#(like. he's 30ish in the fic so.)

[forgotten-daydreamer]

Speaking of fics, quick, for a fic I'm basically done writing-

(The others are not listed here because they're busy with something else heh! And please share this poll!)

[quin-ns]

Neighborhood Dilf (Joel Miller x Reader)

Word count: 2.7K

Summary: joel finds out he has a nickname and he asks you what it means

Tags: pre-outbreak this is a happy fic guys!! I didn’t specify a year but let’s put it at 2000 for funsies so sarah is like 11 and joel is like 30ish. also fluff, humor, flirting, age gap, goofy plot (I don’t know what this is honestly), joel being the definition of a dilf and not knowing it, crushes, overall cuteness. also suburbia

A/N: I saw a tiktok where someone said they just knew joel was the neighborhood dilf and they were so real for that I had to write it. and no I don’t care that the word was popularized online we’re using it here. I’m here to provide a cute fluffy fanfic not a historically accurate one lol. also sorry if your name is bee, I tried to come up with a name for the friend that was a nickname so if it was someone’s actual name they could just imagine their full name (I overthink)

cross-posted to ao3 • tlou masterlist • main masterlist

The loud music coming from outside woke you up from your afternoon nap. After spending a semester at college struggling to find even an hour of sleep, you were taking as many of those as possible. You were a little grouchy at first as you threw your covers off and stormed to your window, but quickly calmed down when you realized it was the annual block party your neighborhood hosted during the summer.

You’d gotten an in-person invite from Bee, another girl home from college who you’d been friends with in high school before going your separate ways. You still kept in touch since she was nice enough, which is how you found out her family was hosting this year. She’d confided in you personally that she would quote “go crazy if it was all kids and old people.”

As you looked out into their front yard, which was diagonal to yours, you saw that’s pretty much all it was. Since you were such a good friend, you decided that you’d go. 

You were getting dressed (at a leisurely pace) when your phone started to ring. You picked it up from your desk after you pulled your pink sundress on and flipped it open. The caller ID read Bee’s name and you answered, ready to tell her you were on your way.

“He’s here,” she said, sounding mistified, before you could even open your mouth. 

“Who?” you wondered, furrowing your brows a little to yourself as you went to the window.

“The neighborhood dilf,” Bee replied under her breath. 

The nickname made you laugh. It reminded you of high school. It had started as a joke, something you had started calling the new guy who’d moved into the neighborhood with his daughter a few years back. Later you found out his name was Joel Miller, but the nickname spread like wildfire to all the other girls in the neighborhood and it just stuck. 

Everyone knew about it; the girls of course, their confused parents, jealous boys who thought Joel was stealing their attention—the only person who wasn't aware of the moniker (as far as you knew) was Joel. Well, you hoped his daughter didn’t know either. Thankfully, after time, everyone forgot that you had started it. It was a bit embarrassing.

You walked away from the window to your closet and slid on your flip flops—it was summer in Texas, after all.

“You need to get over here, Y/N—what?” the last word sounded distant from the phone. “Yeah, she’s supposed to be on her way,” Bee replied, but to someone else.

“Um, hello?” you asked, waiting.

Bee was quiet for a few seconds, then whisper shouted into the phone, “you’ll never guess what just happened!”

“Let me guess, Joel just walked up and professed his love for you,” you teased, laughing at your own joke. “What, were my parents asking for me or something?” you guessed for real that time, recalling the small bit you had heard her say.

“Unfortunately no, and also no,” she sounded a little too disappointed about the first part, which made you chuckle again. “He did just ask me about you though.”

“Who?”

“The dilf.”

“Just use his name,” you told her with a roll of your eyes, heading out of your room to the stairs. “Wait.” You stopped for a second. “Joel asked about me?” 

“Yeah. I changed my mind, you’re not invited.”  If it wasn’t for her obvious sarcasm you might’ve thought she was serious. “He heard me say your name and asked if you’d be here soon. I—hey!” she yelled, causing you to pull the phone from your ear for a second. You continued your descent down the stairs as she yelled something about ‘kids’ and ‘stay out of there’. “I gotta go,” she said suddenly, then hung up.

You just shook your head with a small, amused smile and left your phone on the counter. Stupid dress and no pockets. 

You headed out the front door and walked across the street towards the party. 

It was in full swing. Music, games, food table—it looked like something out of a magazine. The Grants had a huge front yard—it was one of the nicer houses in the neighborhood—and it seemed like everyone was there. There were kids running around, adults all mingling—some sitting at the fold out tables, others walking around, others chasing their kids—there was also a group of dads surrounding the grill. You glanced that way and didn’t see Joel. You wondered where he was and if you should find him, but Bee found you first.

“The kids aren’t supposed to go inside alone and two of those little jerks went into my room,” Bee complained right away, straightening out her white blouse over her jean shorts. Her pinned back brown hair was a little messy, though. You wondered what happened, which she quickly answered. “I saw them jumping on my bed through the window.”

“Sounds like fun,” you commented sarcastically. Bee looped her arm through yours. 

“My dad set up ring toss and it’s all little kids, I don’t wanna be the only adult playing. Come on.” She dragged you along in that direction and you willingly went with.

You saw a few kids from the neighborhood playing, mostly the preteens who were too old for hopscotch but whose parents had told them they weren't old enough for the mini golf (one of the boys had overshared that little comment). 

“Y/N!” a girl's voice called. You looked that way and saw Sarah Miller walking towards you. A few days out of the week when her dad was working late, you’d go over to their house and keep an eye on her (before you left for college). It was the easiest babysitting gig you ever had; she was polite, always did her school work, and hardly caused any problems. Her dad had raised her very well. 

She looked older than you remembered her being, but you had been gone for both fall and spring semesters—well, you had been home for winter break briefly, but not enough to see anyone other than your parents.

“Sarah, hi!” you greeted, accepting the hug she offered when she got close. “How are you?”

“Good!” she said with a smile. “Are you guys gonna play with us?” she asked you and Bee. “I keep beating them and it’s not fun anymore.” 

You and Bee both laughed at that. “Sure, why not.”

“It feels weird playing with her after talking about how hot her dad is,” Bee whispered in your ear when Sarah went first. “You think he’ll come over here?”

“And what would you do if he did?” you challenged while hiding a chuckle, raising your brows at her.

“Um, probably nothing,” she admitted, cheeks a little pink. “He’s fun to look at though.” 

You hummed. “You’re not wrong.” 

The two of you played a few rounds of ring toss, although Bee got very bored quickly. “Can we go get some drinks?” she asked after not that long of playing.

“Sure,” you decided. You waved bye to Sarah and the others as the two of you walked off towards the cooler.

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed some of the other girls in the neighborhood that hadn’t been in attendance before. For a couple that you knew, it didn’t seem like their scene. 

“What are they doing here?” you asked Bee.

“I may or may not have also told them the neighborhood dilf was here. They, uh, wanted to… see him,” she answered, avoiding eye contact.

You raised your brows in slight disbelief. “Are you serious?” 

“I wanted more people our age here,” Bee defended. “I wasn’t sure if you were even gonna show.”

You scoffed out a laugh. “You’re ridiculous,” you told her.

You reached the cooler and knelt down. You handed Bee a water, but she didn’t accept it. You looked up at her.

“Keep an eye out for the dilf, I haven’t seen him in a while. I’ll be right back,” Bee told you, taking off before you could say anything. You guessed the bathroom given her speed walking inside.

You laughed a little to yourself as you stood back up. You kept the water for yourself. You looked out amongst the crowd, realizing you were now on your own while everyone was in groups. You saw a couple people you were friends with and thought of maybe going up and joining them, but someone else spotted you first.

Joel Miller, the aforementioned neighborhood dilf, was walking towards you. Bee would be jealous, especially if she knew you and Joel were actually friends.

You had thought about telling Bee and some of the other girls that you were friends with Joel, given how much they just loved to gossip about him (how he was still single, how he looked really good in his pajamas getting the mail, that one time he took his shirt off while mowing the lawn—that was a big day) but then you thought better of it, not wanting to be run out of town by a jealous mob.

You were already getting glances by the time Joel stopped by your side so maybe your humbleness was pointless.

“Saw you all alone, thought I’d come keep you company,” Joel broke the ice with ease.

How long had he been watching you? The thought made your cheeks feel warm.

“Wow, what a gentleman,” you teased lightly, causing Joel to chuckle.

“I try,” he joked back, shooting you a small wink.

When you had first met Joel you were nervous around him. It was much easier to talk to him now that the two of you had become friends rather than acquaintances. He was an easy guy to get along with and you found yourself genuinely enjoying his company rather than just gawking at him in his yard from your window (like you used to do in high school). Your crush hadn’t disappeared though, so you joked around with him as a way to keep things casual and avoid getting in your own head. 

“Sarah told me you were finally here, she was happy to see you,” Joel mentioned with a light smile.

That made you smile back. “She’s a sweet kid,” you told him. “I was happy to see her too.”

You fiddled with the water bottle in your hand as you spoke, trying to unscrew the cap. The stupid thing was stuck and after a few seconds you gave up.

Joel gave you an amused look, glancing between your face and hands. “You want help with that?”

“Yes, please,” you handed it to him. “There you go again, proving chivalry isn’t dead. Thank you.”

Joel unscrewed the cap with ease and handed it back. “Happy to be at your service.”

“So, you guys been here a while?” you asked, sparking up conversation.

“Not too long, only an hour or so. It’s been fun though,” Joel explained. “More for Sarah than for me,” he admitted, glancing around to find his daughter. He spotted her and she waved, then continued playing with her friends.

“Why’s that?” you wondered, looking up at him just as he looked down at you. 

“Just… I mean, everyone is nice and all,” he started. “But I just feel like I got nothin’ to talk about with them, y’know? Except you.”

“Really?” You tried to not sound too thrown off by that, but you didn’t know he felt like that. It was interesting to say the least. 

“Is that such a surprise?” he wondered, raising an eyebrow curiously.

You shrugged. “Maybe a little. I get it though, I haven’t really talked to anyone other than Bee yet.”

“I don’t know if you’re friends with them, but I saw a bunch of girls your age walking around,” Joel said as a suggestion. 

“Nah, I’d rather just talk to you,” you said casually, before you could even think about what you had said. The look on Joel’s face changed a little, like he was trying to bite back a bigger smile.

“Well, that’s nice to hear,” he said after a moment. Your eyes met his and the way he looked at you made your heart skip a beat. You had to look away to be able to breathe, almost certain you were reading into things. You really, really did not want to be disappointed.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Joel said, making you realize you hadn’t spoken yet.

“Sure, yeah.”

“You know… young person lingo, don't you?”

You laughed at the awkward wording. If it had been any of the other adults here using the word “lingo” you would’ve cringed, but there was something cute about the way Joel said it. You tried to snap that thought out of your head.

“Mostly, yeah,” you replied with a little chuckle paired with a curious tone. “What’s up?”

“Do you know what a dilf is?” he asked bluntly. That alone told you he had no idea. 

You were so stunned, all you could think to say was, “why?”

“Well, those girls I mentioned… I overhead some of them calling me that,” he explained, his eyebrows furrowing a little. “It’s not bad, is it?” 

Was this karma coming back to you for starting the nickname? It wouldn’t have surprised you. 

“It’s not bad, no,” you assured while also avoiding the main question.

“What is it then?” Joel’s interest was piqued now and while you couldn’t blame him, you also couldn’t think of a way to make this not weird.

“It’s an acronym,” you started. Joel watched you intently, waiting for an explanation. “It means dad I’d like to…” you trailed off, hinting at him the word to fill in the blank.

Joel just looked even more confused. “To what?”

Somehow he made cluelessness incredibly attractive.

Screw it, you thought. This was already weird. Rip the bandaid off, right? “Fuck,” you finished before you could think better of it. 

“Oh,” he stated. You knew it took a second for realization to hit. “Oh. So that means they, um,”

“It’s basically like saying you’re hot,” you explained, filling in when he couldn’t. You hoped he wouldn’t find it insulting or anything like that.

Joel looked a little bashful but found amusement in the situation nonetheless. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should,” you suggested, then sipped your water. You looked out at the people milling about rather than meeting his gaze.

“Do you think I’m one?”

You nearly choked on your water. “What?”

“Sorry,” Joel apologized quickly, trying to laugh it off. “I shouldn't've asked that.”

“It’s alright,” you assured him. You paused for a minute, contemplating what you might say to that. You got a rush of bravery. “If you’re asking if I think you’re attractive… the answer is yes.”

Joel couldn’t hold back his smile. He tried, but it was a failed effort. It was like he was trying to contain his anticipation. “What about if I wanted to ask you out? What would your answer be then?”

“Yes.”

Joel grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that,” he admitted. 

