#and things are going to be much different now if they continue like how we left off ... so u don't think dustin would notice?

[patchworkideas]

I have a folder named 'Story Ideas' in my home system, for easy access.

In there, I have a folder for each fandom that I write in.

If a Wip stays a one shot or only an idea post it stays in the general fandom folder it belongs to - with AUs and Crossovers in the fandom that uses the characters or has the biggest influence.

If it grows it becomes it's own folder. If I already know the future name at that point it will be named that, otherwise it gets a descriptor that stays even after it has a name. (example: My 'Coming Forth By Day' Story is still in a folder called Subnautica AU in the Yu-Gi-Oh Folder.)

The chapters are neatly named 'Chapter 1' or 'Chapter 1-6' etc, depending on how frantically I was writing. If it got written in one file it stays in one file. (This became more common since I started dictating, where i need to check for dictation errors before I can close a file (to listen to my own voice to check) and often new ideas are howling to be given voice before the check for the prior one is finished.)

Most bigger stories with their own folder also get a subfolder called notes.

That's the danger folder, where the wild things go and nothing is safe or certain. I have doubles, often actually writen or rewritten notes, sometimes removed scenes or whole removed chapters. Notes in order and notes very much not, in whatever order they came to me or I thought they fit best.

The notes folder is the depth of my mind and very often contains a multitude more words than actual make it into the story. (Long Way Around is an extreme example - by the time I had 10k posted, I hit over 100k in notes for everything still to come. Something that has been invaluable for me as I continued writing it these past years. It's been slow going but it's allowed me to keep the plot for these last 3 chapters i still have to write after almost 4 years now. Though there's a lot more to edit and polish before we get close to posting those even once they're finally written, since I hiatused to ensure I don't drop one of the myriads of threads I'm weaving together in the critical third act.)

I love writing, and I lost so much in the chaos of not having it organized in the past. So now it is.

.... Don't look on my PC where I do most of my drafting via dictation though. There's a folder called 'transferred to phone' for everything I already copied over to my phone. My phone has fandom folders but no notes, big stories are only told apart by name + chapter number. I then send the draft from my phone via different email addresses to my tablet, where all the notes and edits etc happen. *That* is where I'm organized in the above fashion.

... There and in a dedicated backup drive where I copy my tablet files to - admittedly not as often as I should. But even if I lose edits someday I at least know that I'll never lose the original draft.

Which makes it much easier to edit without abandon since the original never lost if I fuck something up beyond recognition during editing. Or in case of technical issues, obviously.

Backups are important, doubly so for anything creative.

... And I still manage to lose track of small ideas because each fandom folder usually has a shit ton of those small idea files that never become a full blown story.

And I still very much enjoy reading through those occasionally and enjoying the diamonds in the rough, those I forgot and those I didn't.

I love writing, and I love my stories. <3

Edit: And now, after actually checking, since I didn't want to risk tumblr eating my post, I realize that for some unfathomable reason I forgot to set up the fandom folder system that I have literally been using for over a decade on my tablet - probably because I figured 'I love this new fandom! I'm going to write for nothing else ever again!' when I did it. *sigh* It always feels like that, it never is X-D

So the majority of everything has the fandom name in the title, aka 'Subnautica Yu-Gi-Oh'. The handful that don't I'll need to rename at some point and finally sort everything into folders as it should have been...

And what was i thinking when i wrote my game fandom stories in the gaming folder - which does have the 'fandom/game name' folder system at least! And I usually do back those up too, since my game notes are also fun (and just as long, looking at my +100k Oxygen Not Included notes...). And I suppose some of these are stories to help me remember what happened last...

But they're still stories, and I wonder if I'll remember to check for stories in 'Games' someday 🤔

Sigh. I have a very specific order in my head. It doesn't always make it onto the page. Kinda like in writing. But it's otherwise still as described above and I'm very proud of it.

only sort of related to the wip meme that's going around, i'm curious, now: how do you, personally, organise your wips?

this does not feel like a poll kind of situation—it's a 'just reply or reblog and add to the body of the post' kind of deal. please feel free; i'm genuinely curious.

[sylusonychinus]

Episode Two: The Past Comes Full Circle

Morning sunlight streamed through the blinds as [Reader] sat on the edge of her bed, phone in hand, scrolling mindlessly through notifications.

A message from the old class batch group chat caught her eye.

“Aviation Academy Batch Reunion – Tomorrow! RSVP now!”

Her thumb hovered over the message. A reunion?

She hadn't kept in touch with most of them. Some, she had good memories of—friends who supported her through the grueling academy years. Others? Not so much. There were a few who made her life difficult, like her.

Liana Reyes.

The self-proclaimed queen of their batch, always flaunting her family's wealth and belittling anyone she deemed beneath her. She used to mock [Reader] for her simple clothes, her quiet nature, and her relentless focus on studies instead of chasing popularity.

But things were different now.

[Reader] smirked, tapping the RSVP button.

Let’s see how everyone turned out.

—

The reunion was held at an upscale hotel, the banquet hall buzzing with chatter and laughter as people reconnected. The space was decorated in warm golden hues, and waiters moved gracefully through the crowd with trays of champagne.

[Reader] walked in, confidence in every step. She wasn’t flashy, but the way she carried herself—poised, self-assured—turned heads. She wore a sleek yet simple black dress, paired with heels that gave her just the right amount of height. Her makeup was subtle but polished, her hair styled effortlessly.

She didn’t need to announce herself.

People noticed.

Conversations quieted slightly as eyes turned toward her, whispering among themselves.

"Is that [Reader]?"

"She actually looks… good?"

"No way. I thought she’d be some workaholic mess by now."

Liana, dressed to the nines in an expensive but slightly overdone outfit, practically beamed as she strutted toward [Reader], champagne glass in hand.

"[Reader]! Oh my God, it’s been years! I was so excited to see how you turned out," Liana gushed, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

"You and me both," [Reader] replied smoothly, tilting her head.

Liana’s smile twitched, but before she could continue, one of [Reader]’s former friends—Marissa—spoke up, voice laced with fake concern.

"Wow, [Reader]. You look so… well off. What happened? Did you get a sugar daddy or something?" She giggled behind her glass, others around her chuckling in amusement.

[Reader] didn’t even flinch. Instead, she raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at her lips.

"That’s funny, Marissa," she said, tilting her head. "I heard you’re the one dating a married man."

Silence.

Marissa’s face paled, and the group exchanged nervous glances.

"You should be careful throwing around accusations," [Reader] continued, voice light but cutting. "Especially when your business is all over social media."

Marissa sputtered, gripping her glass tighter. "T-That’s not��"

Before she could retaliate, a deep voice cut through the tension.

"What’s going on here?"

All heads turned toward the entrance, where Caleb stood.

He had just arrived, dressed in his usual semi-casual look—dark jeans, a button-down, and that effortless pilot confidence that made people naturally gravitate toward him. He scanned the room, his sharp gaze landing on [Reader].

And for the second time in two days, she saw it.

Surprise.

Recognition.

The realization finally settling in.

"You," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

She raised a brow. "Me."

His lips quirked into a small smirk before he turned to the room. "Alright, let’s all sit down. I came here to eat, not witness a reality show."

People chuckled nervously, the tension breaking as everyone slowly moved to their seats. Caleb, however, strode toward [Reader] and took the empty seat beside her.

"You didn’t tell me we were classmates," he said, resting his elbow on the table, leaning slightly toward her.

"You didn’t remember me," she countered, sipping her drink.

He exhaled a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "I feel like an idiot now."

"You should."

He turned to face her fully, curiosity dancing in his eyes. "So, were we friends back then? Or just… strangers?"

She met his gaze, considering her answer.

"We weren’t strangers," she said finally.

He studied her for a moment before smiling, like he was realizing there was more to their story than he ever knew.

And this time, he wasn’t going to let her slip away unnoticed.

