#anyway discovering their friendship for the first time was wild to me

[williams-excel-sheet]

You know that meme that's like "not friends, not lovers, but a secret third thing/so close the lines blur"? That's Lewis Hamilton and Miles Chamley-Watson

[hexxingcode]

What happens with peppermint after Ivory is arrested and also declared an enemy? I can imagine it must be quite a shock

Maybe a bit of denial first? As in she believes it's just a misunderstanding and they got the wrong pokemon. Then I imagine feeling betrayed and angry would come next? She discovers Ivory was lying about the amnesia, that he was the one to actually steal the first time gear, and that he was a human on top of that. How could she trust him now? What else was he hiding from her? Did he just use her to achieve his goals? How much of their friendship was real?

Also why did peppermint get taken to the future as well if she wasn't the guilty one?

Sorry for the rambling, I just thought the concept and possible consequences of the human remembering everything and siding with grovyle having so much potential

I've been really enjoying your Pmd au lore, and art as well

glad youre having fun with it, i care about team celerity a lot. very important to me specifically. ok so before i discuss the peppymint angle let me clarify:

ok lets continue. so

Peppermint has always known that something was Off with ivory. the way ivory was shifty and never trusted anybody and the ways she'd eat and move, all showed signs of a troubled past. but they didn't know what this past was. they hoped time with them in the guild would eventually settle ivory's nerves, but she only seemed to get more stressed as time went on, culminating in getting even worse during the expedition.

with her increasing erratic behavior leading up to their parking in the first lake, peppermint grew worried that ivory had a past that would catch up to her, that something bad had happened to her, and they were tired of not knowing about any of it, as they desperately tried to ask her what was wrong and what they could do to help

this led to ivory deciding that she wouldn't tell peppermint what the situation Was, and making it clear that she Couldnt, which peppermint respected, but allowing her to help anyway in very vague ways. ivory stressed that she was dealing with an incredibly stressful scenario and that she's completely certain she's making the right calls, even if its dangerous and she cant talk about it, because it'll lead to all these lives being saved in the end, so peppermint trusts her.

during the actual arrest of grovyle and ivory, peppermint can tell something is Wrong, and she visibly reacts this way. she doesn't want to believe that ivory is trying to end the world or anything of the sort, but she also wants to deny that dusknoir would be doing something like this for some nefarious gain. her internal conflict leaves dusknoir uncertain, and he believes that ivory has already clued them in and that they may put his plans into jeopardy as well, taking up their task of collecting the time gears, so he elects not to let that slide and takes her into the future with them, just to be safe.

after they escape execution, peppermint is deeply wounded that ivory would hide something like this from her, and is conflicted about all the lying, and stresses that getting the guild involved and telling everyone about it would have made this a much more fixable problem that'd have prepared them for all these situations, instead of them going on various kinds of wild goose chase while ivory tries to complete her mission alone.

she does believe that ivory is very genuine when she's honest, but is mad that she'd so frequently choose to lie or slowly shuffle her way out of telling the full truth. they express this very clearly and are actually quite mad for most of the trip, but they come to understand these circumstances after seeing what the future is really like. the small, struggling communities, the mistrust and violence, the lack of resources, the hopelessness. ivory's behaviors slowly slot into place in peppermint's mind as they learn about the world she knows, and while they don't outright forgive ivory, and clarifies that she'll probably be mad for a while longer, but that she's willing to move past it if ivory helps fix this big mess the upfront honest way, which ivory begrudgingly agrees to, that being why they finally end up getting the guild involved.

through peppymint's vouch, ivory is vaguely forgiven by the guild and they agree to help save the world! yippee.

[ipostdumbthings]

Moonlit Dinner Date

Pairing: Gale/Tav

Characters: Gale, Tav, Astarion, Karlach

Rating: G

Genre: Romantic Fluff

Summary: Gale returns to camp one evening to discover a wild magic mishap from sorcerer Tav. Pre-relationship.

It was still fairly early in the evening when Gale found himself strolling back into camp, clean for the first time in days. Camp had been made late in the afternoon, they’d stopped near a river and a turn order was quickly established to get everyone in camp a turn to a small but blissful amount of privacy, and freedom from the muck and sweat. He was still toweling off his hair when he stepped foot in camp proper,only to find himself almost bumping directly into a certain pale companion of the vampiric persuasion. The look on the elf’s face made it clear that he’d been waiting for Gale for a while now, a look that said “you’re wasting my time”. The wizard didn’t love how often he saw it.

“Here’s something I never thought I’d say, but thank the gods you’re here Gale we need your help.” It might have been a jab at him, but Astarion wasn’t wielding his particularly cruel tone of voice, did Gale actually detect something genuine there? He opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off immediately, not by the man before him, but by the bleating of a sheep. Of course. He didn’t need to look, but he did anyway, sidestepping the elf to join the camp proper. Not too far from the fire was a sheep, a rope tied loosely to its neck to keep it from wandering off. Affectionately petting and tending to it was Karlach, who looked all the more excited to see Gale.

“Tav?” He asked, already so certain of the answer, but received further confirmation when he spotted the bowl of water someone had laid beside the sheep with the name “Tav '' hastily painted on the side, no doubt Karlach’s work. It could be hard to believe that a woman of so much heat could have such a soft heart.

“Yes, she got a little bold with her spell casting I’m afraid,” Astarion replied, a certain quirk to the corner of his mouth indicating just how funny he found all this. It had endlessly fascinated Gale just how well Tav could get along with everyone here, and how someone with so much kindness and concern for others could find genuine affection and camaraderie with someone like Astarion. He was certain for the elf’s part, the friendship had mostly been a great source of amusement, provided he was well outside the blast radius when something went wrong. But Tav had disagreed with Gale during one of their chats about that, well not entirely, she knew Astarion found it funny when her magic went awry, but she was positive there was a genuine connection of trust and friendship between them. That was getting off track though, there was very much a situation he was faced with, one that was frankly frustrating, and should’ve been avoided based on his and her previous conversations. He heaved a sigh so deep he felt it in his soul.

“I specifically asked her not to cast her magic in camp for this reason. Could’ve been a fireball that sent all the tents up in flames,” he said, adopting a chastising tone as he addressed the sheep more than the two people. Sorcerer’s and wizards rarely saw eye to eye under the best of circumstances, given their different philosophies, their different experiences with magic. Sorcerers took magic for granted, and the one type of sorcerer you didn’t want with that sort of flippant attitude was one of wild magic, and yet Tav seemed blissfully unconcerned by the chaos she was capable of wreaking. He’d hope she’d learn something from this, but he knew better.

“Oh, no, that’s not what we need help with,” Astarion said, his genuine delight only seeming to swell.

“When you say it like that Astarion, it makes me feel like we’ve been arseholes,” Karlach said sounding like a guilty child. She even wore a pout. 

“She’s got grass, we put down a clean water bowl for her, her precious sheepish heart yearns for nothing. Frankly I wish people tended to my needs the way we’ve been keeping her for the better part of the half hour.” The elf sounded defensive, but not in a way that indicated he felt bad in the slightest for anything that was happening. Gale pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a certain weariness he imagined his mother must have felt when she was dealing with his youthful magical indiscretions.

“If it’s not about Tav the sheep, then what exactly did you need?” The question was quick, clipped, and demanded an answer.

“Well, it’s not not about Tav and her adorable little hooves.” The way Karlach emphasized the last three words was further hammered home by her taking Tav’s sheep face in her hands and cooing at her.

“It’s a bet,” Astarion said, and could not suppress a grin as he spoke, “we were wondering if, someone were to… shear her, you know, shave off all the wool, while she’s a sheep…” 

“Would she pop back to being a human bald or naked? And what would happen to the wool when she turned back? Would that be her hair? Her clothes? Or would it stay wool?” Karlach finished the question, redirecting her gaze back to Gale with genuine curiosity. He blinked at the absurdity of the question, at the knowledge that they had been patiently waiting for him for half an hour just to ask. Karlach didn’t surprise him as much, but he would’ve assumed Astarion for the sort to get to the bottom of the matter himself.

“Ah. Well, I can't say I’ve ever tried it. Honestly I’m impressed at the restraint you’ve shown in not simply attempting it yourself.” He’d said it as a joke, but the look on Karlach’s face had the deep sigh renewed.

“We thought about it, but I’m too pretty for such a menial task, Karlach is too afraid of hurting her, and Halsin gave us a very stern ‘no’ and that same disapproving look you seem to be wearing right now.” Well, at least someone in the camp could be trusted to behave like an adult. He held Astarion’s gaze for several moments, making sure he fully expressed said disappointment, before finally looking back at the popular subject of the evening, Tav. He should still be irritated, but he had to admit the question was an interesting one, and far be it from him to not indulge the curiosity of others in regards to magic. Even if he didn’t exactly have an answer.

