#I pray the read more works bc this is a beast

[applecherry108]

Asking about your VLD rewrite

Blessed be the anon that reads my tags. 🙏

SO,,

First and foremost, black Paladin Lance endgame. Klance endgame. Shiro and Curtis endgame, but Adam is alive and we give Curtis an actual personality and character arc. Allura's not dead, Lotor is good, probably something about whatsherface (the witch).

Alright alright alright, SO,,, Lance is the youngest of his family. His family that suspiciously looks like the other paladins. So in this rewrite, Lance is used to being the mastermind and the scape goat. Siblings want cookies? Lance makes a plan. Mama catches them? Lance takes the dive. You know. Real leadership qualities from a young age.

Cut to the first episode. Lance takes the dive for him, Pidge, and Hunk flunking the flight simulator. Iverson still compares him to Keith. We then cut to Lance at the shooting range, absolutely killing it (so his sharpshooting doesn't come so out of left field). Boom, Veronica's there to give him a pep talk. NOW we can go back to later that night, Lance trying to cheer up Hunk by sneaking out, coming across Pidge yada yada yada.

We're rescuing Shiro now. Keith doesn't remember Lance which INFURIATES him, and we'll learn several seasons later in a flashback that Lance started the whole rivalry to keep Keith out of trouble. He was getting into too many fights with James and was going to get expelled, but Lance, who looked up to Shiro, knew how important Keith's success was to him, so he steps in to play a role. To divert Keith's attention and keep him from fighting James.

And Keith doesn't remember him. AFTER ALL HE DID FOR—

Anyway.

Blah blah blah, Pidge wants to leave, Pidge decides to stay, "PIDGE IS A GIRL?!" Spoiler: Pidge is a transgirl. Later that night, Lance goes to Pidge's room to apologize, that he shouldn't have reacted that way. And is it really okay to keep calling her Pidge? What?, she says. Well, says Lance, communal showers at the Garrison... He just doesn't want to use the wrong name. Pidge tears up. No no, that's just a nickname Matt gave her, but... It wouldn't hurt to call her Katie every now and then. Tearful hug. Big Brother Figure Established.

Alright, I'll be honest, I do not fucking remember a lot of vld. So, uhhh...... skip skip skip, fuck it, we'll keep Shiro clone because it aids one of my plot points. Oh right, Lance has a recurring dream of walking down a hallway with doors on either side and an open door at the end. When he was younger, he'd meet a man in that room, standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window looking out into space. Now he reaches to open that now-closed door and is awoken by another paladin. He's sleepwalked into the Lions' docking bay. This keeps happening.

They decide to try out for Black's paladin, Lance sits in there too long, a feeling right at his finger tips but just out of reach. Black still appears to choose Keith.

Blah blah blah Lotor And The Ladies™️, Shenanigans™️, Shiro's suddenly back, Keith absolutely fucks off, Pidge goes looking for Matt and doesn't find him. Wholeass thinks he's dead (finds the grave) and we're going to sit with that trauma for a while, fuck you. (he's not dead, but I want this plot point to actually MATTER and not be resolved in 3 seconds).

Keith finds Krolia, AND WE'RE DOING TIME/GRAVITY CORRECTLY GODDAMN IT. So Keith is MIA for months. Voltron hasn't heard from him, the Blades haven't heard from him, but he eventually gets back and he thinks only a few days have past. BECAUSE IN INTENSE GRAVITY TIME MOVES SLOWLY FOR THE PERSON BUT LONGER FOR THE OBSERVER, FUCK YOU!!!!!

So he's NOT "mature" or "grizzled" but he's fucking mad. Gets back and still shoves Lance aside (Top Ten Anime Betrayals) and just wants to get down to business. He's brought a rando Altean with him, I straight up forget her name so we're calling her Blondie. They found Blondie in the whats-it-called, same as before. But she's the only Altean there and she tells them what Lotor's been up to (that's weird. that's SUSPICIOUS). Lotor suddenly goes coocoo-bananas and they fight, have a clone fight, why not.

Mostly the same, yada yada... While it pains me to still destroy the castle and have them get time warped 3 years, that part was Good, Actually. Terrible, worst writers you know made a good plot point. :/

Anyways, Keith's been jumpy and jittery, like he's waiting for something, and then it comes out that he was missing for MONTHS. What? No. He was only gone a few days! He had visions of the future even! .......The mental link. Connected. A handful of times. He was not seeing Future Visions, he was witnessing Current Events. Shiro had a complete breakdown, Pidge lost (and eventually found) her brother, Lance fucking DIED and he wasn't there for any of it. Here you go, Keith, have a crisis. Reevaluate some shit and FUCK YOU you aren't magically two years older.

We also learn that what limited Mother-Son time he and Krolia had in the void place, he learned how and why she went to Earth, how she met his father, and the real reason she left (surprise! he has a twin and it's Acxa). And he still gets Kosmo. Because puppy.

That Thing with Big Butch Lady and Red Lady, except Red Lady For Real dies and that thing that happens in the final season actually makes sense now. Lance is feeling fucking useless and can feel his connection with the Red Lion dwindling. Stuff stuff stuff, things things things... Interpersonal Drama comes to a head in the gameshow episode. Lance doesn't bomb the Name-That-Alien game—he gets too mad to say Rolo fast enough, No he can't name every masked generic Blade, and he refuses to deadname Pidge/Katie. The question at the end becomes not who should leave, but who should STAY? If they can all pick someone to stay, the rest can go. The others all refuse to vote because the power of friendship no one left behind or whatever. Lance votes for himself. Because this is a war. You put your best soldiers forward. The others are shocked! Blindsided! Bob grills him--is this really what you want? Lance responds by saying not voting is like a vote for everyone to stay. Bob gives him a knowing and confirming Look. So yes, Lance chooses to stay.

Lance gets zapped away and the others get a Stern Talking To. They come back to their Lions to find Lance in a panic on the comms. Confused and Scared and Alone. Everyone chimes in all at once, Kosmo zaps Keith over to Red (and then every one else). Hugs, apologies, healing. Boom, the Lions turn back on and we're back on our way to Earth.

We're back to Earth, Lions tucked away on a moon. Adam's alive! Joyous day—oh shit he is PISSED at Shiro. Not the warm welcome he expected. At ALL. In this version, Adam is not a fellow pilot, he's a medical officer, and Dammit Jim! he's not just anyone's doctor, he's your doctor, Shiro! And his boyfriend! And Takashi "Give Me Glory or Give Me Death" Shirogane ignored Dr. Boyfriend's strong medical advice to NOT FUCKING GO ON THAT MISSION. So sure, he's happy to seem him back and alive and well, but since he's okay, Adam's going to be mad at him. Because he thought he'd died! For years! And how could he do that to him?! They will continue to fight for the remainder of the team's time on Earth.

We're also introduced to Curtis who, no shit, in canon, was the comms officer that reached out to Matt for Mr. Pidge's Dad (I don't remember anybody's name, sorry). And if the jury will recall, those open communications are how the Galra located Earth. This man is bearing the guilt of the entire invasion on his shoulders because he made those transmissions. And he and Shiro get a bunch of scenes together to develop their relationship.

Stuff happens, blah blah blah, hey remember that scene in canon? Where they call their Lions and they all appear lickity-split? Except, in canon, Red doesn't respond to Lance right away? And he nearly dies? And it's never fucking explained? Well it's getting fucking explained now. After all that jazz, while they're recovering, Lance confesses what happened with Red to Keith. Keith already knows. Because Keith called Red. And it just confirms to Lance that he's lost his place on the team. That with Shiro back to take over Black again, he's not needed. He decides to leave the team, but he hasn't told anyone yet.

Anyways, I know I haven't been talking about Allura. That's because I've forgotten all the things I wanted to do with her, but her and Hunk have been having their own solo adventure stories and developing their character arcs this whole time too, just don't ask me what that is. They're important. They're not just the love interest and comic relief. But I'm clearly here for Lance content, so...

Post-battle, ready to go back to space. Pidge makes that comment about the cartoon, how Keith and Allura get together. Lance has an irritated only sort-of reaction. Hey, it's their last day on Earth. The others think they're all leaving tomorrow (Lance still hasn't told them he's staying). He invites Allura to have lunch with his family, since she doesn't have anyone else to spend this time with. She declines, she and Blondie are doing research on that Altean-slash-battery person. That's fine, he understands. He runs into Keith. Keith? What're you doing here? Why aren't you spending time with—shit, not family but like....Shiro and Adam? Keith laughs awkwardly and talks about how those two are still fighting and no thanks, he does not want any part of that. Lance invites him to lunch with his family.

Remember all those soft looks Keith always gave Lance in canon? That amounted to nothing? Well here's some more, and they actually mean something now. And My God, does Keith eat up being in a large chaotic family setting. It's like all he's ever wanted was to be surrounded by people that love him.

Anyways, nothing explicitly romantic happens, but on their way back (there's a big going away party at the garrison), Lance finally confides in Keith that he's not leaving. Keith.exe stops working. And while he's having this mental meltdown Lance asks him not to tell the others, that he wants to tell them himself at the party. Keith respects his decision.

At the party, he decides to tell Shiro first. And boy howdy is Shiro blasted. Absolutely smashed off his ass. Lance gets to have a conversation with a way-too-honest drunk Shiro. Firstly, he and Adam officially broke up. Because duh, Shiro's going back to space and that was Adam's ultimatum. Hence, alcohol. Second, when Lance tells him he's not leaving, drunk Shiro gets really emotional for some reason and starts apologizing. Apparently, when Keith made fighter pilot and Lance didn't, that was Shiro. Lance was supposed to be promoted (Keith's issues with authority were holding him back), but Shiro, as a high ranking officer, overruled that decision. He goes on to talk about how he projected onto Keith. That he saw himself in him, and he wanted to give this kid every opportunity that Shiro wouldn't get because that disease or whatever was supposed to put him in an early grave. He projected all his dreams onto this gifted orphan kid, that he never really considered what Keith wanted. Keith didn't care about going to space or being a pilot, he just wanted to be somewhere where he belonged, where he could help others. He never wanted to be leader.

Shiro takes a big chug of booze.

Black chose Lance. When he was stuck in the astral plane, bound to the Black Lion, Black tried to choose Lance and Shiro overruled that decision. Just like he overruled his promotion in school. Because Shiro wanted Keith to have what Shiro wanted, everyone else be damned.

Lance is shocked. He doesn't know what to think. Is he mad? Is he relieved?

Sidebar, bc idk where else to put this, that hallway dream I mentioned before? It was Lance connecting with the Lions. When he goes into any other door he has a moment of, Is that Allura? Oh wait, it's his sister Rachel on the beach they grew up next to. Is that Pidge in the garden? No it's Veronica. Etc etc. And each time Lance will say he wants to stay there with his loved one. They smile sadly, tell him they'd love for him to stay, but he doesn't belong there. What I failed to mention before is that we actually see Lance pilot every Lion at some point. Blue and Red sure, but Green to save Pidge and Yellow when Hunk was in danger. Lance can pilot every Lion. Here's that twist: Lance is Voltron. There is no Voltron without Lance. Here's where we loop in why his siblings look like the other paladins--because it's Lance's connection to them that makes them paladins. It's their dynamics. Lance could technically deem anyone worthy to be a paladin, but unconsciously or not, it's all him. Allura was meant to have Blue right out of the gate. Because Lance can connect to any Lion, that's why he was able to pilot Blue at first. But there was a communication error, and Allura called Shiro the leader, and because Lance agreed and looked up to him, the Lions accepted it too. It's not until Shiro "dies" and gets tied to Black and fucks with everything that that connection is disturbed. Why that door in his dream is suddenly closed. Shiro overruled Black and the Lions sent Lance to Red since Allura was always meant to have Blue. Lance could pilot any of them but he's meant to be the Black Paladin.

Anyways,,, so drunk Shiro spills the beans, Lance takes his rightful place as leader and Keith goes back to the role that most befits his fucking character arc--support. Right hand man. Not the leader, but the one that's going to jump to help before anyone else. Fuck you, LM and JDS. And like, Lance the Strategist and Fuck You he was the de facto leader when Kuron was melting down and Keith was MIA anyway and he was GOOD AT IT I AM OWED FINANCIAL COMPENSATION—

Anyway.

Have I ever mentioned how I’ve only watched the final season once? In a single sitting? At midnight on my birthday when it was released in 2018? So my memory is foggy but my anger is real.

Surprise! Blondie is actually witch lady! (Which iirc was an actual twist in the original 80s cartoon). And psych!! It was HER altean death camp all along!! Lotor had nothing to do with it and she used her magic to make him lose his marbles and fight them! And god help me I cannot fucking remember what her canonical villain plot even was, so maybe she still went crazy and did some stupid multi-dimensional bullshit to get her family back. So then why kill Lotor before? Right, because he founded the Blades. He’s thousands of years old, and from a relatively young age was against the way his family was running things, so he started the Blades. He and Acxa were working undercover during all that s3/s4 nonsense. Witch lady finds that out and perceives it as a betrayal. Kills him, wants to start fresh with a younger, more impressionable son.

Again, she nearly fucks all of existence but the gang stops her just in time. Allura tries to sacrifice herself but free-from-quintessence-poisoning witch saves fuck that, you’ve lost enough. And cleans up her own damn mess her own damn self.

Universe saved, galra home world unfucked, lotor no longer a quintessence mummy, but no Altea. Altea is GONE but galra world was mostly still there. A bunch of alteans-in-hiding finally come out of the woodwork, and the ones from the quint farm are free. Blondie is still not a real person, though.

The lions do not fuck off to god knows where, allura is alive, lotor is at her side, and that ties up all the main threads or whatever, and we get to end with universal peace and the defender of the universe is still out there doing good, dismantling the remains of the empire which, without the quint-poisoned overlords, is not all that much of a dire threat. They’re still an empire that’s done war crimes, but at least there’s no more giant monsters, y’feel?

Oh right, I’m missing a part in the middle—remember that alt dimension episode in like s3? With evil alteans? Yeah that, but with explicit Evil Quint-Crazed Immortal Allura and Resistance Leader Lotor. Like. Explicit foreshadowing. It’s also meant to bridge the gap of Allura making peace with Keith being galra and the start of keith being vulnerable around Lance, so.

It’s been 5 years and I’m still mad, but it’s been 5 years and my memory is not so great so ta-da, that’s the gist of my fuck-you-Lance-is-the-main-character rewrite. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[amethystsoda]

It’s kind of cliche how stereotypical my abuse and indoctrination was growing up—

(I guess this is technically a bit of trauma dumping??? But hopefully it’s more like “here are some experiences other traumatized millennials will relate to.” We share in this history together 🤝)

Family was into religious cult activities (aka evangelical pentecostals) and made us spend lots of time at church (good for becoming someone who cares about others and giving, but not good bc brainwashing/shaming/etc)

Only got one year of kindergarten before getting pulled into homeschool after a move. Mother got into talk radio and the conservative brain poisoning.

Not allowed to watch cartoons other than veggie tales. Christian bookstore almost exclusively. Hyper patriotic. ONe nation under GOD!!!!!!! *eagle caw*

Rapture scare and apocalypse fear—don’t deny Jesus if someone tries to shoot you and make you renounce Christ. Forced to watch The Omega Code at way too young. Listened to the audiobooks of all the Left Behind series (content including rapture, natural disasters, assassinations, beheadings for not taking the mark of the beast, etc).

My biggest fear around 7-10 years old was that I would have to be loyal to Jesus and get beheaded. I literally sat around thinking about how scary a guillotine was and how I would have to steel myself to accept that fate.

Also as a Pentecostal family, my parents believed in speaking in tongues. Cue up me at maybe 4 years old being forced to “learn the language” (I was getting no divine insight, no spiritual spark. I was a child with my brain still developing)

but being put into the empty bathtub until “the spirit worked” (aka I faked it and replicated how my parents did it with tear streaked cheeks, just so I could escape that hell).

Spanking as punishment… I wasn’t even that bad of a kid. They just didn’t know how to handle me being an independent thinker and curious.

Talk out problems?? Nah. Open palm spanking your butt will silence you and train you not to talk back. You said something I don’t like??? Time to push you to the wall and grab your chin and yell at you until you “repent.” (No wonder my response eventually was just to shut down.)

It didn’t stop there. When we got older and they didn’t spank as much. It was “you have to pray and repent out loud” “you have to read scripture.” And for someone who went nonverbal during those times, it was so painful to do.

I got diagnosed with adhd in kindergarten but my mom basically said “that doesn’t exist” and ignored it. I had tons of sensory issues and that motor system stuff where you trip or are clumsy a lot. I cried when the crinoline of dresses scratched my legs. I was hyper fixated on red shoes and butterflies.

I had purity training at 9 years old. A sliding scale off a cliff diagram of “dangerous actions” (the start was holding hands. Off the cliff was laying in bed naked and sex).

Growing up fat and constant throat infections but no doctor’s care because “you just need to pray when you’re sick and quote scripture and god will heal you.” The advil? Hidden up in the kitchen cupboard and judgement any time you would reach for it.

I remember never talking about crushes too because everyone would embarrass me. I didn’t know any terms for demisexual/bisexual. I just knew I felt deep love for everyone, and sexual desire for almost no one.

I often think about how things could have been different. How I ended up parenting myself and only relying on myself. No one else would care for me, so I had to.

Sure there were occasionally good moments.

I’m sure my mother was trying her best with my dad constantly at work until late hours.

But it also could have been so much better…

If you also grew up like this, I am holding you so tenderly. I’m holding a warm washcloth to the old wounds and wiping the childhood tears off your face.

I’m giving 10 year old you a mug of hot cocoa and a warm blanket and putting cartoons on. There’s no yelling. No threat of abuse. You’re safe 🫂🫂

We’ve been through so much, but there are better days ahead. 💖💖💖

[captainaikus]

OMG 4TH EDITION? HELL YEAH! I can't wait for april! i would be lying if i said i wasnt hoping for a chigiri one (which im gonna check for again bc eyes), BUT BACHI HAS MY HEART MAN <3 super excited for the 4th edition!

aside from that, how was your day today? good, bad? if it was bad, i hope i can make a little bit better! idk how, but have another virtual hug! and sakuras! 🌸🌸🌸

just curious, but whos your least favorite blue lock character? i know your favorite is olive man, but least favorite? 👀

i pray that you get rich overnight (like billion because taxes and crap) so you can buy the pink-est (did you see what i did to the text :0 I DIDNT KNOW YOU COULD DO THIS), most PASTEL AND AESTHETIC mansion ever and then just set up an aesthetic room for your writing like please? if you have one show? i would love to see if you have an area thats dedicated to your writing!

i would say more but head empty rn 😭 and since youre on break i dont wanna talk just about your works! theres more to a writer than just their writing afterall. tell me more about yourself if you wanna! i would love to listen read! <3

i hope you have a WONDERFUL day as well as enjoy the weather that may or may not be horrible where you are (hopefully it's good)! byebye!!

