#(i.e. he's a Lot of fun to be around when he's interested in something. the wonder is palpable)

[justplaggin]

« to the stray dogs »

[fluentisonus]

part of the problem is that a lot of hugo's politics are really well thought out & considered & good but then some of them are like. entirely vibes-based to the point of feeling muddled & inconsistent & even straight up Bad sometimes. which is annoying

[lactoseintolerentswag]

Rise Characterizations Pt. 6!!!!!!

After the turtles and Splinter, here we have the girl Ever. She's pretty spunky, I had fun analyzing her for writing.

April O'Neil Character Notes

Language Habits:

Uses bae/aave, something she could have passed on down to Raph and Mikey as they also use bae/aave

Most notably uses "mm-kay" in place of "okay"

Uses a lot of filler language, interjections, or onomatopoeia. Think "mhm", "uh huh, uh huh!", "oh yeah!"

"Ah nuts" is her go-to disappointed phrase

Grits and or strains her teeth when she's frustrated

Uses her own name (the full "April O'Neil!!!!") as a battle cry, or brings her name as a motivator i.e. "the one and only April O'Neil will solve this case!"

The more worked up she the louder she tends to be, this extends to stronger emotions such as passion or panic

Over text uses emoticons

Refers to splinter as "splints"

Refers to the turtles as "the fam"

Refers to villains/antagonists through insults rather than their names

Personality:

Adrenaline junkie, as she's often the first to jump into a fight. She also laughs in the face of danger, and was seen maniacally laughing and smiling the entirety of the gumbus episode

Jack of all trades. April has a lot of skills she's picked up from various jobs or personal adventures she's seeked out (like canoeing through the sewers in a hazmat suit and earning a crane license)

Wild and blunt. April is Loud, and rarely ever afraid to share her opinion. This can either make people draw back from her bluntness or be drawn in by her excitableness

Self-conscious. Despite her strong sense of self-esteem, April is still often motivated to impress the popular kids at school or at least fit in. She doesn't want to be seen as the weird kid, or associated with the weird kids

Persistent. April is always quick on her feet to hit back whatever comes at her. She has a good set of problem-solving skills that she's gained from all the skills she's picked up

Loyal. She's always willing to back up the turtles, and goes out of her way to keep Splinter happy with her company. Once she finds a friend it's hard to pry her away

Unlucky. Mostly in absurd or mundane ways. She has that whole curse with her birthday, but things don't often tend to go right for April O'Neil, which contributes to the disasters that cause her to get fired all the time

Miscellaneous:

Code-named "yellow submarine" by raph

Tends to have information on wifi passwords, secret exists, and access to keys from all the jobs she's been hired and fired from

Has a preference for blunt objects as weapons (most commonly bats, clubs, pipes)

Uses the environment in a fight in general

She's been part of the "warren stone fanclub" since 2010, and keeps all her ids in her wallet

Likes unicorns and cats (as seen through her brief texts with sunita and her pajamas)

Loves laser tag

Can beat Donnie at video games (if he didn't use cheat codes)

"sherlock_corn" is her handle online

Lives in an apartment/flat with her mom (showed onscreen briefly), that has its own bathroom

Has a subtly mentioned interest in fantasy, as noted by Donnie she tends to download fantasy rpgs and freaks out over cosplay wizards

Just an end note to all of you who aren't black, some offensive tropes I would stray from is making April the angry black girl. This is one of the most common stereotypes of black women in media. I wouldn't mistake April's passion or loudness for aggression. It would be a disservice to dilute her lively character into familiar but ultimately harmful tropes in media.

I am in no way saying you cannot portray April as angry, this is a powerful emotion and it should be explored with black characters, but I am saying that should not be the base of her character. Because well that's not even April's base. She's centered around fun and thrill-seeking.

Wikipedia (yes I know, But they have proven to be more dependable these past years) has a good article on the angry black woman stereotype, so that would a good place to start research on what to Avoid. In my splinter post I also provided some links on doing research on writing poc.

---

Anyway!!! We've ended our analysis trip of the main cast in s1. Next I'm thinking of picking apart our antagonists :]. Gonna take a break to work on my own fic, but stay tuned if you found any of my other posts helpful! It's been a fun ride with you all <3

[mecachrome]

i swear there is something about landoscar that makes me insane like i got into this fandom and have liked a lot of ships like maxiel, carlando, lestappen etc but there is just something different about landoscar??? idk if it's the dynamic between the two?? or if it's oscar's personality that makes their interactions feel genuine but i would love your analysis or thoughts on this cause WHYYYYYYY have these boys taken over my brain like so??? i swear other ships are literally out here hugging like mad and saying sexual innuendos to each other etc etc and im unfazed but i see oscar and lando have the slightest touch or glance at each other and im feral foaming at the mouth lmfaooooo !!!

omggg anon i answered an ask here about why 814's personalities appeal to Me Personally but maybe i shouldn't get too into that... 😔

anyway idk whether this makes any sense but perso with some rpf ships i find that the myth somewhat outweighs the canon or vice versa — i.e. the "potential narrative" of a ship is really compelling but it doesn't quite exist as it's written in canon, or a ship doesn't have that many compelling extra narratives other than the existing relationship that's strongly visible in canon. and i think these are all great and fun to ship, but i guess as EYE see it it sort of feels like 814 balance those aspects fairly well? like they have a dece amount of sweet and interesting interactions with each other, but obviously they're not best friends and there's enough of this like, sense of repression + the fact of their personalities being not fully diametric but still different enough that it feels like you can take them in a lot of directions. i really like that landoscar aren't quite foils but also aren't "twins" either as some people say, and oscar despite being so lauded as mature is still inspired by lando in many ways and shares the same sarcastic humor as him and enjoys his presence a lot. they work because they aren't opposites but there are enough crucial aspects that separate them so you can make a lot of tropes and aus fit them. which isn't to say you can't do the same with the other ships you mentioned but... idk i'm also just biased because i'm an oscarybroTM so i don't really think about 90% of the grid so i'm fundamentally less invested HLKSDFHLH

also i've mentioned this b4 but my favorite hockey ship (2124) is literally the hockey version of oscar (dorky californian sportsnerd who brings his gaming setup on road trips to play fifa) x his dry finnish linemate whom he doesn't even interact with off the ice but ON the ice they have the most electric wordless chemistry and are constantly aware of where the other is and play beautifully together and get super awkward when reporters try to talk to them about it. so like to me unspoken collaboration IS a beautiful and worthy thing to rpf about.... *__* so clearly i enjoy teammate repression and awkwardness in my ships already but then 814 are kind of even more insane because they're less myth than 2124 so there's SO much to chew on. at least for moi 🥰 icl i'm a little bit anti-pda so constructing intricate rituals to look longingly at other men and laugh at their bad jokes is more compelling to me than straight up skinship/bgp... i was just telling @inchidentally whose analysis i feel like might be up your alley that i don't rly get why people act like oscar's "heart eyes" toward lando are "pr" (???) because from everyth we've been told and see about him it's so clear that he's always been just himself and the level of... unguarded emotion he displays around lando isn't something you can just make up imo. even if it's just little things and they go off and do completely different things off-track (which again i kind of enjoy. like romanze can be guy who goes off to party with models the day after a race x guy who's in bed gearing up his 10th joke about getting his wisdom teeth removed) it makes them rly fun to watch ;__;

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Okay I just need to say that I knew I'd like this Tailstube as soon as I saw the thumbnail (after all, I am a Sonadails enjoyer, and Tails is literally in the middle of them in the thumbnail)

But I think probably something that stood out the most to me when I watched it was just

The hints that Shadow and Tails have a relationship outside of Sonic??

