#and you accepted them WITH the GOOD AND the BAD

[help-help-i-need-an-adult]

This!

I love to sing. I’ve been singing on stage and at every opportunity since I was 5.

I have traveled the country to sing. I volunteered to be awake every day at 4am and not get home till midnight during the final week of a semester every year to do extra singing as a kid.

I’ve sang with opera companies and local theaters and ballet companies as a volunteer.

When I was the age I was doing this, my dad told me to do what I love for a living and I’ll never work a day in my life.

The thing is singing is work. A lot of it. And it’s hard work.

(There are some lucky people who could refuse to do a lot of the things I’m about to get into and still be successful professional singers, but I promise you, they are not the majority of musicians.)

Specifically, I hate reading sheet music. I can read it and I’m really good as sight reading. But I hate it.

I hate wearing makeup. The older you get, the more you’re expected to wear makeup.

I hate heels. And shaving. And a slew of other things you are expected to do all the time if you’re a singer as an adult female. Dresses and bras and spanks and UGH! No thank you.

And here’s another thing. I watched my older sister who also loves to sing pursue being an opera singer since the age of 13.

She worked a job as early as 14 to pay for her own piano lessons. She went to a fine arts high school and trained under one of the most prestigious soprano opera coaches in the world. She couldn’t get into a college of the same caliber, but studied music anyway.

I watched her bleach her hair to straw and then stop. Over eat and then starve herself with a scary diet. Worry about her makeup every damn day and wear heels around the house so she would be used to them. Fret over outfits being exactly what would be acceptable in her profession of choice to the point where she didn’t have clothes for clubbing with friends. She wore a pink sweater and white pencil skirt to go clubbing with a friend once. She looked like she was going to church.

She got her 1st degree in music education because she couldn’t audition for an opera company till she was 35, and then didn’t use it because she hated teaching children.

She proceeded to work retail and food service and hate it and be miserable and mean to everyone around her because of it.

She became so critical of MY singing and MY appearance because she assumed I’d follow her footsteps to being a professional singer. I couldn’t sing to myself while doing chores without her stopping me to tell me I’d done xyz wrong. I couldn’t buy and wear a dress for an event without her spending hours telling me why it was ugly and how I’d get raped in it. (Nevermind how many other people told me it looked lovely, that shit sticks in your head in a bad way.)

She tried to force me into a diet at 14. I was 5’5 and 130lbs soaking wet.

She called me lazy for not having to energy and drive to pay for my own piano lessons. Nevermind that my teenager level paycheck was going to pay for my own medical care.

I know she kept going back to school for music and was working on her doctorate at one point because our brother told me about it. I have no idea if she’s auditioned and been accepted by an opera company or not. I stopped talking to her over a decade ago because I couldn’t take her abuse anymore.

She took dad’s advice so literally that she worked herself into a terrible person. She was just as miserable as our dad who didn’t follow his dreams at all because of money if not more so.

I watched her doing these things to herself and others and by 14 I realized I did not want that for myself.

I tried a few different things. I thought I might be a lawyer or historian or even a teacher.

In the end, college was awful for me. I never finished despite getting a head start on it at 15. I worked retail jobs until I landed my current position.

I like it a lot. More importantly, I love the life it affords me.

I like the work. It’s fairly repetitive and easy to manage. It even is contributing to a cause I find to be important to bettering the world.

I like the people I work with. I get to work from home and watch tv while I work and have a cat on my lap. I almost never have to get dressed unless I have an in-person meeting. Virtual meetings? No one cares what I’m wearing as long as I’m fully clothed. I’m far from the only one who doesn’t shave or wear makeup despite it being a female dominated space. It’s LGBTQ+ friendly and is actually being ahead of the curve on inclusion in many respects (wild for being in a red state).

Sometimes I get paid to eat s’mores and go on scavenger hunts. My hours are flexible. I have almost 400 hours of saved up sick time I can use. My boss is human and accommodating for things like death in the family even though my family now is a found family.

My pay isn’t stellar because my job is “entry level” but it still pays better than most anything else I’m qualified for without a college degree.

And I can afford to sing.

I sing with 2 local choral ensembles regularly. One of them requires me to wear makeup and shave and wear costumes when we perform. One just wants me to wear all black and not smell bad.

I volunteer to sing with fellow alumni of the prestigious children’s choir I grew up with. Their appearance requirements are somewhere in between the other two.

And I love it because it’s for me. I could stop if one group or another ever stopped filling my cup. I don’t have to read sheet music daily or panic over auditions or spend every day working on pieces I hate.

It’s lovely, because I can still love it.

This isn’t to say you can’t love the grind.

One of my choral ensembles had a director (we recently lost her due to a move) who does singing, our specific kind of singing, for a living. She scrapes by financially with making learning tracks and teaching and coaching. Her travel schedule is crazy because the quartet she performs and competes with live all over the country and they perform and teach all over the world. She wears makeup all the time and cute clothes and is comfortable in heels and navigating stages without her glasses.

Unlike my sister, she’s happy doing these things, but it still looks exhausting.

I don’t want to have to live her schedule. I don’t have her energy levels and never have.

I value my peace and I want my music to be for me. Not a pay check. I want to be able to interpret music and put in artistry I like sometimes. But other times I’m perfectly happy just being part of the group that meets once a week.

Figure out if depending on your art to eat would make you hate it. If so, do something else that you like and can afford you the life and art you love.

I see a lot of people who tell young people–especially young people who are heading into college–that they should “do what they love.” And they’re right. You should do what you love.

But there’s a world of difference between doing what you love for you, and doing what you love for a paycheck. 

I went to undergrad for graphic design and 3-D design–art and more art, I usually say–and I loved it. You know what I didn’t love? Trying to collect my fees from clients. Trying to meet unrealistic, over-simplified or over-specific briefs from people who didn’t know what they were talking about. Coming home, having worked creatively all day, with no creative juice left for the things I wanted to do.

You know what I would tell you instead? Do something that you can be interested in, with people you like.

You don’t have to love it. Loving your work can be a lot, and it often means you have to live in your job 24/7. Some people can do that. Not everyone can, or should.  But if you can find work that’s interesting enough that it doesn’t feel tedious, and people you can enjoy spending your 9-5 with, and you can make money, that’s great! It means you can do the things you love for you.

I’m in law school now. It’s interesting work, and difficult, and I like doing it. I like how complicated it gets, and I like the stories it tells. But I don’t come home and read law journals for fun. I come home, and I sculpt, and I draw, and I paint, and I read. I do these things for me.

And I love it. 

[wintfleur]

𝓦ANNA BE YOUR ENDGAME

aka heather’s relationship with joe

━━━ ❛ ooh, you and me would be a big conversation

how did they meet?  they met in February of 2022. joe had heard from one of his teammates about how “amazing and warm” the new bakery ‘petals n pastries’ near their stadium was, and he knew he had to try it. they met through joe being a customer at the said bakery / flower shop. 

their first impressions? 

joe was already surprised when he walked into ‘petals n pastries’ the atmosphere was so comforting and warm, but when he saw her standing there behind the counter with the prettiest smile on her face as she talked to a customer, it was when he was really in awe. He couldn't help but smile when he talked to her, her smile was so infectious, he liked how friendly and sweet she was. And he really liked how passionate she was about her shop; it was obvious she loved what she was doing. 

heather of course immediately thought of how handsome he was – I mean can you blame her? But she really liked how polite and kind he was to her and her staff, he had a kind smile on his face and didn't rush them at all. She really just liked how sweet he was . . . finding him attractive as well, it was like instant butterflies for her. 

who fell first?  joe was the one to technically ‘fall’ first, looking back at it, it was like love at first sight for him. He had become a regular at ‘petals n pastries’ just so he could see her more (and because the pastries were amazing ofc) and form a friendship with her. 

first date?  heather had made him a personal small box of his favorite donuts, decorated with the Bengal's colors as a good luck for his upcoming game, and joe knew he couldn't wait anymore. He then asked her out on a date and thankfully she said yes, 2 days later joe picked heather up at her apartment. He knew how much heather liked being creative so he took her to this really cool place where they could paint and eat. The date was an amazing success, the night ending with joe walking her up to her door and making sure she got in safely. 

