#Also no more schedule (I used to post them at almost one particular time for a reason but I just give up)

[sparklestarheadcanons]

✦ Main cast headcanons + rewrites: Uni

Explanation of headcanons + rewrites under cut!!

Turigirl - most based and popular Uni headcanon in fandom because it's the only true one /hj. I think this headcanon comes from how Uni was portrayed and seen as a gay (nblm) nonbinary person for a long time before being told that she's actually transfeminine (still nonbinary in cc, unsure about canon sc) and then making her queer. I still see him as somebody who's interested in men (and nonbinary), liking women only platonically!! And she can still be gay since she's a transfem agender (in my headcanon version);

Asexual - here comes my rewrite where Uni is actually uninterested in sexual acts, and only tries to look cool by acting like she is interested in that stuff! Might still be aegosexual, but I think he'd prefer to go by simple asexual;

Recipromantic - another rewrite, wah. I imagine Uni feeling platonically attached to everyone she knows, maybe queerplatonically to those who she's closer to (Carrie, perhaps Jay too?) and only forms or prefers to explore her romantic feelings when the other person openly has romantic feeling for Uni herself;

Demiromantic - your honor, I don't think this dog would experience "love at first sight";

Librafeminine/Agender - honestly I was inspired by somebody else's headcanon about preboot Uni, "I think Uni would be agender because he seems like a person that wouldn't care about gender" or something alongside these lines. And I just?? Find it so true?? No gender only swag (and femininity.);

Queerplatonic - they can still experience romantic attraction but if their loved one is aromantic, then they can be in a queerplatonic relationship with them! Also expiriences it only towards men and non-binary people (or both, or on these spectrums).

Not mentioned :

Pupgender - should I even explain. Even though it would probably be called Coggender?? Idk it feels weird to me to have your specie as your gender (humangender???) (not in a negative way, just weird, but go on Uni and Howie!!! Slay your puppiness!!).

Now I'll explain stuff in design that probably give away my main yahoo!! I gave her thick round-ish hair to reference Uni being black in human version (also because I like it when it's done with furry characters /srs). They're also matching heart patches with Carrie (this is why it's blue) :3 . And just a fang because I find it cool. Anything is here just because I find it cool lol.

I've already explained that I don't see him being in a relationship with Barry, but also Carrie too?? I get that they're close and he's just trying to protect Uni but. Something about how Uni could be FP to Carrie if he has BPD just scares me or something. Probably a personal issue, but I can see them as close friends, maybe queerplatonic partners even. But I don't think that relationship would be great considering some aspect of Carrie's personality and how Uni has to be treated like a baby by her loved ones. Just not my cup of tea-

Also Jay and Uni. No reason, just them. They might have had potential if Jay got enough screentime and wasn't basically seen as "stupid background decoration with flat personality" by some.

[accio-victuuri]

ONE NIGHT IN BEIJING & other sweets 🌃

when i first saw this song being discussed earlier, i was confused cause i don’t know what’s happening. lol. what’s with the song. i cannot trace where the screenshot is from but it says one of WYB’s favorite song is this, one night in beijing.

then a fan commented that XZ sang this in our song before ( not main performance ) and someone found a recording. did he discover the song because of that? was it on zz’s playlist at some point in the past and became his fave?

the song itself tho. very 👀👀👀

Don’t wish to ask where you have been

Don’t wish to wonder if you are ever returning

I’m thinking of your heart, I’m thinking of your face

I’m thinking of your embrace – I won’t let go, I just won’t

that’s just the first few lines and i’m here nodding my head that this fits his style of bittersweet song.

but this not even the interesting part….

Fans are thinking about how this relates to what’s been happening in the past few ways. The way we have speculated about 11/19 and WYB acting as the mystery driver again. Then him sharing a post on his weibo. One night in Beijing? Does he love that particular title cause it sometimes describes their meetings? They are often busy and one night is all they can get.

People are also pointing out the change in ZZ’s work schedule today. His LOCH sched starts early and ends in the evening or very late but the 5:30-6:00 AM call time for him is almost fixed. Yesterday, 11/22, WYB posts and we think they are together. What happens today? ZZ comes in “late” to work at 11:30 AM. So why the change? Was he spending time with Bobo? This reminds me of that time he was out of his schedule too when Bobo was sick.

A common argument from haters is how is a relationship between them possible. They are busy! Well.. this is how. since 2020, they have been meeting (allegedly) and even going to each other’s workplace ( allegedly lol repeating this to be safe ) It doesn’t matter how long, they make it work. You will always find time for the important people in your life.

Next, let’s move on to XZS post. On a Thursday. Also it perfectly coincides with their WB account reaching 10 million followers. The photos shared are behind the scenes content from ad shoots but the contrast of the photos stands out. Day & Night. The kadian they use, 14:23 loving zhan forever. Which goes to show that they do use it!

The caption gives us more insight on the choice of photos. Sun & Moon. Another symbolism that is popular with CPFs Sun/Sunshine & Moon.

“It is the perfect moment, just like when the gentle light meets the rising moon.”

I think the english translation doesn’t give that much deeper meaning that we clowns love. so we gotta take it to the next level 🙃🙃🙃

"Fuguang" and "Wangshu" are both important elements in Chinese culture. "Fuguang" comes from the works of Song poets in the Southern Dynasties, which means sunlight or sunlight."Wangshu" is a god in Chinese mythology and legend, representing the moon and can be used to describe moonlight'. The two can be combined to show that lovers support each other and move towards a bright future together.

This caption aligns to WYB posting a photo yesterday that shows the 🌙. So does this mean WYB is the Moon & ZZ is the Sun/light? I have to say that it fits with their personality ( tho Bobo is warm and ZZ has his moments of being cold too but you know what I mean, for symbolic purposes only ok. ) I am loving this imagery between them! I hope we can have more reference in the future.

I’m cackling at this tho. The progression of posts, WYB’s caption was a reminder that it’s getting colder > YBO reposts and says to wear warmer clothes > XZS posts and GG is wearing a cozy sweater 😂 As if saying that yep, he has worn warmer clothes. LOL.

and xzs and ybo are at it again, the photo ybo shared yesterday was showing wyb’s back and xzs shared something similar today as the last photo in the grid. i’m sure they have lots of photos that show his face or close ups of his body like his hand but they had to choose this as the finale.

i mean thank you, this will make it easier for us to edit them together 😂😂😂

Bonus, the “light” photos appear to form an 8 = bo. (p1) is a himalaya episode about the 8 of diamonds card forming an 8. What a coincidence!

-END.

[marchy-emmet]

The visual post to send when your friends don't believe Submas are autistic

Verrrrry much for fun, but also for education. Without further do, here's my physical graphic I worked on. :) It's much easier to explain this via funny pictures than it is to write an essay. [Yes, other people have done something similar to this -- but I wanna spice it up a bit!! Point out every single canon sign I can think of, and make a fun little graphic.]

I am also pretty passionate about the topic of autism as a whole-

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO.... LET'S BEGIN.

Adding onto this point, warden Ingo displays a wide lexicon that he hadn't previously shown in BW/BW2. If you take into account that other Hisuians [in the English version of the game] speak in almost the same way, Ingo's masking behavior becomes clearer.

This could be blamed on the abundance of dialogue he has in Legends Arceus compared to BW/BW2. But I could also see this being a masking behavior.

The implication that Ingo needs to be "proud" of his expressive tone says something in itself.

Standing in the middle of the battle may have been how the panel was drawn, but personally, I believe there's some ADHD/autism combination happenings....

NOW, AS FOR EMMET.... HE'S THE ONE THE FANDOM NOTICED MORE.

Aaaahhhh, this one is such a prominent feature that everyone noticed -- Emmet's shameless stim march.

Where is where my blog name comes from~

Don't make the mistake of portraying Emmet as rude "for the sake of it"! The behavior comes off as oblivious and clearly reads as autistic.

It's possible that Ingo does this as well -- but it's more prominent in Emmet!

He repeats this line quite a few times to passengers, as well as, "Follow the rules. Safe driving! Follow the schedule. Everybody smile! Check safety. Everything's ready! Aim for victory! All aboard!" and "I am Emmet" generally. He also may script, "What I do. What I say. Always the same."

Scripting is a vey common autistic behavior that helps us speak to others with less room for error.

AND LASTLY....

Their special interest is pretty obvious.

