#(to be fair so does everyone i've listed so far

[jadevine]

Preindustrial travel, and long explanations on why different distances are like that

Update March 1, 2024: Hey there folks, here's yet another update! I reposted Part 2a (the "medieval warhorses" tangent) to my writing blog, and I went down MORE of the horse-knowledge rabbit hole! https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/741423906984951808/my-post-got-cut-off-so-i-added-the-rest-of-it Update Jan 30, 2024: Hey folks, I've posted the updated version of this post on my blog, so I don't have to keep frantically telling everyone "hey, that's the old version of this post!" https://thebalangay.wordpress.com/2024/01/29/preindustrial-travel-times-part-1/

I should get the posts about army travel times and camp followers reformatted and posted to my blog around the end of the week, so I'll filter through my extremely tangled thread for them.

Part 2 - Preindustrial ARMY travel times: https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/739342239113871360/now-for-a-key-aspect-that-many-people-often-ask

Part 2a - How realistic warhorses look and act, because the myth of "all knights were mounted on huge clunky draft horses" just refuses to die: https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/732043691180605440/helpful-things-for-action-writers-to-remember

Part 3 - Additional note about camp followers being regular workers AND sex-workers: https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/740604203134828544/reblogging-the-time-looped-version-of-my

--

I saw a post on my main blog about how hiking groups need to keep pace with their slowest member, but many hikers mistakenly think that the point of hiking is "get from Point A to Point B as fast as possible" instead of "spending time outdoors in nature with friends," and then they complain that a new/less-experienced/sick/disabled hiker is spoiling their time-frame by constantly needing breaks, or huffing and puffing to catch up.

I run into a related question of "how long does it take to travel from Point A to Point B on horseback?" a lot, as a fantasy writer who wants to be SEMI-realistic; in the Western world at least, our post-industrial minds have largely forgotten what it's like to travel, both on our own feet and in groups.

People ask the new writer, "well, who in your cast is traveling? Is getting to Point B an emergency or not? What time of year is it?", and the newbies often get confused as to why they need so much information for "travel times." Maybe new writers see lists of "preindustrial travel times" like a primitive version of Google Maps, where all you need to do is plug in Point A and Point B.

But see, Google Maps DOES account for traveling delays, like different routes, constructions, accidents, and weather; you as the person will also need to figure in whether you're driving a car versus taking a bus/train, and so you'll need to figure out parking time or waiting time for the bus/train to actually GET THERE.

The difference between us and preindustrial travelers is that 1) we can outsource the calculations now, 2) we often travel for FUN instead of necessity.

The general rule of thumb for preindustrial times is that a healthy and prime-aged adult on foot, or a rider/horse pair of fit and prime-aged adults, can usually make 20-30 miles per day, in fair weather and on good terrain.

Why is this so specific? Because not everyone in preindustrial times was fit, not everyone was healthy, not everyone was between the ages of 20-35ish, and not everyone had nice clear skies and good terrain to travel on.

If you are too far below 18 years old or too far past 40, at best you will need either a slower pace or more frequent breaks to cover the same distance, and at worst you'll cut the travel distance in half to 10 or so miles. Too much walking is VERY BAD on too-young/old knees, and teenagers or very short adults may just have short legs even if they're fine with 8-10 hours of actual walking. Young children may get sick of walking and pitch a fit because THEY'RE TIREDDDDDDDDDD, and then you might need to stay put while they cry it out, or an adult may sigh and haul them over their shoulder (and therefore be weighed down by about 50lbs of Angry Child).

Heavy forests, wetlands and rocky hills/mountains are also going to be a much shorter "distance" per day. For forests or wetlands, you have to account for a lot of villagers going "who's gonna cut down acres of trees for one road? NOT ME," or "who's gonna drain acres of swamp for one road? NOT ME." Mountainous regions have their traveling time eaten by going UP, or finding a safer path that goes AROUND, so by the time you're done slogging through drier patches of wetlands or squeezing through trees, a deceptively short 10-15 miles in rough terrain might take you a whole day to walk instead of the usual half-day.

If you are traveling in freezing winters or during a rainstorm (and this inherently means you HAVE NO CHOICE, because nobody in preindustrial times would travel in bad weather if they could help it), you run the high risk of losing your way and then dying of exposure or slipping and breaking your neck, just a few miles out of the town/village.

Traveling in TOO-HOT weather is just as bad, because pushing yourself too hard and getting dehydrated at noon in the tropics will literally kill you. It's called heat-STROKE, not "heat-PARTY."

And now for the upper range of "traveling on horseback!"

Fully mounted groups can usually make 30-40 miles per day between Point A and Point B, but I find there are two unspoken requirements: "Point B must have enough food for all those people and horses," and "the mounted party DOESN'T need to keep pace with foot soldiers, camp followers, or supply wagons."

This means your mounted party would be traveling to 1) a rendezvous point like an ally's camp or a noble's castle, or 2) a town/city with plenty of inns. Maybe they're not literally going 30-40 miles in one trip, but they're scouting the area for 15-20 miles and then returning to their main group. Perhaps they'd be going to an allied village, but even a relatively small group of 10-20 warhorses will need 10-20 pounds of grain EACH and 20-30 pounds of hay EACH. 100-400 pounds of grain and 200-600 pounds of hay for the horses alone means that you need to stash supplies at the village beforehand, or the village needs to be a very large/prosperous one to have a guaranteed large surplus of food.

A dead sprint of 50-60 miles per day is possible for a preindustrial mounted pair, IF YOU REALLY, REALLY HAVE TO. Moreover, that is for ONE day. Many articles agree that 40 miles per day is already a hard ride, so 50-60 miles is REALLY pushing the envelope on horse and rider limits.

NOTE: While modern-day endurance rides routinely go for 50-100 miles in one day, remember that a preindustrial rider will not have the medical/logistical support that a modern endurance rider and their horse does.

If you say "they went fifty miles in a day" in most preindustrial times, the horse and rider's bodies will get wrecked. Either the person, their horse, or both, risk dying of exhaustion or getting disabled from the strain.

Whether you and your horse are fit enough to handle it and "only" have several days of defenselessness from severe pain/fatigue (and thus rely on family/friends to help you out), or you die as a heroic sacrifice, or you aren't QUITE fit enough and become disabled, or you get flat-out saved by magic or another rider who volunteers to go the other half, going past 40 miles in a day is a "Gondor Calls For Aid" level of emergency.

As a writer, I feel this kind of feat should be placed VERY carefully in a story: Either at the beginning to kick the plot off, at the climax to turn the tide, or at the end.

Preindustrial people were people--some treated their horses as tools/vehicles, and didn't care if they were killed or disabled by pushing them to their limits, but others very much cared for their horses. They needed to keep them in working condition for about 15-20 years, and they would not dream of doing this without a VERY good reason.

—

UPDATE January 13: Several people have gotten curious and looked at maps, to find out how a lot of cities are indeed spread out at a nice distance of 20-30 miles apart! I love getting people interested in my hyperfixations, lol.

But remember that this is the space between CITIES AND TOWNS. There should never be a 20-mile stretch of empty wilderness between City A and Town B, unless your world explains why folks are able to build a city in the middle of nowhere, or if something has specifically gone wrong to wipe out its supporting villages!

Period pieces often portray a shining city rising from a sea of picturesque empty land, without a single grain field or cow pasture in sight, but that city would starve to death very quickly in preindustrial times.

Why? Because as Bret Devereaux mentions in his “Lonely Cities” article (https://acoup.blog/2019/07/12/collections-the-lonely-city-part-i-the-ideal-city/), preindustrial cities and towns must have nearby villages (and even smaller towns, if large and prosperous enough!) to grow their food for them.

The settlements around a city will usually be scattered a few miles apart from each other, usually clustered along the roads to the city gates. Those villages and towns at the halfway point between cities (say 10-15 miles) are going to be essential stops for older/sick folks, merchants with cargo, and large groups like noble’s retinues and army forces.

Preindustrial armies and large noble retinues usually can’t make it far past 10-12 miles per day, as denoted in my addition to this post. (https://www.tumblr.com/jadevine/739342239113871360/now-for-a-key-aspect-that-many-people-often-ask )

[butchhamlet]

do you have any good shakespeare retelling book recs?

what a beautiful time to ask this, says guy who has left this ask collecting cobwebs in his inbox for months! because guess who has two thumbs and just finished queen goneril by erin shields! WHAT a fucking play, holy SHIT, this is some of the best characterization of the lear sisters that i've ever read and the exploration of womanhood as filtered through class + race + shitty families + political maneuvering is so so so good. also the things shields does with the og playtext... chef's fucking KISS

anyway, recency bias aside, i've been meaning to make a post about my favorite shakespeare retellings for a while, and i think i never actually did it because i wanted to make a lear retelling ranking list and then i never read some of the ones on my TBR. so whatever. the learlist will happen someday. here are my favorites in general. (here is my goodreads shelf for the retellings i've read, good and bad, and here is the shelf for the ones i have yet to read.)

in no particular order:

a thousand acres by jane smiley: outsold. epitome of what makes an effective retelling--a book that clearly has something to say about and to the original text, but that also isn't afraid to diverge, to exclude here and zoom in there. ungraciously, this is "lear on a farm" and it starts a little slow, but holy fucking shit, i can't do justice in a paragraph to the way this book unraveled me. one of the best books of all time mayhaps. also, introduced the edmund character by describing his ass. 10/10

the last true poets of the sea by julia drake: i don't read that much YA anymore but jesus fucking christ. books tailored for me specifically. twelfth night retelling about siblings + mental illness + being bisexual + love triangles that actually make sense (emotions are confusing!) instead of being contrived + beautiful description + excellent dialogue + THE MENTAL ILLNESS. books that made me start crying in zoom class in 2020

rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead by tom stoppard: kind of a cop-out answer because we all know this one. but that does not detract from how good it is. this is one of those plays, at least for me, that makes me think, "ohhhhhh, THIS is what theater can do. this is using its medium to the absolute utmost." it is so clever and it makes me want to cry. i think about "i don't know. it's the same sky" more often than i can say

american moor by keith hamilton cobb: not exactly a retelling, but a one-man play about a Black man auditioning for the lead role in Othello, tangling as he does with his relationship with shakespeare's work and cultural dominance. suuuuuch a good fucking play even beyond the analysis of othello (which is excellent); the language is so fucking incredible. everyone who likes shakespeare should read this.

teenage dick by mike lew: modern teenage richard iii; this one's more reimagining than retelling, because it diverges pretty sharply from the plot of richard iii, but god, it's so fucking fun. and upsetting! really upsetting also.

foul is fair by hannah capin: i will be so real. i read this in high school and some of the YA books i've revisited since did not hold up for me. so idk if i can tell you this is "good" with my full chest. but the pitch is "lady macbeth gets sexually assaulted at a party and decides to fucking kill the boys who did it" and i stayed up until like 1am to finish it because it was such a vicious gleaming wild ride

the stars undying by emery robin: does this count? hard to say, because it's just as much a retelling of roman history than shakespeare's antony and cleopatra (honestly, more, since it focuses on the era where caesar and cleopatra were lovers, which is before shakespeare's play). but i'm counting it anyway because it's bisexual space opera cleopatra and it's the best book i've read so far in 2024 and it's making me crazy and i'm writing a thesis on it < genuinely

peerless by jihae park: macbeth, but college applications, featuring asian macbeths (they're twin sisters >:3) who think their classmate has taken their place in their dream school because of affirmative action/DEI. this play is absolutely VICIOUS. it's macbeth x heathers. think it mirrors macbeth in faltering a little in its final stretch, but it still fucks hard

the wednesday wars by gary d. schmidt: okay, not a retelling; this is about a preteen boy in the 60s. but it's one of the best most genuine and heartwarming books i've ever read and it manages to be hilarious while also foregoing cheap slapstick punching-low humor for a hell of a lot of warmth and passion. and the main character interacts with shakespeare a lot as a running theme so i can justify putting it on this list. #evangelizing

of course, i would be remiss not to mention that @suits-of-woe / @mjulianwrites has written the best take on Two Gentlemen of Verona to ever exist, and i mean that quite seriously. unfortunately it hasn't been published yet so we'll all just have to prayer-circle about it. i would also be remiss not to take the opportunity to. uh. coughs. do a bit of casual self-promo. if you 1. have ocd 2. have gender or 3. think about malvolio a lot. boy do i have the novella for you

will definitely add to this when i read more retellings; feel free to drop recs in the tags/replies/reblogs/my askbox!

[timeslipcamp]

obligatory theory about the kyklos and what i think is happening.

literally every time i finish an episode i go and jot notes down in my lil mental notebook of theories and laugh like yuri in his lab

spoilers through ep 15

so i've seen this idea tossed out but no one really went in depth on why they thought it so i'm going to list off MY reasons why i thought this is what's happening.

fair warning: this is going to be long, i've got about five million thoughts on this and it's only going to get worse as more episodes get released. get comfy and grab a snack

i think mc and the ghouls are trapped in a time loop

it's a trope that when handled well can be really really cool, and with how many moving parts and ghouls there are to distract from what's happening, it's super plausible. the only reason i'm hesitant to say this is 100% what i think it is is because it's still only episode 16 and we know next to nothing about the clash and anything that happened last year. plus the game's only been out for a year, we've barely scratched the surface of the plot.

that being said, we're getting about 3-4 episodes per every couple months, which means by like episode 20-24 we'll be coming up on a year since mc was cursed. maybe. i'm bad at math. (EDIT: someone else did the math and it will probably be closer to 40 that we hit the year mark lmao) is the story going to be over then? i don't think so. i think the following chapters would follow us through the time loop as we finally work to solve it

if i had to guess, this is how i think the general timeline goes: mc, despite the ghouls best efforts and someones sacrificial jump into flames from a balcony, turns into the kyklos. to stop the teachers/school-aligned ghouls from killing her, someone sends her away--and accidentally sends her back in time instead. taiga, however, has been told by mc that if she were to turn, kill her before she hurts anyone. taiga goes back with her to stop her.

crazy concept: the one eyed sleeping beauty murder was the trigger event. the kyklos has one large eye. this part is still muddy given that we literally don't know shit about any of this, but i think it wasn't a one eyed beauty that was killed, i think the one eyed beauty killed someone while those other ghouls happened to be present. we got the five suspects based on them either being in the wrong place at the wrong time or by reputation (a la alan and jiro.) i think this is how zenji died as well, but i have zero basis for that other than vibes.

future!taiga continues to chase the kyklos, runs into his past self and explains (or maybe he's always known, or maybe whatever's going on with his brain makes him able to remember every loop, OR something is actively working against him remembering all of it) past!taiga does something that triggers the clash, and eventually, the kyklos finds her way to mc on the train. the following chapters would then begin to follow mc at the beginning of the loop again

this is literally all me guessing. i'll make an updated post once we finally know more about the clash and the one eyed sleeping beauty murders. and literally everything else smh

another quick note before i forget: i do think it's interesting that everyone who lost a day to the casino anomaly had their memories replaced of a girl in a tower in the woods. rapunzel reference? orrrrrr in early versions of the sleeping beauty tale, she was said to be in a lonesome tower waiting for someone to wake her up. coincidence? probably! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

anyways

"how did we end up here?"

