#and someone had been arguing (nicely) with the op about it

[aromanticannibal]

I tried to read some shitty random thoughts book on wattpad and immediately remembered why I left wattpad

[gaywineauntsstuff]

Listen I love the ‘dicks being ostracized from his family and self destructs’ trope in fics however

I would like an inverse just once (I could write it but I want this fic to be good so I can enjoy it and I am not the greatest writer) where everyone blows up at him and flat out lays into him and he just goes… okay… if that’s how you feel?

Takes himself off of the patrol routes and rosters. He’s off the emergency calls and his ‘call for city wide emergency’ has been down graded to ‘call for world wide emergency’ he’s no longer on comms with oracle

He stops offering assistance to the other kids teams, doesn’t send info for investigation and doesn’t go within 100feet of Gotham.

Takes himself off the den-mother, baby sitter, trainer for all the younger teams lost that involve any and all bats

In the beginning he vacates his apartment and temporarily moves in with Donna in New York and things are good because of course they are. They’re Dick and Donna a world doesn’t exist where they aren’t okay.

And then his presence in New York leads to a lot of the og core five titans interacting and they realize that they miss each other like hell and start to work together more and more. Until news sites are like ‘teen titans grown up??’ ‘Original titans spotted doing hurricane aid in Florida!’

Because Dick loves his family but he knows when to bow out. And he chose the family he made in the new teen titans.

And then one day one of the bats track him down in nyc and breaks into what is now Dick and Donna’s apartment and are ready to argue that they need him back and need him there for a huge Gotham wide event.

And Dick says ‘sure okay let me get my stuff and we leave in half and hour’ as soon as the first sentence is out

No convincing or begging or asking for money (cough Jason cough)

Dick is patched into their comms and he’s working efficiently except he’s not… acting like himself.

He’s collaborating with whoever they tell him too, no problem, he’s discussing ideal plans and co-ops and teams and how to best get it under control.

But he’s talking to them the way he talks when he’s offering aid to teams he’s not a part of.

Like the hero version of an acquaintance and no one can call him out on it because he’s doing good work. Work that’s on par with his work before this whole fiasco. He explicitly isn’t letting their personal issues affect his work.

He’s speaking but not talking

And Bruce remembers this… he’s probably the only one who does because last time he was the only one included. The last time Dick acted like this is when he first visited Jason and him after he had been fired.

Whenever Bruce was in the room and Dick was forced to speak with him, the conversation never strayed past business casual especially around Jason.

Batman and Nightwing got into screaming matches

Bruce and Dick were strangers

And now they’re back to this, 7 kids later, a million ends of the world stopped, they’ve bled together, cried together and clung to each other in pure relief after they managed to clutch victory.

And Nightwing was treating Batman Inc like a new team stepping onto the scene.

Once they’ve secured everything and managed to keep Bruce from self destructing and making it worse. Dick just leaves and tells oracle that he’ll send over his debrief in 3-5 business days and it was nice working with them.

And then he’s gone

No cave, no manor, no Alfred, no med-bay because Dick doesn’t stay places he’s not welcome.

And after they all talk about that and how weird it was and Bruce reveals Dick did this before when he was Nightwing after Bruce fired, where Dick Grayson didn’t know Bruce Wayne.

And one of the kids asks when he broke and stopped the act and Bruce just says ‘the day he found out Jason died’

And the Batkids kinda freak bc what do you mean?? What is he only going to come back when someone dies? Thats not? There has to be another way?? And Bruce is like yeah no idea sorry (bc he’s helpful like that)

So then Steph the next day resolves to go visit him, Tim isn’t the only professional stalker. And she finds Dick and Donna’s apartment and well it’s daylight and she’s in civvies she’s if she climbs in through the window she might get reported to the NYPD and she doesn’t wanna get arrested or shot to door it is!

And so she goes and knocks and Dick opens the door and just lights up

Something something this is such a nice surprise something something it’s so good to see you.

Dick had taught Donna how to make some of his mother recipes when they were kids. So now whenever they’re together for a long time they cook together.

So Dick who is usually living in a cluttered apartment with no clean dishes and an exclusively grab and go food is now trying to force feed her some of his cooking.

Because he picked up the habit again since he’s the better cook between him and Donna.

And it’s delicious and he wants to catch up and hear everything that’s going on in her life, is she working with new people, dating anyone? How is her relationship with her mother etc etc.

It’s a nice day and she stays late and never confronts him on anything until she sees how long ago the sun set and she needs to get moving.

He hands her paper with his number and makes her promise not to give it to the others or she will lose access to it, he offers to help her on a conditional basis as nightwing but only her, she can call him about the rest if it’s an end of the world or they’re near death and need immediate aid.

And that’s like the fic because the key to winning nightwings assistance is like breathing (optional) but if you’re Dicks family you have to care or else. He’ll love you and help you, when you need it but he won’t tie his life up with yours, he’ll spend his time with people who value his opinion and the person behind the mask.

Anyway cue all the Batkids trying to do what Steph did and fail because they’re neurotic shits who think bonding involves doing casework together or a steak out.

(The next person to crack it is Damian, completely unintentionally he has a fight with Bruce and can’t ask him how the fuck he’s supposed to solve this equation in the new stupid way they’re teaching him no he can’t use the old method they’re supposed to show their work so he pulls up to Dick and Donna’s in a ratty ass hoodie like plz wtf do you mean you work top down explain Grayson- and dicks like awww no problem kid)

[daddymus-mamatron]

Thank you MegOP week I can finally unleash all the brain rot about one thing from TFE that I wish they had kept.

day 5; scars

this one was a very easy pick between the two prompts and it's something I've been stewing over since the first season. so much so that I have references for it, made some art for it and I even got a fic.

this is the rant part

hey remember that.

I do.

I think about it a lot.

In this episode, the first time we see Megatron, he’s been arguing with Karen and OP about how dangerous Starscream is, and how capturing him is a priority. The next scene is MegOP by the hole where the seekers escaped. Just before he goes in, OP almost begged Megatron to: 'Just promise me you'll return him without excessive force.' 

When Megatron does find Starscream, they fall right back into their fighting pattern, triggering some PTDS on Starscream's side.

the receipts btw

I see this and go feral, I am staunchly in the camp; this is not an animation error, i will bite!!! The Decepticon brand is only there when the pov is from Starscream. *feral gremlin moment over*

This is also an important detail. 

Hashtags intervenes, trying to warn Megatron about the Dweller. 'Lol, nice troll' is basically his answer, dismissing her, juuuust a few seconds before he gets energon siphoned. 

Scars appear on his face, the Dweller is having a very nice energon caprisun over there. Megatron, now a good Autobot, probably uses the last of his energy to fire his fusion cannon. In a very bad ass way, really cool move. Noble move to protect the Terran, the next generation. 

But it’s not his sacrifice that saves Hashtag. It’s Starscream that jumps and gets dragged away by the Dweller, leaving behind a rather dumbfounded Megatron. Seeing Starscream scream ‘NO!’ and dash toward danger to save someone, has probably blown a fuse or two in his processor. 

At the end of the episode, when he proposes ‘somewhere safe’ for Starscream, I see this scene as Megatron realizing he’s not the only one who changed. Earth had an impact on both the ‘Cons and the ‘Bots. He should feel bad for attacking Starscream right away, especially with Hashtag right there who could have easily got hit in the crossfire. He let rage consumed him and went down the dark path. All it got him was scars and Hashtag distrusting him.

So when it’s time to get fixed, the scars are the first thing the medic worries about.

I'd like to propose that Megatron keeps them. I HC so hard that the scars stay on his faceplate as a reminder. Like the scar on his shoulder, those streaks are a reminder that he would lay down his life for the next generation and that letting his rage control him again has consequences that would hurt him. Rage and solitude versus love and family. 

I could go on and on about this, let the old man be battered lmao

[misslovasstuff]

Op men when they notice you're in the heat

Pairing: with Sanji, Zoro, Law and Sabo.

content warning: NSFW (light)

author’s note: This was a pretty quick work tbh but I hope it’s good enough. Anyways, enjoy (i love blond op men).

Sanji

first, he notices you leaning against the kitchen counter for longer than usual, staring at him

''Amour, everything alright?''

Surely, you just shake the question off, patting his shoulder as you walk past him. However, the moment you do so, his eyes meet yours.

His keen eye takes a good picture of your blushed cheeks, your sucked-in lips, and the trembling hand that patted his shoulder turning into a slow caress down his arm.

