#I wrote this at 2 in the morning

[greeen-bean]

AlloAro!Jimmy, who grew up watching his grandparents being ridiculously in love with each other, even through death, and believing this to be the best form of love a person can feel, and that it is the only future a person should strive for.

AlloAro!Jimmy, who knew he was gay, knew he was attracted to men, but still never felt the want for anything more with anyone other than in hypothetical situations that seemed purposefully unattainable.

AlloAro!Jimmy, who blamed his lack of romantic attraction on him being tans, or famous, or busy, or anything that seemed like a half-decent excuse, yet still wholeheartedly believed that those feelings would eventually come once he finds The One™️

AlloAro!Jimmy, who let himself be used by other people to fulfil their own parasocial fantasies, in a way to search for some hidden romantic feelings that he thinks should be there *cough cough Magnet cough cough*

AlloAro!Jimmy, who felt so guilty about thinking Lister was attractive while having no romantic feelings for him, who felt no better than everyone else who had used Lister before

AlloAro!Jimmy, who couldn't for the life of him understand why he wasn't feeling the romantic feelings for the one person he arguably should.

AlloAro!Jimmy, who, upon hearing his new friend, Fereshteh, talk about how she is Aromantic Asexual, started to cry.

"Jim? Are you okay?" voice filled with panic and concern. She never was the delicate type, never able to hide or sefen her feelings from their extremes.

He blinks hard, taking away the tears in his eyes. Or tries to, at least. As they drip down his face new ones take their place.

"I didn't," his voice is quiet, raw, slow. The words are being forced out. Not wanting to say the wrong thing. But not wanting to say nothing, either. "I didn't know a person could feel that way."

"Um, yeah. I suppose it's the same as Bliss and Lister being bi. Just, you know, the opposite?" It's said as a question. Unsure. It's not a perfect comparison, but it doesn't really matter. Not now, not between them.

They are looking into each other's eyes. His red and wet, but no longer crying. Hers worry-filled and confused, not knowing how to fix this.

"Do you not get lonely?" He asks. And she, the girl, his friend, despite everything, Fereshteh, is smart enough to know that it's more than that. It's like a plea.

Please, he says, tell me it's okay. Tell me that you're happy, despite it all. That you are still content and cared for. Tell me you love it. Tell me it's worth it all.

"I don't know." Not the answer he wants, but honesty never usually is. "Sometimes yeah, but don't we all? don't we all get lonely every now and again? But I've got my friends. My family."

And, she hesitates, knowing it's probably too much, too soon, for this new strange friendship they have. The one that they probably shouldn't. "I've got you."

She punches his arm, a jest, something to lighten the mood. It doesn't really work.

"I don't understand." he looks broken. Probably feels it as well.

And she's been there. In tears, scared of what it all could mean. Feeling broken. Not shattered or cracked, not something that could be fixed with some glue.

But something made faulty. Something with a missing part or a shoddy clog on the inside.

Something that you don't notice at first, until it becomes obvious.

Then you just feel like an idiot for not noticing in the first place.

She's been there. She's felt that way.

But she doesn't anymore.

"Jim-" and now it's her voice that's quiet and raw, "Jimmy, actually, I think you do."

[wolfieisacat]

"Hey, it's Mya. was just calling, uhm... I was almost mugged last night but when he looked at me he ran. it was just so weird? Anyway, I remember Cal always used to tell me you wanted to be a supervillain when we grew up. As he ran off I heard him mumbling about "can't rob her. Big bad would kill me" or something, did you have anything to do with that? Just wondering, call me back, please, Adam. I'm... kind of scared."

"Mya! how've you been? Yeah, nah, I work for McPotherns. But Calvin became a supervillain after he dumped you. He's got you on some sort of no hurt list or something, I dunno, we lost contact after college. Word on the street is he became heartbroken after he dumped you or something like that. Kinda lame if you ask me, but whatever."

The next week, the young woman set off to find her ex.

"Calvin!" She shouted. The man startled, surprised to hear her voice again after half a decade.

"M-Mya!" He exclaimed, turning around. "Heyyyy... how've ya-" he was cut off by a kiss.

"Calvin you jackass!" She was crying. "Could've just told me you wanted me back instead of becoming a supervillain... you shithead..." She laughed.

"Hah, you know me. Calvin, just a big idiot..." He sighed.

"So, we... boyfriend girlfriend again?"

"Sure, why not?"

"...Can i stay a supervillain?"

"...Sure, why not?"

A young villain tried to mug you, but upon seeing your face, he fled in terror. Upon further investigation, you discover that your high school sweetheart is now the most powerful villain in the world and has you on a list titled “hurt them, and I’ll kill you.”

[imaredshirt]

Give me a Stan who thinks Fiddleford doesn't know how to throw a punch, much less defend himself in a fight with your average goon, so one morning he takes it upon himself to show the nerd a few basic jabs and hooks and maybe an uppercut or two behind the cabin, because let's face it, there's gonna be a time when Stan can't be there to take a hit for the guy or defend his nerd butt. So he's gonna teach him some stuff for his own peace of mind.

Fiddleford just kind of genially goes along with it, following Stan around the back of the cabin and watching with hands on his hips and a smile as Stan gets into position.

"This is one of the most basic punches in the world, so pay attention, 'cause I'm not gonna show you again," Stan says, knees slightly bent and fists up.

Fidds nods. "You've got my full attention, Stanley."

Stan isn't sure if he's imagining the way Fidds is eyeing him up and down, but he automatically flexes his arms a little more than he needs to. Up ahead, Ford is sitting on a tree stump and taking samples of the air or something (Stan had stopped listening to Ford's explanation once his words went from interesting to Big Science Shit that Stanley Does NOT Care About) and he's watching them with this amused grin, rolling his eyes skyward when Stan won't stop flexing and showing his arms off.

Stan ignores him and rolls his shoulders before jabbing his fists forward in a quick one-two. "There - you catch that?"

Fidds has got his arms crossed now and gives Stan a thumbs up. "Sure did!"

"See, just like this," Stan says, and shows him again despite saying earlier that he wouldn't.

He shows him a few more punches, going over each one a couple times before telling the engineer to mirror him, even getting in close to adjust the guy's scrawny arms and balled fists. He's being real professional about it and everything and doesn't understand why Ford keeps grinning and shaking his head at them, which is making him a little incensed but he stamps it down because Fidds is watching him with this nerdy, dopey smile while letting himself be maneuvered around and he's gotta learn to defend himself 'cause Stan can't stand the thought of some jerkwad wiping that smile off the nerd's face.

"See," he says near the end of the lesson, tapping his fist right against Fidds’s chin. "Do it right and your fist'll hit right here."

Fidds tilts his head a fraction at the touch. "Well alright then, seems easy enough."

