#and also I have some more followers that could be interested in this

[ozzgin]

Imagine if there was a fanfic author who slowly amassed a following of monsters.

They’re just writing for a cool show they found on a definitely-not-illegal-site, could be x reader or a couple they like a lot.

The show was monster made, human didn’t think there was anything odd about it except that one human character that acted suspiciously like a commercial retail sailer. They thought it was kinda like a joke.

Monsters get more intrigued when they add a few human characters/ reader insert is human with details they thought were imaginative about humans. Offhandedly a commenter asks where they came up for such a cool understanding/headcannons for humans.

“Personal experience?”

“You’ve met a human?”

“Well, that’s just rude. I may write a lot but I do have somewhat of a social life”

Next day they wake up with so many comments and kudos they’re genuinely confused but also super happy.

(Also, imagine if they were roommates with the streamer reader 😂)

Human author who unknowingly ends up writing for a monster-only fandom.

It's been bothering you for too long: no one in your friend circle has ever heard of your current obsession. You've scoured the Internet, searching for any content regarding this mysterious show, to no avail. Thus, you've decided to write your own fanfiction.

You weren't expecting much. After all, it must be some obscure interest few people know about. Yet the very next day, after publishing your first piece, you awaken to hundreds of messages from intrigued and baffled users.

"This is so OOC. No human acts like that."

"Don't be rude," another account comments. "Maybe they're not familiar with human lore."

You scan the walls of text in utter confusion. What on Earth are they talking about? Have you been caught in some elaborate joke? Mildly irked by this bizarre humor, you decide to respond sarcastically:

"Right. Humans should refrain from writing about humans, noted."

Perhaps this mere observation has made matters even worse. Your notifications flood with new followers and strange inbox messages. Are you truly a human? Can you prove it? Will you be continuing the story?

Exasperated, you look for your roommate, showing them this unfolding absurdity. They stare at your screen, then flash you a pitiful smile.

Good luck getting out of this, they almost tell you. You can't just tempt monsters like that and expect them to get over it.

The unholy creatures have just found their new favorite pastime.

[rancidslime]

Hold on I'd actually love to talk about Archie comics and the forces behind Riverdale for a second because they're legitimately fascinating.

So, before we talk about why Riverdale's so bonkers, we gotta talk about Kevin Keller. Archie's cast and those of its spinoffs being thrown into Situations of wildly differing tone and periods is a time-honored classic of the series, but that started to mean more than just "here's a story about the gang finding out what kissing is in prehistoric times" after the successful introduction of Kevin in 2010. For those who may not know, Kevin was the first openly gay character in the Archie comics, and his release was kind of a huge deal - Archie had always been seen as this squeaky-clean symbol of (white) Americana, so something like that happening in the new 10's - to fucking Archie - was legitimately groundbreaking. (He's since been followed up with characters like Toni Topaz and Eliza Han, but Kev was the first.)

Remember, Archie is the kids' comic book in America, for better or worse. Superhero comics can vary wildly in tone and intended audience, but if a parent grabs their kid an Archie comic from the shelf at a grocery store, they basically know what they're getting and don't have to worry about someone's neck getting ripped out on-panel. Getting something like Kevin in the "safest" comic short of Family Circus was kind of a watershed moment.

(As an aside: some have pointed out that Kevin isn't a terribly interesting character, being something of a masc everyman All-American Boy™, but I would argue that that's basically all Archie is, and at a time where all the "gay representation" kids were getting were horrible caricatures of fem men as envisioned by straight people, whitebread masc guy Kevin is kind of exactly what the doctor ordered. I would go so far as to argue that presenting this gay teen as unquestionably part of the gang, slotting into Archie's idealized 50's aesthetics perfectly, was one of the best moves they could have made for the era and surrounding climate. This was a time when "Gay men are just as capable of performing masculinity as straight men" was a legitimately transgressive statement. I'm a Kevin apologist. A Kevin defender.)

So, Kevin's release is huge. He's very popular with kids and adults alike, to the point where his introductory comic and miniseries sell out faster than any other Archie comic in history. He got his own spinoff within two years. People love Kevin.

So what does this have to do with Riverdale, beyond Kevin being a character in it? Well, Kevin Keller proves to the leads behind Archie that modernizing the series has the potential to be very lucrative indeed, and this is where Archie starts to get shockingly experimental. (Relatively speaking, anyway.) The new 10's see the release of Life With Archie: The Married Life, (a dual-timeline soap opera exploration of his married life with either Betty or Veronica) Afterlife with Archie, (a zombie story incited by Sabrina trying to bring Jughead's dog back after he was struck by a car) and of course, the infamous Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. (This one got a Netflix adaptation, but in case you need the cliff's notes, basically it's Sabrina the Teenage Witch only the witches get the power from worshiping Satan.)

These series were also well-received. Enter Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the guy behind the aforementioned Afterlife with Archie. After the success of the title, he was made Chief Creative Officer, and he's also the showrunner of Riverdale, and here is the reason Riverdale is Like That.

So while Riverdale is undoubtedly an incredibly weird cultural object, I think a lot of people who aren't familiar with the show or franchise get the wrong idea about it. I think the biggest point of confusion among onlookers is "How in on the bit is Riverdale?" and I would respond: extremely. Are you kidding? Why is there even any doubt about this? Sacasa is a gay guy who got cease-and-desisted for writing a play that reimagined Archie as gay in 2003. This dude got promoted specifically for playing with genre and making Archie weird as Hell back when it used to be considered a dull, whitebread relic. You think shit like the "I'm weird. I'm a weirdo." speech and "That means that you haven't known the triumphs and defeats, the epic highs and lows of high school football." happened by accident? You think it just stumbled into doing an entire Hedwig and the Angry Inch episode? Oh, no, my friend. That shit was the result of a demented fag writer doing what demented fag writers do best; produce camp masterpieces. Everything about Riverdale is completely intentional.

Now, is it good? No, of course not. It is, however, great fucking television. I don't really watch the show outside of a few isolated episodes, but I am really glad it exists.

Gritty sci-fi webcomic where partway through the third major arc the protagonists get trapped in some sort of utopian false reality by a mysterious godlike being, except they never escape and the comic just changes genres to quirky coffee-shop slice of life until it's unceremoniously cancelled six years later.

[narnian-neverlander]

What Could’ve Been [Viktor x GN!Reader]

Plot Summary: In which you find yourself in a world so similar yet so different to your own and are simply too tired of life knocking you down again and again to still play the selfless hero.

Word Count: 3,9k

Warnings: spoilers for Arcane Season 2, talk about character death and illness, suicidal thoughts, slightly suggestive at the end

A/N: I saw that alternate timeline and went ‘Ekko’s a stronger man than I am’ and went with that; actually wanted to write sth fluffy and happy, and this is wholesome-ish, but with some very bleak undertones so I might have to write some actual fluff to compensate. Also, the religious imagery wasn’t planned from the get go but it kinda happened and it is on brand for this man, I just decided to turn it on its head a little 🤷

“Interesting. When I told you about this last, you advised the exact opposite.”

You freeze mid movement, plate hovering an inch or so over the table you were setting. “Well I… I suppose I’ve changed my mind.”

The soft tap of a cane against the floor alerts you to him crossing the room, appearing in your peripheral as you put down the porcelain with shaky fingers. “A rather… hm, siginificant change in such a short time, wouldn’t you agree? Not to mention you acted like I was telling you for the first time.” He doesn’t receive an answer, so he keeps going. “I’ve had a theory for a while. I don’t believe I’ve told you about it, because really, it’s only a pipe dream at this point, but entertaining for the duller moments nonetheless: alternate timelines. The possibility of several different realities, all co-existing with each other simultaneously. Some would call the mere idea preposterous, I’m fully aware, but then again, how would we know for certain? How could we know? Unless one or more of said timelines happened to… overlap.” The silence that follows is deafening and heavy; a precursor of what’s to come. “You’re not originally from this world, are you?”

While he knows this is a conversation that needs to be had, the way you curl into yourself and seem to wither and grow small before his eyes makes him wish he could take it all back. He tries to catch your gaze, but you purposely avoid his as you drag yourself over to the couch. Body heavy and tired, you all but slump down into worn cushions, blankly staring into space as you weakly reply with “No. I’m not.”

He doesn’t move, nor does he speak, cause while he’d been expecting your answer to a degree, now that it’s out in the open he’s… unsure what to even do with it. It isn’t a worry for long, though, as you continue speaking, slow and weary. Like you had been expecting, dreading, this moment just as much as him.

“It wasn’t a… conscious choice. To come here, I mean. It was an accident really, I didn’t even know what had happened at first.” A weak chuckle. “This was a shock to me as much as it must’ve been for you.”

And what a shock it had been for you. To have been standing with your friends in the bowels of the Hexgates one minute and to wake up in an unfamiliar bed the next. Dizzily traipsing through a space that had felt familiar yet foreign all at once; pictures and mementos from times you couldn’t remember staring at you from every surface. And to have had Viktor come through the door, bag of baked goods under one arm, to find you in the living room of what should’ve been your home, looking every bit as lost as you felt. It had been a miracle you’d stayed standing then and there, with the way he’d looked: same lanky figure supported by a cane, same messy chestnut locks, same two beauty marks against the pale skin of his sharp face, same concern in his honey colored irises when he took in your state. But no dark circles borderlining bruises under his eyes, no hollowed, sunken in cheeks, no blood on his lips to betray another attack. And no Hexcore devouring him whole. Your downfall had come in the form of slender fingers gingerly wrapping around your forearm to try and steady you; a silent question and a gentle offer of help. One of those fingers wearing the very same ring you usually kept on a chain around your neck, because you’d always been too busy or too in your own head to just ask him. To offer him your heart, your life, your everything, if only he wanted it. Always too terrified of rejection, of losing him to his illness; too scared of fucking something until it was too late. And when your hand had come up in search for said necklace, a nervous habit that had developed at some point, and you’d found a matching ring on your own finger instead, you’d finally dissolved into a wailing, sobbing mess against his chest, never wanting to let go again.

And what a shock it had been for him. To have talked to you, not twenty minutes prior, an exchange of sleepy, lazy kisses and quiet murmurs, telling you he’d go get breakfast and be right back, watching as you’d curled back up under the blankets with a content sigh. To come through the door, expecting you still in bed and instead finding you in the middle of your living room, looking utterly lost and misplaced in your own home, an almost manic look in your eyes, staring at him like you’d seen a ghost. He’d approached you, carefully, like one would a wild caged animal, and then a simple touch of his had sent you into a meltdown. And at an absolute loss, he’d simply held you. Let you cry yourself to utter exhaustion in his arms, the both of you a heap on the floor, propped up against the back of the sofa. When you had finally, finally calmed down, you’d played it off as the aftershocks of a nightmare. The kind that makes you believe they’re real and keeps you trapped in them for what could feel like a lifetime. And Gods you’d looked like you had aged a lifetime while he was gone. And ever since that night you’d been… different. Getting lost in your own head more often than not. Suffering from nightmares almost every night. Migraines and something akin to epileptic seizures every once in a good while. He had let it go on, assuring you that if you needed anything he would be there for you, and in the following months, you’d seemed to settle and things had gone back to normal. Relatively. But it had been the memory loss that had made him suspicious. Or more so the fact that while some things remained, others seemed to have happened differently for you and some had never happened at all. Never having been able to leave well enough alone, he’d started digging for explanations. And now, at the end of his research, his most impossible theory proven right - he’s yet again at a loss of what to do. How to help you.

“I didn’t know how I got here, much less how to get back. From what I do understand about all of this, and it ain’t much, the thing that sent me to this world doesn’t even exist here. So at first I didn’t have much of a choice but to just… live. To pretend like everything was normal and I belonged here. But eventually I realized that even if I got the chance to go back, I didn’t want to. I wanted to be selfish, I wanted—“ Your voice cracks, thick with emotion and he watches your head drop forward like a doll’s whose strings have been cut, eyes downcast at your trembling hands. “I wanted to be happy again. And for once in my damn life I wanted it to last. It just never fucking lasts…”

Stride over to you and hold you tight, kiss you and tell you that everything would be alright, that you would figure this out together, like always. That’s what he should be doing. Every bone in his body tells him to, but just like so many other times in the past, his oh so brilliant mind prevents him. Tells him that there is no ‘together, like always’ because the person in front of him isn’t the person he’s known his whole life. Isn’t the person he married. Everything’s an ugly mess and he doesn’t mean for his next words to come across as cruel, doesn’t perceive them that way; blissfully unaware of the implications, he’s simply, truly curious.

