#2pm writing

[shouyuus]

I know it has to be something unexpected. People see the Vi exterior (tough), but realistically, she's the softest, most loyal, loving and forgiving character in Arcane bar none. So maybe she wants to be like a kindergarten teacher? Maybe a sports therapist which ties in both of her interests? Or a chef/baker since she likes cupcakes lmao

so a bunch of ppl said engineering/architecture, which i agree with also on instinct but i like this take a lot too! but like i can also imagine vi going to school for like engineering, and then pivoting into education bc she realizes that she rly like teaching ? (not me immediately spiraling into Thots TM about tutor/TA!vi and reader who rly DID need her help in the beginning, but then started to purposefully do a little worse on her exams just to get more tutoring sessions w/ vi --)

i think it'd be interesting to have reader be in sports therapy and for vi to show such clear favoritism when she's sent to PT with the practice course students, just grinning, plopping down in ur chair like "hey again" and ur like "wait ur not on my sheet today" and she's like "oh yeah? well. the guy you were supposed to be getting wanted to swap w/ me so." "yeah? he wanted to swap?" big cheeky smirky grin "yep. now --" pulling off her tanktop over her back with one hand, flexing her shoulders, "c'mon sweetcheeks, i miss those magic fingers of yours." sldkfjdifkjsodfijs

[hiimcanadia]

I remember in high school a lot of english teachers would make us write down words that we didn't know when we were reading novels for class, but they would require at least a certain number of these words, so whenever I was reading I was forced to use some of my focus searching for words that I could believably pretend I didn't know for points.

And so now when I'm reading books for fun and I actually find a lot of words I don't know, I get a little bit annoyed. Cuz if it's this easy to find books that are actually challenging when I'm not even looking, why did teachers keep giving me books where I had to pretend that I, as a 17 year old, didn't know what "envy" or "resilient" meant.

[kategorema]

i keep seeing people say ktl never claimed to have a plot as an arguement against haters and i dont mean to alarm anybody but it's a rom-com the relationship between sa rang and won is the plot and so far it's fucking serving im sorry but people complaining about a rom-com focusing on the relationship between the protagonists just need to go watch something else

[thisisnotkitty]

Ness tending to Mike's injuries 😭

me when i steal the scene from the movie and make it securitywaiter

-so yknow when mike is like “yeah ill trade in abby for garrett (which like why did he do that lmao) and gets just like mauled by the animatronics

-anyways instead of vanessa finding him ness had actually gone in to snoop around freddy’s bc thats what he does as a conspriacy theorist

-he gets there just in time to save mike but mike’s like,, OUT so he takes him back to his apartment to fix him up

-while mike takes a while to wake up ness begins cleaning his wounds and stitching him up and there’s a brief moment when mike is nearly all cleaned up that he looks kinda peaceful(?) lying on ness’s couch and ness is like “huh” but he doesn’t quite get why his heart speeds up a bit

-as ness finishes cleaning him up he starts humming and singing gently and it kinda wakes mike up but he’s still a little out of it and can’t quite open his eyes fully so he’s just like “are you an angel?” bc he fully thought he died back there lmao

-and ness just laughs and goes “i’m fully human as far as i know. the name’s ness and i found you at freddy’s which is lucky for you bc it looked like you were in a bit of trouble there” bc he’s cheeky like that

-and mikes still a little dazed and confused from the blood loss but still he’s like “wait a minute… narrows eyes why were You at freddy’s”

-ness is just like “well you see it’s a long story” and mike just looks down at this injuries with a look that says well i’m clearly not going anywhere soon so i’ve got time

-ness starts explaining the fnaf lore while bandaging up mike and mike is trying to pay attnetion bc this is kinda imp but he can’t help but get distracted with how gentle ness is handling his arm and maybe he’s still a bit dazed but he swears this guy’s voice is a bit melodic and oh. oh.

