#because I know they're not going to win

[abrthephantomq]

Write What You Know - A Dissertation

And why (is) this statement (is) the most bullshit statement and also the most CORRECT statement in terms of writing.

Is that the essay itself?

Yeah pretty much. I mean. Do I really need to elaborate? Do we really need additional details?

Okay - I assume it can be read both as a question and a statement.

Of course. Because you love to ramble and I just like hearing you talk while I work. I might not be understanding a word of what you're saying but your enthusiasm is fucking adorable.

"I -" Oh. Okay. We started telling stories as a kid because we wanted to write down the like, little adventures we went on as kids without our mother fucking being able to read it.

"I -" But I didn't like, think we actually needed to hide all that shit from her? because she typically would tease us for shit like ooooooh is that a journal, did you write about Stephen B in there -

Lmao, the amount that you were in love with him as a kid is RIDICULOUS.

I WAS NINE, OKAY? Nine to eleven years old. I loved that boy so much because he understood that I was not a girl. I didn't know what the fuck I was but I knew for damn sure I was not a girl. Boy didn't feel exactly right, either, but it was closer.

"Male Adjacent?"

"Fuck you I love you so much for that label. Like, yeah, we wrote it in our Parent!AU of the Shared 'Verse, but..."

"It was written as 'Female Adjacent,' - because the more accurate label would likely be not a girl, but not a boy, either, but I prefer girl's clothes and want to be recognized as a man. Boy? eh. Masculine. Like oh that's a dude in a dress but he looks so happy and proud in it that the confidence is qhat's adorable, not -"

"Steven Bartholomew!"

"My bad, ma!"

"Why do you call her that? She's not even your -"

"She is, though. She might as well be, anyway, I see her more than I do my own mom."

Oh so - that gelphie AU where Elphie is singing Defying Gravity AND is able to fly because of how deeply, deeply G(a)'Linda wanted her to succeed in flying because of how much she loved her."

Fuck YOU Steven jesus fucking Christ.

It's Stephen. With a PhDEEZNUTS -

why are you fucking LIKE THIS *cackling*

or, how I taught my kid not to give a fuck about any of the other kids and be as cringe as he fucking wants, because at least if he's cringe, he's free.

fucking hell a fic from azula's pov from the beginning of zuko's banishment? to canon? the little sister who was abandoned? the little sister who got left behind with this monster. You knew he was a monster. You knew it! And you - you let him -"

"I'm sorry, Azula?" yes. YES YES YES. I never read the actual comic books for ATLA that like - I know OF spoilers about Zuko's mom? And Azula's redemption arc? But like. I haven't read it. So I have no idea how any of it actually plays out but I could probably make it work if I started at the end of the series..."

....y'all we may be too happy / high for this right now and also we're hungry and should probably eat breakfast.

Also damn can you believe we broke our left ankle in 2013? I mean, I'm not surprised but like. Holy hell the way that ankle was NOT happy when we worked for eight hours straight off of fucking it up at Loveless.

That's a HELL of a name yes. Please. We only lived in that house for a year? Two? Somewhere around there?

Probably 18 months, then. we lived with dad 'til June of 2012, the separation began officially in 2013, we were out of that house shortly thereafter.

Also if y'all haven't seen Complexly's Ask Hank Anything with Rhett & Link - the part where Hank goes "that's adorable" is 100% Hank accidentally shipping Rhett and Link like all of us chaotic bisexuals who'd like to be in the middle of whatever sandwich.

Like, whether those two men know it or not, they want each other bad bad. And I'm leaning into at least one of them doesn't know. Because they're "straight" and they "have wives" etc and kids even that they both love and adore v v much --"

Uncle Miles! You're home! <3

okay but do we REALLY think that Miles fucking Edgeworth would let Phoenix and that little girl actually continue on in poverty like that?

Like, do we REALLY?

Phoenix would never ask for the level of help and Miles KNOWS that about him. He remembers that about him from when they were in school together. Phoenix will NEVER ask for help. Even when he can't get his words out because he's upset and scared to defend himself.