“What would you do if you were to go back home?”

An inelegant snort leaves you and you wipe the back of your hand over your eyes in a desperate and vain attempt to stop the tears from flowing.

23 seconds.

You were counting, just to give you something to occupy your spiraling mind with, really.

23 seconds.

That’s how long it had taken him to no longer refer to this world, this apartment, him as your home. To prioritize whatever might be going in your other life. And you know it’s not fair, to be this upset with him, this version of him that you’ve been deceiving from the start; even though he has never wronged you. But you can’t help it. Guilt and regret would soon be all you’d have left again, so might as well leave him with some, too.

“Well… if I hadn’t gotten sucked into this mess, I would’ve killed myself by now. I guess I’d be getting back to that.”

The breath that escapes him sounds like you actually just sucker punched him in the gut and immediately makes you feel terrible about how casual and bitter you’d made it sound, but he’d wanted the truth and that was it. Limbs heavy und unsteady, you rise from your position on the couch and make your way over to the front door. “I’ll go take a walk or… you know, go do… whatever. Give you some space, time to think.” Your hand’s already on the door handle, but you pause and somehow find it in yourself to turn around and at least give him the courtesy of looking at him for what you’re about to say. “For what it’s worth, I never meant to let it go this far. It just became so… easy to pretend like things had always been like this. You made it easy. And while I’m sorry that I lied to you, tricked you, intentional or not, I got the chance to fall in love with you all over again. And I could never be sorry about that.”

You’re fairly certain you’ve never seen him move as fast as he does now and before you know it, you’re wrapped in a hug almost too tight, his cane landing on the carpeted floor next to you with a dull thump. “You cannot say things like that and expect me to just let you walk out of that door, I-“

Readjusting his hold on you, he cradles your head against his shoulder and loops his other arm around your middle, continuing in a hushed, gentle tone. “I can’t bear the thought of harm befalling you. Even worse, you harming yourself. In any timeline. Please, just stay. No matter what might happen in the future, just… stay with me. Right here.”

He means for it to be reassuring, comforting, loving, you know that. It’s not his fault that it has the exact opposite effect.

Wincing, a new wave of tears springs to your eyes and you remove yourself from his hold, but can’t bring yourself to let go completely; hands now linked between the two of you. “Viktor, I stole the body and life of a person you actually love. I don’t want you to force yourself to try and love me out of pity.”

“And why are you so certain that’s what this is?!” It surprises you, how genuinely upset he sounds, and a gasp is forced out of your throat when he wrenches his hands out of your grasp and his palms find your face, to force your gaze onto him and keep it there, wether you want to or not. The expression he’s wearing almost scares you; thick brows furrowed in anger and lips curled back in what could nearly be a snarl, but as soon as gold eyes find yours, red and puffy and so very desperate and grieving, whatever fire seemed to have been burning him up inside goes out all at once.

His shoulders drop and he rests his forehead against yours with a sigh, warm breath fanning over your face. “I’m sorry, moje láska, please forgive me. I’m not angry with you, I just… I can not comprehend why you are so ready and willing to accept rejection, but will not even entertain the possibility that loving you comes as easy to me as your affections for me do to you. Why can you love every version of me, but I’m not allowed the same with every version of you?” He watches you blink owlishly, your mouth opening and closing several times and he’s not sure wether it’s endearing or heartbreaking, how clear it is that this possibility never even crossed your mind. “You act like this entire situation only penalizes me, when in reality, I’m not actually your Viktor, either, am I?”

He expects this to help, to give you a new perspective. To make it clear to you that you are both the same; you are not a villain in his story. And there is a smile on your lips, but it’s so small and sad that his stomach drops at the sight. “No, you’re not. You couldn’t be. My Viktor is gone.”

And all of a sudden, it makes so much sense. How sometimes you’d stare at him with the most haunted look in your eyes, like he was a dead man walking, ready to collapse at any given moment. How you’d grow frantic when he came back late from the academy. How you’d insisted on tagging along on the most mundane of tasks, always under the guise of wanting to spend more time with him, but really just keeping a close eye on him at all times. Though he suspects the former to be true; the chance to spend even a few more precious hours with a loved one you’d thought lost, who wouldn’t jump at that chance?

His world would simply seize spinning if you were no longer in it, he can’t even begin to imagine how you feel. How tormenting it must’ve been to see him everyday, a second chance dangling right in front of you, but never certain if you were to wake up back in a world where he was gone.

You’re in his arms again in a heartbeat, one hand carding through your hair, the other rubbing soothing patterns into your back; whispering sweet little nothings into your ear as you bury your face into the crook of his neck and sob. All so much like the day you arrived and saw him for the first time, and yet… softer. More intimate.

You stay like this until your bawling dies down to whimpers and sniffles at which point he gingerly coaxes you to look at him.

“Miláček, listen to me. As it stands now, you have no way of going back to your original world.” He doesn’t call it your home anymore, you notice. “You did not ask for this, you did not choose this; you had it thrust upon you while going through enough pain and grief you considered taking your own life. For the love of everything, you needn’t feel guilty for wanting to use this chance to find happiness again. And you shouldn’t feel guilty if you continue to do so.” Still sniffling you gently caress his face, thumbs running over his chiseled cheekbones and heart stuttering when he leans into your touch. But then you catch sight of the ring on your finger again.

“I’m not… I’m not the person you married, Vik.” Unknowingly, you parrot his own thoughts back to him, but surprisingly enough, he finds he doesn’t much care anymore. He’s flabbergasted how he could ever even doubt for a second that it would matter which timeline you were originally from. Because it’s still you. Damn it all, it’s still you. “Maybe so. But I’ve seen the same kindness in you in those past few months that I’ve always known. The same wit. The same ambition and passion. All the things that made me love you in the first place. You said this gave you the chance to fall in love with me again; would you allow me the chance to do the same?”

The truth is, while you want to try and build a life here, you feel guilty. Guilty about the friends you left fighting a war. Guilty about taking over the life and joy of someone else, even if they are a different version of you. Guilty about forcing the man you love into a relationship with a person he technically doesn’t even know. All these months, you’d only ever reciprocated his affections, never initiated them, had barely let him touch you at all, because you’d always felt like somehow you were coercing him into cheating on someone he actually loved. But here he is now, telling you that he wants you, this version of you, all of you. Could you really do it? Leave behind everything and everyone you’ve ever known, for a chance at happiness, a fresh start? You had no guarantee that things would go smoothly in this universe either, after all. Wouldn’t you just be playing pretend for the rest of your life?

“So what, we’ll just… pretend like it’s the first time then?” you ask, a quiet breathless laugh accompanying your question. He shrugs and smiles at you. “Something like that. Falling in love with you again and again and again? I could imagine a worse fate.”

So could you. Much, much worse, in fact.

Your expression shifts somewhat without you even realizing and he immediately recognizes that he must’ve triggered some form of painful memory. He places tiny little kisses all over your face, murmuring apologies all the while and when you sigh in contentment it finally dawns on him that this is very much the first time you’ve let yourself enjoy being close with him since you got here. He doesn’t blame you; the moral dilemma that was forced on you would put anyone on edge and make them anxious about what they could allow themselves to experience without some form of consequences. He would prove to you that there would be none, he’d make sure of that; singlehandedly destroy them if they did decide to raise their ugly heads. That you didn’t always need to give and give and ask for nothing in return. That you could take what you wanted and not be punished for it. You’d taught him that after all.

“Moje světlo…?”

Gods have mercy on your soul, you never could say no to him when he used those damn pet names on you.

You crash your lips to his, desperate and practically starved; in direct contrast to all the sweet promises and gentle reassurances you just shared, there’s nothing romantic about it. It’s all tongues and teeth and absolutely filthy and it’s exactly what you need right now. Your back makes contact with the door you’d been oh so insistent on walking out of not even fifteen minutes ago, that thought now the furthest thing from your mind as his hands are already under your shirt, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Your head falls back against the worn wood with a thump as his lips find your neck, leaving marks and bruises for everyone to see and maybe the moan that escapes your throat with a broken version of his name coupled with how weak your knees already feel could’ve been embarrassing, but you don’t have it in yourself to care; it feels like it’s been years since he last kissed you like this. Touched you like this. The whine of protest as he pulls back is cut short when he drops to his knees in front of you, hands on your hips to keep you in place and placing on last kiss on your stomach before he puts some distance between you both, not more than a few inches really, but still too much for your liking. One hand goes to cover his own, while the other cups his face, trying to tug him closer again, but he refuses. Brows knitting together in confusion and frustration, you’re about to ask him what he thinks he’s doing, but he beats you to it.

“I won’t go further unless you tell me you want this.” You almost laugh, because he can not be serious. How much more obvious could you be? Your own body is doing half the talking for you, really. But of course that’s not exactly what he means. “I want you to admit to me, and more importantly to yourself, that you want this life. I want you to realize that it is perfectly alright for you to be selfish every now and again.”

His words trigger a memory from long ago, when you’d found him passed out on the desk in the lab one too many times. After you’d been done yelling at him, you’d told him that he couldn’t just always give and give and give until there was barely anything left of himself. That it was okay to be a little selfish and take things for himself every once in a while.

Take your own advice, liar.

A voice somewhere in the back of your head purrs bewitchingly and it’s right. You are still lying. Not to him though - to yourself. Telling yourself that you feel guilty for wanting to stay here, when in reality that’s how you should be feeling. But the truth, the real truth, is that you’re scared.

Scared of how little you actually care. About the friends you left fighting a war. About taking over the life and joy of someone else, even if they are a different version of you. About forcing the man you love into a relationship with a person he technically doesn’t even know. You haven’t truly cared about any of it from the get go; always too self righteous to admit it to yourself, though.

Practiced fingers slip from his cheek to the hair at the nape his neck and pull; he goes along willingly this time, head forced back and his eyes lock onto yours, right as fresh, hot tears start to travel down your face. But you’re done grieving; you are livid, plain and simple. “I want this…” you breathe out, so quiet he almost misses it. You don’t stay quiet, though, you can’t anymore, and your voice rises in volume with every sentence spoken. “I want to stay. I want a life with you. All blissful boredom and domesticity. It’s all I ever wanted. Why…? Why was even that too much to ask?!”

He doesn’t have the answer, but he does have the solution, delivered with a slight turn of his head and a kiss to your wrist.

“It wasn’t. It isn’t.”

Breaths heavy and irregular, you simply take in the sight of him: all disheveled hair and kiss swollen lips, pretty blush all the way down to his neck, eyes dark and pupils blown wide, only a thin ring of gold left, looking at you so longingly, on his knees for you and you alone; like a worshipper ready to commit any atrocity for the sake and love of their god.

“You can take what you want, anděl. No one will punish you for it. I won’t let them.”

Angel. Oh, the irony. Irony turned certainty. Certainty turned reality.

So take you would. And you wouldn’t bother looking back at the things you’d left behind.