-mike hasn’t really been in the dating scene much bc of abby so when he realizes that he might be developing a crush on this guy he’s known for a grand total of 30 minutes (and he was only awake for 10 of those) he begins to panic a bit

-uhhhh yeah. they go back to freddys and vanessa’s there and they save abby and it’s pretty much the last bit of the movie but w ness there now! (i couldn’t figure out how to end this im so sorry)

prompts, hcs, whatever random thoughts you guys have on these silly little fellas pls be sure to send them my way bc im going a Bit insane

[moderngirlbleachers]

exam at 2pm everyone pray for me

[081098]

what is it with 4th/5th gen stans being in complete denial about their groups being under established companies. sorry to tell you this but if a company can afford to debut another group after having one flop, then they're not as in the trenches as you think. might still be a small broke company but they probably have decent stakeholders or industry relations if they're staying afloat for long enough to have multiple groups

[raytm]

i am playing the wuuwaaa,,,,

[seventh-district]

Could've left me just the way you found me, but you came and put your wings around me. You went out of your way, to fix what you didn't break.

This song is so incredibly Sam & Darlin' coded and no one can tell me otherwise.

[lots of lyrical analysis below the cut] [there's also a short little fanfic blurb of them stargazing down there too (this post got really out of hand lmao)]

For those not fully caught up, note that the following commentary contains various spoilers for Sam and Darlin's stories.

Note: Unfortunately this song is gendered, using the word 'girl' several times. Which sucks a little bit for immersion purposes, not only for keeping Darlin' gender-neutral, but also because I see this song as a duet between them, and Darlin' obviously wouldn't be addressing Sam with the word 'girl' either. So! As with most songs on their playlist, we're just gonna mentally omit any gendered terms we come across.

Side note: Frustratingly, this is one of those songs that didn't really even need to gender the subject in the first place. No part of the story or message is lost without it. But alas, many songs are like that, and so the playlist-makers of the world shall continue to suffer. [/lh]

Anyways, preamble's over. It's lyric time now yay!

Sam's Part

I was a ten-year train wreck

Technically for Sam I suppose it was 13 years, but ten is close enough (and 'ten' admittedly flows a lot better in the rhythm of the song than 'thirteen' would.) Anyways, we're not here to split hairs, (I have to remind myself), we're just here to point out similarities.

In Sam's Dec. '22 HBW, he says "For the last 13 years or so I haven't had to care too much about how I look. Seemed a little redundant after turnin', considerin' I didn't wanna be around much'a anybody anyway."

I think he's mentioned or alluded to that roughly 13 year period of time more than once, but that's the one I remember best so it's the example I'm using. There's still about 4 Sam audios I've yet to listen to as of making this post, so if I'm missing some Key Lore I'll edit this later. But for now, I don't think Sam has given many specifics on exactly how bad things got during that time. Luckily, 'train wreck' is a pretty broad and subjective term, so it easily covers any degree to which he may have fallen apart during those years.

It also feels like a very 'him' way of quickly brushing over the details of his past/his hurt, as he seems to tend to do with Darlin', (not all the time ofc but it's still something I've noticed) putting his own hurt on the backburner to prioritize and attend to theirs. Even outside of his dynamic with them, I think as a healer, it's something he learned to do. And now he does it with everyone. Put on a brave face, compartmentalize things and unpack them later, etc. I could go on and on but there'll be time for that in other posts I'm sure. For now, lets get back to the song at hand.

With a last-call longneck

Due to personal reasons, I've yet to decide if I want to HC him as having used alcohol as a coping mechanism during that time. I don't recall him having mentioned alcohol much, if at all, (maybe one mention of whiskey that I don't have time to find right now) so I don't think it's necessarily canon that he did, but it's certainly possible. My personal preferences aside, I'll admit it makes for some good additional angst. (And- self-indulgently- it makes some other songs on my playlist for them more fitting.) So, for the sake of this song, let's imagine that he did.

I was searchin', I'd been hurt real bad

This one feels pretty self-explanatory given what Alexis did, (and, if you wanna get even angstier with it, whatever his family did earlier on in his life) so there isn't much commentary to add on my end.

