#and she adds that it’s the same that was done to her

[pepstarvanmoon]

twice is too much

Milkvan and their ‘end of the season love confession’ pattern/coincidence does not hit.

We’ve literally already done this like what is going on. Why have y’all not learned yet. Love ain’t easy, but I don’t remember it being this repetitive.

Stop it.

Why’s it not clicking, why’s it not sticking, why do you two keep having the same issues?

It’s a fact of life that love is not enough for a relationship to work. You need to understand each other, you need to respect each other’s feelings and interests. You should value and trust each other to a point where you don’t have to bother questioning if there’s love because it’s plain to see.

Your face suction and fluttering hearts do not and will not keep your relationship stable. Can you even say what you enjoy about your relationship? Do you even communicate?

“I love her and I can’t lose her again!”

She wasn’t even there for that one 😭 why was El the only one to look you in the eyes and say it? Mike dragged it all the way to the S4 finale just to say it while she was being choked out with her eyes closed.

“This is my last resort!” ass love confession please be serious.

Also…

Glad you were able to recognize it here, bud, my condolences to future you.

(It’s also hard to get over how El looks right before she returns his feelings.

I know it’s easy to say she was just building up courage, but her father died and she lost her powers all in the same day. I believe El was very emotionally vulnerable/susceptible here. She needs confirmation that she’s accepted and loved by someone (a problem that’s brought up again in S4). If you really pay attention to that scene, she moves to leave, fights with herself, stops, and makes a decision to turn back.

I don’t think it’s something she planned on bringing up were she not moving with the Byers and not going to see Mike in person for a while.

It’s the way she looks so conflicted before saying it. She even pulls a ‘grocery store Mike’ and tries to get him to bring it up before doing it herself (I think she even wanted him to say something before she started walking away). Something, I might add, Mike is incapable of doing without being served three Will Byers Pep Talk specials and a comforting hand on his back.)

[richincolor]

New Releases

Three new releases on our radar today and all three look like books I'd add to my TBR list. How about you?

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours Wednesday Books

Sariyah Lee Bryant can hear what people need—tangible things, like a pencil, a hair tie, a phone charger—an ability only her family and her best friend, Malcolm, know the truth about. But when she fulfills a need for her friend Deja who vanishes shortly after, Sariyah is left wondering if her ability is more curse than gift. This isn’t the first time one of her friends has landed on the missing persons list, and she’s determined not to let her become yet another forgotten Black girl. Not trusting the police and media to do enough on their own, Sariyah and her friends work together to figure out what led to Deja’s disappearance. But when Sariyah’s mother loses her job and her little brother faces complications with his sickle cell disease, managing her time, money, and emotions seems impossible. Desperate, Sariyah decides to hustle her need-sensing ability for cash—a choice that may not only lead her to Deja, but put her in the same danger Deja found herself in.

These Vengeful Wishes by Vanessa Montalban Zando Young Readers

A teen girl moves to a small town and discovers a mysterious wishing well possessed by La Cegua, a vengeful female spirit with the face of a horse skull, in Vanessa Montalban’s new YA fantasy standalone. When her stepfather is arrested, aspiring artist Ceci moves back to her mother’s hometown of Santa Aguas, an eccentric small town steeped in the legend of La Cegua, the specter of a wronged witch who appears on lonely roads at night, luring untrustworthy men to their deaths. Ceci and her mother take up residence in the abandoned manor of the Sevilla family, rumored to have been cursed by La Cegua, where she begins to uncover a past that seems to be connected to her mother. The more she learns of the Sevillas, the more Ceci finds herself forming a strange affinity with the feared Cegua, who she suspects is the one inspiring her paintings of a mysterious door in the forest. When the very door Ceci has been painting appears in the woods, she decides to venture through it with her new friend, Jamie. Together, they discover a well, guarded by the statue of a veiled woman. A well for granting wishes. The well of La Cegua. What starts off as harmless fun quickly escalates into something sinister when Ceci realizes that the wishes are putting the people she loves in danger and testing her own penchant for vengeance. After learning others are also searching for the well, Ceci must confront the truth of her mother’s past and prevent La Cegua’s wishes from being used for the wrong reasons. Ceci knows too well how much people will sacrifice for power. Every wish has its price, and La Cegua never forgets the ones who have wronged her.

This Ends in Embers (Divine Traitors #2) by Kamilah Cole Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Faron Vincent was once the saint of San Irie. Now, she’s done the unthinkable: betrayed her country. Alone, disgraced, and kidnapped, Faron is forced to help Iya grow his bloody empire. With her soul bonded to a ruthless killer, Faron has become an enemy to her people… and she fears they might be right. Elara Vincent—the new Empyrean—must undo the damage her sister has caused. San Irie has been brought back to the brink of war as Iya proclaims no nation will be safe from his brutal invasion. But how can Elara save her sister, her best friend, her country, and her world when she’s already cracking under the pressure? This heart-pounding conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology pushes these unforgettable heroines to their breaking point and beyond. Because when the lines between hero and villain are blurred, deadly sacrifices must be made.

