#I don't have anything planned with this setup in mind it just came to me one day and I thought you guys might find it funny

[descendant-of-truth]

If you had a world with fantasy clans who all specialize in different types of instruments, like you'd have the Brass Clan, the String Clan, the Wind Clan, etc., then I feel like the cultural insults between those groups would be insane

String Clan is like "omg these guys don't even have callouses" and the Brass and Wind Clans respond with "WELL AT LEAST WE KNOW HOW TO BREATHE"

The Percussion Clan is like "sigh. where would they be without us" and everyone's like "shut up you wouldn't know a melody if it hit you in the face"

[reddeaddamnation]

Dating dark!Ominis and dark!Sebastian would be like:

Warning ⚠️: Yandere boys, jealousy, manipulation

♡ In the beginning he would be exceptionally meek. He is smitten by your kindness and beauty and will do anything to keep you from leaving him

♡ Does anything you say just to keep you hooked.

♡ While you're getting comfortable with him, he is looking for ways to ensure you always stay with him.

♡ Already planned 3 weddings with you while you were sleeping

♡ You notice he starts hanging around you more and more to the point you don't even have a moment to yourself, let alone talk with your other friends.

♡ You want to sit with Natty this class? Nope. Sebastian already took the seat next to you. Poppy asked you to help her with some nifflers after class? Why shouldn't Sebastian be there?

♡ "I don't understand why I shouldn't accompany you when I'm interested in the same things as you are." He lied. He hasn't touched a niffler in his life.

♡ Star-gazing with Amit? OH HELL NO. Amit is good at astronomy. He can do it himself. Or is that a setup he came up with to get you alone so he can steal you from Sebastian?

♡ Overthinking 24/7 even the smallest thing that happened. Why did that Hufflepuff student had to ask YOU for notes? Why couldn't it be someone else? Why is everyone needing YOUR help all of a sudden?

♡ He is really good at playing victim so even if you confront him, he will act like he was only doing it to protect you, since you have so many enemies and he just wants to make sure you're safe.

♡ Will cry and fall on his knees if you try to tell him something. His act of endearment plays with your mind and he knows it well and is not afraid to use it.

♡ He knows you drop everything you're doing whenever you receive his owl, so whenever you're out and about by yourself or with someone else, he always sends you a letter to bring you back to help him even if its the dumbest thing in the world.

♡ He's not insecure. He is actually very cocky and knows he exceeds in every field, be it looks, intelligence or romance. He is just taking measures to make sure you don't leave him, since he has so many abandonment issues. That's what he says.

♡ If he goes too far and you get mad at him, he goes to great lengths to apologize and returns to his previous meek self for awhile until you cool down. You can see your friends and have a moment to yourself if that's what you want. Don't mind him, suffering and crying alone, punishing himself for a mistake he made.

♡ "Stay with me, Y/N, you know I never meant to cause harm to anyone. You know everything I did was to protect the people I love. You know I love you. More than anything. You know everything."

♡ Would 100% cast an unforgivable if you still leave him.

♤ Just because he's blind, you think he doesn't see the way boys look at you?

♤ If he notices you returning affections, he would do anything to get your attention back to him. Including weaponized incompetence. Yes, he could traverse the halls easily with his wand, but if you aren't with him, he will suddenly feel lost and helpless.

♤ He would go to great lengths to try to get any boy you talk to expelled

♤ If you get into an argument and he lashes out, he would also weaponize his family name, reminding you who he is and that its a privilege to date him.

♤ Of course, he would apologize after that

♤ He actually has no problem with you going out with your girl friends just as long as he knows every detail surrounding your plans and whereabouts. Or he will send something to spy on you

♤ He is an extrasense. Learned all your behaviors and patterns and would know when you're lying

♤ If you do lie, he would pretend that its okay, but mark it for future reference.

♤ Not as obsessive as Sebastian, but if you do decide to leave him, he will make your life hell so you can see he was the one shielding you from trouble with the headmaster.

♤ You will get in trouble for even the things you didn't do. Ominis will rat you out for everything you have ever done and doesn't have a problem if Sebastian gets in trouble too.

♤ Will go out of his way to stalk you and put you up for trouble.

♤ If you do decide to stay with him, he will demand to be in control at all times and expect submission

[jae-bummer]

You Are Everything

Request: 20 and binnie??

Prompt:

20) You confess to your idol while sleep talking.

Pairing: Stray Kids Changbin x Reader

Genre: Fluff

.

Grumbling, you smacked weakly at Chan's arm as he tugged you toward Changbin's room. "Don't wanna."

"Just watching you nap made my whole body hurt," Chan chuckled, holding nearly all of your body weight as he hauled you down the hallway. "The couch is definitely not the most comfortable place."

"If I get in bed, I'm going to sleep too deeply," you complained as Chan shouldered open the door. "I told Bin-"

"Yes, we all know you're going to get dinner together," Chan grinned. "He mentioned it at least four times before he went to the gym."

You pouted as he eased you on to the bed. Pushing delicately on your shoulders until you laid back, he then picked up your ankles and tucked your legs under the blankets. "Better?"

You blinked up wearily to the shadow of Chan in front of you. Gazing sleepily around the room, you took in your surroundings. Sure, you had been in Changbin's room a handful of times, but you had never planned to make yourself cozy there. There were blackout curtains hung slightly crooked over the window, a large desk with Changbin's computer setup, and mood lighting everywhere. As you settled deeper into the mattress, you couldn't help but notice the small collection of plushies nestled there with you. "I'm not going to tell you that you were right."

"Of course not," Chan laughed in amusement. "Gotta have some self respect."

You shook your head and giggled lightly before turning away from him. "Wake me up if he isn't back in an hour."

"I won't," Chan sang as he began to leave. "Sleep well, Y/N!"

..

Changbin hummed happily to himself as he typed in the code to enter the dorm. He was always happy when the prospect of food was on the horizon, but this would be better than his average meal.

"Y/N, Y/N, Y/N," he chanted happily to himself as he pushed open the door. With a smile already stretching across his face, he popped off his shoes and dropped his bag. He had already showered and changed at the gym so he was ready to capture your heart through your stomach.

For the better part of a year, he had been trying to convince himself that he wasn't attracted to you. Doing that was much easier than convincing his friends, as they had all been pushing him to make his move before it was too late.

After a long and somewhat stern conversation over drinks with his older members the night before, he had finally settled on it. He was going to confess tonight over delicious food. It was going to be perfect.

"Hey," Changbin grunted, his eyes sweeping across the living area. "Where's Y/N?"

"There's no "hello friends?"" Han asked, quirking a brow. "No "how was your day?""

"Nope," Hyunjin clucked from his spot by the window. Sketch pad in hand, he didn't even bother looking up. "We're old news now, Hannie."

Changbin rolled his eyes before looking helplessly to Chan. The oldest member smiled up at him. "They're in your bed."

It took a few moments for that to sink into Changbin's understanding. "I, I'm sorry, what?"

"They're in your bed," Chan repeated simply before looking back to his phone. "They were tired."

"So...my bed was the best place?" Changbin croaked. At rapid speed, the contents of his room came streaking past his mind. Did he have anything embarrassing out? Had he remembered to handle laundry? Oh god, were his sheets fresh?

"Bin?"

Changbin looked up in surprise. "What?"

"I said you should probably go wake them so you're not late for dinner," Chan hummed. His eyes danced mischievously.

"Right," Changbin nodded. Taking a deep breath, he remained locked in his spot. "Right."

Chan shook his head before standing and giving a firm push to Changbin's shoulder.

"Right," Changbin repeated, finally willing his steps to move him toward his room.

If he hadn't known any better, he could have sworn that a hummingbird had taken up residence where his heart previously sat. Just the image of you in his bed was making him feel fuzzy along the edges. The cuteness would easily overwhelm his senses and he was certain to short circuit and fall to the floor.

Pressing slowly against the handle, he eased the door open. Trying to adjust his eyes to the darker lighting, he stuck his head into the room before his body. He could see your face scrunched up in sleep, your body nestled in a sea of blankets.

If a button smash could be described with a sound, Changbin made it. Springing backward out of the room, he paced quickly back down the hall and faced Chan. "They're in my bed."

"Good on you for catching up," Chan laughed. "Wake them."

"Right," he said quietly before turning on his heel and heading back in the direction he had just came from.

"Wake Y/N up," he confirmed quietly to himself. Pushing the door further open, he took measured steps.

Finally getting to the edge of the bed, he lowered himself to his knees. Now crouched eye level with the mattress, he leaned forward and set his elbows on the blankets. Sliding his chin into his palm, he allowed himself a moment just to look at you.

You were the most adorable person he had ever seen, especially while asleep. Carefully moving his free hand, he reached forward to smooth out the small worry line in between your brows. The contact didn't wake you, but only caused you to stir.

"Mmmm," you groaned. Changbin's hand slowly moved back, unsure of what he should do next.

"Y/N?" he whispered. Deciding to set his fingers on your arm, he rubbed small, gentle circles into your skin. "Y/N, it's time to get up."

Maybe he had made his voice too light or you had been sleeping too hard, but you refused to open your eyes. Taking a deep breath, Changbin moved to wiggle your arm but instantly stopped as you began to make noise again.

"Binnie," you groaned, flopping to face him more directly.

