#(gen is fun to write from but I didn't realize writing these was going to be mad flustering help /lh)

[stoneshipper]

Hihi!!! 3, 4, and 9 for the ask game w Gen pls!!<3

Hello~! I'm happy to answer these!

3. How do you comfort your s/o when they have a nightmare or anxiety?

Cas is partial to physical touch when they're upset, so I usually hold them until they're feeling better - rubbing their back and whispering comforts. I make sure they're grounded and in a good place to talk before asking them what happened - but if they don't want to talk about it, that's okay too. I just stay close and make sure they know I'm there should they need me~!

4. What is your s/o's favorite food? Do you know how to make it?

Oh, I'm a terrible cook. I think it's much safer for them if I don't try to make anything for them. When it comes to their favorite food, though... well, in the stone world, I'd have to say salmon! The Ishigami Village didn't eat much outside of fish... but when it was salmon, they never once complained about the monotony.

9. Do you ever steal each other's clothes? If you could make an outfit for your s/o, what kind of clothes would you give them?

When it comes to stealing clothes, it doesn't happen terribly often... though I do find them occasionally holding something of mine when they're going to sleep. Or, rather, cuddling something. I'd never point it out to them, though, because I think they'd try to stop or hide it if I did... and I think they look uper-say cute when they're sleeping with something of mine~!

Funnily enough, I have made them an outfit before! Ah, well, it's more accurate to say I helped design it. I'm errible-tay at sewing, so I leave that job to someone better equipped. They like wearing dresses but stay covered, so I suggested something they could comfortably wear. Oh, and of course, they like green - so I suggested the color as well.

[luxaofhesperides]

oooo Halloween prompts how fun!

Technically two words but how about 'Spider Webs' ,, they're spooky and halloweeny right?

Have fun with the prompts :>

"Ack!" Danny shakes his head, expression twisted up into a grimace as he swipes his hands over his face. He pulls sticky clumps of spider webs off his skin, shaking them off his fingers to let them fall onto the grimy floor. "Gross," he complains.

"You good over there?" Duke asks, the light of his flashlight sweeping over to him.

Danny nods, giving him a thumbs up. "Just eating spider webs over here, don't mind me."

He'd go intangible to avoid them if he could, but with Duke here, he can't just go around using his powers recklessly. He's only been in Gotham for two months and that's been enough time to learn that that less people know about his ghost powers, the better. His plan had been to keep his head down and quietly get his bachelor's degree in astrophysics before heading to a Master's program on the west coast, but trouble comes knocking for every unfortunate soul in the city.

Trouble, in this case, accompanied Duke Thomas, his classmate in their shared gen ed psychology class. Danny had only taken the class to fulfill one of his social sciences gen eds and because he was feeling homesick and psychology makes him think of his sister. He had expected to just take notes, write papers, do readings, and never think of the class again once the semester ended, but his professor acted stranger by the day. No one else seemed to have noticed, so Danny chalked it up to being too hyperaware and jaded from his experiences with past teachers and authority figures fucking him over.

The thing is, Duke also clocked that something was wrong with their professor.

One concerning comment in class had the two of them, sitting at neighboring tables, meet each other's eyes with the same did he really just say that kind of look.

From then on, Danny found himself swept into Duke's drive to figure out what the hell, exactly, is going on, which leads him here: the basement of the social sciences building at Gotham City University, traversing the dark, damp, abandoned halls in search of something that may explain their professor's behavior. The door to access the basement was locked and blocked by a row of filing cabinets in their professors office.

This wouldn't have been suspicious if the filing cabinet in front of the door didn't turn out to be fake, used to conceal a latch on the floor that gave them a ladder to climb down on. Danny stopped doubting himself and Duke's instincts once that opened.

But beyond the secret trap door into the basement, there's nothing else for them to take note of. Danny brings his own flashlight up to peer into another hall; no doors leading to rooms, no items out of place, just the same long stretch of concrete and pipes dripping water onto the floor. A ton of spider webs down there, too.

"I don't think there's anything down here," he tells Duke, going back to where he's looking around.

"No, no, there is," Duke insists, "Trust me."

Danny hums doubtfully, but doesn't try to dissuade him otherwise. Best to let him keep going just in case he does find something so they can finally understand what's up with their professor.

His mind is wandering when he realizes that he's hearing more than just his and Duke's breathing. There's a click, and then a whine of a hinge in desperate need of some oil. Freezing, Danny shares a panicked look with Duke as someone begins descending the ladder. He turns off his flashlight, Duke following suit a second later, and then they're pulling at each other, scrambling down the hall to hide.

He can feel himself run through more spider webs, grimacing at the feeling of the strands on his skin, but there are more pressing matters to worry about.

Behind them, another light sweeps through the hall, passing by them just as Duke pulls him and makes him sharply turn a corner he didn't see.

Duke pulls them both into a small alcove, pressed up tight in the small space as they try to silence their breathing and remain undetected as footsteps head towards them. Danny watches with wide eyes as the light approaches, then moves pass the hall they turned into to continue on. A long shadow stretches out towards them before shifting away, and he catches the sound of a mechanical whir. A secret door, maybe?

The light and the footsteps disappear. He and Duke keep as still as possible, hardly daring to breathe, as they wait to see if the person is going to come back.

Duke is the first to move, moving back as much as he can in the alcove. He reaches up and pulls strands of spider webs out of Danny's hair. He tries to ignore how his heart skips a beat at how close together they are, how gentle the motion was.

"You good?" Duke asks, voice hushed and low.

Danny nods, carefully moving out of the alcove to peek out into the hall. It's empty, just as dark and damp as it was before. If there is a secret door down here, he has no idea where it is. "That was suspicious, right?"

"Very suspicious," Duke agrees. "Do you want to head back?"

Part of him wants to leave before they get caught, but Danny didn't walk through so many spider webs for nothing. "We got this far, didn't we? Let's keep going."

Duke grins at him, relieved, and flicks his flashlight back on. They fall into step with each other, looking down the hallway to where the person disappeared. "Let's go, then."

(send me a Halloween/autumn themed word and I'll give you a ghostlights drabble!)

[hamofjustice]

y'know, it's funny, from replaying pokemon scarlet / violet basegame, i'm pretty sure if you're not internet poisoned, then one of the most memorable things about nemona could be that she only battles you half or less of the times that she checks in to help you because she wants it to be perfect and fair for you and really doesn't want to annoy you, to the point it almost seems like she's making excuses NOT to battle you, not that she's a wild dog that's stalking you and will not leave you alone. one of her earliest character establishing moments is looking directly into the camera with puppy dog eyes and apologizing profusely for wanting a rematch because she had fun

she's in the gyms because she's also doing the gyms! she gets really embarrassed that it looks like she's following you around and decides not to battle you to prove she's not! if she is, she's probably following you because geeta asked her to, and clavell literally said she should take you under her wing! she usually gives you advance warning that she's going to be taking you on soon!

in particular, once you're out of the tutorial she talks to and helps you without battling you for the first three badges of her own questline

it's always, like, clavell and geeta being like 'smh get a load of this girl, she needs to back off, who does she think she is, gary oak?' with their body language. the "oops, nemona didn't realize that cutscene didn't heal you" thing the game keeps doing feels kinda forced.

maybe it's just pokemon writing being what it is (i really don't know why they act like she'd use her champion team against your starter, she just picked a starter, what are you talking about. make her look overeager in a way that makes sense with her character or anyone over the age of 5 please) but the way nemona actually is not matching the way everyone talks about her seems to be a thing in universe and out, and i want to remember this rather than fall into a telephone game of what the plot actually was

if anything, I wish she was less afraid to annoy the player, and more present in the game! y'know, appearing in the sidelines during gym battles with the rest of the crowd rather than the text simply saying she was, for example

idk, I wonder if things would be different if the most vocal pokemon "fans" didn't hate characters interacting with them. maybe I want a brock and misty with me the whole game. maybe biri biri and after the rain are the experience I want

acting like the character who puts our enjoyment above her own and is afraid to annoy us still annoyed us is how we get a DLC that never mentions her or the other main characters of the story in 9 months of promotional materials and, maybe someday, a gen 10 with no friends at all.

[imagining-in-the-margins]

CM Damsel/Dude in Distress Fics

Hey everyone! I want to start by saying thank you so much to everyone who participated - it was so much fun to write alongside you all, and I can’t wait to share everyone’s hard work. You are so appreciated, and the diversity only makes these events better.

Without further ado, here are all of the entries + recs for the Damsel/Dude in Distress Challenge!

S.R. SFW Fics (Fem!Reader)

Kryptonite by @foxy-eva: Spencer asks you to rescue him from a very scary spider in the bathroom

Safekeeping by @/foxy-eva: Spencer is there to protect you when a situation gets out of hand. 

