#be normal to your kids or they'll end up like me!!!!!! lol!!!!!!

[kaleuh]

OkCupid is a great way to get a lot of compliments that will make you feel good for exactly .5 seconds and then immediately make you feel lonelier than you've ever been somehow

[introspectivememories]

timbern high school baby project with real babies bc gotham is insane like that and they get paired together and at first it's funny.

two guys raising a baby lol. oh look tim i'm holding our kid! jesus bear, don't fucking shake our baby like like that. darls, darls, take our pic quickly! we're going for jcpenney's family photoshoot vibes. wait why does tim get to sit in the seat? oh cause he's mom? your both guys dipshit, neither of you can be the mom.

and then it quietly gets a little more serious.

hey did you feed the baby? tim, make sure to change the diaper before you leave today. bear can you grab my phone, the baby's sleeping on my chest and i can't move. hey guys, you wanna- shhh! they're sleeping, dont wake them up. what does that have to do with you? bear fell asleep with his head on my lap i can't move now! and why are your fingers in his hair? ....bear likes it.

and then it gets too serious

what the fuck are you buying premium baby food for tim?! we dont have that kind of money! oh sorry that i wanted our kid to be properly fed! and it's not like you're doing anything! oh the extra job i work is nothing now? that's not what i said! then what did you mean? you're never home! tim-. when was the last time you read to the baby? when was the last time you changed the diaper, gave them food, burped them? i cant do this alone. i'm tired bear. im sorry baby, i guess i was too caught up in making sure you guys would have what you needed i lost sight of what was important. i'll make it up, i promise. this weekend, you, me, the baby, the zoo. how does that sound sweetheart?

and by the end it's too domestic and everyone has noticed

hey are they like... fucking for real now? what? your little goonsquad darla. are they together-together? what the hell are you talking about ty? don't play stupid with me darla. i've known you since 3rd grade. ....no i dont think they're together. darla what the fuck. look at them! bernard has his arms wrapped around tim and he's cooing at their baby from over tim's shoulder! jim caught them slow-dancing with the baby in between them in the band room after school the other day. i know, i know!!! but they get weird when i talk about it and bear's just started feeling okay about it, you know his dad's a piece of shit, and like it's complicated! honest-to-god, i think they'll be like this until the project's over and then they'll go back to normal. normal? dont even ask ty, don't even ask. anyway i'll catch you later, i gotta go be the best aunt ever. .....fuckin weirdos, all three of them.

[libraryofloveletters]

Christmas With The Robertsons 

Trent Alexander Arnold x Fem!Reader

Warnings: mentions of sickness, built in babysitters, kids are so much work, you're chilling and trent isn't, you have baby fever, their kids are soooo cute.

Word Count: 704

Author's Note: now I don't know the names of andy's kids so I just called the two older ones the toddlers and then thy have a baby that I believe they had recently ? or are soon to have (I sweat I saw that rachel was pregnant at family day lol) but if I'm wrong, do forgive me lol

--

Andy and Rachel have a holiday date night and call their two favourite people in the world to come babysit for them; auntie y/n and uncle Trenty.

Their usual babysitter is sick, Rachel suggests that they should just cancel their date night but Andy is determined, he's going to find someone to watch the kids.

"Trent should be free," he says, grabbing his phone. "Don't bother him," Rachel tells her husband, the man had already dialled his friend and was awaiting an answer.

You hear Trent's phone ring, the man had left it on the couch while he was in the shower. Andy's name on the screen so you pick up.

"Hi Andy!" You smiled, the man seemed surprised to hear your voice. "Trent's in the shower, what's up?"

"Oh uh, see our usual babysitter is out with the flu and Rachel and I have a date night planned. We-" there's a smacking noise from his end, "ow! I," he corrects himself. "was wondering if you and Trent would be able to watch the kids for the evening."

"Of course!" You tell him, "we'll be over as soon as Trent's done in the shower. you know how long he takes."

Andy laughs, "yeah, sounds good. Thanks!"

Just as you hang up, the bathroom door opens. "Did my phone ring?" Trent shouts from upstairs.

"Yeah! It was Andy! We have to babysit!" You shout back, "so hurry up!"

Trent grumbles something and goes off to get ready before meeting you downstairs. It was a short drive over to the Robertsons'. Rachel opens the door, you and her chatting about the kids; their bedtimes, what they like to eat and do, normal things to go over.

Andy and Trent were in the living room with the kids, Andy was rocking the baby who was about to hang over to Trent. The vice captain looked scared; you weren't sure if it was because he was scared he'd drop the baby or if he was actually scared of the baby.

"I'll take my little munchkin," you tell him, Andy gently hands you the baby and you settle on the couch with the baby all wrapped up in their blanket.

"If you need anything-" Rachel starts but Andy cuts her off. "They'll call babe, let's go before we miss our reservation."

The first 2 hours were pretty chill, you and Trent played with the kids and watched shows. The two older ones put on a show for you two, something about a fireman and a doctor, you and Trent watched intently.

You caved and ordered pizza for dinner even though Rachel had left food for them, you, more so Trent, couldn't say no when they said "please uncle Trenty!" And gave him puppy eyes.

The 5 of you ended up watching the grinch, the cartoon version which was superior, until the kids started to get sleepy. You had settled Trent with the baby, you figured he could handle the feeding as it was a bottle while you took the kids to bed.

You settled them in, reading them a quick story before tucking them in and making your way back down.

"You okay babe?" you asked him, seeing Trent's distressed face.

"Baby's making a weird face." He tells you, unsure what to do. You hum, "did you try burping?"

"What?" He asks, clearly confused.

You put the cloth over your shoulder, taking the baby from him before holding the baby upright and patting their back softly until you hear a burp.

"See," you turn to show him the baby already settling. "Just needed to burp."

Trent seemed confused still but you shook your head never mind, cradling the little one as you sat next to your boyfriend.

It wasn't half an hour later that Rachel and Andy came in, the two of them giggling as they walked in. "Oh hi," Andy says, almost forgetting you two were there.

"Did they give you any trouble?" Rachel asks, walking over to the couch. You give the baby to Rachel, "they were perfect."

"So when are you expecting a little one from you two?" Andy notices the way you looked at their little one, all the affection in your eyes.

"Not anytime soon," Trent answers, "one night was enough."

"Oh hush," you smacked your boyfriend's arm lightly, "they were perfect, let us know if you need a babysitter anytime."

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for pretending to be sick in order to skip school even though I'm making my parents worried?

(I'm submitting this on a Monday. fuck Mondays btw.)

I (15M) am the only child of both of my parents (42F, 44M) and even though I love them and they love me, I feel like they don't really get me. since I was like 12 or so I started getting bullied by my classmates bc, essentially, I have "childish" interests (I like Adventure Time and video-games. my classmates need to realize we're technically still kids, but nooo they're not teenagers they're "Young Adults" and "Too Cool" to like anything remotely childish) and whenever I've tried to tell my parents that I'm experiencing bullying, they somehow end up thinking that I just don't want to go to school bc I'm lazy. I know being a parent is probably not easy but. what the fuck.

from my own experience I've noticed male and female bullies use different methods - guys hit me and use brute force against me while girls say hurtful things to me. one of the guys who bullies me, let's call him DH which stands for Dickhead (15M), is also extremely popular for some reason. he's very tall, very strong and he always uses that against me (I'm almost as tall as DH but I'm just lanky). he bullies anyone who is "beneath him" lol everybody bow down to the king of the fucking world.

today DH was making a scene at recess bc his girlfriend (15F) was wearing a skirt that was too short according to him. he was so mad at her that people were starting to form a circle around them. since DH is so popular people really respect his gf but they clearly respect him more bc today no one tried to help her. I don't respect DH, because he's a dickhead, so I stepped in and said something like "c'mon man what the hell, there's no need to humiliate your girlfriend like this, leave her alone". DH was pissed. he heatedly said that just because no girl will ever want to date me, that doesn't give me the right to tell other guys how to handle their relationships and their girlfriends. he got rlly mad and clearly he wanted to hit me so I ran like hell and proceeded to hide from him for the rest of recess. I felt like a little bitch tbh. DH always makes me feel like a little bitch.