"Yes?" he said, his voice barely above a breath.

"Bin," you squeaked again. Changbin hummed as he began to comprehend the situation. You were still no where near awake, so you must be sleep talking.

"Why are you so handsome?" you slurred with sleep. "So handsome, my Binnie."

Changbin's eyes grew wide as his hands flew to his mouth. He looked from you and back to the door to confirm no one was watching (or playing a joke). Confirming the two of you were alone, he let out a silent shriek of excitement.

"I like you so much," you sighed happily. "So so much."

Changbin remained still, which was a fairly impossible feat for him. He could feel himself slipping into excitement, unintentionally vibrating his own body. Were you talking about him still? Following your string of mumbling definitely made him think you were.

"My Binnie," you croaked again with a small stretch. "Mine, mine, mine."

At this point, Changbin could hardly contain himself. Wiggling in place, he finally let a high-pitched cry escape.

Immediately clapping a hand to his lips again, he watched as you finally opened your eyes. Squinting at him, you let out a small chuckle of surprise. "Hey."

"Hello..." Changbin said slowly, giving you a bit of a side eye.

"I thought I felt someone watching me," you grinned. "Creep."

Changbin nodded in what appeared to be agreement which caused you to laugh even harder. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you waited for him to respond. After several moments of him just staring dreamily at you, you realized he had no intention of breaking the silence.

"What's up with you?" you sighed, tucking your hands under your head. "Are you mad I messed up your bed?"

He shook his head quickly before glancing around the room. He seemed to be assessing just what was left on the floor and other surfaces. You didn't care if he was messy, it was his room after all.

"I'm sorry, but I have never heard you so quiet in the entirety of our friendship," you smiled. You couldn't say you didn't enjoy it though. The way he was gazing at you was doing something to your head. You absolutely adored Changbin, but never thought he would feel anything past friendly fondness. He was a nice guy, which meant he was nice to everyone.

"You...you..." he finally managed.

"I?"

"You were sleep-talking," he finally croaked out. His voice was deep and gravelly, as if he had just woken up himself.

"Was I?" you hummed with a smirk. "Any secrets I gave up? I have a few on Han that would be a riot if someone else heard."

"I...think it was a secret," he continued slowly.

Furrowing your brows, a sudden empty feeling started to inhabit your stomach. It didn't seem like this was a joke anymore. Pulling yourself to sit up, you shook your head at Changbin. "What? What was it?"

"You...I..." he started, but chewed on his lip. "You like me?"

"Of course I like you," you whispered, punching his shoulder gently. "You knew that."

"Right," he chuckled nervously. "But this time...uh...could it maybe be more than a friend?"

It seemed like every last drop of saliva had chosen that time to evaporate from your mouth, rendering you speechless. How could you screw up so badly? You were going to completely ruin your dynamic with your best friend all because unconscious you couldn't keep their mouth shut.

"I...I..." you stuttered, looking at him with wide eyes. It soon became increasingly evident that as you continued to find an answer, you did not have one at all.

"You do!" Changbin huffed in disbelief. His lips tilted into his patented crooked smirk.

It took you a moment to clock his expression as you weren't expecting a positive reaction. Did that mean he....?

You didn't have to ask because Changbin was already launching himself at you. With high pitched squeals of delight, he tackled you into bed and wrapped you in his strong arms. Kissing whatever available space he could find on your face, he finally stopped when you placed a hand on his chest. "Bin!"

"Yes?" he grinned, so warm and close to you.

You eased into his body and chuckled. "I'm guessing that means you like me too?"

"Do I like you?" he asked, indignant. "Really? You need it plainly stated?"

"I mean..." you smirked. "It doesn't hurt."

Rolling his eyes, Changbin cleared his throat and pulled you closer. Leveling his stare so he could look into your eyes, he said much more quietly. "Y/N, I like you. Likely more than what is a healthy amount."

You instantly beamed, but that smile was stolen from your lips by a soft kiss. Pulling away, Changbin looked surprised at his self-initiated action. "Was...was that okay?"

You couldn't help but laugh as you reached up to touch his cheek. "How dare you soil my innocence."

"I was caught in the moment and I-" he started to complain loudly, but this was your time to catch him off guard. Holding the back of his neck, you pressed your lips hastily against his. Caught mid sentence, he immediately fell into the kiss and moved to lean over you. You dropped your hand and allowed him to cradle your face instead. He instantly began to deepen the kiss, pushing your head further into the fluffy pillows cushioning you. Sweet and succinct, kissing him was everything you had expected and more. With the press of his lips, you felt so cared for and protected. You would die in this bed if it meant you could lazily kiss him forever. Time didn't exist here, only his face next to yours.

Nipping playfully at your lower lip, you could feel the smile behind his actions. He was wrapped so thoroughly around you that you weren't sure where you stopped and he began. You could feel the heat and tension pulsing through both of you as he moved his hand from your cheek and clutched at your waist instead. His fingers balled into the fabric of your pants, the friction causing a shot of electricity to zip across your body.

You were sure if you continued, you may spontaneously combust. Pulling away slightly, you hummed, "Down, boy."

Breaking into a beautiful smile, he buried his face in your neck, embarrassed by how eager he was. "Sorry," he mumbled into your skin.

"Don't be," you cooed, reaching up to scratch his scalp. "This was...everything."

"Everything?" he perked up, leaning away from you to search your face.

"Mhm," you confirmed. "You, Changbin, are everything."

"I like that," he nodded, his eyebrows pinched in approval. "Everything."

[gtzel]

Help! My classmate is a size shifter!

not so strong tough guy

(Next)

The first thing that came to mind when i thought of Elijah Stoll was alone. He always seemed to be off on his own and I've never really seen him talking to anyone that wasn't a teacher. Of course that's probably because of the standoffishness and over all cold aura he gives off. Like the kind of person you've never talked to but definitely wouldn't be put against on any kind of tussle.

Anyway, he's wired, and up until a week ago i wouldn't have even considered talking to him. we had our separate lives, i had my place as class rep, popular guy and the one dude everyone could rely on, and Elijah, well he was just alone. Up until that day, last week, when everything changed.

---

i was walking home after school when i heard a commotion from a nearby alleyway. i went to check it out only to find two of my upperclassmen cornering someone. their backs were to me so i decided to watch and see what was going on before acting.

"heh, get a load of this freak" the one with black hair said.

"yeah, what you gunna do now that all your goodie too shoe teachers aren't around to protect you huh?" jeered the other.

"i'm warning you, b-back off" i couldn't see the person speaking, but i heard his voice behind the gritted teeth with which he spoke.

"aaw, what are you gunna do huh? shoot rainbows at us?" one said, the other laughed at the comment. they both closed in on the boy, fists clenched and raised in a perfect setup to pummel the guy.

i waited to hear if the guy would fight back, but i couldn't decipher anything of the sort. i turned the corner just in time to see the black haired man deliver a mean uppercut, then he proceeded to kick the boy back to the wall. the smell of old garbage mixed with the new fume of blood fumigated the alleyway.

"h-hey!" i yelled without thinking. the other of the group turned to face me.

"well well well, looks like we have a witness" he moved toward me and i caught a glimpse of the victim. it was Elijah, THE Elijah, the one who was supposed to be invincible. the one who no one messed with. i didn't have time to think before the other guy lunged at me.

I'm really glad that i joined the football team because otherwise i don't know how i would've reacted. thankfully, i shoved him off me causing him to land against the wall. then the other guy turned to look at me.

He growled at me. He actually growled and then clenched his fists while talking a few steps toward me.

"listen here punk, you'd better get out of here and forget you saw anything or your next"

"yeah right, like I'd just leave after seeing what your doing to him" i swung at him, my fist balled and made contact with his cheekbone.

he stumbled backward but quickly recovered. he spat liquid red on the cold alleyway floor.

"oh your going to regret that" he threw himself at me, i barely dodged. i know when I've lost, and when facing the both of these two gangsters i realized id have to make a break for it.

i grabbed Elijah's hand and pulled him with me. he quickly realized what my plan was and ran as well. together, the both of us ran out of the alleyway and down the street.

the potent smell of blood and sweat still clung to us as we ran along the hot summer pavement. perspiration trickled down my face as we ran, hand in hand away from the men.

finally we came to a safe space on a nearby balcony. i let go of his hand and gasped for air. my throat stung with dryness as slumped against the metal fence.

he sat down next to me. i could see his pulse thumping rapidly on his neck and he turned to look at me.

"w-why did you do that?" his voice was strained from panting.

"what, save you from those thugs? that was nothing. i could've taken them both but i just uhm..."

"sure...which is why were currently hiding from them on the rooftop of an abandoned building?" he said sarcastically. i laughed at that, he really didn't seem as cold as people said he was.

"yeah yeah, whatever. why were they attacking you in the first place?"

"oh uhm, they tried to inject me with some kind of serum, i got 'em to stop halfway through because i was feeling weird but they did get me pretty good" he showed me a recent stab wound on his arm.

"wait, what the heck, why would you even agree to something like that in the first place??" i exclaimed.

"well i mean, the pay seemed to be good, didn't know it would hurt so bad though" he shrugged, his raven black hair coming down in strands along his face.