The first thing that tipped me off to this was that not only did Tails convince Shadow to join in on his show, he also convinced him to stick around to its natural end?? You know, Shadow. The guy you can't force to do anything and frequently will just dip if he's bored or doesn't want to be there. But even while Sonic was annoying him and he made it clear he wanted the "interview" over with, he still never made a move to chaos control out of there because of any of this.

And the second thing that tipped me off was this:

When Shadow is both confused and annoyed at Sonic, he chooses to complain to Tails about Sonic. And so Tails steps in to try to "explain" what Sonic meant by what he said (i.e he told Shadow something much nicer in the interest of getting them to be on better terms). The fact that he looks to Tails to complain to about Tails' own best friend and possibly even to explain that which he does not understand in a social context tells me just how highly he regards Tails. And since both Shadow and Sonic are being childish here, it's amusing to see Tails regarded as something closer to a trusted figure with more power here.

From an objective analysis standpoint, of course this means they have their own friendship. And this is a prospect I enjoy (The idea that Tails and Shadow are good friends)! It actually means a lot to me that Tails could form a frienship or bond with Shadow outside of the context of Sonic (in terms of who initiates it and for what reason it's initiated).

But, my friends, from a biased standpoint, I'm shipping trash. And to me this Tailstube was a fun show for Sonadails fans. Honestly, Tails staging this episode to get Sonic and Shadow to talk and "bury the hatchet", as well as how he acts during the show, read a lot to me personally like a guy trying to get his two boyfriends (who happen to be rivals) to get on better terms, if not just tolerate each other. I quite like the idea of Tails dating both of these idiots and just trying to get them to play nice when they're all together (although frankly I think the ideal scenario for Tails in my biased reading is that Sonic and Shadow get together as well).

This is also not to mention the dynamics showcased here! Sonic and Tails as best friends, with Sonic assuming that he and Tails were gonna talk shit about Shadow behind his back, and Tails trying to get him to play nicer. Shadow and Tails as friends, with Tails trying to convince him why he and Sonic are in the perfect position to become friends and helping him out socially, and with Shadow choosing to do something he doesn't want to because of Tails, as well as looking to Tails to complain to when Sonic is annoying him or when he doesn't understand something. And then there's Sonic and Shadow. In short, their relationship in this episode reminded me a lot of the dynamic I plotted out for that Sonadow post I wrote up where the two just beat the crap out of each other. In slightly longer terms, I find interesting how Mr. Flynn maintained Sonic and Shadow's dynamic during SA2 (with Sonic bothering Shadow and trying to fight him, while Shadow is just annoyed that Sonic won't leave him alone) while also showing the audience that they are rivals. And in longer terms...Sonic was clearly seeking a fight during this episode. And the facial expression, the mocking, his tone of voice, it doesn’t really matter whether or not he actually dislikes Shadow and believes they could never be friends. He's trying to annoy Shadow and goad him into a fight because he wants to fight Shadow so badly it makes him look stupid. And we can tell by how he expresses his confusion to Tails that Shadow is just not getting this. To him Sonic is just being annoying and confusing. Sonic is targeting him specifically, and Shadow shoots back with his own words. And so it's also pointed that Shadow reciprocates/actually decides to fight Sonic when Sonic specifically challenges him. He doesn't respond to Sonic trying to goad him on, but when Sonic challenges him specifically he's much more interested in opposing him.

Anyways guys I love Shadow and Tails having a soft on the side relationship while Sonic flirts by convincing Shadow to fight him somehow😂💖

[writers-reach]

Hello! Could i request headcanons for Junpei, Ryoji & Minato (seperate or togethers fine) with another member of sees (the reader) that's like a 'chickbro' to them? The idea came to my head so I thought why not :P

Have a nice day!

persona 3: one of da boys (junpei iori, ryoji mochizuki, & minato arisato)

notes: gn!reader, ryoji and minato can be read as romantic, no spoilers, platonic junpei

junpei iori

we already know how he is with his sl. loves to goof off, ropes you into doing dumb shit, but will fiercely defend you and your reputation like his life depends on it.

junpei comes from a shitty home, but after joining sees, he found people that he connects with and who accept him, and he wants you to be just the same. he wants to not only be the reason you smile, but to be a shoulder to cry on if need be

you two absolutely scheme to prank the other members of sees (though with junpei, your target is typically yukari)

bff dates to the arcade. you two get... scary competitive.

you are his number 1 hypeman when it comes to chidori. he'll go to you for romantic advice like "is this too cringey?" and you're all "nahh she'll love it!" even if it is a little cringey, they're just too cute <3

ryoji mochizuki

still flirts because dude can't keep it in his pants (regardless of gender i hc him as pansexual), but depending on if he susses out any romantic interest from you, he jokes around a bit more.

tries out pickup lines on you for feedback. some of them are good, some of them are so bad they're good, some are just... god awful. he's lucky he's pretty.

walks with you to and from school, sits next to you on the monorail, just hangs out in your presence a lot.

wants to try new things with you so bad!! new restaurants! that new bookshop that opened up! going to see that new movie that came out!!!!

probably is pretty touchy, but will back off if you tell him to. he's a gentleman, after all.

minato arisato

gamer bestie. will spend hours upon HOURS gaming with you, whether it be an mmorpg or something like mario party

you two have like, some kind of secret unspoken code (or, hell, telepathy) that allows you to communicate without speaking.

probably has a really complex secret handshake with you and you only because junpei got too confused to learn and ryoji just... bless his heart, he can't get it right

i hc that he does tarot readings for fun and will totally read your fortune, but will sometimes be a bit silly and completely misinterpret the results for a laugh.

i.e. "what does that mean for my future?" "oh you're gonna die a horrible death after eating spoiled food" "minato >:("

he brings out a more deadpan side of you, i bet

a/n: hope you like it!! since junpei/ryoji/minato are like, a bestie squad in canon, it's 100% implied that if you're friends with one, you're friends with the other two.

[dayshipper]

I just had a thought...

What if JJ and Kiara are no longer together after the 18 month time jump? Hear me out...

I love Jiara, but I think we all know how mundane some storylines can become when slow burn couples inevitably get together. What if all the Jiara moments we have seen so far, i.e this...

...is actually just a flashback and JJ and Kiara aren't actually together anymore?