I HC that in spite of 'not wanting to be around anybody', he- like Darlin- still had a tiny part of himself buried deep down that was, in a way, 'searching' for someone to find solace in. (No this isn't me projecting onto them both haha what are you talking about-)

Movin' on, gettin' sidetracked One step forward and five back

This is generally applicable enough that I don't feel the need to give too much of a specific example. Anyone who's recovered or is recovering from trauma knows this non-linear, back-and-forth struggle well already, and I'm sure he was no stranger to it.

If I were to give some examples though, I could point to Darlin's (and subsequently, Sam's) encounter with Alexis at the summit, or the shit that Quinn dredged up about Fredrick and threw at Sam in the interrogation room. Those are both more recent examples and I imagine these lines of the song to be coming from a place of him prior to meeting Darlin', but still, they're some instances where I'm sure he felt like the past was pulling him back in. I'm sure that there's been many throughout those 13 years that we were never witness to.

Not your fault, I was scared to fall

This line reminds me of their 'Cuddles and Confessions' audio. I don't think he ever explicitly said he was 'scared' per se, so afaik there's no specific line I can quote, but in that and every audio prior, he was obviously hesitant to admit, perhaps even to himself, that he was gradually falling for them. Even after the initial confession, there's certain limits of his (e.g. biting) that he carries for far longer, and some that I (and others) HC that he'll carry forever. So this line feels to me like him reassuring Darlin' that his reluctance isn't the fault of them, but his past.

Darlin's Part

You were the star in the pitch black Shine the way on the way back

We don't have any canon instances of them comparing Sam to a star, but I can see it being something they'd say (perhaps less poetically, but the sentiment would be there) one night while laying up on their roof watching the stars with him. Maybe they're dead-tired, talking nonsense with lidded eyes at the end of a long day, fighting sleep in favor of more time spent with him.

"What- what're you pointin' at Darlin'?"

Their hazy focus is trained on the brightest star visible in their line of sight, arm stretched out to the sky above them. "That really bright one, to the... to the left."

Sam does his best to follow their less-than-specific directions of 'to the left', their pointed finger doing little to help given the difference in perspective. Luckily, after all these years, he knows this stretch of night sky like the back of his hand, so it isn't hard to locate the brightest one. Ghosting his fingers up along their arm, he takes their hand in his and brings it back down to earth. "Okay, yeah, I see it now. What about it though?"

"That's you." They say, matter-of-factly.

"That's me?" He questions, humor in his tone.

"Mhm." They nod with finality, blinking slow.

Sam considers the odd statement for a moment before gently correcting them. "I'm uh, I'm pretty sure that's Sirius, actually."

They scoff. "I am being serious."

Sam stifles a laugh into their hair. "No- no I mean- like... what's another name for it... Oh! It's also called the Dog Star."

"C'mon Sam, at least call it the Wolf Star if you're trying to turn this around on me..."

He shakes his head and readies himself to explain further, but they cut him off before he can start. "But no- no, this one isn't about me. That's you."

He decides to play along, finding something endearing in their overtired nonsense. "Okay... then would'ja be so kind as to explain to this confused old man just how, or why that star is me?"

Their frown is audible in their voice as they latch onto the wrong part of his sentence. "You're not old, Sam. ...Do I need to tell Asher to kick the jokes down a notch?"

He smiles at their over-protectivity. "There'll be no need for that, now. Was just a joke, darlin', I promise."

They huff, but thankfully shift focus back to the prior topic. "It's... I dunno. It's just you, Sam. It's... bright. Light. Something warm, out there in the cold dark. Standing out amongst all the rest. Calling to me, stealing my attention. I... I didn't come out here looking for it, but there it is. ...There you were. In the dark. The only bright thing I'd seen in... fuck, in years. Years of chasing fleeting warmth, tripping over myself in the pitch black, falling into... places 'n people I shouldn't have. You were the light in that darkness. Even there, surrounded by the ghost of him. You outshone it. Your warmth didn't hurt. I didn't have to squint when I looked at you. You weren't the blinding sun. You were the brightest star I'd ever seen. You guided me back home."