Taglist: @jinwoosbabyboo @kithyyy @mcdepressed290 @nezuswritingdesk @elegantdeerlady @yuuuumii @duhgurl @lumieresdreams @bidisasterforevermore @i-messed-up-big-time

@that-one-scoundrel @justpassingdontworry @ansbobcar @nagireos

[kinda-indecisive]

｡･:*:･ﾟ Your Journal ﾟ･:*:･｡

How I imagine the reactions of the LaDS guys when they accidentally find a notebook you (MC) decorated the cover of with their name.

Part 3: The Caleb Edition!

.•*¨`*•.•*¨`*•.☆.•*¨`*•.•*¨`*•.☆.•*¨`*•.•*¨`*•.•*¨`*•.☆.•*¨`*•.•*¨`*•.☆.

Caleb

~ ~ He is never going to take this for granted ~ ~

You showing up at his front door in Skyhaven not even a day after his return from the Deepspace Tunnel was a wonderful surprise.

Though you had had some major disagreements the first time you were in his home, after a handful of trips to Linkon City, you two had managed to close that gap between you. And though he had been terrified it wouldn’t be possible, you’ve even made some good memories in this house that completely redefined your friendship, your relationship, as a whole.

Therefore, when he drops into your room while you’re out, planning to toss your now empty laundry hamper onto your bed, only to catch a glimpse of the cover of a journal with his name on it tucked messily under your pillow… he is more than a little surprised.

He was used to finding little notes of yours in his things. And too many times had he found sticky notes attached to him proclaiming “Caleb is a dummy” and “Caleb is a big meanie”. Such notes had been so frequent during your childhood together that they rarely put him in a bad mood.

Now, however, things have changed between you two so much that he finds himself worried. 

He worries over whether you’ve been keeping tabs on him. You did something similar when you were kids; pretending to be a spy, you followed him around the house recording every little thing he did. Things like ‘Caleb is drinking orange juice this morning instead of apple juice’ and ‘Caleb is reading his favorite book about planes again! How boring.’ But nowadays, if you still felt the need to surveil him despite the conversations you’ve had…

Taking a deep breath, he pulls the corner of the notebook out further… then very nearly swoons.

Cheerfully tucking the journal under his arm, he saunters into the living room.

.•*¨`*•.☆.•*¨`*•.

When you return home, Caleb is in the kitchen surrounded by pots, pans, and an impossibly delicious aroma. Excitement bubbles up in your chest as you wonder what feast he’s prepared that requires so many dishes. 

“Well look who finally made it,” he teases, grinning as you walk in sheepishly.

“Sorry. The seminar lasted longer than expected. And then Tara wanted to get drinks.”

“It’s all good,” he waves his spatula dismissively, then, “Though… did you know I had to do five loads of laundry when you were out? And only one of those had any of my clothes in them.”

“You didn’t have to do all that,” you chirp, though your nerves suddenly shoot through the roof. Dismissing yourself quickly, you run into your room. Moving around the clean laundry on your bed, you search, beginning to panic when the thing you’re searching for fails to turn up. You’re about to flip the whole mattress over when the sound of someone clearing his throat behind you makes you turn around.

Standing against the doorframe, Caleb holds your journal in one hand, his eyes shining bright with so much mischief that you have no doubt your missing item has been located.

“You looking for something, pip-squeak?”

He dodges and spins around as you attempt to tackle him, grabbing you by the belt to steady you on your feet before you fall flat on your face.

“Caleb, you—!”

“Y’know, your art style hasn’t changed much since we were kids. And I guess I’ll forever be a grumpy little apple to you, won’t I?” he chuckles, “Though there is something different about these heart doodles and the way my name is written again and again and again…”

You manage to swipe the journal from him and shove it under your shirt for good measure. Pouting up at him, he continues to smile down at you until you feel your resolve start to crumble and you look away, your cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“Anyway, pip-squeak. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. I made all your favorites. You can consider this a celebratory feast. Though it’s up to you to decide what we’re celebrating.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Previous Post ←(･ ᗜ ･)ﾉ ╰( ･ ᗜ ･ )➝ Next Post

Got around to completing this old prompt for Caleb! Hope y'all enjoyed it :D

Let me know if you ever want to join a taglist for any or all of the guys.

I'm also not opposed to fluff requests, though I am very much an inspiration-motivated writer and therefore might not get around to fulfilling them heh. It's not you, it's me (and I genuinely mean it lol).

taglist❤: @fallthelong

LOVE AND DEEPSPACE MASTERLIST

[actuallysaiyan]

The First Time(Aka How Nanami Kento Lost His Virginity)Chapter Eight: Nevermind The Trailers, Here's The Main Event

warnings: smut, vaginal fingering, kissing, sending nudes through text, love confessions, semi-public fingering pairings: Emo!Nanami Kento x Fem!Reader summary: the two of you are navigating the waters after your last encounter. Nanami surprises you during a date and it ends with the two of you officially cementing what this relationship means for the two of you. a/n: HERE IT IS! The next chapter! We have love confessions and then some! More to come sooner than later, I promise!

taglist: @cherryblossombankai @kenpachisbrat @benkeibear @harlekin6

@brokennerdalert @marikuchanxo @gennaray

@sugurusprettygirl @hazzelle-kento @pixelcafe-network

Masterlist

The following weeks sees you and Kento spending almost every waking moment together. It’s known on campus that you two are the cutest couple ever. Most girls watch you in awe as you have the most romantic man charming you every time he’s around you. Even the girls who caused you problems during the party seem to be jealous.

On Kento’s side of things, not only does he feel more confident with your relationship being more stable, he also feels like things are looking up for him for the first time in so long. The thoughts of returning to the sorcerer world are pushed aside for the daydreams of a future with you. He fantasizes about maybe having a family with you once you’re both done with school.

Things couldn’t get any better, really. And now that you two were both comfortable in your positions at school and with each other, it was only going to get better from there.

Kento spends a lot of time with you in your dorm. He’s happy to shower you in affection. He’s so much more layered and complex than you previously could have imagined. He shows you parts of himself that even he keeps tucked away from himself. He’s honest and kind, always wanting to talk to you about all kinds of things. 

The only thing that sort of lingers between the two of you is his virginity. You know you’d love to go that far with him, but you still want to tread comfortably. You two have just gotten together for real recently and to push the subject could make him uncomfortable. So you decided to just continue the way it’s been going and see where things go.

For the first time, Kento is now debating on whether or not to send you a nude. He’s got picture messaging on his phone and you two have been official for a few weeks now with nothing else going on. He wants to show you that he is, in fact, still interested in pursuing something sexual with you as well as romantic.

He’s pacing around in his room. Over the summer, he regained a bit of muscle mass. He had been going to the gym regularly to occupy his time. So he knows he doesn’t look bad. It’s just…how do you even take a good picture to send as a nude?

He groans as he tries different angles, but he thinks he looks stupid in every single one of them. After about twenty deleted pictures, he throws himself on his bed and whines. It’s frustrating to try and be sexy. He knows he doesn’t have to try too hard, but he wants to. He wants to look good for you.

Then he decides to take a shower. Once he’s got his clothes off and the bathroom is nice and steamy, Kento realizes just how perfect this set up is. Finally, he grabs his phone and snaps a picture of him with his shirt off and his cock in his hand. Looking at it, he finds himself actually impressed.

Your phone vibrates as you sit in your dorm studying. You smile when you realize it’s a text from your boyfriend. When you open it, your eyes widen. You don’t know that you’ve ever seen Kento so confident as he looks in this picture. 

The thought of him taking this photo for you has you really riled up. You settle on your bed, your studies forgotten for the moment. You push your pants down and tease yourself through your panties. With your free hand, you snap a picture of your panties pushed to the side and your slick dribbling down your thighs.

Miss you.

He sees the message before going into the shower, and he gets even more confident. He strokes his cock a few times, squeezing the head gently to make some precum pearl at the tip. Then he sends you a picture of that.

See you soon, beautiful.

The next time you two see each other, you’re both blushing. It’s a shared secret. Something that only the two of you understand. And it makes you feel even closer together. Soon, he’s talking about taking you out on a date over the weekend.