“Ignoring the ethical implications of you two attempting to shave one of your friends while they’re completely indisposed, hypothetically-“ he was cut off when the sheep made eye contact with him, and he felt the sudden, intense connection brought on by the tadpoles locked in their brains. For just a moment it didn’t make sense, just sheep sounds and flashes of the grass on the ground at the camp, but then he felt it: the disappointment. The sheep held his gaze, drifting to thoughts of the clearing nearby, the one with bright green grass.

“Wait. What just happened?” The words from Karlach pulled him from the moment, and his bewildered stare must have made it obvious.

“Did she just use the tadpole on you?” Astarion sounded positively delighted, the airy laugh erupting from him. Gale glared.

“Oh was it Tav-Tav, or Sheep-Tav? Why didn’t she do it to me? I was just staring into her little face?” Karlach asked with a mix of absolute whimsy and disappointment. She gently rested her hands under Tav’s face to coax the sheep to look at her again.

“Don’t take it personally, Karlach, she’s not really Tav right now, she’s well and truly a sheep,and you two were wrong about her wanting for nothing, she wants better grass.” With that he crossed the space to his tent and returned everything he’d taken for his bath, then snatched up a book. There was no telling how long it would take for Tav to become human again, and she’d been very clear about what she wanted. He could sit with her for a while as she indulged in sheepish pleasures.

“Shit are we being bad sheep guardians?” Karlach asked with a groan, she did start untying the rope from the stake in the ground, which she handed over to Gale when he approached.

“Do you mean shepherds?” Astarion asked, but Gale was very much through with the tom-foolery of the evening. Taking the rope in hand, he gave Tav the gentlest of tugs to get her moving.

“I’m going to take her to a clearing nearby, if she’s going to return to humanity with the taste of grass in her mouth it might as well be good grass.” Tav may have frustrated him at times to no end, but there was no denying that he respected her. Valued her, even. She was competent at decision making under catastrophic circumstances, unwaveringly compassionate to those in need, and a damn fine friend to anyone that allowed her to be. There were times that his fondness for her only increased his frustration about her casual disposition to her brand of chaos. He wanted her to care enough to take care of herself, to be careful. But he supposed, at least for the time being, she had him to do the worrying for her. Seemed a few others were up to the task too.

“Don’t forget her water bowl, Gale, I put her name on it and everything, you know, for next time it happens.” Karlach almost spilled the water bowl in her haste to hand it over, genuinely concerned he may leave it behind. The wizard took the bowl with a small bow of his head, yes even when he wasn’t around to watch after her, Tav was usually in good hands.

“I’m certain she’ll be touched by the kind gesture. Now come along, Tav.” With that, he gave another gentle tug on the rope, and sheep Tav seemed to know exactly what to do, which he supposed made sense, she had requested this.

—

He did have to give her credit for good timing, though, it was a lovely night. Stars twinkling above, the moon brilliantly lighting their little clearing. The air was cool, but not cold. A nice gentle breeze carried the sounds of the night time wildlife beginning their evening. Perfect night to sit with a book and enjoy the world for all its splendor.Even the company was pleasant, now satisfied with the grass she had available Tav was content to silently wander and munch nearby. He’d take breaks from the page to glance up at her to make sure she was fine, and frankly marvel at how he managed to enjoy her presence even as a sheep.

The two had shared many late night evening talks, mostly about the sort of things one expects a wizard and a sorcerer to discuss. Magic and its nature, mysteries of the universe, that sort of thing. They talked about other things, and he was constantly amazed by how much he enjoyed those chats just as much as he enjoyed the ones on his favorite subjects. Even in these trying times she approached life with enthusiasm, with passion and joy. Not to say she wasn’t aware of the impending doom that loomed above them, she’d let slip her air of exuberant confidence a few times to reveal just how deeply afraid she was. He’d realized then that she was attempting to shoulder all the worries of the team, that she’d been determined to be the source of comfort and hope when they couldn’t be one to themselves. He didn’t envy her. He did want to help her though. Which was yet another reason he was sitting out here with her.

It was a wonderful, quiet hour that past, and sheep Tav had settled in the grass and was deep into a snore when the magic dispelled. One moment a sheep snoozed happily, the next there was Tav. She sat up quickly, facing away from Gale. She twisted her head back and forth before rising to her feet. When she finally spotted Gale she broke into a big grin. A big, beautiful grin. She looked relieved to see him, happy to see him. He blinked back at her, and felt something stir in his chest that felt suspiciously like his heart fluttering. He hoped it was dark enough that she’d miss the faint tingle of redness on his cheeks he felt forming. A moment passed before he realized he was staring at her, and he quickly cleared his throat to break the silence.

“You should know, your dear friends seriously debated shearing you in pursuit of scientific curiosity,” he said, he’d intended his tone to be more chastising, after all he had asked her not to cast in camp for a reason. But his heart wasn’t in that, not at the moment, not with her looking at him like he was her safety, her comfort. It came out as the gentle, affectionate tease it truly was. Of course he knew he’d been fond of her already, but that look on her face under starlit skies was forcing him towards some rather hasty and unexpected realizations about just how fond of her he was.

“Oh to see if I turn out bald or naked?” She asked with an easy laugh, as she took a seat on the ground directly beside him. The urge to put an arm around her was one of the hardest he’s ever had to suppress. He settled for tilting his head to the side as he peered at her, watching the expression of good humor form on her face. He was finding he liked that one quite a bit too.

“A question you seem to have pondered quite a bit yourself,” he remarked.

“Well I’ve spent more than my fair share of time as a sheep. Always wondered why it was a sheep. Honestly, the universe probably knows I’d be too powerful as a cat.” She was looking directly into his eyes as she spoke, and he found himself even more acutely aware of how close they were and how intimate this moment between them was. The idea of her as a cat, however, was enough to get a laugh from him. Surely she’d be the sort to knock everything over, to break all your favorite things, and just when you were sure it was time to get rid of her, cuddle up on your lap and make you love her all over again.

“With your predisposition for chaos? I suspect you may be right.” He loved the way that made her laugh, the way her nose crinkled as her whole face lit up. She gave him a gentle shove on the shoulder, and he made a mental note to ensure an abundant future of that. She finished laughing and for a brief moment she sat and peered up at the stars before she looked back to the grass she’d been eating not ago.

“Awfully nice of you, though, to bring me out to this lovely patch of Baldurian Bluegrass.” She looked thankful. He blinked at her, and then looked at the grass, and then back at her.

“… You know what type of grass this is?” He must have sounded incredulous from her next little laugh. Tav was not much of an expert on the great outdoors, she’d never successfully identified an animal track, knew absolutely no potion ingredients, and seemed to be allergic to most things they came in contact with. She smiled a knowing smile and shrugged her shoulders.

“When I realized that I would be spending a decent amount of time as a sheep, I started growing little patches of grass at home, and had some brought in from all sorts of places. I figured, you know, spoil myself.” It was his turn to laugh, he shouldn’t have been surprised in the first place. That was exactly the sort of thing Tav did. 

“Ah yes, exotic grasses from across the globe. Truly a feast fit for a sheep of your caliber.” He teased, and felt that flicker in his heart when her eyes were back to him.

“But the one I always eat the most is the boring one, Baldurian Bluegrass.But do you realize what that means?” She asks leaning just enough that it felt like they were conspiring about something together.

“I can’t even imagine what’s about to come out of your mouth.” It wasn’t the first time that had happened, and he knew with such certainty that it would far from be the last. It excited him in a way that he hadn’t expected it to.

“You just took me out for a nice moonlit dinner with my favorite food. If you keep this up, Gale, I’m going to think you’re into me.” It was a joke, he was certain. Wasn’t he certain? He could almost be bold enough to lean over and kiss her, to wrap that arm around her and hold her. To spend the evening like this teasing and talking together. Almost.

“We should get back to camp, Karlach will be both relieved and disappointed by your reversion,” he said and cursed himself for being a coward. Tav took pity on him it seemed, leaned in and kissed his cheek, and he felt his heart absolutely pound in his chest. She rose to her feet quickly thereafter and offered her hand to him to help him up, which he gratefully accepted.

“Thank you, Gale, for taking care of me,” and there was that smile again, but it didn’t linger for long, and she was quickly starting the short walk back to camp. He didn’t let her get too far ahead though.

“It was a privilege and an honor, my lady.” He did stop to pick up her water bowl though, with her luck it would be helpful soon enough.

[shrimplymoray]

Hellooo, hope you are having a nice day! I discovered your work not long ago, but I already liked it a lot! I'd like to order a Cody/X Virus x Reader, in which the Reader is a biology nerd who is enthralled by Cody's skills and knowledge! Just the two of them being adorable nerds together!! 👉👈🤧💕

((it's so hard to find content about Cody, and it makes me particularly sad because he's my favorite creepypasta! 🥹🥹🥹))

Anyway, thank you in advance!! 💞

HIHII! I'm so sorry for the long wait, my life has been wild this last couple of weeks, but I'm back at writing and YES CODY'S FANS RISE UP!! Love me when he is a psychopathic scientist lol. Hope you enjoy this!