While I feel like deep down this is unlikely to happen, I've kinda thought about it and, don't kill me, but I feel like the angst would be soo good if this were to happen! Don't get me wrong, I love Jiara (I've been on this train since the beginning!) and I am dying to see how they act around each other as an actual couple; however, it might also be interesting to see them try to find their feet before they become the ultimate obx couple.

I don't think they have to prove anything to anyone because they have already made it clear that they would die for one another however, we haven't seen them be a proper couple in the real world yet.

Let's theorise. So far, we know the Pogues got the gold at the end of season 3 and they've blown most of it by starting their businesses and recreating Poguelandia 2.0. What if this, along with maybe Luke coming back into the picture, has created a rift between JJ and Kiara. Maybe JJ is trying too hard to become the ideal guy for Kiara by using his share of the money for all the wrong reasons and Kiara becomes resentful of this because after all, she didn't fall in love with what JJ could become, she fell in love with him for who he was, warts and all.

Or, maybe JJ is struggling with his new found wealth and feels that there are expectations he has to live up to so he is distracting himself by entering into dangerous motorbike races and gambling his money away. Seeing JJ put his life in danger isn't something Kiara is willing to support so maybe this causes them to sever ties.

Now that s3 established them as a romantic couple, we are no longer doubting ourselves by thinking 'wait, was he jealous or am I reaching?' because now that they are/ were together, all the moments we get of them from now on will always have an underlying romantic tension. Even more so now. Even if they aren't together, they will always care and find a way back to each other so I'm not saying they won't be endgame (because they are), I just feel like it could be interesting to see them struggle to get there. Even though I know it feels like it has been a struggle already...

Imagine Rafe trying to crack on to Kiara with JJ around or Rafe making fun of the fact that JJ couldn't hold on to his girl 🤡 OMG I would die. Probs won't happen though after Kie abandoned Rafe in Barbados... but imagine!

To me, this photo ^^ seems a bit angsty. It looks like they're having a dmc and JJ is saying something that Kiara is grappling with... Maybe they were lumped together because everyone else is coupled up and they have had to share a bed and Kiara is not feeling comfortable with it because while she definitely wants to be with JJ, maybe the decisions he is making aren't ones she can get on board with and she's frustrated by it all.

Ugh I don't know, I haven't fully thought this through it just popped into my head. I just had this sudden realisation that while it might look like they're together in the teaser, what if they're playing with us and they're not. I think it would be too perfect if all of the Pogues were coupled up and lived happily ever after, romantically speaking.

Realistically speaking though, the likelihood of everything I just said happening is pretty low. 💀 I don't really see this eventuating although, I'm not ruling it out completely. They have been through a lot already so I don't think they will want to break them up. But if they did, it won't be for long, maybe only a couple of episodes before they get back together for good, hopefully in an epic way. Can't have too many of those!

Either way, I CAN'T WAIT to watch them be together, whatever that may look like!! J4L

[according2thelore]

But what if we didn’t want to be spared? What if we wanted to hear all your thoughts about Dean and him talking to Sam about Dean getting shipped off when he pissed off their dad?

Would you tell us then!??? ;)

in reference to this post here!

omg, hello friend!

well if you insist 👉👈 

talking from a meta perspective, this is so fascinating to me! because a lot of john's control in the show is enforced by his absence.

in "bad boys," dean is punished by john's absence, and he has to face the legal ramifications of his theft. in all of season one, john's control is exerted over his sons by his absence--they follow his text almost religiously, and dean has become more loyal in his absence, not less. his intentions have to be assumed, so they are assumed pure and for the benefit of his sons.

we see multiple times (but off the top of my dome, in "the girl next door") that sam is controlled from afar by john (i.e., in john's absence) from having and maintaining "outside" social relationships. he keeps him working almost 24/7 for research (triple red eye, anyone?), and controls where and how he can spend his time (sometimes using dean as an enforcer of these rules).

it's like john is most effective when he's not there. the threat of him looms over the narrative in season one, and the shadow of him is lingering around every corner until the show ends. i mean, hell, this conversation happens in SEASON FOURTEEN. TWELVE YEARS after john dies in canon. the things that sam and dean kept secret from each other on behalf of their father, and the things we are still finding out about their relationship with him never end.

he is THE absent father, but john is absent in the way that sound is absent in a party when the music is cut off--it's oppressive, it's disorienting, and someone hits you in the stomach with their elbow because their groove has been thrown off.

and so i think it is SO INTERESTING that john also controls both sam and dean with dean's absence (or, really, his exile).

dean is the obvious one, because it's a punishment. in my head--although i guess we never get this confirmed--john sends him on individual hunts that dean could take care of solo. that way, dean has to work hard for his penance, and it's another way to keep him in check, instead of sending him off to...idk...organize bobby's sock drawer.

but also sam! john is inserting himself into and causing friction within their relationship. "i think you knew that" means that john did not tell sam that he sent dean away. it means that john didn't even tell sam what dean was doing while gone, because "it wasn't because i ran out on you."

the fact that sam does not correct dean here--or after--that he knew dean was doing something else, or doing something important, implies that john a) left out information [i.e., not giving an explanation at all for dean's absence] or b) LIED and told sam that dean ran out.

sam acknowledges that this is an apology. so john actively causes friction in their relationship (as we also see in season one) through controlling access to the truth, and controlling through exile.

i also like the fact that dean is bringing it up, in sam's words, as a "deathbed apology." UNTIL THE END, this is one of the things that dean wants to clear the air on. he knows that this hurt sam, and he is still thinking about it. it haunts him. which means he also never told sam the truth, himself.

if he comes back, and sam is furious like "hey man, why did you run off?" dean just grins and accepts it and either goes along with the lie or dodges the question. sam's disapproval and pain are part of the punishment.

it also has fun implications for stanford, because what is "if you walk out that door, don't you ever come back" if not "sending away"? while i'm sure the words were spoken in anger and pain (as seen by dean in S4), john's control has always been absences and exiles and that stays true here. he is able to control both sam AND dean through sam's exile, because now dean can only depend on john, and sam completely cut off from everything he has ever known. it's a punishment for leaving, and a last minute (effective) method of controlling his departure. sam doesn't have any agency over whether he can come back, or if he wants to keep contact with them. he turns sam's act of agency into a punishment.

(not to mention, it's all very biblical in the michael & lucifer-ity of it all. the good son is exiled and proves his worth, being ultimately accepted into the fold. while the bad son is cast off for disobedience, and the good son accepts his exile and turns away from his brother. the father becomes absent. god and john are both more powerful in their absence, and the resulting power vaccuum is still about god, even when he's not there. who is most loyal? who is right? does this man/being deserve our loyalty? if he hurt us sometimes, does that make him bad? was he ever good? should we lie to ourselves and say an unequivocal yes, anyway? because if we tell the naked, scary truth, that means that we hurt each other for no reason, and will keep choosing to do so. because that's what he taught us to do.)

all this to day, THE IMPLICATIONS! THEY ARE RUNNING AROUND IN MY BRAIN! this scene is SO fascinating to me because it reveals an interesting new facet of their relationship to john and each other. do i think some of john's control was exerted as an act of love for his sons during some pretty intense extenuating circumstances? yes. do i also think that things like this were an insane power play meant as a punishment because john was an angry man? also yes.