who asked who?  joe was the one to ask her to be his girlfriend after their third date. Joe had taken her out to a nice romantic candlelit dinner, where the two spent hours talking and sharing their foods, they were sat in a private corner of the restaurant, making it feel even more romantic and intimate. they were sharing a desert when joe asked her, and despite her slight nerves about getting into a relationship, she said yes! 

first kiss?  joe and heather had their first kiss during their second date, they were at ‘petals n pastries’ for a private date, doing some baking together. Joe was standing behind her, helping her roll out some dough, heather had tilted her head to look up at him, both of them pausing when they realized how close they really were. the tension was thick, and they didn't break eye contact as joe leaned down, pulling her into a sweet kiss. 

first ‘I love you’?  heather was the one to say ‘i love you’ first. heather had a key to joe’s home and decided to surprise him with making his favorite meal while he was having a game. the game ended with a bad loss, so joe was going back home all upset, not expecting to see his sunshine girlfriend in his kitchen cooking him an amazing dinner, the living room already set up for a movie night. Joe had asked her “you did this all for me?” and she smiled and said “i love you silly, of course i did” heather was kinda surprised that she said that, and she worried that she had said it too soon, but he just smiled and pulled her into a kiss, whispering “i love you too” 

did either of them try to hide their feelings?  heather tried to hide her feelings at first, she still was hesitant about getting in a relationship after how badly her last one ended. So, she didn't want to accept the fact that she in fact did like Joe, but the more time she spent with him, the harder it was for her to hide it. 

how did everyone find out and react? 

family + friends: heather told her parents, brothers and closest friends when they started dating, not being able to hide it from them, but her mom and her two closest friends, elora and sophie knew about joe before they started dating. Her family and friends were all very supportive, surprised and shocked but supportive! Joe told his mom about heather when they became friends, needing advice from her. He told his best friend ja’marr about heather a few days after he met her for the first time. But he (slowly) told the rest of his family, friends and teammates about her when they started dating. Joe's family and friends were also very supportive as well. 

the public: heather’s fans speculated that she was seeing someone, from the faceless pictures she would post of the same guy, and from the few times they heard a guy talking in the background of her YouTube pictures. But the public found out when pictures of them hugging and kissing after one of Joe's games went viral. Along with a video of him walking up to her, pulling her into a big hug, smiling at her before kissing her. there were a lot of happy fans, heather fans, nfl fans, and nhl fans! It was mostly positive but there was still a big amount of hate. Many articles were made about them. This happened at the start of the nfl season in 2023.

ꪆ୧  GENERAL DETAILS !

their tropes: sunshine protector joe! x sunshine heather!, nerd bf x nerd gf, soulmates, mutual pining, he fell first x she fell harder, cook gf! x eater bf!, introvert bf! x extrovert gf! 

love languages: 

joe’s: words of affirmation, acts of service, physical touch 

heather’s: physical touch, gift giving, quality time 

pet names: 

joe’s for heather: princess, honey, petal, doll, babygirl, my girl 

heather’s for joe: baby, my love, sweetie, joey, handsome 

their favorite sleep position: 

joe’s: joe doesn't really have a favorite position, as long as he's holding heather in some way and she's sleeping well, he's happy! 

heather’s: doesn't really have one, as long as she's touching joe in a way and he's comfortable, she's happy! 

songs that describe them: 

die with a smile - lady gaga, bruno mars 

you're all i want - cigarettes after sex 

had me @ hello - olivia holt & luke benward 

i see the light - mandy moore & zachary levi

close to you - gracie abrams

real love baby - father john misty 

wildest dreams - taylor swift 

no. 1 party anthem - arctic monkeys 

nights like this - the kid laroi 

in between - gracie abrams

contact names: 

joe’s for heather: joey 🤍

heather’s for joe: heather 🌷

contact photos:

joe’s for heather: heather chose a picture of joe that always makes her happy when she sees it, heather had taken the picture of joe when they were visiting her family. Her brother luke and joe were making fun of her twin brother Jack's poor taste in sunglasses. 

heather’s for joe: joe chose a picture of heather hugging the big stuffed bunny he got her for Valentine's Day. he loves how cute she looks, and he thinks it's fitting because he likes to tease her by calling her bunny sometimes. 

lockscreens:

heather’s: is a picture of joe when they were flying, heather of course had to take a picture of him because he looked soo fine. It's one of her favorite pictures of him! 

joe’s: is a picture of heather when they went on vacation together at Disneyland resort, it's one of his favorite pictures of her and he just has amazing memories of their trip. 

ꪆ୧ THEIR THINGS !

cuddling on the couch with their cat 

getting cuteness aggression

watching shoes / movies 

date nights

cooking / baking together 

shopping 

matching jewelry 

working out together 

playing piano 

pulling each other close in crowds

pulling each other close by their belt loops 

chasing each other's lips after pulling away from a kiss 

always holding hands, or touching in a way 

ꪆ୧ FUN FACTS !

joe went into ‘petals n pastries’ around 4 times before he got the courage to ask for her number. And when he did get her number, they talked for 2 weeks before he asked her on a date. 

joe is very protective of heather, and their relationship in general. He is very quick to shut down any rude and disrespectful questions about her and their relationship. 

heather moved into joe’s home in january of 2023. joe had given her a key for christmas, asking her to move in with him. 

joe and heather adopted a male cat named snoopy when they started living together. 

they started dating august of 2022, making their anniversary august 18th. 

joe wanted to keep their relationship a secret from the public as long as they could, not wanting to put her in the eyes of reporters, haters, and parasocial fans. All he wants is to protect her.  

joe gets along very well with Heather's family, they love him and he loves them. they are so welcoming and supportive. Joe’s family also love heather, they find her so darling and they love to tease joe on when he's going to purpose, wanting her to be a burrow. 

heather used to have a terrible sleep schedule before she moved in with joe, when they started dating it got a little better? But now it's more healthy! 

joe has been teasingly called a ‘mama bear’ a few times from how protective and worried he is about heather, it’s not in an overbearing way, he just really loves her. 

they both have a habit of rambling/ranting on topics they are passionate about, it's mostly heather who can just go on and on, and joe just watches and listens to her with a smile on his lips, he swears he falls more in love with her every time. 

heather loves teaching joe about hockey, while he teaches her about football. 

joe is a little, okay way more than a little obsessed with their height difference, he loves using it to his advantage, finding new ways to tease her….

joe lives off making heather flustered, he loves seeing her blush and get all shy by the things he says or does. She gets all shy and stumbles over her words, avoiding eye contact with him. 

heather has a great relationship with joe’s friends and teammates, she’s the closest with ja’marr! 

the three of them love going out and doing things together, heather and ja’marr are definitely a chaotic duo, always getting into mischief. joe sometimes feels like he's supervising them when they go out, making sure they don’t get in trouble. 

joe also has a great relationship with heathers closest friends, mostly elora and sophie because they also live in Cincinnati. 

joe loves to surprise Heather at work, bringing her lunch so they can eat together or just to simply see her. A few of heathers elderly female regulars absolutely adore joe, they love teasing the sweet couple. 

heather is also very protective of joe (which he finds adorable and loves) not just of his physical but also his emotions and mental. She tries her best to not let him see any negativity, and she helps as much as she can to help him relax and let his emotions take a break. 

She worries a lot ... .not in an overbearing way, she just doesnt want Joe to get hurt again. 

