#'got nothing else going on- might as well learn everything i can about a super specific thing.'

[thewebcomicsreview]

So, Gunwild, the writer of Cassiopeia Quinn, made a comment on that post about webcomics turning into illustrated prose

gunwildversuseverything said: I was hoping this would prompt a discussion about formats and expression, but no, it’s about artist versus writer workloads and “amount of story” being reduced to equations and word counts and update schedules. Figures.

And you know what, it's a good point. So instead of getting into the Artist vs Writers debate for the millionth time, let's take a look at how you, and artist and/or writer, can get a story told on the internet. For the sake of this discussion, lets assume you don't have any actual preference for a given medium that might influence you, you just want to know what's right for your story and will learn whatever skills you need.

TRADITIONAL WEBCOMIC

Comics are the most visual-heavy medium that a solo project can realistically do. This has several business advantages (pictures do better on social media), but it's also a good fit for stories with a bunch of things that are interesting to look at. Cassiopeia Quinn is a story heavily featuring weird alien races, cool spaceships, and attractive young women with extraordinarily casual dress codes. These are visual things! And visual things can be conveyed super quickly and subtly using visuals. Imagine just the "Cassiopeia doesn't wear pants" gimmick, if this was written out. If Cassiopeia gets a description of her appearance the first time she shows up in chapter one and then it's kind of glossed over, the reader would forget. If every time Cassiopeia entered a scene Gunwild had to go

Cassiopeia sauntered up to the motorcycle rack. Her own rack was barely contained by a dangling strip of black fabric, visible through an open orange jacket. Black elbow-high sleeves, covering her hands, matched her thigh-high stockings, separated from her black panties by her thigh pouch.

Somehow it's a lot less cute when it's written out like this, huh? And it also takes way longer to read that then it does to just look at her on the page, which increases the chance your readers might get bored. Comics are the medium that takes the most time to make and also the least time to read, which makes readers a lot more likely to put up with exposition or a plot tangent that doesn't really connect with them. Even if your comic has bits that don't grip your readers, they can grip themselves if you show them interesting bits.

The main downside of comics is the "equations and update schedules" part. They take a looooooong time to make, even compared to everything else. It's also got issues with how people read it. A comic that looks good on a desktop often looks too small on a phone.

TEXT UNDER A PANEL

This style is so strongly associated with Homestuck that a lot of people who weren't making explicitly Homestuck-themed comics seem to have been scared off it. But it's a perfectly cromulent format. It reads well on both desktop and mobile, and lets you use art for all your visuals while using text for dialogue and character thoughts. It's not, however, the best fit for every story. Because each panel is separate, it can be hard to make an exciting action scene this way, which is part of why this format is also associated with special animated pages (I mean, besides "Homestuck did it"). The panels don't really flow into each other, and there's a constant switching between looking and reading.

ILLUSTRATED PROSE

Distinguished from the Text Under a Panel Style mostly by the ratio of text to art, without a hard line demarcating the distinction between them. This style also reads well in desktop and mobile. Well, it should, but a lot of webcomics who switch to this style tend to stay in their webcomic format, meaning it's a picture of text that doesn't resize legibly, grumble grumble. I don't....I don't know if I need to explain the concept of "text" to people. You know what words are, and if you don't there's nothing I can say to explain it.

VISUAL NOVEL

I'm not going to claim to be a visual novel expert, but the main advantages are that it's the most art-efficient medium of any of these (because you can flat-out reuse art), the main disadvantages are that you'll usually need music, it's maybe not as well suited to long monologues, and most importantly that it's not a good method for drip-feed three-day-a-week updates. You kind of have to release the entire thing all at once, or at least in large episodes.

ALL OF THE ABOVE

A comic like Out-of-Placers is mostly traditional, but uses illustrated prose for lore updates. Prequel is text-under-a-panel but not always, and of course Homestuck is the absolute king of format switching, even ignoring the animations. The upside is that you can use the best format for any given scene, and that you're constantly keeping your readers on their toes. The downside (besides having to learn to do all this shit) is that you kind of have to commit to the bit and get your readers on board early with the idea that you're going to just be doing whatever this week. It's also harder to take full advantage of any one medium if you're constantly switching them up

I'm sure I'm forgetting about two hundred formats, but what are the biggest ones I'm missing?

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Leona Kingscholar - Bloom Birthday Vignette

"Happy Birthday"

[Savanaclaw Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Leona: Sigh, these interviews are a pain… Crazy how they can keep doing this year after year without gettin' bored of it.

Leona: So then, I wonder who's my presenter this year…

???: Ay, I made it. Excuse me!

Cater: Heya, Leona-kun. Happy Birthday!

Leona: Tch, and in walks in one of the loud ones.

Cater: EH, DID YOU JUST CLICK YOUR TONGUE!? C'mon, it's your birthday, you gotta try to have a bit of fun ♪

Cater: Today, I'm planning on asking you every little thing to learn everything about you, Leona-kun, so be prepared～

Leona: Well, aren't you real chipper. Alright, I'm fully expecting you to make this the best birthday ever, then.

Cater: U-Uh, you might be putting a little too much pressure on me there? But okay, let me just restart, and… Let's dive into the first question!

Cater: “If you could use flight magic to go anywhere, where would you like to go?”

Cater: And, it doesn't look like you have to worry about the amount of magic you'd have to use.

Leona: So, anywhere I want, huh… Then, I want to go to a full-service hotel and spend my time lounging about.

Cater: Ooh, so you want to just enjoy a resort to the max. That sounds great, and I bet you'd be able to take a ton of awesome pics ♪

Leona: Yeah, I'm not planning on going to any of the noisy places you're probably thinking of.

Leona: Since I'm going to be using flight magic to get there anyway, I'd rather find a remote place that normal people wouldn't really be able to get to.

Cater: But if it's a remote location… Then You can't really enjoy any sightseeing or recreational activities.

Leona: I told you, I wanted to just lounge about. If I were to run around like that, it completely defeats the purpose.

Cater: So, basically…. You're wanting to "do nothing," right?

Leona: Yeah, that's the best way to live in luxury, don't you think?

Leona: Food is prepared when I'm hungry, and the bath is ready for whenever I feel like taking one.

Leona: And there, in that quiet and comfortable environment, I can sleep peacefully without being bothered by anyone else

Cater: Not being bothered and in a quiet place, huh. Yeah, I guess that's not a bad way to go about it.

Leona: Right? As Dorm Leader and as Captain of the Magift team, there's a ton of things I have to constantly worry about, you know.

Leona: Basically, that just means that I also need some time off to rest my mind and body once in a while.

Cater: Ahaha. I bet I know a few people who'd be cross hearing you say that… But hey, I guess I get how you feel, Leona-kun.

Cater: Alllright, now that I got to hear a lot about that, I'll move on to the next question ♪

[Savanaclaw Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Cater: 'Kay, second question!

Cater: "What is your best class?"

Cater: Now here's a super interesting question!

Leona: Huh? How.

Cater: Yeah, because you're real smart. So I def wanna know what class you like best～

Leona: So, you think I'm smart, huh. I guess I'll go ahead and take that as a compliment.

Cater: Well, obviously it's a compliment! I have a hard time getting most of my classes, so I'm a bit jelly. Is there some trick to it?

Leona: I've had private tutors ever since I was a child. Obviously, the curriculum also contained classes that wouldn't be found in this school, too.

Cater: Uh… which means?

Leona: All the stuff that they teach here at this school, I learned way before enrolling.

Leona: Basically, everything I know isn't from just sitting behind a desk and studying like crazy, like your little Dorm Leader.

Cater: I see～ So you're saying that the stuff we learn in class are basically second nature to you, huh.

Cater: Okay, then, let me change the wording up a little bit… What's your favorite class?

Leona: My favorite class, hm… If I had to choose one, that'd be Ancient Incantations. That one is at least not as boring as the other classes.

Cater: Woah, Ancient Incantations, huh～ That's the one where you try to decipher old languages that aren't even used anymore, right?

Cater: And there's still a ton of languages that haven't been deciphered yet, either, right?

Leona: Yeah. And many of those languages were made to conceal magic spells in the first place. So they were already created to be complex.

Leona: That's why even subject matter experts also have a hard time combing through them.

Leona: Even just trying to read the individual letters is a chore. And even if you can figure those out, there's no point unless you can actually understand the words and sentences.

Leona: It has to be carefully analyzed by comparing the new content to old words that have already been translated, or rules that have already been pre-established.

Cater: I already have trouble with just what's in our textbooks, so I can't even imagine trying to figure out even more difficult things like those languages…

Cater: What can someone do to get better at ancient incantations?

Leona: It's just that I already was interested in that type of thing. I guess the thing that dragged me into it was this inscription I found in the Sunset Savanna.

Leona: There was this very long engraving in some old language…

Leona: The first time I looked at it, I had no idea what it was supposed to say, but then I started to translate it in my spare time, and…

Cater: AND? WH-WHAT DID IT SAY? SOME KIND OF ROYAL SECRET THAT NO ONE KNOWS!?

Leona: It was just the country's history. On top of that, basically it was stuff already in the textbooks.

Cater: Ehhh, you got my hopes up, and that was it? That was kinda anticlimactic.

Leona: Yeah, it's basically a boring story once you get into it… But it wasn't too terrible learning how to decipher it.

[Savanaclaw Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Cater: Last question! Here we go.

Cater: “What would you like to do in the coming year?”

Leona: Not to repeat a year, that's all.

Cater: Wh…! EH, THAT'S IT!?

Leona: Isn't that important enough?

Cater: I mean, yeah, but～! You gotta have something else you wanna do too.

Cater: Like, surpassing 1,000 followers on Magicam, or winning a Magift tournament…

Leona: Okay, then that.

Cater: Eh, what do you mean by "that"?

Leona: The whole, "winning a Magift tournament" thing.

Leona: I want to draw out the magical shift team's full potential and win at the national championships― That's closer to the answer you were looking for, right?

Cater: Now you're making me feel like I forced you to say that～ …Well, I guess that's better than not getting an answer.

Cater: Okay, then, I got a question for you, since you're captain of the team! Do you ever coach the younger students?

Leona: Yeah, of course. For example…

Leona: There's some guys who'll slack off during games because they don't have enough stamina and they want to conserve energy.

Leona: It'll be detrimental to have people not give their all during important games. So, to help build stamina, during passing practice…

Leona: I would send the disc flying long so they'd have to run from one end of the pitch to the other.

Cater: Woah, that's so tough! If you're that hard on them, won't you have students drop out…?

Leona: That's also part of it.

Cater: Eh, what do you mean?

Leona: We don't need anyone who takes off and runs like a coward just because their pride and confidence is torn down.

Leona: They should get angry when defeated and vow to do anything to get revenge―

Leona: The Magift club doesn't need anyone who lacks that kind of determination.

Leona: Only the guys who are fully prepared to overcome anything can get a starting spot on the team.

Cater: W-Wow… You're really sounding like a team captain, Leona-kun!

Cater: But I guess it's a little surprising to hear that you take care of your teammates like that. Maybe you're actually a softie inside?

Leona: Hah? No way.

Leona: I'm just doing the bare minimum as the leader of the pack.

Leona: I'd rather be spared being held back by someone who's just completely useless.

Cater: Interview completed～! Next is… Ta-da! Here we are, take this broom and go fly on the Birthday Road.

Leona: Sheesh, that's a fancy lookin' broom.

Cater: Yeah, it's pretty showy, but it's also pretty dignified, so I think it's perfect for you, Leona-kun ♪

Cater: Okay so, go and show them all how it's done. I'll make sure to take pictures of you flying out there!

Leona: I'm only saying this one, but don't do anything I haven't asked you to… I got no intention of being on display for you.

Leona: Aah, finally, it's quiet. I guess I'll go out and enjoy a leisurely stroll in the sky all by myself, then.

Requested by @dorito9708.

[miscfandomwrites]

A/N: Based off a prompt of two people who don't work well together being forced to make breakfast together, expect one of them fucks something up. Also, I made some characters have food allergies. Because I can and it helps make them more relatable in my opinion. Anywho, I can make more of this if y'all like.

Pairing: Stephen Strange x Reader (tried to keep it non-discript as possible)

Warnings: langauge

Words: 700ish

Tagging: @tyler-t0t

~

“You’ve never learned how to cook?” 

“Well, I have, I just don’t mess with hot things or knives or anything that might damage my hands.” 

“Well, that’s a bit vain, but considering your job is messing with someone's very delicate brain, I think you can get a pass. This time.” 

“Oh, this time, huh? Thanks, I guess.” 

I grinned at him. “C’mon, it’s our turn to make breakfast today, we’re gonna go all out so I can show you how to cook.” 

I grabbed a pair of aprons from the side of the fridge, tossing one to him. “I’ll do prep and you can make everything, should be simple.”

I asked FRIDAY to open up a digital whiteboard, and jotted down the ideas I had for breakfast: 

Banana Bread (2 loaves)

Pancakes with and without blueberries

Quiche (3)

Breakfast potatoes (two sheets)

Scrambled eggs

Bacon

Breakfast sausage

Sourdough bread

“That doesn’t look ‘Simple to me’ “ Strange remarked, eyes widening at the list as he finished tying his apron. 

“This is nothing, I used to work in a summer camp kitchen. Besides, we’re feeding several super soldiers, a couple gods, and several others.” I told him as FRIDAY helped make the lists of everything I’d need, and thankfully I had woken up early to feed and start the sourdough bread so it’d be ready to put into the oven in about half an hour. 

Putting on some 2010 hits from when I was a bit younger, I started pulling out ingredients while Stephen got the bowls, pots, and pans ready for it. 

I quickly diced and chopped a variety of vegetables and prepped some quiche in some pre-crusted pans that I pulled from the freezer, popping them into the first oven while I monitored Stephen making the banana bread. 

“Is this literally it? No seasonings or add-ins?” He questioned as he poured the first bread mix into the greased pan. 

“I mean, you can add like cinnamon and nutmeg and stuff but Clint has a nut allergy so I don’t, and last week we found out Loki is allergic to cinnamon, so.” I told him as I parboiled some potatoes. 

He paused at that and turned to me, confused. “A god from another planet has an allergy?” 