"Yeah, like I said, if you do it right. Gimme your hand-" he takes Fidds’s wrist and taps the guy's balled fist against his own stubbly jaw. "Right here. You got that?"

Fidds nods. "Sure do!"

"Good." Stan drops Fidds’s wrist and gets into position again. "Then come on - lay one on me."

Fidds pulls back and blinks at him. "Come again?"

"Hit me!" Stan taps his jaw. "Right here!"

The guy suddenly looks nervous and galnces over at Ford for help. "Hit you? Stanley, I don't think-"

This is what Stan means. Fidds isn't always gonna be able to look to him or Ford to save him. He gets this weird, uncomfortable feeling in his chest at the thought of Fidds facing off against some asshat on his own, and that alone is enough to keep him from letting the guys off easy, if only to get rid of the weird feeling. Maybe a bit selfish but he doesn't care.

"Ah, come on, one little punch ain't gonna hurt ya, Fidds."

"I'm not worried about me," Fidds says, and then frowns when Stan barks a laugh.

"You think you're gonna hurt ME?"

Fidds is still frowning when Ford calls over in an amused, warning tone, "This is not a good idea, Stanely!"

"Just worry about your air test or whatever and leave us alone," Stan calls back. Ford shrugs and scribbles something in his journal, and when Stan turns back to Fidds, Fidds is finally getting into position.

He looks unsure, watching Stan nervously as Stan stands before him with his arms crossed.

"Hey, not bad form - you ready?"

"Well, I suppose so," Fidds says, accent coming in a little thicker than before. "Stan, if you're sure, I should probably warn ya-"

"Don't tell me nothing, just punch me!"

Fidds presses his lips into a line and throws his fist - and jabs Stan on the chin just hard enough to tilt Stan's head half an inch to the side.

"That's it?" Stan guffaws and shakes his head. "That was barely a tap!"

"I don't wanna hurt ya!" Fidds says, sounding so conflicted that Stan gets this urge to pull him into a headlock and ruffle his hair and drive the worry away.

Instead he riles him up.

"Please," he says. "Fidds, look - one of these days I'm not gonna be there to take a hit for you, and then what're you gonna do? Just let some jerk punch ya around?"

Fidds looks slightly perplexed. "Where is this all comin from? No, Stanley, I am NOT gonna just let some jerk punch me around."

"Good! So you gotta learn to defend yourself!" Fidds still looks unsure, so Stan tries a different angle. "Okay, how 'bout this - what if some jerks are beating up on me and Ford, huh? You're just gonna let em?"

Fidds looks up. "What? No, I am not!"

"You're gonna defend us?"

"Dangnabbit, Stan - of course I am!"

"Not gonna let us get our teeth kicked out?"

"What!? No!"

"Then show me!" Stan slaps a hand against his own chin. "Right here, come on! I'm some jerk who just threw your friend Stan to the ground and I'm about to kick him in the gut, what're ya gonna-"

The blow lands hard. Stan's head jerks to the side and he's thrown off balance, and he sees actual stars before his vision clears again and he realizes he's crumpled on the ground. His head swims as hands pull him around onto his back.

"Mother o pearl!" Fidds gasps. He's got his hands on Stan's face, careful touch at complete odds with the punch he'd just landed in the same place. "Are you alright? I am so sorry! I hit ya and you weren't even ready and - you just got me so riled up and I tried to tell ya and I shoulda said earlier instead o just lettin ya show me all those moves, but I just wanted to, well - goddangit, Ford, this ain't funny."

Ford's laughing as he comes up behind them, looking down at where Stan is staring kinda dazedly up at Fidds, who's kneeling by his side in the cool grass. "We did try to tell him, Fiddleford."

"Tell me what?" Stan demands. His jaw is already aching but Fidds’s hands feel kinda good so he doesn't tell him to move.

"Fiddleford was a boxing champion back back in his hometown," Ford says.

Stan blinks. "Bwuh-?"

"Not much of a champion," Fidds says with a wince, but he's blushing a bit as he goes on, "It was never anythin official, but - well, I did win more than a few matches at some backyard parties, see, and - well, people usually don't think I got any hittin power or can defend myself, but my Ma's been all too happy to teach me since I was little, and-"

The guy's rambling, and Stan quits being able to understand what he's saying half way through cause the accent is coming in thick and Ford’s chuckling and standing there looking proud of his best friend and Stan’s a little worried that he's still jarred from the hit, cause when he looks at Fidds kneeling there, one hand one Stan's chest and the other bashfully rubbing his neck while he rambles on - he's still seeing stars.

Later, while Stan sits in the living room with an bag of ice in his jaw and Fiddleford sitting next to him, still rambling about all the times he'd knocked a few guys into the mud in some backcountry hoedown get-together or whatever, Stan can lean back and relax and grin, knowing Fidds is gonna be just fine.

He can't wait to teach him wrestling.

[wildsaltair]

This will be my single controversial rant about Gladiator and its sequel (specifically my thoughts on Maximus being retconned as Lucius' father), and then I will be silent on the matter because this blog is meant to be A Good Time and I just enjoy sharing my love for Gladiator with everyone on here :)

KIND OF SPOILERS FOR GLADIATOR AND THE SEQUEL (BUT NOT REALLY) BELOW

As everyone knows, Ridley Scott made the choice to reveal in Gladiator 2 that Lucius is actually the son of Maximus from a secret affair with Lucilla. In G2, it's apparently implied that Lucilla was trapped in a bad marriage, fell in love with Maximus, and kept the truth about Lucius' father a secret. Lots of viewers have been split about this, with some thinking that plot point was implied in Gladiator and others feeling that it contradicts what was established in Gladiator.

I am strongly of the opinion that this choice was a bad one, that it does interfere with the integrity of the original film, and that Gladiator 2 would have been much better without that change. I'll give my reasons below.

1. Yes, rewriting Maximus as a cheater does destroy his entire character arc in Gladiator.

We've all seen Gladiator, right? The one where the hero has everything life can offer but longs only to return home to be with his beloved wife and son? Carries their figurines with him into battle, cares only for them when his own life is threatened, lays down to die by their graves after he finds them dead? Spends the whole movie only wanting to meet them again in the afterlife and only gets peace once he's there?

Yeah. Apparently that guy cheated on his wife with a princess. His son and Lucilla's sons are the same age, which means Maximus would have to have been married to his wife while also sleeping with Lucilla.

Maximus' entire character arc relies on his pure, unconditional, self-sacrificial love for his family. Take that away, and you have a generic action movie about a guy who wants revenge because the Emperor tried to kill him once. Even when Maximus has lost everything inside himself and cares about nothing else, he still honors the memory of his family and fights to avenge them as well as join them. He is shown still talking to his wife in the afterlife through prayer and believing she can hear him. As @streets-in-paradise pointed out, it's the equivalent of having Aragon or Hector of Troy cheat on their wives ��� it's just painfully out of character for them.