“Dad!” Sarah’s voice caused the two of you to look away from one another. You saw her running up to you guys and hoped she hadn’t heard a word of your conversation. “Can you come play with me? Mr. Grant just set up a bean bag toss!” 

“Sure, kiddo,” he told her. She grabbed his hand and started to drag him away. 

You smiled a little to yourself at the interaction—he was such a good dad.

Joel slowed her down a little bit to look back at you. “I’ll call you later, okay?” 

“Sounds good,” you replied, chuckling lightly. 

The Millers disappeared into the roaming people. You tried to follow them with your gaze but your attention got torn away.

“Waiting in a line for the bathroom in my own house is messed up,” Bee said, popping out seemingly out of nowhere. “What’s got you so happy?” she wondered, eyeing the smile on your face that couldn’t be erased.

“You won’t believe what just happened,” you replied. A part of you still couldn’t believe it. “I’ve got a date with the neighborhood dilf.”

joel taglist: @the-ice-frozen-ground-red-rose @dontphunkwithmylove @cilliansangel @amethystwonders11 @frogsmuahh037 @andy-rocks @melllinaa @alitaar @melanie451 @b00kw0rmsworld @reverieisaway @avengersfan25 @aheadfullofsteverogers @strangeh0rizons @spideysimpossiblegirl @shannonmariebee

if you would like to be added to the joel taglist just send me an ask or a message! <3

[mrghostrat]

Hello and good morning/day/night :]

I was wondering, in BNF, we’ve gotten tiny little bits of information about the ‘Nice and Accurate Prophecies’ (not sure if that’s the correct title, sorry) book and TV series, if there was anything else you could tell us about it?

Character names, storylines, plots, any fun details you may have made up or otherwise, etc, etc.

I just think it’s sweet how interested both Aziraphale and Crowley are in the series, and if you might be as interested, if not more, in it too.

Thank you, and have a lovely Sunday. 🫶

this is it, my leash has snapped, i'm wild in the streets, thank u for asking; i'm gonna go be insufferable now

(hi @neil-gaiman if you see this, i think it's safe to read, but it does border on being fan fic. i'm writing a fic where crowley and aziraphale are an artist + writer in an online fandom, much like we are for good omens, and this is the fake story i've made for them to be fans of 💛)

The Nice and Accurate Prophecy

info dump of the fake 5 book series by Agnes Nutter (1985-1992) and its fake fandom:

The Nice and Accurate Prophecy

The Strange and Improbable Prophecy

The Vague and Perfidious Prophecy

The Tense and Harrowing Prophecy

The Faint and Ineffable Prophecy

a dramatic, layered story with a bizarre and unexpectedly lovable cast of characters, humour that hits you out of nowhere, and a lot of attitude from the narrator. a la Good Omens, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

fantasy/historical fantasy and mildly action & romance

a la good omens, a witch and a witchfinder become friends and help each other throughout history, despite being on opposite sides. they get closer as they fight against the immoral plays from their prospective sides (the witchfinder army and a demonic cult the witch was born into) that each lose sight of their core values in a bid to hold more power over the world.

the story is set primarily in a medieval fantasy era, but suddenly jumps to the present in the later books, catching everyone off guard and giving a whole new context to enjoy the story. the challenges they face parallel the earlier story but in a modern take with modern technological twists. the modern era is the late 80s, since that's when it was written.

the witch reincarnates, similar to doctor who, due to a high class black magic ritual they performed in their arrogant youth (which they were NOT supposed to have access to). they've had long lifetimes where they die of old age, and others where they've barely managed to live a year. their reincarnations aren't entirely random; they will reincarnate according to their growth and preferences as a person (a la Magical Boy's magical outfit generations), which includes fluctuation in gender identity. their pronouns fluctuate depending on each "face" they wear, but have canonically been a "they" before. the good side of the fandom (crowley & aziraphale) default to they/them as an overall rule. they do have a name, but they like to change that too, so the fandom almost exclusively calls them witch, or witchy.

the witchfinder also has a name, but the fandom have taken to calling him witchfinder to match the fact that witchy is called by their role. it also helps that a lot of the witchfinder narration refers to him by role instead of name. he is human, 30ish in appearance, but at the end of the first book, the witch fears to lose him and curses him with immortality against his knowledge to try and keep him safe.

witch is crowley-coded, witchfinder is aziraphale-coded. my to-do list includes an illustration of the two of them played by michael and david :') but i picture them being kind of like newt and anathema for the most part.

ship names include witch/finder, witchwitch, w² or witch², and witchfound.

at the start of the first book, they meet and become friends without knowing each other is a witch & finder. the witchfinder is a bit bumbly, like newt, and the witch is cool and suave but neurotic and insecure like many human au variations of crowley (major overcompensation vibes). witch is male at the start of the first book. their friendship is secure when witch finds out he's a witchfinder, so there's less "oh my god i'm friends with the enemy, is he going to kill me in my sleep?" and more "ah fuck, Lets Drink About This"

there's battles, horseback riding, camping out in dark woods, disappearing and losing each other for months at a time, and many missed connections as they try to work together against two common enemies, whilst keeping up the facade that they're on their respective team's sides.

there's charged chemistry in the first book, but it's more plot heavy. there's hints of shippy moments in the 2nd book that fall in between the plot. there's a Moment of almost confession in the 3rd book, and a non romantic kiss towards the end (we gotta, for neil). they're pretty much married in the 4th book, securely at each other's side, but never actually talk about it until the end, and there's a more explicitly stated shippy connection in the 5th book.

agnes herself is a total recluse who drops books out of nowhere then goes back to existing somewhere in the english countryside (people presume). she's happy to supply signed copies to fundraisers and conventions, and sometimes random bookshops across the country will be vandalised with genuine autographs on the inside covers. she's notoriously pedantic about being involved with adaptions behind the scenes, but she has no social media and isn't ~around~. she once did a talk when she was presented with an honorary doctorate, and did a single book signing when the first Prophecy book came out, but beyond that she keeps to herself.

there are a small handful of quotes from her in behind-the-scenes footage talking vaguely about character intensions and clarifying world building, but she likes to leave things up to interpretation like neil does. it's in these few snippets of interaction we've seen from her that she's steadfastly supportive of intersectionality and lgbt rights, like staring dead-eyed at an interviewer when they ask her a ridiculously heteronormative question about the characters (like "have you read my books?")

adaptions include:

(most adaptions start like the book, with a male witch at the beginning that turns into a female witch when they first regenerate. the early ones usually change the pacing by switching to a female actor by the time they realise witchfinder is a witchfinder, unlike in the book where he's male for this scene, and there's way less Charged™ chemistry between the m/m witch/finder.)

Feature Film: late 90s, kind of cheesy, but good spirited fantasy (a la Indiana Jones). focuses on the first book alone, with hints to a sequel that never happened.

Abandoned TV Pilot: early 2000s, a little too dramatic but still a good time (a la the Dungeons and Dragons 2000, ASOUE 2004). good source of gifs and Moments™ but the fandom is generally Fine with it being abandoned.

Stage Performance: late 2000s-early 2010s, a stellar stage adaption of the first book with elements of the 90s movie. f/m witch/finder the whole way through. one cast used m/m actors but it was a short run and only a handful of fans were lucky enough to catch or remember it. crowley would give his left arm (or someone's, anyway) to have experienced it, so a fan sent him some flip phone camera footage of it that he keeps on a harddrive in his safe.

HBO Streaming Series: late 2010s-present, high quality, highly revered, resurged the fandom's popularity and spread the series further overseas. made in america, but doesn't try to americanise the series. extremely respectful to the books, with easter eggs to the film, and is working its way through the entire book series (a la The Witcher netflix series). f/m witch/finder, but has had one episode that included some flash backs/montages of different witch faces. probably like 15 minutes total screentime of a male witch played by a ncuti gatwa level/style of actor, which the fandom has giffed, edited, and screencapped to oblivion.

Several bonus books: Agnes has written a few extra books (a la The Unauthorized Autobiography of Lemony Snicket and The Beatrice Letters), as well as curated some anthologies from other authors (a la A Study In Sherlock). there are a total of 3 anthologies so far, in which other authors have written stories about the characters in their own tellings. basically like canonised, published fan fiction, curated and authorised by agnes herself. There's also an unfinished graphic novel that retells the book series (a la The Adventure Zone comic), but has been WIP/unheard of since the 3rd book.

[trianna-phoenix]

Random bagginsheild fic idea where thorin is young (like 30ish in human years, so not like a teenager or anything) he’s lost everything and loosing hope, one night he has a dream, a man tells him that he’s going to wake up tomorrow in the future to see what he has in store for him if he doesn’t give up and keeps fighting for his home land, the next morning, he wakes up in bed with bilbo in his arms and his kingdom thriving

[happyk44]

Ya know what I find really weird in PJO but I can't find an alternate explanation for/scene for and so it must stay in my brain as a "I can't find the solution for this and it's making be rage" thought?

The whole "Greek and Roman Deities Fighting Each Other" for the same brain/body. Like, I somewhat get it from the author's standpoint but as someone who knows both of their myths, I'm like??? They literally both have their own gods without "counterparts" like Bellona, which Rick acknowledges within the series and each deity literally has different values within somewhat same domains. Like, Juno? Entirely different epithets from Hera, although they share the same "place" within their pantheons. And, yes, there are some overlaps which come from the fact that Rome came after Greece and has a lot of influence from the Greeks, just like our books and literature has a lot of overlap with ancient cultures and, very specifically, America with European roots. That's just how humans work! Look at literally any fictional book with its own "world" and see all the things it took inspiration from! Even Tolkien! Especially Tolkien! And now look at the things we took from Tolkien.

It's just. I don't know what to do about this and I'm mad about it. Do I like, make the whole scene change when the gods change. Do I replace their entire beings with the other culture's. Do I make them coexist and just pop up everywhere? Answers, brain, answers.

[Coming from an author who's especially enraged bc he's trying to write a Mortal!Big Three AU after the series with a lot of roman influence but a majority of the series is based on Greek Influence--even Camp Jupiter, who has child soldiers??? Dude, they should be adults-. "Oh what about Jason and Reyna?" Make a funny little plot thing where literal adults are tasked by one of their Patron Goddess to take care of a Small Child which they literally did not ask for and raise him/it to be a functioning soldier. Make it so when we're introduced to The Camp via Percy, the soldiers groan because they're literally being run over by children, wtf man. Anyway, if someone writes this into something or finds a fic with an idea similar to this, send it to me <3--and so now he has to do a lot of research based in roman culture with very little Referenced Points.

{The author's starting to but it's gonna take a while and they wanna write this fic now-}]

<3

Fair warning it's like 4:30ish in the morning as I write this and I haven't slept yet so this might be all over the place but, yeah, Risk doesn't do enough to differentiate between the two sides within canon. So I think a lot of people come out of the series assuming that there's little to no difference between Greek and Roman gods and culture, aside from the change of their names. And since there's no perceived difference, they don't really do their own research.

Plus adding in details that aren't accurate to ancient culture/ideology (re: Neptune being hated because Romans weren't seafaring. Like. They were. They had a navy. And they didn't hate Nepetune) and then not elaborating any further on those details (we never see Neptune so we don't get to be exposed to how terrifying or different from Poseidon he is, we have no active child of Neptune to give us a reason why the modern day campers would be fearful other than a story about an earthquake, which I still find ridiculous because really? None of your siblings have ever made a devastating fuckup?)

It definitely could've been more well thought out. I mean I wrote a book featuring different gods, and a key player is Kali. In some text, Kali is an aspect of the goddess Durga. Durga has other aspects as well, such as Parvati. It's sort of similar to how the gods are presented in PJO/HoO. However, I wanted to clarify that Kali is a separate entity, so over the course of the last few centuries and as a result of colonization, she and the other aspects separated out from the principal goddess to be their own. She was the last to sever out. While she is worshipped as an aspect of Durga, she's still a goddess in her own right! But the aspect wording caught my attention and I wanted it to be obvious

With PJO/HoO canon, it could be the opposite. They started as separate entities but public perception caused them to merge. We know through TKC that public perception affects the gods - gods that have been forgotten become senile. Why can't public perception affect them in other ways? In my book, less known mythologies and gods become weaker and weaker, especially as colonization has erased knowledge and artifacts, which is why I had them centralize their power into a collective that equalizes belief among the whole of them (with a little boost for the well-known and worshipped), because hey, if it can happen to them, it can happen to you.

Anyway, a fun way to go about this is maybe making a joke that Hermes and Anubis can't interact because otherwise they start to combine and separating them takes time and energy and other people's help because of Hermanubis. The Greek and Roman gods want to be separate but because public perception tends to conflate them way more than they're already conflated, they're stuck battling it out. Greek gods tend to win more because, again, public perception tends to prioritize Greek mythology (at least I think so anyway) which is one of the reason legacies are so commonplace in Camp Jupiter in a way they aren't at CHB.

