#I'm trying to stay sane folks

[doshi-sukiru]

Divergent au

Yeah..so I made a new au so here we go-

Part 2!

this one I don't think I'll make a fic out of, mainly because I'm already trying to get back to my shadowpeach one (I have NOT forgotten, uni is just a bitch and for some reason I'm procrastinating too much which is scaring me but I can't stop it it's awful-)

So, this was something @/angstychilz and I discussed one day in our megop server and it was basically "what if Megatron and a few other decepticons got captured by the Quintessons while they were on the surface?"

And of course I'm in a chokehold so now you're forced to deal with this horrifying au I twisted with my knowledge of sci-fi / doctor horror.

**TW!! I might get a bit graphic with some details so please tread carefully! I don't want to scare any of you with what I have for this au, it is disturbing in some areas**

So, to start, I've considered that for now, Megatron, Soundwave, and Blitzwing would all be taken by the quintessons to be experimented on, mainly to help the quintessons understand their anatomy and to use it to their advantage in order to help conquer Cybertron (suggestions for other bots to be taken and experimented on is welcome!)

Of course, it is considered that they are different species, and in a way I believe that the quints would see cybtronian's as lesser beings (especially seeing how they managed to persuade sentinel easily with the idea of having more power in return for killing the primes and providing them with energon). This would play a big part during their experimentations, especially with Megatron because he carries a Prime's cog, that too Megatronus's, who was definitely one of their biggest enemies.

Megs and the others are kept with other mechs, some dead some alive, and they all go through terrible transformations (I'm still deciding how to ruin blitz, especially with his split personality).

I'll just summarize how Soundwave's transformation becomes bc it's really easy- he just goes from tfone sound to tfp sound (angsty's idea), since he has moveable cables similar to the quint's tentacles. He is still in control of his body and mind, and even holds conversations with Megatron to give him some sense of normality between them, but will black out whenever the quints need him to go scout on cybertron to avoid autobot patrols and seek out new victims.

Megatron's treatment I have more detail on (and why wouldn't I, he's my comfort character I need to detail his agony-). There is no anesthesia, Megatron is staying awake as they tear through his chassis and tear out the cog, forcing him to go back to his cogless form. I will also add that before he was taken, he also lost his right arm in the fight before capture, so he's dealing with two types of pain.

Through that the quints learn that mech body's can shift, so while Megs is sent to recover with the other bots they grab some poor mech and experiment with their cog, and they take their time just experimenting on how to make a cog of their own. This also includes them doing several types of dissections on a lot of mechs, pulling and twisting wires, tearing apart limbs and then forcing them to reconnect after forcing the mechs to transform. Keep in mind none of them are under anesthesia, so it's like an old victorian surgery, you're awake and watching a bunch of aliens piercing through you, dismembering you and forcing you to stay still as they go through your systems and organ parts, and even through your spark (guess how you think they learned that was what kept them alive).

Through all that, once they get some form of a twisted, functional cog that mimics an original one, they immediately do everything they did to those mechs to megatron.

By then, he's no longer filled with rage, but fear. Indescribable fear of whether or not he'd survive this. He was a miner once, and while he had his moments he was always assured by Orion he'd be fine and he'd be safe. Orion's not here anymore, and most of the time Sound isn't either, so he's stuck spiraling in fear.

Obviously he's more resistant against them, but he can't fight them anymore. At the same, his helm is forced open, leaving his core processor open for them to dig in and used what memories he has to twist him into a more submissive mech, especially his momentary regret that he got when he shot Orion, and later after dropping him to die. He's forced to endure several procedures, most that left him bleeding out or vomiting blood to the point of exhaustion, and waking up in a tank only to be pulled and put through it again. And again. And again. And again.

Until- they get it right. Now, he looks like a normal mech, similar frame and shape, but with changes. His frame color no longer is a silver/grey hue, it's green with how often he's kept in the dirty cells or in the tanks. His arm got replaced, but with a quintesson-like arm. His voicebox is damaged from the constant tests, so he speaks very little before his voice gets glitchy and incomprehensible.

His body, while accepts the cog and gives him a new alt (flier), will still reject it after a long period of time (consider it between every 8-10 orbital cycles/months), which causes internal bleeding and erratic movement from his body, often times leaving him disfigured and in agony when it occurs. This can range from his body trying to transform mid-form into his alt, to whole on twisting his limbs, or both.

I'll open my inbox for you guys again for this au, I'll do a part 2 for orion's part. But yeah, here's my twisted horror au that I keep a latch on. hahaha-

Bonus art!

[thebomb-thebird-andtheburntbitch]

Dragonfly: Lantern Rite

zhongli/fem!reader

genre: mindless domestic fluff

w.count: 2.2k

a/n: this lil treat is based around the reader/zhongli pair from my fic Dragonfly! (feel free to click through and give it a read hehe) you don't need to read the original material per se, but if you have, then enjoy the immortal couple going to lantern rite together for the first-time! c:

Happy Lantern Rite!

it had been a while since you had migrated from your sealed-off home in the middle of nowhere liyue into the busy liyue harbor at the insistence of zhongli (and shockingly enough xiao). according to both of them, you had spent the last few hundred years stuck in immorality and all alone; you had spent enough time in solitude. now, with your life being revealed to those who mattered to you, it was time to move forward again.

in truth, even with your experience dealing with all sorts of folks from your lifetimes, the move to the harbor was awkward. people would see you practically sticking to zhongli simply because you knew no one else and they would start conversations based soley on the fact that you must be someone he knew. he was much more popular and well-known than you suspected since he was just a mortal man now. it seems his knowledge and need to make things known when they could possibly be told in injustice worked in building his reputation.

the addition of hu tao in your small, new social circle was a burst of energy you had forgotten people had as well. her go-go-go attitude about work and seeming lack of fatigue was almost awe-inspiring. the fact that she was the boss of your archon-turned-mortal lover was just as entertaining; witnessing him try to reign her in as respectfully as possible and sigh heavily when she would flit out of his sight was a pleasantry. it made him feel more well-rounded as a person and not just the age-old archon you had known.

now, it had been about a month.

zhongli had invited you to stay with him since he was absolutely unwilling to let you get too far from him after believing you were dead for so long. he was a collectively calm man with control of his emotions, but any sane person would feel the smallest bit of clinginess- for lack of better terms- in this scenario. perhaps it was his innate instincts kicking in that he usually suppressed; the ones that made him bare his fangs or hiss at intruders on his territory... who could say?

as you sat at the open window of his home up on the second floor, you enjoyed the bustle of noises floating from the harbor and the breeze that greeted you at this height. your night clothes were wrinkled from your night of rest and your hair had only been haphazardly combed back with your fingers. the warm cup of tea in your hand had been brewed just before you took your seat at the window.

even after a month of this, you still couldn't understand how you forgot how peaceful mornings could be when they weren't steeped in lonesome melancholy.

small pads of footsteps invaded your senses and overtook the sound of the harbor before the door to the small tea room opened with a slight creak. one thing you always had zhongli beat at is being able to wake up before him.

his bare feet carry him further into the room before coming to your side and leaning down to kiss the top of your bedhead. the robe he wears slides down his exposed shoulder when he leans and his loose hair brushes against your cheek. his hand cups behind your back and slightly rubs against your shoulders in a warm, welcoming motion before his amber eyes glow in the morning sun mirthfully.

"good morning, my dear." his hand keeps rubbing your back and moves to press into your spine that is still sore from the stillness of sleep. "may i be so bold as to ask to join you?" he always asks the same question as if you'll ever tell him no. you have no doubt he does in simple jest now.

"you may, since i'm feeling generous." with a small chuckle, zhongli shifts his body to sit across from you at the tea table before pouring himself some of your brewed tea.

sitting in the orange morning sun, the veins of gold that run across his body look like rivers flowing on calm land.

"shouldn't you cover up? someone down there could see you," you tease as you take a sip of your cooling tea.