SUPER compelling that this is one of the opening lines. the whole intro is generally a vague "humans avoiding darkness" spiel, but i do personally think its alluding more to the coming together and working as a team theme than an actual darkness. to me it feels like it's implying (based on the story so far) that working together is the light that can drive away the darkness (her curse)

one of my big things that made me wonder right at the beginning was how it almost immediately dropped the line "if we could do it all again" (paraphrasing). the whole theme about doing it again and would we do it again kinda made me think repetition was going to be a theme in the story, but once i got a few chapters in, i was definitely hurtling towards the time loop theory.

mc starts off talking about how she's sad it's over and we come to see she's talking about a band breaking up, and one by one the group chat members leave until she's left alone with just mina.

now mina itself as a name is an interesting choice. it's a fairly international name with a couple different translations. one translation has it meaning love, one says it's the same word as a mockingbird (a bird that can imitate human sounds) and in japanese, mina is a name meaning lovely/beautiful while min-na is a term sometimes used to mean "all of you", like saying all yall in english. fun play on words there if the time loop theory is correct and the kyklos we see at the beginning is in fact mc (aka all of us)

mina's profile picture is also a red spider lily, commonly known in popular media as the death flower

it's often planted in graveyards to ward off evil spirits and help guide those who have passed to the afterlife. another meaning for the flower is reincarnation: yet another implication of a cycle.

(it's also a popular flower in hanahaki disease fics, which is a fic trope where flowers bloom in the lungs of someone whose love isn't returned, but that's unrelated)

actually now that i'm really staring at that picture, it looks more like a red surprise lily, which is even funnier imo. apparently it's just a sister flower of the spider lily

mina says it must be destiny and that she's been waiting to meet us. spooky. we haven't really seen any other anomalies do anything premeditated like that, they're all mainly reacting to their environment, other than mr long legs i guess. but his felt more like predatory i need to eat intent, not "i'm tracking down this specific person" type of deal. definitely correct me if i'm wrong on that, though. i'm super interested in the "intelligent" anomalies vs the reactive ones. i'll make a post on that later

i've seen a couple other posts talk about how kyklos means circle in greek (aka another point in the time loop basket) but it's also interesting to note that kyklos comes from kuklos, whose root word kukló was often used to describe something that encircles. broke out a couple of my old humanities research packets and found this:

"a group of people...positioned around a central point"

whether that's intentional or not, i do think it is interesting that the whole time loop could be centered on this group of people that are positioned around a central point: the kyklos and mc. everything always revolving around the main character and the curse that started it all.

almost immediately after, mc is swiftly taken to darkwick and told that she'll die in a year (which we later find out is a lie) and sent off to live her life

taiga is the most suspicious person in the WORLD to me. fuck the traitor shit i wanna know what taiga knows

our brief introduction of him (and a scene on campus) tries to convince us he's insane

fairly compelling

but it's in the small cut scenes we see with the other ghouls that really get me.

TAIGA knows something!! the second one really gets me, especially in the context of a time loop, and even more so if taiga is aware of the loop. the second screenshot reads to me as either he's 1. about to make a deal with either haru or whatever he's summoning with a coin, or 2. he's like "fuck it, i've seen this loop a hundred times. there's ways where they survive and there's ways where they die. pick one, we'll try it again and see if it changes anything this time."

i don't think he's actually lost his mind. i think he's putting up an act to throw someone off his scent (namely the traitor and whoever the traitor is working with.) i also get the feeling, especially after rereading the auction chapter, that there's something actively working against taiga having all of his memories. it might be the pact he made with his demon, but i almost wonder if it's someone else's stigma or ability preventing it. we don't know what all the ghouls can do yet, or even the teachers.

maybe it's the time loop itself that's keeping taiga from keeping all the timelines straight. maybe he's done this so many times he doesn't know what's real anymore. additionally, if you pick him in the beginning, this is what he says:

once again, i'm getting the vibes that he's trying to figure out what could possibly be different about this loop that might finally break us out of it.

anyways, those are my basic notes on why i think this is gonna center around a time loop. given that haku's flute can transport and subaru's stigma has to do with memories and we dont even know half of the stigmas yet, i think it's entirely possible. but we'll see!

feel free to comment your own thoughts on what's happening :) ask box and dms are always open

[henrycangelbaby]

In which: “It's not that the amount of love I had changed, but I feel so proud about it now, like that I want to shout from the rooftops and tell everyone of my loved ones how much I love my wife, MY wife, ya know?”

Or

An interview gives unique insight into Pedro Pascal and his vast amount of love for his wife

I make my way through meeting the cast of HBO's unexpected hit “The Last Of Us” rather easily.

Bella Ramsey lives in a far nicer apartment in London than anything I would have been able to afford at the same age. Despite their fame and talent, they remain settled and down to earth, dressed in an outfit a little too cool for me to understand and eager to show me around their lovely apartment that is decorated in a way that I quite liked but I'm sure my baby boomer father would find offensive. I even end up meeting Ramsey's girlfriend, a fellow actor (who I admittedly had never heard of) who is equally as young and pretty as Ramsey is. They are both lovely and down to earth, a sentiment I don't often find relatable working with celebrities.

Kaitlin Denver is in her late 20s and still looks like she could be in high school. She lives in a shared house with her sister, whom she also shares a music career with. Despite the controversy surrounding her character in the show, she seems to remain completely unfazed by the backlash and threats that surround Abby Anderson. Denver merley shrugs when I ask her how she deals with it, leaving me to assume her vices when it comes to dealing with unprecedented hate.

I meet other stars of the show too. Gabriel Luna has all the southern charm of Tommy Miller and more, making me question whether he really does any acting when playing the sweeter, younger Texan brother. Isabela Merced is very beautiful in person and is also far shorter than I had imagined. What she lacks in height she makes up for in personality and charm.

Of course, when you think of the stars of The Last Of Us, there is probably someone else that comes to mind. Securing an interview with Pedro Pascal is probably one of the harder things I have had to do in recent years. It's not that Pacal is hard to come by; in fact, in recent years we haven't been able to escape him. I originally doubted that I would even be able to secure an interview with the internet's "daddy." Pascal has had a busy few years, and this one is no different. With multiple projects coming out this year, including the new season of The Last Of Us and his highly anticipated entry into the MCU as the iconic Richard Reed, it seems that everyone wants a piece of him. While all the other actors on this list do have notable careers outside of the show, the point of this interview series was to be able to interview the main cast members of the show in anticipation for the new season; however, I found that same sentiment hard to carry across when interviewing Pascal. I don't want to spoil the show for anyone, but I will just say that he won't be back next season. Whether that's due to internal conflicts or simply being too booked, we’ll never know.

I was rather ecstatic to receive a phone call from someone on his team letting me know the time and date for our interview. Like normal, I'm given an NDA to sign before receiving any personal information, such as his address (which I did require for the purpose of the interview). But everything else seems to go off without a hitch. 

I was admittedly nervous to meet him. In the best way possible, his reputation definitely proceeds him. Pascal is only ever described as kind, loving, funny, and any other positive synonyms for a massive sweetheart that you can think of. I personally have been a big fan of his work since he played forever thirsted over narcos agent Javier Paner. I know they say you shouldn't meet your idols (and trust me, I've had my fair share of heartbreaking realizations that someone I once admired is actually a piece of shit), but I had high hopes for meeting Pedro. And I am happy to report that it did not disappoint. 

I arrived at his home in Los Angeles ten minutes earlier than I should have. Not that I'm kept waiting, as before I can get a second knock in on the door, a young woman flings it open, smiling at me tightly. She quickly lets me in, introducing herself as Pascal's assistant, offering me tea or coffee, and ushering me to sit down on the comfy-looking couch while I wait for her boss to arrive (which she insists should not be too long). I take a moment to look around the room while I'm waiting. The room is sweet and welcoming, much like the rest of the home, which feels very well... homely (like stepping into your best friend's house and chatting with their parents at the dinner table). It's a hard feeling to describe, such a sense of nostalgia from a place that I had never been in before. It feels fitting though that a man so beloved as Pedro Pascal should have a home that feels so nice. I snoop to get a closer look at the photos that hang up on the walls and sit on cabinets. Most of them seem normal. There are a few faces I recognize within the photos; Oscar Iscac can be spotted alongside a younger-looking Pascal in one of the photos on the wall. I spot John Favro amongst a few people in a photo that looks to have been taken on the set of The Mandelorian, but apart from that, the photos seem normal. They depict family and friends in various places over various years; it appears that Pascal cherishes his relationships with loved ones above all else. 

I'm stopped in my snooping by another face in one of the photos, a face I recognize instantly, a face that has been all over the internet and tabloids for some time now. Pedro's wife. The photo is the first one in which she features prominently, sitting alongside what I can only assume to be one of her husband's sisters. It's a sweet photo, one that I can imagine Pedro was on the other side of, grinning wildly while taking. Y/N Pascal is an elusive figure that the media and her husband's fans have been trying to know better for a few years now. She is what is best described as a "normie," that is to say that she is just like you and me; that is perhaps what makes her so interesting to fans. She doesn't appear to have any ties to the industry; she isn't some big-wig producer's daughter; in fact, despite their insistence, fans have been unable to find anything on her. She has no public social media accounts, no company profiles online, and no one she went to high school with has come forward with a tik tok horror story (yet!). The couple are shrouded in mystery; no one seems to know how they met, where Y/N is from, or even the highly shrouded question of her age. She certainly appears younger than Pascal by a good few years, and I'm sure that I could find thousands of posts online speculating (or being downright nasty) about how young she is. But out of respect for the happy couple, I leave it a mystery. 

The sharp heels of the sensible shoes that Pascal's assistant is wearing suddenly come back into earshot. She warns me to be ready with my stuff as “they” will be home soon. I don't think twice about her words before hauling ass back to the couch and trying to pull myself together. It's not long before I hear the front door open. Amy (Pascal's assistant that I had only just remembered the name of) runs to the door. I walk slower behind awkwardly, not wanting to intrude (despite the fact that I had spent the last ten minutes snooping around what was essentially a stranger's house). I peek round the corner to be greeted with Pascal's broad back. He is facing away from me, talking to his assistant lowly. His assistant finishes speaking and moves past me, wishing me luck in passing. Pascal doesn't turn around to greet me yet; in fact, he drops down onto one knee to reveal to my utmost shock his wife. Neither of them pay me any mind as he begins untying her shoes for her, ever the gentleman everyone believes he is. 

It's not a second later that the man of the hour turns around to greet me. He smiles widely at me, and I find myself blushing slightly at his unwavering eye contact as he introduces himself. He only introduces himself by his first name, not something I find often when meeting famous people; they are often eager to give me the name that everyone knows and loves them by. It seems a bit of a strange phenomenon in Hollywood that has missed Pascal. His wife then steps forward to introduce herself. I hate to be the bearer of bad news to the millions of jealous fans, but Y/N Pascal is strikingly beautiful; even as I meet her in her own home with no makeup, she glows ethereally with a striking smile that looks like it belongs on the cover of a magazine. In that moment meeting her I quickly see why Pascal holds her in such admiration.

Much to my disappointment, that is the first and last time I see her during the interview. Pedro ushers her away somewhere out of sight with a protective arm around her shoulder. I can hear him mutter to her lowly, promising to be quick. Before kissing her goodbye with an "I love you." It makes my heart ache with a longing. Much like the rest of the internet, I wish I had a man like Pedro Pascal. We chat for a while, while exploring his house, he speaks passionately about his career, which he clearly loves. He has a flame behind his eyes as he speaks about his long-winded love for the cinema. He tells me stories of his famous friends that are featured on his walls. We laugh together, and he very much reminds me of an old friend. Even though I should be interviewing him, I let him talk, rambling on about things that I didn't find important enough to put in this interview, but they certainly put a smile on my face. 

The house is beautiful; it's decorated nicely and feels authentic and homely. It's not massive, not overly obnoxious in the way many celebrity houses are; it's still big, the kind of size that screams loving family. I don't mean to make assumptions, but it almost feels like it's been brought with the idea of a growing family in mind. I complement the house easily. Pedro smiles at me. For the first time in the interview, he refers to his wife. He tells me that he hadn't cared where they lived; “anywhere is home when you are with someone that you love,” but insists that she had loved the house the moment they first saw it. "She has better taste than me,” he tells me with a loving glint in his eye. "She did a good job.” I compliment, he nods and smiles, "always thought I was biased 'cause I’m married to her, but glad to know it's not just me." I feel awfully privileged to get an insight into Pedro's fondness of his wife. It's not often that he speaks about her publicly; she gets mentioned in passing during interviews and is often spotted at events with him, safely away from the cameras, but it's clear to the general public that his marriage is a part of his life that he wishes to keep away from public scrutiny. 

Its towards the end of the interview that I do ask him about his marriage. We walk past a wedding photo that depicts him and his lovely bride squashed together on one seat, smiling widely at the camera. He doesn't say anything when he notices me peering at the photo. I ask him carefully if he thinks being a married man has changed him. He ponders for a second. "Probably,” he answers me carefully. It's not the response I had expected from him, so I quickly encourage him to go on. "I suppose it has in a way,” he continues. “It's not that the amount of love I had changed, but I feel so proud about it now, like that I want to shout from the rooftops and tell everyone of my loved ones how much I love my wife, MY wife, ya know?” I smile and nod at his explanation. I understand what he is saying—such a sweet sentiment that it makes my heart warm. 

We don't speak for much longer after that; he briefly mentions a few upcoming projects, which he seems excited for. I ask him what he has planned next, after his next few big projects are done. He hesitates for a second. “Truthfully,” he says, “I plan on taking a step away for a bit.” I ask if he wants to settle down more. “Yeah, that's part of it; I mean, I’m not getting any younger.” He tells me, “Things are changing soon, and I just want to be settled with my family.” He finishes. I wonder for a moment what he is referring to when he mentions these soon changes; I don't ponder on it too long; much like a crazed fan, I have a few theories floating around in my head. 

We wrap up the interview from there; he is as polite and gracious as he has been the entire time, shaking my hand and thanking me for my time. I try to thank him for the interview and for letting me into his house, but he simply shakes his head at me, insisting it was his pleasure. He disappears soon after that, saying he has something to attend to (and speed walking in the direction that his wife disappeared to). I'm left to see myself out; I don’t snoop too much after I’m left alone. I make my way back to the front of the house, peering around as I go. I peek inside one room that appears to be in the middle of some kind of renovation or do-over. There are multiple pieces of yet-to-be put together furniture on the ground as the walls look to be in the middle of being painted a pastel purple color. 

I’m about to leave when something catches my eye—on the table by the front door, which has various bits and bobs scattered over it, but none of these catch my eye. I step closer to get a clearer view of what appears to be a small black and white photo. I quickly realize what it is: tucked beneath the wallet I had seen Pedro place down before our interview began is an ultrasound. I smile knowingly as my theory is proven correct; the Pascal family is about to be adding another member. 

