rank agrees with the local dimension of f(M). TRⁿ is trivial.

This also makes it easier to think about other properties of manifolds. Our tangent bundle is a GL(n)-bundle, (roughly speaking, because the transition maps live in GL(n)). If M is a Riemannian manifold, TM is an O(n)-bundle. If it's also oriented, it's an SO(n)-bundle. A Riemannian metric always exists because you can deformation retract GL(n) onto O(n) by Gram-Schmidt.

But also (re: tags), geometric topology uses Lots of algtop tools. I've never used de Rham cohomology in my life, nor do I think I ever will. I genuinely don't get why we spend so much time teaching it, instead of like, handle decomposition, which is the backbone of all modern difftop.

Math enthusiasts of tumblr. What math subjects have you studied and which ones were your favorite? Which ones were your least favorite? Which ones were the hardest?

[joy-crimes]

on ur stream you mentioned people can make nsfw art of dollip, i could not tell if u were serious or not. i want to draw some art of her but i would not want to do anything without knowing forsure. i want to avoid stepping on toes

OK so like, I wanna set some very very very clear boundaries w/ this bc it can very easily get kinda dicey and i want to avoid creating any form of nsfw dynamic between myself and ppl who watch my streams

Regardless of whatever I said on stream at any time,

I'd like to make this the permanent establishment of "the rules" on the matter, bc it's much easier to articulate myself after the fact when I've had time to think about how I feel.

first of all, I don't really concern myself too much w/ what people draw. There have been slightly more dicey pics of dollip made in the past, and I, myself, have made and posted pinup-like drawings over the years. Dollip, as a character, is well into her adulthood. If you draw anything nsfw/on the dicier side, I'm probably not going to issue takedowns or anything, but I still think there are some necessary boundaries I should set.

Those stipulations are:

1. you SHOULD NOT directly SEND me any nsfw art. I do not want ANY interactions w/ fans in which you are privately messaging me dicey photos of ANY nsfw variety. you are NOT welcome to send unsolicited nudity, erotic art, or anything to any private ask boxes, discord DMs, etc, under any circumstances.

(I know I specifically said I was okay with being @'d in it on stream last night but I'd like to rescind this, as it's basically the same as sending it to me).

2. Any nsfw images you make of dollip or any of my OCs should NOT be tagged #DollipDraws, #DollipDaze, or #Dollip. I would prefer if the main tags for my content do not contain nsfw images. Any relevant tags I use for my content such as #DollipInFortnite & #NoPokemonLeftBehind are also included in this. Keep the searches clean.

3. Keep nsfw images out of the discord server at all times. This has always been part of the rules, but it's also the most frequently broken rule, and mods have enough on their plates already.

With ALL of that being said, i know I lightly encouraged more ppl to draw slightly spicier dollip art on stream last night and I genuinely think that that was a mistake. While art of that variety doesn't necessarily BOTHER me, I also think that there is a strong tendency to misread boundaries, take things too far, etc., especially since I have a slightly bigger audience. I would rather nip this in the bud by saying that I do not officially endorse ANY nsfw dollip art. You can draw whatever you want, but the above boundaries should ultimately be considered if you plan on posting it.

tl;dr - i will not be endorsing any nsfw dollip fanart, and would like to encourage folks to use their brains and follow the rules of my public communities or risk muting, timeouts, banning, etc. with that being said I won't necessarily condemn any specific art, but you are still encouraged to keep ALL of the above rules in mind.

[krokusplays]

A Rising Dawn - Chapter 8

Mydei x (female) Reader

Fic Rating: Mature

Chapter Length: 2.8k

Fic Status: Complete (8/8)

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Falling in Love, Learning to Trust, Sweet, Wholesome, basically no angst, no use of y/n, smut(chapter 7), First time, set before the events of 3.0

Author’s Notes: The final chapter is here! I just wanna thank you all so much for reading and for sharing your thoughts with me about the fic <3 I have never received such kind and heartwarming comments on a fic ever before and I genuinely mean that. It means the world to me to hear how you all have been enjoying this little fic that started out as a mere one-shot idea <3 I've had an absolute blast writing it and I also learned a lot about my writing in general. I wrote this fic in a different way from how I used to write fics before and I don't think I ever wanna go back now haha I don't know yet when or if there will be another project like this in the future, even though I am playing with the idea. Just this time it's Phainon x Reader and a modern AU. But we'll see eventually. For now, thank you again for sticking with me and I hope you'll like this final chapter <3

Previous Chapter

AO3 Link

Summary: In the Holy City, daily life remained the same for the citizens despite the threat of the Black Tide lurking beyond the city’s borders.

But sometimes, a brief encounter can bring about a new dawn for its residents. Chrysos Heirs and regular citizens alike.

Even more so when the Golden Thread has tied your fates together a long time ago.

With a sigh you wrapped the thin blanket around your nude body and stepped onto the balcony of Mydei’s home in the early Entry Hour. Sleep still tugged at your mind and body and yet, you’ve never felt more awake either.

You sat down on the cushions of the bench and gazed up into the sky where Kephale’s light shone brightly at the start of this new day. Sounds from inside reached your ears where Mydei prepared some breakfast for you in the kitchen and something about this made your heart swell inside your chest.

It felt so… domestic. So cozy.

And also unbelievable. You remembered the first time you were here and sat in the very same spot weeks ago. How tense and nervous you’ve been and now… You were sitting here with a smile on your face and nothing but a thin blanket from his bed covering your body.

Mydei stepped onto the balcony with a tray in his hands, full of small plates and two steaming cups. The smell of coffee reached your nose and you inhaled the scent sharply. Perfect for such a lazy morning.

As Mydei put the tray down you couldn’t help but throw a glimpse at him. His steps were so much quieter without all the armor. He wore nothing but pants, his upper body exposed. All powerful and rippling muscles. A gorgeous but also thrilling sight.

To think how these strong arms have held you like something delicate last night, how those hands that could crush stone and bend metal touched and caressed your body with a tenderness few people possessed to begin with…

You averted your gaze when warmth rose in your cheeks.

Instead you allowed the smell of coffee and freshly sliced fruits to distract your mind and senses. He sliced it all. All the fruits, the cheese, the bread…

“Oh,” you said as your eyes traveled over the plates, “that really wasn’t necessary.”

Mydei paused at that. Looked at you with a raised brow, unblinking. You tilted your head but it took a long moment until realization dawned upon you. When it did, you chuckled.

“Yeah, alright. I’m one to talk,” you said, your voice ridden with laughter. Mydei’s lips twitched upwards, amusement glistening in his eyes. He handed you one of the cups of coffee before he sat down next to you.

Another proof just how much your situation has shifted. Before, he took his seat on the chair on the other side of the small table and now, you were both sitting next to each other, barely clothed - your current state hardly counted as such at all - and with no distance between you. Your arm and knee brushed his, you could feel the warmth of his body…

This would’ve been impossible weeks ago.

Let alone sleeping with him.

It filled you with pride and glee knowing that affection and intimacy were not mere concepts to you anymore. That you could indulge in them without hesitation, without panicking.

And one day, he would be able to grasp and hold your wrists without that sliver of dread filling your mind too.