"there's no need," he sips his own steaming cup fresh from the pot. "we're far too high for anyone to take notice of my appearance properly." even if someone did notice his less-than-human traits running over his exposed skin, he'd just blame it on the sun- just a trick of the light.

the mornings were often like this. soft and quiet and slow before he knows he's needed at the funeral parlor and you would soon be needed at your own job. that was one other thing you were insistent on when moving to the harbor with him.

you didn't want to mooch off his paycheck and his home and his space forever, so you were quick to find a job anywhere you could. zhongli wishes you wouldn't have since he strongly thought that you deserved to live lazily and carefree- if not forever then at least for a while longer. still, when you didn't budge on your decision, he was quick to relent as he always was.

you had decided to go with a smaller-scale job and work alongside ying'er and her perfumes at the scent of spring. she was quite the character and when you told zhongli about your prospects of working with her- his slight flash of concern didn't go unnoted. 'she is simply a very... open person,' he had told you. the flirtatious way she often spoke to others was clearly what he was referring to when you got to know her more.

still, you had your pick and decided to stay. odd though she can act, she was a good person and offered you decent pay at easy hours. compared to running around preforming errands along with rites of partings like zhongli and hu tao- this was a pretty safe gig.

you stood outside the perfume shop with zhongli as he was about to start on his way to the funeral parlor. he always insisted on walking you to and from work- the one evening you made it home before he could pick you up was the first time you had ever seen his eyebrows droop in what you would dare to call a pout!

that miniscule pout now dared to tug on his expression this morning too. lantern rite was tonight and when the sun would begin to drop, he would be preoccupied with other tasks and mingling with friends from past and present- he was afraid the social traffic would prevent him from offering you his arm. you had no problem with the circumstances since the shop would be closing early today for lantern rite in the first place. you just told him you'd meet him at the docks before it starts.

it was mostly true; you hadn't found him in time when the lanterns were to be lifted and you instead stood among the crowd of strangers while gaming had performed his wushou dance among the calm waves of the harbor. still, you felt full watching all the festivities firsthand like this- the fulfillment filled you with such warmth. your vantage point atop the long stairs that leads down to the crowded docks gives you a sense of being on top of the world. it felt silly, but so very comforting.

"oh, y/n!" you turn your head to see the traveler and paimon coming your way, paimon waving her arm enthusiastically in the air. she then proceeds to float around you in awe of your attire. "wow! you look so pretty!" her cheeks tint as you feel yourself become the smallest bit bashful.

"well, it's my first lantern rite. i thought i should dress up a little for the occasion." wearing a styled hanfu of soft colors that easily complemented zhongli's color scheme, you picked up the skirt before letting it flutter back around your legs.

this was another reason you were okay with zhongli not being able to escort you. while it would've been wonderful to be with him the whole event, the idea of this small surprise of you all gussied up made your cheeks warm.

"you smell good too," paimon's comment made you burst out a small laugh since it was so unprompted. you clear your throat as she cups he chin with her finger. "why does your perfume smell so familiar?"

"it was a gift from ying'er. she told me it would 'suit my tastes', i suppose."

"ying'er," paimon's brows crunch in intense thought before the traveler placed their arms on their hips.

"remember the rite of parting for rex lapis, paimon?" paimon snaps her fingers and points at the blond.

"that's it!" she turned back to you to explain. "during the rite of parting, we offered perfumes up to rex lapis! this is the one that seemed to really resonate with the statue of seven. what was it- uh, something, something dusk... mist..? agh! paimon can't remember clearly." you chuckle at her.

"it's called golden house maiden. according to ying'er it's favored by the more mature crowd. the gentle scent makes it easier on me to wear since anything too strong really isn't my thing." looking at your wrist where you sprayed a small portion of it on your skin before applying it to your throat and neck, you feel yourself get hot all over again knowing it was favored by rex lapis. "anyway, are you two going to enjoy the event?"

"mmhnn!" paimon hums. "we just got back from visiting xiao, so now paimon's going to eat all sorts of delicious food!"

you shoot the traveler a sly grin before they were clearing their throat and looking away from you. oh, young love- how precious.

"so, where's zhongli anyway? normally he's hovering around you like a fly when you're not working!"

"he isn't that bad," you chuckle. "i'm meeting him in a bit. i was actually on my way down. if you'd like we can walk together?"

"sure!" paimon agrees while the traveler nods and soon you're all walking down the stairs to the warmly lit lanterns and the decorative float of one of the past yakshas. with you walking in front of the two travel companions, they both opened their mouths in silently 'ooo's at the sight of your hair all done up with a single hair stick- one they're familiar with. "they're so cute," paimon whispers to the traveler who easily agrees.

before too long, you're greeted by the bustling partygoers of lantern rite and was even offered a small lantern charm that you happily except from a passing sales pitcher.

"oh!" paimon pipes up before pointing through the crowd. "there he is!" she spots zhongli with hu tao nearby a table of small tea cups. he mentioned that he often watched the fireworks with her during events such as these. "zhongli!" paimon called, parting the crowd while you and the blond followed behind.

zhongli was glad he wasn't holding a teacup or standing up when you finally graced him with your presence. if he had, he knows he would've dropped the cup or lost his footing.

he stared at you in a daze when you offered a kind greeting to hu tao who was fussing over how pretty you looked just as much as paimon did. as if your looks weren't enough, the scent of your perfume wafted into his sense and if he were any less of a man he would've grabbed your wrist and dragged you off by now. the god of old was thankful the night was dark and light dim so no one could notice his blown wide pupils that took you in. when you finally look at him, he swallows hard.

"sorry for keeping you waiting so long. i know i said i'd be here before the event started, but i got a bit time blind... ironically enough." zhongli stood from his spot at the round table and found his voice.

"it was no trouble at all." his eyes catch sight of your hair and gently brings his hand up to cup around the dangling jewels hanging off the wings of your dragonfly hair stick. "it was clearly very much worth the wait."

"aiya, you two love birds sure are something else," hu tao sighs dreamily at you. she was no hopeless romantic or anything, but seeing zhongli so smitten was something was quite the sight to behold. "go! enjoy the festivities and relax!" her soft voice was encouraging as she pushes zhongli's back to get him moving.

zhongli offers you his arm, which you take before showing him your small little lantern charm you received while you both walked off together. the party of three you were leaving behind of hu tao, paimon and the traveler all smiled at your backs.

"they make a good couple," traveler says. the other two agree with no argument.

and although it's a little late, zhongli takes you out to the statue of seven just outside of the harbor and releases a lantern with you in solitude. while you watched it float into the air far behind its other lantern brethren, zhongli was latched onto your back, hands on your hips and his face in your neck.

this perfume really was favored by rex lapis after all.

[quasieli]

Help me stay afloat while looking for work!

Hi folks! It sucks to be asking this, but I really could use some help with paying some bills while I struggle to look for a job. I've been looking for work for months, but my options are quite limited in the new area I'm living in, but I have weekly medical bills to pay for therapy if I wanna stay sane through all of this. All I need is a bit of help with copayments, which aren't that high, but I hit the red, so I don't even have that.

I'm trying to get commissions set up to try and make a bit of extra cash on the side, but I've been really stressed out about this whole situation, making it really hard to focus on getting that done. If you could spare even a few bucks, I'd be so grateful. I'll even offer out some sketches and such if you want something while I'm still figuring out my proper commission stuff. Thank you so much to the folks who have already helped out, I'm forever grateful to y'all 💙💙

Venmo: EH1220

Ko-Fi: Link

Paypal: Link

[bird-inacage]

Only Friends: Episode 5 Preview (A walk in Sand's 'Rough & Dusty' World)

I'm really looking forward to where Episode 5 is taking us with Ray and Sand's storyline. This almost feels like the proper start to these two as a 'couple'. Having seen more to Ray last week, we're now getting a better insight into Sand's life, which looks peppered with sweet and spicy moments throughout.

We start with breakfast at Sand's. Can we safely assume this is a morning after scene, which means they slept together again? (How adorable does Ray look whilst he peeks into the kitchen? He's an actual child, I weep).

At the end of Episode 4, Ray seems to have arrived at the conclusion that he's now open to the idea of welcoming Sand into his life, and being more sincere about their (cough) 'friendship'. And with that, he intends to make more of a conscious effort, to show he has taken on board what Sand said.

So Ray suggests they spend the day together, "Can I stay with you? I wanna get to know you better." (A nice parallel to Ray's usual 'stay with me') It's an immediate indication that someone is starting to take you seriously, because they are initiating opportunities to see your world, to understand your perspective - to better appreciate all the things that make you who you are.