He knows you better than anyone, and in this particular moment Sanji knows exactly what is going on. You were never the type to openly say you're in the mood, nor initiate sex when he is busy.

Soon after, he follows you up at the deck.

''You're not this shy when I pull your legs apart, mon chér... when I am completely under your control, spinning me around your finger when you're on top... are you?''

Goodness, the way he says this to you by leaning in close, his hot breath hitting your neck as his hands stay in his pocket. Sanji's movement is swift, he goes as soon as he goes, leaving you now in even more heat than before.

You take a deep breath, trying to hide your blush as the images of what he said play in your hand.

Sanji had a great way with words, always. You'd argue that he pushed you over the edge of pleasure by only whispering exactly what you wanted to hear during sex, things like: ''Jump on it like you own it, baby'' or ''Cum for me, love. Cum so much that it takes me all night to lick you dry.''

He looks back at you, his eyes inviting as he leans against the door with a smirk on his face, pushing it open.

You shake your head, mimicking his mischievous smirk as you follow.

You're quick, slamming the door shut behind as you push Sanji against the wall, your arms surrounding him.

''Sanji, - you say with a shaky moan, - you have no idea how hard I am right now.''

Sanji looks at you up and down, biting his lip slightly before pulling you in closer by the waist.

“Someone’s been having some dirty thoughts about me? How cute, were you imaging yourself done by me over that counter?”

You push your head back before surrendering in his arms, drowning your face in his neck.

“Please, end this torture for me.�� - you plead, your body now pressed against his.

Sanji’s expression grows into a more serious one, grabbing your hand and placing it on his lips.

“I’d do anything for you. - he claims, his hand running down your back. - You’ll never go starving when I’m around, sweetheart.”

Zoro

The view from the training room is always nice

No, not the view from the window. I'm talking about the one you get while your boyfriend is training half naked, lifting weights as he groans in pain.

Today, more than ever, you had him in your mind all day, and not in a very normal way. You were eager to have those toned arms of him surrounding you as his lips crash with yours strongly, passionately...

''What is up with you today, huh?'' - his question catches you off guard.

''Nothing, Do I seem off or something?''- you respond with a slight chuckle, brushing the back of your neck with your hand.

Zoro stares at you for a bit, dropping his weights down as as he wipes the sweat out of his skin. That move only making you more worked up.

He notices the tight grip you have on your knees, the rapid fall and rise of your chest and those wondering eyes of yours that are trying so hard not to look at anything else but his face.

He got it. In an instant.

''You do not seem off, I wouldn't say that. - He comes near, squatting down at your level. - I'd say you are more turned on than anything.''

You try to remain composed as his grin becomes wider, his hands touching yours that are now tightening the grip they had on your knees.

''Why so rough, babe?' - he asks, taking your hands and placing them over his neck as your back slowly meets the floor. - I thought you liked it gentle and slow.''

Your face is now red as you glance away, pouting. A sigh escapes your mouth as you decide to come to terms that you can not hide a thing from the man you love.

''Well, not today... because today I want you in a different way, Zoro.'' - you explain, pulling him closer to your embrace as you whisper:

''I want you to destroy yourself in me.''

Oh boy, the moment he hears that, Zoro is blushing hard. Bro did not excpect that, at all. He raises an eyebrow, looking back at you with a tilt of his head. His heart is pudding faster than in any other exercise, and the cute innocent look in your face combined with your naughty words are enough to drive him wild.

''I'll give you what you want. That's what I'm here for.''

Law

''Why are you insisting on this? We are not going to-

he was going to say we are not going to your favorite place to dine, mainly because it's dangerous at the time being.

but, this man completely shambles when he is met with your pleading eyes (pun intended)

he sighs, noticing you fidgeting your dress' laces and licking your lips often. Law catches you looking at his hands... multiple times. Then it hit him.

Your favorite place to dine was your favorite because you and Law would always get nasty there, ever since the first date together.

You were hoping for the same tonight, as it seemed.

Clearing your throat, you swallow hard before responding.

''Well, I guess it does not matter...' - your voice gentle, but still trembling. You weren't about to cry or anything, just the sensation between your legs was getting more evident and the frustration that you could not get railed by your man right there was eating you inside.

Law snorts, shaking his head as his one hand grabs your waist, pulling you closer to him.

''We talked about how you need to use your words with me, love, didn't we?''

You widen your eyes, glancing quickly at his lips and then meeting his tender yet hungry eyes.

''You are right when you say it does not matter, - his lips begin to drag along your jaw until your ear. - I'm going to fuck you here better than ever before, promise.''

Your body is now on fire as your hands are pressed on his chest, your lips desperate to touch his.

''You want me to use my words? - You say, hand traveling up his throat where you take a light grip. - There's no way I can describe how badly I need you tonight, Law.''

It's done, you did it. Something switched in this man's head when you told him how much you desired him, knowing fully well only he can give you the relief you are seeking.

''Think about it, we have time all night.''

Sabo

“Hey pretty thing, what are you doing here by yourself? Don’t you want to join us?”

Your boyfriend puts a strand of hair begging your ear before he pinches your cheeks. Before you could answer, he notices the heat of your skin.

“Are you okay?” - his expression turns into a worrisome one now, glancing at your face for any sign of discomfort.

Sabo and you have been dating only for a month now, so this whole relationship thing is quite new for you.

However, telling him that you needed him in a very specific way right now seemed like the most difficult thing in the world.

“Uhm, it’s just… I’m a little…”

You gaze at his worried eyes, immediately looking away with a sigh as you rub your temple. He leans in closer, his palms now pressing against the table you were sitting on. Although he’s facing your chest, his eyes are on yours now.

“A little…?”

The moment you look down on him, noticing the close proximity, your face is covered with blush as you give him a fake cough.

“A little… excited…” - your voice is low and can hardly be heard by the blond.

“Understated? What are you saying?” - he leans in now even closer, feeling his breath hitting your neck, making you let out a little moan, quickly covering your mouth afterwards.

Sabo widens his eyes, soon catching up with the situation.

Your man is a menace so of course he’s gonna tease the hell out of you.

“Oh, so you’re excited, huh? I heard you the first time.”

As much as he gets in your nerves sometimes, it’s hard to be mad at him when he’s so close and you’re so needy.

“Don’t be mean.” - you say, taking a grip on the corner of table, breath beginning to catch up with the rapid pace of your heart.

“Would I be mean if i do this? - he grabs your legs, placing them over his hips, pulling you closer as your crotch moves quite close to yours. - Is this mean to you?”

He says, earning a gasp out of you as his lips drag the skin of your neck, biting it gently.

“If anything, I think I’m being too nice to my girlfriend that didn’t tell me she wanted a good fucking time.”

Your shaky breath is enough of an answer for him.

“But don’t worry, - he parts your legs as he makes more room for himself. - I’ll give you something that will get you thinking of me like this even more often.”

(Someone lock me up with these men)

[the-derpy-duck]

Ok here’s my long ass post about Earthspark Starscream.

None of this is even getting into the final episode of season one because I can’t right now. This show really did body horror and I love it so much.

I love him so so much. I love that the show doesn’t make an excuse for the way Megatron treated him and I like that he was nice. He does bad things and is selfish but also he’s not at the same time? Like horrible friend no doubt but when he was trying to escape he helped his seekers. He lead a jailbreak and he cares at least a bit about the other seekers.

He puts himself first always but also Skywarp was angry at him for not helping. Which would almost imply that at some point he used to help. He shoved her out of his way but he also pushes her out of the way do the energon monster. Was it intentional? Idk. But he did do it. And later in the episode he proves that he can be selfless. He responds well to people showing him kindness. He’s willing to work with the Maltos and follows there plans. He doesn’t even attack them at the end.

Also the fact that no one is like “yeah but you did shitty things so you deserved to be abused” is nice. ‘We’ll obviously no one would say it like that’ have you ever read a transformers YT video comment section? People like finding a way to justify the abuse others go through if they are attempting to fight back and this show says ‘no we aren’t gonna do that. Megaton was wrong to treat his subordinates the way he did.’ Starscream is a bad person, but honestly Megatron is too. His advice to bumblebee on teaching was to use fear because that’s what he did. Optimus tells him ‘don’t use unnecessary force with Starscream’ and guess what he does! I mean you could argue that he technically wasn’t using excessive force but the fact that OP felt the need to tell him not to do that shows something. Like I love this Megatron so much but he still was the leader of a glorified terrorist group. He had good intentions, but it still ended with him leading a group of terrorists.