X Virus x Biology Nerd Reader

Cody normally keeps to himself in his lab, and is not really used to having people besides EJ or Toby around. So when he gets assigned a lab partner, he got skeptical.

He couldn't understand if this was some wild scheme from the others to make him interact more, or if you were actually someone with enough knowledge to work with him, but he couldn't complain since it was orders from the proxies.

You were going to be Cody's lab partner due to your area of knowledge on biology being similar in level to his, and you were certainly excited to find someone with an interest similar than yours, from what you heard of him.

When you did come to the lab, and looked around the place, you were certainly excited with the amount of biology related stuff. It was all you ever wanted, and it made your love for the subject bubble out.

Cody met you right there, on the lab, and at first he was REALLY skeptical, because you looked decent.

'since when does a scientist looks decent? They will not understand at all what I'm doing'

But the moment you opened your mouth and started accurately guessing what each thing he had was, his eyes sparkled. No way...

"Oh my god, you have a guide to the human cardiovascular system! Do you use it often? I bet you do, look at the amount of stuff that needs an intravenous application..."

"Wait, you actually know what you're talking about?"

It didn't take long to Cody to open up about his current researches and projects, like his experiments with the xelymtopa virus, or how he was experimenting on the maximization of effects on cyanide based poisons.

You were excited and eager to know, even bringing your own hypothesis on what could happen depending on the person he experiments on, which he appreciates.

Soon enough you were one of Cody's closest friends (and maybe he had a bit of a crush on you too), and were together everywhere, freaking everyone out by your casual talks about deadly diseases and poisonous animals.

Cody, while doing his work on the infirmary with EJ, opened up about how he felt close to you in a deeper level than anything, but he couldn't put a finger on what exactly he felt. EJ advised him to be open with you besides the work talk.

Cody felt confused and even a bit scarred. Open up about feelings? That is not like him at all...

His mind went in circles on how this was a bad idea and how he would lose your friendship, and you were the only one that actually understood what he said for once, but... EJ never wronged him. Why would he be wrong this time, right?

The next day, on the lab, you were working on one of your projects, some vaccines for one of the many viruses samples Cody had, when he came inside the labe with something behind his back.

"Hey, uh, I hope I'm not interrupting but... Can I talk to you for a second?"

After you looked at him and nodded, he basically dumped all of his feelings for you at once, and you couldn't help but giggle at how the usually confident in himself Cody was a blushing and rambling mess.

You did feel the same towards him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He did have something to give you, your very own test subject. It was a golden poison frog, which was being securely held in a small vivarium.

Let's just say that both of you are probably the deadliest couple in the manor, and that if anyone bothers one of you, the other is very capable of performing inhumane tests on them just out of spite.

Hope you enjoyed it! I am not particularly knowledgeable on Biology, never had very good teachers on the subject, but it was certainly fun to write this. We need more Cody love in the world fr fr.

[ike9306]

max you're literally so amazing but i have no clue what tf you're talking about half the time i need it explained to me like im five (/hj)

Hehehehehehe I'm glad you asked :3

So ! The TCFAD series first. You already know that one, it's the Parting Gift series I'm currently writing. The rest of the fics are coming. I'm just slow to write.

But yeah, kinda works for a character study cus it very much explores Jon's psyche after his kidnapping and his Circus trauma, with the added bonus of bringing Tim into the mix and being a sorta fix it (lie).

And that fits the 100k words well. Fic one was 12.5k words. Fic two is well on its way to be at least 20-30k, and fic 3 will be at least 20k, so... that's already a lot. And there's still the maybe fic 4 that I need to decide if I can make it viable. If I do, it'll likely be a 50k words one so. Def checks out there, lol.

The TMIAATTTMG AU is the JonGerry Friendship one I talked about on Discord a while ago ! The one I made a Jom design for over here.

The narrative is non-linear, exploring both the Assistants in 2015, discovering what the hell is going on, and Jon and Gerry in 2011 as Jon's promotion as Archival Assistant for Gertrude proves to be. Something for sure.

Definitely going to be a very long fic, though I'm not sure about the word count yet. And very much character study in the divergence.

Finally, the Nightfields Wake AU ! Full name of this baby is Somewhere Else : Nightfields Wake.

In this, we follow 15 years old ADHD child Jonathan Sims as he and his adopted siblings prove that their calm little town is, in fact, a cover-up for multiple cults. And their adoptive dad is the leader of one. And, apparently, he wanted to sacrifice three of them to make Jon into his messiah. What a mess.

A very comedic and absurd tone for that one, although there is some good angst at some point. The subtext is important, though. Also a long AU, we cover the whole series in this setting, so strap on for a wild one.

I can share snips of all three AUs if you want btw. Just Ask (preferably on the other account though cuz this one isn't much for TMA stuff).

Anyway, that's all for now :)

You can choose to kick my ass so I write one of them (not all three at once, though cuz I already have the AA crossover and my Project for school lol)

[beej-machinations]

PBA Canon Character Fic Nominees

To help you choose your fave PBA '24 Best Portrayal of a Canon Character Fics, grouped by name!

I've written my own summaries, centred around the nominated character and which of their traits the story explored.

Voting Round ends April 21st (vote here x)

Card Games, Vampires, and a Very Late Letter by TheSailingRabbit Kinch enters the service while hiding a chronic illness; much later, Hogan has finally thought up a way to help him (It's very UnOrthodox). Kinch & Hogan friendship 👍👍🥲

Kinch in Mama Bear by PicassoPenguin 4+1 story of the times Kinch took care of the other bears. what's not to love? Kinch uses his skills in observation and subtlety to watch out for the crew in both direct and indirect ways.

Carter in A Brother's Bond by PicassoPenguin After the war, Little Deer misses his brothers from Barracks 14. He tells Brown Rabbit about them, how much he admires them, and about the first days when he joined the heroes ( !!! )

Carter in Exit, Pursued By A Bear by pronker Carter has questions. The extent to which the gang humors or suffers him is a delicate balance. I think the author captured his voice well :)

Hogan in Decoration Day by Abracadebra Hogan mourns, then honors, the men that have died under his command. He has to lie to Klink to do so, but that's only natural.

Hogan in Sergeant 'Don't You Sass Me, Hogan' Wilson by whatisthismandoinghere Doctors may make the worst patients, but Colonels come in at a close second.

LeBeau Hogan in Well and Truly Got by Cardinal Rose - (Hogan story, i think this was mislabelled in the poll) Hogan's luck runs out. He tries anyway, but the consequences are unavoidable.

Klink in Klink's Brother by Sam Worth Klink talks a little about his family, both real and imagined. Well captured voice and mannerisms

Klink in Yoga Session by Deepbluethinking Klink discovers that kowtowing to Burkhalter leads to kowtowing in a more literal way, to the dismay of his hamstrings.

Klink in Ashes by LightShiner14 Atypically, Klink goes to church. Childhood memories rise unbidden; and Klink reflects on the irony of attending church in the bloodied present day. There's also a question pressing at him: what does he find within himself? Does he dare examine it?

LeBeau in Operation Mother Hen by Tuttle4077 Lebeau is sick. He's miserable, prideful, and Not Happy with the fuss everyone is making - to the point of driving everyone crazy: until they recruit the best nurse (very cute)

LeBeau in Spring Flowers by Tuttle4077 a poetically evocative piece on how Lebeau witnesses the changes to his beloved Rhineland. For better, for worse, for better, for worse. for better? (the imagery is vivid, and Lebeau's love really shines through)

Uneasy Company by dust on the wind Stuck between a rock, a hard place, a Hochstetter, and more troubles on the way, Newkirk is stranded without any backup. We get to see how he thinks and performs under pressure when the crew isn't there. When he needs to use his lockpicking skills, how can he explain them to the paranoid Hochstetter?

Drop Bears by dust on the wind Newkirk makes a bet with an Australian POW, and ends up taking a different gamble and performing some last-minute acrobatics.

A Deserved Gift by Cardinal Rose Newkirk dreams up the perfect plot for springtime. Most of the crew beg off taking part, because its an unnecessary risk, but regardless the victory is sweet and enjoyed by all. (in wartime, even Petty Revenge requires Pro Revenge tactics)

Cracking the Vault by Sierra Sutherwind Reminded of his younger days, Newkirk gives himself an inconveniently timed challenge - much to the dismay of Hogan and Schultz. They support him, but tbh they had their hands tied, what else could they do? (bonus: Schultz and the OCs in this fic go through some interesting developments, but they arent the focus in this category)

Once Is Enough by Abracadebra Newkirk is recruited as the reluctant accomplice in Marya's latest wild scheme. He shows off his skills at bluffing, snarking, and griping >:) i like how the more stressed he gets the funnier he gets haha

Autumn Winds by Fear-Of-The-Cold Newkirk's attitude toward human connection over the years, as it is influenced by his family and the world. we get to see a pre-Heroes POW Newkirk

The Assassin by lonewolfette9846 Newkirk is given the most important job in the war. And he has to do it alone. He does his best to keep his cover, and in the little time he has strategises his next moves. A very tense story - and that tension takes its toll on Newkirk. I like how methodical and tactical Newkirk comes across in this, despite the mission not being remotely in his experience.

