#because someone (i) still has a thesis to write

[regentzephyr]

i cited the still very good, probably 20-year old piece on Earthbound by Tim Rogers in my thesis because to me, it illustrates the game’s (and internet-era consumerism’s) individualist internal logic of the Manchild and the System qua Mother

[prosebushpatch]

Last Line Challenge

Rules: in a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or however many you like). 

I was tagged by the wonderful @rebrandedbard!

This is actually the last line in a chapter for an og story in which a poor guy goes on vacation with his friends only to wake up one morning on the beach transformed into a siren! Of course, he has no memory of how he got there!

"He lunged underneath the railing and dove into the sea."

I shall tag the lovely @lemonadesoda, @thewiltingdaisy, @nerdy-aroace, and @damianwho! As always, no worries if you'd rather not but if you do, I can't wait to see your sentences! :D

[pathologicalreid]

doctor and doctor | S.R.

in which you add a degree to your repertoire

who? spencer reid x fem!reader

category: fluff

content warning: i tried my best and the process described is pretty accurate to my graduate school but there might be some discrepancies. mentions of marriage and anxiety.

word count: 470

a/n: my brain has been rotting this finals week so i just needed some good academic validation fluff to write. i also got in a car accident this morning (I'm fine lol someone hit my car) so fluff was mandatory. hoping to get a lot of writing done over the school break.

There was an old joke that only five people would ever read your dissertation, you, your supervisor, your two examiners, and your unlucky partner or spouse who has to act as an unpaid proofreader for you. It was something you had heard for the past four years.

Of course, in your case, your boyfriend had three PhDs of his own and was more than happy to read through your dissertation, even though it was pushing five hundred pages.

The BAU’s jet had just landed after a three-day case in Georgia, and you had just hung up after talking with Spencer. You complained about feeling like a sitting duck, waiting to hear from your doctoral advisor to see if your thesis was accepted, and he told you he imagined it wouldn’t be long now.

You had been offered a teaching position starting in the new semester, but it was contingent on your dissertation being approved.

That all led to the email sitting in your inbox, you left your laptop open on the kitchen counter, leaving the email unopened, which is how Spencer found you when he got home.

“Angel?” He said, slightly alarmed, you stood still in the kitchen, watching your laptop like it was going to combust.

Pointing at the device, you took a deep breath, “I got the email.”

Hastily, he set his bag on the couch of your shared apartment before joining you in the kitchen. “Did you look at it?” He asked, leaning over and looking at the screen that displayed your still unopened email. You shook your head, “Were you going to?”

“What if they didn’t accept it?” You whispered, not moving your eyes from the screen.

He waited a moment, “Do you want me to open it?”

You shook your head again, “No, I’ll do it.” You told him, in a sudden surge of bravery, you leaned forward and clicked on the email. Automatically, the email popped up with a burst of confetti – an effect from your email browser recognizing the word ‘congratulations.’ You gasped and Spencer wrapped his arms around you, holding you tight.

It all faded away. The nerves from the past four years, because you had done it.

“I’m so proud of you,” Spencer murmured. “So, so proud.”

You twisted in his arms to look at the screen and read the email in its entirety. “My degree will be officially conferred on the next date designated by the university. Oh, my goodness,” you said, overwhelmed. “I really got my PhD!” You said excitedly, bouncing on the balls of your feet.

“So, when we get married, we’ll both be Dr. Reid,” Spencer said, glancing over at the email before looking down at you fondly.

Your smile spanned from ear to ear, “Yeah!” You said excitedly, the smile dropping from your face, “Wait, what?”

[scripts4dreamers]

Me and my one (1) friend who has also had their brain corrupted by the blight (dragon age) have been fighting about this for two days but I’m so sure I’m right, so I humbly present my thesis to you lovely people.

1. After the events of the Veilguard, if Rook and Neve ended up together, Neve tries to leave you.

LET ME EXPLAIN! (Spoilers for the Veilguard ending)

I love Neve. She’s my favorite romance from Veilguard, she’s an incredible character and she does not deserve all the hate she gets. Having said that, she does 1000% try and leave Rook.

The one thing we know about Neve, almost from the moment we meet her, is that she is not a believer. She doesn’t believe Solas is a god, at first, she doesn’t believe anyone will have her back, she doesn’t believe Minrathous will improve and she doesn’t believe she’s going to survive this job. But still she fights on, not out of a genuine belief that she can win, but because she has a soft spot for lost causes.

Neve has devoted her life to being the champion of lost causes. She tells Rook that, even if this job doesn’t get her, one of them will. She risks her life, day in and day out, in service of a city that has done nothing but hurt her. Neve believes she’s a dead woman walking, and all she wants to do is go down protecting the people of Dock Town because someone has to. Someone has to.

And then she meets Rook and Harding and now gods are real, and they’re destroying the world and oh well everything was always going to go down in flames, so why not help out? She’s always been a magnet for bad news, for bad luck, for the worst of humanity, so why not spend her last days fighting for what little good is left?

She tries to fight falling for Rook, but they’re everything she wishes the world could be. They’re the lifeline she’s been waiting for since before the world forced her to stop believing. They’re good and kind and full of life and how can she do anything but love them for that? But she’s already dead, they’re both already dead and she can’t survive another loss.

She throws herself into loving them only after she lost them to the Fade. Only after Harding/Davrin died. After her world already ended, because that’s when she really realizes how quickly it can all end and how much time she wasted pushing people away. The goddamn WORLD IS ENDING and the person you love is THERE and they’re REAL and they WANT YOU, so why not? What is there to lose? It’s easy to love someone when the world is ending. It’s easy to love someone when you’re both already doomed.

But then the world doesn’t end. The sun rises on a blighted Minrathous and they’re both still alive, and now she’s faced with rebuilding. There’s so much work to be done, she’s a bloody, scarred mess and the job she was brought in for is over, isn’t it? She’s not a cool noir detective who died saving the world anymore, she’s someone’s partner, someone’s friend and lover and those aren’t jobs she had ever prepared herself to take.

Suddenly, without the haze of panic and the urgency of stopping the gods, things look different. She needs a new apartment. Minrathous needs a detective. Life goes back to normal and Neve still isn’t a believer.

Of course, everyone says they’ll stay in touch. Bonds formed that can never be broken and all that, but Neve knows better. You don’t hang around once the party is over. You don’t give the world more ways to hurt you, more people to take. You don’t give people a chance to leave you.

So she leaves first.

She regrets it. She hates herself for it. She cries herself to sleep wondering how she could be such a coward, but she leaves. She packs a bag, writes a goodbye letter and leaves before morning.

Now, do I think her and Rook get back together? Absolutely I do. I just think that, with all the events of Veilguard happening in such a short time, there’s going to be some major questions for all the companions once the dust settles, and leaving before you can be left is Neve Gallus’ answer to those questions.

[rmstitanics]

* GENERAL OBSERVATIONS, PART THREE.

ASTEROIDS & CELESTIAL BODIES

ASTEROID ORPHEUS (3361) CONJUNCT CHIRON may represent one who looks to their past for creative inspiration. They’ll often use their preferred form of art in an attempt to understand traumatizing events or process any emotions that may still linger.

ASTEROID APOLLO (1862) in the 8H could signify an individual who enjoys creating or consuming media about controversial and dark topics.

When I see ASTEROID PANDORA (55) in the 10H, I immediately wonder whether the individual with this placement has experienced some sort of chaos or crises regarding their public image. Maybe they’ve had traumatic experiences with their main circle of friends, or maybe they’ve even received some level of backlash on social media for a flawed interaction. Whatever these natives have endured, they probably yearn to control public perception of their character in an attempt to prevent misunderstandings.

Check which house ASTEROID ARISTOTELES (6123) is located in within your natal chart to find where you crave the most knowledge and wisdom! As an example, I have my Aristoteles asteroid in the 8H of transformative experiences, death, and “taboo” topics — and I’m now a practicing divination witch who enjoys paranormal investigation.

Due to difficulty with turning intuitive ideas into real achievements, 9H CHIRON individuals might find the process of outlining an essay or project to be particularly challenging. They’re the types of students who change their thesis a bunch of times before a paper’s due date.

PLANETS IN SIGNS & HOUSES

SATURN 1H placements might have people pleasing tendencies at some point in their lives due to a fear of never meeting others’ expectations.

SAGITTARIUS SATURNS likely grew up in households where one or both parents was strict and / or religious. The challenge awaiting these folks in life is to pursue exploration of knowledge outside of what was taught to them in their youth. They probably enjoy philosophy or history, and could possibly grow up to be spiritual but not religious.

LEO MERCURY placements, was your writing style ever described as “flowery” by your teachers or fellow students before? Because this placement TOTALLY gives me the vibes of a flowery and dramatic writing style.

