#but Corona? I think she genuinely cared

[hedge-rambles]

"And who even cares about Babs?"

Been having some thoughts about Naberius Tern, following on from this post (OP @sainamoonshine) about Babs, and how we really ought to think more about him.

First things first: 1 - Our views of Babs are, I think, heavily skewed by the fact that Gideon is our POV character in GtN and she just straight up doesn't like him. 2 - I think @masctoast was onto something about Taz dropping Boofy to get us all thinking about Babs, but take it one further and it might be that he's still going to be important somehow beyond as just a fancy outfit for Ianthe.

I've written afore about how I think we need to definitely not underestimate Coronabeth, that despite Ianthe's view of things, Corona is wickedly smart and in a lot more control of situations than her sister ever realises. From that post:

The Third House is the house of lies and deceit said with a shining smile, of pretty words and poisoned knives. The reductive characterisation of the house as a whole is grasping and underhanded and raised to deceive for their own motives, it’s their job, but Coronabeth Tridentarius is an entire level beyond that.

But the thing to remember is that Babs is also Third House, and he was in on the ruse the whole time as well. Babs knew Corona wasn't a necro, and spent much of his life bonded to the two of them as part of the Grand Deception. And we know that was a partnership made up of two cavs and a necro really. I think that, fundamentally, Corona and Babs had a lot to connect over, having similar strengths (beautiful, strong, cavaliers) and similar trials (24/7 Ianthe exposure) and, though we don't see it played out in the books explicitly, we can infer some things.

In NtN, what is one of the first things Crown says to Ianthe wearing Babs? She complains that Ianthe just can't do Babs' hair right, and implies that she can and always could style his hair. She also used to do Ianthe's hair for her, and it's an intimate act in many ways, social grooming.

In GtN Corona reveals herself to be a fairly decent swordswoman, trained with the rapier in secret. Who exactly do we think trained Coronabeth? I think it's safe to say it was Babs, one of the only people in on the fact that she wasn't a necro. They shared their training with each other.

The first post I linked talks about the fact that, read a certain way, Babs is plausibly spending a lot of time making an arse of himself in order to protect Corona's secret. But I think, with that in mind, we can reread a specific early scene in GtN to suggest Corona is also protecting Babs.

Ianthe is cruel and vicious and self absorbed and prickly, and of the trio she's the only one who's an adept. A flesh adept no less, and presumably able to inflict some truly unpleasant non-lethal acts on anyone who draws her ire. In their first proper scene, Gideon spies them all having one of their little tiffs, in which Babs has a go at Ianthe in defence of Corona. How does Corona respond? She leaps to Ianthe's defence, pinching Babs' ear and telling him to back the fuck off. We know now that Ianthe was not someone desperately in need of protecting, neither physically nor emotionally, she wasn't some weak, wilting wallflower.

So why did she do it? Was it because of her deeply enmeshed, codependent thing with her sister? Well, yes, obviously. But if we consider that Corona and Babs may have been genuinely close friends, actually cared about each other's wellbeing...that can be read as having another layer to it. That is to say, Corona is protecting Babs from Ianthe, by taking control of the situation, salving Ianthe's anger and also ensuring that the only harm that comes to Babs is relatively minor, compared to what Ianthe might be able to do.

And it makes sense, the three of them have been together for a long time, and for all Ianthe and Corona desperately love each other in their fucked up way, I think Corona and Naberius may have had a very deep connection as each other's confidants and friends. Babs was one of the few people Corona could bitch to about Ianthe, one of the only people who genuinely knew what was going on with them. Babs was the only person she could really talk to about cav shit, who knew she was truly made to be a cavalier, not a necro - her secret sparring partner.

We can never take anything said and done by the Third House at face value, their whole deal is social subterfuge. Knives and plots hidden behind glittering smiles. I think Corona spent much of her life deceiving Ianthe as to how much power she actually wielded, how much control she actually had over their ruse. In NtN we see how quick and adept she is at handling Ianthe, even when her sister is on a level of power unto a minor god.

And I'm not sure we can even trust her words fully at the end of GtN when Ianthe ate Babs. In that scene, Babs is dead, Ianthe is Ianthe and Corona is a blubbering mess, distraught.

Corona recoiled from Gideon and looked up at her, her golden hair smeared to her forehead with sweat and tears. “She took Babs,” she said, which seemed fair enough. But then Corona started crying again, big tears leaking out of her eyes, her voice thick with misery and self-pity. “And who even cares about Babs? Babs! She could have taken me.

I think it's safe to say that part of this is 100% as it's surface read, Corona's massive co-dependence with Ianthe, she honestly feels upset that Ianthe didn't eat her soul. But I think there's another layer to her grief, that Gideon thinks she's been mistaken about after the first pass. I think she's genuinely upset about the loss of Babs, her friend and confidant, her second closest person other than Ianthe.

"And who even cares about Babs?" You did, Coronabeth Tridentarius. You cared about Babs.

[cratis]

Corona : "If you want me, you take her too, okay?”

Ianthe : “Judith Deuteros? Judith calendar-for-every-birthday Deuteros? Really?”

Yes, Judith Deuteros. The same Judith Deuteros Coronabeth always invited to your birthday parties, the same Judith Deuteros Coronabeth stalked so she could have an excuse to fold flowers in both their houses colors everytime she got a promotion, the same Deuteros Coronabeth spent hours studying military history for just to have something to talk with her the few ocasions they met,yes, that Judith Deuteros. Do you even know your sister at all ?

Or do you only ever see her when it's convenient to you ?

[arcadekitten]

Im late to the party but I have a few questions about SND RHHHHHH this game gmfu fr 🫣🫣🫣

For #stellamb , what causes Lambchop to be so murderous for Stella? From what I've read so far, Lamb always saw Stella as a celeb crush, so how did it flourish from there? Was it his hatred for her perfection in his vision that thrives his murderous tendencies? Or is it the fact that as he said "everyone times their day around her", causing him to get angry at the townspeople because they kept her busy, making him murder them? I'd assume that with that bit in mind, he uses murder to relish in Stella's attention every time she tells him off about it

What is Stella and Corona's role in the universe? So far I know that Stella was sent to conquer SND's world or something, and Corona was going to keep her in check. So what are they controlling worlds for and why?

In SND, did the other characters always have minds of their own? If Lambchop states that they always base their time around Stella, so were they changed by Stella to do so or was it because of Stella's celebrity complex?

What is Stella in the "She came from outer space!!!" art? Was she always an alien who came from outer space who changed her appearance to be a star witch? Or was she a star witch who came from outer space, causing her to look alien so she used her magic to make herself more human? Or was her alien look just how Lambchop perceives her during her arrival?

AHHH IM SORRY IF TH3RES SO MUCH I'm genuinely invested 😭😭 reply at any time and take ur time to think, thanks for ur time arcade :D

I'm so happy to hear you like it! I'll try to answer the best I can but I'm not sure I can answer everything! ♡

I don't think I can answer this one! It's something that I feel the game is "about" and so I feel like the game itself is all the real explanation that's needed, I hope that makes sense! ---

Stella and Corona are star witches! A species that comes from the stars. They bat one another onto various planets with the innate knowledge their "purpose" is to create planets and citizens that grow and thrive. It's less "conquer" and more "I will take care of you". There isn't any sort of bigger devious plan or goal--it's just how they function. ---

Stella didn't do anything deliberate to control their minds or affect them in such a way, people do things for Stella because they like her. They REALLY like her! ---

It's just an artistic liberty for a fun art piece! Technically speaking, Stella IS an alien who came from outer space! So it's fun to play with the idea of Stella looking more like a "traditional" alien and arriving to the planet in much the same way.