"well you shouldn't take shots from random strangers offering money. that's like a massive red flag"

"yeah whatever, honestly i didn't think anything of it. its not like they were trying to kill me or something, i think they just wanted to try out a new vaccine of some kind"

i reached over and tucked his hair behind an ear, we locked eyes and i pulled away blushing "s-sorry, i just-"

"n-no, its...its fine" he blushed cutely and looked away.

we sat there for a few minuets in comfortable silence before Elijah stood up.

"looks like its getting pretty late, i should probably head home." he brushed the dust off his cloths and reached out an arm to help me up.

"yeah, i guess. will i see you tomorrow at school?" i asked, grabbing his hand and getting up.

"yep, oh, what was your name again?" he said, pushing a strand of black hair back.

"Brian"

"see you tomorrow Brian"

"tomorrow." and then we parted ways...

[reverieparacosm]

Yandere Gamer Boyfriend Headcanons

GN!Reader x Male Yandere!OC

Warnings: Yandere, possessive behaviors, manipulation, mentioned cyberbullying, stalking, A LOT OF FLUFF

Note: It's essential to remember that the concept of a "Yandere" character is based on unhealthy and toxic behavior. These headcanons are meant to explore a fictional scenario and should not be considered as a healthy or ideal relationship dynamic in any way. Ngl, I felt a bit lonely playing video games and then this OC came up xD

Your Yandere Gamer Boyfriend is extremely possessive and protective of you

He becomes intensely jealous and paranoid whenever you spend time with other people, especially if they're male

Gaming is a major part of his life, and he expects you to share that passion

When he perceives a threat to your relationship, he's willing to go to extreme lengths to eliminate it. This can range from cyberbullying and hacking your rivals' accounts to more dangerous actions like stalking or even physical harm

"I'll always be here to protect you, my darling. No one else can have you but me."

Your boyfriend is more comfortable expressing his love and affection online rather than in person. He might shower you with extravagant gifts in games or write lengthy love letters through text messages and social media

Your boyfriend is not exactly a romantic kind of guy

However, he knows exactly what you like and love

One day, you come home, and the entire room is covered in red hearts. There's also a giant bouquet of roses waiting for you. Your boyfriend had prepared a romantic dinner for two, complete with your favorite dessert. His goal was to show you how important you are to him, and he did just that

He closely monitors your every move, both online and offline. He keeps track of your social media activities, checks your messages, and might even install tracking apps on your phone. He wants to know everything you do and everyone you interact with, just to ensure that you're not betraying him

He loves to keep you under his desk and pets you while his game loads

He often plays video games, but he'll stop and set aside his controller whenever you want to spend time with him

He's the kind of boyfriend who constantly talks to himself out loud as he plays games. You find it endearing, and it makes you feel closer to him

Your Yandere Gamer Boyfriend is incredibly passionate about gaming setups and technology. He spends hours researching and planning the perfect gaming setup for himself and you

Whenever your boyfriend loses a game, he gets so frustrated that he can't focus on anything else. That's when you come in. You sit beside him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a comforting smile. His anger slowly melts away, replaced with a sense of peace and calm. And, of course, you're ready to play the next round with him

"No matter how many games I lose, I'll always have you. And that's a victory in my book."

Whenever you have a bad day, he'll drop everything he's doing to come over and comfort you. He'll listen to you vent, make you some hot chocolate

He'll often tell you about game lore and theories that he's read online or heard from his gaming buddies. You don't mind because you love the sound of his voice and the way he gets excited when he explains things

Even though he can be a bit needy and demanding at times, he's always supportive of your hobbies and interests. He'll even try out new things just so you can spend time together

"Sometimes I can get a bit carried away with my video games, but you always remind me of what's really important in life. Thank you for being there for me."

Your boyfriend loves to tease you, often in the form of playful insults. But you know that it's just his way of showing his affection. One day, he takes it too far, making you feel insecure about yourself. You tell him how much his words hurt you, and he immediately realizes his mistake. He takes you in his arms, kisses your forehead, and says, "I never meant to hurt you. You deserve the best in life, and I'll make sure you always feel that way."

[hillbillyoracle]

Sidekick Journal Setup

Wanted to make some notes on how I set up the newest version of my sidekick journal. It's still an A6 Leuchtturm 1917 notebook- though this time I'm using a dot grid, not ruled, version. Still using a Traveler's Notebook Monthly insert in the back as well. Past that, I've adapted it to loosely use the PARA framework by Tiago Forte that I've had luck using with my digital notes.

Much like last time, I still have a today card for tasks on the front. Some days I pick some out at the beginning. Some days I just write things down as I go. Not much has changed there.

It's worth noting that this journal springs open if I don't keep the strap on it. I use the strap to notch in a gel pen (currently trying to find one of my spare fountain pens to use instead). I don't personally mind this but I know it bugs some others.

On the back side of the front cover, things have changed more. I still have a next card to jot down tasks that don't need done today that come up throughout a day, but underneath is the P in PARA - projects.

Each project gets it's own card. I like this because things were getting lost in my notebook and I can more easily see what I've committed to so I don't overcommit. Tiago Forte recommends 10-15 projects but I am disabled and have issues with energy so I shoot for 5-10. I think currently I have 9 which is a little on the high side.

They all fit nicely under the black clip here and I can shuffle through them each day to see what I want to work on.

I have a To Read, To Watch, To Listen (podcasts), and To Listen (music). I occasionally have people recommend me things and they tend to get lost in my phone. So this is just a space to jot those down. My complete TBR is still kept in Storygraph atm. My TBW is on Letterboxd (kind of). I don't listen to a lot at the moment but I'm hoping to change that.

For the first A in PARA - Areas - I set up topical indexes. I know a lot of people tend to have a lot more but I group my stuff under Personal, Home, Work, and Ria (my partner). Personal is just me. Home is anything shared with Ria. Work is mostly writing and freelance projects at the moment. Ria is for anything that is just for Ria. Anything that doesn't fit in the categories goes in the main index that comes preset up in the notebook.

This way I can jot down whatever notes I want in this notebook but when I'm looking for something specific or just want to see what's going on in a given area, I can flip to that index.

This is just an example of the kinds of things I tend to use this notebook for. I did a menu plan and wrote down the order of steps to make a new dish I wanted to try (came out really nice). It's mostly to just order my thoughts and help my brain let go of things.

This is the Traveler's Notebook Passport Size Monthly Insert I really enjoyed last year. I've set up the first few months and will set up a few more. I need to go back in and add events/holidays.

A big reason why this still felt necessary is that I'm looking at switching to a dumbphone which means I won't necessarily have access to Google Calendar on the go. So I plan to keep this as up to date as possible. I might use it for some light memory keeping as well.

Lastly, I flip the notebook upside down from the back and this is where my commonplacing will go which will be how I manage the R in PARA - resources. I have 3 categories I tend to like jotting down information about to start with but there's room for more. I won't keep the markers with me but will periodically add circles for ease of reference.

For the last A in PARA I'm planning on storing these in a nice box when I'm done with them.

I don't really intend to journal in this though I suppose I could. I have a separate "bullet journal" that in all honesty I don't use super often. I do stream of consciousness journaling on 750words.com. It's mostly to jot down notes and get things out of my head quickly. I like that it's small enough to toss into most bags.

Hope this is interesting to someone!

[abyssal-ali]

The Best Bat (?)

R: T+

WC: 1.8k

TW: There is a discussion about death and could be seen as having suicidal undertones.

The small gathering of low-level Justice Leaguers crowded the two more magical members anxiously.

"I wish for the best Bat to come," chanted the one leading the teleportation/summoning.

"Wasn't that a little open-ended? And are you *sure* that won't summoning, like, a flying mammal?" Inquired a Leaguer nervously.

The chanter stared at the asker. "My power is luck. We will get the Bat we want," said the chanter confidently.

Several Leaguers seemed uneasy about leaving Bat-picking up to such a fickle thing as *luck*.

In a poof of smoke a tall figure appeared. Choking, the Leaguers brushed away the smoke...and groaned. "Uh, you're not a Bat...and we wanted someone useful..."

The summoned form glared around the room. "Firstly, rude. I am too a Bat," they rasped, gesturing to their chest piece. "Secondly, rude. The 'real' Bats are useful, but of course I'm Villain and only good at decapitating people and shooting my Jericho. 941's. Well lemme tell you something, 'kay? Villains are people too, and *some* of us are a little more competent than others. So why'd you summon me, I mean, a Bat?"

"We have two different species of alien warships heading for us, and we were hoping for maybe...Batman? Red Robin? *Someone* trusted their luck and asked for the 'best Bat,'" one of the Leaguers explained.

The Red Hood laughed long and loud at that, though the laugh came out rather scratchy and unsettling through the voice modulator.

"Hah, that's a good one. So you were hoping for a hacker or maybe a diplomat? This may surprise you, but I'm not always shoot first, ask questions later. I'm a tactician, and since you asked so nicely, I'll help out of the goodness of my heart."

A Leaguer snorted. "You call getting beat by Batman *tactician planning*?"

Hood fixed his stare on them. "Yes. There's a reason you can't reach any of the Bats right now, and it's because I shut down the city two days ago, the last step in my 10-month 'screw with Batman' plan."

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances and were immensely relieved when Wonder Woman walked in.

"Ah, you are...here to...help?" She asked, sizing up his defensive stance and the Leaguers who weren't terrified, if not a little wary.

