#And then of course this bleeds into things like performative activism

[sege-h]

The kids are not only not alright but theyre just downright stupid rn

[avocad1s]

Note: This has been in my drafts for a while, so while I’m finishing Part Seven, I’ll post this.

Character Included: Zhongli, Venti, Ei, Tsaritsa, Xiao, Ganyu, Diluc, Ningguang, Childe, Scaramouche, Dottore

This is long so everyone else is utc! :>

As the Creator, suitors will seek to win your attention. Your inherent beauty is unparalleled, many could only imagine to be graced with your physical or verbal affections. So when word gets out that you want to be with someone romantically, everyone will jump at the opportunity.

If you pick one of the ARCHONS, no one in Teyvat would be surprised. It was obvious you valued them the most out of everyone in Teyvat, they had the strongest connection to you.

If you pick is Zhongli, that is when his identity as the former Geo Archon is officially revealed. Many were surprised to see that their Archon never died, and others questioned why he wanted to take a mortal form in the first place. However none of those things mattered when he was the one you held dear.

Liyue as a whole held a ton of pride it was their Archon you wanted to be with. That means you’ll want to stay in their nation permanently, no? For Zhongli, this is a moment he has waited millennia’s for. He always knew he was your most devoted, everything he’s done was for the betterment of Teyvat and you. When it comes to your relationship, He will do anything to make you happy. If it’s as small as getting you your own Serenitea Pot? Consider it done. If it’s something as major as becoming the Geo Archon again? He’ll do it in a heartbeat.

As much as he cares for you, Zhongli knows that you still have matters to attend to in the other nations. He would be glad to go with you if you wanted but he also has no problem staying in Liyue until you return. He’s waited this long and now that he has you, being apart for a little bit won’t hurt (at least that’s what he tells himself after you’re gone for two weeks).

-

Considered to be the weakest of the seven, Venti is ecstatic that he is the one you want to be with. He has a carefree and playful nature that bleeds into his nation naturally, but even if he doesn’t show his devotion as strongly as Zhongli, it’s still present.

He enjoys doing any activity with you, do you enjoy wine? Well let him take you to Diluc’s Tavern for the best wine you can drink. Naturally he always offers to pay, but unknown to you he’ll just put it on his never ending tab. (not that anyone would ever charge you for anything, you’re their God!). Do you enjoy his singing? He’s absolutely flattered! Let him sing you all the songs he knows, and eventually you’ll two will be able to perform duets of the songs you enjoy the most.

Just like in Liyue, Venti’s true identity will be revealed once your relationship is announced. Mondstadt will be overjoyed, not only has Lord Barbatos returned but he has secured the love of the Creator themselves. You should do expect lots of songs made about you two. You both will be a symbol of love in the nation of Freedom. Not only that, Mondstadt will plan many festivals throughout the year dedicated to the two of you. (Perhaps even a marriage?)

Just like his nation, Venti values freedom above all else. He would never want to hold you back from doing anything you love, so if you wish to visit other nations he has no problem with it. Of course there will be times he’d want to go with you, especially if the nation you’re going to is having some event in your name but Mondstadt is his home and that’s where he likes to stay. Don’t worry though, he will always be waiting for your return and he will have more songs to sing and stories to recite while you both relax in Windrise.

-

This could go one of two ways with Ei.

If you choose her during the vision hunt decree, it would solidify in her head that what she’s doing is right and that even her Creator supports it. She would be way more harsh in pursuing her view of eternity, the fight with the rebellious army would end quickly once the Shogun joins the battlefield. Now they aren’t just disrespecting her, they are disrespecting you. She will not allow that.

The citizens of Teyvat would be conflicted. Should they get rid of their visions? Do you not like them? Maybe you’ll show them they same value if they didn’t have them anymore. It would certainly be a mess for you to clean.

Also in this scenario leaving Inazuma would be… difficult. Ei doesn’t understand why you want to leave, what can those nations offer you that she can’t. She’s doing this all for you and her sister, can’t you see that?

Now if you choose her after the Traveler’s involvement in Inazuma, she would be different. Now she’s trying to find another way to pursue eternity and having you there to support and help her definitely makes her feel better about the situation. She wants to have a better relationship with her nation but she doesn’t know how to go about that, but everyone adores you so being with you should help! At least she hopes.

On the rare occasion she decides to walk around Inazuma city she would be happy if you go with her. She can be a bit awkward at times since she doesn’t believe she should indulge herself but if you tell her she can have all the dango and dango milk she desires she’ll come around to the idea. Especially if you’re indulging with her.

-

“Oh… You’re picking the Tsaritsa? Oh no! There’s no problem with that, you can pick whoever you like Your Grace.”

That is a line you’d hear all the time after announcing your affections for the ice queen. Not many people can think of Snezhnaya without thinking of the Fatui and all of the… things they’ve done in each nation.

Although to the rest of the world, the groups motives are unknown it must be something you support if you harbor affection for the founder of the Fatui, right?

No matter, even if people would have their objections to the union, no one would dare say anything. The Fatui’s power would only grow stronger, many would believe that going against them now means that they go against you. (They might even use that to their advantage)

The Tsaritsa cares deeply for you. As if you are a flame, her cold persona melts immediately when she’s in the presence of you. She’d do absolutely anything for you, and I mean anything. She’s already forsaken her relationships with her fellow Archons so if you make any requests about your distaste of other nations she will waste no time taking care of it.

Unlike the other Archons, she’s is open to killing for you, even if she doesn’t do it herself, she has a lot of powerful people who can take care of it for her.

When it comes to you leaving the nation, she’ll be reluctant. Snezhnaya has everything you need, why would you want to go anywhere else? Are you cold? She can easily get you some warmer clothes or warm you up herself. She’ll come up with any excuse to keep you to here. Don’t get it wrong though, she still has lots of respect for you and your word is still law. If you stay stubborn about leaving the snowy nation, she’ll give up and let you leave. But she will always have an eye on you so don’t worry :)

-

If you pick one of the ADEPTI Liyue feels honored, you may not have feelings for their Archon but the Adepti are the next best thing, right? The rest of Teyvat are a bit confused, what’s so special about these illuminated beasts that caught your attention?

The tactful Ganyu is conflicted if she can only pick one of her two lives. Humanity or the Adepti. Is she capable of doing both? She’ll try her hardest, her contract with Rex Lapis and her position as the secretary to the Liyue Qixing makes her schedule impossibly full. However she will always make time for you.

You mean everything to her, when she fought in the Archon War by Rex Lapis’ side it was for you. Being with you is a dream come true, it was something she always fantasized about. Although she never thought she’d actually catch your eye.

Anytime you’re in Liyue she’ll attach herself to your side catering to your every need. For once she doesn’t mind putting off her work if it means she can spend more time with you. She’ll take you to best places to eat in Liyue, bring you to drink tea with the rest of the Adepti, and if you wish to watch her spar with the Conquerors Of Demons. Well don’t blame her is she shows off a bit.

Once your stay in Liyue comes to an end, Ganyu will drown herself in her work. She has so much catching up to do and even though she regrets it now, she knows she’ll do it again once you come back to her.

-

Oh Xiao… he believes he doesn’t deserves the value you give him. As much as he cares and loves you, he came to terms that he’d only watch you from afar. He will protect Liyue for you so you can enjoy the greatest things this world has to offer. So why? He wants to ask. All of the blood he has shed over the centuries, how can you feel this way about him?

It’s obvious that Xiao has a good amount of self- depreciation, he feels as if he has to push everyone he cares about away. All of his fellow Yaksha has fallen and Xiao doesn’t want to drag anyone down with him.

Yet staying away from you is hard for him, when all you want is to be with him how can he refuse a request from his God? He fears that getting to close to you would makes his worst nightmare come true, but eating Almond Tofu with you won’t hurt anything… and maybe looking at the stars on top of Wangshuu Inn?

You are a double edged sword for Xiao, being with you makes him fear you may get hurt. However when you two are apart, he feels his karmic debt downing him.

But if you don’t show affections for him until after his time in the Chasm with Yelan and the others, he would be drastically different. He now realizes that his life, like everyone else’s, has meaning. He doesn’t have to push the ones he cares for away and he doesn’t have to constantly sacrifice himself for others.

In this instance Xiao would try way harder when it comes to being with you, he doesn’t know much about relationships or any type of customs that comes with it, but he will try for you. He doesn’t want to disappoint.

-

So it’s not the Archons nor the Adepti you desire? Well that’s completely fine! There are many other influential people that live in Teyvat. Some might even call them the LEADERS of the nation they reside in. Or maybe they are just very dependable and have gained everyone’s trust and respect.

Oh so it’s Master Diluc that you desire? Well no one in Mondstadt can blame you. He is the most desired bachelor in the nation of freedom after all. Although many are disappointed that they won’t have a chance with the tavern owner anymore, they also can’t help but feel a bit relieved that it’s you he’s with.