[joelmillerisapunk]

WIP Wednesday! Thursday!

Tysm for the tags @fhatbhabiee @604to647 @mermaidgirl30

@alltheirdamn & @milla-frenchy

I have a lot going on in my docs but here's four snippets of my current things, as a current one-handed girlie I have not gotten a lot done but I have started a lot - I'm in my soft smut era. Also, I know there's not just Dbf!Joel.. who am I?!

-> Ranch hand!Joel - a series I am hoping to have up soon

Damn it, Joel, he chides himself. She's young enough to be your daughter. But the thought feels hollow, a weak defense against the pull he feels toward you. You’re strong, fiercely independent, and yet, there’s a vulnerability to you that calls to something deep within him, the need to care for someone - for you.

He glances over at you again, taking in the delicate curve of your jaw, and the way your hair falls in waves around your shoulders, taking in the way the morning light plays across your features. You’re a sight to behold, all fire and spirit wrapped up in a package that is far too tempting for his peace of mind. 

-> dbf!Joel hosts the neighborhood bbq - inspired by pedros corona shorts

You try to ignore the flutter in your chest, telling yourself it's just appreciation for a good meal. But deep down, you know it's more than that. Joel has always been kind to you, always looked out for you, but now, as your eyes lock in a silent understanding, you sense something different.

Something forbidden.

Joel clears his throat and looks away, breaking the spell. "So, what do you think of the secret sauce, I know you said the burger was good, but the sauce, how is it?" he asks again, his voice gruff.

You nod enthusiastically. "It's amazing! What's in it?"

Joel chuckles and leans back against the grill. "That's top-secret information."

-> Sub!Javi P - started this this morning bc of discord

"That takes a strength most people couldn't fathom."

He chuckles mirthlessly. "Strength or foolishness?"

"Strength," you affirm, your voice leaving no room for doubt. "The kind that wears you down because you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Javi looks at you then, his dark eyes searching yours for sincerity. "And what if I'm tired of being strong?"

The question hangs in the air, heavy with unspoken desires. You lean in, your lips brushing against his ear as you reply, "Then let me be strong for you. Let me carry that weight, if only for a night."

Marcus Pike fic - this is strictly @mountainsandmayhem fault

As you both instinctively jump back, your eyes meet, and for a moment, the world around you fades away, as if the universe itself is holding its breath. His eyes are a dark shade of brown, unexpectedly warm despite the surprise etched on his face. You're caught in a gaze that feels both fleeting and eternal, like you're standing in the eye of a hurricane.

"I'm so sorry," you says, his voice smooth yet tinged with genuine concern. "Are you alright?"

You blink, breaking the spell, and you realize you're staring, captivated by the handsomeness that stands before you, a stark contrast to the cold, calculated criminals you're accustomed to dealing with. There's an authenticity to him, a warmth that radiates from within, making you feel both safe and curious.

"Uh - yeah, I should be the one who's sorry I was completely lost in thought."

Marcus chuckles—a rich sound that seems to echo the absurdity of the situation—and waves off your concern. "It's nothing a little soap and water can't fix," he assures you with a disarming smile that somehow makes everything feel less chaotic. He extends his hand—the one not clutching a soggy file—and introduces himself properly. "Marcus Pike," he says with an air of formality that contrasts with the playful glint in his eye. 

Leaving the tags open because I'm late and I think everyone has been tagged but if you haven't pretend I @'d you and tag meeeeee <3<3<3

[dmsr-art]

Honestly I don't think Ianthe would push a child out a window if she was caught fucking her sister, because genuinely I refuse to believe like half the third just isn't aware of it. Like it's just the dirty little secret of the 3rd that the twins are fucking, and will occassionally drag people into traumatising threesomes

ok but consider how much hotter it is if they have to sneak around and be secretive about it (sure there are rumors) and then imagine that scene where cersei and jaime are kissing and he's like someone will walk in and she says i don't care?? and then they fuck on the table 😵‍💫😳🙏🏼💦 ianthe and corona doing that.... AOUGHHHH

[pansy-picnics]

DAD LANCE IS SO REAL TO ME He calls Varian "Little guy" and adopted two minority teenage girls, he's DEDICATED to making sure there's no more kids going through what he went through. He's mature enough to be a dad to two teenagers, he just indulges in their chaos because he's FUN, not stupid. He's a SILLY LITTLE GUY in a COMPLICATED DIRECTION He's not just the funny guy the fandom makes him, he takes care of kids and teens because they remind him of himself. He's SO SWEET, and he absolutely sees himself and Eugene in the three criminal teenagers that would have had an easier life if adults had been kinder to them. He sees Varian, Catalina, and Angry and remembers how close he was to being like them. To being Varian, who was screwed over by the adults in his life. To being Angry and Catalina, who would never let each other go and are thieves, just like him and Eugene. Also in Hugo, but I'm leaving the rat out of this I CAN NEVER SEE LANCE LETTING A KID SUFFER BECAUSE HE'S JUST. A DAD. HE'S THE FUN DAD THAT LET YOU RUN THOSE LITTLE TOY SKATEBOARDS DOWN RACETRACKS THAT HE HELPED YOU BUILD THAT DON'T REALLY WORK BUT ARE FUN ANYWAYS

HES LITERALLY SUCH A DAD GOD!!!!!!! no because he loves the 7k kids so much too. honorary children to him. he got SO close to adopting yong before varian assured him he had a loving family back at home. and him and nuru are literally best friends nuru’s just a teenage girl with the weight of a whole kingdom on her shoulders and she genuinely wishes she had a normal childhood but she’s been surrounded by destruction her whole life. i think it’s why she likes hanging out with the main cast so much. lance is one of the people who is constantly reminding her that she’s ALLOWED to just be a teenage girl.

i’m so tired of him being made out to be childish and stupid when he just WANTS TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY AND HE ESPECIALLY WANTS THESE KIDS TO HAVE A GOOD CHILDHOOD!! i think in a way he messes with varian because he sees him similarly to how he sees nuru later. he sees him burying himself in his work and how it’s affecting him and he genuinely wants him to lighten up and just. Be a kid. and i think they eventually communicate this and varian tells him to be more careful with his stuff while promising lance that he’ll try to be less serious all the time…….i’m so ill about them Actually

BIG BROTHERS OF CORONA SHOULDVE BEEN HIS EPISODE AND I’LL DIE ON THAT HILL!!!! SAME WITH WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF!!! HOOK FOOT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD MORE EPISODES THAN HIM I WILL LOSE MY MIND. THEY ARE ALL SO IMPORTANT. TO ME.

[praline-elegy]

✿ This looks like fun! ✿

[Fandom game post here]

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

Seiji Katayama x Nicholas Cox (Fence)

Draco Malfoy x Harry Potter (HP)

If you want to read my Fence related answers, jump to letters: M N O R S T V or Z

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

Nastu Dragoneel x Gray Fullblaster (Fairytail) - I’m mainly a gruvia shipper BUT I came across this brilliantly written gratsu fic a few years back and it rewrote my brain chemistry entirely.

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

I don’t like saying mean things.

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

Shinsou Hitoshi x Kaminari Denki (MHA) - Monoshin has my heart <3

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

I wrote about an established relationship where character A wanted to give character B a gift. A asks B’s bff what to give him. Bff tells A to give B a rock. A proceeds to spend the day meticulously picking out a rock to give to B. A later presents this perfectly picked out rock to B, and B loves this little gift. This story oddly resonated with a lot of people in my old fandom lol. Moral of the story? People love rocks. Give your friends rocks. They will love you.

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

About a decade? I started watching Pokémon for as long as I can remember (still love it!), but I fell out of the fandom when my parents stopped paying for cable.