One could theoretically use their JUPITER placement to discover two things: 1) The field of study where they have experienced the most growth throughout their academic career and / or 2) their best academic subject. To do this, look at Jupiter’s degrees and house. I have CANCER JUPITER placed in the 9TH HOUSE in my chart, and I absolutely adore law, history, and philosophy! However, I’ve had to undergo the most growth in Cancerian concepts such as life skills in the home and actively listening to others.

CAPRICORN JUPITERS are prone to having a “the end justifies the means” philosophy when it comes to achieving their goals. They also might struggle with perspective taking / putting themselves in others’ shoes, particularly when they perceive the individual in question as someone outside of what they consider “normal”.

6H MOONS strike me as the type who love being around animals MUCH more than they love being around people, especially if the majority of their personal planets are in a water sign.

ASPECTS

SUN SQUARE URANUS indicates memorable students whose teachers / professors will remember them for many years to come.

Hard MERCURY-PLUTO aspects could struggle with maintaining a consistent routine for studying, especially if Mercury is in retrograde in the chart.

MERCURY TRINE JUPITER placements LOVE yapping in class, but it’ll either be with their peers while the teacher is talking or by frequent class participation. If you’re the class participation type, you’ve probably had a teacher say “does anyone OTHER than (your name) know the answer?” before 😭

Although this placement does make for great activists who are not afraid to call out injustice when they see it, LILITH CONJUNCT MERCURY folks NEED to prioritize being tactful due to a natural tendency to bluntly say whatever’s on their mind with no filter.

SATURN-NEPTUNE aspects need to practice intense discernment when it comes to politics — fact check everything and don’t just believe everything you see / hear on the internet or news without taking the time to research it for yourself!

Hard ASCENDANT-SUN aspects tend to be noticeably different people in public versus private spaces. Your first impression of them will likely be VERY different from the truth of the person that they are behind closed doors.

MIDHEAVEN OPPOSITE VENUS placements are amazingly creative individuals whose art may play a major role in their own identity, but they simultaneously might have a major fear of sharing that art with others. Peer review in class is an absolute NIGHTMARE for them.

[gingiesworld]

It’s The Simple Things

Wanda Maximoff x GN! Reader

Warnings: Slight angst, fluff and a happy ending

18+ MINORS DNI

Word Count:3778

Taglist : @natashamaximoff-69 @canvascoloredin @wizardofstories @louxbloom @wandanats-goodgirl @the-ox-fan20 @ladyqueenxoxo @aemilia19 @wandaromamoff69 @mfd-101 @dorabledewdroop @marvelogic @dopeyouth @karsonromanoff @bimad (if you want to be added to my taglist, please DM me or comment)

AN: As per my girlfriend’s request as I apparently write too much angst and sad fics, here is one with a happy ending. Hope you guys enjoy

Y/N grew up being the awkward one, only having a small friend group in high school, which had only consisted of Pietro Maximoff, Monica Rambeau and Darcy Lewis. The four of them all had the same hobbies which were mostly gaming. The four spent most of their time at the Maximoff residence whenever they weren’t in school, which also meant that they would also see Wanda, Pietro’s twin who was also one of the popular girls, also on the cheer squad. It broke Y/N’s heart the moment they watched how excited she was in their junior year to start dating Jarvis Stark. But what they also noticed was when they had left school and headed to college was how she started to fall apart whenever Jarvis would stand her up. Coming up with stupid excuses as to why he had to cancel their dates and even the weekends they had planned together.

“I got you your favorite tea.” Y/N told her as they knocked on her bedroom door, their heart breaking as they saw her tear stained cheeks.

“Thank you.” She smiled as she took the hot beverage from their hands.

“Are you ok?” They asked her as they moved to sit on the edge of her bed awkwardly.

“It’s stupid really.” She waved them off as she sat up against her headboard.

“If it’s got you upset, it isn’t stupid.” They told her softly. “So talk to me, I’m not going anywhere.” Wanda smiled slightly at their words as she took a sip of her tea.

“He canceled again.” She stated, Y/N started to fill up with anger but thought it best not to act on it, knowing that Wanda needed someone since most of her friends had left to go to different colleges. “We were supposed to have a date tonight and he said he can’t drive back because he has another thesis to work on.”

“I’m sorry Wanda.” They spoke tenderly, placing their hand on her lower leg. “You don’t deserve this.”

“Maybe I do.” She admitted. “I was terrible in school. I was mean to everyone who didn’t fit in with us. I was mean to you.”

“That was high school.” They shrugged as Wanda shook her head no. “We were all children back then.”

“But that still doesn’t excuse my actions.” She told them as they rose to their feet, looking at her.

“Get dressed.” They told her, confusing her. “Just because your date was canceled doesn’t mean that you need to be stuck here all night alone. We can go have fun.”

“What about Piet?” She questioned as they just smirked at her.

“He has a date.” They told her. “With Monica.”

“I knew it!” She squealed as she jumped excitedly on her bed. “Okay, I’ll be down in a few minutes.” Y/N smiled as they exited her room, closing the door behind them and headed towards the living room to see Pietro finishing getting ready.

“Is Wanda okay?” He questioned as he spotted Y/N entering the room.

“She’ll be okay, she’s just getting ready.” They told him.

“Why don’t you tell her?” He questioned as Y/N shook their head, not daring to answer in fear of Wanda overhearing them. “Y/N?” He pushed as Y/N decided to change the subject.

“So where are you taking Monica?” They asked him, hoping he would just drop it.

“We’re going to the movies to watch that new romcom she keeps banging on about.” He told them. “Then we’re going to that diner we all used to hang out at for dinner.”

“Who knew my brother could be a gentleman.” Wanda teased as she appeared behind Y/N.

“Shut up.” He told her, making the two laugh before he walked out of the room.

“Ready then?” Y/N questioned once they turned to face Wanda.

“Where are we going?” She asked as the two exited the house, the two walking towards Y/N’s car.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe from falling in love with me.” They joked as they opened the door for her.

“You know, whoever you end up with will be one very lucky girl.” Wanda told them softly before they closed the door. Y/N’s smile fading as they made their way towards the driver’s side, knowing that they would never truly be with the one person they love. “So, where are we going?” Wanda asked again, watching as Y/N concentrated on the road.

“Just somewhere that I think would be good for you right now.” They told her honestly.

“Can we listen to some music?” She questioned as Y/N chuckled as they nodded, their ears perking up as they heard their dad’s old mixtape which was still in the stereo. “Seriously Y/N?” Wanda questioned.

“What? Asia’s good.” They defended as Wanda shook her head.

“It’s old people's music.” She told them as they shook their head.

“It’s classic rock.” They told her.

“It’s old.” Wanda started as Y/N turned up the volume.

“I’M SORRY, I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” They yelled over the music, making Wanda chuckle as they sang out of tune to the mixtape. A warm feeling spread through her as she realized she was having fun with one of the people she used to pick on, realizing that she had never really got to know the incredible person they truly are.

“A batting cage?” She questioned as they smiled, placing the helmet on her head before handing her the bat.

“My dad used to bring me here when I was a kid.” They started as Wanda listened to them. “It was a healthy way to get out any anger or frustrations I had, and I figured that with what happened tonight you might enjoy it yourself.”

“I have never played baseball in my life.” She told them, making them smirk.

“And why doesn’t that surprise me, Princess.” They teased, making her slap their arm slightly causing them to laugh.

“Don’t laugh at me.” She tried to sound stern but failed as she joined in with their laughter.

“I’m not!!” They tried in between laughs, trying to calm themselves down. “I’ll show you.” They said before they led her into the batting cage. That being the start of the friendship that neither of them knew they needed.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re stealing my best friend.” Pietro teased as he leaned on Wanda’s doorframe.

“We’re just friends, you can have your partner back when we come home.” Wanda told him before she walked past him. The two had planned to go to the mall, Y/N needing new clothes for the internship interview they had at Stark Industries. As soon as there was a knock on the door, Wanda was fast enough to open it and drag Y/N back towards their car.

“I guess I’ll see you later then.” Y/N yelled back to Pietro before they opened the passenger door for Wanda, once the two had pulled away, Darcy and Monica had arrived.

“What’s going on with them two?” Darcy questioned as the three sat down and started up their laptops.

“I think they’re friends.” Pietro told them honestly.

“You’re worried about them.” Monica stated as Pietro just nodded.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love my sister but I also know how Y/N feels about her and I just don’t want them to get hurt.” He told them honestly. “She’s going through a rough patch with her boyfriend and Y/N has been there every time to pick up the pieces but I’m afraid that they’re going to lose themselves.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” Monica tried as Pietro just sighed.

“Let’s just play.” He spoke tiredly as the three soon started up the game.

“What about this?” Wanda spoke excitedly as she held up a pale blue shirt against Y/N.

“I don’t know.” They shrugged as she smirked.

“I’m the one who has the fashion sense, so we shall get this.” She stated as she started to pick out more shirts for them. “You need to look the part for the internship.” Y/N just shook their head at her as they watched her pick out their clothes before leading them towards the fitting rooms.

“They’re my size, why do I need to try them on?” They asked her as she ushered them towards a cubicle.