(i didn't even get into the "you practically raised me" and "you were the one that was always there for me. the only one." which are also INSANE and i'm eating those words rapidly.)

thank you for this ask, lol!! it was so nice to see! i'm so lucky i have folks who love to scream and shout w me about these fellas! i hope my thoughts made at least a little sense. i am stirring this scene in my brainrot cauldron rn.

-lizzy

[johaerys-writes]

I know what your mythological otp is, but do you have a brotp and a notp?

BROTPs

I have some brotps though not that many, mainly because if there's a pair of fictional dudes that are just reaaaally close and always have each other's backs and everything I just imagine them secretly or not so secretly boning LMAO (I have a gremlin brain sorry) but here's what comes to mind:

Odysseus & Diomedes: I love reading their Iliad shenanigans and they also have great chemistry in TSOA so I always imagine them as this pair of friends that always have the absolute worst ideas to get everyone in trouble lolol.

Achilles & Ajax: they're technically cousins but I still love thinking about their friendship and how much respect and rapport there is between them. Some sources have them both training under Chiron, and also in the Iliad Ajax is basically the only person Achilles really listens to during the embassy scene.

Patroclus & Menelaus: this is one of those cases where I imagine them being friends and also boning LMAO but the fact that Menelaus fought so hard to keep Patroclus' body from the Trojans always makes me think that the two must have been quite close. I do actually think that they might have had a lot in common!

Also also this is pure headcanon territory but I'm really enjoying writing Patroclus' and Automedon's friendship in my fic As Fate Would Have It! I always imagined those two would spend plenty of time together, as Achilles' therapon and his trusted charioteer, so it's really fun to write them together now 😁

NOTPs

I honestly don't have many notps in general, I can’t think of a pairing that makes me so uncomfortable or something that I would never be able to consider it. But there are some that I just don't enjoy very much or that don't interest me.

Basically anything with Zeus is an instant no-no for me lmao I just don't like the dude at all 🤣 it's not even the non con aspect that features in pretty much EVERY pairing he's in, it's just... idk, the male entitlement of it all truly doesn't appeal to me. I don't want to know what he's up to and I'm not sure I'd read a story about any of his escapades (i.e. him chasing young girls and boys around and ruining their lives for fun 🙄)

Helen/ Paris: this is another pairing I can't see in a favourable light. I feel like it's pretty clear in the Iliad that Helen doesn't really like him and is miserable in Troy, and when she is shown to go to bed with him it's because Aphrodite threatens her and twists her arm to do it. I believe that there are interesting layers to their relationship and that there's a lot to consider here, but I probably wouldn't seek out any cutesy shippy content with those two. (But if we're talking about a Paris/Helen/Menelaus... now that's a different story 👀 haha)

Thank you so much for this ask!

[romanarose]

Darkness on the Edge of Town: Epilouge

Chapter 1 : Chapter 2 : Chapter 3: Chapter 4 Masterlist Join my taglist

Fic Summary: Right before a mandatory FEDRA lockdown, Joel saved a woman in an ally from FEDRA guards and is forced to house her for the entire lockdown. I.e theres only one bed

Chapter Summary: Joel get's you out.

Warnings: Mostly just feas of potential SA, nothing that actually happens or is anything to be afraid of, mostly in reference to women being nervous around strange men

Immersability: Reader has no age gap, is implied to be approximately Joel's age, possibly older than Tommy. Is not concerned about pregnancy.

A/N: For readers of The Wrong Way on ym alt account, theres a few not so subtle easter eggs LMFAOOOO

*************

Tommy proved a lot easier to talk to, at least compared to Joel’s initial reaction to you. Still, you didn’t feel as comfortable with Tommy as you did by the end of your time with Joel. He was nice, friendly. Tommy was given a vehicle which made the journey shorter… if you knew where you were going. You realize the insanity of traveling across the country with a man you didn’t know, but what options did you have? He was safer than Ross to be sure. You had weighed the options before you left.

Joel told you the plan, that his brother would get you out, take you with him where he was going and leave you somewhere safe. Tommy had promised Joel it was somewhere safe, but wouldn’t tell him where. That was the deal, Tommy wouldn’t be telling Joel anything. He was supposed to check in with the fireflies and they would tell him updates that he was safe, and you were safe, but that was it. Then, Tommy would come back to Boston without you, and Joel wasn’t supposed to talk to Tommy ever again. The secrecy made you nervous, but Joel trusted Tommy completely. There wasn’t a single doubt in his mind that Tommy would get you to safety and that Tommy wouldn’t hurt you.

The other option was Ross. Ross, and whoever Ross let at you. You couldn’t fight off a gang of men, no matter how strong you were, how physically capable. 10 men were 10 men. Even if Tommy wanted something in return for taking you, you wouldn’t be thrilled but laying there and taking it was a more desirable to the alternative of Ross. Still, for days Tommy didn’t give any indication that he had any dark plans. 

He didn’t even seem like you were of any interest to him. You never caught him sneaking a peak when you relieved yourself or bathed, he never hinted or asked any inappropriate questions. He seemed a lot like Joel in that sense. Honestly, under different circumstances, you would have initiated sex. He was attractive, he was charming, and a lot of fun to be around. Sex to you wasn’t a huge deal, especially at your age. That’s why you were so ready to sleep with Joel…

But right now, you still felt loyal to him . Joel saved you multiple times, but you genuinely connected to him. Sure, maybe he already slept with someone. You two had no pretense of being an actual couple, of any sort of loyalty. It was something to fill the time, and boy, did it fill you. You would need a little time before you went for someone else.

“Whatever you wanna know, you can just ask me.” You said Tommy one night a few days in as the two of you reclined the car seats. It was getting colder out, so you and Tommy scooted towards each other and shared a blanket. There wasn’t an air of sexual tension, even with your shoulders touching. It just felt brotherly. You had felt his eyes on you for a while as you tried to sleep. “I know you got questions.”

His voice was gravely next to you. “I think you got a few too.”

You sigh. “I’m not sure I want the answers.”

“Yeah. Me neither.”

Finally, you open your eyes and turn over to where he’s looking at you, eyes soft and brown. “C’mon. Question for question.”

“You start.”

“You’re the one staring at me with your puppy dog eyes all the fucking time. Go on, ask what I know you’re dying to.”

He rolled his eyes, sitting up and resting on his arm, but smiling gently. “Alrighty, I’ll bite. Who are you to Joel.”

A small shrug. “I’m not sure I’m anything, really. He saved me from Ross, as you know, and we got stuck in his apartment for a week.”

Tommy’s face grew more serious. “‘N he was good to yuh?”

“Yeah.” You nod. “Real good.” Teasing him, you lean in with a smile. “And we fucked, too.”

“UGH!” Tommy groans, cringing hard and making a disgusted face, shoving you away. “Sick. Awful.”

You laugh at his reaction, goading him on more. “It wasn’t awful, it was actually pretty damn great-”

“EW!” Tommy attempts to cover your mouth, laughing along now too.