And the bit where Megatron says he’ll take Starscream somewhere that’s safe and Starscream says ‘no where is safe with you’ is the most thing ever. I love that bit so much. Even if he’s wrong he’s still right because how could he ever feel safe near Megatron or if he knew where he was? The fact that he also automatically assumes the worst in others and is so surprised when Hashtag believed him is so sad to me. Like he’s awful and terrible but he’s also a person who has been hurt by someone who is, from his point of view, helping lock up himself and his subordinates. Starscream is a selfish traitor but Megatron has also betrayed him, his cause (typically, not that applicable to this Megatron), and his people. Also Starscream is telling Megaton to fuck off which I love.

He has the ability to emphasize with Hashtag and he doesn’t want the others to die but he’s spent so much time in an environment that fosters betrayal and constant lying that he can’t just go back for them even if he wanted to. I don’t think he cares either way, but Starscream’s backstabbing nature probably only got as bad as it did BECAUSE he was forced into situations where he could either throw someone else under the bus or be run over. He doesn’t respond as warmly to Skywarp or Novastrom when they showed up (compared to Hashtag) but he had a response. He’s almost apathetic to them but he relaxes slightly and has an almost positive reaction.

Hashtag telling Starscream that bad things happen and it isn’t always their fault was just— AHGHH! I love this episode so much. It’s looking you in the face and saying “hey. that thing you do, where you say this person deserved the abuse they got? Yeah that’s messed up and wrong.” Because people DONT deserve to be abused and no one ever does. ‘Starscream tried to kill Megatron multiple times’ then just imprison, exile, or kill him. And I know that it’s not that simple but if you try to simplify Starscream’s actions then I’m gonna simply Megatron’s possible responses. They both did bad things, we don’t see them doing the bad things in this episode so making an actual judgement is kind of hard but the episode is strongly implying that Megatron abused SS or otherwise unfairly hurt him. I mean SS kind of says it.

Starscream manages to be a really nuanced and complex character without taking away from the others around him. Like Hashtag telling Megatron to leave Starscream alone and Megatron almost shooting Starscream gives all of them more character. Megatron isn’t really WRONG for attacking SS IN THE CAVE. Because if I was Megatron I would assume he would attack the terrains. Hashtag is also a character I didn’t think I’d like as much as I do (her fake evil bit was fun). She cares so much about the people around her and is able to feel empathy for people she shouldn’t and that probably sucks a lot. It’s not a good feeling to feel bad for people and Hashtag is empathetic.

I hope he (SS) will show up more in season two as a neutral force almost like TFP. Because I don’t see him going after the terrains just because they sided with Megatron but he’s also not gonna just join the Maltos. Also Thundercracker pls pls pls. Even if he’s just like ‘fuck this noise’ and then leaves and never shows up again. Just put the Blue guy in.

Twitch trying to recruit more decepticons to Megatron is funny I love her so much.

[purplehairedwonder]

Chapter 1086: Connecting the Dots

It’s been a few chapters since my last write-up, but I couldn’t resist the lore of this chapter.

First things first: the cover page is absolutely adorable.

I especially love Luffy’s and Chopper’s reflections in the puddle. So cute.

Okay, onto the chapter itself. Reverie comes to an end with most attendees none of the wiser of the malicious goings on right under their noses.

We see various parties getting away from Mariejois by stowing away. This panel hit me particularly hard:

Sabo is visibly broken up about witnessing Cobra’s death, which is at odds with his reaction back in chapter 1083:

Honestly, it’s a relief to see that Sabo was affected by Cobra’s death since he seems so cold talking about the death of someone both the Revs and audiences knew to be a good man. 

Speaking of Sabo, the Gorosei’s discussion about him is quite interesting.

They use the phrase “checkered fate,” which we’ve seen used repeatedly to describe those who carry the D, including

and

It also feels related to the flashback in 1085:

Sabo seems to be influenced by the Will of D. as much as any of the Ds that surround him.

Meanwhile, Imu orders the destruction of Lulusia using a Vegapunk invention called Mother Flame. 

This is interesting because we saw in the MADS cover story how Vegapunk was focused on peaceful inventions. He talks about creating an energy source that will be accessible to everyone--thus eliminating conflicts over natural resources.

Perhaps Mother Flame is the result of that research. 

Many of us theorized that Uranus was used to wipe out Lulusia, but Dragon argues that if the WG had an Ancient Weapon, why wait until now to use it?

What if, like the mecha that is defunct in Egghead, Uranus needed a power source? And Vegapunk’s research into energy allowed them to finally power up the Ancient Weapon?

That would also fit the parallels between Vegapunk and Einstein, as Einstein’s work laid the foundation for the creation of nuclear weapons despite his pacifist tendencies.

So, Imu orders the destruction of Lulusia because it’s nearby, and the other Gorosei are... fine with it. They even try to justify it.

It’s cold and cruel.

We also get names and see the planet theme continuing with Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn from left to right. Interesting that they are also called “Warrior Gods.”

Imu is also focused on retrieving Vivi, who we now know is a D.

What does Imu want with Vivi specifically? Mysteries to chew on!

Meanwhile, MORE SEPAPHIM.

Finally, the Doffyphim! Crocophim looks almost sad, which is interesting.

So, we’ve seen Seraphim for all the original Warlords, right? So, are we getting them for any of the others? Blackbeard? Law? Buggy? Weevil? Honestly, I’ll be very surprised if we don’t see a Law Seraphim since Law’s not allowed to have nice things and the importance of the Ope Ope no Mi is directly referenced in this chapter.

We get a bit more insight into Imu thanks to Iva:

Which ties back to Cobra saying he recognized the name. Now we have a family name: Nerona. My first thought was Nero, who was Emperor of Rome at the time of the Great Fire of Rome, which destroyed a large portion of the city. (Remember, Vegapunk’s potential energy source was called Mother Flame.)

Iva’s line about “the world we know today was created 800 years ago” brings me back to this panel from earlier in the chapter:

Particularly Mars’ comment in the middle about “The world moves at the will of the creator.” This seems to imply that Imu was one of the founders of the World Government--making him a creator of the world as we know it today.

Of course, that leads to the question of how he could be alive for 800 years. Iva’s out there like

connecting all the dots like the rest of us.

It’s long been theorized that there had to be someone in the series who had the Perpetual Youth Surgery performed on them, and Imu seems to be the best candidate. 

There have actually been multiple mentions of the immortality operation recently, as if to remind us that Law’s fruit can do that. Remember what Blackbeard said after defeating Law? 

So yes, the fact that Law got away from this encounter matters because a) he’s a D., and b) his fruit is coming into play again.

So, theory time. I know a lot of people worry about Law using the Perpetual Youth Surgery on Luffy, but I don’t think that will happen; among many reasons, Luffy wouldn’t want it, even if Law offered. 

However, if Imu has had that surgery and is now immortal, there needs to be a way to defeat him. What better way than the current user of the Ope Ope no Mi reversing the operation and making him mortal again?

Okay, this has gone way longer than I planned, so final thing:

So, this is interesting considering what we learned about Shanks from Film Red and its accompanying media. Shanks, we’re led to believe, is a Figarland, so this is likely a relative--father? Grandfather? Uncle? (Also, the hair that looks like a crescent moon? Amazing.)

Moreover, he is the former king of God Valley, which is where Roger’s crew found baby Shanks in a chest and adopted him. That God Valley flashback is going to be mind-blowing, isn’t it?

It’s also noteworthy that Figarland says, “Anyone who protects scum is lower than the scum they protect” while Shanks has a notoriously weak fleet because he protects them.

Finally, RIP Mjosgard. It’s sad that he was able to better himself and ended up executed as a result of those morals.

[theroundbartable]

Hi! I want to share a merthur prompt that's been on me mind for a long time, but cannot write cause english is not my first language and I'm afraid to make mistakes. I would love for you to write it, but if you only share the prompt for someone else to do it, it's fine too.

You know how in the arthurian mithology Arthur wasn't raise as a prince to begin with but was discover later? Not only that, but Utter was the one who order Merlin to hide him, so he took him and made other family raise him.

