#and the only one i've actually made stuff for is k/h...

[storekn1fe]

tabby's poll got me thinking about the het ships i'm actually invested in... i can only think of 3 or 4 off the top of my head

[hanzajesthanza]

"the michael kandel translation of "the witcher" short story can't hurt you!!"

the michael kandel translation of "the witcher" short story:

[corkinavoid]

DPxDC Shit Fae!Danny Has Said While Living With Waynes

Danny, making a 'got your nose' gesture: Hey Jason, look, I've got your name!

Red Hood, who suddenly can't remember his own name: What the fuck

Bruce, in a tired dad voice: Danny, please, we talked about this, return your brother's name back

Danny: Oh, come on, it's not like he even uses it

Jason, thankfully remembering his name: And I repeat, what the f u c k

Steph, at dinner: I was wondering, what do faeries even eat normally? Like, flowers and stuff?

Danny, his eyes two black voids inside his eyesockets: The souls of the innocent

Steph: So that's a 'no' on the flowers?

Danny, back to normal and shoving a bagel in his mouth: I mean, I can, but would you want to stay on the crumbs-only diet when you are in a 5-star Michelin restaurant?

Tim: It's actually 3-star. Michelin rating system only has three stars, not five.

Dick: Are you saying that people are basically food joints for Fae?

Damian, at Constantine: It would do you well to choose your wording better when speaking to fair folk-

Danny, very much a fair folk, appearing out of thin air in the Cave: Yolo, s'up bitches, guess who's back in town!

Damian: -even when they do not necessarily do so themselves.

Constantine, looking between them: Are you sure you're the human and he is the changeling?

Tim, 46 hours of no sleep: Hey, if you can take a name from someone, does it mean you can take, like, other things that have no real shape or form?

Danny: Names do have shape and form, they even have taste. Yours is like a ping-pong ball made out of really dense cotton candy with banana-caramel flavor.

Tim, losing his touch with reality: Dense banana cotton candy...

Danny: By the way, I know you wanted to ask me if I could take your need to sleep from you, and theoretically, the answer is yes.

Tim, his whisper full of hope: ...will you?..

Danny: No. Either go to sleep or keep suffering. I'm not here to make your life easier.

Danny, after a half-an-hour rant on the Fae customs and traditions: -and Fae never tell the truth, but also never lie. It's a work of art, you know, say what you want but never in a way that makes sense.

Jason: So Fae just like to fuck with people.

Danny, looking him in the eyes, smiling and winking: Sure, humans are very fuckable.

Bruce, trying very hard not to pay attention to this: Can you make an example?

Danny: Sure. I lied.

Bruce: Where?

Danny: :)

Bruce, feeling like he is about to lose his mind: W h e r e ?

Alfred, right after he heard Dick's muffled screaming in the hallway: Young Master Danny, would you mind returning Master Dick his ability to talk in coherent sentences?

Danny, obediently standing up and walking out of the library: ...okay.

Bruce: How come he always listens to you?

Alfred: He knows what I will do if he doesn't.

Danny, returning to the library: He will change all the silverware to iron-ware. As well as the doorknobs and hairbrushes and lightswitches and everything else.

Alfred: Did you fix Master Dick's shoes?

Danny: I did. But I still think that making all of his shoes left ones was funny.

Alfred: Indeed, it was.

| <-prev | next-> |

There's also a fic now.

[maximumzombiecreator]

Since I've had a few people asking about megadungeon stuff recently, and I am an avowed megadungeon megafan, I thought it might be fun to walk through an actual example of megadungeon play that exemplifies what I like best about it.

This post is going to be the first in a series talking about a room from a megadungeon that I ran over 20 years ago (brushing past that fact quickly lest the horrors set in.) It was a major room, probably the most complex and important in the dungeon, and the players passed through it frequently throughout the campaign. In this post I'll introduce you to the room, and then in later posts I'll talk about what it does well and how to use that lesson more generally. Below the cut is a reproduction of the map as I remember it.

Without getting into The Lore too deeply, some dwarves accidentally dug into hell, as one does. Classic trope, nothing wrong with using them. They quite sensibly shut the mine down and sealed if off, but word got out. A human king heard about this, and took over the mine, expanding it into a temple complex to curry favour / barter with hell. It went badly, as such things do.

This concourse connects several wings of the dungeon, spanning several floors. An enormous devil face statue emerges from the northern wall, above the second floor balcony and below the fourth, and a column of light shines through a hole in the ceiling onto the center of the floor. Several floors of balconies overlook the chamber, though the stairs to the fourth floor balcony have long since collapsed.

This chamber was not too far from the main entrance, with the party first encountering it on their second delve into the dungeon, though it would take two more delves for them to gather the courage to enter it. At the time they first encountered it, it was swarming with imps and other little devils worshipping the big face.

I'll summarize the key:

A. Hallway from the Entry Chambers, the first and easiest section of the dungeon.

B. Doorway to the Pilgrim's City.

C. Doorway to the Unholiest of Unholies. Sealed and warded against simple spells.

D. Doorway to the Old Dwarven Quarters.

E. Doorway to the Nobles' Section. Barred from the far side.

F. Portcullis to the Pilgrim's City. The mechanism has rusted out and no longer functions.

G. Doorway to the Halls of the Clergy.

H. Doorway from the King's Inner Sanctum.

I. Doorway to the Archive.

J. Doorway to the King's Inner Sanctum, locked.

K. Doorway to The Indulgences.

Stairway from floor 1 to floor 2.

Light from the hole in the ceiling.

Broken stairs from floor 2 to floor 4.

Big ole devil face. Its eyes are a one-way illusion, allowing anyone within the face to view the room below.

Okay that's a lot, thanks for sticking it out. While I don't want to wander too far off topic into the rest of the dungeon, I'll just briefly note that the Pilgrim's City and Old Dwarven Quarters are easier sections of the dungeon, the Nobles Section and Halls of the Clergy are slightly more difficult, the King's Inner Sanctum, Archive, and Indulgences are very dangerous, and the Unholiest of Unholies is, as one might expect, where the worst things (and best loot) in the dungeon are. This was 2nd edition AD&D, so there was not a presumption of fights being balanced, and traipsing through more dangerous sections of the dungeon at lower levels wasn't uncommon. The players also understood the varying levels of danger fairly implicitly, since the custom at the time was that any time you went a level further away from whatever the ground floor was, things got more dangerous. The only exception to this is the Unholiest of Unholies and I think we can agree that when it's beyond a magically sealed door under a giant devil head the danger is telegraphed.

Next post I'll start talking about what made this room work so well in practice.

[whatsk-poppinhomies]

Pairing : Idol!Song Mingi x F!Reader TW : reader is an internatiol ATINY ; nationality unspecified ; pure angst ; long distance relationship ; arguing ; disastrous break up ; heartbreak ; it's just sad ; he's a little bit, slightly yandere ; Word Count : 8.0k A/N : Mingi angst!! Yay! Haven't written for ATEEZ in a good bit! This one is fun! I have full control and I love it! Time for some heartbreak!! This turned a little yandere... But I hope you still like it! Also, I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'm trying to write as much as I can! Request : Anonny : hi! I was wondering if you could do a mingi angst! I've been reading your angst fics and well just your gifs for like the past year and never had the courage to ask until now! I don't really have specifics and you could just do whatever you want with plot wise or something! I haven't thought about plot and stuff yet, just mingi angst 😭

The last fancall, it was kind of sad, but in a way, also relieving. They got to just relax after this call, they didn’t have to try to understand what an international fan was saying, not that it was a problem, but it was hard, although they’d never expect anyone to learn Korean just for them. They all loved talking to ATINY though, even if it were just a few, they got to personally get to know them for a minute or two, they got to joke with them, laugh with them, even playfully flirt with them. It was just nice to have some kind of interaction with the fans that brought them to where they were today. 

It was your first fancall, you weren’t even sure how you had gotten so lucky to be chosen, but you had been, and when you got the email you screamed so loud that your neighbor started banging on the walls. Something as small as a video call, but it was huge to you, it felt like a dream. Surely, anyone who wasn’t a fan of k-pop wouldn’t understand, they’d probably think you were crazy for getting so excited over something like this… But this just might be the closest you’d ever get to any of them, and it would most definitely be the only time you ever got to talk to them. 

You had done your hair and your makeup and you had changed your outfit about six times before settling on something more casual. It’s not like any of them would remember you anyway, and you weren’t even upset about that, you were just glad to be able to have this opportunity… an opportunity that had you so insanely flustered that you could barely even speak when Hongjoong showed up on your screen. 

How embarrassing it was to sit in front of your favorite idols, not all of them at once, but one by one, they all got to look at you and see you looking so absolutely enamored that they were in fact actual people. The most you could get out was a ‘hello’, and even that was kind of squeaky and they would laugh, which in turn would make you more shy. They were all so nice though, asking you what your favorite song was and who your bias is, even though you couldn’t seem to find your voice. You wondered if things like this happened often. 

Then you got to Mingi, who was last second to last in the lineup. He wasn’t exactly your bias, you didn’t really have one, they were all amazing and attractive in their own personal ways. But damn did he look good. If you were awestruck before, you were completely starstruck now, your eyes widening as you took in his perfect features and just… everything about him. 

“Oh my god…” You said, under your breath you had assumed, but he had to have heard you considering he turned around and looked behind him before looking back at the camera to smile and wave at you. “Hi…” His turn was slightly different, it made you feel different. The other guys had simply looked at you, but it felt like Mingi was really looking at you. What did he see? Did you have something in your teeth? Was your hair messed up? You felt shy, like you were standing right in front of your crush. It was crazy. 

“You ever been to Korea?” He asked, and it was so blunt, but he had this cheeky smile on his face that both eased your nerves and somehow had them going haywire at the same time. You giggled nervously and shook your head no. “You should come, it’s nice here. A lot of pretty girls, you’ll fit right in.” He… He just called you pretty? Was this fan service? It had to be! He was just really really good at it. “Do you have a boyfriend?” None of the other guys had asked you these types of questions, why were things getting so personal? Why didn’t you seem to mind it when it was coming from him? You shook your head no once again. “Good. I’m your boyfriend now. Okay?” 

It probably wasn’t a good time to take a sip of water, not that you had expected him to say something like that, but you spit it out all over your desk, completely in shock at the words that you had just heard him say. There was no way he was being serious right now. His fan service was immaculate. “Oh…Okay!” You stammered out, and you wondered how long this would go on. He had surely passed up the timer. 

“My turn now!!” You heard Wooyoung shout from beside him, and Mingi groaned loudly as his bottom lip jutted out. “I’m gonna steal your girlfriend, deal with it.” He teased, and you let out a small sigh. It was just fan service. You felt kind of foolish for momentarily getting worked up over something that he probably said to 20 other people today. 

“I’ll see you again, yeah?” He asked, his words coming out rushed, and what the hell were you supposed to do? Say no?! You obviously wanted to see him again, that would be awesome, but the chances of you winning a fan call raffle twice were so low, you would be crazy to think that you’d ever have a moment like this again. 

“Yeah… Yeah, you will.” You said, because even though you knew he was just very skilled in acting, you might as well play along with it. For a few short seconds, you had been Song Mingis girlfriend… And now that you had moved to a call with Wooyoung… All you could think about Mingi and his words and the way he looked at you. It drove you crazy… He drove you crazy. He had just become your ultimate bias though!

///

“I’m not gonna be able to go to the Ateez concert.” Your friend mumbled, and part of you, the more selfish part of you, was partially glad that she wasn’t able to go. She had flaunted the fact that she got front row tickets and you hadn’t been able to get even a back seat, they were sold out before payday. “Stupid fucking job, not giving me a day off. I requested it too!” 

