#2. i really liked gravity falls at the time as much as 12 year old me would deny it

[toastylycan]

i should make a memorial comic for all the original files i had lost on my old phones due to those breaking, from my minecraft worlds on the bootleg pocket edition when i was 12, to the high quality versions of drawings i never saved anywhere else when i was 16, but i dont trust myself to remember to make it, i hope i do, and i hope i finish it,

[matrixbearer2024]

Also how old are the Stan twins by the time Dipper and Mabel are 12? I’m assuming they’re in college but feel free to correct me.

By the time Dipper and Mabel are 12, the Stan Twins are out of college(technically). If we place the AU in 2024(they were born in 2003) they're already 21, and considering that most undergraduate programs could typically last 2-6 years- their undergrad courses (BSBA[Bachelor of Science in Business Administration] for Stan and BS(CMB)[Bachelor of Science in Biology with specialization in Cell and Molecular Biology] for Ford) are 4 year courses. They haven't been delayed or are late in any educational progress so they've only got a year left of undergrad.

They study in Graviton University Oregon, because I didn't have gravity falls "exist" technically. The town exists and that's where the university is, just more urbanized and without any of the wtf weird creatures that reside in the town from canon.

By the way, the niblings haven't been born yet considering that Shermie isn't even married yet. I plan on Shermie getting married by new year of 2025 and settling down in Piedmont with his girl, and the niblings will be born the year after around the same time the Stan Twins finally finish undergrad.

That's not the last of it though since they both still plan on moving up to masters and Ford wants to get a Phd(he starts with one and then starts collecting them like Pokémon) and it's mostly where they diverge paths as Stan throws himself into more of accounting/enterprenurial and Ford into researcher/biologist.

I don't really think Stan uses his knowledge on business too much at the start however since I do plan on him being scouted for a sports team(Haven't decided between basketball or baseball yet) before he graduates and while building his career as an athlete he finishes his masters(he takes 3 years to do it instead of the usual 2).

Ford had his fun in undergrad, so he fully commits to studying at this point and like in canon is pretty damn advanced compared to the rest of his peers. The curriculum and subject weights have definitely shifted from canon but I still do think it would only more or less take him 7-8 years to get his first doctorate.

By the time the niblings are 12, the Stan twins are 34, Sherm's 42.

Stan's spotlight as an athlete is waning and he's mostly helping run Fidds' family business, he's practically acting CEO in Fidds' place and is very comfortable with the pay he's getting. Stan wasn't really hardcore into sports anyway, he just took the opportunity because it presented itself to him and frankly he's okay with that. He starts drawing comics again as a hobby and with Fidds' help eventually becomes a comic-book artist part time since a businessman is his main gig post sports stardom. Much like some iconic artists and writers in DC and marvel, he ends up joining them when people like the series he puts out and the more "retro" artstyle.

Ford is making innovations left and right in the realm of genetics and biotechnology ever since graduating at 30 and he's got Fidds and Bill to help him with the more techy parts of his work. Ford hasn't stopped studying entirely though and honestly collects honorary PhDs to keep himself well rounded, not to mention he consistently attends seminars or science conferences to keep on top of the newest discoveries or updates to what's going on in the world. It wasn't his dream or intention of becoming one of the "greats" that go down in history but he really might at his pace, it's not something he thinks or cares about though.

You could argue that their life is practically being fast-tracked here but honestly, I think the pace fits them. It's a lot less chaotic compared to canon but considering how driven these two are, I think it's a pretty comfortable pace.

By the way, despite the busy life and all that- Ford tries his best to go to all of Stan's games live even when Shermie or Caryn miss it, despite the fact he doesn't really know anything that's going on just which team his brother's playing and if he's winning. Similarly, when Ford is called to give conferences to explain his findings or research Stan is more than happy to fly out to where he is and sit in just to give his support despite not knowing a damn or understanding whatever the hell his brother is talking about LOL

They're still very close considering that they didn't ever have a fight that tore them apart, they respected each other's wishes and interests and just talked. They always talked. I suppose that's ultimately what makes the big difference.

[hairscare]

ok seeing as my blog is called hairscare i feel i should show you how my hair turned out. so i was forced to have blunt bangs in my childhood and i hated them so much bc even at like 8 years old i knew i wanted to be goth. when i was around maybe 12 i finally was allowed to cut my hair and grow out my bangs and from there started the transgender nightmare of haircuts i went through. so many bad haircuts... anyways now that ive learned to embrace my femininity in my own special goth agender way ive finally taken it upon myself to have a decent hairstyle. ive been growing out my hair for idk maybe like 2 years now? maybe less? idk the last time i cut it honestly but i finally decided to cut my bangs bc even though they were pretty they also tended to kind of fall limply onto the side of my head if my hair wasnt washed which i didnt like the look of. so bangs time yayyy

heres how long my bangs were before i cut them... its sad to lose all of that hair but refreshing too

then heres me with my freshly cut bangs, my hair was pretty straight since it wasnt washed and i looked very yolo epic swag

with time and gravity they fell into an april ludgate look which i thought was fun. then i took a shower this morning. after i shower i keep my hair up wet in a towel for at least an hour and wait as long as possible to brush it because it makes it look better. but when i took my hair out of the towel...

um so yeah it was a lot. i didnt really expect my bangs to fluff up like the rest of my hair but it totally did. i went and brushed it though and after a while of trying to figure out how the hair worked...

i finally got it to look good! now i dont have to hear that i look like onision anymore. i do definitely still look like mick jagger but whatever i stay slaying

[thecluelessdoctor]

a review of Gravity falls from someone who had never seen it before.

Alright so I've meant to make this post for a while but then I got... sidetracked *glances at my fucking au* ANYWAY

I'm basically unbias to the show, due to the fact I have no nostalgia for it. Ill only be talking about the show it's self for the main review.

Anyway, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Gravity Falls.

Oh yeah, and spoilers for gravity falls. Im sure most of you have seen it but- yk just in case.

I watched the show 2 times in a row. One time mostly just for me, and the other time with my little sisters. Somehow both times made me cry it's fine.

Let's get my praises out of the way first before I begin to criticize the show (yes, I do have things to say)

Number one, the actual mystery. Genuinely so fucking good. Like going in I already knew Ford existed, and I knew Bill existed, but that was it. And I thought the mystery wouldn't be a mystery to me due to this but I was WRONG. BRO WHEN STAN FUCKING PULLED UP WITH THE PORTAL I WAS F L A B B E R G A S T E D. I WAS BAFFLED. OR OR- FIDDLEFORD NOT JUST BEING A CRAZY OLD GUY BUT INFACT A ONCE GREAT SCIENCIST THAT TRIED TO DESTROY HIS MIND- it was insane.. I only had the parts, but I didn't know how they fell into place, and it was BEAUTIFUL. Hell the mystery even had my little sister theorizing.

Stan, Dipper, and Mabel's arcs. Say what you will but I think they were done perfectly. Especially Stan's. You don't even realize how he has grown as a character until the end and it's AMAZING. Dippers arc of learning how to not grow up so fast (relatable ...) and Mabel's arc of accepting that she will grow up (ALSO RELATABLE?)

The character designs. We all know, I eat up a good design. And these guys are no exception. I love how Mabel has a different sweater at least every episode, very fun. Dippers design screams nerdy kid I would bully or be friends with in 6th grade, and Stan is.. yeah I really like Stan okay. He's perfect. His design reflects his eccentric nature really well. Also Shriner fez. We need more characters with a Shriner fez. (Fun fact: I didn't know what those hats were called until watching this show.) bill is a very simple design but I love it.

Also, I love alot of the foreshadowing the show does, even if at times unintentionally. Such as with Stan and how he sadly goes out. Every representation ends up being destroyed in some way.

I also really like Ford as a character. Idk if it was intentional, but he portrays a lot of narcissists rather accurately. I live in a family of narcissist, and a lot of them act directly like Ford (especially my dad and my ex-step- grandpa) but Ford I feel like is a good representation of how a lot of people, especially narcissists, actually change. Yes, shockingly, they can. Usually being the one to pull the trigger on something they love tends to do something. Not all the time but it happens. Idk.

Also I feel like I need to talk about Mabel and Dipper more. Starting with Mabel. Mabel is fun. She reminds me of my sister, both good and bad. Though I don't understand the amount of Mabel hate there is. Like seriously she's just a 12 year old kid. I was the same way when I was 12. I was a trashy kid. Hell, I'm a trashy teen!!! And Dipper? Yeah he's dipper. Shockingly I don't have much to say about him other than the fact he reminds me way to much of the guy friends I've had since 3rd grade lmfao.

Next is the animation. The animation is pretty consistently good, I like it. Especially in some of the more dramatic scenes. All of not what he seems, a tale of two Stan's, and weirdmeddon (I can't spell) are especially well animated.

There's a lot more i wanna say, but those are the major things.

From now until when I say, it's gonna me my personal criticisms of the show. Course I am no professional, I'm literally [AGE REDACTED] minor. So yeah.