[aliennazero]

☆Headcanon: brother-sister coding, hear me out

I need to get this post done before whatever that will happen in chapter 192. So even if I only got two more days for this theory to be around, I'll be glad that I finally let this out from my chest after a while. So, don't take whatever I will ramble about as something super serious.

First of all, maybe you guys will look at me and says, "what the fuck Alie they're like two different unrelated characters" and while that's true for now and so far, I just... can't really took my eyes off from this "siblings coding" the more I read Chainsaw Man. And I have some reasons and theories why (disclaimer: I did a crazy reach all over the direction) and I found it very interesting.

Reason no. 1: Their First Meeting & Re-occurence

Hirofumi is the first part 1 character that Asa meets (even before Denji). So, I think it's reasonable for me—the reader to be intrigued on what is Fujimoto's plan for their seemingly "not important" (but why be the first?) relationship.

My initial thought is that: oh, they might become friendlier in the future or even become lifelong enemies. Then I remember Hayakawa Family—Aki and Power as the first ever Denji's buddy, specific on Power.

Because even though narratively and character writing-wise Power and Hirofumi are fundamentally different, both of them are written initially to form false narratives that they'll become a token love interest for our protagonist(s) aren't they? They also share a somewhat similar strawberry cake motive, makes me wonder why.

Alsoooo, I think the way Hirofumi & Asa's Devil Hunter Club "date" being portrayed as very differently from Hirofumi + Denji and Hirofumi + Fami "cafe date" (a.k.a. work-related mandated date) is important, somehow.

Reason no. 2: Personal Motives and Untold Family Narratives of Asa Mitaka

We know since the very first time we met her that Asa is very lonely and her motives circling around getting a companion (either a boyfriend or a friend) and living selfishly (which as we can see right now is backfired rapidly, but I'll talk about this separately later, maybe in the future).

However, there's one aspect of her motives that's kinda underlooked, and it's her relationship with family member. Yes, we got a glimpse of Asa and her mom (never with her father so far) and Asa with her lovely pet—Crambon, however they already died years ago, and Asa blame herself for it.

It's unfair that in this world, she still had her family, as they said. So maybe she already gives up on that idea. Which is where the true weights of this headcanon come from. What if, she still could have it? Even though she never asked for this directly. Her getting a family again that she was maliciously accused of unfairly having, could be very nice, actually. Even if it's a very insufferable or a miserable mess workaholic kind of brother (or twin brother).

Reason no. 3: Hirofumi's Motives

This deserves its very own post just like my plan to talks more about Asa's living selfishly motive but to make it simple, Hirofumi lied at the very start because he already formed a parasocial relationship with both Asa and Denji by giving them options to have a somewhat nicer normal life (Denji not becoming Chainsaw Man, and Asa making a distance from Denji to prevent her from turning him into her weapon and thus also prevented her to feel down because of the guilt) even though he knows that another choice never really exist to begin with.

(Asa doesn't necessarily have to be his sister to add more depths to this motive. I just think won't it be very funny if Hirofumi was like collecting information all around, confirming that Asa Mitaka is indeed the incarnation of War Devil in weird case then he took a look at her Koseki then boom they have the same dad!? What the fuck was that. Here comes new responsibility that his father left behind, I guess)

As what we know so far, Hirofumi took his job and his responsibility very seriously and very neat about which one he could improve or "change" for everyone's sake involved. IF Hirofumi and Asa are indeed siblings (or half siblings) however, this gives more explanation on his involvement and his own personal interest. Hirofumi is not easy to read, but he still overshares to Asa (chapter 121 when he agrees on Asa's takes about solitude) and "taking care" of her.

Reason no. 4: Just Take a More Look at Them

Taller than average? Check. More athletic than average? Check. Insane face card? Check. Unbelievable amount of yearning? Check. Arguably suicidal? Check.

Both of them being a human stuck in status quo between human vs devil war like hostages in their own prison—Hirofumi stuck as hollow used cop for Public Safety and Asa stuck as War Devil very own vessel—with absolutely nothing, no one really on their side (Fumiko and Fami as mean of even more control over both of them)? Check.

Even as concept alone, child soldier and war maiden incarnate siblingsm could be developed to be something, very interesting.

Okay, now into more theories territory.....

Theory no. 1: Asa and Hirofumi are the Result of Kishibe Fucking Around and Found Out Post Quanxi Rejection Era

Why Kishibe would do that? Idk but it's a funny math because if Kishibe is in his early 50 now then 17 years ago would be him in his 30s. If Kishibe become devil hunter in his early 20s and meet Quanxi shortly after that and become buddies for 9 years then, the year just lined up lmao. How much chances of them being an oopsies baby thus explaining their very different last names but strangely similar physiques and even narratives? Not zero.