So far, Sand has mainly operated in Ray's world when they've crossed paths. Ray knows very little of Sand's life, other than his job as a bar singer. The fact that Ray is taking an active interest is a huge step. This isn't 'I'm paying or begging you to spend time with me' (aka Ray wanting Sand to keep him company), it's 'I want to spend time with you' (I'm keeping you company). That's a very notable distinction.

This request also means that Sand will be leading the day's activities, with Ray following along. That's another role reversal of how their dynamic has played out so far. Ray is the one who dictates what he'd like to do, and he persuades Sand to agree. Giving Sand full control is another example of Ray welcoming his opinion and preferences. It's a sign of moving towards more equality and balance in their relationship.

(How powerful is Sand in the leather jacket? The whole riding a motorbike together screams boyfriend energy).

Try to stay sane folks, because we should also be getting THIS notorious scene. It looks like they're in a changing room but who knows, maybe Sand has a weird privacy corner in his flat? The shirt Ray wears for the rest of the episode is hanging on the wall. We get Sand changing Ray (because his role as Ray's caretaker reigns supreme), and whilst doing so, he goes in for a cheeky fondle.

Sand continues to open Ray's eyes through music at a gig, which is a nice continuation of the lovely scene they shared at the record store. They also return to the go-go bar, where Ray publicly serenades our resident singer?

And we'll bear witness to Sand falling more and more visibly in love by the second. It's just as Mew called it - Ray should be a ray of sunshine and that's exactly the way Sand looks at him. That gaze is full of warmth and awe. Sand is completely aware of Ray's faults and bad habits, because he saw those first and upfront. And yet he sees Ray beaming underneath, despite all those things.

(As a side note to Ray - the superficial attention of many doesn't come close when compared against the all-encompassing attention of just one. Do you see how that man looks at you??)

After a long day out of playing actual boyfriends, they have a quiet, steamy make out session on Sand's balcony. Having had Ray accompany him all day, there's no doubt Sand is even more head over heels now.

If they did indeed sleep together the previous night and were gunning for 2 in a row, I really don't think you can shirk that off as 'friendship' anymore. I don't care how deep or convincing you think your denial is.

Aaaand OH. It was only a matter of time before this inevitably happened. Either Sand would walk in on Boston/Nick wildin', or they would catch him and Ray doing the dirty. My worry is how Boston is going to react, because not only has Top given him the cold shoulder, Ray is swiftly veering off his plan and how he ideally wanted to manipulate the situation. In a desperate bid to clutch at straws, I really hope Boston doesn't try to stir shit up with Sand instead (in regards to that Ray and Mew kiss).

Boston, you better steer well clear of our unproblematic couple. Let them be happy without the fuckery that is your mind games.

(Ray's expression cracked me up. He looks completely out of it 'Huh? What's happening? Who dis?' Boy was so consumed in kissing Sand, he forgot who he was).

[notallangelsaregood]

My thoughts on Spy x Family Chapter 83

Needless to say, my folks, huge manga spoilers ahead 🌹

Oh, boy, I was totally wrong! He he, but also, I got some things right!

No more guns, thanks, Lord! What was this wait? I was anxious, trying to keep my head off the upcoming update, and It was successful, I relaxed a little bit and BOOM, Sunday came, and I didn't even realize It was chapter's day, until I saw the notification on my smartphone and read it all in 10 seconds (have I mentioned I'm diagnosed with anxiety? No? Okay, yeah).

Now I'm trying to analyze a little bit of this week's chapter with you all while trying to stay sane till the next one, may Endo help us! So, I got a few hypotheses right! Actually, I believe only one 🤣

No revelations yet!

Which is something I'm really grateful for, even though we can not be sure if it will happen in the next chapters, I truly believe it won't. I feel like it's not the moment, the manga is at its peak (so is the anime) gaining a huge amount of notoriety and I don't Believe Endo would rush things, not right now. So I'm glad, I really feel revelations will make the story take a huge turn that we are not quite ready for it. There's so much to happen yet! What is the Garden? Which side is the organization it? What about Westalis? We know nothing. Spy x Family is a huge slow burn, and I'm all in for it.

CAN SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE? OH, WAIT, NO, NEVERMI-

Twillight is the one hurt, I'm surprised, truly. Yuri is quite a soldier, however, the hesitation present there was bigger than Twilight's ability, reflex and advantage (since he was the one pointing the gun first). My heart truly hurts for seeing him injured, I can't even explain. We've grown fond of our Spy, and It's not a nice feeling. At all

I know, I know he will be fine, he can't die or anything (haha, can he?😨) But still, it is making my heart hurts. In need for those "Yor takes care of Loid's wounds" fanfictions, please? Moving on.

See? Our Twilight is a smart guy. He senses his wavering. He knows it is there, but he doesn't understand why. He can't figure that by hurting (or killing) Yuri, he would deeply hurt Yor, and he would not do that. His unconscious is pretty clearly messing up with his conscious mind and decision-making. I doubt he will bring that up to the Handler, but it's possible, since they know each other very well. My guess is that Sylvia will just know. He won't even say a word and she will know.

Yeah, Yuri boy, I would totally be creeped out as well. His ability is outstanding and scary, even.

See? This guy had this major hypothesis (which is right?) figured in like, 5 seconds? He is so bright, Yor is proud as floof as she should. Yes, Yuri, he is someone close to you, someone observing you.

"But that doesn't matter now!" It will surely matter once you find out, but my guess is that he will keep that insight for himself, trying to figure it out on his own, but who knows? It will certainly be on his head, constantly.

Yuri's hair, I'm like 🤣 Our poor boy. Yes, Yuri, Twilight is tough, but so are you! What am I even saying? I don't have a side in this (kinda do). I want both of them not to be involved, never again fighting, for my heart's sake. They are both precious babies I want to keep them protected, but It's not up to us, right, Endo? Humpf...

Oh, well. GOOD THING he will live, Twilight, thank you for your unintentional totally intentional mercy.

I'm

Not okay. Look at his expression. I'm dying. I'm out of breath. Why is Endo like this? I mean, we are in a serious as floof situation, with conflict going on and you drew what? An expression like that which made me burst out laughing at 3 a.m? Dude.

He is a tough boy, I must admit.

Those expressions are killing me. And the worse, I don't know which one is which. That kick must have decreased the chances of a large family lineage for one of them, for sure 🍒 If you know what I mean.

Yuri on his fight mode is scary (not as much, but it is), just like his sister. I believe one of Endo's objectives is to make us scared of the Briar's brothers and damn, boy, yeah. I don't like that "I will kill everything on my way" expression.

This was such on point. I loved it, I mean, his floofing daughter is being raised by Yor, so I would consider it a huge plus. Besides, he is thinking of her consciously right now. It's not his unconscious, unknown feelings and thoughts. He is rationalizing and that's major.

Yeah, that resilience is not even NORMAL anymore. Mama Yor, can you pick me up? I'm scared 😨

Oh, well, okay, that's expected. Poor Yuri is going to be so hurt after this. I'm wondering if Yor will know about his or Twilight's injuries, she is not as bright as his brother, but she can think about it later, can't she? I wonder If Yuri will visit her while recovering. The tension in the air if Loid is also on this meeting. Damn. This was so much better than a revelation or a simply hurt Twilight. This growing tension makes things so much better (and torturing).

He is such a good brother.

And this expression right here is a Twilight on Twilight Conflicted Mode. Yeah, I just made that up, but he is clearly conflicted, may be in pain and not getting understanding a single thought coming from his mind. Only focused on getting out of there, leaving that behind.

Okay, from this part on I understood ✨ nothing ✨

My reasoning is not that nice and I should be sleeping right now, but I can't due to anxiety, so bear with me, please.

Yes, it did! WISE is the best, haha, wha-

Okay, she is also incredible smart, yada yada, I don't want to write about Fiona. Let's move on!

Damn, folks. Theories? My brain is jello. I can't even function due to the last of sleep, but here I am. Make sure to talk to me in the comments, I really appreciate it. Sorry for any misspelling or typos. Be sure to leave a beautiful kudo and talk to me about what you think will happen next!

