#but I also didn't want to write a whole darn book

[jessi4fanfics]

| This was for Broppy Week, Day 1. This is also in my Broppy Oneshots book. We were supposed to write one where Branch and Poppy do some kind of activity during one of the seasons! Thanks for inspiration @/MoonGirlFan12 😘 This one is winter-themed! |

Branch and Viva gabbed excitedly as they and Poppy walked toward the Troll Pond. Every year the small pond is just frozen enough to skate over. Every year that  Branch had his colors, he had asked Poppy to go skating.

She had always said that she was too busy or maybe get could later that week, and then never mentioned it again. Branch wasn't suspicious or anything, she was busy. But he was always disappointed.

But this year, the whole of BroZone had planned it. Branch and his brothers had grown up skating every year with their grandma, laughing and drinking hot cocoa together, and all of them were excited to start the tradition again. Viva never skated every year, but the few times she did she loved it, so she was just as excited about it as the brothers were.

When Viva and Branch had come to pick Poppy up in her new skating gear, Poppy looked a bit stressed. They had both asked her what was the matter.

 "Nothing, just tired, that's all." She had given a small shrug. 

But that wasn't what was bothering her. Poppy had never ice skated before. She was afraid of the ice. She didn't trust the experts that walked all over the ice, or the naive trollings that skated all over it every year as well.

Poppy had actually considered banning ice skating one year, but decided against it. She couldn't let people know about how terrified she was of it. They would just make fun of her. She was the supposedly fearless queen that could do just about anything.

Except ice skate. Darn it, why couldn't she just get over it?

Branch and Viva were talking excitedly about the old tricks they used to do on the ice. Branch was pretty experienced, skating even during his gray years (when no one was watching, of course), and Viva, being herself, just threw herself on the ice and attempted all tricks, experienced and taught or not.

They talked about their goals, their sucesses, and their fails.

All Poppy heard from behind them was their fails. The bruises and almost sprains they had gotten from small mistakes on the ice.

She gave a shiver.

Branch noticed it. "Poppy, are you cold? Do you need my jacket?"

Though she shook her head at him, not wanting him jacket-less, he still pulled it off and wrapped it around her and over her own jacket. She gave him a grateful smile.

 "Thanks, Branch."

 He frowned a bit. "Are you alright, Poppy? You have been pretty quiet since we started towards the pond. Need to talk about something?"

 "Yeah, Branch is right," Viva agreed. "You've been super quiet."

 Poppy looked at the two people she loved the most, then stared at the floor, flushing. "No, I'm good."

 "Ohhhh-kayyy." It was obvious Branch didn't believe her.

Didn't matter. As long as he didn't know how weak she felt and was.

~~~

They got there quicker than Poppy liked. John Dory, Floyd, and Clay all skated over to them, already on the pond and in their jackets and snowpants.

 "Hay, Branch!!" John Dory called. 

 "Hiii, Viva!" Clay greeted.

 "Hello, guys!" Floyd sang happily.

 They all skidded to a stop on the edge of the pond.

 "Bruce told us to tell you that he's coming soon, he's just finishing things at the restaurant really quickly," John Dory told them.

"Okay, great! Give us a sec and we will get out things on!" Branch and Viva sat down on a bench nearby and started putting on their skates. Noticing Poppy not moving, he patted the spot next to him, gesturing for her to sit with him and change into her shoes. "How's the ice?"

Poppy sighed and say next to him, putting on her shoes.

What excuse could she come up with to not do this?

"It's so great, Branch! I am already getting fun flashbacks!" Clay said happily. "Remember the time when it snowed and we were skating and I dumped a bucket of snow down JD's pants?!!"

 He and Floyd began to die from laughter while John Dory frowned. "That wasn't funny. I had a fever for a week after that."

 Clay didn't stop laughing. 

Suddenly, Viva stood up. "All ready!!" She slowly stepped towards them, then got into the ice.

She slid a few times, then steadied herself with Clay, grabbing his hands. 

"Here, I can pull it you around!" Clay suggested eagerly. "Hold on!!" He began to drag her around the pond, her happy squeals being heard for about a mile.

"Okay, I'm ready too!" Branch stood up. "Poppy, are you--? " he stopped, surprised to see that she had only gotten one shoe on, and it wasn't even tied.

"I- uhh, just remembered something, Branch!" Poppy said , stammering. "Uhhh...the hot dog stand- down the street- needs some more um hot dog fryer people, so I think I'm going to do that, just to help them, you know, and you guys can have fun!" She began to take off the one shoe she had on.

Branch turned to his older brothers, who both looked at each other and shrugged. 

"Uh, you guys can go on. We will join you in a minute."

Floyd and John Dory nodded and skated towards where Viva was being pulled from her feet by Clay and she was screaming-laughing like crazy.

Branch turned to Poppy before she could leave for the hot dog stand. He gripped her arm.

"Okay. What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Poppy plastered a smile on her face.

"Poppy, you've always managed to avoid skating with me, and I always thought that was a coincidence, but now I'm not so sure. " He gave her arm a quick caress. "Are you...purposefully trying not to skate?"

"Pfft. Noooo, how silly-"

Branch raised an eyebrow.

Poppy flushed again. She bit her lip. "Alright. I'll tell you."

"Good. Go on." 

"I...I'm afraid to ice-skate."

"What do you mean you're afraid? You've done it before, right?"

"No." The response was quiet and shameful.

"Wow. Really?" Branch gave a scoff. "Oh, Poppy, that can't be you're only problem. Is that really it?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry, that's simple!" Branch waved a hand carelessly. "I can teach you."

Poppy's breath hitched and her heart began to beat. "No, I-I don't think... " She backed up.

 "It's alright! I will be right with you! I promise!" He sat down on the bench. "Just put on your shoes."

She sat down slowly and began to tie her shoes on. Then she stood up.

 "Here. Grab my hands," Branch suggested. He held out his hands.

Shivering again from both the weather and the fear, she took them, unsure.

She was surprised how warm his hands were.

 "Here we go!" Branch took her onto the ice.

Poppy's eyes squeezed shut. Please don't die, please don't...

He gently pulled her around and Poppy opened her eyes briefly.

She was still alive. It was really crazy. She looked down at the ice, wondering how thin it was. It was just frozen over, it wouldn't last long, they should get off before it became dangerous--

She gripped his fingers tighter.

 "Hey."

 Her eyes snapped to him.

 "Focus on me. If you can't look at the ice, look at me."

 That wasn't hard. She sighed from a bit of relief and looked at him. His blue eyes sparkling with gentleness, his smile, teasing but loving, his cute blue nose.

 "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Okay." Actually, she was beginning to enjoy it a bit. She wobbled and teetered a lot, but Branch was there to catch her and smile whenever she fell.

A lot like in other times, she thought, smiling. 

Branch's smile got bigger once he saw her small one. "Ready to let go a bit?"

No, no, no--

Before she answered, he dropped one hand and her balance completely failed. She dropped forward, shrieking and faceplanting into the ice. 

 "Poppy!! Poppy!! Are you okay?!!!" He quickly grabbed both of her hands and pulled her back up. "Honey?!! Are you--?" He broke down at the sight of Poppy's scarred face, her eyes filling with tears.

"Please don't cry, honey! You know I hate it when you cry!!" Branch pleaded. He swiped at her eyes, wiping the tears.

Poppy gasped out, "I want to get off the ice, Branch. I hate it!"

Branch wasn't ready to give up yet. "Poppy, I know you will enjoy this if you just try! Come on, let's give it another shot."

That was the last thing Poppy wanted to do, but she was pulled forward anyway and instead of Branch guiding her while skating backwards, he put her forwards in front of him, his right arm wrapped around her to grab her right hand, the other wrapped behind her to grab her left one.

Basically she was wrapped in a secure hug.

Poppy sniffled. She could possibly skate like this. It wasn't...so bad.

Branch kissed the side of her neck and whispered into her ear, "Here. You're in front and I'll guide you from behind. How is that?"

 "Please don't let go, Branch, " was all she said, not wanting to fall again. And not wanting his warm embrace to drop from around her either, though she would never tell him that for a million years.

She could hear the smile in his voice. "I won't let go. Not this time or ever again, if that's what you want."

He was talking about them skating-- but at the same time, not really. She caught the meaning behind his soft words and smiled.

"I would like that. As long as you're here to guide me." And she turned her head towards him quickly, pecked his nose, and they began to skate

Needless to say, Poppy learns to love skating lol 💕💅

[carlos-in-glasses]

The Notorious C-I-G

💌 🍄 📚 🏜️ 🐝 (you don’t have to answer this one if you don’t want, I already know it’s me 🤭)

Lemon...right?

💌 ⇢ how many unread emails do you have right now?

Darn you for making me look! 248!

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

Answered this one here and here but here is another: After Andrea met TK and really started opening up her heart and mind to Carlos being gay and in love with another man, she began seeking out queer art, books, shows, so she could learn more about the community her son is a part of. Carlos recommends and lends her things! I touch on this in my fic Wrestling Angels.

📚 ⇢ what’s the last thing you wrote down in your notes app?

I didn't have to say anything. He knew I was shaking.

🏜️ ⇢ what’s your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

I love it when an aspect or overall theme leads a reader to discuss something and it gets a bit more personal and chatty. Fire Island and Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines led to comments in which people shared their memories and feelings about the AIDS crisis and about 9/11 respectively. I guess it makes it seem like the fic has a bit more 'social impact' in a way. It's quite amazing when that happens.

🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

Haha @lemonlyman-dotcom... right? You have been so supportive and friendly from the beginning - the beginning being pre-tumblr when you were leaving such lovely comments on my fics. When I saw you'd set up your tumblr I was so happy to be able to interact with you on here too. And now look!

And @thisbuildinghasfeelings - you were one of the first people I spoke to on here and your kindness and enthusiasm not just towards my writing is just incredible and I feel very lucky you're here.

@heartstringsduet your comment on Afterglow of a Supernova basically changed my life in that it made me instantly more confident in my writing, like it represented a turning point in how I felt about it, and you've always been in my corner. And you've made art for my fics???!!!

@goodways you have been so lovely about my fics I feel like I can never thank you enough and your comments always make me laugh and make me think. Your feedback always means the world to me.

@herefortarlos your enthusiasm for my fics, all fics and this fandom is a thing of beauty and so inspiring.

@welcometololaland you were one of the first people to ever tag me in anything and I remember it vividly because I couldn't believe it haha. Your comments are always so hilarious and make me feel like I've done something right, and without you I wouldn't have written I Was Thinking About Your Mouth, so I am forever grateful for that and for you being such a good sounding board when I complain about work!

@cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut mate, you are divine and the fact that you spend any time beta'ing my fics when they are still kinda hot messes is wild to me. Thank you as well for your kindness and generosity!

@im-overstimulated-and-im-sad you are a delight and your comments are like a balm to my soul!

@reyesstrand Also from really early on you were leaving such encouraging comments on my fics and including me in WIP tags and things and I'm so grateful and forever awestruck.

@paperstorm I always cherish in particular how incredible you were about Fire Island (and When Soulmates Swim recently!), and how you helped so much in my hour of need when the whole scary situation around Afterglow of a Supernova happened. Thank you!

There are other people too of course but I worry I'm banging on a bit too much like I'm at the Oscars and the music is going to play over me talking so I just want to wrap up by saying thank you to everyone who has read my fics and commented and left kudos - I've said it before and I'll say it again, it really does blow me away that you're giving your precious free time to my stories in that way.

[justaduckarts]

For Star Holder, I have a question.

I am rather interested in the parents in Star Holder. May I ask for some acts about them (You can exclude Obscura if you want, I understand she already has some fact about her on this blog.)

(dw obscura, i still love you)

Hello!

Let's list the parents! <3

Solaris and Obscura (Sun and Eclipse's dad and mom)

Solaris facts can be found here! I did these a while back.

And here are Obscura's, for those who missed that post!

Terra and Ursa (Pluto's dad and mom)

-Terra, baby Pluto (10), and his wife Ursa <3

Terra is the previous forge god and a rather notable greater god.

-Though, he's quite antisocial and prefers to show his care through the things he makes.

-He specialized in jewelry, rather than weapons. Pluto chose weaponry as her focus because she wanted to know all her friends were safe. Whereas Terra believed his friends capable of handling all situations without use of deadly force.

-Ursa was a minor goddess of the springtime.

-She was very focused on the growth of plants and flowers.

-Ursa fell for Terra almost immediately. She loved his big himbo energy. <3

-Ursa did push Pluto to socialize, but only because she knew how bad Terra struggled with his own social anxieties.

-Terra and Ursa made the decision to create Pluto, rather than have her the way humans do. They did this by planting a seed under the star's light and coming back everyday to bless the seed for YEARS.

-Thanks to their dedication, Pluto was born very strong. They say she split the earth all by herself when she emerged!

-Even though Terra was a mountain of a man, he was quite gentle! His familiar was a little squirrel that he tried to rescue but ultimately didn't make it.

-Ursa took an owl as her familiar! A wise and noble creature that had a grudge against Terra's squirrel to the bitter end.

Luna (Moon's mom)

-Luna and Moon (age 13)

-The previous moon goddess!