He meets you in the parking lot outside the dorms. You look so adorable, dressed in a plaid skirt and a band t-shirt. His eyes widen and he smiles when he notices it’s the shirt he forgot in your dorm one time. You grab his hand and the two of you start walking towards the movie theatre.

“I’m really excited for this,” you say softly.

“Me too. It’s been a while.”

Ever the gentleman, Nanami pays for the tickets, the snacks and he carries everything to your seats. It’s in the very back of the theatre. It’s nice to have these dates. It reminds you of why you really fell for the guy in the first place. He shows you his charming side, when everyone sees just this brooding, moody emo kid.

The trailers begin and the sound is booming as the screen shows you previews for a romcom first. You both laugh at how cheesy it is, but it still seems funny enough for the two of you to wonder if you’d like to come see it. The next trailer is a gory slasher flick, which piques both of your interests. Following that are some ads for some bank, the snacks at the concession stand and then there’s one last trailer for a historical piece before your movie starts.

At first, the movie was very captivating. You and Kento can’t look away, even as you munch on some hot, buttery popcorn and sweet chocolate. Then halfway through, the movie shows its true colors and you realize that it’s going to be very disappointing. You whine and rest your head on his shoulder, and Kento chuckles at just how cute you’re being right now.

One thing leads to another, and you kiss him. He kisses you back, letting you take the lead on this for the time being. He’s not wanting to press things, considering you’re in a movie theatre and getting caught would really suck if you wanted to return for another date.

But the thought of you teasing yourself in those panties when you sent that nude has his blood boiling. It’s been a few weeks since the two of you had any kind of intimacy. He’s growing hard with every little kiss you give him. It’s almost like you’re trying to tease him on purpose.

He looks at you slyly as he pushes your skirt up just a bit. Then you bite your lip to hold in your moan as he begins to rub your clit through your panties. You were wearing silky ones this time, just to spice things up for your date.

The gasp you let out when he pushes them aside and parts your folds has him chuckling. You glare at him, but you’re spreading your thighs even more. He’s so much more confident now than he’s ever been. You remember the first time you two kissed, and how he was such a needy guy back then. Now Kento was calling the shots and you were loving it.

“Try to be quiet, baby.” He whispers in your ear before kissing your neck.

Two of his fingers slip into you, making you let out such a cute little moan. Thankfully the theatre is nearly empty and you’re sitting far away from everyone else. Kento begins to thrust his fingers into you, curling them against your sweet spot. His cock is throbbing but that’s not what’s important here. What’s important is that you see stars.

His thumb rubs your clit in time with his slow and meticulous movements. Every second is agonizingly pleasurable. Your eyes roll back in your head and you begin to hump his hand. It feels like so long since you were able to get off on his long fingers. Kento smirks when he sees just how needy you are right now. You’re just a mess, dripping all over his fingers.

“Cum for me,” he whispers before capturing your lips in a sensual kiss.

He keeps your moans muffled as your walls begin to pulse around his digits. Kento keeps kissing you, drawing out every little bit of pleasure from you. Then slowly, he pulls out of you and brings his fingers to his lips to lick them clean. You pant as you try to catch your breath. You’ve got a few minutes to clean yourself up and straighten up before the credits begin rolling.

He grabs your hand and guides you out of the theatre. The night air feels so good on your sweaty skin. You feel so giddy. Your heart is racing and your tummy is still full of butterflies. You kiss him over and over, and he smiles sweetly.

“Be mine,” you say. “Be my boyfriend.”

He blushes. “I…I would love to.”

You grab him by the collar of his shirt and kiss him so deeply. Kento wraps his arms around you, pulling you close to his chest. You’re both tucked away on the side of the entrance, away from the rest of the world. The rest of the world could disappear and none of that would even matter to you and him.

“I love you,” he finally says once more. 

You smile. “I love you too. I have for a long while now.”

It feels so good to finally say those words out loud with the person you love. It’s so natural, but it feels like this explosion of emotions has gone off inside of you. You feel like you’re shaking, and Kento feels similarly. He can’t quite wipe the stupid grin off his face.

“I want you,” he whispers in your ear. “Want you to be the one who takes my virginity.”

This makes your heart skip a beat. The words sound so sensual, even though he hasn’t really said anything dirty. You look up into his eyes and you notice just how dark they are. He looks very serious too, like he didn’t just ask you to be the first person to fuck him.

“...I want you too. Whatever you want, you can have that with me.”

He kisses you again, this time it’s a lingering kiss. His thumbs caress your cheekbones. He holds you close to him, like you are the only thing in this world that has any kind of meaning to him.

“I will always love you.”

The words feel warm inside of you. They make a warmth blossom so deep inside and it’s visible on your face. Kento smiles now too, loving the way you look at him like he is the only man who could ever make you smile.

“I will always love you too.”

With your fingers intertwined, Kento walks you home under the twinkling stars.

[lil-dragon-rawr]

TOH x DC: One-Sided Identity Shenanigans

Cause like...the Owl House gang didn't bother to make secret identities

Part One, Part Two

Masterlist

Jason, finally finding an opportunity to talk to Vee alone during their volunteer shift: hi.

Vee, thinking he's going to blackmail and/or permanently silence her for figuring out his secret identity: *about to have a panic attack*

Jason: so I heard about vigilante bingo

Vee, who was expecting him to say something WAY different: ...huh?

Jason, continuing: I have it on good authority that Spoiler made a deal with Eda to help her win

Vee: ??? (when did Eda have time to talk to Spoiler???)

Jason: but personally I'm rooting for Luz

Vee, still processing the fact that she and Eda are now officially cheating:

Jason: also, expect the other vigilantes to start throwing their hat in the ring soon. They can be really competitive

Jason, patting her on the shoulder as he leaves: okay good talk

(Amity and Luz arriving at Barbara's apartment for girls' night)

Steph, answering the door with an evil glint in her eyes: oh, you must be Babs' new friends! I've heard so much about you >:D

(eventually, the topic switches to vigilantes, thanks to one meddling Steph)

Steph, trying to feed Lumity false information to stop them from getting more points in bingo: you know, I hear the only vigilante who's ever given out autographs is Spoiler

Barbara, also invested in bingo and trying to help her new sister win: *narrowing her eyes* don't listen to Steph, she doesn't know what she's talking about. Spoiler's never given an autograph before. Ask Red Hood

Steph, who knows Jason will absolutely give an autograph to Luz: *glares at Babs*

Luz, who doesn't know they know about the bingo cards: haha why would we want an autograph??

(Batfamily meeting in the cave)

Steph: well we can't all speedrun bingo!

Jason: oh yeah? Who's gonna stop me?

Steph: it was my idea to meddle! I can easily do all the tasks before you can!

Babs, trying to defuse the situation before someone catches a Batarang in the knee: okay, okay. What if we made rules about how much we can interfere?

Steph, still glaring at Jason: ...I'm listening

[THE RULES:

1. The party you aid cannot be aware that you're aiding them - it must appear to be coincidence.

2. You cannot outright say things such as "Got any ice cream around here?" to prompt challenge completion - the subject of the challenge must be brought up by the party you aid.

3. Failure to comply with the above rules results in penalties including, but not limited to, extra patrols, public humiliation, and death by disappointing Alfred. Penalties are decided by Batwoman based on the severity of the rule infraction.]

Gus, on his first day as a news anchor: well folks it looks like we've got some quality rogues active in central Gotham today!

Camera crew, concerned about this kid's apparent apathy towards dangerous criminals:

Gus "I Was The MC For My Friends' Gladiator Match Against The Actual Embodiment Of Fear" Porter: Two-Face just made a move on Gotham National Bank - but oh? What's this? *listening to his earpiece* the temperature is dropping, grab your coats everyone because Mr. Freeze is here for six more weeks of winter!