There's also an element of Maximus' love and respect for his Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, another driving force in his characterization. I think Maximus has too much respect for Marcus to have had an affair with Marcus' married daughter, even if he knew Marcus maybe would have wished Maximus had married Lucilla. We never get much insight into that part of the past, but if we go by the virtues Maximus upholds throughout the movie, I just don't think Maximus would have considered sneaking behind Marcus' back to sleep with his daughter.

Either way, the emotional heart of Maximus' character is his love for his family, and retconning that so your sequel has a "bigger emotional impact" is nothing short of undignified and sloppy.

2. All the conversations between Maximus and Lucilla in Gladiator imply that they did have a romantic relationship — but that it was public (not clandestine) and took place before either of them were married.

Yes, Maximus and Lucilla definitely were in love at some point. Russell Crowe and Connie Nielsen have great chemistry, and their conversations (both of them) hold so much weight with "what could have been." Lucilla talks about how she wounded Maximus deeply as he did her, and their conversations are full of things like, "Is it so terrible seeing me again?" The weight of their previous emotional attachment pervades the movie in a way that is inextricable from the plot.

BUT. Maximus and Lucilla had their relationship A LONG TIME AGO. This is very clearly established by the way they talk to each other. Maximus has been in Germania for twelve years (taking breaks only to go home, but NEVER to visit Rome). He and Lucilla presumably met sometime before that, probably while the royal family was visiting some city where Maximus was serving in / commanding the army. The details are never established.

However, Maximus and Lucilla clearly had a public enough relationship that Marcus and Commodus knew about it, but there is never the slightest mention in Gladiator that Lucius might be Maximus' son — something Commodus surely would have exploited had he known it was a possibility.

Maximus and Lucilla were in love, but it was before they married other people. They were probably teenagers or young adults who fell madly in love, wanted to marry, but were stopped for whatever reason (probably Maximus not wanting to play politician's games, as he implies). Maximus met the woman he eventually married, Lucilla married Lucius Verus, and they carried on with their lives until they met again at the beginning of Gladiator.

Also, Maximus talks about the respect he had for Lucilla's husband (a far cry from what Gladiator 2 implies about Lucius Verus), and she talks about how she mourned Maximus' family. Sure, you can read into the script and find stuff about how Maximus could have been Lucius' father, but it explicitly goes against the values and implications of the overall acript.

Connie Nielsen stated that she played her scenes thinking that Maximus was Lucius' father. She's an actress, and she plays Lucilla brilliantly. But she's not the scriptwriter, and no matter what her intentions were, the script implies that their relationship took place much longer ago, before either of them were married. @becomelions made a great post about how Lucilla, too, can wish as much as she wants that Maximus was Lucius' father, but he couldn't have been. Not unless you retcon all of Gladiator as fanfiction.

3. Maximus' relationships with Lucilla and Lucius are not meant to replace those he had with his wife and son — they are meant to be reflections of some of the bigger themes of the film.

With all that said, this is not a hate post about how Gladiator should have been about Maximus and his wife and son, and how I hate Lucilla and Lucius' story and think it contradicts that blah blah blah. NO. The storyline with Lucilla, Lucius, and Maximus is one of the strong points of the whole movie — but not as a replacement for the family he has lost.

In a lot of ways, Lucilla represents Rome as the ideal Maximus always believed in: beautiful, noble, and proud. When he becomes disillusioned with Rome, he becomes disillusioned with Lucilla; when he starts to believe in the hope of Rome again, he starts to believe in Lucilla again. They're always linked. Lucilla is not the woman he wants to start over with and marry now that his wife is gone. She is an old friend and ally whom he eventually learns to trust again.

Lucius, on the other hand, represents what Rome can be again. Lucius is the grandson of Marcus Aurelius, and I think Maximus longs to honor his mentor by preserving the life of his last living heir. Lucius reminds Maximus of his son, yes, and he brings out the protectiveness and the desire to do for Lucius what he couldn't do for his own son. But that doesn't mean Lucius has to be his son for that relationship to have emotional impact, as I will explain further in point 5.

4. Maximus' relationships with Lucilla and Lucius are genuinely integral to the film, but as they are — not as what they could be.

Again, I absolutely love the dynamics between Maximus, Lucilla, and Lucius throughout Gladiator. Russell and Connie play off each other so well with those "I remember how you used to be but that was a long time ago" vibes. Russell and Spencer Treat Clark only share one scene, but it's one of the film's most memorable scenes.

However, we are not meant to question those relationships as "oooooh but what if Lucius is actually Maximus' son????" Maybe Ridley left that door open for the audience to consider, but again, I feel like the film contradicts that by implying that Lucilla and Maximus loved each other much longer ago.

When you make Lucius Maximus' son, Lucilla's seeking out of Maximus as his savior becomes less interesting. It becomes "I'm calling on you to save your son even though you don't know he's your son" instead of "I'm asking you to act out of the goodness inside you to save a boy who doesn't deserve to die any more than your own son did." The version we see in Gladiator is so much more impactful.

It also cheapens what Lucius' journey could have been in Gladiator 2! Again, @streets-in-paradise pointed out how much better the sequel could have been if Lucius had been acting in the shadow of a brilliant man who captivated the city of Rome but also was his friend for a little while. As I'll discuss in point 6, having the reveal of Lucius as Maximus' son is just the laziest possible route for a sequel, and it certainly drags down the dignity of the relationships we see in Gladiator.

5. One of the strengths of Maximus' choice to fight for Lucius' survival in Gladiator lies in the fact that he doesn't have any familial obligation to him.

This is one of my favorite points, because I do love the dynamics between Maximus and little Lucius! Maximus has a bone-deep obligation to save his family — he rides for days and nights to get home and save them, but he misses them by a matter of hours. He wrestles with guilt and misery because he feels like he failed them. He was supposed to be their protector, and he couldn't save them.

BUT. Maximus has no such blood ties to Lucius. This kid is the son of Maximus' ex, the grandson of Maximus' dead mentor, and the nephew of his most hated enemy. Maximus doesn't have an obligation to Lucius as his father: he doesn't even know him until Lucius approaches him in the arena.

And that's what makes his decision to fight for Lucius so powerful. Maximus sees Lucius as the hope of Rome, and he decides that's still worth fighting for — something he had given up on before. Even though he has no obligation to save Lucius as his son, he wants to save him as an innocent young boy caught in political matters over his head.

Again, making Lucius Maximus' son cheapens the impact of that decision. Ridley Scott built up so many amazing plot points and relationships, and it really disappoints me that he just cast them aside to make some easy money by relying on the success of the original.

6. Relying on such a trite, overused plot point to make up the emotional foundation of your sequel can only weaken your sequel and ruin the dignity of your original film.