And my oh my, Diluc is just as surprised that you want him too, but it’s a welcome surprise. After his father died and his relationship with his brother became… strained you were all he had left. He would pray to you daily about his wine business, his tavern, or even his secret identity as the Darknight Hero.

Once you descend, his devotion to you becomes stronger.

He doesn’t trust the Knights with your safety, we all know he believes they are incompetent so once you step into Mondstadt, expect Diluc to basically be glued to your side. You want anything from the shops? Let him buy it! He has more than enough Mora to buy anything you desire. Do you want some wine? Please allow him to escort you to Dawn Winery for the finest wine he has.

Speaking of Dawn Winery, Diluc would prefer if you’d stay there. The Fatui bought out the nicest inn Mondstadt has to offer, and even though they explicitly stated they had no problem with their Crestor staying there, Diluc doesn’t want you to. He has a big issue with the Fatui and as long as you are in Mondstadt, they have no chance getting near you.

Diluc doesn’t mind when you depart Mondstadt, he knows how busy you are and he has important work to get done himself. Unless you are leaving for Snezhnaya, he will try to convince you to go somewhere else. If that doesn’t work, he will worry constantly worry about your safety in the claws of the Fatui. His prayers to you would increase until you’re back in his arms again.

-

There is no such thing as a secret in Liyue, so when you show affections Ningguang. Everyone in Liyue will find out fast. Not much is known about Ningguang and all of the things she does for Liyue, people will scramble to catch even a spec of knowledge that falls from the Jade Chamber.

But one thing everyone knows about the woman is how much she loves you. Before you descended, her daily routine would consist of praying to you as soon as she wakes, working, and praying again before she lays to rest. When Liyue throws celebrations in your name, she would give you the most lavish offerings. Not one person in Teyvat would be able to match anything she gives you.

Anytime you’re in Liyue she will force insist that you stay in her home. Have you seen a better place in Teyvat? She doubts it! Don’t forget about the amazing view she has up there too. Ningguang will also handle all of the expenses for anything you desire, she’s arguably the richest woman in Teyvat there is not one thing you’d want that would be out of her budget. If her God wants it, you will have it

She’d treat you to the most luxurious meals you will ever have, making sure everything is adjusted to your tastes. Even if the spices you like don’t originate from Liyue, she will send people to go get whatever you need. All that matters to her is to see you happy.

-

Erm, Your Grace? The one you desire is a FATUI HARBINGER? You should stay away from the likes of them. They have no good intentions, all they do is exploit innocent people and gain power over the other nations. The Fatui has no respect for…

There are only four things Childe cares for, his family, the Tsaritsa, fighting, and you. As he grew up, his family told him how amazing you were and all he dreamed about was meeting you face to face, and when he became a Fatui Harbinger he knew that would be possible.

However he got more than he would’ve ever imagined. He got to call you his.

Childe has no issue killing anyone for you, if anyone goes against you, he will take care of it.

Unlike anyone before, Childe will want to go everywhere with you, he’s already a Harbinger so he’s used to traveling to all of the nations and not only that, he has the money to go anywhere too (thank Pantalone for that smh)

He will rub this in the faces of his comrades, he’s the youngest Harbinger, the lowest ranked but he still managed to snag your attention? Yeah, they’re not living this down.

When it’s just the two of you though he’s soft, he’d love for you to meet his family. They mean so much to him just like you do, to have you all in the same room would make him so happy.

-

Where should I start with the Balladeer? He‘s a puppet and doesn’t have a heart, but these feeling he has for you is strong.

At first he tries to push you away, his… mother cares so much for you and as he tries to distance himself from her, he thought that meant he had to hate you. But he couldn’t…

As he tried to find meaning within himself, everyone kept telling him to turn to you. Even his own friend that tragically died had told him that your divine light would guide him in the right direction. He didn’t want to listen.

Once he had joined the Fatui he figured he wouldn’t hear about you again, but oh boy was he wrong. He hadn’t met anyone more devoted to you than this group, everything they do is for you. All of the killing, exploiting, experimenting, and lying was done in your name and honor.

Scaramouche needed something to latch on to, his mother thought he was useless, and unbeknownst to him at the time, his attachment to the Fatui was a complete lie.

He will try to be useful in any way he can. The Fatui wouldn’t matter to him anymore, getting his hands on the Electro Gnosis doesn’t matter, all that matters is what you want.

With you around, he finally has something to fill his heart with, he will do anything and everything not to upset you. The last thing he wants is for you to throw him away like everyone else.

-

So it’s the Doctor that you want? Can’t say that I blame you…

On the surface, it would seem that Dottore doesn’t worship you. He won’t deny your existence if asked but if he’s asked if he worships you, he’s closed off about it.

Even in his days in the Akademiya he would always pray to you for luck before his studies or exams (not that he needed it). When he was interested in ancient machines and wanted to know more, he would pray to you for a breakthrough to prove to the Akademiya scholars and sages that this is what they should be studying. However he was chased out before that could happen.

He didn’t blame you for it, in fact, leaving Sumeru had given him a better opportunity, the Fatui. They actually funded any experiment he desired, whether it was about the ancient machines, the Archons, or the secrets of Teyvat, he would know it all.

However once you arrived, you took all his attention.

It’s not that he wanted to experiment on your per say, it’s just… he wanted to know more about you! You’re the God of Gods, you have power people on Teyvat could only imagine having. Being able to take a closer look at you would mean everything.

Once the two of you become close, Sumeru are the first to regret it, the one you favor is someone they had thrown out of their nation not just once, but twice. They feel absolutely foolish.

Since you’re a God, Dottore definitely believes your have greater intelligence than the God of Wisdom herself and he would love to “poke at your brain” if you allow him, he would ask you questions about wherever you were before coming to Teyvat and how Teyvat was many centuries ago.

If this is before his time in Sumeru and creating his own God, he would still have his Segments from previous times in his life. Yeah… they’re all devoted to you too. So if you like Dottore, that means them too right?

I think it’s clear that he and his Segments do not get along, they’d all be fighting for your attention lmao (obviously he wins all the time) but if Dottore is too busy with his Harbinger duties he doesn’t mind if you want to spend time with them. It’s better than you running to someone else for attention.

Note: I am also working on a masterlist atm so that should be out once part seven comes out! 🫡

© avocad1s please do not plagiarize or post to any other website

[vroomvroomwee]

Aziraphale's vest

I'd like to take a second and talk about his vest because I think it's a really good metaphor for Aziraphale's internal feelings.

At first glance it's obvious the vest is quite old. Really old in fact if you note the way it's practically disintegrating.

And it got me thinking a bit. The way the white practically bleeds from the edges of the neck, shoulders and buttons, going further and further, one day if he's persistent enough to wear it, it might even take over the entire vest. You could say that that, somehow, mirrors Heavens influence over Aziraphale. Slowly, slowly, biding their time, until it has completely ridden him of any colour. Until it has completely washed him of his identity, of his originality, of his character.

Take a look at his clothing when he's up in Heaven.

Completely and utterly white. Every piece of clothing he's wearing is pure and untarnished white. Upon entering Heaven, against his own accord, it has stripped him of his uniqueness, of anything that might distinguish him from any other angel who blindly follows orders and who's sole purpose is to do Heavens bidding.

Now, he could miracle the white patches on the vest away easily. But he doesn't want to.

The thing is. He likes the imperfect. He likes partaking in human activities and pleasures, like food, music, etc. Likes to indulge himself in earthly things Heaven would label as sinful or "sullying." And as someone who bas been on the receiving end of Heavens ridicule and passive aggression for millenia, as someone who for centuries has been told that he's underperforming and needs to do better, as someone who is all too aware of his own impurity by the standards an angel should hold and of the quite frankly unholy behaviour in performing immoral temptations and directly going against Heavens orders no more than a few times throughout the eras, it's no wonder he finds comfort in the imperfect.

He keeps the deteriorating edges because they are a perfect representation of his own internal feelings and image. After all, there's no rule that says he can't. And a big kudos to the costume department, for the patches perfectly encapsulate his religious trauma. Without it, he would probably be a very different person. He wouldn't be the same Aziraphale we know and love. The same way he likes being old-fashioned with his clothes and how that is a part of who he is, his trauma is a part of him as well, along with Heavens influence that has shaped him into who he is today, whether he likes it or not.

Every part of the vest illustrates Aziraphale's character and internal feelings, which brings me to another point I want to draw attention to, and that is the BACK of the vest.

It's DARK. And I don't think I'm mistaken when I say that most of us didn't expect it to look like that from behind. We all just assumed that it would be the same beige colour as the front, which is in tune with the rest of his attire. After all, seeing him wearing a dozen different outfits all throughout history, all of them some shade of white, it was the logical conclusion.

But no.