“Yeah, not surprising if you think about it for a bit. Took me a little bit to think about it as well.” I replied, taking a sip of my coffee as I used a fork to poke a potato. 

He narrowed his eyes and stared off into space for a bit, something I usually did when I was trying to figure out something in my head. 

“I mean, he is from another planet after all, and I don’t suppose they have the same spices as we do, so that leaves a whole world of possibilities open for them.” He said slowly after a moment. 

I nodded, taking the potatoes off the heat and straining them into the colander in the sink. 

“Peter is allergic to food dyes. Which is why he’s in the kitchen so often making his own candy with his friends.” 

“So that explains the large jar of sugar on the counter then.” he motioned to it as he put the bowl and measuring spoons into the sink. 

“Oh that? I think it’s citric acid, but I’d ask him at breakfast before you go putting it into anything.” 

He stopped for a moment and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, making me pause. 

“You put that into the banana bread, didn’t you?” 

“It looked like sugar! What else was I supposed to use?” He yelled at me. 

“I don’t know! Maybe the jar on the left of the sink with the label Plain Sugar on it!” I yelled back, heading over to the fruit bowl and yanking the rest of the bananas from it. 

“It’s fine, we’ll just keep them in the kitchen and hopefully no one will notice.” 

~ One hour later ~

Everyone had started coming from their various morning routines and piled into the kitchen, grabbing bowls of food and taking it into the dining room as I got the hot pitchers ready with both regular and decaf coffee, and pulling out the pitches of various juices and iced coffee, carrying them into the room as well. 

As we finally all sat down, I explained how Stephen helped make breakfast and pointed towards the banana bread, and soon enough everyone had a slice. 

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” came from Bucky, spitting out the slice on his plate. “WHY IS IT SOUR?” 

Welp, looks like people noticed.

[popatochisssp]

I don't think this has been asked before: what if the boy's very close human friend/partner wanted to learn magic from them? And showed at least a BIT of potential in being physically capable of doing so?

Oh that’s interesting!

I think some would definitely be more helpful with something like that than others…

Sans (Undertale): If you decide you want to be a mage, that’s great and he can’t deny he’s at least a little curious to see how it pans out for you, but as for teaching you himself… Well. He can probably help you out with some of the super-ultra-basics, but beyond that he doesn’t have much to offer. He’s got a lot of magic and knows how to use it, sure, but he’s something of a prodigy there, so he never really did a whole lot of actual learning or practice, he just…figured it out. Probably not the best for imparting that to somebody who’s starting at zero so you might want to learn from a better teacher. And one who's less lazy, because of course, he is also very lazy. But hey, he’s rooting for you!

Papyrus (Undertale): Oh fantastic, that’s amazing that you want to learn magic! Of course he’s happy to help, your training begins now! He’s super excited by the chance to help and teach you everything he knows—which is quite a bit, he’s very talented and the strength and sophistication of his magic has only grown over the years!—but it’s possible he might be a little too eager about it. It’s almost the only thing he’s interested in from the moment you bring it up, so you’ll probably have to be firm with him when you want or need time to do something else. He means well, he just wants to see you succeed, and it’s so much fun to show you how things work!

Sky (Underswap Sans): He’s totally flattered if you want him to help you learn, and determined not to let you down by being anything less than the best tutor! He’ll be very mindful of your time and energy and skill level, and be sure to check in with you a lot with how you think things are going. If there’s any downside at all, it’s that he doesn’t always know how to explain the things about magic that feel obvious and natural to him, but are confusing or alien to a human. He’ll do everything he can to get past those blocks, but there’s definitely going to be times where he’s stumped for how to convey it to you and has to fumble through a few tries to get it to make sense—or take a break and come back later, when he’s thought about it some more!

Paps (Underswap Papyrus): A little nervous and not entirely sure he’s the best person for the job, but heck, if you insist, he’ll do his best… He should be more confident in himself, though, he’s a pretty great teacher! He’s patient and thoughtful about how to approach different topics, and he’s definitely got a knack for making it make sense and relating his experience with magic to your perspective—you’ll probably be hearing a lot of unusual similes and analogies out of him, but they’re almost always coherent. And…he actually really likes being able to show you how it all works, it makes him feel a lot closer to you to be able to find a common understanding to bridge the species gap.

Jasper (Underfell Sans): Well… Honestly, he’s not a bad teacher, when he actually bothers to do it, but that’s the thing. You can say you want to learn from him and he won’t say no, but he’s not gonna take any initiative. He’s not giving lectures or sending you study materials or putting practice time on your calendar, you’ll be the one to have to come to him, with specific things you want his help with. Admittedly, he doesn’t think you learning magic is the best idea, but he won’t stand in your way if you want to take a crack at it, and if you want a little help from him here and there, sure, for you, as long as it’s nothing that’ll get you in too much trouble. (He’s not gonna teach you any red magic, don’t even ask.)

Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): You may live to regret this. He’s definitely on board with helping you learn and train your skill in magic—in fact, he’s a bit miffed you didn’t ask him sooner—but as far as teachers go, he’s…intense. He absolutely wants you to know how to use your magic, to the full extent of your capabilities, so you can be prepared to face any threat at your strongest! And in trying to facilitate this, he is very strict and insistent about regular practice and study to get you to your maximum potential, which is…not always a whole lot of fun. As far as he’s concerned, it’s not supposed to be, it’s meant to sharpen your skills and make you stronger, and if you’ve asked him to do that for you, that’s a responsibility he takes too seriously to let you slack off!

Mal (Swapfell Sans): Probably not a route you want to go down, in all honesty. He’s encouraging enough about the idea of you learning magic, be safe and take your time with it and all, but as far as learning specifically from him… Well, he’s not the best teacher, and he knows it. He’s a little too insistent and has a hard time being patient if something’s not clicking for you right away, and he’d rather you not have to deal with that from him. He can help you out with some basic concepts, and direct you to better resources—and once you’ve already got the gist of something, he’s available if you want someone to practice it with, but as far learning from him, it may be best to keep that to a minimum…

Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): Oh yeah, definitely, he can help! Maybe a little surprised you want to learn from him, but y’know, magic’s one of the few areas he’s both competent and confident in, so…sure. He’s a pretty good teacher, as far as that goes, very patient and willing to demonstrate and answer whatever questions you might come up with. Probably his biggest failing is not anticipating a need for context or…warnings, for unfamiliar things. He’s a ‘learn by doing’ kind of guy, so he tends toward practical lessons, just do it and then we’ll go from there. You’re almost guaranteed to be pulled into an Encounter before he explains what one is, or surprised with a blaster skull without being assured they’re just a construct first. Sorry for the heart attacks, he’s trying!

Slate (Horrortale Sans): Ah, he may not the best person for the job. He’s happy that you trust him and think he’s reliable enough to even ask, but he’s… His memory’s a little bit shot, and his thoughts tend to run on the slow side, which isn’t to say that he can’t help you at all, but he definitely shouldn’t be the one running this show. He’s just not gonna be able to keep on top on everything he’s told you and everything he hasn’t, making sure to follow up with you on things you asked about, remembering where you’re struggling and where you’re excelling, all that. If you want him to supplement your education by asking him some questions or with specific help here and there, that’s more than doable, he just doesn’t want to be in charge of it. As long as you or some other teacher is mostly doing the work and keeping pace, he won’t have to worry so much that he’s slowing you down or standing in your way!

Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): He won’t be prepared for you to ask, but he’ll be pleasantly surprised nonetheless! He’s eager to dive right into it with you whenever you’re ready, and he’s ready to put in as much effort as you want from him—he’ll definitely be expecting you to guide your own lessons and tell him what you want to learn, but he’s happy to take it from there and provide you with everything you need to succeed. He has nursing school in pretty recent memory, so he’s sympathetic to your situation as someone learning about something from another species that’s totally alien to you. He's always prepared to explain the little details that other monsters might gloss over since they’re just so second-nature. One thing about him is that every new thing you learn, no matter how small, comes with a reminder that you need to be responsible with this power, probably to the point that you’ll get sick of hearing it, but… he has to keep saying it, for his own peace of mind.

Ash (Undergloom Sans): It’s a little more than he’s probably up for…at least if you’re looking for a lot of demonstrations or someone to practice with. He’s got more magic than he has anything else, but that’s a low bar to clear with how little of the other stuff he tends to have—low energy, low strength, and low assistance for you… Still, that doesn’t mean he can’t take an interest, and there’s other ways he can help. He’s not half bad at talking you through how things are supposed to feel and how they’re definitely not supposed to feel, which is good for keeping you from overextending yourself before you’re ready, and if you show him something you’re having trouble with he’s good at feeling out the problem and giving you some pointers. At this, he’s a better a coach than a teacher, and coaches don’t play but they make pretty good cheerleaders on your journey to get stronger.

Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): He’s all-in from day one, both honored and thrilled that you want him involved in your magical education. It’s probably verging on comical how totally invested he is, to the point of actually treating it like school—lesson plans, assigned readings, even quizzes and homework—but he really loves this stuff and he’s excited, it’s hard for him not to get carried away… As a teacher of magic, his strong point is more on the academic end of things, the theory stuff and what’s well-researched and understood. He’s a little weaker when it comes to the more finicky sides of magic based on emotion and more nebulous, less researched factors, but some of that is just the nature of the beast. Magic in and of itself is a tad nebulous and some amount of ‘We don’t know why’ just…has to be worked around. But he’ll make every effort with you!

Brick (Horrorfell Sans): He’s not really interested in the idea… If you want to learn magic, fine, more power to you, but he personally doesn’t want to be involved in it. Any way he looks at it, it feels like setting you both up for some frustration, trying to convey concepts largely unfamiliar to you through means only barely familiar to him, and there’s probably ways to get around it if you both work really hard at it, but… Yeah, he doesn’t really wanna. Feel free to show him whatever you’re learning if you’re excited about it, or if you wanna bitch about your teacher or something, but he’s gonna opt out of being that teacher. You’ll do fine without him, he’d probably only slow you down anyway if he’s being realistic.

King (Horrorfell Papyrus): You may not live to regret this (a joke [barely]). Though he’ll neither insist nor offer to teach you, he will if you ask, but not without warning you that you may not enjoy it. He’s not one to half-ass things, so if you want to learn from him, he’s going to make sure you do it properly, no cut corners, no skipped practice, and no missed study opportunities, there will be a schedule and he will hold you to it. Frankly, he teaches the same way that he puts patients through physical therapy—assertively and unbendingly, holding you to the high and exacting standard he’s set for you. Much like those patients of his, you’re likely to make a lot of very impressive progress very quickly, but you may not like him too much by the time he's done putting you through the ringer. Consider it carefully before deciding you want to do this.

Merc (Horrorswap Sans): Pleased to be asked, and certainly willing to do his best to help you, he’ll be a pretty good teacher, if a little overcautious. He wants you to be careful and safe above all, so there may be some times when you just want to try something to see how it goes, but he won’t want to let you, or you think you’ve got something down and want to move onwards and upwards to more advanced techniques but he thinks you need to practice the basics a little bit more first. His intentions are good, but he might stymie you a little and hold you back from progressing because of those good intentions, so be prepared to argue and reason with him if you have a different time-table. Aside from that, he’s patient and calm and very thorough with everything he does, so at least the quality of your education won’t be lacking!

Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): Are you sure? Well, alright. He definitely doesn’t get why you want him to teach you when there’s gotta be a ton of better options, but he won’t argue about it much…and ultimately, he’s not bad at teaching. You may have to bug him a bit to get him to do it—he gets wrapped up in things he’s doing, liable to forget even if you had a standing appointment for it, so some amount of nudging and nagging and “You said we were going to X, Y, Z…” may be required to keep him a man of his word. That aside, he’s a little lecture-heavy maybe, has a tendency to run his mouth and take longer than is strictly necessary to explain a concept when he goes on little tangents in the middle before getting back to the point, but y’know… He gets there eventually, and he’s got enough magic and stamina to do demos and practice with you as much as you want.

Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): You might not get exactly what you’re hoping for from him. He’s not unwilling to try to teach you, certainly a lot more patient and easygoing than he used to be, but…that does come with its own drawbacks. He’s not the most disciplined these days, as a person or a tutor, and that means any training he can give you will probably be sporadic and not the most focused. There’ll be lots of veering off topic, getting distracted, taking breaks and not getting back to it for awhile, and broadly the sense that this isn’t a very high priority for him; that he's not taking it all that seriously. If you aren’t either, or if you are but don’t mind the cavalier attitude to his part in your studies, then no problem, but if you’re looking for a more stringent lesson plan…look elsewhere than him.

Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): Yes, of course he’ll teach you, that sounds like a good idea, you should know these things, if you’ve got the capacity for it. He moves a little slow, taking all the time you both need to feel comfortable and safe with every new hurdle, but he’s thorough and has a knack for being prepared for every question, worry, and mishap you can imagine. You’re in good hands with him for the most part, just…don’t expect him to teach you how to fight with it, because he won’t. He’ll do the basics, little tricks, even how to defend yourself, really everything but how to attack. He just takes FIGHTs too seriously for it to feel safe, for either of you, so if that’s something you really want, you’ll have to find someone else. He’ll cover the rest, just…not that.

Sunny (Gastertale Sans): Sounds fun, sure, he’ll do what he can! Admittedly, he’s not much for the purely academic approach, finding it to be a little dry and missing large swathes of important stuff that you can really only get by feeling and doing. He likes the socratic method, so you can expect him to be asking you a lot of questions while you learn, and gently nudging you towards making your own conclusions, feeling out how magic works for you and where you want to go with it next. He’s also pretty good at working practice and learning new techniques into casual games or fun, spontaneous challenges—can you do this? wanna bet i’m better at that than you? hey, check this out, you try—to the point you might not even realize how good you’ve gotten until much later. It’s not madness, but there’s a method to it if you let him see it through with you!

Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): Oh yes, please let him help you learn magic! This is a thrilling opportunity for both of you! …Which is to say, he’s maybe a tad too interested in this, getting to watch (and participate in!) a human learning magic, up close and personal. He’s going to want to know absolutely everything from your perspective as you start to pick things up—what it feels like to you, how you’re conceptualizing this, that, or the other, what’s easy and what’s difficult and why, and so on and so forth. If you don’t mind the probing questions, or are at least prepared to shut them down if they get to be too much for you, he’s a great help to you with tons of answers and reading material, and a nigh-unstoppable drive to problem-solve if you hit a wall at any point in the process. Just be prepared to rein him in as needed, if he happens to get too excited and forget you’re not a science project.

Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): He’s going to resist at first, having some mixed feelings about humans with magical affinities and abilities and debating with himself how much of a role he should be playing in this. Still…it is you, and that makes a big difference, so as long as you keep asking, you’ll wear him down in no time at all. Ultimately, it’s a good thing for both of you, for him because he’s actually pleased to have something meaningful he can pass along to you, and for you because he’s not a bad teacher at all. He is lacking a soul, which isn’t an insignificant part of magic, so there’s some things you’ll have to fumble with while he talks you through it as best he can by memory alone, but most everything else is easy for him to help you tackle, what with the combined magical power of nearly all monsterkind. You may not have had a lot of options for magic teachers, but of them, he’s a pretty good pick.

PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): Of course he’ll help you, you couldn’t have picked a better (or less humble) teacher! He’s extremely convenient for whatever your schedule is, since he doesn’t really sleep and is pretty much available 24/7 if you have a thought or a question or want to work something out. He also has a literally encyclopedic knowledge of pretty much any literature that’s ever been published about magic, from personal accounts and anecdotes to peer-reviewed studies, and if you don’t have the time or attention-span to do the reading yourself, he can pretty quickly condense it down to the key points in it. Still, as far as actually putting any of it into practice, you’re…kind of on your own. He doesn’t actually have magic of his own now that he’s digital, and though his memories are all technically intact, some of his sensory ones—especially ones for senses he doesn’t have anymore—haven’t transferred too well. He tends to falter and blank if you ask him to describe what certain magical things are meant to feel like, so…you’ll just have to muddle through that bit together as best as you can!

Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): Very willing and pleased as punch to help you learn magic, he can feel the potential in you and he’d love to be part of helping you realize it! Due to his nature and the way his mind works, he’s more inclined to focus on the soul and the ways in which it and your body and your thoughts act as a conduit for magical energy, working in tandem to direct that energy to do what you want it to do. His explanations of this abstract and ever-changing process, influenced by so many unknowable factors, tend to be hit or miss. Sometimes, the way he describes something to you lands perfectly and you know exactly what he’s talking about and how to make it happen for you with beautiful, precise clarity…and other times, you won’t get it at all and it’ll be complete gibberish to you until you go do some reading or get a second, less psychedelic opinion from someone else. Either way, he won’t take it personally, he’s only one guide along your path and just getting to walk it with you is a joy!

Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): You want him to teach you magic? Well, that could be interesting, he’s not opposed… Before anything, he’ll ask you to swear that you’ll never use anything he teaches you against a monster, not unless your life is at stake—but as long you promise, and as long as he believes you, he’ll teach you everything he knows. He’s a fantastic help and consistently makes time to help you study and practice, with a good amount of breaks and downtime in between to keep from getting burnt out or frustrated. He’ll even take into account that you may get sick of him being your tutor all the time and loop in some friends to help out every now and again, getting you some other perspectives and maybe helping you network a little. It’s only a matter of time before you’re a magic-expert—he believes in you, and he’ll get you where you need to be.

Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): You might not guess it to look at him, but he’s actually a decently helpful sort of guy when he wants to put the work in—and for you, of course he will! This is a great excuse to burn off some of his excess magic, doing any and every demonstration you could possibly ask for and more. He’s probably not going to be much help with any book-learning you might want to do, very hands-on and ‘just do it’ in terms of his teaching style, but he can talk through things pretty well on the fly if you’re having trouble, and that helps plenty. He will, however, have a tendency to consistently and wildly overestimate your capacity of magic, due to how high his is. It’s just hard for him to wrap his head around how little you have, and actually retain that for next time… Just be prepared to remind him of your limits when you’re tired…or if he trusts you enough, maybe he’ll let you borrow his.

Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): Ah. Well. He’s…not very good, with magic. And he doesn’t have all that much of it to work with either. His build favors physical power and durability over anything else, and so did his training, so he doesn’t really have much experience to share with you that isn’t related to brute-force attack capabilities. …But maybe that’s a good thing? Maybe that puts you both at a more similar level than if he was significantly more advanced than you, and maybe you can learn more together? He certainly wouldn’t mind showing you the things he does know, and you could be his permission reason to start studying the other less-military applications of magic, so that he can help you if you’re struggling. And of course, the reverse would be true, if he struggles. Yes, this could be very good!

Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): You want him to teach you magic? Fine, but he has a laundry list of stipulations you’ll have to agree to before he starts. He practically wants a nondisclosure agreement out of you, for you to not tell anyone that he’s training you or that you have magic capabilities at all. The latter is mostly because he thinks it’s more strategically sound on all levels for you to keep what you can do a secret so it remains a hidden advantage for you if needed, and the fewer who know you can do things not every human can do, the safer you probably are—typical black-ops mindset. The former…well, more of the same mindset, just the ‘cover your ass’ part of it so that he can claim no knowledge or involvement in you learning what you’ll know when he’s through. Aside from the probably-not-entirely-necessary secrecy he insists on, he’s a very straightforward and no-nonsense tutor, fully capable of meeting you wherever you’re at and guiding you to higher proficiency with everything you need to know and nothing you don’t. If nothing else, learning from him will be efficient.

Hunter (Swapfell Fruition Papyrus): He’ll give it a shot, but you might not get all of what you’re looking for. You’ve got the best chance of learning from him either while the novelty of teaching you magic is fresh, or if you find a way to incentivize him and make it worth his while to show you. He doesn’t have much of an attention span if he’s not interested in something for his own sake, and if he’s not interested, he’s liable to quit putting in extra effort as soon as it gets difficult. If you happen to not get something on the first try, he’s down to explain things once, maybe again if you press, but he doesn’t have a knack for re-framing so if what he said the first time didn’t make sense, eh… he doesn’t know what to tell you, just…try again, you’ll figure it out or you won’t, right? Bets, dares, and bribes all work pretty well at keeping him motivated, though—he can rarely resist a dangled carrot, and some kind of reward on the line makes him a lot more amenable to take on a challenge—so keep those tricks in your back-pocket if you’re really set on him being the one to teach you.

Kohl (Descendtale Sans): He’ll probably explicitly say no. He’s got some hangups about humans, especially the kind who dabble in magic, and even if it’s you—which he’s loath to admit makes a difference at all, but it does—even then, it still doesn’t make him comfortable with the idea of you having and using magic. Helping you develop it further and get even stronger with it, thinking about that makes him edgy and brings up some bad thoughts and memories. Still… if he can’t dissuade you and you start making a study of it anyway, he’ll probably end up getting involved and helping you a bit despite himself. He still doesn’t want to and doesn’t like it, but if you’re just gonna do it regardless, he’d at least feel better being in the loop and keeping an eye-socket on what you’re learning and what you might be inclined to do with it. A begrudging tutor to be sure, but he’ll keep you from blowing your own head off with supercharged magic at least. (Is that a thing that can happen? Oh no… well, maybe…sure, could be. Guess you shouldn’t play with it unsupervised, if you don’t know…)

Bram (Descendtale Papyrus): He’s more than thrilled that you asked, he’s delighted! This will be wonderful and he’ll be the best teacher ever, you won’t regret this! …Actual results may vary, but at least he’s enthusiastic. He’s very attentive to all the details of everything you want to learn and will discuss your goals with you at length before planning out how best to teach you all you could want or need to know. Which is a good thing, of course, but he can go in a little hard on it from time to time. He’s inclined to hand-hold you perhaps a little more than you actually need and may insist on continuing to explain something step-by-step even when you’re pretty sure you’ve got the gist already, or drag out a lesson or practice session longer than necessary even if you’re starting to get tired or frustrated. He just really enjoys being helpful, and having your attention, so he’s never eager to stop and lose it, and he may not realize without being explicitly told that you need a break to go eat or sleep or just do something else. Insist on the you-time that you need, though, and you’ll be fine!

[moriartyluver]

can we have some mtp boys (separate) on how they’d treat a fem! Reader who is on her period. You don’t need to make it historically accurate & if you’d prefer, you can make it modern au. Thank you!!!

A/N: I did this in a modern AU as suggested because I have no idea how people would have dealt with periods in the 19th century

Characters: William James Moriarty x fem! Reader , Albert James Moriarty x fem! Reader ,Louis James Moriarty x fem! Reader (separate)

Format: headcannons

Genre: hurt/ comfort, fluff

Prompt: the Moriarty brothers with a reader who is on their period.

Warnings: reader is afab, reader is female, established relationships, periods/menstruation etc.

LOUIS would be such a good partner in general so when you’re on your period? He is doing everything!

He’s already very much a househusband male wife kind of guy but it just gets so much more malewifey when you’re on your period

Oh you’re hot water bottle got slightly less warm? Louis is filling it up for your instantly

He will literally shower you in heating pads

I don’t think he’d be very physically affectionate in general, his love language is definitely acts of service and it’s very evident all the time, but if you ask to be held, hold you he will.

He’ll make you anything you want to eat no matter how strange (I always get really weird cravings on my period so if you do aswell, be prepared because Louis will stop at nothing to make you happy)

He has a whole storage cupboard packed with pads and tampons and whatever else you may use, all with your preferred sizes and brands because he’s just that caring. You never run out of pads or tampons with him around.

If any ones annoying you, he’ll be super pissed off and will actually get into a fight for your sake.

If you’re feeling emotional, he’ll be by your side reassuring you that everything’s okay. He’s a bit emotionally constipated but he tries his best for you.

If you ever need sheets to be washed or clothes to be cleaned, he won’t mind at all and he will definitely not get upset.

He himself doesn’t go out unless necessary so he’ll try stay at home with you all the time, just in case you need something (even if you insist that you’re fine)

Overall rating? 10/10 wifey material

WILLIAM probably knows more about your period than you do. Not in a gross mansplaining way but in a well educated husband kind of way

Like he definitely knows when you’re going to start you’re period based on symptoms and stuff before you get that little red surprise in your underwear. Worst feeling tbh.

He helps you learn how to track your cycle and if you’re an inconsistent period girlie like myself, he’s a great help. Imagine just getting ready to go out and then William tells you to make sure to take a pad/tampon/cup with you before you leave 💀

He pampers you too, especially if you live together, but not in the same way louis does.

He’s a bit more strict when it comes to what you should and shouldn’t eat (it’s the protective teacher in him). Liam makes you take magnesium supplements and makes sure you eat healthy even if you’re craving junk food so your cramps don’t get worse.

He’s probably calculated the perfect temperature for your heat pad/hot water bottle 😭

Probably a little more affectionate than his younger brother would be. If you’re complaining about being cold or uncomfortable, he’d put whatever book he’s reading down and hold his arms wide open for you. William absentmindedly rubs your back while listening to you complain about having a uterus

Definitely pressed kisses to your forehead while you ramble like the old fashioned lover he is 🤭

He makes sure to buy you really good quality pads/tampons and is sure to memorise which brands or types you prefer. Might slip a chocolate bar in there too. He also buys you painkillers and gives you the correct doses and everything at the right times

If you don’t feel like speaking much (he loves talking to you for some reason. its adorable) he gets a little upset but he’s a surprisingly good communicator. He doesn’t want to make you feel uneasy and bless his heart, he does all the chores and everything so you don’t have to suffer further while your uterus tries to fucking kill you

Overall rating? ∞/10 (I am totally not biased) I want to marry him idc if he’s a drawing

ALBERT is stupid. I’m sorry that’s a mean way to start off

I think we can all agree he has OCD or OCPD but he’s so sweet to you despite some seeing periods as a ‘Filthy’ thing.

You bled through the sheets? He’ll calmly help you fix that dw sweetie. If you bleed through your pants in public and anyone gives you any dirty looks or some weird shit because people hate uterus havers, he’s not called one of the most unhinged mtp characters for nothing 😊

Ok but this man knows nothing about periods though. I’m so sorry. Like you had to explain to him that no you can’t hold in the blood nor do you use your pad as a bandaid of some sort

Would probably send you one of these :(yes I made that)

He needs Louis to go shopping with him to help get you stuff because this man is smart enough for eton but not enough to know that different colours on pad packages are not flavours 🙄

Also he’s a shit cook so you still have to do that if u don’t wanna starve

Probably the most affectionate out of the brothers. He’s very cuddly with you when you need him to be (mainly because he feels bad for being so damn useless)

Overall rating? 2/10 💀

[fordtato]

YES. So I'm not the only one that has MANY things to say about Return to the Bunker. I was super hyped up for this this before, but then for the whole 32 minutes of watching I was like "...are you even serious? c'mon!"

This thing felt less like a Gravity Falls episode and more like a big Ford Hate Party. Wtf?! He had a few interactions with Mabel in the series, but literally ALL of them were positive, since she never talked about her issues directly to Ford (not trying to blame her, I love Mabel with all my heart). And here Ford's straight up a huge ass to her. Not wearing a sweater in the summer (HE LITERALLY DOES?!), telling her in the face he doesn't trust her, acting like spending any time with her is wasteful and a scar on his honor (?). Dudes, did we really watch the same Gravity Falls with the same characters? Ford can (and is) be dramatic and too serious sometimes, but he's also silly, fun and adventurous! And it's SHOWN in the series! And he loves the twins more than anything!

But let's get to the thing I have the biggest problem with. The way Ford's trust issues were treated. Guy's been through hell and back. Every person in his whole life that was his close friend, ended up stabbing him in the back (from his perspective). He literally spend 30 years all by himself, FORCED to trust only himself, because trusting someone else might have ended up in him being dead. Now he's barely back home, everything is new and complicated and dangerous, there's the rift, there's Bill being a huge thread, there's his relationship with Stanley, there's his house turned into a mockery of the only thing he was ever proud of, AND this guy still stays relatively calm and collected. Now you're also expecting him to suddenly forget about 30+ years of trauma he experienced and trust people he barely knows (Soos, Wendy) with his worst fear?! And you're punishing him for being jumpy, terrified and paranoid, when he has all the reasons to act such way?! And what's with the scene when he gets on his knees and in teary tone admits that just a sad, lonely boy, but now thanks to Mabel and her friends he might change? Like, sir? Are you the Ford Pines we know? Pre-weirdmageddon afraid-to-his-death prideful and emotionally withdrawn Ford Pines? And then he "learns" absolutely nothing AND ERASES THEIR MEMORIES WITH A MEMORY GUN?? WHAT THE FUCK? I barely forced myself to watch until the very end, because I wanted to scream. You think that Ford, WHO IS A VICTIM and was against the memory gun for most of his life unless absolutely crucial, who had to erase his brother's whole personality and the only reason he remained relatively sane after that was because said brother's memories were brought back, would EVER erase memories of his own twelve year old niece and her friends, RIGHT AFTER BEING ALL OPEN HEARTED and admitting he was wrong?! I can't. I'm sorry. I got all emotional.