Joe likes to call her ‘his little nurse’ with how good she takes care of him. 

heather was a little nervous at first moving in with joe, but she's so happy she did.  And joe is too, for the longest time it was just a house for him, but now it really feels like a home. 

heather loves going to joe’s games, sitting with the other wags. 

they are each other’s biggest supporters! They are so proud of each other. 

joe loves to spoil heather (and snoopy) , always buying her gifts and new baking supplies, taking her on trips etc. 

they love their date nights very much, enjoying trying new activities together! 

they love going out on dates, but they also really just love staying at home together, watching movies, playing board games, doing puzzles, coloring, baking etc. 

they love hosting little get-togethers at their home, joe finds it cute how excited heather gets at planning it. 

joe loves when heather sings, he wants to listen to her sing for the rest of their lives. 

they both have a very high sex drive 

joe being the dom while heather is the sub 

they are a very touchy couple; they love being close. 

they are a very domestic couple; their small family is them and their cat! 

they are very good at communicating, and even though they are very close and love spending time together, they both know how important it is to have some personal time. 

joe normally wakes up earlier than heather, giving her a few kisses and telling her he loves her before going to work out, practice etc. 

heather loves cooking and baking for joe, always trying new recipes that are the best for his diet. 

joe does have a chef for them, but it's mostly during the nfl season. 

heather is joe’s passenger princess

heather is always on joe’s mind, and everyone can tell. 

joe always follows the sidewalk rule

they love cuddling on the couch as they watch football games, and heather always asks the same questions almost every time they watch a game, and it makes joe so happy. 

they truly are each other's soulmate

have done a few interviews together

joe has made some appearances on her YouTube channel 

they are so in touch with each other, knowing how they feel and what they are thinking without even having to talk. 

ꪆ୧ POSTS N MORE ! 

heatherhughes just posted !

liked by markestapa, sam_hubbard_ , andreiiosivas and more

🏷️ joeyb_9

🎵: here comes the sun - the beatles

heatherhughes a beautiful week away with him ☀️

view all comments

lahjay10_ thanks for the invite 🤨

heatherhughes oh! must have got lost in the mail sorry :(

joeyb_9 it never existed 👍🏻

lahjay10_ 🫤

heatherhughes joey 😭

teehiggins 🐴 🐴

heatherhughes exactly!

soph_carter I miss you come home :(

heatherhughes one more week babes 😚

elorasmithsss COUNTING THE DAYS, THE HOURS 👹

soph_carter THE MILLISECONDS 👹

heatherhughes 😺

jackhughes OMG WOW

heatherhughes what??

jackhughes it really is true….i got all the good looks 💪🏻

heatherhughes you are such an ass omg 😒

lhughes_06 you look pretty sissy 🤍

heatherhughes thank you lukey 🥹🤍

haileesteinfeld YOU’RE GLOWING 🌟

heatherhughes thank you hails 🩷

colecaufield I won’t be surprised if next week you are sending me a picture of a horse joe has gone and bought you 🤣

heatherhughes hehe that’s for christmas 🙏

_quinnhughes so glad to see you having fun! be safe please

heatherhughes I love you quinny dw about me 🫶🏻

joeyb_9 wet 😛

username JOE’S COMMENT HELLO?

username something is definitely wet 🫦

username I need her 😕

markSuhhh THATS MY BOOK??

heatherhughes joe says it’s his now 😺 (he’ll bring it back safely)

joeyb_9 my sunshine girl

joeyb_9 I love you honey 🤍

heatherhughes I love you more handsome ☺️🤍

𝓻oro’s note. MY LOVES 😩 we need to protect them always, they are actually the cutest couple ever. please feel free to send as many asks for them that you have!! this is a interactive au so please send as much ask’s / requests / thoughts as you want 🫶🏻 and please let me know in a comment or ask if you would like to be added to the taglist!

𝓭ie 𝔀ith 𝓪 𝓼mile m.list

you can find everything for this au under this tag #⭐️ ꞌꞋ ࣪ _ 𝓭ie 𝔀ith 𝓪 𝓼mile 𐙚 . ꒱

˖ ་ taglist : @winterbarnesblog @toasttt11 @iceflwers @cixrosie @lesrflms @bunbunbl0gs

©️WINTFLEUR ; you can't copy, translate, reproduce, repost my fic, use my plot or layout.

[thewertsearch]

PCG: SO YOU DIDN'T REMEMBER SEEING THIS FROG WHEN YOU WERE A KID AT ALL? ?GG: no, it completely slipped my mind

I’m not surprised; it was the notoriously scatterbrained Dream Jade who encountered this frog, after all. She probably thought it was another Skaian illusion, and dismissed it out of hand.

PCG: HOW DID SHE GET YOU TO REMEMBER? […] ?GG: well, like it was before ?GG: the choices she gives you seem to have to do with facing mortality ?GG: and making it clear if you choose one path over another it will lead to your death ?GG: and that your death may even be necessary to accomplish a goal FGA: Yes Ive Inferred Their Ultimata Are All Personalized Variations On The Presentation Of Such Dilemmas

Well, that certainly fits Davesprite’s Deringer situation - and Alt!John’s encounter with his Denizen ended in his death, so I guess the implication is that he made a Choice, too.

What about Kanaya, though? She didn't accept her Denizen's terms; if she had, would she have died as well?

Let's try and think this one through. If we roll with my theory that she was asked to ensure the trolls were responsible custodians of their universe, she’d probably have had to deal with the Players who wouldn't let that happen. That means taking on Eridan, at the very least, which could easily have turned violent. Maybe they'd kill each other, just like in the Alpha Timeline - but since Kanaya agreed to die, she wouldn't be walking away from this one as a rainbow drinker. She'd be gone for good.

In this scenario, the trolls would have their Final Frog, and presumably, their universe would have been less problematic as a result. They might actually have been able to enter this iteration of their universe - not as tyrants, but as bad-tempered custodians. Grim auxiliatrices, if you will.

What about Doomed John, then? Kanaya’s statement implies that he could have chosen to live, but how is that possible in a doomed timeline?

Well, maybe Typheus offered to un-doom John's timeline, promoting it to the new Alpha - and at the same time, he explained Davesprite's importance to the original Alpha, making it clear that preserving the current timeline would retroactively erase everything that was 'supposed' to happen. John could have sacrificed the future to preserve his present - but ultimately, he chose to die, so that countless others would live.

Alright, I think I’m starting to break these Choices wide open. Let’s try and puzzle out Davesprite’s first Choice, then – the one he made in his original timeline, and implicitly rejected by fleeing.

By abandoning Hephaestus, Future Dave chose to live – so if he’d heard his Denizen out, he would have had to die. Perhaps his offer was similar to Doomed John’s - Hephaestus could have 'repaired' his entire session, allowing Future Rose to win it, but she’d have to win it entirely alone.

He fled, though, so he survived, instead of his session. Sounds like if you reject your Denizen’s terms, you live, and if you accept them, you die...

?GG: that is not really what made this hard ?GG: i mean ?GG: nobody wants to die of course ?GG: but at least… ?GG: that is a clear thing

...and Jade accepted her Choice.

Oh, no.

[pinksobg]

What can help you level up this time? ❤️🧺🎀

This is a direct and insightful reading designed to guide through different aspects of journey. Each pile reflects a unique vibe, offering specific messages that correspond to various areas of growth. I hope you enjoy it and that it can provides meaningful reflections for you! ❤️🌷

Pile 1 -

🌷How can your intuition/spiritual connection improve? – Ace of Swords, Seven of Cups.

Seek to act more rationally, resolve unresolved internal issues, ask for help from the Universe/Your Belief with more clarity and confidence, finish projects, reflect on recent choices (or the lack of them).

🍵How to improve in work/studies? - Seven of Swords, King of Cups.

Set healthy boundaries with yourself or colleagues, be cautious of tendencies to overwork, work with love/passion and enjoy the journey, appreciate/cherish what you have right now.

🎀 How to take better care of yourself? - Knight of Pentacles reversed, Eight of Wands.

Don’t define your worth by just one thing (e.g., your income or the need for a specific relationship). If possible, move your body. Keep progressing in the area you love/what you enjoy doing. Invest in new good things for yourself, like healthy habits or something you've always wanted to try.

Song: APT – Rosé + Bruno Mars; Chasing That Feeling – TXT.

Pile 2 -

🌷 How to improve your relationships overall? – Three of Swords.

Heal past wounds, heartbreaks, or even betrayals. Ask for help if possible. Have more compassion for yourself. Connect with what you love. Be patient with yourself. Be proud of all you’ve accomplished.

🍵What is “missing”? – Five of Swords, Page of Pentacles.

Try to understand what you perceive as “defeat.” Move forward with what you can learn. Turn your struggles into opportunities.

🎀 What could help you be happier? – Two of Cups reversed.

Spend more quality time with yourself. Get to know certain aspects of yourself better. Do something nice for yourself (like taking yourself out to eat something special, lighting a candle, or anything that makes you feel good).