“They may be your size but they might not actually fit you right. It depends on the fabric and the style.” She told them before she closed the door behind them, before heading towards the chairs and scrolling through her phone. All of the time she has spent with Y/N has made her slowly forget how Jarvis has been making her feel, it’s like she had truly forgotten what it was like to have fun.

“I feel like a monkey.” She looked up from her phone to find them dressed in one of the shirts and trousers that she had picked out. “Why can’t I wear what I usually wear?” They questioned making her chuckle.

“Because it isn’t customary to go to work for one of the most prestigious companies in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt and worn out jeans.” She told them as she moved to straighten out the shirt. “You actually look really smart.”

“Thank you, I guess.” They said unsurely, making her chuckle before they went to try on the rest of the clothes. “Should we get some food?” They asked her as they exited the store, Wanda humming in thought before she grabbed their hand and dragged them towards a small cafe, barely anyone was sitting inside.

“You will love this place.” She told them, the smell of different spices and cooked meats filling their senses as she led them to a table. “This is the only Sokovian Cafe in New Jersey, they even do your favorite.”

“You know what my favorite food is?” They questioned, butterflies going wild in their stomach as she nodded.

“You always get excited whenever my mom cooks her famous paprikash.” She told them before the two decided to order.

“You’ve been watching me?” They questioned teasingly, making Wanda chuckle as she shook her head.

“You have been my brother’s best friend since we moved here when we were in middle school.” She reminded them. “You were the first person who spoke to him.”

“I remember that day.” Y/N spoke with a smile. “I also remember how you used to be very very shy and quiet.”

“I never was.” Wanda tried as Y/N shook their head no, a slight chuckle leaving their lips.

“You were, you even wore that power rangers t-shirt all the time, even though it had holes in it.” Y/N reminded her. “You used to be one of us.”

“Then I actually grew up.” She told them, making their smile falter. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She tried as they shook their head no.

“Let’s just finish here and I’ll drop you off at home.” They told her.

“I thought you were hanging out with Piet?” She questioned as they shook their head.

“I’m getting tired and I have to get ready for my first day next week.” They told her, taking the cheque and paying for it before leading Wanda back towards their car, still performing the small minor gestures even though she had insulted them. The drive back was silent, Y/N keeping their eyes on the road as Wanda observed them, feeling terrible for what she had said. Once Wanda entered the house, she found the three gamers still in their spots from earlier.

“Where’s Y/N?” Pietro questioned once Wanda entered the room and sat beside Darcy.

“They went home.” She told him, her mind still on the events that had just occurred between herself and Y/N. “They said they had to prepare for their first day on Monday.”

“They still could have hung out with us.” Darcy stated as Pietro watched Wanda, seeing how she sunk in her seat.

“What did you do?” He questioned, his eyes never leaving her.

“I just, I said something I shouldn’t have.” She told him. “I didn’t mean for it to come out but it did and I’m sorry.”

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to.” He told her firmly. “They have done nothing but be good to you, even when you constantly tore them down in high school.”

“I know.” She whispered before she covered her face with her hands. “I need to apologize.” She soon got to her feet and grabbed Pietro’s car keys and headed straight out of the door, racing towards Y/N’s in hopes to make things right. Knocking on their door frantically, waiting impatiently for someone to answer it.

“Wanda?” Y/N questioned once they opened the door.

“I’m sorry.” She started, not giving them time to say anything else. “I shouldn’t have said what I said and it was completely out of line, especially since you have been nothing but good to me and I don’t want to lose one of my best friends.”

“Best friends huh?” They smirked as she nodded.

“You are and I guess I am kind of stuck in high school, but you are one of my best friends and I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you in my life.” She told them. “You’re important to me Y/N, I just didn’t realise that until now.”

“It’s ok.” They spoke as they opened the door wider, allowing her inside as she soon followed them towards the kitchen. “Coffee?” They offered her as she just nodded. “Don’t dwell on it Wanda.” They told her. “I guess what you said kind of caught me off guard, but it’s not childish to love the things you truly love.” The two moved to sit down in the living room. “I guess I still love what I do because it takes me back to a time when things seemed so much better than they truly are right now. I guess it’s my way of running away from my problems and just pushing them away to try and forget them.”

“Why don’t you talk to Pietro or someone?” Wanda questioned as they shook their head no.

“They don’t need to know just how messed up my head really is.” They told her. “Besides, I have a pretty good coping strategy.”

“It’s not coping if you’re hiding away from the problems.” She told them. “You can always come to me if you ever need someone to talk to. You’ve been there for me so please let me be there for you.”

“Thank you.” They smiled as they picked up the TV remote. “How about a show?” They asked her as she nodded excitedly. The two being fans of The Dick Van Dyke show, and finally able to watch it without Pietro complaining all the way through the episode.

As the time went on, things seemed to have gotten better between Y/N and Wanda, that was until Stark Industries held a Gala, Y/N being invited but also Jarvis asking Wanda to be his plus one. The party was quite loud, Jarvis keeping Wanda on his hip as Pietro joined Y/N, the two of them watching the party from a quiet corner.

“Why do we have to be here again?” He questioned as Y/N placed their drink down.

“Unfortunately Mr Stark made it mandatory for every employee and intern to attend.” They told him.

“So now we have to watch Jarvis be all over my sister.” He stated with disgust, the two turning away from the couple as Jarvis started to kiss her. “I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“I just don’t understand it.” Y/N spoke up, gaining Pietro’s attention. “He has done nothing since we all started college but make her feel like shit and that she’s worthless and now they’re both acting like they have never been apart.”

“I’m sorry Y/N.” He spoke sincerely as they shook their head.

“I’m gonna get some air.” They told him, heading towards the exit and ignoring a set of green eyes that had followed them.

“Are you okay?” Wanda’s voice sounded as she approached them.

“Where’s Jarvis?” They questioned as she shrugged.

“I’m worried about you, and I want to be here for you.” She told them.

“I just needed some air.” They told her, hoping she would take it as an answer and leave them alone.

“I know there’s more.” She pointed out as she moved to stand beside them. “Please just talk to me.”

“What do you want me to say Wanda?” They questioned as they turned to face her. “Do you want me to tell you what I am really feeling?”

“I do. I want to be able to be here for you but I can’t do that if you won’t talk to me.” She told them, watching as they stepped away from her, shaking their head.

“I am in love with you!” They yelled. “There, I finally said it.”

“What?” She whispered as she shook her head no. “You can’t be.”

“I am, I love you Wanda. I love everything about you, I love your freckles, I love your laugh and your smile is something that I just can’t get out of my mind. I love your eyes, I love that no matter how high I have my walls up, you always see right through them. I love how safe you make me feel and how I always feel light when I’m around you. Like there isn’t a thing that could ever tear me down, not as long as I have you in my life.” They took a deep breath as they glanced over at her. “But I know that you don’t feel the same way.” They started to walk away as she spoke up.

“I love you.” She spoke softly, almost impossible to hear but making Y/N turn back around to face her. “I do, I don’t know when it became clear to me but I love you. I guess it’s all of the simple things that you do for me, like how you always go out of your way to make me smile, even if you’re having a bad day. The small gestures like opening the door for me or bringing me a hot drink without me asking for it. The way you always take the time out to ask how I’m doing even though you’re only supposed to be hanging out with Pietro.” She took a deep breath. “You bring a comfort to me that I have never known before, like I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not when I’m around you. I just, I should have told you sooner but I didn’t want to tell you until I had ended things with Jarvis.”

“You have no idea how much I want to kiss you.” They told her as they stepped closer, their hand reaching up to caress her cheek as they gazed into her eyes. “But I’m not going to just yet.”

“Why not?” She questioned as they gave her a small smile.

“You’re still with him, as much as I have always hated him, I will not make you a cheater.” They told her honestly. “I’m going to head home. Would you be able to make sure that Piet gets home safe? He’s got my car keys.”

“Of course.” She told them before they disappeared into the night, turning back towards the building, only one mission in her mind as she looked around for Jarvis, finding him standing with his parents, laughing and joking with them. “We need to talk.” Wanda spoke firmly as she approached them.

“It can wait.” Jarvis told her before going back to his previous conversation.

“No, it can’t.” Wanda spoke loudly. “We’re done.”

“What?” He questioned as he turned to face her. “You can’t be serious?”

“I am.” She told him. “I’m sick of constantly being a second thought to you. I’m always last and I know I just don’t love you. I never really did.”

“Where is this coming from? This is some prank right?” He questioned as she shook her head no. “You know, no one will ever love you the way I did.” He seethed as she just smiled.

“I know they won’t, because you never truly loved me, and Y/N made me realise that.” She told him. “I am in love with Y/N.”

“That’s bullshit!” He yelled as she shook her head.

“No, you just loved the idea of having a girlfriend here for whenever you were finished fucking whoever you spent your nights with.” She told him. “And I am done being your little plaything.” With that she walked away, a smiling Pietro waiting for her. “Can you drop me off at Y/N’s please?” She asked him as the two made their way to Y/N’s car.

