#Or one of the ones outside the city

[rooolt]

Despite being a frequent hater of fictional teenagers making their decisions about where to go to college based on their significant others, I will be devastated if binary boyfriends don’t even end up in the same city

[nelkcats]

Let me retire!

Danny was tired of being a hero, in addition to being a profession that paid with nothing more than mental exhaustion and ungrateful citizens, the halfa was tired of having to bandage his wounds day after day, tired of seeing both perspectives and not knowing which side take

Danny could understand ghosts, he could understand how their obsessions were a fundamental part of who they were as people and there were things they couldn't help. While he initially protected Amity from the ghosts, at some point he also had to protect the ghosts from Amity.

So, it's no wonder that as soon as he saw the founding of the "Justice League" he declared that he was going to retire. He told it to the ghosts, since the humans weren't going to pay much attention to him.

The problem was when 2 weeks later he had to come out of his early retirement because the League had labeled Amity as "neutral ground" and "dangerous" and they were "capturing" criminals, who weren't even criminals, Ember was giving a concert!

Frustrated, the halfa went to the Watchtower, it was supposed to be his retirement! stop ruining it!

[sarcasmcloud]

"I'm tired of tending to this fire" - Overcompensate | Nico and the Niners | The Outside | Backslide (twenty one pilots)

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 168

So. Apparently halfas are like phoenixes or something, which Danny would’ve really liked to know. 

See, usually with ghosts if they’re forced to retreat to their cores they reform as was, but apparently, since they’re still partially living, schrodinger's people and all that, halfas have to regrow their body from scratch. At least that’s what he’s understanding from Frostbite. 

But how come he has to deal with it? It’s Dan’s fault for trying to pull such a stunt! Oh, it’s either him or Vlad? Well fuck, he might have calmed down and is going to therapy in both the living realm and the Zone, but he’s waaay not equipped to raise a child except for like, monetarily wise. 

Well dammit, how long will this core incubation thing last, he has his new job in… let him check which offer he accepted again… He has his new job in Coast City that he needs to finish packing for and then all the rest of the stuff to do. 

What do you mean it’ll take months?! He doesn’t have months?! Urgh, fine. At least being a mortician isn’t that exciting, nor dangerous. Just hand him Dan’s core and he’ll figure things out for the living side of things. He’s sure Tucker and Sam wouldn’t be against helping, if only to try and claim favorite aunt or uncle spots. 

[robinfollies]

KEEP THE DANGER OUT // KEEP THE DANGER IN

[b0tster]

ive never seen more promos and 50% off sales and damage control open letters in my entire life than what starbucks is doing right now lmao they are getting desperate

[estrangedandwayward]

The Gilded King

[marzipanandminutiae]

can "activists" please stop trying to fuck with the empty frames at the Gardner museum. this is the second time the museum has had to close early to keep that from happening

like. first of all, the art museum climate protests that have happened so far piss me off despite the fact that I agree with their overall goals, because the messages in interviews all boil down to "how DARE you VALUE ART when BAD THINGS ARE HAPPENING, ordinary museum-goer?!" but at least they've taken pains to not actually damage anything important (throwing soup on modern, sealed cases or glass barriers instead of the art itself, etc.)

the frames at the Gardner? are art in their own right. they are mostly very old and made by often-unacknowledged craftsmen who were incredibly talented. they're not the same as a modern barrier. AND they're there as a reminder of a time when some jerks stole art from the public so rich assholes could wall it up in private collections so only they got to enjoy it

like go puncture a CEO's tires or something that actually reaches the people responsible for this mess instead of ordinary humans (who probably already agree with you!) just trying to do the very Human Thing of appreciating art

EDIT: I double-checked, and last time their Thing was "why are people still talking about the Gardner heist, but NOBODY is talking about biodiversity loss?!?!?!"

which is just.

they are? just not usually in the same breath as an unsolved art theft case?