Funny Thing Fate by me: Reader is tipsy and lost in D.C. when she spots a man she thinks might be able to help.

Rib Cage by me: Spencer realizes Reader is the one, but it might be too late. He has to find her.

I Choose You by @ofwilliamandwalter: What happens when the lowly stable boy, Spencer, and the royalist of princesses, Reader, fall in love?

So, a Wedding? by @ssahopelessly: Reader had the invitation for nearly three months, but she didn't take the time to find a proper date.

The Found Part of Lost by @ssahopelessly: When on the way back to the station, you and Spencer find a friend on the side of the road.

Explosion by @c-m-stuff: Reader and Spencer are married. When Reader risks her life, Spencer is relieved she's still breathing.

Rose Coloured Lens by @alleyholls: Reader cuts her finger while cooking and Spencer bandages her up.

But it's Better if You Do by @fortheloveofwonderland: The absolute last thing Spencer needs is to fall for you, the magnetic exotic dancer who Morgan and Luke pay to give him a birthday dance.

More fics below!

Assorted SFW Fics

Never Let Me Go by @/foxy-eva: [Tara/Reader] Who knew how easy it would be for Reader to find comfort in Tara’s arms.

The Friendship We Have is a Rare Find by @/cherubcurls (Ao3): [Spencer & Penelope] Penelope and Spencer agree to meet up to have a study session before finals, but they end up not studying at all.

Peas and Love by @/masterwords (Ao3): [Hotchgan] Hotch hurts his back and Hank takes very good care of him.

I'll Do It by @tobias-hankel (Ao3): [Hotchreid] Hotch saves Spencer from an interrogation gone wrong.

He'll Say He's Just Not the Same by @spencer-reids-adventures (Ao3): [Hotch & Spencer] Spencer suffers a depressive episode, and Hotch comes to check on him.

Who's Afraid of the Bogeyman? by PandorasDreaming (Ao3): [Spencer & BAU] When Spencer is kidnapped by Mr. Scratch, they must race against time to save him before his mind breaks.

Saved from the Rain by @leahseclipse: [Spencer & 10th Doctor] Spencer has an encounter with a strange man who saves him from the rain.

I Get By by @/GarlicBreadforJuliusCaesar (Ao3): [Gen Fic] The one where Spencer has a fight with a vending machine, and the BAU chip in to help.

Co-Creator Bonus List!

SFW Gender Neutral Reader

Kitten Love: Spencer’s vet begrudgingly agrees to an emergency house call.

Diamonds: Spencer comforts Reader when they have a bad pain day.

Rotten: Reader struggles to feel at home in their body following a trauma.

Melancholia: Reader has been acting weird lately, so Spencer makes a much needed wellness check.

Storm: Reader has a panic attack.

Bruises: The team is concerned when Reader shows up with bruises on their neck.

SFW Female Reader

Astraphobia: SSA Reader and Spencer share their most embarrassing fears.

Different Dialects: Autistic!Reader. Spencer is trying to tell Reader he likes her, but it feels like they speak entirely different languages.

Porcelain: Autistic!Reader has a meltdown in the cafe. Luckily, there is a Dr. Reid nearby.

Baggage Claim: Autistic!Reader is having a hard time at the airport.

Stranger Danger: Reader is a single mother having a very bad day.

From the Tree: The kidnapping case becomes personal when Spencer and Reader get a call from their nanny.

NSFW Female Reader

It’s Too Cliché ❤️: Reader and Spencer are the worst at friends with benefits. After an exchange of gifts & nasty words, the two reunite on a very eventful NYE.

Cupid & Psyche ❤️: Reader and Spencer get kidnapped by a rather romantic matchmaking unsub who demands they perform for him.

Big Bad Wolf (Part 1, Part 2): Spencer is overwhelmed by the apparent innocence of an elementary school teacher he meets on a case.

Thank you for writing and reading with me.

Let me know if you'd like me to add your story to this list!

[the-possum-writes]

Save a horse, ride a cowboy

❥Character: Patrick O'Hara (Web Slinger)

❥Fandom: Spiderverse

❥Tags: NSFW, gen!neutral reader, unspecified g*nitalia, PWP, sweetheart as a pet name

❥Synopsis: Imagine being new to the spider society and after meeting Web Slinger you're immediately smitten and whisper to yourself. "Uff, I wouldn't mind riding that cowboy to save a horse." And next thing you know he's got you cornered and say. "I heard you like saving horses."

❥A/n: I would've liked to write relationship hcs first but I would need to investigate more, so enjoy this P/with plot. 🤠

Never in your wildest dreams would you have imagined riding a spider horse beside a cowboy in a society of spider people, as if being bitten by a radioactive spider wasn't bizarre enough. The trip on his horse Widow is undoubtedly bumpy, but after talking with Web Slinger, he's been nothing but charismatic and charming, so when he offered you a ride, you were quick to accept, especially now that you're able to wrap your arms around this athletic build.

"First time riding a horse?" You tighten your grip on Web Slinger's strong midsection as his horse suddenly turns sharply to race on the underside of a staircase. If you played your cards well, your hands might "accidentally" slide a few times simply to run them over his abdomen.

"No, but in my world, horses don't exactly gallop across the ceilings." You cough and chuckle, trying not to look down as the blood rushes to your head from being upside down.

"It's just like any other horse. Though, you're going to have to grab on tighter for this part." even though his tone is stern, you get the impression he's smiling under his bandana as Widow dashed through plenty passageways. Web Slinger climbs off first and helps you down after noting how unsteady you are after the trip after a few dizzying jumps later Widow comes to a rest as you quickly reach at the location where you file for one of those multidimensional gadgets.

"How are you feeling, partner? Widow was just trying to show off; we don't typically provide joyrides." Widow neighs with a contented breath as Web Slinger apologizes.

"I'm fine; I just need a minute or two." Even though you feel as though the world is spinning, you can't really complain because you got to share body heat with this charming guy. Web Slinger may come off as stern and unwelcome at first, but he has been an absolute gentleman. He may make fun of you occasionally, but how can you be mad when it results in a hug?

"How about you take a breather while I fetch you some water, I won't take long!" and with that he pulls out one of his guns and web swings himself to the nearest vending machine.

Leaning against Widow, you take a moment to calm yourself down. You briefly close your eyes to gather your thoughts before Widow's mane hairs begin to tickle your nose. "Heh, you're really quite something, aren't ya girl? You stroke beneath her head and hear her let out a breath, "You're lucky to be his partner, I know I'd love to spend more time with him. Between you and me, I'd definitely ride that cowboy to save a horse," you chuckle softly to yourself, realizing how ridiculous you must look chatting raunchy topics with a horse. Web Slinger returns with a bottle of water, which he throws to you as you catch it with one hand, and you immediately stop talking.

He inquires, "Are you feeling any better?"

"Definitely, after talking to your buddy here, it helped." You lightly pat Widow's side.

"Oh? Is that true? Web Slinger briefly held Widow's head in his hands as if speaking to her, and from the sound of his voice and the way his eye mask moved, it appears like he is interested in what is being said. Which you hoped wasn't a thing.

You make a joke, "Yeah... she's very talkative."

He played along, saying, "Huh, good things about me I hope."

You didn't like the way his voice changed since it seemed like he was on to you, but you had no way of knowing, so you instantly changed the subject. "Anyway! I should get moving so Miguel doesn't come up and chastise me for not wearing a bracelet, hah! By the way, thanks a lot."

"No problem, you know how to reach me if you need help with anything else." As Widow begins a quick gallop, Web Slinger taps his bracelet and tilts his hat to say goodbye before you turn around and go your own ways. However, the manner he is holding the reins behind you causes him to stop moving, and Widow stopped moving when she felt what her rider was thinking.

You anticipated that it would be some time before you saw Web Slinger again, but to your surprise, he came looking for you right after you received your new, sparkly bracelet. In fact, you were tinkering with it when he arrived. He approached you from behind, coming up to you on foot, saying, "Looking quite fancy."

"Thanks Spider "Byte said it should help with the glitching and traveling," you say as you turn around to face him. "Speaking of which, where's that partner of yours?" you ask, referring to the horse.

"Widow is at the cafeteria, she loves the empanadas there, in fact you should try them sometime." Web Slinger mentions with a small laugh before pausing briefly. "But also, she wanted to give me some privacy so we could talk."

"And what do you wanna talk about that not even your horse isn't here? You two seem inseparable." you ask of him, but while you kept questioning it inside your head you didn't notice how there was less and less people around you two.