Miles Edgeworth is not a defense attorney but he is PHOENIX'S defense attorney. Always. He learned how to be a defense attorney because he saw Miles mimicking Greg. And he was willing to take on Iris's case AND get a fucking judge that wouldn't recognize him AND his sister, the two most prominent of Von Karma's prodigies? Like????

The man would have been like I HAVE A HOME IN LOS TOKYO CAN YOU PLEASE JUST LIVE IN THAT INSTEAD OF THAT CRAMPED, ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT I BEG. Lived in homes settle better, anyway, and if I don't come back from Germany -

You're coming back from Germany.

"I -- I don't believe you get to make that decision for me."

"You're coming back from Germany."

So - you want to rework the 7 year gap and what not? with an investigations #3 au?

yes we already established this and in fact I just wrote some dialogue for the next chapter so, =p.

why the fuck did you just LICK ME -

*cackling*

[vaguely-concerned]

lucanis is a 'I could sit in our quiet kitchen on a grey tuesday afternoon drinking coffee and talking with you about nothing much in particular forever and be the happiest man who ever lived' romantic, not a 'classic tropes and grand gestures' romantic. this is a distinction and conceptual gap I personally feel is crucial to understanding what's going on with him when romanced. for all his almost painful sincerity and clear depth of feeling he's not a very effusive guy by nature, but in the history of time no one has ever, with their whole soul, chest and being, been so genuinely and openly happy to just do laundry and taxes with you.

[pa-pa-plasma]

I know the concept of more supernatural/paranormal elements is cool but it will never stop being funny to me that in every series ever, when a ghost shows up the main characters have to do rituals & research the history of the haunted item or house or even whole town & use specific items like salt & incense & talisman to banish the ghost all dramatically & supernaturally, but in Danny Phantom this kid just shows up with nothing but his fists, a thermos, & pent up aggression. put em the fuck UP, you ectoplasmic son of a—

[marlynnofmany]

February Fiction Fight

The easiest writing challenge, on the shortest month! The only goal is to write "a bit of something" each day.

Something. Anything. A cool scene that doesn't have a full story to fit into yet. A plot twist that would be great several books into a series. A description of the visuals in that one cool movie. A conversation between your favorite characters about an unlikely food combination.

A page, a paragraph, a sentence. What's that cool story you're going to write someday? Jot down what you know so far. Maybe you'll know more tomorrow. Or maybe you'll be off and running with some other fascinating concept.

No limits, no minimum wordcount! Just write a bit of something.

You play February Fiction Fight by writing each day (or as many days as you can; no shame in being busy).

You win by having more fun than everybody else.

I plan to have an absolute blast!

[can-of-slorgs]

Completed the Shenkuu Stamp collection some time ago, so it was only fair to draw my girl Mirsha

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Turtles and Tribulations

[First] Prev <--> Next

[feroluce]

Belobog was my fave main quest but a lot of it is so. Contradictory. It's like they had multiple groups doing different shit and none of them checked in with each other for consistency. And you see this so much in Gepard's profile.

So in the main quest, they made him unfailingly, unquestionably loyal to Cocolia. Gepard's character arc is him learning to question authority etc etc. And this isn't even a bad thing; that's a story worth telling! It makes good conflict between him and Serval! And I love that we got Gepard as a boss battle and I get to see him all the time in SU!

But then you look at his character stories and it's like. The complete opposite.

According to his profile, Gepard has already HAD this awakening, long before the Astral Express, and he'd already decided Cocolia sucks. Even outside of his stories, there's a pretty damning readable between him and Pela.

He even disobeyed direct orders right in front of her- he has been disobeying orders for a while now!

So I've decided I'm marrying the two different sides of this into a 1.5k fic-ish thingy, because I think there's some fun potential there with Gepard not trusting Cocolia, but still having to pretend to be a good obedient little soldier.