I'm certainly less nervous about it, our last chapter was very open to where this one would go, and I'm glad of two things, mainly

No time skip! It started right where it was left.

Our boys are fine! Yuri will be fine. Thank you, Endo!

I miss our girls so much, and Bond boy! 😭

[frownyalfred]

have you read all the batman content? Im trying to read it all, but it seems like a crazy large body of work and I feel like a fake fan for not having read it as a kid

I have definitely not read all or even most of it. It is insanely complicated how storylines are cut, reimagined, retconned, etc. No sane person could read all of it and be able to think straight afterwards.

You are not a fake fan AT ALL. You could read 0 comics and you would still be a valid fan.

Some folks have read Batman comics but only certain runs, and some have read a LOT of comics but didn't like them. Some don't read any. Some try to read every new comic and stay up to date on "canon" -- that is, there's a million different, totally valid ways to engage with comics/canon, and they're highly individual.

Read what you want to read, or what interests you. I've been reading comics based solely off what the daily comics blog posts that looks interesting to me, and even then, I'm not caught up at all.

[nokingsonlyfooles]

Keep the News Cycle Focused!

Resist, resist, resist - because, sometimes, it gets someone to report. And then more people see it and resist! And the cycle continues - but only if you keep pushing to make it go.

Don't pull back because Trump. They are not taking meaningful action on this because they expect you to pull back because Trump. We're playing election chicken right now and it is not to the benefit of the voters, or the non-voters being killed on our behalf. Oh, I don't doubt Trump would try to make it worse, and he'll flog it to his gullible base, but he's also an idiot who has a very hard time getting results and he is not the President. You say, "But he could...!" Ah-ah! But he isn't. Biden is succeeding at making it worse right now, and banking on your fear of Trump to insulate him from the consequences.

The only way to hold these people accountable is to threaten their power. If this continues and we all vote for it anyway, I don't wanna know what the political landscape is going to look like forever afterwards. Genocide is being included in the sensible, moderate solutions the sane party offers. Historically, it has been! We have a long and terrible association with genocides! But I don't want it to stay like that!

The best way to move the Overton Window back towards human decency is to stop the genocide NOW, before the damn election. But they're still trying to shut the objections down. They redefined this event twice, trying to make it look like NBD, and then they tried to keep the story as quiet as possible. It still is relatively quiet! But it's there. The people resisting got it covered.

I come from a food-centric culture too. This is an ice cold rejection and I hope like hell the folks on Team Biden who agreed to sit down and eat for the damage control told him that. This is almost as bad as throwing a shoe. This is trouble.

And I'm grateful. I want trouble like this now, because it's a lot better than what could happen later. Even a few weeks later. Gaza is STARVING, y'all, and we could stop it. Think long and hard about why we're not. I'm gonna tell you right now, it's not "because democracy!" (ie "but the guy who can circumvent congress and the law to sell more weapons and build more border walls isn't powerful enough to do this!") or "because antisemitism!" (ie "well, Israel and Judaism are the same thing and Jews have been through a lot, so Israel can have a little genocide") it's "because POWER!"

If politicians don't see a threat to their power, they don't listen. There is an entire crazed, fundamentalist religion DEMANDING that Israel exist so God can come back and destroy it, among many other awful things, it is damn near impossible to reason with them, and Democrats want their votes. Democrats want everyone's votes, but they've decided to move towards the fundies on the right and abandon the critical thinkers on the left. (If you think they haven't, PLEASE turn your brain back on and start looking and listening to them!) It's safe to ignore us because we have no other option. We have to get louder and scarier to see results. Hell, we have to get louder and scarier just to slow down the decay.

Keep it in mind when pushing back against all the awful shit that's going down right now.

And keep resisting!

[pancake-breakfast]

The final stretch for Volume 7! We got this!

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 7, Chapters 5-6 below.

Chapter 5: Late Arrival to the End of the World

CW: Body horror

Ugh, Wolfwood did it. He brought him all the way to Knives' citadel. I know this is where Vash wanted to go, but still....

Also, I'm just gonna note this is only volume 7, so things aren't exactly gonna resolve here.

Vash's plan of attack is terrible.

Geez, he's barely walked in and his power is already going off a bit. At least he looks calm about it for once.

Wolfwood!!! Crosses? Eye of Michael turning on him? (I mean, sure, they have reason, but....) Or... is this Legato? Legato does have a thing for skulls.

Uhhh...

I'd be more worried, but I was promised a couch, so mostly I'm just terribly confused.

Oh, gods. It wasn't real. How was I supposed to know it wasn't real?!?!

Sounds like it was Legato. We don't know much about Eye of Michael, but for some reason I don't think they have weird mind abilities like that. And if they do, then they'd probably get recruited into the Gung-Ho Guns. But Legato? We've already established he can communicate telepathically and he has an established motive (he's tsundere and Wolfwood's received "undue" attention from Knives), so I'd bet it's either him or some unknown party.

"The full VIP treatment." Yeah, sure whatever. Like, Vash is that important to Knives, but Knives doesn't see other people's wills (especially Vash's and the other Plants') as seperate enough from his own to actually be able to make good calls there.

I'm not convinced Vash will be fine, but he's not wrong that Wolfwood should be particularly careful.

Wolfwood's always surprised and a bit bummed at Vash perceiving things about him and then trying to take care of him. Silly man. It's ok for the people you're closest to to worry about you from time to time.

I love how he makes an attempt to stay back, but then he can't stop himself from trying to run after Vash. If it weren't for Elandira, he'd be right there... probably being a liability. Reminds me of a post someone made about Stampede and how Wolfwood was like, "Who in their right mind would go up against that (Knives)?" when the answer was Wolfwood. Wolfwood would try and go against Knives.

Oh, honey. Elandira's a badass, but that thing earlier was not her style.

YES EXACTLY. Elandira doesn't have beef with Wolfwood. If she's gonna pick a petty fight, it will be with Legato. Otherwise, she's just doing her job. And she certainly has no desire to tear Wolfwood limb from limb. If she's ordered to kill him, a nail through the head would be good enough for her.

They're still gonna throw hands, huh? He's that desperate to follow Vash? I'm sorry, but this goes way beyond job professionalism. Or sane behavior.

Ah, that's definitely an Eye of Michael Cross. Though IIRC, Legato was the one mucking around with EoM folks last time we saw them, so... maybe this is a joint "let's take out Wolfwood" effort.

Yyyyyyeeeeaaaaahhh... there's Livio and... I forgot the other one's name.

Wait, Elandira's got her nail gun pointed at Livio??

Is this wheelchair guy the real Chapel?

LOL, Elandira doesn't have time for their shit.

Livio's still firing stuff off into the sky just to make a point, I guess.

Ugh, he's talking about Livio like he's just a pet. And... it seems like he used to be in charge of Wolfwood, too.

I like the idea that this man just... wheelchaired backwards out of there for dramatic effect.

So, Wolfwood failed to kill the person he was trying to impersonate, and he fell for his mark. I'm beginning to think he might be a sub-par assassin. (I joke, but I'm guessing it's less a matter of skill and more a matter of too much heart.)

LOL, Elandira casually flirting with Wolfwood. Probably not flirting-flirting so much as just trying to annoy him a bit.

GG Wolfwood, misgendering the canon trans person. /s At least he caught himself.

Yeah, I don't think it's blind faith from Elandira so much as it's acceptance of the inevitable demise of everything at the hands of the twins.

WTH is this stupid temple thing Vash is going to? Did Knives build himself a stupid temple??

Knives, buddy.... That canNOT be healthy.

Look at Elandira, that badass. We know Wolfwood's pretty tough, but she just wades through Knives waking up without batting an eyelash. Meanwhile, Wolfie's having to take her advice to not pass out under serious consideration.

IDK how I feel about an impending giant angel fight. Wait, yes I do. Not good. I feel not good about it. Very not good about it.

Chapter 6: Conflict

CW: Body horror, SA imagery

Oh, we're starting with Legato? That's... great. Just great.

Vash? Serious? Never!

Goshdarnit, Knives. I get you're doing this for your brother and I guess you probably don't have any intention of setting off his angel arm at this time, but... like... this isn't healthy. So very not healthy.