Congratulations to Pedro as his wife on the upcoming addition to their family.

[all-seeing-ifer]

Aromanticism in Academia 2025

For aromantic spectrum awareness week this year I wanted to update my post from last year about academic sources on aromanticism. Some of this is repeated from last year's list, but I've also added in some new books and articles that I've read since last February!

DISCLAIMER BEFORE THE LIST: Due to the lack of discussion of aromanticism specifically in academia, most of what I’ve found are texts that are primarily about asexuality but also discuss aromanticism. It’s unfortunate, but it is also where we’re kind of at right now in terms of academia, so bear that in mind.

Books:

Ace Voices: What it means to be asexual, aromantic, demi, or grey-ace by Eris Young - Definitely has the most focus on aromanticism of everything that I’ve read so far, this book draws from a combination of the author’s personal experiences and interviews with other members of the a-spec community, including aroace and alloaro people. A good source of discussion of aro issues and how they interact with things like gender stereotypes. Also notable for its discussion of QPRs, a topic which I find has generally been ignored in academia about a-spec identities.

Ace: What Asexuality reveals about desire, society, and the meaning of sex by Angela Chen - Primarily deals with asexuality, as the title suggests, but also contains some relevant discussions of aromanticism, including the experiences of aroallo people. If you’re going to check out the book, I would especially recommending looking at chapter 7: Romance, Reconsidered, which features most of the discussion of aromanticism and non-normative relationships

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J Brown - Again, asexuality is the main focus here, but I would still recommend checking out this book as it does still contain some useful discussion of aromanticism, particularly an extended critique of “singlism” (i.e. discrimination of single people) and how it is weaponised against aros. I also find Brown’s criticism of the dehumanisation of aromanticism in media to be very compelling!

Minimizing Marriage: Marriage, Morality, and the Law - I would be remiss not to mention Brake’s work here. While Minimizing Marriage is not specificallly about aromanticism and deals with marriage reform and the concept of amatonormativity more broadly, I think it’s fair to say that many of Brake’s ideas (particularly her coining of amatonormativity as a term) have become vital to the aro community and aro activism in recent years. Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in deconstructing amatonormativity and in contemporary critiques of marriage as an institution, though it’s worth noting that this is a work of moral/political philosophy first and foremost, and as such it gets very into the weeds of things.

Ending the Pursuit: Asexuality, Aromanticism and Agender Identity by Michael Paramo - An absolutely fantastic book by Michael Paramo, editor of aspec literary journal AZE magazine, that combines history, personal memoir, and analysis. Unique so far in that, as the title suggests, it has a pretty equal focus on asexuality and aromanticism. It was easily one of my favourite books I read last year, and does some truly monumental work in trying to trace a-spec history back to the Victorian times, as well as discussing the intersections between amatonormativity and colonialism. I haven't seen a lot of people talking about this one compared to other a-spec books, and I really encourage everyone to check it out!

Academic Articles/Essays:

“Why didn’t you tell me that I love you?”: Asexuality, Polymorphous Perversity, and the Liberation of the Cinematic Clown by Andrew Grossman - A really interesting and engaging analysis of the archetype of the silent film clown, and how it can be read as an a-spec figure. While Grossman uses the language of asexuality, his analysis makes it clear that he is looking at the clown as both an asexual AND aromantic character. Published in Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives.

On the Racialization of Asexuality by Ianna Hawkins Owen - A personal favourite of mine. I think many parts of this essay will be very relevant to aromantic people, particularly Owen’s investigation of how romantic love came to be pedastalised and her critique of attempts to normalise asexuality by distancing it from aromanticism. Available on academia.edu here. Published in Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives

Mismeasures of Asexual Desires by Jacinthe Flore - A critique of the pathologisation of asexuality that also discusses how aromanticism challenges common discourses around intimate relationships. Published in Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives

Sexuality, romantic orientation, and masculinity: Men as underrepresented in asexual and aromantic communities by Hannah Tessler and Canton Winer - Hannah Tessler has published a lot of really great research on aromanticism, and this paper discusses the role of narratives around sex and romance in constructing gender. If you aren't able to access the paper, @the-agent-of-blight has written up a summary of key points here

The stability of singlehood: Limitations of the relationship status paradigm and a new theoretical framework for reimagining singlehood by Hannah Tessler - Discusses how experiences of certain groups (including aromantic people) challenge the typical construction of singlehood. If you aren't able to access the paper, @the-agent-of-blight has written up a summary of key points here

Aromanticism, asexuality, and relationship (non-)formation: How a-spec singles challenge romantic norms and reimagine family life by Hannah Tessler - Discusses existing norms around the nuclear family and monogamy, and how these norms are challenged by the experiences of a-spec people. If you aren't able to access the paper, @the-agent-of-blight has written up a summary of key points here

The abject single: exploring the gendered experience of singleness in Britain by Ai-Ling Lai, Ming Lim, and Matthew Higgins - While this article doesn't directly discuss aromanticism (perhaps understandable considering it was written in 2015), many of the ideas discussed here will be particularly relevant to aro people. A lot of the points made are similar to those that had already been made by Brake and have since been made by writers like Chen and Brown, but this article links them to the ideas of academics like Judith Butler in a really interesting way, and the interviews on the experiences of single people are fascinating!

Still, Nothing: Mammy and Black Asexual Possibility by Ianna Hawkins Owen - While this essay focuses on asexuality and uses the language of asexuality, I think much of Owen's analysis is also relevant from an aromantic perspective. Another really interesting and valuable read for those who want to read about a-spec identity from a more intersectional perspective. Available from academia.edu here

If anyone knows of any other academic writing on aromanticism, please feel free to add them in a reblog! It would be great to use this week as an opportunity to pool educational resources

[uriekukistan]

alright i've been seeing so much megumi hate recently, and especially after the new chapter (not on here, mostly twitter youtube and tiktok), so as president of the megumi defense squad, here is my dissertation defending him against the bum allegations.

i've seen a lot of people comparing megumi's situation to yuuji in shibuya, and saying that megumi should be able to "just get up and keep fighting," so i'm going to tell you why this is not a fair comparison, and give some context on yuuji's "recovery" from shibuya that i feel people are missing when they say this. this is quite lengthy, sorry in advance

i. fundamental differences in the ways in which yuuji & megumi view saving people

yuuji wants to save everyone. he wants to save as many people as he can because of what his grandfather said to him on his deathbed. this is what kickstarted the events of jjk. if yuuji hadn't felt this way, he never would have eaten that finger to say some guy he met an hour ago, which is another point. yuuji cares for people easily. he threw his life on the line to save megumi immediately after meeting him. he mourned junpei, who he spent all of a few hours with in total like he had known him for years.

this is very different from megumi, who both does not get attached to people easily, and does not care to save everyone. he only cares to save people he deems worthy, and as far as we know, this list consists of only tsumiki and yuuji. its even unclear if he feels this way about nobara or gojo, despite them also being relatively important in his life. as you can see, when he thinks about saving people by his conscience, the only two characters shown are tsumiki and yuuji.

this is why he sometimes gets some criticism for not doing a half-assed job as a sorcerer, but i think its important to remember that he does not actually want to be a sorcerer, only doing it out of necessity to keep tsumiki from the zen'in clan. the times where we do see him taking things seriously are when yuuji and/or tsumiki's lives are what's at stake.

so in shibuya, after watching his own hands slaughter innocent people, and watching nanami and nobara die, yuuji is able to keep going because there are still more people who need to be saved, and he wants to save everyone. in contrast, megumi has watched his own hands kill one of the two people that he cares about saving, and severely maim the other one, so what is there to keep fighting for, given the way he views the world?

and i think it's also important to note that megumi has not been aware of his surroundings since sukuna v yorozu, so saying that he should get up now to save yuuji is not reasonable because he doesn't even know yuuji is there.

ii. the environment yuuji was in in shibuya vs the environment megumi is in right now

now none of that is to say that yuuji did not also break down and want to give up in shibuya, because he absolutely did (actually, im not sure if this is canon or just my theory, but the reason he did not switch back with sukuna at the detention center was because he wanted to give up), but the circumstances were way different

within minutes of watching nanami and nobara die, todo & nitta were there to encourage him and get him back on his feet (most of that was due to todo, but nitta was also telling yuuji not to lose hope).

meanwhile, megumi has been alone for over a month now, save the few seconds in 251 where i'm pretty sure he didn't even know yuuji was there, with nothing but his own misery to keep him company. sukuna took over his body and killed tsumiki with megumi's technique on november 16th. the shinjuku showdown takes place on december 24th. that's over a month stewing in guilt and mourning with no one to support him at all. that makes it a lot more difficult to bounce back quickly like that.

iii. more context on yuuji

even after todo's little pep talk that gave him the strength to get up and finish mahito off, yuuji didn't just "bounce back" and stand up to keep fighting in the way people think he did. in the days following the shibuya incident, he was really directionless, probably a bit reckless, because he genuinely didn't know what to do with himself, and didn't know if he even deserved to be alive. in my personal interpretation of yuuji immediately post-shibuya, if it weren't for choso, he would have likely lost his life, as he just showed a lack of self-regard in those days following. just one example:

it's not until megumi shows up again that yuuji finds a direction to go, and even then, he's operating with the mindset that once everything is over, megumi and tsumiki are safe, and gojo is unsealed, he will die and stop causing trouble for everyone.

so again, i think the megumi/yuuji comparison as a way to hate on megumi is not fair, both because there are important differences in the way they think and their situations, and because yuuji's reaction post shibuya isn't quite as resolved and strong as people make it out to be. this is not to say that yuuji is not strong! he absolutely is, just to point out that he, like megumi, was/is also lacking the will to live, and there's nothing wrong with that! wanting to give up is a completely reasonable reaction to being in this situation as an ADULT, let alone at 15 years old.

if you've made it this far, thank you for listening to me ramble 🙏 pls let me know any of your thoughts as well, i'd love to chat about this!

[zahri-melitor]

So I've read the opening story of Tim Drake: Robin.

The opening issue is solid, highlighting a lot of Meghan Fitzmartin's skills as a writer. She picked up threads neatly from her earlier stories, showed her hand to the audience, and did do a fair amount of subtle character work. If I'd picked it up with no background knowledge of the fandom conversation about the title, I'd have been very excited for where it was going.

I liked the links back to how part of what prompted Tim to move out was Bruce being fussy over Tim having been shot in the throat in Batman #125. That felt realistic and a nice little link between titles.

As far as a story goes: I didn't mind it. Parts of it were very obvious, especially when you clued into the themes - if I'd actually been reading it as it came out and had a month between issues for things to soak in, I probably would have been tapping my toes over the reveal of who Moriarty was disguised as.

I would like to specifically dunk on both Meghan Fitzmartin and Moriarty for the detective novel writer selections, because...hmm. Kinda misogynistic there. Fitzmartin uses 6 writers for this, and 6 specific stories/franchises:-

Edgar Allen Poe – Murders in the Rue Morgue

Mark Twain – The Stolen White Elephant

Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes

Raymond Chandler - Goldfish

James Gelsey – Scooby Doo

Wilkie Collins – The Moonstone

What do you notice about this list, that I immediately noticed? They're all men. Who is an immediate name that comes to mind, who even had public domain stories as of 2022, who probably should be on a list like that and who also has incredible influence over the direction of the genre? Oh, I don't know, maybe Agatha Christie? (Also Dorothy L. Sayers is also right there and available, but skipping Christie?)

And once she'd built up this "it's all the detective stories" premise, Fitzmartin then went for a book code (cool!) from non-existent books (not cool). If you've just spent all this time glorying in how this is all related to Specific Classic Detective Stories, why not...use a real book code and refer to their actual stories? You've already done it for the plots! Commit to the bit!

Also I spent a good chunk of issue #4 staring at the page going "Carol Donovan? You mean Deb Donovan's judge daughter who recently appeared in Mariko Tamaki's 'Tec run? Tim, how are you missing something this straightforward? Also she's dead?" and then it never came to anything. Maybe do a quick check if anyone else has been using the name you just invented for the story.

"I even tried making a new costume for myself. It doesn't fit." - I did find it interesting that Fitzmartin was once again playing with the "is it time to move on" themes for Tim that were popping up around here in various conversations. Especially given she had Tim and Dick relitigate their conversation from Urban Legends #10 and similar themes in DC:YJ. It does suggest to me that she was working her way around to getting Tim into a new identity, but cancellation has once again left that in the 'not happening' basket.

In terms of the art: Riley Rossmo was the wrong pick for the title, but I do see the thought process that led into him getting the nod for the opening story, given the whole claymation villain set. It was very 2D animation style. I don't mind Rossmo (and interestingly he's developing a whole line up of detective stories he's done art for, given he's also had a Martian Manhunter book and got Wesley Dodds, he did one of the Batman/The Shadow crossovers...) but his highly malleable art style loses a lot of background detail or makes what is there harder to parse.

I did very much appreciate the way Rossmo drew Tim's detective work, though. I liked the technique for highlighting details and clues, and it actually very much reminded me of how some computer games present clues (including how it's done in Gotham Knights, in fact).

I know everyone has said this, but Bernard needs to develop a personality AND to commit to whether or not he knows Tim is Robin. Because sort of hinting that he knows, while Tim worries about hiding things from him, but not actually confirming either way is only really acceptable if you actually do build up to a big reveal moment where the whole drama has been paid off.

I did appreciate that MegFitz had clearly taken feedback and returned one of Bernard's two pre-existing personality traits (conspiracy theorist who thinks the Bats are urban legend cryptids), because one of the weaknesses of using Bernard, a side character with 6 preboot appearances, is that at lot of his existing personality was sketched in. He was a conspiracy theorist, and he desperately wanted to be popular but wasn't, so he presented himself as having a Cool Guy's Personality (see: 'your step-mom is hot'). Now, Meghan Fitzmartin wants us to read into that second trait as a facade that Bernard was putting up to deal with the fact he was gay and hiding it, probably even from himself, at the time. Which, fine, it's a perfectly reasonable reading of Bernard (and to her credit, MegFitz has Bernard spell it out a little on page in TD:R), but the problem is...you've just lost one of the two identifiable traits of 'Bernard' and it hasn't been replaced with anything else. And while 2004 in comics was still trying to hold onto the Urban Legends reading for the Bats to an extent (though it was failing), 2022 comics has so long since abandoned it that Bernard having kooky theories about Batman's connection to Mothman or whatever is very...why?

And because both of these pre-existing personality traits are under strain from the context, it really is sort of necessary to give Bernard something else about him for people to latch onto for his personality. And it doesn't really seem to be there yet (as of #6). It's the same complaint that people have about Jon/Jay and a whole host of other partners for recently out superheros: they're generically pleasant, supportive and bland, with about the depth of a mirror. Give me some of the toxic drama the 30 year old lesbians are allowed. Where is my breakup over custody fights with an ex and one of the two getting seduced by a vampire.