In the back of their mind, they recall something they once heard, something about light, and time, and distance. Space. Something about... how you can see a star that's already burnt out, because it's light hasn't reached earth yet. The ghost of a star that's already died. Only still perceptible thanks to time, and distance.

They remember Sam's words, once whispered to them on this very roof.

"Whatever your choice is... I'm not gonna live forever. I made that decision a long time ago."

They think about dead stars.

They think about time.

"...-lin'? Darlin'?" Sam's calloused hand slides up their forearm, pulling them out of their thoughts. "There you are. Think I lost ya' for a minute there... you good?"

They look up at Sam, concern creasing his features, shadows cast across his face from the light of the dying stars above him.

They reach out, pulling him down into them. Burying their face into his collar, Sam's concern grows when he feels it saturate with tears. A human might struggle to hear their words, muffled against the thick fabric, but his hearing catches it just fine.

"Don't burn out too quick. Please. I still need you here. I don't- I don't wanna be left in the dark again. Please, please Sam. Don't leave me here. I'm not selfish enough to ask you for forever, but please. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet."

.......Whoopsies! Really, genuinely didn't mean to improv an entire scene there, good god. Also didn't mean to swerve hard into angst at the end but uh. that's what came out! so I'm rolling with it lmao. Aaanyways let's move on, it's getting late and this is a song analysis post, not a fic.

Out of nowhere, answered all my prayers

'Out of nowhere' reminds me of Sam's words from the same HBW video I referenced earlier. "You came into my life like a damn wreckin' ball. There was no preparing for that, clothing or otherwise." While those were Sam's words, not Darlin's, I still feel like they feel similarly to how suddenly Sam came into their life as well. (Not in a bad way, mind you!)

[the significance of 'answered all my prayers' edges into my own personal more headcanon-y/personal/OC-ified Darlin' territory, so we can just gloss over this one for the sake of at least attempting to keep this more universally applicable]

Picked up the towel that I threw in Took in a heart that was ruined

Again, largely self-explanatory I feel. (*proceeds to explain anyways*) I imagine that Darlin' was at the point of throwing in the towel, hellbent on a solo-mission to find Quinn regardless of the danger it posed to them. I doubt they were looking toward the future anymore, (to reference Sam,) fully willing to throw themself at their problems until they really did break.

The specific use of 'ruined' hits hard here, because after everything they went through with Quinn, and especially after he recounted it all to Sam in that interrogation room, I imagine that they really, truly did feel ruined.

Showed me the past ain't a tattoo Loved me even when you didn't have to

These lines in particular make me sick with emotion every time I hear this song, because I feel like they hit the nail on the head for how Darlin' feels.

I'll be here citing various quotes all night that I feel showcase that sentiment, but we don't have time for that! So instead I'm just pointing to the entirety of 'Quinn's Aftermath' video, and leaving you with this single quote from it.

"Everything that he said reflects nothin' on you, and everything on him."

Equally Applicable Lines

And I don't know why Why you saw something in me, baby But you saw right through All the pain, and you came and saved me Yeah, I know you didn't leave me lonely Weren't the one that put the heartbreak on me Picked up the pieces It wasn't the mess that you made Could've left me just the way you found me But you came and put your wings around me You went out of your way To fix what you didn't break

Again, I think these lines are all pretty self-explanatory, and are just as accurate coming from either one of them. To me, at least, their entire dynamic is that they saved each other, in their own ways.

(But I will admit, the final verses about 'going out of your way to fix what you didn't break' are definitely conjuring up memories of Sam in the early days, literally going out of his way to visit and heal Darlin' after their fight with the two vamps. In general, his continued/repeated healing of them after they once again hurt themselves is the very literal definition of fixing what he didn't break.

But! While we may have more blatant examples of Sam being 'the fixer' so to speak, I think he'd argue that Darlin' has done plenty fixing of their own. Physical wounds aren't the only things that need healing, after all.)