Anyway. I love to think of it as like. Gepard knows Cocolia has sunk into her apathy. He can see it in her eyes every time he looks at her. She doesn't care. Not about him, not about Pela, not about all his soldiers on the frontlines giving their lives to protect the citizens. And that's... It makes him bristle a bit, but ok. Gepard can deal with this. Even if Cocolia no longer cares, as long as she does her job then it's fine. Having compassion behind an action doesn't matter as much as the action itself. If Cocolia's heart is no longer swayed, then he'll just have to care twice as hard to pick up the slack. He considers it part of his duty as a captain of the guard anyway. It's fine. Gepard can deal with it.

And then, Cocolia starts coming down to the restricted zone. Issuing direct orders.

And Gepard realizes he is in way over his head.

Because Cocolia orders him to stay back and issue commands from the ramparts, away from all his comrades, away from where he can protect them.

Gepard had thought nothing could be as bad as watching a fellow guard die right next to him. But the first time he watches someone struck by a killing blow, so far away, it hurts. Every defensive scar across his arms itches, his fingers curl in want of a weapon, the cold cannot numb his hands enough as they desperately ache for his shield. It hurts.

Gepard tries to find any reason to stay. Because surely... He knows Cocolia has lost her love for her people, but surely... She wouldn't...

One day, Cocolia orders for their gunners to advance 20 yards. There are no survivors. She almost looks like she smiles.

Gepard doesn't sleep that night.

Pela brings him the report at the end of the first month; and then the month after that, and the month after that. A significant uptick in losses, and all of it started on that first day Cocolia started overriding his authority and issuing her own orders. The ends of Gepard's pens have all been nearly chewed off. Pela outright calls Cocolia an idiot, and Gepard corrects her. Cocolia isn't an idiot. Gepard had known her through Serval, knew her through all her college years and then some, and he knows how intelligent she is. It's not that she's stupid, and it's not that she's inexperienced, it's nothing of the sort.

Cocolia knows exactly what she's doing.

She must, there's no way she could make such a horrible mess of things so badly by accident. And Pela, quick as a whip, sharp as a tack, always too smart for her own good, catches onto the meaning behind Gepard's correction without any further prompting. The tent goes deathly quiet, nothing but the wind howling outside.

"...She's trying to kill us," Pela whispers, her voice swiftly suffocated by the silence.

Gepard swallows. He can't bring himself to correct her this time. There is nothing he could say that he would actually mean.

His gaze drops, back down to his desk and the reports on it. The names aren't listed, just the numbers, but Gepard knows them, knew them, and there must be something wrong, something he's missing, because why, why would she-? What could this possibly accomplish-?

“Gepard! Focus!” Something snaps right under his nose, and Gepard startles, eyes instantly honing in on Pela's irritated face as she leans over his desk. She holds his gaze for a moment before she huffs and begins to pace, wedges a knuckle between her teeth and bites like Gepard hasn't seen her do since cadet school.

Pela angrily strides from one end of his tent to the other, words hissed between her grit teeth. “What are we going to do?” In the dim lighting, Gepard can just barely see the damp spot of blood weeping under her gloves. “We need a plan.”

“A plan?”

“Wh- Yes, a plan! Unless you want more people to die!” Pela rounds on him then, all the wrath of a blizzard, winds roaring and snow sharp enough to cut.

“We don't even know-”

“What does it matter?! She killed-!!” Pela cuts off with a garbled noise when Gepard leaps up from his desk, hastily shoves his hand over her mouth. The prosthetic, not the flesh one, because he knows better than to assume Pela won't seize the opportunity to leave teeth marks in his skin.

“You're right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry; you're right. But you need to keep quiet.” Pela quirks an eyebrow at him and Gepard can read the question in her face. “Because we both saw what she did to Serval,” he hisses.