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

Zutara. Zuko and Katara were everything to me. Fire and water? Their antagonistic relationship? There was so much tension there. It just made sense to me.

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

The first half of my life was dedicated to TV shows (when I had cable). The rest of my life is dedicated to printed material (books, manga, comics, etc).

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

No. I only joined this platform about two months ago. I haven’t come across any negativity on this side of tumblr.

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

Little Goody Two Shoes (indie game)

Temeraire (book? I think?)

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Juvia Lockster or Flare Corona (both Fairytail)

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Can’t think of a character I actively loathe or dislike at the top of my head.

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Sungchul Park (Fence) - He seems cocky and I like that.

Luna Lovegood (HP) - She’s just got the VibesTM you know?

N - Name three things you wish you saw more of in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

Nicholas coming over to visit the Katayamas for winter (or summer!) break.

I want to get severe secondhand embarrassment from something that Nicholas does in front of Seiji. I want to fluster that boy so bad. I want him to feel so embarrassed he could melt into a puddle of liquified Cox. And after all of the chaos I want Seiji to find that Nicholas actually looks rather cute when he’s blushing and flustered :) I’m evil.

‼️ MORE ‼️ BLUSHING ‼️ NICHOLAS‼️

I also want to explore more of Nicholas’ (fandom assumed) fear of the dark.

Would love to see more of Nicholas being vulnerable around Seiji.

I want to see more of the Leventis/Levantis twins (I’m writing something myself, but still. Would love to see others interpretation of the boys)!

Nsfw-wise… I’d like to see more bottom or submissive Nicholas. I think fandom has mostly pegged him for a dominant top lol.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer is how I envision Robert Coste and Nicholas’ mother’s relationship to be like in one of my unfinished pieces. An au where Nicholas doesn’t know who his father is and has a loving relationship with his mom.

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

Needing to make dinner but the jar of sauce won’t open so character A visits their neighbor character B and asks for help in opening the jar.

Character A is staring at character B while walking down the sidewalk and accidentally walks into a light pole. A scurries away in embarrassment while B finds that kinda cute.

Accidentally blurting out a romantic confession whilst in the middle of an argument.

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’ve abandoned any fandoms, just outgrew them (show finished), left due to circumstances (no more cable or show on hiatus), or lack of inspiration to continue writing. It feels wrong to say “abandoned” because I still love these fandoms and would still go back to consume their content. I’m just not actively involved anymore.

Kuroko no Basuke. Miraculous Ladybug. Fairytail.

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

The Leventis/Levantis twins (in my own personal interpretation of them). I have a sibling so I’ve mostly based their interactions on my own. The kind of relationship where you annoy each other but love each other fiercely.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

I think that Seiji would own a dog.

Also!! Headcanon that Seiji runs warm and Nicholas has wonky blood circulation which leads to wearing tank tops and shorts in the winter but hoodies and sweatpants in the summer.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending? 

Seiji is a dog person.

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Reese from Scarlet Hollow - I yearn for starving artists. And he likes horror movies? Score! He’s also a little shy but also very cute. 10/10 would romance again.

Sebastian from Stardew Valley - Quiet loner that enjoys tabletop games similar to D&D? And he rides a motorcycle? Brb swooning at his feet.

I can’t pick a favorite from Fence ;v; I love Nicholas but I also love Scott and Thomas and Sungchul and Nate aaaaaaaaa

V - Which character do you relate to most?

In Fence? Nate Spencer. I was originally going to say Nicholas but after further evaluation I realize that I am in fact Nate. The kind of person that brightens up the room but also tends to gravitate to one person in particular despite getting constantly ignored (Aiden sksks).

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

No happy ending. Hurt no comfort. Break-up fics.

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Enemies to lovers. Rivals to lovers. Sickfics. Inexperience (first kiss, first times). Not actually unrequited love. Secondhand embarrassment. Sex pollen/lust potion. Truth serum. Party games (i.e. truth or dare). Time travel.

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

Call of Duty.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

I’m surprised by the lack of rarepairs in Fence. There’s so much potential with the amount of characters that have been introduced so far, but I guess I can see why. Nichoji are just so throughly entwined with each other it’s almost impossible to envision them with anybody else. Other than that, I would gander that there’s more interest in the main ships than exploring newer characters and even newer relationships. (I aim to change that though, a new rarepair is on the horizon!! Hopefully by Valentine’s day 👀💘)

I’m also rather surprised by how active this fandom is despite the small size of it. It’s nice and cozy here though and I like that.

This fandom is actually making me want to try drawing again. Just speaking out to the void here lol. I was pretty decent at drawing chibis when I was younger. Blushing Nicholas here I come… ✍️♥️✨

[eerna]

How much of Ianthe and Harrow closeness in HtN the result of genuine affection verses Iantheote or less trying to fill Corona's absence with Harrow, who Ianthe knows has no memory of Gideon

I think Ianthe legitimately has feelings for Harrow - she was the first person ever to see her real potential, never thought of her as Corona's shadow. However, Ianthe's idea of love is toxic codependency, so she def tried to get Harrow into the same mental space of “I need you to survive” Corona was in their whole lives. She knows Harrow loves Gideon but chooses to lie to Gideon about it in an attempt to get Harrow even more isolated, and that miiiight show us part of the explanation of why Corona is so obsessed with people who don’t like her back. Which then makes me ask - there is a scene in which Harrow breaks and concludes she would do anything for Ianthe if only Ianthe gave her a shred of affection and consolation.... and Ianthe just. Doesn’t do it. She turns around and leaves. So what was that about. Did Miss Manipulate Mgaslight Mbitch really not understand she reached her goal so early???? Or was there another reason for not grabbing the opportunity right then and there??? Maybe I am an emotional fool, but I do think Ianthe cares about Harrow as a person and not just as someone who can replace Corona

[lizardinkart]

Lizard Reads Ward

Arc 2: Flare

Lizard Cry Counter: 2

TL;DR: Cool shit happening this arc with more fun worldbuilding around the state of Capes, Victoria’s coping mechanisms and hero complex, and some especially funky stuff exploring other Earths and how the shards/triggers are getting extra-special fucky after Gold Morning. We finally get to meet the rest of the PHO group and they are all wonderful, and Wildbow is flexing with the extended metaphor of powers as trauma. 8.75/10

Alrighty, let’s get wormin’! 

Once again, splitting this into mini-arcs so I can keep track of it: 1. Job-Hunting, 2. Broken Trigger Shenanigans, and 3. Group Therapy(?).

Part 1: Job-Hunting

Oh, if this did not capture the soul-crushing nature of the job search so well lol. I really enjoy Victoria’s engagement with each of the big groups that have cropped up since GM, their ideologies, and the optics that each group focuses on. Because if Victoria Dallon understands anything, it’s Aesthetic (in both physical and ideological appearance, thank you Carol (derogatory)). I think the bit where the recruiter asks if Panacea can also be part of the package deal crushed my soul so hard cause mmmmmm. We all have that family member that is perceived very differently from how they actually act towards the people they ostensibly care about. Adding this to the list of times I wanted to hold Victoria gently in my hands. 

Crystal continues to be a treat, I appreciate that she doesn’t own scissors. I find it so interesting that she wanted to be part of the Parahuman Paramilitary, but I guess stability has its allure in times of absolute chaos. Also gonna slide in here the bit about the people Victoria talked to about joining the totally-not-a-cult that comes back later in the arc, I appreciate the “if I can save even one person it will have been worth it” mentality. 