Songs: Bad News – Kiss of Life; No Doubt – Enhypen.

Pile 3 -

🌷How to improve focus on your goals? – Five of Pentacles reversed, Seven of Pentacles, The Hierophant.

Believe in positive changes. Invest in your passions. Help others. Ask for help from someone you trust (like a mentor, for example). Be patient and persistent with yourself and your goals. Improve your planning and organizational strategies. Think about the rewards.

🍵How to improve self-confidence? – Temperance.

Understand that nothing is perfect; everyone has difficulties and flaws. Value what you already are. Recognize that you are good enough. Step out of your comfort zone little by little, in ways that feel good to you. Accept love for yourself, from others, and the love others have for you. Connect with water, animals, or nature in general. Journaling.

🎀 How to take better care of yourself? – Ten of Wands reversed, King of Pentacles reversed, The World.

Acknowledge your past struggles and pains. Try to move away from a scarcity mindset. Recognize that you have and will have everything you aim for. You are doing well. Recognize that you are already good enough (the same message again). Acknowledge the wholeness within you and your ability to create.

Songs: Thirsty – Aespa; Nemonemo – Yena.

________

Regardless of the pile you chose, remember that every step of growth is valid. Trust the process and, above all, trust yourself. ❤️❤️

[rootspiral]

Agatha All Along deep dive: episode 9 part 2

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][+1] ep5 [1][2][3][4][5] ep6 [1][2][3] ep7 [1][2][3][4][5][6] ep8 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] ep9 [1][2])

I'm glad nicky came up with a cool new tune because according to period movies and shows greensleeves is the only song anyone ever knew

look at that meek little smile, ughhhh. nicky is like two days old and this asshole has already figured out he's the perfect prop for her murder sprees. and these poor women are calling her sister and are willing to help too.

the spell is te accipimus in circulum, we accept you in the circle, and yes that makes me cry a little. we accept you in our community. and the spell is yellow air magic, which sounds like the most empathic kind if Lilia is any indication.

that's interesting, you can't really tell that well from screencaps but go rewatch the scene, this witch is making mushrooms grow with yellow magic instead of green?? is it just a spell (she is holding a book) or have I been getting it all wrong and color has nothing to do with the type of magic one has?

or maybe??? the color depends on the coven you're in?? the salemites all had blue magic for example. and now that I think about it the stone circle is a protection spell but it's not red/orange.

the meaning of this scene is so glaring dear lord. agatha was never going to give these women a chance to prove that yes, there are people out there who could love and help and accept her. she has shut herself up to that possibility a long time ago.

and she stole the soup too. awful.

I've seen all the different theories about nicky needing to feed on witches too, or nicky needing soul sacrifices to survive because he's the son of death etc. we don't have enough evidence to prove anything yet, but personally I headcanon nicky as a totally normal kid, that makes this story even more tragic.

and aww that baby suckling on the little pudgy fist

nicky doesn't look that happy about what he's been asked to do, does he?

we establish that nicky was sickly (maybe he was born with some internal defect that rio temporarily patched up?) we also see him steal the bell agatha will use for her Road scam in the future.

and we meet yet another witch being kind and wanting to help.

agatha: I love this six year old so much I'm gonna make him accessory to murder

dO yOU ShaME YouR MOtHER

and the big fake gasp too. as usual this bitch has conned a whole community

like, she's convinced herself that other witches are bad and are after her WHILE relying on witches's good hearts to con and kill them. what sort of mental gymnastics???

color goes from yellow to purple. nicky waits outside while his mom commits murder, it's not a good look on agatha. completely fucked up, actually.

(I'm terrified that the goat will end up being an agent of mephisto or something idiotic like that, lemme tell you. I hope they're just keeping it for milk and company.)

and here's the million dollar question. nicky has seen his mom kill literally since he was born, and now he's old enough to start realizing what that means.

oooh I know that look, that's agatha when she's put on the spot. she avoids his gaze, she can't be sincere with him.

and of course she's teaching herself spells from a book. nerrrrrrd

nicky, bless his soul, appears to give it a good thought and then offers a practical suggestion. I guess he wouldn't mind to have a roof on his head and some friends too.

GREAT acting from kathryn here. the quick OH SHIT face followed by the super final NO, with her jaw so rigid. in typical agatha fashion, when she's upset she becomes avoidant.

this is evanora's legacy. despite agatha's immense love for nicky, she is passing all that pain down and inflicting it on him.

remember when she called billy a survivor? this is the greatest asset in her opinion, the one she wants to teach her son. the truth is, she is angry at witches because she is scared of them, she's scared of being targeted again. but look at that kid's dark circles, I can't believe she's making him sleep in the woods, sick as he is!

really really fantastic subtlety. agatha wants to sound wise and strong, but she looks scared, uncertain, guilty.

see how nicky looks at agatha while he sings? he's checking to see if she's noticing, because his mom likes music and likes his voice. he's afraid he has upset her and wants to make her smile. he tried to reason with her, and now he tries to soothe her. this is what happens when you have an immature parent, a child will want to help, they will try to fix things. they'll end up parenting their parent, and it should always be the other way round.

agatha takes the bait. she's relieved that the conversation has moved to a safer subject. but oh, this script is so good. this is a mostly innocent, mostly sweet remark, but with a possessive undertone. don't forget that you are mine, she says.

and still, the love is real. even in a fucked up situation like this, these moment of happiness are precious and genuine and will linger on. look at how adoringly nicky looks at his mom, she's literally the sun and center of his small world, and that's how agatha likes it: she created nicky because she needed someone who could be hers without any baggage or consequences. but it turns out that raising a child is not a cheat code for love, it's one of the most difficult, most significant and impactful decisions a human can make.

go to episode 9 part 3

[ut-reblogs]

Tbh, I think you’re the most reasonable here, Sandra.

The plating color is a pretty reasonable argument to me. I mean, if I actually cared about signaling How Good I Am about Diversity then that’s how I’d do it. and it’s entirely fair to toss that holoform in RBs out the window because canon is ultimately just a set of instructions to a LEGO set - you can use the pieces that way, but you don’t actually have to, if you don’t want to. And tbh, it is wild af to me to be beefing over how other ppl decide to draw fictional robots if the robots were humans, when it doesn’t affect you in the slightest.

What’s really putting me off the others in this discussion is the “deserves to have their art supplies taken away [bc they don’t draw the bots like I envision them]” and that really rubs me the wrong way because it feels very reminiscent of antishipping in the “I’m doing it right and you’re doing it wrong, because [reason here], and if you don’t do it my way then you shouldn’t be allowed to play with the barbies and should be labeled as a bad person because you don’t play with them like I do” mentality.

And it’s not because the diversity puts me off, I have no problem with people HCing them as different skin tones/races than white.

I just don’t think that saying ‘if you don’t draw them in The Way I Think They Should Be Drawn then you shouldn’t be allowed to draw them’ is an alright thing to be saying, at least not to build community.

Other people are allowed to hc them as white if they want, and if you don’t like it, then just keep scrolling, leave them alone, no grudges held over it. It’s not personal, they just don’t hc them the same way you do. If you don’t want to see their content because it bothers you that much? Just block them. You’re not waving a white flag of surrender, you’re just curating your space and experience.

But that’s just my two cents on the matter, and I’m only saying all this because the ‘ppl who draw [character(s)] [this way] deserve to have their art supplies taken away’ line really bugged me for a little while. and I’m gonna go fuck off now. No, I will not be coming back, because I have better things to do with my time than argue over fictional robots skin tones if they were human when I honest to god don’t have the energy to care that much, like for example eating a sandwich, walking my dog, and touching grass.

Bye bye

I've made a post like this some time ago on twitter but decided to take it here

We listen and we don't judge: transformers rescue bots edition

Mine is that graham burns is super hot and sexy and that he should marry me 😁😁

[lanasheart]

LOV members and their love languages ~

★~`

Shigaraki ~

DEFINITELY an Acts of Service man.

Do NOT expect this man to try and touch you.

If he really loves you, I doubt he'd dare touch you as he wouldn't wanna accidently decay you.

Plus, this man absolutely hates it anyway. The only person he wanted to touch was his mama.

He would totally kill anyone you ask him to, either if he's jealous or if he has the urge to kill.