Number one: the timeline. Oh my god the timeline. As a fun thing to do on the side, I tried to sort out the timeline- IT TURNED INTO 2 HOURS OF ME SITTING THERE, PIECING THIS SHIT TOGETHER. it's not as back as some fandoms (looking at your FNaF) but STILL

The lack of Ford. I wish Ford has been introduced earlier in season two, or they had a few more filler episodes involving him as a center (similar to the episode D, D, and more D.)

The ignoring of the fact that Pacifica is borderline abused??? She's AFRAID of her parents??? She flinches at the bell??? Like what the fuck-

The lack of in show development between Bill and ford. I kinda wish it showed a bit more of their relationship in show.

Those are all my major criticisms. I don't have anything other than those that aren't more personal tastes than anything.

But ultimately, I fell in love with this show from the get go. It was the weirdest thing I'd watched in a while, and I loved it, hated it, and cried because of it. Truly on of my favorite shows I've ever watched, and I really wish I knew what it was when it was in its hay day, because truly that would have been great. However in 2012 I was only like- 3-6 so- yeah

Very much a ten outta ten show, and if you somehow haven't watched it, please do.

[abalovesfic]

Gonna talk more about The Book of Bill in this Ask. As well as ur answer to my 1st Ask:

"1. Preorders start today actually!!!!! It’s a really great zine and I’m excited to have been a part of it."

Nice!

"2. I do plan on finishing at least The Helpful Lie, I think I owe the fic that much and I have so much of it mapped out. That being said…"

I really do hope u will at least finish this fic someday. As well as Illumine and Cosmic Twins. And etc. I love these TAU fics dearly after all. However, I can wait. I have waited years for more of something, and I can take a long to post and stuff myself. And I can do the same with these things.

"3. Spending time in the Psych fandom has been so rewarding. This was the right time for me to transition into something else. I’m gonna put this vaguely for privacy’s sake— I needed a new fandom if I was going to engage healthily again. And honestly, I think in 7 months Psych has given me more support and community than 12 years in Gravity Falls ever did. (But that’s luck, considering I went to Psych con and met the people who live in my phone.) (And probably also demographics.)"

I am sad u feel like the GF community couldn't always give u the stuff that the Psych community did. I have had great times in the GF fandom(s) myself personally. Saying that, I am happy Psych and it's community is is making u happy right now.

"4. Obvi Gravity Falls and TAU are still the loves of my life and rn there’s this beautiful meld of Psych and Gravity Falls coexisting in my brain. Book of Bill was great and it reinvigorated something in me. So yes, I’ll come back eventually and write more but for now, I’m invested in my little queer detectives"

And I hope to see u and I am excited to see u come back more in/to the GF and/or TAU fandom(s) someday (like new chapters and/or fics. Etc.), but like I said, I am happy you are having fun with Psych right now. And/or having fun with a blend of Psych and Gravity Falls in ur mind.

Also, "Book of Bill was great and it reinvigorated something in me",

Cool!

Gonna talk more about this, but I will save that for it's separate Ask.

Thank you for ur Answer to my previous Ask.

:)

1/?.

Oof. Uhhhhhhhh.

I think it’s just the helpful lie I’ll be finishing. (Maybe cosmic twins.) I can’t go back to Illumine. I do not like to contradict canon and though I didn’t know Book of Bill would be a thing a the time, I still don’t like that my story arc was off and the fic is too far gone to change anything. I won’t delete it but I’m not finishing it.

I love the game of canon too much. I like having to work within its confines even if I’m going off the rails with an AU. It challenges me as a writer. So Illumine has lost its appeal, but The Helpful Lie has certainly gained some. I have thoughts about my dumb triangle son…

And ok ok… it’s not that Gravity Falls/ Tau wasn’t a great fandom with tons of love and support. It is! And forgive me if this gets TMI. But I felt like I would never be good enough for this fandom. All of my fic, cosplay the freaking fanzine I started, my whole thesis, every single academic conference I went to specifically to talk about the show, all of the work I put into to Gravity Falls: I was essentially destroying myself for a fandom that wouldn’t love me back with the same passion. I still LOVE Gravity Falls with my whole heart and soul. But that burnout still hurt me.

So this step back has been good.

And Psych is oddly different. I think the fandom is old enough now to be kind of its own thing— but going to Psych con was the eye opener. I was worried about being the new kid on the block in this fandom from 2006. But complete strangers have shown up for me, tried to help push my academic career by promoting my writing and trying to get me celebrity interviews (which didn’t work out but damn— I’ve never had folks do me those favors before just because they want me to succeed), among other things. It changed my perspective a lot to have total strangers hug me and tell me I had done so much.

That was very ranty and emotional because I’m super sleep deprived (Bill my son please hop into my brain and joy ride me around, leaving me to wake up in a Taco Bell and with half a chalupa. This flesh puppet is ripe for the takin’). But things have been good different in this new corner of the internet. And when I’m ready I’m gonna finish the helpful lie so that I can feel good about it and not like I’m jumping through hoops.

Oh and the blending in my brain looks like memes

[vannalamba]

this one is for all the gravity falls fans

mabel. in the end, there’s not a lot to say about her. she’s 12, 13 by the end of season 2, likes colorful things and being girly, typical tweenage things.

so why does she get so much hate? i’ll explain. throughout the series, she constantly pushes aside her brother’s warnings of danger and acts based on what she wants instead of what’s best for them.

examples of this are in season one episode one tourist trapped where she ignores dipper’s warning of norman possibly being a zombie, which, fair enough. at this point in time, they hadn’t been made fully aware to the oddities of gravity falls, and nobody really believes in zombies, so she wasn’t wrong here.

season one episode nine where she reverts and scrambles the timeline for waddles, ‘destroying’ any chance of dipper getting close to wendy. let’s be honest, that relationship was doomed from the start. sure, three years isn’t a big age gap, but 12 and 15 is a ginormous maturity gap, and wendy ends up rejecting him later in the series either way, plus both of them messed around just to get what they wanted, so they were both equally at fault.

season one episode twelve where mabel pressures dipper to go trick-or-treating even though he’s ‘sick’. the entire events of the episode (likely) wouldn’t have happened if dipper hadn’t been rude to the summerween trickster, only getting them deeper into trouble upon the candy barrel and nearly getting them killed. so, again, mabel wasn’t wrong.

season one episode fifteen where mabel essentially guilt-trips dipper into sacrificing his summer job (and opportunity to get closer to wendy) for a merman she met in the pool. mabel was trying to do a good thing, if mermano stayed in the pool he likely would’ve been discovered and killed sooner or later.

many more examples follow this, but i don’t feel like listing them all,,, the most prevalent, though, is in season two episode 17, dipper and mabel vs the future, where mabel guilt-trips dipper into giving up what could be the best opportunity of his life to stay with her. i agree, this one was kinda bad, but she was about to lose her brother, the only person she felt like she could talk to for god knows how long.

and even so, at the end of the weirdmageddon arc she was fully ready to embrace whatever choice dipper made, but by then he decided to stay and likely took up the opportunity again when they were a bit older.

mabel defenders and haters alike need to realize. yes, she was selfish at times, but each time was for a perfectly valid reason a twelve year old girl would reasonably have. and by the end of the series, she betters herself and learns to see things from others perspective as well.

in short, she’s me

[yall-hate-kids-tourney]

Round 2: Qiqi (Genshin Impact) vs. Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls)

Propaganda below the cut

Qiqi:

she's hated for being a bad character meta-wise and people are always agonizing over getting her when pulling for a rate-up character, but she's cute and she's sad. she was a civilian that got killed as collateral in a war between gods & other immortals as a child, was turned into a jiangshi, and had to be sealed bc the immortals that accidentally killed her put too much power into reviving her so she went berserk. her normal childhood & very life was ripped away from her by forces that were too powerful. she can't remember many things and forgets things way too easily. she's been "living" a facsimile of a life as a corpse child who perpetually forgets things. she's my tragedy baby who always gets dunked on by the majority of the fanbase for taking away whatever rate-up character they wanted in gacha.

Mabel Pines:

I literally saw a tiktok today about how Mabel is a bad person. She’s 12! Like yes, she has made some mistakes and bad choices, but so has everyone else. And I never see any of the other characters in the show criticized the way she is. Everyone in the show has made mistakes (Grunkle Stan commits crimes practically every episode ffs) but because Mabel is a 12 year old girl and acts like it, she gets the most hate. Mabel deserves to be loved 🩷

----

girl gets so much flack for being... immature and kind of selfish at age 12? like she had whole video essays made on why she is a horrible person who deserves punishment. god forbid girls be silly

----

!!! Spoilers for Gravity Falls last 5 episodes !!!

This has gone down a lot but when the Weirdmaggedon arc was happening, the finale of the series, a big part of the fandom started hating Mabel because she accidentally caused the Weirdmaggedon (basically an apocalypse + bizarre shit like the water tower becoming an eight-legged monster with a giant mouth).