The two are reputable train conductors as well as the bosses of the battle subway. Ingo in particular uses regular train puns in his speech and is known to infodump about them passionately in Masters. Despite it having a reputation as a "stereotypical" special interest, it's real.

[unseededtoast]

Turtle Doves | Joel Miller

Part Twenty Four

Chapter Directory

Series Summary: In which two broken souls connect so deeply, that if one should perish, the other would surely die of a broken heart. (slow burn, timeline changes. After TLOU1, before TLOU2, assumed knowledge of infected, uses elements from both show and game)

Series Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, death, and sexual content.

Also cross posted on my Wattpad and AO3, if you prefer those formats. Here is a link to my masterlist for everything else I’ve posted.

I don't know if there's a way out of this one.

Cold wind whips around the corners of buildings right into our faces. Squinting from the harshness, I keep my sights high to try and spot any scouts. For a city that should be bustling with people belonging to this group, it's too empty. Something about this just doesn't sit right with me.

Up ahead is the first outpost building. The windows on upper floors have been busted out and I can see a sniper stand at the edge of the window. But there's nobody there.

"Joel, this doesn't feel right." My eyes are plastered on the empty outpost.

"Stay close." Is all he says before he takes the lead and enters the building. A strange tightness pulls at my chest as I follow along up the stairs.

We check each floor as we pass by and find supplies here and there but there are no people. Even this early in the morning there should be people stationed here.

Eventually we make our way up to the outpost and the sniper stand is still where I saw it. Beside it are two lawn chairs and an empty bottle. I look around, having a pretty good idea of how this group operates, for a ledger of some sort. These people love leaving behind notes and paper trails, so why wouldn't they keep one at their outposts?

While I look around, Joel peers out into the city. Our eagle-eye view is to our advantage right now and I hope he can see something, or someone, that will point us in the right direction.

I quickly find out that there's nothing worth keeping at this outpost, nor is there anything helpful. Not even a sign-in ledger. All that's left are empty sleeping bags and old wrappers. I join Joel in looking over the city, hoping to see anything helpful.

"Over there." Joel's voice is solemn and he point out into the distance. Squinting, I can see the smoke trail up into the air.

"You think they're all there?" I ask, squinting harder to try and see more but to no avail.

"Most of 'em at least. That's a big fire." Joel says and takes a step back.

"Why would they all be over there at the same time?" I ask, still feeling uneasy. Joel adjusts his bag on his shoulders.

"What's the one thing we know these men enjoy?" He asks, meeting my eyes. I wrack my brain, trying to nail down the one thing that unites this group.

I think of the letters and notes we found and the photos of gore they carelessly left behind. Their quotes of justice linger in the back of my mind and I think the answer has always been right in front of me.

"Killing." My answer is simple, but I know it's the right one. Joel nods and looks back out.

"Now we just have to be smart about this. We can't go in there while they're all there. We need to find somewhere to lay low until they all disperse." I can tell from the shift in his tone and his body language that he's in survival mode now. There's something almost predatory and dangerous in his eyes.

Joel leads us out of the outpost building into another one that's nearby. He chose this one in particular because there's only one way in and out, and there's only one window. We agree to lay low until the sun begins going down, where it'll be easier for us to lurk in the shadows.

Unfortunately, the evening comes much sooner than I am ready for. The sky has turned amber orange and with it, it seems the group has returned to their regular schedule. Joel and I saw two men enter the outpost building a while ago and they're our first targets. We agreed that we shouldn't just kill them right off the bat, they might have valuable information for us. And so, as we head out of our hiding spot, I ready my mind for what I know I must do. I do not take pride in torturing and killing people, but considering what these people have done, it becomes easier to digest.

I follow Joel's lead into the building and we quietly climb the stairs. My curved blade fits comfortably in my hands, and the stillness I'm holding it with masks my nerves well. We reach the door that will open up to the outpost and Joel stops just before opening it. He turns around to face me and we look into each other's eyes with a silent intensity. I nod to him, showing him I'm ready, and he nods sternly. He opens the door quickly, earning the attention of the outpost workers.

They're caught off guard and they scramble to reach for their guns as Joel lifts his rifle.

"Don't." Joel's voice is deep and authoritative. I take a step closer and see that both men in front of us have the letter 'T' carved into their necks. We've definitely found the right people.

But I don't study them for long, I'm quick to move and carry out the plan we meticulously thought out earlier in the day. I take one of the chairs and drag it across the room while Joel orders the men into them at gunpoint. My job is to keep an eye on the one who sits in front of me.

The man stalks towards me, a dangerous glint in his eye. He's sizing me up, probably weighing the benefits of trying to overtake me. But before he can act on his thoughts, my fingers find my gun in its holster and I raise it towards him, my knife still secure in my other hand. The man sits in the chair with faux confidence and spreads his legs as if we're about to have a casual conversation. Behind me, I can hear Joel questioning the other man.

The plan is simple, Joel questions one man about where the other outposts are and points them out on a map. Then, he questions the second one to see if their answers align. If they do, they earn a swift death. If not, they get questioned again, but under harsher circumstances, then they die a more painful death. I had never participated in something like this before, but I have a feeling Joel has, as he ran me through the details with a practiced tongue.

In front of me, the man tries to peer around my body to see what's happening to his friend. From what I can hear, the man is being uncooperative and Joel is simply trying to get him to cooperate. But the man keeps his cool composure and sits back in his seat as I step into his line of vision. He licks his lips and his eyes run over me, like a wild animal who hasn't eaten in days.

When I'm confident he won't try to make a move, I grab the cord from my bag and tie the man to the chair. His feet get tied together and his arms get secured to the armrests. The close proximity to the man makes me want to get sick, but I mask my true feelings well and wear an expression of pure confidence.

"You let me get out of here and I'll make sure you're taken care of." His voice is quiet, his words laced with false promises. I shift my stance and look into the man's eyes so that he can see how serious I am.

"You're not getting out of here alive, there's nothing you can do, or say, that will change your fate." I almost don't recognize my own voice as the words come out of my mouth. However, my words only make the man smile a twisted, sickening grin.

"We like 'em with a little bit of fight around here. Makes it all more fun." He chuckles and it makes my blood boil.

I'm forced to think of the boy in the alley and the sisters who were left mangled back in Boston. Did their murderers enjoy how they fought back? Did the murderers take joy in overpowering those children? My vision goes dark around the corners, and before I can think through what I'm doing, my body moves on its own accord. The man screams out in pain as my blade enters his thigh. He grits his teeth together and seethes in anger.

I grab the handle of my blade firmly and yank it out of the man's leg, causing him to yell out in pain again. Dark red soaks his pant leg quickly and I drag the blade covered in his blood across his cheekbone slowly. His chest heaves with each breath he takes and I make sure he can see me clearly.

"And I like it when they scream, makes it all more fun." I feel the corner of my mouth tilt up in a smirk and I step back from the man. He glares at me and spits at my feet. I'll let it slide, just this once.

"Who even are you?" He asks, trying to keep any sense of composure.

"We're here to right some wrongs." Is all I tell him. I can tell that my answer only makes him more angry.

The man behind us yells out in pain again and I can see the man in front of me lick his lips. His eyes begin darting around, trying to see a glimpse of his partner. I hear Joel threaten the man and a few seconds later, Joel joins my side. I glance down at his hands and see that his knuckles are bloody, but I can't tell if it's his blood or not.

"He try anything?" Joel's gruff voice asks me as he sizes up the bleeding man in front of us.

"Nothing that I couldn't handle." I say and raise my blade to show Joel. He only nods simply before telling me to go watch the other man.

The man who Joel just got done with has seen better days. His face is beginning to swell, his skin starting to bruise. Blood drips from his mouth and his head hangs low as he tries to catch his breath. Hearing my footsteps, he looks up at me briefly.

Joel wastes no time in questioning the other man and from the sounds, the man is putting up quite the resistance. However, he must give in quickly because Joel calls my name within a few minutes. We meet in the middle and Joel's voice is low as he explains what he learned.

"Their answers matched, they've got this whole city on lock. Replacements change shifts every hour, we won't have much time." He says and I nod.

"Then we go in and out. Search for what we can." I say with a nod and look at the tied up man behind Joel.

"We have to be very careful. Don't leave my side, do you understand?" Joel asks with a grave tone. My attention is drawn back to his face and I nod.

"I understand." I tell him.