Or, he'd just invite you to play League Of Legends or Fortnite with him and Spinner.

(which isn't bad because he could definitely carry you in fn)

He would try and learn everyday how to be a good boyfriend. (He pays way more attention to you than you notice.)

He enjoys receiving Physical Touch, but to an extent.

You could touch his face, or anywhere really, but definitely not his hands.

He just doesn't want to lose you.

Touya ~

Acts of Service and Words of Affirmation.

He'd probably be super surprised if you told him your feelings

But he'd be open to a relationship since he'd be down to try something new.

SECONDS into the relationship he's making up so many nicknames for you.

'Babe', 'Darling', 'Hottie', you name it, he's calling you it.

And, he'd definitely kill someone for you.

I think he'd be more down too than Shigaraki would be.

He'd probably be all of the other love languages too, because don't tell me this man won't steal you a thousand dollar ring.

If you were also a villain, he'd totally BEG Shigaraki to let you go on missions together.

He likes Quality Time the most, since Endeavour never gave him any.

So, if you watch this man shoe you his special moves, he's gonna fall 2x as much in love with you.

Toga ~

Himiko literally seeks acceptance through unconventional love.

So I'd think her love language is Physical Touch or Acts of Service.

Along with the others, she'd be more than happy to kill someone for you or more likely impersonate someone for you.

Plus, she'd definitely have to avoid the temptation of using her knives on you.

So, if you told her she could use them, she'd be the happiest girl in the world.

She would be turning into you everyday.

As a means to show her love for you.

She'd want to be you, and feel what your body feels like upon her own accord, like if she was you.

If not, she could find out every little detail about your body by Physical Touch.

She definitely cuddles. (no one can change my mind!)

She likes receiving Words of Affirmation the most, so if you call her beautiful or pretty, she'll go feral for you.

Jin/Twice ~

Quality Time man.

Even a few weeks into your relationship, he'd be down for you to move into his little apartment, if you wanted to.

This would literally be so big for him, he'd spend every single day next to you, even if you were just cooking or cleaning.

If you were showering, he'd literally comes in and sit on the sink to talk to you.

You would definitely have some deep chats about the state of society, or the people you both retrospectively spend your other time around.

I think this man would somewhat enjoy Physical Touch.

Even if it's holding your hand on a busy subway, or leaning your head on his shoulder as he smokes his cigarette.

He would go feral.

It would be difficult to keep his clones' voices under wraps, but if you love him for them too, he'd be happy enough.

Iguchi/Spinner ~

Gift-Giving, definitely.

Although this man spends probably all of his time playing League Of Legends with Tomura, he'd definitely put some time aside to get you presents.

Whether it's something expensive that he's stole, or something small that he's recently heard you talk about.

Such as a new plush, or figurine.

He probably thinks it's more romantic to actually buy the gift, instead of stealing it, so trust me when I say this man has multiple piggy banks in his room.

He would try and ask Tomura for help, but we all know this man wouldn't give good advice.

'buy her League' shut tf up Tomura.

He would buy you both games he'd think you'd like, and would help try to teach you to play.

If you already play games, he'd buy you everything in the game, like DLCs or extra skins.

He most likely enjoys receiving Words of Affirmation.

He didn't get complimented much growing up, so when you do it for the first time, he's super confused.

But, he relaxes more into it and loves when you call him pretty.

Mr Compress ~

ATSUHIRO MY BABY

He'd totally be into Gift-Giving.

I mean, this man comes from a bloodline of thieves, and you think he won't steal you everything you want?

He would literally go to every store in Japan to buy you the most perfect rings, or necklaces, or clothes to make you look even more stunning than you already are.

He'd make sure you had matching things too, like jewellery or clothes, or even small little trinkets to remind yourselves of eachother.

Your room would literally be filled to the brim of everything he's gifted you, also because you would never throw it away.

He'd swear he doesn't need anything in return, but he'd be more into receiving Acts of Service.

Even if this is making him food or coming to see him if he lives a long way away, he'll appreciate every little thing you do for him, no matter how important it is to yourself.

Muscular ~

Muscular would probably just be into Physical Touch.

This man is 6"6, so if your any shorter he would be making fun of you everyday, by ruffling your hair or leaning his arms or head down on your shoulder or head.

Even though he is huge, he'd love to hold hands, if you even can.

He'd LOVE showing off to you, by picking you up or throwing you over his shoulder with ease.

He might have a small feeling that you dislike his muscles or eye, but if you disregard that, he will be all over you again.

Just make sure that you don't get smushed underneath him and his muscles.

Because we all know he would not be careful at all.

He'd be into Physical Touch too, as he would definitely like having his muscles appreciated by your hands.

If you ask him to flex or show his muscles, he will be down within a millisecond and will show you them in every position possible.

hey guyss this is my first proper post to give you a taste of what I wanna do [even if this is not a lot or very detailed so far], so pleasee give me some feedback, and help me so that I can grow my account. feel free to ♡ !!

[lawofangie]

the law is always working

i get so many questions about why the law isn't working for people, and i've come to the conclusion that there is something you all aren't understanding.

the law of assumption is a law. a law that states that whatever you assume to be true will be true. the law of assumption, like i've said many times before, requires you to assume.

to many of you, an assumption is hoping something happens or constantly checking to see if something is true. what you fail to understand is that by definition, an assumption is something you believe to be true without proof.

a law that states "whatever you assume to be true will be true" clealy requires you to assume first, otherwise, you're not even using it. you have to wholeheartedly believe that whatever you decided to believe is the truth.

this is not a foreign concept, it's something we do all the time. we believe in things and decide things are a certain way without seeing them all the time. you just don't realize it.

when you say "the law isn't working for me", what you're actually saying is "i haven't been assuming good for myself" or "i'm waiting for something to happen but nothing is" because again, all the law simply does is require you to assume. you can assume something good, bad or indifferent. the law doesn't care. WE care, which is why we're telling you, regardless of what your eyes are currently being shown, to assume in your favor.

and you have to believe it first before you get the proof. that's the way the law works. that's literally the only rule, the only requirement, the only way to even say you've been using the law and you're allowed to bend it however you want. just believe something, i promise you it's not as hard as you make it seem. you just like being told what to do instead of deciding things for yourself.

your assumption has to be true, has to materialize, no matter what. it's a law. it has to happen. there are no what-if's, no exceptions, no delays, because they're all decisions you're making anyway. if you decide "this won't happen", it is no different from deciding "this already did happen", the only difference is your personal choice on what you choose to assume. the law isn't going to congratulate you for making a good or bad choice.. it never has (again, the law is simply making assumptions, just used in a different way.), nobody is going to reward you for it, you're simply just making a good decision for yourself.

there is absolutely nothing stopping you from turning your life into a hell or a heaven. our words are just mere suggestions. it's always your decision in the end.

and i know circumstances can be scary, but nobody can coddle you or help you but you. you are valid, but no amount of dwelling on the present/ current circumstances can help you. dwelling on these things keeps them alive in your mind, thus keeping them alive in your external reality.

you have to stop putting your external reality above you and stop accepting it as absolute, again, accepting it as absolute is your decision. it is not the truth, you only feel it is the truth. there is nothing physically stopping you from doing the opposite.

so, if you want the change, you have to be the change.