It's not white. It's a dark, slightly viridian or a dark blue colour. "Dark blue suggests a more mysterious depth or ominous quality. Power and authority: Dark blue signifies power and responsibility. "

Not what we would have expected that colour at all. Similarly to how one wouldn't expect an angel to perform temptations or be gluttonous, or envious, or slothful, or hedonistic. Not at first glance anyway.

Not unless you look carefully.

Not unless you know him.

The coat almost acts like a cover. The light over the dark. Almost as if it's trying to hide something. The only times we see Aziraphale not wearing the coat is in his bookshop. Which is logical, of course. You wouldn't wear a coat indoors, obviously. Except he DOES. He wears the coat when he and Crowley are drunk, he wears it when he's reading Agnes Nutter, he wears it when Gabriel and Sandalphon pop in, he wears it when he's talking to the Metatron, he wears it when he's listening to Shostakovich, he even wears it at the Ritz where it would be custom to take off your coat while dining. And it's worth noting that during the events happening (at least in the first season), the season is summer. Which would make it quite ridiculous to be wearing so many layers everywhere you go and therefore risk boiling. But he still wears the coat.

The only times he doesn't wear it is in the first episode after the sushi, when he's all ALONE, and in season 2 at the bookshop when Crowley comes back and in 1941.

And there's something oh so personal about that.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the darker part is specifically the back of the vest. There's always been this natural human instinct to protect yourself by never ever turning your back on a foe. And I don't think this is a conscious effort on Aziraphale's part, but rather genius writing, directing and costume design, and anyone who's watched and read Good Omens knows that almost nothing is coincidental.

Note this is probably the first time Aziraphale has called Crowley his friend, seeing how uncertain and doubtful he was to even say the word in this scene and how quick he was to deny their friendship in the Shakespeare scene. And the camera immediately cuts from Crowley to Aziraphale, who is turned away, whose back is turned to Crowley oh so casually without a care in the world. Just before he calls him his friend. His back is turned, and so is the dark part of his vest.

The dark part he only shows in his bookshop, when he's alone and there's no one there. The part that he now only shows to Crowley as well. Crowley who knows him so well and who's been with him through everything. "I won't tell anyone if you won't." And "you said trust me""and you did". Just this small motion of Aziraphale depicts exactly how much trust he has in Crowley not only that he'll keep him safe and protected but to accept him just as he is, to not judge him, to not demean him for his imperfections as an angel. Practically mirroring Crowley's self-protection mechanism that is reflected in his motions to hide his eyes with his sunglasses (there's a wonderful meta on this by @simply-brightly-zee here )

And it might just be clothing, or it might just be genius symbolism, but note how self-aware Aziraphale is of his looks when Gabriel pops up.

The desire to impress is almost unconscious in this scene, and how does he go about doing it? By making sure he looks presentable. Presentable, despite the white patches and the vest that is falling apart, he doesn't even realise it. Therefore, it's clear Aziraphale puts thought into his clothes, whether consciously or unconsciously.

I personally dont think any of this (the coat, the patches, the way he turns his back, when, where and around who he's most comfortable) is a deliberate and intentional act on Aziraphales part but rather creative brilliance from the directors and producers. So him being shown to expose the back of the vest only in scenes with Crowley (and the one in s2 infront of an amnesiac Gabriel with the intelligence and awareness of a squirrel) is a master move on the costume department's part. The symbolusm being so small and imperceptible, but holding so much meaning. This small metaphor shows how much Aziraphale trusts Crowley and how comfortable he is around him. Crowley who knows about Aziraphale's transgressions, sins, unholy behaviours, lack of interest and dedication to his job, and overall "incompetence" as Aziraphale might put it and how he's "just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing". Crowley, who will accept him and love him no matter what. Not despite those things, but because of those things.

They have found their "own side".

Edit: Not that important, but I just want to mention how, despite being tattered and falling apart, the vest is still in perfectly good condition. No matter the white seeping in and draining its colour, the vest doesn't have a single seam torn, not a button lost, perfect as the day it was bought. No matter what it's been put through, it's still kicking, whether by miracle or sheer willpower. Very much like the person wearing it.

[sad-endings-suck]

Mizu’s Period

I’m getting kind of sick of the weirdly agreed upon headcanon within the fandom that stipulates Mizu simply must not menstruate very much if at all, solely because Mizu is often injured, possesses a slender build as well as an athletic lifestyle, and in many ways is androgynous in appearance (but that last point is always unspoken ofc).

There also seems to be an odd obsession with using fanon theories that are not directly disproved nor proved in the canon, such as “Mizu never eats enough” as evidence for the Mizu’s Uterus Is Not Like Other Girls Reproductive Organs™️ headcanon, that presumes Mizu is just so special she’ll bleed from everywhere except her pussy.

Like… is it perfectly possible that Mizu does not often get her period due to her extremely active and dangerous lifestyle? Yes, of course! Does Mizu’s slender and athletic frame make this seem like more of a possibility? It could, but her physique in of itself is not “evidence” per say, especially since Mizu’s body looked exactly the same when she was living a much easier and more comfortable lifestyle on the farm with Mikio, and they clearly had plenty of food. Mizu also wasn’t training intensely if at all for the 8-12 months she was married to Mikio. Yet her build remained the same. So it’s perfectly probable that Mizu’s physique is most greatly impacted by her genetics and thus not greatly affected by physical activity.

And for everyone that’s about to shout “but women athletes that compete at the highest levels often loose their periods for a while!” yes absolutely, some of them do. They also work out for 2-6+ hours a day six to seven days a week, use treadmills, bench press, and eat ridiculously curated diets that specifically target certain macronutrients and involve carefully curated portions that must be eaten at the right times on the right days. The fuck makes you think Mizu is doing all that?? My girl inhales whatever food is put in front of her as long as she has good reason to believe it is safe (i.e not poisoned). Do you really think modern day Olympic power lifters, track and field runners, artistic gymnasts and rhythmic gymnasts are all slurping down full servings of soba or dumbplings just whenever? Fuck no. Also, the current top women athletes in the world from the aforementioned Olympic sports I just mentioned, all have vastly different body types. As well as extremely different dietary needs, training routines, workouts, and just plain genetics that would have naturally given them certain bodies regardless of sport.

as evidenced by the above photos of various female olympic athletes: power lifter (top left), track and field runner (top right), artistic gymnast (bottom left), and rhythmic gymnast (bottom right).

Mizu is not a power lifter, or a sprinter, or an archer, or anything of the sort. Mizu does not train to be incredible at one thing, nor does she base what she eats or how she trains on when she will be preforming at a specific event (such as Olympians do). She is a swordsman, a blacksmith, and an all around athletic person that needs to stay in a state of constant readiness for any physical activity. Such as climbing, swimming, horseback riding, using acrobatic techniques, performing martial arts, working on a farm, and so much more. All of which is presented as such in canon. Not to mention Mizu lives as a lower-class individual in Japan during the 1600s. What ever gave you the idea that she was dieting and training like a modern athlete? Mizu is not a sportsman, she’s a killer.

So can we just stop, please? Plenty of people menstruate. Its perfectly normal and natural. And as someone who has been at a much lower weight at different points in my life with less than desirable health conditions (to say the least), menstruation does not magically halt just because you (stranger on the internet) thinks it “logically” should under such circumstances. That’s not how it works. Bodies are weird, and everyone’s body works a bit differently. And if Mizu actually was as sick and muscular and thin as everyone seems to have headcanoned her as, then how the fuck is she mopping everyone she fights? If Mizu is “so active and low weight that she can’t be getting her period” then how do you explain the fact that she is able to preform at peak physical level while being so active? Make it make sense.

And for the love of god, please stop acting like menstruation is “special” or “other” or “weird”. It’s not. Get educated, and get over yourself.

[batchilla]

Chapter Two - four years later.

Gold digging bitch is perhaps one of the kinder titles Gotham's pack of vultures had seen fit to bestow upon you. Jason had told you the truth of course, but the story cooked up by the bats had been different. The resurrected  son of the prince of Gotham couldn’t just have a divorce in privacy, and you had needed to put on a show for the Black Mask, so a more exciting version of events was created. 

The story went that you’d caught Jason in bed with another woman. He’d insisted on being the bad guy, knowing that he’d be better equipped to put the scandal behind him than you. However it hadn’t completely protected you. Publicly, the story was that you’d made it out of the divorce like a bandit thanks to a good lawyer and a series of compromising photos of Jason and his fictional lover.

 Reality was that Jason had insisted you keep the apartment, the car, virtually all of your shared assets, reasoning it was Bruce’s money, and that he’d be well provided for, himself only taking some valuable art and collectibles to seem like there had been any sort of fight, and the rings, the only sentimental request he had made.

 He ranted and raved about how you had total custody, and yet still managed to bleed him dry with child support, bemoaning the unfairness and your cruelty to all who would listen, playing the role of the bitter ex in a oscars worthy performance, which the press devoured like the pack of jackals they were. 

Behind closed doors, he had initially offered nearly double the amount before you talked him down. 