You keep dodging his hand. “Got reeeeeal hot and heavy too-”

“BLEH!”

When you finally stop, you both are chuckling. You like Tommy, you’re glad he’s the one taking you if it couldn’t be Joel. As you two settle down, you both stare up at the ceiling. It was peaceful out here. South Dakota, along I-90. When you’d get to Rapid City, Tommy would radio the Fireflies to tell Joel you both were safe. If you were lucky, Joel might have given them a message to give you two, but you weren’t sure the fireflies would pass it along. You got the feeling Joel was not popular among them.

Tommy calls your name, and you look towards him again. “He make you do any of that?” It’s clear what Tommy’s asking, and you understand his concerns. 

“Oh god no.” You chuckle in response. “I brought it up. I had to tell him multiple times that i didn’t feel forced or noth’n. Like, multiple times. And then it just…”

“It's just what.”

You shrug again. “Turned into someth’n more. I dunno. But he was good to me. Don’t you worry ’bout that.”

He nods, taking it all in. “Alright, your turn.”

“Hm? Oh, right. Well… you told Joel… well, you made it sound like he did a lot of bad shit.”

Tommy sighs, sinking further in his seat. “Yeah, I did. Joel and I… we did a lot of bad shit back in the day. The things I saw him do…” He shakes his head. “I can’t even look at him now.”

“He see you do shit too?” You ask.

He huffs, but says yeah.

“He do worse than you?”

Tommy shifts in his seat. “I donno.”

You let him sit in his thoughts for a moment before speaking again. “I ain’t gonna tell you what you gotta do or who you gotta talk to. I don’t know your story. But I know we’ve all done fuck up things… and I know Joel loves you. Whatever happened, he ain’t surviving for himself. There's too much pain in his eyes for that. Joel… he survives for others. I ain’t tryna guilt trip you, Tommy… but I think we’re both alive because of him.”

Tommy didn’t say anything, simply staring ahead at the windshield until you fell asleep. You don’t think he slept much that night.

*

It had been years, your life at the QZ felt like a miserable nightmare. Life was good in Jackson.

You worked hard, but were rewarded with a bountiful life and good friends, Tommy remained one of them. When you and Tommy found the settlement of Jackson, it didn’t take long at all for the two of you to decide to abandon Tommy’s plans and loyalties with the Fireflies and settle here in Jackson. The fact he’d be caught spending every free second during your respite with the pretty and slightly scary leader may have influenced his decision. You, however, were thrilled to be somewhere with running water and electricity, especially with summer coming. You could not be happier with your choice.

Right now, however, you were grumpy.

Sick with the flu, you’d been stuck at home all day while the town had its movie night. Goddammit. You always miss the good shit. Lorenzo had told you to just go, but you didn’t want to infect anyone. A simple flu could kill much easier without modern medicine. 

Still, he was nice enough to bring you soup from the mess hall after.

“Can’t stay long. Zach wants me home early to get a good nights sleep ‘for once’.” Lorenzo rolled his eyes and did finger quotes, but with a smile. His husband loved and cared about him, as Lorenzo did Zach “I just thought I’d let you in on the hot gossip.” He said with a smile, pulling out two joints and handing one to you. 

You sniffle, sounding congested as hell as you rock in your rocking chair. “Did Jack get dumped again? I swear to god, it’s every week. Maura told me in high school he-”

“No, no, no! It’s even better!” He said with a grin, not hesitating before lighting up in your living room, a motion which you followed. “A stranger rolls into town, tall! Dark! Handsome!”

You can’t help roll your eyes. “You're married.”

“Hey, Zach called him handsome first, okay?” Lorenzo’s thick Boston accent came out even more when he was animated. “Anyway, he’s a father too. Road in with a teenager I dunno, 17? Or 10?”

“Those are wildly different ages.”

Lorenzo brushed you off. “Whatever, point is, single father. That's hot.”

You scrunch up your nose. “Are we sure that’s his daughter? Not some sicko we gotta kill?”

“Now, see, I ASKED THAT!” Lorenzo waves his hands around. “But Zach asked Jack who asked Maura who asked Maria-” Deep breath. “Who was suuuuuuper fucking cryptic about it. Seems Tommy knows him, and you know how Tommy is about his past.”

You did know, actually. You lean in with a smile, happy someone is filling you in on what you missed. “What’d she say?”

“Just that the girls his kid, and she’s taken care of and” More finger quotes “‘Tell Lorenzo to mind his damn business’”

That made both of you laugh. You and Lorenzo frequently caused problems despite your age. All in good, harmless fun, but the two of you were more like teenagers sometimes, and more often than not, you dragged a few friends into it.

“Are they staying in Jackson?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. Dunno why though, nice place for a kid here. But maybe her mom is somewhere out there. Either way, I’m gonna try and talk to him tomorrow, maybe-”

A knock on the door. Lorenzo frowned. “Damn honey, you got friends other than me?”

“Oh shut the fuck up.” You giggle, kicking him. “Answer the door for me, I’m sick and dying.”

Lorenzo kicked you back, but did as you asked. You couldn’t see who was there, but watched Lorenzo. “Oh. Uh. Hello?” 

“Renzo, whose there?” You call. Lorenzo turns around, mouthing dramatically. ‘Oh my gooooood’

He turns back. “Can I help you?” You don’t hear the reply, but Lorenzo keeps a hand on the door handle and on the frame. Goofy gossip he is, he is no idiot and takes your safety seriously. He’s not just going to let anyone inside. Lorenzo turns around to face you again. “Hey, you know a Joel?”

Joel. Blood rushes through you and you stand up, wobbly. The man from Tommy’s past is Joel. Who the hell is the kid? Him and Tess have a secret daughter or something? You hadn’t told Lorenzo, or anyone for that matter, of how you escaped the QZ out of respect for Tommy and his desire to leave that life behind him, so it’s no wonder Lorenzo looked so confused. “JOEL?!” 

A tall, insanely broad body pushed past Lorenzo, and you ran to him despite your illness. Joel calls your name, breathes it out like a sigh of relief, a breath he’s been holding since you left.

*

It had been a long day for Joel. Seeing Tommy again was incredible, Gods grace, and knowing he was not only alive but thriving healed something in him.

You were the cherry on top of the sundae. 

He held out no hope that you’d remained single. It would be selfish and stupid… but he couldn’t deny to himself that he was relieved when you explained the man who opened the door to your home was not only not a husband or boyfriend, but married himself and not a threat.

Joel sat on the couch and was thrilled when you immediately scooted right next to him. You spent hours catching up, he explained it all to you, everything with Ellie, how he got here. All the loss… In turn, you told him your travels with Tommy, the life you have here now… And how you’re single. Finally, Joel explained why he came here.

Originally, when Tommy said you were here, he wasn’t going to try and find you. It’d just hurt too much to say goodbye again when he’d already to leaving Tommy… but then he decided he wasn’t leaving, that Tommy would take Ellie… then the fight with Ellie. He needed you. Joel explained the fight.