- 🌸 anon

I actually did want to write for Chigiri but 3 characters is my limit n if i push it, I tend to get extremely exhausted. fourth edition will be uploaded on my ao3 account (link attached to my pinned post) noa is one of my fav - poor baby has a tragic backstory that it makes me wanna cry, he worked so hard to get here n i'm so proud of him because of it Now that i think about it... Barou was supposed to be in the list for your words, my hurt too (might make a 5th edition or something cause of this)

My day has been good so far ; I finished reading 'my in laws are obsessed with me' the webtoon n i'm reading a new manga ... *sending a hug back* you’re so sweet! *sending you a bouquet* 💐

Olive man 😭 that’s a good one 🥹😂

Least favorite? Easy. Everyone in blue lock since they’re stupidly high egoists. But the ones I don’t like are - Itoshi brothers n Kaiser cause of their over the top god / superiority / king complex. I can still tolerate them in comparison to these two (don’t like the most) : Adam Blake n Chris Prince. Adam wants to have sex with women in kimonos (my attraction towards him died along with this) n Chris needs to be less of a camera whore

Aw, you’re so sweet mon ange <3 it’s good to know there’s another pink fanatic out there o^^o

Pinkest n most aesthetic mansion where my followers, moots n I will stay (yes I just picked up the grand Budapest hotel … think about it -it’s a safe haven for introverts n there are a lot of mountains as well as a little far from the city) my aesthetic writing room is the library - I’ve always wanted a library that the beast gave Belle in beauty and the beast 🥹

Hm… about myself - idk what to say, but there’s an about me page under “Isabelle” on my pinned post :x apart from that,

I listen to a lot of Lana del ray’s music, my aesthetics are conquette, princesscore n angelcore. I don’t have a particularly fav manga, anime or movie cause there are too many to name, I like spicy food n tiramisu. Hbu? <3

Weather is alright - feeling a lil sleepy (•_•) 💤

Hope you’re having a good day / evening / night 🤍

[tu-sugar-mami]

Warnings and uh tags?: reader death, unsolicited angst. Don't read honestly, it's crappy, im feeling angsty today don't read, this doesn't make sense at all but meh bc i always hurry i have no patience. Happy ending if course but still

###

Alcina can't understand it.

You're just another maiden of the bunch. Why are her eyes tearing up?

You're nothing more than a simple servant, as disposable as any other, just a toy kept around for her amusement only. Sure, she might have gotten a liking to you, an uncommon fixation but nothing else. So why? Why is her stomach churning with worry and why is her her mouth dry at the sight of your limp body trapped under the fallen bookshelf? Why are her eyes watering and her heart beating uncontrollably when she can't hear yours even if she's straining her ears.

When she heard the thunderous roar of something clashing to the ground she was ready to lecture you, wasting no time in climbing up the stairs with hurried steps in search of you, but her feet stopped abruptly at the sight that greeted her: Half of your body buried under the heavy wood, books littered all around you and blood spilling out of your mouth.

It takes a moment before she spins into action, pushing the bookshelf away and kneeling beside you. She doesn't know what to do, she's afraid of touching you and risk hurting you even more but she can't bring herself to call for help.

She's angry at you, at herself. At you because why did you have to be so reckless? You're fragile, human, mortal, and yet you're stubborn in doing things your way. At herself because she should have known better than to leave you alone.

With gloved fingers on your neck she checks for a pulse. You can't be de— No, she won't finish that thought, she won't accept it. There isn't a pulse but she is not letting you go.

Careful to control her strength Alcina picks you up, cradling you in her arms and close to her chest. You've always been soft and squishy, great for cuddles and hugs, but the way you feel in her hands as she carry you downstairs is way too wrong, like a pouch of glass marbles. Your face is pale and your limbs sway like those of a rag doll. At this point even Donna's dolls and puppets seem more alive than you do.

Alcina orders a carriage to the first maid that crosses her way. Her cracking voice harsh to the maid's ears while she scurries to bide the order she's given.

The daughters somehow hear the fuss and go to investigate. They find their mother trying to hold back tears, though unsuccessfully, since some of her makeup is already smudged.

"Don't." Is all she say when one of the girls try to touch you. They're worried at the dull, lifeless tone in her voice, but they obey nonetheless.

Alcina doesn't know why she's acting like this. She doesn't know why suddenly you're worthy of her wasting precious time to try and save you.

She remembers how you had never been afraid of anything, not even when you were sold to her by your parents. She wonders if you are afraid of never waking up again.

During the whole journey to Moreau's —the only one that appears in her mind when it comes to someone able to help— she never lets go of your frame, cradling your pale cheek in her hand, her thumb caressing your now cold skin.

Why is her heart hammering in her chest? Why does she feel like grieving the loss of something precious? Why is she suddenly overwhelmed by all these emotions? It doesn't make sense, not at all.

Moreau is curious as to why Lady Dimitrescu's carriage is pulling up at his door, and at such hour at that. He's not expecting a teary Alcina carrying a young maiden in her arms, ordering him to save you, and when he states what she already knows she begs for everything that is holy that he still try because you can't leave her, not like this.

Alcina didn't know how important you had become to her until she realized your smile was gone, until she realized you were not going to sit on her lap and giggle when she corrected historical events on modern textbooks again. It hit her like a bucket of cold water that you were not going indulge in playful banters whenever she's stressed again, and of course you would not braid Bela's hair while retelling stories of old books by the fireplace anymore.

It hit her that you were, in fact, not just another one of the bunch, no.

But it hit her even harder that she was the only one at fault for this.

She had been the one to send you away with a wave of her hand, annoyed. "If you want to be useful go and do something, but don't stand there like a nuisance." She had said. She was bitter. She had heard you talking with another maid, a friend of yours, about how you wanted to leave and explore the world and everything it had to offer. She thought you weren't happy with her and that hurt her, so she did what she always did when hurt: hide behind a cold mask.

She hadn't meant for you to go to the library. She hadn't meant for you to die. And now she was praying to every god she knew to get you back.

The only option left when Moreau can't wake you is to go with the only other person capable of beating death. Miranda.

And so Alcina does, and by a miracle mother Miranda agrees to try, but her motives as always are twisted. You do wake up, but you're not you anymore. A soulless beast has replaced the sweet, flirty maiden that was before. Alcina thinks she can handle it as long as you're back with her, but she's proven wrong when you get out of control.

No one admits it, but they pity her.

No one was to say it, but it's clear they have to put you down, out of your misery.

Alcina pulls out her claws and with a single tear rolling down her left cheek, she strikes...

...

...

...Alcina wakes up with pained yell. She's drenched in cold sweat. Her heart is beating a mile per hour. She touches her face and feels her cheeks sticky, wet with tears.

At her side you wake up too, startled, looking your surroundings for a sense of orientation. Next to you is your beautiful wife, sitting, crying her eyes out, covering her mouth with a hand in an attempt to quiet her whimpers. The grasp of sleep abandon you in a blink and in a second your arms are surrounding her.

"My love, it's okay. You're okay, it was a dream, everything is alright." You say while swaying side to side trying to calm her down. You cup her face, kissing her tears away while caressing her tear stained cheek.

"You died... I killed you." She whispers desperately. You shush her and hold her close to you.

"That will never happen. It was just a nightmare." You say. After a kiss is properly placed on her forehead you manage to lay side by side, and even though Alcina is much bigger than you she's hiding her face on the crook of your neck.

She won't say a word, but you know she won be able to sleep again. In the darkness and quiet of the large room your voice starts to sing a sweet, soothing lullaby while you fingers tangle in your lover's hair and start to play with it. "I love you, Alcina." You say out loud when you feel Alcina's heartbeat lower to a tranquil pace and you're sure she's drifting back to her slumber. "I'll be here for you, always."

------

If you love my work, buy me a coffee?

[lowkeyclueless5137]

Spider Ace au, because I really am a clown ;-;

I have the most wierd brairots ever... :3

Bc I woke up one day and said 'Spider-Man Ace and Deuce as MJ'

In here everyone is  human so ye...

And also author has super limited knowledge about the MCU universe... Like I got lost around the whole 'multiverse and past shit'...

so you can tell me if I'm wrong(facts-wise), but this au will be probably very far-fetched from the MCU universe as I want to give another take on it than just following the cannon... So if it's not your cup of tea, Please don't read

But I still enjoy mindlessly watching the movies. :3

Now let's get onto it! Under the cut it would be the main plot plus some of the characters that I already polished enough to say 'yeah... They have a role in this au'...

Ace's brother worked in the science field, at a renowned Company along his gf(who's in another branch, so Ace has to suffer through his brother's ramblings about that girl)

So in his first year of high school, Ace had a field trip to that company. He was praying to the Gods that his brother won't embarrass him. So like... An experimental spider got out and you know where this is goin... Ace Gets bitten and everything. But the effects start to kick in a bit later, when he has to return to the dorm.

He was rooming with Epel so when he saw the wobbly ginger, Epel just dragged him around. At one point they passed by a confused Deuce.

Epel told him that 'it's totally not a corpse...' before dragging the unconscious Ace again.

So Ace Gets his powers and Epel is the first one who caught onto it because 'I killed that mf spider that was crawling out of your damn hoodie... So get your fucking clothes cleaned yourself'

And Ace Gets to be the totally not dumb Spider-Man.

Meanwhile... Deuce was just your average boy... He was trying his best to keep that honor student impression. But he sometimes slips and punches the shit out someone who decides to pick on him or his friends: Jack and Sebek.

So one day, Jack presents to the other 2 his bf Epel... And bc Epel was a lil shit and knew Ace's big af crush onto Deuce... He decided to drag the ginger along.

Ace was so flustered that his powers acted on their own and he was sticking onto everything.So he unintentionally starts a food fight in the cafeteria when one of his webs(yes... Ace can make webs like in the first movie... He uses other substances made by Epel to give them additional effects) caught onto a food tray and he yanked it, hitting Jack in the face, which made Epel to throw hands with any poor unfortunate soul that owned that tray.

Ace literally just doesn't want to face Deuce because of the sheer embarrassment.

But at night... Ace was just patrolling around (even if Epel told him no) when he saw on a more dark alleyway that Deuce got in a gang fight and was losing due to the number of enemies.

But Spider-Man saves him :D

And they have that iconic upside-down kiss... And Ace really gets his hopes up with that.

But we need a villain... At least one...

Well... Lately attacks of a misterious beast were found. Some theorised it was an animal which broke loose from zoo. Other said it was a terrorist organisation. Only thing that is known is that no one was wounded, but extremely big material damages were done. Along that... At the place of the crime... Flowers were found. They were beautiful, but not registered as any kind of known species...

On the other end of the spectrum... Floyd had some bad days... He lost some interest in the tests, which again made his grades to flop. And his boyfriend, Riddle, was more panicky lately, since his mother wanted to visit him and inspect his dorm(he was sharing a dorm with Azul, which was a big relief) and he couldn't really get out of his head the memory of that failed experiment he had on a plant for his assignment.

Deuce befriended Riddle by just standing up for him against some bullies of the redhead. So they were hanging out, Riddle tutoring Deuce at biology and chemestry.

It was when of those tutoring days, where Deuce was at Riddle and Azul's dorm that Mrs Rosehearts decided to 'pay a visit'...

Riddle wasn't expecting that surprise inspection, so he forgot to hide his little window flowers. It was a little hobby of his to take care of them. Azul suggested it since it's not really that demanding.

Mrs. Rosehearts didn't really like that her son found other occupations other than studying. Nor that he associated himself with someone 'with bad influence' like Deuce... Riddle feels extremely embarrassed and angry when his mother just nags him in front of the really confused Deuce.

Boy came only to study at chemestry and maybe chat a bit with his friend...

So when Mrs Rosehearts slapped Riddle... Imagine the shock and fear Riddle had on his face. It wasn't because he was embarrassed... No... That wasn't it. He was starting to panic, telling Deuce to run away as fast and as far as he could.

Because a beast came after them. It was big, scaly, with a long slimy tail and it even had water adaptations.

Mrs Rosehearts wanted to throw away those pots with plants when suddenly the plants themselves wrapped around her hands and immobilised her completely, exactly when the beast broke in.

It was a little side effect from that failed experiment that Riddle rather not shared with anyone. And that was that plants listened to his demands now...

And that whenever he would spiral in panic, the gigantic beast appeared.

So Spider-Man comes on the set... To save Deuce first...

Since Riddle had lost it and now was searching for comfort from the beast itself, trying to catch Ace with his plants because he was attacking the monster, which Riddle wouldn't allow.

Deuce finds a chair and just smacks the beast with it, but the enemy dodged it and threw the chair at Mrs Rosehearts :3

Being in a small space, Ace had little space to move around and dodge... So the beast managed to claw at him when Ace wanted to protect Deuce, getting his stomach aera first. Getting the smell of fresh blood the beast entirely lost it and now was going apeshit.

Seeing this, Riddle had no other option than to summon out of his hand that wierd flower and put it to the beast's nose, to smell it.

That unknown flower was actually Riddle's own creation. It was meant to have a calming scent, which he used to clam down the beast and force it to return to normal, which was just a tired Floyd.

And Deuce is a lil shit and after bandaging his saviour a bit sloppy and letting him leave, the blue head filled a confession as a witness that indeed, Mrs Rosehearts was responsible for this.The next day... Ace was more wobbly onto his feet. Epel bandaged him and told him 'ya shouldn't play romeo so often'... (yes... Epel will be that iconic sassy mf) but Ace had none of it.

Ace wanted to tell Deuce how he felt!

But Deuce rejected him. It wasn't because of how Ace was... But it was because Deuce's heart belongs to someone else. (Jack passed by with Epel and mouthed to Ace 'Spider-Man' as Epel was snorting a laugh)

Ace wasn't heartbroken, knowing that Deuce loves him... He just loves his alterego who saved him several times and had an upside-down kissing session. So Ace was in his dorm room after classes, walking around the ceiling and contemplating how to tell Deuce that he's Spider-Man. Epel just smacks him in the head and tells him that it's a very very dumb idea.

But before continuing... Ace Gets a phone call, that his dad was returning in here... Mr Trappola was working aboard so of course it was really important when he came over. He came over with the sole reason of spending time with family. So still being awkward with Deuce... Ace decided to get his mind off for a bit by having a night stroll... The news of his father coming were actually great news for Ace... Which helped his mood a bit.

So for a few days... Ace dropped by his home to stay with his bro and Mr Trappola. But one day, Ace forgot his dorm keys and phone in there.

Mr Trappola offered to drop by and leave to Ace the said objects.

Ace on the other hand, passed by an convenience store, bumping into a wierd man when he entered. Epel nagged him all day that they didn't have anymore milk. So Ace had to do groceries after a failer rock-paper-scrissors match. Meanwhile... Deuce bumped into Mr Trappola, the older one recognising Deuce from Ace's bg phone photo, where him along Deuce, Jack, Sebek and Epel were making a selfie after a hangout.

Deuce recognised the other from Ace's photos and stories. It was wierd, but nonetheless, the 2 went a bit onto the side to chat a bit, as to not disturb the passer-bys.

And it was a bad thing the 2 got on the side. You know that wierd man who bumped into Ace?

Yeah... That man bumped into Mr Trappola and because he and Ace were so look-alike... That man confused Mr Trappola for Ace... And in a sudden rage... He attacked him with a knife. Deuce, being took aback, but having a history of gang fights, riposted too.

All 3 of them ended up toppling on an alleyway. Mr Trappola had a chest wound from the knife and Deuce was trying his best to keep the attacker far from the wounded.

Ace was passing by when he sees this and doesn't even spare a second to change... He just shoots his webbs onto the attacker and punches him into a wall in that sudden rage he had. Deuce had to take Ace off the attacker as to not kill him. The blue head called an ambulance as quick as he could while Ace was desperately trying to just patch up the wound.

When the medics arrived... They couldn't do anything more... Mr Trappola lost too much blood. They were too late.

He was dead...

It all came crashing down to Ace when they told him that. If only he was faster. If only he didn't forget his things... If only, if only...

Deuce could only offer a hug to the other as Ace was snuggled in his embrace, crying. He lost his father. And he couldn't do anything about it...Ace couldn't anymore. Especially since he did show his powers to him. He told Deuce in private that yes... He was Spider-Man... Ace was too heartbroken by his father's death to even care anymore. Deuce was there only to comfort him, since it was traumatising for him too...So after the funeral... Ace had that gloomy period... He still had episodes where it haunted him and it pushed him onto blaming himself, but Deuce was there to remind him that 'hey... It's not your fault that guy attacked first'...

Yes... Ace and Deuce end up unconsciously dating... They realise it after months...

I also really wanna tackle far from home too... Since I do have and idea about it. But it won't really have anything to do with endgame or infinity war... Like nothing... Nada...

But side-note: Kalim is Iron man in this... Boy is a genius, but most of the time he gives the impression that he isn't. Jamil is his secretary and soon-to-be husband (they are engaged)OK... So in here... It was a a year or so since all that shit happened. Ace's class and another one who was one year above them were going on a field trip through Europe.

But since Kalim was in a mission throughout USA... Leona(who's fucking Nick Fury (nick furry sorry, but it must be said) in this) wanted Ace to join in the Europe mission.

Ace said no, since 1. Epel will throw hands if Ace dares to ruin this trip for him. 2. He wanted a romantic trip with Deuce, who lately was took as a pupil by a Doctor... (Ace didn't really ask about it more, he was just happy for his happy bf)

First stop: Italy, Venece(did I write it right?)

Ace really wanted to get for Deuce a souvenir and also get with him on a romantic boat ride... But since their teacher(Crow man for F'S sake. Divius was there too just to sigh in done with life) got them in a rundown hotel... The vibe was a bit not romantic.

By insisting on being put in pairs of 4, Jack and Epel roomed with Adeuce, while Sebek was a mf who roomed with Silver, Ruggie and Floyd... They partied hard in there.

But Leona shows up. :3

And he knocks out only Epel. And Deuce, since Jack was an agent of his. Ace really doesn't wanna... So he refuses a second time.

And maybe Ace should have joined that mission. Since apparently a water monster appeared when they were with the gondolas. Adeuce were ready to kiss... Come on!

Imagine Ace's surprise when Deuce summoned a portal straight to their room, so Ace can get his suit.Deuce tells Ace to just 'shut up and save the day' because it wasn't the time to explain shit. Deuce just kicks Ace's ass through the portal :3

So a misterious superhero appears, which Ace really has no more chill and social battery to deal with.

Meanwhile. Ruggie knocks out passer-bys who saw the beast form Floyd while Riddle was chasing after him with his flowers to calm him down. Ruggie works for Leona too.

But he gets dragged anyway by Leona to explain him what's going on. Deuce arrives a bit later at them, at Leona's insistence, since his mentor was occupied too. (Yes... Dr Strange is Deuce's mentor... I thought it would be fun if Deuce got to kick ass with magic.)

Leona is really so done with Ace being all like 'no... I don't wanna'. Deuce promises to Leona to convince Ace to join in the mission...