"Good, let's get going." He says before walking to one of the men. I go to the other and raise my blade to his neck. The man begs me to let him go, but his pleas fall on deaf ears. Without much guilt, my blade slices cleanly through the man's jugular.

Joel and I go back down to the street and make our way to the next outpost. My heartbeat echoes in my ears as we sneak behind the two men on watch. They're talking about the meeting they all just attended, where three of their own members were hanged for stealing supplies. Unfortunately for them, their conversation is cut short by Joel and I. With efficiency, we take them down and are out of the building before the blood can drain from their bodies.

I check their bodies before we move on, but find nothing of value to us on them. All I see is the branding of their group embedded in their skin.

We go to the next outpost and I follow Joel as he rounds the corner. There are three men on watch, and one of them sees us before we can take them all out quietly. Before the man in front of me can turn around, I lunge forward and wrap my arm around his neck and dig my blade into his skin. The others cease movement and try to talk me down. Beside me, Joel reaches for his handgun.

"Don't even think about it." Joel tells one of the men who makes a move for his own gun. A few tense moments pass before Joel pulls the trigger, downing two of them while I kill the third.

We quickly go through their belongings, knowing the shots will have likely tipped someone off to our presence. My hands shake with adrenaline as I rummage their pockets, and both Joel and I come up empty handed once again.

"Come on we gotta go." Joel grabs my upper arm and tugs me out of the building. By now, the sun has faded behind the horizon, leaving us in the dark. Which is great for stealth, but a better advantage for people hunting us down.

In the distance I hear people running, and I'm willing to bet they're closing in on us. Before we can find out, Joel pulls me into a smaller building and we duck down. We catch our breaths and my mind races to come up with a quick plan. If we can escape a horde of infected we can escape this, I'm just not sure how.

"Shit. I shouldn't have done that." Joel angrily says.

"Hey, it doesn't matter, we just have to find a way forward." I say, trying to keep myself from panicking. Joel nods and his jaw sets firmly.

"The plan doesn't change. We just have to be cautious." He states and I don't argue with him. It's not like we have the time to debate and plan anything else right now.

The two of us stay hunkered down in this building for what feels like an hour. We stay until we don't hear any commotion outside, and then we get back to our plan. The streets have returned to their normal quietness and I feel confident that we can still pull this off.

With heightened caution, Joel and I take down two more outposts, and are now close to the center of the city. The smell of smoke still lingers in the air from the group's earlier meeting. I know that being in the center of their city is likely going to mean more people in a smaller area, but I know we can still do this if we're smart.

I follow Joel into another building and begin scoping out where the people are. I see what looks like a sleeping area, littered with old sleeping bags, but no people. Joel turns the corner and before I can react, someone is grabbing me from behind. I struggle to get out of the person's grasp, but their hold is too strong.

"Joel!" I yell out and try to throw my elbow into my captor's face, but to no avail. Instead, I'm met with deep laughter. My blood runs cold in my veins as I quickly come to terms that I've been taken by one of these men.

Joel doesn't come back from around the corner to save me.

My body fights back violently against the man's grasp but he's far too strong for me to overtake. His arms feel like they're crushing my ribs as he takes me out of this building. Outside, there's a small group of men staring me down. Some make comments about how they're going to have so much fun, the others celebrate that I've been caught. The men reach out and touch me as my captor leads me through them.

My mind races too quickly for me to focus on one singular thought. I wonder where Joel is and what happened to him. I wonder where I'm being taken and what's going to happen to me. My chest hurts with each strained breath I take. The sound of the men gets drowned out by a ringing in my ears.

My captor opens a door with his foot and I look around, seeing another group of men who look like they've been waiting for me. I get slammed down onto a metal table and get stripped of my bag and weapons. I fight back and reach one last time for one of my knives, but one of the men pushes my shoulders forcefully back. Dark spots cloud my vision as I try to catch my breath.

I'm restrained to the table, each limb tied down with what feels like zip ties. There's nothing I can do to fight back anymore, I am at their will. Fighting down the bile that rises in my throat and the tears that threaten to spill down my cheeks, I try to mask just how scared I am.

How did this go so wrong so quickly?

Am I going to die here on this table?

Did Joel get out? Is he going to come back for me?

Joel.

All thoughts cease except for the ones about Joel. I can only hope he made it out of there unscathed, and I hope he keeps his promise to me. I hope he doesn't come back and instead leaves and goes back to his family. My lower lip trembles as I think about him leaving this city and returning to his family. While I might not make it out of here, I surely hope he did.

A single tear falls from the corner of my eye and down my cheek as I come to terms with the fact I may never see Joel again. I might never be able to look into his warm, chocolate eyes again or wake up to his masculine scent, the one that makes me feel secure. Our time together may have ended, just like that, in the blink of an eye.

My chest aches from the loss of Joel, it feels like my heart itself is being constricted and suffocated. After everything we went through, this is how it ends?

It seems this also may be just another unfortunate fact of life.

My thoughts are cut short as a man leans over me, his greedy eyes taking in every detail of my body. I want to scream at him and spit in his face, but know that if I want to even have the smallest chance for an escape, I can't act on my rage.

"So you're the one who's been killing off my men." He starts and rubs his beard as if he's deep in thought. I stay silent, opting to bite the insides of my cheeks instead of saying anything.

"You will be judged for your crimes soon and sentenced to a fair punishment decided upon by my fellow Tribunals." The man speaks calmly, as if we're talking about the weather.

"In the meantime, you'll be kept here. Get comfortable, sweetheart." He says and orders the other men out of the room.

As they exit, the door gets shut, leaving me in total darkness. When I'm sure they're gone, I try to tug on my restraints to see if one is just loose enough for me to slip out of, but unfortunately they're all secured tightly.

I don't know if there's a way out of this one.

Part Twenty Five

[bxttxrflybxddie]

Dating Gray

a/n: he had one sentence in my valentine's post so I decided to do him justice! timeline purposefully left ambiguous!!

warnings: fluff, talk of crime, slight angst

pairing: graham "gray/crackle" calloway x reader

Graham is a man who's been orphaned and left to defend himself by whichever means necessary. After being in that unhealthy headspace for so long, he will happily accept any and all affection from you.

No matter your status when it comes to criminal activity, you're aware of his. It's not surprising for him to gift you a trinket of your interest occasionally. However, the more he parts with VILE the less it happens.

Even if you're a VILE operative yourself, he'll keep the unknown details of his mission to himself. He doesn't want to worry you, burden you with the particulars, or somehow change how you see him.

He likes to be goofy with you! Joke about his accent and he'll poke fun at you back. (Nothing you're seriously unconfident about, don't worry!)

Gray is touchy! He definitely knows how to work his charisma to get what he wants, but he doesn't have to pull any fake smirks with you. Indulging in physical affection is always a treat. Hand on your waist, Arm resting on your shoulder, Forehead pressed against yours, you name it.

This also introduces the fact that he loves to kiss you. So much. It doesn't matter the pace, intensity, or location. Let him place his lips on you, please! (Yes, you can make him beg for them.)

Between his work (either occupation) and your schedule, he tries his best to make time for the both of you that isn't date night. He's up pretty early, would you like to join him at the gym? Morning sunlight is peeking through the curtains, join him for a cuppa? It's almost time for bed, one more movie? You'll get to pick!

Go to one of his shows. Do it. Surprise him as he's leaving and he'll be grinning for a week.

Want to make him smile with glee? Compliment him on something other than his looks. He knows he's devilishly attractive, but it's a gift to hear how you view him besides that.

Growing up as an orphan on the streets meant that every meal wasn't promised. He appreciates you helping him stay fed! Take him on grocery trips and ask for his input. He'll stay with the flow and have no strong opinion, but it's certainly the thought that counts.

He's big on nicknames! Not too many, but they're used often. Usually the iconic "Sweetheart", "Darlin'", or "Love" but he'll also have one or two about an inside joke in your relationship.

Cuddle with him as often as possible. It's the highlight of his day. It plays into his preference for touch. It makes him feel wanted.

© BXTTXRFLYBXDDIE

[fullcoffeemoon-nem]

Second part seasons' Theory

Timeline Theory here

Second update: 06-03-24

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Hi there!

The LVL UP gave us a new trailer full of expectations, as well as a preview of Stolas and Blitz's song from Full Moon.

Here are some considerations which, admittedly, may contain annoying spoilers.

YOU ARE WARNED!

I've scaled this analysis down to share one thing in particular about a X's post.

