#apologies for adding on so much

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Average Drama Enjoyer observes some peak drama.

[mobius-m-mobius]

#so unserious 😂💖

[xxplastic-cubexx]

Snap: *draws a Megaman-inspired Magneto*

Me: ...Perfect modernization.

wait now that its not 3AM i can do you one Slightly better

bonus:

[spicyicymeloncat]

In a recent staff post, tumblr staff said that only a quarter of tumblr is lgbtq, and I don’t think anyone’s really convinced of those numbers. Ik this post might not reach that many people but…

(Edit: oh my god guys ik the results are biased okay?? Unfortunately that’s just how polls work. Check my reblog tho gay, was literally the 2nd most trending tag last night. Even if you refuse to believe the statistical literacy of this poll you can still observe that tumblr is still largely very gay compared to the average social media. I talk more about this in a reblog but god. I get it. Polls have never been that good at gathering unbiased results)

[moonlight-breeze-44]

I would like to agree with EVERYTHING OP said, this is a great analysis of Tammy's character. I love what NCIS: New Orleans did with her, and I love that they did it so casually.

Because the thing is, yes, we need queer representation in media that discusses the struggles we have to face and the shit we have to go through on a daily basis. It's IMPORTANT for shows to cover homophobia, coming out, and loss of friends/family because of sexuality. Because that's real. That's what a lot of us face.

But, and this might be a controversial opinion: I think stories like Tammy's are equally as important.

On NCIS: New Orleans, Tammy's sexuality is never an issue. She comes out cleanly, casually, and on her own terms to her team. Jokes about her sexuality are perfectly woven into everyday conversations that she has with them. Her team, from Day 1, has been 100% accepting and supportive of Tammy. No muss, no fuss. There were never even any serious conversations about it. Her sexuality is normalized to the point that they portray her relationships as a plot point like they would any straight character. Asking for relationship advice, discussing past trauma, etc. It's so PERFECTLY executed and real. And I argue that it's so, so important to see.

Because this world can be scary for the LGBTQIA+ community. For young kids who are just beginning to realise they're a part of it, it might even feel like a bad thing. They might even wish that they could be straight, or cis, or what-have-you. I know I did. Because the truth is that, even in 2023, our world is still unfriendly. I think it's important to be real about that, but I also think it's important to have stories like Tammy's where her sexuality is never an issue to teach people that being gay/trans/etc. does not have to be a curse. It can be a normal part of someone's life.

Teaching normalcy, and advocating for stories like Tammy's, can also help people realise that this is the BASICS of what we want. I've seen so many people argue that we want too much, that the LGBTQIA+ community is asking for way more than they deserve. But the truth is, THIS is what we want. We just want to be treated like normal fucking human beings.

Sure, maybe Tammy's story leaves out what it's like for some people growing up and coming out; maybe they won't find it realistic. Maybe some would even find it idealistic. But for me, this is the gold standard. This is a kind of representation that we don't see hardly enough in media, where it is a normal and accepted part of life. I don't know about you, but I want that. (Sorry for the ramble)

Representation in Media: Tammy Gregorio, NCIS NOLA

(** note this is based purely on my analysis of the matter and personal experiences with representation. I also apologise for any lack of clarity in my articulation of these points)

In general, I have a lot of thoughts on Tammy, but one thing I really think about is the fact that there is a canon lesbian character, who in my opinion is executed very well. Because to me and I know to others representation is important.

The first thing the writers do right with Tammy with regard to her sexuality is the casual way it’s dealt with. For example, when she and Sebastian have banter about whether or not Sebastian likes the red head in “Treasure Hunt” and there’s the little exchange of Tammy saying “oh she plays for my team.” And another episode where Sonja is talking about Chris’ girlfriend and there’s the “She’s not your type,” exchange between her and Sonja. Those sorts of exchanges are realistic (i speak purely from my experience( and they aren’t forcefully inserted, they fit the moment and the characters.

Another thing I quite like is how Tammy’s sexuality is a part of her, but it isn’t her. She’s such a complex character with layers of personality, wit, trauma to deal with, and care for the people around her. And unlike some other shows, her gayness isn’t brought up when the show wants ‘token representation points’ and needs to stick a gay couple on the screen. It fits into who she is and isn’t a separate entity, to make the show look more represnative. She’s very real in that sense. This point hinges off the previous in a way as those aforementioned exchanges don’t serve to remind the audience that there’s a gay character necessarily, they serve to display a repartee between her and her friends.