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(voting link again)

[gardensofthemoon]

curious about golden son!

Ohhhhh my favourite one! Thank you for the ask! *rubs hands in anticipation*

So, this one is my longest-standing wip, begun back in December, and from a throwaway idea it has shaped itself into a medium/longfic set in the Noontide of Valinor about falling in love, coming of age, friends to lovers, and family drama, where the central relationship is Curufin/Finrod. It started out because of me wanting to write smut, but when I got to it I had to create a backstory and it just... grew out of my hands. It is bittersweet with a rather sad ending, it tackles some topics like insecurities and the relationships between fathers and sons, growing up as yourself vs having to perform/to obey your parents' expectations of you, friendship vs love vs family. The other main romantic relationship is between Turgon and Elenwe, serving as a foil for Curufin and Finrod, as Finrod evaluates his own feelings and juggles between what he wants and what's expected of him. As for vibes, think of long summers, flowers in bloom, cold lakes, laughing and arguing, kisses stolen in gardens, the nervousness and giddiness of first love.

And now, a longer snipper - the beginning of it.

Curufinwë, Findaráto knows, looks too much like his father. It has been laid out from the beginning in his name: Curufinwë Atarinkë. Little father. Little Fëanáro. All of his half-cousins are named after the whims of their sire, who used them as a means for subtle insults in place of open dissent, and the fifth one, the youngest, bears the greatest expectation: that he needs to measure up to his namesake. Findaráto is not really close to that side of the family; they do not live in Tirion, but travel across Valinórë with their extended household; every now and then, his father receives a trinket from the last place they visited: a gold bracelet decked with opals and mother of pearl, a particularly smooth stone picked up from the heights of the Pelóri.  He grew up with the loud Ñolofinwëans, whose brashness is, if irritating, at least not duplicitous. Findaráto prefers serious Turukáno to his wild siblings; in fact, he spends almost all his free time strumming his lyre while Turukáno is perched on a cushioned armchair close to the west-facing windows, with a historical scroll of some kind.  As of late, the documents have undergone an intriguing transition to poetry books; and that would not have been such a bizarre choice — after all, it is the custom for elder myths to be told in verse — if not for the content: where Findaráto expected to read, whenever he peeked over his cousin’s shoulder, legends of ancient deeds of valour sung in trochaic metre, he discovered with a certain wonder that Turukáno secretly enjoyed the romantic art of Elemmírë with all its verbose lyricism. “Snooping is a poor look on you, Ingo,” Turukáno admonishes him when he takes notice of his meddling with the pile of to-read saccharine pamphlets he stored under the said armchair. “Anyway, you cannot understand the longing for a most beloved soul.”  He punctuates his statement with a sigh, then shakes his head and buries himself in the newest collection of love ballads, all the while Findaráto watches unhappily. 

[smoshidiot]

sorry in advance if this is rambly or doesn't make sense. it's 3am and i just have a stupid amount of love for smosh in my heart rn and i wanted to make a lil appreciation post 💕

first off i wanna say: happy birthday smosh! i can't believe this silly youtube channel is already 18 years old. it's hard to exactly describe how much smosh means to me. i discovered the channel nearly 10 years ago (my anniversary is on the 25th!) and even at the times in my life when i wasn't actively watching smosh, they always had such a special place in my heart. ian and anthony have always been able to make me laugh in a way that other channels have never really been able to, and it has been such an absolute delight to see them working together again.

ever since june 20th my life has really been centered around smosh and it's been amazing. if you told me a year ago that this is what my life would look like i never would've believed you. i am so unbelievably grateful for all of the joy, laughter, and opportunities smosh has brought me since anthony's return. i wanna say how happy i am that smoshblr exists and was so welcoming as soon as i made my blog. i honestly don't know if i would've stuck with smosh so strongly if i didn't have this great community to chat with and rediscover my love of this channel with.

and then of course, smoshblr and my friends here led me to joining the smoshcord which has been my absolute home these past few months. i have made so many incredible friends on that server and i wouldn't trade it for the world. all of the neighbors mean sm to me and i absolutely cannot wait to meet a bunch of them at vidcon 2024. also! i am still so honored that erica from the team over at smosh chose me (as well as a few other amazing ppl!) as a community mod for smoshcord. it feels so amazing to be able to give back to the smosh community, for how much it has given me over the years. and just to be recognized by smosh as a respected member of the community means the absolute world to me.

along those lines, while i'm being sappy i think i'm allowed to be a lil selfish and say ?? holy shit if you told 12 year old me that i would go on to have regular conversations with anthony padilla i would tell you you're absolutely insane. it has been such an absolute wild ride but it's so fucking cool that ian and anthony (ok mostly anthony but i think ian too bc of streams n stuff!) know who i am. i have an insane amount of love in my heart for these boys and it's so nice to interact with them on a slightly more personal level. it still feels like an absolute dream to even see them sit next to each other, let alone sit next to each other while saying my name.

but anyways i just want to say thank you smosh. thank you for all of the love and laughter and hope you have given me. you've shown me that friendship DOES truly always win. i am so fucking proud of these boys for mending their relationship and coming through such a hard time to create something genuinely beautiful.

anyways i wanna shoutout @smoshmonker @squig-s @yourinterestisnotcringe @lilac-hecox @kubabamia @only-frann for being just so lovely and fun to talk smosh with ♡ i am so grateful i met you all and that smosh brought us together like this! (sorry if there's any other neighborhood friends that i simply forgot the tumblr urls for ilyy)

[short-black-diamond]

I really like hearing people talk about things they've noticed in something so it's so fun to read what you've notice in The Tomato Can 🫶

Bbg Vasily and Elijah

About the ocs, Mei and I guess Merida would be actually such an interesting new dynamic to see with Milana🤩🤩

- 🍰nom

aw, thanks love! Anyways, if you want to, I could continue...? I still have a lot to discover, and I can't believe that I actually overlooked a lot of things..

We love babygirl Vasily and Elijah

Yesssss, But if you want to, you can also request OC's to me if you'd like to! But I think I would rather call Merida Mary-Anne or something? Idk but I just---don't want her to the the name of a disney princess

Anyways, I'll post your other request, tged x male! reader in here. Also it's going to be angsty. Sorry not sorry, my sweet strawberry shortcake 🍰-nom. But don't worry, there will be a lil kith at the end.

Also I didn't proofread.

---

Who are you, Lloyd?

You knew that you shouldn't be here. But his parents asked you to. You knew that it would make your friendship with him all the more worse, if you even were friends in the first place.

But, for the sake of the baron's son, you had to ask a witch about Lloyd. She was a rather pretty woman, but she was a scaredy cat. So when she first saw you, she shrieked. I mean, who wouldn't, when your face was tinted red from the bear who just tried to eat you? Luckily, none of that blood outside your body belonged to you.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a question.", you said as you stepped into her humble home without asking, nor brushing your mudded boots, to which she grumbled under her breath.

"Make it quick. And also clean up your shoes."

"It's about the son of the baron I'm serving. Lloyd Frontera. He's uh...he's...not really himself?", you tried to explain, but you missed the words which woud suit for what you were wanting to say.

However, the witch was patient, and so, with you trying to form sentence upon sentence, did you finally manage to tell how from a Lloyd who was a drunkard and bad person became suddenly an estate developer and a businessman.

"And he just recruited a hundred and twenty Orcs for faster building? I don't even recognize the person I have to look over anymore...!", you finished, sipping on the sweet tea the witch brewed you while you were telling the story.

"Hm...to me, it sounds like a rare occurence of 'soul exchange'. Maybe, and I am talking on a very wild guess, it can be that the Lloyd you knew all your life until these past days has...well, died."

You flinched. "What?! D-don't you think that's a bit exaggerated??"

"There could be a chance, no? I mean, according to you, he was a drunk guy who was just utter trash. And maybe, he died at the same time another person died.", the witch's soft voice explained. Actually, she could be right.

If there could be Orcs, witches, monsters, dragons and elves in your world, why couldn't there be a new Lloyd?

"But...what should I do? I can't just tell him that he's not the same he once was!"

"Why don't you try getting to know the new Lloyd then?"

You blushed at that. 'Th-the knew Lloyd? Hmm...such a hassle. No, I'm going to confront him!'

...