[pyrodolls]

HIII i loved your down bad hcs and figured i'd drop a request 👉👈

can i get some hcs for the lin kuei trio + kenshi w/ a gn!reader who's very clingy?

like someone who'll literally follow them wherever they go just for some physical affection and is very cuddly. bonus points if the reader is talkative too :]

LIN KUEI TRIO + KENSHI X CLINGY!READER HCS

WARNINGS: sfw, established relationship, gender neutral reader, lowercase intended, mk1 characters, mk1 spoilers, takes place after the story and before the khaos reigns dlc cuz i haven't played it yet lmfaoooo

A/N: hey... hey.... how y'all doing... erm it's been a while but here we go with another mortal kombat post!! the last time i posted about it was nearly a YEAR ago y'all i suckkkk i'm sorry. but as an apology and a late christmas gift, i'm posting 5 different reqs this week woohoooo *everyone cheers* and i'm sorry it took so long for me to write, i just didn't feel like it. but here we are! also apologies for making tomas and kenshi's hcs short, i just don't have a lot of writing experience for kenshi and tomas only has like 2 minutes of screentime ijbol

with BI-HAN, he'd hate for you to be clingy while he is working. he has an entire clan to take care of, and his stress was worsened after kuai liang and tomas's betrayal. even though you may be his spouse, his main goal will always remain with the lin kuei and taking control of earthrealm. but in private, you could be physically affectionate or talk to your heart's desire.

he's not going to reciprocate your affections, though. he's not used to the concept of romance, especially from someone as vulnerable as you. his entire life he was trained to be cold and ruthless. sure, he grew up with kind brothers, but he saw their friendly nature as weakness. he'll often criticize you for being open with your feelings, but that's only because that was what he was taught. he may behave as if he resents your attachment, but he secretly enjoys the domesticity. it delights him that you are so devoted to him. his hatred for his former brothers grows every day due to their betrayal, so having you around him softens his temper, as he requires reassurance that you aren't going to turn on him. (he'll never admit that, though.) he also doesn't mind when you follow him around as long as you do not disrupt his duties or make a fool out of him. keep your affections private, and you'll stay his. you wouldn't want him to punish you for misbehaving in front of the entire clan, would you?

KUAI LIANG is far more accepting of your behavior than his colder brother. he understands that you're clingy because you care about him, so he tries to make an effort to reciprocate your affections whenever he can. but he often worries for your safety as his spouse. he worries that the lin kuei could target you if they find out about your love. you're free to be clingy, but you must keep it private.

he believes your love is one of the last good things he has left in his life. after bi-han's betrayal, his life has been one of little to no rest. having you by his side keeps his anxieties at bay for a short amount of time. you can talk to him as much as you want, and he won't interrupt you unless it's important. he would listen to your thoughts without judgement. he may question you, but he'll never judge. he may not be as talkative as you are, because he tries to show you how he feels with actions rather than words. but he still manages to keep up with you because he loves you. he's grateful to have some happiness in his dangerous life. that happiness is you.

TOMAS is similar to his brothers as he does not wish for your affections to be public, for safety reasons. however, he makes it very clear that he is appreciative of your clingy nature and never fails to turn beet red when you hug him. while he is busy building the shirai ryu, he has much more free time than his brothers. he enjoys going on walks with you and hearing you talk for hours. he stays engaged and asks questions and laughs along at your jokes, even if they aren't funny. he isn't as energetic as you are, but he attempts to reciprocate your energy the best he can. he grew up with bi-han's harsh criticisms and kuai liang's gentle guidance, but he's never had someone always excited to see him like you. you never fail to put a smile on his face and brighten a dark day.

KENSHI is now a government agent, so he often comes home to you at different times every night. he feels guilty for making you wait for him so late at night, but his concerns wash away the moment you run to hug him. he has a dangerous job, and he can handle himself despite losing his vision, but it doesn't stop him from worrying about you every time he leaves the house. just like the lin kuei trio, he wants to keep your relationship private, so you aren't hunted down like he is. he feels bad that you can't have a normal relationship with him, and it has gotten you in a few arguments, since he believes you deserve better. but ultimately, it's always worked out in the end when you reassure him that you're happy with him and nobody else. he doesn't care that you're a bit clingy, he appreciates that you care about him. it breaks his heart when he has to push you away for his job, but he just wishes to protect you, since your relationship is the best thing that's ever happened to him.

[mylordshesacactus]

I have a pretty solid theory that I was talking about all through s2, which is: When the Hexcore fused with Viktor, it learned something very important and immediately began using it.

Because yeah, I think the Hexcore works a lot like the One Ring--it can't fully mind-control you, not in the traditional "mind control" sense, not at first. It has to manipulate you, you have to accept it, and that has to be done slowly. And in s1 the Hexcore is an object of clear and abject horror. It's unambiguous, we all--in and out of universe--look at that thing and go "oh BAD fucking news". And yet after 2.1 people don't have that visceral response anymore...but the actions the hexcore-fused Viktor takes are pretty much exactly what it would have wanted all along. Its plan hasn't changed. So what did?

With access to Viktor's mind, the Hexcore gained an intuitive understanding of why it scared people--and changed its aesthetic.

Like. Do you know how MANY people we saw--mostly on twitter but still--who were like. ENCHANTED by Viktor's horrifying cult compound? Who thought at first that it would be a good thing? Who were disappointed or felt let down or even got ANGRY when it turned out to be a skin-crawlingly dangerous apocalypse cult?

My theory is: There would be NO debate about whether the Hexcore was corrupting and manipulating Viktor--if it had kept the aesthetic of that dark, jagged, pulsing grey-purple.

But it didn't. It learned through Viktor that people didn't like that--it scared them. And so it started to present tiself as clean white-and-gold lines, as pure light, as soft speech and unthreatening movements. As the faces of friends.

Nothing else about its behavior changed. It's genuinely terrifying how many people fell for it.

You know, it's probably ridiculous to assume that Viktor is being somehow mind controlled by the Hexcore in S2 of Arcane. Obviously his actions are entirely his own, right?

After all, mind control plotlines can be a tricky to pull off and when it's employed, creators tend to put a lot of signposts in to let you know what's really happening and how the character isn't themselves anymore.

For example, creators might do things like... having the character's eye color suddenly change, since eyes are the windows to the soul.

Or... creators might indicate that the character's voice has changed somehow, to indicate that another will is acting through them and they're not entirely themselves anymore.

Certainly one really common trope in mind control plotlines is the mind-controlled character is hearing some kind of voice in their head telling them what to do, or seeing someone that isn't there who guides them or controls them.

Certainly in a pinch, if you really want to drive home that a character has been mind controlled and hasn't been themselves, you'd make it pretty obvious by having them be horrified by what they've done once the mind control wears off!

Bonus points if their eyes revert back to their natural color and any other signs of a different voice or appearance go away once the mind control is finally lifted! That way it's definitely clear that they've been set free from whatever influence was upon them.

But seriously, without these sorts of really glaring signposts we can't really be sure if a mind control plotline was intended at all!

(Tongue-in-cheek aside, I actually love the subtlety of how Arcane executed the Hexcorized Viktor plotline, and I love how much ambiguity remains. But for anyone who thinks he was totally in control, I mean, come on guys. When I started going down the list of all the things film and tv usually does to signal a mind control plot I literally burst out laughing when I realized how many of them Arcane had hidden in plain sight.)

[prettyboykatsuki]

HIS DISTASTE FOR THEM IS SOOO FUNNY BECAUSE ITS SUCH AN OBVIOUS DOUBLE STANDARD AND SO JOCK OF HIM LMFAO

its so .

like the thought kills me. because barou is truly not a bad boyfriend at all. but he does kind of ascribe to randomly traditional view points in such weird ways and this is definitely one of them.

and its like,, specific things too. like honestly if you're MOSTLY a kpop fan and not super into like anime. or are just into like kdramas i think barou can accept bc it makes sense to him as an interest and its about like celebrities. i think he can accept if you watch shoujo romance too

bc he kinda dismisses them as like wholesome interests. he can also handle bookworms.

but with like. video games. or like anime to any extent. or like magic the gathering or dnd / other tabletop. like real raw ass NERD shit. he can't do it. he simply holds the prejudice in his heart over it bc he has not had ONE good experience with those people in his past.

(u have to remind him that Barou. Mr King Lion-and-Rose-Tattoo Hair Gel Jock has not spoke to someone like that for more then ten minutes in years ssdkjsd)

but he STRUGGLES KJDFJFSL. and its funny!!! bc barou really fucking likes you when he likes you. he doesn't catch feelings easily in general so if he's into you hes Into You.

do you know the shock and dismay and horror he feels when he goes to your room for the first time and it's covered edge to edge in some dorky ass nerd shit and he realizes he's been actively desiring to lay raw pipe in someone he would've subconsciously beefed with in highschool for simply being some kind of otaku.

barou sees a silly picture of you at a cosplay cafe with friends getting your hand kissed by a getou cosplayer while your friends are around you and he's like. aghast KDJKSDSDJKFN

when barou is into you he tries Really Hard to understand it. like sooo hard he gives it his very best. he makes a face but he is TRYING. but i mostly think he tries to conceal it even tho it is so obvious.