The way the team is so casually okay and accepting of everything is also another point I enjoy. One of her centric episodes hasn’t been homophobia from anyone on the team or team related. It’s always been accepted, I quite like that. And on the flip side of that. The relationship with her mother she talks about in ‘Waiting for Monroe’ is a good representation of tension in relationship due to having to hide a large facet of yourself.

I really adore that it’s not a large rift between the two of them, just that Tammy is uncomfortable coming out and being herself because she and her mother fight so much. That sort of situation, while heavily aggressive homophobia can be present in relationships, seems so real to me. That apprehension of wanting to remove a part of yourself that may seem more ‘abnormal’ to make others comfortable is so brutally honest. And the way it’s extended to Tammy’s mechanism of relationships now is also realistic in that vein, because that sort of feeling of removal extends to life even when you’re away from the source.

That being said though, a criticism I have is they haven’t resolved any of that tension. Tammy is so out and doesn’t keep long term relationships and I understand it has to do with her characterisation and her past traumas. I respect that to an extent, but I would like to see her begin to work through that barrier because lesbians deserve to see a good relationship on screen. And another criticism I have is the way they sort of drop ‘love interests,’ however temporary they may be, without any sort of lead up or reference. For example Tammy and Alyson were supposedly dating for at least a month (I feel like somewhere six weeks was specified but I could be very wrong) but we hadn’t heard anything of Alyson until it was convenient to bring her up to the plot of the episode. Yes, bringing her up furthered Tammy as a character, but setting that drop and that moment up could have been done better by at least referencing Alyson and making her seem real.

Overall, I’m so ecstatic at the representation Tammy provides. Like i am so ecstatic every time she has a moment or a one liner, or something that seems so real to me. And I’m sure there are other criticisms other people could have but these are just my own observations and conclusions.

[pettyprocrastination]

whoever this beloved anon was I am so touched by your kindness! You definitely didn’t have to do this but I am so happy you enjoy this idea and I will happily expand upon it for you!

this is just a collection of word vomit bullet points for the time being but I will happily answer any and all questions about this pair!!

warnings: violence, angst, child death (Sarah Miller), foul language, the same warnings that apply to tlou, reader is Sarah's mom and described as having similar features to her. 

So the general Idea is that you and Joel are happily married before the outbreak. 

You had been Sarah's mother, his high school sweetheart he got pregnant when neither of you were old enough to have any reaction to the pregnancy test other than a fucking panic attack in one another’s arms. but you made it work 

you both worked but made time for one another and your sweet girl, going to museums every other weekend and joel insisting on swooping you off for a date every now and then 

nothing special. He knows you’re more of a diner gal than anything too fancy that makes you both feel out of place. 

On his birthday in 2003, you had planned to tell him that you were pregnant again. But the memories of your own fears of motherhood from all those years ago begin to swirl through your head again and you get cold feel. deciding to tell him the morning after

it is his birthday afterall, you want to focus on him. 

but when you’re woken up in the middle of the night because tommy needs to get bailed out, Joel kisses you sweetly one last time before promising he’ll be back and you can’t shake the feeling that something bad is happening. 

its you that shakes sarah awake that night. shouting at her to put on her shoes when she’s still rubbing the sleep from her eyes because you’ve been listening to the radio for the past two hours, calling joel again and again and again praying for him to fucking pick up but to no avail. 

Sarah, bless your little girl’s bleeding heart is the one who insists you check on the adler’s against your better suspicions and when you find the eldest looming over her daughter, blood and sinew dripping from her mouth, you grab your daughter hand and burst into a full sprint until something slams into your back and sends you tumbling onto their front lawn

its how joel finds you, struggling to keep the once sweet old woman, whose now nothing more than dead eyes and gnashing teeth straining to snap at your pulse point as you push against her while sarah shrieks before your husband runs forward and cracks her skull with a wrench. 

there’s hardly a moment of pause, just enough for him to pull you up and into his arms before he’s ushering you both into the car with an urgency. 

when the truck crashes, you get separated from them. Perhaps at Tommy’s side when the flames rise and create a wall, separating you from your husband, or maybe pulled into the mob of chaos when trying to escape from those already infected-

all joel knows is that you promise you’ll find him: just get sarah to safety and you’ll meet him at the river

Poor thing is already so frightened, held in her father’s arms with tears streaming down her face insisting they can’t leave you they just can’t but her father kisses her forehead and reassures her its going to be okay 

“we just need to be brave, okay babygirl? Your mama’s real tough, she’s gonna be alright.” 

he isn’t sure if he’s saying it to his daughter or himself. 

but when he comes to the river you aren’t there. Only a soldier who points a gun at the scared little girl in his arms and then he loses everything

its when the light is gone from his daughter’s eyes that he realizes. His voice cracked and raw from sobbing that he looks around to see his brother with drawn in shoulders and tears in his eyes but his wife is nowhere to be found. 