Well, inspired on this I though what if our BBC Merlin did this? I imagine inmortal Merlin after the events of camlam, mad with grieve, tired of waiting for Arthur and cursing destiny and fate, would come to the conclusion that it was the prophesy he tried to fulfill that ended up killing and condeming Arthur. So, as soon as he learns how to, he travels back in time just when Arthur is about to be born. He kidnaps baby Arthur and gives him to a nice couple in Ealdor who he knows can't have children and will raise him well. He doesn't care about destiny anymore, he just wants Arthur to be happy and safe.

Obviously this has consecuences: Utter's hate towards magic becomes worse because he did not only lose his wife to a sorcerer but his son and heir as well. Search parties look for the lost prince for years without success and Utter is force to acknowledge Morgana as his daughter since he refuses to marry again, let alone have another heir. He won't stop looking for his son though no matter how much his council pleads him to.

Meanwhile, little Arthur meets little Merlin and become inseparable friends. Merlin from the future smiles, watching them from afar. He's been looking after Arthur all this time, making sure he won't be found and that he's safe. Suddenly he notices his body is starting to be less solid and realise that sooner or later he's going to disappear because there can be two Merlins coexisting in the same time. Not wanting to leave Arthur unprotected, he decides to orquest secret encounters with his younger self in the woods disguise as Dragoon/Emrys to start giving him magic leasons so he can control his magic better, ergo protect Arthur when he is not around. However, Arthur follows Merlin one day to see where he always goes of to and he discovers his best friend has magic. He takes it well though and even asks "Emrys" to teach him too. "Emrys" says something along the lines "You don't have magic I can work with but you defenitely have strength and courage. I can teach you to be a Knight" and he does. From then on he gives them not only magic and knight leasons, but education in general.

The day "Emrys" knows he is going to die/disappear he meets with Merlin, who is a teen by then, privatly one last time. With all the power he has left he transfers all his memories to Merlin. Overwhelm but over all angry teen Merlin shouts at adult Merlin, who is not in disguise anymore, "How dare you! You had no right to take that away from him! His right to the throne! He could've have better life, he could...". Adult Merlin argues back "Being prince is what made him miserable and got him killed in the first place!". They fight a little more, but in the end Adult Merlin says "Look, if you think is best to bring Arthur back to Camelot and reveal he is the lost prince is your choice. I already gave you all the information you need to be beware of the dangers and consecuences. Don't let any prophesy lead your choices and protect him" and he banishes soon after. Teen Merlin is left without knowing what to do.

He doesn't have to do anything though. Essetier kingdom falls, maybe do to war or a plague, i don't know, and Merlin, Arthur and their parents are force to flee to Camelot. They arrive at the Citidel and... that's all I got 😅 Sorry. I suppose at some point Arthur is discover and chaos ensues, but I don't know how it would happen.

OP, I just want to say.... i already know you're underestimating yourself. This summary looks awesome. I love the idea. And I have no doubt that you can flesh this out.

I'm not going to write it, because you can make this a 300 k story and people will absolutely read it and they will love it. I know this, because I absolutely would. Don't worry about your English, it's more than fine. (There are some spelling mistakes, but that's to do with typing, not actual problems with grammar.)

Look, I'm not an English native myself. I'm German and I started off with stories that made little sense in consistency. I was 12 when my first comment (my brother) told me it sucked. And he was right but that didn't stop me. The level on writing I see in this little summary is what I would have aspired my writing to become at the time. You have nothing to be insecure about.

Don't be afraid to write your own story. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Trust me on this. You will do better than you think. And if you want, you can always message me if you need any help. I would love to read your version of the whole story.

Seriously, I mean it. You've given me enough text to see it. It would be a great gift to the fandom if you tried. :)

[daily-linkclick]

What is the theory abt lg being from an alternate timeline? I’ve been seeing a lot of ppl talk about it and idrk where it comes from, and what are your thoughts??(have a nice day!!)

this ask magically appeared in my inbox just today but apparently it was sent weeks ago, holy shit! thank you for waiting op LMFAO

anyways, it's a theory that's been around before season 2, iirc! mostly because we had little to nothing lore wise around their powers, and its just fun thinking about while we waited for anything canon. there were a few things that did hint at lu guang being from an alternative timeline, being that we don't know his age and backstory, and his weird hair color (not a lot of people sporting full white hair, or any unnatural hair color in link click, at least)

those aspects don't necessarily point to him being from an alternate timeline, but they also could be hints towards it! but there's new content that makes this theory potentially canon! it's from this music video played during Bilibili World. it features an alternate mv for vortex, which is interesting because we see lu guang falling first:

in it, there are several shots with cheng xiaoshi wearing completely different outfits, some injured and one seemingly dead? Plus a frame that shows four cxs's merging into one. maybe it's just ooo pretty visuals, but there's a looot of imagery that implies different timelines (shard fractals, reflections, mirror images, etc)

There's also this shot, with lu guang wearing an alternate fit we've never seen - and he's wearing more black in this one?? his s1 fit also featured a dark shirt and pants but his flannel color was more dominant. this leads me to believe that this is lu guang but less experienced (another timeline).

maybe all of this is just non-canon for marketing, they did market lu guang as dead for all of pre-s2 lol, but i like to believe this is them teasing lu guang's past! even if he's the main character, he's someone who's past we know the least of. i'd argue we find out more about side characters than we do about him actually - which makes me (and a lot of other people) think he's from an alternate timeline!

that's the gist; i'll put my own thoughts under a read more so this post won't be insanely long

my own thoughts on the theory is that i think lu guang is from multiple alternate timelines. the frame with multiple cheng xiaoshis, and the one where four merge into one makes me believe lu guang met cheng xiaoshi in his timeline, but cxs either died or had a miserable life. he kept going into different timelines in an attempt to save him / be in a timeline where cheng xiaoshi is actually safe and happy, and finally got to the timeline we see in the show.

though that part requires him having more than just the power to look into what happens in a photo. but there's been proof of lu guang hiding what he knows / has with cheng xiaoshi (re: him hiding the fact emma died, and him hiding the photo that liu tianchen gave him). he's also an incredibly private person. if he hides from his closest friend, who's to say he isn't hiding something from the audience either?

we also don't know how they got their powers. if lu guang originally had the power to dive back into pictures, then it would make sense on how he's able to go to different timelines. also, studio lan clearly emphasizes the fact that the pair are two halves of a whole, and the show is more interesting because of that dynamic.

as an extra: lu guang's doting nature makes a lot of sense too, he just doesn't want to see cheng xiaoshi miserable again! it's a pretty known fact that cheng xiaoshi didn't have any friends (besides qiao ling) before lu guang, and his life insantly got better when they finally were a trio (interesting that it was mainly because of a mysterious person that popped out of nowhere). here's a fun twitter thread by t3mp0s about the trio's dynamic

lastly, i just think it'd be fun if at one point cheng xiaoshi slowly discovers what lu guang did in his past for him. and how hypocritical lu guang would sound after saying "past or future, leave them be" if he never applied that to cheng xiaoshi! either way i still want to see a cxs saving lg arc man... they keep teasing it EVEN IN THE MV

that's it!! i know link click's best quality is the trio going through other people's stories, but i think they're preparing us for the biggest one: lu guang's.

[misc-obeyme]

hihi I'm back, i was rambling about solomon and immortality the other time

BUT i just got a tiktok, and apparently there's a trend with the song that goes "nothing's new" and the first slide is a tweet saying "who had every right to become a villain?" And the second slide is a character

anyway my first thought was MC because they literally get dumped into a new world, whole life turned upside down and expected to adapt, in both OG and NB. Nightbringer i'd say is different since they have a goal they're working towards and at least they have Solomon

But in OG it's like "try to survive :)", you're looked down upon as a human, you're kept in the dark about the attic, there's so many little things that add up-

But in the end MC chooses kindness, chooses to keep going and make it work, and yes there's the chaotic options but no harm is done without cause I guess you could say?? They're not afraid to stand up for themselves and they're stubborn, but they won't sink down to the lowest of the lows after everything they've gone through

I dunno if i made any sense, I just needed to ramble and share with someone 🤣 thank you for being a welcoming blog

- ✨

Welcome back to my ask box! I will add ✨ to the anon list!

And of course I love all the ramblings, so know you're always welcome to come here to share your thoughts!

Now I gotta say the generic OM MC is one unhinged mf and I don't understand how they stay so chill and happy all the time. Like I would argue their ability to put up with so much crazy is what makes them unhinged rather than the chaotic options that are sometimes given for them. That stuff feels like a normal reaction considering everything they go through. Like the time they threatened to explode Mammon's door? Yeah, that feels like something someone who has been pushed beyond their limits might do.