The hospital scene was really nice, both with Tempera/Fume Hood and then taking the kids flying. I think a lot of people can be very cynical about how doing stuff for others can be very self-serving (esp someone as famously cynical as WB /affectionate), but I think that this came across very genuinely, and it’s actually something that can be very good for trauma recovery by just doing things to get yourself out of your own head. Especially when it came to the kid with the friend who had triggered, Victoria really didn’t have to go out her way to make sure that the kid was taken care of. I think that this once again shows her character. Taylor could never (shoutout to the kids that triggered in her territory). 

Part 2: Broken Trigger Shenanigans

Oh man oh man oh man. I really did come into this part with a sigh because really, up until now Wildbow had not wowed me with the new stuff he was exploring with powers/shards, but this section grabbed me by the throat and threw me across the room into a brick wall. I appreciate that this is carving out Ward’s new identity as its own story with more to say outside of just Victoria, but also work as reflections of her and her unique experiences with her power/shard. It’s neat!

But aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa man this was downright tragic to read. Once again, WB hits with the suspense of “something is happening on a timeline, and all you can do it be there for when shit hits the fan.” The Parahuman Paramilitary was funky and off-putting as any type of military institution tends to be. Because ACAB, that’s why. 

Corona Pollentia warfare was enacted here, and the fact that people were literally stopped in space was horrifying and distressing as all hell, Worm never really got to touch on when triggers went wrong because shit was already bad enough being, well, triggers. But the bit at the end with the last guy standing not wanting to be subsumed into a collective (shard/entity?) consciousness was haunting as hell and so, so cool. I can’t wait to see how the entities continue to fuck around and Victoria and the Gang continue to find out. 

Part 3: Group Therapy(?)

Subsisting off of a comfort diet of brownie ice cream and shit TV, Victoria hangs out and Dr. Yamada pulls back the curtain on doctor-patient relationships. Therapists are people too! But it was nice that she thought of giving Victoria something therapy-related to do, even if it was ultimately a ploy to get Victoria to join her little group therapy team and (unsuccessfully) talk them out of doing the whole hero team thing. 

But mmm, I do love me these guys now that we get to really meet them, so down the line we go again!

Kenzie: Still the love of my life, I would kill and die for her. She is so damn earnest and I can respect the hell out of that. Include her in things!!! Give her friends!!! Be nice to her!!! Let her make all the boxes!!!!!! Also I will be deeply upset when we figure out her whole backstory. Preparing to be devastated. 

Sveta: I love that she and Weld are dating and that she is so happy but knowing Wildbow he’s gonna fuck it up somehow and it pisses me off so bad. But for now I will revel in her joy!!! Let her be happy goddammit!!! Also shoutout to her absolutely owning the disability label, I really was like “ah man this is gonna be implied subtext huh” but nope! And I’m really happy about that! But on god the fact that she has a body now??? And she gets to make it pretty and expressive how she wants it???? Kissing her on her forehead she is too good, great even. Unironically the best character. 

Tristan/Byron: Knowing that I have to go back through the PHO chapter and check the timestamps to see which one was in control is simultaneously infuriating and exciting lol. I can’t remember if case 70s appeared in Worm cause if they did I do not remember them. But yet again adding to the weird shit shards do is a thing I will applaud because the specific scenario of “twins who were touching when they triggered” is just horrifying in concept and seems that way in practice as well. I’m placing my bets for the human trafficking being so that they can try to separate themselves. Or something like that IDK. I also wanna slap Tristan on his dumb jock head because sometimes he needs to shut up (tho I feel him. I, too, talk incessantly, see this post series lol). But he gets a pass because he’s nice and makes arms <3

Chris: Breaking out my trusty spray bottle to spritz him every time he’s an antisocial prick. Not necessarily an actual character flaw, I am interested to see what’s gonna happen with this exceptionally small lad, but mmm. He’s an interesting fellow who I think would benefit from touching some grass every now and again. But progress looks different for everyone I guess!

Ashley: She also gets the spray bottle but for being an edgelord. Shadow the Hedgehog called and said tone it down. Once again, very much the Bitch-type of “I have a singular trajectory and will do what I want fuck you all” but in like, a friendship way? Idk, I know everyone loves her (and ships her with Victoria- *cough*) and I also love her, but I would also like to punch her sometimes and I think that is ok! She’s getting better! Maybe! I hope!

Rain: I can smell the little-meow-meow coming off of this guy. This man is a protagonist of another story but got shoved into Ward instead. He is scientifically crafted to be pocket-sized, and if he’s not dead or beat to shit by the end of this story I will eat a shoe. I can tell a sopping wet whipping boy when I see one lol. But in all seriousness, I know that everyone has a lot of shit going on, but Rain’s “it’s complicated” catchphrase is like “Yes, Wildbow, I know he’s your special little guy. It’s ok, you don’t have to be coy about it.” Kinda the way that Amy was in Worm tbh, Wildbow just has favorites he likes to torture sometimes and I have to respect the honesty lol. But yeah, he is genuinely interesting and has some nifty stuff going on w/ his cluster. Very intrigued that Snag is his clustermate, and how their power-exchange works. Again- cool shit!  But oh my god someone’s gonna step on him. Too small lol. 

But all that being said, I appreciated the actual group therapy going on here, and that Victoria is getting some buddies to talk stuff through with, even though this really does seem like a setup for failure. The talk about logistics triggered the “gotta schedule D&D” part of my brain and whoo boy that was some anxiety lol. But I am intrigued to see where this lil team goes and what they do in the story moving forward! Also, a very strong end to the Arc with “This is the way things are now” “...Fuck that.” Stuck that landing, let’s get some change rolling!

(Also the interlude was funky, love seeing Weld and Crystalclear again. The theocracy seems like it mayyyy be an issue tho moving forward. Maybe lol)

Final Thoughts

I think that this arc had a lot to offer, and really started to solidify the direction that Ward is gonna try to go in. I can already feel the length of the story though, that 2 arcs have felt like 6, but ya know. It’s the format! But there’s a part of my brain that really wants to go in and cull a lot of stuff that I know people love but is just like...this is so long. But other than that- I think that finally getting around to the new group is good, and I think the biggest takeaway from this arc is the diversity of Shard Shenanigans. Looking forward to that making shit go sideways lol. 

But yeah! That’s all I got, not as insightful perhaps as the last couple entries but I hope y’all like the more first-impressions type rambling. As always, would love to hear what y’all think of this arc!

Until next time- Ward out ✨

[pixiedust111]

Rapunzel into the Multiverse! (Part-8)

(continued)

Rapunzel returned to the castle with Eugene and Varian. While on the road, the three of them drew up a blueprint to make the necessary arrangements to send Rapunzel back to her universe.

*********************************************

"Uh, Lutz, could you please lead the rally to southern Corona today? I'm not feeling well... please?" Rapunzel tried to convince Prince Ludwig to leave the castle somehow.

"What happened, honey?" Rapunzel noticed genuine concern in Lutz's eyes.

"Oh, it's nothing serious, just feeling a little feverish, maybe due to the seasonal change? I think some rest could help me recover..." Rapunzel lied to Lutz. What else could she do? She couldn't exactly tell him about an alternate universe story and expect him to believe it so easily.

"Okay, darling, as you wish! Could you provide me with the agenda?" Lutz asked.

"Uh... yeah... about that, Nigel will provide everything you need. He'll be with you along with some guards," Rapunzel assured Ludwig with a fake smile.

********************************************

Ludwig left the castle at 3 after ensuring Rapunzel was resting, asking Cassandra and Faith to take care of her.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel had been trying to comprehend the situation in this 'realm'.