Tommy says you got lost in the chaos. Everything was so loud, so sudden that he turned around and suddenly you weren’t there. 

Joel wants to go back but its Tommy that stops him, that dulls the red in his vision to a sad faded pink because his brother points at the orange horizon not too far from them, so much of the city is already in flames. 

“We’re gonna find her, but not there.” 

So Joel searches. for the first year spent in the world post-outbreak its all he did. 

He became a smuggler because of it. 

Information came at a price and he needed to be able to fucking pay it, whether it be in blood or ration cards. He was willing to do anything to find you or any thin thread that lead your way. 

But it’s Tommy that asks him to give up. Not in those words of course. 

The youngest Miller knows better than to say something so cruel that would make his brother, the only person he has in this world turn on him. 

But his voice is worried when he asks him one night in Boston when he hasn’t even had the chance to wash the blood from his knuckles 

“You think she would have wanted this for you?” 

the fight that followed his words was brutal. Vicious insults and scarred fists slamming against each brother until they're both too tired and bloody to continue. Each leaning against a wall for support and Tommy’s wavering voice breaking the silence. 

“I don’t know where she is, Joel. But I do know you're gonna get yourself killed if you keep lookin’ for her.” 

All he can do is nod. 

It’s a few days later when he meets Tess. Who has heard plenty of stories about the elder miller’s brutality and wants him to put that muscle to good use for some extra profit. 

It begins his new life. One that empty and cold but one he can live. 

Until of course, Ellie comes along. The sweet and incredibly opinionated girl that makes him become something akin to the man he thought died twenty years ago. 

its when he’s traveling with Ellie, that it happens. When a warm familiarity has settled between the two because so much blood and pain has been shared he can’t help but see her as something close, something bright even though all he can force himself to utter in her reference is “cargo” 

when theyre traveling through the woods as Ellie chatters away, probing his memory about a movie that may or may not have existed thirty years ago because her descriptions of the plot are incredibly odd he hears a voice shout for them to stop and finds himself staring at a man- no, a boy- pointing a gun at them. 

Ellie stills, but Joel can see enough to know that from the lanky figure and dimpled face that he’s young. Maybe twenty, twenty-two at the oldest, but his eyes dart from Joel to Ellie with a pinprick of fear that allows Joel the time to charge forward and slam him to the ground before wrestling the gun from his hands. 

He has enough to time to tuck it under the stranger’s chin before he hears the sound of the safety being turned off and finds himself looking up and seeing a gun just inches from his face. 

Joel’s head whips around when Ellie’s voice calls out his name in fear, he turns to see another stranger holding her a gun point, shoulders drawn back and a shadow cast over their face by the had obstructing their identity. 

“You hurt one of mine, I hurt one of yours. That a fair deal?” 

Its takes him a moment to recognize you. It’s been so long since he’s heard your voice, the sweet tease when you would poke at him each time he woke up late despite the fact that you reminded him to set his alarm the night before, the times you’d chide him with a harsh “Joel Miller!” whispered in public anytime he was able to grab you a bit too passionately to be appropriate in public but the laughter in your voice let him know you were never truly mad at him. You didn’t know how to be. 

But that sweetness is buried under a cold rasp that cuts through the air as you point a rifle at the scared little girl in front of you.

“You think I won’t?” You’re older now, skin covered in scars from a life he didn’t know you got the chance to live and your eyes are cold as they regard your husband. “Put the gun down and get the fuck off of him, I won’t repeat myself.” 

Joel mumbles your name in awe. The woman he loved, the woman he mourned the one he fought so hard to find stands before him like some sort of hallucination and suddenly the world feels like its spinning until you bark orders at him again. 

“You’ve got five seconds Joel, make a fucking choice before I make it for you.” 

He looks down and realizes the boy under him, the one with the bleeding nose and snarling face has your eyes and his dimples. 

“One.” 

The one above him has Sarah’s hair. Soft brown curls that shine under the sun. 

“Two��

Wait. No, they both do.

“Three.” 

Twins. Jesus fucking Christ you had twins. 

“Four.” 