And yet so often, the choices are nice. So often the choices are MC giving and giving and giving. They care so much and are willing to go through so much and do so much in order to keep their demons safe. And MC is the human in this scenario. I know, MC is OP with their pacts and their sorcerer stuff and their Ring of Light, but you would still expect the demons to take better care of them. And I mean more their mental state than anything. But the game kinda just takes for granted the fact that MC can take all the crazy in stride. I'm pretty sure I would have had a mental breakdown after the first week lol.

All that being said, I love the idea of MC turning into a villain. This is where you really can get into different story lines and outcomes based on your personal MC. Because I think it would be very easy for an MC to turn villainous in this situation. It depends on how conniving your MC is as to how this goes down.

Like do they deliberately wait to betray everybody until they've secured all seven pacts and the Ring of Light and so on?

Or is it more like one day they just snap and they never meant to turn?

In the first scenario, the question is what is their goal? Why would they do that to begin with? Maybe they want to rule the Devildom themselves and the goal is to have all the bros under their spell for the sole purpose of like dethroning Diavolo or something. I mean, good luck with that lol but it'd sure be interesting.

In the second scenario, it's definitely more chaotic and just MC loses their mind. Maybe starts destroying things Satan-style because they can't control it anymore.

I think it's a fascinating idea. And you could go with MC succeeds or you could go with someone (whoever MC is closest to perhaps) is able to talk them down from destruction.

But yes, in the end our OM MC always chooses kindness. Even when they're not going to take any nonsense, they're always solution oriented. They're always about helping the characters and I would say they're almost stubborn in their kindness too? Like they're determined not to be anything other than kind because to them, that's the right thing to do. It's precious.

[petermorwood]

That was lunch, made quick-and-simple * but dressed up nicely for its photo-op.

* Very quick-and-simple; it was based on a packet of just-add-water oxtail soup, because there are some days when I Could Not Be Arsed, even a simple tomato soup that’s just a couple of tins of tomatoes, an onion, some garlic, some peeling, some chopping, some oil, some seasoning, some cooking, some blending...

Yeah. Enuff said.

However, that didn’t stop me from a few grab-and-chuck-in enhancements - and once I’d announced that, @dduane​ said: ”Write it up for your followers, and take pictures.”

So...

The enhancements were some orzo and a splash of red wine vinegar from the cupboard, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne (it’s cold today) and ground caraway from the spice drawer, and some frozen red and green sweet pepper from the freezer.

(Side-note - I slice and freeze my own peppers on cookie sheets, then bag ‘em; also onions and carrots, i.e. the sort of thing I’d take from the freezer, weigh frost and all then throw straight into a pot when making soup or stew. Casual approach? You bet... :-> I’ve never done a price comparison, but I bet it works out cheaper-by-weight than buying them that way.)

So I made the soup as per instructions - add water, stir until boiling, heat down and simmer 5 mins - adding everything else at the beginning and extending the simmer to 15 minutes because of the orzo and peppers.

Then it went into a bowl, got garnished with a dollop of plain yogurt and another grind of chilli, and behold:

Soup even with pasta in it works better with bread, and it just so happens we’ve been baking interesting loaves recently.

So, some First Draft and Second Draft herb bread went into a bowl and onto a plate - these, like the cutlery, are mostly meant as photo props - and behold:

For something which started as little more than flour, salt and flavourings, that soup turned out remarkably well; warming, filling and tasty.

As for the bread, the 2-D herb loaf is just as good as the 1-D, but more herby since DD doubled the amount of herbs while reducing the variety. It’s possible for too many different herbs to argue with each other and end up cancelling out the very effect you’re hoping for, something I suspect happened with the 1-D loaf.

2-D loaf used just basil, tarragon and an “Italian Seasoning” (bought as a packet, put in a jar, so no ingredients list, sorry!) which seems to rely on oregano.

Also, confession time, I wrote in the 1-D recipe that DD was using pumpkin-seed oil (since ETA’d to correct); she actually used olive oil since she couldn’t find the pumpkin-seed oil because someone (cough) had put it away without saying where.

The 2-D bread did have pumpkin-seed oil, which affected both the colour and - wow! it’s nice - the flavour. This now makes us both wonder about using walnut, hazelnut and similar unusual oils in an otherwise basic bread recipe, such as the one I bake every couple of days for the house.

Something ELSE to experiment with. :->

[louisisalarrie]

Ooh, please tell me more about how Shiall today might relate to Larry? I’ve been keeping an eye on Niall, and I have so many thoughts, but I’m mostly just confused!

heya anon, and welcome to the show!

now, I want to start this off by saying I haven’t had much to do with the Shiall stuff, so I’m not an expert on it. But, here are a couple of my thoughts as to why this is an interesting turn of events, and what this means for larry.

so, it’s been pretty interesting seeing all the Shiall stuff online since the show happened. And well… I’ve seen a lot of larries/ziams also now start shipping Shiall, which is interesting, and while Shiall has never been as big as Larry or even Ziam, it blew up the fandom and even got headlines in the press. So… let’s have a deeper dive.

Now… people have believed in Shiall or at least entertained the idea of them together since at least 2017. It’s not a new thing whatsoever. But since the show of them performing together, it has become pretty huge. And there are a lot of solos reaaaaallllyyyy hating that, and it’s becoming a bit beefy between the niall girls and the shiall believers (which is yikes because can everyone just be nice to each other for a god damn second Jesus Christ) so it’s now dividing nialls otherwise pretty chill fandom. Which is new for him, and will be interesting to see how it’s handled. But so far in the press? It’s going well for him.

He’s gotten a write up in a few outlets which all have a similar headline of “Niall Horan Surprises Fans by Bringing Out Shawn Mendes at London Concert” (US Weekly). But, Rolling Stone really went all out here:

Now, I dunno about you… but adding “fellow lover boy” and “that’s my boy” to a headline 100% grabs attention and maybe implies a bit more than just pals. In my marketing and journalism experience/study, this would absolutely fall under seeding and somewhat subconsciously sways the reader into further curiosity about Niall and Shawn’s relationship.

What’s funny about this, is 1 week prior to the show, Elle posted this article out of quite literally nowhere. Shawn and Camila haven’t been spotted together since (to my knowledge) April of 2023 when they were photographed kissing at Coachella. So… why was this dropped a week prior?

Anyway, Niall is still signed to Modest mgmt, who we’ve watched control narratives and PR ops for the last 13 years. So, it’s safe to say we can see a bit of a pattern here, but it feels different this time too… right?

Niall’s mgmt would 110% know about the Shiall rumours. They’ve been around for over 6 years, and have continued to grow in popularity over the past couple of years particularly. It’s very obviously a topic that the fandom talk about, and that a lot believe in. So, to allow niall to bring on stage someone who his fans believe he’s actually dating as opposed to his “gf” who was also in the crowd that night (not that literally anyone cared lol) feels very freeing. Do modest and Niall not care about the rumours? Is it actually true and he managed to convince his team to let him do it in exchange of staying with his gf for longer? Or is it something entirely different?

Well… it’s a tricky one.

Modest have been well known to closet artists for years. We’ve seen it with larry, and other young men too. So, why the change of heart? Essentially encouraging rumours by giving this the go ahead, and rolling stone weirdly quickly posting that article with those particular words in the headline, why now?

It’s good PR, sure. It’s beneficial for Shawn to get back into the headlines more after not performing for 12 months, and gives nialls tour a bit of a boost. But i would argue that it’s encouraging Shiall. And I would also argue that modest have actively tried to squash gay rumours for years with larry (we will talk about the Union J shit show another time and just stick with larry for this) so it’s interesting that they’re encouraging it. But it’s been a pretty nice little test drive for larry, hasnt it?

In no way has Shiall divided the fandom to the same point as Larry, but the love we all saw for shiall (whether we believed in them being romantically linked or not, it was incredibly wholesome) from around the fandom was very loud. I saw a hell of a lot more positive chats than negative (and I looked deeper than just my timeline) and so it was pretty safe to say that it went well for the most part.

People are saying that niall might have done it behind his team’s back because Shawn was placed in Paris hours earlier, but that’s just a reminder of something we already know that we can’t trust photos to be released on the same day at the same time they are taken, but I think he’d get in a hell of a lot of trouble for that. So I’m not on board with that idea.