So now is almost confirm the chronology: Full Moon set on September 29th 2023.

There was a verbal clash between Blitz and Stolas, both are right and both are right.

The way I think:

Stolas has reached the limit and, accustomed to a situation in which other people's feelings have always been clear to him, he demanded an answer. Yes or no. He had already decided how to behave because he always assumed that Blitz didn't have masks.

Blitz, on the other hand, was raised in a context of manipulation, where the only certain thing was that his name was enough. He doesn't believe in the possibility of being loved for two reasons:

1. They keep repeating that wherever he goes, he only hurts

2. He doesn't believe himself enough to be

The two reactions were therefore: Stolas "I am not enough, therefore I am abandoned" and Blitz "I am abandoned because I am not enough".

I think we need to really find out what happened to Blitz's mother to find out more, but Applogy Tour could also start to clarify this story.

The song Is magnificent!

Apology Tour may be scheduled for October 31st, Halloween. There seems to be a party, that both Verosika and Stolas attend. Blitz will have to face both and will take the hit heavily. Did he get into the hole following Stols or did he end up there by chance?

The scene where all of Stolas' memories of Blitz are broken could have two meanings:

Rejection

Remorse

Ghost Fuckers should be specifically about Millie and Blitz and delve deeper into the latter's story.

Surely, you will have seen some boards with drawings of a ghost, Millie and Moxxie hanging from a chandelier and Blitz running to save them with Loona.

Not familiar to you? I hate to admit it, but I think those boards weren't fanmad...

Mistermaind will be a real bomb:

We have already seen the Angels and Agents, but it definitely doesn't end there. Their army of bishops has yet to be mobilized. The situation is so tragic that it sees to forced I.M.P to flee or even abandon someone…

We also see some new memories from Blitz, specifically:

A scene with his mother

Cash Buzko taking him away from the crashed Fizz (Here's the “them” of Oops?)

Here or on Applogy Tour.

Finally Sinsmas, obviously set in December. Here too, an incredible load of characters: The Goetia with Vassago (Parrot Boy on X), Andrealphus, Mammon and Satan.

They are probably also in Lucifer's palace.

There were also sad leaks for this episode: Via's song and the final confrontation with her father, who seems to have taken a holiday… Is it Blitz's fault?

I need to recover and at the same time the new episode...

[jo-harrington]

Corroded Coffin Fest - Day 25 - Gareth

Summary: Gareth takes a stand.

Word Count: 996

Rating: T

Warnings/Themes: Origins, Teen angst, Growing Up, FOI references (Ronnie) but also some non-compliance to FOI (just...gonna skip the painful bits)

Check Out the Main Post for @corrodedcoffinfest here! Even if you didn’t start on Day 1, you can still join!

Tagging: @the-unforgivenn at her request.

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

No one ever doubted how much the Emersons loved their son.

Especially not Gareth himself.

Their house was practically a shrine to him.

Shit, his parents' lives were dedicated to him.

They were well-off enough that his mom stayed home to take care of him until he started school, and then only worked part-time so she wouldn't get bored.

Meanwhile his dad made sure that he was at every activity and chaperoned every field trip.

There were pictures of him on almost every available wall of the house. Ones from tee ball and cub scouts and kindergarten graduation and the first time his dad took him fishing.

They all showed a happy kid.

Of course, there were also ones where he wasn't happy. Those got tucked into albums.

Ones of him crying or throwing a tantrum.

But there was one particular picture of him at 13, looking incredibly pouty. He had a study date with his crush, Libby Nelson, and his dad had brought a camera to proudly snap a picture of them together.

He was embarrassed enough when his mom ran a comb through his hair a hundred times, and when his dad ironed his shirt for him, and when they asked if he wanted to get flowers.

"We're just working on geography homework," he whined.

But after the picture fiasco, after Libby had laughed at him and he had blamed his parents, he decided enough was enough.

He started picking his own outfits to school to wear to school. The other kids picked on him, but he never felt more at ease in his skin.

Then he started listening to the metal station on the radio, despite his mom's complaining that it was all noise. Those lyrics meant something to him.

Eventually he figured he didn't want to do piano lessons anymore, something his mom had enrolled him in.

"But you play so beautifully," she protested. "You've got a gift for music."

"Yeah well," he sniffed, "maybe I want to play the drums now."

He never thought they'd actually get him a drum set.

His parents thought it was just a phase. Rebellious teen years and all; they'd had their own experience with it. But their parents had been too hard on them. They decided to be different with Gareth. Supportive.

They got him the drums, let him set it up in the garage, put up with the endless hours of migraine-inducing drumming, and apologized to every neighbor that complained.

They played it by ear and watched as their son continued to become someone unfamiliar....until eventually that angry noise in the garage turned more controlled.

He'd play along to the radio, mimicking it.

Sang along with his favorite bands until his voice cracked and he cried.

"He's gotta find himself," Mr. Emerson told his wife, who wanted to step out into the garage to console Gareth. "It'll be ok."

It got better when he moved on to Hawkins High.

He made friends with a sophomore named Jeff. They had similar taste in music and jokes, and if it wasn't their class schedules, they'd be inseparable.

Through Jeff, Gareth met and developed maybe...definitely not...sort of a crush on a senior named Veronica Emerson Ecker. Ronnie.

She'd been nice enough, always remembered his name after Jeff introduced them, and apparently played the drums too.

Gareth was head over heels.

"We practice over at this guy Dougie's house," Jeff explained. "If you wanna come watch us practice sometime?"

"I don't think my mom would like that," Gareth dismissed disappointedly. "She doesn't like me listening to metal. I don't think she'd let me go see a band play."

Jeff hummed and then offered another option.

"Hellfire Club?" Mrs. Emerson screeched when she picked Gareth up and saw him wearing the handmade shirt with a demonic face front and center. "I thought you were joining Chess club!"

"I might have lied to you," he muttered.

The first meeting he'd attended had been a disaster--everyone at school knew who Eddie Munson was, but meeting him had been a different story--and he damn near quit.

But he didn't.

It had been fun enough and Eddie hadn't been so bad. He encouraged Gareth to give it another shot which Gareth was grateful for.

He was determined to go back next week.

If his parents let him.

He got a lecture the whole drive home, and then again once his dad got home from work.

"It's like we don't even know you anymore Gareth!" his mother sobbed at the very end.

"Maybe you don't!" He shouted. "I'm not your little guy anymore! I'm 15! I'm all grown up now."

His parents laughed but he kept going.

"I don't fit in with the other kids and I don't want to. I like metal and playing the drums and I like Dungeons and Dragons. The kids in Hellfire are really cool. Dougie...well he's kind of a jerk but he gave me a copy of The Hobbit. It's the best. A-and my friend Jeff is there and he plays in a band too.

"I think maybe that would be cool," he finished sheepishly. "Playing in a band someday."

His shoulders heaved and he watched his parents with desperate eyes, hoping they'd understand.

They had to.

His mom leaned over and whispered in his dad's ear, who simply nodded.

"Growing up is tough," Mr. Emerson said softly. "We're always gonna worry about you; we just want you to be happy, pal. So if you want to be a part of this club, we're not gonna stop you."

All three of them let out a breath of relief, and then his parents were on their feet to embrace him. His dad clapped a hand on his shoulder and his mom suffocated him with a hug.

He was about to go to the garage to play, when his mom held him at arms length and asked, "are you really sure about this Hellfire Club thing?"

"Mom!"

"Ok! Just checking!"

[utilitycaster]

Hey! Because I have seen various, various, various takes on Ashton’s actions in ep77– both on twitter (whew) and on here— and I am loving all of the different perspectives on it, I was wondering what your opinion was on the take that Ashton may have manipulated Fearne in the conversation they both had right before absorbing the shard.

Personally, I feel like it may be a bit more complicated than that, but I still don’t know.

Hey!

I think this post I made sums it up. It's not. Ashton tells Fearne precisely what they intend to do. He then does it. Fearne has the opportunity to refuse this request, or to tell the rest of Bells Hells, and she chooses not to. Yes, he compliments her and tells her that he trusts her to do the right thing when most wouldn't. Laudna asks Imogen to kill her if Delilah takes over in virtually the same exact language earlier than episode, and I don't think that's manipulative either:

Laudna to Imogen: And if anything happens and I become her little puppet, I trust you to make the right choice. (Implication this is a request for a mercy killing in the context of Delilah and Laudna's lives being inseparable; is understood as such by Imogen as demonstrated from her response and her later scene in the temple)

Ashton to Fearne: Things are going to happen, and I trust you to help me make the right decision, and I hope you trust me to help make the right decision.