It's amazing the snow plains haven't thawed out yet, the amount of heat Pela can put behind a glare. The mere mention of Serval, and the smoking ruins Cocolia had made of her life and career, have her bristling up like a riled cat. The sudden hot breath she takes fans fog across his metal skin, and Gepard wisely keeps it in place until Pela finally sighs and reaches up, taps her fingertips against the back of his hand.

The second she's free, Pela bats him away and then her knuckle is right back between her teeth again, Gepard leaning back against his desk with his arms crossed to watch her resume her pacing. “If we spread the word, she'll have us discharged and make sure we can't even touch the frontlines,” Pela's voice seethes like an open sore. Gepard nods but keeps his silence. He knows better than to get in her way.

“And if you and I are both out of the picture, Belobog is fucked.” A little harsher than how he would have put it, but there's no denying that they're both important to the city's survival. Pela has the restricted zone running as efficiently as ever, and Gepard had become the youngest captain on record for a reason. “We need to keep this tight under wraps, at least for now… It can't leak to anyone higher up the chain.” Another nod. “Serval might know other discontents…” Another n-

Gepard's head snaps up. “No.”

“No what?”

“No. We're not involving Serval in this.”

Somehow, even the same tone that leaves entire squadrons shaking in their boots has never worked on her. “You're not deciding that for her, Gepard.”

Pela hadn't seen the worst of it, though, back when his sister had just been banned from the Architects. Serval's pride hadn't allowed it. Pela wasn't the one to find her passed out bottle still in hand, hadn't been the one to wash the sick out of her hair or carry her to bed. 

Serval still has trouble thinking clearly when it comes to Cocolia, still can't quite bring herself to be objective. And Gepard maybe doesn't want her to be purely objective- but he would worry a lot less if she thought twice before she acted more often.

“At least let me be the one to bring it up to her.”

“Whatever, fine,” Pela gestures affirmatively at him as she paces past, and Gepard sighs. Good, at least that's one thing he can help.

From there, it's a lot of hemming and hawing and frustration. Cocolia has them under her boot, and Gepard and Pela both know it. Even with the way she's been cracking down on freedoms lately, Cocolia is still, overall, liked by the people. It's unlikely anyone would believe them. They don't even have solid proof, because most people don't know Cocolia as well as they do and won't see the clues in the same light. 

The Fragmentum has been ramping up in recent years, too. Everyone is struggling just to survive as is, they can't afford a fight on two fronts. Gepard is a damn good captain, one of the best for that matter. But they're at a massive disadvantage, his experience is narrowed to fighting a defensive battle against monsters, that's all he's ever done. That's all anyone there has ever done. He has no way of finding first-hand knowledge for taking the offensive against a human opponent, and if he goes at this blind, there's no way he'll get everyone out unscathed. He's going to lose people. He's going to lose a lot of people.

He'd never thought before that Cocolia would have it in her to have someone killed. And with this new knowledge, he has no guarantee she won't go after Serval or Lynx if she decides to retaliate.

Gepard has to remind himself to breathe when he realizes this.

Pela writes down every name the two of them can come up with. Lists and lists of names and groups and anyone they can think of who might be an ally in all of this. They memorize every bit of it, make their plans of who to talk to and when. Gepard watches the sparks reflect off Pela's glasses as they burn the evidence together.

Pela finally leaves, far too late to make it home, but says she wants to stay in the restricted zone anyway to investigate. Gepard watches her make her way in the direction of Dunn's tent, watches her back until she's out of his sight and squashes down the urge to follow and keep an eye on her. His tent feels empty.

In the morning, Gepard is up before the wake up bells. He drags himself out of bed, leads his soldiers through their morning training. The same people gravitate to each other everyday. Friend groups and training partners. There's an ongoing rivalry between a few squadrons that everyone bets on. Some of them have lockets around their necks, keepsakes, mementos. Some of them wear wedding rings.

Gepard is suddenly, painfully aware of something acidic clawing at the inside of his throat, of a heavy weight low in his chest that blooms, takes up room until it threatens to spread his ribs. His mouth tastes of bile and blood.