It hadn’t been pretty, even if you understood his reasons, even if he’d tried to make it easier for you however he could, it had still hurt. You were still angry. But when all was said and all was done, Mary came first. Her safety and happiness were all that mattered, and eventually you came to terms with the fact that Mary being safe was ultimately synonymous with Jason being gone from your lives. Except that wasn’t quite right; the problem wasn’t Jason, but Red Hood… and you weren’t sure one existed without the other.

You had stayed in touch with the Wayne's as a whole - there was no need to deprive them all of Mary, nor Mary of her extended family, so long as it was done carefully, normally in the form of sleepovers at Wayne manor, carefully scheduled to be done when Jason was elsewhere, and any signs of the families more exciting nightly activity hidden away to preserve her ignorance.

 It had taken him two years, but eventually, he came home. No. You remind yourself, no, not home, not his home, not anymore. He had come to your apartment, bearing gifts, a hopeful smile, and word that the Black Mask was dead.  

For two whole years since the Black mask had been killed - since Jason had killed him, he’d largely stayed away. Telling him he still needed to, because even with The Black Mask dead, someone else could step into his place at any time had been the hardest thing you’d ever had to do, short of watching his coffin be lowered into the ground. Jason staying away had hurt, but not nearly as much as when he didn’t. Days of absence didn’t hurt nearly as much as days like this, when the Red Hood landed on your balcony. 

You can’t see his face, but you know him. You know exactly the expression that’s under his mask, the smile that fills your heart with longing and anger all at once, sheepish, yet somehow cocky. He taps on the window, and you snap out of it, turning away to shut the bedroom door, snipping the lock to deter your precocious seven year old before you open the window, letting him in. “What's wrong?” you ask. You can’t manage small talk. Not with him. You’d do something stupid, like admit you missed him. 

Because he was right, as much as it hurt. You missed him so much in the beginning it was hard to breathe, though it had dulled to a throbbing ache. You’d always love him, but the fact was… your baby is safer the further away you stay from each other. The Black Mask may be dealt with - but it could easily happen again, worse than the last time. 

“Think I hit my head…” he says, all but falling into your arms as you help him to the bed, to the bed you’d shared oh so long ago. He takes off his helmet, his gaze piercing your soul, those too green eyes seeming to see into your heart. “Hey pretty girl.” He whispers, as though the mere sight of you took his breath out of his lungs - if he wasn’t concussed, he’d probably insist you did, if you brought it up - not that you would, because it would hurt, and it wouldn’t change anything. “How bad is it?” You ask, trying to assess the damage, turning his head in your hands to check if there were cuts, an egg, any indication of how bad it was to your limited medical understanding. “I’ve been worse.” He says, leaning into your hands. “Honestly I think I’ll probably be fine, but dizziness and nausea and grappling across Gotham seemed … blagh.” “How eloquent.” You tease. “I suppose you best stay the night, in that case.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“How eloquent.” You tease. “I suppose you best stay the night, in that case.”

This isn’t Jason’s proudest moment. Nor were any of the other times he’d done this. He was hurt, genuinely. But he could have called for backup, instead of using it as an excuse to see his two favourite people, but well… he couldn’t keep away. He’d killed Roman two years ago. To his surprise, Bruce had hardly even protested. He was, in all honesty hurt, given the exception had not been made for him, but it also reassured him to know that if anyone came for his baby all bets were off. As they damn well ought to be.

“You're so good to me, darlin.” He’s laying it on thick, perhaps too thick, and with any luck you’ll blame his concussion. He should back off a little, just in case. “I’ll make it up to ya.” He whispers, resting his hand on top of yours, keeping your hand cupped to his face, if only for a moment more. You smile then, something that sends his heart into double time. “Rest up, I’lll call the cave, let them know you're safe… Just…” You stand, moving to the lesser used bedside table - his old one. You toss a pair of his sweatpants and a hoodie onto the bed next to him, kept there for just his occasion. Mary was only seven after all, too young to grasp the weight of her fathers secret, to carry the burden.  

“In the morning, prepare to be a climbing gym for the world's most excited first grader… she missed you.”

Jason’s stomach backflips, and not due to his nausea. It hurt. Fuck, did it hurt to know he’d hurt his little angel. It almost hurt as much as that first visit, two years ago now.

“Well.” Jason starts removing his Red Hood gear and pulling on the sweatpants. “I suppose there are worse ways to wake up. How… How is the little Cherub?” He moves to start undoing the body armour on his torso, but in his slightly dazed state he can’t quite manage the straps and buckles. “ ‘d you mind…” he gestures his chin to the problem, and you nod, moving to undo them for him as you answer the question. 

“She’s doing well. Still practically worships the green arrow.” Jason grumbles, half a laugh and half a groan. “I blame you for that angel.” Your hands falter in their work, a small sad smile on your face. “I confess I … encouraged it. Call it post divorce pettiness.” You say with a quiet chuckle, before continuing. “She’s doing so well at school - she inherited your love of reading, I think.” Jason grins, leaning back on his elbows to give you better access to the various attachments, and you suspect a better view as they come off, but you're in no mood to call him out on it, not now. Partially because you prefer talking about Mary then the mess the two of you made, and partially because well… Jason was quite the view. He was covered in scars, bruises and scrapes, all earned in battle for Gotham, and for the greater good. Not to mention, the training for said work had him built like a fucking adonis. “That's my little girl.” He says proudly. “In more ways than one… she can be a little menace when she wants to be… I worry about Uncle Damian’s influence.” you say, only half joking. “Next time you're at the manor, please remind him that swordplay lessons are not an appropriate bonding activity for our seven year old?” Jason laughs, and nods, now shirtless. The only thing left on his torso is a leather braided cord which holds two rings - one of which had once adorned your finger, the other his. You knew he’d kept them, of course. They’d been the only thing he put up any semblance of a fight for… but you had no idea that he’d done this, kept them literally close to his heart all these years. You have to glance away as he pulls  the hoodie over his head, or you might just tear up. “Don’t worry, pretty girl, I’ll talk to him.” he promises, clearly amused by his adopted brothers somewhat chaotic and warped views of what was appropriate for a seven year old. You feel your heart stop and start at the same time, the nickname stirring feelings that for Mary’s sake, you cannot allow to be stirred. You open your mouth, but then you look at him, bruised and tired and his mind not firing on all cylinders, and decide it can wait till morning. Jason moves to wrap an arm around you, but you push him off. “Right. I best make that phone call. You get to the couch… Do you want anything? Food, water, some - wait can you take pain killers?” Jason shakes his head “No, not with a potential concussion… but the first two sound great. Thank you.” You can’t cook, without risking waking up Mary, so a packet of goldfish, a granola bar and a glass of water will have to suffice, and you drag yourself back to bed, the urge to walk back into the living room and invite your former husband to join you slowly increasing in strength and pull every minute of the rest of your sleepless night. There was a lot to be said… but it could wait till dawn; you’d put it off for four years, you could refrain from completely breaking his heart a few hours more.

[lushthemagicdragon]

OK OMFD pals. I come to you now with a brief queer history lesson, that absolutely has nothing at all to do with Izzy Hands, I mean...

So in the 1960s, Susan Sontag wrote an essay on Camp as an aesthetic sensibility. Beforehand, camp had been this mode of expression that, while not purely invented by or strictly unique to queer folks, had become (much like polari) something of a secret language between queers. In many ways, camp was performed as a survival mechanism, a way of reclaiming insults and derision. If the general population was going to call gay men fairies and pouffes, then turn lemons into lemonade. Live that fabulously and make fun of the weaponizers in the process.

This is an extremely brief and oversimplified explanation of early camp, but what's important is that after Sontag, this was fashionable and exciting, and the straights all knew about it now.

As this discourse developed, in the 70s and 80s (with some bleed in either direction) we saw huge boom of masculinist queers, exemplified by the leather community. A lot of these masculinists were also, in some ways, assimilationists. A lot of these masculinists (though of course not all) started to reject camp and chafe at camp being seen as synonymous with queer expression because they were Manly Men and wanted to be taken seriously, not seen as effeminate weaklings. They felt that camp was setting them back.

Which is of course hugely ironic given that Leather Culture are EXTREMELY camp, as it is masculinity to such a performative extreme that calls into question so many normative ideas but I GUESS SURE, whatever. (Not all leather queers were anti camp to be clear but there's overlap)

So the assimilationist masculinists thought that being associated with camp hurt their cause at being taken seriously. And actively tried to make camp a thing of the past not to be taken seriously. But here's the thing about camp...Camp is all about flourishing in the margins and undercutting the overly serious. Camp takes not being taken seriously very seriously. The assimilationists would not have a platform to stand on if camp hadn't helped keep the heart beating. Camp kept us alive. Camp kept us loving ourselves when the world wanted otherwise.

Camp is funny, glamorous, overtly silly, playful, ironic with a razor sharp edge, and camp loves so deeply.