"Well you're right on that, you see, we were both bitten by the same spider so we have this mental link I call Rider sense," while the man gave his explanation you two turn the corner in a secluded hallway. "And let's just say a little spider told me you have a thing for 'saving horses~" he purposely blocked your left side with a single arm, leaning closer for dramatic effect. Back in your universe you recognize it as a kabedon.

The realization became apparent in your expression, even if you were wearing a mask or not. But there's advantages to being cornered, especially for a spider. "What can I say? I'm quite the animal activist." you lower your voice a bit, drawing him close enough to walk you fingers up his chest.

___

Riding a cowboy can't compare to riding a horse, but they sure are similar enough. The wooden headboard cracks under the pressure of your grip as you hold onto dear life, you're lucky Web Slinger took you to a secluded cabin in his universe cause it's imposible to contain the unholy noises coming from you when bouncying on the mighty steed that is Patrick O'Hara's cock.

"Slingeeer...! Fuck..." you lower your hands to his bare chest, your fingertip twitching on the few hairs scattered over his pectorals.

"Patrick, the names Patrick." he tells you with a strangled grunt. Web Slinger's is currently laying on his back as you ride him senseless, even if that spider bite gave you inhuman strength this man still has your legs cramping as you keep up with his own speed, he helps you by firmly holding your hips with his bare hands like the leather straps on Widow's harness but instead it's to keep you steady as the friction between your joined sexes becomes slippery and heated. Normally you'd hold on for longer but there's something about the angle of his raw cock inside you, the smell of sweat and the insinuating creaking of the bed that has you coming close all over this cowboy.

"God, you're so tight-" Web Slinger struggles to regulate his rhythm as he reaches his end as you milk his needy cock. He immediately sits up to wrap his tan arms around you, ramming inside you desperately as he chases his own high.

"...Patrick... PATRICK!" the edge of your climax catches up to you and doesn't let you string out anything that isn't helpless whining.

You didn't think his voice could get any hotter due to that old timey accent but you're proven wrong when he comes inside you with an array of deep growls and breathy sighs, hearing your name in between a few whispers. "That's it, so good for me, fuck, FUCK." even though he stayed still for a while Patrick still held a nice hold on you, bringing you down with him as he collapses back into the worn out mattress and tangled sheets.

"So... what you think sweetheart?" Patrick asks , propping himself on an elbow as he gives you a lazy smile.

"Wow, just wow." you exasperate. "I mean.. It's been a while since I had this much fun during a joyride." you attempt to comb your sweaty hair only to find Patrick's hat on your head, tossing it away with a laugh as you forgot you were wearing that thing.

"Expect nothing less with me sweetheart," he traces his fingertips over the side of your body, enjoying the afterglow.

[bethanydelleman]

Giggling at your and anon wishing instead for OPTIONS for Fanny. I was thinking it's odd that Ms. Austen decided that her crush on Edmund was reciprocated at the end when she could've been given justice of some sort with how she's been looked and talked over.

It feels like she's out of choices but then I suppose she is out of choices in the end. This is a woman who is shy in an era where you gotta put yourself out there to be seen by the society and she's not even on a level in a society for her to be out and noticed by the gentlemen even if she does, rank-wise

Which is why my friend and I (who has no talent whatsoever in writing) been talking about this writing idea; a boarding school AU where all the Austen ladies is in it,

Mind you we were just going by vibe and not accurate research, so we put Elinor Dashwood, and Maria Bertram, Mary Crawford and Lucy Steele, Caroline Bingley are in the same year, being the oldest

Eleanor Tilney, Jane Bennet, Emma, and Jane Fairfax are in the same year below the others already mentioned

Elizabeth and Marianne are in the year below them

Mary Bennet and Harriet

Catherine Morland and Lydia Bennet

(the ages are 13-18)

Anne Elliot is one of the matrons

This is kind of controversial, for me and I'm not really a fan of this concept myself tbh, but it'll be kind of a fanfictiony story like the Bridgerton with the society being a little more lenient (lol?); because it's a mixed boarding school

The plot is basically all the stuff in the Austen og universe but they're not all the same, the ages can be tweaked a bit lol, with some plot tangled with the other stories but they're leading to the same endings like, so.....

Catherine doesn't marry while studying, but she keeps talking about the Tilneys because she has a penpal whom she met in Bath before school started, she didn't realize that said penpal has a sister who studies in the same school

Catherine's really that student that just spent most of her time in the library, not studying per se, reading novels, she often has to be told to focus in class for daydreaming

and then one summer vacation spends the entire break at Northanger Abbey,

Later, after new semester starts, Lydia tells her sister in an offhand remark that Catherine seemed really down and her visit to Northanger seemed to be the reason.

Her studies decline even more when she was upset about the whole Gen Tilney situation and one evening she goes to their dorm matron to ask for advice; that's Anne, and there Catherine finds a crying Lucy Steele who had just been visited by Fanny Dashwood and basically well, verbally harassed by a visiting older sister of Edward Ferrars

My friend was adamant we either pair up Fanny Price with an oc (original character) or with~~ Colonel Fitzwilliam, who, in this AU of ours is an exchange student, same with Mr. Willoughby

Willoughby is an exchange student for a year who got attached to Marianne, and then gradually stops replying to her letters after he left their school. Colonel Brandon is one of the school beneficiaries

One of the classes go for a trip to Lyme with Captain Wentworth as one of the guides and that's where Louisa smacks her head and later fellow poetry club member Benwick falls for her (or not! I'm also not comfortable with this pairing tbh.Louisa had a one-sided crush on Capt Wentworth)

I'm sorry this is sooooo long. My friend and O kept going at it from the side of the female characters only tbh and we didn't quite know where to put Darcy and Bingley. Are they students? Or older students visiting from Oxford? Horse riding enthusiasts and club members, sharing a hobby with Elizabeth? We don't know 😂

Hope you like it! It's not going anywhere because we are both not writers, but it's a good giggling source! :D

You should write this! The only thing that makes a "writer" is writing. Go for it. It sounds fun!

[rocketkid300]

so at first I thought the JJK finale was buns. And then I was mad. Then I thought about it a bit.

I think a lot of the stuff that Gege included within the final chapter (final few chapters ngl) is CONCEPTUALLY pretty good. Trio and all students surviving? Conclusion for the CG characters? Everyone moving on from Gojo because sorcerers should work together as a community and not rely on the strongest in a flawed system? Yuuji passing on encouragement to a new CG sorcerer to represent the next gen passing on their strength? All great points.

The problem was that it felt too fast paced. We didn't have time to really let the characters breathe and settle into the new world. No emotional conversations between the main trio, not even between Yuuji and Megumi. Just. Right back to it! And my biggest gripe was probably that there didn't really feel like there was a change to the status quo. Megumi's character didn't really feel like it had a proper conclusion, and we definitely should've gotten more from both Nobara and Yuuji about the new world they're in. Just killing the higher ups and putting gakugangi up there doesn't really make that much of a difference imo. And also everything with the foreign militaries? Ofc there was a lot of stuff implied w/ Mei Mei and the NSS clan stuff, and all the new CG sorcerers and etc, but honestly we just needed more.

That's when I realized the real enemy was Shonen Jump all along. Shonen Jump has extremely strict deadlines on the final chapter; meaning that once the final arc starts, the author would have to pick a date to end the manga and stick with it. But remember what happened a few months ago? Gege got sick around the time when the yuutago chapters dropped. He was out for a month. Thats anywhere from 3-5 extra chapters we could've had.

And that... really hurts. I genuinely think even 3 extra chapters could've fixed all the glaring issues with the last few chaps. More room to have emotional conversations, more to talk about the future of Jujutsu society/cursed energy, more change to the status quo, more actually cohesive character conclusions/interactions, even maybe a Gojo acknowledgement (yes ik the point is that the future gen will move on without him but I think it's unrealistic that the students don't look back on him fondly at least). Those extra chapters wouldn't fix everything, ofc, but it would definitely make things feel more complete. It sucks from a readers perspective, because we KNOW Gege can write really well. But I imagine it sucks even more from a writers perspective.

There's a lot of debate on whether or not Gege actually cares about JJK and its characters (especially when it comes to that six eyes freak ykwim), but even if his original ideas were scrapped, I think ANYONE who works on something for upwards of six years will feel some sort of love or care towards that project. I can't imagine what it must feel like to not be able to fully execute your creative vision because of health problems and the shitty cog-wheels of Shonen Jump serialization.