He rearranges the schedules. Puts himself down for every open patrol into the Fragmentum, makes sure he'll be on the frontlines every single time Cocolia visits.

He only hopes that it's enough.

[tubbytarchia]

this might be really vague of a question but when you say "jimmy ecosystem" do you just mean the people he interacts with?

if that's the case then im really taken by the idea of there being invasive species and who that would be lol

again, maybe too vague but tell me your perfect jimmy ecosystem inhabitants

Help I'm sorry "invasive species" is so fucking real and made me laugh. ANYWAY, basically yeah, people he interacts with. Liauditore coined it and I've been using it just as an easy blanket term to refer to the general pretence a lot of the characters hold of Jimmy being inherently lesser than them, and who that includes, although there's no actual like, cycle, it's just Jimmy misery. So that'd include Sausage, Scott, Joel, Grian, etc. Anyone who's contributed to or enforced it in any way, helping fester an environment in which Jimmy can't prosper. I guess Joel is the invasive species now by fighting against the ecosystem. Alternatively just think of it as a hierarchy in which Jimmy is the one lone resident of the bottom tier

[fluffs-n-stuffs]

"Cuhut it out- you guys!" "Nu-uh, not until you're all perked up first! You don't want those gym challengers meetin' with an ol' mopey leader, do ya?" "Whitney's right, dear friend. No need to hide that beautiful smile of yours, alright?~"

What it takes to cheer up Johto's beloved ghost boy 👻💕

[spliqi]

tbh i’m rlly excited for the tripolar fukuchi showdown. you people aren't real sskk believers i think they can clutch it without chuuya/dazai/verlaine/whichever overpowered character stepping in to carry the fight

[rolandkaros]

forever hilarious to me that tennis is promoted as this prestigious highbrow big-brain sport when most tennis fans these days are like. yeah this is my favorite player. yeah i don't know why they're like that. yes they are stupid. no i will not choose somebody else.

[random-autie-fangirl]

I drew another Chara- living with the Dreemurrs edition

"The King and Queen treated the human child as their own. The underground was filled with hope."

I don't like this as much as the last one but oh well... I ended up rambling a huge amount in the tag, so if you want details and headcanons about the actual drawing again, you'll have to look pretty far down this time, sorry (Also, I ran out of tags after a while. Tumblr is tired of me, lol. I might reblog this more tags later if I remember what I was going to say.)

[battleclawed]

thinking about gwen and kludd and feeling the Deep Sadness wash over me

[psychopomp-namine]

every season I'm like, "okay yeah I understand the dive back in time video. what's not to know? they're diving back in time. simple!" and then every season I'll see someone point out a detail that makes me go, "oh okay. not so simple after all!"

[mytardisisparked]

Tagged by @elephant-in-the-pride-parade to list my 5 favorite characters of all time in a poll and have folks vote on which ones are their favorites

I pulled out some of my OG faves from my entire career in fandom 🫡 If you notice a trend here don't hecking worry about it :)

Tagging: @jellybeansarecool @singeart @thescullyphile @vincentsleftear @emilie786 anybuddy else who wants to

[marc--chilton]

(mgv) wilson in pre-rut and still working but it being more and more obvious to the ducklings (who are not in tune with his cycle like that freak house is, thanks) because he starts following house around more than usual, sometimes even getting physically closer to him when it's not necessary (and house lets him most of the time too. not all the time though. if he gets especially annoyed he'll snip at him and wilson backs off with his head ducked which is..... atypical pre-rut alpha behavior but also their friendship is atypical so whatever)

it's so bad sometimes they even catch wilson smiling while he pretends not to notice while house steals his wallet so he can empty out the vending machine for his favorite snacks. later when they're alone in house's office, house pulls out a couple bags of wilson's favorites he got while he was raiding the machine and tosses them over. the look on wilson's face is so dopey that house can't help but snicker and tell him to put in his notice of leave for his cycle soon because he is really swimming in it now