———————

“The kids were talking about wanting to see the sea one day,” you said as you picked up all the bowls you’ve brought and put them back into your basket.

Mydei looked at you for a moment, but didn’t stop storing the training weapons the kids used today. He closed the doors of the weapon cabinets at the side of the training grounds until nothing but the traces in the gravel and sand showed any sign of activity here.

“Would you take them?” he asked.

Going to the sea, especially taking children there, was impossible given the current circumstances on Amphoreus, but that was not what Mydei was implying. At all. You contemplated his words for a moment.

“I don’t know,” you replied eventually. You’ve never been to the sea again after that day all these years ago. And you had no idea if you wanted - no, if you could - face it again. Open water, untamed waves, expanding over the horizon… the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs, brushing up on the shore…

You frowned.

A hand came to rest on your shoulder and you flinched, pulled out of your thoughts. When you looked up you met Mydei’s gaze. Burning brightly as ever but the concern flashing across them was impossible to miss. You haven’t noticed that he had approached you.

“I’m not fond of the sea either,” he said. You tilted your head, looked at him with a curious glance in your own eyes. Mydei looked away, crossed his arms in front of his chest as he gazed into space, eyes unfocused.

“When I was a little kid, my father threw me into the Sea of Souls. All for the sake of protecting his own life from a prophecy that I would one day slay him and take the throne for myself. He even schemed and took my mother’s life to prevent her from saving me.”

You felt your blood run cold. Your hands began to tremble as you stared at him, how he was still gazing at nothing in particular, arms crossed in front of him, brows furrowed.

His own father…?

“I… didn’t know, I’m so sorry,” you said and looked to the ground. What a tragic tale. And those few words probably didn’t convey half of the horrific story. The thought how any parent could do such a thing crept up inside your head but then your own parents appeared in your mind and your stomach churned at the thought. Your hand came up to clutch the crystal around your neck absentmindedly.

And here you have been, talking and burdening him with your own past when you never knew… never bothered to ask-

Mydei put a finger - armored and cold - beneath your chin, halting your thoughts.

“Do not fret this.” He pushed your chin up until you had to meet his gaze. His brows were furrowed the slightest bit, the glance in his eyes hard and unyielding. It left you speechless.

“Just like you, I have fought and worked on not letting it rule my thoughts and actions. Do not linger on it on my behalf.”

He didn’t want pity. He didn’t want concern. He didn’t want you to feel sorry for him. Not when neither of you could look back on a happy past and childhood.

People on the streets already had too many stories and rumors about him to tell. All these prejudices that even you haven’t been completely unaffected by in the very beginning.

You knew the stories all too well. Mydeimos, the Undying. The stories spread far and wide among Okhemans. That the Chrysos Heir kept returning from death. The crown prince of Castrum Kremnos who killed the former king.

You never dwelled too much on these stories.

You didn’t care.

Mydei has never given you any reason to ponder how… strange that body of his truly was. Or what deeds he has committed in the past. Not when he gave you nothing but warmth and comfort. And safety. He was nothing like the rumors on the streets. He was a Kremnoan warrior, not even you doubted that, but there was so much more to him that you couldn’t find it in you to care about anything else but how he was to you.

And if he did not want you to linger on this tragic and horrible story of his past, then the very least you could do for him was to heed his wish.

As you reached for his hand and pressed a kiss to his armored fingers, you hoped it would convey all that you thought and felt about this. Though, deep down you hoped he knew he could always speak to you if anything weighed heavily on his shoulders.

“I guess, we… have to ask Lady Tribios then to take the kids to the sea,” you said, a soft smile on your lips.

Mydei made a “hmpf” sound, though his lips twitched upwards and his expression softened.

———————

He… took a liking to this, he noticed.

You lying on top of him like this. Your cheek against his chest, your hands tracing the markings on his neck or playing with his hair, your legs entwined…

After sleeping with you, it seemed all the more intimate to have you close to him like this.

The crystal from your necklace caught his eye and he reached for it where it rested between your chest and his. You never took it off. Never.

With curious eyes you raised your head and watched him as he slid his thumb over the smooth surface. Even for something so small and delicate, Chartonus’s work was entirely unparalleled in Amphoreus.

“Do you know what this is?” he asked. Maybe it was finally time to let you in on the origin of these crystals. You pushed yourself upwards a bit, braced yourself on your arms on his chest as your eyes shifted between him and the necklace. The way you rested on top of him made it seem like you treated his chest like a random surface - a table or wall.

Adorable. And amusing. It drove home just how much smaller than him you were.

You shook your head. “No,” you said, “it’s pretty though.”

He huffed at that. Only you would say that. Probably an answer he should’ve anticipated. Still, he wondered if you would still call it pretty if you knew the truth. Maybe that’s why he hesitated to tell you all this time. He scolded himself. Was he truly fearing your answer? After everything you’ve been through?

“What is it?” you asked, your eyes locked on the crystal still in his hand.

“My blood.”

Time halted. Moments passed. Moments in which he was all too aware of his heavy heartbeat and the anticipation of your reaction growing in his mind. Your brows furrowed but your eyes never once averted from the crystal.

And then you reached for it. Took it from his hand to inspect it as if you were seeing it again for the first time, with a frown on your face and lips pursed. He didn’t say a word.

“Your blood?” you asked.

“Yes.”

“How?”

No doubts about his words. Just disbelief. You stared at the crystal dangling from the leather band, inspecting it as if it could give you an answer itself. He understood the confusion. It was unlikely an ability that you have come across before. Even he doubted there was a second person capable of using their own blood to fight. Natural for you to not associate a shiny red crystal - that you found on the ground - with blood.

How it worked, he did not know either. It came to him like breathing. Instinctual. It didn’t take energy or a lot of thought to conjure them up and shape them into whatever attack he initiated.

So he showed you instead.

He raised the hand that held the crystal before so you could see without having to move from your position on top of him. A mere thought was all it took. Mydei watched how your eyes widened when the markings on his arm began to glow before a crystal rose from his palm.

The shine faded an instant later and the crystal, about the size of the one around your neck, came to rest in his open palm.

He nodded towards you. You hesitated, stared at the crystal with wide eyes and slightly parted lips, surprise written all over your features. Or was it wonder? Disbelief? His lips twitched upwards as you took the crystal, looked at it from every angle as if to confirm it was real. The same crystal as around your neck.

“Does it hurt?”

His eyes widened at that. The amusement faded, left only bewilderment within him. That was your first thought? His ability has been called everything over the years - strange, grotesque, terrifying - and he fully expected a similar sentiment from you. And yet, all that left your lips was concern. For him.

“No,” he said. It was no lie. He barely felt the sensation of his blood surging through his body to gather and manifest like this anymore. When the itching in his veins grew too strong - consuming - it changed but in the thrill and adrenaline of it all it was something that spurred him on rather than harmed him.

You nodded. Satisfied with the answer. You still stared at the crystals, though eventually you put the new one aside, let it sink onto the mattress next to him, and turned your attention to the one around your neck again.

Until a soft smile broke out on your features. The glance that flashed across your eyes seemed to illuminate your entire face. He wondered what kind of thought could achieve such a thing.