Meanwhile Epel throws hands with Ace the moment he enters the door, since Jack filled him up with everything. Jack had to give Ace a little gift from Kalim... It was a pair of sunglasses...

Ruggie comes over the gays and tells them that they should pack, since they are going now to (IDk where it was... But I believe it was at some festival or smth...) to see an opera.

Ace fucking knows that it's Leona's doing, but at least he hopes they'll go somewhere nice...So they get busted again by the said elemental monsters. Deuce knows something is fishy since his mentor really didn't tell him about those monsters at all. And he did study first the said threats of the earth.

Ace discovers that those sunglasses from Kalim were actually operating an army of super high tech satellites. Epel is so hyped about it that he wants to see how those glasses work.

But they can't, since that wierd superhero they were paired up with, steals those glasses. So... Ace Gets thrown in Olanda... And boy gets found out by Jamil...

Jamil found Ace because of Jack calling him, Deuce being held hostage by that fake hero... And Epel throwing another table through the window because he had to track down Ace.

And also because someone guessed that the glasses password was 'coconut' and now they broke the security code.

Epel fancies a more durable and better spiderman suit for Ace along Kalim who puts his imput from time to time, while Jack is trying to get a grip onto Leona.

Meanwhile... Deuce obliterated some poor enemy soul's nuts. And Silver just vibes with his newly acquired boyfriends.

Sorry Leona... Ruggie is busy having a more successful romantic life than u.

That's an omage to Boris(on Discord)... Who introduced me to that chaotic Silver who gets the equivalent of a harem.

They have to bust that trickery illusion of a mega monster and everything. Deuce still tries to get out, but he needs his ring to make a portal to escape. Ring which was at the 'fake hero' who claimed that Deuce was killed by the monster. (Leona groans in the distance, knowing what nagging will come from Dr. Strange for putting his dear pupil in danger)

Jamil holded Kalim from intervening as this was Ace's fight. Now Ace was invested in this because they got his bf... They will pay :3

So getting in the eye of the storm, Epel guides Ace until in the middle, where he loses contact because of the drones which were making the communications hairwire...

Ace fights with the said fake hero, as Deuce tries to get back his ring. Seeing that his bf was trying to get something from the enemy, Ace manages to snatch the sunglasses and deactivate the drones, then proceeding to tie up with webbs the said enemy as Deuce got his ring back and the 2 got outta here.

Epel used a rocket launcher onto some drones and now he fell in love with it. Jack really is exhaling in the distance. So now that everything is settled... And finally Ace was left to finish his trip like he deserves...

He goes with Deuce onto the big bang and have a little romantic date under the moon light. That's where Ace gives to Deuce his gift: A silver bracelet. He picked it up from Venece as a gift for Deuce. He wanted to give it to him on the boat ride, but they got busted over and over again.

And they kiss...

Meanwhile Leona exhaled again when Silver respondes accidentally on Ruggie's phone. They had a nice night too... Leona... Deal with it. Your workers got a better romantic life than ya.That's it... The gays... Silver getting the start of his harem(he will eventually get Kalim and Jamil by the end of the trip, when they meet with Ace to give their best wishes and congratulate him along Jack, Epel and Deuce on their good job.) Crowley getting karma... Crewel... Existing... Floyd just causing mass property damage and Riddle smacking him with flowers...

The rest of the boys are somewhere around there... Living la vida loca sparkles.

So... A smol recap: an half-assed thought of mine that turned into a full blown mild au with Adeuce as main focus. Everyone is human... (so and so)... Ace is Spider-Man... Deuce is MJ and everything stays up to a somewhat formula(fighting bad guys, getting on dates, shit happening)

Now I wanna present the characters into somewhat depth... :3

1.Ace- the totally not idiot Spider-Man

Ace was your average boy. Interested in sports, trying to keep afloat with studies. Having crushes and everything. His family situation is actually nice. His brother is already working as a scientist... His Father works aboart... His mother has a little flowershop...

It all takes a turn when Ace is in a field trip and gets bitten by a radioactive spider.

From there on, the story becomes as we know it: Fighting bad guys, having crushes, fighting more bad guys, getting a kiss... And dealing with more bad guys...

Ace abuses of his powers a lot: weather he uses his webs to prank on his roommate, Epel, or having his 6th sense kicking in so he could avoid fights or collateral damage. Ace totally takes advantage of this.

But eventually he will learn that responsibilities always come in the package. His father's death was what marked him as a wake-up call to reality. From that incident on, Ace was taking things more seriously.

1.Deuce-Ex delinquent and now a pupil to a misterious doctor

Deuce knew about impressions. And with his dark past as a delinquent... Deuce wanted to turn in a new leaf in high school. Study hard and Excell into something as to make his mother proud.

With that new mindset and a bucket list full of self-expectations, Deuce got a new reputation as a 'goodie 2 shoes' from others. It was rare to see Deuce snap and completely K.O. A bully.

Which is why Riddle was the first one to see that part of Deuce. The 2 befriended, especially since Deuce stood up to the redhead. Riddle now tutors Deuce at biology and chemistry. And still does it up to this day... Even after that incident...

Eventually, Deuce gets roped into a relationship with Ace. It's wacky, extremely unpredictable and neither of them were actually aware they were dating until someone pointed it out months after they started to do it.

After that, Deuce accepted an offer for a summer internship. Ace didn't question him too much. He trusted Deuce. He knew Deuce wouldn't cheat or anything. Yes, Ace had some worries that Deuce might get hurt or something, but overall, Ace was supporting his boyfriend about it.

Deuce discovered that the one who offered him an internship was actually Doctor Strange(or Doctor Boris...) who wanted a pupil to follow his footsteps. Deuce started to learn from there, especially to use his magic for good.

2.Epel-The reluctant sassy mechanic prodigy

Epel got to that high-school through one of the many offers he got. Epel was a great mechanic, even though he wanted to study pharmacy. He still is pursuing his passion, mechanics being just a hobby Epel indulges in from time to time.

His dormmate is none other than Ace. The 2 quickly get along as a duo of troublemakers. But after Ace Gets his powers, Epel is the one that suggests to become a hero and everything.

Now Epel is your very tired and done with life high-school student who would rather stay with his boyfriend than deal with the ceiling webbed books Ace arranged for him. Because he realised he had to pursue his mechanics too, Epel gets to be tutored by Idia, a robotics genius.

Epel is intrigued by Ace's power to create webs... So he always has a little sample of them on his desk, trying substances and testing it in order to unlock new looks of it and new functions that Ace could use.

3.Kalim and Jamil-Iron man and his Jack of all trades Secretary

Kalim was gifted with a genius mind. He was very smart and could surpass other studious teens just when he was little. The problem was... Kalim didn't entirely use his entire thinking capacity. It's hard for him to concentrate so the genius comes out unexpectedly, leaving the impression that Kalim is just a dumb rich guy. In truth, Kalim's genius what what actually made the Asim company flourish. Kalim got the company for his own management, Jamil working as his secretary and later on becoming his fiance and Co-director...

Kalim also grew fond of Ace, him and Jamil treating the ginger as their illegitimate child. Sometimes Kalim would drop by with a lunch pack... Or sometimes Jamil will ask Ace about his homework.

4.Jack-Double agent and local puppy himbo

Jack is in a relationship with Epel. Not much can be told about him at first glance: takes studies seriously, practices sport, has a good family and financial situation...

But his little 'part time job' is really what one should actually question.

Jack works a young double agent, under Ruggie's guidance and Leona's orders. Jack would rather not rope Epel into this, nor sebek and Deuce, his roomates, but apparently his own boyfriend wants to get roped into danger.

It is an almost usual case when Jack is carrying a struggling Epel away from danger, confiscating his weapon.

5.Riddle and Floyd-the really out of control couple

If you were a student in that high school, you would most likely know about the famous troublemaker Floyd Leech. A music talent and even a swimming prodigy, who suddenly dropped out, despite his brother and friend's encouragement.

And what was more outrageous, was the rumor that Floyd's boyfriend was the cause of it. Which would be a stretch, since Riddle was focused onto his own studies and always supported Floyd to excel in at least something.

Riddle, opposite to his boyfriend, was a very serious and a model student. He was studying mostly biology, but Riddle had an interest into law. People who happened to have lab classes with him, would know that Riddle was working after classes at a project. He wanted to prove that plants can protect each other, not just themselves. If you heard that, you would probably consider him crazy, but Riddle still wanted to study that little experiment, hoping that he could win a reward at this year's science fair.

Of course, there had to be envy on that project, who actually was giving promising results. Someone sabotaged Riddle's substances withouth him being aware of it.

So one day, Floyd visited Riddle while the redhead was doing his usual project research. Floyd Brought with him a fish bowl since he was put by a teacher to bring the fish in there. (and Riddle will nag him if he refused)

Riddle was trying to put a substance on the said plant pot, when Floyd barged in and scared the redhead, making Riddle to drop all of it onto both him and the plat pot. Seeing that, Floyd wanted to wipe it off Riddle the said substance, yet the pot started to shake and the plants exploded, pushing both of them on the floor and Floyd actually digesting some of the substance.

After both of them woke up, Riddle realised that instead of Floyd, a beast was laying next to him, checking if anything was out of order. It took a bit of time and shaking the shock off to realise what happened. Especially since plants seemed to sprout and help Riddle back on his own feet, as if he commanded them.

So for a week or so, both of them had to call in 'sick'. Riddle polished better his newfound skill, ending up creating out of his body a special flower that can revert back to human his boyfriend. But when Riddle's emotions would get the best of him, the flowers would wilt and return Floyd to the beast he was once.

Now both of them had a looming fear of getting caught and who knows what would happen to them if that became real.

6.Azul-The revenge seeking octopus guy

In here... Azul is that nerd who suddenly got a glow up... Students among school did question how he changed so suddenly during summerbreak... He was an almost complete 180... Unrecognisible even.

Azul was excelling, similar to Riddle, in biology and chemistry, having a leaning towards medicine and drugs making... Azul's mother was yet to marry again(she was engaged) and the 2 lived at the beach, further from the city, so Azul would go over break in there, while he stayed on his mother's fiancé over school year (that man was a nice guy and treated Azul as his own son)after his first year at highschool, which was a disaster socially speaking... Azul was dead set onto changing... he made a routine he would try, a diet plan, but the unusual thing in that plan was a drug... which Azul strived to perfectionate so that it would make his body acumulate less fats and burn out more lipids.

Being at his home,with no lab rats, Azul decided the best course of action was to test the final product onto himself... at that time, his mom left him home alone for 2 weeks bc she had to make some important business errands.

Yet no matter how much of a prodigy he was... the excitement made him to overlook a few numbers in his calculus...

at first it was the weird carvings... then when he accidentally cut his finger, blue blood came out. Azul started to feel nauseous and making long baths seemed to be the only thing soothing his pain...

One day, strolling on the beach, Azul felt like his breathing became ragged, uneven... and it was that moment, when he realised that he needed water to calm down the pain. So he threw himself in the sea...

a few minutes, almost hours... and Azul wasn't back home... instead a ship from a few miles away was misteriously sunked...

That was Azul's doing... one would say he wouldn't do such a balistic thing... since he was sane at the time...

but he was filled with rage... on that ship... a few of his bullies were... they threw into the water some heavy objects, which triggered Azul(comparing them to his school year where the same guys would throw things at him)... and sunk the ship in response. Of course... sinking a bigass ship meant having an immense power... which azul has gotten... he was a gigantic octopus mer... all of his lipis and fats were turned by the drug into muscles... for that to happen... the legs turned into heavy and long tentacles...but that form was temporary, as the drug kicked in finally after the 4th dose.... so azul was back to normal, except when he has gotten out of the water... 6 of his tentacles were still remaining... now sprouted from his bottom back, like a tail, but very heavy and hard to control...

so for that... Idia comes on set, blackmailed into making a corset and mechanical frames for the tentacles, so that azul can move them at will.

Azul also had to learn how to control his new breathing sistem(closing and opening his torso gills) which was a challenge that bathtub proved to be a solution. He also wanted to perfection his drug so he could stay and control that gigantic tako form... because it was extremely powerful... and at this point, Azul was addicted to both the drug and power to make people that wronged him kneel before his feet(or tentacles)but everything gets turned upside down when he realises that 'oh shit i'm attached to some of this idiots'

yes... Azul will be your lil psycho powerhungry octopus guy who gets attached by some dumb lil humans.

And actually gets enough confidence into confessing to his crushes. Idia(one of the crushes) begged Azul first to stop with his revenge seeking, since it was peak insanity in his vision, but Azul was dead set onto it. It was by the time both Idia and Malleus stepped in that Azul had to actually stop and realize what he actually was doing.

And in that guilt, Azul decided to consume a dangerously big amount of his drug(basically all of it) and retreat to the sea in shame, in front of everyone...

Now Idia and Malleus are searching for him along the twins.

Yes... That kinda is the entire Au until now... I am still up to debate on who should be who... I considered Malleus to be captain Marvel at one point(and still do)... And with my very limited marvel knowledge... This will probably turn out to be chaos...

So you can suggest your ideas in the inbox or in the comments here...

:3

[yiqiie]

wangxian fic rec list pt.2

you can find part one here!

as usual, this will be kept under a keep reading so it doesn’t clog up the dashboard. i actually reblogged my original post and added to it then accidentally deleted it but i have a crap ton more recommendations anyway! there’s a lot of angst in this list because apparently i love putting my heart through a meat grinder 

there are some heavy fics included this time, but i really wanted to include some that explored the issue of mental health and recovery, especially in these difficult times, so make sure you look out for the TW if those fics aren’t your cup of tea 

since tumblr’s new update prevents posts with links from appearing in the tags, i would really appreciate if people could reblog so anyone who needs a fic rec can see this! 

notion summary page: here (i only put my favourites in this tumblr list, so if you would like even more recommendations, please read the notion summary for basically all of my bookmarks on ao3) 

something to make your heart ache

tempo rubato by @spodumene 

angst, fluff, smut, multi-chaptered, modern au 

guys when i say this fic changed my life i really mean it i think i binged it all within a single night and luckily the last chapter came out the next day and i literally was beside myself with excitement; it is heartbreaking and so beautifully written, i keep going back to read it again and again it’s just THAT good 

complementarity by @besanii​

angst, fluff, multi-chaptered, cql au

i’ve always been a fan of beth’s works (if anyone wants to screech with me about her shattered mirror’s fic I AM HERE) but this was so much angst i literally felt my heart cave in on itself like it was actually painful holy shit she is such a compelling writer and this is one of my favourites even though it HURTS ME 

and here comes the summertime by ribena 

angst, fluff, multi-chaptered, modern au 

LWJ PLS USE YOUR WORDS FOR ONCE this is peak lwj being a dumbass guys i really can’t with this boy but this is such a cute fic of wangxian falling in love and you can really see how they genuinely go from being two people who have no chance of being anything to SOULMATES 

总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie 

angst, trauma, modern au, trigger warning: suicide 

this fic rec is gonna kick off some of our heavier recs for the list; yiqie is definitely one of my favourite ao3 writers and i am really excited for the next update of this fic, it deals with some really important mental health topics and it doesn’t shy away from the reality of how scary things can be. i’ve personally been thinking a lot more about mental health in general during my time in isolation and it’s gotten me to reflect more on my own wellbeing as well. this is beautifully written, and obviously it’s not going to encapsulate everyone’s personal experience but i think it’s a great step in recognising that mental health is real and something we should be looking out for

there’s no promised goodbye here by @yuisakii​

angst, fluff, trauma, modern au, trigger warning: mental health

i saw this fic on twt and i thought it was gonna be a short cute wholesome fic about wangxian being broken up but not really bc wwx is dumb BUT this turned out to be so much more and i’m so appreciative; it portrays not a perfect relationship but one that is under the works and one that will undoubtedly require much more work in the future but it’s reality and it’s true and i think that makes it beautiful, there are discussions of mental health and how that affects relationships and how people learn to put themselves back together again with love and support and i think that’s the best part of this fic 

take yourself home by ribena 

angst, fluff, trauma, multi-chaptered, modern au, trigger warning: suicidal ideation 

this was a surprising fic i didn’t expect it to be as heavy as it was but it was beautifully handled and it’s so important to me to see mental health depicted in different ways; everyone deals with their problems in a different way and someone is struggling could seem objectively like they’re doing okay and i think it’s great that there’s a fic that recognises that, this also gives a little spotlight on the things that people use to try and cope with their wellbeing, it could be the smallest thing but a lot of the time that’s all it takes 

some things go forward by everythingispoetry 

angst, fluff, trauma, multi-chaptered, modern au, trigger warning: medical recovery 

this is a little lighter but i think this is one of the most important; the journey to recovery from any medical condition isn’t something to be taken lightly and i think this fic deals with almost everything that it will encapsulate, it’s a beautiful story that deals with the ups and downs of medical recovery and how you really need to learn to forgive yourself for maybe not being able to do everything you previously wanted to, it’s a hopeful story which is also so important because there is always hope for you no matter what 

something to soothe your heart 

you’ve ruined my life (by not being mine) by @nothing-but-color  

fluff, light angst, smut, multi-chaptered, modern au

guys this fic is so beautiful omfg it’s so CUTE and i think it really nails some of the characterisation it really sets up their relationship so well and it delves into some other issues of wangxian’s parents being uh not great parents lmfao but it’s just cute and wholesome and wangxian discovering the joy of being in a relationship 

this river runs to you by sundiscus 

fluff, light angst, yearning, modern au 

DRAGONS AND MAGIC GUYS HOLY SHIT this was a fic i just sat down and binged in like probably an hour and it’s SO GOOD, the plot, the characterisation, the amount of thought and care that went into developing this was so good and it’s beautiful guys truly a wonderful fic 

heliotrope (eternal love) by avenqelic 

fluff, light angst, modern au 

flowers and their meanings need i say more???? this was so wholesome and wwx is such a dumbass but we love him for it and there’s so much yearning and pining in this it’s almost angst but it’s not bc there’s so much SOFT content in this we love it 

lay us down (we’re in love) by mme_anxious 

fluff, modern au 

guys this is just a short wholesome cute fic to soothe your heart from all the angst i’ve put in this list IT’S PERFECT domestic wangxian will always trump everything as much as i love putting my heart through the works and this is just pEAK wangxian content 

it’s you, it was always you by myung 

fluff, light angst, cql au

guys wwx is such a dumbass but he’s a bby and we love him and this was such cute wholesome barely there angst content AND THE PINING wangxian are so dumb but we love them for it this was just something to truly soothe my heart as the heading suggests so yes pls read this after all the angst 

with absolute splendour by @veliseraptor​

fluff, light angst, yunmeng bros, cql au 

THIS IS THE FIC I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WAITING FOR guys jc being an angry grape wanting to plan shijie’s and wwx’s wedding is genuinely the content i have always wanted and i’m always so sad that there’s like barely any of it but this fic captures it PERFECTLY and it’s the yunmeng reconciliation i have been praying for 

the dragon’s bride by jaws_3 

fluff, light angst, light smut, beauty and the beast au 

lwj bby you need to learn to use your words bc then THIS HAPPENS but guys this was such a cool take on beauty and the beast au and it’s pretty spectacular wangxian are DOMESTIC HUSBANDS before they are even husbands but the writing was breathtakingly good so yes pls read this 

anyway, here’s wuji by @kakikaeru 

fluff, light angst, post-cql, focus on lan jingyi 

okay this is more background wangxian BUT THIS FIC IS SO GOOD, the next one in the series (focussing on jin ling) is also spectacular so pls read them both, but guys LAN JINGYI BEST BOY and he’s in love omfg wangxian being overprotective adorable husbands looking after all their children is just what we LIVE for 

something to make you laugh 

i get religion real quick 'cause you're looking so divine by so_shyy

fluff, humour, modern au

guys wangxian being a chaotic mess but wwx being even more of a pining dumbass bc of hospital drugs is PERFECT i have probably read every single version of the cliche ‘husband waking up stoned after surgery’ but guys it’s so much wholesome content and amazing in every single way 

life, drama and action by akai__hana

fluff, social media, modern au 

whenever i have an angsty fic that makes my heart go eek i reach for this fic bc it’s a reminder that WANGXIAN IS HAPPILY MARRIED WITH A SUN THANK YOU and they are living their best lives as husbands in every life so this is just so cute short and wholesome we LIVE for this content 

besieged by @ariaste 

fluff, light smut, humour, post-cql 

another fic for reaffirmation that wangxian are being overprotective husbands and our bby a-yuan is not really a baby anymore and it’s just so DOMESTIC and such good content and we really love every single reminder that wangxian are just happy and together and they’re SOULMATES okay 

worth the entire universe and more by @xiellian​

fluff, humour, modern au

this was fcking hilarious guys i read it right after one of my angsts and it’s just SO WHOLESOME wwx you’re so dumb we love you so much but you’re truly dumb also lwj bby pls use your words this was such a cute concept and just a pinch of domestic wangxian i needed in my day 

a quest (for kisses) by @xiellian​

fluff, humour, post-cql 

ANOTHER DOMESTIC WANGXIAN FIC guys i can literally picture this happening bc wangxian are insufferable and are hellbent on letting the whole entire world know they are IN LOVE and that they ARE SOULMATES and we forgive them bc they ARE 

[savagesbonergarage]

Tranquility | Kit Fisto x Reader

Word count: 2326

Warnings: Near-drowning, near-death experience, blood, brutal injury, CPR (or whatever this star wars equivalent would be), scars, fluff, super slow-burn, smut in later chapters

Summary: You often dream about the night you nearly lost your life at the maw of a karkarodon, however it isn’t the trauma that haunts you. Fortunately, fate presents an opportunity to reunite you with your savior face-to-face, and this time, you aren’t going to let him forget you.