It seems like she never touched the black rocks here, and they never visited the Dark Kingdom. Cassandra is still here and never turned against her. She is married to a young prince named Ludwig from a kingdom named Hanover. He seems nice and has affections for her, apparently. Eugene is the captain of the guards just like in her original universe, albeit not married to her for obvious reasons. Lance is here too, almost the same. The king and the queen are almost the same, except Frederick had a heart attack, likely caused by her, and Arianna is a bit more 'active' regarding the past events.

"Okay, guys. What do we do?" Rapunzel asked eagerly, addressing Varian, Eugene, Cassandra, and Lance.

"Rapunzel needs to lie down on the bed next to Eugene and think about all the overwhelming stuff that has happened," Varian clarified.

"But, Varian, is it really necessary for me to lie next to her? What if someone finds out? I'm not worried about Lutz, though. He's never going to catch on; he's a minor compared to my intellect!" Eugene expressed his concern with a hint of brag.

"Compared to 'your' intellect," Cassandra added wryly.

"Why are you putting unnecessary emphasis on 'your'?" Eugene asked Cassandra.

"Eugene, I just want to make sure that Rapunzel has the exact same setting as when she first slipped into the alternate universe," Varian explained.

"I'm still not getting it!" Lance admitted, still puzzled about the whole situation.

"Alright, though I'm not sure if it's going to work... but at least it won't do any harm, right?" Rapunzel beckoned Eugene to join her in her bedroom.

*******************************************

"It's been a long time since I've been in this room," Eugene grinned.

"Oh... I'm so sorry, Eugene, I don't know how to..."

"It's okay, Sunshine," Eugene stopped her with an assuring look.

Rapunzel and Eugene rearranged some furniture to recreate her universe's bedroom, though Ludwig's belongings remained untouched.

"It's okay, just pretend they're mine!" Eugene suggested.

Rapunzel sighed as they both lay on her bed.

"Should I sleep?" Eugene asked.

"Uh... you can try," Rapunzel replied.

She attempted to recall all the exhausting memories from recent events.

It's difficult to believe that she's married to someone else while Eugene is still here. What about this universe's Rapunzel? Maybe she's wandering in 'her' (original Rapunzel's) universe now, enjoying her long-craved happily ever after. Would she try to return to this universe too? Probably not. Why would she? Returning would only lead to disappointment, feeling like she's lost everything again. And what about Eugene?

But what could 'she' (original Rapunzel) do? Rapunzel felt a blunt pain on the right side of her forehead.

Is the pain escalating? Concentrating on thinking is becoming challenging. Is Eugene already asleep? Rapunzel heard a soft snore and the sound of regular breathing. She struggled to fall asleep, tossing and turning...

*******************************************

"Rapunzel! Rapunzel!! Rapunzel, wake up! Are you alright?" Eugene asked anxiously, noticing Rapunzel mumbling in her sleep.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene shook her.

Rapunzel slowly opened her eyes to look at Eugene.

"Where am I?"

"Did it work? Did you find your universe?"

"No, Eugene... I... I think I saw another one!"

"What?"

"Yeah!" Rapunzel sat up.

"And... and it was horrible." Rapunzel seemed on the verge of tears.

"I suppose my mother didn't make it in that universe..." Rapunzel sniffled. "And so, I don't even exist there!"

"Oh, Sunshine, this is bad." Eugene grabbed Rapunzel's right hand.

"Yeah, and... my father married another woman and..."

"Sunshine, you don't have to tell it all... it's just an alternate universe. In every other universe, you do exist, and your mother is the queen. In your universe, you are the luckiest person," Eugene comforted Rapunzel, who was breathing rapidly.

"Rapunzel, deep breaths, maybe we can try again?" Eugene suggested.

"Yeah, you're right, I have to make it before Lutz arrives, but... Eugene, I don't know how..."

"Rapunzel, have you tried focusing on 'your' universe? If you concentrate specifically on it, it might lead you there!"

"Yes! I think I should try it. Thanks, Eugene... and in case I succeed this time... I want to bid you goodbye and... wish you a happily ever after. You deserve it." Rapunzel's voice broke.

"Thank you so much, Sunshine. I wish you shine brighter than the sun in every universe that exists! Goodbye."

Rapunzel smiled and lay back down; it was already 5 o'clock, and she had only about an hour left before Lutz arrived.

To be continued...

[crappymixtape]

T O N G U E T I E D

It had taken a lot of convincing to get Ben to where he was right now. He liked hanging out with his friends, but anything beyond his close knit group made him nervous. Especially when there were minors around, but Willa said her party was going to be low-key, "just a few friends", and Ben thought it couldn't hurt to get out of the house for a bit. However once he arrived it was painfully obvious that he and Willa had very different ideas of "just a few friends".

By eleven-thirty the small town house had progressed to standing room only and Ben was beginning to feel claustrophobic. Side-stepping a bleached blonde girl with a guy attached to her face, Ben held his beer over his head and made his way toward the slider door. Willa had told him there was a porch out back and he felt a strong need to find it. On his way over he took in the people around him. Guys groping girls, girls not caring, stoners baked on the couch bong in hand, the drunk helping the drunk to avoid puking on other drunks. Ben was all about having a good time, but this was just stupid.

He turned to pass the kitchen when a girl stumbled out into the hallway. "Oh. My. God. I'm so sorry," she giggled, "Want some help drinking that?" She'd pressed her body against his and her fingers were spidering up his chest. "Uhm, n-no, no thanks," he said, peeling her hands off of him and not bothering to help her when she slumped against the wall laughing. Porch, where the hell was the porch? He wanted so badly to get a breath of fresh air. Spilt beer and barf were assaulting his nose and his claustrophobia was only getting worse.

Finally he caught sight of it ahead of him and hurried forward, but noticed someone out of the corner of his eye. A girl. Blonde too, but she wasn't falling over, nor did she have a guy grabbing her boobs. His brows raised in question. She looked like she wanted out. Clearing his throat he leaned toward her, "H-hey. D'y-y-you want to go outside?" He had to yell over the music and it wasn't the most confident of proposals, but she looked like she was having about as much fun as he was and there weren't that many people out back. At least it didn't smell. She shrugged her shoulders, "Fuck it, why not."

He allowed her to steer them through the sea of people and once they were outside he took in a deep breath of fresh air, followed by a pull of Coors. Much better. She closed the slider door and with a click the swarm of voices were sliced in half. "Sorry, didn't mean to yank you around like that," she was swirling what was left at the bottom of her Corona bottle, the lime dully bumping against the glass. Ben palmed the knitted hat on his head and glanced down at his shoes. He kicked a cigarette butt off the side of the deck before looking up at her. "Oh, nah, th-thank you actually," he laughed a little, "It was p-pretty crowded in there."

Dammit. Why was he always such a fuck up when girls were around? Internally kicking himself he gave her a lop sided smile, "I mean, b-better now anyway. I d-d-don't do crowded places very well." He chuckled, "Are y-you okay?" Holy shit this was the most awkward conversation ever. Ben always assumed every conversation with him was the most awkward ever, but this one was pretty spectacular. He braced himself for the point in the evening when the girl made some excuse, thanked him for "being so chill", and then left without a backward glance.

She laughed for the first time that night and her smile was enough to put Ben at ease a little. "I'm fine. These parties are always a joke, but free beer right?" she finished off the rest of her Corona and tossed the bottle into a loose garbage bag. "Look, I think I'm gonna get out of here. Maybe go grab some food, d'you want to come with me?" she looked up and him, brown eyes framed in black liner and thick lashes, "I'm Mae by the way."

Ben's heart had sunk all the way down to his feet. He swallowed hard and offered an actual, genuine smile, "Y-y-yeah, that s-sounds great." She went for the fence gate and bumped it open with her hip, turning to look at him brows raised, "What's your name?" Mae held the gate for him.