My final point is simply that Gladiator 2 could have been really well done. They could have done something original with it (or something totally off-the-wall like Russell Crowe's vision LOL). But I think Ridley Scott was banking on that nostalgia factor, and he chose a plot point that he knew would be easily marketable — the hero of the second film is the son of the hero of the first film.

We've seen it done literally hundreds of times, from Star Wars to Superman to Toy Story, and having that be the big reveal of Gladiator 2 is just lazy writing. To have Lucius trying to live up to the legacy of Maximus the hero would have been interesting. To have Lucius discover that he's the son of literally anyone else would have been interesting. To have Lucius discover that he's the son of Maximus is an eye-roll-inducing move that should have been trailer bait and nothing more.

Primarily! Because it can't be the emotional foundation of the movie! Lucius has to have his own journey if it's his movie; he can't just walk in Maximus' footsteps and be like, "Father, speak to me," if he's not going on his own individual emotional journey. We as the audience have to relate to our hero because he's our hero, not because he's the son of our hero.

I'll be honest — I probably wouldn't go see a sequel to Gladiator no matter what it was about because I think Gladiator is a perfect standalone movie and should have stayed that way. I just don't think you can recreate the scale and impact and simplicity of Gladiator in today's film industry.

However, I could at least have had respect for a sequel to Gladiator if Ridley Scott had shown some respect for his own movie. I just hate the fact that Maximus' noble, honorable character is reduced to a cheating husband whose only character trait of note is that he served Rome. Maximus is one of the best characters of the 21st century, and I love him too much to support a movie that trashes that legacy (as well as tries to replicate the beauty of my favorite film of all time).

Final thoughts:

Gladiator is a movie. You can read into it whatever you want, and it doesn't hurt anyone.

I love Gladiator more than I can say, and it's really important to me not just as a cultural icon but on a personal level as well.

Anyone who knows this blog knows how much I love Maximus Decimus Meridius, and Ridley's choice to change Maximus' character so drastically is one that really just ticks me off.

To me personally, Gladiator 2 is not canon, and I will never consider it so on this blog.

[valenishere]

Sagau Idea

I'm not that good with writing YouPoV's so there may be some odd usage of they's and thems then switching to "you"'s. this'll be stock full of typos so be warned

Mentions of injury, implied murder, blood, and implied cult

It's been a long while since I've gotten into Self-aware genshin aus, reading the fluffiest scenes to straight up gore. And theres this concept I saw about where the creator (basically, you) can make any oc come to life and help them out. (this one read it s really good. They also expanded on it go read it too its a really neat build-up on it. this one)

And as a DnD enjoyer as well... there's this idea thats been brewing in my head whenever i think back to it.

What if in Imposter!au where they're being constantly being hunted... after getting cornered in one of the nations (in the Chasm for example) they get desperate and try out an idea they don't think would work.

While resting after being in the brink of death(again) in a place Teyvat has helped you conceal, your thoughts wander. You think, why is there even a Creator? There isn't supposed to be one. That kinda concept just disrupts everything they know about the game. It's a ridiculous concept. In your delirious state, you think, "I wish that just disappears... Then i wouldn't be..."

Then you remebered the curious ability you've recently unlocked in your "adventures". The ability to create characters, with some limitations. It took you quite a bit to adjust to your newfound ability and its caveats, resulting in a few heartbreaking loss on the way.

But as a DnD player, overcoming the death of your beloved characters quickly is a mental fortitude you've developed. And it's handy that you've already made a few characters for your past sessions before landing in Teyvat. It saved you from being one-shotted right from the start.

Although now... You're down to only one left.

"... I'm so tired..."

The mental stress of being in a constant state of danger, paranoia, hunger, pain, and exhaustion have worn you down to a point where you can't even think up of more characters to make up for the one's that have recently passed. You slipped up so bad because of sleeplessness that your last capable party of characters died and a hole was speared through your gut too.

As you lay bleeding on the cold ground, with only a talking mushroom to keep you company, you wrack your brain to put together a proper character but... you really can't. You can't even think straight. Not with the recent information you've found out.

The so-called Creator is now creating their very own characters, their very own people/army, through alchemy, and is now sending them after you, thus increasing your hunters by double. And on top of the already powerful vision-holders (of course they're powerful, you made them that way), you figured... "Ah... I'm fucked..."

Knowing you might as well be as good as done now, you didn't even bother bringing out the last of your characters to heal you. It's not like healing yourself will make you forget about this lifelong trauma--

... Forget?

...

A fleeting thought.

A dumb fleeting thought. A very dumb one at that.

One that will for sure backfire in your face if you do it wrong. And quite frankly, it could spell the end for this world, even for the one they call Creator.

... But it's not like you have anything else to lose.

And so, within the dim light of the mushroom, you painstakingly start to write. Word for word, cramming everything information you know, as deatiled as you can make it into bringing it into life. A character you've never tried making before. Something that could possibly end your suffering. Or make it worse.

You honestly don't know if you're doing it right. After all, you've never tried something like it before.

"What are you making this time?' the ever so curious mushroom asked.

You grin, a manic look in your eyes. "Either my stupidest... or my brightest idea yet."

It's not long befere you finished. You gaze upon your finished product and you have to say... it's even more fleshed out than your best characters. And that quick sketch you drew... you swear those hollow eyes are following you already. That may be just the blood loss talking.

"That's... one ugly worm you've drawn..." The mushroom hums, like it can just see the monstrosity that you've created.

You chuckle breathlessly, looking almost solemn with what you're about to do. Well... it' not wrong. But...

"This is my kid. Their name is... Falseh. Get along well with them... okay?"

0===|>>>>>.

The very ground trembles as the Lord of Geo strides through the dark tunnels, a dark look in his eyes and a spear in his hand. If his presence wasn't enough, the murderous intent rolling off of him in waves is enough to deter any beasts from crossing his path.

The imposter was last seen slinking around the depths of the Chasm by one of the Tianquan's agents. Although failing to execute the imposter the first chance they got with their incompetence, Morax have to commend the Qixing for being able to find them even in the depths of the earth.

For some reason, the land seems to reject his commands from time to time now. He was baffled as to why his beloved Maker is hindering him in fulfilling his given mission but he's just been informed that the land defiance of him is due to the imposter infecting the land with their vile abilities.

Now, he's even more hellbent on making sure to drive his spear through the imposters heart and presenting it to his Grace. He won't miss a second time.

His eyes sharpens as a he a cavern just up ahead, soft blue light spilling through entrance. Tightening his grip on his spear, the power of Geo gathers in his other, ready to skewer someone five times into death if he so wishes.

He steps through the entrance and immediately lands on a figure, leaning prone under a giant glowing mushroom. He relaxes a bit. He recognizes this place. It's a bit close to the Land of Verdure, Sumeru. He needs to be careful. He can't be caught flaunting his power on another Archons domain after all.

Approaching the figure, he gets a bit surprised as they twitch, looking up to him through their hair. They try to talk, but all they can manage are quiet wheezes.