-------

[shameless self-promo of my Sam & Darlin' playlist for those few of u interested enough to make it to the very end of this wall of text. if u liked this then u might like some of the other songs on there soooo maybe go check it out and maybe perhaps give it a follow so i can get a little serotonin boost or dopamine or whatever the chemical is that's released when Number Go Up. ...okay that's it i hope u enjoyed my fixation-induced ramblings! thank u and goodnight]

[zippiedippievippie]

Pssst. Movie Treech's body is all alone as he doesn't get added to Reaper's morgue and he doesn't die with the others in the main arena. His body is lonely in the dark. Food for thought.

Weeping in the middle of the day on tumblr.com 😭 I fear you’re inspiring me to write a fic about ghost Treech oh no

[robynqueenofstuff]

I'M SPEAKING AT THE DIANA WYNNE JONES CONFERENCE ON SATURDAY!!!

[hiimcanadia]

... I'm gonna be honest I thought that everyone had got their "Izzy is gonna come back to life" conspiracy theories out of their system by now and I very much did not expect to go into the tags and see one that was posted only a couple days ago.... Like guys they buried him... his body is in the dirt... you can and should let go now.....

[pauls1967moustache]

honestly the greatest writing advice i could ever offer in this world is to stop writing at 11pm. it's over. don't bother. that's tomorrow's writing now.

[lilacxquartz]

any news on the sequel for the gojo geto reader fic ?❣️

it’s in the works! i’m planning to make it as detailed and as high quality as possible, so that’ll take some time. i have about 5 chapters out of a possible 20 done so far

[hypxb]

look at my words boy. pleasbe

[theinfinitedivides]

yk you've f*cked sh*t up when the regular gifmakers for this drama are so depressed they're not even making content for the beach kiss

[chesters-ocs]

naga!stone my beloved, that is all i'll say

@the-whispers-of-death >:3

wc: 1.3k

Sylvester crept over to the cave, the book bag heavy on his shoulder, but he didn't mind.

With one last glance over his shoulder, he confirmed to still be alone, and descended deeper into the cavern. He didn't need to "look", not like he could anyways, but it made hearing or smelling things easier. Or... it felt like it helped.

He had long since familiarized himself with the layout, and even with the blindfold still equipped, he traversed the rocky, overgrown area with ease. Only his cane seemed to catch on something every once in a while, but it was no cause for concern.

The palm of his hand grazes over a rock in the wall near the back of the winding tunnels, having found it after meticulously counting his steps as to not lose himself within the area. Upon pushing it, the hidden door slid open. Stepping trough, he listened as it shut behind him, before he kept walking, one hand now tracing the lovingly, painstakingly carved bookshelves.

Avoiding a few traps here and there, he simply crept onward. The floors had changed from the raw rock of the cave to tiled stone. No doubt it took years to perfect. If he could see, he'd be looking at the mosaic patterns beneath him, ones that were his downfall when he came here the first time, leading him to miss the pretty obvious trap set out.

But that was years ago now. And he found himself forgiving his host the second he beared witness to what he was: a naga. A creature so old, so rare and so beautiful, that Sylvester felt the need to bow down to him at first sight. He still did, on occasion.

So despite not even knowing the name of this stunning librarian hoarding the gift of knowledge, he found himself utterly devoted. He found himself bringing gifts and offerings in the shape of the modern era books, in exchange for the man letting him stay and study the texts. Sylvester often spent days at the table, meticulously writing down every last word, wishing to copy everything for his organization's own archive. It was grueling work but he loved it.

The subtle sound of scales brushing against the tiled flooring snapped him back to the present. Pausing mid-step, he awaited his greeting.

Just a moment later he felt the snake part of the man slither around his legs, easily trapping him in place. Though, Sylvester did not resist. If anything, he smiled, feeling the coils move upward and tighten around him, all the way up to his chest. Only his arms remained free.

"You're late," the voice rumbled, a clawed hand brushing against his cheek, slowly, carefully, sliding off the intricate blindfold from the historian's sensitive eyes, before bringing him in for a tight hug.

Even in total darkness, both could see the other clearly. A small perk of the animals they both resemble.

"I apologize, my liege," Sylvester uttered, his pupils dilated from the dark atmosphere, as he looked up at the naga. There was nothing but adoration and reverence in his gaze. Maybe the clear love for the naga also contributed to the pupil dilation.