At least he's not surprised Vash is shooting at him this time?

Dude, your name is Millions Knives, not Hundred Guns. Put those away.

Legato, WTF are you doing?! With this... little... giant... skull scythe arm thing... just... scootching along the floor, I guess....

"Why are you so worked up?" It's because senpai hasn't noticed him and is paying attention to someone else. Duh.

This pouty face, though. I just can't with this man. He's such a freaking mess. Please throw him in the sea.

Knives: "I'm sure you understand now." Knives, a few pages later: "Dammit, Vash! How come you don't understand?!"

I love this because, in spite of everything, it's just not. Hells, it was only a few minutes back that Wolfwood tried to follow him into hell for no other reason than because he cares about Vash, and Wolfwood knows. Wolfwood knows all of it. Knives really needs to get out and meet more people.

OMG BABYGIRL <3 <3 <3 PROTECT HIM I LOVE HIM SM

In Stampede, Vash basically gives this whole speech to Knives, doesn't he?

Ah, dramatic coattails have become even more dramatic. This time on purpose and not just for artistic effect.

Not really sure what's unplugging here. Part of Vash's outfit?

Ah, yeah, that was it. I guess it's now a gun, too?

Ha! He's using the other tube to reload. Something something Stampede.

Knives... don't power that thing up.

Gods, Legato just looks like a muppet on this page.

I'm sorry, but the image of him slowly ker-plinking slowly up all those stairs in his little bag with his silly little mechanical scythe attachment thing is hilarious.

VASH. YOU PUT THAT AWAY, TOO!!! Ugh, for once I'm grateful for whatever the hell Knives is about to do to get in Vash's way.

Wait. WAIT, I TAKE IT BACK.

Knives, your logic SUCKS.

Don't worry! Someone has arrived to save the day! Behold, our hero... *checks notes* Legato Bluesummers?

I mean, fr, he's probably pretty upset already that Knives has merged with people other than himself. I guess merging with someone who he thinks might affect Knives's consciousness is too much? IDEK.

Going for some more overt rape imagery here, I see.

Gods, Knives doesn't even call Bluesummers by his name. He's just "you."

Folks... I've seen '98. I have spoilers. I know Legato's gonna break me in all different ways all too soon. But right now? I can't get over how much of a crazed muppet he is and it's just making me laugh through all the serious stuff here. But look at him! He's so giddy! Knives-sama has given him a Very Important Job! Knives-sama recognized Legato and knows Legato is here to help! Knives-sama knows this is a job for only Legato, because Legato is that dedicated to Knives-sama and is the only, ONLY person who should be at Knives-sama's side!

Oh. Yeah, I'm also worried about Vash here. I just got distracted by Legato's stupid face. I should add it to my collage.

I'm trying to decide if that's Wolfwood on the right of this shot. It looks an awful lot like Wolfwood.

Author Bonus Chapter

LOL, otaku boat....

Is that a Vash head half buried in the sand? Looking very annoyed?

Oh, I guess there was a Trigun game. I don't really know anything about it.

Waaaaaiiiiiit, that's not Trigun! That's Gungrave!

Ha! I remember when a game with dynamic world elements like that was considered top-of-the-line....

What's with this list of target audience people?

Archive

Trigun Vol. 1: Covers + 1-3, 4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 || Vol. 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

TriMax Vol. 1: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 2: Covers + 1, 2-4, 5, 6-7 || Vol. 3: Covers + 1-3, 4-5, 6-7 || Vol. 4: Covers + 1-2, 3-5, 6-7 || Vol. 5: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 6: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 7: Covers + 1-2, 3-4

Extra Credit: Trigun Vol. 1: Nebraska vs. Vash's Motivations, Vash's Loneliness, Vash's Depression (pt 2 of post), Soupy Brains || Vol. 2: Coin Factoids || TriMax Vol. 1: Lina, Vash, and a Haircut || Meryl, Vash, and the Pursuit of Happiness || Vol. 5: Knives, Vash, and Hatred for Humanity || Vol. 6: Coping Series: Wolfwood, Meryl, Vash

[gelo-p]

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Rank 26! ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ)

I did say last year that I might T100 MyGO. 😋

I'm gonna skip the part where everyone bitched about everything being delayed AF in ENdori - but for better or for worse, when MyGO finally arrived last week, I had amassed 57500 free stars, and quite a number of in-game energy drinks.

...And then immediately lost 40000 stars (and some tickets) just trying to roll for all of them. I had* to spark for Soyo, but whatever, I got all of them! I could start tiering!

(I don't remember how I had 27000 stars for tiering. 57500 - 40000 = 17500, so clearly, I got a bunch of bonus stars. Anyway)

I wanted to aim for T20, but it was immediately made apparent that I do not have the time for it. I had to drive a lot during this event, especially during the 1st few days, so it was impossible for me to even try and build a lead for maintaining T20. There was also a question mark hanging over my number of stars left; I think I could still make it, but it was a very tight fit. And so, with these in mind, I resigned myself early to just T30.

In the beginning, I did what any sane(?) solo tierer does: spam the Grand Room! The Legendary Room was empty AF, and the Standard Room was hit or miss whether the folks you'll get could help you sustain a high-enough average for tiering. That meant staying in the Grand Room, where I was often paired with other tierers (names I would later recognize as T10 hopefuls).

...

Did I mention the connection sucks?

It took forever (not Legendary Room forever, but forever enough) to get paired with other tierers in the Grand Room. Also, there was a really good chance of being disconnected. All in all, I was averaging just 544k points an hour.

So I friggin' tried Free Lives. The average? 657k points an hour. There was minimal risk of being disconnected, plus, there was no mental pain of having to wait for people to get paired with you! The downside of course is that Free Lives cost more stars to get to the same points compared to Multi Lives, but that's fine. It's my last event. I'm retiring after this. I don't need whatever leftover stars I'd have left.

:')

It was difficult listening to EXIST and SAVIOR OF SONG over and over again, but you know who isn't tiring to listen to?

Adam Ragusea, the sponsor of this T30 attempt!

...

Of course he didn't sponsor me. But it was mentally exhausting listening to the same 2 songs over and over again, so at some point I decided to listen to music while playing in silent. Beatles made for the perfect tiering music, oddly. Then I switched to Scary Interesting. Did you know that if you never stick yourself into really tight spaces, you'd most likely never die of being stuck in really tight spaces? After that, I listened to Biographics, and now I'm an expert in plagues. During the final days of tiering, I rediscovered Adam Ragusea's videos (found his channel during Covid - hey, remember Covid?), and the rest is history.

I ended up parking at 28,000,077 points a day before the event ends, because it's hella difficult to park during Mission Lives, and so I was fine with that. I was keeping an eye out for T30 / T31 (I was T25 at this point), to see if they might move, but it really didn't seem they wouldn't anymore.

...

OWO, what's this? ENdori fucked up the gacha rates for this event during the 1st few hours? So now they're refunding all the stars and tickets - everything!! - that you might have spent during those first few hours?? Hey remember having to spark for Soyo?? They say that was it!!

Suddenly, I found myself at 23000 stars again.

And I had to assume that sooooo did eeeeeverybody else.

When I woke up this morning - the final day - everybody has moved, as expected. Not by too much, no - but enough that T30 could still mathematically overtake me. I had to leave the event 4 hours early (driving duties), so I wanted to be sure that there was nothing they could do to take T30 away from me. I broke my park, somehow found myself with the opportunity to re-park at a flat 29M, and the rest is... is it history again?

And so I left the event at T25, with 29M points.

When I came back to see the final results, my final rank was T26.

Someone really wanted T25 huh. ^_^;

...

...

My Bandori phone is dead. LITERALLY, it can't survive more than 3 minutes away from a charger. It's perpetually being charged. The battery is now at 67% capacity - capacity!! not charge!! - and iOS really thinks I should get it serviced. I think so too.

...

I'm tired. I don't think I can play Bandori anymore. I'm mentally checked out of the game. I'm happy I was able to get Popipa and Roselia to Level 50, and with all the members of Popipa to Rank 100.

...