By this you can have "designer" legacies - kids with more than one godly ancestor (like Frank) in order to continue on the powers or strengths of multiple gods rather than just the one. With the way New Rome is structured, I can't imagine why demigods wouldn't hook up with one another. With CHB, you can leave so relationships between demigods may fizzle out after the summer or when demigods choose to stop coming back to camp for whatever reason. They also don't have to send their kids to camp, and can train their kids on their own, so less interaction with legacies is had with CHB, and thus godly influence slowly dies out as the legacies don't hook up with one another or other demigods. There's also the ever present risk of monsters, so Greek legacies may survive less.

With CJ, everyone tends to migrate into New Rome when their service is done. Between school, work, and homing options, there's less reason to leave, less likelihood of relationships fizzling out, higher likelihood of multiple godly ancestors among legacies.

One of the things that I've complained about with the Greek vs Roman battling it out thing before and what I wanna reiterate again is that Frank should not have been the one to deal with both aspects of his dad arguing in his head. It should've been Jason!! The one who actually was unsure of his standing as a Roman or Greek demigod.

But there's no differentiation. Even the arguing in Frank's head is just "kill everyone!" and "war is great!" There's no line between Mars as war god and Ares as a war god, despite the reality that there was - Mars being more disciplined and Ares being more bloodlust.

And attempts at describing a difference are either unclear or delivered through secondhand information, like when Thalia claims that Jupiter seemed different to her when he came in that aspect of himself but in text, the actual exposure we get of him feels no different to what we've experienced of Zeus in PJO. Neptune vs Poseidon.

Why does Athena have kids but Minerva doesn't when both are virgin goddesses born from their father's head? Why does Minerva's status as a virgin goddess bear more significance than Athena's to the point she doesn't simply replicate the actions of her other self to have her own kids?

The only line of clarity I can really see is Pluto vs Hades, and even then, the characterization between the two of them is essentially the same, the only weight is in the importance of their godly priorities shown both through their kids (Hazel vs Nico) and described in text (wealth vs dead). But we get little to no other exposure or line of thought from other characters with the same godly parent, just different aspects. How does Frank differ from Clarisse, or Jason from Thalia? How does the chosen aspect of their godly parent affect their personality, their powers, the way they interact with the world or how others see them?

I do like that idea of random adults at camp being given a kid by various gods who are just "take care of this thing for me, thanks" and bouncing off. That's funny. But also lol, Jason being CJ's only child soldier. He's Jupiter's child, and a champion of Juno so he's special and must be treated as such, even if that's by being attacked by wolves nonstop as a toddler and then raised in barracks from ages 3 to 15. And when people go "what about Reyna" or "what about Frank", like, idk how commonplace it is in most places but I know the US has those like junior army clubs or whatever it's called, so why couldn't they just be part of CJ's equivalent to that and then run off to do their own thing with the others because they're teens with ADHD and impulsivity is a thing, especially when you care about your friends.

But, like, also the soldier aspect isn't really key. "What about Reyna?" She was gonna end up at Camp Jupiter either way. "What about Frank?" He needed to be trained because it'd been 16 years and the fact that he hadn't experienced any monsters up to 'til then can be written away as his mom and grandmother defeated them before he could be hurt, and then his mom died and his grandmother realized she won't always be here to defend him so fuck it, let's tell him the truth about his father and send him off to learn how to defend himself.

And again! It's as you said - epithets differ even between similar gods. Their priorities differ - both in ancient culture and with the god themselves. Principal gods differ. Mars was held to higher esteem than Ares - Frank's status as his son should've been exemplified. Mars was second to Jupiter in importance - Jason could've subconsciously adopted Frank as his second in command, which would've been neat because we know Frank struggles with anxiety and confidence and we know he wasn't all that thrilled with being Mars's son at the start, and him getting a bump up in status/importance could've been an interesting arc to navigate, as well as further cement the key moment in HoH when he takes over for Jason as praetor and leads the ghostly army.

[driedupeyeballs]

you should totally tell us some of your Jamiazu headcanons/lh

OK UH LETS GO THIS MIGHT GET KINDA ANGSTY BUT RAAAH

So Jamil was definitely initially the type to be like “oh, a crush. How do I get rid of it.”

This is both bcuz he’s a loner and also bcuz he’s never really been allowed to have anything to himself for his whole life, so something like a long term relationship seemed especially out of the question. He initially was the type to wait it out and just let the feelings disappear on their own (spoiler: they didn’t)

As for Azul, he fell for Jamil almost immediately but was slow on realizing it. It was probably some off handed comment from one of the twins that made him conscious of the fact he had this crush, but he was pretty confident that Jamil didn’t like him back so didn’t act on it.

They both have a kind of guilt about not being good enough, Jamil because he has like no free will and Azul because of all his self esteem issues. They both feel inferior but see each other as absolutely perfect, they just completely adore each other

Azul is very reassuring, and just generally good with words like compliments and whatnot. This goes past their relationship, Azul just has a supreme vocabulary which is half the reason he’s able to rope so many people into schemes. Jamil isn’t as verbal or eloquent, he generally expresses his love more through acts of service like he’s used to, but it’s different w Azul. Cuz he’s not doing stuff for him because he has to or because of work, he’s doing it because he wants to, because he wants to make Azul happy cuz he’s one of the few lights in Jamil’s life.

I think Azul confessed first and Jamil ended up being the one to ask him to be his bf, probably took Azul a long ass time before he did open up to Jamil about his feelings and obviously Jamil reciprocated long before he knew Azul liked him, but he had his whole plan to repress it until it goes away lmao. So once he knows he’s not getting rid of it he’s the one that takes the initiative to make it official.

They didn’t get together immediately, kind of had a gray area period of knowing they like each other and acting sort of coupley just not having any labels on it. (But Jamil kinda likes the labels cuz he’s possessive but not like in a toxic way)

They cook for each other like a lot… Jamil’s love language is food atp and he knows Azul struggles with it so he lets him take it at his own pace. Azul doesn’t cook a lot cuz he’s not confident in his skills despite being great at it, he starts cooking for Jamil a bit later on and wow I’m realizing this whole segment is ripped straight out of aquarium cuz that fic rearranged the chemistry of my brain

They’re even worse about sharing clothes than most couples, they both like clothes w hoods (Jamil so he can hide and Azul cuz it’s dark and confined) so they end up stealing each others hoodies every chance they get until eventually no one knows which is whos anymore… Jamil can also occasionally be seen wearing that light blue coat from Azul’s dorm uniform if it’s especially cold outside (merfolk don’t get cold as easily so Azul’s always loading off his jackets onto Jamil in the winter)

On the topic of Azul’s merform, personal headcanon that it’s long as fuck, like 30ish feet, our man could easily crush a boat lmao. That’s one of the reasons he hides it away so much, not only is he self conscious he’s also afraid of accidentally hurting someone since his tentacles kinda have minds of their own and explore by themselves when he isn’t paying attention. It took a while before Jamil saw his merform, like a WHILE. like not until after NRC type shit cuz of a plethora of reasons. Jamil was always curious even before they started dating, but despite his anticipation took it at a leisurely/slower pace for Azul cuz he didn’t wanna make him feel rushed or uncomfortable.

When Jamil finally saw Azul’s merform tho it was a very sweet scene… our snake boy practically fell in love all over again lmao

Azul has not stopped trying to get Jamil into Octavinelle, in fact he’s gotten worse. He’s always pulling out the “I still think we could rule the world together” and Jamil just says the octavinelle hat is ugly then kisses him so he’ll shut up

Jamil deliberately kept their relationship a secret from Kalim specifically for months. Both because he’s trying to disconnect their lives a bit more and also bcuz… it’s Kalim. He’d probably throw like a “congrats on getting a boyfriend” party which Jamil did not want to deal with lmao. As for Azul, the tweels were the first to know. (In my headcanon/heart Kalim is besties w the tweels so he probably found out through either them or just general word of mouth cuz Jamil was determined to keep that shit from him for as long as possible)

Azuls big on pet names, E.G “my pearl”, “angelfish” etc. Jamil just sticks to “habibi” (and “asshole”/“cephalofuck” )

Azul comes to all of Jamil’s basketball games, and Jamil tries to participate in board games sometimes but he gets a lil too competitive sometimes lmao… board games club dnd campaign is kinda real to me tho so he’d probably play in that (and queue Azul “i roll to steal Jamil’s heart <3” then rolls a 4 and everyone else pisses themselves laughing while Jamil contemplates moving to another country and never being seen again)

Azul is a massive animal lover, he’s fascinated by earth animals. Jamil has had to stop him from petting a feral raccoon on several occasions. He also shares Jamil’s fondness for snakes and parrots too, I imagine if they ever move into together they’d have plenty of pets… *clears throat* I definitely haven’t made and named… pets for them… *awkward coughing*

General Azul HC he blushes blue cuz octopi have blue blood and Jamil adores this

ANYWAY UH I’ve gone on way too long here um yes JAMIAZU!! After NRC they move into a beachfront place in the Shaftlands and they r happy and canon and I am so mentally ill over them

[escapismqueen]

Chenford + were you jealous

Here it is ! 🥰I’m sorry it took so long, I’ve had the worst writers block 😂hope it’s okay ! I feel like I’ve written most of it when I was half asleep, so I wish you all luck 😂

Warnings- just a really annoying misogynist 🤢

Incl- fluff, jealous Tim, Protective Tim, Teasing Lucy. Alludes to smut like of, but no actual smut.

This is set around 5x13 time. 5x12 has happened, and Lucy and Tim are still riding together, and Tim is not yet at Metro.

Chenford fic- Lucky guy

Lucy walks up to get the bags for the shop, a happy skip in her step, her mind running through the events of last night with Tim. The feel of his hands on her body still lingers on her skin. The reminder of the way he caressed her face, convinces her own hands to cup her cheek, a small smile playing at her lips. Her mind continues to wander, replaying the way he held her thighs with a comforting firm grasp, he grabbed her thighs whenever he had the chance; she loved it.

“You okay ?” Lucy’s thoughts are interrupted by the soothing voice of her boyfriend. He’s looking at her with a perplexed expression, eyes glimmering with humour, lips curled into a smirk, fingers rested through the hoops of his trousers.

“Hmmm ? Oh, yeah, I’m fine” Lucy’s eyes dart back and forth, avoiding Tims playful accusatory gaze; worried she’s going to have to admit to him that she couldn’t stop thinking about last night; she knows he’s going to tease her about it endlessly. “Really ? Because you’ve been stood in the same spot for 5 minutes with a cute little smile on your face” Tims eyes widen for a moment, realising that he just called his girlfriend cute at work- a place he’s supposedly single, and definitely not dating his incredible and beautiful fellow officer, not to mention one in his chain of command.

Tim nervously glances around for a second, cop eyes switching on early, analysing everyone nearby’s facial expressions to ensure he’s in the clear. His quick glance ensures him that nobody heard him and soon enough, his own expression is back to one of questioning.

Lucy looks at him with a coy smile and rolls her eyes slightly in defence. She reaches to grab the bags for the shop and rests one on each of her shoulders. “I was just thinking about a case” Tim walks up to her calmly and takes the bags off her shoulder, carrying them in his hands, walking off before she even has time to protest. “Sure you were” he teases, looking back. He knows she wasn’t ‘just thinking about a case’ Tim Bradford doesn’t pride himself on a lot of things, but he prides himself on knowing Lucy Chen, and the way his girlfriend was biting her lip and cupping her cheek was enough to tell him that she was having some very ‘unprofessional’ thoughts. A slight chuckle erupts from Tim’s throat, secretly proud that he’s having this effect on her, and also glad that he’s not the only one who is affected by their rendezvouses in that way.

Later on in the shop

“Tim, that guy’s trying to break into that house” Lucy nods her head to her right and leans back, exposing the 30ish year old male who just smashed the side window of a cute suburban home. “”7 Adam 19, we have a possible 459 in progress; suspect is white male, 30’s, blue jeans, black shirt, brown boots, suspect is not armed” Tim sets the shop alarm and lights off and pulls over to the curb.

“He’s running” Lucy opens the shop door with power, quickly trailing after the suspect, Tim following not far behind. “Police, stop running” Tim sighs in annoyance as the suspect ignores his order and does not stop running. But his sigh soon turns into a scoff when the suspect trips over his own feet. Lucy kneels down and cuffs him “you’re under arrest for attempted burglary and breaking and entering”

“Can you get more stupid ? Breaking into a house in broad daylight, you’re asking to be arrested” Tim looks at the man, shaking his head in despair. He’s been at this job for years, and it still baffles him how stupid some people can be. He watches closely as Lucy pulls the suspect to his feet, guiding him towards the shop. He can’t help but appreciate how beautiful she looks right now. Her hair has slightly tussled at the sides due to her recent arrest, her cheeks are slightly flushed from the heat, and her skin is glowing. It isn’t until the suspect pipes up that Tim remembers he’s at work.