“That’s bullshit.” You shook your head, trying your best to sympathize with her, but all you could selfishly think was that if you weren’t lucky enough to go, she shouldn’t be lucky enough to go either. “Are you going to sell the ticket? You could get some good profit considering it’s a front row seat.” You quizzed, but the way she was looking at you made you quite uneasy. It looked like she was planning something… or at least thinking of something, and you didn’t know if it was malicious or something else completely. She was hard to read. 

Long, manicured nails tapped against the table top, the sound putting you even more on edge, and then she sighed. “I know that your birthday is coming up, and… well I’m poor because I bought this damn ticket so…” Her shoulders shrugged, but there was a slight, tight lipped smile spreading across her face. “I’m just gonna give it to you. Happy early birthday! Yay! Tell Yuno I love him so much.” 

Your jaw might as well have been on the floor. Was fate really giving you a good hand this year? Was this all that good karma you had earned from being a wonderful citizen in society? “Holy shit… No way! Are you being serious right now?” You just had to be sure. There was no way someone would just give up a front row ticket, especially not for free, even if it were your best friend. There had to be some kind of clause. 

“Yes, I’m serious. Now, accept it before I change my mind and just skip work that day. I would have done that anyway if I didn’t have to pay rent.” She rolled her eyes and sunk down in her seat. “Take as many pictures and videos as you can… for me. Please! That’s all I’m asking for.” You nodded your head firmly, shit, that was the easiest thing you’d have to do. “He’ll probably look so good… Maybe…” 

“No take backs!” You blurted out, your finger waving back and forth as you stared at her, and you hoped that she thought you were just goofing around and that your expression didn’t let on just how panicked you felt just by her words. “I will facetime you just so you feel like you’re actually there… Okay?” She was sulking, as anyone would be, you knew damn well that you would be if you were in the same position as her. 

“Just have fun… And make a big sign, you have to get at least one of them to notice you, especially since you’re front row. Take advantage of those seats, bitch.” She teased, reaching her hands across the table to grab yours as she let out a little squeal, kicking her feet and acting as if she were still the one going. Maybe she was just trying to hype you up. “I gave you the best birthday gift, nobody can top me, they shouldn’t even try.” 

“They should definitely still try though… I mean… I like getting things.” She snorted loudly, and you couldn’t help but laugh along with her. She was absolutely crazy and you absolutely adored her. A world without her as your best friend would be dull and boring and you didn’t even want to think about how sad it would be. You would have the best time of your life at that concert, and you’d do it for her. 

///

Picking out an outfit for something like a concert was much harder than picking out an outfit for a video call. This was important, especially since you were going to be in the front row. One of them - hopefully Mingi - would look directly at you at some point. You couldn’t just be casual about it, you had to draw attention to yourself, you had to make sure that you were noticed. This decision felt more crucial than anything else in your life, and that seems quite absurd, but these guys had been the subjects of all your dreams and daydreams, you at least wanted to look good in front of them. 

You had only been to one other concert in your entire life, and it was back during middle school for an indie group when you were going through your “emo” phase. This was bigger than that, you could already tell as you pulled up to the arena and saw the people pouring into the entrance. Your heart was hammering in your chest, it was crazy, you had even gotten there 2 hours early to try to make things easier on yourself but the crowd was already massive. 

The lightstick in your hand was already shaking, but only because of your nerves, but you knew that you couldn’t just sit in the back of the Uber forever, so you climbed out, taking a deep breath before heading into the building. It was somehow more packed inside than it was even outside and it was so insanely congested that it felt more like a train station than an arena for a concert. Did all concert venues look like this or was it just because ATEEZ was performing? 

Since you were front row, you got to go in and watch them warm up… funnily enough, you felt you might miss it considering you didn’t have a single idea where the hell you were going. You were trying your best to navigate through this cluster of people that were just as excited as you were, and you wished that you had someone to help walk you through this whole thing. It was so loud and you were being bumped into, and while they apologized for it, it didn’t make you any less anxious. 

By the time you finally made it in the arena, you were just exhausted. The big sign that you had made and brought along with you had miraculously made it through all of it unscathed, but you were drained. You dropped down into your seat, hoping that your hair and your outfit had survived as well as the sign, but there was no mirror and you didn’t want to risk getting lost on your way to or from the bathroom, so you just had to rely on that hope that you still looked as good as you did when you left the house. 

It felt like you hadn’t even had enough time to really catch your breath or cool off before the guys were walking out on stage. Everyone around you was screaming, but you were so enamored by the sight of them, literally right in front of you, that your mouth was hanging open but no sound was coming out. You had really thought that the video call was the most amazing thing, but now, you were sure that you were wrong. They were legitimately real, they were right in front of you. “Holy shit…” You mumbled to yourself, and for some reason, even though there were still a pretty good amount of people around you, you were self conscious, you were shy, you were nervous. 

They came to the edge of the stage, one by one, and they all walked by and finished hand hearts that other people were making and stayed still long enough to be in selfies with certain people, none of them really stopped for longer than a minute tops… No one, other than Mingi. 

Oh, Mingi… Who had managed to make your heart flutter through a simple video call, he made you feel like you were going crazy… Surely he wouldn’t remember you though. But why… Why did he full stop on your side of the stage? Why did he kneel down in front of you, his eyes locking with yours as his head tilted to the side? Gosh, he was adorable. There was no way that he would notice you after the couple months that had passed. The video call hadn’t lasted long enough for your face to be saved in his memory. Had it? 

The chants of the people beside you seemed to pull him out of whatever trance he was in, and he quickly stood up and scurried along the stage, but it didn’t go unnoticed that he continued to look back at you, his eyes narrowing as if in deep thought. Did he remember you? 

Soon enough they were off the stage and the rest of the stadium began to fill. The noise was much worse inside the arena, the sound just echoing off the walls and filling your ears, and you wondered how people could handle it constantly. You were sure that you’d have a major headache once you got out of there. The sudden influx of people and the growing excitement of the show that was about to begin had taken your mind off of the slightly strange interaction from before. You shouldn’t think so hard about those things, it was foolish and you didn’t want to be delusional. 

As the show started, the screams that you had originally thought to be loud seemed to multiply tenfold and your ears were already ringing. Of course, you had a seat right next to the speaker. Would your eardrums even make it through the night? Were there enough ibuprofen in the world to soothe the awful ache in your head once you got back home? 

It didn’t matter now, you just wanted to enjoy the show. You were here to enjoy the concert, to live the experience… But also, not forget to get enough video footage of Yunho to thank your friend for the ticket. This was something that you wouldn’t be able to do again, at least for a long time. Screw the headache, you should enjoy it while it lasts, and that’s exactly what you were going to do. 

///

“I swear, I think that’s her in the front row.” Mingi said backstage after the warmups. The guys all stared at him like he was crazy, but he knew that he wasn’t. He knew your face, he knew your eyes, they had filled his dreams every night… They thought he was crazy for that too. “I’m so serious right now. I wouldn’t say it’s her if it wasn’t.” 

Wooyoung snorted, but patted Mingi on the back as he walked by. “Maybe you’re the delusional one. Spotting your dream girl out in the crowd. That’s crazy. Come on, we have to get ready. Get your head out of your ass.” Mingi pouted as he walked over to the stylist and dropped down into his seat beside Hongjoong. 

“I’m being so serious right now. You believe me, right? I mean… You saw her in the call. You know what she looks like. That was her out in the crowd… Right?” Mingi asked, trying to keep his voice down so that Wooyoung wouldn’t come over and completely crush his dreams and rain on his parade. Hongjoong chewed on his bottom lip, looking at Mingi through the mirrors that were in front of them. “You… You believe me… Don’t you?” 

Hongjoong sighed, turning to Mingi with a slight pout. “I didn’t… But if you really believe you saw her, I’m happy for you. I’m not going to tell you that you’re crazy.” He pushed himself up off of his chair and stretched, preparing himself for the show that he was about to put on for all the fans. “It’s almost time to go out there…” 

“Yeah! Maybe you’ll see your girlfriend!” Wooyoung chimed in, seemingly coming from out of nowhere. “It’s okay to be delusional, bud. I’m not judging you for it.” Although it seemed like he was judging him a lot for it, Mingi tried to avoid the teasing and focus more on the fact that he was about to head out on stage in less than five minutes. 

He was so nervous though, not for the reasons that most would think though. Being up on stage in front of thousands of people wasn’t the issue, it was being up on stage in front of you. What were the chances of you winning a fancall and being at a show too? It’s like the universe was trying to bring the both of you together. He truly believed that. He couldn’t think of any other reason for those two things to happen. Especially with you being right in front… Front row seats, like he was meant to see you. It wasn’t a coincidence, it couldn’t be, and he knew that it was you. Your face was unforgettable to him. He daydreamt about it every day, he would have dreams of you every night. He couldn’t get you out of his head. 

///

The speakers in front of you send vibrations through the air around you, you could feel it in your muscles, in your bones. The entire arena went dark for a moment, and then you heard the crowd roar as they walked out. You had already seen them once during their warm up, but it was like the first time again, your breath held in your lungs as they walked out, the music crescendoing the closer they got to the edge of the stage. 

It felt like when you ride a rollercoaster, the slow climb to the top of the hill, and you knew that the edge was coming soon, that feeling of falling, excitement and fear all in one… But this time there was no fear, it was just the strange tingly feeling in your stomach, that last breath of air before you’d let it all out in one loud scream. 

Building and building, their bodies like shadows in the darkness, and then with one click the spotlights turned on and they were illuminated, the bright lights shining on each and every one of them, but you were only looking specifically at one. An audible gasp left your lips as you seemed to once again lock eyes with Mingi.

Your hands shook as you held up the sign that you had made, feeling quite foolish now as it was hoisted above your head. “Call Me Mingi”, with your phone number written neatly at the bottom. It was a joke, one that your friend had laughed about right alongside you as she added the glitter to the glue hearts that had been neatly placed along the board. 

It was crazy, you and your friend both agreed to that, but it was probably a good switch up from the typical signs that asked the idols to marry them. What was even crazier though was when Mingi pulled out his phone, aiming it in your direction and snapped a quick photo. You couldn’t be delusional, being delusional wasn’t good for your heart or your mind, but you also couldn’t help but think that maybe he took the photo so that he could check back on the sign… So that he could call you… 

The rest of the concert felt more like a blur, stuck in your own mind thinking about what Mingi could have wanted that picture for. You didn’t see any of the other guys taking pictures of the crowd… Or maybe you were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t even notice if they did. You couldn’t stop thinking about it though, and before you knew it, the concert was over and you couldn’t even remember the setlist or the last song they played before the main lights in the arena turned back on and everyone began filing out. 

Your friend was going to kill you, you hadn’t gotten a single video of Yunho for her. You honestly were quite pissed at yourself as well. This is why delusions aren’t good at all. You missed the whole concert, one that you most likely were never going to be able to experience ever again, because you were too busy thinking about whether Song Mingi, a literal idol, would make the time to call someone like you. 

///

“You didn’t get a single video of Yunho!? Oh my god!” Your friend whined as you laid in bed, your phone next to your head, not even on speaker, but her voice was loud enough that it didn’t need to be. “Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t go to the concert. I can’t afford to be a delulu as your ass.” 

“I’m sorry!” You mumbled, throwing your hands over your face and letting out a loud groan. “I just… I’m not even thinking about him calling my number at this point. I just don’t want him to post a picture of it online and have a bunch of people trying to call me or text me, you know?” You explained, finally getting over your delusions and moving onto a safer, yet still highly panic inducing train of thought. 

“Oh! Your phone is going to be blowing up! You’ll finally be super popular!” Your friend teased, snorting loudly as she said it, but you could only muster a slightly annoyed shut up in response before your phone started vibrating. “It begins! Maybe he did post it!” 