There are two options regarding this though. It's either they're twin siblings or half siblings. Half siblings mean they have different mothers but same dad, and twin siblings mean they have same mother but got separated at some point during their lifetime (Hirofumi went with Kishibe and Asa went with her mama who probably re-marry or just simply raising Asa alone and lying about her dad getting eaten by devil or something because her love story with that drunkard crazy man is just that bad).

Kishibe avoiding child support for 17 years and this is the consequences, also both of them got their ass kicked out by the very same lesbian who rejects their father, I'll say it's a beautiful storytelling.

Theory no. 2: Sinister Look on Vol 17 Cover and "Hirofumi will appear in Asa's Dream"

We will get into a more sinister area here because I believe the Makima-esque vibes, "necessary evil" narratives Hirofumi brought up to the table are not coincidences or neglectable at all. Even more sinister because his cover is him standing in front of alleyway just like how Makima cover is her in front of the door in Denji's dream.

Which led me to think that this could indicate something. However, kinda different on how it was portrayed, I think this make things clear that Hirofumi is not endgame antagonist since his cover came a bit too early than what we—the reader anticipated (there is absolutely no fucking nobody in the fandom that expecting Hirofumi to get a cover during before the cover reveal). However, he might be the key into Asa's end dream reveal later on.

Maybe he will appear on her dream being vague as fuck, or maybe direct her dream into a more "false happiness" directions since all he did is lying (see reason no. 3) to distract her focus on dead chickens. Personally, I think the latter will be more interesting because it will be the opposite of what Makima did in Denji's dream, if this "Hirofumi will appear in Asa's dream sooner or later" theory is true. The government and the church need Asa in her stable conditions to unleash Yoru anyway.

"Then what does this imply into your siblings theory"—because siblings should take care of each other, ideally. And I think it will add more depth, if true of course.

Theory no. 3: Hirofumi Cares About Asa (maybe more than what we see on-screen)

To put on more disclaimer, this is just what I imagine to fill out the gap in between narratives and it connects to reasons number 3 (again). Despite how he positions himself and blending in the crowd like invincible, Hirofumi is actually easy to care and feel guilty too (and the reason why he could kill the Immortal Brother assassin in part 1 is because he has the ignorance privilege, but with both Denji and Asa? Not so much).

I have no strong basis for this theory I just have my own feelings and a dream, and this is basically what I think Hirofumi has done so far for Asa (subtle) in the story:

Hirofumi just let Yuko loose and kill Asa's bullies during Justice Devil Arc. This may sound dark, but it fit his character in a way that he's okay with doing violence as long as it could benefit his mission (and maybe this time his personal interest too). Because he knows Asa got bullied at school. If this could solve her bullying problems, then why not? That's why Hirofumi is just sitting around during the whole fight until Denji interfered.

Hirofumi is the one who brought Asa to hospital after Falling Devil Arc (which is somehow in line for how I think he's Denji blood-giver in the same arc). Because well, I don't think Public Safety cared enough to get her conditions checked, but Hirofumi is aware about her injury conditions (arguably this is so that she could be a bargaining chip for Denji but we know that the main chip is Nayuta, I think Hirofumi just want to let him know just because also let me have this imagination for the sake of this agenda).

The reason why Hirofumi didn't or more likely can't kill Asa during CSM Church Arc is not necessarily just because War Devil has become stronger. Paneling focus on their face's expressions indicate that Hirofumi just can't bring himself more to do so (after he saw Asa's hand and her in pain), thus making him fail this mission to capture War Devil dead or alive. It's the guilt kicking in.

I think Hirofumi is somewhat relieved after he saw Asa's hands are back (yay) in Aging Devil Arc. Also, that's what he put his focus on FIRST after he got vomited out before asking his own situation even.

Personal View and The Main Takeaway (really): I need this to be real just because I think it will be so fucking funny

To end this unbelievably long ass post, I think it's important to note again that they have like five screentime together and I'm just insane. But if I should be honest, this is not me being rational at all, I just think the whole situation would be funny up to seven more factors if my ramblings are true.

Because this headcanon imply that the fandom meltdown towards them (as individuals or as in characters dynamics) is unnecessary at all. Like aside from Hirofumi being read mainly as queer, maybe him acting kind of mean and nonchalantly distant (and somewhat awfully playful) towards Asa are just because he like being petty and doesn't want to look like he wants to bang his sister (as a sister myself, yes I do feel the need to annoy my other siblings whenever I can just because I could and it doesn't have to be hatred, sometimes it's the love aggression kicking in).

Lastly, thank you guys for coming to my yapping ted talks.

[itsentraptasworld]

My biggest issues with vizzie pop is the concept and individual characters of her shows are genuinely very good but the execution is so mid

(I'm not completely up to date with Helluva Boss, but I watched most of it, so correct me if I'm tripping)

Helluva's boss had a fire concept, but it majorly lost the plot, and she can't write women. I'm not even completely up to date but ts doesn't pass the bechedel test at all vro😭

And I mean to a point where all the women are like void of personality outside of having one or two tropey traits that always end up revolving around blitzø or stolas. Like I get that blitzø is the main character, but damn.