“Damn, you’re a super hot cop. Takes the sting out of getting arrested” Tim’s head snaps up with force, eyes resting instantly on the inappropriate gaze directed towards his girlfriend. Lucy glances slightly to the side, half wanting to avoid the leering eyes of the suspect, and half wanting to avoid the gaze that Tim is sending him. They may have only been dating for a couple of weeks, but one thing that Lucy now knows for sure, is that Tim Bradford is a jealous man; and she loves it- but now is not the time to show that she does. Her mind shifts instantly to last week when her and Tim stopped by the gas station to pick up some candy for their movie night. The guy on shift made a pass at Lucy whilst Tim was in one of the aisles, and safe to say, he came to regret it when Tim was at her side, glaring daggers right into his soul. It made Lucy’s stomach flutter, and she’s thought about it ever since.

“are you the one thats gonna be doing my body search? because if so, this day ain’t looking so bad” Lucy scoffs, pulling his arm towards the shop, but she’s quickly left empty handed when Tim grabs the suspect by the arm, pushing him angrily into the back. “Why don’t you shut your mouth and get a bit of respect ?!” He slams the door, the bang echoing loudly in the silence that’s just set upon them.

Lucy takes a peek at Tim on her way to the passenger door, and isn’t disappointed to find him fists clenched, nostrils flared and breathing slightly more elevated than usual. Tim’s usually very good at keeping his calm, but when it comes to her, she sees that side of him fracture slightly and it makes her feel loved and wanted; something that she didn’t often feel in her childhood. She mostly felt like a disappointment and like she was never good enough, but every time she’s with Tim, she feels worthy and wanted, and she can’t get enough.

The drive back to the station is particularly tense, at least between Tim and the suspect (who they’ve now figured out is called Peter). Tim’s expression only seems to encourage Peter’s flirting attempts though, and it’s not long before Tim’s ‘unbothered’ exterior moulds into a ‘definitely bothered’ one when his girlfriend is once again hit on.

“You got a man ? I’m available if you’re looking” Peter winks at Lucy through the front mirror, eyes giving her more than a once over. Lucy begins to grow frustrated with his advances, it’s not like she’s never been hit on by a suspect before, but this guys really going for it. “We’re going to be at the station soon, so I don’t think you’ll be so perky then” Lucy utters in annoyance.

“Oh cmonnnn, I’m just having a bit of fun baby” Lucy’s brows furrow in disgust at the pet name, one she only ever wants to hear from Tim. And clearly one that Tim only ever wants to hear directed at her from himself. His hands grip the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles start to turn white. His jaw is clenched and his expression is hardened into a scowl; if it were a different situation, Lucy would have teased him for it. “Well, I have a boyfriend, so I’d appreciate if you didn’t keep making a move on me”

“Wow, lucky guy” Lucy turned her head slightly to her left, eyeing the change in demeanour from Tim. His once aggravated appearance, was now replaced with a small smile and a softening of his jaw. Tim knows he’s lucky. He knows when he sees Lucy’s smile. He knows when he touches her. He knows when he gets to listen to all of her stories. He’s never been a religious man, but all Tim can think to do in those moments is thank a higher power for bringing him Lucy Chen.

During processing, Tim gets a call from his sister and has to step out, not enjoying that he won’t be able to keep his eyes on Peter. The guy overstepped one too many times in the shop, and whilst he knows Lucy can handle herself with no problem, he’d rather be there to ensure her safety completely. He supposes it might be a good thing he got the call though, because he was nearing punching Peter square in the face. He’d definitely imagined it several times on the way back to the station; his professionalism is strong when it comes to being a cop, but right then, he was planning on giving up the job entirely to give him a piece of his mind.

Tim finishes his call and hesitantly walks back into the processing room, eyes scanning intently to see if Lucy’s okay and if that creep has backed off. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that Lucy has been asked for help from a fellow officer and instead, Smitty was now processing him. “Thanks Smitty, I’ve got it from here” he gives Smitty a small pat on the shoulder and makes his way to the irritation of his day. “Hurry up, it shouldn’t be taking this long” Peter looks up at Tim, smirk already plastered on his face “cmon man, gimme a break, I’m about to go to jail !” Tim shook his head in disbelief “yeah, that’s what happens when you break into someone’s home, idiot”. Tim has had enough with him, and if he’s being honest with himself, he’s kind of happy that he’s got to spend the night in a holding cell.

“Alright, alright, put me away !” Tim can hear the sarcasm dripping out of Peters voice. The snarky laughter that accompanies it grates on him like no other sound he’s heard. Tim grabs him by the arm, one hand rested harshly on his shoulder, the pressure clear from the slight wince he hears eliciting from Peters throat. “Someone’s angry today. Cant imagine why, you get to ride with that hot piece !”

Tim stops abruptly in his tracks, fury sailing through his veins “get some respect ! You’ve been disgusting all day ! Maybe a night in holding and then possibly some prison time will help you reevaluate some things” Tim gives him one last glare and locks the cell, glad to see the back of him. As he turns back around, he comes face to face with Lucy, one eyebrow raised, arms crossed and a humoured grin on her face. She heard it. He knows she did.

“You okay Tim?” he nods his head with assurance. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Lucy shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders with a dramatic flare that she hopes Tim notices. “Oh, no reason” before Tim can even attempt to reply, she’s walking out of the room, a bounce in her step that reminds Tim of her mood this morning. He’s never going to hear the end of this.

Tim and Lucy are laying on Tim’s bed, legs entangled. Lucy’s head is rested comfortably on his chest and her fingers are tracing patterns on his bare skin. She loves these moments. Everything in her head goes silent and all she can think about is him. Nestled in her boyfriends arms is her favourite place to be, and although she doesn’t want to move an inch, she feels compelled to lift her head up and gain Tim’s attention. The moment her head shifts, a slight groan escapes from Tim’s throat, clearly unhappy with the cold he is now feeling where her head used to be.

“Wanna tell me what that was today ?”

“Hmm?”

“Timmm, you know what I’m talking about ! Today, with the burglary arrest. Your face looked like thunder” she giggled quietly, knowing the exact reason that he looked like that, but wanting to hear it from him.

“It was nothing, I just think he needs to get some respect for women” the recollection of the days events rerun through his mind, and an exasperated sigh escapes him. “Well yeah, that’s obvious. But we often arrest people who need to gain respect for women. Today just seemed…different”

“What are you getting at Luce?” Lucy giggles and drops her head back into Tim’s chest. He looks down at her adoringly, a smirk etching his features. “I’m just saying, are you sure you weren’t jealous ?”

“Of that idiot ?! No.” Tim takes his hand that’s rested on her behind and runs his fingers through her hair, hoping she’ll get distracted and drop the subject so he doesn’t have to admit he was. “Tim!” “Luce !” “Admit it! You were jealous !” Tim glares at her playfully, blowing air in her face so she wriggles in his grasp. Lucy gets up and straddles his lap, hands rested perfectly on his chest. She leans down slowly towards his lips, teasing him as his chin arches towards her, eager for their lips to meet. “You” she whispers “were” she kisses him on his jaw “jealous” her lips are now hovering over his, a grin on her face that brightens Tim’s entire room.

Tim’s hands grasp at Lucy’s waist slightly, fingers stroking at her hips. His breathing quickens and he nuzzles his nose into hers. “Fine”

Lucy squeals in delight. “Fine what?” Tim rolls his eyes and lightheartedly pushes her off his lap so that he is now hovering above her. “I was maybe jealous” “I kne-“ Tim leans down and pushes his lips to hers, both of them breathing heavily as their lips dance passionately together. He parts from her for a second and kisses down her neck. “He was right about one thing though.” Lucy’s brows furrow. She wonders what he could have possibly been right about, that guy was a complete creep. “What was he right about ?!”

“I am a very lucky guy”

[theokusgallery]

What do you think about middle aged sunflower ????

Okay I'm going to pretend I'm normal and didn't just have a conversation about it yesterday within which I had to restrict myself because of Discord's stupid character limit

Anyway. Gonna talk about fanfics briefly, because fics tend to get more complex with characterization.

A while ago, I got really into Marvel, and for two months I did nearly nothing except read spideypool fanfic all day and night. If you know anything about these two (that isn't from the MCU) (I hate the MCU, I hate it so so much, this is not who Spidey fundamentally is, he is supposed to be a friendly neighborhood loner loser and you Cannot just give him an Iron Man suit and a mentorship with Stark and intergalactic missions at 16 or however old he is in those movies when the essence of the character is that he is an average struggling teenager who just happens to get superpowers and fucks up a lot at the beginning of his journey and mostly works alone and quit the fucking Avengers himself) (wow I started rambling sorry. Ignore that), you'll know that they are both around... 25-30ish, currently. Something like that. The only other fandom that I read as many fanfics of was Ace Attorney, where depending on the timeline, they can be from 23 to like, 35 with a kid. So I'd say me being so invested in a ship with 16 year-olds is... kind of an anomaly.

I don't usually like the coming-of-age, teenage love stuff, and I honestly have never found a single sunflower schoolfic I liked (except Spiral of course but even then they're in college) because all of them tend to... infantilize both Sunny and Basil at great length. And also tear down anything that makes them interesting characters. I think a lot of OMORI artists (that includes writers) are very afraid of doing anything substantial with teenagers, despite, you know, the actual plot of the game, and as a result, a lot of the time most fics where the characters aren't aged up tend to be... incredibly boring. Of course there are some that are good — exceptional even — but in the end all I can think of is the huge gap in... quality? that sounds wrong to say about a creative thing... interesting-ness, let's say (a very personal and subjective concept), when I stopped reading Marvel and went back to OMORI. I stopped reading fanfics altogether because I just couldn't find one I liked as much as the average Marvel fic that I hadn't already read.

Maybe it's a result of the writers themselves being young? I know OMORI's fanbase is generally a lot younger than Marvel's, so that could affect it. I mentioned schoolfics because there's a lot of them and because they were mentioned in my rant yesterday, but it's not really about the fact that they're schoolfics, it's about the fact that more often than not, the setting is the plot, and since it's just your average highschooler writing their favorite blorbos into their own environment and projecting (which is very cool btw, 99% of my own writing is projecting), the plot is... basically nonexistant. It's boring. It's boring and the characterization is usually dull. But even outside of schoolfics, I think I stopped trying to read fics that start with Sunny getting out of the hospital after the True Ending for the same reason : it's often plain and plotless and boring. And, fuck, my favorite books and mangas and such are slice of life, I'm all for mundane plots! But there's a difference between a mundane plot/realism and just no plot at all.

(This is not, like, an attack of OMORI writers who make schoolfics or fics that start with the above mentioned premise, btw, I want to make that very clear. It's very much a personal preference. I think it's boring because all of the fics I read in Marvel had a very unique plot/premise is my point. And also because the characters were a lot more mature and complex. Different strokes for different folks)

I think that's what I'm kind of sad about. OMORI characters tend to be complex and morally grey in their own way, and people tend to forget about that because they're teenagers and obviously no one can do no wrong before the ripe age of 18. Children are all innocent and therefore cannot be more morally complex than cinnamon roll soft boys/girls (looking pointedly at Sunny, Aubrey and Basil. But mostly Basil). Also, I think people tend to straight-up forget that 16 year-olds aren't, like, 10? Of course they're not going to be as mature as grown adults, especially Sunny OMORI, Dissociative Amnesia World Champion, but like... When I was 16 reading OMORI fanfics, half the time I was like "a 16 year-old would not fucking say that". But also generally more mature characters are inevitably more interesting to explore to me because I prefer more mature themes — I'm simply extremely upset at the fact that people don't explore the complexity that's already there when they're 16, including the very mature themes that are already there.

TL;DR: I love middle aged sunflower, I love middle aged ships in general ! In fact, I will tend to prefer sunflower when it's aged up.

(... I probably should've led with that.)

[millenari]

For the WIP ask game! The grief story (number six I think?)