Will I be back for Ave Mujica? I don't know. I might not be back for anything on January. Last December 2021 I decided to stop drinking alcohol, and this December, to commemorate 3 years of sobriety, I kinda want to celebrate by dying of alcohol poisoning. I'm only half joking. I sobered up to be normal, but it didn't fucking work! 🤣 So! If I stop retweeting stuff during December, then yes, consider me dead.

BUT HEY! I GOT T26 FOR MYGO EVENT!

THANK YOU ENDORI!

THANK YOU GARUPA!

おつ！

またね！♪

😙

[kummatty]

Claudia Tate: What determines your responsibility to yourself and to your audience? Toni Cade Bambara: I start with the recognition that we are at war, and that war is not simply a hot debate between the capitalist camp and the socialist camp over which economic/political/social arrangement will have hegemony in the world. It's not just a battle over turf and who has the right to utilize resources for whomsoever's benefit. The war is also being fought over the truth: what is the truth about human nature, about the human potential? My responsibility to myself, my neighbors, my family, and the human family is to try to tell the truth. That ain't easy. There are so few truth-speaking traditions in this society in which the myth of "Western civilization" has claimed the allegiance of so many. We have rarely been encouraged and equipped to appreciate the fact that the truth works, that it releases the Spirit, and that it is a joyous thing. We live in a part of the world, for example, that equates criticism with assault, that equates social responsibility with naive idealism, that defines the unrelenting pursuit of knowledge and wisdom as fanaticism.

I do not think that literature is the primary instrument for social transformation, but I do think it has potency. So I work to tell the truth about people's lives; I work to celebrate struggle, to applaud the tradition of struggle in our community, to bring to center stage all those characters, just ordinary folks on the block, who've been waiting in the wings, characters we thought we had to ignore because they weren't pimp-flashy or hustler-slick or because they didn't fit easily into previously acceptable modes or stock types. I want to lift up some usable truths—like the fact that the simple act of cornrowing one's hair is radical in a society that defines beauty as blonde tresses blowing in the wind; that staying centered in the best of one's own cultural tradition is hip, is sane, is perfectly fine despite all claims to universality through-Anglo-Saxonizing and other madnesses.

It would be dishonest, though, to end my comments there. First and foremost I write for myself. Writing has been for a long time my major tool for self-instruction and self-development. I try to stay honest through pencil and paper. I run off at the mouth a lot. I've a penchant for flamboyant performance. I exaggerate to the point of hysteria. I cannot always be trusted with my mouth open. But when I sit down with the notebooks, I am absolutely serious about what i see, sense, know. I write for the same reason I keep track of my dreams, for the same reason I meditate and practice being still--to stay in touch with me and not let too much slip by me. We're about building a nation; the inner nation needs building, too. I would be writing whether there were a publishing industry or not, whether there were presses or not, whether there were markets or not.

I began writing in a serious way—though I can't recall a time when I wasn't jotting stuff down and trying to dramatize lessons learned—when I got into teaching. It was a way to keep track of myself, to monitor myself. I'm a very seductive teacher, persuasive, infectious, overwhelming, irresistible. I worked hard in the classroom to teach students to critique me constantly, to protect themselves from my nonsense; but let's face it, the teacher-student relationship we've been trained in is very colonial in nature. It's fraught with dangers. The power given teachers over students' minds, students' spirits, and students' development—my God! To rise above that, to insist of myself and of them that we refashion that relationship along progressive lines demanded a great deal of courage, imagination, energy, and will. Writing was a way to "hear" myself, check myself. Writing was/is an act of discovery. I frequently discovered that I was dangerous, a menace, virtually unfit to move the students and myself into certain waters. I would have to go into the classroom and beat them up for not taking me to the wall, for succumbing to mere charm and flash, when they should have been challenging me, "kicking my ass." I will be eternally grateful to all those students at City College and Livingston/Rutgers for the caring and courageous way they helped to develop me as a teacher, a person, a writer . . . and a mother, too. Fortunately, for all concerned, my daughter, a ninety-nine-year-old wise woman who travels under the guise of a young thumb-sucking kid, knows when to walk away from me, close her tears, turn my rantings into a joke, call me on a contradiction. But even after she is grown, and even if I never teach again, I will still use writing as a way to stay on center, for I'll still be somebody's neighbor, somebody's friend, and I'll still be a member of our community under siege or in power. I'll still need to have the discipline writing affords, demands. I do not wish to be useless or dangerous, so I'll write. And too, hell, I'm a writer. I am compelled to write.

Claudia Tate interviewing Toni Cade Bambara, from Conversations with Toni Cade Bambara, Edited by Thabiti Lewis

[gildedmuse]

[And with that single line, Kuina had more characterization than every other woman in her extended family combine.]

2. Let Me Guess, It Was Very Tragic & Character Defining

(aka Every-Mom Story)

Now, I know a lot of people are going to say, "To be fair, Mina/Muse, it makes SENSE that Zoro's parents were dead! Otherwise they would have to let their son walk around challenging dojos whenever he wanted, and no sane person let a child with Zoro's sense of direction just go town to town on his own like that! Plus, if you actually think about Zoro's whole -"

First off, love the engagement Fictional Tumblr Surfer. I also adore discussing media and hearing different perspectives but before you go any further: trust me, I have thought about Zoro. I have had all the thoughts about Zoro.

Also, this idea that Zoro's parents HAD to be dead seems to be based entirely on, "or else he wouldn't be wandering the countryside looking for dojos". The problem with that line of logic is, well, it doesn't make sense. Look what Luffy was getting up to, he'd got family. Hell, Franky had both his parents and you know what they did? Tossed him into the sea. Parents being alive is not a guarantee of anything. It says she died of an illness but for all we know, she passed away when Zoro was 15. All those Kuina scenes? His mom was just kicking back at the house, doing her own thing. "Oh, yeah, no worries, go hang in out with your little sword clubs. Just remember: what's the one rule when we go out?"

*sigh* "I'm allowed to take shortcuts or whatever pass I please as long as it doesn't involve getting on a boat." *Grumble* "I'm six years old, I know my shortcut through the mountains already! Geeze mom!"

"Yeah, well you just do what your old lady says, since she does feed you and everything. Take all the mountain shortcuts you want, kiddo. No boats."

"No boats."

"See ya in a few weeks honey. REMEMBER, BEATING BAD GUYS UP FOR FOOD DOESN'T COUNT."

"I know! You always say that! I know how bounties work!"

"Hey, I'm just trying to make sure you're staying healthy, Kiddo. And if they're criminals, the Marines can't arrest you for beating them up. Call the home den den mushi if you need anything. Love you!"

"Bye!"

(I understand exactly where Oda was going with giving his mom three traits: she was raised by criminals/thieves/bad guys, married a samurai and died from illness. I see the storyline being set. But, listen, I dare anyone to step and tell me there is absolutely no part of them - not even the smallest silver - that wouldn't rejoice at seeing THIS Zoro's relationship with his still living mom, rather than the inevitable build up to Corazon/Bellamere/Sora/Otohime/Toki & Oden/Yusie Part Du....Di-Diez)

Which brings me around to my point: why kill Zoro's mom!? What is the point other than ensuring you don't have to do the work of having to come up with a whole other character? How does the story benefit from murdering everyone's parents!? Is this a theme of the work or just a personal kink!?

Sorry, let me pull that back.

The thing about Zoro's parents is: no one cares. Don't get me, fans care very much about Zoro. Their curios what was going on, but we've been with this character for years at this point, he's never once brought them up. There aren't even shades of it.

Viewed through a certain lens, the fact they're both dead is somehow WORSE. Because you realize the number of situations the Strawhats have come into where a key component is Illness Related, Evil Pirates Murdering Folks, Parents Suffering/Dying For Their Children, and People Who Lost Parents Looking For Revenge and sometimes nearly all of those things at once! And yet Zoro has never once been emotional triggered by these situations the way Nami is with children in trouble or Sanji is with mistreated women or Chopper is when he is unable to help someone....

Or Zoro is. With Tashigi.

No one dare try and tell, "Zoro isn't the kind to react to someone just because their situation reminds him of something tragic in his own past" because that is LITERALLY his entire DEAL with Tashigi. She has a shallow, surface appearance that is similar to his best friend who died and so even just seeing her brings that up despite Tashigi being entirely unrelated and also, really only Zoro's approximation of what Kuina might have looked like a decade in the future.