Also, the whole love plot overshadowed the main point of the show, which was doing hit jobs. I do think it's interesting, but Octavia is so badly written bro.

Making stolas's ex just some crazy anrgy hot tempered woman ( literally since she was a child ) is insane.

I feel like I normally wouldn't have a problem with it because I to would be evil as hell to my husband if he burst into tears when he found out he had to marry me like bffr I support women's wrongs and allat (I Don't like her just to be clear)

but she's only that insane to make stolas look better and essentially make him like this poor guy who didn't do anything wrong.

Stolas was definitely not a good husband or father and it's not like I dislike him or anything that's just bad writing that his wife is "crazy" like he didn't cheat on her ect ect

A lot of these things could be funny and extremely interesting if ts was properly done but a lot of these choices were result of bad writing and keep in mind she decided to add this plot if that wasn't the case I wouldn't care it would just be fucking funny and kinda stupid

Like the og plot was these mfs have a hit job business and stolas is blitzøs magical booty call which they got the grimoire from. I genuinely don't think it was necessary for stolas to be such an important character infact I feel like it would of been interesting if we didn't learn much about him and he was elusive or whatever tf.

Even if everything was exactly the same and that's what changed, it would make way more sense because 1 that's how Blitzø sees him , they hardly talk to each other outside of smashing and stolas flirting and they barely see each other.

And like his perspective on things could be like only in some episodes that way it makes sense why he thinks that way and why blitzø thinks he doesn't gaf.

2 if he isn't so important the romance isn't so important because istg the killing business was way more interesting.

Also why does everyone just own a three piece suit in this universe omg😭 helluva boss is a lil better than hazbin hotel in this regard because some of the characters have normal clothes and it actually makes sense idk it doesn't look bad at all but like vizzie pop needs to be stopped!!! Not every one needs a bow tie 😭😭😭

[paladinsbrainrot]

hello just wanted to say I think you’re really cool and I love your art!! I also LOVE romike too, super excited for their dynamic in s5

I’d love to hear your thoughts on them and if you have any predictions/theories/things you’d like to see with them next season :]

OHHHHH MY GOD thank you this is such an amazing question !!!! so sorry it took me so long to answer however i have very many Thoughts™

the idea of robin and mike being friends is soooo dear to me you don't even understand. romike has been on my mind since before s4 even came out #Tbh I just think that they are so similar and tethered and it's just so shocking that they haven't properly interacted yet!!!

obviously I think romike first came to fruition through the idea that robin would act like a gay mentor to mike and kind of guide him to realize his feelings for will, but they're so much more than this mentor/mentee relationship. not only would it be an interesting dynamic to explore as they have barely interacted, but they are literally both Anxiety As A Person and their personalities would compliment each other so well. mike's reluctance to open up to people & robin's willingness to ramble to anyone she meets? sign me up. both are bottling up their emotions in totally different ways. i would live for them awkwardly bumping into each other and mike finding her annoying at first but then realizing she is literally his carbon copy and that they are so much more alike than he first thought. (I would argue that they are literally madwheeler 2.0 sans the bitchiness.) them both bonding over the fact that they have trouble expressing their emotions and that they feel like outsiders????? them both realizing they are stuck in the same boat and using each other as an outlet to open up (+ it would be way easier for them to talk about these things because they aren't super close)????? hEllooooo duffers Are u seeing this?????? their dynamic would be so interesting if they don't write it I'm going to have to do it myself.

as for general predictions/theories..... oh boy I have Lots!!!!

I think that the writers are leaning more towards a rowill focus than a romike one this season so I don't think we will see as much as them as I would hope for. BUT this post gives me the idea that we will get a bunch of romikewill scenes on the farm with maybe a dash of one-on-one romike content sprinkled in there for the wellbeing of the people (the people being me and the other two romike fans on this app). as much as I love romike I think will and robin are the characters who Need to talk to each other the most because they're both still closeted. though as I said before I pray that the duffers will realize the potential that romike has as well 🙏

so I've basically done a whole lot of rambling and haven't even answered your question so I'm just gonna get straight to what I want for them this szn if this were my perfect world 🎉