“Joel…” You said, admonishing him gently and you stroked his hair. Joel was laid out on your lap.

“I know, I know… I just… It’s like that book.”

He can feel your stomach chuckle. “White Fang, I know the one.”

“Yeah. That one. I just… I felt like I had to hurt her, to get her to let go on me. Tommy would be better. He’s younger, stronger, kinder.”

“But he’s not you.” You wait until Joel looks up at you. “You’ve protected her this far. She trusts you. She don’t know Tommy at all and baby.” You card your fingers through his curls. “He’s a man she doesn’t know. That’s a scary thing, she don’t know what kind of man he is.”

Joel starts to sit up, defensive. “Tommy ain’t no-”

“Baby, relax, I know.” You settle him down, de-ruffle his feathers. “I know, Tommy’s the sweetest piece of pie. But she don’t know that. Most importantly, she trusts you . She loves you .” You lean down to kiss his forehead. “I’d love for you to stay here with me, I really would, and if you want, I’ll be waiting here for you. But I think you know what you need to do.”

*

He did. He had to give her a choice. Unsurprisingly and illogically, Ellie chose him. Joel swore he’d come back to you, that he’d make things right with Ellie and get her where she needed to be…

When he thought he was dying, it was Ellie, Tommy, Sarah, you who ran through his head.

And months later, after all the violence and carnage and almost losing Ellie twice, when he walked into town, after seeing and hugging Tommy and meeting his little niece, Catherine Sarah, it was you he went searching for. 

Unsurprisingly, he found you at the bar with Lorenzo again, and who he later found was Lorenzo’s husband, Zach. Throughout the years, Joel would get to know your friends, and consider them friends of his own. He’d marry you, Tommy standing as his best man and your close friend both, little Catherine as your flower girl. You’d get to know and love Ellie, provide the maternal figure she needed in her life and a mediation between the two when things got tense. He’d fuck you into the mattress that night and you’d ride him for what seemed like hour the next morning, spending a day in bed until both of you were too aching a raw to go again. That would all come latter.

Right now, as he approached you from behind and Lorenzo not to subtly kicked you, to make you turn around, only one thing mattered.

“Joel!”

“Hey baby, can I have this dance?”

**********************

sweetiiiieeesssss

Anyway yall theres your happy ending you wanted!!!!

Now were all wrapped up.

if you didnt see, I'm doing commissions bc im a lil tight on finances rn, so if you like my work, consider buying a piece! they start at $5!

@trinkets01 @ninebluehearts @luciannadraven33 @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @buriednurbckyrd @hiroikegawa @whatthefishh @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @koshkaj-blog @daddysfavoritesexkitten @csara615 @notesonpretty @kirsteng42 @mundivagantsoul @harriedandharassed @sofiparellel @orcasoul @noisynightmarepoetry

[midnightsgift]

8b sneak peek

Ik ppl are speculating about buck having a near death experience in 8b/ Maddie not really being kidnapped and i do find some of the theories intriguing. One thing i do find interesting is the sneak peek. I went to rewatch it to see if the mentioned maddies name specifically or if it was just the clips that implied she was being kidnapped.

In the clip u can clearly tell the audio has been spliced together to make the sentence ‘he’s a damn serial killer and it looks like he took {Maddie} with him.’ With Maddie not fitting in naturally. It’s normal for shows to edit audio to create sentence that were/aren’t in the show to build a narrative. So this isn’t abnormal, in this case it feel as if it’s just the name that has been added in either the replace someone else’s or a pronoun.

I have a couple of thoughts and no one to share them with so here u go. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna try and cut shit down so it won’t be all my thoughts but hopefully it still makes sense.

Theory/Explanation 1: it being a different victims name (either the ‘first’ victim i.e. the initial case that alerts the lapd read:Athena to the serial killer. Think prehaps a missing person case and along the way Athena links it to a serial killer/ unravels the case to find more victim and/or a specialist team come in to now help with the og case cuz it linked with a serial killer. i this is where we’ll see the other female agents who’s seen listing of item in the sneak peak). I think i could be a sound bit from early on in the episode were the idea of a serial killer is still being thrown around and then they added Maddie to fit the promo. I think makes a lot of sense and probably the most ‘realistic/simple’ explanation but who doesn’t look speculation.

Another thing that I think helps back this is the use of the He/Him pronouns considering the clips really kinda imply it is a woman who sedates her. So the og audio could once again come from quite early on in the investigation when its assumed the serial killer is a man and less is known about em, or perhaps when maddie is being kidnapped it’s still assumed its a man.

So i guess this theory is more likely to be what’s happening but it’s fun to speculate.

Explanation 2:

I haven’t really been keeping up with the bts/filming so idk what episodes they filmed so idk if the clips shown are all gonna be for 8x09 or perhaps a two parter so 09 and 10, but i will assume they’re gonna just for one ep but let me know if u know more bout that.

But I could be fun to think about a world where perhaps initially maddie is the target but the kidnapper gets disturbed mid attack. It looks like it takes place at her house and it could easily be explained that chim and buck are on shift and the credits roll, but icl i just hate the idea of maddies second pregnancy being traumatic (not in a its shit writing but more just my beloved character let her have something nice). So perhaps buck or chin walk in on it and the kidnapper suddenly has improvise and takes her sibling/spouse (ignore what i said in the last brackets 🤧). I think this would set up a two-parter as this could easily be the cliff-hanger, and the second ep could see the spiralling of the killer as they have to readjust their plan/ they feel as their losing control. And we could see maddie then waking up and trying to help aid Athena in a similar way buck had during the Doug era. IDK this idea is very much half-baked but i think it be a cool misdirect.

[zukkaoru]

i am so curious what mirror pronouns dazai means. do you mind me asking

not at all!! basically mirror pronouns in general means "refer to me with the pronouns you use to refer to yourself". so for dazai that would look like kunikida referring to dazai with he/him pronouns, yosano using she/her, i typically write he/they ranpo so ranpo would switch between he and they when referring to dazai, and so on and so forth

i made a post about it a few months ago but basically i see dazai's feelings towards their own gender being very... vague and indefinite. they don't exactly feel cis, they don't exactly feel like they're nonbinary, they don't exactly feel like they're trans, they don't exactly feel like they're anything. using mirror pronouns i think is a way for them to sort of consolidate those feelings into something workable. they can just. borrow the genders of the people around them! and it's also interesting to me bc i feel like to some extent, that's how dazai feels about humanity in general. they don't feel particularly human, but they can be a reflection of humanity. they can take the humanity shown to them by those around them and reflect it back onto others and feel like they're passing as human. they're just borrowing humanity from the people around them. plus i think dazai would see mirror pronouns as a fun little game. which is significantly less serious analysis but still very true and kind of the initial reason i came up with this headcanon ngl

anyway to accomplish this in writing, i basically just have the narration refer to dazai with the same pronouns used for the pov character. there's a lot of aya pov in the fic i'm working on with mirror pronouns dazai, so the narration in the aya pov sections refers to dazai with she/her pronouns. but then if kunikida refers to dazai aloud, he uses he/him. in the one scene i've written so far from dazai's pov, i had the narration refer to them with the pronouns of the people they were interacting with to emphasize the reflective aspect of mirror pronouns (i.e. in the beginning of the scene, while talking to sigma, dazai is referred to with she/her. then, when chuuya comes in and sigma leaves, dazai is referred to with they/them.) one thing about me is i love to play around with when the narration refers to characters with certain pronouns, especially if it changes partway through, i am very particular about exactly when the switch occurs. so also writing mirror pronouns dazai is very fun for me in that aspect

[pomefioredove]

Tbh I was reading the matchup info and now I have an idea for a fic 😂😂😂

But Seriously I really love your writings. I've been having a shitty time and when I read your stuff it gets better and mellows me out ❤️

Personality wise: I can be pretty calm, but I also have my exciting/ manic moments. Like cleaning my room at 3am (cries in bd sleeping schedule). People say I'm nice, and have a good energy. But if someone pushes me (metaphorically) I will push back. I can be petty if I get fed up enough. I get depressed easily and sometimes have trouble expressing myself. Which is weird because I kind of am the therapist friend. I don't talk about my feelings or self often. Sometimes I scare my friends unintentionally, like dropping random tidbits of my life that might sound or be a little traumatic. (I.e. that reminds me of the time my mom told me she would beat my ass if I cleaned her room wring again.) I can be pretty lazy, I sleep A LOT. I am a feminist, who is pretty used to red flags in people.

Interests/ Hobbies: I love reading and trying new art stuff. I am an English major and like learning about the dirty and scary sides of History. My favorite books to read right now are classical literature and disturbing horror books. Art wise I've been trying to get into air dry sculptures. I love to crochet. And when I feel like it I can cook and bake. Sometimes I roller skate, like once in a blue moon. I have trouble with homework sometimes, I can get really distracted. When I'm really tired I won't eat. I have body issues too (thanks mom 🥲). I used to be a vegetarian for almost 10 years. I stopped a couple years ago.

Relationship wise: I like people who are competent. Like, someone who knows their way around the house or are willing to learn. I like feminists. I don't like people who yell at me. When I get into a relationship, love bombing and honeymoon phase stuff kinda turn me off ngl. (Like why r you so free on a regular Tuesday afternoon. I give you butterflies? Digest them, want some pesto bismol? Here.) Ngl, it's like why should I have to come back from a full day of work/school and clean up after you and/or make dinner.

Lifestyle wise: No lie I have depression and anxiety and it can get pretty bad. There are times where I can't take care of myself as well as I wish. I will cry, if someone makes fun of me for it. I try to keep my area clean, when I get back from work/school I clean up a little then crash. I try to deep clean on weekends if I'm not swamped from school.

Specifics: No first or second years pls

Ty 💖💖💖

I match you with 𝐕𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐭

The First Impression:

One might assume that the first thing Vil notices in a person is their style, or their physical features, or even their body language.

Not really.

Vil absolutely judges people based on their competency, their skill, their dedication to themselves and their passions. And he can absolutely see that in you.

Why He Fell:

What initially attracts Vil is the challenge. He's always looking for new potential, and he can tell that you're both skilled and committed enough to meet his standards- but there's something holding you back. You're quite different from his past potatoes, and he's more than capable of taking a different approach to your case, one without the need for harshness.

Vil isn't one to pry, though he's able to piece together your situation from the random tidbits you drop on him, and soon, his pet project becomes more of a mission. Can't take care of yourself right now? That's fine, he'll do it for you. He'll find a way to create a perfectly manageable routine, fix your sleep schedule, help you with homework, and slowly ease you into a healthier lifestyle with him by your side.

Though he'd never admit it, Vil really likes the feeling of being needed, not just wanted. And, in time, he finds himself needing you and your company just as much.

The Relationship:

You cannot get more competent than Vil Schoenheit. Experience or not, he's a master at navigating relationships, and is more than willing to help you in that regard, as well. He's there at your best and worst, as you are for him- Vil considers the partnership very equal, and would never in a million years dream of upsetting that balance.

(Quite honestly, Vil doesn't want to be treated like an incompetent manchild who can't do anything for himself and he's glad you're on the same page)

He very much appreciates and admires your skillset, interest in learning new things, and your dedication to your passions (one isn't just vegetarian for ten years without some commitment, after all), and sees you as compatible in that regard.

It's a very mature and balanced relationship, one in which you don't even have to imagine him lovebombing or taking you for granted or acting childish. He certainly has his moments, but such is being human.

[thestrangestthing89]

I think there are a lot of interconnected plot points to consider with Will being the center of them all. One of which is that I think he created a few characters - El, Billy, and Eddie. I think of these characters like Dawn from Buffy. She was created to be Buffy’s little sister in S5. All of her childhood memories are fabricated (along with everyone's memories of her) but from when she is created she is real and is able to form her own thoughts and relationships. I think these characters are similar to this but Will has a bit of control over them unknowingly i.e. he’s able to call for El when he needs help. I think when he feels some things strongly he ends up influencing things unintentionally. But otherwise they have their own free will. So he’s creating people, and then he’s unintentionally manipulating things that already exist based off his feelings in the moment.

In S2, Joyce finds Will’s drawing of the MF and Will tells her it’s for a story he is writing. I think there are parts of this show that have been a story he is creating - there are parts that are real and parts that are a coping mechanism for his traumatic childhood.

Eddie shows up in S4 and is frequently called a "freak" - a thing that Will is called in the first two seasons. He is a nerd who loves D&D, and this is emphasized a season after Will is desperately trying to play D&D with his friends and keeps getting ignored. But in this season, we see Eddie - who is nerdy and enthusiastic about it like Will - getting his friends back to playing D&D and making it cool. One of Mike's points to Will in S3 was that they couldn't keep playing kids games for the rest of their lives and that having girlfriends made them grown up. But here is Eddie, no girlfriend in sight and loves playing D&D. Because he is older than them, Mike and Dustin look up to him and start to embrace being nerds again. They have fun playing even though they are a little intimidated by Eddie (at least in the beginning of the season).

Eddie also says a few things that don't add up - he was held back 3 years but then Chrissy remembers him from middle school. I think there are odd discrepancies like this whenever Will is involved in manipulating his surroundings.

Eddie's role in S4 is to get Mike and Dustin back to playing together - a thing that was upsetting Will the previous season. Lucas on the other hand, still isn't interested (at least on the surface).

Eddie has other things in common with Will - he is poor and his father isn't around. He's misunderstood and made out to be the bad guy by the town but isn't responsible for any of the things he gets blamed for. We see some members of the town blame Will for being queer and they seem to see his disappearance as the starting point to their bad luck (a thing I think is going to come up again later).

By the end of the season Eddie has emphasized he is not a hero. He runs away and hides when there is trouble. Something that Will has done in the past. But when Will stands his ground in S2 against the MF, it ends up hurting him even more. And when Eddie decides to be a hero and run back out into the UD to lead the demobats away and buy more time, it ends up killing him. And the same song plays when Eddie dies as when Will dies in S1 (When it's Cold I Like to Die).