Mabel's not really Mabel. Ford's definitely not Ford. Stan was... well, weird, but I could maybe go with that? The B plot was better anyway. The only one that remained more or less close to their canon characterisation was Soos. Even McGucket didn't really click.

ALSO. Ford's relationship with Fiddleford in this one. Wtf. Ford, who mourned what happened between him and his former best friend for years, who had a fucking "I'm sorry Fiddleford" as one of his thoughts on mind reading machine, and who, after seeing him for the first time during Weirdmageddon was all regretful and sad, in this episode is, again, an ass to him?! And their meeting, for the first time in 30 years, is not really a big deal? Ooof.

I'm angry. I didn't like it at all and I thought I'm the only one, because all of the comments are so happy and enthusiastic. I'm glad I'm not alone. It's really not good. Well, it had good moments. I laughed REALLY hard during that dating show with the shapeshifter and a few jokes had me chuckling, and, as you said, the art is really great and you can see all the time and passion that went into it. But the plot itself... I guess it's supposed to be canon complaint. It makes it even worse. The writers really hate Ford, don't they? Eh.

Sorry for the dump. I don't know what's gotten into me. I was so excited for it, a beginner's mistake, I guess.

It felt, personally, like the writers greatly misunderstood (or did not interpret from series as I did) which qualities of Ford, Mabel, McGucket and Soos made these characters loveable and made the show work.

The script of this fan project, at times, seemed specifically antagonistic to the source material, to these characters, and to the motivations these characters held.

I am not trying to shit on something people loved, but I did not enjoy the writing at all.

[hchollym]

Hello! So, this might seem like a weird ask. The whole thing is based on the canon world, that is wizards and stuff. Everything that's going on in the books is still happening! I just don't want you to confuse this with a Muggle/No magic AU.

My question is, if Percy—for some random reason please suspend your disbelief here—decided to become an EMT in the muggle world (without using magic that is), how would his family react to it?

Again, the things that happen in the books are still happening, the only thing is that Percy's decided to go into muggle EMT instead of the Ministry.

Like, would they be kinda mad because Percy is putting muggle stuff/outside stuff over the war they're fighting?

Or would they be much more understanding? Maybe think Percy's cooler? Ngl, I'm asking you this for the sake of my daydreams.

Sorry for taking so long to respond! 🙁

Oh wow! That is a very unique idea/question! 😄

Do you mean that Percy became an EMT right after Hogwarts (instead of working for Barty Crouch)?

That would be super interesting!

Hmm... 🤔 You know, I surprisingly don't think most of them would react badly.

Arthur

Arthur is obsessed with muggles. However, he does not seem to see them as equals. In his mind, muggles are poor fools that need to be protected. It's less like fighting for racial equality and more like people fighting for animal rights.

In Book 2, he states:

“Just Muggle-baiting,” sighed Mr. Weasley. “Sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it.. Of course, it’s very hard to convict anyone because no Muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking — they’ll insist they just keep losing it. Bless them, they’ll go to any lengths to ignore magic, even if it’s staring them in the face…"

Then in Book 4, when Fred gives Dudley Ton-Tongue Toffee, he says:

“It isn’t funny!” Mr. Weasley shouted. “That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard–Muggle relations! I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons —”

So he probably doesn't think Percy is making a good decision to actually work in the muggle world, but I don't think he gets too upset about it either. If anything, he may see this as an opportunity for him to learn more about a topic that he clearly enjoys, and it could potentially help his cause by having proof (from Percy's testimony) that muggles deserve to be treated fairly.

Molly

I definitely think Molly reacts the worst out of everyone. She doesn't hate muggles, but she certainly isn't overly fond of them either.

She definitely dislikes Arthur's obsession with them (though in her defense, that probably has more to do with him wasting money on it/focusing on it instead of helping her with the kids/house).

In Book 4, Arthur says,

“Ah yes, I can see the plugs. I collect plugs,” he added to Uncle Vernon. “And batteries. Got a very large collection of batteries. My wife thinks I’m mad, but there you are.”

Also, what's even more telling is that in Book 1, when the Weasleys are at King's Cross Station, Harry overhears her say:

"-- packed with Muggles, of course --"

I know that JKR included this line so that Harry could identify another wizarding family, but she should have used something else (like Platform 9 ¾) instead, because they are literally in a muggle train station, so the comment seems unnecessary and rude. Think about if you went to Chinatown and said "packed with Chinese people, of course."

Plus, Molly wants all of her children to work at the Ministry of Magic. This is a comment in Book 4 (about the twins):

“And then there was this big row,” Ginny said, “because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic like Dad, and they told her all they want to do is open a joke shop.”

This is the same instance where she literally burned all of their order forms. She seems to have (sort of) accepted Bill & Charlie's choices, as well as Fred & George's joke shop (after they make a lot of money), but Percy is the child that she expected to go into the Ministry the most.

There would definitely be a massive row with her.

Fred & George

They likely wouldn't care much, because they clearly don't mind muggles either. In Book 4, after they gave Dudley the Ton-Tongue Toffee and Arthur yells at them, they say:

“We didn’t give it to him because he’s a Muggle!” said Fred indignantly. “No, we gave it to him because he’s a great bullying git,” said George. “Isn’t he, Harry?”

If anything, I think they love that Percy is now the family "disappointment" because they've spent so long getting yelled at by Molly that this is a nice change of pace. Plus, it takes the pressure off them. Even if they open a joke shop in the wizarding world, Molly still won't be as angry with them as she is with Percy.

Suddenly "Perfect Percy" isn't so perfect anymore, and it probably (ironically) improves their relationship.

Bill, Charlie, Ron, & Ginny

They are probably all rather incredulous about the entire thing and think Percy is mental for not wanting to work in the wizarding world (and Hermione encourages this idea because she clearly wants nothing to do with the muggle world anymore), but I really don't think they treat him badly over it.

They probably just think he's finally cracked under all the pressure he puts on himself, and if this gets him to loosen up, then it's not all bad.

I do think Charlie & Ginny would find it a little cool though, and they're both more likely to actually talk to Percy about his new life, whereas Bill & Ron will probably avoid the topic altogether.

Other Thoughts

One of the most interesting parts about this AU is that is has the potential to drastically change the story. If Percy doesn't work for Barty Crouch, then chances are, whoever is in his position doesn't do as good of a job running the department on their own, so people figure out something is wrong with Mr. Crouch much sooner.

Once that happens, they (i.e. Dumbledore) may very well be able to put the pieces together about Barty Crouch Jr., and then his plan fails, Harry never goes to the graveyard, Cedric never dies, and Voldemort never officially returns in a body. So is the war even going on anymore? Possibly not for a few more years while Voldemort tries to capture Harry!

Even if the war continues in the exact same way as canon, I think Percy's job in the muggle world could actually be beneficial. He could be there to prevent some of the damage & protect the muggles, and he could help muggleborns & their families escape through the muggle world in a way that wouldn't be traced back to them.

There's a lot of potential there for a great fanfic! 😉

Thanks for the ask! 😊

[queen-mihai]

Ok I'm developing a theory.

Let me say this first: I don't care if it's true or not. I think it's fun and I'm going to choose to believe it's true even if the writers literally come out and say it's not. It's that good.

Valerie is V

In the movie "V for Vendetta", V is explicitly never identified. We obviously see that he is a man. He has heightened basic kinesthesia, awareness, strength, and reflexes. He's got a deep voice, is reasonably tall, and thin.

Those are all things we know.

He never takes off the mask in any way we can see. If the hair is a wig, it's DAMN solid on his head, and he's got severe burns over so much of his body that he no longer has eyes.

"He looked at me, but not with eyes, there were no eyes"

Now for some evidence:

V is very obviously a thespian. Sure, we could assume the "man" was one as well, but we actually have backstory behind Valerie that would perfectly set her up with the type of knowledge V seems to have in the arts. Especially when she says "I'd always known what I wanted to do with my life"

When Valerie is taken, she already has the same look on her face as Evey has when she said "I'd rather die behind the chemical sheds"

V is very in tune with emotions. Obviously men can be in tune with their emotions. But Hollywood generally plays to a low common denominator. Why include this personality detail when all he needs to do is kick butt? If we are doing stereotypes 👇 this scene plays fairly heavily against the "male" stereotype when V perfectly times the moment where it will be okay to reach for Evey, let alone knowing when it's okay to touch her

Valerie falls in love fast. That's practically a personality trait we're shown in the story. With Sarah "it was her wrists". With Ruth, "the first time we kissed, I knew I never wanted to kiss any lips but hers again. This matters because when V says "I fell in love with you Evie" He mentions that he had thought of nothing but revenge until he saw her. That sounds an awful lot like something Valerie would do IMO

"This is the most important moment of your life, commit to it" spoken like someone who has lived that *exact* experience to the letter. You might think if he was a man when this happened to him, his experience might have looked *a little* different. If it was Valerie, though, it would make sense that she knows exactly when everything is falling into place because that's when it happened for her.

The anger she had over Ruth being taken fits V's actions far more closely than anything we get from our mystery man. Yes, he was tortured, but so was everyone else.

Writers love these kind of Easter eggs. Come on, room V, Valerie, V,...geezus "V" could have been the nickname she got from Ruth when they were together.

"I fell in love with you Evey. Like I never thought I could anymore" fits SO much better if Valerie just didn't know she could love again after Ruth was gone. That hits SO much harder if she's a woman from whom love was taken away and who went on a murderous revenge spree.

This was written by the Wachowski sisters. They would know what transitioning does to a person. If the "virus" was some sort of super-soldier serum, we could assume that some part of that serum might have included heavy doses of testosterone, which would have deepened her voice, even down to the level we hear in the movie.

If V was forcefully transitioned, it would stand to reason he'd want to hide his face (her face?) And would say things like "There is a face behind this mask, but it is not me"

Valerie might well have known how to create masks and such

The damn Scarlett Carson roses! They make SO MUCH more sense when you consider Valerie would have already known how to take care of them before she got taken, (and maybe even knew where to find a stash of seeds?) rather than some guy randomly found out about them and then learned how to keep them

If she indeed got cast for major motion pictures, and gotten paid well for them, that might explain the VAST resources V has at his disposal in order to pull off his schemes

👇 This right here👇

Soooo many similarities

"I had only told them the truth"

"I told you, only truth"

There's so many scenes that VERY MUCH make V look feminine

Ugh, there's so much more

There's SO MUCH MORE

But I'm dead tired right now and I want to post this now while I'm still excited about it and I'll have to write an update about it later if people want to hear more.

Heck... one very personal but deeply powerful concept about this movie for me is that I have shaped some parts of my personality around V's character. His intelligence. His ability to be both a monster and a face of kindness, his love for the arts and passion in keeping up his skills. I was surprised as heck when I found out his favorite movie is "The Count of Monte Cristo" because before I found "V for Vendetta", that was already MY favorite movie (the 2002 version though)

I don't see there being any fewer similarities after transitioning and I found this movie LONG before I thought any part of me was feminine

If MatPat ends up stealing this idea for a video, my name on here (Ce'irth) is pronounced like "surf"

OK see you later

[clementine-side-blog]

Edward Nashton Headcanons (SFW)

Summary: My personal headcanons for Edward Nashton. Again, these are MY personal headcanons and I use them for when I write about him. So, yeah. I can't believe I'm just now writing headcanons for this guy. This is long overdue.

(Read Below For Headcanons)

Personality:

I fully believe that he has autism, like you cannot change my mind. Plus, it's canon that the Riddler has autism! In my opinion, he has the "I'm a genius" autism, but also the "watching documentaries about WWII at 2 AM" kind of autism as well.

Overall, he's a pretty reserved guy. It takes a while for him to come out of his shell. He's shy, timid, nerdy, and a little awkward. He does NOT know how to talk to people, especially people he finds attractive.

Once you get to know him though, and become friends, he's a very friendly man. He's super caring, a good listener, and has a great sense of humor.

He's a fucking super genius. It's canon in the DC Universe that his IQ is 190. This man is so fucking smart and he basically knows everything about everything.

When he has a crush on someone (obviously you), he CANNOT get them out of his head. He quite literally becomes obsessed and, might I add, a bit possessive.

He has trauma from living at the orphanage. The reason this goes under the "personality" category, is because it shaped who he was as a person. Let me explain...

Egotistical/Arrogant: Edward was a very bright kid, but no one ever recognized him for it. Because of this, he grew up to think highly of himself, as no one else did. Edward thinks, no, he knows that he's the smartest man in Gotham. This can lead to him making others feel small/dumb, but it's never his intention.

Protective: Since he never felt protected or loved growing up, he strives to make his partner feel like that. He wants to shower them with the love, affection, and praise that he never got. As your boyfriend, and best friend, he wants nothing more than to love you unconditionally. This also means that he spoils you SO MUCH, like so fucking much.

Hobbies:

Obviously, the number one is solving puzzles. Riddles, crosswords, sudokus, etc. If it's a puzzle, he'll solve it.

When he's bored, or if he's just relaxing (like watching a movie), he'll sometimes play with a Rubik's cube. His fastest record for solving a Rubik's cube was around 6 seconds.

He loves reading. As a kid, that was basically all he did. He reads basically every genre (barely any romance though). Edward loves to go to a bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and just hang out.

Surprisingly, he's a very good cook. He always makes really good food, and sometimes uses some herbs/spices that he grows out on the fire escape outside his living room window.

He's a Twitch streamer! Can't change my mind about that. He's got a cool setup in his bedroom that is decorated very nicely. He'll watch documentaries, true crime stuff, play video games, etc. Since he's a forensic accountant (and had to learn about forensics in general), he'll explain and go into depth about certain things in crime. It's actually very educational, but he makes it fun as well!

Bro LOVES video games. He plays basically all of them. He loves Resident Evil games, Silent Hill, Horizon Zero Dawn, Minecraft (he has tried to build all of Gotham in minecraft), Fallout, Half-Life, Outlast, and basically any other shit you can think of.

His music taste consists of basically everything except country music. He LOVES metal/rock music. Here are some of his favorite bands...

Weezer; ICP; Green Day; blink-182, Gorillaz; Slipknot; Korn; I Monster; Megadeth; System Of A Down; Nirvana; Radiohead; and Foo Fighters. He also likes classical music and operas.

Random:

In the orphanage, he read lots of books, and some of those were about different languages. He basically taught himself...like...a bunch of different languages just for fun. A few of his favorite languages to learn were French, Spanish, and even Korean. He also knows a handful of Latin, though it's not really a language people speak anymore. He just likes to brag about how he knows Latin and most people don't, lol.

He likes his apartment and everything he owns to be clean, and sometimes he'll get random bursts of energy and deep clean his entire apartment.

He has a diary :)

Favorite color is green, obviously, but purple is a close second.

He has sensory issues. He hates the feeling of fleece especially.

Edward is queer. It's that simple. He doesn't like a specific gender, he doesn't dislike a specific gender, he just likes who he likes! :)

One of his favorite shows ever is Breaking Bad.

One of his favorite movies ever is American Psycho. He read the book too. Edward knows that it's a satire, don't worry, he doesn't relate to Patrick Bateman at all. He just thinks the movie is funny and loves how it shows how ridiculous "metrosexual" men are.

He can do a great impression of Patrick Bateman, including the facial expressions.

He also loves Fight Club, because cmon its a classic and its so fucking good. Also, he thinks Brad Pitt is hot in the movie...

Knows how to play guitar very well!

His hair is a little shaggy (imagine young Paul Dano, like when he was 20ish)

[bearpillowmonster]

I've heard all kinds of things about this show but it was one of those adult shows on late night as a kid so I kind of just passed by it and the concept of a show that moves in real time is cool and all but it'd take impeccable writing to pull off. I'm sure everyone's asked the question about how someone got from point A to point B so quick but it's something you learn to hurdle over, there are a lot of things involved to warrant a minor time skip.

As far as how it's aged, well, I'm streaming it so it doesn't have the commercials which are included in the timer, which would've made you feel immersed like it's a live tv show. Also, I have a pause button, but other than that, it's considered an hour a piece and there's twenty four episodes hence "24".

I went in knowing nothing about the actual plot, just that I've heard it to be satisfying from beginning to end and I know Kiefer Sutherland from Metal Gear so any excuse to hear that voice. It did actually have a few moments like that too, him sneaking and hiding behind something and shooting his gun around the corner and all. My favorite part of the series might actually be the one where he's in between the panes of glass relatively early on. It's like Die Hard the tv show.

Now some characters have better stories than others, the wife for example, Teri, they introduce her as the mom that the daughter doesn't like but you're not sure why, maybe she just works a lot. Then you start to see as she breaks into her daughter's laptop, complains about Jack not being around whenever he's getting shot at. I could see if it was played off as if she doesn't know what kind of work he does but obviously she does because she has Jack use his government powers (and his friends) in order to do her personal bidding, now does it pay off? Yes, but she doesn't know that. She's not the only one either but I digress.

The Senator is used to kind of show that his life mirrors Jack's, giving similar situations but the opposite outcome and it shows what lines they're willing to cross and not cross given similar opportunities. (Also, black president, before Obama) But because it's 24 hours, it can get kind of slow because there's always an impending threat but it gets super involved with everything else going on and you wanna line the pieces up but ultimately, sometimes it feels like they spend way too much time before the actual threat even gets anywhere, it's all side-work. And these people don't sleep.

Every now and then, they try to throw you a bone and give you a time window "ten minutes from now, your car will arrive." "I'll finish decoding this in twenty minutes." "At 10:45, I'll call." and sometimes they're right if you time it, it at least tells you that hey, there's this much runtime left, it'll be in this episode. Engaging if you're looking at the clock. Wait, does that mean that every week the show was on at a different hour and was this successful? But wait, what about time zones? Reruns? I'm not sure how it all worked and it's hard to find evidence.

It almost seemed like they were grasping at straws at a certain point to reach all 24 episodes AND be in 24 hours so Kim gets kidnapped…again and Jack ends up being blackmailed…again. Almost like they were responding to criticisms from previous episodes because people weave in and out like they were paid on an episode by episode basis. But this is just one season and it took almost a year to film.

Then somewhere, out of the blue, they give you the most crazy twist at the end of episode 23. It doesn't even make any sense, it wasn't like some ah-ha moment where the pieces fell into place and you could go back and see how they did it, no, because there's so much evidence the other way that it seems impossible. If they knew this person was involved, why did they try to kill them? Why did they help at all these turns and get in the way at points?

Before that, I wasn't too sure how this season would be followed up given that it at least concludes what we have and that one thing just left a bunch of unanswered questions. I'm a little half and half with it overall, some of what it had I really liked, but some isn't that good. I'll probably watch S2 at some point though.

NOW! I mentioned Teri and she's just a special kind of character that I found myself making fun of for a majority of it but I wrote so much that I wanted to keep it in the same post but not muddy up the rest of my thoughts so FULL ON SPOILERS from here folks.

Episode 9 is full of real a-holery, like the writing is just wrong as far as it goes. Teri…lets herself get "r'ed" to protect the daughter from also getting "r'ed"?? Then she digs up old dirt on the people who just rescued her and still tries to get Jack's attention while he's being questioned for saving their lives? Needy much?

Teri actually ends up scarred by this event, which is understandable, her daughter goes missing, she gets…r….she has to shoot a man, she gets questioned, she learns she's pregnant, all in 24 hours but there are points where they hint at this affecting her where it just comes off as cheesy, she'll just stare blankly or forget and they're like "c'mon, remember!" it's not like a sad moment or anything, it's a time of need and it hinders her ability to function. But she shuts down to the point where her daughter is calling her and she doesn't even answer, staring into nothing, can't answer for anything but once there's an attack, she kicks it into high gear and does a whole chase sequence.

Ok, fight or flight, she finally learned. And all these complaints that I've had with her, while I haven't been her biggest fan, while I haven't liked how they wrote her segments, I can commend them for one thing- they were committed. Whatever came next was so much apart of her character that I never would've even crossed that road. She goes through the chase, pulls off behind some bushes and lets the dude pass, she GETS OUT OF THE CAR to go check to see if he's still following. You know- the guy- trying to kill her- will run her over the first chance he gets and she'll be helpless to stop it. Apparently she already thought of that though and told Kim to stay in the car. Well, she for some reason, cornered her car so far off the edge so that there was no chance to get away (let alone quickly having her gotten out) that it tips over and falls off the mountain and exploding with Kim in it. Talk about leaving a wake of destruction in your path…so that makes her pass out. On point for her character thus far. She wakes up and doesn't know where or who she is, she forgot EVERYTHING. Absolutely committed to this path, she is a force to be reckoned with.

And you think she's bad? Just wait until you get a load of Sherri (get it? rhymes with Teri), she's- I'm not even going to talk about her. Like I said, two sides of the same coin but somehow, she's more evil.

[lollytea]

well lolly , since theres only six days left can we get some super wrong or super right predictions from you?

I'm a little late (4 days now!!) Anyways I'm not good at predictions. Here's some silly little wishes instead. I know I'm not getting any of this but I can dream. (Most of these copy n pasted directly from discord.)

- Gus casting a huge terrifying illusion around everything as he gives Belos one long "reason you need to repent for your sins" speech. He walks towards him, shifting into all the people he's hurt over the centuries. Then he turns into Evelyn, then Caleb. I want Gus to be Belos' worst nightmare basically.

- I've seen takes that Gus being the key against Belos and all the grimwalker lore wouldn't fit and has nothing to do with his arc and it shouldn't be his responsibility. But like

Gus has spent his whole life being deceived for being trusting and gullible. Gus going up against a man who has built his life on lies and deception. Oh it would fuck. And all the similarities between Gus and the Collector. Like this part of the story is practically tailored for Gus to slip into. If you know how to write it. And I just hope they know how to write it

Ohhhhh I know Gus already loathes Belos as much as anybody but ohhhhh. He learns the Collector lore and then turns to Belos, eyes glowing like "You lied to him. You said you were his friend but you lied to him."

- I'm not an Amity Blight expert so I'm probably far off. But I've been thinking about it. I'm wondering if maybe her puppetification is JUST her, rather than it being all of the kids. And maybe Odalia is directly responsible.

And considering Amity is overdue for her ✨️Moment✨️ I'm wondering if this might be it. There's a running theme in the owl house when it comes to puppets and puppet masters, and this is directly linked to the characters who suffered abuse and manipulation at the hands of their parental figures.

Hunter got his puppet moment in TTT. Maybe Amity gets something similar in WAD. I know she's HAD her big important moment of establishing her autonomy in EE and then again in COTH. But maybe its one final nod to it. I also find it interesting that in spite of being puppetfied her hand is moving. Like to symbolise this defiance and stubbornness to comply with what Odalia has demanded of her ever since EE

- I've been mostly thinking about the potential scenario of Belos!Luz and GG!Hunter from Luz's POV. Cuz idek if we're getting the actual Hunter or a dream version of Hunter.

But like. It's FUCKED. Because Belos was Hunter's blood relation. He was his family. A terrible twisted version of a family but the only kind Hunter knew.

And then came Luz, who reinvented the meaning of family for him. She confided in him, she trusted him, she loved him. She made that boy her family because she adored him.

So THIS is deranged. Its warping the relationship they've built together into this depraved disturbing thing. The merger of these two family dynamics into one sickening thing. Like Luz was his shelter. But now she's become the exact thing he was running from.

Having Hunter look at her with blatant fear, shrinking himself so he stands beneath her, the horrible emotions that must make her feel. Oh I HATE THIS!!!

And even getting this miniscule comfort of Hunter ripped away from her. Like he was her PERSON. The only one who was aware of the horrible things she's done and she doesn't feel judged by, for several months. Like if all else failed, at least Hunter didn't hate her.

And now THIS scenario which is like "maybe....maybe he should be the one to hate you the most."

- Want a scene where Willow and Hunter gotta split up and there's some kind of antagonist pursuing them. They've only got a moment of peace before it reaches them. And Willow's like "You go ahead. I'll hold them off." (Like she did in LR) and Hunter doesn't want to leave her. But the circumstances are dire and he knows he has to and he KNOWS she'll keep herself alive. But he still worries. So they promise each other that they'll stay safe and Willow turns her back to him after that, preparing herself for a fight and expecting him to hurry off now. But he doesn't. He lingers there for an extra moment, wanting to tell her something but unable to put it into words. Then he zaps himself to her side, hastily smooches her cheek and zaps away before she can recover from her shock.

And then Willow is just. Left there. Stunned. Staring blankly at the space where he once was. And then a smile cracks her mouth wide open. Whatever she's fighting catches up to her and Willow can only cackle giddily, her engine all revved up, and she's all like LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO

Willow gets one teeny tiny little smooch by Hunter and it makes her go all "I AM POWERFUL AND I WILL NEVER DIE!!!!!!!"

- Actually overall I believe in a Willow and Hunter comic relief. I think Gus and Amity are both having special spotlight in this episode. And Luz will finally reunite with Eda and King. And idk WHERE the fuck Camila is (smooching puppet Darius or smth). But ya Willow and Hunter are gonn be so cringe.

- Evelyn Clawthorne voice reveal and Irish accent.

- Belos dies an excruciatingly painful death

- Hunter Noceda

- If there is not a big dramatic scene dedicated to Willow and Gus reuniting with their dads I am fucking killing somebody.

[twilightarc-gm]

💥👓💛👻

😍 Specs!! Hi!! I see you with these questions 🕵️‍♂️

From this Ask Game: Here

💥 What is one canon thing that you wish you could change? (MDZS) YOU KNOW ME!!! But instead of the super obvious answer about the romantic subplot or whatever, I gotta say like, I really don't think JYL had to literally die for WWX's man-pain. Would the Present Timeline story be drastically different? Yeah, but I think it would have been better. I think it would have forced WWX to confront and resolve his past in more satisfying ways even if MXTX still makes him break off everything with JC-JYL-YMJ. Hottake, but I think it's spicier if he keeps trying to leave everything in the past but his mistakes are still alive and would like a real apology. With JC there's the whole transfer thing, mucking up who might need to apologize to whom, but with JYL it's very clear and very devastating. Where is all the angst this story could have given me?? No, I'm not going to rewrite MDZS about it 😩 I'm just going to suffer in my Yunmeng Trio feels.

👓 What helps you focus when you write? You're going to use this against me, I know it. I'm gonna be like, "Specs I can't focus." And you're going to go, "Well YOU said this helps you focus so are you doing it???" And I'll be like... "🥺" Not to be all aging-Millennial on main or anything but a shot of hard liquor, wordless music, a clear idea of a scene, and someone waiting to read what I wrote. It's a hard combo to achieve, let's be real. I have written 5k at a time with that combo though, so it's a big winner. @robinade knows nothing motivates me more than someone on discord going 👐🙏. And then I feed them the snippet and then they grade me with emotes. I'm very rewards based, who isn't? They tell you to write for yourself first, but it's always nice if I have an end goal of entertaining someone else as well, otherwise the ideas just stay in my head la-di-da style.

💛 What is the most impactful lesson you’ve learned about writing? I got nothing inspirational to say here. I think a game changer for me was doing this thing with "scenes" but like... as a roadmap. So what I do now that helps me figure out what to write is listing off all the scenes I want to write and a little blurb about those scenes (or a lot of blurb depending on how specific I have it in my mind). It's like an outline, but not very high level. Anyone that reads my stuff lately can see I label my scenes with section titles and that's from this process. It sort of fills in the for the writing advice about how, when you get to the end of one scene, make sure to write the first sentence of the next so you don't get stuck on how to start a scene when you get back to it. This format is really working for me and it's not as cumbersome as an outline (even though for big fics I have those too).

👻 What is your wildest headcanon? HOOOO it's really hard to have a "wild" headcanon in this fandom (MDZS) without someone taking the biggest offense to it. And honestly the word "wild" is doing a lot of work here, it can mean anything. So basically I have a lot headcanons but what's wild enough for this question??? BAM!! JGS uses women as human cauldrons to further his cultivation. And JGY used that knowledge to kill him.

🧡 😎 Alrighty, I think my work here is done. 🌹 🎩

[sepyana]

Noir 2001 Ep. 1-10 Thoughts

I really love her France Shirt dhshbd

I figured stopping at Chloe's introduction would be the best idea. From what I know this should be when the main plot picks up.

First, the bad:

The first episode was really jarring to watch. The cuts were awkward, the music was too loud at parts and certain scenes dragged out for too long. Maybe this is just me, but I didn't realize the music was coming from the watch until the end of the episode, which made things really confusing.

From then onwards isn't like this. Maybe I just got used to it, but the cuts didn't feel jarring and the flow between scenes was smooth enough.

There is a lot of reused animation, which is fine for the most part. It's not as elegant about it as shows like Utena but it's not a big deal.

What annoys me is sometimes the plot will screech to a halt to show you a falshback you have already seen before. Personally, I'm fine if a conversation is just one still frame or made of reused animation. The flashbacks and the occasional training is clearly there for budget reasons and nothing else. That's why it takes me out of the story sometimes.

Kirika and Mireille don't have much going on. They are pretty bland which makes it hard to care for them. The "I will kill you when this is over." thing is the most interesting bit. There is still plenty of time to develop them so I'm not that bothered about it.

The show feels rather empty at times, if that's the word. It feels like onthing is happening. For example: the information we get about the main mystery is not enough to make any conclusions or draw connections, so whenever a new development happens I can only think "Oh, we learned this now". We don't learn anything about what our protagonists are like either. The quiet moments are great for that, but I still feel like I know nothing about them.

I don't mind the censorship but it can be really funny sometimes. Kirika will get hit but her arm will look completely fine, making it impossible to tell how bad she was hurt until she reacts.

When I started episode 7 I genuinely though I skipped an episode. They don't make it even slightly obvious that a time skip happened.

This one is really stupid: I can't seperate Mireille from Misato in my mind. I'm sure Noir fans are annoyed by the comparison by this point but I'm really trying guys (ﾉД`)

Okay,, we can get to the good stuff now:

The atmosphere is great. The backgeound art is lovely and complements the animation well. They definitely achieved the aesthetic they were going for.

The soundtrack is pretty nice. Again, adds to the atmosphere.

Kirika especially can be super clever, making the fights fun to watch (only about 50% of the time though)

The composition of the shots draw your eye to the focus well. It's a good way to make shots interesting with a small budget.

It's fantastically homosexual, while also not being about romance at all. All the notable characters are women. That might add to the yuri vibes I guess.

I liked Silvana. She is one of the few side characters that have anything going on. Her relationship to Mireille is intriguing to me, they have met only once. But it's clear their one interaction has left a big inpression on not only Mireille but also her, especially since they were kids at the time. Her pulling out a knife and cutting the crown off of Mireille when she says she is scared tells us everything we need to know about her.

There is also something to be said about the crowns. Mireille's innocence being destroyed by Silvana. It's important to Silvana that she has control, removing the crown she gave to Mireille is a way fot her to feel superior, I guess. Even at a small age.

Mireille is still scared in their final confrontation, but she fights anyway.

I am very interested in Chloe because clearly, the two maidens who gover death are suppose to be Kirika and Mireille. However, she is insist she is Noir. I imagine things will go south when she realises that's not the case. (I doubt it's the case). The woman we see is most likely using her and Chloe is dependent on her validation. That's what I am guessing.

[edge-oftheworld]

no but i can't get over how actually well done the last few days were. announce a surprise and not 48 hours later we find out that 1) tour movie, the same thing taylor swift did a few months ago and now everyone wants plus we know it's a show they worked super hard on, 2) it's free, excellent for anyone who couldn't afford to go etc (we've all been there) and out literally right now on a (mostly) free platform (the very same one that they got started on but anyway) and perhaps most notably, 3) it's free with the hopes that you might instead of paying for it donate to gaza, and the links are right there.

like they could've charged us $20 each for the show and sent all their profits there themselves (with the hope that we believe they're being honest that it's 100%, for them of course we would but i know others have lied about similar). but instead they gave us autonomy over our donation just like. encouraged it. like cmon who wouldn't listen when ashton tells us to donate to something if we can? (also did anyone else say so, i'm not the best at keeping up with social media so lmk if there's more of them to give credit to here). anyway we gotta talk about it more. how perfectly this was done: we get a gift!! be it for christmas if you celebrate or just in general, that we expected we'd have to pay for. now we get asked, hey, if you have any money could you send it to these people who Really Need It So Badly if you can? I know not all of you do so we won't stop you from watching the movie if you don't but

also this is a really clever way to show their support for gaza. like they are (deliberately i think) trying not to be leaders in an area that they aren't experts in, and there has been a lot of misinformation around, a lot of misunderstanding, like yes they did stand up for ukraine last year but the media was a lot more black and white for that one (or should i say blue and yellow) but when it comes down to it they're not stupid and they're not fooled by whatever the country they currently live in is pushing and they've actually taken their time to not say shit to save face prematurely but actually do something that's, even if not big or dramatic, gonna be impactful? they've not put themselves out there campaigning for a ceasefire, yes, but they've posted links that are. they've not guilted us into donating but please tell me you're not at least feeling some obligation to. it's simple, it's actionable, it's right there in the caption and takes like 20 seconds. and if any of us in the fandom (global family or whatever they're building) are leading in the ceasefire decolonisation space we have our little encouragement to see that yes, these musicians we love aren't gonna sit there and do nothing. it's not monumental, but it's something.

and tbh i wouldn't be surprised if this was all planned like a week ago in a zoom call between australia and the usa when ryan texted to say that the film was done. like it was in their random spontanous lightheated style. i also think we can learn something from the fact that it's okay to not jump on everything the minute it comes out but actually every lasting impact is a long-haul effort that you've gotta sustain yourself for by doing what you love as well. and also sometimes the right opportunity to do something about what we care about comes and you just take it, don't think too hard, don't wait either if you don't need to, if there is a cause that needs your effort whenever you get an opportunity to give it will always be the right time. hopefully they've set a precedent for something--i have no idea if any artist has done similar but i'm really proud of them.

and that's why i don't get the fact that we've been talking about how horrific this genocide is and then going right to which songs they cut or kept. like i would like a live version of you don't go to parties! but i would like an entire fandom to donate to aid for gaza even more and be thinking about why we need a ceasefire and maybe doing something about it even more. i've been unwell yes and under financial and other stress yes but i'm not starving or freezing to death and so i'll take that L and i won't go home. i won't stop talking about what's important. i'm starting to find my voice again and this has been a big inspiration for it between all the discouragement.

have we not figured it out? they're not just dumbasses sometimes they do something towards a cause we really care about so let's give them credit for that. heck they even filmed bad omens in ukraine in 2022 have we forgotten about that? they don't put themselves out there as influential figures in any way but that's sometimes the best way to humanise the people we care about (and i think honestly they just do this naturally because when you're not chasing clout and you're trained to recognise talent and potential talent in even the worst situations, you'll automatically think like that). it's small in the face of everything going on, yes. so am i! and if i learned anything over the last 24 hours it's that small things can be meaningful. this has been to me and i don't doubt to the recipients of the donations of (i hope) an entire fandom.

(also if you don't mind the tag @littledrummerangie i know you were talking along a similar vein a few weeks back and i'm keen to hear if you want to, if you found this as satisfying as me)

[cricket-reader]

Stowaway

Masterlist | A03 | Wattpad | Recommendations | Inbox

Summary: Bucky takes home a woman he found whilst out on a mission. Quickly he learns that it might have been too rash of a decision to make.

Warnings: language, past abuse/torture, murder, antisocial Bucky, Bucky (he’s trying though), conditioned whumpee, injuries, self harm

Word Count: 4,166

Prompt: (past) Captivity, creepy captor, conditioning, pet whump

A/N: day 2 of March Trope-A-Thon by @amonthofwhump Also, it’s more of a past experience, so Bucky isn’t the bad guy.

Bucky had to hide her somehow. He had acted on an impulse, and he tried to help. He did help. But if he didn’t hide the woman he had just dragged to the compound right now, he would be in so much trouble. More trouble than he already was in for his past crimes as the Winter Soldier. They’d probably think that he had kidnapped her. In hindsight, he basically did, but it was for her own good!

He walked into the hallway silently. The team didn't go into his room so, at least for now, he would hide the woman there.

The hallway was empty and silent. The team was elsewhere; he made sure to ask Friday before even stepping foot in the building.

The woman behind him was trembling and terrified. After everything, it would be strange if she wasn't. She had just seen her “owner” die, and had been dragged away by the very man who killed him.

Bucky would deal with the woman’s fear later, he just had to get into his room.

They went up the stairs and entered a big room, big enough to fit a small apartment building in it. Bucky closed the door behind him, letting out a sigh of relief.

“So…” He started, but the woman fell to her knees before he could say anything else.

He thought back. The job he was assigned was a simple “clean up”. Some people were doing some super shady shit. He just had to collect some documents and arrest some people.

Not only had he killed the leader, who was supposed to be taken alive, but he had also taken the target’s “pet” back with him.

Steve wouldn't be very happy about that. Not at all. He didn’t even want to think about what Tony would say.

He had killed the leader because of the woman. The whole thing had really angered him. How could they do something like this? With an innocent person? It honestly had hit a little too close to home. Being treated like a worthless mutt. He couldn’t handle seeing someone else subjected to such torture and humiliation.

Bucky sighed and the woman flinched. Looking at the trembling shape kneeling in front of him, he knew that nothing he could say now would calm the woman down. She sees him as the monster he is. The horrible Winter Soldier. He hadn't much time right at the moment to ease her mind so, for that night, treating any injuries would be enough.

He came out of the bathroom after bathing the woman and treating her injuries. The sight was a lot to take in; whipping marks, bruises, open cuts, broken bones, old and new scars. How much had this woman suffered? It made his stomach churn.

“Come here,” Bucky quietly murmured, trying not to make it sound like an order. The woman obeyed immediately, even if she was clearly frightened.

“You can sleep on my bed tonight, I will be out for the whole night anyway.”

The woman looked up at him confused as if trying to find a trap.

"Look, I meant it. You should sleep on the bed, rest well, tomorrow we’ll talk more," Bucky asserted, going towards the door.

"Oh right," he turned back at the woman, who curled up on herself, "as I said, I will be out the whole night, but there are other people living here, so for now don't leave the room or make loud noises, okay?"

She obediently nodded her head, still not making a sound.

Bucky got out of the room and took a deep breath. The whole situation would be difficult. He didn’t even know how to help, and if the—no—when the others found out, what would be their reaction? Steve did have a huge soft spot for him, but would he allow him to keep the woman there? If not, what would he do? He couldn’t just kick her to the curb. She deserved to be looked after.

He shook his head, making those thoughts fade. At that moment, he had to get the information he should've got from the leader. He did arrest some people so that would be a good place to start.

He felt like a child picking up a stray dog without their parents knowing. Bucky took another deep breath trying to take some energy in. He might have to pull at least two all-nighters to get the information they need, but that would be worth it, he would make it be worth it.

Everything had happened so fast, she was with Master—Former Master now—when she heard noises, shots, and screams. The people who worked with Former Master seemed frantic and scared.

Former Master closed himself in his room, but a man—her new master—broke in and… and... he looked so angry.

He shouted at her former master and shot him, not once, but five times. Why would he need so many shots?

The man then looked at her and said to follow him. She was so scared, but what else could she do? She had no choice but to obey.

Was that man her new master? She really hoped not; he was scary. He had a gun. He had murdered her master. He was angry and was taking her somewhere new.

What would her new master do to her? Was he going to hurt her? Why? Had she done something wrong? How could she have done something wrong when she had never even seen that man before? Was he going to hurt her because of her former master?

They got into a car, and to her surprise she wasn't put in the trunk or tied up and gagged.

Maybe it was a test to see if she would behave. And she would, she would do anything so Master didn’t need to hurt her.

It took a long time until they got to the large building, and it was huge. She hoped she wouldn't be expected to clean all of it alone. She would certainly try, of course, if Master ordered her to do so. But she wouldn't be able to do it all and would be harshly punished for it, she was sure of it.

New Master pressed his index finger to his lips, a signal for her to be quiet—even though she had tried so hard to not make a noise the whole time. Was she breathing too loud? She held her breath just to be sure.

She walked behind Master to a room. Master’s room was huge—bigger than her previous master’s room.

“So…” Master drawled off.

She suddenly realized she wasn’t on her knees yet, useless bitch. Her former master hurt her because she was useless. New Master would hurt her too, right? Of course, he would. She was useless. She had been noisy and not even knelt to show she knew her place. She was going to be in so much trouble.

When she was taken to the bathroom, her mind thought of all the things that New Master could do that would lead to pain.

Instead, Master gave her a bath and put medicine on her injuries. She wished to be allowed to talk so that she could beg Master to stop.

What will she have to do to earn all of this? Was Master trying to erase her old master’s marks? If so, would he create new marks over those?

She felt her heart crush in her chest. She can’t take any more.

Master said she could sleep on the bed. That he would be out the whole night, but she knew better. She wasn’t allowed on the bed, and she was afraid of what she would have to endure to earn it.

As for Master being out? That was what cameras were made for! Master always, always, knows.

Master also said to be quiet because there are more people in the house. Were there more masters? Would she have to serve more than one? Would she be able to? She swallowed hard at those thoughts.

Master had left, he wouldn't be back until morning.

When Master did come back, she would have to learn how to please her master again and would be punished for not knowing the rules again.

She wasn’t allowed to cry, she knew it, but she couldn't help it. Everything happened so fast. It was all so scary, and she just wanted to cry.

She hugged her knees in the corner of the big room and cried herself to sleep.

It was already past noon when Bucky came back, and he had yet to eat. That made him remember that the woman also hadn’t eaten anything. He cursed his self care habits that were now affecting someone that deserved to be cared for.

He brought a simple soup for her. He didn’t know what she had eaten or when, and soup would go easy in her stomach, at least he guessed so.

He knocked on the door before opening it in an attempt not to scare the woman—or not scare her too much, at least.

She was already kneeling when he entered, well, he was expecting this much. She was shivering like a leaf.

It felt so wrong.

Bucky wasn’t really in the mood to deal with the woman. He was hungry and tired. Fortunately, he did gather enough clues to proceed with the investigation, but it would take longer than expected. All he wanted was to rest right after eating. Plus, he still didn’t like being around people.

“You must be hungry, I brought some food for us,” Bucky uttered softly, focusing his remaining energy on looking harmless—which didn't seem to be working since the woman was still staring at the floor and didn’t respond in any way. “You are allowed to speak. Did you sleep well?”

“Y-yes master, than-thank you f-for your ki-kindness,” she whispered, even more scared than before.

Bucky regretted killing the man the way he did. He should have taken him away from this poor young woman's sight and crushed him until he became just a shell of himself, and only then killed him. There’s not much he could do now, though.

“That’s good,” He lied, looking at the untouched bed. “Look, I know it is hard to believe, and you don’t need to believe in me now, but I have to tell you anyway, I won’t hurt you, not now, and not in the future, keep that in mind, okay?”

The woman nodded. Of course, she didn’t believe it, though.

“Can you stop kneeling? Sit there, please.” Bucky pointed to a chair at the table where he usually had his meals, all that kneeling was really bothering him.

She looked at him as though he had two heads before looking at the chair. “M-master, on the-the chair?” She looked on the edge of a breakdown making him sigh. The woman flinched at the sound.

“It’s okay,” he assured her, making a mental note not to sigh anymore, “you can use the chair. We are going to eat, both of us, so we should sit properly, don’t you think?”

He smiled and tried to sound convincing but failed. He hadn’t really smiled since he got caught up with Hydra. He wasn’t even sure if he remembered how.

Bucky could hear her unregular deep breaths as she stood on shaking legs. She looked like a damn baby deer walking for the first time. Before sitting, the woman looked back at him as if to make sure that she wouldn’t be punished for something as simple as sitting in a damn chair.

The woman, Bucky thought, does she have a name? Probably not, but it would be better if he didn’t worry about it this instant. He didn’t even know what to do with her yet.

It took a long time trying to convince the woman to eat, and Bucky was getting impatient. Why is it so hard to make her do those simple things? He shook his head at those thoughts.

I’m just tired, he said to himself. She is just trying to not be punished. I would have done the same if I were in her position. Bucky took a deep breath and tried to not look more scary than necessary in front of the poor woman.

After finally convincing the woman that she was allowed to eat, they ate silently. The woman seemed even more anxious now that she was eating. Bucky didn’t have any idea why.

He tried to decide what to do. He could send the woman to a clinic or something, where she could get real help with someone who knew what to do. He didn’t know why he cared so much about her. It would be better to just send her away, so the woman could recover. Plus, if he slipped her out quick enough, the team would be none the wiser.

“I need to leave again. I will be back soon this time, okay?” Bucky said as soon as he finished the meal, and the woman nodded.

She took a shower and brushed her teeth like she had done every morning for four days.

They were harmless showers. Not the ones that were too hot or too cold like her old master’s. The thing that was even better? Showers alone, without Master with his hands and-

No! She was meant to please Master, and if Master wanted to… to touch her, Master would. No, not if—she reminded herself—when.

That was the reason she has been kept clean, wasn’t it? To look a bit less disgusting and dirty and broken.

She looked at her wounds. The green and yellow bruises, and cuts which had been taken care of for the past few days.

She was not clean. She was used. She was dirty.

New Master wanted her to be clean, so when she would be all healed up, Master would take her to the bedroom to fuck her until she would be a sobbing bad pet, begging for him to stop.

She wished she healed more slowly so it would take longer for her to need to pay for the kindness of getting her wounds tended to, and for wasting so much medicine and painkillers. She shouldn’t want anything but to please her master, but she desperately wanted more time until Master dragged her into his bed.

The pain brought her back to reality. She flinched, surprised. Her breath turned into panting until she realized the source of her pain; she had put her finger in a healing cut, opening it all over again.

Master would be angry. He spent money on ointment and bandages for his ungrateful pet, and his pet wasted it.

She looked at her hand, stained with her dirty lowly blood and… maybe, just maybe, if the wounds heal slower. Maybe… she could start to reopen the cuts. Maybe, she could hit the old bruises… Maybe…

She was being bad, she knew.

She would be punished when Master found out. Maybe he was watching her—even if she had searched for cameras and didn't find any—but even if she was punished for it, even if she was beaten raw, at least she would be too dirty for Master to take her to the bedroom.

She repeated it in her mind over and over because it hurt so much, but she had been in more pain before. She could take it. She could take it.

She put her clothes on in a hurry, wondering if she had spent too much time in the bathroom.

Once out, she knelt waiting for Master to come into his bedroom.

“Good Morning, Master,” she murmured when the man came into the room. She had learned that he wanted her to talk for some reason. He told her it was okay. That he wanted to hear her voice.

She briefly looked up at him. He was tall and strong. He could probably crush her like a measly little ant.

“Good Morning, doll,” Master greeted, with the same “ordering tone” that he always used, be it an order or not, reasserting who is at the top.

Doll.

Master liked to remind her that she was small and weak—as if she didn’t know it already. How she was nothing more but an object for him to use and play with whenever he pleased. She would prefer if Master cursed at her rather than always remind her of how worthless she was.

She stared at the man’s boots, big and heavy. It would be so, so easy to crush her bones or pin her down.

Master has done it, not to her but she knew Master did it to somebody else; sometimes his boots were bloody, an unspoken warning saying she isn’t the only pet Master has, showing a glimpse of what would happen to her if she steps out of the line.

She felt the wound that she had worsened earlier ache and hoped there truly were no cameras in the bathroom. Desperately hoping that Master wouldn’t find out.

“Let’s eat,” the Master ordered, smiling.

That was the other weird thing; food.

Three meals a day, every day. It’s not dog food. It’s actually human food. She eats sitting on the chair near Master.

She didn’t understand why she was being fed so well. She would probably be punished more for wasting his food, or maybe it was a short service where she would be healed and fed then fucked and beaten, then she would be thrown out or killed. Maybe soon her own blood would be on Master’s boot.

The mealtime was always overwhelming; she tried to eat, but she could feel Master’s gaze burning a hole through her, looking at her every move.

She probably let her thoughts show on her face because Master asked if she was okay, or if she was in pain anywhere. Master would ask her sometimes, and sometimes she almost believed Master was being sincere. She would believe it if Master at least hid the anger under his voice, but his voice was always angry.

“I’m fine, Master,” she mumbled, she trained to speak without stuttering, and the training was paying off.

“That’s great, doll,” Master smiled. “How are your wounds?”

She dryly swallowed. If he was going to check, he was going to be mad. She was wasting his medicine. She was being a bad pet.

“B-Better, Master,” she tried, stuttering a little.

“That’s good, tell me if anything bothers you, it is not good if you get hurt, is it?” Master questioned, probably because he knew. He saw right through her façade. He was threatening her.

“No, Master, I-I won’t get hurt,” her heart was racing, and she lowered her head to not show her face.

“Okay, tell Friday if you need anything, I will be in the common room,” Master said, and she nodded.

After Master left, she started to re-clean the room. She never left Master’s room. They were on the second floor, that was about the extent she knew. The room was too big for her. She wished she had a cage, a small and safe cage.

Master said she could clean it if she wanted—as if she was allowed to want anything—but even so, she liked to clean. It made her feel like maybe she wasn’t as worthless as she really was.

One thing she liked about the room was the big windows.

At first, she thought about escaping, but she had given it up quite quickly.

Even if there were no guards or dogs—even if all the doors were open and signaling the exit she couldn't leave.

Master had won because every time she would think about it, she remembered her old Master dying, and the blood on New Master’s boots.

She started to tremble and her breath went out of control.

She wouldn’t escape. She couldn’t escape. Master was right, she was just a little, worthless, and weak doll; a toy. A broken toy.

“Can I come in?” Bucky asked in a low voice. The question was somewhat foreign to him. He rarely invaded other people’s space, but he felt that was only fair to invade her space—seeing as it was actually his room.

“O-of course, m-master.” A faint voice answered, it was a beautiful voice, or it would be if used in a more brave tone.

Bucky entered the room, and the woman backed away. He wasn’t even sure how tall the woman was with her desperate attempts to look smaller and smaller.

The wounds on her arms were still visible as if they hadn't healed a bit, but maybe her metabolism is just slow? Or is that how normal people’s metabolism is?

She was trembling like always. When Bucky realized he was almost used to the trembling he forced himself not to think about it. Humans are adaptive beings; he knew this, he easily turned blind to all the violence and death around him, but he didn’t want to be blind when looking at the woman.

Of course, the young woman was on her knees, like that was how she was born to be. Although, sometimes, Bucky could see a fire in her eyes, just for a fraction of a second. The woman was still there, somewhere within the walls built by the trauma, locking people out and herself in.

“You don’t have a name, do you?” Master questioned as he set up some containers of delicious smelling food.

She didn’t want to speak more than necessary, but she was allowed to talk.

“I-I don’t,“ she hesitantly spoke. Her old master didn’t like it when she talked, dogs—bitches—don’t talk. New Master wants you to speak, she reminded herself.

Master left the table and neared her. He got down on his knees, two meters from her, too far to his hands to reach her. That somehow made her feel better. Not being in reach of his hands and at eye level. When was the last time she saw someone eye to eye? Did she ever? She didn’t remember.

Master seemed to be looking at something that was not there, something far away. He took a deep breath after a while and looked at her with a non-violent look—one that she didn’t understand the meaning of.

“So I’ll give you a new name.”

A name. She never dared to say it out loud, but she had always wanted a name. Even some plants are given names when someone liked them. Things that were cared for have names, so it couldn’t be true that a broken toy like her got to have a name. It was such a mean joke that she felt like crying.

“Your new name is… Nova,” Master mumbled slowly.

Her eyes widened, and she focused on hearing more than seeing. Nova is not a curse, she would know if it was. Old master would have used it to curse at her if it was. Maybe it was really a name. She shouldn't believe it… but what if?

“Nova means new.” Master continued, his soft voice unlike the commanding tone he always used.

New.

She was anything but new. She was broken and used and dirty and-

“Because you have a new life ahead of you, and even if you can’t see it yet.” Master took a deep breath, his eyes held a far off look. “It is all yours to claim.” Master’s voice was firm, and Nova felt that it was impossible to lie in that tone. “So, Nova, I want you to do whatever you want with your new life.”

Nova was now facing the floor, so Master was unable to see her face. She didn’t believe those words, but her heart was racing anyway. She shivered more, not from fear this time. Her mind almost forgot the very presence of the dangerous man in front of her. She shivered, trying to hold the tears in.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Master muttered, “I’ll be taking my leave.”

And just like that, he left.

“Nova...” she tried in a low voice. “Nova.”

She wanted to hear her name. She wanted to be called in an affectionate way.

Master was joking, he had to be, but… she truly had a new master, so she somehow did have a new life, so… she could be new.

Only things that are cared for have names, even if Master was joking and didn’t care about her, she could care about herself, couldn’t she?

At least she had something good. She had a name, so she could care for her name. She could care a little bit about herself.

She started to sob faster than she could notice, feeling the hope that she almost forgot, the same dangerous hope that broke her so many times before, the same hope that kept her, well… her.

She couldn’t see it, but her eyes lit a little bit, a new light that refused to extinguish.

[escudofracturado]

TIMING: Early August, after Spice Up Your Life LOCATION: Mack's house, World's End Isle PARTIES: Mack (@realmackross) & Milo (@escudofracturado) SUMMARY: Hoping to learn more about zombies, Mack invites Milo over for a zombie movie marathon. CONTENT WARNINGS: Very vague suicidal ideation and mentions of loss of sight

Mackenzie hadn’t expected that anybody would’ve wanted to come visit her after the disastrous sleepover, but as she straightened up the house, she couldn’t help but let a smile slip over her features as Milo had agreed to come over. The plan was simple. Binge watch as many zombie movies and tv shows as they could and take notes. Mackenzie had sworn up and down she had seen everything, but after a quick google search, she realized there had been so much untapped potential of possible lore that might give her more answers.

Hearing the doorbell, Mackenzie straightened up one last pillow on the couch, before opening the door to greet her friend, “Hey! Come on in. I swear I’m good, and as long as nothing drastic happens, I’m harmless…I think.” She knew it wasn’t the most reassuring answer, but she also wanted to be completely honest that she was a walking dead thing with no solid information, except the need for brains once a week or when things got really, really bad.

��

There was a strange sense of déjà vu as Milo walked up to Mack’s place. But while there was still some of the same excitement he had felt on that initial visit, there was also some dread at the sight of the massive home. They had all watched Mack die a gruesome death right in her living room, and while she was thankfully fine, it was still A Lot. However, he forced himself to shove that aside. 

He liked Mack. While he still found it all a little insane that this was The Mack Ross, it was easy to forget that she was the same person he’d seen on TV and in movies. She was just so chill and nice and– well, maybe not normal, there was the whole zombie thing, but she was as normal as anyone else in their weird little friend group. And apparently she liked him enough that she was willing to have a movie marathon with him. For research purposes, but still. 

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Milo rang the doorbell. He didn’t have to wait long before the door swung open, and he found himself standing in front of the woman in question. “Hey,” he waved. The reassurance tacked onto her greeting saddened him a little. As horrible as that night had been for the rest of them, Mack had died, gone all zombie in a room full of people she barely knew, and now she had to reassure him she wouldn’t eat him. It wasn’t something he’d really worried about– he didn’t really care much about danger these days– but he’d be lying if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Meanwhile, he had the potential to be just as, if not even more, dangerous. 

He shrugged, lips tugging up into a grin as he spoke. “It’s cool. Just, you know, lemme know if that changes?”

—

Excitement was an understatement for Mackenzie. Having someone here that still wanted to be her friend and didn’t judge her for what had happened had meant so much, and the fact that Milo wasn’t actively fanboying over her made it ten times better, “Oh yeah. I think it would be pretty obvious. And I sometimes have a twisted sense of humor, but you’re not going to see me leaning over at any point trying to grab you while uttering the word brains.” Shut up, Mackenzie. Okay, so maybe that hadn’t been the best thing to say either. Her foot was really living in her mouth tonight, but he was here.

“Guess, I should probably move out of the way so you can come in, huh?” She stepped back out of the doorway. Mackenzie had hoped that things wouldn’t be super weird for Milo. She knew it had to be traumatizing stepping back into the house where he watched her die and come back to life, and if there was any way she could ease that, if the issue arose, she would.

“So I thought maybe we could watch everything downstairs. The screen is bigger and the chairs are more comfortable. Plus, I’ve got some snacks and other stuff down there, if we get bored of watching zombie movies.” Mackenzie wanted to make Milo feel as welcome as possible.

— 

It felt so crazy, the everything of the matter. Mack seemed kinda nervous, which made sense given what had happened, but she was being welcoming and upfront and making jokes, and he could roll with that. It got a laugh out of him, at least. “I do like some dark humor, but, yeah, I’d appreciate that for now.” He wasn’t sure how much time, if any, would need to pass before those jokes wouldn’t be concerning, but they weren’t quite there yet. 

And Milo felt for her. Mack had gone through something that had to have been scary for her, but she still had to worry about the things she was capable of, worry about the safety of the people around her. He understood what it was like, feeling dangerous, feeling like a ticking time bomb. 

He made his way inside, listening to her speak as he once again took in the inside of her ridiculously lavish home, his gaze quickly sliding over that one spot even as the sound of a horrific crunch echoed through his mind. “Sounds good,” he smiled, “lead the way.” And she did just that, taking him down the stairs and into what looked like a personal movie theater right in her home.

“Holy shit, you have a home theater???” He probably shouldn’t be surprised the movie star had her own theater in her massive manor home, but as a native New Yorker, the idea of having this crazy of a house was blowing his mind almost as much as the whole zombie thing. “This is so sick!”

—

Mackenzie shut the door behind them and locked it after Milo had stepped inside. If it was one thing she made sure to do every time, it was to lock the door. Past experiences had left her still reeling, and even more so now that she was capable of so many horrific things. She had hoped the sound of the door locking behind him hadn’t made Milo nervous. It was just a life of growing up somewhat paranoid and having to watch your back.

Once they had arrived downstairs, Mackenzie couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction, “Yeah, a little bit of home away from home I guess. I know it’s probably overkill, but I don’t know. Sometimes it’s nice coming down here and escaping from things for a little while. I usually just stay on the couch all night channel surfing, unless I get tired enough to go to bed, which is rare these days.” Maybe that had been too much information, but she was lonely. Sometimes being in a house this side made her go a little stir crazy, and it’s why she had longed to have a dog around to keep her company, but the fear of hurting it lingered in the back of her mind.

“So there’s snacks over here at the…” She made air quotes “concession stand and a few arcade games. The next room over is just where I train, but if you need to use the bathroom or anything, go through that door, or you can go upstairs.” She really had nothing to hide, considering Milo knew what she was and there wasn’t any trace of the night she had eaten Brody as it had all lived in her mind, and for once, she could say she felt comfortable having someone in her house as far as being a celebrity went. “What should we watch first?”

—

Oblivious of Mack’s worries, Milo was too distracted looking around the room to notice the sound of the door locking. It had the design of a theater, rows of reclining seats that descended as one got closer to the screen which was gigantic, taking up the vast majority of the wall. There was, in fact, what was basically a whole ass concession stand there to greet you right as you walked in, as well as some arcade cabinets with a couple of classics. “I mean, live your best life and whatnot, right?” Or maybe unlife? “I’d totally have a tricked out game room if I could.” 

He focused back on her as she talked about escaping into her little theater. “That sounds nice. And like a theater setting does always feel so much more like an escape than just watching a movie on the sofa or whatever. Just pulls you into the movie more.” It sounded pretty cool, lying around channel surfing in your own theater. It also sounded kinda lonely, though. 

Following her gaze, Milo turned, taking note of the door she mentioned with a nod. “By training do you mean just general workout stuff or are you, like, secretly a black belt or something, too?” he asked. At this point, he wouldn’t be surprised if she had an actual dojo in this mojo dojo casa house. But, yes, they were here for a purpose, and that purpose was to marathon some zombie media to see if that could help Mack learn some stuff about herself and living as a zombie. “Well, what’s on your list? Is there one that’s a little lighter or something? Something to ease our way into the spooky stuff?”

—

She was definitely trying to make unlife as cushy as possible. At least that had been the goal when she first came to Wicked’s Rest in a true state of duress. But what was a cushy life without friends to share it with? Thankfully, Nora, of all people, had invited her to the Truth or Dare party the first time and had allowed her to be pulled into a friend circle with people her age. The entire invitation had still left her slightly confused considering they didn’t have the best relationship to begin with, but that was okay, because at least she had other people in her life now, “I’m trying. And really? What games are you a fan of?”

Mackenzie walked over to her favorite chair where the remote was already sitting in the cup holder and plopped down, “And it does, especially when you’re trying to watch a movie in 3D. I’ve tried in the living room upstairs and there’s always that unwanted distraction out of the corner of your eye, even though my eyes aren’t exactly the greatest anymore.” She sighed. It was one of the downsides of being a zombie. Ever failing use of certain parts of your body at times.

“Oh, it’s no secret. I am a black belt. And yes, it is a dojo - well and dance studio. But mostly a dojo.” She wasn’t bragging, but she wasn’t going to lie to him either. “I’ll show it to you later if you want to see it.” Mackenzie picked up the remote and turned the power on onto the projector and sound system. “I was thinking if we’re going light to heavy, maybe either the Disney Channel Zombies movies or the Zombieland movies? What do you think?” She looked over at him.

—

“Oh, I’m a big fuckin’ nerd– video games, table-top games, I’m here for all of it,” he replied, trailing behind her. Claiming the seat next to her, Milo curled up on the ridiculously comfortable chair, his inability to sit straight making itself immediately known. He was a little distracted, taking in the view of the huge screen and some posters and awards that Mack had hung up on the walls. However, he was making sure to pay attention, and the mention of her eyesight had him turning back to her. “Your eyes?” There was a moment of hesitant before he asked, “Is that another zombie thing, or…” He didn’t want to assume. 

Of course, she was a black belt. “Really? I was joking, but that’s so ridiculously impressive.” Thinking about it, she had been known to do some of her own stunts, so maybe it shouldn’t be that surprising. Still… “Acting, karate, dancing, singing. Is there anything you can’t do?” Milo pointedly ignored the twinge of insecurity that bubbled up. It was a feeling he was used to repressing, even if he hadn’t known any famous award-winning actors back home, he had been surrounded by ridiculously smart and talented friends, not to mention his sisters. 

Quickly jumping onto the topic change, his eyes lit up at the movies mentioned. “Oh, we gotta start with the ZOMBIES DCOMS,” he laughed. “The zombie cheerleader musical love story for the ages? And with your other friend named Milo, no less.” He’d seen the first one, and been absolutely delighted at how insane it was. “...or, wait, no, maybe that’d be good to end on, actually. Get out of the spooky mood with some bops about girls and zombies?” Why Mack had invited his goofy ass over, he did not know. But he was glad she did, and he hoped she wasn’t already regretting her decision. “Zombieland?” 

—

Mackenzie loved hearing that Milo was a nerd. She just loved learning new things about him. About any of the new Wicked’s Rest friends, really. She knew they liked to hang out together a lot and drink. Knew that some of them, like her, were different, and that a few of them were even dating, but she hadn’t really known much about their personal lives, except maybe Alex. Winter was the exception, of course, considering how long they had been friends. But hearing about Milo was exciting. Plus, he had been a city boy, and she loved that. Her life had pretty much been on display since she was a child, and it was odd to think that some people knew more about her own life than she did. But it also caused an eerie thought to creep over her causing her to shake off a feeling of fear and dread. If people out there knew more about her, then she did, did that mean that someone knew she was a zombie?

She quickly had to push past the thought and pulled herself back into the conversation with Milo, “Do you compete against other people? And have you played Dungeons & Dragons before? I always wanted to learn, but just never had the time.” She paused for a moment, “Uh, no, I think it’s a zombie thing. You know, since I’m dead, my hearing gets muffled or my eyesight gets really fuzzy. It scares me sometimes. Like, how long can I really survive being a walking corpse…Anyways, back to what I can and can’t do, it’s all really just dedication. I’m sure you could do it all too if you just set your mind to it. Besides, I bet you’re amazing at gaming. Plus, I started out doing this stuff as a little kid, because my parents wanted me too. It’s really nothing that special.” Mackenzie hated feeling like she was above anyone else. If her parents hadn’t started her out in showbiz at such an early age, she wouldn’t have had this house, the awards, or any of it. And now that she thought about it, she might not have even been a zombie.

“I think you’re right. We start with Zombieland, work our way to the scariest stuff, and decompress with catchy songs and a lot of green and pink.” Pink. She couldn’t ever see the color the same way ever again, but hopefully watching movies with Milo would bring some better memories to the bright, yet horrific color.

—

“Just, like, playing against friends sometimes, not any actual competitions or anything. And, fuck yes, I love D&D,” he grinned. “Maybe we could do a game night sometime.” His first time DMing had gone poorly, but that had been years ago, he could probably manage a one shot or a pre-written campaign nowadays. Probably. He didn’t have any original campaigns in him, though, and he was definitely too scatterbrained to DM for any real length of time. 

Shit. Her eyesight and hearing both just crapped out on her sometimes? That sounded incredibly scary. How long can I really survive being a walking corpse? Mack tried to brush past that one real quick, but it lingered in his mind even as she humbly waved off his admiration, the reality of her situation really hitting him at that moment. This whole night was an attempt to find out more about zombies because she was pretty in the dark about the person she now was. Was there an expiration date on this sort of thing? Would her senses totally fail her one day? When? Would she begin to lose more of herself as time went on? Was she doomed to become a mindless creature feasting upon human flesh like in the movies? As far as he knew, she didn’t have answers to those questions, and Milo couldn’t imagine how terrifying that must be for her. Her life, her being, had completely changed because of one fan encounter, and she had no idea what that meant for her future.

“That’s true,” he replied, keeping his voice light, “but I still think it’s impressive.” Despite all the uncertainty and fear, she was still going, still dancing and training and trying to live her life, for herself, no less. That in itself was a strength he had to admire. She was stronger than him, that was for sure. 

Shaking off the heaviness, Milo made himself focus up, giving her a smile as she agreed with his assessment. “Sounds like a plan.” He just hoped this could actually give her even a little insight into herself, help make things slightly less scary and unknown. Mack deserved that much.

—

Milo had seemed so enthusiastic about the mention of games and D&D that it made Mackenzie smile. She wanted to learn more and hear more. But she also knew that if they were going to binge as many zombie movies as they could, they probably needed to start soon. That was the only thing about movies sometimes. You couldn’t have good conversations with people you cared about without distracting from the film, “I think that sounds awesome. Does anybody else around here play? I think a game night could be supes fun. But I’m not hosting it.” The idea of hosting another group get together at her place just didn’t sound like the greatest idea at the moment.

Mackenzie pulled up the various streaming services offered on the projector. “You’re sweet, Milo.” She shot a soft smile in his direction as she scrolled through the apps until she found Prime. “So are we doing first movies only or sequels as well?” She wanted to make sure, before they started the movie, so they could go straight into the next one. “And of course we can totally take breaks when you want to. I have real food upstairs and there’s always pizza as an option. I don’t know how long you’re here for, but I can go all night…literally. I rarely sleep.”

—

She actually seemed enthusiastic about the idea, and it got his mind going, thinking about the possibility of getting a group going. “I think Cass at least knows about D&D? It came up a little when I was explaining h–” Milo cleared his throat, stopping himself before he could say the words ‘human magic.’ He didn’t know if Mack knew about their friend, and the last thing he wanted to do was spill Cass’ secret. “–when I was explaining about my magic. But, I dunno about anyone else? There have to be a couple of people who’d be down.” Their little group of weirdos was large enough that they could find at least 2 others who were interested in playing. “And fair enough.” Just because she had a sick place, that didn’t mean Mack should always have to host stuff. After a moment of thought, he shrugged. “We’ll figure something out.”

The statement made him smile, even as a dull ache began to radiate from his chest. Would she feel the same, if she knew? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. Considering her question, Milo mindlessly traced a finger over one of his tattoos. “Oooh, uh…” He didn’t mind making this a ridiculously long marathon, but he also wasn’t sure how long of a list Mack had put together. “Maybe we see how we’re feeling after watching the first one? And, like, we can always come back to them, too,” he suggested. “But, like, I don’t have work tomorrow, so I’m good to go all night, too. Though, there’s a chance I might pass out at some point, maybe. My sleeping habits are laughable,” he joked. 

—

Mackenzie heard Milo catch himself when talking about Cass, but didn’t think anything of it. It could have been about a number of things, but it wasn’t her business. She had already had a lot on her plate, “If you think enough people will play, then I’m definitely down to learn. I’ve got plenty of time on my hands.” Which was very true. She did. It was also a good thing she had plenty of money on her hands too. “Just let me know.”

“I can go for that. And we don’t have to watch everything on the list. I found a Top 40 zombie movies list on Rotten Tomatoes. Imdb was a little too hardcore with 242 pages of zombie movies. I think we’d be sitting here the rest of our…your life, if we went with that one.” Mackenzie laughed. It was nice having someone here to hangout with. She was sure not all the movies were going to be winners, but still it was worth a shot. “Hey, sleep all you want. I’ll let you know what you missed when you wake up.” She had hoped he’d be comfortable sleeping around her. All she had wanted was someone around, so it wouldn’t be so lonely whether they learned anything or not. Giving Milo one last warm smile, she turned her attention back to the screen. With a few points and clicks, Zombie movie marathon was a go, and Mackenzie settled into her seat for the long night of movie watch with her new friend, Milo.