You looked at him. Eyes beaming. Mouth forming a gentle upwards curve.

“Does this mean… that I’ve been carrying a part of you close to my heart all this time?”

Time stood still. And Mydei could only stare. Bewildered and speechless. Stunned. Golden eyes widened, lips parted and yet, no word escaped him.

He was caught off guard. Utterly and undoubtedly so.

He expected anything. Fear. Distaste. He would’ve been prepared if you had been grossed out. If you had taken the necklace off the moment you’ve learned it was blood. But here you were. Smiling and beaming at him with joy - adoration - because of the realization that you have kept this part of him close to your heart this entire time.

Did he mean that much to you? Did it make you happy to know that you have been carrying a literal part of him with you? Did it make you feel safer? You have held onto it so often. When you talked about your past. When you felt worried. Nervous. Scared.

It didn’t matter at all to you that it was blood.

All you cared about was how close he has been to you this whole time.

Mydei didn’t know what to make of it. He didn’t know what to do. What to say. He was… speechless. And so… touched. Once the shock slowly faded, it made way for something deeper. Something warmer. Something that made him yearn to hold you close. To wrap you in his arms and keep you safe from everything that weighed on you.

Your fingers brushed some of his strands away from his eyes, but only the tender touch of your lips on his managed to pull him out of his frozen state.

He gave in to the warmth and blissful sensation of your kiss instantly. Wrapped his arms around your body to press you close and indulge. And bask. And let go of himself.

“Thank you for this gift,” you whispered against his lips. And again. He couldn’t fathom how - why - you were treating this as something so precious. Deep down he wondered if his confusion stemmed merely from the fact that no one has ever treated his body, his ability, his origin, as anything but a curse. Devastating and terrifying.

But you…

“Does it… make you happy?” he dared to ask against your lips. You nodded, strands of your hair tickling his face with the almost eager gesture. He felt his heart race in his chest at the confirmation.

And pulled you into him again.

But as he kissed you, kept your body close to his, all he could think of was how he didn’t want to miss this. If he could he would fuse your souls together until he never had to be parted from you again and could indulge - bask - in your warmth and affection. And in turn, shower you in such himself.

He knew it was a foolish thought.

And he knew that beyond this bed and these walls, his life and duties remained unchanged and much less warm and comfortable than your arms around him and your lips on his.

Still…

He would need to think. Consider a lot of things.

The Flame-Chase journey. His detachment. The future of the Kremnoans. You.

And at this point in time he had no idea how to do everyone and everything justice and reach solutions that would not only secure the future of Amphoreus and his people, but also allowed him to have this. To indulge in you. Bask in your warmth and the comfort you brought without dismissing any of his duties.

But, he would reach for it anyway.

He would fight on, as he’s always done, and strive towards a future that had you by his side while still embracing his fate.

Or, if needed, resist his fate with all the strength of his mighty will.

[monocytogenes]

Illario Dellamorte and the role of First Talon

I've read a lot of speculation on the tags as to why Caterina favors Lucanis over Illario as her successor. While I know Veilguard offers its own implications, given that @nirikeehan and I have been writing a worldstate based solely off of pre-VG sources--such as The Wigmaker Job and Eight Little Talons--I got curious as to what those sources specifically tell us about Illario's talents and Caterina's likely perspective on the role.

Illario's Virtues

What qualities does Illario have going for him?

Illario is incredibly charismatic, in a striking and deliberate way. We learn from Lucanis’ perspective that Illario actively weaponizes his appearance and manner to great effect.

His “pretty-boy mask” seems to be more of a tool than a genuine facet of his personality, a costume he puts on to gain admiration from others and accomplish ends. He does seem to have a real interest in fashion (and, well, cleanliness, given the number of times he’s clearly put out by gore, and the scene where Lucanis expects to find him at the cleanest tavern at the docks), but he’s able to easily paint over the feelings of annoyance, frustration, and brotherly mischief he readily shows his cousin when he’s out to engineer a situation. Lucanis is grudgingly impressed by his skill.

I also love this little scene where Illario takes the lead on bluffing an approaching assassin, giving less socially adept Lucanis an effective opener and adding realistic sound effects. He has enough imagination to craft a convincing scenario on the spot and kick off some naturalistic banter.

We also learn that, though he can improvise, Illario is someone who values plans and active communication. He is clearly annoyed that Lucanis is playing things by ear after they discover Ambrose knows they’re coming, and working tactics out in his own head without informing him of what’s next.

A lot of Illario’s complaints, snarkiness towards Lucanis, and desire to find some joy in the job seems to be a response to this active exclusion (despite Lucanis viewing it as Illario’s unwillingness to work.)

Illario wants to actively discuss things—perhaps to swap ideas and collaborate better—and really prods at Lucanis when he’s unwilling to do that.

Frankly, I think the most interesting narrative dynamic in TWJ is how, given that we’re in Lucanis’ perspective, Illario at first does appear somewhat flippant and unserious, but as the story goes on and Lucanis starts taking extra risks and eventually goes fully off the rails (like, so off the rails that he’s effectively multi-track drifting), it becomes increasingly apparent that Illario is the more professional of the pair.

He gets annoyed that Lucanis is shirking an order, despite his own resentment for Caterina.

He gets upset at Lucanis’ willingness to identify himself to an enslaved person and leave her alive because it’s an operational security issue. He and Lucanis are foreign agents hired to kill a powerful, well-connected Tevinter nobleman. If she can provide a description of Lucanis, that puts Lucanis’ life at risk!

Later, Illario reaches Peak Pissed Off when Lucanis denies him a quick kill, makes the situation substantially more dangerous, and isn’t able to differentiate between his own vengeful thoughts and what Illario’s actually telling him. To Illario, the job is a job, a task to complete; emotions and greater political concerns are beside the point, and only threaten their own survival.

(There is no place for emotion in killing, as Caterina taught them—as Lucanis remembers and immediately ignores.)

Finally, I’ll note that though Lucanis’ physical talents surpass his, we see that apart from a master social engineer and a professional with an appreciation for plans, effective risk management and a sensibly limited scope of work, Illario’s a deadly combatant in his own right, too.

Caterina and the Role of First Talon

The question becomes: how do those assets match up to the job of First Talon?

Lucanis clearly believes Illario’s social skills fit the demands of the role:

In TWJ, we’re not given a solid reason, really, as to why Lucanis is the evident favorite. We are shown that Lucanis is an almost legendarily lethal assassin, kind of a Batman-esque terror hero (maybe more of just a 'protagonist' than a ‘hero’, if I'm honest.) Lucanis is larger than life in the eyes of his peers. In ELT mention of him makes Teia and Viago literally shudder:

And what’s interesting there is that the description of him as terrifying is presented alongside a description of First Talon Caterina as terrifying. She is not fair, she is ruthless. She previously subjected a House to such complete devastation that Teia, a younger colleague, has never heard of it.

Like Illario, Caterina is intentional about her appearance. She deliberately demonstrates her wealth and authority. She actively masks emotions that are at odds with what she’s trying to accomplish socially.

But she’s scary. She is fierce and unyielding and commands respect through not just through the resources of her House, or her capacity for planning, or her overall experience and intelligence, but fear.