Eddie fulfilled his role in the story. He was there to reunite the party and get them interested in D&D again. Lucas does realize he doesn't want anything to do with Jason and his friends and ends up helping to protect Eddie along with the group. I think there is a bit of foreshadowing here with the town hunting the freak. I think this is likely to happen to Will next season while the group protects him.

Also interesting to note that Mike seems to have had a crush on Eddie, indicating that Will's nerdy side is actually appealing to him. Even though he tried to say otherwise in S3.

[elektrischemaidchen]

Lisztober #10: Virtuoso!

Warning! Before you all get the shakes, @franzliszt-official: This song is largely based on original quotes (!!!) So it didn't just spring from our sick brains.

So, come on, let's fire up the beats again to crash yesterday's grave mood. And then we'll get back to doing what we do best: Naughty- wayward Victorian Lady - songs. How many did we do already? Can’t remember. If there's one thing I've learned from my other band, it's that going over and over the same sexy theme ALWAYS leads to success ;) (Haha. Ha.)

„Lisztomania” is probably the most discussed topic from Franz's virtuoso years. There's even a movie about it, by Ken Russell. I haven't watched it yet, by the way, because I'm extremely scared of it... For those who don't know: Lisztomania began around 1841 in Berlin (where else…freaks ;)) and soon spread throughout Europe. And it was a kind of collective St. Vitus' dance in which people (i.e. women) went as crazy as possible, fought over Liszt's cigar butts, licked out his empty glasses and also offered themselves to him in other ways. Remember, this is the middle of the 19th century. And, of course, there was also the medical view: too many people and candles in one room, “Cantharidin of a musical nature” (really cool!) and female hysteria per se, which was later cured with “vibration therapy” - this is also not our imagination. Ah, good old days. <3 Dear doctors, perhaps it was simply because Liszt was a hot as hell, a gifted musician and a really good showman. Cantharidin, Cantharidin.

It has often been suggested that this may have been the first ingenious music marketing coup in history. That may only be true to a small percentage. The small percentage: Have any of you ever seen a picture of all the merch items that were supposedly there? I collect a lot of Liszt stuff, but I've never found a lock of his hair (or his dog) in a museum, nor brooches, nor any other item anywhere, not even a picture. I'm really interested. If you know anything, please let me know. Shut up and take my money.

As someone who has been bobbing around in today's music world for far too long, I have actually experienced this kind of mania myself on a tour with an internationally successful band (not on stage, thank God, but behind the scenes). That's really really bad. Not for the band, who usually take full advantage of it, but for those who witness it. I've never had so many strange conversations in my life as with groupies. Incidentally, these letters written in blood, which are mentioned in the song, come from my own experience and, for once, are not from a Liszt biography. Dear ladies: Please bear in mind that when you do something like this, it's usually not your adored artist who opens the mail, but some poor bastard who scrubs his hands over the sink for six hours afterwards. I'm just saying.

My doctor explained it to me Miss, you have a problem And I look at him And sob quietly I don't want him to know Of my secret He says it's unfortunate „Histrionic epilepsis“ I don't even know Whether it's contagious Doctor, I think it's not hysteria Doctor, I'm afraid It is Lisztomania What commands me I only suspect Cantharides Of a musical nature Two weeks ago At a concert it began So I can think of nothing Else since then He is a master of the keys The Don Juan of the boudoirs I wish he'd take me Me here, for fun Everything about him is Pure physiognomy I smoked his cold cigars Till I spat I write him Letters in blood Break into his hotel suite Anything to be close to him Doctor, I also have Diphtheria Doctor, it's Nothing compared to Lisztomania And I'm sure I'll go mad soon Because a lock of his hair So enraptured It hangs in a locket On my bosom Then I will cuddle with His handkerchief For which I fought With other girls Even before it Slipped from his fingers When I, with wet hands On his tails, licked out his empty cognac glass Mr. Doctor, I believe it's not hysteria Doctor, I'm afraid It is Lisztomania My doctor nods With a knowing look Miss, please leave The smelling salts be We're going to introduce something something new Against your Lisztomania Unfortunately, the only thing that helps is... Vibration therapy Vibration therapy

[kyliafanfiction]

So, one of the things that people attacking Aura Theory often say (which was apparently brought up in Ward itself) is something to the effect of 'why didn't it effect anyone else?' I.e. if the Aura can do that, why was only Amy effected?

Now this is a fair point to make, but it is by no means insurmountable. Had Wildbow wanted to, he could have presented various plausible explanations as to why the Aura didn't have an impact on Vicky's family, or Dean (the people she'd be around as much as Amy), etc. Or he could have revealed that it actually was impacting at least some other people, the effects just didn't manifest in the same way, for various reasons, or to the same degree. Explanations exist. Wildbow didn't want to because Aura Theory wasn't true, at least by the time Ward came out. Whether he changed his mind or was just wildly misunderstood originally is not really relevant at hand.

The point being, the 'why was no one effected' argument is not a barrier that cannot be overcome by a theorizer or a fic writer, etc.

BUT, that's not the main point of this post. Because while explanations do exist, and some fics that have the Aura Theory be true provide them, most do not. The best Aura Theory fics actually sit down and say that the Aura was impacting some or all of the other people in Vicky's life.

Most people in the Worm Fanficdom have probably at least heard of Absolution at this point, it is something of a staple classic and often held up as 'the' good Aura Theory fic. Which is fair, because hot damn is it good, especially in Victoria's own introspections when she realizes 'oh shit, I really have been fucking over my sister and my family and my boyfriend with this Aura oh my god fuck'.

Once, after a re-read of Absolution, I went over to r/Wormfanfic and asked for more fics where - for that fic - Aura Theory was true, and explored, because I think, if fully explored, it's a fun theory to play around with in fic.

I did get a few recs, some good, some that didn't really engage with the Aura theory at all but were still good, a few others. It also kicked off an extended argument about the Aura Theory in general in the comments which was... probably predictable.

One fic that didn't get recommended that really should have been was Intergalactic No Fault Collisions. Now, this fic is about more than just the Aura Theory, and it is not for everyone. Taylor has an Altpower, it's a Star Wars crossover, she's a bit OP (though it focuses less on Taylor's fights and more on interpersonal reactions), and I'm sure some would say it's very TINO, though I would argue it's not, though it takes some time for the reveal of just how messed up Taylor still is under the hood.

But it does have Aura Theory be true, but it explores that truth in some really interesting ways, including the idea that Amy was not the only person effected. It explores the way Vicky's own issues and baggages pre-triggering played into why the Aura might be a thing, why it was what she 'needed', as it were. It explores how the way people interact with Vicky after she figures out how to turn off her Aura (because it takes the common Aura Theory approach of saying her Aura doesn't really have a normal 'off switch', which I know is not canon, but neither is Aura Theory).

The fic does a lot more than just the Aura Theory, but really, the way it has it, explores it, and how it explores Victoria's inner mind and life, is really fucking good, and it is one of the best Victoria Dallons I've ever read in fic.