The fact one is being brought up and not the other really points out that the Twitter talks out their collective ass ten times more often than they do their collective mouth; and the fact that they cannot distinguish "put Fearne in a somewhat uncomfortable position" from manipulation really points out that touching grass is not enough; they need to develop meaningful relationships with a wide variety of people in the real world.

Going along with a friend's stupid-ass decision that they encouraged you to join in and immediately regretting it is not, in fact, manipulation; it's your friend at most being kind of a dick and you exercising your agency to make your own stupid-ass decisions. It would have been wiser and nicer of Ashton to ask the party who wanted to take the shard, sure, but Fearne actively agrees with them that they should get it, and Ashton is not really defined by wisdom and being nice, and also, the above would be way more boring.

I don't want to go into this because it's a massive out-of-scope rant not limited to this particular situation, and I'd like to drag my sleep schedule back into a reasonable place tonight, but I think a lot of the more rancid discourse, whatever it may be but especially about interpersonal relationships between characters, arises for the following reasons, and I have little patience for any of them.

Thinking the only way to be a Good Person is to use 2023-approved therapy speak (and, frankly, frequently 2023 Rando on Tiktok claiming expertise who is actually a freshman psych students with no friends and a D average approved "therapy speak")

Relatedly, an all-consuming fear of any conflict, fictional, real, or otherwise, and the accompanying lack of any conflict resolution skills; this is also why they think this is manipulative, because if Fearne said no, that would be Conflict which is bad so positioning someone where conflict might be required for them to express themselves must be evil.

The genuine belief that you can only understand someone if you get everything right on the first try; either you read their mind perfectly or you have failed and are probably a manipulator or abuser for potentially leading to misunderstandings which lead to conflict which, as we see from the above point, is evil.

A refusal to admit that sometimes people are merely 1. assholes or 2. stupid. I frequently talk about opinions I cannot stand, and I almost as frequently get questions about how this opinion is problematic, and the vast majority of the time? It's not. I think it says something quite worrying, actually, that people are more comfortable and even eager to assume that a stranger is hateful or bigoted rather than merely inconsiderate or not that bright. Ashton made a poorly informed decision and made Fearne party to it. It was dumb and it wasn't really nice. That's literally it.

Anyway here's the five geek social fallacies; I recommend reading any Twitter Take(TM) and deciding how many of them they are applying to the narrative, cast, and fandom. See if you can get a full house.

(also upon re-reading this I'm pretty brusque and I promise it's not directed at you; I just genuinely think that the majority of the Twitter fandom, and certainly the loudest voices thereof, are so stupid a Detect Thoughts spell on them would fail on the basis of intelligence alone and the fact that their takes gain traction baffles and infuriates me)

[umbracirrus]

Things that Balgruuf and Elyse do as a couple (part 1) - Cute things

The first part of my collection of posts on things which Elyse and Balgruuf do as a couple! I'll be creating a masterlist after the first two are posted, and they will all use the tag '#Balyse couple stuff'! This is all sorts of cute little things that they do.

I may add to this in the future!

They will have tea in bed in the morning at least once a week, sometimes more if there are special occasions, and their schedules will be adjusted accordingly.

And speaking of their time in bed, as Elyse is more sensitive to the cold than he is, she loves cuddling up to him at night.

Balgruuf is the early riser of the two, and he could easily just lie there for a while in the morning watching her, the whole time wondering just how lucky he is to have her in his life.

Balgruuf will always take the day off for Elyse's birthday. He learns before they get together that she isn't the biggest fan of celebrating it, so he will try to do something with her, of her choosing, to fill the time and to give her something more positive to associate the day with (and this works, but it takes a few years. She really appreciates the sentiment from the first time that he does it though, especially with it falling in the middle of Whiterun's recovery from the battle that occurs there between the Empire and the Stormcloaks.)

A meal which they enjoy and will often have on the rare evening off/date nights is a rich beef and vegetable stew with some freshly baked bread (sometimes slathered in garlic butter), accompanied with either some Honningbrew Reserve or Colovian brandy (the latter of which being a particular favourite of them both, though the former they have much easier access to), followed by a warm mixed berry crostata. They will do the whole feeding each other little forkfuls of their food thing, and it will be candlelit in the privacy of their quarters.

They love to hold hands. If they can't hold hands at particular times though, if they can get close enough to each other, a fleeting touch of their fingers brushing together is just as good for them.

Balgruuf's hair is full of braids. In the evening, Elyse will carefully help him undo them and comb through his hair. If she is awake early enough, she will help him do them up too. As Elyse gets older, she starts putting her hair into a braided, tucked updo, and Balgruuf will return the favour. (Their daughter together, Aina, also does similar with her hair, and so they also have to help her with the same until she learns how to do it herself!)

They also have an almost ritual-like routine on evenings where they manage to go to bed together, helping each other with getting undressed and ready for bed. More time is spent helping Balgruuf, as his outfit is most often more intricate than hers.

Elyse takes on some of Balgruuf's burdens when she is completely settled in in Dragonsreach after they are married and is more familiar with everything that he does. She typically helps more with issues relating to the guards and security as she is out and about in the hold more often than Balgruuf is, but also works closely with Farengar. This allows for them to spend more time together and be all cute and sappy as they can handle two things at once, as opposed to him handling things one at a time.

Balgruuf will always smile when he smells lavender, as it reminds him of her.

Likewise, Elyse associates oak smells with him.

Elyse likes to wear his tunics and shirts to sleep in. She does have her own nightwear, but finds his clothes cosier.

Balgruuf loves how passionate Elyse is about alchemy when she has the opportunity to practice her hobby. He allows her to set up plant pots across Dragonsreach, mostly on their balcony and on the porch, to grow flowers for both decoration and alchemy purposes. He'll even go with her on walks outside the city walls to gather ingredients (usually with at least Lydia tagging along at a distance).

Elyse likes to buy books for Balgruuf, especially ones covering historical topics. She isn't as interested in those sorts of things herself, but she knows that he is. Sometimes she can just sit there and listen to him read aloud.

Balgruuf calls Elyse 'dear' and 'my love' a lot. Elyse calls him the same, but she much prefers to save the pet names for more private or intimate moments.

Balgruuf likes to rest his chin atop her head (she's 5'2, he's at least 5'10)

Elyse likes resting her head against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. She also likes to wrap her arms around him.

Elyse and Balgruuf take time off to go for at least one pilgrimage to High Hrothgar, to let him meet Paarthurnax. The Greybeards aren't the most pleased to learn that after the fact, but both Balgruuf and Paarthy get along well (Odahviing's word helps a lot in this, as he has met and properly spoke to Balgruuf by this point) - it makes Elyse incredibly happy (almost overwhelmingly so). That, and it gives the idiots a few weeks (mostly) alone together.

Balgruuf proposes to Elyse exactly four years to the day of their first meeting.

Their wedding falls on the day of the first winter snowfall in Whiterun of late 4E 205.

They both like sneaking out to the Bannered Mare at night to get a break from Dragonsreach. Their housecarls do not approve of this, yet they persist. Who could dare stop the Jarl and the Dragonborn, after all? Ysolda loves the money that their presence brings in so she won't rat them out.

Elyse mentions Balgruuf a lot when she meets with her closest friends in the city (most often Carlotta, Olfina, and Lydia), to the point that she gets teased about it. A stark contrast to the denial of her pining before they do get together. Elyse teases Olfina back about Jon, at the very least.

They love to steal kisses from each other when the opportunity arises.

Balgruuf makes sure that Dragonsreach always has at least some honey in its pantries for Elyse, on account of her sweet tooth. She doesn't know that he does that.

Balgruuf won't admit it, but he loves how cute she looks when something frustrates her - he just finds the way that her nose scrunches up, the curl of her lip, and the squint in her eyes endearing.

Elyse loves Balgruuf's nose and crows feet.

[idoodlestuffsometimes]

Brother's Keeper AU:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How did Caleb live so long? How can he still be here after 400 years?

A: Belos wanted him to stick around and so he made it happen. As for specifics: *shrugs* your guess is as good as mine! This is something I've preferred to leave up to the readers. I will simply confirm that he isn't hiding any goop powers or OP palisman-given magical abilities. He is, for all intents and purposes, a regular human who is somehow really, really old.