So the idea that Zoro lost both his parents in tragic situations which left him homeless and with no one to take him in and his sole emotional response was apparently shrugging off and going to get his walking shoes, he got some dojos to find doesn't speak particularly well for those family dynamics.

And the thing is, this doesn't inform Zoro's character, it doesn't build or explain anything, it's just what Oda appears to do when he needs characters to have a connection to or a history with something. Fine a parental figure. Have them murdered. And with Zoro he could have done something new and different, because Zoro doesn't NEED this history in order to help establish his motivations or explain his thinking, he doesn't need this to be emotionally invested, it doesn't raise any stakes or change his path. Zoro doesn't need any of that; boy figured that all out himself before he was ten, and the parts he missed, Luffy brought with him! Anything that could be added through knowing more of Zoro's history, all it does is add another layer to something he'd already gone and established himself.

With that in mind, why NOT mix it up? Since we've been watching the crew for years and he hasn't spoken a single about his family, you could as easily pull an Ace situation. This is my family, that I have never mentioned before.

I mean have fun with it. Go wild! "Where was she? Why wasn't she looking after her kid? Who would let a child just go off for weeks like that."

"To be fair, Zoro had beaten all the local kids and was really bored. And she did pack him a few lunches. Hey, he's a kid, if he wants to go running off to find another dojo, let him! He's having fun, what's the big deal?" And obviously when he told her his plan to leave the island to hunt down bounties and eventually face off against a warlord, well he was 15, he was an adult and if that's what he wanted to do.

You could have just made her Silvers Rayleigh but a mom. It would have been amazing.

But, no... No, of COURSE she was ill.

And I'll bet she was an absolutely lovely woman too, so sweet, so caring, someone who worked hard doing housework for others in order to feed her family after her husband was tragically killed fending off pirates from raiding the island. Oh, but lately work has been harder to get because her sickness leaves her just so small and frail. I'll bet she often tried to hide just how bad it was by praising little Zoro whenever he carried the groceries or brought in the water or did some physical chore. Like, "look how strong you are, carrying that bag all by yourself. Are you sure you don't want me to help? Zozozo, I think you're just using it as an excuse to train and show off how big you're growing!" Bet he feels so proud of himself, and aren't they just the cutest little household?

I feel like I know her already. I get the sense Ter would be the kind of mother who would tease that it wasn't right how HE was always protecting HER when SHE was supposed to be the one looking out for HIM. Her fearless little tiger! (I mean, sure, she's physically killing herself working keeping food on his plate and a roof over his head, but there was that on time when she was so sick during that big storm that Zoro did all the chores and she hadn't even asked! And that other night walking back from the market when a wolf had come out at woods and starting to growl at them and she'd been terrified they would have to drop the grocery and run when she'd worked so, so hard to get money to buy enough food for the next few days but Zoro wouldn't let it get their food and eventually the thing ran off like a scared little puppy. Such a brave boy!)

Which is good because he'll need, I'm 90% sure she said, while on her death bed. She'd probably surprised to a single down tear running down his little cheeks because she doesn't remember Zoro crying, not even as a baby, and she'd hate that she would be the reason that her strong boy cried for the first time, and she'd end up telling him all about how she used to cry all the time when he was baby. She was all alone and she knew she didn't have long left and he looked so helpless in arm. She couldn't stop worrying about what could happen to him when she was no longer there to feed and protect and help him.

And Zoro would be upset he has made his mom cry so much and she'd just laugh - Zozozo - it's been years since she cried like that. She doesn't have to anymore, seeing what a strong and brave person Zoro has become over the years, she no longer worries. He is so fearless and determined and she knows he will be okay, she believes in him. And with that last breath she'll make him give her his word, promise her he'd always remember how strong he was, that he would never stop getting strong. That way, no matter what, she can rest knowing he will always.

Is that the goal? A cheap emotional underpunch that probably would make cry but also... kind of undermines a lot of Zoro's character. And also raises a lot of questions about some of the stories internal paradox but also it's just so conveniently, predictably heartbreaking that probably that no one will notice.

We've been here, we've done this!

It's just such a boring answer. It's a safety answer. I can promise you, this was not part of the plan when he first tied Zoro to a pole in a marine courtyard. This is very much after the fact, and that's FINE. There are very, very, VERY few writers creating and sort of weekly/monthly/continuous series media that go in there with a full plan, entirely story laid out in detail and every single one followed through to the letter. That is actually a scientifically accurate way to diagnose someone who has signed a contract with a demon lord. The ability to continue to build your story while maintaining a mostly accurate canon while also half making it up on the fly because, oh, wow you hadn't expected that thing to go that way. Wait, what even was your original plan? I mean it's an amazing skill¹ to be able to put out serialized content keeping the story on track, the lore mostly without contradiction, and most importantly, still having a clear way forward even though it almost definitely not the path you cleared originally. It's not easy to do and I applaud and recognize when they have that skill, I have no problem with the idea that Zoro's parents had not really been solidified as characters until relatively recently.

But seeing as there has been over a decade to think on that one, it's amazing it ended up being... Exactly what you have guessed based on every other set of parents in One Piece. But again, it's a safe answer.

Look, this way no one expects to make an appearance, he doesn't have to maybe possibly change anything he'd already decided.

Ah, they never came because they're dead and we're never going to flash back to then so.... Great. Finished with that, job done. And he didn't even have to think about Zoro's backstory and risk accidentally developing.

But! If he ever needs to shove something into Zoro's backstory with absolutely no foreshadowing, he has now created emergency backups.

He could just... Pull a Vinesmoke Sanji, or close enough. He's given a Wano connection, absolutely no characterization and luckily only introduced plot points that would be incredibly useful when attempting to emotionally manipulate the audience so they fail to notice the giant new "Well, THIS is brand new!" Product, and it has to be accepted as valid because it happened in the past. That means it helped define Zoro!

[megamindsecretlair]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I was tagged by the lovely @umber-cinders, TY

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

None. I just made an A03 a few weeks ago and it will take a long time for my brain to figure out how to put my stuff on there LOL. On Tumblr, jeez, let me see. I have 35? So far. I counted my two series as 2.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Oh lordt, let me see. On Tumblr, I have...roughly 168,964 words across all my fics. YIKES. And I can't even write in my books LOL

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Marvel, They Cloned Tyrone, Snowfall, and Scream.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Sprung - Tyrone

Stay With Me - Tyrone

Sunday - Tyrone

Run it Back - Tyrone

Pray For Me - Franklin

Gonna link my masterlist because why not: Megamind's Secret Files

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I love getting comments. I want people to know I appreciate them taking the time to read and comment. I love discussing my writing.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Through the Fire. It was such a sad ending! It had to be done! Someone said "What kind of sane person would write an ending so sad???" Literally made my day as a writer.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of them got happy endings LOL. But the one that ended the sweetest, hm, probably...Sunday?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope. I be in my own little corner of the innanet and all my comments and reblogs have been positive! It might change with my Kang fic and I'm okay with that. Block button is my bestie.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

YES! A thousand times yes. So far, they've all been one shot smut fics that resolves itself. I have some pt 2's coming, but I'm so behind on Tyrone asks. I'm sorry!!!! I will get to them, promise.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Never did a crossover. My fandoms are all over the place and the only one to use for crossovers is Marvel and I'm not that confident yet. I don't hate on folks who do, but not the type of fics I be reading.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of and I hope it never does. That's so heartless and unnecessary. Everyone can write. You don't need to steal.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. That would be a huge compliment though!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nah. But I'm constantly flinging my fic ideas at friends and they share with me. I love it.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I'm so not a person that ships, it's terrible. Canon relationships bore me to tears or I know that the writers are gonna do some fuck shit to break them up, so why bother? However, I'm obsessed with Attoye and Janine and Gregory from Abbott Elementary.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Believe it or not, I write fics in the moment and release them in the wild before I have a chance to go back and change everything. I only plot my series. And I plan to finish both series! I've been trying to think of what other series I can do.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I write dialogue pretty well. I'm able to write things in character and pay attention to their characteristics.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Do we have all day? LOL. Nah, I think scene descriptions are still my biggest weakness. I always put them in a white room and it's hard picturing it well enough to write it down. I'm trying to work on it!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I haven't done it. Only because Google translate only takes you so far and it doesn't take nuance into account. And I appreciate when there's translations after the fic. It's hard to copy on mobile and put it into Translate to figure out what was said.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I just started fic writing this year. LOL. I used to say I missed a crucial part of writing culture as a teen. But it was a Marvel Loki fic.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I can't choose between my babies! But it would probably be my Loki series. One of the chapters I finished, I was like??? Okay, you fuckin' ate that. I felt so proud of myself as a writer, that self-satisfaction is what I'm writing for.