And so anyway, Izzy Hands the serious masculinist finding the open arms of camp waiting for him in his time of need?? I'll just be over here crying about how well David Jenkins knows his history.

[rock-and-roll-hell]

December 22, 1977

Alive II Tour

The Spectrum - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

From a local review: "KIϟϟ does not need songs to be an exciting stage act. The foursome, which is ranked at the top of the rock pile, has blazed a path in the musical world with its outlandish garb and hard-driving rock music. It's set records which put it in a league with the Beatles as far as audience appeal is concerned. Last night was another example of the group's drawing power. It sold out the Spectrum - a claimed attendance of 15,500 persons - many weeks in advance of the performance. And the performance itself... the music was passable, but the staging and the theatrics were the equal to any legitimate stage production. KIϟϟ has admitted in the past that its music is not its strongest point. The four have become competent musicians during the long years they have spent touring and playing together but they are far from being super musicians. The draw of KIϟϟ is its features four average musicians who are above-average actors. Not only actors but technicians in the art of generating a crowd magnetism. Last night's staging for the group's concert fell somewhere between the futuristic and the fantastic. The group played from a multi-level stage. It opened with guitarists Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley and bassist Gene Simons standing on platforms above the stage level. Drummer Peter Criss was on a platform of his own which remained more or less on one level throughout the show but even the drummer's platform was rigged for some exciting activity. As the band started to play, the upper platforms of the guitarists and bass player began to move toward stage level through their hydraulic systems and the stage simultaneously was layered with fog, blazed by a multitude of lights and was resounding with the after-shocks of planned stage explosions. The chrome and glass stage never ceased to be a marvel with its intricate lighting and design. A snake, coiled around a pole, would alternately spew fog and fire over the stage. Sections of the stage would rise 10-feet-or-more above its base to accentuate a band member's solo. Guitars exploded, lights flashed, confetti rained from above, blood flowed... there never was a point during the concert when the audience even could think of being bored. If anything, it was more like a three-ring circus and if you did not watch the show closely, you stood the chance of missing one of its more subtle nuances, although subtlety was a rarity. If the staging, pyrotechnics and related stage business does not sound flashy enough, you still have to take into consideration the costuming of the group. The members never have been pictured out of makeup. On stage, Criss is a whiskered feline; Simmons is a lizard with a long snaking tongue; Frehley is a surrealistic spaceman, and Stanley, the on-stage group leader, is the star-eyed sex symbol with an exposed hairy chest. They all dress in black, with silver accents, and wear platformed shoes of nose-bleed proportions. During the course of the show, all of the group members, with the exception of Criss, took the band's helm for solo vocals. If it seems that this review is giving the music second-billing to the show, it is because the music was secondary to the show. KIϟϟ will continue to draw astronomical numbers to its concerts as long as it, too remembers, music is not its primary message -- the show's the thing" (Bucks Co. Courier Times, 12/23/77).

[trumanshcw]

WEST COAST LOVE / 16. superposition.

isn't it an irony? / the things that inspire me / they make me bleed / so profusely ( "superposition" - daniel caeser )

SYNOPSIS: after 2 years of being MIA in the industry, y/n is forced back into the spotlight by her label. any ill feelings while hastily preparing for her new album start to disappear as her label gets the idol she'd been admiring, natty, to feature on a song.

WORD COUNT: 1.4k

WARNINGS: self-deprecation. reader kinda spirals for a bit. mention of a past panic attack. reader is not doing so good mentally.

PREV | MASTERLIST | NEXT

you don't mean to be dramatic, but you think you could die right now. it probably would be for the best, and at least you would be happy after the fact.

you're currently sitting in the chair in front of your home studio (the leather is actively peeling, you've been telling yourself that you need to get a new one for a while now) and natty is sitting next to you on a stool that cannot be comfortable.

you're stuck. you don't know what you were expecting, really. maybe some part deep down inside of you tried to convince yourself that you asking for natty's number was infact not an impulsive decision and maybe a genuine attempt at working on this album, but you know the truth.

maybe you can trick your fans into thinking you're something great, smart even, but you can't trick yourself. this entire ordeal was selfish, selfish of the company for forcing you to work on music long before you were ready, and selfish of you for having natty on the album as a way to finally talk to her.

you do like her as an artist, of course. maybe if you weren't the type of person to put fancams of her performing "nobody knows" on in the background while you were working on something else (which wasn't a lie as much as yunjin and giselle makes it out to be, by the way. some people use hour long deep dives into franchises or internet drama to focus on work, some use true crime podcasts, and you just happened to use videos of natty performing, or singing, or, hell, sometimes her just talking. hey, everybody is different), you would've gotten her on the album solely because of her artistry. "sugarcoat" was a hit for a reason, after all.

as minutes that feel like an eternity pass by, you can feel whatever calm demeanor you tried putting up slowly crumble away as a feeling of dread pools into your stomach.

natty has been actively contributing ideas, whether it be simple phrases or full on lyrics, and jotting them down on a spare notebook you had lying around. shamelessly, you've been nodding on everything she had brought up so far. natty could probably say the most ridiculous thing ever heard and you would still say 'yes, natty, that sounds great,' like it wasn't your album you were working on.

anyways, the fact of the matter is that you have contributed nothing. the person who you invited to feature on this nonexistent song has more of a vision and an idea for it than you could ever possibly imagined yourself. it's so embarrassing that your responses to her pitches are gradually getting more minimal as your wish for the floor to just swallow you like quicksand grows.

what were you even famous for, anyways? your debut was a hit, sure, but you didn't write it, nor produce it like you did with your last album. you didn't tamper with lyrics until your first comeback, which earned you a spot dead last on the writing credits for "save room for us". you never bothered with checking the sales of your releases because your CEO usually told you how your albums were doing commercially, which usually boiled down to "it's doing pretty good" or "it's doing less than we were expecting, but that's okay."

you bite your bottom lip. maybe you let the success for your debut get to your head, and convinced yourself you were a real artist. you convinced yourself that you could write, that you could produce, that you could compose, that you knew what you were doing.

if you were a real artist, you would've gotten over how lonely promoting by yourself felt. if you were a real artist, you would gotten used to having articles of the stupidest rumors still circulating ever since you debuted because the company doesn't see it as a genuine priority to take them down. if you were a real artist, you wouldn't have needed to go on a 2 year hiatus all over a small panic attack you had after a festival performance instead of sucking it up and moving on.

but you aren't. everyone that you worked with who let you to continue to tell yourself besides the fact was trying to set yourself up for failure. hate comments from random people on the internet still stung like a knife wound. wouldn't you have been able to deal with the hardships this job guaranteed you by now? why couldn't you just grit your teeth and roll with the punches already?

"y/n?"

your head practically snaps towards natty, who now has a hand on your shoulder. you absentmindedly hummed in response.

"you're like…" natty points at one of her eyes with her free hand. you reach up to your own eyes to find tears getting dabbed onto your fingers.

it takes a second for what's happening to set in until you feel yourself come back to reality. you wipe the tears away as nonchalantly as you could, "oh—" with a choked laugh thrown in to hopefully build away the tension. "sorry about that."

natty looks confused, concerned even, her hand is still on your shoulder. "what are you apologizing for? y/n you were crying, are you okay?"

"yeah, yeah. it's just—" you can feel whatever you planned to say die in your throat. practically tongue-tied. do you really want to burden natty with your issues? how would you even lie to make yourself look like you weren't about to break down crying?

"stress," you decide on, which isn't really a complete lie but it isn't the full truth either, "i'm just stressed about this whole thing, and sorta got into my head about it. two years out of the public eye and i'm suddenly working on music again, i'm just— another awkward laugh, "—a bit out of it. sorry."

natty nods thoughtfully and silently thinks to herself before responding. you're becoming more increasingly aware of her hand still being on your shoulder.

"no, i understand. i'm not gonna tell you how to feel because i'm not you, but i don’t think you should be apologizing," she finally says, "when do you have to turn this into the company?"

you think back to the meeting you had not long ago with the staff members standing around the room and sitting at the center table, your CEO with a prepared powerpoint presentation on increasing public interest surrounding you even when you've been on hiatus, and your manager who was probably more angry at PRISM than you were at the time. you remember specifically your CEO saying they weren't going to give you a specific deadline (practically using it as a way to make it seem more "fair" and "easy" for you since the news was so sudden, like he wasn't the reason this entire thing started), just wanting to have it sooner rather than later.

"they said i don't have to give it to them by a certain date, it just has to atleast be this year," you respond. natty nods again. her other hand slides up your arm and rests on your other shoulder.