It sounds so interesting but please don’t hurt me too bad (´∀｀*)

Luckily that one is actually not terribly sad at all. It takes place in a kind of steampunk-y au in which society revolves around non-conventional family units referred to as colonies- a group of 10-30ish mostly non-related cats who all live together in large estates. Cats who do not have colonies or are kicked out of them are referred to as 'castaways', and are usually at the fringes of society. The fic is about the jellicles as a colony. When Misto and Tugger were young, a series of Very Bad events occurred, after which Macavity had been cast from the colony (with vehemence), Tugger had been grievously injured, and the jellicles (wrongly) came to the conclusion that a missing young Misto had been tragically murdered by Macavity. The reality was, however, that Macavity has simply stolen Misto away, and convinced him that the two of them were cast out. Misto grew up as a castaway, raised solely by Macavity, until one day while traveling, Munkustrap just happened upon the theater Misto worked at, and found him there. Delighted that the kitten they all mourned for a decade had actually been alive this whole time, he dragged Misto back home. But Misto had been changed by an adolescence under Macavity's eye, and Tugger never really got over the abrupt loss of his childhood best friend, so it takes them a while to figure things out. Man that summary was long. Anyways heres the snippet:

When he finds the mettle to look up he finds Tugger staring at him again, for what has to be the third or fourth time now, and Misto can’t help but let an awkward little laugh escape from between his lips, tenderly amused and a little intimidated both.

Tugger smiles when Misto laughs, but his brows rise too. “What?” he asks.

“I just— I just— sorry, I just feel like every time I look at you you’re staring at me.”

“Sorry,” Tugger says, but his gaze doesn’t budge.

“Am I that interesting?” Misto asks, mostly joking.

“Terribly,” Tugger responds with that same near-seriousness. “I remember Jenny and Dad used to say you’d end up short, but all this time I never imagined you quite so…”

He lifts a hand roughly level with Misto’s head, smile lifting at the corners; Misto rolls his eyes, fondness creeping up his throat. So much like the annoying little kitten he remembers.

But something about that statement quirks at him. Before he can truly wonder if it’s a good idea to ask, Misto finds his mouth already forming the words. “You imagined me? As… like as an adult?”

Tugger’s brows pinch together, high on his forehead. “Yeah,” he admits after a long while, in a voice that scrapes Misto’s ears. “Pretty much all the time. I didn’t know…” He clears his throat and looks down at the blanket. “It’s just kind of surreal.”

[jillsandwhichs]

Our Future Day's

Joel Miller x Reader series, Chap 3, A first for many

Masterlist

Pairing: Joel Miller x F!reader

Summary: You come home from your first day as an official doctor. within the evening, you order yourself some food and whilst eating, you hear a knock at your door. it's him, it's Joel. you two talk and well, he asks you to dinner

WC: 3.8k

Type: Sfw

A/n: Hi! Hope you all enjoy. Please check out my masterlist, there's a lot of stuff there. You can get to know me, you can see the rules of my blog and then you can see all of my fanfictions. You'll be able to find the previous chapters to this fic and upcoming ones. You'll also be able to find my Wattpad & AO3. Comments, reblogs & likes are appreciated. Thank you

You opened up the front door to your home, letting out a big sigh as you walked into your house. It's around 5:30ish, you just got home from your first day at work. The most you can say was, well, it was eventful. Not fully what you were expecting either. You thought there'd be training of sorts, or it'd be a chill day considering it was your very first but no, you instantly got thrown around to different sections of the hospital to do all sorts of labor. It wasn't the worst though, just very stressful.

Looking over at your couch, you chuckled quietly to yourself, spotting Becker as he was fast asleep on it. He must've wore himself out today, running around the house and what not. He's too energetic for his own good sometimes. "Such a dork." You whispered to yourself, placing your car keys onto the kitchen's island counter. You were also very hungry, you didn't even get a lunch break at work, you definitely needed to make some dinner, you just had no clue what you'd make yet.

Yesterday, on Sunday, you went grocery shopping. You spent a whopping 300$, you got a whole lotta food, but Becker also came into the picture. You bought him his very own dog bed, a leash, some treats and some food for him, he was all set! He already loves the new toy you bought for him too, it's a chew toy shaped as a cucumber, he finds joy in the oddest of things. You slid off your jacket, setting it on the back of one of your kitchen chairs.

Your hair was also probably a mess too, all that running around in this September humidity was no joke, it was hot out today. Winter time can't come any sooner. You had it all pulled back into a loose ponytail, you had to, work procedure. You tried to remain quiet, not wanting to awaken Becker, you just weren't in the mood to take him outside so he can go potty, you'd prefer to make yourself something to eat first.

Opening up your fridge and your freezer, you took a gander at both, scanning all the products you had on the inside. You did have some frozen carbonara that looked good, came with the noodles, chicken and the peas, it was gonna be yummy but you weren't necessarily craving that. There was also a lot of fruit but you weren't craving a fruit salad either. Ever since you were a young child, you were picky. Not only with food either, with practically everything.

You turned your head around, looking at the house phone connected to the wall. You also currently have your card on you. It wouldn't hurt to possibly order some food, would it? You strolled over and picked up your phone, going on Safari and typing in "Local restaurant's near me?", Wanting to see what would pop up and unsurprisingly, a lot did. Dallas is a big place, so many restaurants, delis, cafés, etc.. Although, you were specifically craving one time of food - Chinese food.

The idea of that tangy orange chicken was ideal. Some sesame seeds on top of it, broccoli on the side, gosh it sounded perfect. You were also craving the noodles they serve, lo mein. Seeping soy sauce all over them was also always a gem. Not just those items either, egg rolls sound amazing too. You hope their sweet n sour is good, because that's a win or lose situation. Bad sweet n sour? Bad egg rolls. You needed to find a spot in town ASAP and search for their menu.

Scrolling through your phone, you saw a 4.7 starred restaurant on the Safari page. It seemed good enough. All of the reviews were positive and any that weren't only really complained about customer service but to you, that won't really be an issue. You hopped up off of the barstool and walked over to your house phone ; You would totally use your personal device but it's currently out of minutes.

You dialed the numbers, clicking each button firmly to not mess it up. You turned your phone off and held the main one up to your ear, hearing that classic, deep ringing noise until shortly after, you heard a man's voice on the other line. He stated the name of the restaurant then asked you what you'd like to order. "Hi, thank you! I would just like to order a ten piece count of orange chicken, two pints of lo mein and a six piece count of egg rolls with two sweet n sour containers, and that'll be all." You established with the worker.

After exchanging your personal info to have a delivery worker come by, you stuck the phone back up on the wall and let out a soft sigh. You hadn't even noticed but Becker had woken up, his tounge was out as he stared at you. "Hey baby." You whispered to him, kneeling down and giggling as he began to lick all over your face. "Oh Mama missed you too!" You shrieked, your fingers running through his fur. He'll always be your fur baby. Although, you assumed he was hungry and that's why he wanted your attention.

Standing back up, you glanced over at his sliver dog bowl, seeing only a little bit left. Yep, you were right. "You're just a hungry boy." You said playfully to Becker, opening one of the cabinets connected to the island counter. You pulled out his food, opening it and pouring a decent amount in his bowl and immediately, he went absolutely ham. Food is the key to a dog's heart, isn't it? He'd most likely have to go outside soon but you were dreading that. After the long day you've had, chilling out is all you wanna do.

Yesterday, you took the time to set up your living room, now it has an entire couch and TV in it, you even got Netflix to treat yourself! Last night, you started rewatching Friend's, it was always a goodie, an oldie, but a goodie. "Eat your food up boy, mama will take you out later." You stated to Becker, but he was too indulged in his meal. "Of course." You scoffed, a slight smile playing on your cute face.

You looked back up and through your kitchen window, Joel's home straight in front of it. You hadn't even acknowledged him today, that's a record. His car was in the driveway, he may have just recently gotten home because no way did that workaholic stay home. Only way he'd do that is if his little girl is sick or something. Other than that, you highly doubt it. Joel was so helpful on Saturday, you seriously put him to work and not a single complaint was heard. He was such a man.

At work, for some reason, you hoped he'd pop in. He did tell you he gets checkups there, along with his daughter, so you prayed but obviously that wasn't going to happen. As you keep thinking to yourself, you truly don't know what it is about that man that causes you to crave him. Would crave even be the right word...? You just want him, you want to be around him. He's such a genuine person and anytime he's in your presence, it feels different ; You feel awfully different. He just seems like a great man to have around and you'd love to keep it that way.

You wonder if he ever thinks about you throughout the day. You catch yourself doing it often, like right now for example. He simply draws you in like a lure then doesn't let you go, he just gets you closer and closer with no stopping. You doubt he's attempting to do that, he doesn't even know how he makes you feel. Even you don't know! He literally has your mind all over the place, bouncing off of the walls in your head like your brain drank 15 energy drinks. Or a gazillion beers which at this rate, you probably need.

You shook the thoughts of Joel from your head, heaving deeply and taking one last good look at his house, thinking about what he could be doing inside. You turnt your head, checking on Becker whom was still eating, he must've been starving, you'd leave him alone. You picked up your phone and slipped it into your pocket as you sat down on the couch, your legs stretching felt amazing, you needed this. You decided to watch your show to pass the time until your Chinese food arrives.

The remote was tucked into the couch cushion, Becker's chunky self must've caused that. You used it to switch the TV on, the Vizio logo appearing smack dab on screen. You wanted to buy a Roku but for you, that was out of your price range. This was a used Vizio but it worked greatly, you were happy you found it at a good price. On the TV, you only had Netflix and YouTube but you weren't much of a television watcher anyways, only really when you eat or if you want noise on in the background, even then, half of the time you play music instead.

On Netflix, you went to your 'continue watching' section and turned on Friend's, you'd probably only be able to finish an episode or two before your food comes. Man, you were very excited, food was what you needed right now. As you focused on the show, you patted the couch a couple times, wanting Becker to come cuddle up with you, which he did. The dog hopped up onto the couch, setting himself in a comfy position, his tail wagging on your lap as he layed there. "Good boy." You cooed to the doggo, now just relaxing and watching your show til your meal arrives...

-

Midway through the second episode you were on, you heard a knock at your front door, specifically five knocks. You felt giddy, gosh you couldn't wait to get your hands on the food. Hopefully it looked even better than it did in the images, because it looked yummy. You snatched your wallet off of the table, then stepping right on over to the door, opening it up. A man was standing there, two seperate bags in his hands that smelt so fucking amazing.

"Hello, you ordered this?" "Yes, you have the right house." You tittered, taking both bags and setting them on the floor beside you. "How much do I owe you?" "21$ to be exact." The man answered you. Nodding, you opened your wallet and pulled out a twenty with a one dollar bill, passing it to the man. "Thanks." "No, thank you, have a good evening and drive safe." You spoke kindly before deliberately shutting the door. You looked down, a teeny squeal releasing from you as you grabbed both bags.

You set them down on the island counter, undoing the knot the worker had put on the thin, plastic straps. All of the food was in reusable containers, which was beneficial to you. Growing up, your family would reuse butter containers, cups from Happy Meals at McDonald's and even deli meat containers. Hey, it's one way to not let it go to waste!

You grabbed out your orange chicken, then your lo mein and lastly, your egg rolls. Even Becker was curious but he need not worry, you'll share with him... Sort of... You ambled towards your strainer, pulling out a white, glass plate and setting it down. Attached to the orange chicken box was some chop sticks, it was super convenient. Who eats Chinese food with regular silverware? Definitely not you. You've adapted to chop sticks, main reason being you also often eating Sushi.

You set up your plate, it was a feast and you were ready to devour it. You sat down on the barstool, unpacking the chop sticks and briskly picking a piece of orange chicken up, moaning as you took a bite. It was very tasty, but definitely not better than back home but then again, you're just biased. But this was honestly great, it tastes so tangy yet salty but also sweet all at once. It really hit all the boxes on what a perfect piece of orange chicken should taste like.

You ate another piece, absolutely hounding it down. Going an entire day without eating, especially in a hospital, was hell. You ate literally nothing today, there's no doubt in your mind you'll eat this entire plate in one sitting. Your dog was lucky, he gets an entire bowl of his food numerous times a day, he'll never go hungry. He's more taken care of than you are but that's only thanks to you being such a great dog mama.

Eyeing down the lo mein, you used the chop sticks to twirl a few noodles onto them, the dark sauce dripped from them as you brought the delicious food up to your mouth, engulfing it. Even the noodles were fantastic, you forgot to ask for soy sauce but some of that on these would be heavenly. "Thank you Lord." You joked, garfing down more of the lo mein, it was definitely the highlight of this dinner.

Although, you were most excited for the egg rolls, now those looked crispy and chunky, the fatter, the better. You got the chicken kind, it's always been superior. You took the lid off of the medium sized sweet n sour container. The liquid looked thick, it looked just as the sauce always should. You dipped the egg roll deep into it, until it couldn't go down anymore, then you pulled it out and took a hefty bite. Chewing it, the flavor bursted in your mouth. It just keeps getting better & better.

As you were eating, you heard a knock at your door again. Was it the delivery man? What could he possibly need, you were trying to eat. You quickly shoved another piece of chicken into your mouth, chomping it up and swallowing it with haste as you opened your front door. It wasn't the delivery man. In fact, it was someone much different. It was Joel. He was wearing a tight black shirt with jeans and he was holding a small see through container full of no bake cookies.

"Joel? Hey." You said casually, trying to seem as normal as possible. "Hey darlin', ion mean to intrude or anything but my daughter, Sarah, had a bake sale at school today and she brought home all these cookies. I'm afraid I don't personally like em but I wanted to see if you did? Don't wanna let her cookies go to waste." Joel explained, his accent making you melt. The gesture was so kind, so sweet. Your heart was skipping beats as you looked down at his veiny hands, the way they held that box was attractive. Full on grip and everything.

"Oh, of course, any kind of cookies are great, here, bring them in." You stood to the side, allowing Joel to come inside. You gave you a small smirk before stepping in. He whistled briefly, analyzing your house. "Been only a damn day and you already got your house finished, atta girl." Joel praised you, setting the cookies down on the counter. He took notice of your food, even he could agree it smelt lovely. "My bad, I really didn't mean to intrude while you was eatin' your dinner." "Joel, truly, no problem at all, it's actually nice to see you after such a day." You slipped out, your tone a little too soft.

Joel chuckled, crossing his arms, causing his muscles to flex, "Why? What's been so bad about your day?" "First day of work, no training, it was just straight to the gist of it." You sighed deeply, sitting back down on the barstool. Joel continued to stand. "Ah, I imagine being a doctor ain't easy, you got lives to save n all." He replied, he made it clear he didn't see an issue with getting straight to work but for you, it was, you were extremely nervous, it was your first ever day.

"Well, yeah but thing is, I was just thrown in there, no clue of where I was or where to go and I had like at least thirty patients today... One of them had a broken ankle, it was so swollen, I felt horrible and I felt like I didn't do the best I could've done if I was more prepared." You went on, venting helped. Joel listened carefully, understanding where you were coming from. "Guess I can understand that but you're a special one, you are a damn doctor, don't freak yourself out." He said calmly. "You went to medical school, you're a smart girl, you don't need no damn training." He snickered, shaking his head slightly.

You sat there and heard out what he was saying. His voice was so deep yet you could tell his words were meaningful. You felt your cheeks go pink, the heat of them radiating throughout your body. You don't think he realizes the things he's even saying. "You're sweet." You giggled, looking down, it was hard to proceed with eye contact. "No, I ain't sweet, I'm just truthful." Joel grumbled, clearly he doesn't take all that well to being complimented.

"How about you though? How was work as a contractor?" You questioned, your voice getting all 'valley girl' when saying contractor. Joel laughed lightly, liking your comedic side. "Very uneventful aside from the fact my damn brother fell from a ladder, nearly broke his ass." Joel shrugged. You cackled, finding his way of saying thing's amusing. "Nearly broke his ass? Hmm, maybe I'll see him in the ER soon." You teased. "I wouldn't be surprised." Joel agreed.

"Are you reckless?" "No, I'm smart, I get called reckless, yet I rarely get hurt." "Well, get hurt on purpose so you can come see me at work." You joked. "Maybe I oughta, it'd be like seeing sunshine during a rainstorm." He chortled. Him saying that literally made your stomach do flips. Does he realize what that even means? Maybe he has a different perception of it. To you, it means his job sucks and seeing you would make it all the more better. Are you some sort of light in his darkness?

You giggled, attempting to play off what he had said as if you didn't understand it or something. You stood up from the other side of the counter, wanting to walk back over to where he was but as you did, you felt something beneath your feet and right as you realized, you were slipping. You closed your eyes and went to hold onto the counter but was ultimately unsuccessful. You were fully ready to now "break your ass" but you never even fell.

You opened your eyes, Joel's arm wrapped around your back, his other arm wrapped around your front. Your hands rested on each of his forearms, he was so strong, it was so appealing & alluring, his body type. You couldn't help but stare into his siren brown eyes, they pierced through yours like a blade, so dark yet there was something behind them you couldn't quite make out. You felt his fingers dig into your hip, it felt good, it made your stomach drop though, in the best way it could.

Beginning to giggle, you stood back up on your feet now, slightly embarrassed by what just happened. "My bad, I'm so clumsy." You vocalized, your hands still on his arms. Joel was silent for a few more seconds but let out a faint chuckle, "Gotta be more careful." His fingers lingered on your waist as he said that, but they eventually left as you also let go of him. "Sorry..." You soughed, fixing your hair that had flew as you almost fell.

You didn't realize at first until moments later but Joel was staring at you, his eyes fixated on you and didn't leave til you made eye contact. "Is everything alright?" You questioned the man. Joel breathed out heavily before speaking, "Listen, I know we just met on Friday, hell, it's only been three and a half day's but I'd really enjoy getting to know you better, so I'm just wondering and don't feel pressured, but I'm just wondering if you'd like to have dinner at my place Wednesday evening, I would totally do it for tomorrow but I'll be workin late." He let it all out, all at once.

Utterly shocked, you stood there, overall trying to process his words. Joel... Wanted dinner... With you? Was this real? Are you dreaming? Has God truly gifted you this? You couldn't believe your hears. He wanted to have dinner with you, homemade dinner at that, you were intrigued. "Dinner? At your place?" You wondered, gazing at him, your eyes going back and forth from his eyes to his lips. "Yeah, yeah, I plan on making a mighty fine dinner on Wednesday and it would be a pleasure if you joined."

What did he think you were going to say? No?

"I would be honored." You blushed, giving him a quick soft smile. Joel nodded, he seem relieved. "Well, that's an answer for the books." He chuckled, sighing deeply. "Yeah, just swing by Wednesday evening, round 7:30 PM, I'd say." Joel kindly said, his arms crossed again. "Sounds like a plan, should I bring any food or...?" "Nah Darlin', it'll be me cooking. Sarah would also like to meet ya so it'll be a nice dinner, don't sweat it." "Your daughter wants to meet me?" "Yeah, my loud mouthed brother decided to bring you up and now Sarah is all curious, she's an inquisitive one." Joel laughed.

"Well, tell Sarah I would love to meet her too, and that I'll see her Wednesday." You glimmered at him, tilting your head slightly. Joel nodded, unfolding his arm's. "Great, good, it'll be nice." Joel added on, slowing stepping backwards, "I'll let you finish your dinner and get settled for the night but uh, I'll see you soon, yeah?" "Yes." You smiled, also stepping back towards your food. Joel smirked, giving you a quick wink before exiting through the front door, leaving those cookies for you.

You were insanely nervous. Was this... Like a date? You couldn't tell. Probably not since his daughter will be there but the way he worded it, it seemed like it was going to be a date. Either way, your heart was beating like drum in your chest. This was a big step for you, you'd actually see his home now, meet his daughter, it was going to be pleasant. You imagine she's a sweetheart with how Joel talks about her. You hope she'll like you.

Sitting back down, you picked your chopsticks back up with a hum, ready to finish your dinner.

But boy, were you excited for your upcoming dinner with Joel.

[knickynoo]

hello!! so i'm a little confused about something: it's established that doc and marty met around, what, 1982? if marty was 14 at the time like i tought.. but would their meeting be changed in any way after the events of the first movie where he met 1955 doc?? would they meet 30ish years later but already know eachother? and would the way they met change at all?

i considered this being a weird timeline thing and i remembered i read a fic once where marty gains memories from the lone pine timeline once he gets there and now i'm wondering if he has different memories of doc (including how they met). does he even know doc in that timeline (or is supposed to know him?)?? probably a stupid question but i don't know, i'm lost. help me out (if you want to)

sorry if this is a long ask i just don't know what's going on (ever) and time travel is especially confusing

love your posts btw <3

Hey there!

So, generally, I think we're supposed to assume that they ended up meeting in the same way in both timelines (or at least very similar ways). After the events that week in 1955, Doc would have likely been very careful once the time rolled around for Marty to be born and those years he was growing up. I'm sure as curious and eager as he was, he would've been mindful of doing anything that might skew the circumstances their original meeting occurred in.

Which makes me wonder if 1955 Doc asked Marty how they met at some point. I know he was very adamant that he not know about the future, but this detail might've been one he made an exception for. After all, how could he make sure everything was on course if he had no idea what to look out for?

But, yeah, officially, it did happen in the same way, with Marty breaking into the garage due to pressure from Needles. In the IDW comics, Doc tells the story of how he and Marty met to Jules and Verne, which solidifies it as their Lone Pine Meeting Story. And Doc includes the same story in a journal entry of the DeLorean Manual. Perhaps there were tiny little details that were different between the two timelines, but overall, it was the same. The big main difference was that Lone Pine Doc would already have spent the previous nearly 30 years anticipating their meeting and then having to keep his mouth shut about already knowing Marty until AFTER the time traveling happened. I'm sure that was an interesting conversation to have at some point.

As for Marty's memories, one of the comics "Who is Marty McFly" deals with Marty's struggles adjusting to a timeline where his memories don't match. If I remember correctly, the comic picks up several months after his return to 1985, and he still doesn't really remember anything from the "new" timeline. I honestly can't recall if the comic implies he's going to gain any memories or if that's just a fandom headcanon thing, but he spends a lot of time staring at photos and home videos trying to find things he can remember. He talks to George about it a bit (leaving it vague and not mentioning time travel) and George tries to help by giving advice and even taking Marty to speak to their parish priest because he can tell Marty is struggling with something.

Also! The DeLorean Manual does have an interesting section in which Doc mentions that he gains both sets of memories. Basically, when Lone Pine Doc sits up in the parking lot (after being shot) he says he was flooded with memories of his life from the Twin Pines Timeline. Does this mean Marty eventually gains memories as well? I don't know, and honestly, it leaves me with several questions. Why did Doc gain his instantly while post-trilogy Marty has none months later? Is it because Twin Pines Doc was murdered, so he gets the memories from his counterpart? This Doc hasn't even time traveled yet! Why does he get the memories, and what does this mean for other people like George, Lorraine, Biff, etc? There's...a lot to think about here.

Anyway, I've rambled long enough. Thanks for the ask!

[riahlynn101]

"[You] Should Know Better Than That" (1).

Prologue

Here's the first part (of 30ish) of the slow burn Schmelly fic I promised back in November.

Summary: Two people - different in every single way - have their fates intertwined by the whims of a mad man. Broken, lonely, and trying to get by, they'll have to work together to make sense of their pasts.....otherwise be consumed by what they're trying so hard to avoid....

--

Vanessa hugs her knees. Someone runs past, causing the tablecloth to float up a little. Loud music blares through the restaurant and, mixed with the hyperactivity of sugar-high children, it’s hard to focus. 

She trembles, squeezing her eyes shut. If she stays here….if she stays hidden…then-

Her thoughts come to an abrupt stop. Footsteps - heavier than the other children’s - thump down the hall. Vanessa can see the opening of the hallway from where she sits, curled up on the cold tiled floor. 

“Please, please, please,” she whispers, her nails digging into her powder blue pants. The ones that her dad picked out for her. He didn’t often buy her things, but he had been in a good mood lately. 

She should have known better than to get her hopes up. 

Vanessa rocks back and forth. The footsteps get louder, closer , and she can’t suppress the shudder that runs up and down her spine. 

“No, no, no,” she mutters. Her face feels wet and sticky. Vanessa absently wipes her face on her shoulder, refusing to look towards the hallway. 

The footsteps stop. She closes her eyes, burying her head in her knees.

If she doesn’t look then he’s not there. 

The table cloth rustles, and there’s the sound of metal clinking together. “Vanessa, sweetheart.”

A hand touches her arm, but she just jerks away. “Go away! Go away! Leave! No! No!” Panic overtakes her. She lifts her head just to scream at him, but their eyes lock, and suddenly, she feels weak. Her voice fails her, mouth dry and unable to form the simplest words. “G-ah…”

“Vanessa Elizabeth Afton,” he scolds, though his tone betrays slight amusement. “You’re acting like a child.”

She hiccups, wiping at her eyes. “Le-leeeave,” she begs. “Please, daddy. You-you’re scaring me.”

Her father shakes his head. It strikes her as odd that he doesn’t have the head on. Usually he strives to make the mascots feel lifelike. She suddenly remembers something but it’s too horrible to fully recall, so she does her best to bury it for later (or never at all). 

“No, princess. I’m staying right here.” His voice is soft. Gentle in a way that reminds her of when he used to tuck her into bed, a storybook of fairy tales in hand. His strong arms, encased in the springlock suit, pull her in. And Vanessa, with no strength left (did she ever have any?), is forced into a hug. 

He holds her close, the metal endoskeleton making clicking noises as he moves around. She tries not to look at the drying reddish-brown spot on the yellow suit. 

It makes her feel sick. 

Vanessa rests her head on her dad’s shoulder. She feels weak. She feels stupid. She just wants to be held. 