No pressure tags: @soft-persephone @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @mybonafidefeelings @notapradagurl7 @sweet-potatah-pie @saturn-rings-writes @c-nstantine

[tinygumdrops]

Hi! I saw that you posted thtnw part 2 and I'm so excited to read it :) but I want to ask if there is a reason that you locked your fanfics? I don't recall your fanfics locked before. I don't have an account yet but I'm trying to get one

Hi, anon!!! :D And *blushes* thank you so much for showing your interest in my work!!

Last year, I was told one of my fics was being sold for profit on Amazon and unfortunately it still hasn't been taken down :( I've kind of given up on the issue and am just... hoping that no sane person would buy something that's already out there for free. Also around that time I had a ton of AI bots commenting on my fics *sobs*. Because of that, I decided to lock them.

I do understand that I'm severely limiting you guys, and I do want folks who prefer staying anonymous to have the freedom to do so... so I guess I'll unlock my fics for now :D Though I will lock them again as soon as I get those pesky bot comments, or if I see any signs of my work being AI scraped again for a quick buck. I apologize in advance, anon.

Hope you're having a great day and that you'll get your ao3 account soon!!! *fingers crossed*

[uzumaki-rebellion]

I'd like to ditto @nahimjustfeelingit-writes sentiments. I've been writing in this fandom since it's inception in 2018. It is also my favorite escape to keep my mind sane and I love playing with the Afrofuturism and Black fantastical elements I write about in my Black Panther fics. I can talk about Black cultures in the diaspora, mix in some real world elemenst and use my imagination to think about what free Black people look like if Erik Killmonger won.

The few readers we have left are what really keeps me going. I'm going to write anyway, but man, any time I see a notification and someone says "I couldn't wait to get home to read this!" or "Can't wait for the next update!' it is a dopamine hit to keep the fandom alive. It's harder for me now because I am writing for trad publication submissions (and looking for an agent), but I try to maintain a reasonable schedule of writing. I literally do timed pomodoro writing sprints almost every day to keep the wordbuilding going.

It is sad to see our niche fandom dying while popular white ones keep thriving for decades. Sometimes I feel like Black writers are underappreciated and disrespected a lot. Sometimes I feel like there are a lot of Black people who don't like Black stories and would prefer to immerse themselves in whiteness or IR content ad nauseam. Meanwhile the most extraordinary Black romances couched in Black Panther fics are overlooked. I mean, @nahimjustfeelingit-writes writes her ass off with some of the sexiest, full-hearted stories.

It's hard to keep writing when you think no one is reading because folks don't reblog, comment, or like stuff a lot. However I keep going cause listen, I like reading my own shit! I'm on my 7th or 8th book right now and I grumble every day because I wish it was done already so I can enjoy it myself, lol! Last night someone liked a chapter of a previous book on Wattpad, and I found myself going back and reading it. It literally feels like someone else wrote it because I forgot half the stuff I put in there! (that's what happens with pansting and thinking you know where the story is headed!).

Anyhoo, I'm still here, will stay here, and hope the fandom comes alive again with new writers and readers--old faithful Day 1's too!

Why I continue to write fanfics…

Because it’s an escape from the reality of day to day life. Seriously my life has been hectic. I’ve been working practically everyday, then I come home and always have something to do. I plan to write and then I don’t because something pops up. With all that being said, I still write because I thoroughly enjoy it! I love interacting with yall, I love reading, I love creating these works and fantasizing. It’s fun and it eliminates my stress and anxiety A LOT! I know there aren’t a lot of us left still writing, which sucks because I hate to see other fandoms thrive and this one go away! I wish more writers would write but I understand.

I just want to thank everyone who still reads my work and supports my work! It really means a lot ❤️

[asterhaze]

Hi there! Its Week 1 of the Sunday Writeblr Ask-A-Thon! I'm Athena, my question for you is: Have you ever been inspired by local stories, legends, myths and fables and the like?

Mmm, I'm from the outskirts of Appalachia. The legends around here aren't as cool as the "If you see something in the trees, no you didn't." Or "Don't whistle at night." I'm sure there are people where I am that were told that by their parents, but I came in at dusk because that's when the mosquitoes started to come out. I didn't whistle at night because crickets make beautiful music on their own and don't need my help. There were birds, bats, peacocks, vultures, and probably cryptids galore in the trees and none of them scared me because I knew they should be scared of me (actually my mom, but kids are funny that way).

But I was taught many southern things. Like how the leaves turn to prepare for rain, how to step quietly so I could admire things instead of scaring them away, and to ignore the crying babies in the woods. Bobcats scream bloody murder, coyotes howl, and peacocks say "hello", but nothing that is scared of you will sound like a crying baby in those woods. It was something my mother would say offhandedly, like "Remember where our property line is. Don't go off in so-n-so's cow field. Don't listen to the crying babies if you hear them and come in before the sun completely sets or you'll get eaten alive by mosquitoes."

I never heard the crying babies in the woods but, according to the superstitious, quite a few people went missing trying to save those crying babies. When some of them were found, it turns out they had Alzheimer's or schizophrenia and those babies were never real, not here and now, but to them they were. So it was just my mom's way of saying "Please, please, please, stay sane in this horrible world where the reality of babies is only based on how your brain is made. Please, please, please, come home no matter what." and making that concept normal for her in her stressful job.

My grandma also told me that mushrooms bring the fair folk, and brownies, and if I didn't want to be taken away I needed to stomp those mushrooms. In reality, she was scared I would eat them since I had poisoned myself on random tree junk half a dozen times so stomping mushrooms was a better alternative than a dead grandkid. (My mom might be mad). But I grew up, learned better, and I still hesitate when I see those white mushrooms spring up in my yard and talk myself out of destroying nature just for the stomp.

So my childhood has inspired the idea that if supernatural creatures exist, we probably know as much about them as little baby Aster knew about crying babies in the woods and the fair folk or brownies leaving their mushrooms around for me to stomp. Do we really know anything? Just what they think we should know? What makes it easier for us and funnier for them?

I think it also proves that even the silliest things, like mushrooms and lights in the far hills that are obviously porch lights, can become anything when someone we trust to protect us tells us to be afraid.

Thank you again for asking and I hope you enjoyed my answer!

[420pogpills]

I just wanna stop to thank you for being one of the most grounded and sane folks on my dash over time like I feel like the recent dnfblr era has been priding itself too much in being overly "delusional" and "crazy" to the point of blocking people who don't 100% believe dnf have been secretly dating whether for either a few months or like a year like I get curating your experience and whatnot but it honestly feels really offputting as someone here since mid-2020 I don't like what it has become if I'm being honest...and wanna dip sometimes but then I see blogs like yours staying steady and open-minded to all possibilities, whether its dnf dating or just being insane and chaotic, and not getting caught up too much in it to the point of it mentally weighing down you and your followers

Idk how to explain it well sorry ahsjhdjskk but it makes me wanna stay so thank you <3 because there is no way I'm going to twitter <33

🥹🥹🥹🥹 this really means a lot thank you sm ❤️❤️❤️ i do my best to just try and be as level headed as i can, and i’ve stepped faaar away from the older days when i used to engage in discourse frequently- i’ve been doing it a little bit more recently because i feel a bit more comfortable now that i’m not as… attached as i used to be? like i still hold this community dear, i enjoy dream team content so much again. i really struggle not to get too invested into things (mental illness yay) so it’s not easy but i really just want to be like as much of a carefree person as i can be? idk it makes sense in my head i guess in a way but yeah i really appreciate you telling me this 🥹❤️