before classes started again his gf found me and talked to me for like 5 minutes. she said I don't know DH like she does and that he's actually a really good boyfriend (HA, sure) and that I would be more liked and popular if I wanted to be, but it's "not normal" that I watch Adventure Time at 15. she also told me that DH intends to beat the shit out of me tomorrow. he said he'll "kill me" and ngl he has the physical strength to do so. this made me shit my fucking pants so today as soon as I got home I decided to pretend I was sick since I can be pretty good at acting. I told my parents I had a headache, I started fake-coughing, I said I felt really tired. I even managed to look pale on purpose by thinking of how fucking scared I was of DH and what he might do to me, and I raised the temperature of the thermometer by rubbing it against the fabric of my sweatshirt.

apparently I was so convincing that my parents agreed to let me skip class tomorrow and they even said I can skip it for the rest of the week if I don't improve (tbh I think I won't "improve" if you know what I mean) and I could see they were worried. this is the reason why I feel like an asshole. at the end of the day I'm making my parents worried, I'm lying about my health and I feel kinda guilty. but I'm too scared, and if I tell them the truth they'll just tell me to "man up" or they'll think once again that I'm just too lazy to want to attend school.

anyway. Adventure Time rocks 🤘🏻

[fawnfictions]

Hii can I request headcanons for LMK wukong and macaque (either separately or poly with gn!reader, up to you) where reader is a celestial monkey like them? Like reader has been with them since before the journey to the west and everything. Thx!

the hero and the warrior's heart

— macaque & wukong x gn!reader

ngl i'm a sucker for poly relationships, and i've only had one poly request prior to this, so im putting macaque and wukong together :D

also, this is really messy LOL,, its kind of a word vomit.....

;; romantic, poly, fluff, and light angst.

POLY!MACAQUE AND WUKONG

- you'd be the balance between the two of them, able to compromise in situations to please both of them, and to calm them down from petty arguments.

- they'd do anything for you—including losing an argument because you told them to knock it off—especially since they've known you for so long; you have an unbreakable bond with them, you would protect them with your life, and them, you.

- they're also very in-tune with your emotions, all those microexpressions you have? they can pick them all up, and know exactly which emotion is behind them, even if you try to hide it.

- they care about you a LOT, so if they can tell that you're upset, they'll try to help.

- Wukong is the type to shower you with gifts, or to spend time with you, to take your mind off of it, while Macaque would want to sit down and talk it out with you, offering advice or a shoulder to cry on.

- but they are both very physically affectionate; Wukong moreso, since he has no shame, and Macaque gets a little flustered with PDA.

- behind closed doors, though? they are so CLINGY.

- cuddle piles anyone? of course, it wouldn't just be the three of you—cuddle piles are open to ANY of the monkeys on Flower-Fruit Mountain.

- but there are times where it is just the three of you, embracing each other, quietly enjoying each others' presence.

- this may be an unpopular opinion, but i've always thought of Macaque as a little spoon; he deserves to be held :(

- they would curl their tails around yours and each others, holding each other as close as physically possible, unconsciously purring.

- ..they aren't the best at sharing, though...

- most days start with one of them getting close to you, and the other getting jealous and trying to one-up them by getting even CLOSER to you.

- and if you give one of them a compliment? the other is batting their eyelashes like, "me too, right? i'm better than him anyways, right?"

- this happens, like, everyday, and it always ends with you like, "boys, pls—please, you're both pretty—".

- it may escalate into rough-housing, and you'll get dragged into it, too.

- if it's while you guys are still kids, one of the elder monkeys is gonna drag you each by your ears while scolding you before anything gets destroyed.

- the three of you don't exactly have the 'normal' strength of a monkey..... if you aren't careful, one of you will be thrown into the mountain and cause it to COLLAPSE.

- lets hope that never happens, yeah?

- in modern times, though, you have to be more cautious; especially since there won't be anyone willing to get between the lot of you.

- MK may get dragged into it at some point LOL

- the boy will be minding his own business, when he's suddenly getting HAULED across Flower-Fruit Mountain, with laughter in the distance behind him.

- speaking of the successor, you'd totally end up as a lowkey parental figure to the guy—knowing that he's been dragged through a LOT between the other two mystic monkey's, and feeling somewhat bad about it.

- he's just a lil' guy :(

- back to the past, when Macaque died? you were, obviously, heartbroken, and had to distance yourself from Wukong for a while.

- you couldn't bare to face him after coming across the aftermath of their fight,, and this would make Wukong second guess his life decisions leading up to this moment; not only suffering the loss of killing Macaque, but the loss of YOU in his life.

- after a few centuries, you come back, willing to connect with him again—to which, he is SO grateful, and swears to make it up to you, and to never upset you again, afraid of ever losing you again.

- as happy as you two are together, now, it isn't the same without the third piece to your hearts.

- you're still lowkey mourning Macaque, since you never doubted your love for him, unlike Wukong, who was willing to fight him for threatening Tripitaka.

- but when he's revived? OH boy...

- you weren't happy with his little scheme on MK, but you were willing to put that aside for the moment, overtaken by the overwhelming joy you felt seeing the dark simian alive.

- while Wukong is busy with MK after the fight, you sneak off to find Macaque, concerned.

- by the time you went after him, though, he'd already left through his shadows.

- Macaque has definitely checked up on you, though—through his shadows, just to make sure that you're doing okay.

- he can't lie, he feels upset/betrayed that you're still with Wukong, despite his past actions, but he forgives you after learning that you'd practically ghosted him for a few centuries (and he knew you were too kind to leave him forever, after everything you and Wukong have been through together).

- at some point, you're going to try convincing him to move back to Flower-Fruit Mountain with you and Wukong (even if you have to fight the latter on it), but he'll probably reject the offer until AFTER the Lady Bone Demon has been defeated.

- even then, he won't live directly in the mountain with you, still not being on good terms with Wukong, and will move to a seperate area of the island (which you accept, since it's better than nothing, but you just wish things could go back to the way they used to be with the monkeys you love <//3).

- SPEAKING OF THE LADY BONE DEMON, it hurts you so deeply to see Macaque working for her; neither of you want to fight each other, but obviously you're going to put your trust in Wukong and follow along with his 'plan'.

- Macaque will straight up refuse to genuinely fight with you, going as far to hold you down with shadow clones, or straight up CHUCKING you as far away as possible from the battle, so by the time you've made your way back to everyone, it's over.

- you are totally upset with Wukong when you realised that he didn't really have a solid plan, and THEN you're freaking out over the enemy literally taking control of him.

- first Macaque, now Wukong? can she leave your monkeys alone, please?

- despite the tension between those two, you are DEFINITELY forcing a three-monkey cuddle pile after all is finished.

- they are very passive-aggressive at times; Macaque being flirtatious with you? Wukong's sprinting over, chucking an arm over your shoulder, and raising an eyebrow, "don't you have some scheming to be doing, Macaque?"

- tell Wukong to shut his jealousy hole.

- okay, but after having only you and Wukong for ages, you probably smell PURELY of him; so Macaque is gonna be all over you, trying to even out the scent with his own, since we can't have people assuming that you're ONLY Wukong's, smh.

- but everything goes to shit again after Wukong is pulled into the scroll, and as MK goes to his friends for help, you're running to Macaque in tears, afraid that you're about to lose Wukong after everything.

- and as you're doing that, without your supervision, MK has gone and released Azure Lion while losing all his friends to the scroll, too.

- whoop, whoop! great job, kid.

- obviously you're joining the 'Wukong Rescue Mission', although you are a little suspicious of Azure Lion.

- whether you were a part of the Brotherhood or not—you were still friends with them via your monkeys.

- your heart drops when you see Tang as Tripitaka; you may not have taken part in the journey, but you still knew the guy and made conversation with him time-to-time.

- when Yellowtusk and Peng are released, you have to try not to LOSE YOUR MIND.

- they point you out, like, "ayo? what're you doing here, lover of those monkeys?"