For the first time in a long time he said his name aloud, no stuttering, "Ben. I'm Ben."

[arcadekitten]

I just read the new comic, and WOW. Corona may have one of the prettiest character designs that I have ever seen!! :o And I have so many questions!! Is it alright if I ask them?

1. What is the ‘star witch’ society structure like? Because I saw one of your other replies regarding Corona that said she actually doesn’t have any real authority over Stella, but because of the judgment and twisted beliefs of the other star witches. They all seem to have expectations and a shared mindset about ‘rulers’ and ‘subjects’. Can you expand on those beliefs and why they think that?

2.Really though… how powerful is Stella compared to the other star witches? I think that she’s the most powerful Noisrevian (?) so far, but how strong is the extent of her magic compared with, say, Corona?

3. Can star witches look any way they want to, or does the aptitude of their power impact their appearance? For example, Stella has a much more ‘simplistic looking’ appearance than Corona, who has a far more ‘majestic’ and ‘otherworldly’ build. This could signify their differences in power, magic, surroundings… or just a personal preference. Which one is it, exactly?

4. Why exactly is Stella seen… erm, ‘differently’ compared to the other star witches? I know it’s partially because she sees her people as ‘friends’ rather than ‘subjects’, but is there something else to it? Is it because she’s genuinely kind and caring, or because she is mostly content with the way things are, or…something else?

5. Can you elaborate more on the ‘star people’ in the story? Like… what are their motivations, culture, mindsets… and why do they settle on other planets in the first place? They’re stars, right? Why do they feel the need to settle on other planets? Is each star just like… thrown onto a random planet by some magical, celestial force and are born there, or do they grow up in like… supernovas and stardust, basically? Are they celestial deities, or mystical creatures… or something else?

6. How do Stella and Corona know each other, anyways? Were they friends whose relationship have soured, former master and pupil, one-sided besties/crush, or just straight up exes? And why does Corona seem to like and care about Stella while the latter seems to want nothing to do with her? Is she scared of Corona? Is there some ‘shared history’ there or what? It would be super interesting if there was!

7. Corona seems to be repulsed at the idea of a ‘star witch’ dating a ‘subject’. And Stella even agrees with her, albeit out of fear more than a shared mindset. Is there some sort of ‘taboo’ of the act of liking, dating, or even marrying a ‘subject?’ It doesn’t seem that star witches are banned from romantic relationships with anyone (since Corona seems to be QUITE interested in Stella…) but why is it so bad for a ‘star’ and their ‘subject’ to be with each other? Because even Stella seems to be mildly reproachful of the idea, as she frankly denied her feelings for Lambchop, saying that ‘it would be inappropriate and weird for someone of her position’ in a very stuttering and flustered tone. How else would she in such denial about her feelings for Lambchop?

…And that’s it! Thank you so much for reading my (horribly long) questions and I really hope that we can learn more about the Star Race! Once again, thank you very much for all of your wonderful games and artwork and I hope you have a great day! (Or night… idk lol) <3

Y'know what I think I'm good to do a little lore dump *rubs my devious little hands together*

I'll try to answer to the best of my ability!!

Star Witch society is a bit weird. They don't live in families(there's no parents or siblings, they all just come from stars), and there isn't any sort of "Grand Witch" that oversees things either. They're almost like solitary animals, and while they don't see each other very often--when they do, there's often always an air of passive-aggressiveness and competition. Despite being so independent, they're tethered together by society, tradition, and this almost social-competition they seem to unthinkingly participate in. (I'll get to some related stuff in another one of your questions) ===

I'd say Stella is pretty powerful. In fact, I'd even say her and Corona are on pretty equal levels. The difference between them is that Corona is more flaunting of their power whereas Stella is not. ===

I think their appearances lean more on personal preference, but also that they're not completely in control of their appearances. Like I think Corona can change size if she wishes but I don't think she could completely turn herself into someone new--at least not "naturally". ===

Believe it or not most Star Witches ARE kind and caring--to their subjects. Not so much to each other. It's like you said above, the reason that Stella is viewed so weirdly is because of how little power she has taken on her planet and because she views her "subjects" as being her "friends". (I'll expand more on this in answer 5.) ===

Star Witches are born from stars and sent to crash into planets. Star Witches goals are to take over a planet and create a utopia. It's not really known why they do this, it seems to just be in their nature. And because of this, Star Witches always seem be in an unspoken competition with one another to see who can create "the best" utopias and are often very judgemental of the way others choose to do things. Using Corona as an example (because she was essentially made to be!), Corona is your example of a classic Star Witch. They have already taken over an entire planet. They are essentially a point of religion, with churches and altars dedicated to them. The planet has an abundance of the things needed to live. Corona has personally done things like cure babies of illnesses while holding them in her own hands (before getting to work on ridding illnesses entirely.) People like Lambchop wouldn't even get the chance to exist on her planet because she'd rid of them instantly. If being a Star Witch is like playing a video game: Stella is playing Animal Crossing. Corona and other typical Star Witches are playing The Sims, Zoo/Rollercoaster Tycoon, or like...even Spore sometimes LOL. ===

It's interesting to me that many people seem to pick up on romantic subtext between Corona and Stella because it is actually quite the opposite! Corona is weirded out by Stella and finds her to be headed down a path of embarrassment and shame. When Corona teases Stella about "do you have a crush on me?" It's simply meant to be that--a tease. She's essentially bullying Stella in that moment. Corona doesn't like Stella. Corona wants Stella to conform. In fact, Star Witches hardly get into romantic relationships at all! And when they do, it's always with each other. Two Star Witches getting together is seen as a big cosmic event, and is essentially the same as getting married. I don't think there's much of a dating stage. The real reason Stella and Corona know each other is because Star Witches all kinda keep tabs on each other (though Stella herself tries to stay out of it). Stella and Corona are essentially just acquaintances--however, there is an added connection in that Corona was Stella's "batter". So, a bit of extra lore: When Star Witches land on planets, it's because another Star Witch essentially has a magical baseball bat they use to swing a star into a planet so the Star Witch can start their utopia. Corona was the person who batted the baseball that was Stella's shooting star into her(Stella's) planet. ===

The reason a Star Witch dating their "subjects" is taboo is because their subjects are not viewed as being people to them. Corona, for example, can recognize the people on her own planet as being alive, and they truly do want to make them happy and have them live peaceful and pleasant lives. But Corona doesn't view them as people equal to her. Star Witches essentially view their subjects almost as collectives. Maybe they pick and choose a few favorites every now and again but to Star Witches, their subjects are essentially video game NPCs, dolls you play pretend with, book characters, sometimes even pets(and that one's being generous), etc etc. You know when you play a tycoon game and you get notifications like "Your park guests are complaining there's not enough dining spaces!", it's a lot like that. They don't often see individuals. But Stella is different in that she views everyone in SnD as being her friend. She still might have a bit to learn about friendship, but she truly does feel as though these people are her friends and she wants to befriend them. To other Star Witches, this is really weird. It's like someone telling you that their toy is their friend in 100% sincerity, as if the toy is actually a person. Stella is aware that other Star Witches don't see things the way she does but tries not to let it get to her. (Keyword being try) She wants to enjoy the friends she has. However, despite wanting to be everyone's friend, she is still aware of the ways in which she has more power over them and for that reason finds it a step too far to get romantically involved. She's supposed to be a hero to them, she's supposed to make their lives happier, and dare she says she's supposed to be a friend to them! But she's not supposed to date them. Even if deep down she wants to, she knows she's not supposed to. It's TOO selfish, and that's not what heroes are supposed to be like, right? And on top of that, she knows how it would make other Star Witches view her. Stella wouldn't find it gross for herself, because she sees someone like Lambchop as being her friend. She doesn't see them as different from each other. But other Star Witches consider them to be worlds apart, and for that reason find it gross and shameful. If they view her as a bit strange and dare I say "cringe" now, they might completely outcast her if they found out she was to be romantically engaging with a subject. And while Stella tries not to let it get to her...again, the keyword is try. === WOOOO that was a lot!! But I hope it answered any questions you might have (as well as some others in my inbox LOL) and I hope I got everything! Sorry for the long read, but thanks for being invested in my silly little guys!!