For context, in the episode that starts this arc, "Dipper and Mabel vs The Future", Mabel is really excited to the end of their summer vacation at Grunkle Stan's house, since it will be her and Dipper's 13th birthday and they will enter high school (her idea of high school of course coming from teen movies). But then this whole idea starts to shatter when Wendy tells her that high school isn't like a Disney musical, but it's okay, she will get through this since she will be with Dipper, her twin brother...

Except, that Dipper receives an invitation by Grunkle Stan's scientist brother Ford to become his apprentice after summer ends, staying in Gravity Falls, without Mabel. When she discovers it, she gets really mad at him and in a fit of rage, she accidentally picks Dipper's bag instead of hers and runs off to the woods.

When she gets there, Blendin, a time-travelling friend of theirs finds her and tells her that he has a way of making her brother stay with her, and make the summer take a little more to end, and that he just needed a little thing that Dipper has in his bag. That thing is a dimensional rift that Dipper and Ford contained to not cause the Weirdmaggedon, but Mabel didn't knew about that and gives it to Blendin. Blendin then breaks it and it's revealed that Bill Cipher was controlling Blendin to get the rift and release the Weirdmaggedon. He then traps Mabel in a bubble, starting the final arc of the series.

So, a few episodes later, that bubble she's in is revealed to be a world of fantasy that she controls, and that she didn't want to leave that world, as she was scared of growing up etc.

Context given, A LOT OF PEOPLE HATED HER FOR THIS. Suddenly people started seeing Mabel as just a selfish girl who wanted things only her way, when she was only a 12-year-old scared of growing up without her twin brother (they do end up going back together at the end but still).

The worst part is that apparently the people behind it took note of this, and on the comics that where released after the finale, she is a selfish spoiled brat. I haven't read the comics though so I'm going off what some people said about it.

[nicos-w101-liveblog]

Had too many classes and too much homework today so have some Nico ask game answers because I don't wanna wait for people to ask.

1. what is their song?

I may have to say "The Seed" by AURORA. I've been obsessed with her Sky: Children of the Light concert, recently, and that song goes hard lol.

2. what is their cafe order?

Something simple, like hot chocolate with whipped cream and some peppermint. If it's really hot out, though, they'd go for any sort of lemonade. They really like Blue Raspberry flavor.

3. what is their color palette? or what colors do you associate with them?

Purple and Black, and only when it's those two colors together. Otherwise, as a single color, they are so very red. A burgundy, maybe.

4. do they have a favorite food or drink?

Anything chocolate. Except cake/cupcakes. They don't like the texture. They do love a good muffin, though.

5. name a time of day that reminds you of them.

Dusk. As the moon is rising and the sun is setting.

6. sun, moon, or stars?

Stars. They shine and burn. They are admired, but eternally imploding.

7. what other universes would you like to see them in?

My current hyperfixations, obviously. Stardew Valley, where they could heal. Sky: Children of the Light, where they'd get their childhood back. Gravity Falls, maybe. The Owl House. They can fit into many situations.

8. do you ship your oc with canon characters? why or why not?

No. Not only is Nico a child for a good chunk of their story, but they're also very AroAce.

9. do you like to ship your oc with other ocs? or are you open to it?

Also no. They're AroAce. But if someone else thinks their OC and Nico would click well, they can be friends or in a qpp.

10. does your oc have a scent specific to them?

Autumn. Warm and crisp, pumpkin and spice.

11. name 3-5 things that you associate your oc with.

Heavy rain storms (no lightning/thunder) | A flame that you cannot tell whether it's a Pyre or a Bonfire | A peace-tied rapier or scimitar | The galaxy itself | A flower crown.

12. do you have a playlist for your oc?

Not yet, but I'm gonna get started on one sooner rather than later.

13. is there a saying or quote you associate with your oc?

"An eye for an eye and the world goes blind" -Mahatama Gandhi

14. what would their favorite movie be?

They greatly prefer books over movies, because they can read while they walk. But probably something by Studio Ghibli. Like Kiki's Delivery Service.

15. how long have you had them?

I've only had Nico for a day and a half but if anything happened to them I will kill everybody on this site and then myself /reference (it's me, I make the things happen)

16. do you make memes for or of your oc?

Not yet. I do eventually plan to put Nico's name in an incorrect quotes generator.

17. if they don't have one, would your oc have a pet? if so, what kind of pet?

They already have their Familiar, a Blaze Fox. His name is Remy, after their favorite fandom-named character (it's not the rat). Anyone who guesses who it is gets my approval.

18. is your oc afraid of anything?

Not really. Theyre just tired. Bugs/Spiders give them the creeps, though.

19. does your oc have siblings?

They do! A pair of younger twins, five years younger. They were seven when Nico disappeared. I wonder if they even remember their older sibling?

20. is your oc like you in any way?

I kinda base all OCs around myself, so yeah. I imagine we have the same body type and the same life experience up until Nico was summoned to the Spiral.

21. how many ocs do you got?

One for just about every fandom, if not multiple per. So... a lot. Possibly uncountable.

22. do you have an all-time favorite oc or a current favorite?

Obviously, my current favorite is my son Nico.

23. do you have a mood board or a pinterest board for your oc?

Unfortunately, no. And I likely never will.

24. does your oc have a favorite color?

Purple. After so much time, they still love purple.

25. what is their comfort item?

An old jacket that came to the Spiral with them from home. Its a comforting texture and covers their arms when their robe doesn't.

26. do they have a comfort place?

Mortis and Blossom let Nico rest in their branches. They ask for permission every time even though the trees insist they don't need to. Nico also enjoys sitting on the roof of their House and staring into the stars.

27. do you have any AUs for your oc?

My other Death Wizard, Moira. They're the result of being born earlier, and thus being given more time to find themself. They're a high school graduate when Ambrose summons them to Ravenwood. They're able to shoulder the responsibility of holding the fate of the Spiral in their hands. Not that Nico was incapable. But Nico's a child. They never learned healthy coping mechanisms. Basically, Moira is able to keep smiling, while Nico gave up on it.

28. is there an aesthetic for your oc?

Enderman from Minecraft lol.

But on the pseudo-official list, Dark Academia, Alternative (that is, if they weren't basically a celebrity and created fashion trends), Cryptidcore, and other similar ones.

29. does your oc have a self-care routine?

The only self care they perform is knocking back a potion when they're injured. Other than basic hygiene and some magic tricks they learned to prevent acne, they are the worst at taking care of themself.

The only self-care practice they have is reading a book in Mortis' branches

30. what is your favorite thing about your oc?

I've never written a cynical character before. Theyre always optimistic, chaotic and proud, and ever-smiling. I'm excited to try and write a child's whimsical imagination turn into exhaustion and pessimism lol

Credit: oc asks by @justbeingbuck

[primumincaelo]

about the mun!

Name: i go by Dust! Age: 26, almost 27 Pronouns: he/they Sexuality: gay-ace Single Or Taken: single and a lil unsure about the mingle Hobbies: doodling, writing, cosplay... i also participate in a rocky horror shadowcast group and that's been really fun! Favourite Colour: probably purple tbh? Fandoms: ― Current: uhhhhhh hahaha mostly just hazbin hotel these days, my audhd ass is hyperfixated babey ― Past: oh boy there's a lot. good omens, south park, adventure time, stranger things, gravity falls, steam powered giraffe, welcome to night vale, camp here & there, homestuck, nbc hannibal, doctor who, sally face..... there's still more but i'll stop there easfrgth Other Blogs: my main is onhigh (canon div angel dust), i also have disventura (hazbin au wednesday addams), clawtender (sinner oc; blog is still kinda wip efsrdgth), incisura (fallen exterminator oc; low activity), and then i'm working on a super secret trio muse blog for my heavenly muses (which includes st peter - currently at pearlkeep until the mini mumu is done!). i also have a multimedia mumu, dustified, but since hazbin has consumed my brain i haven't really used it much. Favourite TV Show: hazbin prolly atm Do You Cosplay?: ABSOLUTELY I DO i've been doing it for like 12 years. i'm in the process of putting together luci and adam, plus i've cosplayed angel before! Favorite Media: i dont entire get this question? uh... i like watching youtube a lot? Favourite Book: i don't really read all that much? i've recently started house of leaves, it's been pretty good so far Favourite Band: i'm here to post Detour North propaganda (i'm actually, genuinely friends with the singer, we were in high school theater together). technically they're not together anymore but their music still goes fucking hard. also huge fan of will wood/wwatt, waterparks, calypso, front bottoms/flat stanleys, flatsound, hozier, ricky montgomery, tally hall/miracle musical, ghost, chonny jash.... again there's a lot here, i'll stop before i make this too long Favourite Movie: bright young things from 2003. i can't remember when i came across it but it's been a comfort movie since i first watched it Do You Have Pets?: we have a black cat named wednesday! she's still a junior, only about 2 years old i think, she's a stupid lil thing there's not a thought in that head Favourite Animal: opossums or raccoons i think :3 Do You Play Any Instruments?: i took piano lessons from grade 6 up until i graduated high school, i took a couple months of violin lessons, and i can kinda pluck at a ukulele, but i'm by no means extremely good at any of them lmao Favourite Hellaverse Character(s): hhhhh lucifer and adam. no hesitation. i thought when i came back i'd be right back to angel dust? nope. lucifer and adam come in and sweep up the title like it's candy from a baby

tagged by: @brokendreamscreation (ty!!) tagging: uhhhhhhhhhh you <3

[urrone]

20 fanfic questions

Tagged by @swaps55 (thank yooooou)

Tagging: do you wanna do it? man just do it. have fun. go ham.