- "ha ha, uh, i gotta go—"

- and when you go through the memories with Macaque and MK :(

- obviously you're in some of them, but it hurts your heart SO MUCH, you stick close to Macaque for comfort; you're secretly wrapping your tails together for support, since you know he isn't great with PDA and MK is right mf'ing there—

- give lots of love to Wukong when everything's said and done, these events would have had a large emotional toll on all three of you, especially with watching the downfall of three people you used to be close friends with, and the trauma Wukong had to witness again.

- okay, but pretending that everything is okay and you all still love each other, and nothing bad ever happened—

- PICNIC DATES at the most scenic spots on the island.

- with a picnic blanket (probably Monkey King branded merch), a basket full of the freshest fruit found on the island, and a jug of peach juice, the three of you set off to the highest point on the mountain; with a full view of the forestry below and the fading sun.

- by the end of it, you're all cuddling under the stars, cockblocked by the monkeys that wanted to join the cuddle pile.

[bokettochild]

If Legend were to lose his memory, what would happen?

Oh boy!

(Warning, I got really into this! It's not a fic, but it might as well be LOL)

Full personality reset!

Legend is a hero who started young, and while there's not a lot in the games to go off of, the manga, official art, and some circumstances indicate that prior to LA he was actually a really sweet, caring, openly positive sort of guy with a big heart. Granted, he was still a smart-aleck if you read the manga, and got sassy and snarky at times, but he was generally someone I think most people would enjoy being around. But then LA happened, and then ALBW, and maybe a few more adventures (someone converted me to add Cadence of Hyrule to the roster but I don't know where). Suddenly, he's not only going through puberty, but he's dealing with world ending threats left, right, and forward. He can't catch a break, he's under a lot of stress, and the people he should be able to rely on either betray him or disappear.

Cue the salty vet we know. He's wary and guarded. He's still got a big heart and a great sense of humor, but now he's not ready to share those as much. He cares enough to protect the other heroes from injury or from Time's harsh words, but he's not ready to lower his guard enough to relax and be who he was. There's too much distrust, too much certainty that they'll be like all the other people he counted on and either disappear or betray him, or just not understand. Sure, they're heroes, but at most, any of them has only ever had two adventures. They don't get what it's like spending your whole life running around the world saving people and fighting monsters, to the point where you don't have time for family, for growing up properly, for establishing connections or support systems or any of the important things that the other heroes DO have time for.

Legend, as he is, is a wary and guarded individual who shields himself by using snark and jokes to divert attention away from his weaknesses and insecurities. Why? Because his past taught him to be like that.

What if you take away the memories of his past though? What if, suddenly, Legend has no recollection of the betrayals of Hyrule's Knights? Of the person he thought was a friend but tried to kill him once she knew what his bloodline was (Ghanti)? Suddenly, he only knows he's got scars and is in a lot of pain all of the time. He doesn't know why, but he has no reason to doubt that the people around him, who are like him (more Hylians! They've almost died out in his time, but here they are!) are telling the truth when they desperately insist that he's their companion.

Granted, he's still Legend, he's still got anxiety and that Bunny Spirit likely means he's wary by nature of things/people he doesn't know, but once he's given good reason, why shouldn't he accept these people? Why shouldn't he openly show emotion and care and warmth?

Meanwhile for the other heroes, it's whiplash. Legend got the worst side of a battle/dungeon/accident and they were all worried and waiting for him to wake up, but when he does? Blank. He has no clue who they are, where he is, who he is, or what's going on. Horror quickly overtakes them as they realize that holy shoot, did he lose his memories too?

I think in such a situation, Wild would be the one to basically take one look at another amnesiac hero and decide he's going to help out the best he can because, for once in Legend's life, someone knows exactly what he's going through. So what if Legend's suddenly more open and understanding? So what if he laughs off his lack of memories like a bad joke, assuring them that he's sure they'll come back? So what if suddenly Legend is teasing and playing around like someone his age would normally do? He's affectionate and warm and encourages the others, but his self esteem is utter and complete shit, which...their vet has his pride? This kid has some, but not in himself so much as that he has enough to not appreciate being made the butt of every joke or some such.

Memory loss doesn't tend to hamper a persons ability to accomplish tasks or know core information (history facts, how to write/read, stuff like that) so Legend still can wield a sword and fight beside them, but he's not fighting like normal because he's not adapting around their needs anymore, so it still throws them off. He doesn't cover their tails so much as dance around the enemy instead and kick ass. It's new, it's different, and this version of Legend no longer understands that it's important for him to hold back. (And once he realizes the armory he has at his fingertips, all his items, well!)

In general though, it's probably shocking for them. He's an expressive kid, he's got a big heart, he loves to laugh but sometimes he shuts down because the anxiety is winning and he no longer knows how to cope with that. It's Legend, yes, but it's Legend with all the shields and guards lowered, almost gone. He's instinctively scared of things that normal Legend is, but he doesn't know why, or that he's supposed to hide it. He can't tell them why the storms make him hyperventilate or why Wolfie's presence sets him ill at ease, only that it does and that hey, if I pass out, don't freak out okay?

He's openly affectionate, he's attentive and caring, he's warm and playful. He still snarks at those in authority and he still teases and jokes, but it's without that harsh bite from before. It's a strange thing for the heroes because as sweet as this kid is, they're being torn by two emotions.

It's sort of heartbreaking that behind all that hurt and wariness, there was this sweet kid. Seeing Legend like this makes them realize that he's essentially had his life stolen by adventuring and it's hurt him a lot, turned him into a different person. The contrast makes them realize just how much the adventures affected the vet and how little they really understand who he was before and how he was affected.

They miss him. Like, yeah, this version of him is great and all, but they've become used to having someone in their group who will bite and snap and hiss, and without that, it throws off their whole balance! Legend used to say what everyone else was thinking but had the good manners to not say, he was the conduit of their darker thoughts and feelings, and if he expressed things, then no one else needed to. Now he's not doing that so they ARE and the realization that maybe they're all a bit more jaded then they let on, maybe the soft is a little harsher, makes them all uncomfortable.

They want their guarded, harsh, veteran hero back, but the cost is losing the sweet teenager whose taken his place.

And I know you asked about Legend but hey, this would 100% set off some stuff for Wild too, because now he knows. He gets to witness firsthand how other people are affected when a loved one loses their memories and becomes a different person. I think for him it would shed some light on a lot of things, that maybe being without some memories is a blessing; it might mean he's a happier and kinder person than he used to be. But at the same time, the fact that the other heroes, and even himself when he's not thinking about it, still expect the body and face they recognize to act in certain ways, so when Legend doesn't, they get thrown off and confused, I think that would bother him. He tries really hard, but when he realizes that the others want back the traumatized and utterly broken version of his friend, it hurts part of him too because not only does this mean they want an unhappy Legend more (in his mind), it also means that people don't want the version of him that he is now either, because they probably want the old him back too.

I think Wild would be highly defensive over the vet, would be shattered at the others wanting Legend to turn back to normal because what's wrong with how he is now? Why does he have to be someone different? It's a loaded question because he means it as much about himself as Legend.

If Legend went without getting most of his memories back, or even just started getting a few but, like Wild, disassociating them from himself, or even if he got them back slowly and thus just processed them as they came, learning things but not changing back into who he was, I feel like it could mess with things. Wild is supportive and helpful. He sits with him and talks him through stuff, they discuss memories and coping mechanisms and Wild, a person who knows who Legend was before, is there to assure and give answers where he can. In such a case, I think Legend would slowly regain things, but like Wild, wouldn't become who he used to be just because he's got the memories back. He's more sedate than when he didn't have them, but he's not as harsh as when he had them all. He's quieter, deals with a lot of insecurities about it, but Wild is there to assure and help him grow and overcome and move past and he just...becomes a different person entirely. Because yes, same traumas and memories, but now it's like they're happening again for the first time, only he has support now, he has help now, he has a coping mechanism and ways to process it in healthy ways now and he just...grows around those scars.

Alternatively, if he did somehow recover all his memories, just like that, and went back to being his old self, I think we'd just have a Legend with a new story under his belt. Wild though? Wild would be utterly devastated. Everyone is so happy to have the old Legend back, they're glad he's not the version of himself without memories. They like him better like this, like how he's supposed to be. It's heart shattering for Wild becomes the implications that the people who know him feel the same way about him is heart-breaking.