"well, then you don't have to have this done now. you can take all of the time that you need, especially since there isn't a strict deadline," natty reasons, "it's still early into the year, y'know? just because you don't have it now, doesn't mean it can't come later. you're an extremely talented writer and a hiatus won't change that."

natty looks down briefly before looking back up into your eyes, "if it—this is just a suggestion, really—but if you think it'll help, i can be there every step of the way during this, even for songs that isn't this one," she swallows before clearing her throat, "again, it's just a random suggestion. i don't want to force you to do anything, especially when you're already this stressed, but just think of it like moral support. if you want that, of course."

you take some time to process her words (you can see natty growing slightly more nervous, possibly thinking she overstepped a boundary of some kind) before nodding.

a small, but warm, smile breaks out on her face as she suddenly leans over to give you a (what could be considered a bit awkward to most) hug and you don't freak out as you reciprocate it because you are y/n, the soloist who debuted with the hit song "mmmh" which gave a breath of fresh air into the mature scene of kpop, officially branding yourself to the public as one of the most attractive idols in the industry. attractive idols in the industry don't freak out when another attractive idol in the industry, who practically fought tooth and nail to get where she is now, gives them a hug after telling them everything will work out in the end.

a bit breathlessly now, you mutter out an "okay."

A/N: reader's mentioned debut song is "mmmh" by kai and the other song mentioned is "save room for us" by tinashe. slowly building up a discography here but also not really LOL

[doll-elvis]

Why did Elvis not have full sex with a lot of women he dated

some of y’all’s questions never fail to make my mouth drop- but thank you for the ask!! 😃

I actually do think this is an interesting subject although a little awkward to discuss so I just wanna say a disclaimer:

I obviously didn’t know Elvis in real life, I’m not a psychologist, and only Elvis knows why he did the things he did, all we can do is speculate based on the sources that we have

so based on what I have read I think the reason he often preferred foreplay as opposed to penetrative s*x had to do with both his physical body and his religious/southern/conservative upbringing

According to Lamar Fike “He didn’t like penetration that much because he was uncircumcised, and sometimes intercourse tore his foreskin and he’d bleed”

Marty Lacker also commented “Elvis was a little ashamed of being uncircumcised. Maybe he thought it was old-fashioned or kind of country. He mentioned once that s*x was a little painful sometimes because the foreskin tore”

Elvis was born at home and Gladys and Vernon, like many parents, couldn’t afford to have the procedure done. For some reason there is a stigma against uncircumcised men in the U.S and I often see it being associated with uncleanliness (which is probably why Elvis showed Joyce Bova how he cleaned it, iykyk🤧) However for Elvis I think he also saw it as a mark of his impoverished upbringing like Marty Lacker suggested and reportedly Elvis referred to little Elvis as a “hillbilly pecker”

And in the later years I understand that the prescription medication often made Elvis impotent, also I’m sure he just suffered from general exhaustion considering how much performed

Lamar Fike said “Dr. Nick wasn’t giving Elvis testosterone just to make him more virile onstage. Shit, no. He gave it to him for impotence. You couldn’t dope up that much and get a hard-on if Elizabeth Taylor stuck her ass in your face”

Peggy Lipton who he briefly dated said: “A heavy making out and petting session ensued. The petting went on for a quite a while. And then we made love. Or tried to… he was virtually impotent because of the drugs”

However I think it’s untrue to say that Elvis never enjoyed intercourse. According to Barbara Leigh whenever her and Elvis hooked up they would often consummate twice in one night. Joyce Bova and Diana Goodman also gave some very descriptive and frequent stories of their s*x life with him in their books 👀 and of course there have been a lot more women who have said they went all the way with him

Sheila Ryan said “We did have a very active passionate romantic life. Sometimes more than I was ready for, prepared for. Sometimes I was tired and it was ‘no, no, no’. So, you know, I’m really surprised to hear that other women had a problem with the lack of intimacy and s*x”

(once again I wish I was Sheila Ryan in the 70s !!)

Anyways, as I said before I also think his religious and southern upbringing had a lot to do with how he viewed s*x

Joe Esposito said “Despite his s*xual escapades, Elvis had a disarming naïveté when it came to women and s*x. Deep down, he believed s*x and fatherhood were for marriage”

Elvis was raised in and believed in a culture where s*x was strictly for marriage and so he simply found other ways to please himself. I also think he occasionally felt religious guilt for acting out s*xually so that is why he sometimes tried to be fully abstinent, like that one time in the 60s he told Priscilla that he had to learn to control himself from lust

Y’all know when Lana Del Rey said in the national anthem monologue “I always got the sense that he became torn between being a good person and missing out on all of the opportunities that life could offer a man as magnificent as him”?

That quote has always reminded me of Elvis����!!

I think he was stuck between his love for women (plus the fact that so many were available to him) and his religious upbringing (believing that s*x and virginity were something sacred)

what do y’all think?

[whumpbug]

just a random question for the whole gang (simon, archie, gene, cassidy)!

if they were in the montage of a tv show where each individual member of a team shows off a particular aspect of their personality or their skills as they're introduced to the audience, what would each of their 'snap-shots' look like, if that makes sense?

OOOOUH THIS IS SUCH A UNIQUE QUESTION I LOVE IT

im gonna answer it the best i can but if i misinterpret it IM SO SORRY i hope this will suffice!!!

✮⋆˙

simon:

i think his little clip/snapshot would focus on highlighting 1) that he's a medic duhh but also 2) that he's level-headed and responsible for a lot of things while being calm under pressure. he's good at what he does, and he good at being good at it if that makes sense

it would probably show him suturing since that's perpetually what he's doing, but maybe in a high stakes scenario like in the middle of the field or while someone (archie) is Actively bleeding out and being able to do it Effectively and in a focused manner

archie:

i think his HAS to show how silly he is. he is incomplete without it. his whole thing is being able to quip and smile and keep civilians and bystanders Calm and happy while he deals with threats so his little intro would have to demonstrate how sunny he is

i feel like it would just be the camera pointing at while he does some Unecessary flip while saving someone, maybe with a snarky little comment to the person he'd fighting because he doesn't want people to think he takes his job too seriously (even though he does)

gene:

for gene, there are two things i think i would want to come across in his intro. that he looks mean and rough and Brooding, and that he's a softie. i think that disparity is what makes gene gene and it would also be very silly

i think the little scene would start with gene looking like the Big Bad Deputy he is, maybe reprimanding a criminal and locking them up. then, it would HAVE to cut to him being sweet and loving on calliope like he always done, with his baby voice and everything.

cassidy:

last but certainly not least! the main traits i would want to highlight for this Silly cowboy is how sly and charismatic he is, and also that all of that is an act. he's an actor, a performer, and almost all of his charm is compensatory for how much he is really hurting all. the. time.

it would probably start with a very flashy shot of him robbing a stagecoach or something like-- his favorite pastime is beating up Bad People, but (pardon me getting cinematographic) i'd want there to be a foreboding shadow creeping up on him at some point. its montana, of course, because everything he does is hindered by that man in Some way.

✮⋆˙

this was SUCH a fun ask! i love thinking about my boys in different visual media (speaking of visual media i have a surprise for you all coming Soon) but yeah! this was so much fun thank you so much!! i hope it was what you were looking for!!!

[crimson-dahliaa]

SUIREN LORE RANT!!! HEHE

Okay so Suiren is wildly obsessed the question “Why must humans stick to one form?”

So aside from the research that most know she’s conducting, the brain research, she’s been doing another, more illegal, controversial and hidden project.

“Project Möbius”.

She’s been running all these intense experiments on herself, using super advanced genetic tech to activate dormant reptile DNA, reptile DNA because she thinks that reptiles are some of the most interesting creatures, and these tests have almost completely transformed her. She’s no longer fully human at this point. Her body’s gone cold-blooded, so she needs external heat just to function properly. Her eyes have turned into these slit-like pupils, her skin’s almost translucent with a scaly texture, and of course, she can turn into this large Medusa type thing.

Emotionally, she’s completely disconnected from anything human—she’s cold, no empathy, no warmth, she may seem like she cares for the children in the Bleeding Heart Orphanage, but the side effects of her ability, plus her modifications have completely removed any REAL feelings. She fakes it.

Her mind’s all about survival of the fittest now, like some kind of predator, so she’s just super distant and unsettling to be around.

But here’s the cool part:

Suiren uses all this biotech to hide what she’s become. She’s got nanotech skin grafts and illusionary devices that make her look normal, so no one even knows she’s this snake-like creature underneath. Unless she’s under intense pressure or fighting, where her real features start to slip through.

The thing is, all these body modifications have made her physically weak. Like, really weak. That’s why she needs assistants and relies on other people to do the heavy lifting for her. She’s got members of the Port Mafia running around, capturing subjects for her experiments because she can’t physically do it herself. She might look terrifying when she reveals her true form, but she’s not much use in a direct confrontation. That’s where people like Kotoko and Shinyu come in.