“Of course.” He told her with a smile. As they made their way towards Y/N’s, she spotted them still walking, before she could say anything, Pietro stopped the car. “Go on.” She didn’t hesitate to get out of the car, calling their name causing them to turn and face her.

“What are you doing here?” They questioned as she stepped closer to them.

“I broke it off.” Was all she said before she kissed their lips softly, Y/N’s arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer as the kiss slowed, breaking it with a smile as they rested their foreheads together. “It’s always going to be you Y/N. I just never realised it sooner because it was the simple things that made me fall for you.” With that Y/N kissed her once more before the two were rudely broken apart by the sound of a car horn.

“As moving as all of this is and all, I want to go home so either get in or get lost.” Pietro yelled, making the two laugh at him.

“Forever a classy man.” Y/N teased as they opened the door for Wanda, making her smile as she got in the back seat, the two of them with wide smiles on their faces.

“As much as I do ship you guys, I want to go home and sleep for a month because I have done enough peopling for a lifetime.” He told them before they made their way home.

[inkskinned]

i know some of the poets outside of their books, like cameron awkward-rich; who was my seminar teacher for a semester in grad school. you know him, he wrote about keeping his hand on the walls of his stupid heart. he gave us a journal without lines in it, so the pages were all blank and naked. we had to write down 3 words every day, ruminations on our own lives.

in pink glitter pen, i watched my handwriting cramp and spill from pristine and well-meaning to the slant of someone deeply suffering. the words stopped being lyrical over the course of february. bad, it said. bad and bad and bad. each day carving out a little bit of marrow, the sparrow of my heart acting as roadkill. that winter i was only allowed to eat apples, like a horse. my ocd had decided i could only touch food if it was red. i was sleeping on the floor and a spider bit me.

i wanted him to be my thesis advisor, but it was covid the next year, and we never spoke again, and i'm worried that i embarrassed myself by asking him repeatedly. for my final project in his class, i wrote about my disability. i called myself a rat, fondly.

his most famous poem is titled Meditations in an Emergency. i didn't know it until three weeks after i had graduated from that university.

at one point, he sat me down after class just to discuss some of my work. it was a night class, and we were all a little drowsy. he blinked up at me. i think sometimes the way you see the world is a little bit alarming. i wonder about that, in hindsight. i wonder if all of us who are walking on thumbtacks always recognize when someone else's spine is the undulating form of a siren. i could see it in him and you can see it in me, if you're looking.

yesterday nat said some of this is worrying.

i told cameron i was fine and i told nat i was fine, but i think maybe all of us had learned a long time ago how to be fine the way a poem is fine - because it happens outside of you. it can be honest, the confession, but it cannot be spelled out across your ribs. we make our art so that the sorrow can hang, limbless, trembling on the fetid walls beside us.

you learn to turn the ugliness into some kind of work, because you must smash the entire human experience of your stupid bones and teeth and tongue into something, so that you have anything to show for it. otherwise, what is the fucking point. why were you suffering, if not to polish the runoff and say - the melancholy is the signature of my art. i took the splinters out of my gums and filed them down into a thesis. the thesis has been turned into a book which is getting published.

cameron, to my knowledge, still has not read it.

i hope he has found his way out of the maze. i hope you and i one day write our own lanterns. i hope we are able to find some kind of peace without viscera. without having to fight for it. i hope we are able to stumble without falling. i hope one day the sky is empty of vultures and we can cross the desert of our memories without starving.

in the meantime we get up and leave the circled shadow in the writing.

[lets-try-some-writing]

I have observed several types of fic writers, and so for kicks and giggles, here they all are. Each of them scares me for different reasons.

The Prepared And Ready To Publish™:

Several documents dedicated to worldbuilding, planning, cross referencing, character lists & traits, plot twists, and then the actual fic document.

Dedicated to the max to creating a rich world. Probably knows more about the niche thing than you ever will. 100% could have written a thesis and chose to do fic instead (or did both at the same time).

Created a masterpiece and promptly vanished off the face of creation before coming back in with another banger to crush souls and save fandoms.

Their arrival is akin to the birth of a new era because they never fail to somehow make a niche ship popular, make a headcanon fanon, or otherwise give so much depth and interest to a character or setting that whatever they have devised is largely accepted as gospel by their readers.

They either use a high end writing program or wordpad. There is no in-between.

Mysterious. Very mysterious. Reasons for this mysteriousness vary between fics and authors.

100000/10 would be friends with them if I could. Legendary writers. But also they scare me because ??? What void offered you such power ?????

The Baby Writer:

All vibes and loosely strung plots.

It may not make the most sense, but good gracious the dedication is there.

Notable lack of comprehension when it comes to characters and places, but it's bad form to not leave a kudo because it takes guts to post anything in fandom.

They are still figuring things out and their grammar or formatting (possibly both) is probably a mess, but they've put heart into their work.

Sweetest rays of sunshine who want to be involved and are eager to learn the ropes.

The fandom's young ward or despised new arrival (depends entirely on fandom popularity and age).

8/10 would happily offer advice to them. Just can't read their work for too long without wanting to throw it into grammarly. The fear factor comes in the form of the miraculous misuse of fandom terminology. (Yeah it's tough bud, the fanon is wild. But goodness that term/canon word does NOT mean what you think it does.)

The Smut For Your Soul:

Meticulously plans the smut with all the loving care of a sculptor.

Somehow plot got involved.

Miraculously, they managed to not include an iota of plot and it has somehow managed to work.

Headcanons abound and cuteness and or angst lurks merrily behind every corner.

The tags mean everything and nothing at the same time. They are but faint guides to the fae wilds ahead. Tread lightly.

Has a mountain of unfinished WIPs that will follow them to the grave or emerge ten years after conception to grace whatever fandom spawned the idea.

The fandom thanks them for their service, although often that praise is late or hits like a freight train.

???/10 I personally avoid smut but I have friends who write it so it really depends. Terrifying because you never know who falls into this role of writer. It could be anyone. Normalcy is a mask poorly adorned for the sake of conforming to The Great Machine.

The Angst Lord:

Has a million slightly different ways to hurt their blorbo. Each are somehow more horrifying than the next.

The embodiment of the iceburg videos seen all over the net. Ask one question and you shall unravel and scheme of torment so great you shall regret having dared to speak up.

Has dozens of WIPs or unwritten ideas that they claim they will return to.

They are controlled by passion and emotion and can and will insert their own complicated situation into a fic.

Almost nothing is off limits.

Arrives to the fandom ready to brawl and somehow ends up respected or feared. They often stare in bafflement as they end up unscathed and watch angry comments fly toward the arguably innocent shippers.

Generally some of the nicest people who happen to enjoy inflicting The Horrors upon someone fictional.

'10/10 would befriend and promptly regard like a wild racoon. Offerings of angsty ideas yield delightful commentary. But also I need to prepare myself for anything they say because O U C H my SOUL.

The General Writer:

Fluff, cuteness, possibly a delightful touch of angst and pure unbridled creative simplicity.

They may not have the most brutal or soul wrenching tale, but they always manage to write something that someone, somewhere, desperately needs.

Devastatingly underrated and deserves far more praise for their contributions to the fandom.

Produces some of the softest of scenes and the most touching of interactions between characters in a contained, careful crafted, tale.

Introducing new ships or family dynamics in such a tasteful manner that brain chemistry can easily be altered.

Arrives to the fandom as a lurker and shows their appreciation through their work. Oftentimes, they are very quiet and go unnoticed.

INFINITE/10 Love these writers, honestly a gift to fandom. The sheer level of dedication to producing fluff is astounding and scary all at once.

The OC X Canon:

Has so many ships and headcanons that it's astounding.

The lore development rivals IDW and Lost Light combined. All the kudos to them for putting their souls into their characters.

The dedication is mind boggling.

They put up with so much crap they could be in MMA Wrestling if the verbal assaults translated into physical strength.

Has so many adjustments to lore and whole AUs devoted specifically to creating a perfect world.

Skilled in the extreme (or not) at integrating their ocs into canon.

Arrives to the fandom not intending to make ocs. Leaves with seventeen leashes for their new abominable creations. Is loved or hated by literally everyone, sometimes for no reason.

6/10 perfectly lovely people but very niche in their interest and thus not everyone's cup of tea. Scary because that level of sheer willpower is meant for demi-gods.

There are more types of writers, but these feel like the big overarching ones. Which kind of writer are you? :D

[heartmaddie]

i am VERY busy thinking about studying with akaashi while he does work.

sorry i’ve just been so swamped with assignments and exams and it’s so hellish - so much better than hs but still omfg.

cos like you and akaashi would go to the library and he’d have his ipad and apple pencil and while you’re working through all your assignments he’d be quietly reading through + correcting all the work that he was sent.. oh man i can imagine him with his elbow on the desk and he’s flicking through the pages on his ipad with his glasses oh man someone hold me back.