As a note, I don't think the other heroes would be asses about the situation. They're just really glad their old friend is back because as nice as the other version of him is, it's not the version they know and share memories and experiences with. They would have accepted it if he'd never remembered, but the relief that comes with having him back to himself, having him predictable and familiar and balancing out their group and dynamics again, it's overwhelming because they missed him.

If he never recovered into who he was though, I feel like they'd still accept and embrace him. They mourn who he used to be, but this new version of Legend would understand. He'd feel bad that he's not who they remember, but he appreciates that they lost a friend and that they need the time. He's somewhat insecure, much like Wild, over not being who he was, but the Chain are all Links; they adapt, and eventually they grow around the loss and accept the new Legend like he's just joined them. I think he'd probably decide to use a different title, maybe call himself the Hero of Worlds since Legend was a different guy altogether, and it helps everyone move on better. The Hero of Legend is gone, and the Hero of Worlds just joined. It makes coping easier, growing around it easier, and it's better for World because they can talk about "Legend" all they like and it's like talking about a different guy entirely.

In the case of his memories coming slowly and him never coming back, I think they'd all learn to move on, adapt, and accept World in Legend's place.

In the case of Legend coming back fully though, I think the others would regard it as a crazy story to tell, while Wild would be utterly and completely shattered by it. He'd still accept Legend back of course, it's not Legend's fault, but he would struggle so, so much with the whole thing.

So yeah! That's what I think would happen!

[fangirlingpuggle]

I hope your brain does keep up! Dad chase is iconic!

I love the Omi and Jack swap AU so much! Is there anything else you tell us about it! Particularly about the other monks or Wuya lol

Thank you! Yeah Dad Chase is the best!

Other thoughts on alignment switch AU

The other monks are much more proficient with their elements, as trained by Wuya mostly (Who I head canon was a previous dragon of Earth) and she knows how those elements work.

They also have more background on Wu and their fighting styles are more honed as she is a very hands on teacher.

She also ends up caring for the kids (Though she will deny it when asked and claim this is souly out of spite so they'll be better than Dashi and so she can rub it into Dashi's face she sees him) she also denies she is Xiaolin claiming I'm still Heylin or neutral party.

Wuya also ends up with Dojo hanging around her a lot and they talk about Dashi a lot. She spends way to much time sometimes looking at the sands of time or the puzzle box.

She trains Clay a lot them having the same element she also says he is the one voice of reason and is she's gone he's in charge.

Kimiko and her training is brutal and everything is on fire they have far to much fun. Kimiko also made Wuya go on shopping spree when Wuya wanted more modern clothes. (Wuya also insists on spa days occasional especially after certain Wu hunts end up with them battered and bruised and almost eaten by some monster, all the dragons come along with this) She's not making them stay in the temple all the time she's letting them be kids and have fun... well Except Jack at time because Jack's idea fun is trying to make shen gong wu and she's trying to stop him. (He's like the second coming of Dashi and this world does not need another)

Raimundo and her get along very well, she very much encourages his plans and to be sneaky. They also have the same sense of humor.

Jack she calls her problem child but fondly because he is so much like Dashi at times, though much more dorky (and she didn't think that was possible) also not as brave, which is a good thing because that means he's not trying to break the universe.

Wuya has also moved some the old monks rooms to give kids more space as in her words 'those scrolls are full of shit anyway I was there and only 12% of this is accurate, i'm not teaching these brats that stupid stuff no wonder I almost took over the world your all idiots'

She also lets them all have Wu on them and not have it all stuck in the vault all the time. The more practice the better besides keeping all the Wu in one place makes it way easier to steal trust me I have stolen so much stuff.

Jack has made Jackbots that protect the temple and the Wu specially so the temple is harder to break into (Chase and Omi still mange through of course). He also makes robots for them to train and proactive against plus uses his metal powers to alter them mid battle and practice his own powers. Wuya also has stone golems around put they aren't as powerful as less Heylin power but they are good bouncers for most enemies.

Dojo and Jack are normally together and are the cowardly duo, they will do a scooby doo is never a monster and run to find Clay or Wuya.

All training sessions end with a lot more property damage (which luckily the jack bots and mini versions of Wuya's stone golems can fix)

Not only Fung but most of the other monks have left for pilgrimages or just retiring. (They're pretty sure they saw some in Vegas when they were there to pick up a shen gong wu)

[infizero-draws]

oh hey, id love to here your labduo hcs

YAYYYY ok. i'll start off with the demon soulmate ones (not specific to them) since someone else asked to hear about that as well. this is very long sorry

SO. all demons are born with a special kind of semi-immortality (able to be killed but unable die from age) where their lives are connected to a mortal soulmate(s). soulmate in this context has no inherent romantic or sexual connotations; soulmates can be strictly platonic, romantic, sexual, or anything in between. they dont even necessarily have to spend their lives with each other, it's purely the bond and the connections between their lives.

soulmate bonds exist from the moment all parties are alive, but the demon doesn't get the instinct to seek them out until the age of 18. the demon will follow this instinct and once they meet their soulmate(s), their lives will be connected from there on.

if the demon decides not to seek them out for whatever reason, they'll still naturally be drawn to them. however, if by bad luck or purposeful avoidance they dont meet their soulmate(s) by age 50, then they'll just Die. for this reason most dont avoid their soulmates but there are some who choose this lonesome dangerous lifestyle; choosing a set-in-stone 50 year lifespan over one tied to a mortal's lifespan, which could end up being cut short.

if the demon has already met their soulmate(s) before the age of 18, then nothing really changes. they still don't KNOW they're soulmates until they turn 18, and then once they do the connected lives come into effect.

these mortal soulmates have historically been humans, which is what led to the horned human variant coming into existence a long LONGGG time ago. these are different from demon-human hybrids, as over the years they've become their own subspecies. the horned human variant is still considered fully human, just with horns and a tail. this is what c!tommy is, while c!eryn is an actual demon-human hybrid. here's this old chart i made to illustrate the differences:

demon-human hybrids don't have quite as good of a sense for locating their soulmate(s) as full demons; they'll still naturally be drawn to them but won't really be aware of it until the bond has been forged, unlike a full demon.

^ this is all obviously expanded upon from bad and skeppy's canonical soulmate bond btw.

ANYWAYS so that brings us to labduo. (i forgot they were called that btw. awesome) basically they're soulmates, but as per the way this all works, eryn doesnt realize this until they turn 18. and that's when he's like ummmm tommy. i think we're soulmates lol. and tommy is like wot. rlly? ok. and that basically is it LOL. tommy lives with tubbo and ranboo in the future to me, i dont think eryn and tommy would be attached at the hip soulmates. eryn would probably go off on his own adventures and come back every so often to catch up, rest at the benchtrio house, etc. rolewise they're like the distant uncle who randomly shows up from time to time LOL.

when it comes to other hcs for them ummm i dont actually have a lot. i think they figured out they were trans around the same time, like pre-puberty, and that was something that rlly brought them together. eryn tried to cut tommy's hair and it was a disaster. for anything more read this comic i made a while back

for me tommy was just this scrappy kid who showed up at the village stealing bread and shit, until he befriended eryn and was taken in by eryn's mom. ive never given tommy's actual origins much thought, as i dont think it rlly matters to me. the thing thats important is that he was an orphan from a young age. as much as i think the lab stuff can be cool i think i do just imagine him to have had normal parents and. Something happened where he did not have them anymore. young enough where he didnt have memories of them or anything. idk

OH and rq to explain this doodle in the context of all this. its basically just eryn saying that it's a good thing all of tommy's trauma and deaths happened BEFORE their soulmate bond existed or else it would've happened to eryn too lol

thats kind of it...... thank you for your interest...

[articularreview]

⚠️Spoilers for Shinrei tantei Yakumo - the lamenting doll file 03 and the epilogue⚠️

Here in case you missed it

I just read it and spontaneously wrote this.

Be careful if you haven't read it yet.