I have this one recurring dream that mainly only exists because of a fic I wrote an extremely long time ago but basicalllyyy the essence of it was that mike and el were in this weird phase in their relationship where they were distant, awkward, and were almost uncomfortable around each other? so mike, incredibly frustrated and fed up with this, starts acting moody and withdrawn from everyone else. also bc this is s5 lets just add the fact that his sister is missing, he just got beat up by the school bullies, and maybe he and will got into the painting fight or something. so just imagine mike being almost reclusive and reserved on the farm set. maybe robin notices his lack of exuberance (that's probably not the right word but whatever) and decides to take matters into her own hands. she asks what his deal is and if he's doing all right with everything going on. mike pretends he's super annoyed by her because of all the questions she asks him but maybe she makes some offhand remark about how they're stuck on this stupid farm and it'll only get worse if he keeps acting like this. (and also, they have bigger issues to worry about!) so mike, quickly realizing that robin is literally the only person on this farm that is there for him to talk to, opens up to her a little reluctantly about everything going on with him. it's important that this is a slow process and that he doesn't dump everything on her at once. maybe he says that he doesn't know what he's doing with his and el's relationship and how will's not talking to him and that he feels he keeps screwing things up with the people he cares about the most. insert moment of robin being robin and clearing up the air, relieving the tension off mike's shoulders, and also giving him some very valuable advice!! obviously there's much more here to explore upon but the general gist of it is that they become much closer after this. robin learns that she can open up to mike too, about how some "person" that she's interested in is giving her mixed signals and how she is actually very scared about the end of the world but feels like she has to deflect everything with humour. they learn they are able to confide in each other and boom romike world domination!!!

I kind of what them to be like a mix of steve & robin and mike & nancy and mike & max, if that makes sense. like steve and robin's closeness, mike and nancy's worry about each other, and mike and max's bickering and (loving) malice. Idk mike is very irritable and snarky and robin is very direct and straightforward and also very tentative so I think their dynamic would just feel natural and compliment each of their personalities!!

I also think their dynamic could be veryyy beneficial to discovering the key to destroying vecna once and for all !!! these two are arguably the smartest characters on the show and work in very like minded ways. robin figured out when blue meets yellow in the west (cough) and that music is the key to getting out of vecna's mindscapes. mike has had wayyy too many clutch moments during the show that I can't mention here otherwise this post would get too long, but you get the point. putting both of their brains together might help our characters figure out how to end this battle. this script that maya hawke posted a while back that features both of mike and robin's names makes me very hopeful that this will be a possibility in s5. (potential st5 spoilers incoming ->) my current running Theory is that mike and robin discover that the military or hnl (is it still running in s5? idk) are running experiments on kids again and use the mccorkle farm and subsequent tunnels underneath to help the kids escape. (mayhaps this is how derek ends up on the farm after being spotted with the military??? idk.)

I am trying not to get my hopes up about robin and mike being spotted at hawkins lab together (potentially with el and will too 👀) but I have a feeling that this is related to whatever was going on in the tunnels. I have No Clue about what is going down at hawkins lab but one can only hope that they are there because the gang realized they needed two of the smartest people as well as the two strongest/most powerful to figure out the situation with the gates. great minds think alike or something like that!!!

this is more leaning towards romikewill territory but Idk I would just liveeeee for a scene of robin picking up on the labyrinthine circumstance that is will & mike's relationship and teasing mike about it !!! and in return I would like a Lot of mike teasing robin about vickie. I think (key word Think) vickie is on the farm with them so I need lots of scenes of robin not so subtly flirting with vickie and vickie flirting back and giggling like a maniac and mike noticing out of the corner of his eye and smiling. i want him to go up to robin later and just whisper shout that vickie is soooo into her. something similar happening with byler and robin noticing would also be very plausible. i just think it would be so sweet for mike and robin to see themselves in their friends and the people around them to help guide them towards their self-acceptance arcs, and learn that there is some hope for them after all ☹️ the only thing I don't want to see is only one of them being used just to further the romantic advances in the other's story. like I don't want the only reason robin interacts with will and mike in s5 to be to help guide byler towards e/o or for mike to do the same thing with rovickie!! it's important that they both realize that having queer friends is just as significant, and that they both are able to confide in each other about their struggles and worries, whether it's about their relationship or not.

there was also this one leak from early 2024 (another leak warning if you haven't clicked off this post already) that stated that mike and robin had a few scenes together because mike was worried about will, and robin was worried about vickie, and bonded because of this. I think this is a much more plausible way for them to start talking to each other than that scenario I mentioned earlier lol. I really hope that vickie is related to derek or the turnbows in some capacity; it would make her such less of a random character and also give robin a reason to be worried about her (and would also tie into them helping derek escape and the fact that he's on the farm with the rest of them). romike confiding in each other about the fact that they feel like they are useless/can't save the people they love AUGHHHH give it to me now . (edit: the leak is mentioned somewhere in this post you just may have to dig for it)

this post is very long and a total incoherent ramble so I am Very sorry but unfortunately I will never be normal about romike a day in my life. @willelworld (my lovely fellow romike enthusiast!) made a very great point in this post that I would like to end off with because it just sums up what is so perfect about them:

I really hope that my favourite adhd losers will be able to bond over their social incompetencies and sexualities and suppressed emotions and so much more in st5!!!! they just have such best friend material so I hope the duffers do not waste this absolute perfect opportunity to write a queerplatonic friendship ^_^

[spnfanficpond]

Weekly Pond Newsletter

Yes, it may be Groundhog Day, but at least it's not Tuesday, right? 🤣

Old Business:

Monthly Prompt - The prompt and moodboard for February are up! Click here to check it out and be inspired!