'Oh. They're still breathing. That's good.' Zhongli kneels down beside them, looking them over. They look like they've been dragged through the Abyss and back. Their midriff is bandaged heavily but it's already bled through, forming a pool of their own blood below them. He frowns lightly. It must be quite a big injury if it's bleeding this much.

Wordlessly, he holds a hand over the injury and channels his power. He's not the most profficient in healing, but he should at least be able to stop the bleeding.

Mere moments later, he have plugged up the injury and the figure is now able to stand up.

"Th-Thank you so much Rex Lapis!" they bow down. Or at least, they bow down the best they can without opening their wound. "Any longer and I would've surely perished..."

Zhongli waves them off nonchalantly as he starts to walk back out the way he came. "It's best you get back to the surface. Your injury needs to be properly tended. And I can see that..."

His eyes drifts to the scattered bloody bandages and practically empty backpack. "You've run out of supplies. It is a virtue to you mortals to know when to give up. Remember that."

"Y-Yes sir Rex Lapis sir! I'll get back right away!" they start to quickly collect their things, haphazardly stuffing the bandages and handbook into the bag, being careful of their injury.

The Lord of Geo just watches for a moment before completely leaving, trusting that they won't make any stupid mistake and go back post haste.

After he has left, you pause in your packing, leaning against the mushroom and slowly sliding down with a shaky breath.

"Y-You... didn't you say he and the entirety of the world was hunting for you?" The mushroom hums in confusion, sharing your tension. "What was that? Heck, he was the one that put a hole through you and he healed you!"

You chuckle breathlessly, the manic look intensifying in your eyes as it dawns on you that it worked. That stupid idea of yours actually worked!

And if you can get to the Creator... you can make this whole concept disappear altogether. Forever.

Out of the corner of your eyes, you see it. A large mass of hairless flesh writhing about, multiple tentacle-like appendages potruding out of it. It's slithering it's limbs about, coiling around the mushroom and and back again, and around you as well.

But when you turn your head to actually look, there's nothing there. All you can hear is what seems to be muffled humming, an eerie tune listlessly flowing through the air (but somehow, the sound is the most comforting thing ever).

"Oh it's nothing. I think... he just heard something that made him forget."

[vaguely-concerned]

if everything with varric weren't enough to make rye go the level of ape shit at solas that he does (and goodness don't get me wrong it was more than enough!), forcing him to sit alone with himself in the fade and wonder if he really just saw lucanis die right in front of him with no way to know for sure added kill bill sirens in his head so loud the voice of the Maker Himself could not be heard over them if He personally peeped through the blanket of the dark to cry 'hold, hold'

(That no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between the effect and it. indeed. maybe you should have thought a bit harder before making me quite so much in your own image. bitch)

[crybaby-bkg]

cw: this got long sorry 😔 but creepy/perv bakugou, recording, film major bkg x art major reader, masturbation, coercion, dubcon before it just becomes con, voyeurism/exhibitionism

as an art major, you typically did some works for a few students on campus; for their plays, as background pieces while they danced, a cover for their released songs. it wasn’t out of the ordinary for people to ask you to create something for them, and you enjoyed it more often than not. but, you weren’t usually the art itself.

Bakugou is a friend’s friend that you’ve seen a few times, ran into at the library or at coffee shops. he’s a film major, and always looks so unhappy about the whole thing, as if he didn’t choose it himself. you joke to Mina that you think he’ll graduate and become one of those directors that hate everything and yell at the actors constantly and later on get sued for being a dickhead. you never say it to him though—you’ve never spoken more than a couple words to the man.

it’s why it shocks you when he approaches you one day. it’s after one of your painting classes, and he stands outside the door with a frown and his hands shoved in his pockets, his eyebrows scrunched as if pissed at the mere sight of you. he asks you, in that low and gruff tone of his, if you could star in his final project for the semester. says it’s supposed to be a film made with this criteria and that, but, you’ve kind of checked out on the conversation after the first sentence.

“You mean, you want me to create something and that be the star of your film?” you ask him, feeling so intimidated at his stature. he always seems to loom, his hair shadowing the lights above, creates a cast over a portion of his face, makes his eyes look…unsettling. like they’re looking straight through your flesh, can find the marrow in your bones. he scoffs like you’ve offended him, rolling his eyes into his skull, mouth pulled tight.

“No.” his voice is firm, gaze concentrated only on you, like the halls are empty and you’re the focus of his lens. “I want you to star in it.”

his words confuse you—you’ve never presented yourself as an actor before, never alluded to wanting to be in the spotlight if not for what you create with your hands. but he shuffles on his feet, looks desperate even. there’s some hemming and hawing for a minute or so—why not choose Mina?—she’s busy—why choose me?—‘cause you’d be perfect for my short film—what’s it about?—you’ll find out once you get the script.

and even after you hesitantly agree and get the script—you still don’t understand what you’re doing. why you’re here, why you’re the only person, why it has to be a solo film, why there’s damn near zero lines in the entirety of the have-to-be forty five minute film.

the scenes are all so long, and maybe it’s because movies aren’t your forte or chosen major, but you just don’t get it. one scene; you’re staring at yourself in the mirror while Bakugou holds a small, black camera over your shoulder. he’s eerily quiet behind you, whispers out a faint fuckin’ go when you have to wash your face in the sink, makes you do it over because your movements are too jerky and unnatural.

the rest of the scenes go that way; you doing regular at home activities, being put under a lens, quietly barked at to do this and move that way and fix your hair and remember to frown.

“Isn’t there another way to film this?” you ask him on the fifth day of shooting in his spacious loft. there’s a bubble bath scene coming up, one you dont understand the importance of, but Bakugou tells you it’s the most necessary part of the entire thing.

“No,” he grunts out, looking at you from under his lashes as he sits on the lid of the toilet. “But I’ll make it soapy, so the camera won’t see much.” the camera? much? you weren’t worried so much about what the camera captured as you were the man behind it. he looks at you with such intensity, you feel naked already despite the robe you wear that’s suspiciously already your size.

he leaves the bathroom when you sink in the hot water, returns before you can say it’s okay, hears the water splashing and thinks that’s good enough. he kneels on the floor beside you, camera pointed directly in your face, makes your chest hot and your skin feel prickly. the scene passes on regularly enough; you run the water over your arms, tilt your head back as you sigh, whisper the few lines scripted, lean back and close your eyes, sigh again. it’s almost relaxing, makes you forget about the friend of a friend recording you naked right now. almost.

“Touch yourself.” Bakugou suddenly demands, hushed and quiet behind the camera. your eyes immediately shoot open, looking to him in question, how he’s eerily still in his spot hovering over you.

“Huh?” you ask, unsure if you heard him correctly, looking around the rounded lens in your face, trying to ignore the red blinking light. but Bakugou only frowns.