The file starts with where it left off the last time with them deciding to locate Mahiro's mother.

I kinda forgot about it since we haven't seen Isshin for a while, but this volume reminded me of how much Yakumo is influenced by Isshin. Be it the way they talk or sometimes even their mannerisms.

It's pretty much a given that they'll have to stay another night at the hotel but that would mean Haruka will have to stay in that creepy ass room again. Isshin really told Yakumo “accept the situation or sleep with her”😭😭😭

But sadly It's just like Gotou said, Their relationship label won't allow it smh

Gotou's snores and Isshin's bad posture are KILLING ME. My mom entered the room while I was having a fit of laughter I just looked crazy to her 😭

Isshin is so chill he doesn't care if you try to make him look bad. Rather his hilarious responses made Gotou look silly for complaining. Poor Gotou-san. Maybe I should learn from him... Unbotherement sure is powerful~

Anyways I guess that means Yakumo is the only one who sleeps normally hahaha

Just like I expected, Mahiro's death is weighing Hiromi down. kinda knew it from file 02, but hearing the details from Masae made me want to cry. No parent should ever go through this.

And so they split into two teams: team Gotou and Yakumo. and team Haruka and Isshin. All I'll say is that the latter team sure is a good match.

And then we have Gotou-san who not only has to put up with Yakumo's comments but also got a Salary cut too!! He suffered too much this trip. Imagine wanting to skip work only to get dragged all the way to a whole different prefecture. Still kinda his fault for ignoring Ishii smh.

Speaking of Ishii I'm happy he and Makoto were mentioned even though they didn't make an appearance. Isshin's mere presence made up for any other character's disappearance. Kaminaga-sensei is a genius for mentioning Eishin too. I think references like that will increase in the complete version. Knowing the future and the direction of your work sure makes a big difference. It was really interesting knowing that Eishin was the one taking care of Nao when Isshin's not around. Nao must really miss Isshin even if she doesn't show it on her face. I head canon afterwards Nao being overjoyed to see not only Isshin but Yakumo and Haruka too after his two-day disappearance.

The scene when that madman dragged Haruka gave me the chills. Kaminaga-sensei using TTCM as a reference sure was brutal I ended up imagining it. Haruka did her best till the very end but the situation was hopeless. She can't even resist. her mouth, legs and wrists were taped. And on top of that he had the audacity to slap her! How dare him! If that man wasn't charged with attempted murder after all this I'm throwing hands!

In the end the case was solved and we find out that Takahiro-kun was the one talking to Hiromi all along. It really broke my heart knowing that all this time he didn't even know he was dead and yet played along to try to comfort Hiromi who was mourning for her child. What a strong kid. He and Mahiro are.

The lamenting doll huh... makes sense.

In the epilogue we learn that Yakumo can't handle hot food which I thought was really cute.

Tbh his whole food preference was quite unexpected. First we learn that he has a sweet tooth (Which Haruka thought doesn't suit him at all lol) and then a similar situation to the one in the epilogue happened in vol. 7 iirc when Yakumo was (again) staring at the sake and when Haruka asked if he can't drink he stubbornally tries to only to spit it out. This man just can't be honest😂 I actually really respect men who don't drink or smoke so that's a flex~

Now some of my favorite Yakumo lines which for some reason all happen to be verbally abusing Gotou (Can't blame Haruka for laughing because c'mon how could you not?)

• “You can say that because you've never heard it yourself. Compared to Gotou-san's snores, even a train would be quieter.”

• “A member of the police stating that he'll be driving under the influence? Japan is finished.”

• “I'm saying bears can't understand the taste of wine. What if someone made up a new proverb: bears and wine.”

• "I don't want to waste any more calories than this."

• "Well, that's not surprising. A bear with damaged taste buds such as Gotou-san will never understand."

Bye I'm using these irl.

I'll also add these two because I keep remembering these two exchanges and laughing:

1)

"I see. If you don't want to, it's fine. But please stop bringing cases to me from now on."

"This and that are a different story."

"No, it's the same thing. Ah, that's right. So that Gotou-san will stop bringing me cases, I'll be reporting to the police that you've been leaking investigation details to a civilian."

"What!? Don't joke with me! I'll get fired if you do that!" Gotou shouted in panic.

"Good then. That way I won't have to involve myself in cases that have nothing to do with me, and taxpayer money won't have to go into paying the incompetent Gotou-san; just like killing two birds with one stone."

"What did you say!?"

"Isn't that great? This way, Gotou-san can also play around to your heart's content. So it'll be more like killing three birds with one stone," said Yakumo, grinning as he looked at Gotou.

He really stabbed where it hurt. Having been commented like that, Gotou wouldn't have a way to refuse. "Fine. I'll help. Happy?"

Gotou lifted his heavy bottom up from the sofa reluctantly as he sighed. Yet Yakumo wasn't done with his counterattacks.

"Not really, it's fine even without Gotou-san helping."

"That wasn't what you said earlier!"

2)

"Sorry about that. Could you please tell me what I should do?" Gotou asked formally while swallowing his displeasure.

"You should know if you listened to the story"

"I'm asking because I don't know."

"You should have if you paid close attention to the whole story."

"Well I don't know!"

"Is that something to be proud about? Good grief.”

Too much Yakumo😂

Volume 11 is up next. I'm really really excited for this one because Unkai and Miyuki are one of the best antagonists I've ever read. I'll never forgive them for what they did to Yakumo but their back stories are very very well written and explains how they ended up that way. That last arc will wrap everything up. I remember reading the book description a while back but Laute's translations stopped at the time so I thought I'll never read it.

The day has finally come!!!

[kaylapocalypse]

Forgive me if you’ve already talked about this but if Angus is the ‘Icarus’ of the story does that mean that Icarus would be Ariadne/Theseus, and Helios the Minotaur, trapped in the labyrinth of his own home?

I know your book isn’t an exact retelling of the myth but I was just curious if that parallel was intentional?

It's okay! This is a great question! Its kind of twofold.

On one hand, I enjoy and have seeded the interpretation that Icarus is exclusionary to the mythos and exists as a normal high school kid drawn into it non-consensually. His rejection of all elements of the characterization of the original Icarus and disgust towards the mythologization of himself and their situation is very stark and I'm surprised so many people (largely adults) don't notice it. He rejects it in Luca and Celestina when they act like he's mysterious, he rejects it in Sorrel who praises him for giftedness (citing that he's not talented he just has practice), he rejects it from Helios (even when Helios is saying things like "I was born for you", Icarus's assessment of the situation is that they need each other right now and its more realistic that once they leave their respective traumatic situations, they'll settle into friendship) He is a stark realist and his Dreams are minute and achievable.

But ultimately, I wanted him to be looked at as the Daedalus of the situation, as reflected in the re-written myth at the back of the book. Aside from just rejecting his moniker, Icarus is an extremely careful child. He haunts the narrative with warning. He's doing dangerous things, but he's not reckless, he's careful and is the only one in their situation who is behaving with deliberateness. There is a helplessness to Icarus's situation, being someone under the care of the actual Icarus. How little control he has as a minor and his eventual choice to try his best to flee the narrative. There is mirrored horror in Daedalus turning back to see where his son went and there are feathers on the waves, with Icarus in the hospital understanding that Angus will not change and is about to reap the full criminal impact of the history of his crimes.

The end call that's off page with Mr. Black is also important. Angus and Icarus have been flying together for so long, but this moment where their paths divide is one that Angus experiences alone, and Icarus experiences in Aftermath. Because, as Angus is the Icarus of the story, biting the bullet and just picking up the phone to have a conversation that's been on ice for almost twenty years, is the breaking point where he know his wax is melting and he's starting to lose height. His recklessness has a consequence and he's choosing not to grab onto Daedalus's heel as he tumbles to the waves.

Its not a one to one comparison, but honestly, I'm happy with people thinking either.