[lubdubology]

I've been meaning to make this for a while now. Below is a compilation of my favorite Logan stories I've read--ones that have given me all the feels, made me kick my feet, cry with joy, weep with angst and all together delight my very soul. These are not in any particular order. If your story is tagged and you don't want it to be, please let me know and I'll remove it.

give me the first taste // @joelsgoldrush Synopsis: from the moment you first laid eyes on Logan, you knew he was a tough nut to crack. But if there’s one thing you love, it’s a challenge. As your relationship grows, you’re determined to show him that, in this universe, he can also be loved. (Part 2 of Guilty Pleasure)

guilty pleasure // @joelsgoldrush Synopsis: After saving Earth-10005 from impending disaster, Wade convinces Logan, the alcoholic and easily irritated mutant, to stick around for a while. He’s convinced that nothing good can come out of this experience, until he meets you: the charming bartender with a soft spot for swearing that matches his own. Suddenly, sticking around doesn’t seem so bad after all.

crawl home to her // @joelsgoldrush Synopsis: Will he be able to control himself once he's near you? In this moment, he feels more animal than human. Creeping, on the verge of crawling, back to you. OR Like a sinner seeking absolution, he finds his way back to you after every absence, as if you're the only salvation he's ever known. (Part 2 of You Can Use My Skin to Bury Secrets In)

you can use my skin to bury secrets in // @joelsgoldrush Synopsis: Saliva floods his mouth as you rise to your feet, looking down at him from above. Gracefully angelic, and yet— “I know what I’m asking for,” you continue, your voice descending to a low murmur that scratches pleasantly against some dark and remote corner of his brain. Then you lower yourself onto his lap, your thighs bracketing his waist. You repeat your question: “Can I help you?”

blessed are the forgetful // @joelsgoldrush Synopsis: To love is to cherish, to endure, to fight. But to love is also to forget—at least, for you and Logan. Despite countless attempts to erase the part of yourselves that yearns to find completion in each other, you always end up back where it all began: the moment your eyes first met his—the moment everything changed.

epiphany // @joelsgoldrush Synopsis: Superheroes and mutants weren’t enough. No—the universe had to throw in soulmates who share scars. Fantastic, right? Except yours had vanished, only to mysteriously reappear with the arrival of a new face: the “Worst” Logan Howlett, fresh from another earth.

never is a promise // @joelsgoldrush Synopsis: You are everything Logan isn’t: sweet, trouble-free, much younger—and, to top it off, Charles' caregiver.

give me all that ultraviolence // @joelsgoldrush Synopsis: You give Logan head for the first time.

sugar, sugar // @eupheme Synopsis: Your eccentric neighbor Wade may drive you a little up the wall… but, you’re willing to put up with him if it means he’ll introduce you to his new, grumpy-looking roommate.

honey, honey // @eupheme Synopsis: Even after you wake up alone, and almost late for work, it doesn’t deter your interest in your neighbor - especially after the night you shared. (Or - a miscommunication, and the following through of two late-night promises.)

you've got me wanting you // @eupheme Synopsis: As the days pass, you think your time spent with Logan is pretty much perfect. Well... almost. (Or - a dash of insecurity, some badgood advice from Wade, a near-fight at a bar, and the confession of overdue feelings.)

from eden // @eupheme Synopsis: Every day you wish you could do more. More for Charles. More for him. But the harsh sun eats away at you. You weren’t built for this heat. You were meant for gardens. For Eden. But you think… as your fingers trail through the earth, your life force flowing down into the greenery below - if something can grow here, in the desert - then maybe, so can hope.

just the tip // @pedroscurls Synopsis: you're ready to take the next step with logan, but you're still a bit nervous.

smoke and ash // @moonlight-prose Synopsis: cigar smoke trailed after him with every step, his mouth always desperate for something to wet, something to bite down on. and you with the match between your teeth indulged him every which way.

cardinal // @danidrabbles Synopsis: At the edge of the world, someone from another keeps you from stepping off.

i could play the doctor (i can cure your disease) // @sceletaflores Synopsis: it's been another six months, and logan needs your help...

runaway bride // @pedroscurls Synopsis: on the day of your wedding, you find out that your maid of honor and husband-to-be has been hooking up behind your back... and you run directly into the arms of a stranger to help you cope with the sudden betrayal.

nameless as a river undiscovered underground // @moonlight-prose Synopsis: his leather jacket remained a tie between your love and his. the weight of it, the smell of your intertwined scents, all revolved around a relationship he never thought would happen.

soft and serene (let me feel you on my lips) // @sceletaflores Synopsis: logan's not a virgin by any means, but he's still wearing white...

beggin' for seconds // @yxtkiwiyxt Synopsis: You visit Logan at work when one of his colleague's sons gets injured and then he goes back to the hospital with you.

mirror sex // @avocado-writing Synopsis: Mirror Sex (Old Man Logan x Reader)

snow day // @silverskyeline Synopsis: logan hates the snow, hates that it reminds him of the past. but he soon finds that being with you gives it a whole new meaning.

dust to dust // @moonlight-prose Synopsis: when the days are long and he's grown weary of everything, he knows he can find his peace in your body. that is until he brings a whole new understanding to the belt buckle that sits proudly on his waist.

slippin' and slidin' all over you // @sceletaflores Synopsis: logan forgot to fix the ac...

new rules // @seventeenpins Synopsis: You've been broken up for long enough. It shouldn't be this hard to stay away.

knuckle velvet // @ohcaptains Synopsis: he walks you home, then lets himself in.

the devil and i // @mystra-midnight Synopsis: logan might have looked like an ordinary man, but the weight of his metal-laced bones pressing against your back was intoxicating—deliciously so. and he knew this with the same certainty with which he knew the earth revolved around the sun.

[hailturinturambar]

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Sauron and Adar's Relationship

This analysis is not romantic or emotional in nature following human standards. But I treat this analysis as an overview of the relationship between two immortal beings who spent centuries at war.

So we start at the beginning. When Arda was created and Eru Ilúvatar allowed the Valar to enter the world, accompanied by immortal beings of lesser power.

In the first season, Galadriel begins her prologue by stating that not everything in the beginning is bad. Not even Mairon (later Sauron) was. He began in Arda as a Maia of the Valar Aulë. One of the most powerful and renowned Maia. Something that clearly attracted the interest of Melkor, Morgoth.

Betraying the Valar, Mairon accompanies Melkor on his dark path to rule Arda. His knowledge gained from Aulë proves to be of great value and regret in the future. And Sauron served his new master masterfully.

So we come to the main point, where does Adar fit into the story? We know from the books that the Orcs were created in different contexts, the forms vary according to the book. In some, the Orcs were elves corrupted by Morgoth, in others he just created them/or they already existed, but we also find reports that the Orcs are a mockery of the elves, which Morgoth hates more than anything.

Adar still possesses elven traits, even if his appearance is distorted. So, in my view, Adar is possibly one of the elves of Beleriand captured and damaged according to Morgoth's designs.

But there had to be something special about Adar. He was of a higher rank than the Orcs, yet lower than Sauron. Who is Adar among Morgoth's followers? Perhaps an ally of Sauron, an aide or captain of Orcs, a spy of great value, perhaps.

Without Morgoth, someone needs to take control, and that person could only be Sauron. And for some reason, he trusts Adar enough to keep him by his side. Sauron has lost yet another master and is alone in the world, he only has the Orcs by his side, and of course, Adar.

On a twisted level, I would say, but in the prologue of the second season we see a certain camaraderie between Sauron and Adar. Perhaps, without Morgoth, Sauron saw himself with the new Melkor and Adar as a new version of himself.

When the first Orc attacks, it seemed to me that Adar hesitated, as if an intrinsic part of him, corrupted by centuries, was ready to protect Sauron, with whom he had lived for so long, even if that was not his plan.

But to Adar, his children are more important than Sauron. And he knows that Sauron will destroy his children if he has power in his hands. He knows that deep down, Sauron is as cruel as Morgoth and that the Orcs do not matter to him. Just small pieces in the great game.

This is the point of no return between Sauron and Adar. I wonder, when the Orcs started attacking Sauron and Sauron killed so many of them in self-defense, why didn't Adar fight back?

Why did Adar, the Father of so many Orcs, who suffered at the hands of Morgoth and Sauron, not attack his oppressor? Was he simply delivering vengeance and justice into the hands of his children, or was he ultimately not capable of ending Sauron forever? Yes, he struck him with Morgoth's crown, but would he be able to destroy Sauron forever?

Sauron looks at Adar as the crown hits him, and you can see the betrayal in his eyes. He certainly did not expect Adar to hurt him, to turn against him.

Centuries have passed since Sauron's death, and he has spent many long years struggling to regain his new form, while Adar has increased his influence and power among the Orcs.

Sauron has returned and now he is Halbrand. Vengeance emanates from him and he needs to reclaim his kingdom and everything he lost to Adar's betrayal. So he is on the ship with the mortals, to a better place. And we wonder if this could be the beginning of his redemption.

I still think a lot about the mortal's words "What haunts you so?"

Yes, Sauron, what haunts you? Is it the loss of your power? He is alone in the world again, weaker after his recovery, stripped of his power and his servants, forced to start over. Or is he haunted by Adar's betrayal that took everything from him? Like a stab in the back from a long-lost friend.

In drifting with Galadriel, Halbrand talks about the Orcs taking everything from him. We know he's the Great Deceiver, but he's not genuinely lying to her at this point.

In his conception, the Orcs, his servants, betrayed him and took everything from him, but it is not as Galadriel thinks and he is satisfied with that. He needs to regain his lost kingdom, so he lets her believe that he has lost his mortal kingdom to the Orcs.

Galadriel has deep wounds caused by Morgoth, Sauron and the Orcs, unconsciously she takes Halbrand's side and embraces his suffering. The meaning is the same, Sauron/Halbrand have been betrayed, lost everything and are alone.

Galadriel understands him and suffers for him, but not for who he really is. And he knows it. Sauron has learned that no one will stand by him, not knowing who he really is. So, he is who Galadriel thinks he is, if it means gaining her help and sympathy.

Our "brothers in Morgoth" are now going their separate ways.

In Númenor, Galadriel insists that Halbrand reclaim his throne. Whether it is a deception, a strategy, or not, Sauron insists that it is best not to return. Better for everyone, right? For Middle-earth, for the Orcs, for Adar, even for Galadriel.

The flame of vengeance still burns in Sauron and Galadriel manages to conquer his will. "Because I cannot stop." These are Galadriel's words to Halbrand. But it is a very intimate question, perhaps a reflection of Sauron's inner self and vulnerability.

He has lost everything, why does he continue to fight? Because just like Galadriel, he cannot stop. He would never be able to find redemption and I believe this phrase defines it well.

Let's now analyze Middle-earth. Arondir is captive and talking to Adar. Adar speaks of "lies so deep," lies that will never be cleared up until the world is remade by the gods. And even though he claims he is not yet a god, he still holds the gods in some regard, perhaps in his still elven part.

Sauron and Adar share similar worldviews, even if they don't agree. Sauron wants to heal Middle-earth, either by ruling or saving it, but he believes that his path is the right one and that light will come through the darkness, as Galadriel told him. I think he has thought deeply about this.

It is similar with Adar. He believes that he can find a safe place in Middle-earth for his children, away from Sauron and his destruction, away from the humans who have never accepted them. In any case, Adar and Sauron's vision of healing and helping is just as corrupt. Always seeking a form of evil in order to achieve good.

“Do you remember me?” Sauron, I don't think you're capable of forgetting.

Together in Middle-earth, we have Sauron and Adar fighting on opposing sides. As he confessed to Galadriel, he is not fighting for humans against the Orcs, but fighting against his own enemies.

He thought about this a lot. Did Sauron expect recognition? Even after centuries and a new beautiful form, did he hope that deep down, Adar would recognize who he was facing?

Adar's words don't really affect me that much. He believed Halbrand was mortal, so it's only natural that he believed his revenge would be completely mortal. A wife or children are usually what motivates many men to go to war. But he doesn't realize that he's dealing with the only person who trusted him and who has been betrayed by him.

Sauron wants to kill Adar, and it takes a lot of control and calm in his plan to not take the next step. Which was good, obviously, because it convinced Galadriel.

Galadriel also believes in Adar's beliefs, trusting that Halbrand is a mortal who lost his loved ones to the Orcs, like her. Her pity for Halbrand also represents how she sees herself.

Did Sauron fear that Adar would know the truth? I don't think so. He must have noticed that he was not recognized. So Adar is focused solely on Galadriel. Halbrand has been forgotten. Their paths are now long separated. Sauron leaves for Eregion after the attacks of Adar and his sons.

Their paths separate once more. The elves know the truth about Sauron, though not all. But his deception remains. The people of Middle-earth still believe in the lost king. But does Adar really believe?

In Númenor, when Halbrand sends Galadriel to find another head to crown, when she insists that she could place that crown there herself. Did Sauron remember Adar's betrayal? Maybe. He reacted extremely angrily. Or was it a lie?

In the second season we glimpse an interesting twist. Sauron, once so powerful and feared alongside Morgoth, then a revered mortal king, has now been stripped of everything, again by Adar. And Adar is now the king of Mordor. Something Sauron has not achieved.

Does Sauron envy Adar's relationship with the Orcs? Sauron has gone through many changes in his life. From a kind master in Valinor, to a tyrannical and cruel master in Middle-earth. And Adar has managed to have servants who are not servants, but sons who follow him and will stand by his side.

Adar tells of his transformation at the hands of Morgoth, of his torment and pain. Then there is Sauron, his light in the darkness, a salvation after so much pain. Why did Sauron cry? Was it a deception? Or a reminder of his own sufferings at the hands of a god?

Waldreg says that pain must be something Halbrand enjoys. And Annatar confesses to Celebrimbor that sometimes pain was a reward. Was that the reason for her tears?