How many works do you have on AO3?

26

2. What's your total AO3 words count?

216,983

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently? It's mostly Dragon Age and Mass Effect, but I've also written hockey rpf, popslash (which is not included in the works count or the word count), Supernatural, SPN RPF, LotR, the Hunger Games, and Julie and the Phantoms.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

What Remains - SPN, Dean goes missing, Sam tries to find him

Shape I'm In - hockey RPF, Tyler takes a hard hit during a game, Jamie gets in a fight, this is the aftermath

Never Lived a Time Better Spent in Love - hockey RPF, Sid/Geno many years down the line, adopt a baby together

Actually, Plenty - SPN, a coda to What Remains set 15 years after that story

Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same - SPN, Sam rescues Dean from hell, things change for them after that

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

Always, I've had people comment about the fact that I'm still responding to comments on fifteen year old fic. If you're going to read and take the time to comment, I'm gonna say thank you. Plus, community is the best part of fandom, how can you have community if you're not talking?

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

Oh it's for sure lathbora viran which is the only story I've written that I had to tag "no happy ending." Although honestly swaps would probably say that For a Single Yesterday was also pretty fuckin' angsty. But Kaidan finds peace, my poor inquisitor absolutely did not.

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

Probably my Julie and the Phantoms fic, gravity, though I did absolutely take people through the ringer first.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

When I first got into hockey I ended up on the anon hate list for a hot minute because it was obvious from the first fic I posted that I didn't know anything about hockey because, well, I didn't. I'd never watched it before I got involved in the fandom. So it was valid criticism even if it was mean spirited.

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

The smuttiest thing I've ever written is a PWP threesome for the Oilers boys called Hold You Down. I enjoy reading smut but as a noted ace I feel awkward as fuck about writing it.

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

Yes. Crazy is such a subjective word, but I've written the hockey dudes into the Pacific Rim world and I fixed the shit about the Pac Rim world that never really made sense. I had a much more in depth story plotted out but I lost steam on writing RPF.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I've ever been told?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, but that fic is no longer online.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Twice. I had fun both times but prefer to set my own pace through a fic.

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

I don't really have an all time to write, they're all my favorites.

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

I still feel very guilty about a popslash WIP that I know will never be finished.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Pretty prose.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I try to avoid writing action sequences because I have no idea how to make them sound cool.

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

If I can have a native speaker assist, yes. If I have to run it through google translate, absolutely not.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I was writing extra scenes into the Princess Bride when I was 12 years old.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Idk, they're all my children. I love them all equally. I think in general I'm most proud of the Julie and the Phantoms fic, because I just really feel like I nailed the thesis of it, because I had a thesis, and it wasn't just "a meets b and they fall in love." (Which isn't a diss, this is what I usually write, that fic was just different.) But yeah, they're all my favorite. YOU tell ME which your favorite is.

[stripedtabbycat]

my takes on various popular gravity falls fandom aus, as someone who was around for pretty much all of them:

monster falls: i was always fond of this one because it did indeed produce a lot of cool art, and the idea of aus where characters are all various supernatural creatures instead of humans just always had a certain appeal to my younger self because i was always into fantasy settings with a wide variety of sapient species, and it was just fun to imagine how things would work if that extended to the ordinary townspeople of gravity falls along with all their existing supernatural creatures. however when i tried looking into this au a bit more i was admittedly a little disappointed by what the established "canon" of the setting was, which is why i think a lot of people preferred it as more of a genre of fanart than a specific setting with rules and lore and stuff. i wasn't that interested in a story where everyone in gravity falls turns into creatures one day because of a magic spring or whatever it was, but i liked the version of the background for this one that i came up with in my own head more. i was imagining an au where gravity falls is a town inhabited by various sapient supernatural creatures as part of its natural weirdness, and the pines family has some kind of hereditary curse or something where they turn into creatures at some point in their lives, like maybe around their 12th or 13th birthday, and dipper and mabel have just had it happen to them, which is why they're going to stay with the last person in their family who went through it for the summer at least. (it skips generations; their parents and grandpa shermie might have thought they'd broken it, but no.) this would be a very different version of the canon setting in a lot of ways and you could do some fun stuff with it. i also remember the au almost always having dipper as a deer-centaur and mabel as a mermaid, but by now i prefer the versions where she's a unicorn-centaur, because they match while not being exactly the same, and it fits mabel's canon love of unicorns. i could write my own fic about this someday, i really enjoyed imagining in that space.

reverse falls: this was everywhere in the earlier days of the show and fandom but it had definitely run its course by the time we were into season 2. you can tell most stuff for this au was made during season 1 because of gideon and pacifica being thought of as the main villains, and bill being portrayed as maybe a bit more plausibly sad and downtrodden. (we must remember he was only in one episode of season 1 and it wasn't even the finale, although it did lead directly into that, so he seemed maybe not that powerful yet.) you can also tell a lot of this was made by younger fans because of the charming brand of edginess it tends to display. (the designs for the twins in this au also seem like they're intended to be a few years older...while i do feel like a lot of their characterization was established by fans who were closer to those characters' ages at the time.) sometimes it didn't really feel like that much thought was put into the characters or story in this verse beyond "what if good characters evil and evil characters good? and most importantly what if good characters evil in a cool and sexy [to 12-year-olds. i hope] way?? and what if evil characters good in a sympathetic woobified angsty way??" i definitely get why a lot of people kind of hated this one especially if they were around when it was inescapable in fanart. it does make me want to start drawing out what my ideal "reverse" au would look like based on everything we have in canon now, because i think the idea of a dipper and mabel / gideon and pacifica roleswap is actually a lot of fun and has potential that most creators in its heyday weren't really considering. (basic concept ideas: stan makes a deal with bill after ford is lost to the portal for success and wealth and getting his brother back in exchange for fixing the portal, the mystery shack becomes the most successful business in town and more famous than in canon, at some point the northwests' fraudulence about being the town founders is exposed and they fall from grace while maybe mcgucket moves into their former manor after regaining his memory earlier, by the time dipper and mabel come to town they're the beloved heirs of mr. mystery while gideon and pacifica are just normal kids living in town, they find the second journal at the beginning of summer and things proceed from there, also bill is just hanging around the shack with his own mysterious motives and willing to cut a deal with anyone who needs it...)

transcendence: i did try to get into this one because i followed a number of people who wrote for it but as hana hyperfixates said in their video on the subject (of aus), there is a lot and it can be intimidating. i think the concept behind it is really solid though and i'm impressed by how much it feels like a deliberate alternate ending for the canon series finale despite first being conceptualized way before that (before ford was introduced, even!) gf fans do like drawing and writing about characters as demons and the idea of gravity falls' weirdness spreading to the rest of the world (again, pretty much the canon intended outcome of weirdmageddon!) is a great concept for an au that travels far into time and space like this one does. i like that most content i've seen for it treats this event less like an apocalypse and more just like - magic and fantastical creatures are now known to everybody, the world is different now, how do we proceed? at least that's the version i like. i didn't know that most of the works for this au focused specifically on the reincarnation aspects so that's an interesting dimension, but i don't know if that's what i would find the most compelling part of the setting if i was writing for it. also i do love how dipper and mabel's demon names, alcor and mizar, were basically handed to fandom on a silver platter. they're literally twin stars that already exist, in the big dipper constellation, and their names even sound kind of like plausible archaic demon names [they're actually both from arabic though], and one of them starts with m. it's perfect.

relativity falls: this one might be my favorite. it's a very simple roleswap concept but it has produced some of the most delightful fanworks i've seen in the fandom. we were 100% right to latch on hard to the idea of grauntie mabel and i love that everyone knew exactly what kind of cool old lady she would be. oddly enough though you don't see nearly enough fanart of grunkle dipper and i wonder if that's because people figured he'd kind of just be canon ford, without much else changing about his role in the story. or it could be that this was also largely conceptualized before ford was properly introduced or we knew what his dynamic with the other characters would be so you'll see a lot of stuff where the stans' names are unintentionally switched. but i don't think that's true for this one because i'm pretty sure it really took off after "a tale of two stans" aired. most works for it seem to be set in the same general timeline as the show just with the characters' ages changed, but i did see a great concept for it taking place in the stans' canonical 60s childhood with dipper and mabel growing up in the 1910s, which i loved. all the various takes on how the events of the show would play out in this au are also great. i love it. no notes

mystery trio: well, this one kind of retroactively gained obligatory au status after canon completely jettisoned any possibility of it having happened...but it was a fun time seeing the stories and art people would create for that specific dynamic, even if a lot of it now has a confusing name problem when it comes to the stans. (and if by necessity most of ford's - or "stanley"'s - characterization had to be invented, but i think they got him pretty accurately.) and with all the aus people are still creating, and the existence of a canon multiverse, we can still find ways to make it happen. we wanted fiddleford to have interacted with stan at any point. please. it could have happened. (i can spin something out of what i noticed last rewatch, in that stan, along with the twins, is one of the few people not laughing at mcgucket when he first runs in yelling about the gobblewonker in episode 2...)

then there are all the aus where different characters go through the portal or go back in time and various roles are shuffled around and there are a dozen different variations on one au that kind of started out as a fanfic concept, many of which i'm less familiar with. but i do want to read some more classic fanfics now. because there are some great ideas with things like the various timestuck aus, blind faith, drifting stars, grifting stars, the various portal swaps...i feel like in recent years there's been a surge of au ideas focused on the stans in different configurations and they're all super interesting. this fandom is endlessly creative and it will never die.