Valentine's Day Writing Challenge - The deadline for the writing challenge is approaching! Click here to check out the prompts and get all the details on how to participate!

Fishing For Treasures - This weekend, the @fanficocean is celebrating deliciously smutty fics! We will be doing the same in two weeks on the 15th and 16th. Click here for all the details!

The prompt thing formerly known as #TweetFicTues - This is still on hiatus, but some demand for something similar has come up over on Bluesky! Apparently, once upon a time, someone used to host a weekly drabble challenge over on ff.net. Since this sounds like what we were doing, we're happy to pick up the mantle! So, what do you all think of #FlashFicFriday? Stay tuned!

Have an Impala gif for no good reason: Isn't she beautiful??

New Business:

Competitive Writing Sprints - Admin MJ has signed up to host competitive writing sprints every Saturday this month at 11am EST!! Add words to your WIP and win fabulous prizes!

SPN Rewatch: FanFic Edition - On Saturday at noon EST, we'll be discussing 4.03 In the Beginning and 4.04 Metamorphosis. Watch the episodes ahead of time on your own, and then join us in our Discord server while we discuss fanfic gaps, outsider POV, and different recurring themes. Stay tuned for announcement posts with details!

Manta Ray chat - Saturday is going to be busy because after Admin MJ hosts her sprints and we all chat about Dean's time-traveling, Admin Michelle will hang out in our Discord server just to chat! Wanna do trivia for prizes? Write about things mentioned during the rewatch chat? Have her tell your fortune with the SPN Oracle deck? Talk about poop? She's done all of these in the past and is easily convinced to do it all again. (Sometimes we really wish she wouldn't. 🤣)

Online concerts - Steve Carlson (Jensen's partner in Radio Company) is doing a StageIt concert later this afternoon. Click here for info and to buy a ticket! On Friday, Jason Manns will also be on StageIt at 1:10pm EST. Click here for tickets!

Angel Fish Awards - The deadline to submit nominations and earn entries into the raffle is pushed to tonight at midnight EST! Not sure what the AFA's are? Click here for all the details!

Coming Soon - The long-promised New Member Spotlight for January. Really. We swear! Soon!

(Divider by @glygriffe!)

That’s all for this week! To see all Pond events, and also other SPN-related things like conventions and online concerts, check out our Google calendar! Click here for a static view in Eastern US/Canada time (desktop only, no mobile app access, sadly), and click here to add our calendar to your own Google calendar! We try to keep it as up-to-date as possible. If there’s something you want to see on the calendar that’s not there (maybe a convention we missed, cast birthdays, or something similar), send us an ASK and let us know!

Hope you have a great week! - From your Admins and Manta Rays, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @heavenssexiestangel, @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes, and @manawhaat!

[iinterstellars]

" ─── hypothetically if someone came with only a cut and some bruises... i don't think them sleeping would be too much of an issue... " he replies in a soft voice, reassuring still only since it's obvious she's still worried about him. the water bottle comes in like it was sent by god himself, he uncaps it quickly ─ maybe a little too fast, but he's at least mindful enough to actually drink it in small sips; even though he wants to do the opposite. he's already embarrassed himself enough in front of her, doesn't want to add choking to the growing list of unsightly things he's done today. he drinks about half of the bottle in one swig before capping it again and setting it down next to him on the bench. " i hope so too, i don't think i've ever done it actually... stitched myself up i mean. " there had NEVER been the need before after all, he wasn't accident prone and even if at any point he'd gotten hurt then... he'd go to someone else, but here, he's the only one capable. which is a little bit scary to think about but... he doesn't get the time to dwell on it. defne's gentle hands are on him, warm and soft; it stops him from thinking. right at that same moment he looks down and, well, this positioning isn't any better than what he was trying to avoid, is it? she's still kneeling down between his legs, looking up at him with those big doe eyes that make his heart feel like leaping out of his chest. he blinks once, then twice; trying to remember what's the last thing she said. something about broken ribs? oh. " well... without x - rays, you just gotta see if each side of the ribcage moves the same way while breathing deeply, in any case... if i have a broken rib there's nothing to do but letting it heal naturally. " the words come out a little rushed, and he suddenly feels thirsty once again, and even though it's not exactly water what he's craving he settles for it and takes the bottle in his hands again. quickly uncapping it and drinking slowly until it's all gone. it allows him enough time to gather himself. " uh... well, there's not much to do here other than... exercising... " he admits with a sheepish chuckle, looking away from her just to keep his mind for wandering; the way he was sitting would definitely make his body betray his thoughts and he did not want that to happen. it was mortifying to even think about. " yeah... probably just a bruise. it only hurts when i breathe in. " or when i move too fast he thinks but, well, these are things he can live with. nothing life - threatening. good.