Joel holds the rifle up above his head and the one boy standing snatches it from his grasp, tossing it to the ground and kicking it far from his reach. He slowly stands, allowing your son- dear god your son- to scramble to his feet. 

Your voice softens just for a moment. “You okay, Duke?” 

Blood stains the bottom half of his face from where Joel slammed his fist into the boy’s nose just moments before, but he nods nonetheless. 

Now, they both stand on one side of you and he can see the resemblance clear as day the same way he would whenever Sarah was by your side.

When you order him to hand over his bag, he does so without question before telling Ellie to do the same. 

She watches him with wide eyes, her hands still up in the air but gaping at her companion as if he had grown a second head. 

“Joel!” “Just do it, alright?”

He doesn’t miss the way you watch their interaction with narrowed eyes until she tosses her bag to you and you slowly lower your gun. 

“Now, you want to tell me what the fuck you think you’re doin’ at my home?” 

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

Thought you may be interested in this-

hmmm you know it could be a blend of "Remember" and "rem" as in "REM sleep", i would put stock in That more than it being just a straight play on remember

WHICH. HM. okay bc as soon as i saw it i thought "oh! like the REM stage of sleep!" but REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement - the stage characterized by high brain activity (vivid dreaming).

so either it being specifically REMderem has meaning, or it's just the best play on words (maybe in relation to "remember" as you've pointed out!)

[askthekirbysquad]

Tragically, Tumblr doesn't allow enough options to include every game, so Dream Land 1 was removed </3 (and tragically I couldn't include an option for the spinoffs either </3 )

[vhvrs]

peach creek bullshit is lifelong (add ur own context)

[thousandsonny]

Waiting for the Goose @saccharineheartx

[captainswan618]

holy shit. just realized that I was thinking about starting doctor who way back in 2016, and I didn't realize I was bi until 2018...which means there's a timeline where rose tyler was my bi awakening

I wish I could live in that timeline 😭😍

[wutheringmights]

New CTB Music (2024 Update)

It's that time of year where I share some of the tracks that I added to my personal CTB playlist that have not been mentioned before on this blog (view (2021, 2022, and 2023 updates as well).

Body to Flame - Lucy Dacus 

Longing for your short hair to grow back to the way you like Thank you for the gesture I regret ever implying that you could be better Didn't mean to empty your perfect body And fill it with my passing will

Hate Me - Miley Cyrus

Go ahead, you can say that I've changed Just say it to my face One drink and I'm back to that place The memories won't fade

Is It Over Now? - Taylor Swift

"Come here, " I whispered in your ear In your dream as you passed out, baby Was it over then? And is it over now?

Halloween - Noah Kahan

But the wreckage of you, I no longer reside in And the bridges have long since been burned The ash of the home that I started the fire in It starts to return to the Earth I'm leavin' this town and I'm changin' my address I know that you'll come if you want It's not Halloween, but the ghost you're dressed up as Sure knows how to haunt, yeah, she knows how to haunt

Growing Sideways - Noah Kahan

But I ignore things, and I move sideways Until I forget what I felt in the first place At the end of the day I know there are worse ways To stay alive 'Cause everyone's growing and everyone's healthy I'm terrified that I might never have met me

Orange Juice - Noah Kahan

You said my heart has changed and my soul has changed And my heart, and my heart That my life has changed, that this town had changed And you had not That the world has changed, don't you find it strange That you just went ahead and carried on?

I Remember Everything - Zach Bryan

Strained words come on out Of a grown man's mouth when his mind's broke Pictures and passin' time You only smile like that when you're drinking

Figure 8 - Paramore

All for your sake Became the very thing that I hate I lost my way Spinning in an endless figure eight

Let You Down - Zach Bryan & Kacey Musgraves

I'll let you down darlin', down babe Just like I did before You'll just keep on slammin' closed hollow unlocked doors I'll let you down darlin', down babe Just like times before You'll just keep on crawin' back and beggin' me for more

No One Else to Blame - Madison Cunningham

For the burden and the stress For the heartache and the mess you entertain You put your money down on which part of you is next To slip down the drain with nothing, nowhere and no one No one else to blame

Golden Age - Ethel Cain 

Do you just want my blood? Am I just that damn hard to love? 'Cause it feels like all I have is still just not enough I guess that I'll just go outside and watch the fire And fields of gold fly farther away from me

Dawns - Zach Bryan & Maggie Rogers

Give me my dawns back Everything that dies makes its way back I lost her last July in a heart attack I need one small victory

Crave - Paramore

I romanticize even the worst of times When all it took to make me cry was being alive Look up and see a reflection Of someone who never gave way to the pain What if I told 'em that now that I'm older There isn't a moment that I'd wanna change?