In different ways, Sauron and Adar suffered at the hands of Morgoth. Like sons suffering at the hands of a tyrannical father, one is rewarded and the other destroyed. But in the end, both know only suffering.

If Adar suspected Halbrand, why did he let him go? Like centuries ago, when his Orcs killed Sauron, did he stand still out of fear or because he was unable to face Sauron? Not out of fear, but because of their long history together.

Love and hate do indeed go together.

By fate or the Valar, Sauron and Adar are doomed to fight each other. Sauron departs as Halbrand and enters at the calm and peacefull Eregion. It is time to begin his deception and obtain what he desires most in the world, The Rings of Power.

While Sauron pursues his goal of creating the rings and dominating Middle-earth, he leaves Adar in the background. He has not forgotten him and will still destroy his forces, but now his attention requires elsewhere.

In this time, Adar and his Orcs grow stronger and seek enemies against Sauron. Galadriel is once again entangled in the story of these two long-time enemies.

I believe that Adar was sincere in his words. He wants to destroy Sauron and is willing to ally himself with the elves. But Adar is very powerful, he has many followers. He does not need the elves and their help, he needs The Rings of Power. With the ring, he would be able to face Sauron.

Why does he need Galadriel? Perhaps because, like her, he understands the emptiness that Sauron's departure leaves, the grayness that consumes everything until only he and his absence remain. Is Adar capable of destroying Sauron and never getting rid of the grayness? Maybe yes, maybe no. But he believes that with Galadriel by his side, he will be able to.

With the Siege of Eregion, Sauron loses his temper and his plan is almost discovered. There is Adar again, hindering his glory. But he is patient, he is intelligent. He has spent centuries thinking about his revenge, planning his sovereignty over all beings in Middle-earth, this time, Adar will not be his downfall.

Adar fighting the elves was very beneficial to Sauron. Adar thinned the armies, separated the elves and murdered them. Sauron's path is almost clear. He is like a king of the world, sitting on his throne watching his enemies fight. Like an emperor in an arena, waiting for everyone to destroy each other for his glory and amusement.

It was hilarious, I must say, see Adar to believe he was winning. That he was being wiser and more intelligent than the elves. To Adar, the elves had fallen into a trap. But wasn't it the other way around?

"Never make war in anger."

Honestly, Adar, is this about you or Elrond? Because Sauron got what he wanted and Adar fell for his deception.

Here the curtain closes and the play is at an end. Eregion has fallen and Sauron is still free. The Great Deceiver returns for his final revenge, for now, of course. Adar has Galadriel's ring. And he looks so tired. Fighting Sauron for centuries has finally defeated him, he has given up. He wants to live in peace with his children, far from Sauron and his power.

Adar spent centuries with his children, but he seems to me a very lonely man. He had children and nothing else. The gray remained there. Perhaps, in some twisted and painful way, he missed Sauron's company. Once, many centuries ago, they had served the same master and were relatively equal.

"They are not children any more."

That sounded terribly cruel. That was Sauron’s goal, wasn’t it? When he says those words to Adar on his deathbed, Sauron is removing the last shred of joy from Adar. Decimating the goodness and innocence that Adar had tried to instill in his children. Sauron took away from Adar the last thing he cared about. This was his ultimate betrayal. An eye for an eye, you might say.

Did Adar think of Mairon as he died? How in the Elder Days, Marion was there to be the cure when Morgoth was the disease? How he offered him wine and helped him in his own sick and cruel way. Did he think of his beautiful face?

Or did he think of the beautiful face of Annatar, who is Halbrand, who is Sauron, who is Mairon, as he killed him and took his revenge? Their deaths were similar and I am sure it was no accident.

May the Valar have pity on them, because my analysis does not. Sauron and Adar are like characters in a Greek tragedy. Condemned to solitude and suffering until the end of days.

Last words: English is not my first language and it is quite tiring to write a long text in my language and then have to translate it into English, paying attention to mistakes and spelling. But I do it so that more people can read it and appreciate it.

I posted this analysis after the hate I received, for all the people who voted for the suggestion for the next analysis, and for all those who supported me when I vented. To those who follow me and are happy with my writing, this long text is for you.

[blackbirdsblackberries]

If Reader is a spider hero like Spiderman, were we bitten by a genetically altered radioactive spider? How did we get in that situation?

Did our dad take us with him on a job, before he had his voice cut out, and we got bitten by a project the villain was making? Did our dad sell us to get cash and we were a human experiment that escaped or was thought to have failed? Did we stumble into a situation where this happened? I'm so curious! (And the flash backs could be great filler.)

On another note, our Spidey Sense only works when we're in danger, right? But it didn't detect Dick and the bucket. Does that mean he had no real intention to hurt us? Only wanted us to go off the wall and hurt him? It'd be interesting if our unease with the Bat Fam is just our Spidey Sense going off. Which would mean we'd feel a spike in our sense when they try to capture us. Probably immediately after telling them we're leaving/quitting, if we do.

On another note, I'm just thinking about what would happen if we got exposed to spider pheromones and turned into a giant arachnid? We aren't destroying buildings or anything. Just trying to hide. I'm just imagining the Bat Fam and the reactions. Maybe it was a new ingredient of Fear Gas? Maybe a new big bad that was trying to mind control spiders?

Either way, it follows canon Spiderman comics. Where he was turned into a spider, the villain found out he was 'pregnant', his spider form dies, and his human body rips out of the corpse. Poor Bat Fam questioning how to turn Aranea back into a human while trying to catch her and calm her down. Finding out she's 'pregnant' and questioning if she even knew by that point. The devastation of her dying, curling in on herself and not moving. Then, hours later, the body ripping apart from the inside out to reveal a human body, face obscured from the cameras by hair and mucus, who escapes before the family come back.

Hi! Oh my god it's been a while!!

The backstory will definitely be a filler/separate chapter from the main story, but until that comes out I will say that Reader has had these powers for years now and had been quite young when the incident happened. This also ties in with the whole Spidey Senses situation, I like to think the Reader is so used to the senses warning of danger that it's just like a gut feeling people get normally (obviously intensified). Dick definitely didn't mean to harm Reader and wasn't trying to be a threat so even though there was some unease it wasn't enough to enact fight or flight.

~

As for the second part of the ask. I might make a separate mini story for it!! That definitely seems fun to write but the main things I think would happen would be:

- Batfam freaking out and trying to look for Aranea

- one of the members finding your new form

- a whole freakout ensues

- Damian believes you are now the new Man-Bat

- You, obviously, runs off and is quickly chased down by Batman and Red Hood (the others are either frozen from shock, in the cave or trying to convince Damian that just because Aranea is a proper spider doesn't mean they're now against them)

- they capture you and take you to the batcave, most would be pretty happy to finally have a reason for you to be here.

- They run tests on you before finding out you're pregnant

- Immediately they freak out once more and you take the moment to run and escape the cave.

- You run into Crime Alley and hide out there for a bit before "dying"

- the family finds you, mourns you, and is about to take you and bury you when Jason snaps and runs off with Damian to kill the villain. The rest of the family follows to try and stop them (Steph actually doesn't care whether the villain dies or not, she just wants to watch it go down)

- When they return you've already gotten out and run off. They don't realize this - thinking it was just an animal or something that caused the hole and such.

- Barbara, Batman and Tim proceed to have a heart attack when they see your comm online and see you in person a couple nights later.

~

I hope that makes a bit of sense!! I love long asks so so much and I'm sorry I've been gone for so long 😔

[earlycuntsets]

06/11/2004 equal music interview with gerard by danielle moskowitz

"When Warner Brothers/Reprise invited me to come talk with Gerard from My Chemical Romance about their new album at their record release show, how could I have refused?

The show was in their home state of NJ, packed with 1300 cheering fans. What made the show even cooler for me was featured artist, Nightmare of You was on the bill too! (NOY is still currently unsigned and have been playing with My Chem. Good for them!) I love when Equal Music bands get together!

Is their latest apart of a trilogy? Front man Gerard explains. He also reveals what why it didn't turn out to be the concept record they had planned it to be and what are they doing in Tokyo with The Beastie Boys? (Original interview from Oct. 31, 2003 follows this latest one from June)

DM: When we spoke last you guys were shopping for a producer. Who did you wind up working with and why?

Gerard: We wound up working with Howard Benson. A big reason was because he contacted us which is always very exciting. He was very enthusiastic about the project. It's not so much that he got what world we came from because he's worked with bands like P.O.D. and Blindside which is a completely different universe but he got what we were trying to do with the music and so we connected on a lot of levels.

DM: How was this experience different from working with Alex (Eyeball Records) and Geoff (Thursday [Island/Def Jam]) front man?

Gerard: That whole experience was hanging with friends and having a really fun time. There wasn't a lot of money or pressure. But then this experience didn't have that much pressure either which was weird. It was very a positive experience that had a really good flow. But yeah it was very different.

DM: You said in October that while you were finishing the first record you knew what you wanted the second one to be called (which is their latest, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge) and at the time since you knew the name for the second one you had an idea for what you wanted the third record to be called, although there's not going to be a trilogy so how do you know? Where's the connection with that?

Gerard: It's the kind of connection where you kind of always have a sense of what you're band is doing and where it's headed. I think we have a good idea of kind of like what the first record should be.It should be fast and dirty and cheap. Then the second one you really up the ante and really go for it with this one. The third one you try to explore new avenues. We ended up doing a lot of that on this record. We actually ended up being way more experiemantal than we thought we were going to be. It sounded good to us so we said let's keep doing it.

DM: To jump ahead, do you know what the next one's going to be called?

Gerard: From this experience I learned I shouldn't do that anymore because it locks you into something. And this record wound up being half a concept record because so much happened in our lives that when it came time to write lyrics I found out that it was less ficiton and more fact. So it's a very loose concept record. I want to see what happens for the third one and actually not plan anything out. I think that will be interesting because- it's not that we're calculated but we always kind of know where we're headed and kind of vibe on it. For the next one I kind of don't want to have that.

DM: What kind of mood do you feel like the new album has?

Gerard: I just started listening to it as a piece now, not just bits here and there it's really about loss. The first record was more about pain, misery and agression and violence. Although the lyrics can be disturbing at points, it's really about loss. In the end that's what it wound up being more about instead of some story. You can pick it out of at least four or five of the songs. Even the performances that everyone gives too makes it feel like it's really about loss.

DM: Do you feel like it's dark?

Gerard: Yeah. It's already been called that by a lot of people. We got a parental advisory without even having more than one curse in it. I think it's dark but I think it's a lot more positive than the first record.

DM: Yeah, I remember you saying that you felt the ups were going to be more up and the downs more down.

Gerard: Yeah and they really ended up being like that. But, there's definitely more moments of positivity and celebration than on the first record.

DM: What are some of difference of working with an indie and working with a major?

Gerard: This record was really painless so I can't truthfully answer that as a band that's in our position. We are really rare case of-- it was very similar to the first record where we did exactly what we wanted and luckily because they knew who we were when they signed us that's exactly what they wanted. There wasn't much of a difference other than the fact that there was obviously a lot more deadlines and a lot more pressure to get things done on time. That was the big difference but that was actually it.

DM: You're going to Tokyo soon for Summer Sonic Fest. You must be excited.

Gerard:Yeah, it's awesome, we get to play with The Beastie Boys and I've never seen them.

DM: What's going on for you guys for the rest of the year?

Gerard: Pretty much straight touring till the record cycle is over. It's usually about eighteen months from the time you start a record until you're done touring on it and should be starting a new one. There's already stuff I really want to write. I want to start immediately. As soon as we finished this I wanted to just do another. We're very much a live band but at the same time you get in the studio and you remember you're very much all songwriters and we had forgotten that part of us. I'm still in that head fix where I want to write more songs.

DM: Maybe you can still do that while you're on the road.

Gerard: Yeah, we plan to do it on Warped Tour. It will be our first time really on a bus so we're going to have more space and we'll be comfortable. Right ater that we're going back to a van so Warped Tour is really going to be the time that we write.

danielle moskowitz october 31, 2003 (2nd interview below)

Juxtaposing raw vocals and a punk edge against riffs suddenly gone melodic, My Chemical Romance takes you from upbeat drumming in one measure to a moment where you find yourself lost in slow, somber guitars the next. Listen closely as their vocalist Gerard reveals glimpses of himself through his brutally honest lyrics that hold traces of darkness around them.

DM: The bands success seems to have come very quickly. How long were you a band before signing to Eyeball Records?