In this way, Lucanis seems more like Caterina. If the role of First Talon, preeminent killer of killers, carries a heavy expectation of brutality for the sake of the Crows as an institution, then charming, fashionable, affable Illario may not look like an appropriate choice.

Illario is a capable, pragmatic assassin; his ability to endear himself to strangers is bar none; he appreciates the value of a thought-out plan and would likely take naturally to administrative work if he doesn’t have a hand in it already (perhaps there’s a reason why, per Lucanis, he doesn’t leave Treviso or have much in the way of foreign contacts.) But superficially: he’s pleasant. He’s pretty. He doesn’t like blood. He doesn’t fit the image.

He’s not even mentioned by Viago as someone of interest after Teia alludes to him indirectly (and amusingly implies that neither he nor Lucanis are sufficiently affectionate towards Caterina.) Illario's likely not perceived as a contender of importance.

It’s apparent, too, that Lucanis’ absolute freakout in TWJ is not Lucanis’ standard operating procedure, given how shocked and furious Illario is with him—normally Lucanis is committed to his contracts, if kind of flying by the seat of his pants. His potentially compromising expressions of empathy towards servants and lower-class folks are evidently not usual for him since they surprise Illario, who otherwise seems to know him well. And while Lucanis is avoidant of Caterina, he respects her, and seems to have previously only nudged at his boundaries while still getting his work done, rather than actively making a mess of things in a way that might invite her scorn.

Illario, for what it's worth, doesn’t seem to be obnoxious towards her either—he expresses some bitterness to Lucanis, but rather than bothering Caterina about the matter himself, he wants Lucanis to open the conversation on his behalf. He’s tense about the potential for conflict and acknowledges her fear-based influence over both of them.

In all, I don’t think, textually, that Caterina’s disfavor of Illario is due to him being unqualified for the job of First Talon in terms of his actual skills, or due to some sort of interpersonal conflict between them. Maybe she even has a decent sense of his ability and track record, given that she had a hand in training him and is actively overseeing her House's affairs. Rather, I suggest she’d prefer someone who would match her leadership style, someone who would rule more through fear than love, who could adopt the persona other Crows expect in service of their collective survival. And certainly even up to the time that she’s set to summon Lucanis, Lucanis seems like the more suitable choice.

Caterina doesn't know that Lucanis has been growing a conscience, that he’s behaving erratically, that he said “fuck the job” amid Illario’s protestations. War looms on the horizon, the Crow leadership is gutted, and it's logical enough for her to figure that her legacy will need to be one of cold-blooded shows of force, not the persuasions of a silver tongue.

[moosewinchester]

sam fic rec list

i have read an incredible amount of fanfiction in the past few months, and it seems only right to share some of my recent favorites in honor of sam's birthday! everything on the list is completed, i've only recced one fic or series per author (though i highly recommend checking out these authors' other fics), and i've kept the list to fics with under 500 kudos, because i'd really like to shout out some lesser-known works.

there's so much more wonderful fic out there that i've read in recent months that i'm going to be kicking myself for not thinking to include tomorrow. but here are a twelve that i've either read or reread recently! i've got a small variety going on here, but many of the fics i've listed are focused on either sam's cage trauma or his psychic abilities! i've never done a fic rec list before, but i hope people enjoy taking a peek at some great fics <3

Forged by @withthekeyisking-writer 21,225 words | mature, gen

Tim and Reggie said they'd be back, and it wasn't an idle threat. This time, they won't give Sam a chance to say "no".

i love everything i've read from this author, but this might be my favorite. it's gotten multiple rereads from me, and while the whole fic is great, i think my favorite part has to be the moment at the end once sam's been found. i could read a 200k epic taking place after the fic looking at its consequences. i'm so fascinated and i love it so much

Like a Little Splinter Buried in Your Skin by lemenday 7,007 words | not rated, gen

Sam and Dean successfully take out a witch while on a case, but not before she curses them to swap bodies. Now Sam’s hungover, Dean can’t handle being freakishly tall, and it doesn’t help that weird things keep happening all around them. To top it all off, Sam’s clearly hiding something.

i haven't read many body swap fics, but i'm so glad i read this one. i love the look into how sam's powers and blood might affect what that could look like. i love dean's hypocrisy about the psychic abilities here, because it's so funny. genuinely a hilarious take on the premise!

To Mend a Broken Heart by daydreaming-scribe 74,970 words | teen, Max Banes/Sam Winchester

Jody and Donna call Sam up for help on a case in Iowa. He jumps at the opportunity, ready to get out of the stifling atmosphere of the Bunker. Once he gets there, however, he makes a surprising discovery. Set right after The Scorpion and the Frog.

such a stunning series that hits on so many of my favorite things to see in fic: an exploration of sam's trauma in regards to intimacy, a look into his autonomy issues in regards to dean, the return of his psychic powers, and a really great rarepair! i'm not tagging the author's tumblr as it doesn't look like they're in the fandom anymore, but i wholeheartedly recommend these fics.

The Voice by @broken-cinders 37,702 words | general audiences, gen

It's supposed to be a witch. It's supposed to be easy. Sam and Dean shouldn't have to do more than help burn the body. But, when Sam and Dean are faced with an unknown monster, the consequences will be life-altering for all the Winchesters. Will they be able to fix the problem, or will Sam have to learn to adapt to the newest challenge in his life?

the first fic is really good, but i think the sequel of little shapshots from later in the timeline is my favorite. the first fic does a great job of exploring how sam losing his ability to speak might more metaphorically affect how much of a voice he has within his family. and i love that there's no easy fix. the scene with the little girl in the airport and the snapshot with mary in the sequel are so incredibly good. i love sam using asl <3

sink your teeth in 'cause now i gotta feel it by @songsforskyline 13,482 words | mature, gen

There’s ten seconds of nothing before everything goes to hell.

i am slightly obsessed with everything ad_castra writes, and if it weren't for my self-imposed rules for this rec list, there are so many other fics by them i would be considering including! but i do particularly love this one. 10x03 fics that do something interesting with demon dean my beloved. the exploration here of the idea of dean possessing sam is so good.

You Can Always Go Home by safiyabat 29,656 words | f/m, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester + Josie Sands/Henry Winchester

When Henry Winchester casts his time travel spell as seen in 8.12, it brings him to Stanford University in 2005. More specifically, it brings him to the apartment of young psychic Sam Winchester and his witch fiancee, Jess Moore. Abaddon follows. Can Sam, Jess and the Men of Letters reconnect with the hunters in their family in time to stop a bloody rampage? And what about the Yellow-Eyed Demon? How will his plans be affected by the sudden appearance of a Knight of Hell?

i had to highlight this one because i think it's absolutely criminal that there isn't more fic with henry and sam. as a sam fan, this is just some wish fulfillment-y fun. sam gets to be psychic, and everyone gets to live, including henry, and including jess.

bad faith by sheepishlion 5,851 words | not rated, gen

Jimmy glances around the room, eyes darting, and Sam feels almost nauseous watching him. Something that’s not Castiel is in Castiel’s body, Sam’s mind supplies in a panic, but another part of him corrects that thought: Castiel is the something. The body is back in its proper state. The story of Jimmy Novak is Sam's worst nightmare, which is something he didn't fully consider until he was left alone in a room with the guy for an hour. Sam thinks it could've gone worse. It definitely could've gone better.

i am so incredibly normal about this fic and its concept. i love how this explores the horror of being a vessel. sam and jimmy novak just having to sit there and talk to each other long after jimmy has died is so good. so horrible for them both and i love it.