[elementalwriter67]

Bat Family Olympics

I came up with this based off of all the stuff I've been seeing about the Olympics and a few posts about the bat-family participating in the Olympics. And I couldn't help myself because I'm slowly being pulled back into this fandom (not that I ever really left, I basically just went on holiday.) So here is a very quickly put together list of the bat-family, and friends, and the Olympic sport I think they would participate in.

Bruce- I think Bruce would be really good at Sport Climbing because of all the grappling and parkouring he does around Gotham. I just don't think that he would come in gold though, maybe bronze, and it's a hundred percent because he's trying not to give the citizens of Gotham any more reasons to suspect that he's Batman.

Alfred- He's one of the older competitors at the Olympics and everyone expects him to be competing in a sport that would more suited for his age. So they're all incredibly surprised when he walks out to compete in Boxing. Even better is he wins Gold and the entire crowd goes nuts because it was the absolutely most nail-biting fight they've ever witnessed because it's Alfred against this young guy who looks like he could run circles around Alfred any day of the week. Little do they know Alfred has more than enough experience from having lived in Gotham and having experienced his fair share of break-ins at the manor. Side note: While everyone else is cheering the rest of the bat-family (while thrilled for Alfred) are busy remembering why it is they fear Alfred more than Bruce.

Selena- I went back and forth on a couple of different sports for Selena before I ultimately decided that she would kick ass at Surfing and absolutely take Gold in it. I have no other reasons for it other than I just think she would be good at it, that she would look good in a bathing suit (obviously,) and that she probably had opportunities to learn when she was taking her eccentric vacations outside of Gotham.

Dick- This one is going to be obvious but honestly it's his fault and that is Gymnastics. I believe the reasons behind this are self explanatory honestly. He does take gold though as to be expected.

Jason- Again another self explanatory one because hello he uses guns and he gets the gold. He is the only one however that has to participate under a different name because while Gotham may have accepted the fact that Jason just miraculously came back from the dead and that the rest of the Wayne family are just pretending that nothing every happened. The rest of the world and the legal system have not so as far as the rest of the world is concerned Jason Todd is still dead. He does however have a twin brother named Peter Todd who is an Olympic champion in shooting.

Tim- I didn't really know what to give Tim because there's no Olympic sport for hacking yet so I decided to give him Cycling Mountain Bike. In part because I thought it would be funny, and also in part because I think he needs the adrenaline rush of hurling himself down a mountain with very little protection to feel alive. He places Silver and oddly enough still doesn't feel anymore alive.

Steph- Does weightlifting. She doesn't look like she does so everyone just assumes it's kind of a joke when she steps up for the weightlifting portion of the Olympics. But little do they know that she weight training with the fridge of man we call Jason Todd, she's just all lean muscle. So when she lifts this weight that is easily three times her own body weight the crowd looses it much like with Alfred, and Steph goes home with the Gold. And Jason is standing off to the side beaming with pride.

Damian- Again self explanatory because he does fencing. He does it mainly because it's a good, approved, way of hitting people with a sword. It may not be his katana but it'll do. He also thinks it's one of the more dignified and better sports of the Olympics. And yes he does take the gold. An Al Ghul and a Wayne would settle for nothing less.

Babs- I think she would do Equestrian and I think it would be a hundred percent because she had a horse girl phase growing up and she always wanted a horse of her own but was never able to get one growing up in the city and on a cop's salary. She doesn't get the gold, doesn't even really place if she's being honest, but boy howdy is she happy she got to participate in it to begin with.

Cassandra- She went back to her roots (I think they're her roots, I'm a little rusty on my knowledge outside of like the core five) and decided she was going to do Taekwondo. And she absolutely kicks ass at it and easily walks away with Gold.

Duke- I didn't know what to do for Duke, and I didn't want to do something stereotypical like basketball so I went to the left field and decided that Duke would play Handball. He stumbled across the sport on total accident through tik tok but now that he's started playing it he absolutely loves it. It's also a good way for him to get better at throwing things (i.e. batarangs) with more precision and accuracy. His team actually manages to take the Gold at the Olympics too.

Kate- I admittedly don't know much about Kate outside of one batman animated movie that I vaguely remember and what I vaguely remember is that she was angry and grumpy. So I feel like Hockey would be a good sport for her to work out some of those emotions. I also understand that this is a Winter Olympic sport (pretty sure anyways) so she spends the Summer Olympics cheering on the rest of her family. However when the Winter Olympics come along she absolutely dominates on that ice and for sure wins Gold or Silver.

I did these next ones for funsies.

Harley- I think she would do wrestling and she would be a little terrifying at it too honestly. She gets silver but it's only because of a technicality .

Ivy- She does volleyball if only because it's the most environmentally friendly one and doesn't involve riding over/trampling plants like Tim's sport does. Plus she enjoys being in the sun after being stuck in the smog and fog filled city that is Gotham. She gets bronze but only because she kept getting distracted by the sun and would just randomly stand there soaking up rays.

Roy- He does Archery. Side note: Oliver also does archery and him and Roy have mad beef and are constantly trying to one up each other when they compete against one another. So far their amount of Gold medals are tied but Roy maintains that he's still the only one who hasn't ever gotten a bronze medal unlike Oliver which is a whole other story in of itself.

[midnightslurpees]

Prologue

Knight!Steve Harrington x Princess!Reader

Find series master list here

Chapter warnings: No warnings, just a longer introduction into the fic. (800+ words)

A/N: Ahhh. It's finally happening. I've finally started to write my first fic. This little idea of my has been brewing my the back of my mind a while now and thought i would finally write it and share it with others Not to sure how long the overall story will be but i know the plot start to finish. Just hopefully i can find my love of writing trying to get from point A to B

===================================

In a realm far away, a tale unfolds, of hearts entwined, yet fate foretold. Forbidden love, a flame so bright, But destiny's grip, a bittersweet plight. He, a knight with a heart so true, She, a princess with duties to pursue. Their hearts collide, a love untamed, yet an oath was sworn, their love constrained. She, a jewel of a kingdom fair, her hand was sought by a suitor's snare. To wed another, her heart would break, yet it would be for the kingdom's sake. Fate's cruel twist, their love torn apart, the knight felt a pain, like a dagger through his heart. He yearned for ease, a twisted cure, He sought help in magic's allure. The forest answered his desperate plea, offering an elixir to set him free. In his grief-stricken state, he took the forbidden path, Unleashing dark magic, a furious aftermath. His heart turned to darkness, hatred did consume, A pawn in the game, he danced with doom. Once noble and just, he became twisted and vile, He aided the villains, his heart filled with guile. Though this story weaves a tragic thread, I can assure you on how this tale ends. If there's one thing we know for sure, it’s that true love can save us all.

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Teigrod, a kingdom in the north. Centuries have passed since the first stones of the village walls were laid. Inside these walls was a bustling hub of activity and a centre of trade and commerce. Its streets are lined with stone buildings adorned with colourful banners and bustling market stalls. Within there’s a baker, blacksmith, seamstress, apothecary and anything one village would need to get by. At the heart of the kingdom lies a castle. A castle made of stone and built by the family whose blood still lives there to this day.

Behind the castle walls are gardens. Once only for the royals that lived within, it turned into a training ground for the royal guard and a place where the farmers grew more of their crops as the years passed. The back of the gardens has become part of the enchanted woodlands. The kingdom's military strength is evident in the presence of well-trained knights who serve as protectors of Teigrod. Clad in shining armour, they uphold the principles of chivalry and defend the kingdom from external threats. Vines from the woods climbed over these walls to find solace away from what lurks deep within the forest.

As for the royal family, the King and Queen ruled side by side for the last few years. They only ever had one child, Y/N Teigrod, the next in line for the throne. The king and queen would always put the needs of the kingdom before their own and do whatever was best for it. Despite this, they were a highly known family amongst the many kingdoms around and would go to many events and dances and were always the ones to keep the peace.

Teigrod was one of those kingdoms where the kingdom loved their rulers, and the rulers loved them. There never was a real dynamic of peasants and royals, which is why the kingdom flourished as it did. However, not everyone perceived Teigrod in the same light. Azuria viewed the harmonious and inclusive nature of Teigrod as a sign of weakness. It is what love does to you after all. Azuria sat on the other side of the Oerfel mountains and was carved into the brittle stone. A once beloved queen gone meant that only the bitter heart of a king remained and their eldest son.

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Music and laughter erupted throughout the village streets. The scent of wildflowers filled the air as the townsfolk adorned their homes and shops with vibrant garlands and wreaths. Colourful ribbons danced in the breeze, clinging onto doorsteps and street posts in hopes of not flying away. The rhythmic beats of drums and the melodies of flutes filled the air. The sound of ancient hymns echoed throughout the streets. The village square became a stage as the village folk danced, twirled and leaped to the music. The town folks stare at the maypole with their faces flushed with excitement for the day's events. Everyone wore flower crowns or a garland of some sort, embracing the festivities of Beltane.

The same energy was evident throughout the halls of the castle too. You were wandering through the halls, adorned in your regal gown of silk and lace. You exchanged greetings with the castle staff, who were preparing for the day's festivities. The maids scurried about, decorating the halls with vibrant tapestries and floral arrangements, whilst the cooks busied themselves, making delectable aromas waft through the air.

Your eyes darted around the hallways, hoping to catch a glimpse of Robin, your handmaiden. Your footsteps sped up as she ventured down the hall leading to the throne room. In your hand you held a delicate flower crown that you’d woven for Robin using flowers found within the castle garden. As you turned a corner, you collided with a sturdy figure. Your steps faltered, and her eyes met those of honey and moss belonging to the head of the royal guard.

“My apologies, princess”

[froggieco]

Some controversial thoughts about the Peachyville Horror

I've been seeing how everyone is reacting to Francis's moment in the bathroom in this latest episode (episode 7) and I thought I might as well add one more.

Francis is someone who is mentally unstable, yes. I think this is something we can all agree with. He's surrounded by people who seem to either enable his actions in one way or another or they're on a list of people he keeps which we can only assume is something like a hit list. He's been looked down on by his parents, bullied by his peers, and generally just beat down by everyone around him including himself at this point. Then he won that trophy. That's where everything shifts. He's the one to take it home and it's obvious that by how Will was describing that trophy, something about it had negative energy.

⚠️Now I get into some gory details in this next part so fair warning ⚠️

Now, Francis had his dream and suddenly became violent to an extent that he would joke about it and people would feel threatened. Relistening to episode 5, he threatened a man after scooping his eyes out with an ice cream scoop by kicking him in the balls and then grabbing his eyeballs and threatening to squeeze them. Now, I get it this is a horror comedy podcast but if we are gonna analyze a character I'm taking everything into account and really this is the first and really an extremely violent thing for a person to do, especially when this is the first actions he's been known to take.

Getting the gun and instantly he seemed to know exactly what he "needed" to do. On a dime, the Francis we knew just a few episodes ago was already so different.

Now that brings us to the bathroom scene. People have been saying it was a mental "snap" or "break" which doesn't line up, like how most others have pointed out that this was something that was premeditated. He planned out this whole thing and followed through with it. And to those who think he did this so Shane wouldn't bother him anymore, he didn't see Francis at all through the whole attack, which yes, Francis could go back and claim he did it but I still this it's important to note we don't know if Shane will believe him.

That being said, with every increasingly violent act that Francis had done up to that point it made sense within the confines of his world. It was in his character that things have played out this way so far. And really I think it's going to make for a really interesting character arc. He isn't going to to be a character that we have seen before, which when we just had a season of teens that were just coming into themselves Anthony is getting his chance to get his character in, and it is a horror series. This doesn't make any of the actions acceptable by any means and this should not encourage people to romanticize any of the actions he does. There is a way to like a character and not romanticize their actions, some of these posts remind me of posts of people romanticizing real murderers and shooters, which is rather disturbing.

TLDR

Francis suddenly got violent after bringing the trophy home, having a dream after being under his teacher's bed for 4 hours, and now he's suddenly he's on a bloody rampage and those around him are either enablers or in his line of fire and that's an interesting new character to think about. But don't romanticize that shit.

Extra

• Another idea I saw floating around was that Francis got switched with his reflection in the trophy, which I love the idea of this one. It can keep the idea of mental health slightly but it brings the story back into it. But, I understand that even without evil trophies, people like Francis exist in our world.

• Also having him practice with his bully's face as the target was really the warning. I personally didn't know the scene was going to be that graphic but now looking back I get the horror side of the podcast now. As someone who lives in America it was something that shocked me the first time listening to it, knowing that the usual stuff that the guys bring up I can laugh off. This scene most definitely felt different and I'm sure that it's going to be a huge turning point for a lot of things.

[nessieart]

The Way Back. IV

WC:4.9k

eventual bucky x reader. maybe steve x reader. im still deciding dontshootme

Summary: These powers were meant to help people. Help The Avengers, your family. It felt like every time you used them, something bad always happened. Maybe someone has the answers, somewhere.

Masterlist

AN- not really proofread, all mistakes are my own. please enjoy!

Previously:

Howard nodded along, giving you soft, encouraging words whenever you would pause. He took the empty tea cup from your hands, placing it on the nightstand. he waited a moment more, searching for any lingering signs of tears or heartache.

He clears his throat, "Maybe you should look for a way back to your time, honey," he says quietly. His eyes dart away from yours when your head snaps up.

"But-"

"I know," his reassuring smile is sad and doesn't reach his eyes. "Maybe you just need the closure of seeing Tony okay," It's hard for Howard to talk about his son he doesn't have, only knowing about him from the stories you've told.

"What about you?"

"You need to stop worrying about everyone ese, Y/N. And worry about yourself."

You sigh. It feels like a weight is lifted off your shoulders, "I'll think about it, ok?"

Howard nods, his hands falling on top of yours and then squeezing, "Get some rest, kid."

The next few weeks go by quickly. You haven't made your mind up to visit the Sanctum or not yet. So, you throw yourself into organizing the Stark Expo. Contacting vendors and scientists, the list Howard gave you is long, and you wonder if even half the people will respond because of the war over seas.

You're surprised to hear back from almost all of the people on the list. Using Howard's blueprint of the grounds, you set the vendors and creators all throughout the area, making sure to place everyone just far enough apart to not be overwhelming.

One evening, Jarvis drops you off at the Expo fair grounds. Things were still in the process of being built, so you wanted to make sure everything was getting done the way you envisioned it.

"Don't worry about picking me up, J, I'll manage," you smile at him through the open window.

"Alright, Ms Stark. I'll see you later," his smooth English accent carries through the car, and then he drives away.

After entering the fair grounds, you notice a new recruitment banner across from where the main stage would be. A few people were lined up outside. Some were a little eager, while others seemed anxious.

Huh, that's new.

Towards the back of the line, one familiar head of brunette hair stands out, his head bowed low and hands shoved deep into his pockets. You hedge close, maybe it was just your eyes playing tricks on you.

"James?" You ask. You can see his side profile now, getting closer. His head shoots up, eyes wide as they move to focus on you.

"Ch-Charlotte? What, uh, what are you doing here?" Bucky looks up the line, then back to you, stepping out of line to make his way over.