WAIT HE ACTUALLY HAS THE MOST CRAZY APPLE ECOSYSTEM. he is such a consumer and i think he likes all the matching stuff so all his products are the silver/starlight and it’s so crazy and u definitely judge him a bit for having air pod pro maxes but he uses them so often and lends them to you all the time.

i am a pretty study focused person as well and i imagine he’d always be focused so there’s no room for any distractions while you just work next to each other in complete silence, but he’ll still book a room so you guys have some privacy at least.

and akaashi will sometimes look over at your laptop and help you edit ur work too cause he’s a monster at essay writing and he’s always really lovely and kind about it. and he ALWAYS compliments your work (you get high distinctions all the time because of him).

and during initial research he’ll always have some random article that relates to your work that he just randomly names while you’re yapping about it and it’s somehow the most useful thing ever and it saved ur whole project (sorry this is me complaining about not having ANY information for one of my thesis topics).

and he’s also very good at slipping out to grab a drink for you at the most necessary times, like you’d be stressing over some notes you don’t really understand and somehow you have a chai latte in front of you and everything starts to click…

yeah he’s so cute oml like holds ur hand while u memorise and let’s you have a peek at the manga he’s editing during ur break i can't stop thinking about him.

and he always shares his music with you - like constant spotify jams / apple shareplay because he loves all the music you listen to.

AND HIS HANDS ARE SO WARM TOO - and if he notices that you're shivering he'll drape his jacket over you and gently ruffle your hair

he also carries your bags for you as you rest on his shoulders during the bus ride home. very attentive and nice boyfriend.

[mysterycitrus]

I know a lot of ppl ask u abt jason or dick but im wondering now, what do u think about bruce? I find him a very interesting character whose characterization is incredibly feeble, both bc of his 80 years of history and the tendency writers have to project their own male fantasies on him. So i'd definitely love to hear ur own thoughts about him. I personally enjoy depicting him as someone morally grey, although my sympatization for him changes day to day. Wether you think he is a good or a bad person, i believe u need to make him dedicated to gotham and the bat as a symbol, and that comes with all its advantages and drawbacks

bruce wayne is sooooo interesting (derogatory) because like u said, he carries the baggage of every masochismo author that decided batman was too woke and should hurt his kids and that supporting gotham’s infrastructure is for pussies. there’s also the flipside of that, where he’s the perfect father who’s waaaay too emotionally regulated for my taste. both of these interpretations are bad imo, and both functionally miss the point.

i think part of this (in fandom) is an obsession with moral angst — u can either be a good person doing good things, or a bad person doing bad things. think about how some characters are crucified while others are babied. someone always has to be absolutely right, and the other has to be absolutely wrong.

in reality, there are a lot of people who are fundamentally kind and fundamentally want to do good that are really terrible to the people in their lives. bruce wayne being someone who relies on having so much control that it implodes his connections to the people around him is an important part of his character. his profound love for his children, for gotham and her people, for humanity in general and his belief in peoples ability to change, doesn’t circumvent the fact that he’s often an emotionally abusive man who hurts others to achieve his own ends. he contains multitudes.

writing him as a functionally irredeemable, violently abusive person is the anti-thesis to the symbol that he himself created. no, i personally don’t believe he actively beats his kids (even though it’s supported in the text). no, i don’t think he’s an irredeemable sadist (as much as frank miller wants u to believe otherwise). to have people like dick grayson and diana and clark and dinah love and believe in u means that there has to be something there worth caring about, otherwise the whole universe is gonna fall apart.

that’s what makes his relationship to cass so interesting — he sees his neuroticism, his dedication to the cause above all else, and does not find it admirable. he finds it confronting and upsetting. and to be clear, cass (like dick) is very much the moral ideal of what batman should be, but still bruce finds it hard to deal with!!

his abject failures — his treatment of the robins, his crippling guilt about jason, his fears of becoming a killer, the impossible load he gives himself to carry — means that when he’s shown as someone who genuinely cares, it makes him more complex. like yeah, bruce isn’t actually a cold hearted person. he really really gives a shit. too many shits, to be totally honest. he’s a morally grey person that wants to do good, but is so terrified of losing control that he keeps others away and hurts them in the process. there’s a reason why his emotional crutch was a traumatised eight year old fr. nothing is more important than the mission, including bruce wayne himself

[valley-o]

actually i have commented this on enough posts that it should be its own post

chatgpt Bad. we all know and understand this. it is a flawed resource that doesn't understand what it's saying and is putting people off from learning more flexible and important life skills. anything it can do something else can do miles better.

but PLEASE can we stop reinventing ableism to insult anyone who's ever used it?? making recipes can be hard. writing emails can be hard. learning these things is hard, and there are genuinely great resources online to help with those. and if someone mistakes chatgpt for a good resource, then they are literally just believing all the marketing that has been misinforming them!! it does not say anything about their morality. it does not make them stupid. it makes them misinformed, and they deserve to know about better tools for their issues.

but ive seen a lot of people acting like the problem is not people using gen ai to solve issues, it's that people need help with issues at all. and that's...not the issue. some people need outside help to complete tasks. these people will always exist. and informing them that the tool they have found to help them isn't helping them at all, and is stealing information without credit, is important, but shaming them for not knowing how to do basic things is Just Ableism. That's Just Ableism. Come On.

if someone fully knows all about its issues and chooses to still use the misinformation generator of chatgpt for their thesis or degree or what have you, then by all means, have at them for causing future harm to those who learn from them. because they are knowingly doing that. but skipping the Informing part and heading straight to name calling is Not It.

i feel like this is very rambly but basically. people using chatgpt are not your enemy. chatgpt itself and the people creating it are. show people their tool is useless and harmful, and they will listen, learn, and have a better life for it. call people stupid and tell them to be ashamed of themselves, and you are being ableist. it is really that simple.

[slytherinlives]

Sebastian Sallow Headcanon’s

Sebastian Oliver Sallow (something about his initials being SOS tingles my brain. [also consider, Anne Olivia])

Birthday will change depending on the plot of the story I’m writing but I heavily consider him a September/October baby

Bisexual (pretty self explanatory)

Bookworm. This boy loves to read anything and everything. He doesn’t care what it is and always takes up the opportunity to learn something new.

He is very smart and intelligent when it comes to academics and general knowledge, but is completely oblivious to social cues.

Patronus is a fox. They’re mischievous and sly animals that are known to be tricksters. This also applies to animagus form.

Has ADHD. He struggles to sit still and has specific ticks like bouncing his knee, twirling his quill or wand, pacing back and forth or drumming his fingers. Anything to exude excess energy and keep his hands or legs occupied while he thinks.

Has BPD. He experiences his emotions in excess and will lash out by saying hurtful things or doing hurtful actions without realizing in the moment he’s even doing/saying it and after the fallout he becomes very apologetic and remorseful. (I have an entire thesis on this hc that I can go way more in depth as to why I think this based on canon material shown/given that I will gladly share, but for the sake of this list I won’t.)

Has Asthma. He’s a wheezy boy running through the highlands and swimming in lakes.

Soft tum, round bum. He has defined arm and shoulder muscles from all the dueling and farm work around Feldcroft, but this boy has a little pudgy belly. Also all that running around the highlands and climbing the multiple sets of stairs around the castle exploring, boy has a cake for sure.

HIP DIVOTS HIP DIVOTS HIP DIVOTS

Certified Yapper. He will talk about anything and everything he finds remotely fascinating or annoying. Also certified complainer. He will make sure to let everyone know about how a minor inconvenience made him feel.

Would play quidditch but only because he enjoys a good competition and a way to blow off steam. Would also help him expend all the pent up energy he held in during classes all day. Would be a beater or chaser.

Loyal and protective over those close to him. He would do everything he can to ensure the safety and happiness of his friends and he would always have their back no matter what.

Curse breaker, healer or professor careers are the ones he would excel the most in. Curse breaker because he can put all the knowledge he learned about the dark arts and various curses to use. Healer because he can again, put all that knowledge of curses and maladies to use and help vindicate his inner desire to find a cure, that even if he wasn’t able to do it for Anne, he could at least do it for someone else. Professor because he loves to learn new things but enjoys teaching them even more. He would thrive in teaching students how to cast new spells and dueling techniques. I also imagine it would help him feel a little closer to his parents that he secretly misses more than he’d ever admit out loud.

Messy eater. Not for the lack of manners, but because he gets so excited over food and topics of conversation that he forgets his mouth is full or he's holding something when talking with his hands.

Inherited his freckles and curly hair from his mother. He gets his compassion and bookish tendencies from her too, while his ambition and temper are traits from his father.

Troublemaker. He likes to goof around and pull pranks or break the rules, but only for a bit of fun. He would never do anything to intentionally harm someone else.

Petrified of spiders. I mean can you blame him? Those things are twice his size.