So I guess to put it down to a couple of options to sum this up:

a) modest has flipped the script and is okay with Shiall because they’re actually not dating (unlike how they handled larry because they were) and it’s all just rumours and niall and his gf aren’t bothered from it so it’s fine because it’s some good publicity

b) niall and Shawn actually are dating and his team is seeding a coming out, testing the waters with the fandom, perhaps try to encourage larry to sign with them again due to how “free thinking” they are now

c) nialls contract allows him to have more control over different aspects of his career so he was able to just invite him up there no matter what narrative is being pushed in his personal life

So… what’s this mean for larry and why have I rambled on for 3-5 business days?

Well…

Niall is dealing with the same rumours with Shawn as H and L do with each other. He is actively showing the fans that believing in a relationship between two dudes in fact doesn’t ruin their lives and families and their girlfriends are crying all the time, and he’s also showing other mgmt teams that you can do this shit without the world falling to pieces (aka the V*nes and Az*ff losers) whether or not it’s true. It’s a very small step in the right direction, but it’s a really good one. So I think yeah it’s important to see what this means for Larry and their next steps, because niall has made it look pretty simple. But I think we should keep watching this all very closely.

[lerya-fanfic]

OP x Reader Exchange

Hi, @worldsgreatestswordsmanswife I did the pinch hit for your piece (sorry it’s so late) for the @onepiece-reader-exchange 

I really hope you like it :D 

“You know that getting hurt like this isn’t going to help him in the end, you know.”

Bartolomeo looks up at you, his eyes twinkling, despite the wounds he was sporting, “But I made a difference for Luffy-senpai.”

You roll your eyes, knowing that no matter what you say right now it’s never going to be enough to convince Barto of something else. You knew that when you started this, when you asked him to join his crew and travel the world with all of them.

“I know that, but it was just for a festival, there was no need for you to go all out like this.”

Grinning widely as he settled his hands on your hips, Barto pulled you closer, “Ah, but Y/N, Luffy-senpai even thanked me at the end of it all. It was the best day ever!”

You roll your eyes, “Even better than when you met me?”

This had him denying that, trying to come back on his words as you stood there and looked on as he only managed to say the wrong things.

“Relax, I’m just teasing you.”

The huff you get just makes you giggle, you love that Barto is so easily riled up. But then again, he does love with all his heart. You hadn’t cared for Mugiwara no Luffy in any way before then, but Barto made you warm up to the man who was going to be the Pirate King. He was admirable so that was something, and never said no to a party or a festival.

“I still don’t think you should have gone all out like that, love.”

Barto’s eyes started to sparkle in the way they always did when you called him a pet name, it was adorable that a man like this. Someone known as a fierce pirate could be this sweet at times too. 

“Now, sit still while I take care of these wounds.”

When he tries to argue, you stare at him, “No matter what, there is no need for you to walk around wounded. Let me take care of them and we can go back to enjoying the festival.”

It’s like it takes you saying that before he noticed the yukata you’re wearing. The green and red complimented Barto’s hair and normal choice of clothing. Done so especially as you knew the man wasn’t about to wear something else.

“You’re wearing that?”

Tilting up an eyebrow, you brush some antiseptic over a wound on his brow before you nod, “I am.”

The way he swallows as his eyes roam over you is enough to tell you that he is really liking this. Grinning softly, you like the way this makes you feel. He always makes you feel like you’re special, like you’re the only one in the world. But when you take care to dress up it comes to the forefront even more, his eyes trailing over you almost as if not wanting to miss any detail or any second of the time spent together.

“There, that should do it.”

Taking away the cotton ball with the antiseptic on it, you’re happy that you covered all the wounds. Putting a bandage on some of them that appeared to be even deeper than you expected. 

He was on his feet and grasping your hand in his, “Y/N, let’s go and enjoy the festival!”

Laughing, you let him pull you along. You had been looking forward to this too, a festival especially one like this was always so much fun to experience. On the winning side as they were, there were chances that they would get some amazing moments without needing to spend too much money. Barto, for all that he was true to his cause, didn’t have the smartest crew, or the most money-minded either.

Shaking your head to get those thoughts out of your head, you allow yourself to enjoy the moment. To have this, to enjoy the evening.

The evening had been great, Barto had seemed as excited as a child to walk over the festival area looking over the stands with you and ooh’ing and aah’ing at the appropriate times when you pointed something out. 

It was a pleasurable evening, to say the least, almost as if you were the only ones in the world. It was nice, and made you enjoy the moments even more.

A hesitant arm wrapping around your waist had you leaning into his side, grinning as his form dwarfed yours, “This is nice.”

His beaming smile let butterflies go wild in your stomach, “I’m glad you like it, Y/N, I didn’t know you would want to go with me.”

Blinking at that, you stop walking to turn him towards you, “Why wouldn’t I?”

He shrugged, “Dunno, there are other people out there I’m sure that would have loved to take you.”

The way his eyes narrow makes it clear that he thinks about Cavendish, even if you told him time and time again that you didn’t want anything to do with the blond ponce, it seemed that this was one part that Barto couldn’t shake so easily.

Sighing, you take a hold of his hands, “Barto, I crossed a sea to find you, to tell you that I wanted to sail with you. Why do you think I would give that all up for some ponce that I don’t care about.”

He shrugged again, making you huff, pulling yourself up to your full height and even taller by going on your tip-toes. Planting your hands on his shoulders before you’re making him look at you as you press your lips together.

Pulling back, you grin, “There is no one else I would want to do that, but you, Barto.”

It seems he needs a moment to process that, but when he does, you yelp as he grasps your waist to pull you close, pressing your lips together once more. Making you sigh into the kiss before you rest your head on his chest when you separate.

“Believe me now?”

He nods, his arms possessive laying on your waist again as you walk through the rest of the festival. Giddy by the way he takes you along and makes you feel so very safe and wanted. It’s more than you could ever ask for.

[mariana-oconnor]

A Case of Identity pt 1

If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and peep in at the queer things which are going on

Sherlock Holmes Peter Pan crossover! Also this sentence starts with them being normal size and then halfway through suddenly they're able to 'gently remove ... roofs'? It's a sweet little scene, though.

We have in our police reports realism pushed to its extreme limits, and yet the result is, it must be confessed, neither fascinating nor artistic.

Weird to see here the dichotomy of Holmes the romantic and Watson the realist. So often depictions of Holmes have him being so factual and without whimsy, and yet the start of this story is the opposite. It's Holmes who has the 'flight of fancy' and finds the fascination in life, and Watson who is arguing that real life is common and without interest.

There is half a column of print, but I know without reading it that it is all perfectly familiar to me. There is, of course, the other woman, the drink, the push, the blow, the bruise, the sympathetic sister or landlady. The crudest of writers could invent nothing more crude.

Also Watson not showing any empathy here. 'Oh, domestic violence is so run-of-the-mill, it's so dull.' He's very jaded in this story. On one hand, I agree with him that there's no delight or artistry in domestic violence, on the other hand, he comes off as a bit callous here.

he had drifted into the habit of winding up every meal by taking out his false teeth and hurling them at his wife, which, you will allow, is not an action likely to occur to the imagination of the average story-teller.

...I can't remember this story. It may be one of the ones I have not read before. But this made me blink and do a double take. Seriously? His false teeth? That's so oddly specific. Also, taking a moment for ACD to pat himself on the back there. I see what you're doing, sir.

He held out his snuffbox of old gold, with a great amethyst in the centre of the lid. Its splendour was in such contrast to his homely ways and simple life that I could not help commenting upon it. "Ah," said he, "I forgot that I had not seen you for some weeks. It is a little souvenir from the King of Bohemia in return for my assistance in the case of the Irene Adler papers."

Oh hai, Irene!

Weird that Holmes is displaying all the bling he got from a man he doesn't respect and didn't want any reward from.

Oscillation upon the pavement always means an affaire de coeur.

Well, that certainly is a sentence.

When a woman has been seriously wronged by a man she no longer oscillates

I have never seen the word 'oscillate' used this much outside of a science textbook.