Nothing's Safe by @rockstarsatan 26,070 words | mature, Castiel/Sam Winchester

In which the only way for Cas to save Sam in the Born Again Identity is to possess him. Sam, however, does not know what is going on, and sees him as Lucifer. -- "It was funny. Of course, the thoughts came in flashes, and they were somewhat bland in flavour, like the world was still in colour but the synapses in his brain were all turning through a disconnected filter. He remembers wanting to ask Cas about if his brain was alright. He remembers the first time Cas healed him, and how he felt like he could think clearer than he had in years. He remembers looking at Cas and making sense of everything including him through new comprehension. He remembers seeing nothing but love. It’s all so funny. Because with one touch, Cas also destroyed him."

another author whose fics i am always excited to see posted or updated! i really love this one and the way it explores cas and sam's relationship as well as sam's autonomy issues. such a good combination of things (including cas and sam, into one body)!

Vital Signs by @ambersock 42,905 words | teen, gen

With shaking hands he stabs at the buttons, missing once, twice, and he has to force himself to take several deep breaths to subdue the panic. A very deliberate, controlled motion lets him pop up the contact details of the text with the intention of auto-dialing the number, and he does a double-take because the number associated with the text isn’t Amelia’s. But he does know whose number it is. An AU where Sam doesn't fall for Dean's fake text and confronts Benny instead.

once again, it's difficult to choose a favorite ambersock fic, but i really enjoyed following this one along as it reached its end. sam and benny absolutely deserved to become friends, and this is such a good take on them and on sam in season 8.

we were never gonna make it out alive (we're still barely getting by) by Duck_Life 12,144 words | teen, gen

Lucifer walks the Earth, determined to track down Kelly Kline and his unborn son. He's wearing a familiar face.

genuinely flabbergasted that this only has 58 kudos. lucifer possessing jess in season 13 and everything that concept entails is so fascinating. we also get to see apocalypse world jess!

Saving Grace by @cas---2y5 37,139 words | explicit, Gabriel/Sam Winchester

There were a few things Sam couldn’t quite figure out: why was a prince of hell baiting him, who the hell was Samael, and why could he all of a sudden sense grace? Lucifer’s free, the apocalypse is looming, and Sam feels…off. Is something changing, or is it just finally clawing its way out? Sam finds his answers in Gabriel, and will have to make the hard choice between who he is and who he’s supposed to be. Even with Gabriel’s help, will it be enough to stop the apocalypse and save the world?

in the best way, this is the type of story that i would fall asleep thinking of where my favorite character gets super cool super op powers. one of the tags is "i wrote this for me but you can read it too," and that is exactly the energy it exudes. a super fun read for op power wish fulfillment purposes!

Regrettable Situations in Storage Room 3 by @bradycore 6,198 words | general audiences, Castiel & Sam Winchester or Castiel/Sam Winchester

It’s not easy to get to the Farmers Market in the middle of a pandemic, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Sam would do anything to get some fresh air and sunlight, Cas really, really wants his organic honey, and most importantly, Dean’s not home to stop them.

cas and sam just. share a body for a bit! for fun, and for healing, and for the farmer's market. i once again just highly recommend occasionally_always' fics in general, because they do a really great job of exploring sam concepts that i don't think i see as often but am so happy to have the chance to read.

[coquettebratzdoll]

HOW I SHIFTED FOR THE FIRST TIME

I'm gonna keep this short and sweet. For some context, no, this isn't literally my first time shifting (we shift all the time, remember?) as I've shifted to countless parallel realities and a couple random realities. However, this was the first time I shifted to a reality where it was supposedly fictional (MHA).

So, what did I do?

This. Exactly what I'm doing right now.

You see, every time I was going to bed or idle with my thoughts (doing chores, walking, etc), I would imagine myself writing a success story or telling a friend (luv you @vixilic) about my successful shift. I'd think about how I'd decorate it, how I'd word my sentences, the feeling I'd get from it, things like that. In the time between my last post and now, I had managed to shift by (mainly) doing that.

Before you say, "Isn't that similar to the xyz method/a combination of abc and qrs?" Congratulations! You know so much that you can actually see the different aspects of Loa/shifting being applied. I'm not gonna pretend like I invented this approach, but it is what worked for me (and perhaps for you too).

So, for those who want a coherent, step by step guide on how to do this, look below:

1. Pick a reference Pick something that you're going to base your visualisation off of. Are you going to tell a shifting friend? Your favourite blog? What about writing your own post? Don't stress, you can use more than one

2. Do the damn visualisation Everyday, imagine what it'd be like to tell your success story. What did you do during the day? How were the people in that reality like? How did it feel? Were you nervous, excited, scared? Do this when you wake up and when you're going to sleep. Bonus points for doing this at other times too.

3. Relax This doesn't have to be an instantaneous method and you may not see "results" right away. The whole reason I started doing this in the first place is because I'm pretty busy with school currently and I wanted to do something related to shifting which I didn't have to think about much. Hell, that shift happened on a night where I had no plans, I didn't "try", I just wanted to sleep 😭

Tips:

- this can be compounded with other methods if you wish: subliminals, robotic affirmations, sats, etc - don't stress if your visualisation isn't perfect, feeling is much more key here - on that note, don't try and force a "feeling" either. maybe you're overthinking it or just not in the mood, you don't have to literally feel it - go with the flow and personalise this to yourself. this is a Tumblr post, not a military boot camp - this can be applied to more than just shifting, too

Special thanks to the following creators who really helped me get out of a shifting slump recently: @scentedpeachlandcreator @hrrtshape @h1biscusgal (and @premiumbitch too but they deactivated 💔)

Moot tag don't mind me: @jealousmartini @livingmydreamlife5555 @xstrawberryshiftsx @vixilic @luckykiwiii101 @multiversal-wanderings @reiashiftsrealities @livingsecret @astrstqr @zomb13pup @zipper-is-ranting @theshifterbride @kimasoft

003 | prev post | next post | master list

[quintessenceofdust88]

fuck it friday

(I STILL HAVE HALF AN HOUR OF FRIDAY OK SO I'M TECHNICALLY ON TIME) I was tagged by my darling @laundryandtaxesworld for this. Love you, Via! ♥ I've been working a bit on all of my fanfics the last few days, and I think I might get the groove of writing constantly again, so here's hoping hehe. For today, I'm bringing you the final part of ch. 1 of my fanfic Trail of Lies , so I hope you enjoy it! ♥ (USUAL WARNING FOR TRAIL OF LIES: THIS FANFIC CONTAINS BUDDIE, BUT IT IS BUCKTOMMY ENDGAME. IT STARTS OFF AS BUDDIE, BUT IT’S NOT REALLY BUDDIE-FRIENDLY NOR PARTICULARLY EDDIE-FRIENDLY. Therefore, I didn’t want to tag it as Buddie, because I know how annoying it can be to have ‘anti’ fics in your ship’s tag. If that’s sth that bothers you - either the Buddie content or the fact it’s not really a good depiction of their relationship - please feel free to skip this one, I absolutely understand)

The restaurant Eddie’s chosen is cozy and quiet, with exposed brick walls and dim lighting, a far cry from the usual burger joints where they go together on the rare occasions they go out. Buck understands the gesture for what it is, and he feels incredibly touched, and kind of bad for the doubts he shared with Bobby. It’s clear Eddie was just having a bad day, and it was unfair of Buck to question his excitement for their family because of it. 