After the deep dive into the dark arts he developed a heavy sense of self loathing and deprecation. Often thinking he’s undeserving of kindness or love. He tries his best to be better and move on but always has that doubt looming over him.

His love language is physical touch. He gets super clingy and whiney when his partner tries to leave and will pout about it until he can hold them again. On the flipside, if he’s stressed, angry or upset, then a small act of holding his hand or giving a hug will instantly lift his mood. (He would prefer to cuddle though so he can pull them close and hold them tightly)

Has a fear of abandonment. After facing so much loss and grief as a child, he constantly fears everyone he gets close to will leave him.

Was a hat stall between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. His mother was a Ravenclaw and he would have loved to feel closer to her by sharing a house, but Anne was sorted into Slytherin before him and he didn’t want her to be alone. He was still satisfied with the decision because his father was a Slytherin and he still got to feel close to one of his parents.

Hates the smell of whiskey and bourbon because it reminds him of Solomon. (His uncle was an angry drunk)

Would have children but the stress and panic of impending fatherhood would stress him out and worry him due to thinking he wouldn’t be a good parent. Circling back to his deep rooted feelings of unworthiness and guilt over past actions and never having a decent father figure to learn from other than fading memories from early childhood. Would probably feel like he’s failing when he can’t fix his child’s problems or calm them down during a tantrum.

Has an intense fear of death that if someone close to him was facing it then he would turn the world upside down to find a way to prevent it. This stems from his fear of abandonment.

Self isolates when he’s upset (counter point, takes his anger out on a training dummy by unleashing his frustration through spell casting)

Loves to rile up others for the sake of finding amusement in their frustration. His favorite classmates to pick on are Leander Prewett and Garreth Weasley. He’s not a bully, just enjoys the banter. “Boys will be boys” behavior.

Speaking of bullies, he hates them. He would go out of his way to step into a situation where he sees another classmate/friend being picked on in a hostile manner.

Would also step in to protect someone from unwanted advances.

Loves to research and spend his free time in the library, but will procrastinate his homework until a few hours before it’s due.

Would thrive off the feeling from showing off his partner to the world, making everyone know they’re together. But would prefer to keep their personal lives more private. Everyone knows they’re together but no one knows what they get up to.

Would go out of his way to plan elaborate dates or trips filled with multiple locations and food.

Is weary of thestrals because they remind him of all the loss he’s faced but finds a strange sort of comfort in them as well

Loves nifflers because they’re just as mischievous as himself

Does the sniff test on a shirt before wearing it

Has various piles of his belongings strewn about that would look messy or disorganized to someone else but he knows precisely where everything is

Is not a morning person. He’s pushing the “five more minutes” luck until inevitably running late.

Is very punctual to things he wants to attend but drags his time to things he’s dreading so he spends as little time as possible there.

Carries a pocket watch that belonged to his father

Has a ring that belonged to his mother that he would only give to the person he’s absolutely sure about marrying.

18+ HC: because he has to spend most of his life in control of every situation, he would relish in the idea of letting someone else take the reins in the bedroom. Although he would struggle with the thought of letting himself be cared for and would grapple with trying to control that too. (Dom/Sub switch depending on his mood)

[awkward-imaginations]

| First Impressions |

tetsuro kuroo x f!reader

The first time Kuroo saw you was when he noticed you sitting with Kenma, happily playing video games together. Intrigued by how close you and Kenma seemed, Kuroo asked about you on their walk home. Kenma described you as a fellow gamer and new student at Nekoma High. Kuroo's curiosity grew so he decided to introduce himself.

warnings/notes: highschool romance, fluff (maybe suggestive?), slight angst, I do NOT write fanfictions or storys normally, this is a first, so I am generally sorry for everything. CRINGE. def will be cringe in some parts. I'm a big sucker for Kuroo, him and Kenma may be ooc but I don't care this is my story and I just need to get it out of my head so I can finally write my Master's Thesis in peace. Also, english is not my first language. This has been "proofread" by my friends (who are also non-native speakers, lmao). If you find any mistakes, you can keep them.

word count: 1784

masterlist | next chapter

The first time Kuroo saw you was when he walked past your classroom. You were sitting across from Kenma at his table, happily chatting and playing on some sort of portable console. Your laughter was soft but infectious, causing Kenma to occasionally glance up from his game with a rare smile.

"She must be the new student Kenma was talking about," Kuroo thought as he paused to watch for a moment. He would have been lying if he said he wasn’t surprised when Kenma mentioned he had made a friend on the first day of the new school year. Kenma didn’t share much about you, but Kuroo knew you had transferred to Nekoma High in the second year because your father had a new job, prompting your family to move to Tokyo. He also knew you liked video games and were a bit of a recluse at times. However, discovering you were a pretty girl was news to him.

Naturally, he brought it up with Kenma on their way home. “So, why didn’t you tell me your new classmate is a girl?” Kuroo asked, intrigued. Kenma looked at him, puzzled. “Does it matter? Besides, I had a feeling you'd be annoying about it.” Kuroo feigned shock, placing a hand dramatically on his chest. “What? Me? Annoying?!” Kenma rolled his eyes. “You're exaggerating.” Kuroo couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, you think so?”

They continued walking but were suddenly startled by the sound of a ringing bell. Kuroo turned around to see you riding past them on a bicycle. “See you tomorrow, Kenma!” you called out with a beaming smile, waving to him. Kenma raised his hand briefly and nodded. “See you tomorrow,” he said quietly in return.

Kuroo watched you with growing curiosity as you rode away. He couldn’t help but stare a bit. Your hair blew gently in the wind, and you seemed to be in your own little bubble of happiness.

“Looks like she’s really nice,” he remarked, still looking after you. Kenma shrugged. “Yeah, she’s all right. Someone who loves games as much as she does can’t be too bad.” Kuroo grinned mischievously. “Oh, is that so? Maybe I should talk to her sometime.” Kenma sighed. “Do what you want but remember she’s new. She might need some time to adjust to everything.” Kuroo nodded with a smirk. “Sure, I’ll be nice.”

 “Ah, not too hot and not too cold,” you said as you sank down next to Kenma on the bench outside the next day. He grinned and held out a bottle of green iced tea from the vending machine. “Yeah.” You thanked him and took a sip before returning to your Chemistry Book. “I really don't know why you're still doing school stuff during break,” Kenma remarked, switching on his console. “My dad bagged my PSP last night because I was playing for too long. Sorry, dad, but time travel is basically cheating, and I didn't want to miss an event.” Kenma had to stifle his laughter while you looked at him with an offended pout.

For a while, you sat next to each other in silence, reading, playing and occasionally taking a sip of iced tea. After a few minutes, the conversations in the schoolyard became a vague background noise. The letters blurred before your eyes as you began to lose yourself in your thoughts. Since the end of school yesterday, you couldn't stop thinking about the student Kenma shared the walk home with. Even in the brief moment you passed the two of them, you realized how incredibly familiar they seemed with each other (an how attractive Kenmas friend was), why didn't they spend time together during breaks? Was Kenma just hanging out with you out of pity because you were the new girl?

Before your thoughts could spiral any further into a negative direction, they were interrupted by Kenma's voice. “Is everything alright?” You turned your head directly in his direction, his gaze fixed on the screen of his PSP. He noticed you not saying anything and continued, “I haven't heard you turn a page for a while and thought you might need some help.“ You blinked a few times into space. “Um, yeah. No. Actually... I must've spaced out; I wasn't really thinking about anything.” Except your cute friend. Disbelieving, Kenma looked up from his console briefly. You felt your cheeks heat up at the lie you just told and quickly returned to staring at your book, which you lifted a little to hide your face. “Right,” Kenma finally said and returned to his game.

Not sharing your thoughts just caused them to stir up in your head again. You felt the need to express them verbally, otherwise you wouldn't be able to concentrate all day. But before you could breathe in enough air (and courage) to ask Kenma about his friend, he came running towards you, grinning broadly. “Oy, Kenma, why haven't you introduced me to your new friend yet?”

While Kenma didn’t seem bothered to look up from his game at all, you turned your gaze to Kuroo. Your eyes met for a second, but before he could say anything else when he came to a halt in front of you, Kenma sighed and answered, “Because you spend way too much time on your university prep courses, nerd.” Kuroo gripped the back of his neck with one hand and put on an apologetic look before shifting his attention back to you, “I’m Kuroo Tetsuro,” he said his voice deep and smooth.

You noticed that your heart was beating a little faster and for an uncomfortably long second you couldn't get a sensible sentence together in your head. “I'm L/N Y/N, nice to meet you”, you finally brought forth, still looking at him. Your first impression wasn't wrong, he looked really good. Tall, broad shoulders with an athletic posture, dark, messy hair with piercing eyes. Had Kenma really just called him a nerd? Him?

Kuroo's smile widened as he noticed your lingering gaze. “Likewise. I’ve heard you’re quite the gamer,” he said, trying to keep the conversation light. You shrugged. “I dabble. Although my father has just banned me from it so that I can concentrate better on school.” 