" we can get you water . " she breathes out , eyes moving back over to where the guard was moments ago . she doesn't know what thomas having a dry mouth means . surely nothing serious . maybe a dry mouth can be just a dry mouth . defne's eyes look back up to him . she's noticing his sentences are starting to drift off . he sounds tired , like he could fall asleep , and that makes defne feel like she has to start worrying again . " hypothetically , if someone came in to the clinic with a cut on their head , all bruised up . . . them falling asleep would be a bad idea, right ? " she double checks , imitating his wince as he presses the gauze to his own head . " be gentle . " defne almost sounds like she's scolding him for his own heavier hand .

she leans back on her haunches , just as the guard reappears , handing her the small plastic cup of water . she immediately hands it to thomas . " small sips . " she's heard him say the very same thing to countless others . PREVENTS CHOKING , she can hear his voice in her head , the easy , measured way he'd move around and instruct at the same time . thomas is the picture of calm and level-headed . briefly , tonight ( although it seems like longer ago ) , she swore she almost saw a different part of him . more cheeky , more open . tipsy . fun and silly . her heart picks up its pace once again , and defne works to busy herself just as he awkwardly reaches to unbutton his shirt . he struggles with one hand and defne doesn't really think before she scoots closer again and helps him unbutton the few last ones . she hasn't helped someone take off their shirt in a long while . " hopefully you won't be stitching yourself . " defne might pass out if it came to that , but she decides not to say that .

as thomas' shirt falls open , defne's eyes immediately find the decent-sized bruise on him . she inhales sharp through her teeth . her hand reaches out and the pads of her fingers gently skim over the discolouration . " how . . how do i tell if something's broken ? like a rib or something ? " defne asks , eyebrows knitting together , unsure . she looks up to him and seems to startle herself at the positioning . he's spread back , legs apart , shirt open , all muscle and ridged skin , her hand on him as if it belongs there yet simultaneously SHOULDN'T BE TOUCHING HIM . oh . she struggles to swallow . defne clears her throat a bit too loudly . her hand falls away from his bare skin . " since when do doctors have 8-packs and muscles , anyways ? " she injects her voice with classic defne blase-ness , although she feels heated and sweaty from looking at him in this state of undress . " my doctor didn't even brush his hair , sometimes , i swear . the apocalypse really raised the standards for you guys . " she needs to shut up, but she's trying hard to act normal and not think about his muscles . her on her knees . thomas' bare skin . DEFNE EXHALES AGAIN , FORCIBLY . " the bruising doesn't look that bad . " she says instead , finally .

[carefulfears]

thinking about scully as a woman so close to death that she’s almost comforted by it, that she understands longing for it, finding peace in it. but who is the adoring first mate of a man who already chases too many ghosts, so when she’s on the edge of death herself, she’s afraid. she holds him and she writes about forgiveness, about fear that he’ll lose course, about leaving him alone.

she’s trapped in an endless-line cycle and there is no escape, in that she’s held there by love. and so she starts to understand, starts to ask, how you could possibly have too much life? what about love?

when she’s handed the answer; bruckman's tender quip passed along in fellig's burden. immortality as greek tragedy, tithonus and his woods.

spirits take up tenancy in her living room. she chases more, with her obsessive seeker, who can't see them. she takes a tape recorder and camera, and bears witness to the corporeal bodies she deconstructs.

it's almost purposefully evasive, the way this particular snake eats its tail. to be so surrounded by and dedicated to a resolution you'll never have.

[doodlingwren]

I'd love to have something witty to say here, but I think this one post speaks for himself in a way no words could.

Originally, I wanted to do a "simple" redraw of a silly meme, I have no idea HOW it eneded up being a four pages comic. And WHY there's also a JOJO reference within of all things. So uhm, anyway...

✨ Sources and references ✨

The "Dilf Detected Comic" [original unedited comic, meme format, meme format if you want the rebloggable tumblr version]

The "Oh? You're Approaching Me?" panel from the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (chapter 143)

Hope you've liked the Aries™ Rizz©® ok bye

[dykedvonte]

Can you talk about trans!Curly a little bit more? I'm curios if you have any headcanons and the like

-💀

It's just such a thing in my mind because it adds a truthful sadness and differing aspect to mouthwashing.

If Curly was trans it adds the horror of the horribly selfish thought he could have easily been in Anya's situation. It could've been him but it wasn't and he so conflicted on the pit it put in his stomach that brings and the shameful relief it wasn't. In this scenario he is friends with Jimmy for a long time still. Jimmy likely knew him pretransition. Maybe he gave Curly weird looks then, maybe they never stopped after, maybe they seemed meaner. They are guys now, bros, both of them are. He doesn't really have to worry what those looks mean anymore, Jimmy just has that face with him sometimes. It's recontextualizing a lot of things for him that he was in denial about or too ashamed to admit. How naive he was being and how he let that get another person hurt.

Specifically with Anya, it's he knows the dread and fear she's feeling. He can understand it because he had to live with it for a good portion of his life, he knows it cause he still does, just in a slightly different way. It makes him think of all the times he's been alone with Jimmy, all the times he's been way more drunk off his ass and not remember the night, Jimmy was always with him the next day. Makes him think of the comments he would laugh off both because that's what guys do but because that part of being a girl says to laugh so Jimmy doesn't do something. It's the selfish realization that he was never safe and he's uncertain now too. Mad at himself for forgeting that feeling, espcially since for a long time he would've been considered the only woman on a crew (with all that implies) for a long time.