Q: If Caleb is still alive, where did Hunter come from?

A: The full story here hasn't been told yet, but you may notice Caleb is missing quite a few bones...

Q: Caleb's ears are pointed! Did Belos cut them??

A: Correct

Q: Does Caleb know about the Collector/the basilisks/Belos' plans?

A: Probably! He's been Belos' sounding board for 400 years. Access to things that could "further corrupt him" or provide him a tool for escape, however, are off limits, so there are many things, like the Collector, that he's heard about but never seen for himself.

Q: Where's Flapjack/Amity/Darius/etc?

A: This is basically a canon divergence. If you haven't seen a particular character, it's safe to assume for now that they're up to whatever they were doing in canon.

Q: I don't get it. Why is Caleb insane?

A: I suggest you reread the first few story posts, my friend! You have fallen for Belos' lies.

Q: Do you have a posting schedule? When will the next part come out?

A: There is no posting schedule. I draw (mostly but not always) traditionally in my free time, for the fun of telling a cool story, and some posts are longer than others. That means the timing of the next post depends on how long it is, how much time I have, and whether or not I'm at home with access to my scanner. Sometimes this means I post quickly. Sometimes it means you'll see me next month. Sorry about that.

Just know that if I know there's going to be an extended wait, especially one where I'm not actively working on the next drawing, I will make an announcement about it. If you haven't seen an update in a while but I also haven't said anything, it's almost definitely because I'm actively chipping away at a part of the story that's taking me longer.

Q: Why do some of the story posts have a letter after the number? Are these less important than the regular story posts? Can I skip them?

A: No, I Do Not Recommend skipping them! They are just as important as the others. They have a letter on the end because they were added later and I use letters as a way to avoid renumbering everything. If you see story posts labeled something like "3, 3A, 4", they are meant to be read the same as you would if they were "3, 4, 5".

Q: Can I make art/fic/cosplay of this au?

A: Knock yourself out! If you post it somewhere, please include credit, but otherwise I don't mind, and actually love seeing what you do with it! If it's NSFW though, please keep it in appropriate spaces with proper warnings.

Q: Wait there's fic/fanart?? Can I see?

A: If you look through the tag on my blog "BK fridge gallery" you can browse any content shared with me that I've reblogged. :) People are free not to share it with me too though, and there are some I don't reblog, especially if its gorey or suggestive, so you might be able to find a bit more elsewhere under the Brother's Keeper AU name if you look for it.

You may also notice I have a featured tag called "BK Soundtrack." That's for songs that people have suggested to go with the AU. You are welcome to browse or suggest songs of your own ;)

Q: :( I sent an ask but you didn't answer. Did you get it?

A: Probably, yes. Sometimes it takes me a few days to get to it. However, if it was theorizing about future plot points, I may actually be holding onto it with plans to answer at a more appropriate time. I like to keep many of my plans for the story close to the chest, so don't be surprised if your theory ask disappears only to show up many months later when the story has progressed to a point where I can give you a more in depth answer.

[cursedvibes]

What are your theories on Uraume and their relationships/background with Sukuna and Kenjaku?

Hmm, there are a lot and not all of them entirely coherent, but I'll try. The reveal of their Heian appearance changed a lot of my theories and so did the correction in Vol 23 that the meeting with the country leaders happened in September and not February. I guess that makes more sense with the video footage, but 2 months to meet with various presidents, sell them the existence of sorcerers and then convince them to invade Japan seems a bit short. I assume Kenjaku had already contact with some of those people, since those officials from China invited them and Cyrus Vail seems to have known Kenjaku too, but still a tight schedule for such a major event. In regards to Uraume that kinda overthrows my theory that they were already around and with Kenjaku before the curse family showed up. Well, it doesn't cancel it out, but it's also not proof anymore.

Uraume isn't a reincarnated sorcerer intended to take part in the Culling Game (not their main purpose anyway even if they eventually join), they are tied to Sukuna and his resurrection, so I wouldn't be too surprised if they were already around when Kenjaku created his vessel/Yuuji. Or even if they don't go back that far, I think they would already be around shortly before Yuuji eats the first finger to witness Sukuna's resurgence from the beginning. Even if they have already been around for a year or more, I think they did not have as much close contact with Kenjaku as right now or they would already be much more exasperated with them when we first meet them (tbf their really cunty attitude only shows up when Kenjaku is interrupting their quality Sukuna time). I'm not entirely sure if Uraume made a binding vow with Kenjaku and got turned into a cursed object like Sukuna or if they found some other method like ice to bring them through the ages. For now I'm assuming it was a binding vow with Kenjaku, but I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't the case.

Now as for their Heian appearance, we got confirmation that they weren't always a monk/nun. They might have started wearing those robes shortly before Sukuna's death, since the clothes Sukuna's mummy wears and Uraume's in current times are from the same buddhist school. However, it could also be that Tengen gave Sukuna those clothes post-mortem, which also suggest some kind of involvement of Uraume in that process. The other thing is the shaved hair and lack of pink splotch on the back of their head. I've seen some say that they gained that mark as a reference to their death, but I think they had it before and just shaved it off for some reason. Their name references plums and it would be strange if there was nothing about their appearance that suggested a connection. Their eyes I guess, but that doesn't seem that obvious to me. So if they had that spot from the beginning, it must symbolize something they initially rejected, but then embraced before their death or afterwards. It can't just be Sukuna, it must be something else. Could reference a change in their relationship, but I'm not sure.

I also often see the theory that Uraume was a servant (to Sugawara no Michizane for example) and was freed by Sukuna. I don't agree with that. Aside from Sukuna, they don't act subservient to anyone, quite the opposite. They are very prideful and look down on almost everyone around them. To gain their respect, you have to be powerful/useful and have a personal connection to them. Personal connection because they absolutely hate Gojo despite him being very powerful. They don't just bow down to anyone. If Kenjaku wasn't useful to reuniting them with Sukuna and keeping Sukuna alive and if Kenjaku themselves wasn't so annoyingly competend, they couldn't give two fucks about them.

Uraume doesn't give off the impression of someone used to living in servitude. If so, then only to one particular person and not the people around them. They might have served Sugawara at some point, since he was also a powerful sorcerer, but then they must be quite a bit older than Sukuna, since Sugawara lived until 903 and I assume Sukuna was born after the year 1000. I think Sukuna and Uraume are around the same age though. So unless Uraume hung out with the vengeful spirit Sugawara no Michizane (not entirely impossible) I don't think this works out. I'm entirely open to changing my mind though when Gege finally gives us more details about when what happened. The Heian era was quite long and "1000 years" is also very vague...

As for how Sukuna and Uraume met, I think it wasn't just Uraume begging to follow him because he's powerful, there must be something more personal there because Sukuna almost sees them as equal and allowed only them to stay with him. That's unusually trusting of him. They have a skill he needs but that can't be all, since Sukuna sees them as more than a necessity or tool. I also wouldn't be surprised if it was Sukuna who approached them first, drawn to them by the delicious smell of cooked human meat.

As for Kenjaku, I think they also only got to know them when they approached Sukuna about the binding vow. Kenjaku likely had to go through Uraume first before they were even allowed to talk to Sukuna. While Uraume might find their personality a bit grating at times, it is clear that they know what they're doing and are far more experienced than Sukuna and Uraume combined, so unfortunately associating with them is unavoidable, even if they have to take Kenjaku talking a lot of shit about both of them in the process.

I think those were all my thoughts about Uraume and their past/relationships. Since we don't know a lot about the Heian people yet it's all very tentative, but that makes me even more excited for when we finally find out more.

[karoiseka]

17) Sally

((a little late to posting since this week is also kicking my ass, but this one is very abstractly set in @nuclearanomaly 's bookshop au! I had an idea for a cross-over inside an AU, and here's how it turned out! lol))

Karo took the steps up to her apartment two at a time, pack slung across her shoulders.  She was already late, closing the store well after the scheduled time due to helping Hilda try out several of her new arrivals.  She was due a new instrument, and the latest song they were composing needed a particular sound out of the guitar. Karo had been helping Nastrond find the right sound, and the newest batch of instruments was looking promising for delivering what they wanted.  Very well worth every minute helping. 