Gerard: Let’s see—January is when we started playing as a band. We signed around our third or fourth show. It’s been quick since the beginning.

DM: What were you doing with your lives before the band took off?

Gerard: I was doing animation in the city [New York]. I was actually doing toy design in Hoboken [New Jersey], and Frankie was going to school, Mikey was going to school, Otter was a mechanic, and Ray was delivering film I believe and interning and stuff like that for film. We all just weren’t happy doing what we were doing, ya know?

DM: Geoff from the band Thursday and Alex from Eyeball [Records] I know played a big part in the recording of your last CD.

Gerard: Yeah, definitely.

DM: Are they going to be playing any part on your CD that will be coming out?

Gerard: I don’t think so. Sometimes you want to use the same people sometimes you want to see what would happen with other people. I’m sure they’ll hear it and we’ll ask their opinions.

DM: So they’re not going to help produce?

Gerard: Nah.

DM: What made you guys decide that a major was the next best move?

Gerard: It was one of those things where everything else was moving really fast but we had been able to keep up with it, ya know? We had been able to keep up with the shows that we were getting which were like going from playing basements to playing in front of 10,000 people with Jimmy Eat World. So it went from that to that, and it seemed like a very natural progression. And although a lot of people think it seemed quick, all that talk and all that nonsense was happening before our record even came out. It was like, we basically not fought them off, but said hey we’re going to be a band and do that, ya know? And then when we’re ready…Actually it was a lot longer process than most bands that are getting signed today.

DM: What made Reprise the best label for you guys?

Gerard: It was the best company. They were very familiar with us. We had a lot of fans at the company before we had signed. We had a lot of people helping out before we had signed.

DM: And they understand where you guys wanted to go musically, as a band?

Gerard: Yeah, exactly. That was the big thing. They knew where we wanted to go, they knew how we wanted to do things, and they were going to let us do it our way. Very low pressure type thing. Just kind of let us be us and you distribute us.

DM: When is the new album due out?

Gerard: We’re hoping it will come out in about in about spring. We’re going to record in January. We don’t have a producer yet. We’re looking at a few people and they’re looking at us. So it’s kind of that whole game right now.

DM: Do you have a title yet?

Gerard: Yeah, it’s called Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. And it was a title that… we pretty much known the title for the first record before it was finished and as soon as we were done with that I kind of knew what I wanted the title to be for the second. So it’s kind of in the process where I kind of know what I want the third to be too.

DM: Is it a trilogy type thing?

Gerard: No. This one’s different from the last and it’s more fictitious, but it’s still heartfelt. And it’s more of a concept record than the last one, where the last one was more of an autobiography. But the next one’s more of a concept album about a person; the next one after that I don’t what know what it will be.

DM: While you guys have been on tour you’ve been playing new songs live and they seem to be heavier. Would you say that is the direction you guys are going in?

Gerard: Well, yeah. The heavier stuffs heavier. The heavy stuff we did before is definitely heavier now. Those same elements are there; we’re just spending a little more time on the heavy stuff. But at the same time I think there’s way more melody. Maybe not in the stuff we’re playing out live, but it’s more violently happy. But it’s also very ironically bleak ya know, as far as tone goes.

DM: Track seven on your CD [I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love] is called Skylines and Turnstiles. Is it true that it was inspired by September 11?

Gerard: Yeah, and in fact that event happening was a big thing about why we started the band because, I was on my to a meeting with Cartoon Network and then that happened and I was like what the fuck am I doing with my life.

DM: You saw it happen? You were in the city?

Gerard: Yeah, I was in Hoboken, on the way there. I was right across the river and I was on my way in right around that, very close to that area, but more around Canal, and I was like what the fuck am I doing?

DM: It made you feel like life’s too short and you need to go for what you want?

Gerard: Yeah, yeah exactly. Like obviously life is way too short, you don’t know when your numbers coming and I also felt like I wasn’t making a difference at all, ya know what I mean?

DM: There are a couple theories circulating about your repeated mention of vampires in your lyrics. Can you clear that up?

Gerard: It’s a metaphor for being in your twenties and getting sucked into that singles, alcoholic nightlife culture, ya know what I mean? It’s interesting, because you’ll find that a lot of bands use the supernatural as a gimmick, and that’s really all it is, it’s just like horror punk, and that’s all it is. We’re not really into vampires. I like to wear black, but…

Contact Danielle@equalmusic.com for more about My Chemical Romance. Check them out on select Warped Tour Dates later this year

[faunas-weakest-sapling]

long dumb ramble

So Fauna's graduating, and I thought I would be sad, distraught, ect., but her saying she's graduating because of disagreements with management rubs me in a way that mostly irritates me, not because of her, of course, but because of management and corporate. I've considered myself almost more of a Hololive fan than just an individual talent fan since en debuted. I follow the general goings-on around the company. I love seeing different talents being creative and performing; seeing the huge events, concerts, conventions, etc., and the loads of merchandise (acrylic standees), not just of fauna but of most of EN and lots of JP, is what made me more of a core fan of the whole company, not just 1 or 2 talents, but after this year, I'm getting pretty concerned with the company and the direction it's going, and obviously I should've known better than to trust a big corporation. When Coco graduated, I was too early into my fandom to really grasp it; I only learned vaguely of what happened to Mano Aloe later on. When Rushia was fired, I was kind of sad, but then later on, why the company was firing her seemed reasonable to me, so it was a wash. Sana's graduation just seemed like piles of bad luck and an unfortunate situation that could not be helped. Magi Desmond and Vesper Noir (my only real chance of caring about Holostars) cut for some reason that I was not concerned enough to care about Mel being terminated. It seemed pretty harsh, but I thought those were just the breaks for breaking company policies. Then Minato Aqua graduated, and it seemed like she had some friction with management, but overall it seemed like she was just semi retiring to a better, less idol focused streaming career. After that, Ame graduated, being a core part of holo en and vtubing in general, but I thought someone with big innovative ideas like hers just couldn't fit in the confines of a rule heavy corporation, so it's fine; she was onto better things. Now Chloe is graduating, also citing a drift apart in her and management's interests, but for some reason I figured it couldn't happen to Fauna. She seems happy in hololive she'll be a mainstay for long enough that even when she would eventually graduate, it would be after such a long time it wouldn't really hurt that bad, but then my ticket came up way too soon, and I thought I would cry or be distraught, but I'm kind of just numbly irritated. Fauna is most likely on to a fruitful indie career, and I'm excited about what possibilities that will have, but while the talent behind Fauna doesn't die after January 3rd like some like to act, after January 3rd "Ceres Fauna" does effectively die. All the work the lore, however small and silly the bits, the interactions with fellow girls, and all the momentum of the avatar and the work the person behind it put in are lost. probably much sooner than the person behind it would like. "Disagreements with management." You can only fill the gaps with new talents and fancy big events for so long before people are too afraid to get attached or invested or too burned to care, and the core of what keeps your money engine on chokes, so good luck with that, I guess? I hope some things will change and the ship can be righted, but it probably won't.

[generallemarc]

A few interesting facts to note:

Unlike every other election since '92, the Libertarians were not the best-performing third party, actually coming in 5th place, with the Greens taking third. This is absolutely because of RFK, since if you were to combine his vote tally with the Libertarians' they'd be nearly double that of the Greens.

The parties of all the minor candidates not among the big three(RFK, the Libertarians, and the Greens, are as follows):

Cornel West: Independent, running on some kind of libertarian socialist platform with a focus on how everything is racist or whatever.

Joel Skoussen: Constitution Party. If the Greens are the party of morons who got rejected from the Democrats for being too far left and too retarded about supporting Russia, China and every other autocracy they can find, then the Constitution Party is the party of morons who got rejected from the Republicans for being too far right and too retarded about wanting to go full isolationist and pull out of every treaty we're in and also abolish basically the entire government based on incredible feats of logic like "the Federal Aviation Administration wasn't specifically mentioned in the Constitution, therefore it is unconstitutional and must be abolished." These are the guys who actually would implement Project 2025.

Richard Duncan: Perennial candidate(meaning a candidate who runs in every election despite not having any meaningful support), independent, running to oppose the two-party system. Only on the ballot in Ohio.

Shiva Ayyadurai: Conspiracy theorist who believed that covid was being intentionally spread by the government and that vitamins could cure it. Claimed to have invented the idea of email in the 80s. Ineligible to actually become president due to not being a natural-born American citizen. His Wikipedia page spends an inordinate amount of time trying to convince the reader that this Indian man born in Mumbai is a white supremacist.

Claudia De La Cruz: Party for Socialism and Liberation. Ran on a platform of cutting military spending by 90%, paying reparations for slavery to people never affected by it using money that could have gone to poverty relief for all races instead of just one, nationalizing the 100 largest companies in America, and other commie bullshit. Her party is a member of the International Peoples' Assembly, which has held meetings in Venezuela and Cuba and is generally filled with rabid supporters of every far-left and anti-Western autocracy on the planet. Only candidate on this list whose platform was basically "I will end representative democracy in this country", unless you count the Constitution Party's plans as promising that by way of deliberately tearing down so much of the government that the country falls apart, at which point there is no representative democracy in the country because there is no country at all.

Mattie Preston: Independent. Pastor running on a platform that's both based in religion(she spoke in an interview about God's love for everyone, including the unsaved and demographics that are stereotyped as being "rejected" by Christians such as gay people) but not in a "make the Bible law" kind of way. Non-partisanship was a part of her campaign, with her declaring "God is not a Democrat; He's not a Republican." Wanted to close the border until the immigration system could be fixed up enough to properly vet all incoming immigrants. Ballotpedia lists her as running for the "Godliness, Truh, Justice" party, but since I can't find any information on that alleged organization anywhere else it's likely that it's nothing more than a name to put after hers on the ballot.

Michael Wood: Prohibition Party. This group has actually changed over the past few elections, taking a more moderate stance on issues like abortion(they say it ought to be left up to the states and do not support a nationwide ban) and immigration(supporting stricter standards but not calling for a border closure and speaking positively of immigrants as a whole). They have even dropped their long-held goal of bringing back the 18th Amendment wholesale and banning all alcohol nationwide. That said, they're still quite nutty on the issue of alcohol and drugs. They want a nationwide ban on all recreational drugs, marijuana included, as well as a nationwide ban on all tobacco products and vaping. While they no longer seek to apply this to alcohol, they do seek a ban on alcohol advertising "similar to that on tobacco advertising", which basically means none whatsoever, stricter controls on the licensing of "alcohol outlets"(so stores and bars), and a presumably large increase in the excise tax on alcohol, which while not stated directly is definitely for the purpose of discouraging its purchase by making it too expensive.

Peter Sonski: American Solidarity Party. A syncretic party that is center-left on fiscal issues(so basically the current administration) while mostly right-wing on cultural issues, but due to being a Christian-democratic party in the European style they support what is known as the "consistent life ethic", that being opposition to all forms of state-sponsored death, namely abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty, the latter of which they believe should be abolished.

Best-Performing Third-Party candidate by county in the 2024 Presidential Election

[taylorklosscomeout138]

Hey! I’m usually not very vocal online but i’ve been following this mass coming out theory for a while and it’s starting to make more and more sense. I might sound like a deranged weirdo for asking u this question but since u seem to believe in it too i decided to just go for it. Do you know how it works with crediting backup vocals on songs? Like i’ve been listening to olivia rodrigo and gracie abrams, and it’s all so kaylor coded. also i saw someone mention miley cyrus maybe being part of it?! even her sister noah (🙌 voice) is a sucpest loll.

What i mean is that i can’t shake off the feeling that they might be doing backup vocals for each other on some of the songs.. I’t not keeping me up at night but it’s in the voice i bring to bed * Not sure if this how u say it english. Cause i’m not a native English speaker, sorry if i made any mistakes. I also hope you understand what i mean with this question. Could send you a few songs to see (hear) iffor yourself .

Annyways something’s cooking in the kitchen - feels sus.

Let’s hope she really is going te be “free”

I have not heard anything in Olivia's discography that ever read as Kaylor to me BUT contrary to belief, she is absolutely involved. Her and her "best best friend" roommate Iris Apatow are both publicly Kaylors which I could get into the in depth lore of that in its own post ESPECIALLY the fact that Iris Apatow dated Joe Alwyn's brother and knew insider tea but

In addition to this, following Karlie being at Eras Tour, there was a blind item that released saying Karlie and Olivia had a chat over lunch. This was relatively being talked about in Kaylor spaces, and then 2 days later Karlie posted to Olivia's new song "bad idea right" seemingly confirming this!