[doodle-do-wop]

Fintan is the most based character in al of KOTLC because I too wanna dress up in a cloak and flirt with the council after dramatically setting stuff on fire

[nemotakeit]

no one touch me

Leave The City was "One day I'll leave this place, but right now, I can't. In the meanwhile I'll fight to stay alive and not lose hope about making the final escape. We're in this together."

Paladin Strait is "I'm risking death to return to the very place they battered my soul in to dismantle the whole system and thus make the final escape. We're in this together."

[notbecauseofvictories]

I know my experience is not universal, but I biked 5+ miles to do my errands today and I genuinely think we'd be much happier as a human collective if we increased residential density and switched to largely alternative modes of transportation.

[oplishin]

Post reunion seth always looks at dean like he can't quite believe he gets to have This again. also, dean's bouncing here is very good

[mxtxfanatic]

A-Qing and Wei Wuxian: An Under-Discussed Analysis

While many different Yi City comparisons and relationship breakdowns have been made, one that I don't think I've ever seen is between A-Qing and Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian is probably the first living being to treat A-Qing with respect and not fear or revulsion after her death. He plays into her jumpscare trick by allowing her to scare the juniors, but also addresses her respectfully, the directness of which initially arouses her wariness. He trusts her to lead him and the juniors to safety, being able to understand that she does not mean any of them harm. This is a trust she then reciprocates when she allows Wei Wuxian to perform Empathy on her to share her wish to avenge Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan:

Wei Wuxian smiled. “Mm, you’ve thought about this, very good. This is exactly how you should analyze the situation—don’t ignore any suspicious details. Now then, let’s ask her to come inside and clear up any doubts about this case.” After he finished speaking, he immediately removed one of the wooden boards blocking the window. The youths inside the dim room and even the ghost outside were startled by his sudden movement. She raised her bamboo pole in defense. Wei Wuxian first waved to the ghost. “Miss, you’ve been following us this whole time. Do you have some business with us?” he asked immediately.

—Chapt. 36: Flora IV, fanyiyi

The ghost of the blind, tongue-less girl had returned! Wei Wuxian made a snap decision. “Let’s go!” “Go where?” Lan Jingyi said. “Follow the sound of the bamboo pole,” Wei Wuxian replied. “You want us to follow a ghost?” Jin Ling said, somewhat startled. “Who knows where she’ll take us?!” “Yes, exactly. Follow her. The sound’s been tailing you ever since you got here, right? You tried to walk further into the city, but she was leading you toward the city gates, and then you ran into us. She was trying to drive you away—to rescue you!”

...

“Why don’t you come in?” Wei Wuxian said to the ghost girl. She wiped her eyes and face and ran at him, her entire soul merging with his body.

—Chapt. 38: Flora VI, fanyiyi

But the thing I find most interesting about A-Qing and her role amidst the Yi City arc's parallels is how alike she and Wei Wuxian are. If Xiao Xingchen is the parallel for Wei Wuxian's righteousness and the trajectory of his first life, then A-Qing is the parallel for his adaptability and unwillingness to passively accept evil cloaked in civility, as a lot of the moments where Wei Wuxian and A-Qing are most in-tuned are when A-Qing is showing off her survival skills or when they are both mentally raging about Xue Yang:

This girl really knows how to act wild. I understand now—she’s pretending to be blind. She was probably born with white pupils. Even though she looks blind on the surface, she actually can see. She’s using her appearance to pose as a blind person in order to trick people and win their sympathy. As a young, lone, homeless girl, if she pretended to be blind, others would naturally lower their guard. In reality, she could see perfectly clearly and could thus adapt to the situation. It indeed counted as a smart method of self-protection.

...

Ah-qing apologized repeatedly, but as the man was about to leave, he realized he wasn’t willing to let it go just yet. His unruly right hand found Ah-qing’s bottom and pinched her forcefully. As he shared her feelings, this was effectively the same as pinching Wei Wuxian. He instantaneously felt his skin crawl and become covered in a dense layer of goosebumps. He could think about nothing except slapping the man so hard he’d fly right into the earth.