“Oh hell no! I’ll call you back!” You said quickly, ending the call with your friend to quickly answer the incoming call. “Look. I don’t know where you got my number, but if it’s from where I think it is, I will not tolerate unsolicited calls. This is harassment.” 

“Oh…” The voice on the other end was quite timid, but you could tell it was a guy. He sounded kind of nervous, and although all of you wanted to believe who you thought it was, you didn’t want to go down that road again, at least not tonight. “But your number was on the sign… I thought you wanted the phone call.” 

“The sign was a joke!” You explained exasperatedly, kicking your legs like a toddler in the store who was throwing a temper tantrum. You surely didn’t want to deal with this right now. “Unless you are Song Mingi, I’d advise you to hang up the phone and find someone else to bother this late at night.” 

There was a chuckle, although the sound was slightly muffled, but it was extremely agitating that someone found this funny. As if harassment was something comical nowadays. “So I shouldn’t hang up the phone then… Right?” You scoffed loudly, finally getting up from your bed and pacing around your room, something that you often did when you were just too annoyed to sit still. 

“Look, this isn’t funny. If you’re doing this to mess with me, I’m sure you’ve already had your fun. I’m trying to get some sleep, I’m exhausted. It would be really cool of you to not fuck with people like this.” The words came out in huffed breaths, you were beyond pissed, not just at whoever this person was, but at yourself for being stupid enough to put your number out so publicly just on the small chance that someone like Song Mingi would actually dial your number. 

A soft hum, and then your phone started vibrating again, this time an invite to a video call that you surely weren’t up to accepting. You let it continue ringing until it ended, and you thought that it would be a one and done type of thing, but then it started vibrating again. “Just for a second, you don’t even have to be on the camera, I just want to show you something.” 

You didn’t exactly mean to laugh as loudly as you did, but you had heard that line one too many times in your lifetime to trust it. “Look bud, I don’t want to see a live action shot of your dick and balls. I wasn’t born yesterday.” You snarkily shot back, and the audible gasp that came through your speaker had it crackling slightly. 

“Who did that to you? That’s disgusting… Hold up. We don’t have to call. I’ll just… Send you a selfie real quick. Not of my dick and balls.” Were you so annoyed that you were laughing, or did you actually find him funny? You weren’t sure, but regardless of what it was, you laughed at his little quip, your hand moving over your mouth so that the guy didn’t think he was actually getting anywhere right now. 

Your phone buzzed in your hand once again, and luckily it was only once, but when you went to your texts, you were met with a selfie of the guy that was on the other end of the line… The guy that the sign had been made for. “I call bullshit!” You blurted out, because there was no way in hell your little glitter bomb sign would have worked. You just couldn’t fathom it.

“Reverse image search it then. It doesn’t exist anywhere else than in your messages.” He said rather bluntly, quite cockily too. Now that you were really listening to his voice though, you couldn’t deny that it sounded all too familiar to the voice you heard at the concert, and not just that, but the voice you had heard in your phone before when you had won the fancall. You were stunned into silence, you didn’t know what to say or what to do next, and he could tell. “You believe me now?” 

“Mmhm…” Was all you could mutter, because what else were you supposed to say? How were you supposed to think of anything coherent when you were currently in a very real, very one on one call with Song Mingi… Or was it one on one? Did his managers know about this call? Were they just standing around him listening to every word you and him say? Did they freak out when he sent the selfie to you? 

“So… I’m going to be here… Close to you… For another two days…” What was he hinting at? Ain’t no way he was hinting at what you thought he was… right? “If you want to meet up for lunch or dinner… or something…” Holy shit he was. “I know that this is crazy, I just needed to be sure…” 

“Sure of what?” You asked, and your heart felt like a freight train, speeding straight to your ribcage and you were sure it was going to shoot out in a matter of seconds. 

“I… I need to be sure that I do actually like you…” 

///

Two days wasn’t enough, but in a sense, it was for him. It felt like a dream when he finally met up with you, even though he had to practically disguise himself from the public, it felt nice to just be able to sit across from you for lunch and talk to you. It didn’t take long for him to be 100… No… 500% sure that you were the woman that he wanted to be with. Love worked in crazy ways, but he trusted it, because the odds of everything lining up so perfectly to get to this moment… It was fate, it had to be. 

The way your body froze for a second before melting against his when he so suddenly pressed his lips to yours. It was a spur of the moment thing, but it felt right, and he needed to kiss you now because he knew that the moment wouldn’t come again for a long time. It wasn’t supposed to lead to anything more, it wasn’t what he had planned, but before either of you could really think twice, you were falling back onto the hotel mattress and he was falling on top of you. 

In that moment, it was like his heart grew ten times bigger, and laying beside you, your hair carelessly clinging to your sweat covered forehead as you dozed peacefully beside him… Love wasn’t hard to find, the world was just waiting to bring the one you were supposed to love to you. That’s how he felt, and he believed it wholeheartedly. How could he not when he felt like he was falling deeper and deeper in love with you with every soft breath that escaped your lips. 

To live in that moment forever, both bodies hidden underneath wrinkled sheets, his feet hanging out from the end of the blanket, your arm draped lazily over his bare chest. Could you feel his heart beating beneath his skin? It seemed like now it was only beating for you. He saw his future flash before his eyes, mornings like this, every morning like this, just waking up beside you, being able to see your beautiful face as soon as he opened his eyes. What a wonderful future it would be to spend it with you. 

Falling in love was easy when it was with you, but it was hard… It was hard because he knew he couldn’t stay with you, at least not in person. He had to go back to Korea, he had to finish the rest of the tour. His heart felt like it was connected to yours entirely, and having to leave you behind was going to be painful… But it would work. He’d make it work, solely because he couldn’t imagine his life without you in it. 

“I wish I could take you with me…” He whispered, and while he knew that that wish couldn’t be granted, not yet at least, he had been able to swindle security to pick you up just so that he could ride with you to the airport, so that he’d be able to see you one last time before he had to go. “I’ll message you… I’ll call you every day.” 

“What if you get bored?” You practically whimpered, and his heart cracked at the question. How could he ever get bored of you? He had spent months before the concert just thinking about you before he even knew where you lived or what you were truly like. He had been loyal to the singular thought of you. There was no way that he’d give up so easily when he finally had you and was able to call you his. 

“I’d never get bored, baby. I’ll wait, always… Until we can be together.” He reassured you, his hands cupping your cheeks gently as he wiped away the stray tears that fell from your eyes. “Don’t cry, please don’t cry. I’ll start crying and then I won’t be able to get out of the car because I won’t want to leave you…” He kissed your forehead, and then the tip of your nose before leaning back and giving you a smile that had his eyes disappearing momentarily. It was your favorite smile, you had told him multiple times, and it always seemed to cheer you up. 

“I’m sorry…” You sniffled, leaning forward and resting your head against his chest. Could you hear his heart now, could you hear how fast it was beating for you? “You should go now… I don’t want you to miss your flight.” The words sounded choked out, and he would have said more, but he knew that his words would come out the same way. 

For some people, two days wasn’t even enough to be acquaintances, but for him, two days was enough for him to feel like his heart belonged to you completely. You were his soulmate, his everything, without a doubt… He wouldn’t even look at another woman, he wouldn’t be able to look at anything without somehow finding a way to see you in whatever it was. He loved you with every ounce, every fiber of his being. 

“I’ll… I’ll try to make a stop here after the tour… I’ll visit you again… Before I go back to Korea… Okay?” He held out his pinky to lock with yours, twisting his hand and pressing his and your thumbs together. “Wait for me… Always wait for me, okay?” You nodded your head quickly, your nose scrunched up in the most adorable way as the tears continued to fall down your cheeks. With one last kiss, he was moving away, closer to the door. He hated goodbyes. “Get her home safe, okay… Please.” He told the driver who simply nodded, and then he was gone. 

The windows were tinted, and although he knew that you could see him constantly looking back at you through the windows, he couldn’t see you at all. The last image of you that he held in his mind was your tear stained cheeks and the expression of sadness as he let go of your finger and your hand dropped back down to your lap. He wished he could take you with him, but life just wouldn’t allow that… Not right now at least. 

///

For a good amount of time, you both kept in touch with each other frequently. Hell, you even had your first argument as soon as he got back to Korea because he pinky promised that he’d come visit you before he left, but he didn’t. It was quickly solved though, because one of the main things the two of you had going for the relationship was communication. He promised that when he had free time he would come visit you for a week, and you held onto that promise just as you had held onto the one from before. 

You would talk about how your day was, all the little things that happened, regardless of time difference or schedules, you both always found a way to keep in contact. For months your nights would end with video calls from him, and his nights would end with video calls from you. Everything was perfect, he truly felt that way. 

But soon the messages came in less often, it seemed like you were always busy doing something when he wanted to talk. He’d call you at night and you wouldn’t answer, always miraculously not having your phone with you or on when the call would come in. He didn’t understand it, and when he went to one of the other members to talk, he didn’t want to hear what they had to say either. 

There was no way that you were getting tired of him. You couldn’t be getting bored… Because he promised you that he wouldn’t get bored. It would be hypocritical for you to ask him if he’d get bored of you and then… then get bored of him. 

The thought stuck with him though, and while that would usually make most people give up, it just made him try harder. He messaged you as much as he could, he sent you constant pictures, he tried to call you whenever he knew you’d be on a lunch break or when you’d usually get off work. Your responses were always so dry though. Were you trying to get rid of him? Had he done something wrong? He was doing his best, it’s not like he enjoyed being so far away from you. It had only been 3 months… He was willing to wait forever to be with you… Why couldn't you do the same for him? 

“Hey baby, how did you sleep?” Nowadays he felt nervous when he texted you. He didn’t know whether he’d get a one word reply or no reply at all. It felt pathetic that the days he’d get the one word replies were his favorite, but you had been leaving him on read so often now that even the smallest response felt like a win to him. 

“I think we should talk…” A five word reply, and while the words didn’t sit right with him and they made his stomach do flips, it was nice. It was nice to think that you wanted to talk to him, regardless of what it was about. 

“Yeah sure! I’m down to talk, do you want to call? I haven’t seen you in a while. I miss you!” 

“No calling… It’ll just make this harder.” Make what harder? What were you going to say that could possibly be so hard? You weren’t… leaving him… were you? You couldn’t be… He hadn’t done anything wrong. He was devoted to you, he was loyal to you in every way. You weren’t just going to give up on him that easily… Were you? 

“Well, whatever it is that you have to say, I want you to know that I love you. I can’t wait to see you again!” Maybe that text would make you rethink whatever it was that you were about to send. If you knew that he loved you, although he did tell you every single day, maybe you’d realize that whatever you were planning on doing wasn’t the right thing to do. 

“Mingi… I can’t keep this up. I… found someone else…” 

“No you didn’t… No you didn’t!” He was already crying even though he wanted his mind to just forget that he had even read that text. “You love me! Don’t you love me?!” You had to love him… Why else would you have been so sad in the car when he went to the airport? “Is this because I couldn’t visit you after the tour was over? I’m sorry! I’ll come visit you! I’ll buy a plane ticket right now!” 

“It’s not that… I need someone that’s here with me. I don’t just want to keep repeating the same conversations every single day. The schedule differences and… Everything is stacked up against us… We weren’t going to work.” 

How could you say something like that? He was doing everything he possibly could to make it work. He was the one putting in all the effort. He was the one staying up later than he should just to be able to call you and message you when you were free. “No… You just didn’t want it to work… I still do!” His fingers moved like lightning across his screen, his eyes blurred with the tears that he was trying so hard to hold back. “You can’t decide something like that.. If you would have talked to me… We could have made it work.” 