Their meal is delicious, and so is the wine. They start the evening with small talk, and it’s fluid and smooth like it always is with them. He and Eddie were best friends before anything else, and Buck values that aspect of their relationship so much. Even though he’s aching to broach up the topic that’s been on his mind for the last few days, he waits. He wants Eddie to bring it up. 

“So, angel,” Eddie says eventually, putting down his wine glass and smiling at him, that smile that sweeps Buck off his feet. “Tell me what you found out about surrogates? Do you think it’s gonna work for us?”

Buck finds himself beaming widely at Eddie’s question. ‘For us’. That’s all he’s ever wanted, for the baby to be their plan. 

“Yeah, babe, I think it will” Buck says, and doesn’t stop himself from talking this time. 

He goes on a rant about all the options he found online and about how California law works for surrogacy cases. And while usually Eddie indulges Buck in his rants, listening and nodding at the appropriate times, now he’s engaged, he’s asking questions, he’s planning with him, and Buck’s heart feels full. “Before we go on about our surrogacy options, babe, shouldn’t we decide who’s going to be the biological father?” Eddie asks, taking a sip of his wine. “I mean… I have Chris, so if you want to do it, I totally understand”

“Actually, about that, there’s this thing they do at the fertility clinic where they mix up our materials”, Buck explains excitedly, kinda wishing he had his tablet there to show Eddie everything he has saved. “I… I kinda like the idea of watching our baby grow up and not knowing to which one of us he’s biologically related.”

Eddie gives him a beautiful smile at that, squeezing his hand once more. That’s the farthest he goes when it comes to public displays of affection, so to Buck it feels almost like a passionate kiss (or he wants it to, anyway). 

“Yeah, angel, I kinda like that idea too.” He declares. “Well, I guess that leaves us to decide the surrogate matter. I gotta be honest, Buck, I’m not sure about the whole agency thing. Feels kinda…”

“Impersonal?” Buck completes, and Eddie nods, to his relief. “Yeah, I thought so too. I really like the idea of it being someone we know, but I’m not sure who to ask”

Buck has given the matter a lot of thought in the last few days, his mind going through the women he knows and to whom he’d feel comfortable asking something like that. His first instinct, as most things in his life, would be asking Maddie, and he knows his sister would say yes. But Buck can’t do that to her, not when she had such a difficult time after Jee-Yun’s pregnancy. His niece is one year old and only now Maddie seems to be recovering, and Buck can’t risk doing that to her; can’t risk being the reason why she finds herself in that place again, and especially for a baby she won’t even keep.

And with Maddie out of the equation, Buck is at a loss. He would never ask Hen, he knows she has no interest in being pregnant, and he knows all about Karen’s struggles and how that is a sensitive subject for her. He had briefly thought about May, but she’s way too young and has far too much going on in her life for a pregnancy to uproot it. 

He relays all of those thoughts to Eddie, who listens intently, and then goes silent for a while. Buck goes silent himself, his mind frantically trying to figure out if he let anyone out, when Eddie talks. 

“I think I might know someone. We… we work together at the store, and we get along. I think she might be willing. It… It could be an option” He says, and Buck frowns, trying to remember if Eddie ever mentioned having a particularly close relationship to any of the store workers before, but coming up blank. Still, he doesn’t think his boyfriend would be inconsequential about something as important as their baby, so if this woman came to his mind, there must be a reason.

“Oh? What’s her name?” He asks curiously.

“Kim. Her name is Kim.”

Np tagging @bidisasterevankinard @unhingedangstaddict @moonydanny @frogsinflannel and anyone else who'd like to join! If it's already Saturday on your timezone, feel free to consider this an Inspiration Saturday tag. Love you ♥

[sfstranslations]

what's your process on TLing? like how do you do it? I've always wondered what its like TLing stuff

Disclaimer that it's probably different for everyone, obviously, but for me it usually goes something like this:

(Got long, so under a cut. Minor bonus at the end for My S-Ranks fic writers!)

Get the raws (obviously, LOL).

When I start a TL session, I usually read back a little just to get the context of what's going on, because otherwise you risk getting some of the contextual information wrong.

Time for the actual translating! Read the sentence.

Break it down as best as I can—pick out grammar structure (is XYZ the subject or object etc.), pick out what words I know, cobble together a partial sentence from that. Ends up something like, "Character A {??ed} loudly and lifted their {right? left?} hand."

Look up the words I don't know in the KR-EN dictionary (usually Naver, but also Wiktionary as a backup, both English and Korean) and fill in the blanks. My Korean vocabulary is minuscule so I have to do this for at least one word almost every sentence… I also like to double-check the meanings of some words I'm not fully sure of, or to see if there's other verified translations that would fit the sentence better if the one I think of doesn't flow well.

Addendum to the above point: If there's a word that doesn't really fit the scene or means some random off-the-wall thing, go on a research spree to figure out why it's showing up here. If this takes longer than 5 minutes, put a pin in it to come back to later and move on; otherwise I risk getting distracted or running out of energy, and sometimes the next few lines help me figure out what was being said anyway. Generally I mark these with the {???} from the example above, with a note on what confused me about the bit in question. (These are usually the things that require footnotes!)

If I completed the sentence, read over it to check that it actually makes sense. Sometimes it doesn't and I have to go back over grammar to redo it. Subject/object/topic markers my beloathed

Then once the meaning of the sentence is worked out, check that it flows with the rest of the scene. (If it doesn't, 70% chance it's a quote or reference to something, in which case, again, research or put a pin in it for later.)

Rinse and repeat until the end of the chapter.

First pass complete! 🎉

Go back and do all that research I saved for later :( (Chiyul is niceys to me and only uses odd or flowery wording that I can work out given enough time, but Geunseo is so mean about this. Stop referencing poets from the Tang dynasty who don't have easily accessible online translations for their works. What the hell) (Sometimes they'll reference something obscure and then make an oblique reference to THAT reference instead of the source material because they loooove having characters use injokes which I do love. But it is also majorly harshing my groove. Please have mercy)

Read over the chapter again, Korean then English, paragraph by paragraph, to make sure the translations actually line up and I didn't mess anything up during the first pass. Also for English editing purposes—grammar, punctuation etc. So combination quality-checking and editing.