"I could ask you the same thing," you nod toward the sign above. "Thinkin' of enlisting?"

Bucky stares at you for a moment, your arms wrapping around the folder full of permits and city code enforcement papers to your chest. One of his hands comes up to run through his hair. He seems exhausted but puts a smile on his face anyway.

"Well," his hand still in his pocket pulls out an envelope, "I've been drafted, actually," the smile doesn't reach his eyes you notice now, as he looks at the offending piece of paper in his hands.

"Oh, James," you place a hand on his forearm, "I'm sorry." You had no idea he was drafted, Steve never mentioned it.

Bucky shrugs, "My dad seems to be happy about it. Says it'll force me to grow up and take responsibility," he sighs. "My ma, not so much." He shrugs.

"And what does Steve think?"

Bucky shoves the envelope back in his pocket, eyes skating across your face and then off to the side. "He doesn't know. He's been trying to enlist since they opened the first doors for recruitment." Bucky grimaces, "But he's so," he stops and paces away from you, eyes lingering on the ENLIST NOW! sign.

After a few minutes of him being lost in thought, you step closer, peering up at him through your lashes.

"James?" When he slowly drags his eyes to you, you continue, "It's OK to be afraid. No one would think any different."

"Go out dancing with me Friday night," he says suddenly. You laugh, but it doesn't deter him.

You eye him when he turns to you fully, "I'll think about it, pretty boy." The grin he gives you is blinding. "But you have to invite Steve, and maybe I'll say yes." Bucky nods in agreement.

"Ms. Charlotte!" Someone calls, and you turn to see Dr. Erskine, clipboard in hand, and he waves. You return his smile and wave.

Before you walk away to talk to Erskine, you give Bucky a serious look, "tell Steve about the draft. He'll understand. You're his best friend, James, he can't stay mad at you for long." You squeeze his arm before you depart.

When you're halfway to the doctor, Bucky snaps out of his thoughts, "Charlotte," he calls, and you turn to him with a tilt of your head, "how do you do it? How do you know so much?"

You smile and shrug, "comes with the territory," you wink. When you reach Dr. Erskine, he shakes your hand with a smile. "Hello, Doctor, wonderful to see you again."

"Please, Abraham. And it is a pleasure to see you, my dear." He places his hand on the small of your back, ushering you inside the building. You spare one last glance behind you toward Bucky. His eyes are already on you. A light dusting of color goes across his cheeks at being caught.

"Friend of yours?" Abraham asks when he too looks back at Bucky.

Bucky ducks his head and moves to the back of the recruitment line.

"Sort of. A friend of a friend kind of thing."

"He is signing up for the Armed Forces?" Erskine asks. He leads you into his office, leaning against his desk. He offers you a chair in front of him. You sit, pulling at the paper edges inside your folder.

"Not exactly. He was drafted. Things don't really go well for him later in life. Seeing him like this - before - is nice," you absentmindedly say. You look up at him and forget who you're talking to. Eyes wide, as he tilts his head at you. "I- I mean. Shit."

Erskine gives you another once over. Your heart pounding against your rib cage. You could talk your way out of a lot of things. Being friends with Tony for so long and now Howard, you were really good with talking your way out of trouble.

But there was something kind in Abraham's eyes that made you want to tell him everything. Maybe you did, Howard was the only person who knows your secret. You suspect Jarvis does, but he's never brought it up.

"If-if I tell you something, you don't have to believe me - or maybe you'll think I'm crazy, but um-" you look up at him, his eyes still kind, he gives you an encouraging smile. "I'm from the future," you cringe a bit. At least with Howard, he was a man of science. And maybe a little science fiction. He believed you after he saw that faint glowing scar on your chest. He also claimed he was the smartest man alive. Of course, he'd believe you.

Sure, Erskine was a man of science, creating the serum that changes Steve's life forever, but -

You see him nod, eyes taking measured glances across your features.

He hums. It seems like ages before either of you say another word. He puts his clipboard down, hands resting on the desk, and he hums again. Then nods resolutely.

"I see," is all he says. And you're terrified of any word out of his mouth. Your eyes are wide and unblinking, glossy with held back tears.

"How far in the future, my dear?" He isn't condescending when he asks. It's genuine, and you stare at him for a long moment.

It's different telling someone else, someone other than Howard, or Jarvis. It makes it real. Even though literally being in 1943 didn't make it any less real. This seems almost freeing maybe?

"2018," you say quietly. There's a deep breath in, and he's on his feet. You still think the worse, despite the kindness in his eyes. You wish now more than ever, for your phone. Shoot off a text to Howard to come and save you. But there's no one here to save you, but yourself.

"Did we win?" Is all he says, "Do we - I mean -" he looks sad, looking down at his shoes.

"We do."

Bucky had waited for you after your encounter at the Stark Expo grounds. He wanted to meet up again. So you agreed for coffee the next day. And then agreed to go dancing with him and Steve a week from Friday.

**

"What do you mean, 'going out'? Out where?" Howard has his hands on his hips, brow pulled low over his eyes. He's across the room, but you can see him clear as day in the mirror of your vanity. "With who?" he takes a step forward, now crossing his arms over his chest.

"Friends," is all you give him. He scoffs.

"Since when do you make friends?" Where did -" he stops, eyes going wide, then narrowing. "Are these 'friends', boys?"

You scoff again, "they aren't boys, Howie," you fix a rogue strand of hair, rolling your eyes at him in the mirror. "They're friends of mine from -" You stop short because you've said too much now. Howard's arms drop to the side, eyes wide and pleading.

"Y/N, please tell me, it's not who I think it is…"

"it's just dancing, Howie," you turn to him. "I've been doing nothing but work to keep my mind off where I am. I'm stuck here, Howie! I can't ever go home! And I just want to live my life. I - I never got to just… be. I've been fighting for so long, and I'm tired. Howie, I'm so tired."

You look up, trying not to mess your mascara up with unshed tears. You sniffle.

"Can't ever..Y/N.." he takes a step forward, closer to you. "You didn't?"

You look down at your feet, "I went a few days ago," you say quietly. You shrug, "Just to make sure."

Howard paces in a circle, head leaning back as his hands come up to his face as he sighs heavily. The sound muffled, "You told me you changed your mind," his hands come down to rest on his neck and whirl around to face you. "You told me you wouldn't!" There's a glassy shine to his eyes, and he blinks away when you give him a look.

**

For some reason, the giant oak doors seemed ominous here, now, then they did while you lived here.

The New York Sanctum was more intimidating this time around than the first time you stood here with Stephen. You knock on the hard wooden door, the sound echoing and wood hard against your knuckles.

And wait.

The heavy door opens, you half expected Wong to answer with his usual bored attitude, but it isn't him. And you're in a time where you don't know anyone. The Ancient One probably isn't even here in New York. Not that that would ever stop her.

"May I help you, miss?" The man at the door says. He looks down his nose at you, eyes squinting and taking in your attire. As if slacks are a new invention, you roll your eyes.

"I'm here to see The Sorcerer Supreme," you muster up as much confidence as you can, lifting your chin a little higher when the man at the door scrunches his eyebrows in return.

"There is no one by that name here," his accented voice says harshly. He shifts to close the door in your face. "Now please, leave."

You stick your foot into the door before it closes, your hands glow blue for a moment, the Mystic magic forming around your wrists as you hold the door open with your palm. The man on the other side of the door stops, his eyes wide as he stares at your Magic.

You push your way in, side stepping the man and moving further into the foyer. Only a few relics are different in this time. There's no giant Hulk-sized hole in the grand staircase either.

Things are familiar, yet nothing is the same.

"You misunderstand me," you say. The man whirls around, slamming the door closed behind him, as you lean against the banister. "I wasn't asking to see her. I was telling you."

The man does his thing, arms coming around and stance wide to defend, the orange glow of his Mystic Magic spin around his palms.

"No, you misunderstand. I am the protector of this Sanctum, and you will not go further, demon!"

You scoff, "I'm not a demon, dude," rolling your shoulders as you stand," I'm from the future." Your Magic rolls down your arms in a blue glow, the Mystic symbols spinning around your wrists and fanning out to hover around your palms as you mimic his stance.

He doesn't seem to budge. Even with your admission, he goes to attack.

"That is quite enough, Roland," a soft but demanding voice says from the top of the staircase.

You really half expect to see Stephen, but the sight of the Ancient One brings a smile to your face, and tears spring up and burn the back of your eyes as you grin up at her. You turn from the man, Roland, shaking your powers from your limbs and bowing in greeting to your old master. When you stand back up, her eyebrow is raised in amusement.

"And who might you be?" She says as she descends the stairs. "You are no ordinary human if you can see past the perception filter of the Sanctum. And you are trained. Maybe not…" she hums, accessing you.

You wait as her eyes search you, looking for something off - or other - about you.

"My name is Y/N. I'm from 2018. We've met, or we will meet. In the future," you tell her. It's fast and jumbled as you try to get your words out coherently.

The Ancient One hums, arms crossing behind her as she stops in front of you. "How did you get here in 1943?"

"Madam, you can't posi -" Roland goes to interject, but the Anciet One just holds up her hand, never breaking eye contact with you.

"We - my friends and I - were fighting against a mad man," you shake your head at the memory. "He was - is - after the Infinity Stones. He already had 3." You take a deep breath. Willing yourself to continue, you haven't thought about what happened on Titan in a while. Trying not to think about the worst case scenario. Maybe Tony, Stephen, and Peter were okay as long as you didn't think about it.

"he took my friend. He has the Time Stone," At your words, the Sorcerer Supreme takes a step back, eyes widening slightly. You gulp, "my friend was going to give it to Thanos. The mad man with the stones, to-to save my life." You look down at your feet.

"Before the Stone could get to Thanos, I grabbed it, crushed it against my chest," at this you unzip your jacket, showing her the faint pulsing glow of the scar on your chest, "and then I was waking up in a hospital bed here in 1942. A year ago."

When you look back up, she's studying you again. Maybe to see if she can catch a lie, maybe. "What is it you want from me?" She asks cautiously.

"Use the Time Stone to send me back. I have to go back!" You plead. It's silent for a while. The Ancient One paces around the foyer.

She stops after what feels like an eternity, "This friend of yours, the one with the Stone. Is he the Sorcerer Supreme in your time?" Her back is facing you. She turns her head to look over her shoulder at you, and you nod.

"Sort of," you shrug. And when her eyebrow raises at your answer, you tell her. Tell her of how you met Stephen, how you both went to Kamar-Taj and your time together. She trained you to hone your powers. "I- I haven't been able to use them since coming to this time."

"You still haven't answered my question," she says softly, taking in your reaction closely this time. She nods solemnly. "Ah, I see," she holds a hand up when you go to speak, silencing anything else you have to say.

"I think I destroyed the Time Stone," you say after a while. The Ancient One led you to her study, a large room with bookshelves lining the walls. It smells familiar, old leather bound books and incense.

You sit in front of her desk without her prompting you. There's a small smirk on her face.

"So? Can you send me back?" Your leg bounces impatiently.

"I do not believe you destroyed the Stone. Though, I am surprised your - hm - Dr. Strange gave up the Time Stone to begin with," she began. She gave you another once over. "I do believe it sent you here for a reason. However, that reason may have yet to make itself known." She pauses again, eyes focusing in thought.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt to try," she smirks.

You followed the Ancient One to the vault where the Eye of Agamotto is kept. The doors opened as she neared it. The Stone floats out of its cradle and hovers in front of you. It feels like an eternity as you stare at the Stone. You release a breath after it drops into your hands.

The room begins to glow green, and your powers pulse from the scar. It knocks your breath straight from your lungs. Your powers pulse again. It feels like your body has been asleep for the last few months. It's tingly, and you can finally breathe for the first time. Blood flowing to places you seem to have forgotten existed. Your powers beam to life, engulfing your hands in blue.

"Fascinating," the Ancient One mumbles, she moves around your body, accessing the dual glowing from you and the Stone.

"Now, what do I do?" You ask. The glow around the room seems to dim and brighten with each breath you take.

"Try what you did before. We may never know until you replicate it."

You nod, hands glowing a little brighter, you bring the stone to the scar on your chest. You feel a pull tug at the center of your chest, you think of Tony and Peter. Think of Stephen.

When the Stone meets your crystalline scar, there's a blinding green light and a ringing in your ears.

As the light fades, your eyes readjust to your surroundings. The Stone was no longer in y our hands. Your breath hitches at the thought of being back in your own time.

And then the light fades, and the room comes back into focus.

The Ancient One had a serious look on her face, thoughtful and determined. "I see," she says, waving her hands to show the Time Stone back in its place within the Eye.

Tears spring to your eyes, they burn as they come forth, then dribble down your face.

"I'm st-stuck here."

**

You step out of the portal in an alley, a block away from the bar Bucky had told you about. It took a lot of convincing on your part to reassure Howard you would be fine.

You fought aliens and Gods and murder bots. What could possibly go wrong on one night of dancing?

You laugh to yourself quietly as you make your way down the street. It felt really good to use your powers again. The flood gates opening and pouring out, your powers rushing forth felt like cold water on a hot summer day.

Refreshing. Revitalizing.

One day, you'll get used to people giving you odd looks. Only because of your clothing of choice this time, and not because you were an Avenger.

The bar comes into view, and there's a small pit of anxiety crawling up your sides. You inhale a deep breath to calm the sudden onslaught of nerves.

"It's just dancing," you mumble as you open the door. "It's just Steve…and," you glance around the dimly lit room. The music is moderately loud. It smells like smoke and alcohol, stale peanuts, and old beer.

You see him leaning against the bar, one elbow propped up holding a drink and his other hand in his pocket. "Bucky," you exhale.He looks young, is your first thought as you step into the bar more. He's handsome, is your second thought. Youthful and carefree, it's nice to see. It brings a smile to your face. The last memory you have of Bucky is him beaten, bloody, and broken, leaning on an equally beaten Steve as they walked away from you and Tony. Cold and heartbroken in Siberia.

You shake your head, dismissing the thoughts from your mind. Bucky's eyes scan the room, and they land on you. He straightens and smiles bright. It's lopsided and boyish.

"Hey, soldier," you greet him when you stop in front of him. Bucky ducks his head a little, not used to the title.

He takes a sip of his whiskey, eyes roaming your figure. His eyebrows scrunch slightly.

"Charlotte, you - uh - you look ni- beautiful," you think you see a blush rise to his cheeks.

You chuckle, "thank you, James. There's one thing you need to know about me. I don't 'do' dresses," you smirk. He nods his head very fast.

In a sudden burst of confidence, Bucky leans in toward you, a hand hover over the small of your back. You have to tilt your head back to see his face.

"I mean it, you look beautiful, doll," his eyes sparkle as his boyish smrik grows. What a charmer.

"I bet you say that to all the girls, Bucky," you tease, placing a hand on his chest. You push him away slightly so you can order a drink for yourself, but Bucky steps back into your space, holding your hand to his chest.

He looks over your shoulder for a moment, then down at you as he lowers his face next to your ear.