He should've taken those blinders off, step back into that position for just a moment and it's so much more painful that Anya likely came to him because he should've gotten it. Those thoughts don't leave his mind after the crash when he's in an even more vulnerable position than she was...

[paladingineer]

I figured I should add onto my post for my Rook!

Adava De Riva is a complex character. On a surface level she seems stoic, unflappable, and to-the-point, with a tough get-it-done attitude and a pair of blades to enforce it. But underneath that is the heart of a romantic who values love perhaps more than a Crow should. Slowly, a warm and friendly side of her is revealed to the Veilguard, and particularly to Lucanis. That same softness comes out in other places if you know where to look. She gives freely to the beggars in Dock Town, and meets trauma victims with compassion and gentleness.

But when push comes to shove, the Crow comes back out. The soft side can exist because she can put it aside when it becomes a problem. On the job, her thoughts and feelings don't matter. She doesn't matter - doesn't exist in any meaningful way. Nothing can hold her back; no amount of pain, regret, grief, or doubt will stop her, because those things apply to Rook, and in the moment there is no Rook. There is only The Contract, and she will get it done.

Tell Me About Your Dragon Age Canon!

Since Bioware decided to ignore basically all of the keep decisions we've made throughout the series😒, I thought we could put together a community post where you can share your personal dragon age canon. Reblog with as much or as little detail as you want, photos or drawings are more then welcome. This fandom is so creative with characters and storylines and I really want a place we can all celebrate it. So please tell me about your Thedas!

[sukibenders]

Is it just me or does the way Hera is portrayed in the PJO/HOO series feel out of touch? By that I mean, while it plays into the idea of Hera's relationship with her husband's children and ideals of family, it seems like Rick just took that and ran with it without actually wanting to dive into those aspects and develop them more (ngl, his writing for his female characters, especially the goddesses, could use some work even if I do enjoy them). The reason Hera is the way she is with her husband's children is because she can't punish him [Zeus] directly due to him being more powerful (and the last time she turned against didn't he literally hang her from the sky)? And even while I'm not justifying her actions, there's a method to them, so why would she go after other random demigods like Percy and Annabeth? Or at least in a way that was written better than her falling into a trope (I enjoy this series with my heart, but the criticism about how the gods are written holds some value that shouldn't just be ignored either). Like, I don't know, it just feels like there was more that could've been done with her character instead of just immediately writing her off as the cruel, cold-hearted, evil stepmother (a trope that's overplayed, especially when not even bothering to give them any depth). I could write ideas, but then we'd be here all day.

[lilithofpenandbook]

au where when a Death Eater is killed, they can actually not die, on one condition:

Their heart must be pure.

This doesn't mean they never ever did anything wrong. That's impossible if you're human. No, this means that whatever they've done, it's for a selfless reason. That whatever bad they've done for selfish reasons, they've fully regretted, repented, and set out for redemption. That in their heart of hearts, they are no true Death Eater, because true Death Eater have no compassion, or selfless love. Selfless Love is a pure thing, and if that exists in the heart, then they may survive being killed.

And there's another thing: they return to the physical state they were in before taking the Dark Mark. It's all effectively "wiped clean", as it were. Of course, the actions remain, as do the mental scars, but the physical body is now back to when it was still pure of this evil as a little nod to the purity of their heart.

During the second war, then, there are a few Death Eaters who do not die. But only the fewest:

The most famous example? Severus Snape, who is all but a mere child, barely touching adulthood. Who's small and underweight, whose body is still riddled with scars from the Good Guys. Who's so young it's frightening to think he became a death eater at this age because there's something so broken and fragile about him. How did he manage to survive through that?

And then... And then there's Bellatrix. Bellatrix Black.

Who... Who's a literal child.

[myreia]

✦ D I S C I P L E O F T H E H A N D

Alchemy for potions. Blacksmithing for repairs. Leatherworking and weaving for mending. She is not an artisan, but the basic skills she has picked up over the years have served her well. Self-sufficiency has always been at the forefront of her mind, and she is pleased that she can keep herself afloat when needed. Besides, crafting is relaxing. A hobby or two here and there is good for her mind. —level 90 compendium

[cobra-creampuff]

i feel like i remember people posting happy birthday character posts for mickey in june? is that right? well, even if he doesn't have a canon birthday (or if he does and it's. wrong.) he has a summer birthday To Me. and i've never seen a guy who is more obviously a capricorn than ian, so! if mickey's summer birthday is indeed in june specifically (i'm thinking cancer, but it would also be really cool if mickey and mandy are both gemini - twins who aren't twins), then mickey is technically two years older than ian for about half the time.

[sebbyisland]

akanematic.mp4 (youtube link)