"Yeah, I got summoned so I figured I may as well help. Never hurts to be in the JL's good graces," drawled Hood.

He turned to the leader of the little group of Leaguers. "So, what are the aliens and what exactly do you know about the situation?"

Wonder Woman watched carefully from her corner as Hood took charge and began commanding everyone around. He was orderly and aware of issues, he seemed to be skilled in delegating and not overwhelming his subordinates, and his diplomatic interactions interested her greatly.

As ambassador from Themiscyra, she had experience dealing with issues like these and so, once the connections between the ships and Watchtower were set up, she sat beside him to help.

Hood turned in surprise as Diana joined him, not expecting her to do anything more than watch and maybe drag him to a cell once the negotiations were over. She smiled and motioned to the setup. He nodded and they began.

●○●○●○●

Once the negotiations were completed Diana pushed her chair away and stood, extending her hand to Hood.

"Would you like a drink?"

"I wouldn't mind a stiff one, but I don't think certain people up here would appreciate seeing my helmetless face."

"...why not?"

"Well, when blood isn't getting pumped everywhere for several hours, your skin tends to get pale and your features don't look the greatest..."

"What?"

"I was recently revived from a sliced jugular just before I was yoinked here, so my circulation isn't quite back to normal yet."

"You were dead," Diana said flatly, and Hood nodded. "And now you're alive?"

He nodded again and shrugged.

"Just happens sometimes. I always come back--Death seems to enjoy flirting with me more than she should."

"You...die...regularly?" Piped up Superman, the eavesdropper.

"Not clockwork regular, but often enough that it's a mere inconvenience."

Clark and Diana exchanged looks.

"Anyways, aren't you going to haul me off to jail or Arkham or something?"

They looked back at him.

"Well, you did save the planet, so I'm sure that earns you a pass this time..." said Diana slowly, unsure of how to proceed.

"Yes, we appreciate you helping out, Hood. But, why?" Clark added.

"Contrary to what Bats would have you believe, I'm not a complete boor with no regard for human life. I simply exterminate the scum that the law lets away. In Gotham, especially, it's a problem, but I do it for the innocents and victims, for *their* lives, so they can live peacefully, or at least with closure. I'm not so uncouth and careless with life that I'd condemn the whole planet to die-- just the guilty. But I had to save the innocents."

Instead of sounding angry or even passionate, like Diana and Clark expected, Hood simply sounded...tired. Defeated, maybe? Of course, that could be after effects of dying and then being summoned and helping an organization that isn't exactly friendly with you.

"...so, what should we tell Batman about today?" Wondered Clark.

"Tell him whatever you want. Bruce will probably just believe I brainwashed you if you say something good. Say you forced me to help in exchange for looking the other way this once, or you tried to bring me to the Hall of Justice after, but I escaped. He won't believe that I helped you of my own free will. He refuses to see that I am capable of good and I'm not a complete monster."

Clark noticed that *this* rant got Hood a little worked up, and at the mention of Batman his heart rate picked up.

He looked meaningfully at Diana, hoping years of working together would help her figure out what he was trying to communicate.

Diana looked thoughtfully at Hood.

"How did you die, most recently, if I may ask?"

"My showdown with Batman. I forced Bruce to pick between me or the Joker. He picked the clown, like he always does, and he bataranged my throat."

Hood lifted his chin and tugged down the neck of his jacket and underarmour to show a thin scar neatly across his neck.

The two superheroes gasped.

"Batman killed?"

"He has no problem with it if they're already dead-- vampires and zombies are both fair game. I'm part both, I guess, so I don't count."

"I think you need a spar," suggested Diana. "Friendly."

Hood led the way to the empty training room, strangely quite familiar with the Watchtower's layout.

Diana and Hood squared off and they began, after agreeing to no weapons or powers. Finally, Hood pinned Diana, using an Amazonian technique with ease.

Clark announced Hood the winner and Hood got up, offering Diana a helping hand.

"Good spar," she commented. "How did you know that move?"

He shrugged dismissively. "I've had many teachers, so I know many groups' styles and moves."

"You trained for a long time before baiting Batman. Why?"

"I needed time to plan, to research, to prepare. I needed to be better than the Bat. And now that I have broken him, my work is done. I'm not sure if I'll wear this again," he looked down at his getup for a minute, "but if I do, I will only be the Red Hood to protect the innocent and avenge the victims, not play with Bruce. I may have taken his old alias, but I will *never* be like him," he muttered the last part, but both heroes still caught it.

"What did Batman do to make you hate him?" Asked Diana compassionately.

Hood laughed shortly, startled. "Hate? No, I don't hate him. I thought I did, but I don't, at least not anymore. The problem is that I loved him. He doesn't deserve any of my attention anymore, so I have relegated him to my 'indifference' list. It's pathetic to waste your life over a man who will never change. Now that I've made my point and accomplished my goal, I'm done with him."

"I'm sorry," Diana said slowly, not quite knowing what she was apologizing for, but Hood seemed to know and understand.

"It's okay. I'm going to my mom's island soon for some R+R. It'll be good to see her and the twerp. Sometimes I think he's a demon brat, but then I remember a lot...I'll raise him okay, though."

Drawn out of her memories of how a curly-haired boy in bright colors would chatter away about anything and everything like Hood seemed to be doing, Diana looked at him in surprise. He was younger than she'd thought. She changed her mental estimate of late 20's/early 30's to early 20's.

Then Hood took his helmet off and kissed her cheek.

"Goodbye, Aunt Di. You were always my favourite."

In shock, Diana let him disappear.

"Jason?" She whispered to the air.

●○●○●○●

Five years later, Robin came onto the Watchtower, insulting everyone and everything quite creatively.

Wonder Woman came to greet the poky child. He deigned to let her hug him and in her ear he whispered, "My brother says to treat you well, for you are a true queen and his aunt. He told me to tell you he is happy and to call him. Here is his number," in Ancient Greek, which Diana was pretty sure even Batman didn't know.

The spiky child slipped a paper into her pocket, then proceeded to detatch himself with colorful insults.

Diana smiled fondly at her nephew's brother and left to make a call.

Over the years she had received packages randomly, with letters, new baking, books (self-annotated), random objects/weapons from around the globe, all signed, "With love from your favorite nephew to his favorite aunt."

The last one had been two months ago and held a patch for a lab coat which said "Dr. J. Todd".

The short note with it said he'd graduated medical school and was helping treat trauma/trafficking victims.

Enclosed was a glossy 3x5" grad photo, which she promptly framed and put by her bed.

Bruce had never been able to figure out why Diana and Clark treated him colder. All of the Leaguers around that day had been sworn to secrecy even though it was likely they knew nothing, but the big two were concerningly different around him. He never figured out why.

[just-a-carrot]

Hello carrot I have a first Page of a book that im reading could you tell me it its interesting???

Chapter 1

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

Marco

 

"Dad, I'm going now!" I waved to my dad and I headed out the door. My dad said something but I didn't hear him. My shoes clanked as I walked to the bus stop. I moved from Texas to California last month during summer break, which I didn't really mind. I mean living near my abusive mom wasn't the best thing so I'm glad we moved.I still remember the day my dad saved me from her. "Marco!" my mom yelled. "Come here you little shit!" My footsteps clanked through the house as I ran to my mother. As I got to her I felt a sharp smack. Her hand hit my cheek and I stood in shock. My feet shaked as I didn't know what I did. Was I too noisy with my friends? Did I forget to do the laundry? "W-what did I do mother?" My breath came out shaky and I felt tears forming in my eyes. "Your stupid father wants to take full right custody of you" my heart skipped a beat. I could be free. I COULD BE FREE! Only after she saw the joy in my eyes she raised her palm again and the tears from the earlier attack finally sprung out. The only thing I remember is my dad picking me up and enrolling me in this school and he told me that I was safe with him. The court is happening early December but I do not mind. I didn't really have friends at my old school, not that I plan to have any friends but also I heard that there was better education in Cally than Texas. I'm a junior in High school so basically I just need to not talk to anyone or do anything embarrassing and I should be good to go. Right as I hit the bus stop that smelled like drugs and smoke and yet nothing of the sorts was there the bus stop was heavily graffitied and it looked putried as I kept walking. I bumped into someone. Just my fucking luck. "Aw, man I'm sorry!" I looked at the person who I bumped into and my jaw dropped.

What stood in front of me might as well have been the hottest man on the planet. His blue eyes and dark brown hair weakened my knees, and his scent? Oh god! He smelled like honey and spices, and oh god it was addicting. I think that I have never seen a man that beautiful. "It's okay..." I blushed and I tried to hide my face with my beanie. "No seriously, let me make it up to you" the boy said. "You only bumped into me... it's all right" I tried saying because he didn't do anything horrible he just bumped into me. "I guess, and whait! I haven't seen you here before, are you new?" "yea I just moved from Texas..." I mumbled trying to hide my face even further. "Aww man that must suck! I'k tell you what, you can sit at my table if you want, my friends won't mind. Oh! Also my name is Mattholomule but my friends call me Matt" he smiled brightly. I feel trapped like a mosquito in a jak or like a fly hitting the window over and over again. I couldn't tell him no. because for god's sake I was attracted to him and he was just so sweet. I lifted my head, put my beanie in a normal way and I nodded and smiled. "Sounds good, and thank you Matt. I'm Marco" I know this will be a bad decision, I mean I don't even know this dude but... it could also be... rewarding. After I said that the bus arrived. 