[startrekprodigyfan]

I saw that interview too and I have some thoughts as well.

I understand where Kate is coming from. She’s from an era where if you were playing a female character then chances were you were the end goal prize for the male main character. The fact that she brings up the idea that you must maintain a “will they won’t they” for characters for as long as possible to be “successful” and that she bawks at the idea of Gwyn and Dal being together because she can’t fathom what else you’d write about is pretty telling of the era and ideology she grew up in.

I also understand that being the first female starship captain in Star Trek was a huge deal and she takes that seriously. I understand she doesn’t want her accomplishments to be reduced to who her character is romantically entangled with.

I get all that but… it’s been 30 years! Television and kids media have grown up and changed a LOT. Most TV shows now are only 10-12 episodes per season instead of the usual 24. There’s no TIME to stretch out “will they won’t they” tension anymore and frankly I think a lot of audiences strongly dislike that tension to begin with now. Additionally, we’ve reached a point where if characters get together there’s still more you can write about. Hooking up is no longer the end goal of relationships and character development in shows these days.

And this is especially true in kids media. Just look at The Owl House where the two lgbt characters get together halfway through season 2 and they continue to develop and grow their relationship beyond that initial get together stage. Or look at Adventure Time and all of the many messy get together and breakups characters multiple had throughout its run. Or even Gravity Falls which starts with the main male lead perusing an older female character only for season 2 to come out and say “she’s too old for you, but that’s okay they can still be friends.” Hell, even Miraculous Ladybug, the show that has pushed a “will they won’t they” to its breaking point eventually gave up and has made the two love interests get together and as a result they’re able to tell even MORE interesting stories as they work through their issues and infatuations.

Kate’s resistance is understandable in that she’s from an antiquated era and doesn’t seem to comprehend how much the world has changed around her. She doesn’t seem to think two characters being together could be anything more than just romantic tripe. And that’s really sad and kinda dehumanizing. Characters (and by extension the kids and adults watching) should be shown as examples of what love can look like BEYOND the initial hookup. Janeway finding peace and love in Chakotay does NOT diminish Janeway as a character. For everything Janeway has been through she DESERVES to be loved back and to have love in her life.

That is healthy.

That is normal.

That is NOT reductive.

And it’s sooooo weird to me that she’s still so hesitant to let her character experience that.

After watching the Screen Rant interview, I want Season 3 of Prodigy without Admiral Janeway or Chakotay appearing at all. Holo Janeway is more than enough. Kate is clearly against J/C for whatever reason, and she even went after Brett for wanting Gwyn/Dal. I'd rather enjoy Season 3 with the Protostar kids only and not get frustrated with the J/C stuff. Please, I'm begging. Brett, my beloved.

Media and art are escapism. We live in super messed up times, and I just want two imaginary, make-believe characters to kiss so my mind can escape into something positive and feel the love that the world is so clearly missing. People find comfort in art and can feel a bit of love through imaginary characters in this messed up world. The rest of Prodigy is about hope; J/C is about (romantic) love, and it's a positive path to take, especially in times where men are being taught to hate women by idiots like Tate. And here you have a character, a man (Chakotay), who gives zero fucks about power dynamics and gender roles. We want them together as a middle finger to the gender roles imposed by social norms. Janeway hates to cook and do house chores, Chakotay does not. Janeway likes to be in command, Chakotay is fine being her support. They are breaking the tiresome stereotypes, and dunking on the shippers for wanting them to be together is just playing into the 'a strong woman can only be strong if she is forever alone' trope. It's an outdated mindset.

That is why Kate. For every girl and woman who was told repeatedly she'll be alone and that no man would want her because she didn't fit the gender role. Because she wanted to be in power and be loved at the same time. For daring to want both. Women can have both. Women are allowed to have both. Being in a romantic relationship is not weak, and it's freaking weird to be saying that having two characters be in a romantic relationship who clearly love each other beyond words would do them a disservice. What does that teach the kids? That you have to choose? That having a powerful bond and a romantic relationship is mutually exclusive? It's weird, and I'm tired of pretending that it's not.

[rayllumkissing]

Dana's Owl House AMA, a summary

• Eda is about mid to late 40s, and it's the same with Lilith except she's 2 years older. Gus is 12, Willow is 14 and King is "???????" years old

• When Lilith joined the Emperor's Coven, she dyed her hair to look "intimidating"

• Dana appreciates the positive press coverage of Enchanting Grom Fright, and she appreciates the negative ones as well "because I live to troll jerks :)"

• The teacher that Amity referred to as mom back in Lost In Language was not Lilith, in fact they're not really close and Amity lost a lot of respect for Lilith after Covention

• We may see more of Viney, Jerbo and Barcus soon

• When asked about what Luz's favourite anime was, Dana replied with a lengthy list stating that she thought about it too much

• Amity and Luz are confirmed to be lesbian and bisexual respectively

• Amity might dress in a "punk aesthetic" to impress people but she's more of a jock in Dana's mind

• When asked about King's broken horn, Dana just replied with "all will be revealed eventually"

• Dana hopes Season 2 will make us cry

• Originally, the gems on Eda and Lilith's chests was just going to be an in-world fashion choice. But during production for The Intruder she decided to use Eda's gem as a visual aid for the curse

• There's more to Amity's parents than we know, which can be either good or bad for our main cast. Also, Dana had fun writing Mr Blight stating that he was interesting

• We may see Luz celebrate her quinceanera (her 15th birthday) but that's if the show gets a third season

• Luz is Amity's first (big) crush

• We'll get to know everyone a bit better in S2

• Hooty apparently has an evil twin, Booty (I'm pretty sure this is just for laughs though)

• In the first episode, there was a background character that looked similar to Amity in design (the one with the pink stripe). Dana revealed that Amity did have a different design originally

• Edric and Emira are salty about getting stood up at Grom but they'll get over it as "they'll have plenty of distractions"

• There will not be a musical episode

• It was a last minute idea for Dana to include "Talk to the glyph, witch!" in Young Blood, Old Souls

• According to Dana, Disney is "historically weird" in terms of merch

• "Bird-themed things are generally a Clawthrone thing"

• Dana has always wanted to do an official graphic novel

• Eda and Lilith are confirmed to have more sibling moments

• Dana has no least favourite character design, but the puppeteer in Witches Before Wizards freaks her out

• Eda has been to vegas before and was not impressed

• Eda will win against Lilith in Hexes Hold'em, but most likely by cheating

• When a witch joins a coven, they're physically unable to perform magic outside of that area. Basic spells like levitation for small objects can be done but with great difficulty

• Witch is a gender-neutral term, wizards are a title which you can call yourself and "warlock" is akin to "edgelord" in the Demon Realm

• Spencer Wan is the only in-house animator (animation supervisor) for Season 1, and to acquire this Dana had to sit through many meetings with executives to get this position. The in-house animator for Season 2 will be Kofi Fiagome

• We can expect parental conflict, a lot of emotions, island exploration and new characters in S2

• Lilith's palisman is alive like Owlbert

• If Eda's curse can be healed her hair will not turn back to its original colour

• Belos has specific inspirations which will be revealed in S2

• King's backstory is deeper than we think

• Amity and Willow's relationship has a long way to go, but the air between them is definitely lighter now

• When asked about the codes hidden in the show, Dana said that in high school, Dana would spend her summers in Russia, and her and her Russian classmate would pass each other notes that was a mix of both the English and Russian alphabet. From there their secret language developed and changed and helped inspire the codes, along with Gravity Falls

• Luz would play minecraft and spend all her time building castles and coming up with stories for the towns she built

• Dana has many favourites on the show, but she loves Eda and King. She tends to like the characters she has the easiest time writing

• Willow works out every morning. Unlike Boscha, she doesn't brag about it

• Everything that people responded to from S1 (especially the last few episodes), there will be more of in S2

• No one's really sure what Hooty's made of

• Many Boiling Isles sculptors and architects are part of the Construction Coven

• Eda's bile sac stopped producing the chemicals needed to produce magic on her own. It's still there although it's useless now

• Luz is "a bit of a bonehead" when it comes to Amity's signals (Dana doesn't mean this as an insult)

• 4 years ago when Dana pitched the original idea for the show an old writing partner told him that no one would watch a show about an old lady, so she made the pitch bible out of spite

• Creepy Luz was actually a joke in response to the line, "maybe I'll meet a hot yet vulnerable upperclassman" from The First Day, but Dana likes the doppelganger theory and will neither confirm nor deny that she exists

• Dana likes to think that Boscha and Amity's moms have a rivalry from childhood and still compete with one another through their kid's achievements

• Edric and Emria's hair is naturally green like Mrs Blight's while Amity's hair is naturally brown like her dad's and Mrs Blight likes her children to be...colour coordinated

• The demon on Principal Bump is named Frewin, that's all for now

• The application of glyphs and their uses will be covered in Season 2

• A palisman is our world's equivalent of a "witch's familiar"

• Witches will usually carve their palisman from a special type of wood in their teens in school or with parental supervision

• A palisman uses their own source of power outside of a witch's bile sac 

• Witches can join covens when they graduate school, and if they're talented enough they can leave early and join a coven

• Why King wears a collar will be revealed in S2

• Yes, Dana is aware of Lego Eda's existence

[rinn-e]

FIRST LINE OF YOUR LAST 20 STORIES!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line.