“It’s a masturbation scene. Touch yourself.” he repeats, voice louder, more demanding this time. your stomach twists at the thought of doing something so intimate in front of him. he’s a handsome guy, for sure, even made you consider asking him out after this, figured he was just serious about his work and awkward about certain things. but…something had been off about this entire thing since the start.

“But—but I don’t, I’m not,” you stutter, sitting up a little, the bubbles covering your chest starting to disperse with your movements. but Bakugou only sits a little higher on his knees, finally pulling the camera away from his face for the first time since he’s asked you to do this for him.

“You want me to fail?” he asks, booming voice eerily quiet in the silent bathroom, carmine eyes dull, shaded over with something terrible. “Then do it.” he tells you when you shake your head quickly.

you stare at him until he gets back into position again, camera back pointed at you. when he doesn’t say anything else, you swallow thickly, wondering if the art that will come out of this will be worth it. so you listen, sneak a hand under the water, start touching yourself in a way you never have in front of anyone.

is it bad to say that it’s exhilarating? being watched and recorded by someone who breathes so heavily every time your voice hiccups? being directed to touch your chest next when the suds start to disappear and your nipples start to peek through? is it bad that you want him to send you this portion of his film, only, just so you can watch yourself again and again? make a portrait of yourself with your fingers on your nipples and your knees raising from the water and your head thrown back from the intensity in oil pastels?

“That’s a wrap.” Bakugou announces when you finish, head spinning and still panting. you look over to him, how he closes the camera, the obvious bulge in his pants. “I’ll get you a towel.”

you wonder when’s the next time he’ll need you. or better yet—maybe he could be the star in your final drawing project? you had finished it already but, what was the harm in starting over with him as your muse? as naked as you are? camera not blocking his face so you can paint the similarities of his blushing cheeks and eyes when you direct him to look at you? to touch his chest? to play with himself just like that?

[dragengyrr]

"No one just wakes up here an Overlord. We’ve all dragged our feet on the scorched earth, learning how to stand up, confused, terrified, disbelieving. I think, at some point, everyone realised that it never mattered who was the richest bitch at the graveyard. Some lucky bastards would realise that even before they died.

Except. There was this one fucker who made me question that. If anyone ever witnessed his first wobbly steps in hell, he made well sure they’d be too horrified to ever speak about it. And in a blink of an eye, he was out there, grabbing half of the city by the throat, sassy and smiling like it was nothing special. Call me a madman, but I feel in my guts that he somehow did bring something from the grave with himself. Some ace up his sleeve. Either that, or he’d already had such hell on Earth that waking up down here felt like a lazy Sunday stroll – he’d already lost his senses and his humanity, how could any horror impress him? I don’t know which theory frightens me more.

Anyway, they now call him the Radio Demon."

In the silence that followed his companion’s little monologue, Husk finally leaned back in his chair, having realised that he’s been too intrigued to play it cool and internally cussing himself for it. But then, you had to let go of your poker face at some point, even as the Overlord of gambling.

He contemplated for a moment, eventually pinning a sneer on his face.

"All that talk just to call him a dirty cheater? You know how to make an intro, I’ll give you that. And… you know what? If some day this bored fucker makes his way into my casino, I’ll be happy to see him try and play that ace. I got my ways to deal with tricksters."

– And then it ended poorly.

Sorry for the weird intro, I’m executing half a dozen different ideas at once, some in the drawing and some in the snipped of non-existent (yet???) fanfic that would focus on Alastor/Husk dynamic. I’ve devoured some delicious stories about Alastor getting his fears, doubts and emotions handed to him on a silver platter, but I also want to see the fall of Husk. I want to see the man’s confidence bite him in the ass, and make him obsessed with one question in mind – "did he or did he not cheat that day".

And then turn it into a question for the class – was Alastor ever a cheater?

The free time I have to write this is none, but we’ll see what the future brings.

Also: I was wondering whether or not to do this, but, fuck it: even though it is not technically art for the fic itself, I’m deeming Dr @prince-liest partially responsible for the direction it took after reading a line Alastor said in Once Bitten… that went more or less "I wasn’t wearing my Sunday best when I died". And then I figured I could spice up his leg anatomy even more, to the point where it’s a miracle he’s able to walk at all (my brain definitely glitched a few times trying to draw this).

[verbenaa]

snippet sunday 😈

thank you to @elinorbard for tagging meeeee you're the best 💖

hello and happy kinktober. I'm behind on my fics for this month but worry not, for I am 100% COOKING. here's a snippet from one of them 🥵

tagginggggg @khywren @xxnashiraxx @inkymoonbunny @roguishcat @ladyduellist @justabiteofspite @preciouslittlebhaalbae @eraserspiral and anyone else to post something if you want to ✨💖!!!

[its-moonstar]

How it feels like tryna find Caleb content without it being all weird and pseudo incest-y

It’s like a desert out here, if anyone got good fic recommendations, pls hit me up

Also, tryna talk to Caleb haters is like talking to a brick wall; not to mention how they are so loud and WRONG!? Like, I know how you guys don’t like him, but is it really worth sending death threats over?

So, here’s some Chinese 101 from an actual Chinese person

“哥哥” (also known as ‘gege’), can be directly translated into “brother” from Chinese to English. HOWEVER! I cannot stress this enough, this does not always mean “brother” as in blood relationship, family member, “when I look at a family tree it’s a wreath” type of thing.

In China, and other parts of Asia, there is a lot of stress upon honorifics and giving proper titles to every person. 哥哥, while it can be used for brother, is also used in daily lives to address a male who is slightly older than you. It can be also used in a flirtatious manner, it’s kinda of like the English equivalent of “babe” (but there is less of a romantic connotation).

It’s kinda of like using “oppar” (Korean); yes, it can mean brother but it’s not always used in that way

Another note; there is a lot of stress in china for older kids to take care of younger kids in a “sibling” way. No, this is not meant in an incest manner, just culture differences

I feel like if the devs wanted Caleb to be a brotherly figure, they would’ve addressed him as 兄长 (xiōng zhǎng) instead at some point. It’s more formal, and gives much more “blood relation” connotation than just gege.

(Just want to say, there is a lot of nuance to this and I probably didn’t explain this fully, but long story short, NO THEY ARE NOT INCEST)

Also Grandma; in China, any older female is going to be addressed as 阿姨 (Āyí) (“aunt”) or 奶奶 (nàinài) (“grandma”) regardless of blood relations. So it doesn’t necessarily mean that Grandma was a “grandma grandma” or just an older women who took them in

Even in English dub, Caleb has never been introduced as an adoptive sibling, in fact, I really think the devs were pushing the “childhood friends” thing SO MUCH. Correct me if I’m wrong, but there was some bits and pieces of “Caleb, Zayne, and MC growing up as friends”, not adoptive siblings because by the time MC and Caleb were taken in, I think they were well into their early preteen years.