Your Hate Could Power a Train - Madison Cunningham

I'm not messin' around, not ready to laugh about it I don't worship the ground that's holdin' you I think it's wrong, the way you harm But no one ever looks too hard at it What does it say about you? Your hate could power a train

Head In the Wall - Ethel Cain

Sometimes you make wanna put my fucking head through the wall Sometimes I wonder if I even know you at all

thousand eyes - FKA Twigs 

If I walk out the door, it starts our last goodbye If you don't pull me back, it wakes a thousand eyes

teenage dream - Olivia Rodrigo 

They all say that it gets better, it gets better the more you grow Yeah, they all say that it gets better, it gets better, but what if I don't?

You First - Paramore 

Everyone is a bad guy And there's no way, no way to know Who's the worst Karma's gonna come for all of us And I hope, well, I hope, I just hope She comes, comes for you first, oh

Vampire Smile - Kyla La Grange

I want a scar that looks just like you, 'Til then I gotta learn to be a wiser fool.

[writing-on-the-wahl]

Look Alike Part 5

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4 

Sooo, are you going to show me what you do here?” 

Civilian stared up at Villain. Was he serious? But as he stood before her, rocking back and forth on his heels as he took in the room for what felt like the first time, that Civilian realized he was serious. 

“I uh…” 

Before she could come up with a response, Villain’s gaze caught on the mound of wet clay she’d abandoned on the pottery wheel, and his shoulders and his hopeful expression dropped as he took a step back. “I’m sorry- I interrupted…”

Suddenly the thought of being alone while she yet again attempted to throw the perfect pot sounded intolerably lonely. “It’s fine!” she blurted. “I was just going to practice for my ceramics class. I can just clean it up and show you around.” 

Villain shook his head. “It’s fine; you have work to do and I …” He hesitated, all of the suave confidence from early disappearing as he tucked his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath. “Maybe I could stay while you worked? See what you do?” 

Oh that was much worse than giving him a tour of the kilns. Civilian’s insides twisted at the thought of having an audience for what would mostly likely be an unsuccessful evening, if the last two weeks were anything to judge by. 

She should definitely say no. She’d never performed well under pressure. It always made her chest tighten and her hands tremble. 

Not the greatest conditions for delicate ceramic work. 

But the beautiful apology bouquet on the table reminded her why he’d come here, and all he’d done trying to make it up to her. Maybe she could just show him around a little and he’d forget about watching her work. 

So Civilian smiled. “That’s ok, I can work on it later. Let me show you around.” She held her breath until Villain smiled back. 

“If you’re sure.” 

Normally she would have started with the pottery wheels, explaining how the clay was shaped into the pots and bowls and all manner of things. But she didn’t want to remind him he was keeping her from work, so she instead led him to the tables and chairs where customers could glaze their chosen items. 

“So did you make any of these?” 

“No!” Civilian snorted as Villain wandered towards the shelves that carried a variety of pre-made ceramics for customers to glaze. “Those are all made in molds. Most of our business comes from people who just want to glaze something that’s already made. Making your own pottery can be difficult.” 

Villain nodded as he stepped up to a shelf containing a variety of ceramic animals and picked up a palm-sized statue of a goat. “That makes sense. The real question is who would pick something like this.” He gestured to the shelf of various bowls and mugs. “Those at least have a function.” 

She shrugged. “We stock the animals for the kids. Although the adults choose them just as often. Especially the college students.” 

Villain grimaced as he eyed the goat. “That’s ridiculous.” 

Civilian stepped closer, plucking the goat from his hand and holding it up to eye level. “Awwww but it’s so cute!!” 

A tiny smile cracked through Villain’s critical veneer, and Civilian wanted to cheer. 

“Can you imagine this on my desk?” 

Civilian mentally placed a brightly colored goat like the one that four year old had glazed last week on a desk of dark mahogany, the statue comical against neatly organized files and papers. 

“What do you do for work?” The question was out of her mouth before she realized what she’d said. She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t—”  

The imaginary desk was replaced with the visceral memory of a blacked out van, a dark room. 

When her mind returned to the pottery shop, the guilt on Villain’s face told her he knew exactly where her thoughts had gone. Before he could apologize, again, she looked around for something to distract him. The solution was so simple, yet not easy at all. 