“Don’t worry,” her dad murmurs into her hair. “I’m not going anywhere. ”

-x-x-x-

As is normal every morning, Mike wakes up disappointed. He glares at the sign above. The large blocky letters taunt him. He groans, forcing himself out of bed and into his daily routine. 

The morning is quiet, though they normally are.

Besides throwing a stuffed animal at him and whining about going to school (something that Mike can relate to), Abby doesn’t seem willing to talk to him. And even if she wanted to, he isn’t sure what they would talk about. The weather? 

He drops her off at school, the backseat door opening and slamming shut before Mike can so much as open his mouth. 

“Love you, too,” he mutters to himself. 

Work - once he arrives - is a lot slower than normal. The mall isn’t as packed as it usually is, or at least, not as hectic. Which he is immensely grateful for, especially after breaking up a series of fights between bored, agitated highschoolers on their spring break all last week. 

Jeremiah smiles at him, always so happy and cheerful. He’s almost envious of his coworker’s seemingly endless good mood and high spirits. And on anyone else, it would annoy the hell out of Mike, but on him….

He quirks a corner of his mouth up, giving Jeremiah the barest hint of a smile. One that he accepts with an even bigger grin. 

“Dream theory, huh?” He looks over the novel, flipping through the pages. 

Mike hums, tapping the table with his pointer finger.

”What’s it about?”

Something sparks in Mike’s brain. He suppresses the urge to ramble about dream theory and everything that comes with it, because as nice as his coworker is, Mike has learned through trial and error that even nice people aren’t immune to telling him to shut up. 

So, he sticks to the bare minimum. Jeremiah makes a small quib about using it to go back in time to fix a minor wrong. He then asks to borrow the book, but Mike needs it. Has needed it since the day he found himself all alone with Abby. 

No mom. 

No dad. 

Just his baby sister and him and enough trauma to fill several suitcases between them. 

Perhaps it’s because of that, that his tone comes off a little meaner than intended. “No.”

Jeremiah frowns a little.

“Uh,” Mike falters, not wanting to be the cause of his coworker being upset. “Do you want me to buy you your favorite ice cream?” If it works with Abby then-

The smile returns full force. He nods. “That sounds great. Thanks, Mike.”

He sighs inwardly. Phew, mission successful!

-x-x-x-

Mike’s brain is filled with fog. He almost feels like he’s floating. Body light. 

“Mike.” His boss snaps his fingers in Mike’s face. The weightless feeling disappears, leaving him in soaking wet clothes and with sore knuckles. 

“How…how did I get here?” He asks. 

“Really, Mike?” His boss says, annoyed. “ That’s the excuse you’re going with?”

He tries to remember. All the steps that he took to get here. “I don’t….what happened?”

He went to get ice cream.

His boss laughs, shaking his head. “You’re lucky the man didn’t press charges, Mike. When I hired you I-”

There was a….little boy. All alone. No one was watching him. 

Just like Garrett.

His boss continues to lecture him, but Mike is too far in his own thoughts. Bits and pieces of the memory coming together. 

 He was watching that little boy, when a man forcefully took Garrett him. No one seemed bothered by the interaction just like that day. And it was up to Mike to save Garrett the boy. 

More pieces click together.

He ran as fast as he could, pushing past people. 

And then, he-

Mike groans, slumping in the chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches his boss shake his head. Much like a disappointed parent, or a teacher pushed too far. 

Somehow, even though he avoided being thrown in jail, Mike knows that his time here - while longer than his plethora of other odd jobs - is over. 

-x-x-x-

Vanessa takes a large drink of her coffee. The bitter taste makes her lips curl, but it’s the only kind that wakes her up. 

Her coworkers mill around each others’ desks. It’s a part of the morning routine before calls start coming in and people start leaving on patrol. She doesn’t understand it, or she does . But it’s so much easier to hide away at her desk, tucked into the furthest most corner. Everyone seems  to forget she’s there, and that works for her. 

Her desk is covered in papers. Cases that still need paperwork filed. 

It’s been a relatively peaceful morning, which doesn’t bode well for the afternoon. She sighs, starting on the stack of papers.

-x-x-x-

Mike taps his foot. He’s never been much of a patient person. His mom once - while she was lucid enough to share stories - told him that he was five weeks early because he couldn’t wait to see the world. 

Look at me now….

“Number twenty-seven?” A social worker announces. Her tired eyes scan the room. “Twenty-seven?”

It takes Mike a solid five seconds to register that it’s his number she’s calling. He raises his hand. “Here. Right here.”

Her lips purse into a thin smile, tense, because she’s seen him here before.

“This way,” she says, instead of whatever she actually wants to. 

But Mike is used to being looked at that way. It doesn’t hurt anymore. 

His newest social worker is a little odd. The old one apparently went on maternity leave. Not that Mike was particularly attached to her, but it would have saved him from being pinned under Mr. Raglan’s eyes. 

Those eyes make him squirm. The intensity of them burning into his forehead. The man smiles, humming under his breath. Mike vaguely recognizes the tune. He thinks his dad might have hummed it once or twice.

Mr. Raglan digs into him. Keeping an even tone the whole time. A condescending smirk on his lips, and a knowing tilt to his head as he looks through Mike’s work history. It’s the same exact look that his guidance counselor gave him when Mike asked how he, now solely responsible for a mentally ill mother, and a baby sister, was going to pay for trade school.

The one that seemed to say:

If only you tried a little harder….

He balls his hands into fists, staring at the bookcase behind Mr. Raglan. 

“What’s your deal…Mister Michael Sch-” His eyes seem to bulge out of his head. Suddenly, he swivels around in his chair and stands up. He coughs, going over to the coffee machine. 

“Coffee?” He asks. 

The abruptness of the interaction unsettles Mike to his core. The atmosphere of the room seemed to change at the drop of a hat. All because Mr. Raglan read his name? Does he know him?

Maybe he knows about Garrett? The whole town, at one point, did. 

“Wh-what?”

“Uh…coffee…do you want some coffee?”

Mike shakes his head. “No.”

The rest of their interaction leaves Mike just as shaken and eager to escape the confines of the man’s office. Whether the change in his demeanor was coincidental or not, it still put him on edge. 

“If you need a job…” Mr. Raglan’s words bounce around his head.

He stuffs the card into his jacket. As if. 

-x-x-x-

Vanessa groans, twisting in her office chair side to side. The paperwork had taken a lot longer than she anticipated, and because her partner is an ass, she had twice as much than usual. 

The computer on her desk is off, reflecting her face on the dark screen. Her eyes dart to a photo on her desk. It’s of her as a little girl, still relatively happy, and standing in front of her friends. Bonnie, Chica, and Freddy. 

She swallows, a heavy feeling in her heart. 

Her phone buzzes, and that heavy feeling gets worse. Only two people have her number. 

Her place of work.

And… him .

She stares at it, not wanting to read the message. But it buzzes again and again, prompting her to flip it open. 

435-xxx-xxxx: There’s another one.

                                                        Sent: 5:05 pm

435-xxx-xxxx: Refused the offer, but should be coming around shortly. 

                                                                                                             Sent: 5:05 pm

435-xxx-xxxx: Just in case, swing by the restaurant tonight. Make sure our new friend is acquainted with everything. 

                                                                               Sent: 5:06 pm

435-xxx-xxxx: Vanessa?

                                                                                Sent: 5:06 pm

It’s no use ignoring him. She’s tried before. 

Me: Ok. 

                                                     Read

It’s not long after that he texts her again. 

435-xxx-xxxx: Got him. 

                                                  Sent: 6:00 pm

Her blood runs cold. A headache forms in her temples. 

Please, not another one. Please no. 

Vanessa should know better by now than to get her hopes up….

[raayllum]

1 - favorite fic you wrote this year. 3 - favorite line/scene you wrote this year. 12 - favorite character to write about this year. 14 - a fic you didn’t expect to write. 21 - most memorable comment/review. And 24 - favorite fic you read this year.

I have no precision on fandom or fic... You are free to choose which fandom. Thus, you may make us discover other universes.

1) favourite fic you wrote this year

Looked through and discovered that I wrote 20 fics this year, which is wild, even if the majority are oneshots so... certainly have my pick an picks for various reasons!

These are the ones, probably:

This Fall Might Just Kill Me is 10.2k of Callum trying and failing to get purified, post-S4, and was one of my favourites and one I return to pretty often for a personal re-read. Very Callum/Rayla centric, some magic worldbuilding, and lots of devotion. Oneshot

Twice as Many Stars is 8.7k of Sir Sparklepuff is an existential horror story, the fic, featuring more religious trauma allegory than expected. Also a oneshot

Teach Me How to Name the Bigger Light a fanon s6 currently of 5 out of roughly 26-30ish chapters, and at 41k and counting. Main characters are Callum, Ezran, Rayla, and Claudia in about that order. It's a lot of fun, and a lot of angst

3) favourite line/scene this year

"If it's not you, it's not anyone" has one of my favourite love / Rayllum confessions I've ever written. I also loved this line from a (now non canon) fic regarding Kpp'Ar's feelings on Callum/people "There are many ways to mend broken things, if you can". I deeply enjoyed Callum threatening Nyx over Rayla's safety in this pre-S5 fic and this piece of description as well: "Callum knelt down in front of her, her cheeks heating as he reached up and pried the shawl away again, looking at the way the scar crept over her shoulder like dark ivy" + this Rayllum passage from "this fall just might kill me" (edit in the link):

“It’s because if I die,” he said, squeezing her hands. “I want you to be the last thing I ever see. And you are good enough, Rayla. You are . I don’t care if you destroy me. I don't care if we make each other better or worse or both. I love you. I’ll fall for you every time. I’ll choose to, I’ll choose you, every time.” 

I also really enjoyed writing Callum and Lujanne in "older but just never wiser" because it was interesting to revisit their dynamic now that well, Callum is older, powerful, and much more jaded/angry.

Drabbles wise this Rayllum one has one of my favourite metaphoric uses I've ever been able to pull off and I always love 1) writing messy Ezran and 2) Ezran being a little done with his brother's less than favourable methods, so this one for Ezran's "underhanded" comment for sure

But if I had to pick a singular exchange fic wise, it is of course the end of the Callum and Ezran fight from Ch4 of fanon s6, because it was a line that hurt me so much I was sad the rest of the day, and I also thought of it before writing a decent chunk of the boys' argument, so making sure it felt earned and hit the way I wanted to was very fun if also angsty. I apologize in advance lmao:

Only this time Callum scoffed, peeling away, his green eyes glinting. “Yeah, right.”  “I am your king and I forbid you—” “You don’t get to forbid me from doing anything because guess what?” A manic gleam overtook his brother’s face. “I don’t fucking care what you think, nevermind what you fucking decree. I’m freeing Runaan, and that’s final.”  “Then you can do it without my help,” Ezran said with a ragged breath. “Because I am not giving you my seal.”  Callum stared at him with cold eyes. “Dad would be so disappointed in you.” But this time Ezran was ready for the blow, as he said, “Well at least I called him Dad."

A shameless plug OG fantasy world wise was definitely this lines from my sequel WIP. You can learn more about it/the fantasy world here <3

The Alpha of the Crescents may have worn her old friend’s face and mannerisms, but the girls they’d both been were long dead, just like their families.  It was time to finish the job and bury them.

as well as

“Good. Vita willing I won’t live to see your next lives.” “Because seeing you again has been so pleasant,” Jamie muttered.

from book one

12) favourite character to write about this year

Given my above answers it's clearly been Callum, but Ezran has probably been my standout in "teach me how to name the bigger light," easy, even if I think Rayla's POV is going to sneak up on me more and more as the fic goes on, especially once we reach the chapters at the Starscraper. I've also written a somewhat decent amount of Kpp'Ar POV this year, I loved writing Claudia in "twice as many stars" in particular. Everyone? Can I say everyone?

But if I had to pick, Callum. (Non fic wise it's all the OG chosen one kiddos running around, I love 'em.)

14) a fic you didn't expect to write

Many days of angry muttering and half concocted plot points predated "teach me how to name the bigger light" and I am still slightly internally salty about it. However, it does feel good to have one last fanon season foray, especially since it's been four years since the last one, and I've been having a fucking blast, lemme tell you.

21) most memorable comment/review

This is hard because I do cherish every review and kind word I get (as well as anyone who leaves notes in their bookmarks) but there are some standouts. Basically anything from twice as many stars is fair game as well as this review on fanon s6, cause I'm gonna go the typical write route and say the long bois make my day / when readers catch onto the smaller details, that's absolutely my favourite:

@inamindfarfaraway <3 hope you've enjoyed the most recent chapter!