(a/n: @hxldmxdxwn​ this is 4 u bby bc i know you’ll read it. :) i have a really bad habit of making established backstories for the reader so sorry if thats annoying. Second chapter will have the *chefs kiss* sexy times, so dont worry if this one isn’t doin it for ya - it’s comin)

Chapter 1 of  4?

It’s so cold.

The small speederboat that carried you across the waves was softly rocking, beginning to lull you to sleep. You had deflected the remaining power in the boat to the repulsorlift and scanners in order to conserve enough energy to make it back home once you had done all you could after a long day and night of sifting through the sea’s garbage. You had collected as much trash as your cargo floor could hold and managed to save thirteen different sea creatures from their mangled nooses, but you weren’t ready to call it a night yet.  

There’s always one more, I can save one more life.

And you were always right. The scanner in front of you beeped loudly, depicting what appeared to be a large turtle caught in an old electroshock net approaching on the screen. You rushed to action and honed in on the poor creature’s location, your vibroblade at the ready. Once you were close enough, you carefully pulled the turtle closer to the speeder and cut away all the suffocating bits of netting that trapped it.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, there...that’s better.”

As soon as it was freed from its entanglement, the turtle swam a quick delightful loop around the speeder before it returned to you and rested its head in your palm. You smiled, thanking it with some soft chin scratches. This is why you always went above and beyond doing what you do. You loved the seas and it’s creatures, and knowing that you were making a difference, even for only a handful of lifeforms, was worth it. You bid the turtle farewell as it returned to the depths, uttering a sigh of relief that was hastily followed by a yawn. If you were going to have the strength to do all this again the next morning, you needed to head out. 

The giant net you had saved the turtle from weighed far more than you anticipated. Once you had finally pulled it all from the water, the screen beeped a loud warning signaling cargo capacity was at its absolute maximum. 

“Well, looks like we’re going the old-fashioned way tonight.”

After the push of a button, the speederboat hit the surface of the water with a huge smack nearly sending you overboard. Repulsors were convenient for saving time, but your old speeder simply couldn’t handle the weight. Every night you contemplated getting a bigger and better one once you had earned enough credits, but for now you had to make due. You set the course for home and climbed into your seat, looking up at the stars. Your eyelids became heavier and heavier, and with the aid of the swaying waves, you drifted off to sleep.

***

There was a loud thud accompanied with the convulsion of the boat, which knocked you out of your seat and jolted you awake. Your forehead hit the hard durasteel control panel and you felt the hot blood trickle down your face. You held your hand beneath your nose and stumbled up onto your feet, groaning in pain, as you checked your surroundings. You weren’t sure how long you’d been napping, but the speederboat was stalled and you couldn’t see land in any direction. More importantly, there weren’t any obstructions nearby that your boat could have hit. You started to panic as you jumped over to your control panel and searched the area. Luckily, the shoreline was only about eight klicks to the southeast, but you still weren’t near as close as you should have been; especially considering the fact that your fuel reserves were gone. Completely empty.

“Oh, no…”

You did your best to keep calm and think rationally, trying to focus on how you were going to get home. You had some emergency rations on board, and there was likely something in the garbage pile that you could use to help row the speeder back to the docks. It would take a while, but you would get there eventually. Unfortunately the moment your panic dissipated, a giant red flash sped across the tracking screen. If you blinked you would have missed it. The air felt ominous and your gut was screaming at you to defend yourself. You pulled out your vibroblade and took a defensive stance, hoping, praying, that your instinct was wrong.

It wasn’t.

The monster shot up from the water and slammed directly into you, pinning and crushing you beneath its massive, heavy frame. It’s forearm was pushing against your neck, immobilizing you as a rumbling roar of a chuckle escaped it’s gargantuan jaw. Rows and rows of deadly sharp teeth flashed at you, filling you with dread. A karkarodon. It released its hold on you and stood up, laughing at the sight of your incapacitated state as you coughed and groaned.

“Finally. I’ve been hunting you for a while…”

He studied the substantial collection of trash on board and scoffed. You tried to ignore the pain and prop yourself up onto your elbows, just in time to watch the vile shark start throwing the piles of junk back into the water. You choked on your words many times before you finally got them out.

“S-stop! What do you think you’re doing?! Isn’t the sea your home?”

The karkarodon snarled and stomped back over to you, waving an accusatory webbed finger in your direction.

“Your actions are disrupting my meals, pathetic human! With the shallows obstructed with this, my prey are forced into the deep waters where I reside. My prey would swim directly into my jaws, until you encouraged them to return here.”

His words were meant to intimidate you, however you took them as a compliment. Your hard work was beginning to pay off after all, and you were saving more lives than you knew. You spoke through a hearty grin, blinking away blood and tears.

“Sounds like a personal problem.”

Before you could even react, his denticled leg collided with your ribs and launched you into a durasteel plate on the other side of the boat. Blood now coated your tongue with a metallic film, and your vision was beginning to fade. Was it really going to end like this? Your eyes danced across the floor, spotting your vibroblade that was thankfully just within reach.

Not yet. Not without a fight.

You pushed through the torment your body was suffering through sufficiently enough to grab hold of your weapon. After a handful of wheezes through gritted teeth, you willed yourself onto your feet and charged at the gilled bandit, catching him off guard with enough time to cleave your blade deep into his rhomboid with all your strength. 

With a resounding bellow you were knocked onto your backside by the seething karkarodon, who now gazed at you with rage-filled predatory eyes.

“That’s it, time to feast!”

Pain still shot through you from your attack and although your body couldn’t be willed to move, you had to move, somewhere, anywhere, soon, quickly, now. Move!

However, it was too late. It had all happened so rapidly. As you were preparing to fling yourself off the vessel, the beast shot at you with accelerated velocity and clamped his jagged maw deep into your flesh, encompassing the entirety of your shoulder and bicep, the crunch and popping of bone and muscle fermenting into every cell within you as you were both plunged into the sea. The water erupted in crimson plumes the further the teeth sank into you and the deeper you descended into the cold abyss. You could no longer determine which hurt was coming from where, and your breath had become lodged in your throat. 

So, this was it. You were going to die.

Strangely, you began to feel at peace. You relaxed every part of your being and gazed upward into the bursts of your own blood that gracefully danced up to the surface of the water. You pondered on the life you had lived, and prepared to accept your fate.

I only wish I could have done more…

Something dropped into the sea above you, creating a foamy eruption of bubbles as it dived directly into the swirling red. It was nearly impossible to tell what it was, as you began to fade in and out of consciousness. A rod of peridot light illuminated in front of the mysterious personage as it drew closer to you. Another monster? You couldn’t be sure; you were fading, and fading fast. The presence of this figure comforted you in a strange way you couldn’t explain, and as it swam nearer you could finally see that it wasn’t an it, but a he. His face, his body, his rippling tendrils entered your field of vision, and you couldn’t help but smile as you let go of everything. 

It all faded into blackness, and you were gone.

***

“Breathe. Please, breathe through me.”

A voice. It echoed in your mind as though it were yours, but it clearly belonged to someone else. There was a feeling, a desire, to focus solely on your breath. To remember how to breathe. Slowly, ever so slowly, sensations began to return to you. Firstly, pain. Maker, it was almost unbearable.

“It is alright. Keep breathing.”

The next sensation was pressure; you sensed varying pressures all over as you started to encapsulate your own body once again. More soreness and pain, but also warmth. You could feel...something. Where were your hands? Your eyes refused to open, but your skin was able to feel touch better than before. You willed your fingers to move, and there was another sensation - something was pressed against you, or someone, that was supporting you. You felt skin, so unlike your own, but so smooth and warm. 

“That’s it. Stay focused.”

There was something so soothing about this voice. It was so close, just who did it belong to? Another sensation overtook you - chill, the chill of the moving water. There was a stable pressure at the nape of your neck, around your waist, and...on your mouth. Something sparked, but you weren’t entirely sure what. You focused on your breathing again, and you clutched the warm body that was holding onto you. This was a person after all. A man, and his mouth was pressed against yours. You were breathing his air. You felt your body squirm a little as your face tensed with all the nerves that were hitting you.

“We’re almost there, just a little more.”

 The outline of his lips against yours became more prominent with each passing second. It seemed that the longer you felt this intense pain, the faster your mind was being restored. Curiosity began to overtake you now, and you had to see...slowly, you opened your eyes. Everything was blurry and distorted for a while, but you could see his silhouette. Your arms were wrapped around his neck, and your hands were clutching onto some of his numerous headtails. His eyes - you could finally see his eyes, mere inches from your own. You gazed into them, completely mesmerized by how somehow the entire galaxy was reflected in there, while they bore into yours in return. You felt the corners of his mouth extend into a smile.

“That’s a good girl.”

Water rushed around your ears as the both of you emerged your heads through the surface of the sea. He still clutched you tightly, but he moved his hand from your nape to your cheek as he broke your oral connection, allowing you to breathe for yourself. Naturally, you gasped and coughed, the sting of the pain from your endeavor engulfing your entire body in waves. Your nautolan hero kept you above water as he used the force to pull the edge of your speederboat to him and carefully lifted you into it. You rolled onto your back, still convulsing and shivering before he hopped over and held you with your back against his chest. He vigorously rubbed your good arm to conduct heat while he activated the comm on his free wrist to contact his astromech. 

You made the mistake of looking over at your shoulder; or at least what was left of it. The churned flesh was flayed into hanging bits, and you had lost so much blood that the exposed meat was nearly white. You instinctively used your good arm to grab the nautolan’s right hand and clutch it desperately, trying to think of whatever you could to distract from the pain. You had a thousand questions for him, but one more dire than the rest. You did your best to form a coherent sentence.

“N-name...w-what’s your-”

He carefully pulled you in even closer to his bare chest, enveloping you in as much warmth as possible. You felt the rumble in his throat as he answered you.

“I am Kit Fisto. Jedi Knight of the Republic.”

 The whir of a Republic transport sounded overhead, and Kit swiftly carried you in his arms over to the hatch. Your eyes never left his face - you wanted to remember it forever.

“Kit…”

He looked down at you and smiled handsomely with both his lips and his eyes, a Kit Fisto trademark that you would come to treasure for the rest of your life. You could hear the sound of clones clamoring around to get you ready to transfer to the med unit, and your lids became heavy again. You drank in Kit’s features until exhaustion overcame you and you slowly released his hand.

Thank you, Kit Fisto.

***

(Notes below the cut)

(Thanks so much for reading! Better yet, thank you for sticking through to the end :) I wanted to add some notes before I post chapter 2, since there are some things that might need clarifying. First, not super important but I thought it was neat: turtles are a thing in star wars canon, and nautolans were meant to be depicted living on the backs of giant turtles in the special features of the clone wars. I like to think that the reader saving the turtle is forshadowing her encounter(s) with Kit. :) Next, there’s the ‘breathing Kit’s air’ thing that without context totally seems weird, so I’ll try to clarify for those who haven’t read the Tides of Terror comic: (spoilers?) Kit is amphibious and can breathe both air and water, so when Aayla is underwater unable to hold her breath for much longer, Kit totally fucking kisses her in THE MOST SEXUALLY CHARGED IMAGE IN STAR WARS links their mouths and is able to breathe for both of them. :) Hope this helped some things make more sense! 

If you have any questions for me my asks are always open :) happy reading!)

[verobatto]

Destiel Chronicles

(Vol. XVII)

It was a love story from the very beginning.

Offended (part I)

(6x03)

Hello my friends, I'm bringing you a new chronicles from this series from season 6!

I thought I could make this in one part but... Is a very extended topic. We need to talk about why and how much offended Dean was with CAS and Cas was with Dean in the firsts episodes of this season. So... I'm gonna need to parts for that.

Sorry I will be very critic with Sera Gamble's work in these two seasons. Because I found a lot of Wincest, inconsistences, disorganization and "out of character" behaviors in season 6 plot line. But I think you should know by now what I'm talking about. Putting that by a side, we had a lot of Destiel (angsty and cruel Destiel) scenes that need our attention.

I want to say thank you to my beautiful friend @agusvedder for giving me the gifs I used on this meta. Love ya girl! 😘

Ok, no more cháchara. Let's start with this...

Dean is Offended with Cas

As I started to explain in the previous chronicle. We can infer Dean didn't call Cas in one entire year bc the last time they saw, Cas flee away without saying goodbye the same day Dean had lost his brother.

But when Dean heard from Sam he was calling Cas for one year and Cas didn't appear... DEAN'S face was priceless, he was surprised. But after this... We will see he add more anger to it. First of all, Cas didn't say goodbye, and came back to Heaven, so Dean didn't call him. But now... There was a good excuse, a good "no gay" excuse to be mat at CAS...

Cas didn't respond Sam's prayers

Episode 6x03 called "The third Man" was written by the talented Edlund. When Sam and Dean discovered angelical signs in the air, Dean decided to call Cas... After an entire year. A good excuse to make a pray.

DEAN: We should call Cas.

SAM: You're kidding, right? [ Scoffs ] Dean, I tried. It was the first and second and third thing I did, soon as I got topside. Son of a bitch won't answer the phone.

DEAN: [Sitting on a bed. ] Well, let's give it a shot. Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray to Castiel to get his feathery ass down here.

Why is Dean so sure CAS will answer him? He tried anyway, knowing Sam had called him and prayed him a lot of time for one entire year. But even so, Dean tried. Maybe he knew deep inside Cas will answer HIM, because maybe deep inside he knew his relationship with CAS was different in comparison with Sam and Cas relationship.

And Cas appeared...

This was huge. Because he didn't appeared when Sam called him but WHEN DEAN CALLED HIM. Tracing the big difference between CAS/Dean and Cas/Sam. I will put the "profound bond" meaning later on this meta, I actually want to talk about how Dean showed Castiel he was mad at him bc he didn't help his brother, things weren't good between them for Dean, bc he felt abbandoned by him when he most needed him, but bc that was a gay excuse, let's use this one... You didn't help Sam.

Focusing again in Sam, he put aside the meaning of the profound bond

When Dean heard about the profound bond, his facial expression was "what the hell is that?" Where did Cas and him share that kind of "intimate thing"? And very gay to say. He avoided that, and focus the conversation again in Sam.

This is the cause of why Castiel felt offended with Dean...

Cas is now offended with Dean

Everything Castiel does is for Dean, so when he flew away without saying goodbye, Cas went straight to rescue Sam from Hell. (This is the part we won't know till lasts episodes from this season. But when he came back, he saw the same Sam saw: DEAN HAD A FAMILY NOW. So he flew away again to Heaven and then the civil war began.

Maybe he didn't want to disturb Dean and his new life, as everyone else in this show (Bobby, Sam, etc) or maybe he was so busy with battles that time passed by without noticing. Remember time in Heaven runs differently, that's why when CAS asks for help to the Winchesters... Pay attention where Castiel put emphasis...

CASTIEL: Sam, Dean, my "people skills" are "rusty." Pardon me, but I have spent the last "year" as a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent. But believe me, you do not want that weapon down here. Help me find it. Or more people will die.

This makes us think for Castiel the time is different, and isn't an entire year as it is for Dean or Sam, in Hell it's more but in Heaven? Time is sorter than for us, so... It runs different. So for CAS... Was maybe just a few days...

But let's check why Cas gets mad at Dean...

Dean not giving the importance that their bond deserves, made Cas feel embarrassed and offended.

Castiel appearing right away after Dean's prayer tells us he was just waiting for him to call him. He will be there at the instant Dean would pray to him. He was waiting for his call.

So when he appears, and Sam confront him...

Again HONESTY, honesty in Castiel's words, as always... "I was getting too close to the humans in my charge, you." Remember? He is always honest. And this time he was honest again.

"I wasn't gonna mention it"

This is huge, my friends. Because Cas turns around to watch Dean and lowers his voice!!!!! Like "THIS IS SOMETHING WE KNOW WE HAVE BETWEEN US."

Castiel thought Dean knew it too. And he thought it was a kind of secret between them. He thought Dean will be honest too, because as an angel he knows what is going on between them, something different and profound. Something special, not just a friendship. But Dean put that face, and didn't give the importance this "profound bond" between them had. So then Cas thought Dean didn't feel the same way. And this was why Castiel felt offended. And embarrassed. He had had just confessed something huge, a secret he thought he shared with Dean, and Dean was acting as if that was a lie.