"Ah, ____! There you are!", the baron's son exclaimed as he saw your approaching figure. 'Damn, the author really did describe ____ exactly how he looks in front of me. Tall, handsome, and nice. At least he's not like Javier. But still...he's beautiful...!'

He noticed your frown, a troubled expression on your face as you strutted uneasily towards him. "Mr. Frontera, I-I have a request!"

"Eh? A request? For me??", Lloyd asked with a confused smile as he followed you. You lead him to your home, and Lloyd blushed more.

'What is he trying to achieve...? I have work, but if ____ needs something, work can wait...What are your plans, ____?'

You led him to your table, with a freshly baked apple pie standing on it. You applied a little too much sugar, but you did it with the intention of him hitting you, but none of it. "Mm, your pie is good, but you applied a little too much sugar, ____. But is this the only thing you-Whoah!!"

Lloyd found himself pinned against your kitchen table, with your larger frame right on top of him. Lloyd couldn't miss the way you growled at him, demanding an explanation. However, Lloyd didn't know what for you could need an explanation for. All he could think about were your glowing eyes, your angry expression, how you were holding his hands in one of your larger ones and your other held his waist to the counter.

Yeah, Lloyd was turned on right now. "U-uhm, ____? D-do you mi-"

"You are not the Lloyd I know, so tell me who the hell you are!", you hissed as you glared at him angrily. But, Lloyd could see tears swelling in your eyes. Maybe out of frustration?

"____...I'm sorry. I've changed-" "Stop! Stop it!", you yelled as you puched him away from you and gripped your hair tightly. "I know that you are not Lloyd, but please, whoever you are, tell me where the old one is!"

There was a moment of silence, with you panting as you looked at 'Lloyd' with a look of hurt, betrayal, hope, and big sadness.

Suho Kim, who now possessed Lloyd's body, looked at you with guild. "____, I'll...explain everything to you. My actual name is Suho Kim, and I think I died in my previous life...? Anyway, now I'm in Lloyd's body, and, well, I tried to make the most out of it."

You only stared at him before leaning against the wall and sliding down while covering your face. (drama queen ig)

"Listen, I know that it was hard for you to endure this all, given the fact the Lloyd you knew before is no longer there, but I promise that I'll be better than him. I'd also like to get to know you better, ____."

Lloyd sat down next to you. "You know, at first, I thought that you'd be just like Javier, but you're not. You're so much sweeter, kinder, more emotional, and you tell me more. You're a good guy."

Suho slowly couldn't contain your silence anymore, and for a moment, he thought that you'd had fallen asleep. But you just raised your head to him. You looked depressed. "I don't like how you compare me to Javier, and I don't like how you talk about Lloyd as if he was a bad person.

Lloyd might have been trash, throwing tantrums, drinking the whole time and being horrible with women, but he was the one me and Javier had to dedicate our lives to. I don't know if Javier enjoys being your knight, but I'm glad that you, Suho Kim, could cure his sleeping problems. And as for me...", you trailed off, averting your eyes shyly.

Suho remembered that you were actually introduced as the love interest, but you died protecting Lloyd. Lloyd actually never liked you, but you just found something in Lloyd very alluring, and Suho didn't know what.

Suho felt bad. Bad that you lost the person you somehow fell in love with -he wanted to hit the author of the novel for putting sweet you together with somebody like Lloyd and the also having the audacity to give you a grotesque death scene- and even worse that you found out about it.

"...I don't know why, but I felt shy whenever I looked at him. Sure, he is not the best option to fancy, but I just...I felt a connection to him. And now he's gone..."

Suho sighed. "...____, could you try moving on? Forget about the old Lloyd...if it helps you in some way, uh, I c-could go on a few dates with you...!", the man sitting next to you advised, and you both blushed furiously at the thought.

You groaned. "Thanks, but...I don't know...I feel like everything's moving too fast? Yeah, that must be it...", you muttered, staring at the dust which was starting to form on your boot.

But, Suho didn't want to give up yet. You were sitting next to him, in all your vulnerability, and...he wanted you. All to himself.

"I'm the greediest man you know, right? All about money, coins, all that gold and silver and being rich. Well, I'm also another kind of greedy.", he whispered as he looked up to you.

"I'm greedy for your love, ____."

Your flustered expression couldn't have been cuter, and Suho smiled fondly at you. "I know this is a lot to take in, but please bear with me. You are one hell of a handsome knight, ____."

"W-wait! You can't just confess! We-we don't even know each other!"

"Ah, yes...but hey, at least you know that I like you. And I'll make you fall for me in no time!", was the last thing Suho said before he gave you a little kiss to the cheek and ran out of your house.

He left you sitting in your kitchen, with you hesitantly touching the place he put his lips on, and you sighed with a red face.

'Feelings are so hard...', you thought.

Meanwhile, Suho ran as fast as he could away from your house, and into the secure walls of his chamber. There, he panted as he jumped on his bed and kicked his feet.

'Oh my god, I can't believe I actually did it! It feels so right, but what if I can't make ____ fall for me?! I'm not even good with women! Why did I even say such a thing?! And his cheek, gosh, ____'s cheek! It's so soft!!!! AAAAARRGH! What should I do!??!', Lloyd thought as he giggled and whirled around in his bed.

Javier, and Lloyd's father exchanged concerned looks as they heard Lloyd's giggling.

[enderon]

OH MY GOD OKAY SO I WORK WITH A KID WHO HAS ASD AND IS O B S E S S E D WITH TROLLS

All day every day all he wants to do is tell me about trolls and draw brozone and I got really into trolls by osmosis ESPECIALLY since I went to see trolls three just for him so anyway PLEASE tell me about trolls because I have never wanted to hug branch harder than I did in trolls three. He built the hideout

I feel like you maybe got cut off a bit, but that's okay, cause I think I know what you were gonna say, and yeah, breaks my heart too.

Gonna put this under a read more, cause it's gonna be a lot.

First things first, one of my absolute favorite things about this series is how the world looks. And I don't just mean in terms of it being a fantasy world, I mean how things literally look like felt and stuff. Someone described it as looking like an 'arts & craft' project and I agree. Heck, I am in love with the orbeez water from this last movie. What a fun touch.

On a similar note, love the character designs. Very wild and versatile, willing to do fun and funky things and break the mold. Especially with the trolls! While World Tour gave us different races of trolls, with different looks and anesthetics, Bqnd Together showed us that even trolls of the same race can look really versatile, and I love that. My favorite species design, though, has to be the vacationers. I love the holiday muppets.

Also, in terms of versatile designs. I have to mention how refreshing it is that I was able to predict that Bruce was gonna be fat as an adult, after all of the emphasis placed on his abs originally, but that his gaining weight is never brought up, not even as an insult. None of his brothers ever give him crud about it, and Poppy even still sees him as the heartthrob, even with his chunky dad bod. That's some positivity right there.

Poppy and Branch!! I can not say enough about how much I love their relationship!! They are genuinely really cute and also really healthy. I was so happy that they didn't pull the same crud so many other studios do and shoe horn in some random and unnecessary relationship drama in this film, especially after Branch's subplot in the last movie was about their relationship. They're solid in this film. The only time they have conflict is about Branch not being super open (and even then it's not a huge issue and Poppy is clearly understanding that he's not fully ready yet and is even willing to make a joke about it when he is) and Poppy's lack of understanding of the complexities of sibling relationships. Other than those two minor conflicts, they are solid. She can tell right away at the beginning that something is wrong and bothering him, he is able to manage and bring her back when she starts getting too excited and worked up, and over all they just work to better each other. Heck, even uber positive, everyone needs to be friends with everyone, Poppy stands by his side when he chooses to abandon John, Bruce, and Clay, not trying to convince him to go back and forgive and give them a second chance. She's gonna stand by him. We love a solid relationship. And I personally love that they didn't get married or even actually propose in this one, despite the teases. It's really good for kids to see representation of a healthy relationship where they don't jump into marriage and instead take their time.

Poppy's relationship with both Viva and Bridgette. The fact that even after discovering she has a literal sister in Viva, she stills considers and calls Bridgette a sister. We love girl friendship. Especially when Bridgette finds out Viva is Poppy's sister, deciding that automatically makes them besties too. We love it.

I love that, other than the very mild road block of trying to keep them at Putt Putt, Viva isn't a villain. She's deeply traumatized, but not evil. She and Poppy really do genuinely get along and love each other, and I love that so much.

And while I mention a good Sibling relationship, I must also mention the more complicated by expressing my appreciation that, despite them being shown being closwer, Branch doesn't automatically jump to help when he finds out Floyd is in trouble. While he admits to Poppy, after some pushing, that of all the brothers, Floyd would be the one he would help, this is still hesitant, and I think appropriate. Floyd still left him and never came back. The only one who ever mentions coming back is John Dory (having come back too late, after the trolls had escaped the tree). So it makes sense that, despite them being closer, Branch would still hold that resentment towards Floyd and be hesitant to help even him.

Also, I have to mention something: the way that John and Branch are weird parallels. They're the most similar, in being isolated survivalist. John is the oldest who's treatment drove everyone away. Branch is the youngest who thought his performance drove everyone away. It's so sad and poetic, I love it.

Last thing I will note for now is how much I love the trolls series for its female villains. Barb wasn't really a villain in the end and had a redeemable reason for doing what she did, but Chef and Velvet both were unapologetically selfish and awful for completely their own gain. I love that for them.

[winifred-stormborne]

My Genshin OC, Winifred!

I have a Genshin OC that I'm absolutely autistic for. Lowkey nervous to share this stuff, but hey that's what this blog is for, my various Genshin brainrot hehe

So uh fun fact, I can't draw people for shit so I hope y'all like furrified Genshin OCs and characters >:3c

Anyway, here she is, my namesake and OC, Winifred Stormborne!

Different art styles, but both pieces are drawn by me! The first piece is my natural art style whereas I tried to mimic Genshin's art style for the in-game portrait I made for her. Really really happy with both of these, she makes my brain go brrrr

A bit about her while I'm still figuring out lore, story, and her relationship with other characters, Winifred is the daughter of Dvalin. I'm not sure of the specifics of her birth, but I know it has to do with excess magic from Dvalin forming a magical egg that eventually hatched. So strictly speaking, Winifred doesn't have a mother. Her birth name is actually Tyrfäng, but unfortunately, very early into her childhood, Dvalin was swayed and taken over by the Abyss Order, becoming Stormterror and leaving Tyrfäng without a parent. She survived in the wild for a long, long time, and with no father to teach her to harness her Anemo powers, she took on a more humanoid, anthro form.

Just a sketch for now, but this is what she looks like in her true form, smaller than Dvalin by quite a bit, but still a very fierce Anemo dragon.

Tyrfäng survived in the wilderness of Mondstadt for awhile before being discovered and taken in by the Adventurers' Guild as a child. There, the various Guild members that raised her would officially give her the Mondstadter name, Winifred Stormborne, a name she actually prefers to go by nowadays. Growing up, she formed close friendships and became an older sister figure for Bennett, Razor, and Fischl, and is now a full fledged member of the Guild as well as an apprentice of the Knights of Favonius. Who's her mentor? Kaeya, of course, and they're besties :3

I'm still figuring out a lot about her and working on a Toyhouse page for her that will have all of her lore, in-game abilities and statistics, etc. I'm going all in with this one, even gave her a signature weapon!

Her weapon is a polearm called "The Promise" and I swear I will sketch something Genshin-related for someone if they know what the weapon's name and flavor text is a reference to 👀

The Promise - "One who sails the seas of life believes that the storms will lead them home. But these open roads call to you with a promise... You will walk this land alone."

PLEASE TELL ME SOMEONE KNOWS WHAT I'M REFERENCING WITH THE WEAPON PLEASE I WILL DRAW SOMETHING FOR YOU

Oh yeah and uh of course I had to do the thing with her in-game portrait and now it's my current pfp hehehe

I'M TELLING YOU THE BRAINROT IS SO REAL

All art here is made by me obviously minus the Tartaglia McDonald's image so if you repost or take inspiration, please credit me!

Also I wanna see more Genshin OCs, I know they're out there somewhere so please if you have a Genshin OC, share them with me, I will adore them forever ;v;

[thecollectivefixation]

⭐️THE WILD ROBOT SPOILER-FREE REVIEW⭐️

Hey guys It’s Queen, Ik it’s been a long time since I posted on here. (Thank you Bookworm for holding on🙏🫶) I recently watched DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot and when I left the cinema I was flabbergasted and in AWE (AND I MEAN IT.) by how gorgeous the movie was. God, it really just genuinely messed me up in the best way possible. An incredible experience.

I’ll try not to spoil it in this review. I’ll mostly just be talking about how this film is definitely one of the best—if not, the best animated film of 2024 and also how it affected me and my thoughts on it.

Alright let’s get on with it!

—

Honestly I didn’t think much of this film when the trailer released because there wasn’t much talk about it. But after seeing it in person I definitely feel that it was worth it 100%. It’s a film you can watch with anyone—friends, family, etc. Easily 10/10 five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s a must-see for everyone. PLEASE GO SEE IT, you will not regret it.

The animation, the voice acting, the story being told, the visuals and just the vibes overall are absolutely INSANE. I wasn’t even gonna write this review because I was speechless by how fantastic this film was. (Also I am totally not writing this late at night who would do that oh my lawd🤭)

I have to talk more about the visuals because I was GOB-SMACKED when I saw the various beautiful scenes that appeared in the film. The film-makers created a stunningly realistic world that is both visually appealing and emotionally engaging. You can see how hard the crew-members worked on making this movie the best they could. (And THEY DELIVERED.)

The movie is filled with multiple heart-touching moments and interactions that make this film unbelievably unique and compelling in so many ways.

The Wild Robot kept my attention the WHOLE time. The story was immaculate and the characters + voice actors carried this film exceptionally well. UGH the voice acting—I couldn’t get enough. 😭🫶 Lupita Nyong’o (The VA for Roz) nailed the way the character’s portrayal and way of speaking, her voice immediately caught my attention and she suited the role so well. AND DON’T GET ME WRONG, PEDRO PASCAL AS FINK—💜.

—

I have to say though, I really am glad that this account was made. I don’t really write a lot except for university, so writing these allows us to not only share our thoughts/theories, but also have a hobby that we love.

—

ANYWAY, CONTINUING ON. I have to point out that the whole time the film was on screen, I was CRYING. LIKE LEGITIMATELY FULL ON CRYING WATERFALLS. I have to say; I feel like this film definitely had more of an impact on me because I felt connected with the characters on a personal level. Maybe that’s why I cried so much😭.

The cast of characters was such a huge highlight of The wild Robot. Roz is a charming, endearing and silly protagonist who quickly won my heart. She has funny and touching interactions with others and her journey of self-discovering is both inspiring and relatable.

I don’t really know what else to say, as I am still pretty speechless by this film. But I hope that reading this makes at least a few people want to go watch, It’s so worth it. I’m not sure if there will be a sequel but I would love to see one—even if it’s not as spectacular as this first movie☝️.

I couldn’t even wipe my tears because they just kept falling. The Wild Robot is just overwhelmingly heartwarming and emotional—not the mention beautifully animated, telling a moving tale about love and acceptance, friendship and the importance of belonging.

Overall I highly recommend it, the pacing in the beginning is a little off—but it’s not a huge problem because the stunning animation drowns it out. Other than that, there are no immediate flaws. Absolutely amazing. 💜

— Queen.

[malcolm-reeds-pineapple]

@frostysfrenzy made the audience inside my head very happy by tagging me in this anyway picture me like this for the duration of this post (I am miss piggy)

Writer interview ✨💖

About me

When did you start writing?

I was was 10 and a deranged little girl so my best friend and I cowrote what I considered to be the most ambitious crossover of all time: a Star Wars/The Beatles/Bleach/Monk/WKRP/The Partridge Family/Corner Gas fanfiction trilogy. It was utterly bananas and at the time of writing we considered it to be our magnum opus. It wasn’t and I believe we destroyed all but one of the “books” when we were about 12 when she visited. I know that one still exists cuz I have it and my brother and I read it when we need a laugh.

Are there different genres or themes you enjoy reading other than the ones you write?

I almost exclusively read nonfiction. I’d love to do that, but I don’t have the attention span. That being said, I am working on a collection of memoirs from my particularly wild youth.

Is there an author you want to emulate, or are compared to often?

I try to be my own person, but my dad tells me my voice is similar to Hunter S Thompson at times in my personal pieces. I can see it.

can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

Currently it’s my bed and my phone/laptop, but I prefer sitting at a desk with a notebook nearby for quick notes. I’ve tried to digitize the secondary note paper, but I’m so boomer pilled apparently that I want to have the physical paper beside me just because I like the flexibility of being able to sketch out mind maps and timelines for lore.

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Watch a show and pick a guy to obsess over for til college

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and/or places you write about?

Yeah absolutely! I’ve lived in a lot of places and been in a lot of circumstances, so that definitely bleeds into my work. I tend to write what I know, so it’s not uncommon for me to base characters, scenes or scenarios on real people, places and scenarios I’ve encountered.

Are there any reoccurring themes in your writing? If so, do they surprise you?

Yes and yes lmao my recurring themes I find are found family, loneliness, and the moral grey areas in crime and punishment. When I first noticed these recurring themes, I was definitely surprised, but in a way, noticing these themes has really made me learn a lot about myself and how much of my past truly looms over me. Then again, now that I’ve recognised this about myself, I find that I’m able to process everything better.

Characters

would you please tell me about your current favorite character?

His name is Nathan, he is a sad, scrungly wet cat of a man found behind a dumpster that has been surviving off of scraps and spite for many years. He’s unlikeable, constantly feeling sorry for himself, peaked in high school and has very few redeeming qualities. My favourite thing to do with him is put him in mental agony, physical peril and moral conundrums. He’s a cop who, through his own foolishness, hates his life and self destructs. He is constantly taking his problems out on his coworkers because he has no real friends and has cut most of his contact with his family. However, he goes through a lot of character development where his morals are being constantly called into question and he discovers the power of friendship and not being unbelievably fucking unpleasant. I hate him so so much that I love writing him.

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

Definitely Scout and Dan considering I based them entirely on myself and my brother. I literally wrote them in so my brother would listen to me talk about my writing and he won’t do that unless he’s in it. Their full names are Scout Trouble MacKenzie and Atticus Danger MacKenzie and they’re fully aware of how bizarre those names are. Dan goes by Dan because he likes watching the light fade from people’s eyes when he says Dan isn’t short for Daniel and is in fact short for Danger. They’re chaotic gremlins who are considered to be not well socialized and developmentally arrested at 16. Both of them are noted by other characters to be staggeringly bizarre and incomprehensible as they communicate entirely with inside jokes and meme references. They bicker like small children, especially when the topic of their old GameCube is brought up as the ownership of Monkey Ball is still a point of contention as one of them received it for Christmas in 2004, but they can’t remember which one was the actual recipient.

which characters would you dislike the most of you met them?

Josh, easily. My man is unemployed, stinky, and refuses to mature beyond an edgy teen. He doesn’t even do his own laundry. His vibes are so pungent that he makes my crops wither and causes the foxes to eat my chickens. I hate him. He really is the Josh of all time. Close second would be Kaylee but that’s just because she would stress me out too much.

Tell me about the process of coming up with your characters?

It depends on the day. Most of the time it’s utility driven, so as an example, for one of my WIPs I needed a librarian character, so, as I often do for background characters, I kind of just thought of the librarians I’ve known all my life, culminated them into one character and called it a day. Then, phase two was me ending up really liking the character and developing her more as I wrote her. Eventually it got to a point where I gave her a husband and a son and she’s now a recurring character. Effectively I am both the DM and the Party and every time I make up a detail about a background character, I end up really liking them and it snowballs. I have, on a few occasions, sat down with the express intention of making a character, and sometimes it works, but if you ask me details about both Theodore (carefully crafted over a few days) and Freddie The Information Guy (Background character I developed by accident), I’d be able to tell you a lot more about Freddie.

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters?

Again, going back to writing what I know, I always end up writing AFAB characters as being extremely tight with their dad’s. I don’t know, man, aside from that, the poor fuckers all just get a delightful little spoonful of my personal trauma as a treat.

How do you picture your characters?

As little dolls that I pick up and play with. They are my littlest pet shops and I am a 7 year old girl who wants to watch the world burn.

My writing:

what’s your reason for writing?

I have to write otherwise the characters just spin around my head like that fish in the funky town (low quality) video. I need to get them out of their enclosure and onto the page so I can know peace. On a more serious note, I write a lot as a way to process my thoughts. I’m a journal girly which I started doing when I was in the throes of alcoholism with undiagnosed BPD and ADHD. Whenever something bad happened, my gut reaction was to buy a bottle of bourbon and drink it like it was a race. Once I started journaling, I was able to replace that instinct of needing to drink with needing to write. Nowadays, I’m on occasional drinker and constant writer which I’m very proud of.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment from readers that you find particularly motivating?

Any and all for the most part. I’m always a fan of people liking The Characters and telling me that, but I acknowledge that no one cares as much about your OCs as you do, so I’m content with it being an uncommon but very welcome compliment.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Isolated and weird, the type to fly a kite in the middle of the night, too bizarre to be welcome in polite society so I live in a farmhouse of the edge of nowhere and Exist. Hopefully they think of me as the personification of those unhinged author’s notes in fics.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Probably dialogue? I dunno, it’s definitely not the plot, because my characters are all just on side quests, if there’s a unifying plot than it’s accidental.

What have you been told is your greatest strength as a writer is by others?

Character development/creation and dialogue.

How do you feel about your own writing?

Illegible garbâge that is so self-indulgent and convoluted that it should not be perceived by anyone but me. However, that does not stop me from burdening my friends and readers with it. Their enjoyment of my writing is collateral damage of my creativity.

If you were the last person on earth, would you still write?

Yes, I’d be even more nuts if I didn’t write. Besides, I really am my own target demographic, so hell yeah.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, do you write purely for yourself, or is it a mix of both?

I write for myself so hardcore that I’m surprised when other people like any part of it. As previously mentioned, if other people like what I write, that is incidental and not part of my grander mission of making things that make me happy. That being said, I do consider one opinion sometimes when I write, and that is the opinion of my brother and what will make him laugh.

Anyway, I’m gonna tag @swaggysagiewagie @sarcasticsciencefictionwriter @prismatica-the-strange and anyone who wants to do it hehehe also no pressure to do it

Blank version can be found at the bottom of the linked post :)

[nuwildcat]

Hey lovely 💛💜 2, 3, 9, 10, 40?

HI EM!

Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

I AM CACKLING!!! Gosh I would not have done this otherwise but for reference: Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, and Praise Kink are my top three. Totally checks out, the only think missing there is cocktails and that's sadly not on the list. Clearly I have work to do

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

Right so anyone who has had a conversation with me while I was brainstorming a fic will get this, but the importance of friendship in a fic. Romance is great and good, but it doesn't hold up in isolation. It needs other relationships built around it. That's what I try to do in my fics and what I intentionally write into my characterization of my main characters. How do they interact with the people that are most important in their lives, and how does that drive them?

Also honorable mention to cocktails cause it's threaded through almost all the fics that I just like cocktails and like to write about them

9. How do you find new fic to read?

Oh I am a full on tag gremlin and I will will just troll through the tags of whatever content has my attention at the moment. The KP discord server has saved me many hours with fic recs, and occasionally a friend will stop by and be like, I have this fic I think you might like. I take fic anyway I can get it.

10. How do you decide what to write?

I love how you think I have any say in what I write and it's not just the brain weasels going this looks shiny today! There is a note on my computer that is like 20 fic ideas deep about what I want to write, and occasionally I stumble across something in the wild that gets added there. Other times the gremlins I have made friends with bring me a shiny new thing to stare at longingly. It's basically just a game of what can keep my attention span for the longest time. Luckily I can make my brain focus some of the time, which is why I can get a whole fic out.

40. Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

For the most part I am a rereader. Sometimes there is a fic that just wraps up in such a lovely way that I want to preserve it in amber as that was the first and last time that I have read that. Most of the time I am a crow going back to my hoard of shiny things and looking at them again. If a fic is really thought provoking I love to give it another read through later to discover all the little bits that had me fascinated at the beginning!

[aspiringtrashpanda]

Waaaah (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡ ty tyyy!! I wasn't kidding about the length so I still apologize 😅😓 You know how when we’re younger we always wanted to get involved in the “cool stuff the big kids were doing,” whether said “big kids” to us were 13 or 16? When I was little, I wanted Steven to be my big brother or cousin. Since I never had any female cousins my age, I mostly grew up around boys and we did cool things like hang downstairs in their basement theatre, convince our parents to stop at a Walgreens for SillyBandz, and go wild jumping on the beds in their Hotel room with Light Sabers and Harry Potter Wands. (Look, I was like 9-10 this was cool to me 😂) We were a Trio, stuck in the backseat of the backseat of the car, status: gremlins in kahoots. It was weirdly poetic, there was only a year between either of us and I was the middle child. Really movie-like three Musketeering it here lol. Imagine how heartbroken I was when my parents told me they weren’t really my cousins, just really close family friends that we called them “cousin” regardless because they were there for my birth. Anyways, this and how whenever some older male that, I assume were probably late teens early 20s now that I’m older and thinking back, came over, kid me would see all the grown-ups talking to them like equals, being allowed to do “stuff” (it was probably like running an errand for an aunt or setting up tables tbh, I sure don’t know) and were asked about what they were studying at the dinner table, I thought it was so cool that I wanted to grow up fast and do whatever they were doing, go wherever they were going with their friends while I had to stay inside and help clean up because my mom said I wouldn’t be interested and that “they’re just doing their own thing.” Even at theme parks, couldn’t go with them.