Tagged by @nixie-deangel, thanks dear :)

WARNING: Most of my stories contain possibly triggering/explicit content in one way or another, and especially the older ones need editing.

1. What I Am [Codywan, Star Wars]

“Obi-Wan,” the shadow purred. “You made a mistake, Obi-Wan.”

2. What You Are And What You'll Never Be [Vaderwan, Star Wars]

Obi-Wan was captured.

3. Two Kinds Of Cruel [Vaderwan, Star Wars]

They came in the hours of the dune lizards, in the time between night and day in which the reptiles’ cackling laughter drowned out the sandstorm daring to disturb them; they feared no weather.

4. Where The Sky Begins [Obikin, Star Wars]

To tell the truth, Anakin didn’t even recognize him at first.

5. Any Objections? [Obikin, Star Wars]

The first time Anakin noticed it, they were on board of the Twilight, flying through hyperspace.

6. Silent Is The Night [Bruce/Dick, DC]

Strangely enough, it wasn’t Batman who got hurt.

7. Saving Flowers [Obikin, Star Wars]

Obi-Wan was thirteen years old when a whisper in the night tore apart everything he thought to know about the Jedi Order.

8. The War That Never Was [Germany/Prussia & Prussia/England, Hetalia]

“You know… you don’t have to write that report. I’m sure they won’t even remember a thing of your presentation… why put that much effort into it?”

9. Hetalian Fairy Tales [Multiple pairings, Hetalia]

The night was cloudless, stars scattered all over it, but that also meant it was cold and the wind was blowing through Adalwin’s hair relentlessly.

10. The Nature Of Snow [Russia/Prussia, Hetalia]

The first time they spent Christmas with each other, they were enemies pretending to be allies.

11. Symbiosis [Russia/Prussia, Hetalia]

It was going to happen that evening, Prussia was sure of it.

12. Lachesis [Elton/Bernie, Rocketman]

“Elton came to the conclusion that he, sadly, isn’t interested in your services anymore. He needs something more... spectacular, catchier, you know?”

13. Mistletoes [Bill/Dipper, Gravity Falls]

The leaves were green and spiky and tied together with a nearly perfect red bow.

14. 22 Hours [Mabel-centric Gen, Gravity Falls]

It was like climbing the ragged face of a cliff.

15. Bridge Over Troubled Water [Bill/Dipper, Gravity Falls]

„I don’t want to see you ever again, Pines,” the brawny, bald man growled, his face tense enough that Dipper was able to see a vein twitching at his temple.

16. A Prayer In Spring [Conor/Harry, A Monster Calls]

It took Conor two weeks to realise Harry wouldn’t come back.

17. Silent Colours [Bruce/Dick, DC]

The tip of the pencil made soft noises as it leaped across the paper, following the quick movements of the hand holding it.

18. It's Such A Pretty World Today [Walt/Jesse, Breaking Bad]

Most of the mirror’s surface was fogged, though a few sparkling beads of water were gathering in the right bottom corner, running down, falling.

19. Dove [Harry/Eggsy, Kingsman]

“What do you want from me?!”

20. Inconvenience [unrequited Harry/Eggsy, Kingsman]

Harry wasn’t a bad man.

BONUS: the Obikin WIP I've been working on on and off since January last year :P -> Shmi Skywalker died happily.

My favorite one has to be either 7 - Saving Flowers or 10 - The Nature Of Snow, but, really, I'm satisfied with most of these :) [Though, making this list made me realize how many times I hopped fandom whoops...]

Tagging: @jovialkidbonktrash @unspuncreature @lithugraph@rosesnblueberries @willshowerthots @currently-kraken @luzff @farfollow @sparkie96 @kratosfan6632466 and whoever else wants to do this :) [As always, no pressure~]

[becomewings]

BTS Universe Timeline

« previous  |

TIMELINE GUIDE

Content warning: contains references to death, suicide, suicidal ideation, child abuse, domestic violence, blood, homicide, depression, trauma, PTSD

This guide contains major spoilers from all BU media

Revisions and additions will be made as necessary, so please visit the original post for the most up-to-date version (update log is included at bottom of post)

All names are provided as fully as known

Bracketed dates are inferred or calculated from references in the text

While the timeline is presented here as objectively as possible, I acknowledge that there is a level of subjectivity in choosing which information is significant enough for inclusion and in certain connections drawn between entries

Please inform me of any suspected errors; I will investigate and correct them

Do not repost, copy, or quote without permission

School Years: Together & Apart

    - March Year 19 through 10 April Year 22 -

2 March Year 19 Notes 1 (SJ)

Ten days after returning from the U.S., SeokJin and his father visit the principal’s office at his new school. SeokJin learns that he will start one grade lower due to the different education systems. SeokJin’s father grips his shoulder while the principal explains that school is a “dangerous place” that needs to be “tightly controlled.” He asks: “You know you have to keep me informed, right? You’ll be a good student, right?” SeokJin squeezes out a “yes” and his father lets go. Both ChangJun and the principal laugh. SeokJin looks down at their shining shoes, wondering from where the light is coming.

Note: SeokJin’s 25 June Year 19 entry in Notes 1 specifies that his father attended the same high school. JiMin’s 23 July Year 22 entry in Notes 2 reveals that, according to a comment he finds on an online news article, ChangJun and the principal were in school at the same time and fought with each other “as if it would only end when one of them dropped dead,” but they appeared to get along later due to politics.

3 March Year 19 BTS Universe Story: The Boy on the Threshold, ep.1

On the first day of school at Songju Jeil High School, the Dean of Students berates the six latecomers lined up outside: SeokJin, NamJoon, HoSeok, JiMin, TaeHyung, and JungKook. YoonGi arrives even later. The Dean assigns them one month of community service as punishment. When he notices SeokJin, he clears his throat and says he is letting them off because it’s the first day: they must all assemble after classes to clean the annex, a classroom turned into a storage room. This room becomes their meeting place and hideout even after their punishment is finished.

Note: Their punishment for being late is referenced in JiMin’s 12 March Year 19 entry in Notes 1, when he escapes to the old classroom again and finds the others already there. He observes that it feels as though they’ve been “hanging out together forever.” The punishment scene is also similar to a moment in the BTS Begins Middle Scene VCR. Although it includes a few extra students and cannot be confirmed as BU content, it does mirror the canonical detail of YoonGi arriving last.

28 May Year 19 Notes: Answer

In the classroom hideout, JungKook asks everyone what their dreams are because he has to write a paper about future hopes. SeokJin wants to become a good person, and YoonGi says it’s okay to have no dream. TaeHyung poses on a chair and says he’s going to be a superhero. HoSeok scolds him and adds that he wants to find his mom and live happily. JiMin asks him if he is unhappy now, and HoSeok pulls an exaggeratedly worried expression. “Is that how it works?” JiMin is flustered when HoSeok asks what his dream is and remembers that when he was in preschool he wanted to be president, but didn’t know what he wanted after that. Everyone looks at NamJoon, who shrugs and confesses that while he wants to say something nice, he doesn’t have a dream either and just wishes that his part-time job pays more. JungKook looks down at his assignment, divided into sections for “student” and “parent,” and wonders what he hopes to become. He can’t think of anything to write.

12 June Year 19 — The Sea Notes 1

YoonGi’s entry:

All seven boys cut school and decide to go to the sea. They have little money between them, so they must walk to the train station. As they leave, YoonGi almost bumps into JiMin and realizes that he is standing frozen with a trembling face. JiMin stares at a sign that reads “2.1km to Grass Flower Arboretum.” YoonGi flatly tells him that it’s too hot to go to the arboretum. He has an “instinctive feeling” that they should avoid it. He observes that JiMin walks away like a little kid, head bent and shoulders hunched.