Then...

Cas changed the subject with a very "jiltter lover" attitude

Look how Castiel changes the subject... Very offended...

Is a very sassy attitude... "So... What we have it means nothing to you? Ok... So... I didn't come bc you called me." He wanted to infringe on Dean the same hurting words he had just given him.

And Dean reacts as a jiltter lover too...

DEAN: Oh, well, it's nice to know what matters.

CASTIEL: It does help one to focus.

And Cas being sassy again.

This is like watching two offended lovers, throwing bombs to each other. So, from now on, we will have two upset schoolboys in love, being sassy and bossy with each other. That's a topic for the next Chronicle.

To conclude:

Dean was mad at CAS bc he didn't say goodbye to him, he didn't came to see him knowing he had just lost his brother. That's why he didn't call him. He found out Cas didn't answer Sam's calls for one year, and he found in this an excuse to show himself mad at Cas. A more reliable motive. When he had the opportunity he calls Castiel, knowing deep inside he will answer him.

But even so, he avoids any attempt that could show his special relationship with the angel. When Sam asked Cas "YOU LIKE HIM MORE THAN ME?" Dean "translate" the meaning of this words with a "WHAT SAM WANTS TO SAY IS..." Avoiding the really reason why Cas answered him right away. And the second avoidance he does is when Castiel talks about their PROFOUND BOND.

Castiel gets mad at Dean because of that, because honest as he always is, he confirmed their special relationship, as a secret between them, and seeing Dean reacting like that, made him feel embarrassed and disturbed. So he began to act as a jiltter lover.

The thing is ... They missed each other but no one will say it. Period. 🤣🤣

Ok I hope you liked it, c-u in the next volume. 😘

Tagging @metafest @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weirddorkylittlediana @michyribeiro @castiellover20 @whyjm @koshisekisen @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @angelneedshunter @trickster-archangel @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @mishka-the-angel-of-saturday @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @hippyatheart80 @xsghn @foxyroxe-art @authorsararayne @anonymoustitans @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @wildligia @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-is--endgame @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel

If you want to be tagged just let me know.

If you want to read the previous season 6 Chronicles, here you have the links to Volume XV and XVI.

Buenos Aires, 26th June 2019 9:49 PM

[crowsent]

👶,⭐,💘, and💻. Love you!!

thank you for ask anon! writer ask game is here if yall wanna send in something. still taking asks for these btw

👶- advice for new writers =

yall this is hella fucking generic but PRACTISE. theres a reason almost literally every writer on tumblr gives the advise of “practise practise practise” and that reason is it works. practise doesnt mean ‘oh just write bc youll automatically get better over time’ it means ‘write bc if you dont, you wont figure out what you need to improve.’ did yall know that i literally had no sentence variation in the past? i started every sentence with [character name] or [character pronoun] and i didnt realise until i was 15/16 and i only realised bc i started writing a lot.

i think there’s a fear of failure with new writers. there’s this lingering doubt of  “what if its not good?” and boy howdy i will answer that question right fucking now. it wont be good. when i compare my current work to my earlier work, my earlier work sucked fucking shit. i spelled soldier with a fucking ‘j’ and i had no idea what the hell a point of view was. and thats okay. whoever tells you that youre going to perfect writing is a fucking liar. there is no perfecting writing. 20 years from now, imma look at the writing from today and im gonna think it sucks shit. writing is a process. its a craft. you get better and better over time and the way you get better is by experimenting w different styles, different genres, different ways of writing.

and the only way you can experiment and improve is through practise. in video games, especially rpgs (which are my favourite kind of video games), you struggle in the early game. youre at a low level, you dont have good equipment, you have a hard time moving to the next area. but the only way you progress is by grinding, gaining levels, and getting stronger. same w writing. if youre a level 1 writer, just starting out, no idea what to do, just experiment. fuck around a bit. write crackships, write rarepairs, write niche self-indulgent reader/character fics. at the end of the day, you should write for yourself. its good and cool if other people like your stuff and validate all your hard work, but at the end of the day, the one who should enjoy your writing the most is yourself.

you WILL mess up and you WILL struggle, but thats the only way you can improve. i struggle with pacing the most. still do. but others might have pacing down pat and struggle instead with word choice or pov or something else. cant figure out where you need to improve if you dont write, so just practise and worry about all the fine print later

⭐️- how do you get your inspiration? =

this is definitely not universal, but i just sit on my bed, close my eyes, and meditate. cycle through all my emotions and thoughts and filter them out. then i just toss everything out the damn window. like. id just meditate for a while, focus on breathing, on experiencing the present, picture a field and a tree and myself and breathe. thoughts fly by and i let them happen but dont focus on it.

meditating gives me some semblance of emotional control bc i normally have none, and it gives me kind of this space. this safe space that only exists for me and me alone. so i use that space to let the world drift away. just me and my thoughts and sometimes, those thoughts end up being good writing ideas. but i usually meditate for a set amount of time. like 15 minutes or 30 minutes so i dont write until i finish meditating.

then when i get out of my headspace, i open up my laptop and see what i remember. thinking too hard about something causes it to muddy up. same with art. in digital art, artists flip the canvas to refresh their eyes, see if there’s anything weird or wonky about the illustration that they normally dont see bc theyve gotten used to it. flipping the canvas is like giving our eyes a jumpstart and lets us see what we could do better. in traditional art, its turning the canvas this way and that or repositioning yourself. meditating is like that. a break. a cleanse. a kind of pause where you dont think about anything and just try to process what you already have. you relax and kind of let yourself float down a river of thoughts and sometimes, a fish would jump out of that river and youd go “hey, thats a good idea. i should try that” so when you get out of the river, youre refreshed and ready to go.

same principle with showers. more ideas come to you in the shower when you dont have anything to write with bc youre not thinking about it. youre not focusing on finding inspiration or motivation so ideas naturally flow through you. you know that feeling when you want to do x then someone comes along and says “hey you should do x” and suddenly all motivation to do x leaves? same w your brain. focus too much on “i should be writing” or “i want inspiration” and its never gonna come. just let things happen. at least, thats how i do it. some people might get inspiration by reading or watching tv. everyones different so if thats not what works out for you, dont feel pressured to try my method

💘- what’s your favorite AU? Least favorite? =

magic au. specifically fantasy au set in like a pre-modern era. shows like avatar where theres all this magic and fantastical beasts and so on and so forth. semi-modern like six of crows and nevernight are great too. i want that magic to be woven into people’s lives. harry potter is okay but there’s like this separation between magic and muggle. there’s this feeling of “magic” but like as a tool. like a spoon or a gun or a shovel. i want magic au’s that are INTEGRATED with the world its set in.

like in atla, earth kingdom people have trains they move with bending while fire nation people have machines powered by heat and steam. both correspond to their bending and makes sense for the world they live in. but if your plot is like harry potter and its less worldbuilding and more action, then there’s this book series called seasons rising (read it. so good) where there’s a bunch of spells but the spells have character. the people using the spells GIVE it character and it feels much more intimate. pokemon does the whole fantasy mixed w reality better. give two trainers the exact same pokemon and by the time that pokemon reaches lvl 50, its gonna have a different moveset, different fight style, etc bc it was shaped by the world and people around it. i like harry potter but tbh it could have been so much better

for the least favourite au, it’s A/B/O i dont like the whole “omegas are only good for breeding hurr durr” and “alphas are violent and aggressive and cant control themselves around omegas” thing and it squicks me out. major squick. i read the original harry potter squick (THAT one. yeah. you know the one) and i still hate a/b/o more. i get why people like it, and there are one or two fics set in a/b/o au that i enjoy reading, but as a whole, i severely dislike a/b/o fics.

the themes are squick, the character dynamics get so messed up, and shipping dynamics (bc a/b/o fics usually have shipping) just get so blown out of proportion. there are so many a/b/o fics that turn ooc or the character interpretations radically change or something else. no hate against a/b/o fans bc yall are amazing for writing/drawing yalls au. there are things that you can only do in this setting and exploring those things can be incredibly fun for people, but for me personally, its not an au i like to visit.

💻- three works of yours that are must reads =

i. dont know what fandom youre in anon or your genre preferences. so ill just rec you one fic for a different fandom each with kind of different genres. ts masterlist is on my side @hufflepuff-deceit and regular fanfic masterlist is on my writing blog @crownonymous 

(BNHA) Viper. its my first serious attempt at fanfic in YEARS and its my baby. currently has 7 chapters, i havent updated it in a while bc im hyperfocused on ts rn, but i love it to bits. its just all of my fav bnha fics crammed into one fic. quirkless kind of villain izuku with stain as a mentor as they work together to bring light to the injustices of hero society and where bakugos bullying has visible and long-lasting repercussions? sign me the fuck up. you can read it on ao3 HERE bc its not on tumblr. kind of fast-paced, has a lot more action scenes than anything else ive written. heavy plot-wise but has a lot of humour and comedy to break things up

(Kimetsu no Yaiba) I Pray To God He Hears You. not related to my other kny fic oleander which is a multichap retelling au. iptghhy is a standalone one-shot and kind of a character study on one giyuu tomioka. i love him so much. giyuu is my baby and i adore him. so of course i wrote a sad fic focusing on him. well technically, the fic focuses on giyuu AND his relationships.  SPOILERS for chapters 130 and 131 of the manga. focuses mostly on giyuu and sabito, but there’s a fair bit of giyuu and tanjiro and urokodaki.  you can read it HERE bc this is also not on tumblr. also deals with heavy things but more emotion-wise since it doesnt have that much of a plot. loss. grief. moving on. survivors guilt. that kind of stuff.  very sad. hurt but with comfort, especially at the end.

(Sanders Sides) Logan’s Birthday Fic: Logicality. just what the title says. i wrote 5 different fics and published them all on logans bday but the logicality one received the most feedback and honestly? the cutest of the bunch. its gonna be crossposted onto ao3 but for now, you can read it HERE on my ts sideblog. theres no plot since its literally just domestic and relationship fluff. and puns. patton is in the fic, theres gonna be puns. nothing but good things and warm feelings bc logan deserves it.

-

thank you so much for such interesting asks anon! i enjoyed answering these. have a lovely day!

[xcoffeelatte]

Hello, I'd just like to check in with you because it's been two years since you've updated on tumblr and almost three years since the last chapter of It's All Greek, which was your most recent update on ffnet. Is everything alright? I apologize if this message makes it sound like your life revolves around Fanfiction and social media, which it obviously doesn't, but i'm just curious. How are you doing?

Hi haha!! Don't apologize, it's such a valid qs, and I've felt so bad ab just dropping off the face of the earth - even if my life doesn't revolve around ff, I very much love all my patient readers who've given their time to read my work and give me feedback, etcetera. It's also nice because I can use this ask to kind of make a general update as well for everyone (LOL) - so, HI, yes, coffee is v much alive physically & emotionally (and if y'all were wondering, so is fyerigurl LMAO). I'm so thankful for your concern, and I feel a bit bad in a way, because honestly I'm more than fine - I've been thriving, more or less. I graduated college with my English degree, and then I went straight into law school (lmao I'm a masochist honestly) without taking any time off. I honestly have no good excuse for having dropped off the face of the planet for all my stories, other than, well, real life took over all of the free time I had. (Basically, ya girl coffee is half-thriving and half-scrambling around trying to keep up a semblance of having shit even moderately together in the real world LOL) More or less, if you'd like a visual, just imagine your chronic helpless dumb millennial, praying to the starbucks gods to let this caffeine sustain her for one more hour of wakefulness to do the class reading she was assigned and jamming to Kendrick Lamar on the morning drive to school to try to wake herself up. (Also, can we talk ab the terrifying fact that I'm 23 like good god where has the time gone)As for my writing and stories:But, 23 as I may be, and as much as I may have outgrown the phase of my life of watching anime, I haven't outgrown writing, and I haven't outgrown my stories. Honestly, I still will have random and unexpected inspiration for scenes and paragraphs and sentences for a number of my unfinished stories - they're very much alive in my heart, and I haven't at all given up on trying to see if I can find a free moment to write.I've had the rest of IAG planned since years ago; just very recently and randomly, I figured out the plot I wanted BISS to have; RA is a beast on its own for other reasons, but honestly the most enjoyable for me to write. If you were to ask me (as everyone has) when I might expect to get back to writing, my answer necessarily must be two pronged. Honestly, in my heart, and in my desire/intentions? Within the next few months, really. I want to make a legitimate effort to pick the stories back up and finish the word documents I have of the next chapters I never finished. But the responsible answer is: this isn't a guarantee or promise. I've learned that sometimes life just grabs me by my metaphorical balls and whips my ass into being so busy that I literally don't have the pure hours to write regardless of how hard I try, and I don't want to make any claims to make my poor readers get their hopes up and disappoint them D:So, I guess. I WANT to say I'm writing again (I did secretly write a few paragraphs more of IAG this month), but I can't promise to be able to release anything for sure bc honestly ya girl coffee is a hot ass mess LMAO like always hectic always scrambling (but never in like a worrying way just like a typical millennial 20-something way LOL)!! Again, I love you all, and I'm so so sorry I haven't been able to do your patience or the stories justice, but I swear I'm trying!!!

[couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name]

I want (need) you to expand (tell me everything) about that post about It and the 2016 Creepy Clown Crisis. (Really, if you have anything else to say about it I want to hear it)

Yes, take my hand and join me in what will probably be an incoherent ramble about something that is most likely not true, my love.

OKAY, SO:

I’m sure we all remember those #iconic Creepy Clowns™, but as a refresher- Creepy Clown sightings are actually something that have been like, an urban legend phenomenon for Y E A R S. Like, a very long time. I used to do a lot of reading on the subject seeing as I was that kid™, but now you just get a million and one results from 2016 and I’ve had too much wine to wanna bother fighting through that. But anyway, this has always been a thing. Just, like, sometimes you’d see a creepy clown in the dead of night, but the clown doesn’t fucking do anything and you move on with your life. I actually saw one in like, 4th or 5th grade? Didn’t die, it wasn’t a huge deal. But anyway, in 2016 things just SPIRALED THE FUCK OUT OF CONTROL. Personally, I maintain what happened was that your average urban legend phenomenon was happening but since social media is so prevalent now a lot of creeps got inspired and the whole thing got blown up because of that…but that’s not the theory we’re focusing on in this post, so whatever. 

Now, as I’m sure you’ll also remember, there were HUNDREDS of conspiracy theories swirling around the whole clown crisis- everything from demonic possession, to a ‘clown purge’, to people thinking Hillary Clinton had hired the clowns to freak out America even more so she could get fear votes. I’m not shitting you, those were all things I heard daily. But another, tamer, theory was: this was all a mass promotional stunt for the IT reboot. 

The IT reboot was highly anticipated and very debated- fans of the work were well aware that they had been trying to get this movie made for years but kept running into issues. When they finally started filming, they shot from June to September in 2016. The clown sightings ran from August to October 2016. This theory made sense- it’s not hard to believe that a studio would pull something like that, thinking it’d be a fun publicity stunt but then not really wanting to take credit once it got out of hand. That’s literally happened before, like the Montauk Monster and that Dear Charlie ghost thing.  Anyway, a lot of people thought this couldn’t possibly be a coincidence- like, I’ve even seen the actors asked about it in interviews (like they’re on the marketing team??), but none of them had much to comment. This will be the theory we focus on…just with a bit of a twist. 

Now, if your reading this and you’ve only seen part one of the 2017 movie and don’t know much about the book or miniseries 1) you’re a valid fan, I love you bitch, and 2) I’m sorry, but spoilers are coming immediately and every time I try to put one of those ‘read more’ cut offs my screen glitches and I loose all my writing bc someone out there is against me. So read at your own risk. 

Okay, as part of the ‘adult’ storyline, they go back into It’s lair in Derry and find out that It has laid eggs and set to work destroying them. There’s a whole fuck lot going on with this plotline, like Eddie and the Turtle™ are dead and Bev’s barely doing shit and Ben’s smashing babies while Bill’s trying to get inside the monster and Richie mourns his bf, it’s all a Mess okay, but the point is: eggs. 

Now, the notion that not all of the spawn were destroyed is actually…not new at all and somewhat debatably relevant in some of King’s other novels, but stick with me here. As far as the Losers know, they killed everything. The scars on their hands go away. It’s all very symbolic and they forget everything, whatever. 

But.

The 2017 reboot wasn’t exactly…that close to the book. Like, they kept enough in there, and they had a bunch of really small things that were Fun Little Call Backs For Book Fans (all the turtle stuff, Bev throwing that rock in slow motion with awesome precision, Pennywise taunting Richie with that decaying doll, stuff like that, you know?). But so it’s not completely out of left field to assume that Chapter Two would be very different as well? It’s not crazy to assume that the movie would end with like, a dramatic ass lingering shot of a few hatching eggs…Or even, say, a subplot that sounds like ‘the eggs hatched around the same time It woke back up out of hibernation and now there’s crazy attacks all over the place instead of Derry, but maybe if we kill the Main Beast that’ll kill them all’ (like a hive mind. you know what I mean.).

It’s not crazy to assume that. My wine glass and Shitty Writer Imagination That Never Lets Me Rest And Makes Me Over Analyze Works Of Fiction have 100% assured me of that. 

So, remember that theory that the clown sightings were just a fun promotional stunt that got out of hand…? What if- it was a promotional stunt, and setting the scene for the sequel (that still got out of hand bc humans are garbage people actually got hurt)

I don’t think anybody getting hurt was ever in the intention, but making headlines because Creepy Clowns are lurking outside schools, in cemeteries, seen trying to lure people into the woods, going out of their way to scare people and be seen as threats even if they don’t actually do anything wrong?? I can absolutely buy that as a promotion stunt…and I can absolutely see, oh, I don’t know, maybe the movie including some recycled Actual News Clips covering the events, taking advantage of all the crazy videos people posted online, stuff like that. Like, in the book and miniseries and 2017 part one, no one outside of Derry knows shit about what’s going on…but you can’t really justify something like that flying under the radar in the age of social media. You can’t. Kids would start turning up dead left and right and you’d sign onto tumblr and see a fucking ‘since the media doesn’t care enough and no one’s talking about this, let me tell you what’s going on in my town’ type post. You’d absolutely hear about it. There’d be twitter campaigns and all types of shit, there’s just no way around it. That Creepy Clown Crisis went viral for a reason. 

But Molly, you say, It didn’t always appear just as a clown! People weren’t harassed by anything other than the clowns in 2016! 

Well, my love, let me point something out to you- It is millions of years old. It’s got shapeshifting and fear manipulation down pat. Could you possibly hold new born babies to that standard? No. Do we know for a fact that It literally prays on children and likes to take the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown simply because it’s easier? Yes. 

People weren’t that afraid of the clowns when the sightings first started. But then more and more kept popping up, and do you know what we had on our hands? Mass hysteria. Mass hysteria sounds like a perfect way for a bunch of inexperienced little hive mind monsters to get the hang of the hunting with fear thing. 