Did you know that you were killing him, that you were breaking his heart? Would you take the words back if he told you? “I don’t want to argue with you… I just wanted you to know…” Were you as nonchalant as your texts made it seem you were? You really didn’t care… But maybe… Maybe if he gave you some time… A bit of time you’d come to realize that you did love him. He won’t message you… He’ll let it simmer… Maybe you’ll end up missing him and messaging him first. 

So he waited, and days turned into weeks, and he thought he’d be able to wait a month, but then you started posting on Instagram. You looked so happy in your pictures, you looked absolutely gorgeous, and the smile that you were wearing was the same one you had given him during those two days he got to be with you. He swiped through, and he was fine… Maybe not as fine as he wanted to be, but he was fine with seeing the pictures of just you. It brought back happier memories of when he was able to actually be with you. Then he got to the last picture, the guy that you were currently with, he assumed, his arms around you and his lips planted to your cheek. 

As if your words hadn’t been enough to have his heart breaking in two, the pictures felt like you were purposely throwing it in his face that he couldn’t be with you, that he couldn’t make you happy. He couldn’t stand seeing it, he was pissed, he was devastated, he wanted to lash out and he wanted to cry. Why were you doing this to him? What had he done? 

There wasn’t a single thought in his mind as he closed the instagram app and went to kakao, not even bothering to text you before his thumb slammed down on the call button. He didn’t care if you answered the first time, he’d just keep calling until you did, and that’s exactly what he had to do. It took 6 times for your exasperated breath to come through the speaker when you finally answered, but he wasn’t going to give you any time to complain. 

“Did you post it to piss me off or upset me? Because you did both! I guess you’re really winning now, aren’t you? You got to break up with a k-pop idol and break his heart! Good for you!” Right off the bat he was ranting, and maybe he sounded a little bit psychotic, maybe he sounded just slightly obsessed, but when you’re in love with someone, isn’t that how it should be? 

The sound of a man talking in the background had Mingis ears perking up. Were you with the guy still? Oh, how he wished the guy would get on the phone, he’d love to have a word with him. “You’re being ridiculous. I had a clear, logical reason to break up with you. I didn’t do it to hurt you or piss you off. I just wanted to be happy.” How could you sound so sad when you were the one that left him. He didn’t do this! You did! 

“What about my happiness?!” He screeched, running his hand through his hair. He had become aware of the rest of the guys all coming into the room to check on him, but he didn’t care enough to stop. You were going to listen to what he had to say, and those that decided to stick around would have to listen to it too. “You gave up on everything… You’re so selfish! And you weren’t even going to tell me!” 

“I was going to tell you!” You shouted back, and for some reason, it made him kind of excited to hear you fighting back. Something about hearing you get emotional over his words… It had butterflies swarming his stomach. “I didn’t even have time to fully think about how I was going to tell you, but you kept fucking messaging me and-” 

“Of course I kept messaging you! You were my girlfriend and I hadn’t heard from you! Don’t try to act like I’m the bad guy when you’re the one who was practically cheating on me!” While he was angry, he was also struggling to keep from laughing. It would probably sound a bit maniacal to start laughing right now though, and that’s the last thing he wanted. He just found it so cute, the way you were swearing and breathing so heavily, he could almost perfectly envision your face right now. 

You huffed loudly, and the sound was so beautiful to him. Maybe it was just the fact that you hadn’t hung up yet… You were still making time out of your day that you were spending with your boyfriend to focus on him. “I don’t know why you’re being such an asshole right now… I didn’t do anything to you. I never cheated on you… We… What we had… It couldn’t even be considered dating… We were only together for two days…” 

Now he was laughing though, his head falling back as the sound built in his chest. “Yeah okay! Let’s just hope that your boyfriend doesn’t have to go out of town or leave the country for more than a week. You might replace him too!” He shot back and he could almost hear the eye roll from your end. “Maybe you’re not actually meant for relationships, you just want someone to physically dote upon you daily. Sorry I couldn’t fit your selfish needs into my already busy schedule.” 

A small sniffle and the shuffling of fabric, maybe you were wiping your tears or maybe your wonderful boyfriend had come over to wipe them for you. “You’re being unnecessarily mean to me right now…” You whispered, sniffling again before swallowing thickly. “I’m sorry that you’re hung up… And I’m sorry that my happiness is upsetting you. I’m not asking you to stick around though… I’m not forcing you to. You don’t have to stalk my life… You can unfollow me.” 

Of course he wasn’t going to do that. He couldn’t imagine not seeing you on his feed when he opened Instagram, or not having your messages to look back on when he missed you too much. “You’re happiness won’t last long… You’re too selfish to be truly happy with anyone. The first time you can’t get exactly what you want, you give up. Have fun with that.” 

“I-” He quickly hung up, and it was only then that it sank in what he had done… And a wide smile spread across his face. He’d be kicking his feet if they weren’t touching the floor over the edge of the bed. The call only lasted 20 minutes tops, but hearing your voice that long… It was amazing, it made his heart beat a mile a minute and that familiar warm and fuzzy feeling washed over him. 

“Dude… What the fuck?” Wooyoung finally spoke up, concern masking the man's features as he stared at Mingi on the bed. No one had ever heard him talk like that before, and truthfully, he looked and was acting like a complete psychopath right now. “Who was that? What’s going on right now?” 

“I found a way to talk to her…” Mingi said, his chest rising and falling heavily as he let himself drop back onto the bed. He was happy, the happiest he’s been in weeks. “She’ll keep talking if we argue… I just have to keep arguing with her… Then she’ll come back to me. She’ll realize how much she misses me… This’ll work. I know it will.”

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[giveafike]

TUMBLR WRAPPED 2024!

hi!

did i scare you? unexpected post, huh? I wanted to have something fun to wrap up the year before we move on so I thought, why not a "wrapped"?

Keeping it short & sweet with some insights too + i luv statistics and seeing patterns, so this is always super interesting to me. Without further ado, here's our wrapped together!

Stats Recap (nerd stuff):

As of 10/12/2024, I have 106 posts. 21 of those are actual fics, meaning almost 1/5th of my posts are works.

The rest is yapping - need to stfu got it! noted!

I received 1,901 notes and 149 followers.

You people are INSANE!!! I have a more emotional post due for New Year's but truly, that is wild, wild work. I'll save the tears and heartfelt stuff for that one, but I want you to know how eternally grateful I am for all of you. Being encouraged by you guys is not just inspiring—it’s addicting, electrifying, and everything in between.

Thank u for the outpouring love.

Inbox Recap (what to look for in 2025?):

Hold ur horses, there's gonna be a lot to write and get through! Thank you for requesting and trusting me to make your ideas come true, I hope to do 'em justice.

Here's a little "reading" so to speak (I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING SO DON'T START @ ING ME):

Dominic Fike/Elliot:

sensing an alarming amount of unrest and horn*ness over here. Sensing two posts, both for elliot....smth smth... NSFW... something to do with Nate as well, joining....? Nate and NSFW has the same about of letters too, not a coincidence!!! Also sensing a blurb with a massively underrated song. u btches ab to pmo, why don't we listen to Açaí Bowl more as a collective get the streams up omfg- sorry got sidetracked. that's ab all I can say.

Jude Bellingham:

Pretending to be shocked when I say: more smut requests? Oh brother. But one's very sweet and cute and respectful awww-- SIZE K*NK? oh gosh guys um..the only way I can describe this one is...desperate smut. Anon... cmon now. I would say more, but anon owned up to it saying "This is a long and sick request but I believe you are the only writer on here that can bring this to life 😭😭" which makes me giggle so FINE i'll let it slide, I'll try to do as best as I can (luv u don't u worry I got ideas brewing)

Ben Shelton:

phew. lot of nsfw. like a lot. like a crazy amount. Talking ab that damn car (I'm gonna do smth DRASTIC to that fkin car if he posts w it one more time) talking ab being a munch, ab a supermodel, talking ab scratches, talking ab laver cup (THROWBACK!), about ben showing off.... it's getting hot under the collar, oh gosh. Ahem. We have some sweet fluff ones too! including reader getting insecure/jelly. Ben being irrational, one about....homesickness? a LOT of pregnancy asks. like A LOT. SHELTON NATION DON'T GET KNOCKED UP. PLEASE. One I'm very excited to write, Ben x a certain Doja song...heheheheehehe oh and also, Ben and a 'knock-on effect' w his precious little car, ykwim? no? you'll find out. shush. A very exciting story ahead, the first one with NSFW incorporated - thank u 'D' for the prompt!! Also, I finally got my hands on them tiktok editors and I've made a promise or two to do something w their works.....catch my drift? you'll see soon. Special little hints as to who: victim no 1 and victim no 2 🙂‍↕️😝😙🥰

Post Recap (what went on the billboard charts for u?):

IN 6TH PLACE:

At 85 notes each, we have a tie between "Yours" and "Come Here". Both Ben posts, one SFW the other NSFW. Writing "Yours" was super fun, writing jealous/possessive and sassy Ben kills me laughing, IJBOL and writing Carlitos too? SO funny (wonder how that'd go down differently since we saw them being bff besties at Garden Cup) - Possessive Ben is a guilty pleasure, hehehe. Writing "Come Here" was really interesting since it was my first NSFW of Ben. Also based off of my fave Dom Fike song that's just as h*rny. Thigh riding being my FIRST one off the dome is lwky crazy lmao. Sometimes, I wish I could write more in my NSFW posts, i feel a bit insecure in my NSFW writing? I believe in quality>quantity in fics always, but I hate how short mine are for NSFW posts...sigh. Maybe I should build up the tension more? Go deeper (no pun intended)? you let me know, that would be incredibly insightful!!

IN 5TH PLACE:

At 93 notes, we have my baby, "Shattered"!!! "Shattered" ended up becoming a mini-passion project for me (clearly). What was meant to be a mid-sized blurb ended up progressing to 10k words - how that happened is beyond me. Everytime I thought I was done and ready to close up and conclude, there'd be another part, another bit that I'd want to add. It even got to a point where I'd be on my bus home from work or college, almost falling asleep when I'd get woken up with more inspo, lol. It was my first time writing angst in a very, very, very long time but looking back now, I really truly enjoyed it and I'm quite proud of it! Maybe more angst reqs in my future? I’m leaning towards YES

IN 4TH PLACE:

At 102 notes, we have the "NSFW Alphabet with Ben" - you people are so horny omg. This was the first EVER NSFW thing written about Ben from me. And honestly? my least fave hahahahaa. I deadass have this blocked out of my memory, like I haven't gone back to read it after I posted it. I feel like I'd read it and cringe, or disagree w it or be like "erm acshully ....that's not canon" it prob needs to be redo - I'd never hate any of my children but I'm just saying if this one went missing, idgaf. If you want a crazy NSFW reading thats prob more accurate than anything, check this reading out. Feral, bye.

IJBOL what in the equality is my top 3 posts- I MEAN, here's the top 3 that you people ate tf up!

IN 3RD PLACE:

At 142 notes, we have the "When it Rains, it Pours" - smut always wins here huh? My 2nd fic post! This is a whole nasty NSFW post w Elliot from Euphoria (aka Dominic Fike) mixed with friends w benefits, rain noises, a homemade fort and w**d! Amazing trio imo. Literally as I'm writing this, I just got another like for that freaky ass blurb. As much as I'm excited to write more Dom/Elliot stuff, ALL OF YOU PEOPLE ARE SOOO HORNY? LIKE EVERY SINGLE INBOX REQ IS SMUT? EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Idk how many times I can reinvent the wheel, so to speak, but I'll sure as hell try....hehehe

IN 2ND PLACE:

At 143 notes, we have "Game, Set, Match" part 1 - Ben Shelton. AWWWW MY BABY, MY LOVECHILD! This was the first ever STORY and I'm so glad it became a 3 part story too. Triple Platinum, I know that's right!!! I really loved making this, I didn’t plan to add the Instagram element, especially since I’m usually terrible at fake IG fic stuff (finding the right images is so limiting). But for GSM, it just felt right. I think my writing has improved a lot since then, too. I always laugh at my Ben posts because my A.Ns are always like "oh brother a LONG ONE HERE" and then my next post is even longer 😭 Thank u fr for the love on this one, because THAT'S when I really got a whole lottaaa support and love and it rly blew me out of the water, I could cry.