Not to mention; this is SUCH a popular trope in china. The best way I could describe it is as , close childhood friends turned to lovers? So it doesn’t really matter what international fans think because there is a HUGE Caleb fandom in China that are waiting and ready to gacha their funds away.

It’s okay if you don’t like his character, it’s okay if you think that MC and Caleb are adoptive siblings, what is not okay is sending death threats and unnecessary hate for people who do like him, like, cmon. At the end of the day, these are literally just pixels on a screen, they are not real, if you don’t like it, just BLOCK AND MOVE ON!

I beg, it’s literally not that hard. If you don’t like the content, stop interacting with it. (And the world kept spinning ahh comment)

“B-b-but, I don’t want to lose my 50/50 to a character I don’t like!!” “It’s gonna be so much harder to pull for the MLs I actually like!!” Girl. It’s a gacha game. That’s literally the point, to spend money. I bet the devs are giggling and rubbing their hands together now that some people are going to be so much more desperate to pull for a character that ISNT Caleb.

So,,, anyway!

That’s just my ted talk! And stop getting so worked up over people who aren’t even real!!

[fire-lizard-ro]

Ah yes. I've come to inquire about a certain blond fellow with the pretty eyes. Aventurine

So here's my bit. Reader is going through a break up with Aventurine and then they make up. I'm writing this while attention (females perspective)is playing in my mind. Maybe you could like incorporate it into the ask. Because I'm thinking in a way that the reader is trying to get Aventurines attention whilst keeping him at a distance. Sor of cat and mouse. And he's buying into it though he's much prefer without the sneakiness.

Also I hope this asks finds you in good spirits and a joyful mood. Caio.

Okay, okay- I have no clue what attention is. A song? I’m not good at this game help-

Anyways I will try my best.

Thank you sm for the ask. 🫶

I really do love this twinky little blond man and I’m happy to be writing about him.

It’s like two in the morning rn and I’m rambling here to distract myself from things. ANY!!! WAYS!!!

No gender is mentioned for the reader.

CW: exactly one (1) 2.1 spoiler (Aventurine’s real name- It’s at the very end), break up-make up time, mild angst bc ofc there is it’s Aventurine, hurt/comfort, happy ending hehe 🫶

Writing under the cut (SFW):

You couldn’t help but smile as you saw a certain someone’s nickname flashing across your screen. Right on time.

Though you supposed he knew what you were doing. After all, Aventurine is smart. Even if he didn’t realize it right away, he had to know by now.

You picked up the phone.

“Well hello, stranger. To what do I owe the honor?” It was hard to keep the sly lilt and inflection out of your voice when you knew he was definitely gripping his phone tightly on the other end of the line.

“I’m sure you know, dear. You’re slick but not that slick. You’ll have to do better than that to outplay me,” Aventurine said, his voice still fixed in that unhurried cadence and unbothered tone like usual despite the situation.

You rested your cheek on a hand and leaned back in your seat with a smile. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. In any case, it’s a bit odd of you to call me. After all, we did break up. You remember that, I’m sure.”

You could practically hear the leather of his gloves crunching (is it crunching I forgot-) as he clenched a fist, keeping hold of his restraint.

The two of you had been dancing around each other like cat and mouse. Though at this point, who was the cat and who was the mouse was anyone’s guess.

Despite having gotten to the point of breaking up, you ended up missing him a lot. And thus you began the dance only to find his hand already waiting for you. It was unspoken that you both wanted the same thing. But every time he drew closer, you’d pull back. A frustrating back and forth that seemed to confuse him. Aventurine was sure you wanted him back. And yet you never let the cat finally catch his prey. Why? He didn’t get it.

“Oh sweetheart- Let’s not keep pretending, yes? I know you’ve been trying to catch my attention. You can’t hide your intentions.”

“Seems it’s working, then.”

It was true. You had been doing things to keep Aventurine’s eyes on you. Despite playing a game of keep away with him with how you’d draw him in and push him away, you didn’t want him looking at anyone else. At the same time, you weren’t sure if you’d truly be willing to get together again. What if the train went off the tracks again? The first time had been rough enough with the two of you waging a passive aggressive war and pointedly ignoring each other at some points.

And thus, this odd little game of yours. One that Aventurine was growing tired of it he had finally called you.

“Let’s talk in person, shall we?” “What-?”

A knock at the door. No fucking way- You opened the door to see your favorite the blond man himself.

“Hiya, darling dearest~”

“Aventurine.”

“No need to be like that. I was serious about that talk.” He then pulled a bouquet of your favorite flowers out from behind his back. “For you,” Aventurine said with that stupid charming smirk of his. You squinted at him for a moment before accepting the flowers with a huff and a faux annoyed, “Fine.”

You were a bit conflicted. You were excited that he was here. Especially because he seemed desperate enough to actually seek you out and talk to you in person. But at the same time this was not something you calculated or expected to happen.

“I know you’re glad to see me. You don’t have to pretend,” he practically purred as you shot a glare over your shoulder, still keeping up appearances. “Oh but of course- I’m absolutely just tickled pink.”

Aventurine chuckled, tipping his head down to look at you over his shades, lids low and eyes practically glowing. “You always did have a way with words, sweetheart.”

He then took off the sunglasses (and oh that was another stupid, dorky little thing about him you found oddly endearing- shades inside a building- stupid silly adorable man-) and plopped down on your couch while you put the flowers down on the counter in the kitchen. You’d deal with them later. For now you had him to deal with. You sat in the chair instead of the couch. He pouted playfully about it, but didn’t comment. “I’ll cut to the chase- I want you back. And I know you want me back, too. I just can’t figure out why you’re leading me closer and then shoving me away. I’m starting to get the feeling you just like my attention. But even so- We both know the truth. So why don’t you just give in, lovely? I know you want to,” he said, surprisingly not using the old song and dance of leading someone around to get the information he wanted. He didn’t talk in circles and didn’t even seem all that flirty despite his words. He was… oddly serious.

“And what about the reason we broke up before?” You didn’t even try to pretend anymore. Aventurine has always been able to see right through you. That ability had clearly not gone anywhere. “I can’t make promises, but we can talk. We’ll work something out. I’ll even compromise on it.” Compromise was not an Aventurine word. Any deals he made were made in his favor without the other person even knowing what they were going to lose. Your incredulity must have been showing on your face more than you thought because he laughed lightly, the sound somehow dry- tired and heavy. “I see that look. I’m serious, baby. I’m sorry I ever let you go. You’re the only one who stayed. The only one who has stuck around. I need you. I’ll give it all to you. My attention, my trust, my… my heart, even. You don’t have to play these games to make me want you.”

Now you feel a bit guilty. But at the same time, elated. Even before you broke up, he never once brought up matters of trust and love. He seemed far too uncomfortable even edging around the topic. But now Aventurine was the first one to bring it up.