[sky-fire-forever]

8, 18, 32 for oc asks, for whichever oc you've been thinking abt most recently! :)

I'm gonna do this for both Hansel and Gretel because I love talking about both of them.

8. What's something that will always make them smile?

For Hansel, because he's an absolute dork (affectionate) it's seeing his friends get passionate about something. Once Varian starts rambling about elements and alchemy, it's clear there's so much passion in his voice and Hansel melts a bit.

Or when Hugo goes on a rant about inequality and injustice and about how what he does is okay because those rich bastards deserve to be taken down a peg, Hansel can feel his real investment in the topic and goes all heart eyes at him.

Or when Nuru starts talking about star charts and constellations, always knowing so much and caring so much, pointing out misconceptions others have or used to have about how the universe works, Hansel can tell how much she cares and he loves listening.

Or Yong talking about his newest explosives or fun times he's had with friends, getting excited about sharing stories about joy and Hansel grins and stims a bit at seeing him so happy.

Hansel is just a real sucker for when people he loves are passionate about stuff. He can't help but smile even when it's not a particularly happy subject. He just likes seeing the way they light up.

For Gretel, it's being complimented on a job well done. Compliments make her smile, but only if she genuinely believes she deserves them. If it's a generic compliment like "oh, you look nice today" or something, she can't help but to doubt the sincerity. But if it's something like "you did a great job baking that cake" or "wow, you fixed that thing wonderfully", she can't help smiling.

It's the same with very specific compliments too. Like if someone said "your eyes are such a lovely shade of green, it reminds me of nature" or "you have a lovely smile", that would fluster her and make her smile too. It just has to be a compliment that she believes.

18. What did they want to be when they grew up?

Honestly? Neither of them really thought about it as a kid. They were two children of a family of woodcutters and kinda just expected to be woodcutters too, but they never gave it much real thought because they never considered other options. And once they left their family, they were way more focused on basic survival to think about dream jobs or anything. It isn't until after they meet their friends and finish the trials that they have time to think about it.

They both start working at Monty's sweet shop in Corona and I honestly think if they ended up doing that forever, they'd be happy with that. Especially Gretel. I think Gretel actually surprises herself when it comes to how much she likes making people happy, as that's not something she really tried to do before. But seeing kids get so excited over candy or being able to make personalized sweets for events... it genuinely makes her really happy.

Hansel also wouldn't mind working at the sweet shop forever, but I think when he dares to dream of other things, he imagines himself being someone important. He wishes he could be some sort of scientist or magician or something, mostly so he could be at the same level as his friends, but he doesn't understand that stuff at all, so he knows it's just a dream. He misses adventuring, so he'd love to do that too, but he never would without his friends.

Sometimes he worries that he's not good enough at anything at all. But I think an achievable dream career for him would be, like, zookeeper. Or someone who helps animals in some way. I think that'd be good for him and it'd be something he absolutely adores considering how he's always loved animals and is very good with them.

32. What's the most valuable thing in their possession?

Emotionally or in terms of wealth? Or well, I guess the answer would be the same.

The answer is a robotic possum named Crumb. Hugo made her for Hansel because he knew Hansel gets lonely frequently and that he loves possums. It was a really thoughtful gift and Hansel had never been given such a meaningful gift before.

Crumb means a lot to Hansel and he absolutely adores her. She's his world and he still gets emotional over how someone cared enough about him and thought enough about him to make her for him. That's extremely meaningful to him.

Gretel also cares about Crumb, but to a considerably lesser extent. Crumb wasn't made for her.

Her most valuable possession is probably a bracelet Nuru gave her. It's a simple thing, with beads shaped like stars. It isn't particularly fancy or valuable in terms of monetary value, but it means a lot to Gretel because Nuru gave it to her, just like Crumb means so much to Hansel because it was a gift from Hugo.

Nuru gave her the bracelet just because Gretel once admitted to her that she's never felt like she could explore her gender presentation at all. Gretel knows she's a woman, but hasn't been able to really explore what that means to her because she's always been too focused on survival and keeping herself and Hansel safe. Her presentation is built more on practicality than any actual thought.

During this conversation, she mentioned envying Nuru for being able to explore her gender and her presentation. (Trans demigirl Nuru rights) and she said she really loves Nuru's style.

So Nuru gave her the bracelet just because Gretel had never worn accessories before and had never really allowed herself anything so frivolous. It was a really powerful moment for their friendship and the bracelet is something Gretel really treasures.

[the-writers-wrench]

I posted 573 times in 2022

That's 17 more posts than 2021!

13 posts created (2%)

560 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@irishironclad

@tiny-dragons-tea-room

@supreme-leader-stoat

@she-is-amused

I tagged 208 of my posts in 2022

#writing advice - 35 posts

#writing refs - 23 posts

#sd - 17 posts

#tmatow - 11 posts

#characterization - 8 posts

#lotr - 5 posts

#writing - 3 posts

#heehee - 3 posts

#but good - 2 posts

#huh - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 133 characters

#that might be causing me problems now but i wouldn't be in a position to have those problems as a writer if it weren't for fanfiction

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Thinking about editing (while transcribing from paper to word doc): Ugh, this is the worst. I hate reading back over my stuff

Actually editing: I think I might've been hyping this up

0 notes - Posted March 14, 2022

#4

I just used character names in my Pathfinder Campaign as NPCs. Now to see if anyone actually reads the chapters I send out.

0 notes - Posted February 2, 2022

#3

Me, starting Harry Turtledove's Southern Victory series: Oh neat what an interesting take on how the Great War might've gone differently

Me, six books in: Okay so this was basically the Great War and interwar if it was also fought on the American continent. The CSA is now Nazi Germany and about to pull a fast one on the "Totally not the French" USA

3 notes - Posted August 23, 2022

#2

You have a typewriter? Lemme see it and also where do I get one I want one it’s the only weird writing shit I don’t have.

I have two actually! First one I got was a 1969 Smith Corona Super Sterling. Named him Wesley Smith O' Rona for reminding me of Smith and Wesson and being a Corona in the Corona pandemic (it might be weird to name typewriters, but IDK). Interesting feature is that the top part slides forward instead of hinging up like most typewriters.

The second one I got was a Royal Quiet De Luxe from (I think, based on serial numbers) 1951. She is named Reine Ginny De Luxe Tranquil for being a Royal Quiet I got in Virginia. She is from the era when typewriters didn't have a 1 key, and instead used a lowercase L to denote 1s. That's why many older fonts have 1s and Ls look very similar. Of the two, she is in a bit better material condition and the one I use the most. Fun fact, apparently Ian Flemming and Ernest Hemingway both used them extensively. Flemming even bought a gold plated one as a reward for finishing Casino Royale and wrote the rest of the James Bond stories on it.

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14 notes - Posted May 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Forget Dante’s Inferno, C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” is the Christian fan fiction we should base our public interpretation of hell on.