Not to mention Georgie died in September/October…which means It probably usually wakes up out of hibernation around then…I’m just s a y i n g. And the sightings mysteriously stopped around November…a good timeline for the Loser’s to have killed It and thus stopped the clown crisis…I’m just s a y i n g.

Like, can I definitely prove that the studio was behind that mess as a means to set the stage for the sequel while getting some fun promotion out of it? No, I can’t, and honestly I doubt it’s true, this was just a fun thought that came to me lol. But honestly…it’s so easy to see how well a type of plotline like that would work with the film, so at the very least, if they don’t take advantage of the Clown Crisis…I will severely Judge Them, because like, it’s all right there. It’s writing itself. Damn. 

The end, until, 2019, I guess. 

[cow3survivor]

Ep. 4: “Trying To Cover Ur Murderous Tracks” - Jones

JENNET 

nash isnt on my tribe but i cant help but feel bad for them :((( the last two days that we were together as old calumma i actually started to connect with them. they will be missed 💔

(a little later)

why am i obsessed with ethan ? *insert meme of that tiktoker just standing there*

(after building a bamboo bed)

super nervous for immunity, if we end up losing i think i might try to push for pennino bc he pissed me off the other night saying he wouldnt be available for the comp and literally SITTING THERE watching us do the comp... i really like sam and ethan (tbh more than i like lindsay and jabari) but thats only bc of how much we communicate with each other idk i do know lindsay wants to push for pennino too bc she was annoyed it too so maybe let her do all the pushing and if it backfires, just push for her to go😳

JESSICA

No song 4 today Last round we voted out Nash. That was not my ideal choice (I wanted Nicole to go) but Pete was paranoid Nicole may have an idol, that Nicole/Mikey/Nash were secretly working together, or just that something might go down. He also trusts Nicole for reasons unknown. I didn't love leaving Mikey in the dark (I think that really only helped Pete, not me) but I was nervous that if I pushed Nicole too hard as the vote, Pete would vote Mikey and then that was really the worst case scenario. If we lose this round, I am voting Nicole no question. She asked me what happened after the vote + if we could talk which I thought was great! I sent her an explanation that basically said I didn't trust Nash because they did not talk to me, I was worried OG Calumma was still a thing, and I didn't trust Nicole because she didn't start talking to me until after we lost + she left me on read a lot. And what does she do right after I sent that? Leave me on read again! I was excited to work with her when we first swapped but I don't see that happening at all now. The nice thing is because Pete lied to her, Mikey and Nicole voted each other, AND Lovelis was already initially down to vote Nicole, I'm hoping if we lose the vote is really easy. I also don't think Nicole has the idol because.... ...I found it! Okay, no I didn't. I did find a ruby though. I think that in each quadrant of the adventure, there is a gem and the four gemstones combined will make an idol. I already have 1, I have a good idea of where it could be in the north, and most importantly I am pretty sure Nicole has no advantages. I think if she had an idol, she might have played it last round, but my guess is that there is only one idol in the game and no one has it yet. However right now I'm not sharing this information with anyone. I hope that if we lose, Pete votes for Mikey out of paranoia (and that Nicole does as well) which means moving forward, Mikey really only has me and that's an alliance I can keep long term. I do also think that we are potentially swapping after this OR we will do a double tribal after this and swap then. I do not want us to lose twice because that's when things get tricky but if we do, I think I will be set up well enough that no one is coming for me.

PETE 

so my og Brookesia alliance of jessica and lovelis (plus me) they want to vote out Nicole but i reeeeaaally don’t wanna do that. Nicole and I had this talk of moving on from our past so if I just vote her out first chance I get that’d just be a huge dick move. They for some reason believe Mikey which I honestly don’t, I think he may be a little weasel. Nash doesn’t talk to me at all, so i’m hoping maybe I can shift the vote onto Nash by scaring them with the thought of Nicole having and idol

(after dropping his rice into the sand)

AAAAAAAAHHHHHH IDIDIT I DID IT IDIDIT literally i have THE biggest fucking knot in my stomach i was SO fUcking NERVOUS this is so fuckignw crazy i cant skdjdbxsjkdb i’ve NEVER been in control of a vote before like everything i told someone to do they did like i’m not gonna get all like egotistical and all that but like sjkdsxkdbsjjdjxjdkdb ive never been in this position before it’s wild i’m usually like the mikey. like i’m just there, hoping people include me but kinda just scraping by until they decide it’s my turn to leave and NOW!!!! I JUST BLINDSIDED SOMEBODYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

JENNET

trying really hard to do this comp and my arthritis is making my hands spasm :(( powering thru and hopefully we dont go to tribal. if we do im afraid that im going to be voted out :((

JABARI

So i scored for the tribe which is great but then we tie and there is tower of hanoi. Lets just say ill never play that game again but I swear im not giving up no sir....they said they wouldnt boot me because of it but ima make sure of it.

JENNET 

in love with ethan hes the best person in the world

(after staring at Ethan)

really sucks going to tribal council and i know i let my team down so now im trying to find a way- SOME WAY to remind them that old calumma wanted to go after pennino next and to hopefully keep ethan out of the fire. sam approached me about an alliance with him and ethan and tbf idc what anybody calls me or what they think but im honestly closer to the too of them than to anybody on the tribe- closer to ethan than i was to jake even😳

LINDSAY

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12YzvXBooOu3lndrE99YopPOcO4VEAYYB/view?usp=drivesdk lmk if this works also fun fact i just tried to open the camera on the computer im borrowing and the computer bluescreened lol i hate it here

SAM

https://youtu.be/M4E00bmBj0A

PETE

The way this game is going Id say that I’m probably closest with Jessica just because we’ve been talking since the start, she’s really nice & enthusiastic, and we’ve agreed so far on the things that need to happen so we share a lot of information with each other. Lovelis is a little bit of a wild card because he never really talks that much so I’m going to try to bond with him more so that he doesn’t feel like just another number.

LOVELIS

Who knew we’d pull out a win with flash games! Maybe we need to stop shitting on then and start praying for more of them to pop up here LMAO. So glad I can just have this day to speak to people a bit more and just relax a little - I feel like me Jess and Pete are in a comfortable position within this tribe so I’m praying for no more funny business with another premerge swap but I’m tryna stay on my toes!

ETHAN

Ok so tribal time: I am in a minority position right now and it is looking sketchy. I feel like I am going because of how Jabari and Jennet have not talked to me at all today and instead have ghosted me. I have something, but not sure if I want to play it. Do I trust people, or do I just full send and blow it up? Time shall tell

JESSICA 

Yay we won immunity! I love getting my Dolphin Olympics redemption arc, it's been 6 years in the making.

PENNINO

Now, it's 4 hours before the first tribal as Furcifer, and I think that us from OG Calumma will go and do a Pagong to Ethan and Sam. Since Ethan was a beast in  the comps, and we want to keep tribal lines, that puts Sam up for the chopping block. As for Nash leaving, no surprise. Honestly, I feel pretty safe and now i'm just waiting for another swap.

MADISON

I don't know how I've survived four rounds but here we are. I think I've legit gotten the lowest score in the past 2 challenges but everyone else is a beast so I get to stay safe for another round. The downside to being safe so long is that there isn't really a lot of gameplay happening over on Planet Brookesia and some of us might be a little bit too comfy so that when swap time comes or we lose the next challenge, it'll be scramble city to figure something out.

JAKE

https://youtu.be/Hz-Ix0ZeQ7E y'all when I tell you i'm manic just thinking about crazy fringe theories related to this game lmaoooooo

JONES

ok bet lets get strategic:tm: i feel like a lot of my confessionals are rlly like ,, , , ,me just talking ab "wow i rlly like this person, not this person so and so and whatnot" and i haven't rlly gotten to bare bones like ,, what i'm thinking ab game wise ? for starters - i think i'm in a rlly good spot surprisingly? LIKE don't get me wrong its fking dangerous being in a 4-2 but i think i'm set up super super well? i'm officially working with all of Daisy, Sammy, Shane, and Jake, and am in an alliance w everyone of those people besides Sammy. but sammy has vouched saying that he does want to work w me and has my back and i don't have like,, any reason to doubt that rn ? unfortunately the only way to rlly like ,, ,, have everyone prove their trust to me is by going to tribal aldksfjasdlfj but i dont rlly see a reason for them to like ,, , lie to me ? esp when we haven't gone to tribal? i don't see the point in marinating someone this isn't among us and ur trying to cover ur murderous tracks,,, but ya ? i'm in a good spot. i think based on my alliances and allies and whatnot, and i've stated this already so this isn't rlly a surprise, but madison would probs be the target if we'd have to go to tribal. and Jake has stated to me too that he hasn't rlly talked to madison that much either so it doesn't seem like an uncommon thought process. after the challenge tiebreaker yesterday , the newly formed ALLEANCHE! kind of came together as the 4 most active people on the tribe so it SEEMS like it would be madison AND sammy getting targetted and , ,, , sammy going for me isn't rlly cash money bc if sammy DOES have my back then that's me losing one of MY allies,, but i don't think we're going to enough tribals before another swap for that to actually be a thing ? so hopefully if we do go to tribal it'd be madison and not sammy, but i think i, if not i then maybe jake LOL, can make a good case for madison to go over sammy. speaking of jake i have a rlly bad gut feeling that i'm gonna have to think ab cutting him soon - or at least before merge. i've kinda been letting him take the reigns since preswap to make him kind of look like a leader ish ? so i'm rlly hoping that like ,, , hypothetically speaking. lets say i'm AGAIN put on another tribe w jake (bc lbr we're swapping again),, and lets say hypothetically they wanna split up the supposed "duo" of myself and jake,,, whos the smarter person to take out - the leader whos kinda been calling the shots and making the alliances since round 1, or the person whos proven themself to be reliable and to keep their team safe and be able to go to bat for their team ? idk IDK that's just me but i definitely think like ,, in terms of a building threat level i think jake is definitely the easier target asldkfjasd which is UNFORTUNATE like i LOVE JAKE but i feel like if it comes to me and jake and jake is putting me in DANGER then , ,, well,, :( i gotta do what i gotta DO i'm pawned as old reliable for a reason :katenails: but ya uhm,,, shane/daisy/jake/i were talking on call after the tiebreaker ab what could happen and we all basically agreed theres no way in hell that there ISN'T another swap on the horizon or at least like,, a twist or something. u can't just swap at 18 on a 20 person cast and just expect us to sit like lil ducks on sunday brunch, if anything we're probs gonna swap at like ,, , , , 15? OR hosts are cracked and swap us NEXT ROUND bc they're sadistic. but ya there's def another swap it rlly just depends on when and whos there to experience it - i.e whether or not i'm gonna have security from my allies or not ya feel? i feel. also there's definitely probs like ,, , ,a double tribal. or smth. or like, smth crazy and dumb and stupid that i don't have the brain capacity to rlly comprehend. but ya hope i win this was a good strategy talk #fruciferandcallumathrowchallenge

NICOLE

Hello!!! Nash went home and I'm sad so I am PROTESTING confessionals! You won't know anything that is happening with me! Nothing! (Just kidding nothing happened this round, everyone ignored me and then we won immunity so they had no need to)

SHANE

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TxoVh69i2GPA-agNAfyW0G-Bu07weXyZ?usp=sharing

SAMMY

so I had to write a paper and I'm rushing to get this in...blinks...whats new anyways I have been so off in like the idol hunting and I have felt so detached from this game since I have only been to tribal once? but I think the people in danger would be like Madison or Jake? they have both been brought up to me by daisy...and in all seriousness I would be fine with that? I honestly really am only prioritizing Jones and Daisy in this tribe. I feel fine with my position in this game and I even got a point from the flash games. Luckily Daisy won for us in the tiebreaker and we were able to barely escape tribal. I really do hope I can continue to avoid tribal so that I can get as far into this to make it to the more individual stage of this game.

DAISY

https://youtu.be/3kCYnxDIdQY

TRIBAL COUNCIL

[cha-inyeon]

tag i’m it

Tagged by: @brekineee (thank you!! <3 <3) 

Tagging: @i-liu-you , @kpop-fangirl-epicness , @reila-ravkong , @chkyeon , @lattaekwoonie , @tranquies , @jimintoxication , @hweein , @hakyeonforpresident , @we-pray-for-our-sorrows-to-end , @hongboob-yeah

Do you prefer boy groups or girl groups? I like boy groups and girl groups equally ^^ 

Favorite female group? Apink

Favorite male group? VIXX

Favorite female solo artist? Lee Hi 

Favorite male solo artist? K.Will 

Top 3 Groups? VIXX, Apink, BTOB

Favorite Kpop Song? dear lord how can i choose? uhhhhh maybe on and on because that’s the song that got me into VIXX?? 

Favorite happy Kpop song? i really love “you’re so fly” by BTOB, it makes me happy every time i listen to it ^^ 

Favorite Kpop sad song? “don’t love” by f.t.island

Favorite Kpop smut song? VIXX’s “hot enough” BABY HOT E N O U GH and also “chained up” for obvious reasons

Favorite Kpop song of 2017 so far? “chase me” by dreamcatcher 

Favorite debut? oh my goodness... uhhhmmm this is such a hard question bc i have been into kpop for such a long time OTL but i really loved astro’s debut and dreamcatcher’s (which still technically counts i think since they came back as dreamcatcher instead of minx ??) but honestly pentagon’s debut was good, too, and sf9 and knk??? and B.A.P??? and shinee’s iconic debut??? HOW DO I CHOOSE 

Favorite debut of 2017 so far? Dreamcatcher 

Favorite mv of 2017 so far? dreamcatcher’s “chase me” mv but honestly B.A.P’s “wake me up” WAS SO GOOD AND WHAT ABOUT CROSS GENE’S “BLACK OR WHITE” HOW CAN I CHOOSE

Favorite mv? THESE QUESTIONS ARE IMPOSSIBLE OMF. ummmm i really like junsu’s “flower” mv, nu’est’s “overcome” and “hello” mvs, oh my girl’s “closer” mv, all of vixx’s mvs... it’s really hard to choose OTL THIS IS SO DIFFICULT 

Favorite album/mini album? i really love pentagon’s debut album “pentagon”, all of the songs on it are so good and i enjoyed it a lot 

Favorite album/mini album of 2017 so far? probably cross gene’s “mirror” album

Your ultimate bias?

cha hakyeon, the light of my life, a radiant angel sent from above to cleanse earth of all sin, the sun, the universe, the most flawless and gorgeous angel to ever grace this planet, the sweetest and most caring and most humble and most talented and most kind, the most precious, the most handsome, the most--

Favorite GIF of your ultimate bias? oh my sweet lord i CANNOT choose a favorite gif of hakyeon, every hakyeon gif is my favorite hakyeon gif 

Favorite picture of your ultimate bias? again i seriously cannot choose, every picture of cha hakyeon is a blessing sent from above and adds 5 years to my lifespan just by looking at it. 

Favorite thing about your bias? OH BOY HERE WE GO SIT DOWN KIDS, IT’S STORY TIME LET’S GO. /takes a deep breath/ okay i seriously love cha hakyeon so much u don’t understand. first of all, he is so hardworking and so passionate about what he does. the way he talks about singing and especially dancing, you can just see his face light up with the passion he has for it. he has worked so hard to get to where he is, but yet he still remains humble and knows that he always has more to work on. he is incredibly talented and the way he dances is so fluid and graceful, it’s really amazing to watch. he practices so hard again and again until he feels satisfied with what he has done, and doesn’t ever give up no matter how hard things might get. he is also such a great leader to VIXX. he takes care of them and knows how to keep them in line like no one else could, and you can tell how much he genuinely cares for them: cooking for them, checking up on them when he gets home to make sure everyone is asleep, making sure everyone gets food and everyone is taken care of. the amount of love and care he has in his heart is unbelievable and he just radiates this genuine warmth all the time. his smile could honestly light up my entire country and his laugh is so pure i just ;____; he is so funny and sweet and kind and yet he has such a sassy side, too. he messes around with the members and chops them in the neck and play fights with them, we all know the stank face he makes whenever he’s displeased with something, he’s so silly and warm and honestly he just radiates sunshine and genuine kindness and i just??? and he has so much passion for his other hobbies, too, like his candle making, i’m so glad he found another hobby that he enjoys so much and can use to relieve stress, and the way he is always posting about it to show everyone what he has made, you can tell he’s proud of it and really enjoys doing it. i love that he prefers tea to alcohol and a quiet night at home to clubbing or staying out late. i love that he enjoys books and soft music and that he has worked so hard to improve his singing voice. i love that he is the type of person to sit down with all the VIXX member’s one-on-one if they were having a hard time, and take their burdens onto his shoulders to help them overcome them. THIS IS GETTING REALLY LONG I’M SORRY I JUST SERIOUSLY LOVE HIM SO MUCH U DON’T UNDERSTAND HE IS THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE

Was he your bias from the start? Yes! I saw him with his silver hair in the on and on mv and i was like ‘yep that one he’s the one’ and HERE WE ARE 

Have you ever changed biases more than 3 times and in what group? nope, not yet 

If so; what group and what members? N/A

Favorite Ship? NEO sweet lord I WOULD SERIOUSLY LIKE JUMP OFF A FCKING CLIFF FOR NEO I LOVE NEO SO MUCH and i love raken too /cries/

Do you ship the “mom & dad” in your favorite group? I SHIP NEO SO HARD U DON’T EVEN K N O W

Who’s the mom and dad in your favorite group? Hakyeon and Taekwoon 

Who do you end up liking more in groups; Leaders, Maknaes, mood makers, vocal, rap, “mom”, “dad”, English speaker, drummer, guitarist, pianist? i don’t think i really have a specific type, but i do end up liking the “mom” members in groups a lot. i also have a soft spot for dancers, too, but really their personality is the most important thing. 

If your bias got a girlfriend/boyfriend how would you feel? Of course I would be so happy for him! If he is happy, I am happy! 

How would you feel if your bias came out gay/lesbian/bisexual/etc.? I would support him to the end of the universe and back, of course 

Do you think any kpop idols are gay/lesbian/bisexual/etc.? Taking into consideration how many kpop idols there are, I think it’s safe to say that there are some. Of course i don’t want to make any assumptions though ^^;;; 

If so; who?