Helios as the Minotaur is fun! As he is trapped in the labyrinth of his parents marriage (as represented by his home and the rooms within it, decorated by either his mom or his dad) and also this completely inconceivable backstory between Angus and his own father. That is so above his head that he has no real way of understanding how it plays a part in the darker parts of his own life. Much like the Minotaur lol

[pink-strawberry-kissess]

I love your hc about the AEON twins! But I want to ask..what was their first word they said, or how was their first day of school or things like that. Will they have many friends or just a small group of very trustful friends? What jobs they will do when they are grown up and how well they are doing at school. When will they have their first boyfriend? Just stuff like that...it's a bit messy ik XD. But i just love your Fanfics and hcs!! 🥲

hehehehheh ty love

since i'm still in the process of writing postpartum ada, i still have lots of ideas of what they'll be like when they grow up..

lots of routes on potential ideas since nothing is canon in my head yet LOL

def dada or mama for either of them.. i like to think maybe nai nai (canto for milk) for one of them.

i like the idea of them trying to do school. day care etc. but also the angst part of me wants something from their past trudging up something that needs aeon to fight over taking their kids out of school. they do end up taking their kids out of school because of random death threats or something :(((((

BUT i do like the idea of fighty twin having a lot more friends and being generally the more outgoing one. so soft twin ends up sticking to aeon more. ada for girl dates. leon for just dad daughter dates.

soft twin has a bf first. fighty twin def dates a girl at some point.

soft twin leans more into romantic type jobs. maybe a writer, florist or cafe owner. fighty twin ends up wanting to do something similar to aeon (despite their protests for them to grow up with normal lives)

leon might be happy with her being a cop or something but i feel like at this point, he's already a bit disillusioned with the police force and government in general.

I DUNNO I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS FOR THEM STILL

they're all just in my brain :))

[nicoleanell]

I would love to hear your meta on the scene from Renfield with the priest and the vampire hunter, if you’d be willing to share!

SURE, THANK GOD YOU ASKED.

My thing with that scene is it was peak Give Renfield A Hug and also the most irredeemable thing he does in the movie short of destroying some kid's ant farm, and that instantly made me fall in love with him.

I like the fact they made Renfield an aggressively sympathetic character and at the same time not wholly innocent. Robert Montague Renfield is neither a good guy or a bad guy but he deserves to be okay. (Also he may come off way more "sane" as movie Renfields go but he's not a well person lol, and the fact he's in an all-gender support group for abuse survivors very rapidly becomes not so much A Joke as it is the Entire Point of the movie.)

In the flashbacks, it's totes played for comedy and riffing on the 1931 movie and there's a little bit of an "unreliable narrator" vibe to it when Renfield's like, it was good we had great times etc. :))) We don't really know how in control of himself he is or how much he's whitewashing. But then we get the church/vampire killer thing and there's like... the first seed of something more real going on. The movie tells us upfront that the last time Dracula was almost defeated he stopped it, willingly, and it wasn't normal vampire enthrallment stuff as much as a very human emotional choice.

There's some heavy-handed manipulation happening and it's *completely* non-supernatural. They'll lock you away. I'll protect you. I care about you. And Nic Hoult's big woobie eyes hold all the sadness and isolation and genuine hope/desire to be loved, and it's unhealthy attention but there's nothing better out there for him. 🥺 <- emoji rendition of Renfield and also me.

Oh and for good measure his "he really means it this time" internal monologue is 100% meant to sound like toxic/abusive boyfriend stuff he's echoing from the support group, which is A Joke in this movie until it's not anymore.

(Side note, I saw you mention this in another post - the mental institution headcanon is Valid. I would've liked for it to be explicitly in there somewhere but as far as I'm concerned nothing *contradicts* it and it's one of like 3 facts people associate with Spiders Georg over here. So I'll take that crumb that the threat of him getting locked up is just as likely to be in an asylum (again) as a jail. And yikes the legitimate fear of that being WORSE than the hell he's currently in.)

And the second he does the thing, some priest *completely proves Dracula right* by immediately throwing more guilt and blame on Renfield and being like YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYONE ELSE HE KILLS NOW. Which, fair! But also, dude, you're being the opposite of helpful here! Lmao fucking Catholics. He knows this! It's why he can't get out! Of course he chose Dracula and he did it on purpose and he did it because of trauma and it *cemented* him being trapped forever. This is the climax of an entire other movie in which Renfield is probably not the main character but would definitely end up my problematic fave anyway.

SO YEAH. Between that and the reveal he left a whole wife & kid, there's such an interesting theme of guilt/shame on top of self-esteem and learned helplessness issues I was not anticipating in this movie. It's important for him to get to a place of: "I want to blame this legitimately awful monster but I also did SOME of this to myself, and when I can accept that without immediately going into a fetal position, it gives him less power over me."

Does not remove his power completely! 'Cause Renfield 2023 is also not, like, saying that you can just Easily Decide To Leave Your Violent Abuser. But the affirmations about being enough and deserving better and seeking better in spite of having failed or fucked up before are important.

[thestobingirlie]

you understand my fave characters like no other before, are there any fic recs that you would want to bestow upon this humble ask??

this ask is about a month old lol, but here i am!!

in no particular order:

to have a friend

"Maybe life will be different soon. Now that I've been fully myself for a year, I know there's no going back. As it turns out, being a loner suits me beautifully. But there are times when I crash hard into the hope of finding my people. Friends who would stick with me through anything. A girl I can have a less hopeless crush on. There are adventures waiting for me. I know it." -Rebel Robin

Robin finds her people.

this fic is a must read!!!!! just beautiful. my favourite robin fic ever

the wine of life by littlearrows

After the Upside Down, Steve, Nancy, Robin and Vickie take the '90s to rest and grow up. Along the way, there's weddings, kids, a treehouse and one car breakdown.

(aka my stancy & rockie slice-of-life future fic)

theeee stobickancy future fic!!! it’s canon to me, no matter how the show ends lmao

honestly, all of littlearrows works are a must read, katie is a beautiful genius!!

the road goes ever on by MaryPSue

The Battle of Starcourt has been won, but its aftershocks are still rippling. Separated from the rest of the Party, Will struggles with feelings of abandonment, while El is trying to find her place with the Byers and come to terms with the loss of her powers - and the closest thing she's ever had to a father. Back in Hawkins, life is slowly returning to normal, or at least as normal as life ever is. The Party are starting to adjust to having two of their members at a distance, though everyone's still missing El and Will, Mike most of all.

But life in Hawkins never stays normal for long. Someone - or something - is following Steve and Robin, and they may not be the only ones under surveillance. A spectre from El's past makes an unexpected - and unwanted - reappearance. And an old enemy may turn out to be much more than meets the eye.

And sometimes, the bad guys are smart, too.

Separated by miles and misunderstandings, with communications failing and their enemies somehow always one step ahead, Hawkins' strange little fellowship find themselves caught between holding on and moving forward. If they want to survive to see another November, they'll have to face the past - and each other.

very fun body horror fic!!!! i just love fics that interact with the upside down outside of strict canon.

the very best people by scioscribe

“Why are you messing up my undercover operation, Steve?” Dustin said. “Do you want another tear to open up in the space-time continuum and suck us all into the Upside Down? Do you want the entire world to turn into squishy, mind-flayed zombies because you and Robin couldn’t get your shit together?”

(Or, the one where Steve and Robin go undercover in an evil suburb.)

stobin pretending to be a newly-wed married couple to go undercover. what more could i want from a fic?

minor falls, major lifts. by millcrs

“Steve.” Shiv lowers her voice an octave. “Steve. Calm down. Just let me see, okay?”

“I don’t want you to see.” He smacks her hands away, feels the cut of a modest rock nip at his knuckles. Wambsgans outdid himself.

“Where’d he get that?” Steve laughs, points, and Shiv’s eyes flicker to her finger like she forgot all about it. “Fuckin’ Macy’s?

—

“Look,” Connor says, palms up and placating. “We can point fingers at each other, or we can be honest with ourselves and blame the commies.”

st/succession crossover; steve as one of the roy siblings. i’m soooo obsessed with the entire series!!

in a strange land by MrsEvadneCake

Doom comes to Hawkins, Indiana. Population est. 30,000.

It’s cold, that’s all, and the breeze is kicking up. That’s why Steve feels the chill go up his spine like someone dropped an ice-cube down his back.

“Why wouldn’t I be real, El?”