-Was really well known for her passion for academics and magic.

-Also had a cat for her familiar named Twilight!

-Luna was the kind of woman everyone wants to be (or be with). She was confident, social, and overall very sweet. There were very few people who could say anything bad about her.

-She was also pretty darn sassy

-And while she was known for her kindness, she held a quiet distaste for Solaris her whole life.

-Much like Terra, Luna chose to have Moon the way greater gods traditionally do! She grew him in a fish tank that she kept where it could receive the moon's light each night. <3

-When Moon came out and said he wanted to transition, Luna was fiercely supportive and protective of her son.

-Luna always believed Pluto and Eclipse would end up getting married and was quite shocked when she learned that wasn't the case

-Luna was good friends with Elusia! They often met to talk and enjoy tea together. She encouraged him to start writing after he lost his wife as a way to express his grief.

-She's a lesbian. Just. So very soft for women. (Looking at you, Obscura)

-After Obscura married Solaris, Luna resolved to focus on her studies instead of romance. Thus, she never married.

-Luna loved to collect cursed and rare magic items. She was very interested in lifting curses as a hobby.

-The one item she never could purify was this creepy old book about a rabbit king. :)

Shafaer vi Welunna Thurkear and Elaine (Lunar's dad and mom)

-(Left to right) Erid (13), Lunar (10), Welunna, Nana (8), Elaine, and Clyde (11)

-"Shafaer vi Welunna Thurkear" translates to 'on a moonless night'. His name literally means New Moon. Though, most just called him Welunna, as he lived in an area where draconic was common.

-A god of lies and deals, a trickster! Much like his son.

-Elaine was a human woman whom Welunna loved dearly. She moved to the village Lunar grew up in in order to learn medicine from the dragons <3

-Elaine and Welunna had three children the way humans do. (Lunar's siblings)

-Welunna created Lunar the way other gods are created <3 Elaine wasn't able to help with magic, but she would bring new herbs to the spot Lunar was planted every day and prey for him to grow up strong

-When Lunar was born with four arms, Welunna was so proud, he wept

-Welunna loved to tell stories to the local children and often put on little plays using his gift of illusion. Elaine helped do the voices!

-When Elaine passed on, Welunna focused more of his time on working to ensure all of his children and grandchildren would have a stable future.

-Elaine lived a very long, happy life.

-When Lunar introduced Welunna to Aya, Welunna first words were "I knew you'd choose someone gentle".

-Welunna loved his family. But he refused to tell them anything about his own parents until he was on his deathbed.

-When Welunna passed, his final words to his children were "Don't hold onto hate". This was because he didn't want any of them to end up like his mother had.

-Welunna and Elaine were very well-loved members of their community. When Welunna died, the dragons gathered to give him a farewell ceremony.

[cloud-somersault]

Hey, how are you doing? I hope you’re alright. 💕 I’ve been reading your status updates on Constellations and the Epilogue, and I just wanted to let you know that I think you’re amazing. Your writing is incredible and I love it. Your stories are so well thought out and the characters are ✨on point✨, and the plot is complex and detailed and aaahhh! It has me hooked! 🤩

And I understand how it hurts when you put so much effort and love into a story, only to post it and not see others be anywhere near as excited or invested as you are. I know how discouraging it can be. And it may be a little silly, but I do want to apologize for not commenting lately—life took some difficult turns for me healthwise around the end of last year and I haven’t been able to catch up! I’m still on Chapter 4 of Constellations! �� BUT Chapter 5 is open on my phone, and I am READY to read it as soon as I have the time (and mental energy, but that’s a whole ‘nother issue 😩). Don’t worry that your writing isn’t enough, or be discouraged if some readers don’t catch hints while others are figuring it all out seemingly too easily. Everybody reads and comprehends stuff differently, and it’s not a sign that your writing is bad if they don’t catch it! Honestly, I’m pretty bad at catching hints the first time I read a story unless they’re pretty darn obvious. I don’t usually notice subtle hints until the second, or third, or even seventh read-through, haha! (on the bright side, rereading stories and rewatching TV shows is always fun!) 😅

I guess what I really wanted to say is… don’t give up hope. Don’t lose your love and enthusiasm for your works, or feel like they aren’t worth writing because others don’t seem interested in them. At the heart of it all… at the end of the day… write because you love to. Because it makes you happy. And know that it doesn’t have to be “perfect”—the main goal should be that you enjoy it. That’s something I’m trying to teach myself, too. 💕

Thank you for taking the time to write this message and send it. I appreciate you're very kind words 💕I'm doing okay, I just had to take a step back for a bit from socials and stuff. I'm gonna keep that up for a while.

Please don't apologize for not commenting or taking your time reading. Your health always comes first, and I'm sorry if I came off as childish or needy, that wasn't my intention. Two things just happened that set me off and the timing of it was incredibly poor 😓

Please take your time reading; none of it is going anywhere, and don't feel obligated to leave comments either. i'm realizing that, even if chapters are short or long, finding the time to finish things is difficult, and everyone lives different lives. And I'm sorry about all the spoilers on this blog, I'll tag that better from now on.

But I really do think I got confused or disjointed in my perceptions; everyone here knows so much because i've been asked questions and given answers and people have interacted, so people following me here have more context than the average ao3 user. But I've kinda been expecting everyone to be on the same page, which will never be true.

I'm also the same way where it takes me a while to pick up on hints. I actually changed my writing style to prevent this. I got tired of reading books in college where you had to dive into every little thing. the hints and clues weren't obvious to me. I decided then that, when I wrote, I wanted things to be bold, obvious, but beautiful. I didn't want to make readers feel like they're missing something. I wanted them to trust that every answer, every clue would be answered in time. I made that promise to myself a decade ago, and being reminded of how different people interpret things just...made me remember.

I take writing really seriously, probably too seriously, but I've been doing it for so long and I love doing it. I want to be good at it. When it feels like I've gone back on that promise to myself, I get frustrated. I think of ways I could've fixed things. But I also remember that those books and those writing styles just weren't for me. I wasn't the target audience.

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I wanted to explain why I got upset. I still love Constellations and I'm posting it on ao3 out of convenience, really. It's easier to reference and search there in one "Entire Work" than to have 5 documents open. The fact that others can see and read and have fun is a bonus. But I'm committed to telling this story, and I'm gonna finish with a bang.

Thank you, I won't forget why I'm doing this and that my thoughts/feelings come first! 😤I hope your health concerns are taken care of soon. Take it easy, and thanks again! 💕

[mywingsareonwheels]

It's funny how much interpretations can vary. I saw another post where someone felt Lewis was too soft on Thursday by showing us what happened and therefore making us know that how it played out wasn't quite as bad as what Morse was probably imagining.

Although I disagree with you re: Thursday, I sympathize with the mixed feelings. I think there's a few factors with Endeavour which will influence how you feel about it. There's people who will know Morse through the books, people who know him from Inspector Morse, and then fans like me who were introduced to him as the young man in Endeavour. Fans of each of these versions seem to have wanted different things, and I reckon the problem Lewis ran into was trying to make everybody happy.

Like me for instance, I honestly feel he would've been better off pretending Inspector Morse didn't exist because then he wouldn't have been limited to twisting the story towards it and could take Morse and the other characters in a more organic direction. Endeavour might be a prequel, but it was made in such a different era of television, and I think it's ok for it to do something new. However, fans of Inspector Morse hoping to see how he became his older self would be disappointed if he did that. While watching the series I read old reviews from when each season aired and was surprised by the number of people impatient for the Thursday plotline to end to make way for McNutt. Then you have someone like Shaun Evans who read the books but didn't see the show, and that's perhaps why his interpretation of Morse and his future was darker.

At the same time that openness of how the character can be perceived is part of the joy and does allow you to get more out of what the ending means.

I actually really liked what they did with Thursday and how they connected it to Big Pete because I felt it went along with the recurring theme throughout the series that no matter how much these characters want to do good, as policemen they are still part of a messed up system causing harm, and they're not immune to protecting their own over doing what's right for the public they serve. That includes Morse. The whole tragedy of Big Pete and Blenheim Vale is an indictment of the police and remains so.

My takeaway regarding the Morse/Thursday ending is that it wasn't so much about Thursday being a bad person and Morse regretting the relationship because of it, as it was him being confronted with the reality that he had put him on a pedestal. He needed to let go of his naivety. I don't agree with the above point that Lewis was too soft on Thursday, but I do find it interesting that there is a distinction between Morse's perspective and ours. We saw parts of Thursday he didn't and we saw parts of Morse which Thursday didn't. They never truly knew each other because of being suppressed 20th century British men, and maybe that's the real tragedy of Endeavour.

Nonetheless, Morse still credits him with being the best mentor and loves him enough to protect him and his family. I think that's why he ultimately feels he has to close himself up. Because getting too close to the Thursdays put him in a position where he had to compromise his principles and couldn't get justice for Jakes, Big Pete, and the others. THAT'S what really hurt him imo. I also feel like the connection to Inspector Morse can work in that IM is him opening himself back up and Lewis bringing back a side of him which had been missing. I like the idea of Morse being a character constantly learning and changing.

Sorry, I didn't mean for this to turn into a whole essay. lmao

Hee, never apologies for writing a thoughtful essay about "Endeavour". :D

And yeah, as you say you and I don't fully agree about the show (esp. Thursday) but I found your thoughts so interesting and I really enjoyed reading them! Thank you. :)

Also that's a darn good point about Shaun. I've only read a couple of the books and I've seen I think about 1/3 of Inspector Morse (I mean, I watched a bit when I was a kid (I was 9 when it first started) but never got into it fully until I'd seen Endeavour and am meaning to catch up on more v soon), and Thaw's Morse is definitely different from Dexter's original Morse. So... yeah, it makes sense that Shaun had a different trajectory from the one I'm more familiar with. :) (And, well, then you have Roger who likes to play as much drama and emotional intensity as possible, so... ;-) )

Morse constantly learning and changing: yes, definitely. I like that. :D

[querkynchaotic]

hp is pro trans rights, fight me

chillin in my shower, thinkin about jkr confirming her transphobia on twitter (again, not a secret but yk she could've had the taste to change her mind ig) and just. it's kind of sarcastic coming from the person who wrote one of the most acceptance-driven series of all time imo

the moral of the whole damn series is it doesn't matter what the hat, or your family, or your name says about you. what matters is the person you choose to become.

"the sorting hat will take your choice into account"

and also not to quote one of my favorite characters of all time but :

"you are not a *male* person. you are a *female* person, to whom very *male* things have happened to. we all got *femininity* and *masculinity* inside of us, but what matters is the *gender* we choose to act on. that's who we really are"

(i mean how can you write this and then defend that womanhood is defined by a vag. it doesn't make any sense)

anyways.

last but not least, the one and only mister remus lupin

judged for his appearance, and never seen for who he is as a person. always being refered to as what people saw in him that was a monster. and against human nature.

and parents didn't want him near their kids ? does that ring a bell huh ? (florida i'm looking right at you)

and yet it is miss jkr who wrote a whole darn book about lupin teaching harry the one spell that is not produced by power, or wits, but by joy. JOY. the one teacher that the parents didn't trust is the only good teacher these kids actually had, and he taught harry the one spell that would save his life and that would teach him how to find joy in his darkest moments.

he is also the teacher that gave him the taste of teaching himself, probably the reason harry started dumbledore's army and so many kids fought a torturous power-driven lady, and the reason harry wanted to become an auror and actually saw a career path for himself.

all in all, jkr may be transphobic as fuck, but joke's on her because her books are not. i'm not saying separate the work and the author, if people don't wanna read hp because of her positions i totally understand.

i'm just saying.

helga hufflepuff would never have been a terf, and we all know she was probably the only sane educator (along with mcgonagall maybe) to have walked this school grounds.

[clatoera]

okay but i've been reading your series, and clato??? i've shipped them ever since i got my hands on the book ngl, and you portrayed them exactly how I imagined them :DD

not just that I used to hate everlark because of the way they were so darn fake omg

and then glimmer and marvel, I rlly love how glimmer and clove are friends and she's not just like, slut shamed and how she wanted to be a mother! same thing with marvel, how he's more than just a career

even clato, they didn't want to go back and victory wasn't how they assumed it would be

also love the D2 family <3

and the swiftie titles omgg i love that as a swiftie gosh

Oh my goodness thank you!!! This means so much to me, I deeply hope to do them justice and so hearing things like this just means so much to me 🥹❤️🥰. I love to write then they’re my babies tbh.

I am actually a huge everlark stan tbh like thats been one of my longest running ships. Im a big fan (even if they arent). I find myself on the everlark archive more often than I should admit!

Glimmer and Marvel have been a fun little surprise in writing like I didnt think i’d have enjoyed them as much as I do! Glimmer especially! She’d my girl and she just wants a simple life!! And Marvel is just happy to be here!! They just want their little peaceful house :) in the victors village!! Its not too much to ask!

The whole thing about this, for me, was showing their growth from the teenage careers to adults with more developed brains with a lot more to lose. They don’t want to die but they also don’t want to win alonen

Ah yes. My little core 4 family members. They mean so much to me, and they were so fun to write!!

And if course. It started as a joke but I COMMIT to the Bit and..here we are 11 chapters in, Taylor Swift labelled.

Thank you thank you for your sweet message friend ❤️

[thinkingoutloud92]

blast from the past

So I reconnected with one first ex, D.

He’s… a character. Definitely my first love, someone I’d never forget. I broke up with him because I guess I outgrew him. I wanted different things, and I knew I couldn’t reconcile that with him. I wanted a whole new world, and I wanted to get to know myself.

I remember being super guity about how I did it. 3 days before my anniversary with him. I remember bearing the guit for years. But forever, I’ll remember that lesson on not to hide my emotions — forever etched with him. He was the reason I became more honest with people. He was the reason I learned how to first love someone, truly. He was also the reason I grew up and matured as fast as I did.

He became a bitter, depressed character after our breakup. Being the dumper, I am trying to remember how I felt that. I remember reaching out after a few months to try and be friends, because of course I wanted the friendship. But he was still bitter, still sad, and worse — angry. Didn’t want to talk. Well; I know I’ll never do that. I’m reading my email threads with him back in 2010, and what sign.

But what’s bittersweet is that I really grew. Imagine, I broke up with him when I was 16. And at 18 years old, I was writing myself letters like this:

Can you believe you're 18 now? No, seriously, this is so freaking amazing. And since this is only a few months... since I wrote this letter, I expect you to still look fairly the same. Meaning still looking like a 15-16 year old. Well, college is just around the corner--and I hope you remember what you've planned to do. :) By now, summer is done, and most likely than not, it's the night of your long-awaited debut!  I hope you have a lot of boys attending--or booze. =)) Well, even if not, it's okay (though you and I both know it's a bit lame), but I know future me will be nothing but lame. :D So you've just spent the "almost" last summer of your life. I hope you've seen all the movies, met a lot of people, read a lot of books, done a heeeeellllll lot with Speque Productions, and finally joined that LGV Youth Choire (though it's okay if you haven't, since... well, they're young. Now, anyway.) I hope you remember to keep in touch with every one of your friends in college. I hope you remember that nothing can or should be able to set you apart from anyone you used to love. You know you don't want to make those mistakes again. You're 18, you've learned, and you're going to move on and live. Live without restraint, without thinking too much, and without regret. I expect you to have written that letter to D. If you have, then however he may have responded, treat him like you'd normally treat anyone. Stop getting kilig so easily, darn it. =)) I hope Jason is out of your effing life. As in, really. Even the mention of JR wouldn't even bring down hate in your system (because you really don't care!). It just isn't worth it. And I hope you haven't confessed--never ever confess.  And who cares if he didn't take you to ball? (I'm assuming, 'cause right now, it's likely for that flirt) Who cares if more people were asked than you? You're still awesome, and you know it. You're still better. You're in Ateneo and you're going to rock everyone's socks with your freedom. You're free. You can do anything you want without asking permission. You can make a billion plans, make yourself as busy as possible, and as social as ever. Age really doesn't matter any more. I hope now you're more fashionable as ever. More updated as ever.  And stop breaking promises. Do things ASAP and stop freaking sleeping! It's college, chill, and go with the flow. Don't rush things. I'm sure you already know all of this. I'm hoping that you have met a really cute guy to crush on--and even if not, focus on living life. You've only just started!! Hello, 18--hardly the start! So gosh, go live life to the fullest! Flirt, laugh, dance! Don't hold back, because you are free, baby! Do you have any idea how long you've wanted this??? FIGHT! And be happy. :) Talk to you soon! :>

My god. Nakakaiyak talaga. Even at age 31, what I feel isn’t as different now from when I was 18. Almost, 13 years ago.

I still want things to work out with my ex; or hope it can. So I’m going to do this right. I’m not going to do what D did. I’m also going to try to move on.

D said it was his biggest heart break, but after me he got married twice. Now he has a baby. Who would’ve thought?

Great things are coming. I know it.

[staybackhuwuman]

Allow me to briefly (it's not brief) go insane here,, but i rewatched both seasons because I could have sworn that Aziraphale was consuming alcohol before the 21st century back in season one, but suddenly he wasn't drinking all the way up into the 1800s in season 2, and what was up with that? Anyway, here’s some notes on the experience.

First, the alcohol problem. So, having gone back through both seasons, Aziraphale's drinking in the modern day in both of them. The flashback scene I thought he was drinking in was the meeting with Crowley in Rome s1e3, as Aziraphale otherwise doesn't drink in any of the flashbacks.

The Rome scene is pretty darn ambiguous though. Crowley orders "whatever's drinkable" and receives a jug of house brown. He's shown drinking from a clay cup, then Aziraphale walks up, and there's a cut to Crowley's response, and then a cut back to Aziraphale, and in the time between those cuts, Zira has somehow also acquired a clay cup and is drinking from it but I have no idea what's in it. Was that poured from Crowley's jug?? I would have assumed so, but I also would have assumed that "house brown" was alcohol, so. Did Aziraphale pour himself something else?? Is it not alcohol after all?

So the conclusion of the alcohol investigation is that it's ambiguous, but it's technically possible that Zira's not drinking alcohol in Rome, so this is plausibly not a continuity error.

Now onto some unrelated, but potentially interesting observations.

First, I think there's pretty obviously some things that are going to be resolved in season 3, just on the basis of "that's how narratives and foreshadowing work". The Book of Life. Jim/Gabriel's prophecy that the dead will walk the earth. The 25 Lazarii miracle that apparently results from Aziraphale and Crowley working together, just to name the big ones.

Given how much time was spent on all the magic show stuff, and the new s2 emphasis on Aziraphale not liking alcohol in the past (which wasn't mentioned in any s1 flashbacks), I think it's probable that those things will tie into s3 as well, but I don't know if that will be in more of a thematic way or a directly plot-relevant one.

Second, there's a big Resurrectionist theming to the s2 flashbacks. I feel like this was probably pretty obvious to people smarter than me the first time around, but I didn't catch it until my re-watch, so here you go. Besides the whole pub stuff in the modern day, each of the big 3 flashbacks in this season (Job, Scotland, Blitz) is centered around resurrection.

Job's children were "resurrected" by Crowley in a, let's say, less than literal sense after he less-than-literally killed them, but that's still a resurrection as good as any magic trick, even though we the audience got to see how it was performed.

The second resurrection is in Scotland, and I fully admit, it's the weak link of this pattern. I'm mainly accepting it because rule of three, and because it's the one that's actually connected to the term "Resurrectionist" within the show itself. Interestingly, this is also the one flashback where we don't get the title card with date/location format. Instead we see the date written in Aziraphale's diary, and hear the location from his narration. (This is also the only setting where we even get narration in s2, and I don't pretend to know what that means but it's... interesting).

What I'm counting as the "resurrection" here is a messy combo of the resurrectionists digging up bodies + Crowley and Aziraphale preventing a suicide and giving Elspeth a chance at a (metaphorical) new life with the money. Like I said, it's the weakest link.

It's also interesting that the writing had the obvious set-up to do a clearer resurrection with Wee Morag being shot and Aziraphale wanting to heal her, but then had her die permanently anyway.

The third resurrection is, of course, the Nazi zombies.

In my opinion, this Resurrectionist theming is a nod to the plot of s3 where we (presumably) will have some sort of Jesus running around for the Second Coming, but it also seems reasonable that this could foreshadow something more specific as well? I don't really know my Christian mythos so if there's a significant connection to anything beyond the obvious 3 days and then the Resurrection, I'm definitely missing it. But it's a fun setup.

Finally, we come to Maggie. Maggie is...kind of a weird character to me? She 's awkward in a way that feels different to how the other human characters are portrayed. In fact, on the second watch through, I figured out that she reminds me of Muriel. Something about her dialogue and how it's delivered.

I'm not sure that Maggie is even non-human - I'm prepared to be totally wrong about this - but rewatching with that idea in mind, there were two moments that stuck out to me.

When the shopkeepers are leaving the bookshop during the demon attack, Aziraphale's miracles don't seem to work on Maggie at all. Possibly they aren't working on Nina as well, but Maggie is standing half in front of her in this scene, and Aziraphale is directing his attention mainly towards Maggie, who is the one protesting that she wants to stay. No explanation is given for why Zira's miracles don't work in this scene. Maggie just shakes them off like they're nothing.

Maggie also says something when the demons are taunting her just before she accidentally lets them in. When she's talking about how she's not scared, she says she "had brothers" which is kind of a weird detail to drop so obviously into the dialogue when we haven't seen any sign of her family in s2, and there's absolutely no relevance of these brothers to anything going on at all.

Of course, this season mentions a few other things without them having much relevance to what's going on. There's the threatened mind wipes which are never actually executed and the beings Crowley keeps forgetting he knows from the rebellion. Memory was important to this season's plot with Gabriel, but these unresolved threads probably mean there's more to come in that same vein. And of course there's the allusions to Lucifer with the whole "institutional problem" scene. (Is Lucifer the same as Satan in the GO world or not? Word of God points to yes, as far as I can tell, but sticking just with what we've actually seen on-screen -- what if they're two different entities?)

I have a couple different theories about what Maggie might be if she isn't actually fully human, but I'll just sign off on this question:

If God is a woman in the GO universe, why not Lucifer too?

the wine though???

[strawclette]

Sorrow of the Arrogant

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Characters: Pride (Selim Bradley), Mrs. Bradley, Wrath (King Bradley)

Category: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Words: 2,122

Summary: When Pride grieves over the death of his sister, his mother comes as a wonderful source of comfort.

AN: So this is the first time I’ve ever written a fanfic, so it might be a little wonky. Tell me what you think (I’d appreciate constructive criticism, not just rude comments). It’s not beta’d so there might be a few grammar/spelling mistakes in there. If you find anything, just tell me so I may fix it. Also I had no idea what the title should be, haha. 

She’s dead.

Sitting up in bed, Pride stared blankly at the wall across from him. There was a decently sized bookshelf with an unusual variety of children’s novels, alchemical texts, and other assorted non-fiction books. Next to the shelf was a wooden desk where he kept journals full of random drawings of alchemic circles and his favorite alchemist Edward Elric. Absently, he remembered he’d need to buy a new journal since the one he currently used was almost full.

How?

The Flame Alchemist. A young Colonel, the hero of Ishval and a growing thorn in their side. A possible human sacrifice, according to Wrath. He was of use to them, as irritating as he was, and with the number of allies he kept close, it would be stupidly easy to manipulate him into doing whatever he wanted. Letting him walk away was the right choice. He could be of use to Father. That was all that mattered. Wrath did the right thing. But, why…

Why didn’t you stop him? Why did you let her die? You were there, you could have done something, so why didn’t you? You could have taken control of the situation, sent the Colonel and his mutt and the armor boy away. She didn’t have to die.

Lust.

His shadows shivered inside of his container, trembling with… something. He was not angry. He could not be angry. Grabbing onto the feeling, Pride tried searching for what it was. He couldn’t stand this feeling. Maybe if he could figure it out, it would just go away. No. Pride wasn’t stupid. He knew what this was, what it had to be, but acknowledging it was impossible because if he did he might… he might…

Hiccuping a sob, the oldest homunculus quickly covered his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut tight to hold back the tears threatening to fall. He couldn’t cry, he just couldn’t. He was Pride the Arrogant, the first homunculus created by Father, he was much too old to be crying like some weak human child. But it soon became clear that trying to choke it down would be a wasted effort as he found his body wracked with grief. An immense sorrow forced tears from his eyes and shook his body with continuous sobs. It was such a disgusting feeling. The thought of any of his siblings seeing him in such a pitiful state had his shadows curling in shame inside of his container.

Perhaps it wasn’t just shame. They writhed beneath his skin, shaking his container in times with the sobs that escaped him. Grabbing a pillow, he buried his face to try to muffle his crying. What would Wrath think if he saw his eldest brother in this state, while he had just finished so calmly informing him of their only sister’s death? After what he did, or what he didn’t do, being pitied by Wrath would be disgraceful.

In this state, Pride failed to hear a quiet knock at his door, neither did he notice the concerned older woman who entered. She had heard him crying, or perhaps it was a motherly instinct that had compelled her to come here. The reason didn’t really matter.

“Selim?”

Pride startled, quickly looking up from his pillow towards the door. Illuminated from the hallway lights, his mother’s silhouette stood cautiously in the doorway, her brow puckered and a worried frown on her face. There was a hint of confusion, but it seemed that why he was crying was less important than her intense need to comfort him, at least for the moment. Stepping into the bedroom and closing the door behind her, she briskly walked over to his side, turning on his bedside lamp before sitting down beside him. Pride struggled to keep his composure, but it was a losing battle. As soon as her eyes met his, he broke down again.

Scooting closer, she scooped his small body into her arms, running her fingers through his soft raven hair as she gently shushed him.

“My dearest, what’s wrong? What’s gotten you so upset?” she asked, pulling him tighter against her.

His head resting on her breast, Pride focused desperately on the steady, if slightly quickened, beat of her heart. After gulping down a few shaky breaths, he managed to stutter out the only excuse he could think of for his confusing behavior, “I-I ha-had a bad-a bad dr-dream.”

“Oh, oh you poor dear,” she cooed, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. As he continued to shake with violent sobs, she began to hum softly to him, an old song she remembered her own mother singing to her whenever she got upset when she herself was just a child.

Mrs. Bradley grew more concerned the longer he cried. What kind of awful dream could he have had to be this upset? Selim never cried, not even when he got hurt. It was bizarre. But she would stay and sing as long as he needed. It was a good twenty or so minutes before he even began to calm down, but somehow she knew he wasn’t feeling much better. At least now she could try to figure out the details of this dream.

“It must have been an awful dream,” she began, stating what she thought was rather obvious, “whatever was it about?”

“I-” Pride began. He hesitated for a long time. It wasn’t like he could tell her the truth, and if he was being completely honest with himself he was far too exhausted to even attempt to create some story. Perhaps it would be easier to just pretend like he didn’t want to talk about it. She would understand, and it would give him a chance to come up with something convincing for the inevitable moment when she would ask him again tomorrow. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he mumbled pathetically.

Unsurprisingly, she seemed unsatisfied with that answer, but he knew she wouldn’t pry anymore. He had cried enough for one night.

“Alright,” she relented. After giving him another tight squeeze, she brushed back the hair on his forehead, compelling him to look up at her face. Her wrinkles looked even more defined as she frowned, but she quickly hid her worry with a gentle, calming smile. “It’s okay, dear, it was just a dream, after all. It’s alright.”

Letting out a hiccup, he pushed his face against her shoulder, nuzzling the soft fabric of her shawl. She gave his back a soothing scratch.

“Do you want me to stay here until you fall back asleep?” she asked.

Pride hesitated. He did want her to stay, but then Wrath would get suspicious. He might come by to see where his wife had gone, and if he saw Pride like this…

“No,” he finally answers. “I’m… I’m okay.”

His mother looked unconvinced, but she nodded. Pulling away, she leaned down to give him one last kiss before wiping the still drying tears from his eyes. “Well, you know you can always come find me if you change your mind,” she told him.

Pride smiled gently. “I know, mother. I will,” he said quietly.

Nodding again, Mrs. Bradley stood up from his bed. Walking back over to his door, she gave him one final look before stepping out and shutting it with a quiet click. As Pride slipped back into his sheets and closed his eyes, he couldn’t help but admit that he did feel a little bit better. Just a little. Pushing away any more thoughts of Lust, he managed to fall into a fitful sleep.

“There you are,” Wrath said as his wife stepped into the room. Her face was lined with worry, and the homunculus thought with a hint of anger that Pride had something to do with it. Why did his eldest brother always feel the need to worry her? Perhaps he hoped to send her to an early grave.

“Yes, I’m sorry to keep you waiting, love,” she smiled. Oh, how her smile made all the anger melt away. He couldn’t help but return it as she walked over and sat down next to him on the couch. “It was Selim, he said he had a bad dream.”

“A bad dream?” he asked, curious and once again angry.

“Mhm, he was so upset that he was crying. I must have held him for at least half an hour before he calmed down. The poor thing,” she sighed. She brought one hand up to her cheek, gazing at the floor and no doubt thinking of her precious son.

Wrath grit his teeth, but forced himself to calm down. Wait, did she just say he was crying? That was… odd. “He was crying?”

“Oh, he was. Absolutely inconsolable. I can’t even imagine what kind of dream would have caused him to behave that way,” she fretted.

That was really odd. In fact, it was downright disturbing. The image of his older brother sobbing like a baby might have made him laugh if his wife wasn’t so worried over him. Because of that, it just made him angry. Wrath considered marching into his brother’s room to confront him when another thought occurred to the youngest homunculus. Envy and Gluttony had also been rather upset by the news of their sister’s death. The shapeshifter may not have been crying, but he had clearly been upset. It was almost hypocritical, demanding revenge on the Flame Colonel when Mustang was so much more useful to them alive. Envy almost sounded like those irrational, pitiful humans he claimed he so despised. Not that Wrath would ever say that to his face.

Was it possible that Pride was crying over the death of his sister? It was strange to imagine his brother having any kind of emotions at all, given his constant need to insist that he didn’t have any.

The thought that Pride might actually be feeling grief over this left Wrath feeling a bit conflicted. He didn’t feel particularly bad about letting Lust die, no, that wasn’t the problem. He had always imagined his eldest brother as nothing but cold and ruthless. Was it possible that he actually cared? And if that was the case, then was it possible he could care about…

Turning his head he looked at his wife’s profile. She still looked worried, but that wasn’t surprising. No doubt she would lose sleep over this incident, but in the morning all would be well when Pride would bounce around the dining room as though his so-called dream never happened. She might pry, but it would be forgotten quickly.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Wrath put an arm around his wife’s shoulder and pulled her close. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. Nothing to worry about,” he told her.

The reassured smile she gave him told him he had said exactly what she wanted to hear.

Just as Wrath predicted, Pride was back to his usual self. He ate breakfast with a smile on his face, and when Wrath stood up to leave for work he wrapped his arms around him and made him promise to try to get back from work as soon as possible.

Mrs. Bradley smiled happily at her son. She was glad he was feeling better. It had been hard falling asleep last night, and she had woken up several times in the night. A few times she had even walked over to peek into her son’s room, just to make sure he hadn’t woken up from another nightmare.

After finishing breakfast, they both retired to the family room. Since it was a Saturday, Selim got a break from his lessons. His tutor was a strict woman but was kind enough not to load her student with too much homework. It meant he could spend a lot more time with his mother. Plucking a book from the shelf, she sat down on the couch next to her son. He leaned against her as she read.

As his mother spoke, Pride didn’t bother listening to her words. His mind was too preoccupied. That morning it had occurred to him that there was no reason to grieve over his sister’s death because she wasn’t gone forever. Once Father finally achieved his goal and became a god, he would certainly bring her back. They could be a family again.

Smiling at the thought, he glanced up at his mother, beaming at her. Maybe Father could make another exception, for Wrath’s sake of course. When she finally noticed him looking at her, she paused in her reading to give him a bright smile.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

B2:S - Chapter 5

Much of this series will be about the differences and additions in the novel version, and how they contribute to my understanding of story canon. But there will be character appreciation, the odd theory and headcanon, and suchlike as well.

Here be lots of Viren deets, Best Boy Soren deets, some writing/continuity stuff, worldbuilding appreciation and half of a theory, Detective Rayla, Moon Temple geeking, Claudium and dark magic, and more!

Spoilers for Book Two: Sky below.

(I know for darn sure that I wrote up a post for chapter 4, but I can't find it anywhere so I guess Tumblr ate it and I'll have to redo it at some point, but today is not that day)

Viren, my evil dude, my bad guy, coming in clutch with the worldbuilding and backstory again! If you want to know decades of information, you gotta talk to Viren. Or read his scenes, at least. Here, he seems to not sleep much when he has a big problem to analyze his way through. Solutions trump pretty much everything else in this guy's life, and he's had a really hard week with a lot of new and complicated problems. Of course he's getting sleep-deprived trying to find his way through them all.

Harrow put so much trust in Viren when he made him High Mage! He just threw himself extra hard at that Lady Justice blindfold, didn't he? Didn't really want to see what Viren was doing in his magic study, so he left Viren to his devices. And Viren has a lot of devices.

Also, this is fascinating: Viren made the secret passage to his "less official study" in Katolis Castle! And he was inspired to do so by the way his own mentor kept the Puzzle House. What else could a Puzzle House be, except a place with secret passages? Yay! secret headcanon that "the Puzzle House" is just "Katolis Castle" from Kid Viren's perspective tho

So either Viren built all of those passageways, or at least the ones to his dungeon. Which means he has to have, or know where to get, a stash of those glowing blue Moonshadow crystals. Hmmm.

I can't wait to learn more about Kpp'Ar and young Viren, btw. From this description of Viren and all his literal secret ways, it feels like another parallel between Viren and Runaan, with the whole "secretive paths, members only, insider knowledge" type stuff. Only the really cool members of this cult club get to know the secrets, and guess what, kid, you're cool now but you can never tell anyone, okay? Our secret.

Yeahhh, that'll never backfire in any way for either of them.

Kpp'Ar calling puzzles and secrets "man-made magic," though. Yes sir, knowledge is indeed power.

This chapter mentions Runaan by name, from Viren's perspective. Generally that would imply that Viren knows his name, even though assassins do not share their names, and Runaan didn't seem to give his to Viren in the first book. However, there was a scene in book one where the last paragraph switched perspective from Viren to Runaan - a technique that's very common in visual media like movies and shows and gives you that "ohoho they left the room and didn't notice this, but you do!" vibe. Using Runaan's name there in book one, where Viren couldn't see it but readers could, helps them keep track of the assassin's story arc while maintaining Viren's racism.

So in book two, in which Runaan has no onscreen scenes (alas), using his name in a scene that calls back to the events in book one helps us remember what happened in that dungeon cell. It would be a bit muddier to recall the specifics if Viren kept thinking about Runaan as "Elf." So I'm cool with the perspective nudge because it serves a narrative purpose: clarity. But I'm also enjoying the angst of considering that, somehow, Viren learned Runaan's name either during or after the coining spell. Mwa ha ha haaa. (Obligatory "Keep my pretty name outta your mouth" goes here)

Okay, back to Viren's scheming! He took the mirror because it was human-sized in a dragon lair. He knew it didn't really fit there, and that made it interesting, so he stole it. But he realized it was really powerful when Runaan wouldn't tell him squat about it - the assassin's instinct to protect Xadian secrets from human hands meant that Viren was holding a very powerful Xadian secret. And that just made him want it all the more. Ah, Runaan, if only your relationship with lying was, like, the exact opposite of what it is. Nyx could've spun Viren a believable tale in 2 minutes flat.

Also of interest: Viren considers his cursed coins to be a final fate. He expects Runaan to remain in his coin forever. With the Chekhov's coins still extant in the storyline, we can assume that they'll come up again eventually, but Viren has no current plans to do anything with his elf money except carry it around.

It's worth noting that Viren admits that he got impatient when he trapped Runaan in the coin. Runaan's first fate in Katolis was supposed to be death at Soren's hands, but Claudia "saved" him from that. His next fate was to become spell components, but Viren's frustration with his stubbornness "saved" him from that fate, too. So now he's in a coin, where no one can chop him up at all. Yay? No, boo!

We get one last line about Runaan before Viren shifts gears: he makes a point of noting for us that Runaan's shackles are still locked shut. However much of Runaan made it into that coin - body, soul, hair care products - he was magicked there, pulled right out of his restraints.

The creepy black liquid that Viren pours right into his eyes is the last of a powerful potion he got from Kpp'Ar, and its recipe is ancient! Humans used it back in the age of Elarion to see through the illusions of the world. And we get a delightfully creepy bit of description about the preparation of this serum, which makes it abundantly clear that it's a Moon magic-based concoction, harvested from eyeless vipers on a moonless night, with the threat of irrevocable madness ("madness" by whose definition, though) if it's done wrong-

Hang on. Hold up. This is a Plato's Cave reference. OH MY GOD.

No no I'm fine, this is brilliant. Sorry, sorry, I couldn't figure why there was so much description for a potion prep that Viren didn't even have to perform himself. But now I get it. I see the light. HA. I should make a separate post for this, it's amazing.

Anyway, for reference, the humans who used this serum were called the Oracles of Ophidia, and Ophidia is a taxonomy group that includes all modern snakes. Can you say "creepy ancient snake rites"? I can! Woo!

Viren activates the serum with a spell, but apparently he's never done it before. He's not sure if it's supposed to be hot and bubbly, and he worries that it's been tainted by moonlight.

Oh, I do hope so.

The magic potion hurts, a lot. Viren will do just about anything, to himself or anyone, to do what he believes is necessary. He just risked madness and blindness to find out what this mirror does! Viren. Can you just. Take a nap or something. Have a Snickers.

This chapter gives us a fun clue that I don't remember from the show: when Viren's vision clears and he can see, his reflection has white pupils and the room reflected in the mirror has inverted colors. You know where else has inverted colors?

You know who else got white pupils for a hot second?

Okay, now it makes sense! Viren and Lujanne were both seeing into the realm beyond life and death. Him with his moon magic potion, and her with her moon powers on a full moon night at the Moon Nexus. Which is Very Interesting! Is it a direct hint about Aaravos's location, or just a separate cool detail? Orrr, does it look like a direct hint because Aaravos is actually trapped in the world beyond life and death, but it's actually separate and we'll see something about white pupils again later on?

Viren really does have self-esteem issues, we all picked up on it with his rant at his reflection. He throws a fit when he catches himself wondering if he's actually worthless. In the book version of his tantrum, he shoves the mirror and hurls a candelabra instead of flipping a table. He didn't need to shove the mirror to set the fire, but it's in here. Foreshadowing that perhaps, if push comes to shove, Viren will choose himself over Aaravos? Giving Aaravos time to peek through and see that the coast is clear?

Soren, my boyyyyy. He has a rough night at the Moon Nexus because two sides of him are fighting with each other. He struggles to understand Callum's friendship with Rayla, and he also fantasizes about chopping off Rayla's head. One of these is a pretty ordinary thing to do. The other is Soren's internalization of what he needs to do to gain his father's approval. If he brought his dad a chopped off elf head every week, he'd probably feel a lot more confident because Viren would praise him a lot more.

Okay, okay, omg, is it just me, or does the "Moonshadow Madness" story, as it's told in the book, seem like Soren just doesn't know what a monsterfucker is? He thinks an elf bite puts humans under a spell. But vampires are sexy, and some people want them to do more to them than just bite them. A passionate kiss under the moonlight could look very bitey, especially if one of the participants has horns and you're already culturally trained to hate them. No yeah, I'm already headcanoning an actual human-elf kiss that got misunderstood by an observer long ago.

it's Lujanne isn't it, we all know, because what is a love spell but a sweet soft illusion, I mean how else does she get supplies for her Caldera, I ask you, and also Corvus was totally sent to investigate once and he told Soren at camp what he saw