Steeling herself, Civilian gestured to the row of pottery wheels. “We also offer weekly classes for those who want to try their hand at making their own pottery. I can show you how it works, if you’d like?” 

It seemed like an eternity of waiting, and she wondered if he was still going to try apologizing. 

But then Villain nodded, and soon enough he had pulled a stool up near her wheel and was watching intently as she began to center her clay. 

“So what are you doing now?” 

Civilian began explaining about the process: the throwing, the centering, the shaping. Villain’s arms rested on his knees as he leaned forward, nodding at each step of her explanation. When her pot went careering off center, Civilian flushed, ready to be embarrassed until Villain’s eager expression made her heart settle. She managed an only slightly forced laugh as she scraped the ruined clay off the wheel. “It actually happens more often than you’d think, I’ll have to get fresh clay- this is too wet to use again.” 

Dropping the old clay into the bucket of water beside the wheel, she reached for another piece of clay. “Oh, and before you even start, you have to make sure that you wedge the clay—like kneading—to get the air bubbles out, otherwise the clay can explode in the kiln. I prepped a bunch before setting up at the wheel so I don’t constantly have to get up every time I…” 

Sheesh, Civilian, do you ever stop to breathe? 

The dismissive voice was only an echo in her mind, but it was enough that she cut off the stream of facts she’d been about to share and lifted her hands from the clay and her foot from the pedal. “I’m sorry, I got too excited and—”

Villain scooted his stool closer, close enough to reach out and touch, and the rest of her apology faded into the air between them. His voice was low as he asked, “Is that what that miserable cow would tell you?” 

“What?” 

“Is that what your ex would tell you?” The muscles in his jaw clenched, and he all but spat out his next words. “That you got ‘too excited?’” She would have been afraid, had it not been so clear his anger was not at her, but for her. 

Ex’s actual words had been ‘like an excitable little puppy,’ but she was going to tell Villain that. 

Apparently her face was easy enough to read though, because Villain’s expression turned violent. 

“He’s not a bad guy,” she rushed to say. 

She’d loved him, after all. 

Villain shook his head before he stilled, staring at her with those piercing eyes that seemed to see every disdainful remark Ex had ever thrown at her. “You really believe that.” 

Civilian shifted under Villain’s scrutiny, trying to remember the good days, the reasons she’d let him put a ring on her finger. He hadn’t been a bad egg. But. He just maybe wasn’t a good one either.

Villain leaned closer, extending his hand to her, palm up, an invitation. Despite the clay on her hands, she found herself sliding her fingers into his. Then she wondered why, after what he’d done, the motion felt more natural than it ever had with Ex. 

After the cool clay, his hand felt like holding a warm mug of cocoa. His eyes blazed, and his intensity sparked a fluttering of attraction in her chest. 

“Your passion is not a burden to be borne.” 

The words landed on her heart and slowly sank in, washing away every critical remark, every doubtful judgement. 

Why don’t you choose a more steady career path?

Your doodles are sweet, Civilian, but…

Your father and I won’t waste our money on an education that will only leave you begging on the street.

Let us know when you’ve come to your senses.

Are you sure you don’t want to switch now? Our life together will be much more stable if we have two steady incomes.

Civilian blinked, letting Villain’s words heal something inside her, until he abruptly dropped his hand and scooted away. 

All her life, she’d been told her art was nothing more than a pointless detour. Now Villain sat before her, entirely captivated by the process. 

His genuine interest made her eyes suspiciously blurry, but she wet her hands and started the wheel turning. Her hands slipped on the clay as she glanced at Villain out of the corner of her eye, but his gentle smile brought a warm fluttering to her chest that made it easier to continue her explanation as her hands began to center the soft clay.

Civilian was busy explaining the purpose of waiting to trim until a pot was leather dry when she slowed the wheel and finally paid attention to the clay beneath her fingers. 

It was a decent looking pot, at first glance. Instantly her mind went searching for flaws. Was the lip too thin, the curve of the base too wide? 

“It’s incredible.” Villain’s awed voice broke through the deluge of self-doubts. 

“It’s not perfect, but--” 

“Ok, you can stop right there.” 

Villain’s easy smile was gone. “You are about to critique each and every last aspect of what you just made--MADE--with your own hands, and you haven’t even stopped to realize that you. made. that.” 

Civilian didn’t realize she was gaping until Villain’s eyes moved to her lips. She snapped her mouth closed, then cleared her throat as she licked her lips. 

“Yes, well…” Her hands fluttered, wet drops of clay-water splattering her clothes. 

“Just look at it like you’re seeing it through museum glass.” His voice was soft again, coaxing. 

Looking back at the pot, she tried to imagine it like Villain said, an ancient work set on display. The fat base curved upwards into a narrow neck before widening into the lip. And he was right. 

It was incredible. 

“You made that.” 

Civilian let out a little laugh. “I did.” 

“You know,” Villain mused, “the proportions are almost identical to this Chinese vase I stole last year.” 

Her head shot up. He knew pottery? 

Villain grinned, voice heavy with exaggerated arrogance. “It was from the Han Dynasty.” 

A laugh sputtered from her lips. “Riiiiight. You almost had me for a minute there.”

Villain just kept smiling, though now it was a little smug. 

She cocked her head to the side as she stared him down. “No.” 

He shrugged nonchalantly, and she barely resisted the urge to flick clay-water at him. “You did not just make me word vomit pottery 101 at you only to reveal that you are an expert!” 

That blasted grin was still on those wicked lips. “It was quite fascinating to hear your explanations.” 

Villain blinked as the gray water splattered his face, catching on his eyelashes and dripping down his chin.

Civilian froze, waiting for his reaction. Then Villain tipped back his head and laughed. It was deep and full of genuine amusement. 

When he straightened, laughter still creased his eyes. “I’m sorry, Civilian, but I couldn’t resist.” 

Before she could sink into the mortification of explaining basic ceramics to an expert, Villain spoke again. “If it makes you feel any better, I truly knew little of how they were made; I just happen to know what makes a good one.” 

“So you’re an art expert?” 

This time his shrug was more genuine. “I deal mostly with jewels, but I know enough about the various art forms to know what makes them valuable.” 

“Valuable enough to steal?” Civilian ventured. 

He tipped his head in acknowledgement. 

This time, she was the one who leaned forward. “Would you tell me about it?

Shoutout to @im-a-wonderling for both bribing me to write this and staying up late to beta-read. Y’all can thank her that it’s more than 500 words of a hot mess :) 

Taglist: 

@im-a-wonderling @shieldmaiden-of-gondor @watercolorfreckles @distance-does-not-matter @onestopheroxvillain @lolafaiy @chaoticgoodandi @1becky1 @tobeornottobeateacher @himynameisorla @superherosweet @brekker-by-brekkerr @crazytwentythrees @great-day-today @sunflower1000@selectivegeekwithstandards @chibicelloking @trantolette @sapphiques @jinpanman @genesissane @wish1bone1 @amongtheonedaisy @distractedlydistracted @kitsunesakii @glitterythief @jinx1365 @cherrychewingbrat @in-patient-princess @thepenultimateword @sorrow-and-bliss @technikerin23 @deflated-bouncingball 

@world-of-fire-and-flight @imsotiredcanipleasegetabreak 

lmk if you want to be added or taken off:) 

[hunniegl4zed]

Oh man, those designs are more than what I could’ve come up with. I’ve never seen Scourge look so deteriorated before. 

Like you would not believe the whiplash I got from the transition Phase 3 to Phase 4, talk to meeeee, what happened to the poor boy, what was the push that led to further physical harm??? I need to know his thought process before withering under Super Scourge’s control entirely! (I WOULD HATE FOR THAT THING TO BE MY SLEEP PARALYSIS DEMON, I HEADCANON HE SOMETIMES ADJUSTS HIS HEIGHT LIKE A SHADOW JUST TO FUCK WITH YOU LMFAOOO) 

Looking at base Scourge to the very end of his phases I was like oh you can breathe, you can blink, you can cry but say goodbye to yourself, by the end of this au you’ll be a changed man. 

Ahh, you just delivered on the horror aspect so so well.

��(Also yay Patch’s got a good chance of living through his life well even if he’s got questions about it and it took years to finally brush his quills. additional question: based on shiny’s first post about patch, would he still hate the color purple?)

Also shoutout to Realm once again for whipping up the life reversion idea and potion purification method, BECAUSE HE BLOODY NEEDS IT!  🗣️🗣️

**I now believe if some methods were used such as the “mind crush” one, Scourge/Patch would need the wheelchair for a good while as part of his recovery process. Going through something like that would fuck you physically up for sure even with chaos healing involved. He’ll be fine but for now he’s just burnt out and doesn’t talk much.