"Maybe, but I'm here with the prettiest dame in Brooklyn tonight. And there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Oh, he's good. You bring a hand over your mouth to stifle the laugh that wants to bubble out.

"Alright, soldier, buy a gal a drink first," you chuckle. It earns you a bright smile, and Bucky turns to get the bartenders attention.

As you gaze around the bar, you see a familiar head of blonde hair, then realize he's leaving. You turn to Bucky, "why is Steve leaving?" Bucky stiffens next to you. He looks at you from the corner of his eye. "James…?"

Bucky shrugs one shoulder, trying to give you his famous smile, "Don't worry about, Steve. You don't know him like I do. He'll be fine," he hands you your drink, and you glare at it.

"Bucky," he winces. He usually prefers people call him Bucky, but he's gotten used to you calling him James. He doesn't like it. He likes the way you call him James. He hates it.

You turn on your heel, letting out a frustrated sigh as you storm your way out of the bar.

"Charlotte!" You hear Bucky call out, but you ignore him, pushing open the door and stepping out onto the sidewalk.

There's a street lamp right outside the bar, and another on the corner. That's where you see Steve. He's standing under the light, his shoulders slumped, and his hands in his pockets.

"Steve!" You call out as you speed walk toward him. He spins around, eyes frantic until they land on you.

"Charlie? What - "he looks behind you, maybe looking for Bucky, but you shake your head.

"What happened? I thought we were goin' dancing?" You give him a hopeful smile. He avoids your gaze, shuffling on his feet. "Steve?" You reach for his hand, and he lets you take it.

"I told Bucky I'd only agree to go out if you'd be there, too." Steve's head whips up to look at you, eyes wide. "So? Will you come back with me?"

Steve's eye shift between yours, "You mean it?" he asks quietly.

You giggle - down right giggle, something you never do, "Of course, I mean it, Tough Guy. You do look rather handsome, and I'd hate for all the ladies to miss it," you wink at him.

There's a blush creeping up his cheeks, and the street light makes it seem fluorescent. Steve follows you back to the bar, never once taking his hand from yours. He never really noticed until you both are back inside and standing next to Bucky again.

"Now, was that so hard?" You ask the both of them.

Steve goes to tug his hand from yours, "People are staring, Charlie," he tells you.

You snort, taking Bucky's drink from his hand and downing it in one gulp. It burns a little, but you welcome it.

"So what? Let them," you try to tug Steve to the dance floor, but he digs his heels in and pulls his hand free from yours.

"I - uh, I don't dance," he says as he sits on a stool.

"Oh."

Bucky pulls you to him with an arm wrapped around your waist, "C'mon, doll, I'll dance with ya." He grabs your hand and spins you in place and leads you out onto the dance floor.

You don't know how to dance to the upbeat jazz, but Bucky's a good leader, and you've only tripped over your feet a few times, but he doesn't seem to mind. He pulls you close a few times and dips his head down to run his nose along yours, but he always pulls back again when he swings you out for a dip or spin. It makes you laugh, your face hurting from smiling so much.

You and Bucky are out of breath when you catch up with Steve. He found a table in the corner out of the way. It's darker here, and Steve's nursing a beer as he eyes you both.

Bucky helps you sit, tucking your chair in, and he leans down between you and Steve. "I'll grab a round of drinks, be right back."

Your face still hurts from smiling so wide, and you turn to Steve, "I've never danced like that before," you say out of breath. Steve's brows furrow in question. Surely you've danced plenty, you're a sight to look at. Pretty and curvy in all the right places, lots of men would trip over themselves to get to dance with you. But he doesn't say any of that out loud.

From where you're sitting, you can see the majority of the bar, dance floor, and entrance. You can see Bucky leaning against the bar, ordering drinks, a playful smirk on his lips seems to be his default look.

"How come you came tonight if you don't dance?" You ask Steve. He fidgets in his seat. "It's OK if you don't dance, but sitting here watching people, watching Bucky dance with girls. It can't be fun."

Steve huffs and looks back towards the bar, Bucky looks over then, sending Steve a smile, then looks at you with a wink.

Before Steve could reply, the door to the bar bursts open. A frantic looking man paces around the entrance for a minute, and Steve turns to see what the commotion is.

You catch the man's eye, you jump up, chair knocking back and falling to the floor. Steve jumps and looks at you.

Howard catches your eye, you see him visibly relax, you both rush towards each other, and your hands immediately land on his face.

"Howie! What the hell?" There's a cut under his eye, and a bruise forming under the other, his lip is split, and his hair is a wild mess. There's a few faint scratches across his cheek, and oil or dirt smudges across his forehead.

His hands grip your wrists, and you notice a few of his knuckles are split. "Lab accident," he shakes it off. Code for something else. There's no lab at the house. Listen, honey. I uh -" he looks around the bar, noticing a few people staring and muttering. "I need your help, please?"

Your shoulders slump, "but," you look back to your table, Steve and Bucky have concerned looks on their faces. Howard squeezes your wrists, his eyes pleading.

"OK, Howie," you sigh, "I'll come with you."

"That's my girl," he smiles brightly, all previous signs of anxiety vanishing in the blink of an eye. Howard pulls you along, out of the noisy bar and across the street to his car. Fancy and flashy for this side of town.

Before you could reach for the handle, a call of your assumed name comes from the sidewalk across the street. You turn your gaze back to Bucky, and Steve, looking hopeful you'll change your mind and come back.

"Hold on, Howie," you tell him as you make your way back across the street. "I'm sorry, I- um, wouldn't leave if he didn't ask." Your eyes bounce from Bucky to Steve.

"Coulda told us you had a boyfriend, dollie," Bucky all but bites out. He doesn't meet your eye, glaring across the street at Howard, who was leaning against the hood of his car with his arms crossed. "Got yourself a rich fella, yeah?"

You snort, failing to hold in your laughter, "Oh, James, Howard isn't my boyfriend. He's my brother," you laugh again when he and Steve snap their heads to you. You cup one side of each of their faces, placing a quick kiss on their cheeks. In turn, they flush, cheeks turning hot as you retract your hands.

"Stark!" Howard calls from across the street. You can tell he was getting restless. You give Steve and Bucky a wink before you turn and jog over to Howard, "Yeah, yeah, Stark, hold your damn horses."

Bucky and Steve share an equally shocked expression, "Stark?!" they gape after you as Howard starts the car and drives off down the dark street at a very questionable speed.

**

Next>>

[perotovar]

hey sweeties!! kel and i put a list together of all the submissions we got for our event and split them into two masterlists of fics for you all to read and enjoy! this is my part of the list, so if you don't see yours give @beskarandblasters 's list >here< a look and see if that's where your fic/submission ended up!

we can't thank you enough for submitting and helping us give a voice to the smaller writers of the fandom ♥ oh, and for any multi chapter fics/series, we only read the first chapters to make it fair!

please make sure to read each fic's warnings carefully and happy reading! ♥

@iamskyereads - Compulsion (Ezra x ofc!Beatrice)

i can't even begin to describe how much i love this fic already. it's so smart and the worldbuilding?? incredible!! it feels like a sequel to the film, or like it could easily take place in the same universe. just brilliant. and ezra's voice is so clear here, i could hear him saying every word. and the oc, beatrice, is fascinating already, i can't wait to see where it goes!

@all-the-way-down-here - This Is Why We Fight (Dieter x nb!oc!Bell)

i love the start of this. both dieter and bell have excellent characterization and the conversations being had by every character feel so real and are so important. bell's group of friends all sound like friends i would have, and i would love to hang out with them. i love the direction this is going!

@linzels-blog - Delta Palms Tropical Resort (Frankie x f!reader)

ahh what a delightful little fic! it feels very much like an early 2000s rom com and i mean that in the best way! very cute and i love the vibes. everyone's characterization is great and i can't wait to sink my teeth into the rest of it!

@elvenmother - Context and Perspective (Marcus M x f!reader)

completely obsessed with this concept. i love a good enemies to lovers and this is such an awesome way to do it! i always see marcus m fics featuring someone without superpowers, but to have a character that's just as powerful as him? sign me up!

@kedsandtubesocks - In the Dead of the Night (Din x f!reader)

one of my absolute favorite din fics. the worldbuilding and din's creature form is incredible. i love a horror au that's flipped on its head. i also love the "creature is also the hunter" trope and this does that incredibly well. the atmosphere is off the charts.

@ghostofaboy - Rock Bottom (Frankie x original male characters)

god, i don't even know where to begin with this story. it's so raw and visceral and i can't say enough how much i enjoy it. i love reading something new and especially if it's coming from a male perspective. this is, unfortunately, something i could see frankie getting up to. frankie is such a deeply tragic character and this fic does that justice in a dark, but really intriguing way.

@ishabull - The Way We Were Drawn (Marcus P x f!reader)

ohh this is such a sweet fic. i love the imagery painted and the dynamic between marcus and reader is so sweet!

@secretelephanttattoo - Headshots (Marcus P x f!reader)

this fic is beyond sweet and so dreamy. the ideal scenario for anyone, in my humble opinion. who wouldn't want to take pictures of handsome fbi agents and then fall in love with said agent?

@lesbianhotch - you walk by and i fall to pieces (Frankie x f!reader)

THIS WAS THE CUTEST DAMN THING. i love me a nervous frankie (hello, have you read my fic lmao) and this was by far one of the cutest. i'm obsessed with reader's confidence and i just know those two are gonna be menaces once they're together. throw in some patsy cline and i am a goner. this is going on the reread list for sure.

@insomniamamma - Remain Nameless (Ezra & Cee w/ gn!reader)

ok, this one actually made me cry. i'm not sure if it's my own sleep-deprived ass that caused it but this is probably one of the most beautiful but sad fics i've read in a long time. i mean all of this in the best way because i don't normally get emotional from fics. prospect as a movie makes me emotional, though, so it doesn't surprise me that this did as well. it's such an incredible missing scene that i can, unfortunately, see absolutely happening. have some tissues nearby.

@sweetercalypso - Unlikely Friends (Joel x gn!reader)

this fic is one of my absolute favorite fics for joel. a big reason for that is i have a cat named tilly. and imagining joel reluctantly and grumpily cuddling with my tilly makes me emotional, ok??

@softstarlite - The Casualty of Love (Javi P x f!reader)

very cute! i love the awkward tension around not seeing someone for so long and there being a huge glow up maturity-wise from one of them! seeing someone in a new light is always a strange thing and i love the start to these two and their journey!

@julesonrecord - Shots (Jack x f!reader/oc)

probably one of the best post-movie fics i've ever read for jack. the way jack's trauma and therapy is handled is so fucking brilliant and tonic is one of the best fucking characters, god. eva is written so well and i just. i can't recommend this fic enough. if you like jack, hell even if you don't, give this fic a shot. i promise you'll come out of it liking it.

@coulsons-fullmetal-cellist - The Audition (Dieter x f!reader)

goddd this was so cute! dieter's insecurities don't come up very often and i absolutely love what a match he and reader make. she's so sweet with him and takes such good care of him. and he loves her so much and i love them ok

@max--phillips - A Little Lipstick Never Hurts (Max P x f!reader)

this is one of the best explorations into kink that i've ever read. it's so respectful and hot as fuck. completely obsessed with this take on max as a character and i can't get enough of the dynamic between him, reader, (and eventually dieter). it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but i highly encourage you to give it a try. max gets some well deserved lessons taught, and who doesn't love that?

@coastielaceispunk - The Gift of Lingerie (Max L x f!reader)

god, this was so fucking hot. i'm so here for a mentally healed maxwell in a healthy marriage with a fulfilling sex life lol the little bit of teasing on both their parts was beyond sexy and i loved how equal everything felt. ugh, will be rereading this one for sure.

@lotrefcp - Hidden Away (Javi P x f!reader)

i'm obsessed with a no nonsense reader with just as much attitude/sass as javi does lol i just kept reading going GET HIS ASS. an excellent start to a universe i'm excited to sink my teeth into!

@beefrobeefcal - On the Waterfront (Frankie x f!reader)

oh, this is dark. i love the vibes immediately. i've had a weird fascination with the mafia for most of my life and this has that air about it. a dark, chubby mob boss!frankie is right up my alley for sure. i love that he's still frankie tho. sensible, practical, but with an edge. mind the warnings.

@flightlessangelwings - La Estrella de Mi Vida (Javi G x f!reader)

ahhh so romantic and so tragic!! i swear, it's impossible to make javi unappealing but this fic is just so sweet and manages to make me love him even more (somehow). but i love the added drama and tension from outside forces!! i need to read the rest of it asap!

@littlemisspascal - Rockford & Roan (Tim x f!reader)

my god, i love this?? i'm not usually one for superpowers/soulmate au's but i'm in love with the practicality of this? it feels otherworldly without being too much and it's very grounded. i love the reader and the way tim is written is so believable. i love that we as a fandom have created such a visceral image of this character from only a minute's worth of footage!

@something-tofightfor & @the-blind-assassin-12 - Aphelion (Oberyn x Ellaria & f!reader)

goddd the imagery painted in this one. so heartbreaking. absolutely breathtaking. i'm a slut for vampires and i'm a slut for oberyn/ellaria. this is absolutely something i will be reading the rest of lol

@bluestar22x - The Rockford Files (Tim x f!reader)

ok this is insanely good. one of my favorite books of all time is "red dragon" by thomas harris and i felt like i was reading that again while i read this. the details of the case and the cadence of everything was top notch. obsessed with the psychic element thrown in there and i'm beyond excited to see where tim and psy end up next!

bonus:

@sweetenerobert - Fiction vs Reality (Tommy Miller x m!reader)

ohhhh my god. you give me a bisexual tattoo artist tommy miller with stretched ears and i'm supposed to be normal about it??? UNLIKELY. i am extremely tempted to edit this into reality ngl but my god. this was so fucking hot lmao

[not-a-space-alien]

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Chapter 1

Story Masterpost

My writing hiatus is OVER!!! I'm super excited to come back and share this Baldur's Gate 3 fanfiction I've been working on. It will have 6-7 chapters. The main focus is on Astarion. Karlach is also here a lot, and Wyll and Gale are supporting characters. It will also have elements of giant/tiny for the middle chapters!

You can probably figure out from context clues, but the setting for this fic is a playthrough universe where the party does NOT do Astarion's personal quest in act 3.

If you'd like to be tagged when new chapters come out, leave a comment or message me to say so and I'll put you on the taglist :) Or Subscribe over on AO3 （＾∀＾) 👉 AO3

Chapter 1 doesn't have any warnings besides typical Astarion-levels of angst.

***

“We'll do it after all this, Fangs. I promise.”

They wouldn't, of course. Astarion knew better than that.  They weren’t going to help him kill Cazador to be finally free once and for all “after all this crazy shit with Netherbrains and mind flayers and tadpoles and the world-destroying cult is over.”  They were just telling him whatever it took to get what they wanted out of him, which was his help in defeating said cult.  Astarion was very familiar with it because it was how he operated basically all the time, just telling people what they wanted to hear.

If they were all still alive and standing after all this, Astarion very much doubted any of them would want to keep him around, let alone help him with his goals.  All of them had turned down his offering his body to them, and once they no longer had use of his skills with a blade, there would be nothing to keep them around.  Certainly nothing to motivate them to help him.

Everyone had helped Gale with what he wanted because understanding the Netherese magic might help them destroy the brain.  Everyone helped Wyll with what he wanted because his father was a powerful lord and needed to be saved to stop the Absolute.  Everyone helped Shadowheart with what she wanted because she had that whole thing going on with Aylin and Selûne, which they’d needed to do to defeat Ketheric anyway.  Everyone helped Lae’zel with what she wanted because she was a gith warrior and an expert in slaying ghaik and knew about the relic and everything.  Everyone helped Karlach with what she wanted to do because, well, Gortash was one of the chosen three and they needed to kill him anyway.  Everyone had helped Jahira and Halsin and Minsc and Minthara and basically everyone Astarion could count until he ran out of fingers to count on.

But then when it came his turn to ask for help?  The way they kept assuring him it was okay to do?

Apparently defeating Cazador wouldn’t help.  It wasn’t necessary.  Because Cazador wasn’t affiliated with the cult, or the hells, or the mind flayers or the tadpoles or the undead or the Sharrans or the anyone that needed to be dealt with to prevent the sky from falling on them.

No, he was only affiliated with Astarion, and of course nobody would die if Astarion kept living in paralyzing fear.

Gale, Lae’zel, Shadowheart, Karlach–they all seemed to agree it could be put off until after the more pressing matters were dealt with.  Astarion maybe thought he hadn’t communicated well enough how pressing this was for him, personally, but he wouldn’t humiliate himself by getting down on his knees to beg.  He stopped asking after that–he couldn’t bear to be told no anymore than he already had.

“My be-fanged friend, I think we have matters a touch more urgent to attend to first.  Your vampiric sire will be top of the list as soon as getting distracted might not have such disastrous consequences.”

“This vampire lord is chraith, for sure, but our most urgent enemy is far more of a task.”

“You helped me with Viconia, so it’s only fair I help you with Cazador–but after the detour to the Sharran temple, I think everyone feels we’ve wasted enough time on things that can wait right now.”

“We'll do it after all this, Fangs. I promise.”

They wouldn’t, of course.  All this momentum that had built up to stop the cult would dissipate as soon as the Netherbrain was destroyed, and then suddenly nobody would have the interest in staying together.  They’d been talking about going their separate ways after this.  Nobody would want to keep going for yet more high-risk hijinks, especially not to help some random vampire spawn who, all things considered, wasn’t even of much value to the group.

He’d managed to get into a group of people who seemed to care about him, who told him it was okay to ask for help, and then he’d found it to be still another lie.

Astarion found the one member of the camp who wouldn’t judge him for it, Scratch, curled up with the dog in his arms, and wept as quietly as he could.

“I’ve had an infinite parade of lovers.  But a friend? I can’t think of a single one.”  He still couldn’t, not anymore. 

***

They did it.  They actually did it.

They’d managed to somehow beat down the cult of the Absolute, face the Absolute itself, and win.  They’d destroyed a netherbrain.  Astarion could hardly believe it.  He was, somehow, a hero who’d saved the world.

He was riding the high and the tidal wave of mixed emotions so much that he’d almost managed to forget about his problem.  He was only forcefully reminded as they stood there on the docks, in the sunlight, and the sunlight, well.

He’d managed to forget that the sunlight was his enemy, waiting with hungry, pricking fingers for him to let his guard down.

He started slapping at his own skin like he was on fire and had to put it out, while his companions stood by in horror and urged him to find cover.

He ran blindly.  It was a miracle he didn't fall off the dock into the water.  Ha managed to find shadows under a pile of crates.

He curled up and rocked himself, trying not to let himself fall back into despair.  His life in the sun was gone, burned up just like the sun had burned his skin.

He could very faintly hear Karlach yelling–apparently she also was getting her reward for all her hard work, which was also burning alive.

What a world.

Astarion managed to use his cloak to shield himself from the sun to move away from his hiding spot and go deeper into the ravaged city.  He wanted to get away from his… companions.  He knew no help was coming, and he wouldn't subject himself to the humiliation of being refused help while also having to hide from the sun.

He had enough gold in his pockets to buy passage on a boat when the sun went down.  He had to just get as far away from Baldur’s Gate as possible.  Get somewhere Cazador wouldn’t be able to reach him. 

It was madness that Astarion hadn’t done that in the first place.  He should have just put as much distance between himself and Cazador the second he was free from his command, consequences and mind flayers be damned.

He skulked about in the darkness of the under-city until it was night, then went up to the docks. His companions were gone, which was good. He couldn't face them.

Now he just needed to find a boat leaving Baldur's Gate, any boat whose crew he could talk to here after hours, maybe talk them into letting him below deck now so he wouldn't have to board later in the sun.

He was so busy frantically stretching his neck to find such a target that he didn't notice the presence at his elbow.  But damn if he didn't recognize the voice.  It was the voice driving his nightmares.

“Where exactly do you think you're going, boy?  I've been looking for you everywhere. We've got places to be."

[javis-burner-phone]

To Writers in the Pedro Pascal Fandom:

This fandom went full Chernobyl this summer. I need a hazmat suit to get through these tags. I recently saw an anon reach out to a fic writer here.

The anon is right that there's a problem in the fandom space, but they're misplacing blame. I'm writing this post for the non-hateful writers that have tried to feel a part of the community, but ended up feeling left out. I'm posting this on a burner account for obvious reasons that you'll see below:

The hateful posts about "big writers" have absolutely disgusted me, but I can relate to the frustration that many fic writers are expressing. We see very fun and active areas of the fandom where writers are communal, hyping each other up, reblogging fics, but only within certain friend groups. Most of us writers don't have that. Instead this fandom sometimes feels like a desolate wasteland for many of us.

Here's where us writers need to place the blame:

Since the introduction of algorithms, there has been a cyclical effect: popular Tumblr posts are boosted due to everyone's default feed settings and posts from new, lesser known blogs are pushed down.

Over years, this has impacted fandom spaces in a sort of feedback loop. We're currently seeing the late stages of this. This effect pushes most fandom activity towards the already popular blogs by default. (Yes, Tumblr has always shown popular posts first, but algorithms, and the feedback loops they create, have made the effect stronger over the years.)

Is that the "big writers" faults? No. Are friend groups to blame? No. In fact, we should have more friend groups in this fandom. That's how fandoms used to be. There were dozens of overlapping friend groups that would have long reblog chains and mainly interact with each other. New people could find other new people pretty easily and make their own groups.

Now new people/smaller blogs are far less exposed to other new people/smaller blogs by default. *That* is the problem.

Eventually, I found my people. I feel a part of the community and you can too.

You just need to make 3 virgin sacrifices and find the lochness monster in order to do so. What I mean is, it takes a lot more effort than it used to. Be ready for that:

1. Sort by "Latest posts" when searching fandom hashtags. Imagine if Ao3 used an algorithm to show popular fics first instead of sorting by most recent fics. New writers would be screwed, right? That's what Tumblr does. Support posts that resonate with you, but have low engagement. Leave likes, comments, reblogs! Guess what happens when someone that feels isolated in this fandom gets a bunch of notes from you? They're gonna check out your blog. They may want to connect!

2. DM people. Is there a lesser known blogger whose posts you like? Ask to be mutuals! Start a conversation! If you can't be social it's gonna be near impossible to build community. Sorry if you have anxiety, but that's the truth. Warning: half the convos will fizzle out. Move on to the next person as soon as you sense this.

3. Don't try to connect with bigger blogs for friendship. I've tried and as long as you gush over them, they respond, but the interaction ends there. DMing them works, but the convos almost always feel one sided and fizzle out. I'm mutuals with some bigger bloggers, but I had to add their usernames to my filtered content list in account settings. This means they can see my stuff, but I can't see theirs. Seeing them have fun in their friend group just reminds me of my failed attempts to connect. Maybe filtering them isn't fair, but that's how I deal with my negative emotions. No, they are not rude for not befriending me. I don't feel entitled to friendship.

(edit: I got a weird anon about this part. It's more difficult to befriend people who already have close-knit connections here. It's not impossible, but I've had much better luck with fellow isolated fandom members. The secret ingredient is our shared desperation lol. Befriend whoever you want ❤️)

4. Join/start a small PPCU discord server. The big servers will just make you feel more isolated, but the intimate ones are way more communal and it's easier to make stronger connections there than on Tumblr. 

These tips are for people that actually want to find solutions instead of spreading hate and complaining.

I'm saying this as someone that averages 50 notes on most of my fics after a year in this fandom(edit: saw this poll and thought I'd clarify. I get 50 notes now, but for 8ish months I got 5 on a lucky day. This post is for people who still feel isolated because I know how it feels.) It takes way more effort than in the early 2010s to feel a part of a fandom, not because of cliques, but because of the feedback loops the algorithm creates. 

I understand the frustration, but I'm not going to spread vitriol just because the fandom ecosystem went to shit. 

[crusherthedoctor]

The Eggman Done Dirty Tier List

I said I would do it. Here it is.

I'm so excited! :D Just kidding, let's get this over with.

Sigh Tier:

SA1: The original, and the… "best".

It's a heavy burden on my shoulders that a game I adore was also the one to sow the seeds for this sin. You might think it's at the top because it was the first one, and while that does slightly lessen the pain, there are additional factors: Chaos is actually compelling in his own right despite being mute, and unlike SA2 (see below), Eggman legitimately is the central antagonist for the rest of the game with no strings attached, and gets plenty of classic moments in the process. I know some fans headcanon that Chaos pulled a Shadow and was leading Eggman on the whole time… I'm not one of them. 😒 The way I see it, Chaos decided on impulse to throw a King Kong fit due to the anger and turmoil he was already harvesting.

Advance 3: They made Emerl go haywire, so it's unsurprising that G-Merl would follow suit. However, due to Eggman being your teammate for the final battle, that means he actually gets some form of payback against the culprit, which is more than can be said for the vast majority of examples in which he's either incapacitated or stands around with the other cheerleaders.

Louder sigh Tier:

SA2: You might be surprised at how high this one is (for what you consider high, since this list doesn't have what you'd call an A or B tier), given how I've expressed many times that although it's technically far from the actual worst example, there are additional contexts that increase my ire. For one thing, SA1 may have started the trend, but SA2 was the one that cemented it as one, and since there wasn't even a particularly long gap between SA1 and SA2… yeah, you might say it was too soon to do this a second time. Secondly, rather than this being a traditional case of things going really well until the end, it turns out that Shadow was manipulating him the whole time, which affects the context of not only the Last Story as per usual, but also the rest of the game leading up to it.

It's as (relatively) high as it is because not even I can deny that in isolation, Eggman does have a lot of legendary moments, as opposed to him getting nothing at all. I'm not saying that his highlights are completely negated by the Shadow/Gerald plot… but it does unfortunately paint an inescapable shadow (ha) over them, because I can only ignore the elephant in the room for so long when said elephant retroactively changes the course of the entire story. And while Eggman might get his share of praise for storming Prison Island, blowing up half of the moon, and the fake emerald scene with Sonic… in a way, he still gets one-upped by Gerald's descent into madness. Eggman might have cool bits, but to fans, Gerald is truly chilling. Gerald is truly scary. Gerald is truly serious. With how much this is treated as extreme stakes, it ends up painting Sonic VS Eggman as pedestrian and boring by comparison. It may not have been the intention, but as a certain other game much further down below will show, sometimes the consequences cement my feelings just as much as the contents would do on their own. Maybe it's harsh, and not entirely fair, but with how many times it's happened by now, can you blame me for running out of patience? If it's considered fair game for fans to give the side-eye to Lost World for introducing Zavok in light of his usage in subsequent games, then I'd say I have the right to gripe about this.

(Also, let me remind everyone that my extremely mixed thoughts on SA2 as a whole go beyond Eggman's side of affairs alone. :P)

Sonic '06: On one hand, nothing too humiliating happens to our man directly, unless you count the Egg Carrier randomly malfunctioning and the golden nipples. On the other hand, we get another shoehorned team-up at the end, and Mephiles killing Sonic has been used by fans for years to discredit the doctor. "Eggman has failed to kill Sonic for years!!! Mephiles killed him INSTANTLY!!!" So yeah, that's irritating to say the least. I don't even need to go into why it doesn't even work for Sonic or for Mephiles himself, and is arguably the point in the story where Mephiles' character completely falls apart.

Chronicles: Don't have much to say on this one. Another team-up, whoopdee do, but beyond that, there's little else to note. Don't worry, the rest of the game has plenty more bullshit to compensate. Just ask virtually every other character.

What a horrible night to see this fucking trope again Tier:

Battle: I'm more mixed on this story as a whole than other fans are (nothing you say or do will change my utter distaste for Battle!Amy), but Eggman has a pretty good showing, culminating with a serious dick move by taking advantage of Emerl's kind heart and overflowing him with energy, forcing Sonic to put him out of his misery. Unfortunately, as if for the sake of keeping to tradition, the manic Emerl abruptly bumps off Eggman, cue final battle. For fuck sake, why?

I get that he's in a crazed state, but given that this game and Heroes were essentially back to back, to say this schtick was already old would be an understatement. "But Crusher, Emerl going out of Eggman's control reflects the message surrounding weapons and the risks of abusing them!" Well done, have a gold star to put on your fridge, but if your theme comes at the cost of the main villain's perceived credibility in the long-term, I'm afraid I don't consider it worth it. Note that this is not solely a villain matter: I'd say this about any character getting dragged through the mud to prop up a message, be it Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, whoever.

Zero Gravity: Another shoehorned example. Eggman's got an interesting and surprisingly subtle scheme going on with his MeteorTech Inc endeavors, only for SCR-HD to go wacko, and then Eggman flees. Bitch bitch, moan moan.

Unleashed: I love Eggmanland! I love Egg Dragoon! I don't love Dark Gaia swatting him and subjecting me to one of the worst final bosses in any 3D Sonic game. Yeah, Dark Gaia was the monster of the story, it wasn't surprising, but regardless, this is like treating yourself to a really nice cake, only for someone to take a shit on it at the last minute. Also, SA-55 talking smack at him at the end kind of drives home the fact that the rug was once again pulled from under the doctor's feet.

Free Riders: Metal Sonic briefly goes rogue again for some reason. Okay.

*primal scream of rage* Tier:

Heroes: Locked in a room. For the whole game. By a terrible redesign for Metal Sonic. One of the quintessential bottom of the barrel examples, and despite my thoughts on SA2's stab at it, Heroes is undeniably the one where it became clear that this was officially getting out of hand.

ShtH: Consistently treated as a lesser evil than Black Doom (to the point where he's the Hero option in Sky Troops), gets karate chopped to death in three of the endings, doesn't even get an ending where Shadow actually joins him, and ends up randomly paralyzed along with everyone else so that Shadow can save the day. Some of his level commentary includes some neat details, but as intriguing as they are, they don't make up for the bigger picture, and while his attempt to gaslight Shadow with the androids is genuinely a cool concept, even that fizzles out with a whimper since with Black Doom being this game's proper villain, Eggman is abruptly forced to confess the truth to Shadow 10 minutes into the final boss.