Do not steal!!!

did you mean "writing" and not "reading"? because it doesn't really make sense you'd share something with me that you're reading 🤣

and this is lovely! i'm not, uh... really any kind of critic, so i'm not entirely sure what to say LOL but i'm glad that you're having fun writing your own story! the only advice i might give would be that things happen quite quickly one after another, so i might try to slow the pacing down a bit? to give us more glimpses of each character and their personalities and the setting. but the setup is certainly very interesting!! i wish you the best of luck on your writing journey

[penultimate-step]

Cliffhangers: when do they help?

There's a reductive negative stereotype of cliffhangers that comes to mind when people complain about them: with neither planning nor setup, a dramatic situation occurs to the characters. "how will the characters get out of this one?," asks a dramatic voiceover, as the show cuts to credits. Then, next episode, the whole thing is resolved immediately in two seconds, so the series can go back to focusing on the actual plot.

Now, as I said, this is something of a stereotype, not something that often happens - most writers know better than to do something so blatant. It does sometimes happen, but usually the situation has more nuance to it than that.

The cliffhanger that inspired this, the recent Oshi no Ko 158-9, has very little of those mitigating factors. It is almost entirely the negative stereotype, a cliffhanger that adds very little to the story and detracts much. Which got me thinking a bit on cliffhangers in general - what separates a good one from a bad one?

The same week OnK gave us that disappointing cliffhanger, another weekly manga I follow, Chainsaw Man, had a cliffhanger that felt much more interesting. (Though perhaps given we haven't had the followup chapter, this is premature...nonetheless, it is an easy at hand example.) Looking at the chapters preceding them, we can see a difference in pacing and buildup.

OnK 158 comes after a few chapters of winding down and calmer pacing - the cliffhanger, in this case, doubles as a spike in tension, intended to kickstart the next bit of serious plot, coming as a surprise and shock to the readers. This is already something of a problem, as it doesn't have anything to build on; but arcs have to start somewhere, this isn't in itself a problem. but by framing it a sudden jump, it puts all the true requirements for execution on the followup, where it's leading to. Which is why when the next chapter immediately follows up with a "just kidding, teehee uwu" it kills the whole momentum.

CSM 176 goes for the more conservative approach - while it does still end on a shocking twist, this comes in the middle of an already intense fight scene. It forms one brick in a larger rising action, supported by previous scenes, so even if the followup doesn't land it doesn't kill the whole momentum. It's not trying to establish it's own setup - where OnK ended one chapter with a sharp shock and then tried to offramp into character revelations, CSM dual purposes them - Yoru's revelation about the Gun (and Tank) as well as her own personal actions are twist, cliffhanger, and plot development all in one. So it works as a story beat regardless of where the chapter leaves off.

But that feels a little too hostile to cliffhangers, right? Like am I just saying that cliffhangers are an artifact of the serial storytelling format, and could basically be excised? Is a "good cliffhanger," one that integrates itself with the story beats, basically indistinguishable from a non-cliffhanger? that can't be true, right?

Anyway while rolling this around in my head I tried to think about some memorable and positive cliffhangers that I've read in the past. And one that came to mind was from about halfway through the webnovel Pact. So, spoilers for that.

So at the end of Arc 7, the protagonist gets into a fight with a demon. He loses. Chapter cuts, we start arc 8 - from a completely different perspective. What happened to our previous protag is left up in the air for a whole arc, with hints slowly trickling in - but it is only when the arc ends that we get a more complete picture, that he had lost his connections, been removed from all the memories of others, and fallen into a place outside conventional reality.

In this case, the cliffhanger, I would argue, helps the narrative significantly - in separating the event from the resolution, forcing readers to stew on it while other plot threads go on, it made the eventual revelations more satisfying, not less.

I don't think that quite helps my point though. "Cliffhangers are good when planned and executed into the story and bad when they aren't" seems like 2 steps away from saying "its good when its good and bad when its bad," that doesn't much clarify things for me.

That might just be what it boils down to, though - cliffhangers are just one of many ways to control the pacing and tension in a story, with no special negative or beneficial properties, and are good when used in cases where an upswing in those things are good, or the author otherwise wants to direct focus and attention to an element. The negative stereotype, with examples like OnK's, are a result of pursuing those in the short term while sacrificing longer-term story stability - a misstep many longer stories make, not anything tied to cliffhangers inherently.

I still feel like there's something important I'm missing that separates the bad example from the good. But I think I've lost the train of thought here, and this has gone on far too long for what was originally intended to me just me musing to myself about why recent developments in my favorite ongoing manga aren't hitting as well as they should.

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here my friend after a very, very long week. This is actually my 3rd attempt at sending you an ask. First, I finally had time and was excited to type up something for the latest episode and then the Buck LI stuff came out and the mood for that was killed. Next I had mostly typed up my salty thoughts only to have my internet go down (yes, I whined at home "what i was going to read??!!" and pointedly ignored my very much filled bookcase because my ships aren't in them). So here let's see if this one works out.

So how is it KR and the promo dept always manage to kill any joy we have when we get fed any kind of Buddie content (the follow-up to the Eddie getting shot, and the 5b and premier come to mind here)?? Seriously Buck and Eddie more or less went on a date and had family night together and almost immediately they came back with "look Buck and Eddie are going to go on dates!!". Its exhausting cause it seems like any time they put out a story that might even be slightly suggestive of them being more than platonic bros they insist on following it up with stories to "prove" they are, no matter how recycled those plots are.

And okay let's take a second here to ask WTF is KR doing with these characters? In 6b alone we've had Buck dying, a coma dream, PTSD, super powers, and now he's getting a crush, and we STILL haven't finished the accursed sperm donor storyline??!! Bobby and Athena investigated had the death of a beloved friend 🙄 plot, HenRen had the nonsensical Denny secretly seeing his Dad which was never an issue before plot, and Madney and Eddie are just kinda there?? The other characters have had at best one storyline where the audience has to either invent or rewrite the backstory for. But for Buck he's had like 50 plotlines, none of which have really gone anywhere? I love Buck but I'd rather have him have 1 good arc and resolution than whatever this bullshit is. I'd easily take that screentime and give it to any of the other characters if it meant we got 1 well thought out and executed storyline. Instead we're just recycling and redressing old plots for everyone else while KR uses a magnetic poetry set to plan what Buck's doing from episode to episode. We have 5 episodes left in the season, 4-5 guest characters that are going to be incorporated (including 2 much beloathed ones 🙄🙄🙄), and nothing really setup for our mains to do (even Eddie dating isn't setup, it literally hasn't come up after Ana and you'd think they could have in 6a while he was watching his son mature).

Anyway, I'll stop the rant here though there's definitely more I could say. I'll close off saying I hope you're feeling better today since this week looks like its been rough on you. Sending you virtual tea, soup, and hugs!!

Long week is RIGHT my friend! I'm so sorry you were foiled in your previous attempts! I am right there with you on the Buck LI stuff just...sucking a lot of the joy out of things for me. Because of course we're doing this again 🙄🙄🙄 I was even writing up notes on a possible fic and you KNOW I haven't written anything since Malex and even that was before s4 started. But alas. That sucks about the power going out! I hate when that happens especially if I was in the middle of something! (Also I am SO with you. I keep buying books and then just...not reading them because my brain says "it's not our blorbos so no.)

I am just...so tired at this point. Like yes these people *may* not stick around, but even so, I don't want to loose out on Buddie scenes and Buckley-Diaz family scenes! I don't want Buck to have 90% of his time and discussions with some new character I do not know or care about instead of Eddie and the firefam! They already tried to do that with BT and it was the woooooorst! I want Eddie to have screentime and arcs but again, I don't want the little time we DO get to be wasted on some random side character! And lets be honest, there is no person they can introduce at this point that can compare with the relationship Buck and Eddie have already built and the ways in which they are the perfect partners for what each other needs. So the options are to a) cut down on seeing that relationship so their new het ones don't look so shitty and lame in comparison, b) have these women be mostly just Blurry Girlfriends in the background with no personality or depth just to have the boys paired off so they don't have to do Buddie while still centering their relationship so people can't call them out for not committing to Buddie because their "friendship" looks basically the same, or c) give them LIs that are basically the other's personalities transplanted into a female body in order to have the relationship be anything close to what Buck and Eddie need in a life partner. These are all terrible options, and I hate them, more than I hate the idea of them ending up single even though it undercuts their own narrative set up for the characters but that's a cop-out too.

ANYWAY

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 to everything about Buck's 700 shitty arcs this season while everyone else is mostly twiddling their thumbs. KR is literally the worst at pacing and planning, and constructing a season with any kind of flow. On the bright side, Ravi is coming back and Chim is going to get to do something! I'm so excited! I was really hoping for more of him and Bobby teaming up last week because the little crumbs we got were GOLD.

I did have a very emotionally rollercoaster-y week and the show being Like This absolutely Did Not Help, but I am making it work. Mostly with loooots of fic. Cheers friend, lets see if we can make it through the finale intact, if Buddie dreams can make it through the finale intact, and if the SHOW can make it through the finale intact with how these renewal negotiations are going.