24) favourite fic you read this year

Have already done some TDP fic recs here so I'm gonna focus on what's in my bookmarks for now! I mostly read LOZ or SOC fics when I'm not making my way through TDP backlog, but this one for Six of Crows centreing on Inej and Kaz called High Wire Act stood out to me and I'm really enjoying "for the children we couldn't be" for TDP because it's trio centric and the exact kind of time travel fuckery I like to read.

This is tricky, though, cause I find most often the favourite things I participate in is like, the stuff I write because it's what I want to read and most tailored to my specific tastes? I also just don't read as much fic as I could / have in the past and it's hard to pick Just One Fic, y'know? So cop out answer, maybe, but this is the one!

[subzeroparade]

I finished!!! With DLC and everything, now I’m a squid baby hanging out with the Doll for the rest of eternity. Super excited that my self-imposed ban on lore videos and fics are lifted, and now I can read!

Not to diss Elden Ring, gods know I love the Lands Between, but Bloodborne’s story just hits different. With ER it feels like it’s all a giant family squabble, but in Bloodborne it’s the collective human hubris that fucked everything up. The Great Ones in BB seem to be way more sympathetic and often victims of men’s actions, where in ER the Outer Gods appear to be more malevolent. Idk, it’s almost like Marika and the Greater Will is a success story of how to commune with the Great Ones properly and establish a mutually beneficial world order compared to whatever they were trying to do in BB. From a “all soulsborne games are connected” perspective it’s pretty neat.

With that said, I’m dying to know your takes on the lore. I’ve always felt in the beginning (the beginning of the game as well, to a certain extend) everything was your normal level of Victorian horror——vampires, werewolves, hunters, scholars that seek higher knowledge, but all under control and supernatural events were few and far between, known only to certain individuals. It’s only until the event of the Fishing Hamlet and the establishment of the Healing Church, or even after the schism of the Choir and the Mensis, that things went publicly tits up. Are you in favor of the events of the game happened in literally one night, or that Yharnam is stuck in a limbo? How long do you think has passed since the heyday of Byrgenworth and the event of the game (I want to say 30ish years based on Willem’s age and since he’s the only one alive from that time it’s a good time indicator. But then again is he actually alive? Extending his existence through unnatural means sounds like something he’d totally do)? Did our action really change anything? Did killing Rom allow the Mensis Ritual to succeed by weakening the veil and beckoning the Red Moon, or they were going to succeed/already did anyway and we were just breaking the illusions that everything is “normal”? Since the Healing Church is a new power (although how they managed to build so many grand architectures in such short amount of time is beyond me, the magic in this world is not known for its construction powers lol), who ruled Yharnam before them in your headcanon? I read theories that the Vilebloods were the ruling class before the Healing Church and they themselves have Pthumerian ties, which is interesting and adds another layer to the conflict between the Healing Church and Cainhurst. But I don’t know how plausible that theory is.

So sorry for my rambling, I just have so many thoughts in my head and excited to share them with you before I do the same in your comment section 😭 Anyway, since AO3 is back up it’s great time to start diving into BB fics!

Wow this sure is An Ask :’)

First of all, congrats on becoming A Squid! Enjoy godhood. 

The rest of this under the cut for length.

BB and ER are certainly vastly different in their storytelling. I remain a big fan of how the spectrum of ER’s themes run from Greek tragedy to medieval succession struggles. Personally, I find the familial plot points of it to be the most interesting - as well as the vast passage of time and sense of decay and mythology imbued in the world. Admittedly I don’t care as much for shipping in ER - outside of writing Godwyn/Fortissax, obvs - because the legacy and mythos parts of it seem so incredibly rich by comparison (hence why I don’t write BB characters as being related, as many people seem to - I burnt out on family drama themes writing for ER).  

BB, by contrast, is somehow very immediate in its history, in its active crisis, and it feels very grounded in humanity in a way that ER does not. In ER I feel constantly reminded that we are a shitty little lowly Tarnished and cannot pretend to understand the millennia that have past - even since the Shattering - or the scraps we’re now sniffing at in the wake of all that. But humans in BB feel close enough to the gods that they’re compelled to reach for them - scholars, clergymen, institutions, etc - only to realise the gods are crueler and more incomprehensible than even those of ER, while the consequences of their actions are significantly and viscerally more personal. ER has gods as a product of divinity and mythmaking, and BB has them, in a weird sense, as a facet of the Promethean impulse gone horribly wrong. If you really want to know my take on some of these specific questions, I’ve answered similar ones under the ask tag - but am occasionally cagey about some of these, because I use them for plot points in future fics. I’d rather a reader go in not being too familiar with my speculation, and that my conjecture is a means to an end (storytelling) rather than just info-dumping of “here’s what I think happened” - but that’s just my personal inclination. (Which is not to say I don’t appreciate other people’s elaborate lore speculation because I do, and there are some great and heavily-researched headcanons that I don’t always share but love to rotisserie in my head.)

As for what I can answer - 

Are you in favor of the events of the game happened in literally one night, or that Yharnam is stuck in a limbo? 

Semi-answered this in a previous ask here but since cosmic what-the-fuckery is pretty abundant otherwise, I like parts of lorecrafting to be pretty grounded in opposition to that - so I do believe Yharnam folk experience multiple nights of the Hunt, a rhythm of descent into madness influenced by the moon and the slow dissolution of the Church. I think dawn comes for them, but they know the next night will be worse, each new moon another instance of the city unravelling around them.  

How long do you think has passed since the heyday of Byrgenworth and the event of the game? 

Touched on this a bit here. This is based on the pacing I establish in my own writing, but I give the events between the Hamlet and the PC Hunter’s arrival about 50 years, give or take. 

But then again is he [Willem] actually alive? 

I think about catatonic rocking chair Willem like a potted plant on a windowsill. Decorative. 

Did killing Rom allow the Mensis Ritual to succeed by weakening the veil and beckoning the Red Moon, or they were going to succeed/already did anyway and we were just breaking the illusions that everything is “normal”?

Hammering this out for an upcoming fic, because I haven’t entirely made up my mind - also about whether the Moon creates the Dream before Mensis usurps Mergo’s Nightmare, or vice versa - or whether the two happen around the same time, and what their separate or overlapping goals are. I do think Mensis has different goals than the Church, to a certain point. I’ve had some pretty interesting discussions with mutuals about this (and feel free to share thoughts if you have). 

Since the Healing Church is a new power (although how they managed to build so many grand architectures in such short amount of time is beyond me, the magic in this world is not known for its construction powers lol), who ruled Yharnam before them in your headcanon? 

I tackle this with worldbuilding in The Feast We Were Promised, if you’re inclined to read it. Tldr: nothing exists in a vacuum, certainly not in a society with the kind of complexity demonstrable in Bloodborne, so obviously there was both a system of belief and system of government before the Healing Church politicked and/or strong-armed its way into power. 

As for cathedrals (and this is where being a historian by profession is pretty useful in worldbuilding): you could built pretty remarkable structures with pretty efficient timing, especially in the late 19th century. To use a nearby example of my own, Sacré-Coeur basilica at Montmartre took about 60 years from scratch in the latter half of the 19thc (as in there was nothing there before, no minor structure) and that’s considered long - it probably would’ve taken less time without the multiple wars and upheaval over that timespan. Likewise, a structure like Notre-Dame (the Paris one, not the Montreal one) underwent extensive restorations and additions in the 19th century, especially under Viollet-le-Duc (whose students would go on to do the same thing to gothic cathedrals elsewhere in France), but the baseline of the structure was already there - which is what I propose in the case of Yharnam: that much of the city’s civil and religious urban structure was already present (perhaps in the form of Pthumerian ruins in some cases). As in most European cities, buildings sometimes date from the Roman Empire and are gradually embellished, redone, or expanded upon over the course of the following centuries/millennia when funds are plenty and the ruling class is willing. If you think about what Haussmann did to Paris in less than twenty years, I imagine that to be the kind of equivalent of how the Church “cleans” up Yharnam and modernises it. But it’s my own preferred headcanon to imagine Yharnam was a little underwhelming before the Church’s public works; it could’ve also already been a splendid, thriving city.  (I did some work on Viollet-le-Duc's gargoyles like a decade ago, I highly encourage checking out his early drafts of them, they are remarkable images).

I read theories that the Vilebloods were the ruling class before the Healing Church and they themselves have Pthumerian ties, which is interesting and adds another layer to the conflict between the Healing Church and Cainhurst.

I touch on this in Feast a bit as well, but I think it’s really open to interpretation and you can make all kinds of convincing and interesting arguments about Cainhurst’s Pthumerian legacy. Again, on a grounded level beyond cosmic fuckery, I imagine Cainhurst and Yharnam’s larger territories have a centuries-old conflict a la English vs the French type of situation, and every skirmish and hostility arises out of this longstanding hostility and struggle over land and resources. I do think Cainhurst is tied to Pthumeru, though, via actual legacy, in a way Yharnam is not; and so I think Cainhurst would have claim to the labyrinths and the Healing Blood in a way that would threaten the Church’s supremacy in Yharnam and have ultimately kicked off hostilities, etc etc, until you get to the Cainhurst Massacre. 

All that to say enjoy your squidhood and any BB fics you read :)

[missvelvetsstuff]

I have an idea rolling around in my brain for a Bucky x Older reader. Most of what is posted, including mine, are stories with a 30ish or younger reader. I've only seen one with a reader over 40 and being over 40(and more), thought it would be an interesting and different idea. Like she has kids already, baby daddy is dead or divorced, and can't have any more so thinks Bucky won't want her but he doesn't care.

Anyone? Bueller? I might just write it for myself but it would be cool if any of y'all were interested.

Side note- why don't any of my fics ever show up on any of the rec lists? I know I'm not a great writer but I felt like I was improving. Or maybe I'm just hurting, hormonal and whiny.

[additiva]

I personally think it’s more to do with English is more of a second language to a lot of them? No matter how long they have spoken it is practically native or it working in an English-dominated environment.

English is my second language. In my language there exists a word that literally means fuck, the action. But it’s commonly used as the dirtiest? worst? in mostly extreme expression of anger/surprise, same as fuck, it’s pluggable everywhere, than being used referring to sexual intercourse. It’s considered extremely bad manners for a woman to use it, for men it’s more common between them under informal circumstances and off-camera obviously, but still it’s normal to think even men using them as “he has a foul mouth”. And no one would dare to use it in front of parents lol. It’s quite unimaginable for anyone or any reality show or competition broadcasted in my language to use it, of course people lip-read, like in football but so long it’s not “said” to the camera out loud or situation so extreme people wouldn’t deem it uncalled for, no one wants to end their careers for having a foul mouth.

I almost never use it, even when I’m alone at home. But for me now as an adult 30ish the English equivalent “fuck” is just an exclamation of frustration, I even use it in front of my parents, they know the meaning but so long the same word is not said in my language, they don’t care. It carries little significance for me, for my parents and close friends, they see me using it as a picked-up foreign swear word. And I felt ok watching shows with a lot of swearing in English, if they speak this way in my language on a show I might not be able to continue I think, it would be like there’s no point swearing this much that making me uncomfortable.

Weirdly I first learned fuck when I was studying abroad at an international school in north Europe. I was around 10, I learned fuck and shit and the middle-finger from my classmates. They taught me and I used it back at them, and they were very offended and the teacher, she was American, was telling me I can’t do that.

I also don’t care much for what they say in the car, physical and emotional tensions are high, and sometimes people do say things they don’t mean under such situations, and the way f1 just pick and choose what to show leaves a lot of room for manipulation in the media. I know it’s probably because otherwise f1 would be even more boring for casual audience just watching the car, of course they have to throw meat to the wolves for entertainment by broadcasting this way, doesn’t make me like it.

This got so long lmao. I think I was trying to say I understand your feeling, even though it sometimes feels to me as a foreigner swearing is so normal in the English language, and I feel ok about the drivers doing it, but still weird to be that way in a competition/show broadcast in your native tongue.

This is EXACTLY it. This is exactly what I mean.

I read a study one time saying that everything carries less emotional impact in a non-native language. For example, people don't respond as strongly to hearing those sorts of words, but also 'i love you' 'im sorry' etc in a non-native language, because the same emotional and cultural attachments aren't there. And I think it's sort of the same thing.

I personally am not offended by it I think it sort of adds flavour. But to a lot of people it is offensive. I still don't say fuck in front of my parents, and I don't say cunt to anyone. I'm uncomfortable even writing or reading it. I hate reading it when it's thrown around a lot in fics I read, because it triggers an uncomfortable reaction in my brain. Because I was raised to know that it's the worst word in the English language.

In school, or at a normal work-place, even if something surprises you, or you get hurt, or angry, you still can't use them. And when I had students from other countries in my school in my native country, they would get in a lot of trouble, because in English, they're really bad words.

I wouldn't be offended to hear or use the really bad words in your language, but I also would never tell you that they're not bad, just because they don't have that impact on ME.