And then back to magefam angst: Soren pretending that his sister's nose-tapping is stupid, even though he actually thinks it's cool, just because their dad thinks it's stupid. Viren, istg. Let your kids like harmless things. It's so cute that Soren taps his nose back at her, though! Like they have their own sibling code. I hope we get to see the nose tap again, especially now that they've chosen different sides. It could mean so much, that they're not too far apart yet.

Rayla knows what buttery pancakes smell like. I love this. Do Moonshadow elves have butter and pancakes, does Rayla eat a stack of eight giant pancakes in the morning? Orrrr it is just illusion food? I don't care, let Rayla have pancakes! Everyone loves pancakes. Pancakes will save the world. this message brought to you by the fact that I can't eat pancakes rn, send help

I love that Rayla is both sus of the pancakes and hungry, and that combines into a very motivated "I will get to the bottom of this" attitude. She kind of goes into Poirot Mode when she inserts herself into Soren and Ellis's conversation about Ava, explaining about the wolf's illusion leg and segueing into her claim that the pancakes taste sus. Claudia confirms she used dark magic, and Rayla is furious. It's different than the show's version in that it puts Rayla in detective mode, as the only Moonshadow elf in the scene, and boy does she take that role seriously. Also, she doesn't actually swallow the dark magic pancake bite. It ends up on the ground just like Lujanne's grubs from that earlier meal. These poor kids are so nutrient-starved. You guys gotta eat!!

Rayla's determination and prejudices and the fact that she super knows Harrow is dead all dovetail to make her try repeatedly to persuade Callum that Soren and Claudia are Not To Be Trusted. It's nice that the book keeps taking the time to point out that Rayla is Well Intentioned But Flawed, just like Callum and pretty much every other character in the show. No one is Right All The Time, no one Knows More Than Everyone Else.

Callum loving the sound of Claudia's unique voice is so wholesome. When you like someone, it only makes sense that you like all the things about them that they can't change - like the sound of Claudia's voice. Her choices with dark magic, not so much!

Claudia seems to have the same concerns Soren does about Callum's relationship with Rayla, but she comes out and asks him. The inherent possession implied in "your elf" is interesting, though. Elves are not people to Claudia. They're enemies who can be disassembled for the magic inside them. So maybe more like robots than living beings, if she knew what a robot was. Maybe she heard Soren's "Moonshadow Madness" story and realized he totally missed the kissing implications - but she didn't, and now she's genuinely worried that Rayla could kiss Callum under a full moon and enchant him to do her will. Good thing it's only a half moon, then!

Okay, Callum nervously making a puppet hand and then not knowing what to do with his hands and freaking out about itching and moving and pointy elbows is such a ND mood. The sudden stress of knowing that someone else is noticing your existence and maybe you're Not Existing Right, amirite? Ugh, poor Callum.

The Moon Temple! Omg it's so pretty in the description! Made to be beautiful and useful, full of knowledge but also allowing light and life inside (butterflies and vines). Lujanne, when can I move in, please? Also, it's all the more angsty because Lujanne is the only one who gets to see this beautiful place, but it has lots of chairs and shelves and tables, and it was meant to be used by lots of people. :(((

Claudia knows some of the runes on the walls. She isn't in a hurry to copy the rest of them down or anything, either. Her spellwriting is very precise, and she's a skilled mage. Her father would have made sure she was aware of the dangers of drawing sloppy runes, as much as he made her aware of the dangers of doing dark magic wrong. And the whole point of dark magic is that it's easier to learn than primal magic. Claudia supports her dad and their shared knowledge and life path. She's not gonna go nuts over an elf library she can't translate.

Side note: Between Claudia knowing some Moon runes and Viren building a secret passageway and a dungeon and lighting it with the same blue crystals that Lujanne and Ethari use for light--and Claudia exclaiming that she loves ruins--I wonder once more if there are really Moonshadow ruins somewhere in Katolis, which Viren has found and looted. Father-daughter relic hunting trip, maybe while Soren is away at camp? Omgsh that would be so wild!

Callum out here having a Viren moment with his "I feel powerless unless I've got magic that lets me help" vibes. God. I love their complicated mirroring. One of the hard differences between them is that Callum is very sure dark magic is bad because you have to kill stuff and take its power to cast spells, and he doesn't want to be a person who kills and takes like that. The line he walks to be nice to Claudia on their tour of the Cursed Caldera because he likes her, while telling her that he doesn't want to do her magic, like, ever, is so fine that it might as well be a shifting shadow on the ground. It's a very fitting conversation to be having during the half moon, with its tricks and little white lies.

Callum being out of the castle and his comfort zone, having to deal with the fact that the Claudia he loves is not quite the Claudia who's chasing him down across the kingdom, but of the two of them, he's the only one with a problem with this.

They say that if you really want to get to know someone, you should spend time with them outside their comfort zone - in heavy traffic, with a small baby, taking care of a new pet, trying a new skill, following unfamiliar directions, etc. While the castle is familiar territory for them both, Callum's never really found his comfort zone yet, while Claudia is pretty comfortable with her growing skill set. The creepy part starts to kick in when Callum begins to realize that Claudia's comfort zone encompasses a whole bunch of stuff that seems like it should make her uncomfortable... but it doesn't. But that'll be for a future chapter!

[readingrobin]

#TBRBusterChallenge September Pick: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

Finally, an Ursula Le Guin book I can say that I've enjoyed. I've dabbled in her work before, but the writing style was a major hurdle for me. Her writing focuses more on setting up a scene and introspection, with little dialogue to break these moments up, leading to several instances where my eyes tend to glaze over. This happened to me with Left Hand of Darkness and Voices. And, to be honest, it happened here and there in this book as well, but Ged's characterization, arc, and ultimate confrontation with the Shadow at the end more than made it worthwhile. I loved the emphasis of an emotional catharsis and self acceptance over a drawn-out physical conflict that pits the typical good vs. evil. Le Guin makes the tale more nuanced, opting for an ending that, while anticlimactic to some, perfectly delivers the overall theme and beliefs that make up the heart of Earthsea. 

Okay Spoiler Time By giving the Shadow his name, Ged brings the culmination of all his mistakes, pride, selfishness, and yearning to be known and have power, into himself and makes them a part of who he is. In Earthsea, the most treasured belief is that of Equilibrium, total balance. As Ged accepts and becomes aware of the misdeeds of his past, he becomes a more knowledgeable and capable wizard. He is both light and dark, and it will be interesting to see if that is explored in future installments in the series.

End of Spoiler Time

There are some things that I think could have been shown a little more effectively: his rivalry with his schoolmate Jasper, his friendship with Vetch, basically just his relationships to the other characters, as we see so much of him alone that it's hard to become attached to the others. But really I don't think there's anything else to improve upon, other than yeah, Le Guin really struggled with writing women in this series didn't she? Seeing how progressive her works are, I was surprised that there weren't any capable female wizards and the ones that we saw were either evil or using a weaker kind of magic. Researching it, it seems that came more out of a need to write more from the male gaze, as that's what publishers wanted in the 60s, which is a darn shame. Still, it's understandable why this book is seen as foundational in children's fantasy and the genre as a whole. It knocks down so many typical fantasy conventions, while also taking inspiration from fairy tales and legends of old, resulting in a story that's sure to last in the hearts and minds of readers young and old.

[loosesodamarble]

Oh boy I just binged the song analysis thingy, and my brain is going on overdrive from trying to take it all in (in a good way).

I really loved how you had managed to find such deep and meaningful songs for your ship(s), and were able to draw connections between them without it seeming forced. Because they didn't feel forced. It felt just right.

You basically outlined (in my mind) the whole journey Josele makes with Morgen and Nacht, through songs that were able to not only describe the feelings of each of them, but also depict how they all are in the relationships. The feelings of love, regret, jealousy, hurt... it's all there, and all of those have nuances.

Oh, and may I add that I loved the foreheads touching thing? It really tapped into something in me and I had the "aww" reaction. Because it really such a lovely, intimate act. I know it's just one component in all of this; the journey through these songs, but that stands out to me.

I also feel like I haven't looked into Morgsele enough. As in, I have in a way always known it, but this just made me realize it all the better. Because Morgsele do have such a lovely relationship filled with love (the peeka-book whisper also made me go "aww"), even if the end is what it is because... canon (and angst)

Summary: loved it

(also: meese)

🥺💖

Laaaauuuuraaaa!

Thank you for taking the time to read my song analysis series! 😭 And I'm glad my work has put your brain into overdrive. 😏 Heh heh.

I loved finding the connections between the songs and my ships! Being able to put it all into words and share my thoughts was so... gratifying, I don't know what other word to use! And I'm relieved that the connections don't feel forced. There's always the fear of others not seeing what you see, you know?

AAAHHH! Yes yes yes! These songs have so many emotions in them. Some are straightforward in nature while others have layers, because the heart can be so strange! Even after writing up my analysis, I'm amazed by how these songs help illustrate Josele, Morgen, and Nacht's shared story.

I just... love it all so much!

The forehead thing! So simple. But so sweet. Thank you for appreciating that. 🥺

Aha yes! Now you've truly seen the light about the Morgsele ship! Nacsele may be endgame but the relationship with Morgen is a big part of Josele's life. Admittedly, I myself need to make more content for this ship to highlight it but you know me and my angst. Still, I love Josele and Morgen's romance so gosh darn much! Silly and lovey-dovey. Quiet and romantic. Contemplative of the future (one that never came to be). There are facets to their love that I imagine and want to explore more in the future!

Thank you again for your time and commentary, Laura! It's so very appreciated! 💖

And yes... Meese. 😌

[aceofspadegrass]

Testimony

Characters: Aguni Morizono, Niragi Suguru, Ann Rizuna, Last Boss, Arisu Ryohei, Usagi Yuzuha

Genre: Crack. It's just Y/N telling a story, but I, the writer, went off the wall and now you have the misfortune of figuring out who is who.

1.2k words

Remember when I was talking about writing a story that included none of the AIB characters names? Yeah, this is pretty much it. I didn't add all the characters, but then it would've just been a chore to decipher what I was even saying.

Yin sits down at the table, the officer in front of her nodding their head in greeting, Yin keeping a blank face as they fold their hands in front of them.