Speaking of Kotoko, Suiren’s absolutely fixated on her. She sees Kotoko as the perfect candidate for similar transformations, thinking she’s young and strong enough to survive the experiments. Suiren sends Kotoko on dangerous missions as a way of testing her limits. Part of the reason she’s so attached to Kotoko is because she was close to Kotoko’s mom, but also because Suiren genuinely believes Kotoko could evolve into something even beyond human, like the next level of what she’s trying to achieve. Too bad Shinyu won’t let Suiren ANYWHERE near Kotoko. He was practically staring over Suiren’s shoulder when she performed the surgery to heal Kotoko’s COPD.

This is getting a little long, so I’ll end here, HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES SENSE! Ask whatever questions you want (please ask questions I love this kind of stuff so much.)

@tilskkarishma, @paintedgrilledcheese

[kaienmaru]

3. , 12. , 13. , 14. , 18. !

ask the mun questions about the muse!

3. If you could change one event in your muse’s life (in their main or canon verse), what would you change?

as much as i want to say "the moment his right arm got injured", i feel like everything that happened was necessary for him to be the person that he is in the canon's present time, so my real answer is nothing, i wouldn't change a thing.

12. What about your muse amuses you?

answered. but also- if i may- and this is cheating ngl because it's only half about tatsuma but anyway-

tatsuma, who is based on sakamoto ryouma, shares a voice actor with 2 other fictional characters based on ryouma (one from renai bakumatsu kareshi, the other from akanesasu sekai de kimi to utau; both are otome games). the funniest part to me imo is the fact that obviously all of them speak in a strong tosa/kochi dialect as the real ryouma did, but the voice actor himself is from tokyo and has stated before that he didn't grow up speaking any regional dialect, yet evidently people liked his performance as tatsuma so much they made him voice 2 more characters like him.

13. What about your muse makes you sad?

mostly how he's treated by the author... i just saw someone made a meme about it recently, but tatsuma was practically irrelevant in the final battle of the series. you could take him out and it wouldn't change much😭 and even throughout the entire series he really was just a comedic relief 90% of the time and barely has any depth in canon... the fact that i managed to give him so much depth based on the crumbs i was given by canon is a goddamn miracle.

some people in the fandom treats his friendship to gintoki, zura, and takasugi as unimportant and i used to be angry about it but now i'm like "no actually... the series never made a really strong argument about it... so i can't even blame them for thinking that..."

14. How would you describe your muse to someone about to meet them, in person, for the first time?

"he's the annoying one with the weird laugh, yeah you'll recognize him as soon as you see him."

18. What aspect of your muse’s personality is most important to you? What aspect of your muse’s personality do you think is most important to them? Is it the same? Why or why not?

to me: his kindness! my god, his kindness. the way he remained kind, and especially kind towards an enemy, even though that exact thing got him severely injured before.

to tatsuma: his cheerfulness and mental strength. seen in how even while he was actively bleeding to death, he prioritized being cheerful and cracking jokes to his comrades, smiling even as takasugi said "as a samurai, you're already dead".

evidently it's not quite the same thing, personally because i think his perspective is a flaw that he doesn't even realize is one. i love his cheerful personality too of course, but i can see it taken to the point of toxic positivity (toxic mainly to himself tbh).

@fcundfamily

[didyoutrydynamite]

The first few songs is everyone getting their anger out on each other or close to that. At least that is what it seems like it is heading. Correct me if I am wrong.

So if I remember correctly, all the songs in the Musical are taken straight from real life musicals.

The first one is when Renegades are given a quick job to get the singing drunk off the roof of the bar. The team walks out to see much to their confusion a sight of Piper Hamilton singing a whole soliloquy with full backing sound track emanating from seemingly nowhere.

The song for this is the main singing part of Invisible/On the Roof from Beetlejuice the Musical:

The second song is when Jaune pretty much coaxes the drunk off the roof. Piper explains that he was a big deal once, had great big dreams that are now shattered thanks to his former partner. Jaune tries to empathize with him and let him know that everyone has dreams and that he should keep going for it! Piper sarcastically asks what Jaune's big dreams were, flicks him in the forehead, activating his Semblance and sending Jaune into singing Go the Distance from Hercules:

After that sight, the Renegades sit down and talk with Piper about what his deal is, revealing that Piper wants to get back into show business, but needs to show that his Semblance can bring out the real passion in people and not to be afraid of the TRUTH! Jaune of course being the bleeding heart he is volunteers Renegade's help and gets him back to his town. Once there, Piper says he needs someone willing to reveal their raw emotions, the things that make them just want to yell at the world. Cinder and Adam are of course already hating this whole musical bullshit and refuse, while Jaune who originally wanted to help is now having second thoughts about singing his "raw emotions" especially with Cinder in the same room. Neo pretty much shrugs and volunteers, prompting Jaune to try and interject, knowing the kind of loose cannon she can be and pointing out she's mute any ways. This of course pisses off Neo and she make Piper use his Semblance, prompting her to audibly sing Dead Mom from the Beetle Juice Musical or in Renegade's Version: Dead Boss. I'll post the edited lyrics below so you can read along as you listen to the music.

Dead Boss

Hey boss, dead boss I need a little help here I'm prob'ly talking to myself here But dead boss, I gotta ask Are you really in the ground? 'Cause I feel you all around me Are you here, dead boss? Dead boss Dead boss I'm tired of trying to iron out my creases I'm a bunch of broken pieces It was you who made me whole Every day Jaune's staring at me Like all, "Hurry up, get happy Move along Forget about your boss" 'Cause Blondie's in denial Blondie doesn't wanna feel He wants me to smile And clap like a performing seal Ignored it for a while But Blondie's lost his mind for real You won't believe the mess that we've become You're my home My destination And I'm your clone Your strange creation You held my hand And life came easy Now jokes don't land And no one sees me Nothing seems to fit Roman is this it? Are you receiving? I want something to believe in or I'm done Take me where my soul can run or I'll lay down defeated Wake me when I'm dead and gone Blondie's moving forward Blondie didn't lose a boss Roman won't you send a sign? I'm running out of hope and time A plague of mice, a lightning strike Or drop a gigantic bomb No more playing Blondie's game I'll go insane if things don't change Whatever it takes to make him say your name Dead boss

[archives-of-camelot]

Track 2 - No More Running

Fandom: Hypnosis Mic

Series: Old Wounds

Characters: Eli, Ann mentioned (@nimue-hidden-lake), Ole mentioned (@nimue-hidden-lake)

CW: Mentions of smoking

The door swung open as Eli returned from his work shift for that day. It was honest work and he didn’t hate it, but it could get exhausting on the busy days when he had to fire on all cylinders. On the busiest of days, the humble little soup kitchen looked like a five star restaurant, at least in terms of activity. Cooking, handing out meals, and washing dishes, all in preparation to keep things going as smoothly as possible.

Safe to say, the young man was tired, and all he wanted was to relax after the day he just had.

“I’m back…” he declared, in a raised yet tired voice.

No response. Ann must’ve been off somewhere, and the cat…who knew sometimes. Ole tended to just up and vanish when he felt like it.

Eli stopped questioning it the third or fourth time. They’d both be back by dinner time, he knew that. He threw his jacket on the couch, and laid himself lazily on it’s arm. With the cat nowhere to be seen for the time being, the couch was all his for now.

He lay for undoubtedly a long time, trying to relax and rejuvenate as best he could. Maybe he pushed himself a little too hard today…he’d hear it from Ann whenever they would return. He could almost hear their exact tone, and see their facial expression.

Their voice ejecting harsh, yet caring, concern, as their face would be contorted into a pout. All the while Ole would paw his leg, as if joining in the scolding.

All he could do until then was try and relax.

Yet all he could think about was the ways things have changed so fast the last while. How he got roped into this whole vigilante thing.

He didn’t regret helping or meeting Ann and Ole, far from it. Those two were the only ones in a long time that gave him any sense of comfort or hope, as fleeting as it is.

But ever since that cat brought out his old mic, it brought to the forefront a past he was trying to run from. Just when he was starting to think he could finally move on, the cat just had to bring it out for all to see. Which of course dug up ‘the incident’...

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lit one, and started huffing.

“There’s no point hiding anymore…she’s not dumb…” he said to himself in between a puff of gray.

Ann must suspect something. He told them explicitly he never made it as a performer…yet the fact he has a mic directly contradicts that.

Trying to keep up the act or just plain ignoring it would be not only pointless, but also insulting to their intelligence. It was obvious something wasn’t adding up with him by now.

And given how odd they’ve been acting lately, with the staring and seemingly lost in thought, it’s clear the gears have been turning in their head.

“Fuck’s sake…” he mumbled again to himself, gritting his teeth.

Annoyed, was putting it lightly. Having to not only relive the events that lead him to this point, but also talk about it…he’s been avoiding doing just that for the last few years or so! But now he was going to be forced to.

But…even worse…to open up and reveal who he is- no… Who he was…

It was going to feel like opening a scar, and letting the truth bleed out. And whether he liked it or not, he felt like soon he would have to face all he hoped to avoid, and forget.

He sighed as he put out his cigarette on the table and laid back, staring at the ceiling.