As far as Gracie Abrams you are absolutely correct there are so many Gracie songs that are clearly written about Kaylor. I have not been able to figure out the *why* of this but "Us" made it very obvious that Gracie was playing Karlie in that song

I think the idea was to make the Gracie connections obvious with the Taylor collab. Because after that, I revisited Gracie's discography and undeniably it's full of lyrical references to Taylor's albums, especially her EP it has so many Folklore/Evermore lyrics.

The Secret of Us very much felt like a play on The Story of Us and that album had exactly 13 tracks initially. I mean the whole thing was Taylor/Kaylor coded beyond just the feature-

To answer your main question, I have not personally noticed much of any suspicious backing vocals so maybe that is something I missed but I absoutely agree there are many songs by a lot of various artists that really seem to be written about Kaylor

This is most likely due to ghost writing, which yes you can ghost write songs and not be credited if you don't wish to. And this can apply to doing backing vocals too to my knowledge. Also ghost writing doesn't have to mean writing the full song, it can be collaborative as well!

In addition, if anyone is interested in a deep dive on either Olivia/Iris Apatow Kaylor lore or Gracie's Kaylor coded lyrics I am open to both so just ask!

Thanks for your question there was nothing wrong with it at all and feel free to ask anything else anytime !!!

[whiteobsidian]

from cyra, to you

My struggle with LOA and how I overcame it.

During the summer (in 2020), around July I read a community post about the law of assumption, then I really did my research and had a better understanding of the law of assumption. It was quite fun and painful, I would read the same posts just to get reassurance that what I was doing was “correct”. Growing up with only listening to instructions made it a bit difficult to transition from the law of attraction to assumption. Though the law of attraction didn’t do  me any good.

When I got into the law of attraction in (last) december it was like a miracle had happened and I could change anything I “disliked” all by listening to some music online. I discovered those videos by accident, and I don’t regret it but I do regret abusing it and myself.  During quarantine + online school I was probably at my lowest point in life, I was depressed and scared and my anxiety had turned severe, especially as a black person during this period. I had also gained weight and my acne was worse than ever, In conclusion : I was insecure. Using subliminals was my escape from that, being so desperate to fit into today's beauty standards , I wasn’t doing myself any justice, I would get angry at the 3d for not showing what I wanted to see. I drank 2 liters of water a day, why wasn’t I getting results? I listened at low volume, why wasn’t I getting results? This mindset did change…. well kinda.

As I wrote earlier, I read a community tab from one of my favorite submarkes talking about how they used the law of assumption to manifest. I was obviously confused, I didn’t even know there were different laws/ ways to manifest. This got me into watching Hyler and Sammy Ingrams videos for a whole day straight. I was fascinated to say the least, and I was even more excited learning that visualization can also help you manifest, since I am a big day dreamer. A few weeks later, I had an instagram account and followed lots of coaches and accounts. I was doing self concept challenges and abundance challenges. I had manifested a lot of new things (clothes, macbook, food) but I wanted something more, something I saw as “BIG”. You might've already guessed : appearance changes.

I didn’t want to change for me, I wanted to change so I would be treated differently, that I would have a better life with prettiness. I had a ugly mindset and this ugly mindset told me I was ugly, I never really thought I was an ugly person before and I'm questioning why I ever thought I was in the first place, I had completely changed and it scared me, I was desperate. I would get mad when I didn't see what i wanted, this led me to repeating the old story over and over again. It took me longer than I expected to get my appearance changed because I had doubts. The 3d is a reflection, a movie of your thoughts. All I needed to do was to change my mindset on how I saw myself. 

Self Concept

Self concept changed my whole view on manifesting and honestly myself.  Your self concept is how you see yourself, how others treat you, how you see the world etc etc, for example if you believe that men or women treat you badly then it's going to reflect your reality. I had a lot of old  thoughts and assumptions that would mold into the 3d. Remember that no one is going to manifest for you, you have to do this yourself, know you are powerful, beautiful, and smart. Nobody can change these beliefs you have set in your mind except you. You need to work on yourself. 

Techniques and Methods

i’m going to put this out now, you DON'T need to do any methods or techniques to get “faster results” do whatever makes you feel comfortable, if you're new to the law of assumption feel free to try any techniques you're interested in, just don’t be pressured to. It's not mandatory to do all this extra stuff, unless you really want to. 

Timing

I know that all of us want our results to come quick, instant even and it is possible, but only unless you truly believe that. Know that your affirming is going to work and that your results are already there, if you are affirming for quick instant results, know that you will get quick and instant results. You don't necessarily have to believe in your affirmation, you just need to believe that what your doing is going to work. If you've been affirming and listening to subliminals for months and you're still “not” getting results it's not the 3d, it's you. 

Why?

You can manifest anything you want, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise but question yourself, why? Especially if it's an appearance change, I hope you're manifesting an appearance change because you're doing it for YOU. Not for validation, or to actually “feel” pretty. You are a powerful being, don't let others determine your self worth or determine who you are. 

Apply

Manifesting is simple, especially in the law of assumption, all you need to do is affirm, persist, and know.

Affirm for what you want 

Persist in that thought over and over

Know that your thought will materialize into the 3d no matter what

STOP over consuming info online, I don’t care if a loa creator posted, I bet you already know what it's about by the title. Stop going on instagram and tumblr just to read things you already know, if you're really that impulsive then delete the apps! Don’t waste all your time for reassurance to see what you're doing is right. There is no right or wrong, just manifest.

Have fun!

Have fun when manifesting, don’t make it seem like it is a chore or it's that pile of homework that's sitting around in your room. Think about it, you can manifest your dream life by just thinking, I want you all to have fun when manifesting, enjoy it! Know that you have everything you want all just by assuming!

Remember, you’re one of a kind <3

with all my love, 

xoxo cyra, 111 222

ps. I did manifest an appearance change (and everything else I wanted), all by working on myself! :)

[nevertheless-moving]

More from the Hesina Willshaper AU. Specifically Continued from Here.

while hesina and Lirin were travelling with the band of freed slaves the two were loosely in charge, but decent enough at delegating that other people quickly took on major leadership rules.

erk. gonna need a bunch of ocs

layla, 8th dan before being sold to pay family debts. quartermaster/ house steward role. roughly same age as hesina. worked mostly as a house slave.

she had actually managed to half pay off her slave price, something she gripes about for laughs, she could have bought cool stuff with that money. most of the money came from the child she had, who was sold as a baby, wouldn't be able to find it if she wanted to, and she's not even completely sure she does.

layla is fascinated by different peoples religions, languages, beliefs...she's met people from a surprising number of countries working as a lighteye's servant. mostly self taught reading, hesina teachers her to write. hesina and her talk a lot about religion and philosophy. one of the few people who doesn't put hesina on a pedestal. hesina's first squire.

it seems that the squire rules are different for each order. i'm wildly but confidently headcanoning that willshapers get exactly ten, and they can tangibly feel each squire bond being formed.

willshapers have an interesting relationship to Connection. Connections can free you. Connections can become chains. best to be aware. either side of the willshapers squire bond can break the connection at any time.

(willshapers also have an interesting relationship to Oaths. Oaths can very definitely become chains. they just... i mean oaths still matter, but they don't take breaking them as seriously as some of the orders. circumstances matter. people grow. the spren once vowed not to bond with the singers again, and yet...it's been millenia. The lightspren are thinking. Things have changed.)

they're not freeing people because they made an oath. They made an oath because they chose to free people.

-

Ruush, 5th dahn before being enslaved for refusing to follow orders. One of the only ones with actual military training, though his leg was broken and healed wrong, meaning that he could only train, not fight, until he became hesina's second squire and healed.

Often Lirin's guard. Only 15 years younger than Lirin, but has for sure called him dad. Lirin calls him son and tries not to lecture him too much on being a soldier.

Ruush is mildly bemused by the entire concept of pacifism (Not common among Alethi!) and listens very patiently, with genuine if slightly abstract interest. i mean, you gotta admit, violence does beget violence. wild. anyway, back to work.

Has heard enough stories about Tien and Kaladin that he pretty much thinks of them as his brothers.

When kaladin and him finally meet kal is... mostly cool with that (sure, this might as well happen. can't have too many brothers). but there is significant disagreement over who's oldest.

-

shortly before making it to Urithiru oathgate they run into the listeners. layla and ruush hastily throw up some walls between them while Hesina tries to communicate that she comes in peace. The listeners scramble to get Eshonai to translate.

it takes some time to talk. the translation process with the council of five. mistrust on both sides. lirin gives an impassioned speech about wanting to be free from violence, and some listeners swear they could almost hear the man attuning to the rhythm of hope.

Eshonai gives her plate and blade to Thule before traveling to Urithiru. Venli calls her a fool. The council approves. This might be their one last chance.

Eshonai returns full of enthusiasm. This is it. They could escape. They would still need gems to make the fields grow, but the Neshua Kadal leader women and her mate have been robbing other humans blind while traveling. This could work.

-

Venli presents her own radical idea, storm form, a form of power.

Maybe two thirds of the listeners take the chance on Urithiru.

A third stay on the shattered plains to fight for vengeance to the bitter end.

-

Listeners slightly outnumber human population. People learn quickly that any violence gets randomly duplicated, which Lirin is weirdly smug about. Eshonai spends a lot of time on language lessons.

After sitting down and talking it out, they eventually decide to make a council of ten — 5 humans, 5 listeners. Hesina's lightspren is given the deciding vote if they tie.

They need each other too much to operate separately, even if the place is technically big enough.

Over the course of a month they actually settle into a decent routine. There's some mistrust, but Eshonai manages to explain fairly eloquently why they decided to kill the king, fearing being enslaved by the return of the gods

yeah the humans can get that. we don't really care about the king anyway.

the parshendi were shocked by how brutally and disproportionately the Alethi responded

tell me about it. i once scratched a window and was beaten until i couldn't walk.

Really, things are promising, common ground, willingness to move forward together.

-

Layla draws her own lightspern to much rejoicing, reaching the third oath, so now they can move between the oathgates without worrying about leaving people trapped in Urithiru without Hesina.

Eshenoi swears her own first oath!! even more rejoicing!!! listener and dark eyes going together into the future freely and equally.

if only they could convince Venli's revenge splinter group to join them. of course everyone wants vengeance but... they want to live more. they want to live for more.

the 'stormform' group is going to get themselves killed. and if somehow they don't... fear grows that the songs, the warnings about forms of power — they were for exactly this moment but what are they going to do? attack their own people?

The radiants alternate going out on a few more raids, freeing more slaves. They also bring stolen parchmen now, which they had mostly decided to leave behind in past raids, as they wouldn't really help in their own escapes at all, and everyone felt bad continuing to treat as slaves even if they come with, but they just...stand there. The Listeners are continuously baffled by them.

Some humans think about another few thousand years of their children and their children's children and their children being tenth dahn eternally ... they know humans who are dead behind the eyes and stormfather. If you bred for that...

-

(a storm is coming and things are going to get messy but those who were there will look back on these months and know how important they were. when the lighteyes come and the singers come things will change. but for a moment there was something beautiful and almost pure. and those foundations will matter more than anyone could possibly imagine)

[hestzhyen]

Chapter 59 Pain Posting

Here we go, dear void. What fresh hell awaits our MC this week? We are back to setting up for the next big story moment, for one, so there's lots to speculate over before waiting to see how it all plays out. Oh, and suffering of course. There's plenty of that for almost everyone.

Bad TL of editor's notes and the colour page (second editor's note could technically be spoilers I guess):

First page: 慘状を前に… [sanjou wo maeni...] "Standing in front of a terrible scene..."] Last page: 死んだハズ… だが…?! [shinda hazu... daga...?!] "Supposedly dead... and yet...?!"

Colour Page Text (removed in EN version): 見据える過酷な旅路 [misueru kakoku na tabiji; "Sights fixed on the difficult journey ahead"]

Not much to say about the colour page except I like how moody it is (and big Makizumi guy is pretty cute with his pose). Guess I was wrong as usual about the Makizumi following Samura. Would be cool if they acted like personal bodyguards to Chihiro! They're the only ones who can really fight against Samura right now due to being presence-less ninjas after all. That's a really interesting conflict for them too- they clearly care for him a lot as the only person who treated them as actual people, and he definitely cares for them in return. His desire to save them during the Hishaku raid wasn't an act in the slightest! But more on that later.