[creativia10]

The Merits of Scientist Lab coats

Logan was preparing how he would want a Crofter's commercial to go, for if he gets the chance to share. Janus comes in while Logan is practicing to flirt with him.

Warnings: suggestive themes

Relationships: Logan/Janus

Wordcount: 1405

Notes: Loceit Week 2023 Day 5 Philosophy/Science (I chose science) Sorry this is late. I don't know if I'll have any more for @loceitweek as I only decided this week to write this one. The topic this week has inspired me though. I may write other Loceit fics, like maybe for the multifandom pride prompts I've been attempting (which will also be late).

Logan looked around at his setup with a nod. It wasn’t much, but it was perfect for what he was going for. Logan had been preparing in his head what kind of commercial he would have proposed for Crofters. If it ever came up that was.

He cleared his throat and smoothed out his lab coat. Logan then waved a hand at the nearby whiteboards to write out what he said. It would look better to be handwritten in real time for the actual thing when he showed the others. This was just for practice though.

He held up the crofters’ jar, presenting it to where he knew the camera would be. Logan had been listing helpful facts about the jam for a minute and a half when he heard someone go,

“Hmm.”

Logan stopped and looked in that direction. He hadn’t thought anyone was in here. To his surprise, Janus was sitting nearby, smirking at him.

Janus clapped.

“What a well-done presentation, Logan. I apologize for interrupting you. It was not my intention.”

Logan frowned at the other, unsure about that. Logan cleared his throat and set the jar of jam off to the side.

“Janus. I did not expect you in here. Did you need something?”

Janus hmmed again and stood up. He stretched languidly, bringing attention to his different outfit of choice. Then he started to walk over to Logan.

“Noo, not necessarily. Perhaps I just wanted to hear you ramble on intelligently about something of interest to you,” Janus said with a smirk.

Logan’s eyes widened. Janus walked closer to Logan, who then coughed to the side. Logan hadn’t expected anyone to actually want to hear him spew facts like that. The others had always acted like it was a necessity that nobody actually liked.

“I-is that so?” Logan cleared his throat again. He was usually so much better at holding his composure than this. Janus had simply caught him off guard by saying so.

“And the outfit?” Logan asked, gesturing to Janus’ new getup.

Janus was wearing a lab coat, like Logan’s own. Except he had a yellow shirt peaking out where Logan’s typical polo was similarly visible. Janus was also wearing safety goggles as well.

Janus hummed again, stepping even closer.

“Maybe I just wanted to match the vibe of your setup, hm? I think the scientist look works, don’t you?” He asked with a playful smirk.

“Ah well, yes. Of course, it works,” Logan started,

“I had the lab coat set up for this scene to show safety was a priority. And how the production of Crofters would be hygienic. Of course, we wouldn’t be near anything that would be a contamination concern anyways, as it is more for the aesthetic of the commercial.”

Janus sighed at that.

“Logan, I’m not doubting the merits of wearing a lab coat here. I know you have good plans for these things,” Janus said.

“You do?” Logan asked.

“Mhmm,” When Janus was close enough, he reached over and started toying with the lapels of Logan’s lab coat.

“I just think the whole scientist look, with the lab coats, works for us. Aesthetically, as you would say. I certainly appreciate intellectual looks,” Janus said with that smooth voice of his.

“O-oh,” Logan said. Janus’ fingers were warm where Logan could feel him brushing against his coat. Amidst messing with the lapels.

 Logan found he didn’t mind it, even if it was unexpected. Nobody got this close to him.

Janus leaned in.

“Did you want to keep going? I wouldn’t be opposed to assisting you.” Janus said.

Logan hesitated. He was sufficiently distracted now. Admitting such a thing felt embarrassing though.

“Uh, well,”

“Or did I throw you off your vibe?” Janus asked.

 Logan really needed to add that word to his slang vocab. He was hearing it a lot more now.

“I wouldn’t say you threw me off. I am physically right where I was when I started. I also knew I would be presenting this in front of others at some point. Theoretically, I should be fine.”

“Theoretically?” Janus asked with a knowing smile.

“Uh, well,” Logan wasn’t sure what he should say here. Janus hmmed.

“It’s okay if I distracted you, Logan. I am well aware you didn’t expect me to be here,” Janus said.

“How did you know I would be here anyways?” Logan asked.

“I didn’t originally,” Janus continued. “But I was bored and I overheard you as I passed this room amidst my wandering. Figured I could learn something and maybe have some fun. Which I definitely have.”

Janus was smirking again, which e often did.

Logan blinked. “Oh? You were enjoying my presentation?”

“Of course,” Janus said, “Although, I have more fun interacting with you.” Janus paused in his teasing to lightly poke Logan in the chest.

“I-is that so?” Logan asked.

Janus winked at him in response.

“Why are you interacting with me in this way?” Logan asked.

“Because it’s fun, as I said,” Janus continued, “Is that alright?”

“I suppose,” Logan said.

Janus frowned slightly and stepped away.

“Logan, I know you’re not the best at admitting to your wants, but you need to be clear about how you feel about my teasing. It’s no fun if I am actively making you uncomfortable. I get a hard enough time from the others. About whether I actually respect personal boundaries.”

Logan blinked at that.

“Wouldn’t that be more of a concern from Remus than you?” Logan asked. Janus sighed and shrugged. Logan frowned but nodded.

“I see what you are saying. I would not want to make things worse for you.”

“Logan, it’s not about that,” Janus said. “You are not responsible for anything that affects me except your own actions. Which you are fine with at this point by the way. Nothing else should be a factor in stating your boundaries. Aside from what you are comfortable with.”

Logan nodded again. He knew Janus had a point.

“Right, of course.”

But then came the harder part of admitting he didn’t mind Janus’ actions, because what would that mean next?

“It’s okay if you don’t know, Logan,” Janus said with a more genuine smile this time.

“I should have asked earlier anyways. I just like to be playful, you know how I am.”

Logan supposed he did. Although Logan saw this side more when Janus was around Logan now.

Logan took a breath. He was curious though where they could go from here. Logan was definitely one to seek after knowledge. Even in the case that it could affect his personal relationships, though not in a bad way.

“I…did not mind, Janus,” Logan said, not meeting the other’s eyes. He figured he should have at least looked at Janus while admitting so. But it was harder than he expected for some reason. Plus, Logan could feel his cheeks warming.

After a moment, Janus stepped up to Logan again.

“You are sure?” Janus asked.

Logan nodded.

“Yes. I am just…not used to admitting such things.”

Janus hummed again before reaching forward again to trace his fingers against Logan.

“That’s okay, Logan. It can be a process. It does make me wonder if you would prefer moving slower than I had in mind then.”

Logan’s breath caught, and he got himself to look at Janus in the face then. Janus looked back at him.

“I would like to know what you mean, first. And, I’m sorry if my need for clear wording changes the uh ‘mood’ at all, as the twins have told me in the past.”

Janus gave him a soft look at that and shook his head.

“Logan, you are not ruining anything. I know who you are. How do you know I don’t get hot and bothered by more words anyways?”

Logan narrowed his eyes in confusion.

“Hot and bothered? I certainly wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable at all, that doesn’t sound pleasant. Should we get some air in here?”

Janus threw his head back in a laugh. Then he suddenly gripped his fingers around the coat lapels and pulled Logan against him. The breath from Janus’ lips brushed Logan’s own as he said,

“How about we head up to my room and I show you what I really mean by that?” Janus asked.

Logan’s breath stuttered.

“Okay,” Logan choked out.

[shokuto]

So we'll probably have to agree to disagree on a Gwiles ship (for a number of reasons, but in no dimension or version do I think Gwen should be Miles' main or only option for a romantic interest or relationship) :). But I appreciate your insights, and loved your response to the question "what makes Miles compelling as Spider-Man?" from a few weeks ago. I am kinda trying to figure out what Marvel is doing exactly? Between using just Miles' name instead of Spider-Man for the upcoming Strange Academy release, and Ziglar basically minimizing Miles in his own comic during this latest run in order to feature characters Ziglar seems to be enamored with, all while having characters constantly call Miles "boy" (see Mr. Morales who apparently has entered a black exploitation film), "kid" (practically every character being forced into the run is calling Miles this right now, which is funny given ATSV's take rightfully pushing back on that), "newbie" (Stark in the latest issue…meanwhile Civil War was a thing), basically everything but his name or Spider-Man…it's frustrating. Like, is Miles getting too popular for them or something? No offense to Ziglar, but I'm currently just sticking to reading and buying Bendis and Ahmed's comics going forward. Ziglar just doesn't seem to know how to write for Miles and his supporting cast, which is fine. They should put him back on Spider Punk since he said that he's wrote for that comic based on his time in a punk band. On top of that he hasn't done anything original so far? He's acknowledged Rabble is basically a reskin of Tinkerer from the Playstation game, he's obviously a fan of the Flash tv show given the electric sword (the idea of Miles' venom powers continuing to evolve in more novel and powerful ways is great though), plus the new character Hightale who = the Flash. And Misty Knight was just going over super basic things Aaron already taught his nephew. Also, Miles as any kind of detective was setup better by Bendis when he was toying with the idea of turning him into an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D (and that kinda came out of no where). If they extend Ziglar's time, it sounds like his plan is to constantly keep doing crossovers of other characters as "mentors", and given how he's handled that so far, I would not be to happy buying this run. :( Do you have a writer or writers in mind that you would like to see on Miles' comic? To be honest, I don't think there needs to be a ton of angst, I like that he has a great group of people in his life who know about him and have his and each others back against all odds (you can't tell me that comic Ganke wouldn't have tried to fight Miguel in ATSV even though he would lose, and Tiana would have 100% tried to pick Miguel up and drop him from the train if she saw him treating and talking to Miles like he did XD), it's one of the things that adds to Miles' uniqueness. But your analysis of Miles gets things about his character that the current run/Ziglar seems to be missing. On the plus side, the artwork is pretty good! And maybe the run will get better?