...And speaking of, that - along with the way Eggman's thoughts on Gerald's work with Black Doom are conveyed - makes it easy for fans to see him as not so bad. As a writer who isn't any good at writing Sonic would say, can you hear the fatigue in my voice.

Rivals 1: I don't like villains whose only reason for existing are to present themselves as better than Eggman. Nega's entire role in this game is that.

Rivals 2: I don't like villains whose only reason for existing are to present themselves as better than Eggman. Nega's entire role in this game is that. Again.

Rise of Lyric: I don't like villains whose only reason for-okay, you get the idea. The sad thing is, I actually like Lyric's design: too bad the rest of his character didn't turn out so well. Also, if your sub-franchise can't even go one game without already bumping Eggman from the main villain spotlight, then in the words of Nat King Cole, there may be trouble ahead.

Shattered Crystal: See above.

Fire & Ice: I forgot what happened in this game lmao. I'm pretty sure De-Fekt went crazy or something. I don't know. I'm tired.

Frontiers Tier:

Frontiers: He may not be locked in a room for the whole game (though he is stuck in cyberspace for a percentage of it…), nor does he get paralyzed, replaced by Eggman N-Word Pass, etc. But much like SA2, certain details make this one a lot more enraging. You know exactly what those details are, don't you?

Now yes, Sage's relationship with Eggman, and how it has infected nearly all Eggman-related content in the fandom ever since, is largely unrelated to the actual villain guilty of the upstaging… but on the other side of the equation, THE END is also a serious contender for the worst game villain of all due to the way it encompasses the worst tropes of many an Eggman usurper, such as talking a bunch of shit that ends up being mostly bark, and being extremely unengaging on its own accord. I know THE END is meant to be more of a force of nature with the ability to speak, rather than a character per say, but you can still make the former interesting. Instead, we get a saggy testicle who never shuts the fuck up, on top of Eggman being reduced to a father which fans paradoxically claim restored his credibility as a villain after the series of games in which he actually got to be the leading baddie.

Just like with SA2, while the contents on their own are regrettable as is, it's the context and consequences that truly cement this positioning, and unlike SA2, there isn't even a moon-blowing or a fake emerald-sussing to very slightly make up for it. In light of the fandom complaining about Eggman final bosses and how they supposedly pale in comparison to the """epic""" giant monsters, as well as IDW dragging it back up with every single goddamn villain in the comic, this one feels uniquely degrading as a result, even if it's not as humiliating as the likes of Heroes or ShtH at first glance. And y'know, while I like Superstars and Dream Team, we've yet to really see how they're going to be handling his dynamic with Sage from here onward. Hopefully they'll correct course, but given the way they've shown awareness of the Eggdad fandom, and have pandered to them since Frontiers came out, I don't have high hopes so far.

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And now, to go over some games that are a bit more complicated… or in most cases, actually really straightforward:

Sonic CD: Some fans portray the Bad Futures as going beyond Eggman's control. I'm convinced these fans genuinely hate Eggman and don't want him to have a single ounce of credibility to his name, because Eggman is consistently a man who cares little for what state his conquered lands are in, only that they exist in some form. The same applies to the population: as long as some people exist to serve and worship him, he doesn't care about them beyond that detail, including how many others perish in the process of his conquest or his schemes towards said conquest. The neglect of the Little Planet is exactly that, and should be seen as a symptom of the villain's menace and why he must be stopped, not a coincidence that goes against the threat of said villain.

S3&K: The Egg Robo and Mecha Sonic II: The Return of Jafar in Knuckles' story are sometimes portrayed as going full-on rogue, but I've always seen it as them wanting revenge on Knuckles since with Eggman's absence - as well as Sonic's absence - what else are they going to do on Angel Island. I feel the same way about Trip's story in Superstars, with Fang mainly just wanting revenge on Trip for going against him.

Shuffle: Void may be the villain, but Eggman is simply vibin' (by ruining the players' lives). Nothing for me to really complain about.

Secret Rings: King Shahryar isn't technically Eggman, so eh.

Rush Adventure: Nega tries to pull another "I'm crazier than THAT Eggman" moment via his suicide attack, which falls flat since OG Eggman has shown to be willing to pull that same stunt when pressed ala SA1. Ultimately though, it's not a full usurp since it's a brief moment that happens after the final boss fight has already ensued… still annoying though, especially since everything else is great.

Colours DS: The Nega-Mother Wisp shows up after Eggman has left the building. It doesn't affect his position.

Lost World: Although the Deadly Six's role as the big bad takes up a fair amount of the game, this example ends up being a subversion, since Eggman claws his way back up towards the end of the game. It's also worth noting that the only reason the Deadly Six temporarily took the reins in the first place was because of Sonic's mistake, rather than them just being able to do it right out the gate because "lol new villain is way tougher and meaner than dumb stupid eggboy".

Mania: Another subversion. Heavy King tries to usurp Eggman, but the doctor actually fights back, and isn't forced to team up with Sonic either, instead opting for a three-way match. What's more, despite Heavy King having the more visually imposing appearance compared to the doc's run-down Egg Mobile doodad, the game seems to treat Eggman as the true final opponent, since the cutscene afterward shows Super Sonic delivering one last hit to Eggman regardless of which of the two you defeat first.

Superstars: See Colours DS. The Black Dragon shows up at the end after Eggman has already fucked off, and doesn't actively compromise the doctor's role during the rest of the game. They could have easily had Eggman show up again for the Black Dragon to swat aside Dark Gaia-style, but they didn't. Thankfully.

Shadow Generations: This is a really murky one for me, as I've had more time to reflect on it. On one hand, there's obviously no direct upstaging: Eggman isn't even in Shadow's story due to being occupied with Time Eater shenanigans, and Black Doom likewise seems to be doing his own thing separate from Sonic's side of affairs. However, the story portrays Shadow's story as being darker!!! and deeper!!! than Sonic's story, and this extends to how Black Doom is presented compared to the Time Eater. So although there's no literal usurp, it still leaves something of an unpleasant taste due to the implications, and how those implications influence the fandom's perception yet again.

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Moral of the story: this shit is why Eggman started antagonizing horses and Vince McMahon'd his way into Mario's world.

[all-seeing-ifer]

So you want to learn about asexual/aromantic theory...

I wanted to make a list of some key texts in asexual/aromantic theory (as well as some lesser known ones I find personally interesting). Hopefully this should be useful both for ace and aro people themselves and for anyone else who wants to learn more about the issues facing these communities and the perspectives coming out of them (which should. hopefully. be everyone who cares about queer rights and body autonomy and consent activism etc). Even though asexuality and aromanticism are still underrepresented in academic circles, there's still plenty of interesting new scholarship being written about them, so I thought it would be useful to gather all of the (mostly) academic sources I've found in one place:

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen - Probably the most well-known book on asexuality and with very good reason, an incredibly thoughtful book that takes a very intersectional approach, with a lot of discussion of how ace people’s experiences are impacted by race, gender, age, disability, culture, religion etc. Also one of the rare books to actually discuss aroallo experiences in any kind of depth, so worth checking out for that reason alone imo!

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J Brown - I cried multiple times reading this one lol. I think it provides a good counterpoint to Chen’s book, in the sense that while that one is aiming for a very broad discussion of asexuality and a-spec identity in all its forms, this book approaches it from a very specific and personal perspective. That said, it also manages to be a great resource in terms of its discussion of asexual history, which I always appreciate, and I think the chapter about the concept of frigidity is especially a must-read!

Ace Voices: What it means to be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi, or Grey-Ace by Eris Young - Perhaps a bit less typically “academic” than the previous two, with more of a focus on personal experiences both of the author and of the people they interviewed for this book! Discusses aromanticism in perhaps the most detail of anything I’ve read, and again actually discusses the experiences of aroallo people, which I think is very cool!

Ending the Pursuit: Asexuality, Aromanticism and Agender Identity by Michael Paramo - An absolutely fantastic book by Michael Paramo, editor of aspec literary journal AZE magazine, that combines history, personal memoir, and analysis. Unique so far in that, as the title suggests, it has a pretty equal focus on asexuality and aromanticism. It was easily one of my favourite books I read last year, and does some truly monumental work in trying to trace a-spec history back to the Victorian times, as well as discussing the intersections between amatonormativity and colonialism. I haven't seen a lot of people talking about this one compared to other a-spec books, and I really encourage everyone to check it out!

Minimizing Marriage: Marriage, Morality and the Law by Elizabeth Brake - I would be remiss not to mention Brake’s work here. While Minimizing Marriage is not specificallly about aromanticism or asexuality and deals with marriage reform and the concept of amatonormativity more broadly, I think it’s fair to say that many of Brake’s ideas (particularly her coining of amatonormativity as a term) have become vital to the aro community and aro activism in recent years. Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in deconstructing amatonormativity and in contemporary critiques of marriage as an institution, though it’s worth noting that this is a work of moral/political philosophy first and foremost, and as such it gets very into the weeds of things.

I’d really recommend checking out the collection Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives in general - it has a ton of essays on a wide range of different topics and I think is an especially great starting point for thinking about how asexuality can overlap with race, gender, and disability. If you want some specific essay recommendations, On the Racialization of Asexuality by Ianna Hawkins Owen is a personal fave of mine (Available along with the rest of Owen's work on academia.edu here), but I’d also recommend checking out Masculine Doubt and Sexual Wonder by Ela Przybylo, Spectacular Asexuals by Karli June Cerankowski, and “Why Didn’t You Tell Me That I Love You?” by Andrew Grossman

And once you've read that, there's also Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives - Revised and Expanded Ten-Year Anniversary Edition, that was published just last year! I think the original is still well worth reading but this new edition features a more diverse and global range of perspectives, which I think is really valuable! I'd really recommend Toward a Global Asexual Solidarity by Yo-Ling Chen, "Jarek, Get On Tinder" by Anna Kurowicka, Asexual Kinship by Eunjung Kim, and (SA)fe Sp(aces) by Yash Gupta if you want to get more of an idea of issues facing the ace community around the world. Subjective Limits of Imagination by Justin Smith and Girltalk by [sarah] Cavar and Ulysses [Constance] Bougie are two other favourites of mine from this collection!

Reconsidering Asexuality and its Radical Potential by CJ DeLuzio Chasin - A really good starting point for beginning to think about the potential implications of ace activism for people beyond the asexual spectrum, as well as for starting to think more radically about depathologising low sexual desire. Available on JSTOR here

Sexuality, romantic orientation, and masculinity: Men as underrepresented in asexual and aromantic communities by Hannah Tessler and Canton Winer - Hannah Tessler has published a lot of really great research on aromanticism, and this paper discusses the role of narratives around sex and romance in constructing gender. If you aren't able to access the paper, @the-agent-of-blight has written up a summary of key points here

The stability of singlehood: Limitations of the relationship status paradigm and a new theoretical framework for reimagining singlehood by Hannah Tessler - Discusses how experiences of certain groups (including aromantic people) challenge the typical construction of singlehood. If you aren't able to access the paper, @the-agent-of-blight has written up a summary of key points here

The stability of singlehood: Limitations of the relationship status paradigm and a new theoretical framework for reimagining singlehood by Hannah Tessler - Discusses how experiences of certain groups (including aromantic people) challenge the typical construction of singlehood. If you aren't able to access the paper, @the-agent-of-blight has written up a summary of key points here

Still, Nothing: Mammy and Black Asexual Possibility by Ianna Hawkins Owen - I really can't recommend Owen's work enough! I already briefly mentioned his essay in the original edition of Asexualities: Feminist and Queer Perspectives, and it's worth mentioning he contributes a newer essay to the tenth anniversary edition: Freedom Lovers. He's made a lot of really vital contributions to discussions of the intersections of asexuality on race, and I think this essay on the Mammy archetype is a particularly engaging one. A really interesting and valuable read for those who want to read about a-spec identity from a more intersectional perspective. Available along with the rest of Owen's work on academia.edu here

More: Cake, Feedism, and Asexuality by Ianna Hawkins Owen - Another great essay from Owen, this time focusing on the use of cake as a symbol in both asexual and feedism communities, and possible overlap between the two. A really playful and interesting read that offers new perspectives on asexuality. Available along with the rest of Owen's work on academia.edu here

While it’s not strictly about asexuality, I do want to give a shoutout to Hetero Barbie? by Mary F. Rogers - a segment from her book Barbie Culture that has since been reprinted as a separate essay in several collections (and is available in full on the internet archive hehe) . It discusses the relationship between Barbie and normative ideas of gender and sexuality, and briefly poses the idea of interpreting Barbie as asexual. While it doesn’t go into much detail about this, I think it’s worth mentioning purely because the original book was published in 1999, making this the earliest mention of asexuality in academia I’ve found so far! (though I’m sure there are plenty of earlier ones I’ve yet to look at!)

The Poles of Wantonness: Male Asexuality in Alan Moore's Film Adaptations by Evan Torner - A very early piece of academic writing on asexuality from 2012. A lot of it would probably be considered quite outdated now, and it is. Fairly obviously not written by an asexual person, but I still find the way it applies asexuality to the concept of the male gaze in film very interesting and compelling!

Asexual People's Experiences with Microaggressions by Tamara Deutsch - An MA thesis from 2018 and as such is more limited in scope than most of the other papers I've talked about - for example the sample of ace people interviewed is just eleven people. Despite this and despite the fact that a lot of what's said here probably seems quite obvious now 7 years later, I think it is still worth a read and makes some interesting points. I found it particularly noteworthy how this thesis identifies microaggressions in medical settings as a particularly prevalent issue facing ace people that needs to be addressed, which seven years later remains a glaringly present community issue. Available here

Ace in the UK Report 2023 by Yasmin Benoit and Stonewall - Just a really useful and illuminating piece of research on the experiences of asexual people in the UK and a must read if you want to learn more about the kind of issues faced by ace people and the ace community, as well as some potential practical solutions. Yasmin Benoit has made so many important contributions to community activism and this is a really big one. Available here

Asexuality in the UK: Public attitudes towards people who experience little to no sexual attraction by Yasmin Benoit, Michael Sanders, and Vannessa Hirneis - Another really important piece of research promoted by Benoit, this time specifically on discrimination towards asexual people. Some pretty major findings to this one - I think the finding of the degree to which acephobia is seen as socially acceptable is particularly concerning and worth noting. Available here

Nonlimerent//Monosexual: An Aromantic and Asexual History curated by Luciella Scarlett - link here - Digital version of a now-closed Australian museum exhibit on asexual and aromantic history. It's a really rich and interesting collection, and I think it's also a really great and useful and accessible starting point for finding lots of other sources on asexuality and aromanticism

If any of these sound interesting to you please do check them out - there's a lot of really interesting writing on asexuality and aromanticism out there if you're ready to look for it!