Samura vs. Chihiro: Round 1

Stressed-out scribble-eye Chihiro returns... someone give him a hug.

Glad I didn't try to predict shit because I would have been totally flabbergasted by how this went. Way to make a (technical) liar out of me by saying Chihiro can't die since he's the MC, Hokazono-sensei.

Watching Chihiro break down in real time was so hard, man. This poor guy got his shit rocked by John yesterday at the Rakuzaichi, watched Tenri die a pointless death for the same reasons he's on his own journey, witnessed the horror of his dad's Civilian Murderton 3000 at 1% capacity, and now Samura, one of his heroes, betrayed them all with his dad's legacy. He even got one-tapped when he finally lost his cool for real.

Chihiro seriously can't handle all of this and it's so heartbreaking to see. This guy was not built for a bloody revenge mission at all. Now that he died, though... seriously, what's going to happen next?! Do we switch PoV to a different character while Chihiro's dealing with whatever's happening to him in what looks like a hospital morgue?

There are also some questions about the circumstances of his death and apparent revival- did he really die, or was that Kamunabi misinformation for/from the Hishaku mole? If he did, then how did he come back? And how does that affect his contract with Enten? There's absolutely nothing to go on right now so it's time to hunker down and not go crazy waiting for answers.

Apropos of nothing: I wonder if that wound that Samura gave him will scar. If so, it would mirror the one Uruha had on his shoulder:

RIP I'm still not over you, Uruha.

Probably just a nit-picky detail thing that won't amount to anything, but I wanted to post Uruha from when he was still alive so there you go. I'd be very surprised if Uruha came back somehow even though Chihiro apparently may have escaped death... It seems super-duper extra final that he's toast thanks to the duel he had with his master before getting done in. May you please reappear in flashbacks from time to time so I can get sad that you're no longer with us all over again.

One last thing before we move on to the Hishaku at Disused Building Full of Trash HQ:

SHIBAAAAAA SAVE YOUR NEPHEW AND HIS (BOY)FRIEND

Shiba showing up was in "delusions" territory for me but I'm so glad he's here!

Of course he's getting called out (kind of) for not telling Chihiro the truth- we saw him being one of Kunishige's top glazers back in chapter 1 despite how uncomfortable it made the dude to be praised. So we just have to sit back and wait for the secrets to come out once Chihiro's well enough to at least listen. And if Shiba can bring himself to talk. All the older guys in this manga are so guilty they'd put a Catholic to shame and Shiba already struggles with not being able to deter Chihiro from taking this bloody path in the first place. He almost failed to save a Rokuhira twice now too.

Samura's kindness towards Chihiro is so genuine even when he's trying to kill the kid. Don't ruin the image of Kunishige for him, Shiba- let him live and die in ignorant bliss.

"Your dad's legacy is the problem."

A man who shared Kunishige's vision has come to want to destroy everything about it and help expose the lies that made them into "heroes"... man, is there any non-Hishaku character in this manga that isn't encumbered by some huge amount of guilt?

Toxic Old Man Yaoi

Nice trashed warehouse HQ, bros. Definitely getting "we lost the war and suffered for it" vibes from these guys. I'm willing to stake 1 (ONE) slice of birthday cheesecake on everything I've talked about in the past regarding their origin- that the Seitei War was a civil war, and the Hishaku were on an imperialistic/dynastic side that lost. BECAUSE:

The Owl spread was AMAZEBALLS

MY NEMESIS

It's deliberate! This is the third time this damn vase has shown up, and in four panels this chapter no less! I need lovingly detailed close-ups of every flower to better ID them for the hanakotoba interpretations but I've only gotten a few so far. Most importantly, a matsumoto (elegance/nobility), sakurasou (deep desire), kiku (Imperial imagery), and what might be a poppy (for assured victory) but I'm not completely confident on the last one.

But anyway, yeah. Another yaoi bomb has hit the fandom.

Look at John talking like a five-year-old about unbreakable pinky promises lmao

Did it have to be pinky rings? What's next, they're connected by a red string? HOKAZONOOOOOOOOOOOO

They're in some kind of toxic stew of a relationship for sure with how things went down this chapter. Worst Jeanist helpfully gave us the details of the pact they made to get Samura's help and he's the only one who's concerned that the guy can actually make good on his "promise" to kill them all. Hope he's got some good anxiety management techniques because John won't say a damn thing about what his contingency plans are until they're enacted, apparently.

Can't run from the blind man.

How do you manoeuver against the guy who is set up to be the tactician of the war, though? His ability to super sense things and scout with that awesome-looking Owl power will definitely make it difficult to go against him despite being blind. And the EN TL says "control" here but the wording in JP was closer to "flushing out" like someone who pursues and exposes prey animals or drives cattle/sheep/etc. So Samura's definitely someone who's used to scouting and hunting, making him quite the formidable assassin.

Of course they're using each other though. And of course there's a separate Kamunabi mole that gave away the Rokuhira household's info. Guess we'll get into that shortly since I'm doing a dangerous thing and assuming that the Kamunabi have rounded up the rest of the Bearers at the HQ to chill with them and the Sword Master. Will they have enough manpower to stand against both the Hishaku and Samura by next week? Will Hakuri even wake up by then? Will Chihiro be able to fight at all? Probably since this is a high-octane action series! I'll just have to shut up and accept the condensed timeline sooner or later. (Seriously though, only a week?!)

"消耗 [used up/exhausted/depleted]" is one way to put it, I guess.

Wonder why they didn't kill Hakuri outright if he was such a problem. Do they have something planned for him later? It's not like John cares about sparing people's lives in the way Samura does, so wouldn't he have mentioned it would have been better to get rid of him for good? Eh, probably just a pointless nitpick. Hakuri's staying to the end of the series in all probability, so he just couldn't die here.

Needing to negotiate with other members-John's a first among equals like Beard Guy at the Kamunabi, maybe? Let's meet all the Hishaku members soon to find out!

Samura, Chihiro, Hiurhiko, and Worst Jeanist Musings

[slaps Samura] This bad boy can fit so much misguided grief in it.

This guy is already an incredibly compelling villain that I've done analysis on bit by bit as we got new info, and I gotta say that if I wasn't sold hard on Kyora for personal reasons then Samura would easily be #1 already. He's so complex and multi-layered! I think the detail that makes him great as a "villain" is that his convictions are colder than the surface of Pluto compared to Chihiro's (and most other character's) who burn bright and hot. Samura doesn't have any passion behind what he's doing, just an inflexible will to see a miserable but necessary job through to the end. If Chihiro's an unstable blazing young star, Samura is the black hole that remains after a supernova finally burns out.

The contrast during their first face-off is extremely telling too. Neither hesitate but Samura easily wins due to his composure alone, never mind the skill and experience gap. Poor Chihro's broken inside and out after finding out one of the people his dad trusted is helping his mortal enemies; the stoicism that John fractured the day before completely falls apart here to reveal Chihiro at his lowest.

"Better dead than a guilty sinner," is it? Too late for that!

And Samura's doing it all because he wants to spare him from becoming a tainted sinner. I can't hate Samura at all- he's doing this as an act of kindness with sympathetic motivations despite how far gone off the rails he is. This isn't a typical villain who just wants the world to burn after he wallowed in his misery for too long! I'm looking forward to seeing how Chihiro recovers and prepares to face him again. If he's going to be the one to do it, that is.

Look at this pathetic ugly frog guy.

Just putting this in my back pocket to pull out later if it manifests somehow. I don't have strong feelings one way or the other about Hiruhiko being the one to kill Samura right now, but I do hope he's not redeemed somehow to join the main cast. My feelings on why are extremely petty so I'll just leave it at "don't make him the bonkers former criminal ally guy that everyone sorta tolerates because he's earnest and useful". I will concede that he was almost cute this chapter, though. Worst Jeanist probably deserves a raise for putting up with him.

And now we know how John got his arm back too.

Another healing utility person like the Makizumi, huh? I wonder if we'll get more lore on if this is a field of study that anyone who can use sorcery can take advantage of (like tools), or if it's how their personal abilities manifest. Probably won't get answers unless we spend more time with the Makizumi so here's hoping!

WARNING: TERMINAL BRAIN ROT AHEAD

Not kidding in the slightest about the absolutely mind-numbingly stupid takes about this (very cool!) cover illustration. Skip this if I don't cut it from the final draft of the post unless you're into batshit ramblings from an insane fudanshi.

[feral screeching]

I've got really strong feelings about this cover. REALLY strong. Only the first of them is justified though. Kinda.

One, HIYUKI IT'S BEEN SO LONG I MISS YOU COME BACK TO THE MAIN STORY SOON! She looks so cool too! I love that she doesn't have to do blatantly feminine stuff ever- she's 100% badass and awesome every time she shows up. I'm waiting warmly for your return, my Spaghetti Queen! Use your frenemy rival status to help Chihiro overcome his issues this arc!

This cover and some of the community's reactions to it sparked a lot of thoughts that I've been working out for the past few days. Some about how leaks are being handled, some about how people are reacting to the characters and the composition, a lot about Hiyuki herself. The first easy enough: yes, this cover and colour page count as leaks. Don't spread that shit all over social media! Keep leaks a purely opt-in experience for everyone. The rest, well... probably going to have another massive essay since I love Hiyuki but I don't love why she's so refreshing, if that makes sense? And by God do I hate the way she gets treated by most of the fandom. But I'll work all that out over time.

Two, the Hiyuki-Chihiro design parallels are getting to me in a bad way. Like "tinfoil hat and red string on a tack board" levels of baseless speculation. But I think it's extremely deliberate on the author's part to keep using the same black-with-a-splash-of-red-up-top colour palette for them now that they even have matching undone bandages in this art for some reason. Why not have those two do their own thing like Hakuri got to? He actually kind of sticks out as if no one told him to dress all in black for this photo shoot!

I don't want to let my HakuHiro shipper bias get the better of me here though, so I'll just keep the crazy to myself until we learn more and/or I finish getting the Hiyuki thoughts in order.

Three, HEROINE HAKURI PROPAGANDA!

I'm being completely serious here! I've been banging pots and pans while screaming from the rooftops (internally) about how Hakuri is in the traditional heroine role since I wrote that HakuHiro essay around Chapter 38! He spares Hiyuki from having to balance things out by providing a soft touch because that's his job. And he's so good at it!

Seriously look at his pose! He's leaning in to Chihiro and doing a cute little gesture with his hands, looking so soft while Chihiro and Hiyuki are the baddest motherfuckers to ever exist! Hokazono-sensei was extremely serious when he said he intended for Hakuri to add cuteness. He's so cute! CUTE! But it's not like he's a total uwu marshmallow either- he's still got a really cool outfit on that highlights his boyish charm. He's just the "soft" one to Chihiro's cool and Hiyuki's fierce.

I know I'm a delusional lunatic for going nuts over this. And I hope it's clear that I'm not taking this as a sign that Hakuri's going to be an actual love interest. I'm not that far gone. I'm just always appreciating that Hakuri and Hiyuki essentially swapped roles in a traditional shounen trio in terms of what kind of balance they bring to the dynamic. I think it's an underrated aspect of Kagurabachi's appeal and I wish more shounen did this! Hokazono-sensei seems to love cute guys and cool women and I am 100% behind him if that's the case.

Rough entry but I'm not having a good time lately. Do your best to survive the rest of the year, kind void. We'll make it through for the sake of finding out how the Kagurabachi cast suffers from week to week if nothing else. Give yourself a little treat today, okay?

[novankenn]

The TA -- Joan(Jaune) Arc

Artwork Inspired Posts - First / Second / Third / Fourth

(Artwork created/owned by @pilot-boi, No rights Claimed/Implied by the author of this story)

Joan(Jaune) wanted to leave as soon as they reached the infirmary, but she choose to stay. She was a little worried about what happened to Ms Nikos, but she was more afraid of what Aunt Glynda would do if she returned with out the trio of students she was supposed to be supervising.

After a quick look over, Pyrrha was roused with the use of some smelling salts. The nurse then informed them she would return in about fifteen minutes for one final check before letting them leave. So as Pyrrha's teammates, well really just one teammate unloaded barrage after barrage about what happened, and how she was feeling. Joan(Jaune) sat in a very uncomfortable plastic chair, tapping her foot on the tiled floor.

"So..." Pyrrha looked past Nora at Joan(Jaune), "You are really a girl?"

"Yes."

"Really?" Pyrrha hesitantly asked again.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" Joan(Jaune) answered standing up and approaching the bed Pyrrha was laid upon. "Like seriously, why..."