Sherlock Holmes welcomed her with the easy courtesy for which he was remarkable

This is fascinating from the perspective of someone who has seen so may adaptations. 'easy courtesy for which he was remarkable' this isn't just a one time chance of Holmes being courteous. Watson himself finds Holmes' manner remarkable and to specify that it comes easily. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of different Holmes adaptations, even the ones where he's rude, but this sentence makes it so clear that Holmes is polite and that it at least appears to come naturally to him.

for it made me angry to see the easy way in which Mr Windibank—that is, my father—took it all

I had a 'why do you refer to your father as Mr Windibank?' moment, then read the next few sentences and went 'oh'. Stepfamilies are complicated. Honestly, this bit reads like it could be an excerpt from an AITA post. Which leads to me thinking of modern day Sherlock hanging about on Reddit and asking really random questions before telling people that clearly the meaning of the cat hair on the third cushion is that OP's life is in imminent danger and they must at once leave the house and block their best friend on all social media.

I believe that a single lady can get on very nicely upon an income of about 60 pounds.

And the illusion of modernity is shattered. I bloody well wish. Hey inflation calculator, what's that in real money?

£6,033.44

(I put this around 1892, but that was my estimate based on when the other stories have been set. I might be out by a few years)

Yeah... I know she's living at home, but that's Holmes' estimate for any single woman, not only those being supported by their parents.

so they have the use of the money just while I am staying with them. Of course, that is only just for the time. Mr Windibank draws my interest every quarter and pays it over to mother

Hello motive! Fancy seeing you here. I do not trust Mr Windibank at all, for all I may find his name amusing to say and read. This coupled with his insistence that nothing is wrong is very fishy. Mmhm. I am getting a distinct whiff of 'greedy, thieving stepfather' here with distinct notes of 'manipulative arsehole'.

Mr Windibank did not wish us to go. He never did wish us to go anywhere. He would get quite mad if I wanted so much as to join a Sunday-school treat. But this time I was set on going, and I would go; for what right had he to prevent?

Please add 'controlling' to the list above, forthwith. Guy's a massive dick. Good for you, Miss Mary Sutherland for calling him out on it.

And he said that I had nothing fit to wear, when I had my purple plush that I had never so much as taken out of the drawer.

Anyone else getting Cinderella vibes from this line? I'm surprised he didn't accidentally ruin the dress as well, or spill a bowl of rice into the cinders of the fire and make her pick them all up.

"I suppose," said Holmes, "that when Mr Windibank came back from France he was very annoyed at your having gone to the ball."

"Oh, well, he was very good about it. He laughed, I remember, and shrugged his shoulders, and said there was no use denying anything to a woman, for she would have her way."

I hate this guy. I really do. ACD was very good at writing men I loathe even when they haven't appeared in person.

Oh, and I remember this story now, btw. It's all coming back to me.

He wouldn't have any visitors if he could help it, and he used to say that a woman should be happy in her own family circle.

Abuse tactics really haven't ever changed, have they. The flags were as red in the 1890s as they are in the 2020s. Ugh. I hope this guy dies in a shipwreck too. Fingers crossed.

The fact that I keep reading the 'gasfitters' ball' as the 'gaslighters' ball' feels very fitting.

"What office?" "That's the worst of it, Mr Holmes, I don't know." "Where did he live, then?" "He slept on the premises." "And you don't know his address?" "No—except that it was Leadenhall Street."

In the immortal words of Gytha Ogg: Always get the young man's name and address. (And never trust a dog with orange eyebrows)

Mr Hosmer Angel came to the house again and proposed that we should marry before father came back. He was in dreadful earnest and made me swear, with my hands on the Testament, that whatever happened I would always be true to him.

Not suspicious at all. Absolutely normal behaviour. You should definitely swear on your holy book of choice to always be true to people 'whatever happens'. This is entirely rational and not worrying at all. Not a bit.

The flags, they are scarlet.

Mother was all in his favor from the first and was even fonder of him than I was. Then, when they talked of marrying within the week, I began to ask about father; but they both said never to mind about father, but just to tell him afterwards, and mother said she would make it all right with him.

Not remembering all the details, but knowing the general gist of this story, this part actually makes me feel a bit sick. Does the mother know what's going on? I don't remember. If so, I think Miss Mary Sutherland needs to take her £100 a year and go on a world tour. Honestly, she should do that anyway, just... nausea.

"Oh, no, sir! He was too good and kind to leave me so. Why, all the morning he was saying to me that, whatever happened, I was to be true; and that even if something quite unforeseen occurred to separate us, I was always to remember that I was pledged to him, and that he would claim his pledge sooner or later. It seemed strange talk for a wedding-morning, but what has happened since gives a meaning to it."

Mary, Mary, Mary... no. Just no. This is not good or kind. This is weird and suspicious and controlling. I'm sure your wedding dress is lovely, but I cannot see it because all the red flags are in the way.

Above all, try to let Mr Hosmer Angel vanish from your memory, as he has done from your life.

Holmes giving excellent advice here. The trash took itself out.

"You are very kind, Mr Holmes, but I cannot do that. I shall be true to Hosmer. He shall find me ready when he comes back."

Oh Mary. I'm so sorry. You really should take the advice.

This absolutely could be written as a reddit post, btw.

[butterfly-apocalypse]

Mild vent post about inter-aro/ace community friction and ace discourse under the cut:

Saw a post just now that rubbed me the wrong way really badly (I had OP blocked, but I was visiting someone's blog and they reblogged it so I saw the post anyway [shakes fist at sky]. It's kind of nice when your choice to block someone is validated though!).

The post was talked about how aces who choose to engage in sexual relationships are making an effort to be fight misinformation and to be accepted, which usually comes in the form of acknowledgement that some asexuals may choose to have sex when discussing ace experiences. The post also discussed how aces who have been affected by being pressured to conform get rubbed the wrong way by seeing so many discussions about the asexual experience acknowledge that aces can still have sex. The overall point of the post was that "everyone gets annoyed at each other when it should be peaceful."

And like yeah! I think the post hit the nail on the head, I think that's exactly what's happening. However there were like. Two things about the post that PARTICULARLY rubbed me the wrong way: 1) Framing both groups as equally valid in their irritation and 2) describing the effort to include the experience of sex-favorable aces as "don't worry, aces can still conform!"

Because for 1) a group being annoyed and speaking against the fact that experiences other members of their community are being represented and acknowledged (and sometimes even emphasized to combat a history of a severe lack of representation and acknowledgement) are doing harm to their fellow community members. No community is a monolith and PARTICULARLY not the aro/ace community. The experiences of aces who choose to engage in sexual relationships matter SO MUCH and have almost no mainstream discussion that I've seen. It is the MORE INCLUSIVE and more responsible thing to do to acknowledge the many many many different "asexual experiences" if you're going to discuss them at large.

I think the irritation at other people being included comes from a lack of understanding other aces lived experiences and a heightened concern over how other people using the same label differently as you do affects people's impressions. Visibility and acceptance are not a pie. More visibility and acceptance for sex-favorable aces does not mean less visibility and acceptance for sex-repulsed or otherwise celibate aces. Regardless of how much more common acknowledgement of sex-favorable aces has become on certain online spaces, I think it would be hard to argue that the experiences of sex-favorable aces has come anywhere close to overshadowing other ace experiences.

It's COMPLETELY FAIR to have different spaces, different discussions, etc. specific to difference experiences! But when discussing asexual experiences AT LARGE, it's Not really fair to be upset that different experiences are acknowledged.

For 2) framing aces who choose to engage in a sexual relationship as "choosing to conform" feels so unfair. Like, yes, you could say that by engaging in a sexual relationship, they are following societal expectations and are therefore conforming. But that's SO FOCUSED on what external impressions of the relationship are when SO MUCH of the asexual experience IS INTERNAL. Are bisexual women who choose to date men "conforming?" You might say so from the outside, but what is that accomplishing?

Anyway, I just....sigh.

I've been verbally assaulted in real life by a fellow queer person who insisted that I would abusing and lying to my then girlfriend if I choose to be sexual with her OR that she would be abusing me OR that if I actually WANTED to participate, then I wasn't allowed to identify as asexual. I have been in so so so many conversations with other aro/aces where I say something and the response is "Well, I'm ace, so I don't [thing that I just said I do or enjoy]." It feels deeply invalidating! It feel straight out of 2nd grade hearing people say stuff like "I'm a girl, so I don't like superheroes." or "I'm a boy, so I can't wear a dress." and so also "I'm ace, so I don't like E-rated fanfics." and "I'm ace, so I can't write smut."

Furthermore, I've seen more and more of an unholy mix of treating aro/aces as a monolith with purity culture. Ace Discourse did so much damage to the community and the community growing back is so steeped in sex-negativity. "I'm better because I'm not bogged down by sexual attraction" and "Sex scenes in shows and movies should all be removed, there's never a reason sex needs to be included," are VERY UNDERSTANDABLE and VERY VALIDLY ill-received by the rest of the queer community and people who have fought so hard for sexual liberation. (These were not random examples or exaggerations, they were from a conversation I had less than 24 hours ago in real life.)