“Ah, I see,” Kuroo remarked. “No wonder you two befriended each other rather quickly.” Kenma, still focused on his game, muttered, “Yes, but now Y/N reads boring text books during breaks and I have to take on the bosses alone.“ You laughed nervously, the sound drawing Kuroo’s attention even more. “I'm sure I'll get my PSP back soon if I get better grades this school year”, you said, your confidence evident.

„If it’s nothing else, maybe I can help you with that?“ Kuroo asked, leaning in a little further towards you. It was then you noticed his uniform, which he wore in a laid-back, effortless style. His tie was loosened, the top button of his shirt undone, and his sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows. He had even ditched the blazer altogether, giving him a relaxed and approachable look. Your face must’ve given away, that you had no idea what he was getting at.

“By tutoring, of course,” Kuroo added with a playful smile, leaning back slightly as if to give you some space again to process his offer. You blinked, feeling a mix of surprise and curiosity. “You would help me with my studies?” you asked, trying to keep your voice steady. “Of course,” Kuroo replied smoothly. “Anything to help a friend of Kenma's.“

Kenma, still immersed in his game, shot Kuroo a quick, knowing glance but didn’t comment. You looked at Kenma, seeking some sort of silent approval or encouragement, but he remained focused on his screen. “Um, that would be great, actually,” you said, a small smile forming on your lips. “I could definitely use some help with chemistry.”

“Perfect,” Kuroo said, his grin widening. “We can start tomorrow after school, if that works for you.”

“Sure, that sounds good,” you agreed, feeling a flutter of nervous excitement. “Thank you, Kuroo.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said, waving off your thanks. “I’ll make sure you get your PSP back in no time.”

Kenma finally looked up from his game, giving you both a thoughtful look. “Just don’t let him distract you too much,” he muttered, though there was a hint of a smile on his lips.

You laughed softly, feeling a bit more at ease. “I’ll try my best.”

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the break, you gathered your things and stood up. Kuroo and Kenma followed suit, and the three of you started walking back to the school building together.

“By the way,” Kuroo said, falling into step beside you, “have you joined any clubs yet?” You shook your head. “Not yet. I’m still getting settled in and figuring out what I want to do. Why are you asking? Did you want to advertise yours?“ Kuroo noticed your teasing tone, but ignored it for now. “No, well, maybe a little. I’m the captain of the volleyball team. You should come watch us practice sometime.“

You hesitated for a moment, you knew volleyball from you friends at you former highschool, but their team wasn’t very good. To be precise, "good" was never a word you would think of in connection with their team to begin with. That's why the sport has remained uninteresting to you so far but the idea of watching Kuroo during practice was too tempting to resist. The thought of seeing him a little sweaty and worn out from training made your heart race. You could already picture his shirt clinging to his toned body, hair damp and falling into his eyes. The image made your cheeks heat up, but you quickly pushed the thought away, trying to stay focused on the conversation.

You nodded frantically. “Sounds interesting. Maybe I will check out your team.” Kuroo looked at you, smiling, he porbably noticed your little mental excursion. “Great! From next week on we practice after school every day. Just drop by the gym anytime.”

“Just be prepared for Kuroo to show off,” Kenma added and Kuroo chuckled. “I don’t show off, Kenma. I demonstrate. There’s a difference.”

As you reached your classroom, Kenma turned to Kuroo. “See you after school?”

“Yeah, see you,” he said, giving both of you a small wave before he added with a wink, „Ah, Y/N-Chan! Don’t forget about our study date tomorrow.”

“I won’t,” you promised, watching him go with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. As you settled back into your seat, you couldn’t help but smile. Maybe there was also a good side to your father taking your console.

[absolutepokemontrash]

Ignore how late I am but I saw the post and I feel the the need to complain about this. A squick I have when it comes to fics and headcanons is when Belphie is completely villainized while the rest of the brothers hate him with their whole being while also depicted as perfect. And while that's annoying on its own, whenever this happens everyone else in the work also gets fucked over.

I specifically mean works where Belphie gets reduced to "the cold and callous villain who killed MC" and that's it. No acknowledging any circumstance around or about why he did it and making being manipulative his entire personality trait. And the rest of the brothers hate him for killing and manipulating MC, which I would understand more if this didn't so frequently come with them acting like they've never even hurt MC before.

The brothers love and protect MC by lesson 16, yeah, but they also almost put MC six feet under on multiple occasions themselves and only just got used to seeing humans as equals. They would be upset with Belphie for killing MC, but they wouldn't hate or never forgive him because they've been brothers long before MC got there and it would be hypocritical.

And this causes the rest of the brothers to act extremely out of character as well. Especially when it comes to why the brothers can't forgive him. Sometimes the brothers will hate Belphie for "killing Lilth" or hurting her descendant which is??? Or they'll treat MC like they're a replacement for Belphie, which is also???? And in these situations, MC acts like they're the antagonist of a replacement AU.

For some reason in works where Belphie's personality or lore gets tossed out of the window, so does everyone else's and both of these are so nerve grating to me. Okay, done complaining.

I have so many thoughts and opinions on Belphie and the fandom’s treatment of him, that I could deadass write a peer reviewed thesis on him…

TLDR: The mischaracterization of Belphie in the fandom is so rampant that I’m convinced some people writing him or complaining about him haven’t played the game.

Just to get this out of the way, Belphie’s character redemption arc suffered due to the 20 lesson limit in season one. His grand evil plan got put into motion in lesson 16, and we had to spend the entirety of lesson 17 (and into lesson 18) turning him into a viable Husbando (tm), therefore, his redemption and development was incredibly rushed.

Onto the good stuff 😈

My take on Obey Me and the brothers as a whole is that while yes, the writers have been woobifying them a whole lot, a LOT of their “toned down” behaviours can literally just be explained by them not having a *reason* to be assholes anymore because MC has done so much work to help them repair their relationships with each other.

I was raised Catholic (decently progressive Catholic, still got the fun guilt though lmao) and the way I was taught to view sin, was that it was an act of violence against someone else, and/or yourself, because there is some kind of deficiency or problem in your own life. It’s that whole “hurt people hurt people” thing, and you can literally SEE it with the brothers.

Lucifer isolates himself and puts on the persona of the tough, scary, intimidating eldest brother when in reality, he’s scared, and guilty, and fucking embarrassed about what happened with Lilith. You can see this when Luke took the Grimoire, Lucifer wasn’t acting out of rage, he was acting out of fear and disguising it, and then lashed out at Luke and MC and only stopped when Diavolo told him to because Dia is literally his boss.

Now what does this have to do with Belphie? Belphie is downright homicidal when the game starts in season one (which is why Luci locked him in the attic, to protect him AND the exchange program), now the question is “why?”

To put what Belphie has been going through in perspective: this guy has been drowning in guilt, trauma, grief, and self loathing for thousands of years. He feels guilty that Beel saved him instead of Lilith, and most importantly, he feels guilty that he led Lilith to the human world to begin with. He’s lashing out because he’s been grieving for thousands of years with no one to turn to about it BECAUSE THE OTHER BROTHERS ARE ALSO STILL GRIEVING

Now of course, this doesn’t excuse what Belphie did to MC, but it does EXPLAIN it. He’s so angry at humanity and himself that he’s the emotional equivalent of a suicide bomber. He’s self destructing and trying to take the people he’s blaming with him and praying that makes the guilt go away.

Finally, when Diavolo and Barbatos reveal Lucifer’s secret about what really happened to Lilith (how she was reincarnated and got to live a happy life as a human), this is the kick that gets ALL the brothers to finally be able to move on. We spent the entirety of season one making pacts and going on silly little adventures with everyone, all the while being the support system they needed to finally move on from their grief.

So THAT is why it makes me so angry when people act like Belphie is uniquely The Worst.

This is coming from someone who doesn’t mind writing the brothers at what I believe to be “their worst” in terms of shitty behaviour (if you want an example, look at how Asmo is currently behaving in A Lovecraftian Exchange Student). But I think characterizing Belphie as some pure evil villain is a massive disservice to him as a character. (Ignoring his survivor’s guilt and grief etc etc)

Also, to act like the other six brothers would immediately hate and despise Belphie over this is so wrong, I’m sorry but it’s grossly wrong. Belphie is their sweet baby brother, yes they love MC, but guys, especially at that point in season one, yes they liked MC, but BELPHIE 👏 IS 👏 THEIR 👏 BABY 👏 BROTHER. I think they’d be disappointed and maybe angry at him, but they’re not going to just up and abandon him, no chance about it.

I’d say the brothers didn’t truly begin to love-love MC until the end of lesson 18-20 after they’ve done some growing as people, but that’s just my interpretation.

Finally.

Y’all.

Did you forget that Belphie literally offered a pact to MC, SPECIFIED THAT IT WASNT BECAUSE OF THEIR CONNECTION TO LILITH BTW, and did this entirely of his own free will because he liked them???