Kevin the Cameraman, whispering to his coworker Beth: actually I think he's perfect for this

Signal, out alone and having to deal with both Two-Face and Freeze: I cannot live laugh love in these conditions

Gus, ten yards away in front of a camera, glancing back at Signal and winking: *mouthing* I gotchu fam

Real Gus, lying in wait behind a building while Illusion Gus MCs: *traps Mr. Freeze in a mental purgatory of his worst nightmares as soon as Freeze walks by*

Mr. Freeze, suddenly screaming and collapsing: Nora, don't leave me!

Real Gus: oops might have reawakened some trauma there

Signal, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth: *punches a distracted Two-Face and hauls both him and Freeze back to Arkham* don't know what that guy did to Freeze but whatever works ig

Hunter: *enjoying a peaceful night on the balcony with Willow*

Robin, manifesting: woodcarver.

Hunter: ??? Hello???

Robin: I would like to carve a palisman.

Hunter, confused: *looking to Willow for support with the stabby child*

Willow: *thumbs-up*

Hunter, finally getting Robin to talk about his emotions: what do you care about?

Robin, lore dropping like there's no tomorrow: I was genetically engineered to be the perfect combination of my mother and father. Growing up, I was expected to be the heir to both their legacies as the Demon's Head and the Bat. I always thought I wanted to take up the mantle, but it feels like a burden instead of some great destiny.

Hunter, making a few connections: ...you were supposed to fill the role of someone else?

Robin: yes, that's what I just said

Hunter, smiling: me too!

Hunter: though for me I was genetically engineered to be a copy of my former uncle's brother. And I was supposed to serve that uncle as the Golden Guard

Hunter, having a moment: ...and then I found out he was lying about our family and that he was trying to commit genocide

Hunter, spiraling: ...and then I found all the masks of the former Golden Guards...

Hunter: ...and realized he killed them all every time they - we - betrayed him...

Robin:

Hunter: ...and then he killed Flapjack...

Robin, prepared to go to war: let us kill that imbecile for his crimes.

Hunter, appreciating the support: thanks, but it's already taken care of :)

Batman, approaching the Clawthornes: Eda.

Eda: Batman.

Batman, actually kinda trying to help: King is fourteen, correct?

Eda: what's it to you?

Batman: that would place him at the start of high school. It might be good for him to interact with kids his own age.

Eda, squaring up: don't tell me how to parent my kid!

Eda, immediately turning to King: do you wanna go to school?

King: hmm maybe, I don't really know how human schools work and don't want to deal with what Luz went through...

Batman, who has a fourteen year old who also doesn't want to deal with school (but has to anyway to keep up appearances): we could get you a student liaison to shadow. If you want, they could be informed of your situation so you have someone to talk to

King: ...yeah sure sounds interesting

King, approaching The Bingo Council that night: is Batman getting me into school considered an almost-adoption? Cause I feel like if Eda wasn't there he would've adopted me

Eda, crossing her arms: I vote no. Adoption has to go through me and we have to fight for custody

Gus, who wants a point: I argue yes. We all know Batman has an adoption problem and Eda openly challenged his parenting attempts

Vee, off to the side, twiddling her thumbs and wondering if Batman is one of the vigilantes involved in Bingo Interference:

King, walking into class on his first day and seeing the glowering student liaison that everyone seems afraid of: *squints*

Damian: *narrows his eyes, waiting to see what King does*

King: *sips his Starbucks suspiciously*

Current Standings for Vigilante Bingo:

Lumity:

Huntlow:

An argument was made for "have a vigilante crash through your window", but since Robin never technically went inside the apartment, it was vetoed.

Gus and King:

Gus was awarded the "be a hero" square for taking out Mr. Freeze. The council agreed that more effort needs to be made on the "almost adopted by Batman" front. Should Batman try again, King will receive the point.

Eda and Vee:

Vee stewed in silence for the entire council meeting for unknown reasons.

[strangetomato]

Mental Health Update

I thought I would update on my mental health, since I've done so quite a bit here over the years.

As I mentioned before, its been over 5 years since I've been symptomatic. That's huge. I take an arsenal of medication, and I'm going to keep that just the way it is.

I try to keep up with the lifestyle stuff, too. Sleeping (I think it's the #1 mental health thing), exercising, and eating (not the best at this, but trying). I still attend a peer support group almost every week. My best friend does as well. We met there, and we both attend it like its church to us (for me, it feels that way--sidenote: I was raised in a very religious family, and I'm now thoroughly and extremely "non-religious").

Since my wonderful psychiatrist moved away, I have floundered around. I was referred to one who I will describe as simply "vile" and leave it at that. Her takes on adhd and autism were atrocious, and she was both belittling and beligerent. After that, I kept agitating my family doctor for another referral, perhaps in a neighbouring town. Finally, this worked.

This new psychiatrist was okay. He seemed amused that I was there to see him proactively, without any crisis, but I think that speaks to our struggling mental healthcare system. There was a moment where he mansplained (doctorsplained?) mania and hypomania to me, as if I havent been doing this for 25+ years, but I listened politely. I did like his distinction that the only real difference is that with hypomania you can continue to function. Yeah, I've gone on some wild rides (especially in my 20s), but ultimately I have kept it on the rails.

He also said that bipolar depression is somewhat different from unipolar depression. He said it's a lot worse. And the suicidality is a big part of that. And maybe it's in the contrast. There's something so desperately evil about plunging from euphoria to suicidal all in the span of a day or two, sometimes mere hours. And every time you cycle it gets just a little worse.

Fortunately, once you finally bring the wheel to a stop, your brain starts to right itself, too.

This psych also stated that lithium treats suicidal ideation. Since my wonderful former psychiatrist had brought this to my attention, when nobody else ever did, I feel I can trust this guy, too.

If I need him, that is. I'm being proactive. I need to know I have someone competent on the line if/when I need it.

So that's it. I'm doing well. I'm very much "in recovery" because I know that if I stopped my meds, it would knock me over with how fast it would all come rushing back in. But I'm okay with that.

Anyway, hope you are having a good day. I hope you are taking care of yourself, and if you are struggling, keep fighting. There is always hope.

[defining-skyology]

I've spent the last year endlessly panning over TGC's work, understanding the source material and what their mindsets were when creating Sky, and here's a brief post on what I consider to be the most important investigation that I contribute to the Lore Community!

The foundational Theme over all other worldbuilding motifs in Sky, is "Connection". Throughout his entire career, Jenova Chen has been obsessed with this word, and says it constantly in many articles about each of TGC's games. You see, every single game that TGC has created are each a different expression of this idea that, in life, all things are connected, tied together, and that all life coexists and works together to create and form the universe we live in. But this Connection, this intrinsic "cosmic web" that ties us all together, is TGC's understanding of "love". Through participating in Understanding that we are part of communities that are greater than each of our single Beings, we are remaining Connected to each other, and that Understanding is Love.

Halfway through Sky's development process, TGC had decided that there would be a Spectrum represented: of Connection and Indifference. This "Connection Spectrum", as we've called it before, was invented for the sake of visualizing the impact the Ancestors (the living mortals that built a kingdom but turned into Spirits when snuffed out by Darkness) would have on the Natural, Connected world of The Light.

This Spectrum would embody many things.

- Care vs rejection

- Tradition vs technology

- Humility vs hubris

- Acceptance vs control

- Faith vs doubt

Whether or not Darkness will be chosen to be an "ancient natural force" or not, what matters to Sky's "main" story is that Ancestors influenced Darkness to spread across the world, harming The Light, and harming Nature and Connection.

Using emotional backdrops in their concept presentations, TGC decided that, effectively, the Ancestor's hubris would be the primary cause of the spread of Darkness.

This disregard, this refusal to love and care for their world, and instead to control and hoard power for themself, is what destroyed their own kingdom.

Rather than seeing the universe as a battle of equal and opposing forces (Light and Darkness), this Connection Spectrum is designed to suggest that all things exist within a scale of engagement or detachment.

1. Connection is the force that binds, sustains, and integrates. It is the will to engage, to acknowledge, to form relationships and create meaning.

[All done!]

2. Indifference is the force of severance, neglect, and detachment. It is the rejection of engagement, the failure to acknowledge, the choice to let bonds weaken and dissolve.

I feel that continuing to explore these Themes as foundational concepts that design everything about Sky will help us Understand so much. ❤️ 🕯️

But now, how and where do we implement these philosophical ideas into Sky, and what in Sky's physical world is inferred by each side of the spectrum? That's what we really need to keep asking. You can see Connection and Indifference everywhere within both Sky's world and the real world, if you try. In the people on the news, the people around you, and even within yourself. I have been no stranger to Indifference, isolating myself in places like this silly blog, and being hypercritical of everything around me.

We need to learn to Love; to care more about our Connections with people and the world around us, and what that means to us.

I need to learn to Love more. And that starts with letting go of Control. We're going to stop being so desperate here. I'm afraid that there will be no more systems, no more attempts to be the one to find The Answer. I'll post however, whenever, out of Love, not longing. Thank you for being here, and I hope that this means something, but I'm at least glad it meant something to me. ❤🕯

[dcviated]

Wylan stares at her with amusement. The grin spreads in a manner that, perhaps, Sonia may regret asking such a thing immediately. "Twenty? Damn. I really do look good for my age, don't I?" A pleased noise that can hardly be summed up better than 'gyuhuhu' follows. But the guesses are waved off. "I turned twenty six not too long after we uh. Had our split in Vegas. Maybe it's the skincare?" He hums in thought as the pair continued. "I have to keep that up to some degree otherwise when I get scars, they'll heal up horrendous. And all the more aggravating to conceal, when I can."

It wasn't long until they had hit the clerks to finalize said purchases. For all of Wylan's exploits, he didn't quite consider retail or shopping theft to be a preferred one under the majority of circumstances. He'd recount the times he did so as a child, if it came up. But he'd quickly add that the person he was then and the person he was now were two far different people.

For better? Or worse?

When a pretty little leather choker is not quite so sneakily snuck into the items, it could be left for Sonia to ponder just how wise it was to marry a man like this. For a Libra, he really did force one to make observations between the pros and cons. A set of scales that refused to balance simply because they were.

Wylan would fight back the smile, but the question of what to do next hung much tighter than that collar would on Sonia's neck. There were quite a few options, weren't there? This strange honeymoon period complete with denials and elations between the two. Kids in a candy store.

So it was with a little bit of bitterness that he spoke up the question underneath all those frivolities. Lest it be buried further.

"Sonia. We gotta go back before too much longer, don't we? I mean what was your schedule before I came here and flipped it over? My plane back to America... ah that doesn't matter. Uh. Yours though. I'm sure it does. Who knows now about us? Who's gonna... where do we... I... go? From here? Because if we do too much it's gonna get back to them and I can't see it reflecting too great."

Wylan's face wrinkles, squeezing as though he were holding back a phantom pain in some limb.

"I want to do ... fun stuff with you in Paris. But. I'm not oblivious that I'm not... gonna be received well. And the more this goes on that'll just make it- Ha but I don't exactly have a chance to make a good impression to begin with, so what does it matter, really, right?"

Hands rub down his face.

"I don't know. I can't relax enough. I think. Is the biggest issue here. None of this feels right. And I have no idea what is."

Hell. Even the collar purchase felt stupid in the immediate hindsight.

Well, at least he realized it early on. Considering geography and that she assumed Wylan knew where Novoselic was: it bordered the country they were currently in. That meant that snow was a certainty. "I apologize on behalf of my country for the weather you will encounter from around the end of October until April," She told him sincerely, but with a grin as she plucked out various pieces for him to try on. "If it is of any reassurance, it is very common to go out of the country during the two weeks' holiday in January that the Royal Council is in recess, often to somewhere warm." She usually chose somewhere tropical and her family had a preferred resort in the Maldives, but Sonia was open to trying something new. She briefly wondered what Las Vegas weather was like that time of year before going back to browsing. His only other option, besides going along with whatever she chose, was learning how to ski and enjoying it.

Unfortunately, she doubted ski gear would include cartoon character prints: or at least the sort of gear her family would approve of anyone being seen in. "And what age is that, exactly?" Sonia asked, half-teasing and half out of ignorance as he appeared to disapprove of her clothing choices. She'd never exactly asked Wylan his age, it wasn't exactly a polite question and despite how much he enjoyed taunting, Sonia found it in poor taste to be rude in return. Now that they were dating, however, the rules were relaxed. He had seen her naked, after all. "Twenty? Twenty-two? And you can wear your cartoon characters in private. I certainly do." Though hers were, admittedly, more horror icons and anime characters on the occasional t-shirt or sweatshirt.

Still, she pushed the clothes into his hands and ushered him into the changing room with far more effectiveness than any staff member. She was used to getting her way, save for the people she needed to stand her ground with the most: that was what happened when your father ruled a country and your mother was...

Well. She could only hope that Wylan would meet her wearing trousers. Sonia couldn't hide her shock when he emerged without them, causing several men in the vicinity to cough and turn away in disapproval. A turn of her head left and right was enough to indicate that they were her incognito security, and Wylan had managed to startle them. Sonia gave a deep sigh in return: they'd have their hands full trying to keep watch over him, and this was before her parents even knew that he existed. Again. As far as they knew, for now at least, he was a random American who had abandoned her there, never to be seen or heard from again.

She politely declined a coffee but accepted a bottle of Perrier from one of the salesmen, with an empty glass to pour it in. The carbonation was a welcome distraction from her two dueling thoughts: how handsome he looked in a proper shirt and how he would tolerate it: starched collars, no logos, winter, being seen, at least for some time, as an extension of her and the Royal Family. He'd lived a life of independence, albeit one with a likely target on his back, but independence nonetheless. Was it worth giving that up?

Was she worth staying for, with all of the imposed rules from etiquette to dress to royalty-approved conversation topics?

Sonia let the bubbles fizz and dissipate on her tongue, leaving the mineral taste of the sparkling water in her mouth before swallowing. A fitting analogy to his life, perhaps: fizzy and exciting before becoming dull and tasteless upon staying by her side. She had to ensure that didn't happen: she was a princess, yes, but she was also his partner. She wanted, needed, to make sure that this was a life he could not just live but thrive in, as opposed to feeling resigned to it. Resentment of being her support would not do, ever.

"Don't worry about it, I am, as you say, 'thrown under the bus' for quite a lot and I probably only have earned it half the time," She insisted with a smile, getting to her feet. At least these would last until they returned home and royal seal-appointed tailors got their hands on him. Sonia supposed she should be present for the first few fittings, at least: Liam would only encourage him, Sam wouldn't hide his annoyance, and Cecily might burst a blood vessel from stress. "But I think you look wonderful and, ah, appropriate for the autumn weather in this part of the world. Not as warm as you'd like, I presume: for anything above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, one must go towards the Mediterranean. But let's get these and decide what to do next. I am open to ideas." She'd been to Paris more times than she could count, but she presumed it was the first time for him. Or at least the first time he didn't have to kill anyone, which was significant indeed.

[tanadrin]

I see the points people are making that “addiction” is maybe not the ideal model to discuss this, but I also am very sympathetic to the idea that some people have problems with compulsive porn/masturbation to the point that it’s detrimental for them. I’d never claim there’s a chemical dependency as in, eg, smoking or cocaine use or something.

We need a simple word for “habit that has negative effects on my life, but which I don’t seem to have the self-control to eliminate”. Calling it addiction was/is supposed to encourage efforts to help people stop, but all it’s seemed to do is spawn the growth of weird evangelical 12-step programs for being horny.

I want to be horny, if anything, I’d like to be much *more* horny, that’s why I’m trying to quit watching porn.

for reference (and why this is on anon) I’ve probably jerked off 1-3 times a day, every day, for like 10 years, this isn’t a case of catholic guilt over mild sexual behavior. I have a very hard time staying aroused, I have a hard time even getting aroused, and I have a hard time finishing without fairly intense stimulation. If I take 1-2 weeks off of porn (challenge level, nearly impossible) I see improvements in these areas.

Several years ago, I made it almost 6 weeks, and by the end of it, I was firing on all cylinders like I was 19 again. Sadly, it apparently wasn’t the sole issue. I went to the club, picked up a woman, I got hard when we were dancing, I got hard when we were making out outside the bar, but when we were in my car and she put her hand on me, my guy was nowhere to be found. She went home by herself, I went home and was so horny I was able to get 110% hard and jerk off purely from my mind. Idk where that energy was when it counted, sadly.

Weirdly, taking a break from orgasming but continuing to watch porn often actually makes it worse. I tried edging for 8-10 days once, and by the end of it, I could barely get hard for my favorite types of video.

I’m in my late 20s now, and I know some things slow down, but I thought I was still a bit young for this type of thing. The problem is that I just can’t stop scrolling porn on twitreddit. When I’m bored, porn, when I’m lonely, porn, when I’m anxious, porn (and I’m anxious a lot).

A few months ago, I made it a week, and I was buzzing and confident, but then I backslid and went back to my old habits. It was nice while it lasted, I’d deeply missed feeling that little twitch of arousal from a random thought or from flirting with a pretty stranger. I feel neutered these days, there’s no hunger anymore.

I don’t think I’m anti-sex, really. I’ve only felt guilt from casual or relationship sex a couple of times, and my guilt from masturbation has more to do with frustration that I know it’s bad for me than with some idea of moral inferiority.

sorry if this is insane.

I really just want to stop watching porn so I can try to start dating or sleeping with people again, not much point when I’m 97% afraid my cock won’t work. It might not medically be an addiction, but for me it’s definitely a self-destructive habit.

sounds like a bunch of different things going on here. for one habituating yourself to a very specific kind of stimulus can make it hard to get off in other ways--one approach that seems to work for some people who are in a similar boat (especially men who are used to jerking off with a firm grip) is to vary how you masturbate, use different kinds of stimulus, and learn to come in other ways. masturbation provides a very close feedback loop between stimulus and response, in a way that is always going to be very different from partnered sex--most people who masturbate regularly can make them come much more quickly that way, even if they find, in absolute terms, sex with a partner to be much more pleasurable.

(an important component in re-habituating yourself like that is not to fall back on the technique that works when you get frustrated and can't come, which is why it can be difficult for some people to manage)

separately from this, having trouble maintaining an erection with a new partner is also a thing lots of men report, regardless of how much porn they look at--sometimes you get nervous! it's easy to get nervous with a new partner! this is why god invented oral sex and fingering. that kind of picking-up-a-stranger-at-a-club casual sex works well for some people, but it sure doesn't work for everybody. and because arousal and erections are heavily dependent on state of mind, being nervous about being able to get an erection can, unfortunately, make it harder to get and maintain an erection. so there's a feedback loop there that can be pretty hard to break.

thirdly, if the only filler in your life is porn--if you spend a lot of time bored or anxious with nothing to fill those gaps other than porn--it sounds like a big problem here might just be boredom or anxiety, fundamentally. i don't know you, so i'm speculating, but maybe you need hobbies, or more of a social life, or are having issues with low-grade depression that getting out of the house more would help with. and if you're fixated on porn as the cause of these issues rather than just a symptom, you're also going to be struggling with the self-esteem hit of falling back into the habit of looking at porn, which is happening because, well, you're bored and anxious and you have nothing else that helps you deal with that feeling.

[gingerswagfreckles]

Well they caught him. If he wasn't the exact kind of person tumblr loves, the conspiracy theories about this being a random person being framed would have continued to spread. But he's an attractive 26 year old white man who was caught carrying a manifesto about corporate America and has an internet history that matches up with tumblr's general politics. So everyone is going to get excited about how he's a martyr and go back to acknowledging reality in that there isn't a conspiracy to frame the wrong guy.

The discussions over whether or not this man should be lionized as a hero are honestly not as relevant as the comfort with which people are going to drop the conspiracy theory they would have been fully committed to if this man's politics turned out to be nuts. The ease with which the userbase of this website switches between realities based on whether or not they confirm their biases is really alarming. I just hope people understand how weird it is to claim a random person is 100% going to be framed by the FBI on one day, and then drop that by the next day when it becomes clear that the person being "framed" is the exact kind of communist you had hoped.

[truearchangel]

ㅤ"The point of sex has changed over the years. In the beginning, when we started figuring out how it worked for the humans God created, it was to serve the purpose of creating more. Only that, nothing else. It's why a lot of Christians or Catholics or—why did you all invent so many religions? Religion fanatics don't believe in contraceptives. Sex if it results in a child is God's will." He does pay attention to some things that happen on Earth, they're just few and scares in between.

ㅤ"Now though, the point of it has changed a little bit. Heaven still believes in the concept of sex being purely for the person you wish to spend your life with. Casual sex is not a thing we will ever believe in. It's meant to be intimate, a moment between two people to connect them deeply. Sex before marriage in some respects is still frowned upon, it's just not as grave a sin as it used to be."

ㅤㅤㅤIt is, however, still a sin.

ㅤ"My point Alastor, is that sex is a balance between the two people intending on having that moment." He rolls his shoulders slightly and nervously fiddles with the end of his button down shirt. He's really not good at talking about these things. "Enjoyment comes in many forms. When you listen to a radio your body doesn't physically react to it, right? But you are enjoying it. Reading is that way for me. Mentally, I'm very much enjoying the literature I'm consuming, even if outwardly there is no reaction."

ㅤIs this making sense? He has no idea. He's going to continue to babble in the hopes that eventually something connects and makes it make sense.

ㅤ"As long as you are enjoying it and making it clear you're enjoying it, why does there have to be a reaction?" Is it different? Would it make the other person nervous they're doing something wrong? Certainly. But that was what the point of communication was for. As he said, it was a balance. Doing things that both parties enjoy is the purpose.

ㅤ"Being different doesn't make you broken. I was simply wondering if there was a medical reason or a Hell reason, like how sinner's can't reproduce. But if there isn't? Then there isn't. You are fine just being you."

Ah. So he was not as good at disguising his upset than he'd thought. Michael had grown a bit too observant, it seemed. And as he sat up, Alastor backed up enough to settle there next to him, breathing out a small sigh. He did not interrupt the other's little impromptu lecture, however, sparing a glance over at him briefly as he seemed to justify the reasoning behind what he was saying.

"I understand all of that," he said, once Michael had seemed to finish.

"I have never been a creature very driven by such bodily needs. In the moment, it is a nice experience - when I am with you in that capacity, I am invested. Or- in my head, I am. I suppose."

His ear gave a slight twitch as he turned his eyes back off to a far wall. A bit... embarrassed to be talking about this at all.

"You ask if it was broken. I don't know. Maybe it is. But it has always been that way. Such is why I have never once bothered to try to engage in this sort of thing with anyone else. It is hard to... try to justify it. Or explain it. And then there would be an intent to fix me." His nose wrinkled, clearly distraught by the notion.

"I do not want to be fixed in that way."

Alastor laid himself back against the pillows, resting an arm over his eyes to shield the slight bitterness in them - not at Michael. Just at the circumstance.

"I want things that my body does not immediately understand or recognize. It has always been that way and will always be that way. And to entirely write off a specific brand of intimacy just because of that is - frustrating."

His claws flexed slightly.

"...I am broken.

That is just the way that it is."

[dent-de-leon]

TAZ Ethersea my beloved.....

[machinesandman]

"?!"

The way this alternate got creative in how to dodge so effectively, using the thruster of the mounted arm missile as a way of increasing the dash to a dodge, it impressed the Ex Maverick. Enough that he had to pause and appreciate such a move, it was something he himself would have tried many, many, years ago when younger. But older versions of himself wouldn't, far too wrapped up in ego, power, and urges to use every new tool to be higher and in advantage over someone else.

"Good."