—Chapt. 39: Flora VII, fanyiyi

Before she even opened her mouth, something small flew abruptly toward her. Subconsciously, Wei Wuxian wanted to dodge in case it was some kind of concealed weapon, but of course, he had no control over Ah-qing’s body. Soon after, he came to a sudden and startling realization: It’s a trap! Xue Yang was experimenting on Ah-qing. If she was truly blind, she shouldn’t be able to dodge! Ah-qing proved herself a veteran of posing as a blind girl at all times. She was quick: when she saw the object sailing toward her, she didn’t attempt to duck out of the way. She didn’t even blink. Instead, she allowed it to strike her lower chest, and only then did she jump back. ... He pointed the tip of the blade at Ah-qing. If she walked a few more steps forward, she would be impaled. But if she hesitated even a moment, the fact that she wasn’t truly blind would be revealed! Wei Wuxian shared all five of Ah-qing’s senses, and he could also feel the prickling at the back of her head. However, the girl had incomparable courage and composure, and continued to feel her way forward, expression normal. Sure enough, when her stomach was about a centimeter from the tip of the blade, Xue Yang drew back Jiangzai on his own and placed it back into his sleeve, exchanging it for a couple of pieces of candy. ... She was astonishingly shrewd, Wei Wuxian thought. Ah-qing hadn’t forgotten at all. Everything Xiao Xingchen said, she remembered more clearly than anyone. She had said the wrong thing on purpose, and since Xue Yang corrected her, he had effectively confirmed that he was also a cultivator. His test had failed, but she had tested him successfully in return. Though the girl was so young, her mind was surprisingly sharp.

...

Xiao Xingchen hadn’t had much prior experience with people like him and was easily amused—just a few of Xue Yang’s remarks could make him laugh. Listening to their pleasant conversation, Ah-qing viciously but silently mouthed a few words. After careful observation, it seemed as though she were saying, “I’m going to kill you, you horrible thing.” Wei Wuxian and Ah-qing’s feelings were the same.

...

There’s no way Xue Yang has good intentions, Wei Wuxian thought. He even wants to help Xiao Xingchen night- hunt. If Ah-qing doesn’t follow them, then we’ll miss something big. However, Ah-qing was indeed quick-witted and understood that Xue Yang was probably up to no good. She waited until the pair left, then hopped out of the coffin and followed them at a distance.

—Chapt. 39: Flora VII, fanyiyi

However, Ah-qing did not understand the cipher lying before her. Her knowledge was extremely cursory, derived entirely from the occasional moments when Xiao Xingchen had mentioned these subjects. “Could that rotten thing really be helping Daozhang?” she mumbled. Don’t start believing in Xue Yang so easily! Wei Wuxian thought. Fortunately, Ah-qing’s intuition was very sharp. Though she couldn’t pick out anything strange from what she saw, her wary attitude toward Xue Yang was deeply rooted within her. She hated him on instinct and couldn’t feel at ease with him. Thus, whenever Xue Yang followed Xiao Xingchen out to night-hunt, she quietly tailed them. Even when they were all at home, she never let down her guard.

—Chapt. 40: Flora VIII, fanyiyi

While A-Qing lacked the cultivation knowledge and skill to act on her knowledge to save lives, the courage and endurance she displayed while living with Xue Yang matches Wei Wuxian's own spirit. And because of this shared spirit, A-Qing is willing to entrust her life and after-life goal to Wei Wuxian:

Wei Wuxian sighed internally, then turned to Ah-qing. “We’ve troubled you.” ... Propped up on the side of the coffin, Ah-qing pressed her palms together and bowed repeatedly to Wei Wuxian. Afterwards, with her bamboo pole serving as her sword, she made the “kill kill kill” gesture she had often used when causing a ruckus. “Don’t worry,” Wei Wuxian said.