Favorite kpop blog? honestly like every vixx blog out there is my favorite, there are so many cute and sweet starlights ^^ 

Favorite kpop scenario blog? Favorite kpop smut blog? Favorite Kpop fanfic? i don’t really get into kpop scenarios much. but i honestly love fanfic so much, i have spent way too many countless hours reading fanfic OTL but i don’t think i can really choose a favorite ;;; i have read fic for so many different groups ><;;; but there are some really good neo fanfics like hooooooo boy

Favorite show with kpop idols? i really liked hello baby back when i was first getting into kpop. i also really enjoy watching weekly idol and shows like showtime and all the group diary shows 

Do you prefer saying “Oppa” or being called “Noona”? i have never been called noona so i don’t know for sure, but i don’t like saying “oppa” at all >< i just call all of my korean male friends by their first names when i talk to them 

Is it cuter when KPop Idols know your language or don’t know it and try to speak it? i think both are great ^^ when they try their best to speak it, of course i appreciate their effort! and when they can already speak it, i’m impressed at their fluency in both languages ^^ 

BIGBANG: “Bang Bang Bang” or “We like 2 Party”

iKon: “#WYD” or “Rhythm Ta”

Monsta X: “Perfect Girl” or “All in”

BTS: “Save Me” or “Fire”

EXO: “Monster” or “Growl?”

Astro: “Breathless” or “Hide&Seek”?  

Red Velvet vs. EXID: “Ice Cream Cake” or “Up & Down”?

4Minute: “Crazy” or “Hate”?

NCT U vs NCT 127: “The 7th Sense” or “Fire Truck”?

Got7: “Just Right” or “Fly”?

Amber vs Ailee: “Borders” or “Insane”?

FTISLAND: “Take Me Now” or “Pray”?

History: “Queen” or “Might Just Die”?

KNK: “Knock” or “Back Again”?

Day6: “Congratulations” or “Letting Go”?

Block B: “Her” or “Toy”

ZICO: “I am You, You are Me” or “Boys And Girls”?

B.A.P: “Feel So Good” or “Young, Wild & Free”?

Seventeen: “Nice Very Nice” or “Adore U”?

Taeyeon: “I (feat Verbal Jint)” or “Why”?

G-Dragon Vs. Taeyang: “Who you?” or “Eyes, Nose, Lips”

BTS: “The Most Beautiful Moment In Life Series” or “Dark & Wild”?

Day6: “The Day” or “DAYDREAM”?

BIGBANG: “A” or “M”

Monsta X: “The Clan, Pt.1 ” or “Rush”?

Seventeen: “Boys Be” or “First Love&Letter”?

EXO: “Ex’ACT” or “Love Me Right”?

Astro: “Spring Up” or “Summer Vibes”? THEY’RE BOTH SO GOOD

Vixx: “Chained Up” or “Error”? I CAN’T CHOOSE 

EXO or BTS?

SISTAR or Red Velvet?

NCT U or NCT 127?

Girls’ Day or Girls Generation?

Seventeen or GOT7?

Winner or iKon?

Block B or Beast? i love them both too much; i can’t choose

Romeo or Astro?

Jimin orJungkook?

Xiumin or Chanyeol?

Taeyeon or Ailee?

Jay Park or Dean?

G-Dragon or Taeyang?

Amber or Henry?

Wooshin or Hwanhee

Jeonghan or Dino?

Taemin or Jonghyun?

Seulgi or Irene?

Got7: Markson or Markjin?

Red Velvet: JoyGi or WenRi?

BTS: VKook or JiKook?

EXO: Hunhan or Kaisoo?

Monsta X: Showhyuk or Jookyun?

Topp Dogg: Hanjoo or Xenissi?

NCT: TaeTen or JaeYong?

Seventeen: Meanie or Jeongcheol?

iKon: Double B or Double J (Junhwan)?

[schedios]

u kno what’s it

New Year’s Thingy 

1. What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?

Went on a march (Women's March 2017)

Went to Aquarium of the Pacific, and then Monterey Bay Aquarium with friends and came home in one day (god)

Hosted a friend from out of town in my new place and went to Griffith Observatory, the Broad, and the Bradbury Building

Went to the Grand Canyon with friends

Worked a proper retail store

SAW HAMILTON

Got a proper job

Went to the Renaissance fair (holla at ya casey)

Went to CTNx

Saw John Mulaney

Went to the LA Zoo Lights

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

These are from last year:

Make more art (I definitely did) Try out more recipes (Lol nah but when jessie comes I probs will) Be more conscious about spending money (hooOEY) MAKE MORE ART DAMN (YEAH OKAY I DID) Be kind, gracious, calmer (I think I can check the first two HHH)

And for this year:

Make more original content! Use those OCs Practice drawing IRL Practice Spanish more!!!!!! Be calmer, kinder, and more patient Read more!! Manage time better >_>;;

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No

5. What countries did you visit?

None this year!

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

b e n e f i t s

7. What date from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

The first half of this year was hard

Going to the Grand Canyon... aside from the canyon part..

Seeing Hamilton!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting a job?? Being able to pay for things all on my own honestly

9. What was your biggest failure?

I guess I could've made even more content than I did...

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really...

11. What was the best thing you bought?

New clothes?? Fish balls. IKEA SHARK!!!!!

12. Where did most of your money go?

Aside from rent and clothes, that trip to the Grand Canyon and visiting home

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Visiting home in October! I didn't realize how much I needed to.

Learning that I'd be living with Jessie!!!!

Hamilton!

14. What song will always remind you of 2017?

My spotify called my out for listening to 06 by Sons of An Illustrious Father and the Fantastic Beasts soundtrack

Electric Guest's new album Plural

Night in the Woods' soundtrack got me through a lot

Lin-Manuel Miranda's Almost Like Praying

Florence and the Machine's Too Much Is Never Enough

Assassin's Creed Syndicate's soundtrack

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

Happier or sadder? I'm happier. I am

Older or wiser? Both. My body has yelled at me, so maybe older >_>

Thinner or fatter? SOFTER

Richer or poorer? Uhhhh?

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Draw and animate always, learn more

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Get angry

18. How did you spend Christmas?

HOME!!!!!

19. What was your favorite TV program?

RWBY and Peaky Blinders

Does watching YouTubers count? Because there was a lot of Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Rooster Teeth content consumed

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Same.

23. What was the best book you read?

Uhhhhhhh >_>;;

I'm reading Mort and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?

NITW, AC:S and the RWBY soundtracks haha

But also! Ordinary Songs 2 by Snail’s House

25. What did you want and get?

To go home during the middle of the year, a job, go to the Grand Canyon

26. What did you want and not get?

B E N E F I T S

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

Here’s what I’ve seen this year! Rogue One, Fantastic Beasts (Making a comic in 3 days for this taught me a lot), Koe no Katachi (read the manga bc Jessie suggested it, and I absolutely adore it), Arrival, COCO (!!!!!!!!!), The Shape of Water

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Stayed with family and got dinner. When I got home, one of my friends took me out to a beach north of us, then later we got a nice dinner at a tapas place downtown. Let's get a drink sometime.

29. What's one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

BEN *CLAP* E *CLAP* FITS *CLAPCLAPCLAP*

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?

Started picking up more monochrome! Lots of gray and white and black ha

31. What kept you sane?

My friends and my mom. Getting that retail job and getting my current job

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Lin-Manuel Miranda!!!!!

Jack, Mark, the RT crew :>

33. What issue stirred you the most?

HARVEY AND MARIA. Jesus christ. I spent my birthday with family, and I had my phone glued to my hand. I downloaded Twitter for the first time so I could get updates on what was happening with my hometown. "Good luck," our nation's leader said, to these cities as hurricanes battered them. Good fucking luck.

Net Neutrality???? JESUS??

34. Who did you miss?

My mom and my friends again. Jessie but I'll be with her soon. Jane ;0;. DaAe ;_______;

35. Who was the best new person you met?

Hmm

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017:

I will work to be better. Not I wish. I will.

You can work and have a plan but that doesn't stop things from swooping in and dashing that all away. It doesn't matter that you were prepared or not. That's just life and it sucks sometimes. But we keep going, we have to.

[celestialallstars]

Episode #4: “Everyone hates a puzzle god.” - Drew

This swap was PERFECTO, well, had I been on Nu Orfeo, it would have been but, Nu Tuatha was my next best choice and already it is great! I have Kori/Bryce and then Loris for sure. I talked with Mitch and Sharky a bit, so I'm optimistic on that. But I go and talk to Stephen. Lo & behold, he tells me there's a rumor that Kori and Bryce are working together. He says he heard it from Jared, but I figure hey, why am I not living a little? I say wow if we lose they go but...I immediately told Zach haha what he wishes to do with it is up to him, but if the rumor happens to spread, then I guess we'll see. If Mitch happened to feel this way, then I can at least use it to avoid being a target for a little while, even if I am sticking with KB.. this is gonna be one heck of an intriguing dynamic!

Oh my goodness, what a great swap! I got Chris, I got Bryce, and I got Mitch all of whom I doubt will be voting me. If I play my cards right I'll also be able to use this opportunity to get closer to Sharky or Loris in the event we never go to tribal. Ideally I wanna make sure me and Loris are especially good since Sharky seems the more likely first boot from our tribe.

I'm not sure what to make of this 24 hour challenge, wanna be optimistic but who knows.

I fucking love Alyssa, literally as soon as we swapped she looked at my teammates, messaged two of them to talk to me and gave me info on Zach and Stephen having history in the season. The equivalent of like "Okay go to the backdoor, meet the guard and tell them you like to fly with the eagles, he'll let you in, tell them you're with me and I'll leave the rest to you." So while yes I am the odd duckling out being the only one from Cyrena I'm going to do my best to work with what I have.

So not very much has changed on Tuatha as far as I can tell. My tribe winning the immunity challenge has helped me delay any confrontation between my 2 alliances which is great, as it should theoretically allow me to maintain relationships with all 6 members of the tribe. Still, it's going to keep being important to win immunity or pray for a swap in order to keep these groups from clashing.

Jared and Rhys are still a ? for me. I don't know why/how Rhys was able to convince Kori to invite Jared to the alliance of 5 instead of Mitch, and it worries me that those 2 may have a stronger bond than I immediately suspected. Hopefully I'll have an opportunity to deal with that when the time comes.

We're going to lose. I hate for it to sound so defeated/pessimistic, but the fact of the matter is unless we have a turn around in the AM, then I only see this setting the pace for the remainder. I know Bryce and Kori must be sleep. Mitch is trying, Loris possibly went back to sleep? And I guess Sharky is shooting for a late night swim or something. Regardless, I'm just already going over who the best person to leave would be for me. Unfortunately, with Kori/Bryce and then Loris, that only leaves me with Mitch or Sharky. Personally...I'd be open to Sharky, just cause, yea it would've been cool for Orfeo Seven to be a thing, but like I only feel secure with Zach/Loris and that's to a certain degree. All in all, this might be the tribal for Sharky to go and if the others are very sad over it, well, I guess they will have to come to terms with it.  I know Mitch is with Stephen and now that I know Steph is gonna probs wanna target Kori/Bryce, I'll need him and Mitch around for them to battle it out against each other...hmm decisions.

So we swapped. Yay. I have Jared. Yay. Stephen, eh kinda doesn’t speak to me a lot, well he speaks to me the least in my tribe. But we’re in an alliance. So I’m gonna have to figure how to navigate that.

Chloe Mo and a Zach all talk to me more than Stephen. So If I can figure out a way to maintain numbers and sack off Stephen, bye bye Stephen.

Also Mo is amazing. Staying up to try to prove worth in challenges 😍 no one deserves mo.

Y'all know me, one wrong social interaction which ends in humiliation or making me look like a dingus will ruin my entire day. Like oh no one laughed at my joke? Time to disappear into nothing and mope for a couple hours.

I’m lowkey scared about this challenge. I’m on my phone which sucks cause I can’t really do much in terms of puzzles. I can do them just always not the first one to finish. So looks like I’m not doing much yikes.

hi! we swapped! um. the last 2 hours. what a mess. so. like. kori posted a screenshot that showed the names of all his alliances and like. i told everyone maybe... ?? i told zach and then.. mitch.. and then.. i confronted bryce bc one was called 'three kings' so it was obv him chris and kori.. and bryce confirmed it. then sharky does the same thing but oh well thats insignificant hes only in 1. also. me and mitch r like. close now!! all because of this mess. but kori hates me. hehee

So the tribe swap has hit, and I'm back with my old pal Zach! You know, the person from my season who I tried to vote out like a million times before finally succeeding due to finding the idol at F5. Woohoo.

In all seriousness, though, I'm kinda happy to be on a tribe with him because he's a challenge beast and I don't think our relationship is totally unworkable. I made it clear to Zach as soon as the swap happened that I wanted to work with him, not against him, so hopefully that'll work out.

Chloe and Mo are 2 people I've also been working to get to know since the game began so I'm not too worried about them targeting me right away. I think this is a strong group overall.

And then there's Jared and Rhys. Probably not the first 2 people I would've chose to swap with but at the very least they both have incentive to keep me around. We are in an alliance together after all!

I made the decision to tell Chris about my situation with Mitch and the alliances on OG Tuatha because I really want them both to survive and unite with them at merge, and if Chris knows that Mitch was on the bottom of the totem pole on Tuatha, then maybe he'll take it into consideration.

So I had a glimmer of hope but we lost it and that's okay. I already prepared myself to vote for Sharky and it seems that is where we're headed...and yet craziness ensued in the time I was away! Kori accidentally reveals three kings and I try and do what I can to talk to others but nobody has said anything so they're either good at hiding things or they legit dropped it after questioning Bryce and Kori. ON TOP of it all, I learn from Loris that Sharkys alliance chat could be from an org..with Drew, Chloe and maybe Matt. It would definitely explain why Chloe didnt except the alliance offer..so that is fun. And now Stephen has told me he/Bryce/Kori/Rhys had majority alliance. So now I have a lot of info. It's just mattering how to use it

Shoutout to Drew for carrying everyone’s ass while drunk for half the challenge

I wanna explain my plan. It might sound ridiculous but... shut up. So I have this chart I made to show who’s doing the best and worst in challenges. I made four charts, three for each tribe, and one for everyone overall. The overall chart comes in handy if I make it to merge. So my dumb strategy is using said charts to kind of vaguely suggest who should be voted out each round. For example Tuatha is going to tribal and Mitch is doing the worst statistically so I can see him being eliminated (Mitch ily I’m sorry if you’re reading this). The bumpy part happens when and if I get to merge. Because then I’m going to be playing with a bunch of incredible comp players. My goal is to kind of use them as a way of getting to the end, by pinning them against one another until eventually it’s just me. Several problems in this plan, the first one is if my tribe goes to tribal which isn’t super severe because like I said I do feel comfy socially but I am doing the worst statistically so there’s a chance I could be eliminated. Second problem this is a very fragile plan and one crack could leave me looking like a goat trying to make something out of nothing and I’m not tryna get biggest goat in touchy subjects again. Will this all fail? Most likely. Am I gonna try to be a cool strategic genius? Yeah. But it’s worth a shot. Ok rereading this whole thing I’m kinda thinking this plan is garbo but I took so much time to write it so I’m gonna send it anyway.

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

I’ve been like bouncing in between moods of. “I’m gonna be an early out” and “I’m gonna go far/win.” Right now I’m feeling like an early out again.

appreciation the thumbnail + title please.

God, the last 24 hours  could not have gone worst. We lost the challenge, AND I was such a dumb idiot that I posted a screenshot in the tribe chat where you could see my alliances.

So naturally I had to basically inform anyone I was aligned with that it happened. I feel like such a flop right now. I've missed the window 3 times for searching for an idol, and it's just like how can I be so absent minded. I need to get myself together if I want to even make the merge let alone win the game.

So far the only people I know for sure saw the Screenshot are Loris and Zach. Chances are other people know and just haven't told me. I'm just trying to keep a level head after having a mental breakdown over what an idiot I've been. We're at tribal and I'm hoping the votes on Sharky are there because we do talk the least. (I'd rather Loris goes but we're actually in a chat together because apparently Jared and him talk a ton.) I have 0 desire to keep working with Loris though, so if I can push it I wanna send Loris home next if we lose again, he literally went up to Bryce asking if he was in Three Kings and tried to draw attention to my screenshot without flat out saying it in tribe chat, asking Mitch if he saw it etc etc.

It's obvious he's trying to basically draw attention to me because I did win our season. His fake-nice apologeticism isn't fazing me. If it's genuine, well he's bad at seeming sincere then since the actions I've seen don't reflect it.

Boy I hope I wake up and get my shit together because I really need to. Granted I could also be seeing myself going right now, so who knows. I haven't been the most useful in the challenges even though I've never not been trying. So hopefully I stick around for awhile longer. I've still got so much more I've set out to do and I don't want to get sent home without accomplishing any of it.

So we SWAPPED and I wanna give a little bit of insight as to my thoughts. New tuatha consists of me loris chris sharky kori and bryce. The first challenge was this 24 hour puzzle crap where Zach and Drew H from the other respective tribes CARRIED their teams to victory. It is about 5 hours before tribal and I already feel like I am on the bottom again. IDK WHAT IM DOING WRONG. I always seem to be on the bottom premerge,  but thankfully this is how I flourish. I am SO good at getting out of situations like these and finding myself in a power position at merge because nobody wants to get rid of me. RN I created a chat with Loris and myself just so he can keep me updated on what is HAPPENING with chris and sharky, and i also have my old alliance with Jared and Stephen who i hope are doing ok. The targets for this round are me and sharky for being perceived as inactive. The vote should be 5-1 with Sharky going, but it HAS crossed my mind to throw a vote on like Bryce to shake the cage a little bit. I dont trust Bryce one bit and I feel like he'd throw me to the curb the first chance he gets unless loris keeps him in check.

Everyone hates a puzzle god mwah!!

Lol so we swapped, I get Michael and Alyssa but the former blue tribe has 4/6 majority here, I like them enough as people but like...we're just gonna go ahead and not go to tribal here, if I have to drag them to the immunity statue kicking and fucking screaming. Which is what I did. F17 ladies

Fourth tribal safe. It’s a weird feeling to be safe so many times in a row but I’m glad my all stars game is getting off to a strong start by making connections here there and everywhere. I’m praying for Sharky tonight because I know that he’s close to me and Chloe so if he goes it’s definitely worse case scenario.

So it seems sides are forming so that's cool. Mitch is possibly going to end up with me [and Loris] and then there would be Bryce and Kori. However, after chatting with Stephen and Jared yesterday, I've concluded that I am in a pickle! Let's say Kori/Bryce are legit about this Three Kings thing. Well, I know I'm a possible third wheel for it. On top of that, I'm assuming Mitch might get boned if we lose again, however, Stephen trusts Mitch a lot and so wants us to use him to take shots at Bryce/Kori if we lose again. Mind you, according to Jared, Stephen is a sneaky dude (Sneaky Pete), and him and Rhys don't trust him longterm. SO what does this all mean? All of my allies are hot messes. And on top of it all, I am beginning to feel for Sharky. Yes! I get that its been optimal for me to get him out, but it still sort of sucks now that I've talked with him more. Unfortunately, it is for the best he goes for my game right this instant and hopefully the wrath of him and his allies shant be too horrible.