You said nothing but silently stood. And his eyes dimmed, waiting for disappointment. But then you walked over and sat next to him, pulling him into a hug. “I missed you, Aven.”

He let out a shaky sigh and wrapped you up in his embrace, arms tight around you.

“Kakavasha.”

“What?”

“You should tell me, ‘I missed you, Kakavasha,’” he (Kakavasha?) said, his voice was shaky with emotion.

“I… I missed you, Kakavasha.”

“And I love you, sweetheart.”

[vyeoh]

Losing my mind about the book of job in retrospect basically told how the season was gonna end in the 2nd episode.

As shown in the show, Job is the result of God and Lucifer making a bet regarding the nature of faith- Satan argues that humans are fair weather friends, and their worship is transactional for bring treated well. God argues that worship is regardless of how God treated humans.

This specific part of the Bible is so well known even to people not involved with an Abrahamic religion partly because the train of logic is so?? Odd?? Like yeah the old testament God is kinda super fucked up but in this one God's reasoning (as seen in the show) is basically, "I know more than you and I can do more, so you could never understand the reason for tragedy" which is. Just a WILD answer to "why do bad things happen to good people", especially if you're trying to argue that people should make an effort to be good because they have free will.

Notably, the show didn't focus on the "bad things to good people" paradox that's usually the focus of debate, but rather on the fact that like??? Giving someone more children after killing their old ones is actually really awful?? Basically, giving them a shiny new thing doesn't actually make up for the fact that you broke the old thing, which is something that the Book of Job and the Bible at large seems to misunderstand about humans.

Anyways, Aziraphale is Job. He's been fucked over by heaven so many times, and yet his faith is unshaken. One of his catchphrases is literally saying that God 's plans are ineffible and no one can understand them.

At the end of Job, Job's given a gift (note: a GIFT, not a reward) of prosperity, children, and health by God. Similarly, Aziraphale is given the "gift" of the Archangel Supreme position, to be the head of an organization that's caused him so much suffering. There's no actual acknowledgment and reconciliation of the suffering, because like in Job, that would mean God did something bad that needed to be remedied.

In this context, his relationship with Crowley is like his old wealth and prosperity; its not a perfect comparison but its something that is taken away by God (allegedly) in favor of a shiny new job and a shiny new HR approved relationship with Angel Crowley. And since Aziaphale is still drinking the heaven kool-aid, he does as Job does, and accepts his suffering and receives his reward.

[fuel-me-coffee]

YELLOW IRISES ((Nanook x reader))

Contains: fluff and attempted funny

Nanook, aeon of destruction. Not many things survived coming into contact with them. It was already a wonder how you managed to survive coming into direct contact with them. So you can imagine their surprise when you showed up with a bouquet of flowers that you currently held out for them to gaze upon. One of the most fragile kinds of organisms, offered as a gift. To them, of all beings.

"What is this?"

"Flowers! They reminded me of you, so I picked some to bring to you!"

This might have been the most foolish thing they ever heard, yet the mysterious workings of your brain piqued their interest.

"Yellow irises? And how did they remind you of me?"

"Well the name of the flowers is yellow irises, as you said. And you also have yellow irises. It's very fitting, I think."

They looked down on you with your overly satisfied grin that now adorned your face as consequence of being able to crack the joke you've been dying to say aloud ever since you initially layed your eyes on these vibrant flowers.

It was truly a mystery how you survived coming into direct contact with the aeon of destruction. But at your insistence they shrunk their form to human size, and there the two of you sat, suspended in the godly pocket dimension as you decorated nanook's braids with flowers.

Just for a moment, wreaking havoc in the universe can wait.

[sleepless-in-starbucks]

(guy who still has studying and a writing final to do voice) finally. i can write fanfiction again

[jameslongforjimshortforgabriel]

armand i hate you so much. i love you. you deserve the world and you deserve death. you dont deserve anything that has ever happened to you, good or bad. i hope you die and i hope you live forever. get out of my show but never leave. they could never make me hate you but i already do. you are babygirl but you are also a whore. armand you are the character ever.

[kooldewd123]

revisiting digimon as an adult, it is incredibly striking to me just how strongly adventure and 02 contrast against each other in their views of technology. despite releasing only a year apart from one another, they fall on opposite sides of the millennium - 1999 and 2000, respectively. and because of that separation, being a year apart yet divided across a thousand-year boundary, they have a weird dynamic when held up against each other. the digital world is clearly a representation of the internet, the digital age, the rise of technology, whatever you wanna call it. in digimon adventure, the digital world is a frightening place. there's something hollow to it. it's filled with technological relics - payphones that spout only nonsense, power lines that lack any cables, factories that create and then disassemble the same odd shapes in an endless cycle. these were the modern marvels of the time, and their existence here in this broken state asks the question of whether they have a future in the coming age of the internet or if they'll instead be replaced by newer, better, digital inventions. although the series ultimately offers an optimistic view of what the future holds (represented by the digimon themselves), that feeling of uncertainty and trepidation underlies the entire journey, reinforced with every new out-of-place landmark the digidestined reach.

and then we reach 02, and the entire perspective completely shifts. what does the future hold? well, we're in the future now! 2002, baby! the digidestined have traveled the digital world and befriended many of its inhabitants. it's no longer foreign and dangerous, but familiar and comfortable. the new digidestined don't approach it with the same terror the original cast did; rather, they see it all as a big game from the very start. it all feels very reflective of how, as home computers became more widespread and people became more familiar with them, so too did we see a rise in online entertainment. the best way i can describe the feel of 02 is "early-to-mid-'00s browser game." the show just bleeds this very Y2K, almost frutiger aero sort of aesthetic. tk and kari's outfits are comprised of saturated, contrasting colors. the original digivices already look outdated next to the new D-3s, with their smoother, more plastic-y designs. instead of the plain rectangular crests, the digieggs all have sleek, curvy shapes to them. veemon and his armor digivolutions simply feel like browser game mascots in a way that i can't properly describe. i typically don't like to compare digimon designs to other franchises (i've seen enough comparisons to a certain other monster-collecting franchise already), but demiveemon practically looks like a goddamn neopet to me. it all collectively feeds into this new-millennium optimism you can feel at the core of the show: the internet is fun, it's exciting. we're at the cusp of a generation who will grow up never knowing a non-online world, and we are the trailblazers who get to define what that means. as opposed to adventure, which trapped its characters in the digital world for most its runtime, the characters of 02 are allowed to freely travel between the two worlds with only a few narratively unimportant limitations. adventure uses the digital world as a vessel to ask the question of what the future of technology looks like, and 02 then tries to offer an answer by telling a story about the real world and the digital world evolving in tandem with one another, each shaping the future of the other. the show is in constant dialogue with itself as these two themes collide.