"The boobs, or the lack of them." Nora interrupted.

"I have boobs!" Joan(Jaune) snapped.

"Not from what I..." Nora didn't get a chance to finish as Joan(Jaune) grabbed her by the wrists, pulling her hands towards her chest. Nora's eyes went wide when she felt the heavily softness under her hands, "You do... "

"Anyone else need to feel me up?" Joan(Jaune) asked as she released her grip on Nora.

"Can I do that again?" Nora asked.

"What? No!"

"Please?" Nora begged, "I'll share my pancakes with you?"

"Huh?" Joan(Jaune) took a step back a little creeped out by the orange haired girl. "Is she okay?"

"That's just how Nora is." the lone male in the room, informed Joan(Jaune). "You'll get used to it. I'm Ren by the way."

Joan(Jaune) gave Ren a sideways look.

"I'm sorry, about all this." Pyrrha offered with a soft and sad smile. "I didn't mean to upset you..."

"You annoyed me. Not upset." Joan(Jaune) responded, before asking, "So what was your malfunction?"

"Excuse me?" Pyrrha asked as Ren acted as a buffer between Nora's grasping hands, and Joan(Jaune).

"Just what I asked."

"I don't... understand the question?"

'Why did you freak when you found out I was a woman?" Joan(Jaune) asked, while leaning in to look Pyrrha right in the eyes. "You have pretty eyes."

"Because of stuff like that!" Pyrrha yelped her face growing flushed with color.

"What not used to be complimented?"

"No... it's... because... um... fuck it!" Pyrrha snapped. "You say stuff like how I'm hot and shit, and I'm get interested and then... I like men! I can't be attracted to a woman, even if her ass if so delicious!"

"Okay." Joan(Jaune) stood up straight, sucked on her front teeth before speaking. "If you like guys, that's great. I like guys, but that does NOT meant you can't find people of the same sex also attractive."

"But..."

"Are you really that repressed?" Joan(Jaune) asked, with a roll of her eyes. "Listen Pyrrha. I can find you hot. I can find Nora adorable, and Ren handsome. Do you follow?"

"I'm adorable? and Ren's handsome? Way to put out the moves Joan(Jaune)-Joan(Jaune)!" Nora cheered finally having given up on molesting Joan(Jaune)'s chest again.

Ren just stood there one eyebrow raised.

"I think so?" Pyrrha answered.

"Good. NOW just because you like my ass doesn't mean your suddenly going to try and make a move on me. It means you find something attractive about me. You follow?"

"Yes?"

"No you're not." Joan(Jaune) sighed. "Do you find men or women more desirable?"

"Ah... um..."

"Did you grow up in a convent or something?" Joan(Jaune) sighed out. "Fine. would you rather do this with a guy?"

Before Pyrrha could answer Joan(Jaune) rounds about hooks her hands behind Ren's head and neck and pulls him into a heated, breath stealing kiss. It last only for about ten seconds, before Joan (Jaune) breaks contact.

"You... kissed... Rennie..." Nora whimpered as she just stood there, watching her life long friend weave on his feet.

"Or would you do it with a woman?" Joan(Jaune) asked as she closed on Pyrrha, slipping her arms around Pyrrha's shoulders and neck, to give her a sizzling deep kiss.

Pyrrha's mind screamed in confusion. Joan(Jaune) was kissing her! She was being kissed and the lips felt so soft and tasted delicious. Her tongue... WAIT her tongue!!!

Nora stood in utter shock, as Joan(Jaune) had moved from making out with Rennie, to some heavy duty face-sucking with Pyrrha. The lip-lock broke after again only lasting about ten seconds or so.

"As you can see. I'm fine with girls or boys... did she just pass out again?" Pyrrha's eyes had rolled up into her head and she lay limp on the bed, her lips slightly parted, and moist with saliva.

"RENNIE!" Nora shrieked when Ren just finally collapsed to the floor in a limp heap. "KISS OF DEATH!!!! KISS OF DEATH!!!"

"Huh?" Joan(Jaune) turns from Pyrrha to see Ren on the floor. "Shit!"

"I must feel their heavenly form again before you steal my soul with your succubus ways!" Nora cried out as she lunged for Joan(Jaune), her hands in front of her, with her fingers spread wide.

"SHIT!" Joan(Jaune) cried out as she tried to keep away from the suddenly very energetic organette.

(A/N - Okay I've been pushing in my head for a female!Jaune stealing a kiss from Ren in front of Nora, since forever. It has now happened. My life is complete! Wonder what Weiss is going to say with Nora's new fascination? Any way hope you're all enjoying this unplanned chaos.)

[prettypinkporkchop]

Bite Me

Vessel x f!reader

Description: Sleep token started to work with you for helping them write their songs. You have a studio in your basement, which the band comes to use for the night. You and Ves do NOT get along... until you do.

Warnings: sexual, language, ves is daddy, IV cockblocks yo

The lights flicker as the thunder grows rougher. You close your book and toss it across your bed,letting out a sigh. You lean over and pull your phone off the charger. The screen turns on, and you see that Vessel had messaged you. You're confused because you both hate each other. He only texts to ask questions about upcoming studio dates. You guys don't have any more until a few months.

You open the message and realize it's a series of texts.

Vessel: sorry. Not interested.

Wrong person.

Don't ask annoying questions.

You raise an eyebrow and ignore it.

---

The next morning, you sit on the couch and watch TV. Your phone starts ringing. It's ii. You answer it. "Yes?" You ask.

"Sorry to bother you! Would it be okay if the band comes to use your studio?" He asks.

"Sure!" You reply.

You guys end the phone call, and you just chill and wait for them. While waiting, it starts to storm again. You groan, realizing it's bad enough that you could lose power.

Within a few minutes, the whole gang walk inside in a hurry, a bit wet from the rain.

"Phew! Thanks for letting us use your basement for a few hours." iii says with a smile.

"No problem! Just don't leave a mess. Also, we may lose power soon, so use your time while you can." You smile back and then return to your phone.

The guys scramble to your basement. Not even 30 minutes later, the power goes out. All you see is black and small flashes from the lightening through the window.

"Perfect." You mumble.

The door going to the basement opens, and the guys step out with their phones lights on.

"Bummer." IV chuckles.

"Sorry, guys.. we'll try again in-", you try to speak, but everyone's phone goes off. You check your phone and see a tornado warning. "Perfect." You mumble again.

"I'll light some candles. Would you mind if we stayed here until it passes?" iii asks, moving to the candles you have set out, pulling out a lighter from his pocket.

"I don't mind at all. It'll make me feel better, too. It's too dangerous to be on the road. You guys can pick who gets the spare room and the couches in here." You giggle.

"Yeah, I'd rather get sucked into the tornado than stay here longer than I intended." Vessel says.

"Good for you. You get the couch then." You deadpan.

"If you two start bickering again, I'm going to bed. I call the spare bedroom." ii snorts.

iii gets all of the candles lit. It sends a small bright orange tint in the living room and kitchen. He sighs and sits on the couch. Everyone turns off the flash on their phones.

"Alright, I'm gonna go to bed." You stand up and walk into your room.

You pass out for a few minutes but wake up to loud thunder that shakes your bed. "Shit." You hiss. Your throat is dry, so you make your way out into the hall to get into the kitchen. But as you close your door, you bump into a body.

"Watch it." Vessel hisses.

"Why're you up?" You ask with attitude.

"Can a man pee without being questioned?" He starts to walk to the kitchen.

You follow because you need some water. "What were the texts about?" You ask, opening the fridge.

Vessel scoffs and sits at the table. You turn to face him. The candles light up just enough to where you can see his face.

"Of course you'd ask. A girl texted me. I wasn't interested." He crosses his arms.

"Okay." You chug the water.

"Thirsty?" He snickers.

"Bite me." You toss the bottle into the trash can.

"Dare me?" He smirks.

You sigh and start to walk away. He gets out of the chair and grabs onto your neck, pushing you into the fridge.

"Say it again." He threatens.

His face is close. You're getting nervous. You can feel his breath against your lips. He smells so heavenly. His hand on your neck slightly turns you on.

"Bite me."

He smiles before bringing his hand to your jaw, pushing your head to the side to give him your full neck. He leans in and gently bites your skin.

You gasp and out of instinct, and without thinking, you grab onto his waist. Your thumbs are on the sides of his abs.

He pulls away and looks over you. "You want me, don't you?"

You do. You always have, even though he's a dick to you. But you know this won't mean anything to him. He's going to push you to the side after you give in. You're just another girl he can get with. You wiggle your way out of his arms and look over him with shock. Just as you do so, the lights cut back on. "I.. better turn off the lights so that they don't wake up in there." You point toward the living room.

Vessel nods his head and stands in place. He watches you move around to the living room and switch off the lights.

You go back into the kitchen and blow out the candles. You walk over to the stove and turn on the small light underneath it. You ignore Vessel and begin to make your way back into the hallway. You walk into your room but you hear him follow behind you.

"You didn't answer my question." He closes the door behind him.

You sit down on your bed and look up at him. "You don't like me." You reply.

"You think so?" He crosses his arms and smirks.

"You're arrogant, cocky, and so mean to me! You know you're irresistible, and you can get anyone you want! But I'm not a toy, Vessel." You watch his face straighten out from his smirk.

Vessel steps in front of your legs that dangle from the side of your bed. He bends down to reach your level. He looks up at you with soft eyes. "I don't know how to love properly. You scare me." He whispers.

You're taken aback. Is he admitting he's had feelings for you? What a weird way to show them.

"I haven't been with anyone since I laid my eyes on you last year. I am disgusted by other women who aren't you."

"What made you have a change of heart tonight?" You ask shyly.

"The song we were working on before the lights went out, I wrote thinking of you. When you said, 'bite me', I lost my mind." His hands grab your outer thighs. His thumbs rub your skin.

His touch sends fire through your soul and mind. You reach to put his face in your hands. You run your thumb over his bottom lip. His eyes remain on yours, letting you do what you want at the moment.

"Bite me." You smile.

He smiles as well, chuckling darkly. He pushes you back onto the bed and hovers over you. You can't help but wrap your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist. His hand grabs under your thigh and pushes it down.

"Needy." He breathes on your neck. His tongue meets your collarbone and slowly makes its way up to your jaw. His kisses your neck softly before biting on your skin again.

His simple touches already send you into bliss. He hasn't even done much yet, and you're already mushy in your head. You lean back and softly whimper as he sucks on your skin.

He lets go of your skin and looks down at you. You see a whole change in the way he looks at you. He bends down and kisses you. His lips play with yours as you begin to push further and shove your tongue in his mouth.

He breathes in deeply through his nose and grabs your throat with a small pressure. His hand grabs your boob through your shirt.

You can feel his boner against your thigh, which you decide to take advantage of your position and buck your hips against him.

He groans and moves his hand down to your waist, pushing your body down against the bed to keep your still. "Fuck.." He pulls away from your lips.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Are you awake?" It's IV.

"Y-yeah.." You say.

Vessel sighs and moves to sit next to your heavy breathing body.

"The storm blew over. Do you know where Ves is?" He asks.

Before you can say anything, Vessel yells, "Yeah! I'm in here trying to make her feel good. Leave without me."

You blush and cover your face.

The footsteps slowly walk away from your door.

[culpeppercheckers721]

Turnsgiving 2024– Day 3: You in Turn

I’m gonna be honest with y’all, what I would really be doing in Turn? What I’m already doing now: obsessing over Benjamin Tallmadge.

I don’t think I would impact the plot of the show very much, just follow Ben Tallmadge around and stalk him but in a friendly way. I would HOPE to actually interact with him, at least give him a hug on one occasion if not y’know, be his soulmate for the rest of eternity and do much more. 🤡 But fr it would probably just be me looking out for Benji from a distance. 😌

That being said, though, honestly I recently have been thinking that I could,, perhaps one day,, dabble with some Ben x OC shipping?? 😳 Which is not really a thing I’ve ever considered for any character before being exposed to Turn’s Benjamin Tallmadge but like, I love him to a point where I’ve never really shipped him with another character on the show because of how unrealistically perfect or easy to project on I’d want said love interest to be lmao.

So yeah, if you REALLY want to get into even less realistic wish fulfillment, sure, I’d be dating Ben & helping the ring and the patriot cause in some as of yet undetermined ways, & befriending other characters I think I’d get along with. ;))

I’d also probably encourage Townhull in some way but we don’t need to get into that 🙈