“The Aboleth got you.”

i’ve absolutely rec’d this before, but i don’t even care because it’s literally one of the best st fics ever, and i need everyone in the fandom to read it.

nothing really sticks by rosie447

Steve cuts his hair with safety scissors in the bathroom of Family Video. Maybe he's less okay than he's been letting on.

steve trauma fic, everybody cheer!!!!!

[ofliterarynature]

APRIL 2024 WRAP UP

[loved liked ok nope dnf (reread) bookclub*]

Death in the Spires • Heartstopper Vol 4 • Heartstopper Vol 3 • To Marry an English Lord • The True Queen • (Heartstopper Vol 2) • Fun Home* • (Arabella of Mars) • I’m Glad My Mom Died • (Sorcerer to the Crown) • And Then There Were None • Vassa in the Night • Queen of the Night • The Other Significant Others • Most Ardently • The Reformatory • The Book of Love

Read: 14 (10 audio, 4 print, 3 DNF)

The Other Significant Others (5 stars)- I've been anticipating this one ever since I first heard about it and it didn't disappoint! Not only does it tell the stories of people in close, non-traditional relationships, it also talks about marriage, raising kids, and aging, and it was all incredible. I've recommended this in the tags of so many posts and I need y'all to read it.

Queen of the Night (3 stars) - I've heard this glowingly recommended. I liked the author's story in the Sword, Stone, Table anthology. The events in the book are incredible! I should have been fascinated! But I was so bored! Part of it was that the mystery/thriller element in the description - someone has written an opera based on the main character's scandalous secret past, who could it be? - was extremely oversold, most of the book is recounting said past events, and we don't really dive into the present mystery until the very end. I've read similarly slow books so I don't know why I didn't like this, but I wish I'd dnf'd it. I'd recommend you try The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland instead.

Vassa in the Night (4 stars) - this one surprised me! It's YA, I've heard pretty mixed reviews, and it's been sitting on my shelf for a while - starting it, the VERy in-your-face YAness almost threw me off but I'm very glad I stuck through it. I live for magic and fairy tales being dumped into modern times, and the really smart thing about this book is that it keeps a very tight focus (no space for the larger worldbuilding to fall apart lol). We've got a morally-grey magical doll companion who's a kleptomaniac and will eat you out of house and home, Baba-Yaga and her 24-hour convenience store on chicken feet, her disembodied hand assistants, weird guy on a motorcycle, and oh yeah, if they catch you stealing they'll put your head on display (and they're not above framing you to do it). Yes this is perfectly normal, why do you ask? I'm not saying it's perfect, but I had such a good time!

And Then There Were None (4 stars) - my first real attempt at Christie! I did enjoy listening to this, enough that I think I'll try some other Christie, but it wasn't entirely to my taste. I prefer having a detective figure in the story to follow, and the "reveal" after was disappointing.

Sorcerer to the Crown (3.5 stars) - this was a reread, and I definitely liked it a lot less for some reason this time? Maybe it was changing formats, but I love a historical fantasy romp and this should have been right up my alley! The True Queen (4 stars) was much more enjoyable, so maybe it was the characters, maybe it was the rereading itself. I think this might be my sign to call it quits with Zen Cho.

I'm Glad My Mom Died (4 stars) - this isn't really one I think I'd have ever picked for myself even though it got popular, except that my book-club friend recommended it. I'm finding that I'm not really one for memoirs, but despite the heartbreaking contents this was very easy to read - largely chronological with short chapters, and the author is clearly aware that things were bad even when her younger self did not. I accidentally started this when I was also reading Fun Home, so that was a lot of bad-parent-memoir at the same time, oops.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (4 stars) - I've been eying this one for a while and am glad to have gotten it on the list for book club! Deeply fascinating, if not always an easy read - the subject on one hand, but the density of the pages, the differences between the comic panels and the narration outside them, and the jumping through time that memoirs do sometimes made events hard to follow. I admit my favorite parts were seeing the different queer books Bechdel slipped into her illustrations (one that I'm reading right now even!).

Arabella of Mars (4.5 stars) - Y'all, we are sleeping on this book, I had so much fun! Here's to girls dressing as boys, sailing ships, steampunk space travel, and vibes straight from early sci-fi adventure novels. I can't believe I forgot about this and am just glad I picked up a copy at the library sale to make myself reread it. I do apologize for thinking this was YA (which it isn't), but further thoughts on that and the rest of the series will have to wait for next month.

Heartstopper Vol 2-4 (5/5/4 stars) - finally! I read part of the comic online ages ago, and read Vol 1 for book club the other month, but I finally got started on the rest of the series. I had definitely read through Vol 2 previously, but everything else was new to me. I had a good time, but Vol 4 was a bit of a(n expected!) downer, and the time jump in the middle ruined the flow a bit for me. I do have Vol 5 in my hands currently, and if I didn't have so many other things to do I'd be tempted to do a big Alice Oseman re/read.

To Marry an English Lord (4 stars) - I encountered this at not one, but TWO unrelated book sales before I caved and bought it. I enjoyed it! It's mostly a sort of overview/reference covering the period around the Gilded Age - the New York upper crust, the European Aristocracy, and the various societal events that lead to a pattern of marital exchange. Did I skim the bits where it just listed name after name after name? Yes, but! Highly recommend to anyone reading romances or general fiction set in the period, I really wish I'd read this before trying The Age of Innocence! (its also very funny how occasionally it makes references that make it very obvious it was written in the 80's lol). Pairs incredibly well with another book I bought at the same sale, The Divorce Colony by April White.

Death in the Spires (3.5 stars) - I love KJ Charles, but I've often felt that her plots and romances can sometimes be at odds - so I was very excited when she said she'd written a mystery! But I'm lukewarm about it at best. The campus novel portions were fascinating, and I'd have loved more of them. But Jem as our narrator just wasn't engaging for most of the book. I wouldn't say it's his fault necessarily, but he's not really a good detective, there are either no clues or they're just going in circles, and the promised attempts on his life just aren't happening. Once we hit the 2/3 mark, where we're on campus, have more characters together, and they're talking - that's when things got good! Maybe this will be be better on a reread, but for now my hopes are for some good fanfic. Would recommend more to the dark academia people rather than mystery fans.

DNF

Most Ardently (20%) - the vibes were very much, "here's my blorbos, I'm putting them in a Pride and Prejudice AU." Which is great, if that's what you want! It was not what I wanted alas. Biggest cons, the de-ageing of the characters and the generally modern YA/queerness. Pros, they did keep all of the other Bennet sisters! I was so tempted to keep reading just to see how Oliver and Darcy got together, but I knew I wasn't going to enjoy myself. Would have loved to see this presented as an original work rather than an adaptation, or as something hewing closer to the original tone and period of the novel.

The Reformatory (43%) - this was good, really! It's just that I'm only so-so on horror on my best days, and both story lines were sad and dark and depressing. I could have probably handled one or the other, but I wasn't really having a good time (that's not the right phrasing exactly, but you know what I mean). I had other things I wanted to read and it was a long book.

The Book of Love (6%) - I've heard multiple people sing the praises of Kelly Link, so while I wasn't really drawn by the description, I thought I'd give it a shot! I did, and it still didn't draw me in. Maybe I'll give it a try again someday, but I think I'll try her short fiction first.

[robotslenderman]

Eavesdrop!

"... weirdest fucking human last night."

"Yeah?"

"So I'm just working, right, but I'm a bit hungry and haven't hunted yet so I go down the street, right, and there's this group of people coming out of this karaoke club. This one human's fiddling with her bag and lets the others go ahead so I'm like, okay, great, I have lunch now. But you know, it's always risky to approach the ones that present as female because -- "

"Yeah, I know, if you breathe on the other side of the road they'll know about it. I usually go for men for the same reason, they think they're safe. In most places anyway, ever tried hunting in the East End in the '60s? Even the men were super jumpy because they were always shanking each other."

"Dude, weren't you Embraced in 1974?"

"Yeah, but my sire told me stories. I was one of those jumpy humans. You could barely set foot outside your door after dark without getting mugged. I wore a turban back then though, so I didn't get bothered much, only by the idiots who didn't know what a kirpan was."