Vile was pleased. That means this one had an edge over that other alternate, not blinded like himself used to be. Vi will need that. Adaptability it what we were always good at once... Stay that way, be better than the rest of us.'

The older version of the two stood now in the indented ground, small crater of a sort, and he brought himself to his full height once more. The dust slowly settling down around him like an ominous haze in the air, leaving Vile silhouetted. That energy shield dissipating with but a thought as he began to turn, arm bending backwards, palm open. Preparing a new counter or attack- but Vile held his hand up. Making him stop in his tracks and wait. Honorable even now, with the raw honesty out in the air. That lifted hand lowering as all the energy he was gathering was depleted, put back into reserves.

Brows furrowed under the helmet as he listened intently then. Attacked...? From the sounds of things, it couldn't have been Mavericks. Extremists as he said have been deploying the virus on their own, so maybe it was those Emerald Spears bastards? If they even existed in this alternates world, or at least something similar to them. Vile was left wondering the specifics of how trying to cure it was even going, if the other worlds X was involved... Was he even still immune? Like the X of his own world? Had to be, otherwise he wouldn't be there.

"Well shit." The war machine strode out of the impact zone he had created, to stand closer to his alternate once more, enough for polite conversation, but not enough to indicate he would be standing down. "Sounds like a few are trying to find some sort of gain from causing that sort of destruction." A part was curious, almost enough so, to see if Shaska could have any input on this other worlds issue. But he sure as hell wasn't going to bring it up to her, not their circus. He had faith in Vi and the other side of reality. Or maybe faith was the wrong word... Maybe he was starting to feel that damnable Hope so many spoke about...

Wait-- that was a good question actually! Why would that other variant want involved? Vile felt his instincts suddenly flare, various possible outcomes flitting across his mind. "That is a big concern I share. I can think of two possibilities off the top of my head, and neither one are good." Even more so if a different Sigma, or some other figure head, is pulling that other Vile's strings. "For one, he could be there to try and get it to use as a weapon for himself. I can tell you for certain that most of the others of us have one hell of a grudge against X, Zero, and the Hunters as a whole. If he got hole of your version, maybe he would want to use it was a way to wipe MHHQ off the map. Strategy speaking? It would cripple any resistance."

He hummed then, shifting his weight sideways with the slight tilt of the helmet. "The grudge leads me to the second one. It could be thrill of the kill, just to try and take down you as a way to prove his superiority, or worse infect you to be like him. And then go after your worlds X and Zero. Not sure whatever ya want me callin' em'."

"Either way, he can not be suffered to remain a threat... It could be much worse than even I might be thinking." He motioned with one hand then, in a sort of offer. Something meant to let him choose to continue their fight, or keep it on a pause.

Miserable, that's how it sounds. Vi can only hazard a guess at the timeline, at how rapidly the virus advanced. How swiftly everything in his alternate's world decayed. His own experiences in a broken mirror. The spread had been slowed here, if only because of how deadly infection was. Killing the subjects so quickly was a mercy of a sort, although no one could really call it painless.

You enjoyed it? That glitch must have gone a long ways back. Although Vi couldn't deny the thrill of combat, the pride in his work, he suspected that this... reveling in the chaos, was not that.

Vile moves backwards, dodging as effectively as expected. Really, it would have been disappointing if the uppercut actually connected. What is a surprise however, is the thrusters mounted in the soles of his companions boots. It makes for a quick retreat and regrouping effort.

Shit, I can't do that. The raising of eyebrows under his visor. Getting airborne is a new trick, and one the Maverick Hunter would definitely be considering modifications for in the future. "I'm impressed." A quick scan of the other's armor is tucked away for later.

For the first time in a while, he's grateful to have teammates with flight capabilities, this at least, isn't out of the ordinary. A missile pops out of his gauntlet armor, rather than firing at Vile though... he breaks into a sprint towards his incoming opponent. The rocket's booster flares while still attached to his arm, helping him pick up speed. His dash turns into a slide just barely under the alternates path.

What he can't make up for in natural speed, he can make up with resourcefulness. He's had to use plenty of tricks when sparring with the other S-ranks. Nonlethal momentum is one thing he can handle. The weapon clicks as it disappears back into his arm, one of them is pulling punches after all. Vi gets back to his feet with a sigh, inspecting the impact zone he'd missed with a hidden grimace. Close call.

It's funny how casual this feels. It's easier to talk like this in a way. Functions split, less time to overthink the answers. More honest. Still, he isn't quick to retaliate, if only because his alternate asked a pointed question. He holds up a hand, to signal a proper pause in their skirmish.

"Xan-- X, and several other research teams have been studying it. Working on a vaccine." Slow, grim work. Comprised of mostly human scientists to avoid accidental infection. "...the primary research outpost was attacked a while back." A real dent in any progress.

"Since then, it's been deployed like a bio weapon by extremists. Completely clean areas become ground zero out of the blue." It'd only happened a few times, but even once is too many. "That's why it's still out there." Why it hadn't been fully contained. "We still don't know where it came from in the first place, or how they're getting their hands on more of it." A pause, and he's crossing his arms, thoughtful.

"...actually... now that you've got me thinking... what the hell would that other Vile gain from getting in the middle this? Our virus is lethal, and there's been no sign he's spreading anything else." So what then, is he just in it for the thrill of the kill?

[bylertruther]

smth abt eddie telling dustin to look after the little sheep -> s5 is going to return to s1 form -> dustin tells mike in s1 that his obliviousness blows his mind -> the whole painting & confession & obvious general fiasco that is willelmike -> dustin's going to have to put on his bob the builder / "the world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes" sherlock holmes hat and get involved

[galacticlamps]

actually ascension needs its own post since that's the one with the most details to speculate over and im starved for soho talk so i will talk to myself if need be

First the cover again, because I kinda can't get over it:

my only thing is that I had been hoping we might get Lizbeth on a cover again since she's never been on one of the boxsets before, despite being the 2nd person credited on all 4 of them (even if that's just alphabetical, still, she's the only one of the four main characters who never makes the cover)

But letting that go...

I know we already kinda knew the brief for this one but damn I didn't expect it to go quite this hard. Maybe that's just because the Parasite & Ashenden covers were (comparatively) similarish to each other and I was so pleased with Unbegotten's, and then got so used to it as the placeholder for Ascension while they kept postponing it, I wasn't expecting anything this colorful or detailed or with what I can't help but register as Fun New Outfits even though these are still like, pretty damn basic as far as costumes go. Still, it's a different vibe from everyone in suits and trenchcoats on every cover, technically. (Oh the woes of being an audio fan such that two characters owning sweaters actually does qualify as new information)

On top of just being visually delightful though, I know we knew religion was gonna be a fairly big part of this one, but I didn't actually expect to get quite this much of it - though I'm glad of it for a number of reasons. The BF twitter already made the ineffable joke so I don't have to, but also yeah I did very much spend all of season 2 episode 4 of good omens half convinced Samuel Barnett & Dervla Kirwan were about to pop up around any given corner (if you will go around being gay supernatural and horrible at your messy bureaucratic jobs in midcentury soho then I'm sorry, this is where my brain's gonna go) - so, fuel to that fire. But in terms of actual important things, at least one of my Soho wishes looks to be being granted because we have a Rev Edward Folgate on the cast list, which must mean we're finally meeting Norton's father, even if his mother & brother don't appear (which they could, technically, I've definitely seen BF not list all the doublings on their cast tabs before). Religion, domesticity, and the nuclear family are all things that absolutely fascinate me when it comes to Norton's character, so getting any amount of story involving his father & his church is something I've been actively hoping for for a long time now.