“Man…this is gonna suck…” he said with a half hearted chuckle...

Track list - Track 1 - Track 3

[eldritch-nightmare]

i think im the first ask on this blog 👁️👁️ I THINK correct me if im wrong

if it’s not a problem could you do a matchup for me?? i’m a cis girl, 5”8, pansexual. i have autism + Tourette’s + adhd, and I play ukulele - im actually in college for music performance 🌝 i have light brown hair cut in layers w a fringe, plus I wear glasses,, also I’m a lil chubby. i practice Hellenic paganism, and i specifically work with Selene, as well as practicing witchcraft in general. my special interest is crystals and geology so i have quite a big crystal collection lol, and my current hyperfixation is mitski . im quite extroverted, even though my personality type is INTP, and my love language is gift giving!!

oh and - if it’s ok, I’d like to be 🌙 anon :)

you're the first ask, yes! and of course you can be 🌙 anon! i haven't done one of these in a while so i'm sorry if it's a bit. meh. but!

your matchup is... eyeless jack! he's a bit quiet and maybe even comes off as standoffish but trust me, once you two get closer, he'll be as open as a book when it comes to his thoughts and emotions. honestly, seeing that you work with witchcraft in general, jack might be a little wary around you in the beginning due to the whole 'sacrificed by a cult' thing he'll quickly realize that you aren't in any way similar to the people who sacrificed him. honestly, he'll probably be a little interested in witchcraft himself, though he most likely won't practice it like you do. he'll watch you take care of your altar to selene if you have one, and he's definitely the type to ask little questions here and there about your practices and beliefs if you're willing to answer them.

you're in college? so was he! at one point. he can't fully remember. but no matter, he has your schedule fully memorized so in case you ever forget something, he's basically a calendar there to remind you. he'll be willing to help out with any of your classes if you ever need the help. he will happily watch you practice the ukulele and whatever other instruments you may be required to play. between me and you, jack really just enjoys seeing you perform like... anything. he likes seeing you in your natural habitat.

rocks. he gives you rocks. he finds out that you like crystals and he sees your collection of crystals and he actively goes out of his way to study rocks that may potentially have crystals in them. he's not exactly the best at identifying crystals just yet but he's learning.

he thinks you're like... the most stunning person to ever exist, and while he's not the best with words, he'll show it through his actions.

considering his whole... nature of existence and whatnot, he can't exactly take you out on any romantic dates, but he'll find a way to make it work for the two of you. by some unknown reason, jack is really good at cooking, so he'll definitely make it a habit to make you a small snack or dinner whenever he's around.

he likes taking care of you, and it shows. if you catch a cold then he's right there by your side with medicine and warm soup. if you're feeling stressed because of assignments then he'll either help you out or he'll coax you into taking a break and he may or may not give you a massage if you're comfortable with that. if you want to sit him down and tell him about your newest hyperfixation then by all means, sit him down because he will listen and take in every detail you provide. if you're experiencing a sensory overload, then he's right there with whatever you need to help ground you. he's not a doctor but he was in med school before all of this happened so if he sees you injured with any type of cut, especially if it's bleeding, then he's already treating the wound. he's not the type to scold you for getting hurt, it's inevitable, but that doesn't mean he likes seeing you injured.

in short, he's in love with you and so long as you're fine with the whole cannibalism thing (because he simply cannot hide it, it's impossible) then you two would be good together!

[set-phasers-to-whump]

trust

prompt: cry into chest

whumpee: illya kuryakin

fandom: the man from uncle

woohoo second bingo!!! this fic is pre-ship and set pretty far into UNCLE's existence. hope you enjoy it!!

His face feels hot. His throat feels like it is swelling up, trying to choke him. His eyes are stinging and his vision is blurring, so that he almost cannot see Solo crouched in front of him, keeping his distance. Afraid to get close. Illya does not blame him. 

He is upset. No longer in a shaking hands and uncontrollable rage kind of way. In a fragile and foreign and humiliating kind of way. 

He’d met with Oleg over lunch in a small cafe overlooking the Thames. He had made a mistake on his latest KGB mission, and mistakes, of course, are intolerable. It had been small, inconsequential, to be sure, but Illya had felt duty bound to report it nonetheless. The meeting with Oleg thus had not come as a surprise, but Illya had not been prepared for it to sting as much as it had. 

Oleg had told him he was getting soft, working with the British and the American. He’d said the usual things about Illya’s father. And then he had brought up Illya’s mother, usually an off-limits topic. He had not said anything outright, but his tone of voice had left nothing unspoken. Illya had dug his fingernails into his palms until his hands were bleeding to stop himself from doing something truly suicidal. 

Oleg had then continued to criticize Illya’s performance, which, Illya had freely admitted, had not been his best. But everything that had needed to happen had still happened. His mistake had not cost them anything. Still, Illya had been threatened with a suspension from his active duties for the KGB and an immediate recall to Moscow for training, complete with total termination as an UNCLE agent. 

He’d sworn to never make another mistake, agreed to pilfer some documents from UNCLE headquarters, and had then been dismissed as though everything was completely normal. 

He’d gone to his apartment after that. At first he had simply paced around and clenched his fists, and then his downstairs neighbor had pounded on their ceiling and so he’d stopped and decided to take a cold shower. 

And the shower had been broken. A thin trickle of ice-cold water had come out of the faucet with a concerning noise, and that had been all. Illya had very nearly put his fist through the shower wall. 

That was how he had come to be here, sitting on the floor of Solo’s bathroom, still fully clothed, with his back to the wall and the shower that he had never made it into turned off by Solo himself, who is crouched in front of Illya looking at him as though he is some sort of wounded animal. 

“Illya? Is everything okay?”

Illya finds himself unable to respond. His throat is too constricted to speak. He shakes his head to indicate that he is not going to say anything, and Solo moves a little closer. 

“What’s wrong?”

He shakes his head again. The tightness has spread from his throat to his chest. It’s overwhelming. He can barely see. He has not felt this…this raw in a very long time. Like every part of him is exposed. Like every part of him is hurting. 

Solo puts a hand on his knee and the point of contact burns with a pleasant warmth. “Илья,” he says in a near whisper, the name leaving his tongue with the Russian pronunciation instead of the English. 

It’s this that does it. Illya shakes his head for a final time, and suddenly there are hot tears spilling down his cheeks and there are hands on his shoulders and he sags forwards and Solo catches him and now there is no space between them, no room for uncertainty or fear, and Solo pulls him close and Illya tucks his head against Solo’s chest and Solo wraps an arm around Illya’s back and tangles the fingers of his other hand in Illya’s hair, and Illya fists his hands into the fabric of Solo’s shirt and listens to his heartbeat and feels his breathing and cries. 

It has been a long time since Illya has cried, and an even longer time since he has cried in front of another human being. He cannot stop the tears from falling and he does not want to let go of Solo or to push him away, but his face burns in shame regardless. He should not be doing this. 

But who will ever know, besides the two of them? Who will ever know that Illya Kuryakin is vulnerable, that he is not a machine? Someone he can trust, as much as he is physically able to. Someone who will poke fun at him for all kinds of things but who would never touch something like this. 

He cries against Solo’s chest until he is exhausted and his eyes itch and burn with dryness. There is a moment of absolute silence in the small bathroom, where Illya’s heart pounds and a strong, instinctual fear grips him - what if he has taken Solo’s kindness too far? What if everything in his life is about to fall away from him?

Solo puts a warm hand on the back of Illya’s neck as they both pull away from each other. “All right?”

Illya nods mutely, his fear slipping away. He does feel slightly better. Lighter. He also feels like he could fall asleep right here on the tiles. 

“You look exhausted. Come on.”

Solo stands, and suddenly Illya feels very cold. And then Solo reaches his hands down and grabs Illya’s hands and warmth flows through him again as his partner helps him to his feet. 

He follows Solo to the bedroom and then stops on the threshold. He cannot take over the bed, even if it does look like the most inviting thing in the world. 

“Come on,” Solo says, from beside the bed. 

Illya shakes his head. “It’s -” He stops, coughs to clear his throat of the scratchiness, and continues. “It’s your bed. I cannot take it from you.”

“You’re not taking it, I’m offering.”

“Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t have said so otherwise.”

Illya, now lacking an argument, acquiesces. He sits on the edge of the bed and takes off his shoes and jacket and then looks to Solo for confirmation that he is actually okay with this. 

He gets a nod and a smile that is gentler than Solo’s usual smile. The bed is soft and comfortable below him. Before he can think too much more about it, he burrows himself under the covers, takes a deep breath that carries with it the smell of his partner, and shuts his eyes. 

He’s on the edge of sleep when gentle fingers, feather-light, touch his cheek and smooth out his hair. If he were almost anywhere else, he’d bolt upright and smack the hand out of the way. 

Instead, he falls asleep. 

thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed and happy valentine's day! love you guys <3