BUT ITS FUNNY. BC U KNOW INSTANTLY. ITS ALL OVER HIS FACE.

and you absolutely can see how long this guy is willing to tolerate your deep lore nerd bullshit just to be with you. its 2am and you're laying on his bare chest explaining the fallout storyline from start to finish and he's LETTING YOU!!!! bc he likes you!!!!

[caffedrine]

Gilbert and Luke - Christmas Special: The Beasts' Drink - Event Translation

Thank you to @otomehoneyybearr for providing the script for this event.

This is a poor attempt at a fan translation, so take everything with a grain of salt. For a better translation, buy this when it comes out on the ENG server.

On a winter day as Christmas approaches, somewhere---

Gilbert: “Merry Christmas!”

Luke: “...”

Gilbert: “That door has an automatic lock, so you can't escape.”

Luke: “Damn it, I knew you’d do something like this…”

Gilbert: “Too bad, right? Come on, sit down already.”

Luke: “No. I want to go to the party—”

Gilbert: “You won’t be so cruel as to not eat the Christmas meal prepared by Papa, will you, Luke?”

Gilbert: “This delicious dish made with plenty of honey, specially cooked just for you.”

Gilbert: “You wouldn’t waste it, would you?”

Luke: “Fine, fine, I get it! I’ll join you!”

Gilbert: “Hehe, Luke is such a straightforward and good boy. Here, hold the glass.”

Gilbert: “Cheers!”

Luke: “...yeah.”

Gilbert: “Now, let’s give a present to the good boy right away.”

Luke: “...It’s not something dangerous, right?”

Gilbert: “Isn't it exciting that you won’t know what’s inside until you open it?”

Luke: “Is that your way of saying you won’t tell me?”

Gilbert: “Oh, this time, you’re accepting it nicely. You even stretched out your hand properly.”

Luke: “If I don’t accept it, I’ll never get out of here for the rest of my life.”

Gilbert: “Good boy, good boy.”

Luke: “So… what’s inside? It’s not that big of a box, but it’s pretty heavy.”

Luke: “Huh, what’s this… papers and envelopes?”

Gilbert: “As you can see, the present for Luke is stationary supplies for 365 days.”

Luke: “You… threw a Christmas party just for this, didn’t you?”

Gilbert: “That’s quite the accusation; I genuinely wanted to enjoy a Christmas party with you, Luke!”

Gilbert: “But you understand why I chose this as a present, right?”

Gilbert: “Recently, it’s been a problem that I haven’t received any updates about you, Luke.”

Gilbert: “I wonder what you’re doing, if you’re getting into any dangerous situations, or if you’re feeling lonely or anxious.”

Gilbert: “Even though I’ve been sending a few spies daily from far away, you keep losing them because you’re so mischievous.”

Gilbert: “While I do appreciate your ability to shake off professional spies, not having any updates is concerning. What should I do?”

Gilbert: “Alright then, if that’s the case, I just need to have you write an update yourself. So, go ahead and write one, okay?”

Luke: “‘So, go ahead’ doesn’t mean anything! There’s no way I’m doing something that troublesome!”

Gilbert: “Aww…”

Luke: “Pouting won’t change my mind; I still don’t want to do it!”

Gilbert: “…”

Luke: “I’m not doing it even if you look sad!”

Gilbert: “I see… then I guess I’ll have to increase the number of people watching you.”

Luke: “Huh?”

Gilbert: “If I have you monitored from all directions 24/7, I should get some good updates, right?”

Gilbert: “That’ll also keep you safe. While you’re sleeping, I’ll surround your bed, and if anything happens—”

Luke: “Are you trying to give me insomnia?”

Gilbert: “Then you have no choice but to listen to Papa’s request, okay?”

Gilbert: “You can either write letters for 365 days or be monitored from all directions for 365 days.”

Gilbert: “Your kind papa will let you choose.”

Luke: “Damn it… There’s no way I really have a choice here from the start.”

Gilbert: “Hehe, it’s too late for that, isn’t it?”

[eridanus-posessed-microwave]

It has been a long couple of days in one of my fandoms. I’m not naming the fandom. I am not naming the authors involved. I am not naming the fics.

Because it doesn’t matter.

In one of my fandoms I came across a fic on AO3. A quite long fic, marked complete.

I thought it would be nice to settle in and read post Christmas festivities.

I think I ruined the Christmas holidays for multiple people by being the bearer of bad news.

You see, straight up, the ‘author’ of the fic mentions that they used parts of other people’s fics and had the fics in the author notes section.

I assumed they meant they had used OC’s and were inspired by them. Strange they hadn’t linked them properly.

I had not even gotten part way through the first chapter and felt sick.

You see those authors? Are all on a discord server with me. I knew well enough they would not have given permission to anyone to copy and paste entire chunks and chapters of their fics.

Four different authors with four different fics.

So I asked politely on the fic if the ‘author’ had asked permission. I also DM’d the authors with a link and a ‘Have you seen this’.

The authors had not.

The ‘author’ proclaimed they ‘tried for a year’ and couldn’t figure out how to contact them.

Me: *slow blink*

Also me: I know at least two of the authors had links to the discord a year ago. I also know that all four authors answer comments regularly.

I have gone back and forth with them- because I was trying to be gentle. It’s the internet- they could be anywhere from 8 to 100 (I do know their age now, since assuming they were younger was insulting.)

I was trying to gently educate that this isn’t ok to do and to offer ways that they could have contacted the authors (and in future can contact authors- mainly leaving a comment in their fics comment section).

One of the authors that I contacted, when she commented, was basically told that ‘I’ll change that one bit’ ignoring all the rest that was copied and used.

The ‘author’ has taken down a couple of chapters and told us we are harassing, belittling and bashing their fic and it’s our fault it’s having parts taken down.

Keep in mind- they said they wrote 2/3 of the fic. Going through it I was recognising my friends fics as huge parts of it up to the last six chapters (of a 25 chapter, 300+k fic)

Which lead me to think.

Maybe people don’t realise that there are unspoken of rules to writing fanfic and inspiring your fics off of someone else’s.

So maybe we need rules actually written out.

Fanfic writing is a lawless place, but I’m pretty sure everyone is going to agree with these.

Rules for writing fanfiction

1: Being inspired by fics is great. Always try to link the fics to yours- on AO3 there is a data field for this.

2: If you want to use a scene etc and build off of it/go in a different direction, ask the author first. Especially if you plan on using part of their writing. We can’t stop you from writing it but it’s polite. Accept that you may be told no.

3: Do not take entire chapters and copy it word for word. It’s plagiarism. If you are doing it to multiple fics in one story, you will end up with contradictory scenes.

Changing one or two words out of an entire scene or chapter, or changing a single sentence does not make it yours. It is still plagiarism.

4: If you know a character is an OC, ask permission. Accept that you may be told no.

Remember: No answer is not consent.

5: AO3 has a lovely comment function where you can ask things of authors. If the author you want to ask things of has comments turned off, accept that they do not wish to be contacted and accept that no contact does not mean do what you want. No contact means no permission.

6: Consent is sexy. If you want to do anything with someone else’s work, you ask. This includes using any part of their written words, any of their OC’s. This includes podfics and translations and to a certain point, art.

A: Podfic. It’s always good to ask- again acknowledging you may get a no- or be told it is fine so long as it is not done by ai- or uploaded via any place that came make money off of it.

B: Translations. This one is a tricky one. Some authors will be fine and some will not. The issue stems from translations not being word for word and some concepts being lost in translation. I acknowledge it is great to have fics in multiple languages however I also acknowledge that it is a lot of hard work between the translator and the author to ensure there is nothing lost. Not all authors have the bandwidth to do this, especially on fics that can be a few hundred thousand words.

C: Art. Most fic writers are fine with fan art. It’s only here because someone is going to bring it up. If an author has ‘fan art welcome’ go for it and post using the inspired by thing on ao3. If they don’t- ask. It’s likely a yes but everyone has their comfort levels and it’s still polite.

There are probably more but honestly? It’s fanfiction. It’s a lawless place held together with strings and ideas. It’s made on playing in other peoples sandboxes.