Eesh. I checked out of Ziglar’s run a while back, seems my criticisms with him minimizing Miles as Spider-Man in his own run hasn’t gotten any better, I probably made the right choice. Makes me sad though. I dislike Ahmed’s run a lot, but he at least had Miles on equal footing with the more seasoned guest stars like Captain America.

The disconnect is that Ziglar thinks Miles’ appeal lies in his youth. He thinks he’s a rookie, far out of his depth and in desperate need of guidance (from people he’s accomplished more than and with basic things he’s been doing since 2015 at minimum). I appreciate the callback to his origin from 2011, but it’s like he stopped reading that samw. Whoever I’d pick to write him moving forward would obviously be more up to speed on his history and the things that actually make him unique, but I honestly don’t trust that from anyone besides Phil Lord/Chris Miller, or Bendis. I always get the impression that everyone else either sees him as a blank slate, someone they need to reinvent or “fix”, if they simply don’t get it at all.

But besides that, if I could, I’d have his stories once again set in the Ultimate universe. Pulling him out erased one of his most prominent conflicts as someone bearing a legacy that makes him a target, that jeopardizes his future, and altered his relationship with his parents, which is why his comics were immediately made more lightheartedly and silly when he crossed over even with Bendis at the pen, because not only was Peter Parker alive and well, Miles was now one of four Spider-Men.

We’ll also have to agree to disagree on there not needing to be a ton of angst, I enjoy that Miles can inspire hope as much as the next guy, and I wish they’d let him do stupid fun teen shit without having to learn some sort of lesson at the end, but in the same vein that light without shadow is blinding, hope without tragedy is hollow. And as someone who’s been reading since Spider-Man cost him his uncle and [redacted until a mutual finishes the second volume], his stories have felt hollow to me for a very long time.

The artwork is good, but I don’t have faith that the writing’ll get better. I already held out hope that his comics would suddenly recapture that spark for eight years now.

[loominggaia]

Also why did Ivy marry Dorito Dusk?

You know, that's actually a damn good question. Why would someone marry a sentient pile of rat feces? It boggles the mind...

In all seriousness, I'm sure it all came down to money and power. Ivy was a criminal before she married Dario (I mean, she was a criminal after she married him too, but she was no longer a broke criminal!). She always dreamed of power, riches, and beauty. Dario was a convenient vehicle for her to obtain all that, and she wasn't above degrading herself to achieve her goals, considering she was a prostitute/killer/thief in the first place.

Marrying Dario wasn't even her ultimate goal, it was just one of the steps along the way. In "Ghoul Beneath the Guise", it's implied that she'd been waiting for the opportunity to usurp him as clan master for a long time. This piece of dialogue is our first hint:

     Breathlessly, [Lily] told her, “You look just like a princess! Are you a real princess, lady? Like in the storybooks?”

     [Ivy] cocked her head, a tiny crease forming between her brows. Then she laughed, high and bright as a bell. “No, dear girl, I regret to say I am not! Although my husband does own a castle, so perhaps that makes me some sort of queen. Queen Ivy…I like the sound of that!”

Ivy wants to be a queen. She wants ultimate power over her makeshift "kingdom". Although Dario believed he was the smartest person in the Dusk clan, several scenes prove that Ivy was a hell of a lot smarter than him. She had him fooled, and she would often influence the clan by manipulating him, using him as a puppet without him even realizing she was pulling his strings.

This is never explicitly stated in the series, but you have to wonder if the whole situation with Lilian was a setup on Ivy's part. She'd been married to Dario for centuries before that; she knew exactly what made him tick. She had to have known he wouldn't be able to control himself around Lilian. Early in the story when she's trying to convince Dario to let them keep her, she even emphasizes the girl's beauty and purity.

Ivy wasn't stupid; she knew what a vile piece of shit her husband was before she even married him. If there was anything beautiful and pure around him, he couldn't help but defile it, and she was well aware of that. Ivy never loved him, she just tolerated his abuse in exchange for immortality and a wealthy lifestyle.

Personally I think she took Lilian in because she knew Dario would attack her eventually, and then Ivy would finally have the blackmail she needed to usurp his power. She was playing the long game. A few years is nothing to a centuries-old immortal vampire.

Also I want to add that Dario didn't treat Ivy nearly as bad as he treated Lilian. Don't get me wrong, he was abusive to Ivy, but Ivy had more agency and control over her situation than Lilian ever did. Ivy was clever and strong enough to stop being his victim at any time, she just chose to stick around and endure it because the benefits were worth it to her. Dario saw Ivy as a potential threat and knew he couldn't get away with treating her the way he treated Lilian.

This is the main thing that motivated him to kill Ivy and marry Lilian instead. Ivy became too much of a threat to his ego as well as his power. He realized he'd been underestimating her until the day she blackmailed him, then I think he finally realized just how conniving she really was and it scared the shit out of him. He'd been plotting her death since that very moment.

TL;DR: Ivy married Diarrhea Doodoo Man because he had a fat wallet and the "gift" of eternal life. She didn't care that he treated her like trash because she was planning to kill him and take his throne someday anyway.

NOW I AIN'T SAYIN SHE'S A GOLD DIGGER...but, well, you know the rest.

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

[a-student-out-of-time]

I've been rewatching David's breakdown scene more and more (mostly cause that animation is smooth asf and Sword of Swords did a *chefs kiss* job), and the more I'm convinced this is partially his real personality. Just amped up to 100. Basic theory, I know. I'm not one to use the words "it's forced" or "came out of nowhere". Plot twists don't have to be unpredictable to be shocking or good. It's not his breakdown in general that's catching my eye though. It's the amount of holes he's poking in his own character. This is the real him? Someone that never cared about Arei and saying she's trash? Why were you so invested in watching her killer die, then? He had no selfish use to go after Arei when she was done crying. And, even though we had no idea what happened to them after that, Arei clearly did a 180 in personality, saved Eden and said she wanted to be friends. While David turned out to be a manipulator with shitty beliefs, it's clear as day he genuinely cares about Arei and gave her good advice to be a better person. He can say whatever he wants about her now, but his words are contradicting his actions towards Arei in the past. When David said ppl never change, I'm not too convinced that was a lie, but it could be because he was jealous that Arei actually made an effort to change, and David himself (being the useless, stupid, and lazy person he's referring to) doesn't even bother, because he doesn't think he can. Makes me wonder if he actually got into motivational speaking with a genuine positive attitude that he, in fact, can change the world, but grew out of love for it and became cynical and misanthropic.

//This is what I'm saying. I think people are looking at this from a completely surface-level perspective, and not looking at all the weird holes, inconsistencies and odd details that don't make sense from that viewing. That doesn't automatically make it bad writing, but more likely setup for something

//That whole scene with Arei and Eden proved that, no, she didn't just die with all her potential squandered. There was more they had planned with her, and it was a great scene. I'm sure the same will be true of David, because I can't believe anything he actually says now that he's being upfront about being a manipulator

//I'm interested to see how this plays out from here on, and yeah, maybe we'll get some insights into why he's like this

//If my own theory is correct, the confrontation between those two will be VERY interesting : P

//But I think the biggest thing I'm worried about is what exactly he has in mind for Teruko's secret ^^;

[elstevo]

American Alpha

I wrote this for a writing competition, but I don't remember the prompt. I believe it was a 1,000-word limit.

You wanna know what’s up? I’ll tell you. It’s a setup, and the fix has been in since before you or I was even born, man. This little situation we got here is just the tip of the ice cube, you know? But I don’t sweat it. Look at me, I’m the complete package, a hundred percent pure alpha. That’s why they wanna keep me down, man, because they’re scared. They’re scared, not me. Look at that hand, steady as a rock. This ain’t nothing. I lay it out here or in court or wherever, and I’m out, and then I’m bouncing back ten times as hard. I hope your department got insurance or something because I’m looking at a fat payday outta all this.

Let’s start with the obvious: I’m innocent. Anything I might’ve done is justified under me just taking what I’m owed, what I deserve. I’m a superior specimen. You think this body is all just hard work? Nuh-uh, baby, there ain’t enough hours in the day. This is a product of genetics and intelligence. I 3D chess this stuff. I see dudes chugging protein shakes, and sure, sure a shake’ll help your gains, but I follow that up with a beer. Activate that protein with the yeast. I got a whole program worked out—the SwellSmart System. It combines everything you need to get your body and your mind both as shredded as me, but they won’t let me get it out to the people. The publishers, the gyms, the government, they all make too much money holding people back, and if there were a bunch of me running around, that’s too much pure alpha for the system to handle. This keratin thing y��all are working on is part of it. Check Bosco’s bank records, man. See what shows up ‘cause I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Bosco.