And finally....IN 1ST PLACE:

At 147 notes, it's no surprise that we have the "Waves", a Jude Bellingham blurb.

No surprises here, it was meant to be. I say that because I had this ask sitting in my inbox and decided to do a poll asking what I should post first - after tagging all the tags, I should've known it'd be crazily ratio'd by the Jude community on here, hahahhaha. I think it was something like 80% for Jude and the rest scattered throughout? This was my first ever Jude blurb, and I think it'll be one of many. I have a couple in my inbox but the future is there for me and writing about that silly guy.

Final words:

Was that as interesting for you as it was for me? I've been meaning to talk and reflect to u all inbetween the whole "Advent Calendar" series.

If anything, these stats tell me more about you guys, what you want to see and how I should continue going forward. I always want to write about things that matter the most and stick with you, fics that have you coming back to reread and enjoy.

Having representation in my characters and creating a world where you can sink into time and again is one of the best and only things I can give, so you bet by all means neccessary I don't want to half-ass it.

I might not know where your headspace is at, or what's going on in your life but I hope whatever happens, I can have a little space right here, make you laugh, smile and feel things that take your mind off of reality. At least until you finish reading.

As for the rest of the year, I still have my finals and work this weekend and as the season comes closer, I'd like to spend it with my loved ones while I still can :) The "Advent Calendar" will continue as per scheduled!

I hope to write some more before NYE comes round but we'll see. It's never a burden to write, it's always a destresser, but you bet I'll be enjoying company with family and friends too. That's all I've got for 2024, I can't wait to continue creating silly little imaginary situations in 2025 <3

- lots of love,

azzie.

[sprunkimortality]

What does everyone think of Saves?

Oren: "He's a pretty chill old man, dude. There was this one time, though, where he saw me skating and wanted to try it out. I was like 'yo Grandpa Saves, I don't think you can handle that bro.' And he's all like, 'oh no I'll be fine,'  and then he like...fell off. Like, badly, bro. He had to stay in bed for days. I gotta give him credit for the determination though, man."

Raddy: "He overestimates himself sometimes. He won't listen when we tell him he can't do somethin'. He also calls me Reddy, or whatever kind of other name he comes up with. I tried to correct him before, but then I eventually just gave up."

Clukr: "His deteriorating memory is certainly an issue of concern- in fact, he’s part of the 4% of elderly Sprunkies that have it. Medications that I had professionals prescribe to him have stopped working eventually. It is worrisome to say the least…”

Fun Bot: “I’ve heard from Simon that Mr. Saves used to be able to dance pretty well! I don’t believe he can do it anymore, though. He seems like he forgot the moves.”

Vineria: “I have a bad feeling about him. His aura…feels wrong.”

Gray: "He's nice. I help him at home. He needs the extra paws."

Brud: "Is me friend! He give funny cuppa to me. Me eat! Delicus."

Garnold: “Clukr keeps tryna fix his memory loss. At this point, I don’t think anyone can. Besides, even if he forgets things a lot more often now, he’s still Saves, isn’t he? He’s got a lot of love in him, that’s what matters.”

OWAKCX: "H- H- He is...k- kind! Hoohoo-! And h- he doesn't get mad- e- even if I- aha- e- even if I m-mess up and a- accidentally bump i- into him- AAAAAH!! I'M STILL SORRY!!"

Sky: "He's a cool old man. He gets my name wrong a lot, but that's cause of how old he is. I guess that's a part of growing up. I...don't like the idea of forgetting my friends and family members' names though."

Mr. Sun: "Ah yes, our beloved Collector! Always cherishing the simplest things! Back then, though, he was more of an adventurer, who kept souvenirs from his travels! I suppose he needs his rest now, though."

Durple: "Oh, yes, the antique majesty of this town! He was already here when me and my beloved bestie had just moved in. He's quite a pleasure to be with! We’d look through his old gallery of photos and, well, most of them are rather faded to visual obscurity so I can’t quite tell what they were—but there are some that retain their clarity! I didn’t know until then that he had the most luscious brown hair! Oh, if only I was there during that time period to style it well! His current aged hair is rather thin and hard to work with without damaging. The best I can do is comb it. Oh well.”

Mr. Tree: "We don't speak to each other very much, but we bask in peaceful silence together. It's therapeutic for the both of us. There are also times when I would hear him in his own home, talking to himself…I have made it my duty to keep such self-conversations confidential.”

Simon: "He is the bestest, awesome-est, coolest grandpa in the whole entire Sprunki world!! Boy, I've known him since he still had orange hair on his head instead of lavender! And back when he didn't forget as much! He would tell me cool stories, like how he met all kinds of people and went to all kinds of places! He's so AWESOME!! I'll always love him like he was my actual grandpa!"

Tunner: "We met 'fore I became Sheriff. He was quite the old geezer, even then. High in spirit, findin' the simplest joys in life. That collection of his used to be more vibrant, y'know? But as he aged, so did th' stuff in it. One of 'em's a gift I gave 'im as thanks for supportin' my journey into becomin' th' town sheirff. T'was a star plushie. The small kind that you can hold in yer paw. He loved it. Still does, even if he doesn't remember that I gave it to 'im."

Mr. Fun Computer: “I’ve only met him a couple of times in person. Understandable, since he’s said to live in a small house among the trees. Whenever we do meet in person, he wouldn’t know how to operate me. Which is fine, because I guide him every time! He seems nice.”

Wenda: "Oh! He's pretty nice, y'know. Like, typical nice old man. He likes listening to my tea and like, sometimes he does these really funny reactions. I can see why Gray likes him and all that."

Pinki: "He’s very sweet! Whenever I visit him, he always prepares a cup of tea for me. The sweet kind, too! It’s a weird thing how he forgets my name a lot, and yet still knows how I like my tea. The brain works wonders, as they say! Heehee~! It’s no wonder he’s the town’s grandpa!”

Jevin: "The grandfather clock that ticks quite slow, his memories tend to come and go. Above him looms not a sense of incoming doom; he lets not his day be filled with gloom. His mind is fractured yet his heart remains strong, though I am not certain for how long..."

Black: "Must I be honest...? Sigh. Well. I'll admit it. I like Saves. He's the first Sprunki I remember meeting in Smalltowne. He wasn't afraid of me. We talk often. I might as well live in his house too, since I regularly visit him. He's...a dear friend to me. Actually...when I came to Smalltowne, I didn't remember my name. I only had vague recollections of what my life was like before coming here. Saves was the one who named me. Mr. Black. It stuck, I guess. Even if I knew my birth name, though...I'll always cherish the name Mr. Black. It feels special...he's special. I can't thank him enough for being so...lenient and patient with me. And in turn, I try to be patient to him too. We both have our struggles with fading memories. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with it all alone."

Ciqu: "Law-abiding. I hold no strong opinions against him."

Sprinkles: “I love him so much! I mean, he’s my adoptive grandpapa, how could I not? He might not remember things sometimes, and he does sometimes get my name wrong, but honestly? I can’t complain. I think being his little Sparkle is wonderful! He’s the only parent I’ve ever known, he says he got me when I was a baby. He gave me this star necklace of mine, which is from his collection of super cool stuff! It’s a full-on treasure trove! I wouldn’t trade him for any other parent in the world.”

Calvin: “He’s a pretty nice guy. I mean, he is Sprinkles’ legal guardian and he takes care of her. He forgets stuff a lot though. But I guess he can’t help that. He’s a good guy to talk to if you feel like you need to share something on your mind. And about his collecting habit, I wonder if he has any ninja weapons in that collection of his…”

[darkwavedreams]

get to know me abc edition

a . age: 30!

b . birthplace: garden grove, california.

c . current time: 9:54 AM

d . drink you had last: san pellegrino sparkling water.

f . favourite current song(s):

i'm not okay (i promise) - my chemical romance kiss kiss bang bang - specimen personal jesus - depeche mode peek a boo - siouxsie and the banshees miss murder - afi the entire cexcells album by blaqk audio tbh i drove all night - cyndi lauper

e . easiest person(s) to talk to: elena and lakshi, my best internet friends and people i've known in the rpc for years <3 but really i'm a yapper and an open book so it's easy for me to talk to anyone, not everyone is comfortable talking that much to me though. i'm an internet social butterfly

g . goals: travel to italy, see AFI and blaqk audio in concert, have my dream wardrobe, find a husband, become a mom, get some cats, travel, write some fiction and poetry books, screenwrite (and hopefully direct/produce) a movie

h . horror yes or horror no: horror eh depends. i don't care for slashers or super violent murder movies but i do love the paranormal spooky demons and haunting type movies !

i . in love?: with musicians and actors lol

j . jealous of people: i have my petty little sparks of envy sometimes but i don't let it consume my life. i was at a point where i was constantly jealous of someone who gatekept and made me feel like an outsider in my own life but i cut them out of my life and i feel so much better now.

k . killed someone: no

l . love at first sight or should i walk by again?: lmfao i had a shirt that said that once

m . middle name: ann

n . number of siblings: none

o . one wish: freedom

q . questions you’re always asked: are you an only child ://// yes bitch sorry if my autistic weirdness is showing

s . song you last sang: i never told you what i do for a living - my chemical romance

t . top 3 fictional characters: rose de witt bukater, lydia martin,

u . inexperienced or experienced writer: experienced in the sense i've been roleplaying since i was nine years old ( i had no fucking business, actually lmao ) but inexperienced in the sense i've never written anything professional.

v . vacation: usually i find stuff to do in LA or san diego, i'd like to go to the hotel del coronado this summer

w . when’s your birthday: july 31st!

x . x - rays: i slipped on a wet floor in von's one time and had a contusion on my foot

y . your favourite food/cuisine: ITALIAN. pizza, pasta. spumoni. garlic bread. italy has the best food, hands down.

z . zodiac sign: leo!!!! it's my szn <3

tagged by: no one, i stole it!

tagging: whoever sees this <3

[sock-n-roll]

Alright, for the most part I've been avoiding posting at all on tumblr lately, mostly only reposting a few fanarts I like or stuff about Queen Kat. I know so many people have already said their piece about this, and maybe she may never see this but hopefully if enough people start talking about it, someone will see that there aren't just awful people in this fandom.

I joined the SAMS fandom about a year ago or so? Because of an ex who was really into it, and dragged me into it. It quickly became my comfort show. I fell out of it after our break up, and the concept of the show was really iffy in my mind for a while because I was still scared of that breakup and that ex. But about a month or so ago one of my friends mentioned the Lunar and Earth show, talking about it on a VC and said I should try to get back into it.

I had never gotten to the point where Earth was in the SAMS when i was originally into it, but the moment I started watching episodes with characters like Earth, Pollux, Nebula, etc, I absolutely fell in love with them. Earth is a character I see so much of myself in as an oldest daughter, and while Earth is technically the youngest she still carries that weight of the issues I deal with myself. Especially in a family with incredible amounts of generational trauma, I could see my own experiences and coping mechanisms in her. Earth and Monty's relationship is so precious to me. They both have issues that they are still dealing with, but they are working on it together through supporting each other, clear communication, and genuine love and affection. That's all you can ever dream for in a relationship. And they still have their issues, but they are *trying* so so hard.

Earth is there for and supports every character. She plays therapist even when she really shouldn't because that's what she thinks she has to do. And then there's her break from that, where she deals with trying to put herself first, which is something I'm healing from myself. And Earth's issues are portrayed so beautifully.

How I see a lot of Earth's quirks, coding, emotions etc are portraying actual issues that people deal with, even if they're technically animatronics. Earth's current problems being an example of chronic pain, her memory issues being a representation of blocking things out from PTSD (which is something I do), and the current thing that started most of this, her need to promise that she wouldn't hurt her brother. I don't understand why people would be upset about that, because that is something I would do.

If anyone reading this right now is a Queen Kat hater, or a hater of any of the other female VAs / TSBS characters, you can go right ahead and block me. Some people need to learn how the fucking block and scroll button works. THE VAS DON'T OWE YOU ANYTHING.

I was seven years old when I learned that I needed to think before I spoke. So maybe some of you need to go back to school. Use the THINK module!

Before you type, ask if your statement is

T - True? H - Helpful? I - Important? N - Necessary? K - Kind?

Stop acting like pathetic children and get a fucking grip. Fanart and Fanfiction are for your opinions and ideas. The TSBS actors don't need to do anything for you. They Deserve Better. Kat deserves better.

Queen Kat will not be writing anymore for the LAES show because you all made her fucking cry. Get. A. Grip. You are not children, most of you are probably grown adults. This is her world, her creations, her characters, her writing. She deserves so much better than you are treating her, and she deserves to be able to showcase something she really loves and is excited about.

Quit Ruining It For Everyone Else.

[unremarkablerem]

Hi! Love your fic and writing style ❤️ what are your favourite books?

Hello! :D Thank you so much for enjoying the fic! <33

Just to preface, I been super busy with life things so many of these favorite books/fics are stuff that I've read years ago (and shockingly enough... I'm actually not a huge reader of published books! 😅 (I do consume fanfics regularly though, since they're a bit easier to get into if I'm just laying in bed lol!) Usually if I need something to wind down too, I end up preferring to watch shows/youtube since I already spend so much time either reading/studying textbooks for school or writing my own creative works lol. My poor brain can only take so many words before it just poofs)

In no particular order (except for the first) my favorite books would probably be:

All time favorite: Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls (first book to ever make me cry as a kid, it holds such a special place in my heart so it's probably the highest for nostalgia 😭)

Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne

The Time Machine, by H. G. Wells (the ending gave me an existential crisis as a high schooler, lowkey crazy)

Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel (one of my favorite books to analyze)

The Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan (such a fun series, had to include it!)

The Song of Ice and Fire series, by George R. R. Martin (despite the problematic ages of characters, it has such amazing worldbuilding, however I don't care for the smut 😐)

White Fang, by Jack London

The Harry Potter series, by J. K. Rowling (I know the author's problematic, but these were the first books that taught me how to love reading after struggling with it throughout my whole childhood, they also still hold a special place in my heart and deserve a mention :3 )

Unwind, by Neal Shusterman (not a favorite, but deserves a mention for being the only book I have ever physically had to put down and walk away from, over how sick it made me feel. Not a great book all around, but the fact it elicited such a visceral reaction from me deserves some sort of twisted recognition)

Guilty pleasure: The Fourth Wing series, by Rebecca Yarros (I usually find YA books a little pick-me, but the first 2 chapters had me HOOKED. I literally read those chapters and dropped the book for 5 months because I knew how much I was gonna enjoy it and didn't want to lose that I would have a book to look forward to lmao (yes, I know that's strange, but it's like saving the best bite for last, I literally can't help it 😭). ALSO, (lore drop incoming) as a person with a connective tissue disorder similar to Violet's, I found her physical struggles/limitations to be very relatable to my own which was something I've never seen in another literary work (let alone it being the mc!)! I always ended up skipping the sexy scenes as smut is not my jam 🫣 (the romantic tension though? I'd be eating that stuff up for sure lmao), but all around I still found it to be a fun, just turn off my brain and just enjoy it kind of series :D which is sometimes what I need lol)

Dishonorable mentions #1: A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L. Engle (I read this book as a kid, and for some reason I just hated it. I reread a plot synopsis to remind myself what it was about and... I still don't think I would like it :| I think I'm just not a fan of how abstract it is... but I know this can be a favorite for some people so this is just my personal taste!)

Dishonorable mention #2 (hot take, please don't hate me lol): Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins (I could go on and on about my problems and the missed opportunities for this book, but in short I truly believe it only gained success by reminiscing between key points/characters of THG & BOSAS and employing a few good one liners in place of a concrete emotional motivation for Haymitch... I was super excited to read this after seeing so many great things from Tiktok, but was disappointed in what I took away from it :( )

Like I mentioned, I probably read fanfic more than I do actual published books, so I figured I'd mention a few of my favorites & other general fics I remember liking lol

Honorable Fic mentions (across different fandoms):

"The Phantom Guardian" by MissingN000 on ao3 (JJK AU fic, One of my favorite JJK fanfics! I've stayed up to date with it since ch 30 and really hope it continues/gets completed someday 🙏)

"The Way You Used To Do" by edema_ruh on ao3 (BkDk soulmate fic, I usually don't read pairing/shipping fics, but I remember really enjoying this one years ago. I don't remember how it ends though lol... maybe time for a reread?)

"hero's shadow" by feelingstabby on ao3 (Izuku Midoriya & EraserMic mentor/parent fic, also one I don't 100% remember as I read it a long time ago, but I know I had really enjoyed it :D I haven't stayed updated with it probably since chapter ~80, so this one also might also need a reread!)

"Forgive me my foul murder?" by Bow_woww (Itachi & Sasuke fic, also technically one I never finished, but I know I was enjoying it when I had started it like a year ago haha)

If you noticed a pattern in the fics, yes you did, I love mentor or parental fics because they are so healing for me to read about 🥲 I'm sure I have more favs, but these were the ones that both came to mind first and that I could find easily haha

Thanks for asking and sorry for the long answer! But, if you've seen my author's notes or comments, you should've known what to expect by now lol

[sortilegum]

GET TO KNOW ME

ABC'S MUN EDITION

a . age: twenty-eight born 1996 so I get to be a late year baby.

b . birthplace: brisbane, australia

c . current time: 10:14

d . drink you had last: coffee 

f . favorite current song(s): come undone - duran duran

e . easiest person(s) to talk to: my wife ? I don’t really think anyone knows me better. Nobody has really bothered, or i’m simply too flighty.

g . goals: currently the goal is to fuck off the hell job, sell our house, buy a small apartment or land to return to and travel the world for a time with whatever we have left. we simply decided life was too short to waste it working until you’re immobile and can’t enjoy it. we want to explore. to roam through wilderness and vast unfamiliar cities.

h . horror yes or horror no: i want to say absolutely. but I am picky with what I enjoy. I enjoy gothic horror, and creature features. I love horror which leans more to creepy and surreal.

i . in love ?: of course.

j . jealous of people: i can be, but its more of a sadness lingering around the question “why can’t I be like them?” but then again that’s envy.

k . kissed someone recently?: my wife? 

l . love at first sight or should i walk by again ?: idk. my views on love are strange.

m . middle name: jay

n . number of siblings: 2 half-siblings. i know neither.

o . one wish: to be content.

q . questions you’re always asked: recently, are those your natural nails? how do you grow your nails so long?

s . song you last sang: I don’t sing because I honestly know I sound like a dead cat

t . top 3 fictional characters: I don’t usually pick favourites. I’ve never have. I like certain characters, but I wouldn’t put them in a top three.

u . unexperienced or experienced writer: I would like to say experienced. I’ve been writing stories since I was around eight when I attempted to write a novel based on characters I had created while playing with my friends at school. In saying that I don’t really feel like it's something that can be gauged when there’s always room for improvement.

v . vacation: I would love to go to the usa one day

w . when’s your birthday: 22nd, october

x . x - rays: teeth? skull? 

y . your favorite food: nothing beats a home made burrito. especially since australia start to actually import mexican made sauces and salsas since the south american community has slowly started to make a rise. (ilu guys)

z . zodiac sign: did the days change? i’ve always been on the cusp of libra and scorpio , but somewhere along the lines i’ve been seeing a work stuff marked with libra only being until the 21st ? also aries rising, pisces moon. c’:

Tagged by: i mean i've been seeing people post this for weeks now. but nobody tagged me so blep Tagging: blep, go forth and trouble yourself.

[thuganomxcs]

A: I love seeing you on my dash

C: Your writing style is captivating

D: I admire how much depth you give your characters

E: You’re so creative with your plots

F: You always make interactions fun and engaging

G: Your aesthetic is chef’s kiss

H: You’ve inspired me more than once

K: I always feel safe and respected around you

M: You make me want to write more

N: Your support means a lot to me

O: You handle tough topics with such grace

P: Your humor is everything

Q: I love our character dynamics

R: You’re one of my favorite writers here

T: Thank you for being part of this community

U: I look up to your dedication

V: I appreciate your patience and care

W: You make me feel seen as a writer

X: You’re someone I’d love to talk to more

(I couldn't pick just one!!)

𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓 | 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆

You really went out and chose almost EVERY one of them..literally just not the Z and B..more too? I'll actually Go over 'em.

I'm happy that you love seein' me on your dash. There are gonna be days you're just gonna have to give me the keys to your dash because that's when I'll just spam out drafts whenever I'm in that mode.

My writing style, I'm glad you like it. Though, I do need to get a little better. Being descriptive is something of a weakness for me but I'll get better. Though I'm still grateful to hear you comment that you like it, it means a lot, trust.

My weakness is that the muse' canon is something I'll always want to expand on. For instance Yusuke's food truck and secret private detective work? Took that off the books where his job as a food vendor was really a front for him handling supernatural work. Then everything else beyond that stems between all the yakuza games I played, just the ones that would make sense for him. I'd say 90% of my headcanons can be traced back to the original yyh manga.

My creativity with my plots really just come from the games I play and the movies and shows I've seen. I mean I don't mind the simple 'interaction' between muses where they just stand and talk. But I also love to keep things moving.

Super happy you appreciate the interactions. Ingvar is something of an older brother to Yusuke, or at least it's how he sees him and not only because he's incredibly small XD

My aesthetics. Hoo boy I've seen some impressive things on this site, but I do appreciate your compliments AND your kindness.

I've inspired you?? MORE THAN ONCE?! Man I dunno how I did that, but I really hope you've got some good stuff written out because of it, because your writing is just top-notch.

Respect is what keeps this world spinning. I'm also glad to hear you feel safe on this lil blog of mine, so you damn well know I'll do my best to keep it going.

IF i made you wanna write more and more, then I hope ya do it. You're a terrific writer, so I'd love to see more of oyur stuff over my dash thank you very much.

I'll definitely support you in everyway I can for sure. If there's a way I can do more to help feel free to look me up in the dms. Granted my replies on there are VERY slow.

As for heavy topics, I wonder if I have thrown out heavy roleplays here and there. I pretty much tag whatever I feel would sound triggering that's for sure.

Haha whatever humorous post I've ever made is basically cause I've got me some great writing partners to bounce ideas off of.

I love it too, Yusuke being the isekai person in a fantasy world and he's pretty much doing what he can to learn about the world while befriending his friendly giant.

You have my sincerest gratitude for that kind of honor. To be one of someone's favorites on here?? Nah that's not something I take lightly, not in the slightest. Thank you soo much.

Been around here for a while, glad we've got someone as great as you in the community too.

My dedication, Oh man, I adore this guy soo much from day one all those years ago.

People have lives outside of roleplaying not to mention because of my hundreds of queues (no exaggeration) my replies always tend to be soo soo late.

I'm glad because you're one of the best writers I've met on here.

When it comes to talking, you really can find me mostly on discord.

[outerspace-iiinnerspace]

Books and movies of 2024

My new year's resolution for 2024 was to write down every book, movie, short story, TV show, podcast, and video game I experienced and my reactions to them. It is a LONG list, but I want to share at least the books and movies, at least the ones I actually finished. Under the cut:

The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (1928) - Heavily recommended. Really good book. There were certain bits that just hit me like a punch in the gut because of how close to home they were. Things like, oh, I've experienced that exact same emotion or thought process or gender angst. Really good book.

A Story of the Days to Come by H. G. Wells (1899) - I love old weird future stories. The factory that completely lacks automation. The only mental health treatment is hypnotism but that's fine because it works perfectly.

Radioactive Dreams (1984) - The soundtrack for this movie is soso good. I keep listening to the songs over and over and watching this movie got me into Sue Saad. The movie itself is also really fun. I keep thinking about the scene in the bunker where the Philip and Marlowe are arguing about whether their dads are dead.

The Death of Grass by John Christopher (1956) - I did not enjoy this book. It's poorly written and the environmental angle is unconvincing.

The Expanse series by James A. Corey (Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War, Abaddon's Gate, Cibola Burn, Nemesis Games, Babylon's Ashes, Persepolis Rising, Tiamat's Wrath, Leviathan Falls) (2011-2022) - The first book is a little eh, but the rest of the series is so great! Best space opera I've read in a while. I am especially impressed by the way the authors managed to stick the ending, which is HARD when it comes to a series like this. It's a little funny how the book where the Earth is decimated by space rocks manages to feel like a breather episode. I want to watch the TV adaptation this year.

The Accursed Vampire by Madeline McGrane (@tomb-of-madeline) (2021) - Reread. It's a cute/melancholy/funny book! I love vampire stories and this is a nice twist on the usual. The art is so nice!

Shazam: Fury of the Gods (2023) - Kind of a standard superhero movie. I enjoyed it! I don't remember the first movie well enough to say whether it's better or worse, but I enjoyed it! The ending was super lame though.

S/He by Minnie Bruce Pratt (1995) - I was recommended this as, quote, "the femme version of Stone Butch Blues." That is a completely inaccurate representation of this book BUT it's still very good.

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan (2002) - Every single cyberpunk and/or noir cliche is in this book. The plot is ridiculously convoluted. It's great! Sort of reminded me of a grittier version of Hopscotch.

920London by Remy Boydell (2020) - I actually didn't take any notes on this and I don't remember it well. However, since it's by Remy Boydell I feel confident saying the art is likely really good.

Hidden Empire by Kevin J. Anderson (2002) - Reread. I was SO into this series in middle/high school and it was formative to my love of overconvoluted space opera with dozens of characters and half as many plotlines. There's some really good stuff in there but unfortunately does not hold up as well as I wanted it to :( Mainly the politics.

The Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe (The Shadow of the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, The Sword of the Lictor, The Citadel of the Autarch) (1980-1983) - Godddddd these are so good. I love the worldbuilding, the dialogue, the narrator, the language. It's kind of grimy and unpleasant in ways but you may know that I love when fiction is grimy and unpleasant in ways.

↑ This sentence made me actually snort out loud.

Electric Dreams (1984) - Good movie. The editing is super cool especially in the computer sequences. I think I already posted about this before but Edgar got done so dirty in this. Nothing was his fault #JusticeForEdgar

Steven Universe: The Movie (2019) - Rewatch, obviously. What is there to say?

Dust by Hugh Howey (2013) - I liked it! The ending was kind of pat and I have sooooo many unanswered questions but it was very well written. Super tense. Unsure why it took me so long after the first ones to finish the series.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Edward Fitzgerald translation (1859) - I was actually kind of underwhelmed. This is probably because all the best parts have been quoted and borrowed so many times that there are no surprises left! Very good, just overexposed. Many of the verses I'd heard before were unattributed and I didn't know until now this was the source.

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H (2023) - Very evocative writing. Really good memoir.

Seven Days in May (1964) - This drags at points, but it's a solid political thriller. Has some good dry humor, as well as some unintentionally funny moments. The senator from Georgia is the best character in the movie.

Jonathon Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach (1970) - This is another one of those where I wonder why it took me this long to get to. I can't really say anything new about it, except that my copy is an old edition that I got free because it was mangled and covered in coffee stains which really adds to it. Good book, recommended.

The Education of Hyman Kaplan by Leonard Q. Ross (1937) - Reread. Written in a surprisingly modern style, you can sort of forget it was written in the 1930s except for the parts where it is extremely 1930s. The accents are spelled phonetically, but in this case I defend the decision.

The Education of Robert Nifkin by Daniel Pinkwater (1998) - I will not repeat my "Daniel Pinkwater is one of my favorite authors" spiel here. This is a good book. It is not his best book. The end twist is genuinely funny but also kind of sad. Here is the post I made after reading it the first time. I don't mention the Neddiad or the rest of that series in the post because those were written afterwards, but there's a conversation to be had about a relation there as well.

Mrs Searwood's Secret Weapon by Leonard Wibberly (1954) - This book combines a lot of my personal favorite things (ghosts, farce, smalltown drama, old ladies doing ludicrous stunts), and it's very funny. I liked it a lot.

TMWWWBSASATWI: An Illustrated Novella by "beany tuesday" (@beanytuesday) (2021) - Good, weird, bittersadsweet. I'm still thinking about this one.

School of Rock (2003) - Mostly very funny, kinda predictable but what can you do and the music wasn't bad either. Kid actors did a good job.

Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (1977) - I still can't decide whether I like this or not. The character work (the ones that aren't complete caricatures) is really good. The actual disaster and the immediate aftermath are the best parts, the ending and the battle are the weakest. I think you could read this book and stop right after the tidal wave and it would be fine.

Lupin the 3rd (2019) - This is a good movie! It's a very different take on the Lupin characters, to the point where I think it may have been a stronger movie if it was just its own thing but if they did that I probably wouldn't have watched it, so. It is very funny and very fun and you don't need about the franchise to enjoy it. Recommended.

The Masquerade series by Seth Dickinson (The Traitor Baru Cormorant, The Monster Baru Cormorant, The Tyrant Baru Cormorant) (2015-2018, unfinished) - These are so good. These are so good! THIS is the lesbian literature I want. I love suffering closeted butches having bad sex and only terrible girlfriend options and mental illness and destroying the world. The worldbuilding is exquisite. The politics are so good. Sort of funny this is the second book I've read recently where a gay character almost dies of meningitis. Is that a thing now.

The Killing of Sister George (1968) - It's kind of funny that this is all you had to get a X rating in 1968, but also kind of sad. This is a homophobic movie, and it's a sad movie. I enjoyed it.

The Question of Palestine by Edward Said (1979) - Obviously, this not an up-to-date book, but it is straightforward and focuses a lot on the history and the reason things happened/are happening. It's informative and well-written.

How To Die on the Planet Earth by beanytuesday (@beanytuesday, again) (2020) - This is another one that's scratched its way into my brain and won't get out. I was never able to predict where the story was going, and I did not like the ending. In a good way though? It was satisfyingly unsatisfying.

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by Roz Chast (2014) - Reread. I've been rereading this about every six months since [life event] and it still gutpunches me every time. Very good book.

Take Me To Your President by Leonard Wibberly (1957) - This is okay. It's not his best book, but it's not his worst book. The only scenes that really stick out to me as I'm thinking about it are the ones with the Prime Minister near the beginning, which are pretty funny.

The Afterlife Diet by Daniel Pinkwater (1995) - Reread. I liked it much better on reread than the first time I read it. I think it's much more interesting in the context of his other books, because he deals with topics he's dealt with before, but in a VERY different way. The plot is sort of scattered and the supernatural elements come in a little late to be convincing but overall it is a good book.

On Basilisk Station by David Weber (1993) - I tried really hard to enjoy this, but it's a total slog. Honor is a great character and she deserves to be in a better book. I may try one of the later books in the series, to see if they improve or not.

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) - Not a masterpiece by any means but a really fun movie! The sight gags are pretty good and the special effects are better than expected.

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee (2016) - Some of the worldbuilding passed me by, but I loved the character work. The author really knows how to build tension and set a scene. Super dense, which is a compliment in this circumstance.

Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars by Daniel Pinkwater (1983) - Reread. I have read this book so many so many times. It is formative to me. I mentally quote it all the time. I like it a lot.

Lost Continents: The Atlantis Theme in History, Science, and Literature by L. Sprague De Camp (1954) - This is a very informative book, if you want to learn about the historical and literary origins of the Atlantis story and associated conspiracy theories. However, the author uncritically repeats as facts or at least reasonable speculation several related conspiracy theories and pseudoscientific idea. The Atlantis information is good, but take everything else with a lot of skepticism.

Stolen Lupin (2004) - This is a good Lupin movie. It is super funny, lots of physical humor, and balances the time well between the characters. The plot is nothing special but it is a good time.

Graustark: The Story of a Love Behind a Throne by George Barr McCutcheon (1901) - Romance is not my genre, but I enjoyed this. It's a surprisingly funny book.

Return of the Magician (2002) - This movie sucks. Bad movie.

Strange Psychokinetic Strategy (1974) - Rewatch. I love a farce. I love this movie. It's not a good movie, but I enjoy it every time. Sex jokes, slapstick, situation comedy.

Will Destroy the Galaxy for Cash by Yahtzee Croshaw (2020) - I liked this a lot, definitely more than the first book. It has some of the same issues in regards to pacing but is much less of a straightforward parody. There are some genuinely good plot twists and the style has improved a lot.

The Wandering Earth by Liu Cixin (2021) - This is an anthology. My favorite stories were "The China Sun" and "Cannonball." "With Her Eyes" also deserves a mention for being completely terrifying.

Beverly of Graustark (1926) - This is a good, funny, movie. I love old-timey crossdressing stories, I love royal nonsense, I love assassination attempts. I don't buy the romance because Beverly is insane and the guy should be running for his life, but it is hilarious to watch.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton (2022) - I liked this a lot. I've never read any of Beaton's non-comedic work before, and it's very good. I gave this to my mom and she loved it. Talked my ear off about it.

Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds (2020) - I didn't take any notes on this one, but I remember being really impressed by the art. It's very evocative and a very good use of watercolor.

The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard (2021) - Another anthology. None of the stories really scared me, but "Kindred Spirits" will stick for a while. Art is gross in a very cool way.

Sunbelt Blues: The Failure of American Housing by Andrew Ross (2021) - I used to know a guy named Andrew Ross closely enough that I immediately looked him up when I got this book. The author is a different guy though, just happens to have the same name. It's a very good book, well researched, sympathetic, and an engaging writing style.

The High Desert by James Spooner (2022) - Really good memoir.

Policing the City: An Ethno-Graphic by Didier Fassin (2022) - This is a really interesting format for an ethnography, and there is a great forward that goes into detail about some of the choices, which is interesting both by itself but also because I like to hear authors justify their decisions.

Banned Books Club by Kim Hyun Sook (2020) - This book was so hyped up that I think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't spent years hearing how good it was. That said, it was a good book and I did enjoy it. I did not like the art style, which seemed pretty dissonant with the story, but that could have been on purpose.

Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki (2008) - I didn't take any notes on this one and I don't recall reading it at all. Sorry.

Danse Macabre: An Essential Overview of the Horror Genre by Stephen King (1981) - I disagree with a lot of the things King says in this book, but it's really interesting as an overview and he isn't a half bad nonfiction writer.