Rolling his eyes, the half-snake half-man creature grumbled: "I don't need your apologies, I need your safety."

Right. So this was where it was going.

"Are you hurt?" the man asked, despite already knowing the answer. His magic had stitched back together Sylvester's wounds the second he passed trough the invisible perimeter of the library.

"No, no, I am not."

"... Were you hurt?"

It was now the historian's turn to roll his eyes: "Just a few nicks here and there. But you knew that."

"Just making sure," the man grunted, before his gaze fell to the book bag still on the other's shoulder.

"For me?"

"For you."

With a small glint in his eyes, the naga pulled the bag away from its holder, and pulled out two books.

"They're both architectural texts," Sylvester spoke, a hint of pride in his voice, "Got them mailed to me from my homeland."

The snake remained silent, skimming over the drawings and words, before shutting it. All it held was information about the architectural styles of the buildings in the plaza and how they changed over a millennia. Interesting, yes, but nothing the man couldn't find in his own records.

He then flipped open the other, smaller booklet and let out a pleased hum over the contents: it was a complete history from the day his kingdom rose, to the way it still proudly stands today. The latest additions were which interested him most, and he quietly noted the authors. Perhaps the next time Sylvester goes out, he'll request more from them specifically.

Snapping the book shut, he finally unraveled the smaller man from the trap of coils, who then dutifully followed after the larger, much more ancient being, almost with a skip in his step.

"It'll do," he nodded, making his way over to the new part of the cave system: the expansions Sylvester is to blame for. At least his habit of bringing back books every time he returned gave the librarian something to do with his time.

"And... By the way, you are aware that you've only been in the top layer, yes?" the snake asked, looking rather amused by the shock in the historian's eyes.

"... Pardon?" Sylvester inquired.

"This is only the first floor of the library," he elaborated, "There's another layer beneath our feet."

The historian freezes in his tracks.

Noticing the sudden stop, the creature tilts his head: "Something wrong?"

"... No," Sylvester gulped, but the word came across as unsure.

"No? Is it one floor too few, little star?"

"No, no, it's just... I've already been here for... What, five years? It'll be at least another five when I'm done with those books! If I'm done!"

"I fail to see the problem," The naga stated, searching for a spot the two new books would fit best within, analyzing each and every shelf with a critical eye.

"Do you think you can handle me for another ten years?"

"I think I'd go insane if I didn't see you for ten hours. Yes. Yes I could handle you. I want to handle you," he said with such finality, and slid the texts in a shelf he deemed fitting. He'll categorize them later, now he just wanted to pay attention to the scholar.

"I... I see," Sylvester stuttered out, "How come you didn't tell me that beforehand, my liege?"

"That's for me to know, little star," he brushed off the question. Truthfully, he had noticed how the small mortal was nearing to the end of his stay. A mere handful of books are left on the first floor for him to rewrite and mail back to his home. A week's work at best.

Perhaps it hit the naga that if he didn't show the rest of his collection, he won't see this mortal ever again. Or maybe he felt bad about withholding such ancient, precious texts instead. Perchance it was both. Or a different reason entirely. Maybe it didn't matter why he let him know.

"So... Stay? Just a little longer?" he asked, hiding the hopeful tone under heavy wraps.

Not knowing what to say in return, the mortal just nodded, letting his hand be taken by the naga, as he was led deeper into the system. He observed and noted the systems and locks put in place to protect the rest of the immortal's sanctuary. And then, when he finally saw the true expanse and scale of the area, he could only utter one word under his breath.

"Beautiful..."

It went unknown if it was meant in reference to how the candlelight illuminated his guide, painting him in a soft yellow, just dim enough for his eyes to handle, or if he was in awe of the hundreds upon thousands of books before his eyes.

"I know."

There was silent satisfaction within the snake man now. He knew in his heart this will be a decision he does not regret, as he quietly observed the other man explore the shelves with such carefulness. The naga was just glad someone understood the fragility and importance of the texts. The importance they held to him.