She was, however, running late to her meetup with friends online as a result, despite messaging them earlier to let them know about her delay. It was rare enough that all of them were able to meet up and spend some time on the larger challenges in the game.  Opening the door, she almost danced through the one-room space, flitting to her computer to start turning it on, placing her pack by the door, and swinging into the kitchen to grab a drink and snack before sliding back into her computer chair, looping her headphones on.

It didn’t take long to get the game going, and the chat program running, the whole team already chatting away about their day and the things they were looking forward to in the next game update.  Karo left her mic muted as she ate her food while the loading screen greeted her before clicking her favorite and main toon.

Finally loaded in, the avatar on the screen leapt off the building, falling ever faster to the ground before suddenly shooting off into the sky, small black wings flapping.  A team invite came almost immediately after, her friends noticing she had arrived and she swapped zones via the in-game trains.  Grinning with glee, Karo set her toon to skimming the lake in flight while searching.

“You know, she’s only up once an hour because someone always finds her first,” the voice of Thancred in her headset reminded her that her “secret” hunt was not so secret due to the fact that they were all in a team and could see what zone she was in needlessly.

“Yeah, but I’m only one more tap away from the badge!”  Karo guided her toon over the water, casually dodging the various enemies on the shore while keeping an eagle-eye out for her target.  She had created a version of herself in the game, even using her full name as a character name for some reason, but if nothing else, it felt good to fly.

“Anyways, if you get in zone when I find her,  you get credit too!”  The elusive monster was a hard find, and Karo had been looking for her for weeks.  She loved to collect the badges in game, and had long since collected all the exploration and lore badges she could get her hands on, and was slowly going through the various lists of enemies to dispatch.

“That’s all well and good, but I thought we were gathering for a Task Force!”  Alisaie was definitely ready to take on the larger challenge for the evening.  One of the newest Task Force’s had a badge that required no deaths and no temp powers to be used, and it was the hardest one out to date.  They had defeated it normally several times at this point, but it was time for the challenge.

“I’ll be there in just a moment, I wanna do one more lap,” dodging another mob of land-based enemies, Karo was glad flight was a fairly fast travel power as she swung her camera to and fro, looking for the elusive enemy.  With a sigh of defeat, she angled her character up just a little to head back to the train station to join the others in the proper zone to get the evening started, when she caught a thin tall neck out of the corner of her eye.

“She’s here!  I found Sally!!” Karo squeaked, diving down to the rare spawn, hovering near her happily.  Exclamations of disbelief poured in through her headset as one by one she saw each of her friends pop into the zone before heading to her marker.  Once everyone was there, a solemn thanks was given, before a single stroke encouraged the monster to retreat beneath the waves once more, the badge popping up on several screens at once.

“Okay, now that that’s done, can we please get on with the Task Force?” Alisaie’s toon was already back into the proper zone as the rest meandered, laughing, but headed to her to buckle down and try the next challenge that awaited them.

[mugenloopdalove]

I would like to hear more about Aiko Gahana please.

Sure!! I'm actually using her in a college/town rp server that's also abo but shhh. She's an alpha she's a "townie" meaning she's not enrolled in the school but instead works within the town! I'll get to that later tho (also her art and kin wheel are under the read more as well :3)

As a fox, she found a small temple. The family running the temple instantly recognized her as not an ordinary fox but a powerful spirit, and gave her home there. She found a particular fondness for a shrine maiden that would practice music at the temple, and would frequently lay nearby while she played. Sadly, with time the maiden left the temple to get married. Aiko knew though, that once she took on her more human form, she wanted to be a musician.

Once she took on her human form, she quickly got to learning to sing and play different instruments, actually learning pretty fast and doing well for herself! She stuck to the shrine until non-humand were more widely accepted (in the lore of this rp server it took some time, despite their constant existence, for humans to be accepting of those who aren't such). Once they were, she took to a more wide variety of stages. Her traditional style mixed with more modern music almost seamlessly, and in 2008 she was scouted to be a part of a three person idol unit consisting of all animal-human hybrid idols: TailTale with the stage name Kiinee

However, the unit faced a lot of abuse from their company, and as the leader, Aiko got the worst of said abuse. Exhausting rehearsal schedules, cruel "critique," and overall deplorable treatment took a toll on the group within a year.

To make matters worse, the other idols not just in TailTale all because jealous of Aiko's popularity and took it out on them constantly. The other talents of TailTale, a cat yokai with the stage name "Masu" and a rabbit girl with the stage name "U-chan" both began spreading rumors within the production company, and no one bothered to question them. Aiko was isolated with no true friends in the company, and this on top of everything else would prove horrible for their mental health.

Her outbursts and meltdowns were at first just limited to in private or at most during a practice, where she would cry if scolded to much. But since no one within her company cared to help and only watched her break judgementally, things only got worse. Her once cheerful social media posts turned bitter, depressing, or even cryptic, and they'd lash out at fans or security during public events or just start crying. Gossip articles were pretty fast at picking up on this. Once again this extra weight only made things harder for Aiko and she broke even more.

Finally, at the start of a concert, a group of rowdy "fans" of TailTale began hurling insults just as the group walked on stage. This left Aiko stunned, and she finally crumpled in stage in a meltdown. The concert was ended and "Kiinee" was never heard from again. TailTale continued as a duo and now, most people wouldn't be able to recognize the name Kiinee and even if they did, talking about her was seen as taboo in fan circles. Her company was also great at erasing any evidence of her, and within 3 years Kiinee was completely gone.

Aiko spent some time hidden away, only going out heavily disguised when needed, living off savings until she began to run low on funds and realized that she needed to. Not be so isolated.

She fully changed her appearance and moved into the fictional city in Japan that the RP takes place in, where she's opened a music shop that sells all kinds of music, as well as instruments and merch. Her hope is for her shop to become a place for music lovers everywhere.

(art by my bestie @/probablydinosaurs :3)

[outrunningthedark]

While we're still on the subject on Timothy shifting focus to LS, I kinda remember seeing people complaining/mentioning that OG fans have been asking for a baseball episode but LS got them first instead. Not to mention LS's gay wedding proposal using a few notable elements of Buddie's legal guardian reveal. Not to mention LS having Bi rep first when people have been asking for Bi!Buck or Bi!Eddie, regardless of the can of worms I just opened.

I really don't want to be that person with "the grass is greener on the other side" mindset and I'm afraid you answering this will start a discourse on your back, but doesn't it feel like Timothy takes either what works on OG or what OG fans want and applies them on LS instead to boost the latter while keeping OG... what it is?

(I'm not worried about the discourse. People get mad very easily when they misinterpret the meaning behind a post and don't ask for clarification.)

Yes to the baseball episode! The Eddie fans in particular have been pushing for it due to Ryan's love of the game/his role in Everybody Wants Some!!, but LS got it because...idk. It looked "cuter" for Carlos to root against his own people for TK? It was an opportunity to revisit Owen's anger issues? The proposal scene...boy. What makes it extra hard to digest is that Tim worked with Bob Goodman (as in, his name is in the credits) the same way he admittedly worked with Kristen to create the hospital scene. It's pretty easy to see, in my opinion, how Tim took something from a year ago and went "What would that scene have sounded like if they were actually together?" and applied it to the canon gay couple. If Buddie were canon when that convo took place, it wouldn't have *just* been about Christopher. It would have been about Eddie not wanting to waste another moment without Buck now that he came close for a second time (just like the Tarlos proposal happened after TK & Owen talked about living in the moment because "that's all any of us have").

The sudden bi rep...you gotta laugh, almost. OG fandom is so caught up in its own feelings that not having a canonically bi Buck or Eddie meant Tim was allergic to bisexuality. Except...no, He's not. He just didn't want to make either of THOSE characters bi. He (yet again) took something from OG and found a way to make it juuuust a bit different. OG has lesbians. LS has bi and trans rep. "A little something for everyone", as they say. There's also the way that a concerted effort is made to keep Grace and Judd connected despite their schedules, whereas OG fandom has to make excuses like "It makes sense that Madney can go more than one episode without interaction when they work different hours." Judd...literally drove to the dispatch center to check on his pregnant wife. Grace...talks to her husband while he's trying to perform a rescue. Even Sierra previously said that she believed Tim knew better than to have Judd MIA for Charlie's birth 'cause he'd get grief from the fans, but OG fan base's opinion was irrelevant when deciding to write Chimney out with no explanation? That's how it is now? Following the 911verse has basically become a game of "If you don't like the way OG did something, just wait to see it end up on LS." Maybe being too predictable is a bad thing in this case considering LS can't keep up ratings-wise. But don't fret! The Big Gay Wedding that fans actually get to enjoy will help. 🤪 (In all seriousness, I do hope the numbers are good that week, but the effort given to Tarlos vs. the long established lesbian couple in 5x18...what exactly was I supposed to be praising Kristen for? Not making the blink-and-you-miss-it ceremony about a couple of hets?)