One of the things that draws me most to it I think is how insidious screwtape is. You pick up early on that he’s a demon writing to another younger demon, but the way he writes seems like he genuinely cares about his nephew wormwood and his client. Kind of like how sin is starting out. Gentle and welcoming, enticing you with the good side. It’s not until wormwood begins to fail or stumble repeatedly that screwtape’s letters turn more nasty and mean. IRL with sin, that’s when after it’s got hooks into you and you begin to chafe against it. It’s not until the end that we see the true nature of screwtape and wormwood’s relationship. Rather than the familial (if increasingly frustrated) relationship portrayed, the only thing wormwood truly means to screwtape is the ticket to another meal. We get hints of this throughout the book, but I think the final letter really hits it home. One way or another, screwtape is getting a meal. And as much as a small part of me wanted wormwood’s blunders to be part of a realization of God’s grace and the beginning of a redemption arc, I also knew that if the roles were reversed the end result would be the same. The reversal of the meanings of “My dear Wormwood” and “Your affectionate uncle” sent chills down my spine.

Another thing that stood out to me was screwtape’s opinion of “the enemy”. Most of the content of his letters alternate between offering suggestions for wormwood to tempt his patient (more than a few had me going introspective to my own actions) and railing against God. None of the demons seem to understand why God does what he does, because they seem incapable of understanding who he is. All they see is someone standing in between them and a feast of souls. Therefor, he must be the bad guy, and they must win in the end because humans are dumb cattle and he’s the bad guy.

The last bit, a later addition where screwtape proposes a toast to the graduating class of the demon college, is more political than the first book, but something that could’ve been written yesterday. Screwtape had talked about social issues previously, but this was a cranking up of the dial. Everything from how we’re being turned more adversarial against fellow man, how equality of outcome is being turned into the definition of democracy, these are issues we’re facing to this day. I had to check when C.S. Lewis wrote this and when he died, just to be sure he hadn’t somehow survived into the 21st century. Perhaps it’s more political than the previous letters and makes a bit of a jarring transition, but considering 20 years passed between the original book and the toast, and the fact they weren’t originally meant to be bundled together, I’m willing to give it a pass. That, and the fact we were dealing with the same issues 60 years ago is strangely comforting. Nothing new is under the sun. It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.

32 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

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[incorrect-house-of-nine]

God, when you think about it, Harrowhark Nonagesimus is a very loved person. Just by being her brilliant gremlin self.

The Fourth are in awe and bravely willing to risk damning their eternal souls out of fidelity.  The Seventh, though never met, come in clutch because of kindness shown in lieu, and avenging them in their absence. The Fifth, parental guidance and protection given. Marta, again, vengeance delivered Ortus. His whole ass deal.

None of them had to come when they were called, but they did. The Sixth are so kind an patient with her, whilst treating her with nothing but respect and looking after her with such tender loving care.

The Third, the way Corona handles Nona/Harrow's body (though she says, she knows what Nona is, even if the others don't.) Ianthe, for all her bluster, seems genuinely willing to risk everything and perhaps burn the world in the process. Gideon -- the whole point of me is you. My very existence hurts without you. Pyrrha: trying to give Nona/Harrow some sort of childhood knowing full well she never received it on the Ninth.  (On arrival on the Ninth. She wasn't talking about Nona here.)

*Do you think she's ever had any presents? ///// This place was always grim, even back when Ana first started it and its only gotten worse: *paraphrasing*  Even Crux calling her his girlchild. And she referring to him as her nurse maid. How he spoon fed her when she was so mentally unwell she couldn't feed herself. AND THEN THERE’S GIDEON: Pyrrha: though rebuffed, trying to be a parent, proving that its never too late to start. Possibly even heart sore that she never got to raise this kid, guilty that Wake's kid had to grow up thinking there was no-one out there that would love them. Aiglamene willing to throw all propriety and decorum out the window, station be damned, willing to commit insubordination and to tear her lady a new one and black her eyes because she failed to protect Gideon. THE FUCKING FACE TOUCH!!!!!! Corona's tenderness with Gideon's body. The loving touches. Cam and Pal's patience and kindness/understanding, even in the face of Gideon being a massive dick. Paul's continued trust/understanding. (though Kiriona is being an asshole) *"Ninth, where have I seen this before? I can’t piece together my memories."* Ianthe: *Yo bestie! Crafting time!"* Jeannemary. *"Tell Gideon I said hello!"*

Harrow: sacrificing the most important thing to her, her brain, her intellect, in order to give Gideon a life she was owed. To return that which the Ninth tried to take from her time and time again. Because she loves her, cherishes her so fucking dearly. With this series: 

Addition. Also finding out that Gideon Prime actually really liked Harrow makes John's orders to assassinate her all the more painful. (Pyrrha says it somewhere.)

"I find the responsibility a hard one to bare." hits so fucking differently after the admission by Pyrrha. (If reblogging, please use #nona the ninth and #nona the ninth spoilers. Cheers and thankyou.)

[kaminocasey]

Hovering

Summary: You get shot and Crosshair doesn't leave your side.

Pairing: Crosshair x f!Reader

Warnings: Blaster wound (non life threatening)

WC: 500

A/N: Y'all got me soft for Cross. This has been sitting in the drafts for a bit.

The blaster shot genuinely startled you. You weren’t expecting it. You thought you’d cleared all the clankers around you. The blast hits the left side of your abdomen and you go down immediately. 

You hear your name being shouted by every Batcher. They were clearly all immediately concerned. Crosshair reaches you first, though, shooting the last clanker.

“Hey, how about that shitty dodging?” Crosshair teases you, checking out the wound. 

“I know.” You cough a laugh, gasping in pain.

“Don’t laugh.” You can hear him practically smirking.

“Don’t make me laugh, then.” You try to smile through the pain up at him.

“How many times a day do you say ‘That’s not funny, Crosshair’?” He chuckles, obviously trying to keep the mood light.

You appreciate it. You know you’re not going to die, but the discomfort is definitely real.

Unable to help it, you laugh again and wince in pain again. “Ugh.” 

Crosshair shakes his head, clearly amused but you don’t miss the way that he’s crouching over you, trying to protect you from any hidden droids, waiting for reinforcement. 

“I’ve got ya!” Wrecker shouts, starting to gently pick you up. 

“I’m alright.” You tell Hunter as he approaches.

“Not looking so hot right now.” He shakes his head.

“Are you insinuating that you think I look hot at other times?” You tease him.

“Glad to see your humor is still intact.” Echo chuckles.

“I’m here.” Tech’s voice fills your ears from the Marauder.

Wrecker starts walking quickly toward the Marauder with you cradled in his arms. You’re trying to focus on something other than the embarrassment you’re feeling. You’ve never been shot before. You’re typically very stealthy and careful.

When you finally reach the ship, Wrecker lays you down on the bottom bunk. Tech allows Echo and Wrecker to fly so that he can come check you out.

“Is she going to be okay?” Crosshair asks Tech before Tech can even kneel down. 

Tech gives him an annoyed look and Crosshair takes off his helmet, sits it up on his bunk and then moves out of the way, still slightly hovering. He doesn’t take his eyes off you.

“Give it to me straight, doc.” You tease.

Tech smirks. “I think it’s a clean wound. Definitely missed all the important parts. Looks almost like it just hit the flesh. You’re definitely going to live.” 

He helps you sit up so that he can patch it up and gives you a shot for the pain. You notice Crosshair offering support by holding you up. You look up at him, giving him a grateful look.

“Get some rest.” Tech pats your knee and stands to go take over for Wrecker. 

Crosshair helps you lie back on Hunter’s bunk and sits on the edge of Echo’s bunk across from you.

“That was… a close one.” Crosshair tells you. “Glad you’re alright.”

“Why? Would you miss me if something really happened to me?” You grin over at him.

He rolls his eyes and leans back against the wall, crossing his arms. You fall asleep that way, staring at each other. 

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