JungKook’s entry:

The boys arrive at the beach. They hang around under a torn parasol until HoSeok holds up a discovery on his phone: a large rock that is supposed to grant your dream if you stand atop it and shout your dream out to the sea. TaeHyung encourages them to go. While they grumble in the heat on the long trek, JungKook reflects on how he had recently asked the others what their dreams were. (See 28 May Year 19.) None of them really have a dream to pursue.

YoonGi tells JungKook to stop biting his nails or else they’ll become like his. Then he asks JungKook what his dream is. Having never thought about it, JungKook doesn’t know. He hesitates and then asks what a dream is. HoSeok rattles off a few definitions from his phone. YoonGi questions, “How can something that you want to achieve most in your life and something that is unlikely to come true both be called a dream? … Don’t ever try to have a dream.” JungKook asks why. At his glance, YoonGi stops biting his nails and puts his hands in his pockets. “Because it’s tough having one.” JungKook is curious about why YoonGi bites his nails but doesn’t ask. He recalls that it has been a habit since his childhood to hurt himself. He remembers cutting his finger on a knife badly enough that his mom took him to the hospital, but she didn’t take care of him after they went home. His wound healed slowly because he kept pressing it; the pain helped him feel awake. Even now, he sometimes feels hollow.

TaeHyung asks how much longer they have to walk. HoSeok is puzzled, saying they should be close. They gaze around the empty, pebbled beach. JiMin sighs and reads aloud from an article on his phone. A resort will be built on this beach, and the construction company blew up the rock. They notice the cordoned off construction zone. They try to reassure each other to remain positive, but they all feel the disappointment of walking all that way for nothing. JungKook notices YoonGi biting his nails again and tries to stop him, but he is interrupted by a loud drilling noise. JungKook looks past him at the sea and all that remains of the dream-granting rock, the pebbles under their feet. “Is the world tough for you, too?” he asks, but YoonGi can’t hear him. JungKook screams again. “Do you want to give up on this world, too?” HoSeok and TaeHyung laugh at their mimed conversation. They all look out to the sea and shout their dreams. The drilling is so loud that they can’t hear each other. JungKook cannot even hear his own dream. When the noise stops, they cut off abruptly and laugh. SeokJin suggests that they take a photo. He sets the timer and runs to join their row, the sea behind them. They walk back to the train station. JungKook asks if he can keep the photo. SeokJin writes “June 12” on the back and gives it to him, telling him that his dream will come true. JungKook asks if SeokJin knows what he shouted to the sea, and SeokJin merely taps his shoulder and strides ahead.

BTS Universe Story : The Boy on the Threshold, ep.3

JungKook’s memory of the beach trip follows a similar structure to the scene in Notes 1, plus a notable addition. After they fail to find the dream-granting boulder, JungKook climbs up on the pier railing. He thinks: “I’ve always liked walking on the edge of walls or on top of lines. Focusing on centering my gravity means that I don’t really think of anything else, and the boundary—not quite a part of either place—always felt like where I should be.” Someone grabs his arm while he precariously balances. YoonGi tells him not to do that, and JungKook assures him that he won’t fall.

“YoonGi would often grab my arm when I walked on railings. The others would look after me, too, after seeing him do that. I liked their helping hands. It felt like they were telling me that I should go to them. That this wasn’t my place. Maybe their hands were why I walked on the railings.”

25 June Year 19 Notes 1 (SJ)

Alone in the classroom hideout, SeokJin finds a plant by the window. He takes pictures with his phone but doesn’t think they capture what the human eye sees. He notices that “HoSeok’s plant” is scribbled on the floor beneath the pot and then realizes that the window sills, walls, and ceiling are covered with graffiti and drawings, messages left behind by the students who once passed through that room. He wonders if there were past teachers who used violence and endless tests or students like him who ratted out their friends to the principal. Since his father also attended that high school, SeokJin looks for his name on the walls and finds it with a phrase written underneath: “Everything started from here.”

Note: TaeHyung, JiMin, NamJoon, and YoonGi discover several other familiar names near Kim ChangJun (SeokJin’s father) on the classroom wall in TaeHyung’s 23 July Year 22 entry from 7’s album Notes and the extended version in Notes 2.

30 August Year 19 Notes: Her

JiMin plays in HoSeok’s shadow while he is on the phone, reflecting on how HoSeok has accompanied him on the two-hour walk home since the beginning of the school semester. JiMin eventually realized that HoSeok didn’t live in the same direction but never questioned him, simply hoping that their time walking together would stretch the day out a little longer. HoSeok finishes on the phone and chases after him while the cicadas sing and their ice creams melt. Suddenly, JiMin is afraid, wondering how many of these days are left.

20 March Year 20 Notes 1 (TH)

TaeHyung sneaks up on NamJoon in the hallway by their classroom hideout. He stops when he hears SeokJin’s voice inside, apparently informing the principal about how TaeHyung and YoonGi had ditched school and got in a fight over the past few days. SeokJin throws open the door, phone in hand, and looks flustered to see NamJoon standing there. TaeHyung hides in a corner and is shocked to hear NamJoon assure him, “It’s OK. There must’ve been a good reason.” HoSeok and JiMin find TaeHyung in the hallway, and HoSeok pulls him into the classroom. NamJoon beams at TaeHyung as though nothing strange has happened. Believing that NamJoon “must have his reasons” because he is more intelligent and mature, TaeHyung decides not to tell anyone about the conversation he overheard.

15 May Year 20 Notes 1 (NJ)

NamJoon visits the classroom hideout on his last day of school. Two weeks prior, his family decided that they needed to move due to complications with his father’s health and their overdue rent. NamJoon tries to write a message on a piece of paper. He scribbles “I must survive” before the pencil lead snaps. He crumples the paper and writes in the dust on the window instead.

“No farewell message would be enough to let the others know how I felt. At the same time, no farewell message was needed to make myself understood. ‘See you again.’ It was a wish, rather than a promise.”

Note: “I must survive” is a recurring message tied to NamJoon in the BU MVs. See also 17 December Year 21.

7 June Year 20 Notes: Persona

TaeHyung’s two month old puppy Dubu slips out of the leash and disappears while he is distracted on his phone. TaeHyung runs around the neighborhood looking for him, first angry at the puppy and then blaming himself. When Dubu returns on his own, TaeHyung is filled with the unfamiliar feeling that he is someone who can be relied on.

11 June Year 20 BTS Universe Story: The Boy on the Threshold, ep.5 Everyone’s Place

In the classroom hideout, JungKook listens to YoonGi playing the piano. The sound of the music makes him feel as if YoonGi understands how he feels and is trying to console him. The Dean of Students forces the door open, demanding why they are there. He berates and slaps JungKook, knocking him to the floor. YoonGi steps between them and shoves the teacher’s shoulder. The dean warns him that he had better be prepared for the consequences of putting his hands on a teacher and then leaves. Despite his throbbing cheek, JungKook smiles because it is the first time someone has protected him, and the feeling of getting closer to YoonGi makes him giddy. For the next two weeks, YoonGi does not come to school.

25 June Year 20 Notes 1

JungKook’s entry:

JungKook tries to play the piano in the classroom hideout, unable to make it sound like YoonGi did. He reflects on the rumor that YoonGi was expelled after the events of 11 June and wonders if YoonGi would still be here playing the piano if JungKook had not been there that day when the teacher appeared.

YoonGi’s entry:

Breathing hard, YoonGi arrives at his bedroom, removes a half-burned piano key from an envelope in his desk drawer, and throws it into the trash can. He remembers a day four years ago when he returned to their burned down home and found a skeleton of the piano where his mother’s room used to stand. He noticed several piano keys on the ground and took one of them, wondering what note it was and how many times her fingers touched it. In the present, YoonGi thinks how unbearable living under his father’s rule is and recalls what happened that day: he is officially expelled from school. He picks up the piano key again and hurls it out the window.

“I couldn’t hear the piano key hit the ground. Now I’d never know what note it made. It’d never make a sound again. I’d never play the piano again.”

17 July Year 20 Notes 1 (SJ)

At the end of the last school day before summer vacation, SeokJin tries to leave quickly but is hailed by HoSeok and JiMin. No one knows that he was pressured by the principal and revealed their hideout, which led to JungKook and YoonGi being discovered (11 June) and the latter’s expulsion (25 June). HoSeok wishes SeokJin a good vacation and to keep in touch, but he can’t reply.

“My first day at this school crossed my mind as I passed through the school gate. We were all late and got punished. But we were together, so we could laugh together. I had ruined all those memories we shared.”

Note: Variations of the sentiment “we can laugh when we’re together” recur throughout BU.

15 September Year 20 Notes 1 (HS)

In the hospital emergency room, HoSeok wants to explain how JiMin had a seizure at the bus stop to his mother, Sim SeonMi. When the doctors wheel JiMin’s bed out, HoSeok begins to follow until SeonMi thanks him and touches his shoulder. He feels like she has drawn a line between them that he cannot cross. He falls to the floor, and when he looks up, JiMin’s bed is gone.