SO MUCH of the queer community relies on sex-positivity/sex-neutrality and that genuinely does actually include aces. Sex-positivity/neutrality takes sex from being some All Important Arcane Sacred Ritual that is either Blessed or Evil into a natural activity that's part of life that many people choose to engage in or not engage in for a variety of reasons. It removes the "inherent significance" from it as well as the taboo. It removes ANY expectation, including the expectation that sex is necessary.

Anyway. I think that's all I have to say for now. I'm getting off my soap box.

Tune in next time for rant about how Ace Discourse primarily relies on cisheteronormativity and conflating sex-negativity for asexuality!

[asiancatboy]

won't lie but that one massively popular post going around arguing against saying "stop congratulating cis allies for doing the bare minimum" and then op provides personal anecdotes of supportive people who don't always get it right? it pisses me off. it reads like not-all-men. it reads like someone doesn't fundamentally understand that by "stop congratulating cis allies for doing the bare minimum" =/= "be mean to everyone who is trying to be nice but getting it wrong"

when people say "stop congratulating cis people for doing the bare minimum" they are saying "hey maybe we should examine why it is that trans people feel like they are expected to be thankful for the scraps they are dealt. maybe we shouldn't have to lower the bar so that everyone else can feel like they are doing a good job at not being an asshole to trans people without putting in the effort to actually learn about or get to know said trans people. maybe we should take a hard look at celebrity culture especially and think about how many times these people have been excused for saying the weirdest shit—or nothing at all, in the face of injustice—and put on a pedestal bc they had the most brave and progressive stance of 'trans people exist'"

like are you all hearing yourselves? people are not dogs. we shouldn't have to positive-reinforce the radical idea of "trans people are people and deserve to live" into others. trans people, and especially trans poc, should never be expected to give people a pat on the back for not hate crime-ing them. by all means, thank people for their support or remind the people around you that you appreciate them for sticking up for you, but don't lower the bar for every fucking transphobe out there. this shit is so lazy and actively hurts us like come on just think about it for one minute

[omensgate]

fav campaign and why

<this is YOUR invitation to send me asks about anything>

oh god im no good at having feelings or opinions so ill just go down a list rattling off my experiences with the campaigns

for the record from the start ive been cheating, ive Never played this game blind. id consumed a lot of rain world playthrough medias before playing it (im not good at playing games in the sense that i simply do not experience them- im a speedrunner at heart... or not competitive or intelligent, im just walking fast paced from start to end...) and when i did play i always had a map and the wiki open which i think diminishes some of the feeling. but i still had fun moving from place to place

SURVIVOR: its classic. its sweet. its fun. i played about halfway through myself, but the second half i completed with my "Boyfriend" so i remember it as being very entertaining as we both fumbled around and learned together. it serves its purpose well and i think anything i enjoy about rain world can be seen in the survivor campaign at least to start off with... 10/10 nothing special but no loss by playing it yknow. ive also done an outer expanse + baby run (ftr if you want baby fast before going to outer expanse, live in industrial for a while. cannot compete with that pup spawn rate + you can easily make the rounds to check like 5 shelters a cycle before its anywhere near over) which yes -_- did make me cry.

MONK: i.. dont like playing monk. friendliness from other creatures does not mean much to me when actively hostile creatures are near impossible to kill because my spear can travel one (1) slugcats worth in distance so i would not play this with my fairly aggressive play style... i only played it for the short time itd take to get to outer expanse and. again. yes. i cried -_- i think its very sweet, and i am like. (clinically) psychotically attached to monk where its very important to my heart BUT Its not fun as a game experience to me

HUNTER: i tried to jolly co op cheat and play as arti to finish this as i find arti the easiest to play as but i kept crashing which is. you know. very bad for the single campaign where you want to be losing the least so ive never made much progress with this one and i genuinely dont want to open hunter back up because of the crashing. i THINK This was because i was playing w the sunhat mod because ive never experienced that magnitude of crashing constantly and uninstalled it after and have not experienced that again until... well youll read later

GOURMAND: i played this one from the start with my "Boyfriend" and so again it was fun from that, ESPECIALLY because he played as artificer and so was essentially my chariot throughout the campaign... easy way to beat gourmands exhaustion: make your partner carry you. shrimple. its SO fun to beat the shit out of creatures and i do like being forced to just take a moment and walk around slowly, i havent found his exhaustion toooo terrible if youre just patient except when youre fighting creatures that have health enough that you cant kill them in one hit. but being able to just slam something to death is SO satisfying, i enjoyed it. HOWEVER, ive never actually gotten to the END (Due to "Boyfriend" availability, we've stopped just outside the outer expanse gate). and of course, yes, every single fucking time i watch someone go into outer expanse i CRY LIKE A BABY. the first i think DOZEN times i watched people go through outer expanse, id start WAILING whenever i just saw slugcat npcs, it tugs and tears at my heart strings so badly. youre not alone. youve spent a campaign or two trudging through a wasteland empty of kind relatable figures but youre HOME now, just as you left it, and everyones so happy to see you back. im crying now . (do i just cry a lot? Maybe. im at an emotional point in my life... be nice.) 12/10 above survivor def, and gourmands my most favorite to play as in expedition- cant argue with that combat system + exhaustion isnt too bad for me + i love the variety of the world, its not impossibly difficult while not being easy.

ARTIFICER: ive never finished revenge route, ill be going to a different save file to try and it now, instead ive finished the ascension route. i know arti can be... extremely frustrating to play because its hitting a wall again and again and again but i really didnt have too much trouble approaching it knowing i had to be prepared to die + using my map a lot ("WTF this game is so unfair i cant see enemies about to shoot me!" Use Your Map. use your map and slug senses) + of course... ample map skills so im not ambling and getting like im getting lost and dying for nothing. though i will say, i did nearly give up at exactly the end- i think its the camera scroll mod but subterranean made the game near unplayable. like 0.5 frames per second, computer screaming, crashing i think a half dozen times again in an area where i NEEDED the karma to the point where i had to passage in place so i could ascend, and then crashing i think thrice while i was in the depths, including not allowing me to see the end cutscene... specifically that huge room with the big pit would grind the game to a halt i think because its so large and all the enemy AI, and all the spiders and centipedes are a nightmare and i just... hated it. every other leg of the game was fine, rewarding, heart touching but dear fucking lord, subterranean isnt more difficult or intriguing its just "the games not going to play smoothly at all and heres 5000000 ridiculously enemies". i WANT to love it, you know i love arti, but its just impossible to play if you want to ascend. and of course revenge route is crazy short which feels bad. removed from my experiences though, i think its beautiful with the one caveat that revenge route is TOO short. ive watched way too many people who were interested in the lore never get to even the third dream because theres just not enough shelters if you run straight to metropolis, which makes me sad. but the story generally is beautiful and i love it (and i could talk about it later, some of the things people say about arti makes me.. insane. either that shes totally righteous in her actions, or that her pups deaths are her fault)

SPEARMASTER: playing this one while cheating both using the map to plan exactly the route you need and to go through precipice as arti for the double jump + to swallow the pearl made it an absolute dream. yes the world is very scary but you can avoid a lot of the worst parts by simply not being there <3 one part: i did forget to change back to spearmaster before going to moon and she did crash my game so . remember to do that. very good campaign both for me to have played without doing anything as intended (never touched a broadcast), combat is fun, but also a very good story. i really like five pebbles and... i cannot get into the degree of five pebbles apologist i am i genuinely cant detail this without going off the rails. regardless; much 2 think about.

RIVULET: never played this one + not playing this one very scary looks bad dont want it. no rot no underwater sections no thank you. wont touch it. wont look at it. thank you

SAINT: hesitant to play this one due to the adventure aspect though i already got all echoes with arti so it cant be that bad- of course the story aspect of it all cannot be understated and it fully shattered my world view when i got into it. rain worlds live and die messaging has really helped me through suicidal and delusional periods and im very glad for what can be gleaned from saints story so i do like it a lot. as ive said before its also so amazing how a game with little to no tutorial text or cutscenes can have numerous jaw drop moments (with max karma reveal and descent into rubicon)

SOFANTHIEL: funny haha! (Jumps around