Guys, a pact is offering control of the demon’s entire being! Belphie had grown enough in trusting a human to the point where he was willing to put his life in their hands!

This was so ramble-y and confusing, I’m so sorry- I just have so many thoughts about the brothers and Belphie in particular 😭😭😭

[drenched-in-sunlight]

Hey, so I remembered in one of your earlier post you said something along the lines of souls women only really falling into the helpless victim or serious sword lady trop. And how Ema was a great subversion of it, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on

I’m making a souls-like and trying to avoid the pitfalls where I can

Btw, I love your art so much I would love to support you but I am broke

sorry i let this reply marinate in the docs for months (along with a lot of other replies like im having a catalogue of Fromsoft replies that read like thesis at this point *crying* my job is not letting me sit down and edit them) but here it is.

firstly, thank you for your message, kind encouragement already means a lot to me, so don’t worry about not being able to support me or anything ! After all I’m not putting out any new books or fan merch haha.

Here is a whole rant about Ema but somehow my grievances with how they handle Malenia's story in comparison to Messmer also pops up.

Regarding your question about Ema, I love her because of how complete her story feels and how her personal motivation and personality are written as coherently as the male characters.

She’s a war orphan who did her best to survive, learned the sword from the best swordman but with the only purpose is to kill demons. Ema saw firsthand how violence and meaningless killing did to people, so her aim can be seen as trying to offer those lost souls a mercy death, so they don’t have to suffer as a mindless demon for eternity (as in shura ending).

Yet, she's actually more interested in being a doctor & saving life and it’s not something expected of her because she’s a woman or whatnot, she chose that.

(+ she's skilled enough with the blade that it shows in her mannerism to the point Wolf, who had never seen her hold a sword, knows that she's good with one).

she was ready to kill Scuptor - someone akin to a parental figure to her, should he succumb to grief and hatred. because she loved him. not to mention she saw Tomoe - someone in a way is also her mentor, tried to take her own life, while her childhood friend Gennichiro slowly went apeshit. like that girl witnessed so many insane stuffs & they spur her to be strong & steadfast in her ideal to protect her loved ones, even when it means to lay them to rest by her own hands.

her dialogue in Shura ending "maybe i should have killed you long ago" feels like being punched in the guts to me, because she knew Wolf turning out that way meant that somewhere along the way, all of them had failed him, had ignored the signs that all the killings he was tasked to carry out was taking a toll on him. And so she took upon herself the responsibility to offer him a mercy death, even as it broke her heart.

It’s the passionate drive and decisions made as her own person, not out of blind devotion to another character, and how much we know of that because the game let us find more about her, that makes her stands out from the epic sword lady category, while the violence and steely resolve she was capable of makes her stands out from the helpless maiden one.

-kinda lose the plot here with Elden Ring rant jumping out-

This is one of the main points I have about the difference between Messmer and Malenia, how even though their stories parallel each other, I think Messmer has the better writing and gets a more complete story. He’s super devote to Marika, but in his own way, not what Marika wants of him. Evidently with how he still fights the Tarnished because he deems us unworthy, despite knowing Marika sanctioned us for Lordship.

We see a lot of sides to him outside of just a filial son, his rage and sorrow and love and a moment of stubborn selfishness that results in him willingly become a curse that clings to Marika than to let go. We see his relationship with other characters and even though his love for Marika outweighs all else, it doesn’t negate completely others that exist outside of it.

And precisely because of that, it’s more heartbreaking to see despite all these connections he has with other people, he yearns to be reunited with his Mother above all else. That kind of devotion is more hard hitting to me than the writing for the Empyrean twins.

Like, Malenia…. outside of Finnlay (whose description says more about herself than shedding any new light on Malenia) and the mentor that we actually don’t even know much about yet, what are other personal connection she has outside of Miq? I could argue the Marika’s Soreseal in the Haligtree was meant for her and that she still loved her Mother in some kind of way all I want, but at the end of the day that’s a headcahon I have to theorize from item placement, and not many ppl will notice that. We don’t know for sure what Malenia thinks of anyone else but her twin and it drives me up the wall.

Another comparison I want to bring up is DS2 Lucatiel.

I fr think even Lucatiel gets a better story arc than Malenia, despite also largely being shaped by her relationship with her brother.

Loss frightens me no end. Loss of memory, loss of self. If I were told that by killing you, I would be freed of this curse… Then I would draw my sword without hesitation. I don't want to die, I want to exist. I would sacrifice anything, anything at all for this. It shames me, but it is the truth. Sometimes, I feel obsessed… with this insignificant thing called "self". But even so, I am compelled to preserve it. Am I wrong to feel so? Surely you'd do the same, in my shoes?

She is trying to find her brother, but at the same time wrestling with her own troubles and limitations. We get to know a lot of her own motivation and her fear. I mean one could argue that it's because she's an NPC while Malenia is a boss, but the same thing could also be said for Messmer like I explained above.

-back to Ema-

As the extra sauce, I love that Ema boss music has such layers to it. the theme of her - someone clinging to her humanity to the very end because she has ppl love & support her, also acts as an elegy for Wolf's lost of humanity, of him not being able to escape the abuse trauma he grew up in. its opening instrument also appears in Demon of Hatred's OST. Her presence and theme affects other characters’ life, and we get to see her marks on a personal level in the story’s overarching narrative.

Which is the same as how Marika’s presence is everywhere in the Elden Ring OST, that little soft piano. A little in Radagon’s theme, in Shaman’s Village, in the final DLC boss ost where the female vocals starts belting out “Hail, Marika the Eternal”, in a boss arena where she had walked through to scavenge the remains of her fallen family and ascended to an existence she knew would kill her all the same, but she would do it again every single time. Walking down that hell with her eyes wide open.

When a character that could get me to write paragraphs about like that… man you know how much the writing cooks.

[meanbossart]

I appreciate how you write Astarion so, SO much. I feel like way too many fic writers infantilize him to a point where I honestly start wondering if I'm the one who misinterpreted him so badly.

I'd love to know more about what you think of his character and his arc. Personally I saw him and immediately went "oh god this guy is gonna be the irritating tumblr sexyman of the year🙄" and it took me until Araj basically to warm up to him. What were your initial thoughts and did they change much while playing the game?

OH thank you so much!!! That's a shame if it's the case, and a little surprising to me, to be honest! While he's definitely written be an aloof jerk a lot of the time, I always found him to be surprisingly mature and introspective whenever he's not dishing out witty remarks. He comes off to me as the kind of person who learned to benefit from seeming dumber than he actually is, overall.

HAHA I had a VERY similar experience, not just towards Astarion but all the characters, really (I really disliked Shadowheart at the beginning, too). I had only seen pictures of him and pretty much expected a vapid character that was being carried to stardom because of a talented VA - and because people go nuts for anne rice style vampires lol.

While I was definitely enjoying his voice lines from the start (Again kudos to Neil) I definitely wasn't expecting much else. He piqued my interest after so devastatingly turning my character down at the tiefling party without me even having inquired, and that's when I, the gamer, was like "well, alright, I GOTTA fuck this guy now" (this is also where DU drow's personality began to come out as you can probably guess)

Obviously, if you have two neurons to rub together you can gather pretty quickly that he's not trying to woo you because you're so interesting and wonderful, so I started getting curious! With that dynamic being so different from what you usually expect of romances in these types of games, plus the charming way in which he is written, I started being won over.

I think what really did it was how gradually his attitude changed when responding to new, mostly trivial dialogue options and doing his greetings as you earned his trust, and ESPECIALLY with how he responds to your tav when you express any kind of fear or insecurity during his romance - which was with a lot of sincerity and confidence in his resolve to support you, and in you as a person, a complete 180 from his usual front - Which, again, makes me all the more surprised to hear that he's often painted with such an immature brush.

And obviously he has a DEEPLY ugly side to him (if you've read ANE, hopefully it's clear that I know this, and that I like to explore it just as much as anything else lmao) but it's very interesting to me how it seem to always come in the form of outbursts, rather than a constant evil-streak, usually followed by a glimpse of self-awareness. It feels very much in line with someone who's actually making a great deal of effort to manage their RAMPANT emotions and going through a lot of internal conflict in the process.

GAH. Yeah if you can't tell by this friggin' thesis I just wrote, I love the way they wrote this character a lot and I was definitely proven PROFOUNDLY wrong in my first impression of him - which, if that's not irony at it's finest I don't know what is.

And as an aside! I also very much appreciate that he's a "queer" coded character who's effeminate (in the Old Homo kind of way, but I digress) and flamboyant, but taken Dead Fucking Seriously. With as much progress as we've made in LGBT rep in media, I still often feel like gay men will only get that kind of treatment for as long as they "Aren't That Gay" (I know Astarion doesn't have a set sexuality - But lets not mince words: stereotypes exist, and he fits into most of them) and as a thin-wristed gay guy who's a little too found of linen shirts, I can honestly say that experiencing a character like that helped me with my own confidence.