[too-destiny-panda]

Wyllvember Day 5: Wyll and your Dnd party/ First Sword

A/N: Jeez, I seem to post these later and later each day. But, as long as I post them, I'm happy. This time around I meshed my current DnD party from a capmpaign I'm in with the world of Faerun, which also made this particular fic far longer than I wanted it to, but hopefully it will still be satisfactory. As always, credits to @sagscrib and @commander-yinello

When he was cast out from Baldur’s Gate by his own father, Wyll’s world crumbled before him. He knew he did the right thing and did not regret making that pact to save his home. But he also knew his father was not to blame. No matter how angry or sad he was that the Grand Duke didn’t believe him, he knew that he only worked with the information he was given, and since Mizora magically tied his tongue, none of that information painted his son in a good light. And so, since he didn’t have enough evidence to act as a father, not with a devil right there, he acted as a leader instead.

In truth, the past few weeks have been a challenge to say the least. Even if his father did his best to assimilate him with the common folk as well as the nobles, and young Wyll himself never turned his nose up at the Lower city, or even Rivington, he still spent the majority of his life withing the city walls, and that made the fact he couldn’t come back there in the foreseeable future all the more obvious as he stumbled through the wilderness with barely anything more than the clothes on his back.

That was almost two months ago. Since then, he had taken jobs as an adventurer, each successfully completed as well as a quarry or two that Mizora had him chase down. His reputation was slowly growing, and although he was still only known as a capable and honourable adventurer, he was sure that eventually he would be known enough to perhaps change his father’s mind.

On a cloudless night, he found himself in a tavern, nursing a beer as he ate dinner, waiting for the right time of night to go hunt some monster or other. He supressed a yawn. He could never get used to the nocturnal ones, no matter how hard he tried to adjust his sleep schedule in preparation. Sure, hunting something at midnight wasn’t so bad, but having to stay awake for nights on end, tracking, investigating, and readying himself was a bit much for him. He wondered how he managed to stay at parties until the wee hours of the morning back in the Gate. Maybe it was the company? Who knows. At least he wasn’t alone for this particular monster.

He glanced around the table at his temporary companions. He had stumbled upon the troupe barely two weeks prior as they were fighting against a sizeable group of kuo’toa. Though the creatures themselves aren’t particularly dangerous, there is strength in numbers, and this particular group seemed to be ailed by some kind of affliction, judging by how careful the group was in avoiding their claws and teeth. He drew his blade, a sword his father had given him on his birthday, and was just about to jump into the fray, when in one final push, the rest of the fishmen were defeated, either scorched, sliced or slashed, some even sporting remnants of vines, while others were afflicted with necrosis so vile, he avoided looking at them for too long.

When the group noticed him, some were quick to draw their blades. Or, in this case, a staff as well. The imposing glare of the ebony skinned sorcerer, his eyes set aflame as he demanded answers on the who the what and the where. Once it was established he meant them no harm and that he was heading in the same direction as them, the cleric invited him to join their party, if only temporarily. He didn’t know why she offered, most likely out of pity, but he was grateful for the company, nonetheless. It was a rather odd band of adventurers, none of them seeming to fit with each other, the only one with some semblance of amicability towards all of them was the rogue, and even then, he sometimes seemed at loss over the money hungry paladin or the oddly lawful sorcerer. The cleric was a nice enough woman, though maybe a bit socially awkward. He had learned that despite her orders penchant for healing, she much preferred incapacitating her foes before they did enough damage to warrant her using her divine magic. The druid was… haunted, for a lack of a better word. She would twitch, her eyes looking into the distance as if she was looking at something no one else could see, sometimes even whispered denials to herself under her breath. The crown of thorns she wore added to her eerie aura. A band of oddities all around.

He gazed at his sword as it stood beside his chair in regret, the blade chipped and slightly cracked. He had been careless. In a passing scuffle with some bandits, he had recklessly swung the blade, not being attentive to his opponent’s movements and clashed the blade right on top the enemy’s shield, damaging the blade beyond what was likely repairable. The only thing he had of his father with him other than the blood coursing in his veins, and he ruined it without purpose.

It held a special place in his heart, having been given to him as his first real sword. It was too heavy and big for him then, but he grew into it and became adept at wielding it. He had spent hours practising by himself even after his lessons had ended, eager for the day when he would be able to manoeuvre the blade with barely any difficulty, if only to see the proud look in his father’s eyes and a firm nod of praise. With this sword, he had won his first duel, posed for his first portrait, slain his first monster, and most importantly, defeated the cultists threatening to destroy his home.

A he turned away, unable to look at the consequences of his brashness any longer, his attention immediately snapped back to the weapon as a soft glow emanated from it and an armoured glove retreated from where it laid on top of the hilt. He looked up at the cleric, her half-orc, half human features looking back at his with enough insight and understanding to almost make him cower.

“There. Should be as good as new but try to avoid breaking it anytime soon. Who knows how often you’ll stumble upon a worthwhile weaponsmith out here.”, she advised.

After a prolonged moment of silence as she regarded him with wise eyes, she added, “You should get some rest. The monster is likely to put more pressure on you as the youngest, so we’re going to need you alert and rested.” Her tone didn't leave room for retorts or arguments, and as the dragonkin paladin complained about the ‘squishy kid’ getting special treatment and how the half-orc ‘couldn’t keep her hobbit motherly instinct in check’, he knew that he was in good hands.

And as his eyes grew heavy with sleep, he was glad to have met the group, not even dreaming he would unknowingly pass by them, their infected, still bodies aboard an alien nautiloid, vacant minds peacefully awaiting transformation in their respective pods.

[lea-andres]

This almost wound up in an unwitting person's asks, but I decided last second this probably stands better as its own post.

This isn't set off by anyone in particular, not even the person I almost yeeted this rant at unprompted. So I'm not mad at any one individual person, just at the fandom as a whole tbh.

It's no secret I love me a good villain redemption arc. A villain having some sort of moment that makes them want to switch sides and stop being so horrible, and all of the emotional hardships that follow as they struggle both to obtain the forgiveness and trust of the heroes they used to fight so bitterly with but also to find it in themselves to forgive themselves? And those moments of tension where something goes wrong and they slip up and some people point at them and go "See? They haven't changed, they can never change." And the anger, hurt, and feelings of betrayal that follow?

Ooh, that's the good shit. I'm a sucker for it. I've obviously got my thoughts on how it'd go for the Hooligans if we really REALLY wanted to focus on the emotional hardships of a full blown redemption arc (TL;DR: Bark has the easiest time with the transition from bad to good, Bean has "Harley's Holiday" style troubles where he's just a little too weird for the average person to stomach despite his best efforts to be good and nice, and Fang has the hardest time and hits the level I like to call "barely housetrained" where he's still a nasty piece of shit and barely anyone trusts him but at least he's not actively evil anymore? Yay?), but we're not getting into that again today.

No what we're getting into today is how SOME OF YOU like to just skip all the meat and potatoes and jump STRAIGHT TO THE END AND ONLY GO "LOOK AT HOW SOFT AND UWU THIS VILLAIN IS NOW!"

"How did we get here?" I ask eagerly, craving that sweet, sweet content.

"IDK, LOL" comes the response, followed by more soft fluff.

It makes me want to chew my hands off.

Even if you don't really want to focus on that part, even if you're not confident you could tell that story as well as someone else could, you should at least HAVE AN IDEA! You can begin with the end in mind, that's fine, but we need something connecting point A to point B! Even if it's just an awkward rambley SparkNotes summary! I'm crazy enough that It's better than nothing!

I'll spare you guys the same ship rant AGAIN, but some of the ships floating around here have the same problem. Yeah yeah, soft domestic bliss, you can set up Sonic characters on a dartboard, get two at random, and draw them sweetly canoodling. BUT HOW DID WE GET HERE???

Some of you skip over the real good part to get to the point you think is the good part and it drives me fucking bonkers. It's about the journey, not the destination, or something. IDK.

Alright, I'm done for now probably, back to our regularly scheduled bullshit. 😎✌️