(I will say I'm a tiny bit bummed Saffron Coomber isn't on the cast list to play Mia again, but I kinda figured she wasn't going to be since Greg Austin's Armitage, who's making his first recurring appearance after originating in Unbegotten, was listed ever since the boxset was announced - presumably if she was also returning, that would've been handled in the same way. But since Unbegotten ended with Lizbeth and Mia going on a date, I still held out hope. Who knows though, maybe things did go well for them and Lizbeth just has a better work/life balance than Norton so she can date someone without them getting dragged into every scifi plot. I know that's not a very common accomplishment for any Torchwood agent, but a gal can hope)

At this point I know I'm completely in the realm of speculation & even wishful thinking, but I'm really really hoping we get some more clues as to Norton's overall timeline in this one, and I have a feeling that even if there's nothing as direct as dates given, the events of a plot like this one are going to heavily influence my personal interpretation of it.

To say that life & death are major themes for the soho crew feels wildly reductive, but even by Torchwood's standards and taking into account its origins as a piece of media with Jack Harkness & his newfound immortality at the heart of it, the living/dead status of this bunch has always been fantastically up in the air to me. Obviously Ghost Mission introduced Norton as kind of a ghost before revealing more obvious ghostly characters later on to which the title might have been referring, but his being from the past did beg the question of his survival into Torchwood's present era all the same, which Outbreak later alludes to much more directly, and his habit of showing up via hologram in multiple stories only further obfuscates any certainty we might have about where & when he definitely can be said to be alive and well. Then you've got Lizbeth and Gideon both being effectively 'brought back to life' via paradoxes that prevented them ever having died in the first place. Again, they are very very far from being the only Torcwhood characters this happens to (for a sprawling EU, it's really rather impressive how often & in how many different ways Torchwood as a whole manages to circle back to being about like. chaotic undead queers at the end of every day. though I suppose that consistency is part of why I keep falling in love with its different iterations again and again). That's without even getting into the question of Norton's dubious fate in God Among Us - and I say dubious because I know some people take that to be his ultimate death, but I personally think that reading something as vague as that as having any kind of finality rather goes against the spirit of this whole world/series, not just because I want him to live. (There are obviously other ways to make him survive/reappear, but I don't see this as a River Song scenario where we can safely assume one of his earlier-released adventures had to happen at the end of his personal timeline). But wherever God Among Us falls for him, he does very much meet God in it - or at least, a god, since the sentinel in Unbegotten is also described as a god of sorts, and even if he doesn't ultimately have the status of the god Jacqueline King is playing there, Unbegotten is still full to bursting with ghosts/undead/came back wrong/echo characters to continue underscoring that life/afterlife theme.

So all things considered, even allowing for the fact that we know Norton's twin hobbies are lying about himself and abusing time travel to suit his own ends/ever-shifting alliances, I find it difficult to believe we could get through a whole 6-part boxset about religion & death without something providing some kind of compelling evidence about where this adventure fits in among his other run-ins with apocalypses and gods and ghosts and dead-but-still-here characters/creatures, so I'm very much looking forward to any further exploration on that front.

And lastly, and least intellectually, I really want to know what the hell 20th-century Torchwood's obsession with Reginalds is. Reading through the cast list, I had to do two separate doubletakes over the character 'Sir Reginald Peebles' - firstly, because I had Reginald Rigsby on the brain, this being Soho (and the other Troughton brother being so active on BF's releases for this same month) - and secondly, because reading this in conjunction with the announcement for the July monthly adventure in which the new main Torchwood guy of the 20s is apparently called Sir Reginald Dellafield, there was a brief moment where I took that monthly release to be a tie-in with Ascension. I don't expect it to be, but damn. was it really so popular a name?

anyways, catch me thinking about those stained glass windows for the next couple months I guess (and knowing Torchwood Soho, for a long long time after it comes out as well lol)

[variousqueerthings]

HAHAAAA:

yes, we have watched mohjo rising. the wikipedia order of episodes is different than the youtube watch and idk if that's a mistake on the youtube side, but i didn't notice until several episodes in, and now it's kinda too late to change. but would be interesting changing the order next time to see how it changes the dynamics. i quite like this one so farrrr, but i hate the idea im getting the emotional continuity back-to-front -- like if odds comes before ladies man that throws off all kinds of things, and i don't like that, but is that just because i watched ladies man first??? have i been bamboozled into the classic trick of "what you watch first tends to stick"? or is it genuinely better in my order

frannie recrushing on fraser reminded me so much of heaven and earth in dead men don't throw rice. i admit i had hoped she would go in another direction initially, but it's balanced out by her presence in the department, so she definitely has more going for her than "just" fraser-crushing. her dynamic with welsh is gold, she cannot be yelled at at this point, she's welsh's odd youngest child vibe, ray is going to feel some kinda way about her potentially joining the force, and i like that we've maintained a vecchio presence (outside of the ghost presence) in the story. as for the crush itself, was chatting at one point about how it's interesting in that it brings out certain moments in fraser that break through some of the ice/facade he's got going on by just plain annoying him (very little sister of your best friend vibes). he rolls his eyes at one point, i was like oh hello fraser, i spy your emotions, even though they're microdosed (similar to the hypnosis gag) also when she calls him in dead men i really was thinking about how frannie often hits on a truth without quite coming at it from the "right" angle. yeah this man is hiding. not his emotions for her but he is hiding. but yeah, i adore frannie, i think she's a wonderful character for many reasons that deserve their own post

rest of ensemble: welsh and huey, obviously great. also huey's had something of a whole arc across all four seasons. he started out not liking fraser (as an extension of ray), but a part of that was definitely louis' influence, out of the two of them he was always more level-headed and seemed pretty happy to put down the hatchet bit by bit, and then ofc louis' was murdered and we got to see him be quite affected + on his own for most of the season (in the background but still!) and his new partner is kind of a dick! which is something to mull over. ALSO WHEN HE SAID FRASER IS SUPERMAN I 😭😭😭 HE REALLY HAS SEEN ALL OF THAT AND THE IDEA OF FRASER DYING WOULD HURT

i miss elaine, it's a shame she was written off but hey, she didn't die so that is a Win, i can always imagine her. overall a strong station, but i do think sans gardino and elaine there's not much of the rest of the precinct that sticks much with me beyond the old favourites (there's the recurring gag with that one police woman on the phone and that's fine, but she's not a character as such). on the flipside there is the aforementioned bigger focus on welsh through his relationship with frannie in particular, but also just a Softening of him (that was always kinda there but is now like. There). so. things to think about. what this all Means -- it Does work, i do enjoy, it makes me think about... some things. that i havent quite formulated yet

having a looooooooooooot of thoughts (as im sure you've seen) about fable!fraser (superhero, fairytale fraser) and getting hurt and lying and getting dirtied -- and the first two are things he has done before, but i think it's that last one that matters. the manner in which hurt and lying happen and how he's affected (like you say in your other post about the episode with LadyShoes, the reasoning for things, the idea of "ends justify means" rather than the sorts of ways he's played with "truth" before which has usually had more to do with others' assumptions + omission + bending things to make everyone happy... things like that. this was 1. him realising he put two men's lives in danger deliberately, consciously, directly, and then 2. him... I think "stringing along" is a bit harsh, but it's in that realm of things, but playing her game for sure, and (i think) being more callous about that than he likes, again, to reach an end... many deeper thoughts about that, deserves a whole post, but i think ive gotta see where the story ends first

ALSO YEAH HUEY FUcKN KNOWS THAT FRASER'S NOT TELLIN THE WHOLE TRUTH/IS PLAYING A PART HERE!!!! this goes back to an oft-asked question by me these seasons, which is how little ray kowalski actually knows about fraser, because this fraser (the s3-onwards fraser) withholds a lot, and how i feel like that's the journey their dynamic is on right now, is ray kowalski seeing more and more of fraser bleeding through and being... concerned... somewhat. this man needs to stop jumping out of windows and "faux" dying for the cause..... but again, something that'll be clearer upon rewatch

WE DIIIID SEE THE LOcATION REUSE YES!!!! I didn't so much, GJ sees these things better than I do 😂 but once it was pointed out, yes

it alllll comes back to what sort of fairytale this ultimately is!

and i get to watch episode six as well. as a treat!

rayk telling him not to jump outta the window and he was right

fraser hurt himself... and he's still hobbling

lila!!!! from angel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and she has a neat lil dog