Just please, remember that people’s OC’s aren’t public property unless stated otherwise- and don��t blatantly copy other people’s work.

Someone will realise it feels familiar and we are fandoms. We don’t tend to forgive and forget when it comes to the big things.

And yes, it is an odd feeling to write ‘don’t use other authors OC’s without permission’ while also saying it is fine to write established characters that are from various forms of media. The difference is honestly a respect thing. Think of fandoms as sand boxes with a few toys scattered in. Anyone can play with those toys. If someone brings their own toys to play, you don’t just take them without asking.

I’m going to likely never post another tumblr post. I’m asking please don’t go looking for the author or the work. I don’t want them to continue to pull the harassment/bullying/bashing card. Which honestly led me to asking on two discord servers if my responses were bashing anything (no they weren’t. So at least I don’t feel like a bully on top of being the bearer of bad news).

Now it’s time for Eli to take over for a bit. Everyone needs a half feral, under socialised hellhound teen in their head (you don’t want him. He likes stabbing people and eating hearts).

Just remember.

No means no.

Consent is sexy.

The absence of a response is not a yes.

[lanterns-and-daydreams]

SOME TIG CHB HEADCANONS!!

-Xander is a Hephaestus kid.

-Grayson and Avery are Athena kids.

-Jameson and Rohan are Hermes kids.

-They hate that they're related and keep hiding each other's things and then fighting about it.

-Libby is Hecate's daughter.

-she sometimes uses potions in her baked goods.

-Thea is Aphrodite and Rebecca is from the Demeter cabin.

-Gigi and Savannah are Apollo's kids.

-Nash is Ares. Not all Ares kids are bad give em a break.

-Max is Apollo's kid.

-Jameson LOVES the climbing wall.

-Grayson loves the lake.

-He's friends with Percy and sometimes they both just sit down near the lake in silence and in comfort of each other's presence.

-Annabeth and Avery hang out and give each other riddles to solve.

-Xander is best friends with Leo and you'd think they're attached at the hip with how much mischief they get up to together and how they're always sitting around building things.

-TIRAMISU RIDING FESTUS'S HEAD WEARING A TINY PUPPY PAWTHORNE SIZED PARTY HAT!!!

-Xander knows about Bunker 9.

-Him and Leo call it their 'Super Secret Hawthorne-Valdez Hangout Forge"

-Drew and Thea do each other's makeup and help each other dress up.

-Wherever you find the Stolls, you will find Max.

-They're always giggling with each other, and when you look over at them, they will pretend they were doing nothing.

-Avery and Max love having sleepovers in each other's cabins.

-Max is amazing at Archery and playing the piano.

-Gigi, however, sucks at Archery, while Savannah is great at it.

-Clarisse looks up to Nash and actually acknowledges him as her older brother.

-They often train together.

-Everytime Libby learns a new spell, she always runs over to either Avery it Nash to show them.

-She has the greatest witch cackle in all of camp.

-Grayson’s weapon is a longsword.

-Max uses a bow.

-Savannah uses a gun, despite how limited it is.

-Jameson uses a javelin.

-Nash just fights with his bare hands (you go bro. Heizou would love you).

-He has a thing where he whispers a very low "yeehaw" under his breath before he beats the shit out of you.

-Avery uses a sword

-Thea has a dagger. It's decorated with roses and coated in poison.

-Rebecca uses her ability.

-Gigi has an axe.

-Rohan has an electric spear.

-Xander uses his machinery and things he's built.

-Xander and Leo often joke about their height difference.

-Rohan has beef with the Aphrodite kids.

-He was also constantly throwing jabs at Apollo as Lester.

-Lester wrote a poem about him where he's a slimy slug.

-Nobody knows why Rohan is like that but everyone knows he's a hater who only likes Savannah.

-The one time Jameson had to go to the Oracle for a prophecy in the attic (before Rachel became one), he was comically under prepared and when the Oracle started speaking, he screamed like a little girl and threw a shoe at it.

-He hates the attic now, even though the Oracle isn't there anymore he never even walks by the staircase.

-Grayson plays games (pinocle, cards, etc.) with Mr. D.

-He's very salty about being forced to wear a bright orange t-shirt.

-He accepted his fate and decided to wear a full sleeved baggy one with the sleeves rolled up.

-Jameson makes fun of him.

-Everytime Grayson sees Nico he asks him if he's eaten, he doesn't even know when he basically adopted this emo kid, he just remembers Nico being around when Gigi hung out with Will.

-Will is a sucker for Libby's cookies.

-He gives her stickers in exchange for cookies. Stickers are basically their currency now.

-Jameson thinks Hazel is very cool. Like damn, you can control rocks and gems? That's awesome!

-Nash is very protective of Frank. Like, no, the rest of the cabin can't be mean to him for being soft. no.

-Rebecca and Piper get along so well.

-The brothers get VERY competitive during Capture the Flag, and it's a show to watch when they're on opposite teams.

-Lyra is a Hunter of Artemis. (I'm not so sure about her I haven't read tgg yet. IM SORRY 👹 👹)

-Slate is Nemesis's kid. He's emo.

[randomness-is-my-order]

sometimes, i actually don’t appreciate it when people interpret wei wuxian’s life philosophy of “remember the good, forget the bad” (speaking very loosely) as some kind of low self-esteem or method of devaluing his own self and struggles or repressing his emotions because, and get this, grief looks different on different people. people process it in unique, downright bizarre ways sometimes. why do we have this idea in our heads about what “coping with grief” should look like on our characters or that if they aren’t dwelling on everything wrong done to them, they are somehow unhealthy in their relationship with loss/grief? that this is just putting a lid on a volcano? because when has the text ever indicated that wei wuxian is merely brushing off his negative emotions related to a loss, rather than literally overcoming it that quick as his ideology on it has stated to be? and it isn’t even that wei wuxian isn’t shown to mourn things–he is devastated by wen ning and wen qing’s sacrifice, he cries after the attack on lotus pier, he even accepts how the loss of his core upset him and he does reminisce about things of the past. it is merely that his mental fortitude works a certain way and allows him to leave the bad things behind to move forward towards better things, better memories, better experiences. it’s not an unhealthy coping mechanism, it is literally how wei wuxian is and you know what? i can’t relate either but i love that for him because it works for him because at the end of the day, the whole point of emotional baggages is that you need to shed them off to make space for something much better and wei wuxian is able to do that, time and time again, and that’s wonderful.

[fulcrums501st]

would have served to develop both Vi and Jinx so well this season. and would have focused on the complex conflicts in ideology between Silco and Vander that led them and thus the sisters down their respective paths. would have allowed the narrative to explore both the good and the bad of both fathers approaches to Zaun and that neither was a perfect man or father. Vi needed to learn that Silco wasn’t 100% evil and that Vander wasn’t 100% perfect. Cuz no one in the show or real life is

Vi is still very much stuck in this perfect version of the past she remembers and has a hard time accepting that things have changed. She’s AFRAID of change and desperately wants things to stay the same and be simple again like she remembers her childhood being. and the whole culmination of s1 is about accepting that some things can’t be undone and that things can’t go back to the way they were.

Like the show acknowledges that Vi is stuck in the past so many times but instead of doing anything to allow her to grow as a character and accept change, they just have her repeat the same mistakes and chose to deliberately show in the FINALE that she is incapable of change cuz she can’t leave Warwick behind.

And even worse s2 misremembers s1 to try and make you believe VI’s perfect version of the past. That Silco was 100% wrong and the root of all of Jinx’s problems. That Vander was always a pretty perfect guy. That Vander was both her AND POWDER’s true father figure. That Jinx needs to revert back to Powder. Etc

it’s like the creators of s2 remembered s1 only through VI’s perspective and even then they forgot her whole identity as a zaunite lmao

ngl I'm disappointed that Jinx and Vi's interaction in the mines didn't include even just a brief confirmation from Jinx that Silco was like a father to her and wasn't abusing her. That conversation didn't happen at the dinner scene, Vi was still under the impression there that Silco had been cruel to her. I think it would have been on theme for the episode. Jinx smells his old jacket, can she have just one line to say "hey, he never hurt me, he actually cared about me, and I cared about him too." Doesn't have to be a whole conversation, just let her say it out loud.