So we swapped!!! And by some fucking miracle, we have a majority of me, jack, Alyssa and Bodhi. Was very unexpected tbh but we'll take it! Michael and Drew joined us which is good cause they r both v.good at challenges which I would hope means we can immunity run. Cause no thank u hate tribal not dealing with that. Drew also like carried us in the challenge which was a yeet, I swear I tried tho hehe. Mo and rhys I want to try and get to work together, would be very fun n flirty. Sharky messaged me like "lol I'm leaving" and if he does, I'm fucking fighting people, cause that is NOT ON. HE is my one true love and if he leaves I will be annoyed so much and will be quite fucked tbh.love that for me!!

at orientation last year we were told about a “rule of 7” to not overcommit ourselves. I’ve just about doubled that threshold and depending how the next few days go it might go even higher. Pray for me.

I wish I had more energy to dedicate to this game but i need to fucking relax in my free time. So I’ll talk to people at my current rate and hopefully that’ll get me to merge. Then I’ll drop all other responsibilities and fucking dominate.

I really think the game is starting to slow down for me. Now what I mean by that is I am continuing to get more woke and more misty, and the aura of this being all stars and the spectacle of the other players being so great is starting to dissapear.

I feel very much as though I have perfected my craft in terms of how I like to play, and I'm doing it very well here. It's cool to think about on a meta level like from AnnaJane's perspective: "oh my god Jared did really well for himself in Wakea and had major influence to where some people couldn't even notice, I wonder how he'll stack up against these all stars." I can feel myself back in that zone and coming into my own even in this field. To the point where these legends like Chris and Bryce and Sharky, I know deep down that I can play ball with them. Now, they may beat me at the end of the day and I may go home at some point, but I can understand even at this moment that I am probably top 3 if not the #1 best player here. Or at least I CAN be.

I want to zoom in on this and really get my shit together and take advantage of what is in front of me because with the game dynamics as they are, I can very clearly see myself as the winner. I need to keep doing what I'm doing, but at the same time make myself dissapear and be able to do this undetected.

My new strategy is called "fast and loose" because I'm going to get into these conversations, knock it out of the park and get out. Leave people feeling good about me every time I leave the room. I don't need to spend a ton of time working on anyone to the point they can tell what I'm doing. Calls? After tonight they are done. Not calling with anybody unless they ask. I want to be gaining social capital and influencing people's decisions without being detected so it has to be a hit and run.

I will reevaluate my position soon and probably recalculate my alliances, maybe I was wrong about Stephen and I need to get closer with him while no one else is. But at this moment I need targets going into the merge. That's how I'm gonna set it up. I want everyone to be shooting at each other and then at the key moment boom challenge advantage, boom idol, boom you gotta vote out Bryce can't vote for me, oh look I'm at the end.

Having the One World twist is so interesting because in a usual game when you don’t know everyone until you get to merge usually. You don’t know what’s going on, on the enemy tribe, you don’t know who’s inactive, who is starting drama or who is messy in challenges. Because you’re focusing all your social energy into your tribe alone so when someone you haven’t made contact with on the enemy tribe gets eliminated you think nothing of it. But here there are no walls, you can see and communicate with everyone and it’s in your best interest to focus your social energy into the one world chat because that’s what everyone else is doing. So my point in saying this is it’s now incredibly difficult to imagine having to lose 8 people before we get to the final 10. Because literally everyone is social, there are like two quiet people but everyone else you talk to on the daily and everyone is kicking ass in these challenges (except like two people). I think that’s why I keep thinking myself as an early out is because it’s so hard to imagine anyone else getting voted out. But fuck that I got shit to prove.

I can’t even begin to explain how it feels to have been immune for 10 days in a row. My glow up front wakea is real.

Bodhi wants to get the 4 of us OG Cyrena's in a majority alliance, which is super convenient bc we can just combine our alliances into one. Problem is? I would HATE to vote either Drew or Michael out, especially given Drew singlehandedly got us immunity this time. So if there was ever time for an immunity streak...

Also I keep forgetting to search for idols this is why I never find one

________________________________________________________________

Sharky is voted out 5-1.

[cccto-semi-pro]

The Remnant of God in the World: Daniel

RECAP & PREPARING FOR CG Daily Reading for Week

Esther 6-10, Psalm 54  

Daniel 1-3, Psalm 55

Daniel 4-6, Psalm 56  

Daniel 7-9, Psalm 57

Daniel 10-12, Psalm 58

Haggai 1-2, Psalm 59  

Zechariah 1-4, Psalm 60  

Resources for Week

Read Scripture Video: Daniel

Read: Daniel 7

FOCUS OF TIME TOGETHER

To participate in an intense study on how to begin reading Jewish apocalyptic literature and to practice these hermeneutic skills together by taking a careful look at Daniel 7.

GROUND RULE / GOAL / VALUE FOR THE WEEK

Goal: Our goal this week is to practice intellectual humility by laying our ideas and presuppositions aside for a bit in order to explore truth in interdependent community. Participate in discussion with an intent to assist in the group’s shared exploration rather than either refusing to participate or trying to coerce the group to see things your way.

CONNECTION AND UNITY EXERCISE (MUTUAL INVITATION)

Share your highs and lows from the week.

OPENING PRAYER

Sit silently for three minutes. As you do, listen for any thoughts or pictures or ideas that go through your mind that may be inspired by the Holy Spirit. After this silent prayer, take a couple minutes to invite one another to share anything they may have heard.

Then read this prayer aloud:

Lord, grant us pure hearts and clear minds; Direct us in discerning what is good and true and beautiful; Guide us along the path of wisdom and lead us in the way of humility; We are frail and fallible creatures; Be near to us, Lord; Amen.

INTRO TO DISCUSSION

This week’s material is an intense study on the hermeneutics of apocalyptic literature using Daniel 7 as our focus. It is perhaps the most rigorous study of the year. We chose to structure the material this way because we didn’t feel it would be faithful to the goal of YOBL or the book of Daniel to skip the hermeneutic work necessary to grow in our Bible-reading skills. Accordingly, there will be more content to digest than usual. Because of this, we’ve changed the normal structure to make the content more digestible. There will also be no structured small group time. Focus your energy on reading and understanding the ideas presented. Then, honestly process your emotional responses to your past and current interactions with apocalyptic literature and the variety of interpretations in the church.

LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

Questions for Basic Understanding

These questions are to help us interpret and understand the text as it was intended to be interpreted and understood.

Read:

The Book of Daniel in Context Last week, we began our final series on Old Testament books called “The Remnant of God in the World,” chronicling the final chapters in the Old Testament story about God’s plan to heal the world through His people Israel. In Ezra and Nehemiah, we read historical sketches of the first Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem to start over again by rebuilding the Temple, relearning the Torah, and reconstructing the city walls. We saw this exciting moment of liberation turn anticlimactic as division and turmoil broke out among those trying to be God’s renewed people in Jerusalem. Before long, the same evil and idolatry that led to the punishment of exile in the first place resurfaced, begging the questions: Is exile really over? Has this surviving remnant of the people of God truly been purged and purified of anything? Where do we go from here?

Interestingly, the book of Daniel serves as dual bookends to Ezra and Nehemiah, acting as both preface and conclusion to the return-to-Jerusalem story. In Daniel 5 and 6, we read how Daniel’s skilled and faithful work as a government official combined with his great spiritual wisdom and divine connection to the Jewish God earned him honor with the Babylonian rulers Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar as well as the other kings who eventually overthrew Babylon. Following the “writing on the wall” events of chapter 5, the Babylonian empire was conquered by what is called the Median-Persian Empire. King Darius the Mede, now ruling over the land, was so moved by Daniel’s divine vindication and protection in the lion’s den that he actually endorsed Judaism throughout the empire. Chapter 6 concludes with: “So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” When Ezra 1:1 says that “The Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm [releasing Jews to go home and build the Temple],” it is fair to say that Daniel was the primary vessel God used to do so. In other words, Daniel’s faithful witness within the Babylonian government was one of the central causes for the release of the Jews from exile. The great restart recorded in Ezra-Nehemiah was only possible because of him.

But also, the book of Daniel serves as a concluding synopsis to Ezra-Nehemiah that at least partially answers the questions raised about whether the exile was truly over and how then God’s people would live. Remember that in Jeremiah 29:10, Jeremiah recorded a promise from God to release Israel from exile after seventy years. The return to rebuild the Temple seemed to mark the end of this punishment and the beginning of the promised liberation. Daniel was hopeful for this too: “In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom — in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years” (Dan 9:1-2). Therefore, Daniel becomes hopeful that he may indeed live to see the end of exile and goes to bring about God’s promised action by confessing on behalf of Israel. This leads to a shocking and disheartening word from God:

“While I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me… He instructed me and said to me, ‘Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:

“‘Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to restrain transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.’” (Daniel 9:21-24, abbreviated)

In other words, what Ezra-Nehemiah chronicled in story form, Daniel documents in a divine vision-message: The seventy years of exile haven’t accomplished their purpose — Israel hasn’t been purified of its sinful nature and is not yet ready to be the holy people of God who bring “everlasting righteousness” to the world. The seventy years of exile didn’t accomplish all that needs to be accomplished, and therefore exile will continue. Rather than just 70 years, Israel will experience various forms of oppression and persecution for seven times that, or roughly 490 years. This heartbreaking notion proves true over the next several hundred years of Israel’s history leading to Christ: First, as we saw, the Median-Persian Empire takes over, then Alexander the Great and the Greeks, then the Syrian/Seleucid Empire, and finally Rome. For five centuries following the return of the exiles to Jerusalem, life for the Old Testament people of God is a form of continued political punishment. Exile repeats itself over and over. This historical reality is, not coincidentally, both why Daniel was written and also why it was written the way that it was.

Note that the overall book was written about Daniel, but not by Daniel. Though it contains his writings, the writings are pieced together and narrated by someone who refers to Daniel in the third person. Many scholars think that the book was either written or newly annotated around 160 BC, several generations after the first remnant returned to Israel. During this time, the Jews suffered yet another horrendous persecution, this time under Antiochus and the Syrian (or Seleucid) Empire. It is likely that these circumstances of exile, similar to Daniel’s in Babylon, were the motivation for converting the old oral testimony of Daniel’s faithful obedience into the more artistic and formalized literary book we have today. This book, with its hopeful (though cryptic) visions of God’s eventual victory over the violent beasts of world empires and the heroic example of Daniel’s faithfulness, would have been a tremendously valuable resource for another generation of oppressed Jews. In this sense, the historical testimony of Daniel’s life and visions which occurred around 580-520 BC were able to speak powerfully to God’s people in later eras of violent oppression, both in the 2nd century BC under the Syrian Empire as well as in Jesus’ day under the brutal Roman regime. This is, in large part, what made the Book of Daniel one of the most popular literary texts in Jesus’ own day as well as one of the texts most widely referenced in the New Testament.

Ask:

How does hearing the context for Daniel help in your understanding of Ezra and Nehemiah?

Read:

The Book of Daniel as Apocalyptic Literature The literary context that inspired the book of Daniel was the social/political landscape of God’s people centuries after Daniel’s life in Babylon. The landscape of persecution under brutal Syrian rule was eerily similar to the earlier torment of Babylonian oppression. It is this similarity of situations, not the exact details of each historical period, that inspired the form and content of Daniel, especially the seemingly strange visions in chapters 7-12. This differentiation will be crucial as we dive into exploring these texts.

Before we do, however, we must introduce a term: Apocalyptic. We use the term apocalyptic to mean pertaining to the end of the world — an apocalypse (typically where everything somehow explodes). But apocalyptic, or apocalypticism, is also a noun labeling a literary genre that became quite common in the ancient and Biblical world. Examples of Biblical apocalyptic include Daniel 7-12, Revelation, parts of Isaiah, and Ezekiel’s visions of the flying, flaming chariot made of heavenly creatures depicting God’s glory.

These texts strike us as absurd, nonsensical, and even scary. However, the ancient readers to whom these words were written would have felt no such discomfort. They would have been familiar with the symbolism and imagery in a way that would be hard for us to believe. It’s worth it, therefore, to state a truism: We are utterly illiterate at reading apocalyptic literature and stand before these texts at a tremendous disadvantage. They require more homework and hermeneutic effort than perhaps any other books of the Bible. In terms of reading through the Bible in order to become more Biblically literate, the apocalyptic texts are like the big bad bosses at the end of a video game. Indeed, scholar Aaron Chalmers dubs apocalyptic “prophecy on steroids.” It is perhaps apt then that they are mostly found toward the end of the Old and New Testaments. In fact, throughout history, more corrosive ideas and evil actions have stemmed from misreadings of apocalyptic literature than from probably any other.

The term apocalyptic comes from the Greek word apokalypsis which means to reveal or unveil knowledge that was previously hidden. Apocalyptic is symbolic picture-language, almost like political cartoons, that serve to speak both to current realities and to universal types. Specifically, such language was often used to speak simultaneously to various details of real-life present circumstances as well as to elevate the meaning of such things above those particular details to illustrate what is typological or paradigmatic. In other words, apocalyptic isn’t mostly concerned with symbolically predicting specific future events but with illustrating paradigms that tend to repeat themselves throughout history. Typically written in the context of crisis, Biblical apocalyptic aims to encourage hope in its hearers by lifting their countenance above the daunting realities of their current struggle and to illustrate the ways in which God is sovereign and powerful over even the worst the world has to offer. Apocalyptic aims to visually depict to oppressed people the truth that even the worst oppression is not the end of the story.

Consider the following snippets from Aaron Chalmers’ Interpreting the Prophets to help orient us toward this unfamiliar genre:

“Whereas the prophets usually envisage God acting in salvation or judgment within history, these passages seem to anticipate a climactic and decisive intervention of God that brings history (at least as we know it) to a definitive culminating point… Apocalyptic entails the revelatory communication of heavenly secrets by an other-worldly being to a seer who presents the visions in a narrative framework; the visions guide readers into a transcendent reality that takes precedence over the current situation and encourages readers to persevere in the midst of their trials. The visions reverse normal experience by making the heavenly mysteries the real world and depicting the present crisis as a temporary, illusory situation. This is achieved via God’s transforming the world for the faithful…

In apocalyptic, God reveals his previously hidden future plans usually through dreams or visions. Unlike the visions we find in the prophets, however, these are full of elaborate and, at times, strange and mysterious symbolism and/or numbers. Many of the dominant images of apocalyptic belong to the realm of fantasy or myth, or we encounter surreal, unnatural combinations. For example, Daniel 7 contains a vision of four great beasts, including a bear with tusks in its mouth and a lion with eagle’s wings, coming out of the sea, while Daniel 8 describes a goat with a horn that grows as high as the host of heaven. The meaning and significance of these dreams and visions is thus often obscure; serious interpretive work is required…

It primarily served to encourage its readers in the midst of their trials. Apocalyptic literature, like prophecy, is highly situational — it was written in order to address and respond to a specific problem in the life of the community of faith. This situation was usually one of crisis, such as rapid, destabilizing change, a severe drought or plague, or persecution.

For example, critical scholars often associate the book of Daniel (or at least chapters 7-12) with the crisis precipitated by the persecution of the Jews undertaken by Antiochus IV Epiphanes during the early second century BC. The book can be read as a commentary on the dramatic and distressing events that occurred in Israel and the broader world during his reign, which included the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple, the outlawing of distinctive Jewish rites, and the execution of those who opposed him. Daniel 7:25 appears to allude to Antiochus with its reference to the little horn ‘speaking words against the Most High, wearing out the holy ones of the Most High, attempting to change the sacred seasons and the law.’

Apocalyptic seeks to encourage, comfort, and exhort the community to continued faithfulness, in spite of whatever opposition or problems its members may be facing. It affirms that such crises are only temporary — God remains in control and he will soon act to judge the wicked and vindicate the righteous.”

Ask:

How would you describe the way you were previously taught to think about apocalyptic literature? How does the idea that apocalyptic literature is not primarily concerned with end times prophecies but symbolism regarding contemporaneous political events alter this viewpoint?

Have you ever felt embarrassed or uncomfortable about Biblical texts like Daniel or Revelation or Christian ideologies concerning the “rapture” or “antichrist”? Share any stories or reflections.

Read:

Beginning to Interpret Apocalyptic Literature More from Chalmers: “Apocalyptic texts present unique challenges to the modern interpreter. ‘No other genre of the Bible has been so fervently read with such depressing results.’ Our problems are largely a result of the fact that the apocalyptic genre has no real modern equivalent…

Impressionistic art can serve as a helpful analogy for orienting our reading of apocalyptic texts. An impressionistic painting is best appreciated from a distance. These works are composed of fine lines, dabs of paint and brush strokes that ‘combine to depict scenes of unusual vividness and emotion’. If we stand too close, however, if we concentrate simply on the lines and dabs themselves, we are unlikely to grasp what the artist intended to convey - all we will end up seeing are lines, dabs, and strokes which look rather peculiar and random in their placement. Instead, we need to take a step back and consider the work in its entirety. When we do this, we are able to appreciate how those apparently random and disjointed paint strokes, dabs and lines in fact end up working together to produce a coherent and striking whole.

Likewise, apocalyptic texts needs to be appreciated from a distance. When reading apocalyptic texts, it is worth stepping back and trying to grasp the point of the vision as a whole. What is the overall effect? What is the big picture? What is the overarching sweep of the vision or narrative? Ultimately, we need to move beyond the details to determine the primary message(s) of the entire vision. The ever-present risk is that modern readers will get so bogged down in the details of the visions that they fail to grasp the bigger picture. Or, to draw another analogy, they will see the trees but miss the forest. Individual details may be important (after all, the only reason we have a bigger picture is because it is made up of smaller details), or they may not. What is always important, however, is the significance of the vision as a whole. And, of course, it is often when we have grasped the big picture that the details within this make more sense.

Once we have grasped the big picture of the vision, it is time to focus on the details. The further we move from the general (the ‘big picture’) to the specific (‘details’), the less certain our interpretations may become. In other words, while we may be confident that we have grasped the meaning of the vision as a whole, the significance of certain specific elements within this may elude us. ‘This is not unexpected, given the allusive nature of apocalyptic visions. For much of the vision is an earthly way to think about a heavenly reality, or a present way to think about a future reality. So given our earthly and present limitations, we cannot expect to understand the meaning of each detail.’”

Ask:

Describe a moment when you’ve experienced something like impressionistic art where choosing not to focus too much on specific details helped you to better see and appreciate the overall picture.

Read: Daniel 7. As you do, keep in mind the analogy of impressionist art and focus on the big picture being painted with these images and symbols.

Ask:

What big-picture impression stood out in your mind as you read Daniel 7? In other words, what point is it trying to make?

In your mind, how important is a text like Daniel 7 to your life as a Christ-follower?

How does it make you feel to meditate on the fact that our entire faith tradition is so heavily dependent on a book, and specifically an old book that most Christians and perhaps we ourselves struggle (and often fail) to read correctly?

9. SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

There will be no small group discussion tonight.

10. CLOSING

Spend a minute in silence, discerning any invitations the Holy Spirit may have for you — whether to dive deeper into the study of Daniel and apocalyptic on your own, to take a break from YOBL, or to make some commitment based on what you heard in the text. Make any commitments to God in prayer before one another.