Pass the baton to other team members for a second round of combination QC/edits; sometimes gets skipped, it depends

Clean the chapter (i.e. deleting all the Korean and running some final checks via regexes for miscapitalizations and the like)

Pick a good excerpt, tag all featured characters, and post! Aaand back to the grind for the next chapter. (…Bit of a simplification. What I actually do is just keep translating until I run out of energy/thinking power for the day. Chapters get cleaned and prepped for posting in batches of 10 only when the last batch have all been posted; e.g. we're on 390-something for S-Ranks right now, so when I'm about to post chapter 400, I'll edit and clean 401–410, and so on.)

Some more notes I wasn't sure where to fit in, below.

Besides quotes/references to external media and language/culture quirks, I also sometimes add footnotes when characters quote other characters from chapters that were posted quite a while ago. This is in part because it's probably helpful to readers but largely because it's helpful to me specifically (I have a terrible memory 😔) (if I don't do it then when I'm rereading the chapter for editing/cleaning I always end up going "they literally didn't say that though…? Is that a mistranslation?" and then it turns out they did say that but it was more than a chapter ago so I forgot. Sighs.)

Disclaimer that I don't translate from MTL anymore!! Quality is worse than translating by hand!! But sometimes if a chapter is really confusing then I'll slap the whole thing into Google Translate so I have an English version I can skim for the context. It's helpful because Google Translate gives extremely bad TLs in terms of English readability so I don't adopt its phrasing into my own TL, but it also gets juuuust enough right that I can identify what the gist of events is. Like if a chapter cold opens on a fight scene and only five paragraphs later clarifies the location of said fight, then the rough MTL lets me know whether I should be translating something as a wall (indoor fight) or barrier (dungeon fight), for example. Also helpful for pronouns, since Korean doesn't use those the way English does; if the character isn't named right off the bat, I don't want to be writing every sentence like "[PRONOUN] looked at [PRONOUN]self in the mirror, noting the dark circles under [PRONOUN] eyes", then have to go back to fill in the blanks 5 minutes later, you know?

I also make style guides for every story I'm translating, which I refer back to while working so I can keep the translations consistent. Whenever we're in a new setting or something gets brought up for the first time, I add it to the style guide for future reference. There's a lot of stuff in the guides that's probably only mentioned a few times, but at least I don't have to translate from scratch each of those few times!

The general style guide has stuff like number/unit formats, honorifics, and notes on spellings I mix up often (I try to use American English for consistency, although personally I prefer a combination of American/Commonwealth spellings (USA you are just wrong about worshiped, it's worshipped!! Do you say shiped?? Huh????)).

The story-specific style guides let me keep track of special names—places, characters, and more—but also things like system message formats. For My S-Ranks, I also have separate sections for the regions with lots of unique terminology (the VR dungeon and China so far, more to come).

Below are some examples from the general style guide and the S-Ranks-specific one.

Oh, one part of the style guide might also be helpful to any S-Ranks fic writers out there—here's the special characters I've been using for system admin messages such as "η๐┰ ሃ๐∪ዩ բმ∪┗┰" from chapter 53. (No replacements for B, J, K, M, Q, V, X, and Z because those haven't been needed so far.)

A: მ

C: င

D: Ð, ∂

E: ∈

F: բ

G: ₲, ૭

H: ዞ, ђ

I: エ, 𝔦

L: ┗

N: η

O: ○, ๐

P: የ

R: ዩ

S: ડ

T: ┰

U: ∪

W: ￦

Y: ሃ

Anyway! Hope that sheds some light on the translation process, at least the way I do it. Let me know if you have any more questions or requests! This was fun.

[luckyshouse]

thank you so so so so much for making that post abt the scary acceptance of pedophilia and incest as kinks/fetishes/whatever, I've been feeling crazy for thinking this is all so messed up and backwards (and everyone yelling how "it's just fiction so it doesn't matter!" as if propaganda isn't a thing lmao), I'm genuinely experiencing such a huge feeling of relief to see an artist i really enjoy the work of speak about this 🫶 (also thank you for sharing your art here, I'm really glad to have found your art a few months ago during a tag scroll)

i am so very glad that you feeel a lot of relief with me saying that. there needs to be more people saying it because it is creating a space and a dichotomy on this website where you either get to be a catholic antisex puritan or super proparaphilia to the point that you never criticize it. its kept me from exploring my own sexuality so much as a "weird furry" because truthfully i am into a lot of weird stuff that IS taboo but the idea is if you are into that shit, you ALSO have to be ok with proud paraphilias in your community. and this mindset also KEEPS people stuff in their paraphilias. this is why i bring up that pedophilia and incest isn't a taboo kink, because no, it isn't taboo. you go on pornhub and can find teen and family and rape shit literally everywhere. but you know what you cant find on pornhub? hypno. you're not allowed to look that up. not to make this about homestuck but did you know they deleted and scrapped the beekeeper trolls old design and stuff because they were outed for drawing giantess fetish stuff, but then also included a character thats canonically proshipping, made by a proshipper, whos actively into incest on their blog right now? this is exactly what i fucking mean. the whole "incest/pedophilia is taboo" idea only works in the same way that a comedian saying theyve been "silenced/canceled" works. like boy, i sure do hear a lot of you all the fucking time constantly on every website for something thats supposed to be "Silenced" i wonder why! i wonder what those two things have in common? could it perhaps be that its a fascist tool to silence people who push back against their beliefs? hmmmmmm.

it makes me very angry, and very sick. and i hope that more people are willing to speak up about it because i feel like this mindset also purposefully keeps survivors stuck in traumatized states so that there can continue to be the idea of a biological predator because people LOVE to make categories of people they can kill and torture without guilt. the idea that pedophilia starts nowhere and is just some weird misfiring of the brain implies that anything we do or any kink we have is completely independent of the society we live in, which is literally just not reality at all. like you said, somehow they can keep saying that fiction doesn't effect reality, even though propaganda is real and literally works, advertising is real and literally works, misconceptions are caused by fiction to the point they change reality, and then they also can't seem to figure out that OTHER PEOPLE could be using their art to groom literal actual children. its just so irresponsible, selfish and childish in my opinion. and then you could make the arguement that yeah of course its childish theyre so traumatized that they don't have the emotional capacity to understand the reach theyre causing and im like okay. this is the same logic we apply to autistic men sexually assaulting women. "ohh theyre too unwell and have the mind of a child" ok well get their ass in therapy if they're that incapable as an adult and seriously talk to them and tell them the truth. this is WHY its such a common thing for autistic men to become sexual abusers in the first place because everyone and their fucking mother goes "well he has the mind of a baby so he cant control himself" do fucking something about it then.

im rambling about something thats not even really connected, sorry. i just have a lot of very strong opinions of this that i think need to be said.

[reiimii]

@tetsunabouquet Tysm for the tag!! You know I love these type of games a lot so I'm always happy to get tagged <3

Here are my Blorbos (Note: It's been a long time since I've watched an anime show, so these are characters that have stuck with me for a long time.)

1. Akashi Seijuro

Anime: Kuroko No Basket

Since I got tagged by my KnB moot, I have to start with a KnB character. For me, Akashi has just immediately charmed me, partly because I somewhat relate to his mental struggles caused by high expectations from his father, but also because there's such a mysterious aura surrounding him and frankly, I LOVE characters that keep me busy while trying to figure them out. (Really makes me wish he had more screen time!!)