Ofc, I might be reading too much into it. Perhaps his leave of absence had nothing to do with how Gege ended JJK. Maybe this was his plan all along. The more I sit with it, the more okay I feel. We've known for a long time that the JJK ending wasn't going to be perfect. And yeah, we can (respectfully) mourn what we could've had but honestly? I had so much fun. I have never ever been involved in a fandom like this and yeah it sucked like 99% of the time but despite it all I had so much fucking fun. Say all you want about Gege's skills but you can't deny that he is amazing at creating compelling characters, cool power systems and emotionally packed plots. Yuuji, Megumi, Nobara and Maki will all be oh so dear to me forever. Yeah the ending could definitely have been better, but I'm willing to give him grace. If anything, I'm even more excited for his next work.

Anyways, I think that having all these plot holes and "wasted potential" might actually be a good thing in the long run. It can be frustrating, obviously, when you look at the story all on its own, but ngl fandom works best when we can fill in the gaps on our own. I'm looking forwards to seeing what everyone's gonna make from here on out! I definitely have a LOT of things I'd want to write about, maybe even draw ooh.

Incredibly longwinded way of saying: Gege, you aint so bad after all. And yeah, I think I'm pretty happy overall with JJK. Maybe a lil miffed about certain things, but I doubt I would be the person I am today without this godforsaken manga. How amazing is that? :)

[dom1re]

Hi! 💙 I partly know the answer to this question regarding Sunan’s hair colour, but other than that, are there any other characters (from books, films, etc) that were references for Sunan or influenced his traits, lore and/or design?

I don't think I referenced anything for Sunan specifically. The goal was to write someone who's nice and easygoing but sort of has a wall up coz he's scared of opening himself up.

In that regard, actually, Sunan reminds me of Allen Walker from D Gray Man. They're both in their teens but forced to grow up very fast; they are the keys to the war that's going on in their respective worlds, and carry this unreasonable burden to resolve conflicts and save lives. They also share a deep fear of being rejected by their loved ones due to their past. I remember being really fascinated by Allen as a teen myself so I might have drawn inspiration from him unconsciously.

(I didn't realize this but D Gray Man also takes place in 19th century... And Allen is presumably British)

But what I can say for sure is that the fic is loosely inspired by Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. The book's about a 16 year old boy, Holden Caulfield, who's basically stuck between childhood and adulthood. He feels rejected by the society and neglected by adults around him; he refuses to grow up and become one of them. This is the interpretation i take with not just Sunan but Sebastian and Ominis as well. Those of u who read the fic might recall the rye field and the cliff scene. That's meant to be a nod to this book (though it's pretty vague). I'm planning to use this imagery throughout the fic. We'll see how many times I can squeeze it in

Oh I also wanna mention The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. This book is about a double agent who's half Vietnamese, half French. Some of its key themes are, surprise surprise, dealing with one's conflicting cultural/political identities; the idea of belonging to both and neither.

Now Sunan's also mixed (Chinese Thai / British), and spent time as both a Squib and a Wizard. He has to lie and pretend a lot for his goal (protecting the Repository), which he doesn't particularly feel loyal towards. I guess being a 1.5 gen immigrant I've always been drawn to these themes, so I'm trying to explore them in my writing. And that's how Sunan became a deeply troubled teen

(In fact Natty is a perfect character for this; she's an immigrant who had to move to a different society and adapt to new ways. It'd be fun to write a one shot about her... if I ever get time 🤪)

Alright I gotta stop myself 😂😂 sorry this is so long, you can tell how much I loved this ask 🫶 thank you for ur interest diana!! such good questions keep em coming coming

[rosieblogstuff]

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

44 😲 in my main AO3 account. 2 others in my older account = 46!

I didn't realize I had that many things!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

270,883

3. What fandoms do you write for?

All 44 of those works in my main AO3 are MacGyver 2016. One is a crossover with The Rookie. The other two at Star Trek TOS and Star Wars fics.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Table + Flashlight + IEDs

Mac + (Wilderness + Training + Survival) + Jack

Lost Causes

Lake + Stick + Fever

4 Times the LAPD Didn’t Pull Jack Over + 1 Time They Did 

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to! I often respond to a chapter's comments when I post the next chapter of a longfic. And sometimes I just space on it and respond a year later when I notice I failed to respond.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh definitely my X-ray + Penny flashfic, Bad Penny. Most of the comments are variations on HOW DARE YOU!!!

There are a couple other flashfics with pretty ambiguous endings, too.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

That's a hard one. Most of my fics have a happy or at least comforty ending. Maybe... uhh.... Electricity + Combustion ? which I literally labeled "whump with a fluffy ending". I also have two Jack Lives fics so that's always a happy situation at the end...

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't. A few weird comments but I mostly scratch my head and ignore them. Anybody who hates on my fics will be getting a very long and nasty reply, followed by their comment being deleted.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope, no smutty fanfics here. I did have a romance I posted for another fandom awhile back (and never finished), and I've written fade-to-black stuff in my orig fic novels.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Just one! My Macgyver 2016+The Rookie cops-vs-spies crossover, in which some LAPD officers keep coming across a black GTO involved in shenangains around LA: 4 Times the LAPD Didn’t Pull Jack Over + 1 Time They Did

It's probably the funniest thing I've ever written, and the ending is one of my very favorites. Also possibly the only gen fic ever posted in The Rookie fandom, although I don't look over there much.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes. Somebody stole all my completed fics from FF.net last year. There was a big Tumblr post about some site full of stolen fics, and sure enough, there mine were. I asked to have them remove, got not reply. I haven't posted anything to FF.net since then.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, but not for a long time. I used to frequently co-write fics in my first fandom.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

I'm going to go with Washington State Ferry M/V Wenatchee. Who doesn't love a good ferry boat? It's an irconic style, fun if you're walking on, handy if you need to drive on, saves you hours of driving around Puget Sound by land. Also just a very nice-looking ship.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Ugh, wow. I have a couple dozen things I kinda like but might never finish. My favorite, and least likely because I've made the least progress on it, is a MacGyver fic about Patti having plotted out her revenge better, and tring to fuck over the team by having listed Jack as her replacement... which of course gives him access to high-level secrets like Oversight's identity. Much drama ensues.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Ramping a story up. Characters. Make a story fully story-shaped.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Endings. 😫

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Hmmm I don't think I've ever needed to. Like most things in writing, I'm not against it in theory, but it can be done well or badly.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Anne McCaffrey's Pern, back in the paper fanzine days. Prior to joining AO3 in like 2019, I had 0 fanfics posted on the internet but a few in zines listed on Ebay. 😂

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

This is IMPOSSIBLE to answer. I could answer it differently every day for the next couple weeks. Anything I already mentions plus a couple more!

[iri-vail]

Writing Patterns

I was tagged by @twilightarc-gm to share some writing~ Thank you~ Tag games are always so fun.

rules: share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns!

Going from latest to oldest. Let's go!

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

dark willows, bright flowers [mdzs]

Rated M, Jiang Cheng/Wei Wuxian, M/M

���Why are you packing that? Do you want me to walk around looking like a farmer?” Jiang Cheng grumbled, irritably tapping his foot.

all i need is you [mdzs]

Not Rated, Jiang Cheng/Lan Xichen, M/M

The back part of Lotus Pier is quiet.

all my dreams have come and gone a half a million times [mzds]

Rated M, Jiang Cheng/Wei Wuxian, M/M

Wei Wuxian leaves from Xunli city as the sun reaches its highest point, a tiny spot of light just barely shining through a dark grey mountain of clouds.

i have what it takes (keep giving it away) [mdzs]

Rated E, Jiang Cheng/Wei Wuxian, M/M

Sometimes, during their lectures at the Cloud Recesses, Jiang Cheng would dream of the After. When they had returned to Lotus Pier.

i'm still waiting for an echo here [mdzs]

Rated E, Jiang Cheng/Wei Wuxian, M/M

Jiang Cheng is a little unclear on how they got here.

then it's bleeding over, seeps into the grass [mdzs]

Rated T, Jiang Cheng/Wei Wuxian, M/M

When news had reached Jiang Cheng that the Yiling Patriarch was wandering the lands as a homeless rogue cultivator, a year after their last meeting at the temple, he had found himself flying to his shixiong’s last known whereabouts in a flash of rage.

on not choosing // not being chosen [mdzs]

Rated T, Jiang Cheng & Jin Ling, Gen

Jin Ling is the same age his uncle was when he started raising him, that he sits down to tea with the man for the first time in over a year.

to be so easily satisfied [mdzs]

Rated T, Jiang Cheng/Lan Xichen, M/M

Jiang Cheng arrives at the Cloud Recesses as dusk settles, orange and pink on his heels and parting the clouds as his sword quickly descends.

into you [Yakuza]

Rated M, Saejima Yasuko/Park Mirei, F/F

Yasuko remembers a girl sitting in their tiny Champion District kitchen, the place more crowded than comfortable with four rather than the usual three people.

a life filled to bursting [JRR Tolkien Related Fandoms]

Rated Gen, Gen

In Gilmith’s memories, her mother’s image is hazy, slicked-over, fractured like sunlight over wavetops.

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

Huh, not really what I was expecting in a number of ways. But fun! Thanks for tagging! I don't know who has been tagged already, but if you want to do this @perchingowl @jiangchengsjawline @cynical-harlequin @spriteofmushrooms @megsamforever go ahead! 🌟

Alright and now, some takeaways, mostly unrelated to the game:

I didn't realize I'd written this much for mdzs already?! How did that happen...?

I should really edit myself more, some of these are wonky.

I really like just kind of... starting, I guess? Usually when I write, I agonize over the first sentence only a little bit before going "fuck it" and just putting whatever for the moment. But then I never go back and change it. These could be more effective I guess, but ah, I like them.

I expected more of these to start with a line of dialogue! I thought I do this all the time, but apparently not?

The Tumblr post editor is godawful for formatting...

Alright, I counted because I was curious, and I've written some 69,000 words about Jiang Cheng, not counting the unpublished stuff on my PC. Cool.

[clangenrising]

Hey question, if someone thought about making a ClanGen blog that ran in real time as well, what advice would you give? Obviously you have some events that didn't happen "in game", how do you decide which goes in what month? Thanks!

My big piece of advice is MAKE A QUEUE and keep it stocked! I am suffering right now because my queue ran out and i am scrambling to catch up. I recommend having at least a month in advance at all times, more if you can because you never know when life is gonna kick you in the head and you're gonna fall behind.

As far as choosing what goes in your story, honestly, just do what feels right and fun. The game events are a guide and an inspiration, not a rule. If you want to get rid of something, do it. Like, I almost never write down things from the relationships tab cause its just too big to keep track of.

I also tend to shuffle things from moon to moon when waiting a whole month for them to happen just doesn't make sense. Like if a cat gets frostbite and then dies of it two moons later, I tend to smush the timeline so that only a day or two passes since frostbite is not typically a condition that takes months to kill you. If you're gonna die, it's gonna happen quickly.

Or, for example, when I started the game I didn't realize kits could arrive in the Clan at like 3 moons old so I introduced Oddstripe as pregnant, not already a parent, only to realize that I needed to push the kits apprenticeships by a few moons in order to make it make sense. Simple stuff like that.

I also tend to get rid of or rewrite events that feel like they don't go anywhere, like if I keep getting patrols with badgers but that feels uninteresting or I have something else that would make more sense then I reskin them to to fit better. I haven't done that in this story yet but I do have a plot point up ahead where I reskinned things like foxes and badgers to fit a larger narrative.

When it comes to making up plot points wholesale, I mostly just look at my story and let things develop naturally as they need to. Clan Gen especially isn't good at Resolving plot points, just introducing new ones, so I had to invent a way to resolve Razor's plot line instead of just letting it go on forever since that's not the kind of story I wanted to tell. Or for instance, just given the story I had written, I knew Fog wanted to talk to Ghost so I wrote a piece about that even though nothing in the game said that would happen, especially since he doesn't actually exist in my file.

So, yeah. Just... write however you feel comfortable writing, that's my advice haha

[ifbench]

Pokemon Black Retrospective, from the perspective of someone who became bored with it on their first playthrough

To preface this, this is technically not my first time playing Pokemon Black? I did play it once before, back in mid 2020, before I started PMD Rescue Team DX. I quickly got very bored with it, though, and stopped playing before I made it to Striaton City.

If you'd like to read my other mainline Pokemon retrospectives, you can read Emerald here, X here, and Firered here.

Pokemon Black was a strange one for me.

Like I mentioned in the preface, I didn't like it much on my first playthrough. I grew bored of it before I even reached the first gym.

And yet, in the years from then until now, I kept hearing about how it was apparently the greatest that mainline Pokemon had ever been. How it was the pinnacle of the franchise.

I didn't think much of it, until I started my mainline Pokemon marathon, and realized that I would have to give Pokemon Black another go.

I completed Emerald, then X, then Firered, having differing opinions on each. And for the most part, I was having fun! So, maybe if I tried Black again, I'd have fun with it too?

I decided that it was finally time, and I started a new game of Pokemon Black.

Like with my first playthrough, I chose Oshawott as my starter, having gotten much more attached to the species since then, thanks to my PMD OC Gen.

I named my Oshawott Arbaquo, after a neglected Oshawott-Shaymin hybrid OC of mine.

And so, I began my journey through the Unova region, hoping to see it through to the end this time.

The journey up to Striaton wasn't much to write about, but Accumula Town was cute, especially with the musicians adding instruments to the background music. The first battle with N was also neat, but I'll get to him later.

But once I made it to Striaton, I had surpassed my 2020 self, making it farther than I ever had. And I was immediately curbstomped by Cheren three times in a row.

It wasn't until I was told that I could visit the Dreamyard before fighting the Striaton gym did I manage to level up Arbaquo a bit, acquired my second Pokemon, Minro the Pansear, and was able to defeat Cheren.

Then was the Striaton gym, but with Minro by my side, obtaining the Trio Badge from Cilan was mostly easy.

Then was the encounter with Team Plasma in the Dreamyard. I had heard talk of this moment several times, but it was still a shock to see it.

It makes sense, though. Despite the name of the game, this isn't a black and white story. As my friend Icy said, this moment shows the unscrupulous lengths people go to when they are truly dedicated to a cause.

After that, dream mist secured, I returned to Striaton City, and unlocked a feature that would probably have been really cool if it was still available. Unfortunately, it is no longer available, and so I can only imagine what it would have been like.

I then made my way along Route 3, where I had another encounter with Team Plasma, though not much else happened aside from me catching a Pidove as my third team member. I named him Poliner.

Nacrene City was interesting! I found it neat how the whole town was comprised of refurbished warehouse, and there was a second battle with N!

Before this playthrough, my only knowledge of N was fandom osmosis, RP blogs, and a few fanfics, particularly kintsugi's fics. At one point, I considered having him be the human world's Voice of Life, though I decided to give that role to a different character.

It was a completely different experience meeting him through the game as intended, though. I liked him a lot, with how much he said he liked math and said he wanted to be my friend!

After that battle, I tried to battle Lenora, and failed miserably. I tried again, and failed miserably again. It took several tries, but eventually I was able to defeat her.

I had no idea that Team Plasma would try to steal from the museum, nor that they thought that the Dragonite skull was part of the legendary dragon. It's kinda silly in retrospect, but this was something completely new to me. I was intrigued.

Plus, Burgh was here! I didn't think I'd encounter him until Castelia City, but here he was!

Pinwheel Forest was when I decided to activate the infinite rare candy cheat so that I wouldn't have to grind. It was a nice leisurely stroll, aside from the Plasma grunts, but I didn't want to get stuck having to grind later.

Soon, the stolen Dragonite skull was retrieved, and I could continue on to Castelia City.

Between Pinwheel Forest and Castelia City, though, was Skyarrow Bridge. It was really cool seeing the bridge in its full glory, the camera panning around and all sorts of cool perspective shots!

Castelia City continued with the cool perspective shots, with the city being like a mini-Lumiose, complete with side areas and back alleys. It was a lot to take in, but it was cool!

Not so cool was the fact that the EXP Share was still a held item that only worked on a single Pokemon. That battle house was neat, at least.

Burgh's gym was...something, to say the least, but he was an easier foe than Lenora, and I acquired my third badge.

After another encounter with Team Plasma, I made my way to the desert of Route 4, and was accosted by a sandstorm.

Like with Hoenn's desert, the weather chipped away at my Pokemon's health with every battle, making the route a test in how many battles I could avoid.

Eventually, though, I made it through, emerging into Nimbasa City.

It had just as many things to do as Castelia, despite being a bit smaller.

But before any of that (at least I think, this might have happened after the gym, I can't entirely remember), there was the fabled Ferris Wheel scene with N.

While it didn't quite live up to all the hype, it was still really cool! It was a fun way of explaining a bit more about N.

After that battle, I got to explore Nimbasa proper.

Honestly, I don't get the purpose of the Small Court and Big Stadium? As far as I could tell, they both just had one trainer battle each and that was it.

The Musical Theater was fun, though! I had fun dressing up Arbaquo for a musical, and the music was nice! It felt sorta like the contests from Emerald.

Then was the Nimbasa Gym, a rollercoaster of a time. Literally.

The trainers were actually harder than Elesa herself, but she was still a challenge, since half my team was weak to her. But Minro had recently learned a new fire-type move, and put it to great use here.

Seriously, why do people dislike the elemental monkeys?

Anyways, after the gym, I set out onto Route 5, where I encountered Alder, the champion.

Like in X, the champion here is more than just a final challenge, but a friend you meet along the way. I find that neat, and Alder's theme music is great.

After making it across Driftveil Drawbridge, I made it into Driftveil City, home of Charles the Heartbreaker.

The rotation battle with him was really fun! It was an interesting and intriguing new way of battle!

But before I could get too comfortable in the city, I had a job to do: Investigate the Cold Storage, and find one of the sages of Team Plasma.

It was a neat ice sliding puzzle area! And I caught a Minccino while I was at it! I named her Minrir.

After finding Zinzolin, it was time to take on the Driftveil City gym! It wasn't too challenging, but Clay was still a fun foe!

Next was the quaint Route 6, where I caught another team member, Daria the Deerling.

Chargestone Cave was really cool! I really enjoyed the puzzles with the floating magnetic rocks, and I caught a Drilbur here, who I named Rilia!

The Team Plasma encounter here was cool, too! It was neat being surrounded by the Shadow Triad to be taken to N, and seeing N clash with Professor Juniper.

But soon, I emerged into Mistralton City, and not a moment too soon, for I had a breakthrough:

I had figured out how to usee my Action Replay to activate mystery gifts, and let me do the Victini event.

Upon activating the code, I received the Liberty Pass from the mystery gift deliverer, and promptly flew back to Castelia City, to see what this event was all about.

It wasn't much, probably because I was way over the level for it, but it was still fun battling the Plasma grunts, learning about Victini, and then battling and catching Victini!

After that little side tangent, I flew back to Mistralton. But before I could challenge the gym, I had to trek up Celestial Tower.

Celestial Tower felt a lot like the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town back in Kanto. It was eerie, spooky, and had possessed trainers too! It was a very fun experience, and I enjoyed the climb.

After meeting with Skyla at the peak of the tower, it was time to go back to Mistralton and challenge her gym.

I thought the stuff I had heard about the cannons in her gym were exaggerated.

They were not exaggerated.

Not only were you shot out of cannons in order to traverse the gym, one of the final cannons shot you face-first into a steel wall. Youch.

But aside from that, Skyla was pretty easy, and I got my sixth badge.

After traveling across the other part of Route 7, and through the Twist Mountain mines, I arrived at the moist Icirrus City.

Gotta say, I was not expecting to be able to encounter wild Pokemon within a city, but I found it neat!

Also neat, if tremendously silly, was the quiz house. I laughed a lot at the question I got, being "What do you call your father's brother", and the hint being "it's not big brother".

But then it was time to face the Icirrus gym.

It was like a souped-up version of Cold Storage, with rotating mechanisms that change your sliding trajectory. It was a really fun puzzle!

But thanks to Minro, Brycen wasn't very tough. And I got my seventh badge.

As we exited the gym, though, who to greet us but Team Plasma? Seeing the Shadow Triad surround us was certainly a surprise, especially with them telling us to go to Dragonspiral Tower.

And so, to Dragonspiral Tower I went.

Dragonspiral Tower reminded me of Sky Pillar from Emerald, with it being more and more crumbled and unstable as you went up. It had a lot of fun navigational challenges as I made my way up to the top!

But I was too late. N had already awakened Zekrom, and now my only hope lay with awakening the legendary dragon of truth, Reshiram.

I really appreciate how, unlike Emerald and Firered, Black tells you where to go. You're not left wandering for hours trying to find the Team Magma base, only for it to be hidden behind a random rock on the other side of the region. Nor are you left to flounder after finding all your available routes blocked by Snorlaxes, only to find out that you had to backtrack to a prior city with no indication.

No, instead, Black directly tells you to head to the Desert Resort.

Speaking of which, the Desert Resort was neat! It was unique among most other decrepit structures I've seen in other mainline Pokemon games, in that you're not going up, but down. Down, down, as far as you can go, to the deepest part of this buried castle. It was really cool!

Alas, this is not where Reshiram was. They were actually right before my eyes all the way back in Nacrene City. Reshiram was the unassuming little stone in the top left part of the museum.

And so, I acquired the stone form of Reshiram, but they were still sealed, with me having no idea how to free them.

I flew back to Icirrus City, and continued onwards, making my way towards Opelucid City. But before I could get there, I had to travel across Tubeline Bridge first.

Let me tell you. It was an experience seeing a figure at the far end of the bridge, thinking, "hey, they look familiar", and as soon as I realize it's Ghetsis, I get surrounded by the Shadow Triad.

And then he tells you his whole secret evil plan. Which, I feel was kinda weird, but alright.

Route 9 was short enough that the shock was still there when I arrived at Opelucid City.

Opelucid City was reallty cool! I loved the look of it all, and the music was great! It even had the first rotation battles I've seen since Heartbreaker Charles!

And after a conversation with Iris and Drayden, it was time to take on my final gym of this game.

The Opelucid Gym was massive, with a really interesting puzzle. It felt almost overwhelming with how big it was, but soon, I made it to the end, to battle Drayden.

It was a fun fight, and his Druddigon gave me quite a bit of trouble. But I won, and got my final badge.

All that was left was to head through Route 10, and take on the Pokemon League...or so the game probably wanted me to think.

Route 10 had some really nice music, and the final rival battles against Cheren and Bianca. I haven't talked about them nearly enough here, so I'll do that now.

Cheren was my first roadblock, the one who curbstomped me three times in a row all the way back in Striaton. It was really neat seeing his character development, seeing him figure out what he wants to do with his life.

Bianca is a similar story. She never curbstomped me, but she had her own character development, that maybe she had a different calling in life than what she once thought. And from what I've heard of B2W2, I think she achieved that calling.

All in all, they're great rivals, and those final battles with them reminded me of the final battles with the Kalos friends, on the last route before its Victory Road.

Fitting, as I was just about to reach Unova's Victory Road.

The badge check gates here were amazing. They were like Kanto's, but with the flavor of Kalos, and dialed up to 11.

Each badge had its own themed area, with the Trio badge having an outdoor dining area, the Legend badge having two dragon statues, and so on. And with each gate i passed through, more instruments were added to the music, until it all came together, forming the music for Unova's Victory Road.

Hoenn's Victory Road was a test of navigation. Kalos' was a test of strength. Kanto's was a test of wit. What, then, would Unova's Victory Road test?

A combination of all three.

I had to use spatial reasoning to figure out what caves went where, and which slopes to slide down. I had to use my sense of direction to make it through the caves, and know when I'm going the wrong way. And I had to use my strength to defeat some of the toughest trainers yet.

It was fantastic, probably my favorite Victory Road yet.

And finally, I had made it to the Pokemon League.

Apparently I was wrong in my X retrospective. Kalos wasn't the first region to let you challenge the Elite Four in any order you wish. Unova lets you do that too.

I unfortunately don't remember much of my matches agaisnt Unova's Elite Four, but they were each very tricky. I had to use a lot of strategy to get past them each. And I remember that the order I fought them in was Shauntal, Grimsley, Marshal, and Caitlin. And some of them had mentioned another challenger, one that came before me.

I defeated them all, though, and was ready to face Champion Alder.

But I never got the chance to, as N had already beaten him first.

It was like a twisted version of the final hour of Firered. Your rival had become champion moments before you.

Only with N, he wasn't planning on a simple battle for the title of champion.

No, as the castle of Team Plasma rose up from the ground, I knew that this would be a battle to decide the fate of the Unova region.

But I had to reach N first, and travel through the castle to get to him.

Black is, as far as I'm aware, the first mainline Pokemon game to do the unthinkable: have the plot take precedence over the journey to become champion. Rather than the game's plot ending at the 7th or 8th gym, like with Emerald, X, and Firered, the ending of the plot is the ending of the game.

It's a lot like Violet in that regard, but I'll talk about that once I write my retrospective on Violet.

Team Plasma's Castle was an experience I won't soon forget. There were no battles until the very end. I was told the story of N and Team Plasma by the Shadow Triad, N's room, and N's siblings.

Anthea and Concordia should have gotten more screentime, yes. But I still like their role here, in how they show you more of what Team Plasma was like, and what drove N to be like this.

But before long, I made it to the throne room, where N waited.

N told me I wasn't ready, that I wasn't worthy, as Reshiram hadn't awakened yet. But before my eyes, the Light Stone began to glow, and Reshiram emerged from it.

I dedideed to use Minro to try to catch Reshiram, since Reshiram would likely be taking their spot on the team for the coming battles. I wanted to let my faithful monkey companion have one more moment in the spotlight.

And they performed wonderfully. Whittling down Reshiram to a tiny sliver of health, enough that I could catch it.

N was my toughest opponent yet, with his team being even higher leveled than the Elite Four.

But I remembered his words from back in Nacrene City, about how, when all of this was over, he wanted to be friends with me.

I think those words are what made this part of the game so emotional to me. I wanted that to come true.

And so, I battled, and I won.

And yet, it wasn't over. Ghetsis came along, and brutally berated N. And then, he challenged me, in a battle that would decide the fate of the Unova region.

He was even tougher than N was. Fitting, as he was my final challenge in the main story of this game. It took everything I had, every single member of my team, to defeat him. By the time I was at his last Pokemon, only Arbaquo was left standing.

But despite the odds, I won. I had defeated Ghetsis.

But before the credits rolled, there was one final cutscene. A conversation from N to me. About how he didn't understand me at first, about how he couldn't understand why a Pokemon had liked me. About how he wanted to battle me, to find out why.

And then, that iconic line came. About making my dreams come true.

I like to think that my character and N became friends.

And so, the credits rolled, ending this game.

I had completed Pokemon Black.

I had so much fun with this game, and I'm so glad I gave it another go. Out of the four I've completed for this marathon so far, it's probably my favorite mainline Pokemon game.

It's not perfect. It had its difficulty spikes, and a few parts of it felt a bit awkward.

But it was fantastic. I love this game, it was fantastic.

I see what the hype is all about now.

[tansyuduri]

Top Ten TV

Rules: Game: Add 10 gifs from your favorite shows and tag 10 people.

I was tagged by @godmerlin Thank ya so much! SOO

My love! My favorite! I adore you so much! Merlin until recently was a show I would rewatch every year. THEN one of my RP servers when down for months and my mind was like HEY YOU NEED DOPAMINE KNOW THAT SHOW? It's a special intrest now. Merlin and Arthur were always my favs. But I read two merthur fanfics, realized hey this actually worked, watched the show with new eyes, decided to write a small oneshot. And then It was not a one shot, And then there was a sequal and a prequal... then I was writing more stuff! This show showed me I could write again after a long time thinking I could not.

My second favoirite show is Avatar the Last Airbender I guess and my fav character is actually Aang. I like his nonconfrontationalness I kinda also have that trait and you do not often see it in fiction.

(Now from here on out they don't really have an order?

I really like the show The Tudors. I don't require historical accuricy in shows about the time period that is a special interst to me. I can enjoy the shows seperatly and be like that did not happen! But the tudors is weard because it is very much NOT historicaluy accurate as a whole but somtimes, Dialouge and scenes are pretty much ripped from the firsthand acounts of the period. This is also the show were both Natalie Dormer and Henry Cavill got their start. Fun fact Katie McGrath was actually working on costume design on this show and someone told her she should try acting. She got a very small role in the show then went on to land Morgana in Merlin. ALSO this show makes me cry so MUCH

I didn't get into Shadow and Bone on my first try. After season two aired I tried is again with a freind of mine and loved it. I'm so upset it was canceled!

With Brigerton I actually started with the Spin off Queen Charlotte (I'm counting spin offs and their original show as the same show usually so I can have more shoes listed here WHEEEE.) Anyhoo Queen Charlotte won me over with it having a romantic male lead with mental Ilness. and I enjoyed it! So I watched Brigerton too. Eloise is pretty much teenage me.

The boys and Gen V got me with its plot and commantary on American society. Alright it kinda helps that I've never really liked the idea of super heros. This is pretty much the only superhero media I consume along with one animated show my sister had me watch once. My favorite from the original Series is Hughie and my fav from Gev V is Jordan.

Okay so yeah! Dr Who. I stopped watching shortly after 11 left and came back for 14 and 15. My fav doctors are 11 and 15 so far! I adore Martha and Donna the best.

So The Last Kingdom was a show that my freind really liked and we watched together. I hated Uhtred in season 1 but came to enjoy him later. I LOVED These two in the gif, I WAS HERE FOR THEM SHIPPING THEM IN THE LAST SEASON. You know how that turned out if you watch the show. I have never hated on a character as much as I did on a certain king. THEM. <3

I am very much enjoying House Of The Dragon. I was a GOT fan until the end season even if it started going downhil before that. No I am not team black or team green. I can see both viewpoints. So I'm just here to watch people freak out over it. And enjoy it myself. And Cheer for Healana while waiting in dred due to having read the book it's based on. I'm upset the seem to have gotten rid of Nettles though.

Derry Girls is the show on this list I watched most recently. I did not really like the first episode but from there I adored them all. Clare and Orla are my Favs. But the entire cast is great.

@shana-rosee @tiny-and-witchyn @poisonedfate @theroundbartable @247merthur

@saurix5 @akelafang @kairenn-n @kadenemrys @pendragonsclotpole

[burningfudge]

think you can give us a sneak-peak of what ms marvel fanfic is looking like? no problem if you don't

These are little snippets of what I've written so far. It's very rough, and I don't know if it'll make the final draft.

Kamala found it incredibly draining resenting her mom for being a difficult person to deal with but also empathizing with the fact that she is the way she is because of all the unfair trauma she's experienced, so she couldn't even blame her, and then she would go through cycles for being angry and invalidating herself, and constantly trying to be understanding but never being understood.

She loved her mother more than anything, but it was just difficult sometimes.

Kamala and Muneeba's relationship was probably my favorite one in the show just because it was so realistic. I used to argue with my mother a lot when I was Kamala's age, but now I'm 23, and I understand her much better and I've realized that my mom was right about many things. Not that I would ever tell her that, lol. It was very funny seeing people's reactions towards Muneeba when the show was releasing because it was very clear to see who was South Asian, or even from African/Asian backgrounds, and who was not.

The show even says something along the lines of "mothers and daughters, the eternal struggle" and I think that's very true from a South Asian perspective. Never Have I Ever also focused on Devi and her mother's, Nalini, struggles, and I related to that a lot.

--

Kamala didn't think she would ever truly understand the pain that her great-grandfather went through from leaving everything he'd ever known—his entire livelihood—for a better life and knowing that he would never be able to return. And then, to a lesser extent, her parents did the same thing. Her great-grandfather and grandmother left India for Pakistan, and her parents left Pakistan for America. Twice Migrated, Once Displaced. It was the bravest thing she knew.

While I’m writing, I’ve realized the Ms Marvel fic is becoming more personal than I realized because much of my family's history mirrors Kamala's but from the Indian/Hindu side. What drew me to Kamala in the first place was because she was a second-gen South Asian immigrant, and while that's not exactly me, it's close enough.

While Ms Marvel is a goofy and fun character, I think I'm going to focus more on culture, community, identity, mother/daughter relationships, immigration, intergenerational trauma, displacement, and the Partition of India in the fic.

[the-lincyclopedia]

for the AU game — QT sleepaway camp AU

Ooh, did you know sleep-away camp AUs are my weakness? I don't read or write a lot of them, but I do have a two-part Check Please summer camp AU whose setting is based heavily on my own camp experiences (I've spent parts of 16 of the past 21 summers at the same sleep-away camp), and writing it was so much fun. But okay, here goes:

I'm going to set this with the monarchs and their peers in their early teens and attending camp as campers, while Teleus, Relius, Phresine, the Magus, and Pol are counselors. (Every time I do something like this, I realize how few powerful older women we get in the series.)

The camp's theme is spies/adventure stuff. Teleus leads the physical challenges. Relius teaches kids to make and break codes. Phresine teaches the minutiae of reading facial expressions and speaking so that your co-conspirators catch a double meaning that everyone else misses (and, like, interpersonal manipulation generally). The Magus teaches about plants, particularly for healing and poisoning purposes. Pol teaches martial arts until an entitled parent gets him fired by threatening a bogus lawsuit just because their kid didn't like him.

Irene and Helen are in the same cabin every summer for several consecutive years, and they go from being friends as children, to not getting along at all as pre-teens because Helen mistakes Irene's femininity for vapidness and Irene thinks Helen's androgynous style makes her sloppy and gross, to getting close again as teenagers when they realize that they're both just trying to get by in a sexist environment using different tactics. (Me, basing fic ideas on my own life? Never.)

Gen and Sophos both start attending the camp really young, but Gen switches to the older session earlier than Sophos does, just in time for Costis to start attending camp for the first time. Gen and Costis are cabinmates and get off on the wrong foot when Gen is kind of a jerk about Costis not having been to camp before and Costis overreacts, but after a really weird two weeks during which Gen helps Costis learn the ropes in the most convoluted way possible, Costis is surprised to find that he's somehow actually really good friends with Gen.

Nahuseresh gets ostracized from the social group at camp for being openly bigoted in a whole bunch of different ways, but he doesn't say anything bad enough to get kicked out of camp. Quedue, on the other hand, non-consensually kisses Irene at the first dance of the session the one year he attends camp, and his parents have to come get him the next day, because the camp director (Hephestia?) is having none of that.

[uslessnoahtall]

Villainous Legacy Challenge

So I’ve played the Disney Legacy challenge, and I had so much fun, but recently I was thinking, wouldn’t it be cool to play with the villains? And then I got excited about that and decided not only to make a villainous legacy challenge but to include villains from all kinds of media. Some of the generations aren't technically villains, but I thought they counted enough. I also didn't want to make it so that every gen was evil and a criminal and just tried to base each generation on a villain the best I could.

Basic Rules:

Finish aspiration

Reach level ten of career unless specified otherwise.

Cheats are allowed but try not to use them they make gameplay less fun

Reach level 10 of each generations set of skills

I did my best to make this as Base Game compatible as possible, if you’re missing some packs and I didn’t offer an alternative just pick your own or skip it.

Heir can be any gender unless specified.

For Ben 1, you can choose to start as a child, so story purposes, or just create them as a young adult :)

Generation 1: The Evil Queen (Snow White)

Growing up, you always felt like your siblings were favoured over you. They were prettier than you, and smarter than you, and your parents always seemed to love them more than you. All you wanted was to be the rarest of them all, and if your parents weren’t going to love you, you were going to make sure everyone else did.

Colours: Purple

Traits: Jealous, Hot-Headed, Self-Absorbed 

Aspiration: World Famous Celebrity 

Career: Actor or Social Media 

Skills: Acting, Charisma, and Romance (BG: Comedy)

Goals: 

Have a bad relationship with your whole family 

Get married halfway through your career

Have one child

Get divorced after the baby ages up to a child (your partner loved your child more than you)

Max your career 

Have a negative relationship with your child (People seem to like them more than you)

Generation 2: The Joker (Bat-Man)

You grew up with your mom, who was so busy pampering herself, that she barely paid attention to you. All you wanted was to prove yourself to you mom, and became almost as vain as her in the process, and far smarter. You joined the scientist career in an attempt to make her proud, After a horrific incident, that disfigured your face and body, and drove you a little mad, you switched careers. You couldn’t make your mom happy, but maybe you could make others happy.

Colours: Green

Traits: Gloomy, Self-Absorbed, Erratic

Aspiration: Joke Star

Career: Scientist and Entertainer 

Skills: Comedy and Mischief 

Goals:

Start in the Scientist career but switch to Entertainer halfway through adulthood

Marry another Erratic sim

Max Entertainer Career (Comedy)

Complete aspiration 

Have two kids

Generation 3: Wicked Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz)

Your parents were a little crazy, but you and your sister were so close that their weird antics didn’t bother you. The two of you were very different, you kept your nose in books and she flourished in social settings. You guys were as close as can be, until her untimely death days before Young Adulthood. You were distraught by her death, and tried to find someone to replace her throughout your whole life. All you had to remuer her was a pair of shoes she wore. You also started dedicating all your books to her, she was your muse. 

Colours: Red

Traits: Gloomy, Squeamish, Book Worm 

Aspiration: Bestselling Author

Career: Writer

Skills: Writing and Logic 

Goals:

Be best friends with your sister until she dies

Write books to remember her by

Get married but don’t have kids, adopt a baby

Mourn your sister once a week

Max career 

Complete aspiration

Generation 4: Loki (Marvel)

You were adopted into a very loving home, and had everything you wanted growing up, but you wanted more. As you got older, you realized you needed more than your parents could give you, you wanted the world. 

Colours: Gold

Traits: Ambitious, Perfectionist, Insider

Aspiration: Chief of Mischief

Career: Politician

Skills: Mischief and Charisma 

Goals:

Max Political Career

Don’t get married until late in life

Try and marry someone as ambitious as you, you think ambition is attractive as long as it’s not competition 

Optional: Marry someone on an opposing political side

Have as many kids as you want, be strict with them

Finish Aspiration

Generation 5: Kylo Ren (Star Wars)

Your parent was super ambitious, and always pushed you to be the same, to follow in their footsteps, but you never wanted to. You always dreamed of being somewhere else, far far away, maybe even on a different planet. As you got older, your parent pushed you into university, saying they’d pay for it in full. Little did they know you were planning on going somewhere even better.

Colours: Black

Traits: Loner, Genius, Hot Headed

Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Career: Astronaut

Skills: Handiness and Rocket Science (or Robotics) 

Goals:

Have a tense dynamic with your parents

Go to university and get good grades

Go to space as soon as you can

Marry someone who you initially have a bad relationship with

Have three kids

Max Astronaut Career

Finish Aspiration

Generation 6: Mordu (Brave)

It drove you crazy how distant your parent was, it seemed like they cared more about outer space than their own family. You and your siblings were thick as thieves, but you always felt like you were better than them, stronger and more ambitious. Once you become a young adult, you go to Moonwood Mill, because you heard the people there had the ability to give you new power. This backfired, but you took it pretty well, all you wanted now was to be the strongest leader of a pack.

Colours: Grey/Brown

Traits: Self Assured, Active, Slob

Aspiration: Wildfang Renegade

Career: None

Skills: Handiness and Fitness

Fight with your siblings before you move out (cutting ties)

Become a werewolf 

Become a pack leader

Have a kid somehow (you can get married, or adopt, or have a science baby, whatever you want)

Make money through woodworking and odd jobs

Defeat Greg in a battle 

Complete Aspiration 

Generation 7: Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians)

You parent was a monster in your eyes, who wants a werewolf as their caretaker? You grew up scared of their outrage and desperate for friends. Once you were old enough, you ran away to the city and built your life up from the ground up, it seemed like the perfect place to make a fashionable career, even if not everyone agreed with your design styles. You had a soft spot for animals, dogs specifically, and they proved to be the best friends you could have asked for. 

Colours: Black/White

Traits: Dog Lover, Creative, Snob

Aspiration: Friend of the Animals 

Career: Style Influencer

Skills: Painting, Pet Training 

Goals:

Have at least 3 dogs

Marry another snob

Max Career 

Complete Aspiration

Do a dog show at least once a week (Or obstacle course or whatever it is)

Have one kid

Live in a very large house

Generation 8: Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter)

The way your parents raised you caused you to be quite the snobby little kid. You were raised in the finest house, with the nicest clothes and had everything at your fingertips. Yes your parents were mean to you sometimes, and strict, and made your life a little hard, but only because they wanted you to succeed, right? Social status became really important to you as you got older, but eventually you realize that maybe, being the best isn’t everything? Maybe you could help others, instead of lead them, and maybe, your rival wasn’t so bad after all. 

Colours: Silver or Dark Green

Traits: Gloomy, Snob, Outgoing

Aspiration: Leader of the Pack

Career: Lawyer and Teacher

Skills: Logic and Research and Debate

Goals:

Max Career (Professor)

Have a rival as a child, marry them as an adult  

Have a good relationship with your kids

Create a club based on msicheif and mean interactions

Start the Lawyer Career but switch to Teaching towards the end of your Young Adulthood

Break up the club once you stick careers, and don’t speak to any of the members afterwards

Generation 9: Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

As a kid, you’d heard all about your parents complex relationship with each other, as well as what kind of person your parent was when they were young. You didn’t want to be like them, you wanted to be a really good person and settle down with your ideal partner, unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way. After your partner cheats on you (you’re not officially together, you just love them), you decide to raise your kid on your own, you’re better off that way. 

Colours: Light Green or Purple 

Traits: Jealous, Evil, Art Lover

Aspiration: Public Enemy

Career: Criminal (Boss)

Skills: Mischief and Charisma

Goals:

Be a good kid, listen to your parents and be kind to everyone

Get your heart broken as a young adult

Get pregnant by the sim who broke your heart, don’t tell them

Start out making money as a painter, but join the Criminal Career after your kid is born

Don’t have any friends

Max Career

Max Aspiration

Generation 10: Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

Your mom taught you that you could be anything you wanted in the world, that your life was in your power and not to let anyone dull your spark. You loved music more than anything, and dreamed of being a professional singer. You moved out to the islands once you got older, thinking it would be good for you to live out on the beach, in the fresh air, that is until some red haired girl tries to be your friend. She annoys you more than anyone you’ve ever met, and all you want is to ruin her life, and live yours in peace. 

Colours: Blue

Traits: Music Lover, Loves Outdoors, Child of the Islands

Aspiration: Musical Genius 

Career: Entertainer, Musician Branch

Skills: Singing, Piano, and Guitar

Goals:

Max Career

Complete aspiration

Fight with your neighbours and get mad when people try and come to your house

(Optional Mermaid Occult)

Throw a party once a week and invite a select few people, be the entertainer 

Physically fight with one of your neighbours

I think thats it!! Have fun, share your sims with me, and just keep swimming :)