Yessssss, big about out to @hevexns-realm for always bringing up her A-Game with writing 😫💕💕🙏🙏 Realm, you're always know how to create bangers with words and swing my motivation and inspiration right back at it 💪💪❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Well, my boy's thoughts before he got under Super Scourge control are confusing to him as well. Dude just got brought back to life and no one wants to believe him. In the beginning he's just thinking people are pulling pranks on him or that he's used to not being taken seriously by anyone else. The longer the stuff goes on, the more he believes the world is against him and the world should pay for it (Going from the idea another Anon did as well~)

He goes on with his promise and takes care of Moebius, leaving death within his wake. Until he's burned out and somehow ends up in Sonic's world. Clearly traumatized from the stuff he did pull off (killing his father ect.), the whispers of Super slowly start getting into his mind. His harm starts when the whispers starts since he also carries a sense of guilt with him. He starts doubting himself, thinking if all that rampage was for a good thing. Only for Super Scourge to egg him on, to tell him that what he did was right. Purple spots would start to appear on his body and it frightens him, causing the harm we see in the designs. But once it starts, there's no way of going back. It gotten so worse at the end that he takes off his own arm to see if he's sleeping or not and to take "Super away from his body."

When you hear the same thing over and over again everyday, at some point you will start to believe the voice inside your head. The whispers turning to screaming making it unable to deny anymore. At his weakest and most broken moment, Super takes hold :3

My writing isn't the best so might change a few things along the way 🤣✨️

AND HECC YES, SUPER SCOURGE CAN CHANGE ANYTHING HE WANTS FROM HIS BODY. He wants to be able to give maximum trauma and pain. He can take ANY kind of form. Even from other people 👀

Patch and the color purple are no friends indeed. That boiio is traumatized by it, but weirdly also fascinated about it. When Mephiles shows him the power of Dark Chaos energy, Patch would be scared at first since it does have a purple glow.

Also, when Patch gets older, especially in his teenage years, he will get visits from his big friend in his head 💀 The others better take notes on that one.

Scourge/Patch's recovery would be harsh, long and painfull when "Mind Crush" would be used against him. He basically needs to re-learn basic skills as well and mental help cause, although it saved them and made them getting loose from Super, the damage would already be done.

Thank you so so so much for all the compliments as well and for being so hyped about the AU 😭💜💜💚💚💙🙏🙏🙏 Sp honored to share and create this AU with all of you 🥹🫶💕💕💕

[chaosintheavenue]

I find it very insidious that a growing number of ads (especially on radio, which I'm forced to listen to all day in work) are using the format of a conversation between friends. It's just so clearly aiming to get people to misremember the source and end up thinking they overheard people talking about Product or Service, or even were directly recommended by a friend of their own, rather than hearing it in a bloody ad.

[burningcomputerpersona]

Pick a song for each letter of your URL, and then tag that many people! Much thanks to @angelthingy for tagging me <3

Bird, you can fly - Eyemèr Untitled - Knuckle Puck Re-emerging Signs of the Apocalypse - Spanish Love Songs Never Meant - American Football I Was Hiding Under Your Porch Because I Love You - Waterparks Nightmare On Southfield - Action/Adventure Green Squirrel In Pretty Bad Shape - Hot Mulligan Cigarettes & Saints - The Wonder Years Overstepping - Belmont My Life For Hire - A Day To Remember Pints Of Guiness Make You Strong - Against Me! Understanding In A Car Crash - Thursday Thank God It's Friday - Ice Nine Kills Early Sunsets Over Monroeville - My Chemical Romance Right Choice - Can't Swim Paradise Lost, a poem by John Milton - The Used El Niño Considers His Failures - Spanish Love Songs Rationalize - Action/Adventure Sick Of It All - Magnolia Park One Step at a Time - Four Year Strong No Children - The Mountain Goats And Now I'm Nothing - The Wonder Years

Good lord did that take a while to finish... time to start tagging uhhh *counts* twenty-two people now: @sucker-for--anything-acoustic @tradedsymmetry @broke-bruce-wayne @mackie-ds @juliens-bakery @breaking-justin @flashlight-smallknife @cemetery-pigeons @ogbulesky @dysphoria-things @eyemermusic @plainramennoodles @unnervinglyferal @ameliafromafairytale @aiam-maianaise @weirdpinkandmagical @crazyworkswell @kind-wizard @leonidele @thevictorianpirate @mira-kyria @cant-even-spell-my-own-url

Okay I think I tagged like all my mutuals and then some... suffice to say I am sorely regretting my longass username. Anyway these tags are low pressure and open as always, so feel free to join in! (or not, I'm not the cops)