"Anyway. So she sees me approaching, right, and she's on her guard and I'm like, don't worry dude, I'm just a hungry vampire."

"Sullivan. The fuck?"

"It's this thing Evie started doing to fuck with the kine, just to see what they say. She only ever does it around me so I can sigh loudly and Dominate them into forgetting about it afterwards but uh, I also started doing it sometimes just for the lols."

"For the what?"

"Evie says that too, it means for one's own amusement. Can't you actually use a smartphone? How do you not know what that means? You've never been on social media?"

"Weren't you lecturing me about 'spiritual self harm' last week?"

"Shut the fuck up. So anyway, she plays along. A lot of them do. Asks to see my fangs. I show her. Asks me what fucking clan I am."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, she's played fucking Bloodlines. Matthew Dawkins has a lot to answer for, no wonder he's on that fucking Red List."

"Isn't that the alter ego of -- "

"Yeah, that guy. No wonder nobody's been able to bump him off yet. You try telling a Methuselah he can't just fucking violate the Masquerade like that by making a literal fucking game out of it."

"He didn't make it, he just -- "

"No, no, he did, Matthew Dawkins is just his latest cover."

"Oh! Right, I forgot. Feels like it only came out and made the Camarilla shit themselves like... six months ago."

"Bram Stoker, eat your fucking heart out. Anyway the human's pretty excited about how good my 'Lasombra cosplay' is because I'm all in black and the shadows are spooky and shit so I'm like, thinking, right. I'm behind my monthly quota and you know what Amicia's like when I don't hit it."

"So is this, like, the monthly-monthly quota or the monthly quota where she sneakily tries to bump it up, you call her out on her shit, and she brings it back down and doesn't give a fuck you didn't actually hit it so long as you hit the normal one?"

"Oh, it's the former."

"Oh, so you must be in a lot of trouble, then."

"Yeah, so like, I'm still hungry but I've got this human eating out of the palm of my hand and I still need some blood bags. She's not as jumpy now that she knows I'm a cosplaying weirdo instead of a sexual predator weirdo, but I still gotta lure her into the van."

"Yeah, I noticed the graffiti -- "

"Yeah, that wasn't Evie this time, I woke up and it was there. So anyway I decide fuck it, may as well go the whole nine yards, so I'm like 'hey can I steal your blood.'"

"How'd she take that?"

"She corrected me and said it's not stealing if I have her consent. So I'm like, okay, so do I have your consent to steal your blood? And she's like. No. that's not -- actually never mind, how are you going to take it? And I'm like well I have this whole set up in this van here. And she's like the one with 'free candy' written on the side? and I'm like. yeah. the one with 'free candy' written on the side. the kids these days think they're so funny."

"How many times has Evie -- "

"Eighteen, but nine of them were actually hallucinations because she was too lazy to get some more spraypaint so I don't think it counts. But like I said it wasn't Evie this time. So anyway, that graffiti ended up saving my ass here because I'm sure she'd have run screaming if it was a normal creepy van but because someone 'lampshaded the creepiness,' as she said, she hung around instead. I showed her my setup. She was like 'cool, sure, go ahead.'"

"She wasn't worried you'd chloroform her after?"

"Pretty sure she was going along with this for the lols. She seemed to think I was harmless. Or at least, she gave off the impression she did. To be honest it might've been a fawn response, but yeah, I had her in the van hooked up and giving blood. She tried to tell me off for not sanitising her arm but I just Dominated her into thinking I'd done it so no harm done. So yeah, got the blood, Dominated her into forgetting it and sent her on her way. Wish they were all as cooperative as that! I'd be way fucking less traumatised."

A snort. "Did you at least give her a cookie? The humans do that."

"She asked if I had any. I said no, I only have chewable iron tablets."

"You give the humans iron tablets when you're done?"

"No, but Jane has a stock for when I'm out in rural bumfuck nowhere and need to feed off her exclusively for a while. Anyway. Now there's a weirdass human who's got a bottle of chewable iron tablets in her bag and she has no idea how it got there. I think Evie would be proud."

"So you do give out free candy, huh?"

"Nah, she paid for it in blood."

"Yeah, that's... yeah that's true. Damn, and I thought I was being so witty."

"Har har har. Fucking smartarse Ravnos."

[archangeldyke-all]

feel free to ignore this if it makes you upset or uncomfortable!! I was watching this video by Caelan Conrad about how grooming is portrayed with lgbtq people and it really just broke me.

I’m a 18 year old lesbian from the south. I’ve come out to my immediate family (most are Christian) but most of them dismissed it as me being to young to know. I’m so fucking scared that if I even end up dating, that they’ll being to see me as a groomer or something. I have a little sister and it hurts so much when I distance myself from her but I just can’t handle the possibility of someone thinking that I would ever hurt her like that.

i know that a lot of lgbtq people find joy in life but it feels so unattainable with everything right now. Do you ever get over this daunting fear? Do you have it?

hi baby. i wish i could give you the biggest fucking hug in the world rn. i've never seen this video, but i do know a LOT about this fear and being dismissed. this is going to be a long post, lol

i came out at the age of 13 to my mom. it was a complete accident, i didn't mean to come out, but her intuition figured it out. she was certain i was too young to know, and i had my first ever panic attack right in the middle of the lunch rush at a local cafe! it was horrible. at school, i was the first queer kid out, and as a result i faced a lot of horrible, shitty, disgusting, perverted questions and comments and teases. i was raised incredibly catholic (like, church 2/3 times a week) but through my adolescence i lost my faith and... no one was sad to see me go.

all of this is to say: i'm very familiar with this feeling. i doubt you'll ever meet a lesbian that hasn't felt this way. we're made to feel so predatory and ashamed for feelings and attractions that are completely natural and normal. (there's plenty of sociological reasons for why queer people in general are always portrayed as predators, and there's even more reasons that lesbians are specifically targeted by the 'grooming'/'predator' comments so often that i'd be happy to talk about some other time.) it's depressing and discouraging, but i promise you every single one of us feels this way. you are not alone.

i also promise that it gets easier. it's so fucking corny and lame, but it's also true.

give it time. your family will become a smaller and smaller fraction of your world. this isn't to say they will matter any less, just that your world will expand beyond them. you'll find passion in your work or art or hobbies and gain more freedom as you get older. you will make queer friends, you will find queer spaces. they won't be where you expect, and it likely won't be glamorous, especially in the south, (hell, coming from a small town midswesterner here: some of my best memories come from loitering in the wal-mart parking lot and breaking into the public parks after closing) but you will find them. you'll also make straight friends who love you, and they'll prove to you that the world is changing for the better! you'll work with queer people, you'll love queer people, you'll beef with queer people, and each time you meet another person like you, you'll feel your world grow a little bigger.

most of your family will come around in time. if they don't-- don't worry about it. you can't control what they choose to believe about you, you can only control you. don't push away your sister-- you'll regret it when you get older. instead, show her how much you love her every single day, treat her with compassion and respect, and she'll treat you the same way, regardless of the shit she hears from your family.

also: anyone who accuses you of doing something horrible is just projecting. you are not the problem-- they are.

and finally: despite the fact that i've been out of the closet since i was a kid, and the fact that 'dyke' was my nickname in highschool-- i was scared to say the word 'lesbian' until i was 19 years old. i was consumed with the fear, discomfort, and disgust you're feeling right now. but as i grew up and my world got bigger, i realized that there wasn't anything wrong with me, there was just a whole lot of shit wrong with the world. and it took time to unlearn all the shit swirling in my head, but day after day, i got more confident with myself. what helped the most, though, was reading about, and meeting and interacting with other lesbians (old or young, annoying or mean or nice, butch or femme-- any lesbian) whenever i could. the more i learned about lesbians and lesbian history, the more compassion and respect i had for them-- and then for myself for being one of them.

and now look at me: i'm running a lesbian smut blog!!

joy is on the horizon for you, baby. it'll start small, but it'll grow and grow and grow. i really hope this helped you believe it <3 i love you so much, i'm sending you a million kisses, i'd you'd like them. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo