#also it’s 4am so i do not think this is coherent at all

[lynpheas]

i have a paper to write but. i cannot stop thinking about musa and stella. their dynamic is SO underrated…

they both have such strong personalities except musa is a lot more understated and subtle while stella is more exuberant and outgoing!! but in a subversion of expectations, stella is so down to support musa being in the spotlight — like in their s2 red fountain performance where stella did backup vocals/dancing while musa sang her heart out.

they both have familial issues & come from very different backgrounds, which simultaneously threads them together through a commonality and then sets them apart. for example, they both understand somewhat unconventional family dynamics and the absence of a parent, their mothers. stella’s parents were so busy arguing and just generally being unhappy in their relationship that they overlooked stella and how they made her feel and how their actions affected her. the loss of stella’s mother in her life is something we can infer that stella has had very little room to openly discuss with her parents, and so she has all of these internalized and idealized hopes for a future that we know will never come to pass. but she’s navigating these feelings without proper support from luna and radius. similarly, after musa’s mother’s passing, musa’s father reacted to his grief without taking into account how these events affected musa. ho-boe blamed music for matlin’s passing and so he rejected it completely, imposing that will upon musa and straining their relationship because of it. musa’s only avenue of feeling close with her mother is through music, but her feelings are disregarded and so she has to navigate this relationship with music and also her late mother all on her own.

however, for stella, she is a princess and her parents are merely divorced; so, although she rarely sees her mom and her parents don’t get along, she still has the option to go see her. i think you could say, on top of needing to be charismatic and charming as a leader, stella’s exuberant personality might’ve developed as a result of her wanting more of her parents’ attention, to be seen and understood by them. i think the 4kids dub may say otherwise, but i think it’s fairly clear that musa comes from a more modest background. and contrastingly to stella, musa has completely lost her mother and so their connection is almost…spiritual? and introspective. without her father’s guidance and understanding, musa would more have to retreat into herself. still, both of them are individuals with strong senses of self—their specific familial situations have simply informed their coping strategies and the personalities they’ve developed.

with or without that background in mind, i also just love the way stella and musa’s personalities play off of each other! because of their strong personalities, they’re prone to disagreement and small clashes. musa’s more sensitive, while stella is—although well-intentioned—more thoughtless with her words. i find musa to be more measured, but perhaps equally as blunt at times. these personality differences might result in small but realistic bumps and tiffs within their friendship, but they also have a shared understanding of one another that gives their relationship a strong foundation. and again, despite musa seeming more chill and stella seeming more prone to wanting the spotlight, stella is absolutely musa’s cheerleader!

[auraxins]

notes: sunday x gn!reader, angst, post-penacony story (inc. spoilers)

vomited this out at 4am with no edits and no attention to coherency you're welcome goodnight

When you're granted access to visit Sunday, a part of you wishes that The Family had told you no.

His cell is imposing, far larger than he has any need for, with elaborate chains keeping his arms shackled above his head. There is something about the droop to his frame, the aversion of his gaze, his closed eyes, that tightens your chest.

He looks small.

He looks lonely.

(You're hurt, you remind yourself. In his endeavours to rid his world of the ardors of survival, Sunday had hurt you. He had hurt so many of the people you cared about.)

And yet there is a pain etched deep into his face when he finally looks up at you. Those golden eyes are tarnished, tired, but most importantly they are surprised. (Whether it's because he sees you, or that he's been warranted a visitor in the first place, you remain unsure.)

You take a tentative step forward. The guards outside move back into formation as the cell door falls shut.

Sunday doesn't speak. You don't think you want him to. He simply watches, with those pained eyes, as you decide what to do.

"I haven't forgiven you," you speak at last, choking down your nerves. "You know that, don't you?"

Dry lips part, then close. He opts instead to nod.

You take another step, and another, til a mere stretch of your arm separates you from the silken feathers around his head. (A distant, echoing voice at the back of your mind lists off all you might be capable of from this distance. Another cries out to flee.)

"I trusted you." Though you try to stifle it, your voice cracks. "You broke my trust, Sunday."

He can't seem to find the words to answer you today. It's a palpable change from how talkative you're used to him. (You wonder briefly whether it would be easier for him to speak back, or if you prefer it this way. At least you've the freedom to say what's on your mind.)

"You know, at first they wanted to arrest me too." A dry, bitter laugh escapes you. "The Family thought I was working with you. I wouldn't be surprised if they still did. Maybe that's the only reason I've been allowed to see you, so they can figure it out for themselves."

You move to sit, cross-legged on the floor at Sunday's feet. Looking up at him like this feels uncomfortable, strange, but it also gives you the perfect angle to get a better look at him.

Despite the dishevelled clothes and hair that are so clearly a result of the aftermath of his incarceration, he maintains a faint air of elegance. It is settled into the fine curve of his jaw, the delicate long lashes that frame those tarnished eyes- which continue to watch you with an amalgam of pain and surprise- and in the sweeping arc of his body as he leans forwards in his chair.

He's beautiful, as he always has been.

And yet it remains difficult to separate him from the image of that ascended monster you'd observed the Express engage in battle. The looming figure, the stark brightness of its porcelain form, had haunted you for days. Almost weeks.

(But Sunday himself has haunted you for far longer.

He continues to now, with his silence, with his gaze. Akin to a ghost, the man you have allowed to obscure your mind lingers fleeting and restless.)

When he speaks at last, after so many year-long minutes, you fear you've succumbed to a hallucination.

"I've missed you," he says. It comes out rasped, strained, accompanied with a heaving cough, but it rings out clear as day in the silence of his cell.

A soft jingling, then a harsh clank, draws your attention to the chains above his head. He'd tried to move his arm, you surmise, and failed miserably. You can't decide if you're glad he can't reach out to touch you like he seems to want. (Your fingers twitch at your sides, echoing the sentiment.)

Sunday once longed for freedom. In the sanctity of his office, he had told you as much. The metal that bites against his wrists and ankles now feels so terribly far removed from such a vision. (If he had the chance, would he have taken it back and spread his wings? Or has he always been fated to remain caged?)

Your chest heaves as you feel a tear well up in the corner of your eye.

(You can't cry here, not now. Not in front of him.)

One of the guards knocks on the door. One more minute. A sigh of relief falls past your lips.

"You're leaving already?" Sunday asks. If you didn't know better, you'd think those dulled eyes of his mirrored your own right now.

You don't speak as you walk to the door, waiting patiently for the guards to let you leave.

Through the final stretch of light that paints his cell, you take one more glance to him. You try not to catch what he mouths, but the sight is seared in your mind within an instant.

"Is everything okay?" A guard asks, arm outstretched to escort you from the prison.

"I suppose it'll have to be," you say.

[stillaclownlol]

Tylo save me...Tylo...save me Tylo...

WHATEVEER leave me alone more ship alphabet garbage 😭😭😭 I'm gonna sleep I got work tomorrow 🫠🫠🫠

Logan Fields

A = Affectionate

A bit reserved. He's never had anybody to be affectionate with besides his grandparents so he doesn't really know where to draw the line. Also, you know. Hes gay in Georgia in 2016, he needs to be careful. A lot more comfortable with verbal affection tho!

B = Best Friend

Logans never had friends so like. If he did have a best friend he would be really loyal to like a concerning degree, probably protective too, but also extremely helpful and encouraging, always trying to teach you new things :D

C = Cuddles

A littleeeee touch starved :< So he does like cuddling with Tyler, especially since they don't get the chance to do it a lot (only at Tyler's house). He's super melty because he has to take off his glasses for it and he gets sleepy quickly. Will probably fall asleep during it...^_^

D = Domestic

He's a little romantic in the sense that he wants to get married and settle down, have a kid, and 3 cats. He's not in a rush or anything but it is something he looks forward to with Ty. He's good at household chores, especially cleaning and taking care of the garden, and he's a pretty good cook. His specialty is still baking tho.

E = Ending

If his relationship with Tyler spiralled (which has a decent chance of happening) :> If the resentment he had with Tyler boiled over and all the bitterness came out, yeah, he'd probably end things, probably in a yelling match. It's hard to see them breaking up amicably ahaha :")

F = Fiancé

He spent a lot of his childhood/early teens thinking he'd never be able to get married, so...it's a big deal for him. Cried when Tyler said yes (and while proposing)

G = Gentle

Generally he's pretty soft spoken. He's not a super physically aggressive person...but he has his moments 🫠 But usually he's pretty light with Tyler, specially since he has like...chronic pain...🤡 Also good at saying super mushy stuff that makes Tyler implode

H = Hugs

A bit awkward about it, but he likes hugging. Always a little hesitant, so waits till Tyler hugs him first, but he's a v good hugger :) very cozy aura. He's a short king so he can snuggle into Ty's chest.

I = I love you

Was so nervous he almost threw up- Got really emotional and cried- he didn't plan it so the whole thing was a mess lmao

J = Jealousy

Tends to manifest as insecurity more than sheer jealousy. Sometimes thinks Tyler will leave him for somebody "better" (him and Tyler are actually pretty similar in that regard) and he might honestly just bring up how he thinks Tyler can do better depending how far they are in the relationship.

K = Kisses

A bit shy. Gets flustered by proper kissing so he's more of a pecker, usually kisses Tyler's cheek or chin because it's hard to reach him with their height gap- he gets all gooey when Tyler asks him to kiss him on the mouth tho (^_^)//

L = Little Ones

He likes children! He finds them more honest than people his age kkkkk. He also likes how children are constantly learning new things and likes teaching them about interesting facts :D gets a bit overwhelmed by hyperactive children though, better with children who have quieter characters like himself.

M = Mornings

Eepy lil guy. So seepy. Big tirremd. Barely coherent in the morning, also he's not wearing his glasses or contacts so he can't even see help him. He needs a shower and like four cups of coffee to even wake up lmao. Tyler be literally dragging him out of bed because otherwise they're GONNA BE LATE-

N = Night

Total night owl, loves staying up late (especially in the summer) to use his telescope. Tyler has to drag him INTO bed otherwise he's gonna stay up till 4am or fall asleep on the balcony :>

O = Open

Honestly pretty closed off, he doesn't like talking about his past unless it's really necessary. Gets anxious if Tyler asks personal questions early in the relationship.

P = Patience

Patience is a virtue he's worked hard to cultivate. He does kind of bottle of his negative emotions so when he *does* lose his patience it tends to be explosive.

Q = Quizzes

Good memory and very detail-oriented, so he knows a lot about Tyler, and he's also good at applying that knowledge. He's better at reading him than most people.

R = Remember

His favourite moments are whenever Tyler is just unapologetically sweet and sappy with him. Makes him forget how mean he used to be :>

S = Security

Way more chill than Tyler, he trusts him to take care of himself, but sometimes he thinks about Tyler stuck on the tree...bleeding out...his organs torn to shreds... and he worries about him 🫠

T = Try

Of course he tries. He's trying so hard. To be brave. To love him unconditionally. To forgive him. He just needs time...hopefully.

U = Ugly Habit

Kind of a grudge holder and he's one of those people who will be kinda salty after you apologize for smth even tho he accepted the apology. Passive aggressive ngl. Tyler is always "..." whenever Logan is annoyed with him even tho he prolly deserves it 🤡

V = Vanity

He doesn't *not* care about his appearance but he doesn't care a loooot. Was raised to be well-groomed so he is very clean and proper but fashion-wise he's kinda...y'all know 😔 (he can look like a nerd and still be fashionable BUT he isn't just look at him 😭)

W = Whole

They got that trauma bond so no, not really, he wouldn't feel "whole" without Tyler. But I think he would be able to move on at some point.

X = Xtra

Very serious about learning Spanish! Tyler's kinda "...bro I don't even know it that well" about it but Logan wants to make an effort. He's really smart including in languages so eventually he starts speaking more proper Spanish than Tyler (but with a horrible accent) which Ty's just dead over. He can have a full on convo with Marianna and everything.

Y = Yuck

HATEEEES how protective Tyler is. Like he understands where he's coming from but OMFG he feels SO infantilized by it sometimes. And also Tyler is constantly trying to help him and Logan just feels like Ty doesn't trust him to do things by himself. He hates people who let their anger control them too, if Tyler is mad he will just walk away from the argument and hang out in his room.

Z = ZZZ

Looks like an absolute angel while sleeping, it's ridiculous. He just looks so goddamn peaceful and serene, Tyler is just "?!!?!?" and wants to combust 🫠

Tyler Hernández

A = Affection

His way of showing affection is like. Annoying. He's that kind of guy who shows his care by teasing the crap out of you 🤡👌🏽 Logan was kinda intimidated at first but now he's like. So over him because he knows his bf is dumb. He understands the chalequeo.

B = Best Friend

He your RIDE OR DIE FR. Omg...THAT WASNT ON PURPOSE, I just meant that he's really loyal even though he's kind of a "tough love" kind of guy 😭 would tell you if your bf sucked ngl

C = Cuddles

Secretly wants to hug Logan all the time. Logan is very soft and he just kinda...melts when they cuddle. Like its a guaranteed way to relax him, and lord knows he needs to relax.

D = Domestic

King of household chores. Compulsive cleaner. Cooks AND does the laundry. He cannot sit still for five seconds help him 🤡 It would take him a LONG time to be comfy not living with his mom or sister (I think Taylor would move out first) so there might be like. A small period where he and Logan live with Marianna.

E = Ending

He's kinda...reluctant to ever break up with anybody, especially Logan. If he did it'd be like, more on accident after losing his temper, like Logan saying maybe he should leave and Tyler saying he will or whatever. He'd regret it ofc 🤡

F = Fiancé

Oh, he was really surprised when Logan asked him. And happy :). He had gen never thought about it cuz he was so stressed lmao but he was real excited and also lowkey terrified 🫠

G = Gentle

Verbally he's pretty harsh, that's just how he is. But physically, besides the occasional arm/shoulder tug, he's very careful with his loved ones <3 sometimes when he's sad he holds Logans cheeks or rests his head on his lap.

H = Hugs

Ohhhh he loves hugging. If he could, he'd be hugging Logan constantly 😭 his hugs are REALLY long and he kinda does that like. Swaying motion. Also lifts Logan off his feet. Literally shoves his face into his shoulder.

I = I love you

He needs to be really sure of his feelings to say it, and even then he usually says it very quietly or when he thinks Logan won't notice. For some reason has an easier time saying it in Spanish (he just like me fr)

J = Jealousy

Yeaaaaahhhh...worse than Logan. Hate watches people who be getting touchy with Logan :) you know he would get salty/sassy about it he's just Like That TM. And Logan is not putting up with that haha.

K = Kisses

Awkward and makes it way more tense than it needs to be smh. If he's kissing him on the mouth he gets really nervous and squeezes his eyes shut and just HOVERS there waiting for Logan to close the gap 💀 Kisses the top of his head a lot so Logan can't see him blushing cuz he's a loser.

L = Little Ones

Like a beleaguered babysitter. He finds kids annoying and he can be a little Itty bitty bit mean to them sometimes but he's like that annoying older cousin you had that you liked to play with because they were Real with you. Hair ruffler.

M = Mornings

Wakes up right with his alarm and gets straight to work. He goes jogging and does stretches, then comes back home to make breakfast. Logan sleeps through it all help

N = Nights

He goes to bed at like 9pm because he's a dork lmao and he gets tired 🤡 That doesn't mean he'll fall asleep tho! He's super restless and will be tossing and turning and sometimes Logan will spoon him so he'll sit still and relax for a second-

O = Open

...No 💀 HELP NONE OF THESE KIDS ARE OPEN FFS- 😭 naaaah he doesn't feel like telling people his "sob story" or whatever and he doesn't really like talking about it 🫠 He mentions things offhandedly to Logan, who...understands and doesn't ask.

P = Patience

Whatever he loses his temper easy, big deal. Consistently annoyed at the world, and who can blame him? World kinda sucks 🤡 he's been working on not losing his cool so quickly because Logan just doesn't like being around angry people.

Q = Quizzes

He is a detail-oriented guy with a good memory, not to mention being well organized, so he has a space for "important Logan info" that he thinks might be useful at some point. Not at Aiden's level tho (fortunately 🤡)

R = Remember

When Logan confessed, because he was just so...I'm tryna think of the right word here omg. Like, in awe? That this guy he's been crushing on and was honestly not that nice to liked him BACK? And they were so earnest and genuine about it and he was just???? Help???

S = Security

Tyler is overprotective of Logan the same way he's overprotective with all the people he cares (a lot) about. He will put himself in front of him in dangerous situations, remove him from situations if *he* thinks they're dangerous...can get kinda annoying about it...

T = Try

Tyler puts 110% of himself in anything he cares about so yes, he is trying very hard in this relationship. He is very meticulous about helping Logan out whenever possible, planning outings/dates, controlling himself around him, etc etc. Trying to get Logan's forgiveness

U = Ugly

He is overprotective and sometimes doesn't let Logan handle things by himself when Logan totally could. The aforementioned anger issues are also a problem :/ Also can be kinda brash and won't...filter his thoughts before hand when he probably should.

V = Vanity

About as concerned as the average teenage boy is. That is to say, very little- (helpppp I know this isn't the case for everybody LOL). He literally still matches outfits with his sister I don't think he cares about his own style too much LMAO

W = Whole

Nahhhh all of them got that trauma bond for life and would feel incomplete with out each other. I think he'd take it a lot worse than Logan too.

X = Xtra

Sometimes they go to church together as deeply repressed Catholic boys with religious trauma. Tyler thinks he'll go to Hell whenever they kiss but he's gonna do it anyways 😔

Y = Yuck

He doesn't really like, how do I say this, like. "Vapid" people I guess (this is just how he views some people tho). Like for example before knowing him better he thought Aiden was a really shallow person. So he'd never date anybody who he thought had nothing going on under the surface. Needs the relationship to be serious, like, he doesn't want anything casual.

Z = ZZZ

He has bruxism and like, scratches his throat while sleeping (not with his hands like, the swallowing thingy you do) (cuz he just like me fr), and he is literally so loud it will wake Logan up at night even tho he's a deep sleeper 😭

[deleahtarte]

hiii waaaaughh OKAY so i just finished reading the newest update to your omegaverse fic and like!! i had spent since yesterday kicking my feet and giggling bc i had read half of it before my 6am dr appt okay?? like i woke up at 4am to read my beloveds, i just adore this story of yours sooo muchh. and then i finished it RN AND HSJAHGHJKSHJS my tummy hurts and i feel so devastated. damn.. what da hell.. and like! LOL hahaha umm wtf @ myself bc i KNOW things are gonna end good (they have to) and stankyle will actually be together fr and know just how in love and cherished the other is to them so theres no reason to feel this sad but it also makes me feel really happy bc.. (damn butters was right -_-) i've felt so empty/depressed for a long while now to where not even stanky could pull me out of that dark pit. i've been feeling a little better just recently and so i wanted to try reading fic again and i just happened to see your email notif and it was like ❤️ a sign. and idk i'm just very thankful your writing, stanky, PREGNANT KYLE, gives me so much emotion flowing through my body again 🤧 thank you so much!! i wanted to write you here since sorry if this is kinda like dumping things onto you, but you dont have to respond! i just really wanted to thank you for everything you do for us readers and i hope you know it means so much to us 🙇‍♀️ hopefully i can leave a much more coherent/less weird comment soon lmao ouughhh theres SOME STUFFF I NEED 2 SAY/THANK YOU ABOUT TOOOOO 💙💚 thank you again, and please take care🫶

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Coming all the way here to send me such kind words is 🤍💕💗💛 I’m sorry you haven’t been feeling so well but I’m glad my fic uplifted you a little!! That’s why I work and release all my fics because I know how art can really help be a momentary escape from our everyday lives and I think everyone should have something like that!! And I am very happy to be one for you!! You didn’t dump anything to me at all and I love, LOVE reading peoples thoughts and comments about my works—makes it worth it every time!! I hope YOU have an incredible day and please take care as well!!

[bonnvivre]

A Funny Thing- Ch 22 word dump

shortening the title cus it’s a pain to write over and over, full title in the tags, link to chapter below cut (as if ppl other than the author themselves will look at this but hey)

very much a word dump i have no idea what’s going on below this cut it’s 4am im tired

————————————————

i read every single chapter out loud to myself- i like to pretend i’m an english teacher reading the assigned story of the quarter to their students and then i give an oscar worthy performance with the dialogue

ALSO GOSUKU TAG HAS BEEN ADDED FOLKS WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

yeah dr sato as you should lmao honestly i’d dedicate my entire work hours to these two mfs

“After all, she has a feeling their story is still far from over. Who knows what else may be lurking beneath the surface.” girl this is 16 yrs of LORE of course it’s not over 😭 they got BAGGAGE

4 yrs old, born 2007, we’re at 2011 now, gojo is around 22 yrs old (note for me)

OH RIGHT YUUJI WAS MANIFESTED THRU MAGIC LMAO OFC HE DOESNT HAVE DOCUMENTS

“Yuuji doesn’t have a last name.” A

oh my gkd giggling sukuna having beef w the cheater, got into indoor cycling just to best her love that for him 

also love chismosa ‘kuna, telling gojo abt the tea, kettle and all, even giving him a real time show 

“In a feat of superhuman strength-“ LMAO

god im cryimg are those full coherent sentences ??? OJ GODKM GONSN FCRUY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YUUJIIIIIIIIIII a hundred billions hours oh ur so silly

teehee their son, our son, such subtle changes in the writing but it says so much 🥹

AWHSGAFAHAGDIS I KNEW HE WAS GONNA GET THE ITADORI SURNAME IM SO HAPPY FOR WASUKE HE DESERVES HIS SURNAME TAKEN BY HIS GRANDSON OH THE JOY 

god im sorry i just bursted out laughing while i was reading i couldnt help but think of the memes WHAHSDJ dad i frew up 

damn he didn’t return the handshake that’s actually so crazy

YUUJI THROWS UP ON HIS DESK OH SHITTF AAAAAAAA DESERVED SCREW YOU PRINCIPAL IVE BEEN GIVING A SINISTER BRITISH ACCENT TO

i initially thought it was mainly about sukuna’s “tattoos” that the first two schools were wary about, but i forget that, to others, they’re a queer family and definitely back then, it still wasn’t socially accepted. not sure why it didn’t cross my mind, especially with a conservative country like japan, but i’m glad there’s some light to it as a part of the challenges they go through while navigating their relationship and their lives.

HELLO WE’RE NOT JUSY GONNA BRUSH OVER THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A SECOND TIME THEY KISSED WITHIN THOSE 4 YEARS WTF DID I FORGET THIS ???? (after chapter note: OK COOL I WASNT FORGETTING THINGS LMAO oh please i gotta see what this infamous incident may be pleaseeeeeeee)

oooooooh the romance is really slow cooking goodness my favorite om nom nomnomnom

ohhhhhh my heart….what are you doing to me, weiserr……wholesome cute family moment…….my cause of death indeed

AWWWW AN ADMINISTRATIVE BODY THAT ACTUALLY CARES FOR THEIR STUDENTS’S WELL BEINGS LETS GOOOOOOO

after chapter thoughts:

MY MOM HAS A PELOTON BIKE TOO AHAHAHAHA LOVE MORE OF ‘KUNA IN HIS MOM ERA

imagine if they came across toji dropping off megumi at school or smth (yknow if mamaguro is still alive and their lives are good), i cant even imagine the animosity gojo and sukuna would have towards him

“heyyyy guys sorry i tried to kill you and your son back then crazy times huh”

his new friend is junpei bet (watch me be wrong)

[irregularjohnnywiggins]

Been thinking about the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen again, and it's 4am where I am, so you all know what time it is:

Johnny's Random LXG Thought of the Indeterminate Timespan

It's notable that, of the main characters of the first few volumes of League, the character I hear the least complaints about is Nemo (discounting the issues with his daughter here - yes, Janni isn't a Hindi name as far as I can tell, yes, Alan Moore still has not encountered a woman character he can't insert a sexual assault storyline into, these are known.)

It's also notable that, at least going by Moore's own words in interviews and the like around League, Nemo is the character that Moore and O'Neill were most willing to combine their own creativity with the source material in regards to (which also gave us the single raddest thing in League, namely the Nautilus itself and also that time it fought a load of Tripods.)

It may be notable that in the superhero teamup that the first League volume was satirising, Nemo is clearly the Batman, but I do not have the coherence to conjugate that thought at this hour.

[nerdieforpedro]

Weekend Update - 12/24/2023 Christmas Eve

Hey Nerdie! You’ve got some bags there.

I do both under my eyes and Din finally let me look through the ones he’s been using. It’s….Mandalorians are wild.

I feel like they’re not Nerdie, at least not how you’re thinking. Should we even ask?

Has to do with what I’ve written this week:

Weddings 101 with Dieter - chapter 3 came out this week. There was a fight that I still giggle about. There will be more, I’m loving the beef between Dieter and Oscar. There had to be some type of fight in the rom-com. 🤭 There was also cloud smut? I don’t know how else to put it. Ya’ll read it and tell me what it was.

Sard’ika Sessions - In Session Four Din put together something in the reader’s house. They may use it again. Liberties are taken with the Creed and Mandalorian culture though not too crazy. (That might be for an epilogue.) I’d like to thank everyone who’s been reading since Session one (we’ve come so far from thigh-riding) and are now on the latter end where our Session partners are exploring each other but communication as well. It was really sweet to read people’s comments and see that they picked up on how well they communicate with each other while indulging in their sexual appetites. I’d like to think it’s come across how I planned it originally when I scribbled all of this in my notebook at 4am when I couldn’t sleep in November after Thanksgiving of all things. We’ll see how things continue to progress.

I have a poll up for “Weddings 101 with Dieter” to determine what might go into chapter four. I’m enjoying everyone’s comments and options on what should happen with both Dieter/Maya and Dieter vs. Oscar. Click the link above to vote and have your suggestions added. I’ll announce the results and the most voted will be put in. I’ll likely add some of the other suggestions because I like them so much. ☺️

Remember Frankie~ (I read something new and caught up on a few things. Some of which weren’t even related to our favorite pilot. My mind went deep into smut. As a warning, don’t read while multi-tasking! Though I take it as a point of pride to have someone forget their name while on a call. 😉) They knew who they are. 😎 Love ya! ❤️

Nerdie’s Bedtime Stories (Might be a new series for weirdness I think up and might read to someone. This was a Christmas Carol featuring some of the Pedro boys. A Feral Carol as @maggiemayhemnj called it.) @undercoverpena and @morallyinept encouraged me. 🤣

You put a lot of thought into what you write. We really thought it was only the non-smut stuff you thought hard on. You’ve indicated you have trouble with that before.

It’s not so much I have trouble with it. I’m used to doing one-shots and exclusivity writing smut before I joined back up on Tumblr. I’m branching out and trying all sorts of smut and actual storylines (when I can make it coherent to anyone but myself) in my writing now. Even comedy with Dieter though I like to put little jokes in most of my writing.

Ah, so you’re learning as you go on as we all do. Fair. Any current WIPs you’re trying to finish up before 2023 is out?

Well, I have a Pickled Peña to finish. Everyone’s welcome to join in and write about our favorite DEA agent Javier Peña. Everyone who’s participating will post on January 1st and tag their work with the “pickled peña” tag.

I’m also participating in the PMAMC 2024 which is in mid-January. I decided to challenge myself with not only writing about pegging but also writing with a character I’ve only written for once and in his historical setting, because past Nerdie who accepted this was feeling ambitious. 😗 Present Nerdie wonders what was she thinking. 🧐 She also has to review her notes on what may have been used to facilitate pegging during the time period, there’s a long note I have on it. It should be mostly historically accurate, I guess, because that’s what matters. 👀 In pegging - the historical aspect. 😒

I have two Robbie Reyes asks to work on as well as one smut piece I wanted to do for him and one actual story.

There are three Joel pieces that I wanted to write, one will be tabled until next Christmas. I don’t think I’ll finish it by tomorrow. The second was a post outbreak one, I’ve only written post outbreak once so I want to see if it will be a one short or series. The third one might be finished. I need to edit it.

Anything else will likely be tabled until 2024 because I either don’t have ideas for it or I want to wait until I feel good about writing it. 😊

Any last remarks?

I’d like to thank any and all of my beta readers: @avastrasposts @musings-of-a-rose @frenchiereading @theywhowriteandknowthings @megamindsecretlair @pedrodascal @iamasaddie @fhatbhabie and @morallyinept @legendary-pink-dot

Ya’ll saw all the typos, swapped countries and off beat plot points. 😗

Also @linzels-blog don’t worry The Creed is fine. Mostly I believe. Like it will all work out. 😉

I usually add fics I’ve read this week but I’m going to organize them and put them in another fic rec post because I have them saved there already. 😎

The above wallpaper was made by @xxhypersomnia who did two sets of awesome retro Javier Peña edits on her page. 🥰 She even tagged me in the second one which I have to look at later when I’m home.

[syn4k]

Hello I would like to hear you ramble. What’s on your mind?

I care about you so much thank you for doing this one little thing. you are genuinely one of the sweetest people in our life right now and i do not thank you enough for it

i'm thinking about how some of my favorite characters would act while sleepy

naturally of course this means My Usual Set Of Blorbos but ok. let me explain further.

if you fall asleep next to or generally nearby someone, that generally belies that you trust them to not hurt or kill you while you're at your most vulnerable. also a person can be guessed on how generally uptight/anxious they are by how quickly they can get to sleep, with obvious differences and caveats to this of course

some very quick notes on this feat. some of the guys we often have thoughts about

xisuma generally just doesn't have any serious feuds or enemies. like he's just not the sort of guy to start something serious with someone and especially not if they'd like, fuckin' murk him over it while in close proximity (the EX arc in s8 is an outlier here but i might discuss that later. might not. dont have many coherent thoughts on this. idk)

we have held for a while, though, that he Does often stay up late working (paperwork is no joke! it fucking sucks!) and so often falls asleep in random places, like at the table while working or even while standing up a few times in the kitchen. he's just the sort of guy who can do that but also it just sucks like imagine waking up and oh my god how long have i been standing here my legs HURT christ above i didn't even pause my music jeez!

one time doc walked in on him in the "asleep standing up in the kitchen" state at like 4am because doc doesn't sleep being a creeper hybrid and just. carried him to the couch and dropped him off there. doc is one of the only people who can do that sort of thing because he's just built like that physically btw. i like to think that x still has no idea how that happened to this day

(Hmngh,) Pibble Riffs

i think s2 pix also stays up late working but since he also gets a lot of naps during the day this doesn't matter. his sleep schedule is just eternally fucked and he's accepted this. the emperors get a lot of messages sent at 4am from him, but they all know this man is just Like That and don't worry about it too bad

archeologist pix can sleep Anywhere. i mean anywhere. he holds that the ground is actually hella comfortable if you're used to it and he's also been spotted just sleeping on solid rocks in the middle of caves in a place where no mobs can reach him

s1 pix has anxiety and only sleeps during the day due to Desert so usually the nonhuman emperors are on standby to drop by if he has like. an anxiety attack at 2:30 AM or whatever.

jimmy, opening his door: i brought blankets and chocolate pix, curled up in bed in a fetal position: [mumbled] thanks jimmy, pull up a chair: the horrors again? pix: yeah jimmy: you realize you can't eat chocolate lying down right pix, sighing and sitting up: i know

many thoughts. this ramble was sponsored by My Nickname Isn't Sleepy Boy For No Reason, Y'all

[solarmidnight]

I think I understand Mikasa's choice now.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF ATTACK ON TITAN. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Some of you are gonna call me dumb for not figuring this out sooner. So be it.

So I reread the final volume again, trying to figure out why Mikasa's choice confused me. Initially, I hadn't even thought she'd been given any other choice. The story was pushing her heavily to kill Eren when she didn't want to, then it felt like a switch flipped and she decided that's exactly what she was going to do.

But as it turns out, she's Ymir Fritz's parallel.

There's a panel in the manga where Ymir kneels and comforts her daughters after King Fritz was murdered by the spear, essentially an "alternative ending" where she made a choice and stood her ground, choosing to live rather than sacrifice herself.

If Ymir had chosen not to lunge in front of that spear, there would be no more titans after her. She would have continued on, lived a longish life, and died without passing down her powers. Yes, Marley might have subjugated the Eldians, but they wouldn't have been "Eldians" as we know them to be. A lot of them might have been able to escape and blend into society. And, of course, Ymir's children would never have known the horror of having to eat their mother's corpse.

It's the correct choice.

Ymir ultimately chose wrong; she chose her misguided, underdeveloped sense of "love" for King Fritz. Also, her love for King Fritz is likely a connection born from having little to no affection whatsoever. All of her family was killed off when she was a little girl, it's highly unlikely that she truly remembers what it was like to be properly cared for. She lived her life trying to prove her use, picking up scraps of "affection" whenever it was discarded at her feet. It's not true love, but I guess there's just no good way of describing what it is.

Ymir's backstory is the lie that Eren feeds Mikasa about her own love, trying to tear her connection to him apart so that she can kill him when the time comes. He calls Mikasa a slave who was bound to him through her connection as an Ackerman (basically, mini sentient titans) and that she has no free will of her own and will throw her life away for him.

Mikasa is faced with the choice of not killing Eren. Not doing so means the remaining 20% of humanity outside Paradis is murdered. Letting Eren live leads to a fate far worse than if she allows him to die.

She comes to the same crossroads that Ymir arrived at 2000 years earlier. Let him live and doom humanity, or kill him and save it. Though it brings Mikasa great pain, she ends Eren's life, taking out the titan powers along with him.

Though personally I think the fact that Eren could not see past himself and into the future as foreshadowing Mikasa's choice; if the Attack Titan could see into the future, and Eren won, there would have been another inheritor of his titan. He would have been able to see the outcome of his choices, but he couldn't. The line ended with him.

----

Sorry if this was a mess, this is my 4AM epiphany written down with no real editing or coherency. Like I said, I just reread the volume and suddenly this angle made the most sense to me, and allowed me to view the ending in an entirely different light.

[joemuggs]

Fucking Hell, 2024, Fucking Hell

Well it really has been a fucking year hasn’t it.

Even leaving aside the background of Fascism, genocide, climate ruination, idiot oligarchs and enshittification, personally it’s been a tough one. Put it this way: having three bereavements fall within a couple of weeks of me turning 50 was intense, but it didn’t feel out of place for 2024. It was the sort of year when getting my (emphatic) ADHD diagnosis felt like something to celebrate. Life has pretty much continued dropping anvils on me week-in-week out, and so I’ve stumbled from disaster to disaster more or less in a state of concussion, with next to zero chance to take stock or even take a breath and look around. 

Which is why I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated the Christmas break more, and why I’m doing this. I don’t normally do end of year recollection things – I’d usually rather eat a box of pins than interrupt my holiday time, in fact – but I’m abnormally introspective right now, and also, bizarrely given the chaotic year it’s been, abnormally proud of what I’ve done and what I have coming up. Even more bizarrely there seems to have been some coherence to it all. But maybe it’s not so bizarre, maybe it’s because in between all the demands of capital-L LIFE I’ve had to knuckle down, make hard decisions and commit to doing stuff that keeps me sane / engaged / motivated / with eyes on the prize etc… Chasing that dopamine, but also old enough and ugly enough to know what’s irrelevant.

First up, I have kind of become the DJ I wanted to be. I’ve been getting better year by year, but since buying the Midlife Crisis Soundsystem PA rig a couple of years ago, I’ve got to the point where I feel properly confident in my abilities, regardless of the setting… I feel professional, even. I’ve had some really great moments playing far out or very groovy stuff: one weekend in Bristol in particular was gorgeous – an evening in the sweltering basement of Cafe Kino playing deep drones and cosmic vistas to warm up for the live performers at Tudor Acid’s Electro Cafe, followed by next afternoon out on the canalside terrace of Motion playing all sorts of grooves “B2B” with Charlie Stoic for a Balearic Burger party - recorded here. 

Getting to play a dinnertime ambient dub set at Tallinn’s incredible HALL was something else too… but easily the peak moment of the year behind the decks was at We Out Here festival. I kicked off with Sinead O’Connor, went into Monolake, Coltrane (both), Dvořák, Sade, Tunng and eventually dropped Gilli Smyth’s entirely tripped-out radiophonic folk tale “Taleisin”. At which point, two young women appeared at the tent door, nodded appreciatively, did a very good and committed interpretive dance routine for the whole nine-minute duration, bowed flamboyantly to enthusiastic applause from the tent and skipped off into the night while I rubbed my eyes and went “what the fuck?”. From there on in, the dreaminess only intensified, and the rest of the set passed in a sate of slightly hysterical bliss. You can get a hint of the vibe from my ROVR radio shows which have been another point of happy focus this year.

But it’s not just been about the weird and quote-unquote credible gigs. Far from it. Ever since getting the PA rig, I’ve tried to make the money back by doing commercial sets locally out here in the New Forest, and that’s been at worst an education and at best a blast. It’s now picking up to the point I’ve got four gigs over the Xmas holidays, of the three so far only the first was a bit boring and the other two – teenagers giving it loads to Calvin Harris / Chase & Status / Chapel Roan / “Firework” / “I Predict a Riot”, and a cocktail bar very much enjoying Prince, The Meters, Blondie and so on on Christmas eve – have got me very much looking forwards to New Year’s Eve at a hotel down the road. 

And though Christmas discos for hire in a shires town and 4am at We Out Here are definitely a long way apart, they’re not completely separate worlds. There’ve been lots of zones in between the two. Big shouts must go out to my friends Keith and Fiona who’ve been getting their L8R 90s dance parties going locally: their tastes might veer a little further into the reach-for-the-lasers euphoria than mine, but we really found a sweet spot where I can either warm up with my house records (see this set recorded live in a village hall!) or speed them up while Keith slows his trance and hard house down to meet in the middle for a B2B as with the outdoor afternoon party we did in Christchurch in the summer which went OFF. I’ve also got out to do more in Bournemouth, warming up for Justin Robertson at Aural Agenda, and doing a lovely set of lovers’ rock, Depth Charge and suchlike with my friend Patrick for the fantastic Bad Hand Coffee / Eats’n’Beats Christmas market, which – like the primary school food fair where I found the exact sweet spot between Balearic aesthetics and Radio 2 – was the epitome of something I wrote about here back in 2022… 

In my day job, there were a ton of big things. The fabric book coming out this month dominated everything of course – it both buoyed me up during a time of total exhaustion and kept me too busy to think right to the end of the working year. Some other big highlights, though, came courtesy of Disco Pogo – I’ve got two hefty essays in their immense Aphex Twin anthology which came out just a week after the fabric book, and also I did their Sade cover feature earlier in the year, which came out as one of the most satisfying things I’ve written in a while, joining a whole lot of historical dots and even getting the warm approval of members of Sade (though I’m yet to find out of Sade herself has read it). This guide to psychedelic rave for The SHFL was a wonderful rabbit hole to go down too, and I even tied my DJing in by doing this live mix inspired by the writing of it. This profile of PENG Records and Andy Compton was a joy to do too – one of the most under-appreciated musicians in the UK deserves a big showcase like this, and there’s so much incredible music in it.

Yes, it’s notable that those are all pretty much historical / retrospective pieces, but I managed to stay vaguely away from pigeonholing as a “rave boomer” (© Eamonn Forde) with the normal week-in-week out work of reviewing lots and lots of new records for Bandcamp Daily and theartsdesk (and PLEASE NOTE we are trying to keep theartsdesk afloat, it's a hard grind, but if you can help then do), and doing interviews and playlist features for Sound of Life (it kept me talking to interesting people like Juls, and this essay about the Grammys was a fun diversion especially). And somehow, somewhere in among all this, I did indeed manage to find some coherence. Through all the writing and the DJing – and even through the harsh life events of the year – I managed to find connecting threads that were all in some way or another related to community. Whether it’s family funerals or DJing at a 16th birthday party, tracing the spiritual jazz connections of We Out Here festival or observing my own kids’ fandoms around gaming and EDM, reviewing new records or tracing grand narratives, everything kept coming back to the little things that hold us together, and which matter all the more in the face of chaos, darkness and forces that would have us splintered and atomised. These little things aren’t just clicking “like” on the same records or poltical slogans, they’re who we are with and how we interact with them over years.

A lot of things helped to throw this into relief. Doing three lectures for music and music industry students at BIMM Bristol forced me to clarify my thinking on the nature of subculture, the purpose of writing and commentary, the structures of our social networks and suchlike. The long interviews for Bass, Mids, Tops and the Rest have always been about how micro life details accumulate into bigger cultural shapes – Brian’s incredible photographic portraits bringing you closer to the real people involved – and the conversations I had this year all helped, especially with our old mucker Jude Rogers. Re-reading Jude’s The Sound of Being Human then having our conversation about provincial towns and indie clubs was galvanising, as was constant inspiration from the works and social media presence of Elijah Butterz, Emma Warren, Jamz Supernova, Colleen and Adam from The London Loft, Errol & Alex from Touching Bass and John Bawcombe and friends from the Balearic Burger community. 

A huge shout, too, to Craig Hamilton – whose Harkive project recording what people actually listen to and how has long been an inspiration – for listening to me ramble about some ideas on this topic, and by the end of a 20 minute phonecall perfectly condensing it into “OK so you want to do _______, and this will be of value to ______, ______, ______ and ______” – and to Sara Kenny and Ben Bashford who have likewise been constant sounding boards. (Thanks, too, to Craig and his band for the best Wet Leg cover version you will ever hear). Also once, just once, I tried using an AI chat service as a sounding board too, and stone me if it didn’t condense something neat too: when I asked it about my work it said a lot of stuff I knew well because it had harvested from my own self-PR over the years, but it also said this, which is beautifully put and captures a thing that matters.

So yeah, not to self-aggrandise but I did a lot, and best of all, more than ever I feel kind of purposeful going into 2025. It’s a weird position to be in being more uncertain and anxious than ever before, but also feeling like I know what I have to do, both to keep making a living and to face that uncertainty and anxiety head on (hopefully including some new meds!). It’s going to involve more teaching gigs for sure, some fun projects I can’t talk about yet, more opportunities to amplify the people who are doing the work on the ground, a whole lot of spreadsheets, minimal recourse to AI, some decent DJ gigs, and – hopes and prayers for Joe, please – a little bit more rest than in 2024. Because honestly, I am very fucking tired, and doubly so just looking at all this written down. I have no big conclusion or moral to the tale, except to say that even in the darkest of times there can be moments of respite and those little tokens of communal belonging… and when you find them grab them with both hands and don’t let them go.

[silly-furbies-and-homestuck]

Hey, if you’re going to label yourself as a furby blog you should consider tagging your posts or putting a warning in your profile or something if you’re going to reblog triggering content. We were mutuals and it was a really unpleasant surprise to get ED and SH content on my dash because I followed you back for furby content. Plus your blog comes up when people search “furby” because of your blog title. I genuinely hope you’re okay but this could also harm other people who followed you for furby

IM SORRY IM SO SO SORRY!! not only u but others who might have been triggered.. i deleted the triggering things now.. sorry im kinda doing bad rn i wanna keep my furby/homestuck/(other fandoms) mutuals but also literally want to post/reblog the most triggering things ever sorry if im wording things badly im typing this up at 4am

ill probably make a separate blog for triggering shit and all that but won't link it on this

IM SO SORRY BTW. IM SORRY.

kinda feel bad (feel terribly sorry prob wont be able to sleep tn) that i caused u to feel uncomfortable i seriously forgot that ppl can see my reblogs.. same goes for others who seen my posts reblog things that triggering like i reblog it when not thinking it triggers other..

i can feel my ability to write coherent texts fading as im writing ths

tldr: im sorry if ur got trigger by my reblogd posting, i deleted, ill post more furby and homestuck and reblog non triggering random postings thing

[zomboivex]

After VCing about it with some friends on discord (iykyk), I think he settled on the fact that Lyca doesn’t have pink eyes because he never had (full) humanity to lose. He’s always been part werewolf.

In the instances of the others-

Dante - was ‘killed’ (loss of humanity potential, as we don’t know all the details but Alan seems very convo Ned he was at least dead)

Edward - a vampire (he has the bite marks so he was turned into one- loss of humanity)

Zenji - ghost (died. loss of humanity)

Jiro - coma (heavily implied he temp died or was reanimated. loss of humanity potential)

Rui - reapers curse (loss of humanity. Darkwick does not consider him human, at this point)

MC - cursed (will turn into the thing that cursed her - loss of humanity)

Towa - ??? (We aren’t sure yet but I would not be surprised if it involved either losing his humanity fully or something involving death or almost dying etc. guess we’ll find out. He’s sort of the unknown element).

Lyca doesn’t fit in with the theme because he hasn’t experienced a ‘loss’. Hence why his eyes are not red or pink (or some shade of).

Now to address these two;

Romeo. The game describes his eyes as amethyst in color. Additionally, they’re not red or pink. Not in the same way/shade as the others mentioned. He could have something else entirely going on with him.

Taiga. I don’t think he’s lost his ‘humanity’ (or experienced death or death adjacent things) in the way the others listed above have. I think his whole thing is unrelated. (Tbh I have a few thoughts on what’s going on but nothing to back it up- namely he’s going insane either from anomalous consumption OR if the time loop thing is correct and he’s able to know of it, he could just be going insane from that). But he doesn’t fit the theme, in my eyes. Nothing has pointed him to be of that variety.

As for a few others-

Haru- we’ve yet to see his eyes. I would not be surprised if they were to ever be revealed that they are pink or red (but also I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re simply never revealed to us). And it may have to do with his arm- whatever is going on with that.

Haku - again, he doesn’t fit the theme of ‘loss of humanity’. Maybe loss of confidence /hj. He definitely has unique eyes, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if it played into something in the future.

Hyde - his eyes are covered. I don’t think he’ll have pink or red eyes (I recall seeing, I think @danieyells post him without the blindfold and I recall them being bluish?) Unless they change that up- but I’m very doubtful. I think the blindfold is to indicate that he’s sort of shady. (Personally, I think he’s the ‘traitor’ taiga mentions. But what does ‘traitor’ even mean to taiga? Can we even trust him? He’s not exactly the most put together character).

As for the others not mentioned, (it’s 4am and I am running on 3 hours of sleep lol), they all seem to have pretty ‘normal’ eyes. Unless I’m missing someone? (Very possible).

Either way.

I think the theme is loss of humanity and/or death with their eyes.

I need to replay the prologue. But lol

That could be how they knew MC was cursed and why they incorrectly guessed she would die in 1 year.

Pink eyes = death related curses (but could just be loss of humanity).

I don’t think they purposely withheld information. I think Darkwick just got it wrong and/or did not want to listen to those who have more knowledge on the matter.

Took one look at her eyes and went “lol yup death touch”

Idk. This isn’t exactly like coherent, I’m sure.

These are just my lack of sleep ramblings while I keep myself distracted.

You know I find it odd-

Almost everyone who has their humanity in question in one way or another has link or red eyes. Except Lyca.

Dante (pinkish eyes) - was supposedly killed by Alan

Towa (pink eyes with the black pupil slit) - ????

Zenji (red) - ghost

Edward (red) - vampire

Rui (‘pale ruby’ as described by the game) - reaper curse

Jiro (red) - almost(????) dead (coma-type situation)

Sure, Romeo has purple/red eyes. There’s also whatever is going on with Taiga (who has like very yellow/green eyes). And Haru’s are closed.

And I believe it was stated that MC has pink eyes (she is cursed).

I wonder if there’s- a connection here?

It’s just odd that a lot of them have red or pink eyes and a lot of the ones with those eyes have their humanity put into question more so than the other ghouls.

The only one that doesn’t fit in is Lyca.

I’m probably reaching but the thought has been bugging me for a while, now.

[berryunho]

pls i typed that ask at like 4am after the show i’m so surprised i got that many details bc half of the show feels like a blackout i literally ??? have videos of wooyoung that i don’t remember taking so when watching those i was like ah. wooyoung bias indeed i love him <3 AND LISTEN I GET WHAT UR SAYING but the loyal lifestyle just. isn’t for me. i’m loyal to atz only (not even) bc hj would k word me for LoOkInG aT oThEr OpPaS but. wooyoung. is a menace. he deserves the slander sometimes /lh

AND ! no one gets me the way san does bc WOOYOUNG’s hair is black when i wanted oreo but san did everything my delusional little brain manifested (aka wear the outfits i wanted him to) like ?? there is no way there won’t be an era of me having san as my bias </3 like listen.. i don’t wanna be delulu and stuff.. even tho i might be a little.. but a while ago i said i wanted san to wear sage green for a layout that i never even made.. n literally the next day he was on the radio or something wearing a green cardigan.. tell me he’s not meant to be my bias u literally can’t

also when i first started stanning atz it was wooyoung who pulled me in !! and weirdly i stayed loyal for a LONG time even when hongruella looked THAT fine during the last tour (literally. saw hongruella in the flesh on my bday. imagine. how did i stay loyal) but i always thought it was a bit weird?? bc i usually gravitate towards the introverts for literally any group/artist (tho i.. only stan atz rn.. oop hongjoong u better jot this down rn i am the most loyal atiny ever/j) so i thought it was a little bit out of order for me to like and stay loyal to THE extroverted social butterfly.. but then my bias line was completed with both infps aka my mbti.. and it suddenly made sense dhsjsh i just ! gravitate towards san a lil now AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THIS CONCERT he’s truly one of my fav comfort ppl like.. he said something and immediately after i was like WRITE THAT DOWN!!! and opened my notes app to write it down LMAO my friend was like wtf are u doing and i was like uh. comfort words??

last thing before i nap… san shyly dancing to cyberpunk for us again during the concert.. take my heart RN sir it’s literally! urs ! and thanks hwa for making that happen i died a lil

anyway i’m good and i hope you’re good as well <3 mwah mwah -san anon

HI !!!!

4am !!!!??$))(# wow you were quite coherent for 4am im also surprised LOL BUT THATS SO FAIR I GET IT ADJKFLASKJF its inevitable to jump around when you're a kpop stan like when 8 lovable men are presented to you .... why have only one bitch when you can have five ! KJLFDKSJAFSLJKDF

PLS THE MANIFESTING AKLDFJSKDFJ i love it i am a huge fan of being delulu i think life is too boring if you dont let yourself have a little joke around every once in a while AND BELIEVING THAT COINCIDENCES ARE MANIFESTATIONS.... IM HERE FOR IT !!!

eheheh i enjoy learning this lore about you san anon... i agree you are very strong for being loyal despite hongruella on your bday like .... thats crazy .... like i got my american ass on an airplane and flew to germany last may to see hongruella in the flesh .... in a completely loyal to yunho way of course ! JAKDJFSDFLJK BUT omg that actually is pretty interesting !!! id say yunho very much falls in line w my usual bias "type" lol but its funny bc that Type is just. the Opposite Of Me. BUT ANYWAYS hehe i get it ! all of them are just so ... <333 and literally why have i never thought of busting the notes app out that's actually so smart oh em gee ....

but ehehe san is so funny like how are we gonna be shy sir !!! after everything !!! hehe i hope your nap was good <3 im quite good ehehe a little bit nervous ........ but overall good hehe anything else exciting going on in your life san anon? hehe mwahhhh

[accursedvoid]

Me watching discourse over which twin is or isn’t the abuser or the victim: Y’all Lila Valeska and Zach are right there.

[dr-teatime]

@ghostchibi i keep making small tweaks back and forth but this is maybe probably the finished version ??

[generalluxun]

I might offer a slightly different take.

I haven't done the math as you have. It's 4am and I have insomnia. However, I think the *reason* and the *style* of cartoons might be shifting heavily, which will contribute to traditional fandom changing.

Shows used to be made for timeslots. You filled 20 min of airtime for 8 minutes of ads. You wanted a long running show to establish habit and familiarity to get the butts in the seats and eyeballs on that delicious ad revenue. Your 26 episode season wasn't 564 quality minutes. It was 564 habit forming minutes with plots stretched and animation reused to pad it all out at cost. Also tied to this was the style or merchandizing popularized by Star Wars way back in the 1980s. Money made on merch for long running franchises.

These shows still exist(Miraculous Ladybug for example) but a very different kind of show is also rising. The new show is meant to attract eyeballs and tell an entertaining story. It is supposed to generate buzz and excitement to pull someone to subscribe to a platform and last just long enough to make them forget about unsubbing(or find something else to nibble on) These shows don't want or need a long runtime. Any show loses watchers as it drags on, buzz has always heen the nature of the beast. So when tour revenue is attracting and retaining you don't want longevity you want variety. A handful of flash-in-the-pan series will make you more money than a couple monoliths.

You also save money rotating IPs because renewal always comes with an increase in brand value you have to pay for. Why bother?

One side effect of this is that we get a lot more shows that are just complete stories. A 1-3 season arc, plotted out, and done. There's far less padding and often a more coherent narrative. The goal isn't to stretch anything. I for one enjoy this. I've quite enjoyed some very satisfying if short stories told in animation lately.

However on a *fandom* note, this does shrink the space. There's the meme that says a bad show you ignore, a good show you run out of praise for, but a mediocre show is where the brain worms set in. I think this does hold true.

The older style of drawn out and under utilized narratives left huge spaces for fans to move in and play around. The dropped plot threads gave them plenty to pick up. Fixit fics, salt fics, hurry up and get to the point fics, AIs, redesigns, etc. Those shows left so much on the table. The newer more coherent ones don't leave as much room. You can watch it, enjoy it, and be done with it.

Longer runtimes also allowed fandom biomes to develop. You had more years to have new fans, older fans, fanon lore, shipping wars, speculation, all the traditional trappings of fandom. Short runtime shows don't have time for the fermentation process to kick in. Similarly an 8 episode season might have a cleaner story hut it doesn't lay across your brain for 6 months a year like a 26 episode one.

Is this better? Worse? Mostly I think it is just different. It isn't as fandom conducive in the traditional sense, but that might just mean how we engage with fandom will have to adapt. I for one enjoy the rise of 'make a show to tell a story' style series I have seen. I'll take quality over quantity. I know others might feel differently, and that's fair. Preferences and desires vary wildly.

Tl;dr I don't think we have less good shows. I think we might have the same or more even in terms of quality narrative. But we do very much have less overall runtime. The two are just not the same thing.

We Are Getting Less Animation

I believe that the argument of “there aren’t (m)any good cartoons being made anymore” is all about comparisons. Most of my favorite cartoon shows are from the early 2000s, so I decided to check how large the pool for cartoons that started in 2000-2005 is, and Wikipedia lists 680 cartoon shows made during this period, so 113 shows per year, while the 2020s so far have 532 cartoon shows, which is 106 per year. That’s not a big difference, until we look at how many of these shows have more than one season. The 2000s gave us 337 shows with more than one season, 56 per year, while the 2020s have given us 163 shows with more than one season, 32 per year. Cartoons now are demonstrably shorter.

The lack of staying power, I feel, is a big contributor to most new animated shows going unnoticed. The small amount of canon content is a big contributor to why new cartoon shows have a harder time accumulating a fandom. The amount of shows that get to air for more than one season has been almost halved during the past decade, and I feel that is why people say “there are less good cartoons being made”. There is less to choose from when you want a show that 1) suits your tastes and 2) has more than a handful of episodes.

When discussing how much of a single show we’re getting, we also need to take into account how networks and streaming services have been cutting down the length of a season since the 2000s. Between 2000 and 2005, we got 534 shows with more than 20 episodes, so 89 per year, while in the 2020s we’ve gotten 291 shows with more than 20 episodes, so 58 per year. Unless there’s a big longform animated series boom within the next year, or a sudden upward spike in season length back to the 90s standard of 26, we can definitely say there’s less long-form animated content in the 2020s than there was in the early 2000s.

My assessment is that, while there aren't less cartoons being made necessarily, they are getting killed off faster, which is doubly so when we take into account how the length of a season has been cut. In a way, there really is less good cartoon content being made today than in the past, because the cartoons being made are themselves less.