What is Extinction? A Natural and Cultural History of Last Animals by Joshua Schuster (2023) - This is dense but it's worth it. The specific selection of topics was frustrating in places, but given the depth each section got in, I understand why a lot of things were just not brought up. Recommended.

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin (1967) - I don't know why everyone focuses on the devil stuff when the actual horror of the book is her husband. You can tell it was written by same guy who did The Stepford Wives, there are a lot of parallelisms and similar themes.

The Quest of Excalibur by Leonard Wibberley (1959) - This is a really quintessential Wibberley book. I thought it was really funny, and a good comedic take on "King Arthur returns" stories. Could have done better at establishing the fact it takes place in the future; I was wondering when the heck there was a Queen Maud.

The Greymare Romance by Edwin John Ellis (1891) - Does this even count as a book? I'm including it because I liked it a lot. It's cute.

The Mouse That Roared (1959) - Rewatch. Still a really funny movie. The romance plotline was pretty awful - the romance in the book was much better but I can sort of see why they changed it. I don't think it was a good decision, but I can see why they made it. The bit with the "Diplomacy" boardgame gets me every time, I wish it was a real game so I could play it.

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (2014) - Reread. I have such intensely mixed feeling about this book and they get weirder every time I read it. On a purely objective level, it is a good book.

Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth by Elizabeth Williamson (2023) - Very well written, respectful account. The variety of sources the author got is impressive.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (2014) - More horror short stories! The first one did not do much for me, but all the rest were terrifying. The art style is really good, and I love her use of black fields and negative space.

The Curious Human Knee by Han Yu (2023) - This was alright. The concept was better than the execution but I enjoyed reading it and I think I learned a lot. However, I did spot a couple of inaccuracies so it may be best to take with a grain of salt.

The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop and the Promise of Self Care by Rina Raphael (2022) - This was okay. It was informative. I have issues with the prose and the way the author presents herself, but I am neither the target audience nor one of the people the book is about.

The Dreamer Trilogy series by Maggie Stiefvater (Call Down the Hawk, Mister Impossible) (2019-2021) - Haven't read the third book yet. Very good, exciting, confusing. Declan is my favorite character I think. Have not been taken so hard sideways by the ending of a novel since Horus Rising.

The Wednesday Tales series by Jon Berkeley (The Palace of Laughter, The Tiger's Egg, The Lightning Key) (2006-2009) - Reread. I read the first book around the end of 2023. These are solid middle-grade fantasy novels and they stuck with me long enough to want to reread as an adult. Confusing worldbuilding, interesting ideas and characters. Very clearly written by a man who has never unpacked a stereotype in his life.

Josie and the Pussycats (2001) - I don't actually remember watching this.

My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) - Cute story, animation was good, music was underwhelming for a theatrical movie. There were better songs in the show. Watched with friends, which was pretty funny because one person kept saying "Fuck Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie is so stupid" and everyone else was like "NO!"

Corner Gas: The Movie (2014) - Really good! Really funny, good continuation for the series. The horse subplot and the casino subplot 100% felt like ideas they had for the show but couldn't do on a TV budget.

The Nice Guys (2016) - Rewatch. I actually love this movie. It's so fucking funny.

Wolfwalkers (2020) - Rewatch. The art in this movie is so textured and lush. It's beautiful.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) - Perfectly serviceable action movie. All the robot dialogue is so hacky and overdrawn it becomes very funny, especially contrasted to Mirage who is the only one who talks like a normal person.

Billy Budd by Herman Melville (1891) - Very good book. Melville's prose is often an obstacle, but once you get into the rhythm I actually like it. Another one I keep thinking about.

The Three Stooges (2012) - I did not think I would like this movie but I liked this movie. It's really funny. Impeccably cast. My favorite bits were the dynamite one and salmon farming one.

Transformers One (2024) - Good movie. Good animation.

Wicked (2024) - I don't even have to say anything about this. Dancing Through Life was my favorite number, I loved the skating on the books.

Mean Girls (2024) - This was too close to the original to be an effective adaptation for me. The music was also sort of underwhelming, but it wasn't bad.

Lupin III vs Detective Conan (2009) - Good movie. Not spectacular, but solid. I don't know anything about Detective Conan other than the Lupin crossovers, but the story was great and I wasn't confused about who anyone was. Fujiko was awesome in this.

Rockula (2000) - Rewatch. Much better the second time. The music is really good and as mentioned, I love nonstandard vampire stories. They kill a guy and leave him at the club.

I Love Melvin (1953) - Bad movie. I'm fairly certain this was a contract movie that no one involved with cared much about, since it wouldn't take a lot of effort to make it a good movie. I know how exactly I would do it. The script feels like a first draft and it is very short, even with a bunch of random extended dance numbers to pad it out.

The Last Delivery by Evan Dahm (2024) - Good. Hell of a downer ending, but that's why they call it the horror genre. Had to put it down in a few parts because it made my stomach hurt. Good book.

Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969) - Rewatch. One of my absolute favorite movies! Highly recommended. Psychological horror but not really gory, lots of twists and clues, the acting is phenomenal. Does not pass a reverse Bechdel test, which I find hysterical. The gay tension between the female leads is off the charts. Every time I watch it I notice something new.

[celticwoman]

just watched bram stoker's dracula.....

[moinsbienquekaworu]

OKAY SO. I was asked for my aurebesh thoughts and I shall deliver! @zeawesomebirdie this is for YOU <3

Here's what the standard version of the aurebesh (I used it like you'd use the word alphabet because well, it's alphabet but in SW speak) looks like, rewritten by me but faithful to the most widely accepted version that I know of.

Now, this is all fine and good for computer fonts, since you're at best typing them with a keyboard. But to actually write, with a pen or stylus? Extremely inconvenient. Try to write that A cleanly but in one try. That's just not easy to write: the diagonals, the two different parts, it's just not made to be written.

I can hear you think "it doesn't need to be written though does it, who still writes on paper in the GFFA?" and fair, but. But. 1) some people just like Doing It Like They Used To in Ye Olden Days and there must be a thriving community of calligraphy enthusiasts making their own paper and writing in ink. 2) if WE can have apple pencils they can have styluses, if only to draw, and a natural extension of that is writing little notes. 3) and most important I think, but often disregarded, it's easier to learn a new writing system if you make your hand go through the motions. Obviously there are exceptions and obviously you can still learn by just seeing but actually going through the motion and gesture? That really helps a majority of people. Source: I took japanese and russian classes, and therefore had to learn both the japanese writing system and the russian cyrillic alphabet, and yes, putting in the effort to copy the symbols again and again with a pen in your hand works much better than trying to remember it from having seen it, and it was the same for a lot of other people in my classes.

(Obviously the aurebesh was developped hastily by people who wanted to make it a font before anything else AND who are most likely american, which is a country where they don't teach you cursive anymore apparently, so that influences things)

All of this to say, I think since the fun of being a fan is filling in the holes of canon and having fun with your stuff, I tried thinking of what a more realistic aurebesh would be like.

From my deep dive on wookieepedia a while back, I learnt that a few actual alphabets of our world exists in the GFFA, like Tionese is written using Greek and Sith markings are Hebrew letters, + our roman alphabet is called High Galactic, but is a very fancy thing most people don't use. So, the aurebesh is the standard writing system of galactic basic, which means it's probably very widespread. I imagine that people actually do learn to write with some kind of stylus, just to get you to remember quicker and because either you have access to the equivalent of an apple pencil, you can find a ballpoint pen somewhere, or you have an outside with dirt/sand and some kind of pointy stick thing. That means we need a more writing-friendly version of the aurebesh (not even a cursive version, just an easier block letter version, I'm still brainstorming that one because god this was NOT made to be cursive but my love of cursive is powering me through)

So here's how I write the aurebesh!

Purple are letters I've rewritten but without real changes, and blue are actual changes, ranging from "yeah I could tell what this was" (p, o, v) to "I think you need to know that it's this letter to be able to tell" (a, g, eo). I'm pretty proud of that A honestly! Generally, I rounded out things that could be rounded out, made simpler things that didn't need to be complicated to be understood, and reduced the number of strokes necessary, because needing to lift your pencil and come back for a second stroke is a huge time loss. You might also be able to tell that I took japanese for 4 years in my squares: the TH looks like a 日, the W like a ロ, the K like a コ, and the H is basically a 三 because I like to work smarter not harder and I love japanese. I made the V into a normal Y from our alphabet, and I still get I and L mixed up a lot of the time, but here it is. And YES I forgot the numbers but uuuh tbh I always forget them so yeah haha. Might do a few sentence samples just for fun + to show what it looks like when I write it VS my normal handwriting (because I'm a handwriting amateur)

Another note: I hate with all the fibers of my being the "reverse the letter and that marks it as a capital" because it is incredibly clunky and inconvenient. Nobody does it like that and it's stupid. I think making them bigger/smaller like the computer font version of cyrillic is the way to go honestly, like Д for capital and д for lowercase. I don't have the words to explain why but you should not mirror a letter and make it a capital that is bad and wrong and it clearly was thrown in there last minute when people asked. Either everything is capitals or the lowercase is smaller but please no mirroring T-T

If you have anything to contribute I am BEGGING please come tell me. If you have cursive aurebesh ideas I will ask for your hand in marriage right here and there. When I told my best friend about this they said "oh my god this is like Tolkien why are you thinking about how the people of the galaxy would use their alphabet what is wrong with you (affectionate)" and yeah.

(Also ALSO bonus aurebesh fonts I like, apart from the standard one: the Aurebesh Droid, Rodian, Cantina, and Typewriter. )

[that-was-anticlimactic]

H, K, and W for the fandom ask game!!

lol hey just remembered that i had these from dec 19th lol i think i was just so mentally unwell at the time that i couldn't actually process the fact that i had asks and was capable of answering them even tho i literally reblogged the ask game lol anyways was going through my drafts and saw this and i'm MUCH better now so i went through and found the game and imma do it now <3

h - what is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., tw shows, movies, books, anime, western animation, etc.)?

hm... i would say it's typically anime/animated shows. i kind of have trouble writing fics for actual books as opposed to shows... idk why, i just always have. i've certainly tried before, but it's never lasted long and it was always AWFUL. and idk why (actually i kind of do and could go on a whole rant -affectionate- about this) but cartoons/animation is SO much easier for me to write fanfiction about and interact with and love and... oh don't get me started on why animated shows are superior to everything else

k - what character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

oh God so many ummmmm one of my favorite ones EVER would prolly be... idk the hollow is on my mind and just. vanessa. i literally went into s2 with the mindset of "i hate her she's the worst wonder what evil things she'll do this season grrrr" and came out of s2 like "i will do anything to protect her babygirl so skrunkly so shaped SHE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG". like... God she's SUCH a well written character. and diana kaarina did SUCH a great job voicing her, too! so while this prolly isn't like the BEST development/arcs ever, it's special to me lol vanessa is now my favorite hollow character and i love her so so so much and her development was done so well and smoothly and OUGH

w - a trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

oh! easy! hey this character really likes one specific food and the show made it joke about it, what if we made that their entire character, reduced their personality to food, only ever drew that character eating while everyone else is normal, and then hc that character big, fat, and darker skinned tehe isn't that so funny? ... okay that last bit was super specific. um. i have a visceral hatred for [redacted] tho i'm sure most people are aware by now lol. but no, in general tho, i really do hate that fandoms do that. especially because sometimes, at the heart of it all is an eating disorder that's just turned into a joke. i hate when the fandom makes a character's personality food. or height, also. like okay we get it chuuya is short we can move on now. i'm short too but you don't see me or anyone else talking about that constantly gosh okay cool height differences big deal whatever idc anymore. food and height are NOT personality traits. STOP MAKING THEM PERSONALITY TRAITS!!!