2. Risa Koizumi & Atsushi Otani

Anime: Lovely Complex

These goofballs here are part of a dear childhood anime of mine. I don't even know where to start explaining why they're such big Blorbos to me. Okay I'll try: First of all, I genuinely find them funny. Maybe the funniest anime characters I've ever seen. Secondly, Risa being a tall girlie (she's 172cm tall) gave me, also a tall girlie (170cm, ok that's not THAT tall but I always was the tallest person in my class for most of my school days) some confidence as I felt less alone in being tall, especially taller than the boys I liked, like Atsushi, who's 156cm tall. You know how it's a societal expectations for the man to be taller than his girlfriend, so I always felt weird for liking dudes who weren't tall, but that anime showed me that there's nothing wrong with that. Also, people used to make fun of my height a lot, which made me really insecure, so Risa also gave me some kind of comfort in that sense. And FINALLY, I just genuinely find them such wonderful characters and I'd do anything to protect them. <3

3. Murasakibara Atsushi

Anime: Kuroko No Basket

Just give me a Murasakibara in real life please! 😩

No further explanation...hehe.

------

Yeah honestly I think that's it.... I'd probably also add Nana, but that whole anime is a big Blorbo for me, mainly because of the themes related to adulthood.

Not tagging anyone cuz I barely know people on here. 🥲

My Top 10 Fav Anime Blorbos (tag game!!)

Sometimes you watch a series and you’re like “that’s my little guy” and you wanna consume all the content you can for them because you love them so much. That's my definition of a blorbo. Well, these are my little guys (in no particular order) and I wanna know who your top 10 are! Tag your friends to find out their blorbos. 💜 Here are my (anime) blorbos:

Tetsuya Kuroko (Kuroko’s Basketball) (that's mah boi, if you don't think he's on my list, you must be new here)

Miko Yotsuya (Mieruko-chan) (never seen a more relatable take on what I'd do if I could see ghosts, like i love ghost whisperer the tv show but melinda does too much, i would be like miko being like "i saw NOTHING" 1000%)

Rimuru Tempest (That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime) (i just find rimuru so smart and clever i love, anything he/they does i'm entralled thank u to my bestie for introducing me to the series)

Yukine (Noragami) ("that's my son", i've said since I was 14)

Retsuko (Aggretsuko) (probably THE most relatable character for me ever; one of the only anime i've been able to talk to my normie mom about and have her think is funny)

Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist) (i wuv him, one of the original blorbos i've had since I first started watching anime for sure)

Kusuo Saiki (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K) (this show holds the record for me saying "ME", since I would say it at anything and everything he did; another thank u to my bestie for putting me on to this series)

Shoko Komi (Komi Can’t Communicate) (i feel like she best represents me all throughout adolescence + high school; i think so fondly of her because I think I also want to think fondly of teenage me too)

Alibaba (Magi) ("come on, alibaba" as my bestie would say; another OG blorbo, i love a "Boy Failure" character that is also very capable what can I say)

America (Hetalia) (look I’d be lying to both you guys and myself if I didn’t put him here, he's probably Blorbo Prime, if i'm being honest)

I will tag my dears @evelhak @nikkimidorima @wsknbfanaccnt and anyone else who wants to take part!!

[accirax]

🎶 You asked me what I wanted to be and now I think the answer is plain to see, I wanna be innocent! 🎶

[licorishh]

no way she's alive ?? yea those mental health breaks because social media makes people suck are wild huh

[gnomeskillet]

Look, I don't like being a person who gets involved in discourse or says mean stuff, but as someone who felt pushed out of the fandom because people were too precious about the version of Murderbot that lives their head;

Let it fucking go already.

I am light-head af and not at my most articulate, but because people have been gatekeeping the Murderbot experience since the very beginning, and there's been more hate for the tv show in the tags than enthusiasm, I'm just. I'm tired of just sort of ignoring, you know?

I've drawn fanart for Murderbot. Hell, I used to write fanfiction for Murderbot, but I always felt like if I didn't present it in a specific way, I was going to be dogpiled for it. I used to enjoy the fandom, but constantly felt like if I didn't censor myself, that I had to shut up about the parts that I liked because other people didn't like them, and it got to the point where I just. Stopped engaging. I stopped enjoying the media that made me feel seen as an autistic person for the first time in my life because I wasn't enjoying it "the right way."

And this fear that you're expressing about the tv show's interpretation of the media taking over despite that every other post is someone raging about the fact that they cast a cis white guy to play Murderbot?

It's the same goddamn shit that makes me not want to engage with the fandom. It's the same backhanded concern that makes me feel like shit for being enthusiastic about the show.

So like. Shut the fuck up and learn to share your toys like the rest of us did in kindergarten. You cannot control what people do, think, or enjoy. Get over the fact that some people are going to enjoy Murderbot in ways that you don't like, or ways that might even make you uncomfortable. Blacklist tags. Block people. Block me. Just don't act like you're only concerned about the health of the fandom, because that's not what you're saying.

What you're saying is "My way of enjoying Murderbot is the correct way and I'm afraid people aren't going to enjoy Murderbot the way I do, and I don't want people who enjoy Murderbot the wrong way to be a part of my fandom."

You are being gatekeepy as fuck.

It’s hard to articulate but it’s not that I want to gatekeep The Murderbot Diaries, it’s that the content and culture we currently have is so fun and creative with everyone having wildly different takes on Murderbot and Co, how the feed can be visualized, how ART can be personified, how the humans look, etc.

I worry that we’ll lose that to the “official” way things look. That the show will be the new default. That all this fun, unique content will fizzle out and be squashed under what appears to be official ruling on things. That the show will act as a final trump card on discussions and interpretations. That suddenly everyone looks the same, dresses the same, acts the same as how the show does things. That people stop creating and sharing and god forbid even imagining because the show set things in stone. I’ve seen it happen with other books that got adapted but there’s something that hurts more about the thought of it happening here because there’s something special about TMBD and just how little descriptors there are and how much room artists get to play. I’m talking fanfic too. There are so many cool ganaka pit, governor module, and different POV interpretations.

I’m begging you, if you create for the fandom at all don’t succumb to the idea that the show is the final version. It’s NOT. It’s just a different person’s interpretation, just like yours is. It’s another fanwork. PLEASE keep imagining and creating and sharing. Tag me and I’ll reblog it fifty times if I need to! Just don’t stop

[cozmic-ash]

Gordon/Barney/Alyx is really really funny to me conceptually bc it's like, two hot geniuses in their 20s who look at the 40-something smartass who hangs around and go 'yeah that guy. we both want him carnally'

[my-beloved-lakes]

So about Eliot and Hardison's little conversation (at the end of The Weekend in Paris Job) about how Parker is going to need some help processing Hardison potentially wanting to get out of the field. Idk what it is about that little moment specifically, but it just gave such strong ot3 vibes, like more than most other scenes across the whole show (both of and Redemption (except maybe The Rundown Job and The Long Goodbye Job). Like it was such a small simple moment but it just screamed ot3 to me. Like the way they're both looking across the room at her. It was very much a "that's our girlfriend." moment