—Chapt. 41: Flora IX, fanyiyi

...a faith proven rightfully placed as not only does he (and Lan Wangji!) put an end to Xue Yang's reign of terror in Yi City, he also releases Song Lan from the curse of the nails and gathers the fragments of her shattered soul to give to him for safekeeping:

“Hold him down!” Wei Wuxian said. He leaned over and rapidly felt through Song Lan’s hair, searching for the two nails stuck in the corpse’s skull. Relief washed over him when his fingers found the ends: this pair of nails was much thinner than the pair which had been hammered into Wen Ning’s head. Plus, they were made of different material, so restoring Song Lan’s original consciousness wouldn’t be too hard. Immediately, Wei Wuxian pinched the ends of the nails and slowly began pulling them out. Feeling the foreign objects move in his head, Song Lan’s eyes abruptly widened. He let out a low hiss, and Wen Ning was forced to press him down harder to prevent him from escaping. When the nails were finally wrenched free, Song Lan immediately collapsed on the ground, entirely immobile, paralyzed, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

—Chapt. 41: Flora IX, fanyiyi

After a moment of silence, Wei Wuxian produced two identical, small spirit-locking pouches and passed them over to him. ��Xiao Xingchen Daozhang and Miss Ah-qing.” Though Ah-qing had been terrified of Xue Yang, she had closely shadowed her murderer, preventing him from escaping or hiding until Bichen had plunged its blade through his chest and he had finally experienced retribution. The seal Xue Yang had venomously thrown at her had shattered her soul. Wei Wuxian had run around frantically, trying his best to pick up the pieces, but he had only successfully retrieved part of it, and only after a great deal of effort. Now that Ah-qing’s soul was in fragments, it was in more or less the same state as Xiao Xingchen’s. Curled up in their respective spirit locking pouches, the two souls seemed extremely fragile, as though they would disintegrate right inside the pouch at the slightest bump. Song Lan’s hands trembled slightly as he received them. He held the pouches in his palm, too afraid to carry them by their tassels lest a shake destroy the souls inside.

—Chapt. 42: Flora X, fanyiyi

[silkjade]

jadetham⋆.༦࿑ོ⁺ museum coworkers au — moodboard (2/?)

spending the holidays alone in the city with only your coworker, who also happens to be your ex, as company

coming out of the opera building after a night at the ballet. christmas bells are ringing in the streets, and the first snow of the season lands a crown of snowflakes in your hair. your laughs are brighter than the stars above, who twinkle as they ponder over how you two could’ve ever fallen out of love

[puppetmaster13u]

Another Dragon Prompt?

They had all figured they'd seen it all. Great wurms of thorn and vines, built by the land and leaves around them, massive wyverns of wind and storm whose roars were like a thunder crash.

But all of that was nothing when the city found itself dragged into the realm of green, where there was a deadly, horrible calm before everything fled.

The pair of drakes usually getting into things, one of gold and black scales, the other a kaleidoscope of blues and reds screamed, tearing across the land as it was torn asunder. The mothering dragon constantly dropping food on top of the people didn't even bother as it flew alongside the one usually stealing boxes as fast as their tiny wings could move. Even the drake with armor of steel and more aggression than a chihuaha turned kaiju raced away, leaping from building to building before seemingly recalling it too had wings it could use.

More dragons than Amity had ever seen before fled in great flocks, everything a panic, terrified of whatever they were trying to escape. Every shape and size, from the blobs to great wurms like the one who called itself Overgrowth, and they were running.

And then they saw it, first a familiar beast of pink flame and gouging antlers- the Wisconsin Drake, the Fentons had called it- with dozens of wings beating and ectoplasm spilling from a great gouging wound before it crashed into a building with a pained wail.

But it was what followed that truly horrified everyone. A great beast of night, fins flared out like massive wings as it swam through the sky, flames already gathered in its mouth as it stared down at its prey.

Amity had thought they had seen it all.

It did nothing to prepare them for the King's awakening.

[book-lover85]

Stay at home dad and artist on commission Keefe