I bet he told you I approached him, but that’s insane ‘cause why would I go to a skinny-ass dude like him, a full-on beta, let alone a cop? Yeah, I knew he was a cop the whole time, man. I’m not stupid. I can read the signs, and anyway, if I wanted to rip someone off, I’d do it myself. I’m swole, but I’m sneaky. I’m like Arnold Schwarzeninja up here. That’s why he came to me. I knew he was a cop first thing. He heard me talking about the fluoride Microsoft puts in the water, and he got that look people too deep in the system get. You got the same look, you don’t even know. He hears me talking wisdom, he sees the gun show, he knows he’s dealing with a primo Hetero sapien, and he wants to hold me down like all the other little people, like little people have always done, man, going back to the Vikings.

He comes to me while I’m benching three-ten, and he’s all “Gosh, those are some darned big muscles,” and “I bet you can satisfy a lady,” and everything going on for like a half an hour, and I’m like “Yeah, water’s wet, dude, so what?” Then he lays out this plan to rip off this drug dealer he knows, score a bunch of keratin on account of the market for K’s really hot, and we can flip it for a sackful. Now, I’m a man of the world and a–what d’you call it?–a vociferous reader, so I know all about keratin, and it’s bad stuff, bro, a horse tranquilizer they use to get you high, but it’s part of the control system, like it literally quiets the animal in you, and I’m not about that. The only things that go in my body are all-natural. Protein. Hormones. Electrolytes. You can’t be pure alpha if you ain’t pure, know what I mean?

So I know right away that Bosco’s setting me up, but just like all them teachers and doctors, he thinks I’m some kinda mormon, like I can’t think circles around him, so I act like I’m interested, tell him I’m always down to hustle. Meanwhile, I figure I can turn this all to my advantage. I play along to get some cash and the drugs, then I flip, not to the cops ‘cause the cops are in on it already, and you’re just gonna stitch me up, but I flip to the media and bust a hole in the control system, get me some attention. Once I get that bit of attention, baby, I’m unstoppable, pure alpha, get word out about SwellSmart, some other ideas I got, and then I get what’s mine.

Besides, this Bosco’s a straight beta and so’s the dealer. I got a cousin in the drug game, and no I’m not gonna tell you his name, and he knows the mark, gave me the nine-one-one, said he’s nothing but a skinny punk, beta for real. Hey, it’s a doggy-dog world, and betas are there to feed alphas. It’s food chain science, you know? I’m actually doing them both a favor by teaching them a lesson about their true place in the world. Bosco’s a pawn in the machine, just a simple dude, so he’s got a simple plan. He says he’s gonna set up the buy for a whole buttload of keratin down in this alley over by Belmont, and I know it’s the right spot ‘cause my ex used to work at the pet store right there before the signals in her phone closed her mind to the truth I was teaching. I guess not everyone’s ready. Anyway, I always thought it’d be perfect for shady business if I rolled that way. Plan is Bosco goes there to meet the guy, and when they make the exchange, I pop out of nowhere and do a judo on the dealer, knock him right out, so we can take all his money and the K, then we split up. I stash my cut at my place, and first thing next morning, I’m on the phone to every TV station and newspaper in the state, and I know Bosco can’t do a damn thing ‘cause it was all his idea, which is entrappism, and that’s the truth. I don’t care what kinda fake “evidence” he says he’s got ‘cause I’m too smart to incinerate myself.

The day comes, and Bosco’s nearly peeing his pants he’s so nervous. Me, I don’t get nerves. Look at that hand, like a rock. I’m stone cold, dude, comes with being pure alpha. I drive us out there ‘cause Bosco’s too wired, but everything goes off sweet. While Bosco’s jabbering and stammering with the dealer dude, I get so close I’m basically in his hoodie with him, and I judo the hell out of the guy, just bam, and he’s on the floor, and Bosco’s all “That was incredible! I could never do that! You’re so alpha!” and I’m like “Whatever, let’s get this done,” so we clean the guy out, all his pockets and his car, the works, and we bounce. I call my cuz Riley Rhodes, and he tells me the dude's raging, didn't see who hit him. Perfect-o!

Later that night, I’m dead asleep when I hear someone in the apartment, and I’m up, I’m awake, I got reflexes like you wouldn’t believe. I go investigate, dukes up, ready to throw down, and I see Bosco snooping around like this son-of-a-bitch is trying to rip me off or set me up worse or some kinda nonsense. I’m about to jack him right up when boom, all your SWAT boys pile in, yelling and waving pieces, and I can take them, but I surrender peaceful-like ‘cause they’re just waiting for an excuse, you know? They probably got orders from the top to take me out if they can ‘cause I’m all kinds of dangerous. Meanwhile, Bosco mixes in with the crowd like he’s been there the whole time, the little beta rat.

So here we are, and, you know what I say? Come at me, bro, whatever you got. What, Bosco’s word and some Disney deepfake you cooked up? Your jury strung out on fluoride and moon dust till they swallow anything you sell ‘em? Bring it on, man! I’m pure alpha, I’m SwellSmart. I’m Superman like you don’t even realize, so get your house in order ‘cause I’m crashing it all down, man, just a matter of time ‘cause you can’t stop the truth train, baby, and I’m the ultimate alpha conductor, like choo-choo, you hear me, bro? Choo. Choo. Next stop—the classroom, let me show you how an alpha gets it done, talking pure alpha bringing it down, gonna get what’s mine, you hear? I’mma get what I’m owed, and then I’m not even started yet, bro, not even close. Bringing SwellSmart. Total package. Blowing up. United States of Alpha, you feel me?

That’s what’s up, baby, yeah. Believe that.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)

Rating The Strangers: Chapter 1 is something I'm finding difficult. On the one hand, the characters are dumb to the point of frustration and the plot is predictable. On the other, this is a weirdly ambitious picture and I really want to see more. This one's going to make me look like a hypocrite because I won't be recommending it, but I will be sticking with the series.

When their car breaks down in a small town, Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and her boyfriend Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) are forced to stay the night in an Airbnb in the middle of the woods. They don’t realize being there is enough reason for three psychopathic, masked strangers to begin terrorizing them.

I haven’t liked the previous Strangers movies, but only because I love the setup and the films they should be but never become. There’s something elegantly creepy about the Scarecrow, Dollface and Pin-Up Girl masks the three strangers wear. The idea of minding your own business and still being attacked by psychopaths is terrifying, particularly because so much of what’s going on is unanswered. Do the strangers own the Airbnb and have been waiting for someone to rent it so they can play a twisted game? Have been following Maya and Ryan, since they stopped at the diner, hoping the couple would eventually find themselves alone? Is the couple just at the wrong place, at the wrong time? Why are the strangers doing what they’re doing? Are there really only three strangers? Could there be more, wearing duplicates of the masks we've already seen? Wisely, the film keeps these answers close to its chest. The title of “Chapter 1” might lead you to believe that this is a prequel that will demystify every detail from the meaning behind the enigmatic question "Is Tamara here?" to who hides behind the masks, but you’re wrong.

What makes this third chapter frustrating is that the characters only have a sense of self-preservation if the plot demands it. If you think the guy working at the only garage in town has messed with your vehicle, why would you accuse them to their face, unless you want to risk further damage to your car when you leave it in their care? Someone already knocked at their door acting all creepy, so why does Maya decide to answer - and open - the door again later that same night? Why would she and Ryan assume they can rest easy inside a bedroom when they’ve just seen Scarecrow hack his way through the front entrance with an axe? Stupid decisions aren’t limited to the protagonists either; I guess we're supposed to think the strangers are "so crazy" that they just don't care about anything, which is why - even when Maya and Ryan arm themselves with weapons that can inflict serious damage - the strangers still act like everything is under control.

If that weren't bad enough, the movie cheats. Unless we're going to get a big reveal that Scarecrow, Pin-Up Girl and Doll Face are ghosts who can move silently through walls and turn invisible, there's no way they could do what they're doing in this movie. I'm looking at you, screenplay writers Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland and director Renny Harlin. The characters' actions and the unearned "scares" are made even more frustrating because you came to this to be scared. You feel the tension in this scenario - far more than everyone on-screen apparently!

Without giving away too much, let me tell you what the Chapter 1 title means. No, it's not a new way to say that this is "the beginning", it's to warn you that The Strangers: Chapter 1 is part of a planned trilogy. The second and third have already been shot. This is important because it means this picture ends in a "to be continued". We've seen more horror movies end on a "dun-dun-duuuuun" note than I can count, and plenty of flicks have found ways to keep their stories going with a "Part 2" but that's not what we have here. The story isn't over; it's too big for 91 minutes! Furthermore, this is NOT a prequel to the 2008 film. It's more of a remake, if anything, as the plot is almost beat-for-beat the same. That should make me angry because that would normally make this a remake that doesn't improve on the original - and therefore begs the question "Why was this even made" - but the conclusion has me intrigued. More than intrigued. I NEED to know what's coming next. Even though this film is subpar and the mid-credit tease about what's coming next is ridiculous, I'll be there when Chapter 2 is released. (Theatrical version on the big screen, May 25, 2024)