Note: The name of JiMin’s mother is specified in his BTS Universe Story arc, Stopped Time. JiMin’s 11 May Year 22 entry in Notes 1 reflects that he blacked out at the bus stop after seeing the window of the Grass Flower Arboretum shuttle bus open. His 12 August Year 22 entry in Notes 2 reveals the real cause of JiMin’s seizure at the bus stop: he sees the boy that he left behind at the arboretum warehouse on 6 April Year 11. Though the boy’s empty eyes no longer speak to JiMin, this chance encounter awakens his memories of that day.

28 September Year 20 Notes: Her and Smeraldo Books Twitter

JiMin, heavily medicated, has lost track of how long he has been back in the hospital. But he considers this a special day because he lies to the doctor for the first time about not remembering anything.

Note: He is lying about not remembering what triggered his seizure at the bus stop on 15 September and/or what happened at the Grass Flower Arboretum when he was a kid (see Notes 2 comments above). This lie is also referenced in his 11 May Year 22 entry in Notes 1.

30 September Year 20 Notes 1 (JK)

A teacher hits JungKook with an attendance book when he refuses to admit that he still visits the classroom hideout, reminding him of when YoonGi was beaten. Later, JungKook stands outside the room and imagines that the others are waiting for him on the other side. He opens the door to only find HoSeok, clearing out what remains of their belongings. HoSeok walks him out, and JungKook realizes that those days are gone and will never come again.

25 February Year 21 Notes: Her (HS)

HoSeok watches himself dance in the mirror. He has danced since he was around twelve and discovered an ecstasy that came from inside himself. Outside of the mirror, HoSeok is a person who collapses everywhere and takes medicine he doesn’t need, who smiles even when he hates it and isn’t happy. But when he dances, he truly becomes himself, casting away all that weighs him down and feeling that he can become happy.

2 May Year 21 Notes: Persona (JK)

Biking along the Yangjicheon riverbank, JungKook thinks about how his friends left him one by one and that no one at home or in the world smiles at him anymore. He stops in the shadows under a bridge. Nobody comes to this kind of ruined place, and maybe that is the reason no one comes to him either. He feels most comfortable alone in the complete darkness where no one will look for him and wants the moment to never end.

9 August Year 21 Notes: Persona (SJ)

SeokJin walks along a Los Angeles beach and photographs the ocean. It has been a year since he fled Songju and moved to his mother’s family’s home, where he grew up as a child. He doesn’t photograph people anymore and didn’t bring any photos from high school with him, afraid to remember who he was at that time or to wonder about how his friends are doing and whether they still think of him.

17 December Year 21 Notes 1 (NJ)

This lengthy entry details events that transpired since the autumn of Year 20 when NamJoon’s family moved to the village, framed by moments on 17 December itself as NamJoon leaves on his own. His family chooses this village because it has a nearby hospital for his ailing father and employers who will hire someone without a high school diploma. NamJoon serves as a delivery boy for an eatery, competing for work with the other local boys. They grow a strange sense of solidarity, and he privately dubs one of them “TaeHyung,” even though the boy’s discontent, outward behavior is more akin to YoonGi’s. (Quotation marks added to the name here for clarity.) Competition slackens when snow falls in winter. NamJoon and “TaeHyung” are the only ones poor enough to risk the road up to the mountain town’s rest area when orders are phoned to the village below. On an afternoon forecast to have heavy snowfall, the restaurant owner dismisses “TaeHyung” due to his bruised face and gives the deliveries to NamJoon. The old delivery scooter fishtails on NamJoon’s third trip down the mountain, throwing him off. More anxious about the scratched scooter than his cut ankle and aching body, NamJoon finally gets it to restart and returns to the eatery. “TaeHyung,” who has been hanging around this whole time, approaches and asks for a favor. Before he can answer, NamJoon receives a call from his mother relaying that his father went outside alone and fell, requiring a trip to the hospital. NamJoon understands that his father was only trying to keep his dignity but is still frustrated because he can’t earn any more much-needed money this day. He hands “TaeHyung” the keys and leaves to take his father to the hospital.

The next day, NamJoon learns that “TaeHyung” was in a fatal accident during one of the deliveries up the mountain. The police officer blames him for being a poor driver and not wearing a helmet. NamJoon does not speak up that he has never seen the helmet the owner now has placed out on the counter. He visits the scene of the accident, thinking that the white outline on the road could be his if he was the one to make the next delivery—just as it could be his family mourning in the village instead of “TaeHyung’s” mother. On a later trip carrying his father home from the bus stop, NamJoon pretends not to hear his father’s frail voice over the noise of barking dogs. A week after that, NamJoon is making steady deliveries up the mountain. During what is ultimately his last delivery, he speaks with a stranger at the rest area, who cautions him to take care. “Do you know what’s really dangerous? Calcium chloride and wet leaves, not the snow itself,” the stranger blurts as NamJoon departs. NamJoon drives carefully back, not looking at the scene of the accident. This is not out of safety, as he tries to convince himself, but guilt: guilt for surviving, for his relief of being the one alive, for not defending “TaeHyung’s” driving skills. He also wonders if he is “a hypocrite pretending to have a guilty conscience.” Because he scattered wet leaves and sprinkled calcium chloride to prevent the road from icing over where he fell that afternoon, believing that he would be making the next delivery. If he did not do both those things, would “TaeHyung” be alive?

Mind and body numb, NamJoon makes it home from the delivery detached from the world around him. The barking dogs snap him out of the daze, and he remembers his father’s words that he pretended not to hear and dwelled on daily despite trying not to think about them: “Go, NamJoon. You must survive.” The next morning (17 December), NamJoon sneaks away to the bus stop. He is running away from his family’s misfortunes, from his own resignation to his fate, from poverty. The bus is scheduled to arrive in Songju in a few hours—the city he left with no notice and is returning to once more with the same. NamJoon wonders if his old friends still live there and how they are doing. On the frosted window, he writes with his finger: “I must survive.”

Note: The village boy’s real name is JongHun according to NamJoon’s 12 June Year 22 entry in Notes 2, which also reveals that he visited JongHun’s home to give his condolences before he left town.

1 February Year 22 Notes: 7 (SJ)

Summoned by his father without explanation, SeokJin flies back to Korea from Los Angeles. Although he has addresses in both LA and Songju, neither place feels like his home.

———————————————————

Update Log

Posted May 5, 2021

Do not repost.

[astudyinfreewill]

Dean’s Top 13 Queen Traxx (listen on Spotify)

Side A - for life until you met him

1. We Will Rock You (for the early years’ bravado)

buddy, you’re a young man, hard man / shouting in the street, gonna take on the world someday / you got blood on your face, you big disgrace / waving your banner all over the place

2. I Want To Break Free (for families that hang heavy around your neck)

but life still goes on / i can’t get used to living without, living without / living without you by my side / i don’t want to live alone, hey / god knows, got to make it on my own / so baby, can’t you see / i’ve got to break free?

3. Hammer To Fall (for when it’s you and your family against the world)

here we stand or here we fall / history won’t care at all / make the bed, light the light / Lady Mercy won’t be home tonight

4. Bohemian Rhapsody (for when you realize you don’t want to die)

mama, life had just begun / but now i’ve gone and thrown it all away / mama, ooh, didn’t mean to make you cry / if i’m not back again this time tomorrow / carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters

5. We Are The Champions (for when you go down swinging)

i’ve paid my dues time after time / i’ve done my sentence, but committed no crime / and bad mistakes, i’ve made a few / i’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face / but i’ve come through

6. Save Me (for when an angel rescues you from hell)

save me, save me, save me / don’t let me face this life alone / save me, save me, oh, save me / i’m naked and i’m far from home

Side B - for him

7. Don’t Stop Me Now (for when death can’t keep you down and it’s because of him)

i’m a shooting star, leaping through the sky like a tiger / defying the laws of gravity / i’m a racing car, passing by like lady godiva / i’m gonna go go go there’s no stopping me / burning through the sky, yeah / 200 degrees, that’s why they call me mr fahrenheit / i’m travelling at the speed of light, i wanna make a supersonic man out of you

8. Under Pressure (for when you teach him about love and learn a thing or two)

‘cause love’s such an old fashioned word / and love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night / and love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves

9. You’re My Best Friend (for when he just needs to know)

oh, you’re the best friend that i ever had / i’ve been with you such a long time / you’re my sunshine and i want you to know / that my feelings are true / i really love you

10. Love Of My Life (for when he leaves; and he leaves; and he leaves)

love of my life, you’ve hurt me / you’ve broken my heart and now you leave me / love of my life, can’t you see? / bring it back, bring it back / don’t take it away from me

11. Too Much Love Will Kill You (for when you think he deserves better than you)

i’m just the shadow of the man i used to be / and it seems like there’s no way out of this for me / i used to bring you sunshine / now all i ever do is bring you down

12. Who Wants To Live Forever (for when you lose hope)

there’s no time for us, there’s no place for us / what is this thing that builds our dreams / yet slips away from us?

13. Somebody To Love (for when you find it again)

got no feel, got no rhythm / i just keep losing my beat / i’m okay, i’m alright / i ain’t gonna face no defeat / I just gotta get out of this prison cell / one day i’m gonna be free, Lord / find me somebody to love!