Enter: The World of Pokémon. Discovering Fanfics, and the Found Family Trope. And Badass Young Protagonist Dreams we all might’ve had at some point. It’s a coin toss whether Crystal or LeafGreen was my first game, but I ended up really attached to Leaf (after a period of hating her because how DARE she look like my OC who was designed to look like me + the effect of early 2010s era of people hating OCs and only accepting canon characters in fics.) Though let’s be real, she probably looks like a lot of people, compared to having gravity-defying blue hair lol. It’s kind of hard to get May’s hair-style exact too sometimes if you don’t have bangs and short hair, and hers still flutter outwards by themselves. So anyways, this is all a lead-up to what brought me to thinking, “man, wouldn’t it be SO cool to be Champion and the bestest of buddies with the other Champions? (As the games usually sold the story to us)” Because friendship is awesome, teasing and banter and knowing personal things about each other and being considerate about it is sweet, being privy to secret projects the grown-ups never let you in on (I say secret project as if it’s some big thing when they probably wanted to enforce bed times and “that movie is too scary for you” lol) but anyhow, still epic.

I’ve never been able to bring myself to making another Pokémon OC, so I use Leaf as my stand-in for just about everything. I think the one thing holding me back from posting publicly is not everyone thinks the same as me. The game characters have no canon personality, so it looks weird. (Unless if I take influence from Evolutions, which validated so much for me.) They’re trapped in their games. And largely influenced by “majority accepted fanon.” As a result of that, I "should" be writing a wing-woman to the Red x Blue ship. My fic would probably go over better if I used May.

Okay, I have read everything through, but I am going to respond to each message one by one so I can get all my thoughts out! First off, thank you SO MUCH for sharing your brilliance with me. I am honored to get a peek inside your mind! This has been an incredible read. It sounds like you had so much fun with your cousins growing up, and I totally get what you mean about seeing older-but-still-young people doing stuff and you're like, "Hey i wanna hang out with them and tag along too!" But then you grow up and realize that you rushed through your childhood for nothing and ow, that's so real. RIP to all the OCs who fell to the flames of the early 2010s OC hate. OCs aren't for everybody (just like reader inserts), but those that will read an OC grow to love and appreciate them as much as any canon character. Though, there is also absolutely nothing wrong with projecting your OCs personality onto a canon character (if you're in our steven stone discord - which i mean, you're on anonymous so i'm not even gonna try to guess - you see that we do it ALL. THE. TIME.) I'll get more into canon personality vs. author interpretation vs. reader interpretation in the next bit, but I think it's important that you've recognized what you feel fandom has dictated you "should" do. You've recognized it. Now throw it out the window. Your fic will be its best self if you write what you want to write, and I promise, there WILL be someone who resonates with whatever character choice you make, whether they be in the minority or the majority. (To be continued...)

[blog-reflection]

ONE / Twenty Five - Poor Bagle

Rather chill.

After I explained to Lucia why it was smelling like weed all over her place, both of us got dressed and went to townsquare to a really nice bagel store to have breakfast. We each took a seat at the bar in front of the big massive window. Lucia pulled out her Laptop and started taking notes. She always does that during breakfast since that is her most efficient time of the day when it comes to writing. While I ordered a classic salmon-cream cheese bagel Lucia had the urge to feel extra fancy and got one with avocado and fried egg on the side. The waitress brought Lucia her caramel latte and a chai latte for me. Lucia was focused on her notes, so we barely talked. It wasn’t strange or anything. Lucky stuff like that doesn't feel weird with Lucia anymore. We kind of passed that level of friendship. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket to check my news and messages. One message from insta and 3 on discord. I was worried. I didn’t see a name or anything. What if all three messages are from Ethan, and how shitty I am that I have not talked to him for a while now. I took a sip of my chai latte while opening instagram. A new follower request? I opened the profile of that other person and struggled to keep the latte in my mouth. Ethan?! Right, I had my socials in my discord information, he must have checked them. 

I browsed through his profile while we got our bagels. I grabbed on half of the freshly made and definitely toasted bagel and started munching on it. I look above my phone while browsing through Ethans insta only to discover that Lucia is devouring her bagel like she hasn’t been eating for a week. Poor bangle. I kept looking and saw many cute photos of him. Some are with friends, others only with him and others are from his job. Damn, he is really good at being a barista. His creations are marvellous. Right as I wanted to leave a follow he uploaded a new story. I instantly look it up. It was him, in the cafe holding a cup of coffee while wearing headphones, staring out the window. It was an awesome photo. The caption read “soon” so I assume this will be a later post for his insta. I surely hope because whoever took that photo was doing a really great job. But, now that my insta mystery was all solved, it was time to check discord. 

One message was from Jesse, and two from Etahn. I’ve decided to make a small and little Ethan break and check what Jesse has been up to. Turns out, not too much. They were just checking if I am fine since we haven’t had writing for like three days. They always do that, thankfully tho. That way they keep my mind at bay. I simply wrote back that I have been at Lucias and that things are working as they should. I was thinking of telling them about Ethan but since it is probably just a silly crush, saying something now would come off strange. At least for me. What if he ghosts me after a few days and I look like the biggest hoe. Nah, I’ll leave it be. I’ll inform them once there is good progress that I can show without worrying it might be over soon. The waitress came over again, apparently Lucia was giving her a hand signal. I checked her plate. All eaten up. I was still holding my first half of the bagel. Either she is really hungry or I am being very slow here. Turns out Lucia is just really hungry, since, well she ordered a 5 Stack pancake, an orange juice and a glass mimosa. I instead just asked for a hot white chocolate with whipped cream. When I tried asking Lucia she just hizzed at me like a wild animal. Yep, she is not hungry, she is also not hangry, she is hurries. I like the word. It’s a mix of hungry and furries and most of the time way more accurate than hangry. 

Anyways, back to Ethan. Here’s what he had to say.        

Discord conversation 

@Fallen_Jam Yesterday at 11.50pm

Anyhow, I hope this wasn’t any strange, sorry again for that kind of first entrance I am not really good with that^^”

@GreenOtter Today at 6.30pm

Oh don’t you worry, it was all good. I’m actually surprised that someone like your friend would pull off a trick like that. I tip my crown, she did well. And hey, it worked. I mean we did write a few lines back and forth, that’s more than what happened without her doing that. I think you can be proud of her. Anyhow I got to get ready for work. Coffee will be served at 8 and I got a long way. I am, however, sorry I messaged you that late. I’m already on the train since I was in a hurry. Kind of a long way from Burgess Hill to Egham but it’s worth the trip.  

@GreenOtter Today at 6.50pm

Oh and if you ever wanna come around, just message me before, so I can schedule my break so we can hang a bit better. Alright, have a good day!

Well that was surprisingly smooth. I did not expect him to understand that. Man, he really is a charm. Wait, hold that thought. Burgess Hill? That’s on my way too? Are you kidding me? Ethan lives not even twenty minutes away from us and met at work? I mean we probably have been on the train together multiple times before. How come I’ve never seen him before. I mean, he kind of sticks out with his pointy fluffy blond hair. And he is pretty. What is wrong with me?

Lucia: What’s on your mind? James: Nothing, just. How long haven’t you been eating haha Lucia: You also eat slowly. Here I left a pancake extra for you. Need help with your bagel? James: Well that’s mine now. And no, I take it with me for the ride to windsor. Lucia: Right, you wanted to go to Jesse’s place. What bus did you want to take? James: I think I will take the one from town square, I’m too tired to walk that much. Lucia: Well, you’ve been gone yesterday eve. Was everything fine? Or did you walk for two hours? James: It was fine, I sat most of the time, I just needed to think, that’s it. Lucia: About Ethan? Did he write anything or? James: He said I should be proud of you for pulling a trick like that. Lucia: OH did he? Well you should. After all, I am a wingwoman.   James: Yeah right? Well remind me, how long have you been single for? Lucia: WHOA that's low. I told you I sold my soul to science. I have no time for a partner. James: But you go out so often. How come you’ve never found someone. Lucia: Okay this might be hard for you but that’s because I just don’t give a damn about people. Sorry not sorry. And sorry to disappoint but as an Aro/Ace person I prefer learning. The parties I go to are more like social studies for me. And who said I’m not allowed to have fun with friends. James: I see. Lucia: I really have no time. I’m trying so hard to achieve the best outcome. I already told you that I do this because of my brother. James: Yeah I know. How’s he? Lucia: Well, he’s keeping up. He’s not well but he didn’t get worse. I try to reach out to him twice a week but sometimes my parents won’t let him. James: Aren't they in the medical field as well? They should have known better. Lucia: They should. Now it’s on me. James: You’ll get it. Waitress: Sorry to interrupt, is everything fine? James: Yeah thanks. I’d like to pay then please. Waitress: Very well. James: Oh and, could you bag this up for me? I want to eat it on the way. Waitress: Sure. I’ll be right back Lucia: James what the hell? James: You paid yesterday, now was my turn. Lucia: Fine.

Lucia and I got dressed while I waited for the bill. The bill was rather high but I haven’t bought that much this month so it’s fine with me. I grabbed the bagel and we left the building. We went straight to the bus stop. Lucia kept waiting with me, before we hugged goodbye once I saw the bus. I got in, grabbed my  phone, grabbed my headphones and hit up spotify. 

In a few I’ll be at Jesse’s.