“ You are aware why you have been called in here for, correct?” Yin hums, kicking their feet idly. “ Well, kind of! I was a witness, and you want my statement, right?” The officer nods, Yin nodding and tapping their chin in thought. “ Well, I can describe it pretty well, but only problem is that I kind of don’t know any of the names of the parties it involves. Do you mind if I just described them instead?” The officer waves at them to continue in response, Yin grinning as if they were the cat that caught the cream. “ Okay! Strap in, this is gonna be a doozy.”

“ Alright. Remember that anything that you say will be recorded and documented for evidence.”

Yin nods, smiling and eyes twinkling.

“ So! Basically I was walking down the street, right? Minding my own business, bought a snack at the nearby shop, munching away. Gotta make sure to keep my energy up, you know? And suddenly I see what was basically a giraffe wearing a rather sketchy fedora running past me, apparently either training to become the next Olympic runner, or he got in trouble with his mom and she’s coming to smack him sideways to Tuesday evening on a Wednesday morning.

So I turn and watch this oil spill book it, and when I turn back around I see several other people. One was this really pretty lady with fashion that I thought I’d only see in Vogue and the strut that makes me think she’s like some goddess coming to talk to the manager only to point out how terrible they were treating the staff, and the other was like…. dad material. He looked like he belonged in an army or something but would also totally have unironically cried during a sad scene involving a kid in a movie, but at the moment I’m pretty sure beefcake over there was gonna bust a skull open like a weak watermelon. Probably the burnt coffee bean wearing guy. The swan queen probably could’ve annihilated him with just a fucking stare, I swear.

So anyways, they walk past me and I’m pretty sure I got hit with so much raw authoritative energy I could’ve taken over the prime minister or something just by politely asking, and I couldn’t help but be like….. curious.”

“ So you went ahead and followed them.”

“ So I went ahead and followed them! Did you know giraffes run at 37 miles per hour? Crazy, isn’t it! Well this guy was actually running pretty darn fast, but then he kind of tripped and ate shit on the sidewalk. Not like, literally, that’s a figure of speech, but like he went bonk on that sidewalk. I think he was okay though, but then the army general looking guy grabs him and kind of pins him to the ground, and the fancy fashion lady just stands there to the side like a disappointed secretary who is standing behind the boss and only makes you feel super fucking tiny in that situation.

So the raccoon man is screaming, with papa beef on top and reprimanding him, and I have noooo clue what was going on here. That is until some more people show up. There was this guy that I’m pretty sure looks like he belongs in some cheesy superhero cartoon with how much tattoos he had on without it being like…. a bunch of pictures that cumulated, but like one coherent design that took up his whole body, and a guy who looks like he rolled out of bed at 4 in the afternoon in a shopping cart. This girl wearing a windbreaker was pushing the cart, and she looked really disappointed for some reason, and I think she was disappointed at the chocolate rice krispie man.

Now, the puppy looking fellow was clutching a bunch of shirts, a box of crackers, and there was a pack of toilet paper at his feet, so I’m pretty sure that either they stole a shopping cart, or the raisin man made the rest of this squad have to run from a nearby supermarket to chase him down. Either way, there’s a man who looks like he hasn’t showered in weeks in a cart, a disappointed mom, a marble countertop if humanised, a second, more disappointed mom, a rooster, and a puddle of tar mud just there in front of me, with the latter being hung up on each other. The kangaroo was winning though, but kangaroos are fucking built like a wrestler, so even I wouldn’t fuck with that. So there’s yelling, there’s a lot confusion, and I’m kind of alone in this because other people were doing other shit and didn’t get to see whatever the heck was going down here.

So finally the black bean guy is allowed to get up and gets a pat down, so I guess he stole something? I dunno, but the crane looking manager lady was the one to do it, with the other man holding him still. Guess he has a lot of fight in him. It was like holding a feral hissy cat at the vet, it was kind of funny to watch. I don’t know if they found something or not, because I couldn’t actually understand what they were saying. I think it was Japanese? But I can still sense the energy, and I guess the guy got in trouble.

Now, this is the part that you probably wanted to hear, officer. Because moments after whatever was going on, suddenly this car pulls up. Really nice car, standard brand and practically inconspicuous. It opens up, and apparently it was like….. some drive by robbery or something, but I really don’t know what the people wanted. Toilet paper? Crackers? A shirt that was very neon yellow?

Anyways, what I saw was nothing less than something that came out of a movie. So one of the robbers tried to steal from them by pointing I think a gun at them, but the buff potato attacks and very quickly disarms them. Meanwhile, the one that kind of was wearing a pink peep jacket? Yeah, apparently she wasn’t having any of it as well when another approached the trolley containing what might have been her best friend or something, because she absolutely punches them in the face before they even got too close. Oh, and remember the blackberry yoghurt parfait and the guy that got tackled? Yeah, so turns out the pool noodle giraffe whips out a slingshot from his pocket and pops a rock into one of the robber’s eye, and the tiger man just takes his sandal off and smacks them like a grandma. It was very weird to watch.

But it like…. worked? Somehow? Because these robbers were, no offence, dumb as shit to try to rob a group of six people, especially when one looks like he could punch a tiger and not care at all. So they were knocked down, I guess the shopping cart chilling border collie man called the police, which is when you guys came down to arrest said robbers, aaaannnnd here we are!” Yin finishes, smiling proudly.

The officer can only stare at them, trying to process whatever the hell that story meant.

“…. Alright, thank you.”

Yin nods again, still smiling at the officer until they were escorted out, the officer looking up at the camera that recorded everything. Their eyes only showed pure confusion and a silent hope that the rest of the statements weren’t as….. chaotic.

[lou-struck]

A Sticky Situation

Shoto x F Reader fluff After being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Shoto Todoroki was about to make a terrible decision. Luckily you were there to help him out. Warning: Peanuts. sorry in advanced for my writing...

WC: 1,300+

After a period of multiple muscle strains, pulls, and tears. A rather frustrated and overworked Recovery Girl demanded that flexibility units be offered to the students at U.A.

Midnight happily took the lead in Implementing Yoga classes for the hero courses to take place for those who are interested in taking time out of their weekend to stretch and strengthen their weary muscles to prevent injuries. 

Being surprisingly punctual for a change, you were the first to arrive for the Yoga session unsure of who else was planning on showing up. 

“What if not one else shows up?” You thought as you stared out at the dark gymnasium in front of you. Reaching out to feel in the pocket of your jacket for your phone to no avail. Cursing to yourself silently you remember that you left it back in your dorm room earlier this morning.

Not really knowing what else to do you take out a book and try to pass the time.

After about fifteen minutes (much to your relief) your classmates and other students start funneling in causing the motion sensored lights to turn on illuminating the gymnasium in white fluorescents.

Most of your class was preoccupied today so only a handful were able to attend so you felt pretty darn alone.

Mineta slithers into the gym bright eyed and bushy tailed much to your chagrin, spying a disposable camera in his clammy hands. He begins scanning the room drooling at the girls in their yoga pants and athletic tops shamelessly.

While looking over at the purple haired cretin, you noticed a large wad of bright pink bubble gum wedged in the grape boys mouth. If gum could talk you knew it would be begging to be put out of its misery.

“L/n, do you mind if I sit here?” a familiar voice asked politely, you turned your head to see Shoto Todoroki. The pervert sitting behind you now forgotten.

You froze, trying to pull some words from your sleep deprived mind. It also didn't help that you had the biggest crush on the guy. “Of course!” you finally said with a big grin and a small blush on your cheeks. 

He sits down next to you and you can't help but notice how his knee is touching yours;  Your blush begins to spread to your whole face. 

“L/n, is something the matter?” he asks looking over at you. “Do you have a fever, your face looks pretty warm.” He gently reaches his hand up to feel your forehead with his cool hand. It felt amazing, you look at him with more confidence and shake your head.

“Thank you Todoroki, but I was just a little tired. I’ll wake up soon I promise.” The look of concern began to fade and a small smile appeared on his face as you silently applaud yourself on your ability to make a cover story that quickly. 

You and Shoto enjoy the comfortable silence between you as you wait for your lesson to start. Suddenly an exasperated looking TA bursts through the double doors announcing that Midnight has been called away for hero work and is unable to teach the lesson today and it has been rescheduled to next week. 

A series of shrugs and grunts soon followed only to be drowned out by the high pitched sobs of Mineta as he mourns the loss of seeing the girls and their robust curves bending over in various stretches.

What anyone failed to notice was the large blob of bubble gum springing free from his mouth seeking comfort tangled up in Shoto’s dual colored locks while he bent over to pick up his bags and yours like an absolute gentleman. Sometimes you forget how isolated and distant he was when he first got to U.A. but he has gradually become more open and friendly wanting to help others by not just saving them but also performing small acts of service for those around him. It's more than just his looks and his power that makes him attractive to you, its the inherent kindness that was encased within his being that really makes you want to be around him. Even if he is a bit dense at times.

You both walk back blissfully unaware of the sticky disaster slowly matting itself to the back of Shoto’s head. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was pink and it was sticky. Shoto wasn't having it. All of his attempts of trying to pry the substance from his dual colored locks only made a bigger mess and his fingers began to smell artificially sweet. A mess is a mess but at this moment he has no clue what to do. 

It's been almost two hours since Midoriya had kindly pulled him aside, informing him about the sticky situation that he is now in. He has tried and failed to wash, comb, and pull it out of his hair to no avail. Running out of options and getting thoroughly irritated he decided to strike down the evil at its source. Picking up a pair of scissors from a cabinet in the common room and retreating to the washroom to rid himself of his sticky burden once and for all.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey Midoriya” you call out to a rather concerned looking green haired cinnamon roll pacing the halls.

“Y/N” there you are!” he starts, “i was looking for someone who could help Shoto with the gum in his hair. He said something about wanting to cut it out to avoid any more problems. But I don't know how to help him.”

Nodding quickly you throw a jar from the kitchen into your bag and rush to the washroom where you pray you weren't too late for the Icy Hot Hero.

“SHOTO, PLEASE PUT DOWN THE SCISSORS!” You say barging into the washroom. With a small grocery bag in hand from a convenience store a few minutes away from the campus.

“Oh l/n, what are you doing in the men’s restroom?'' he asked calmly, placing the scissors on the edge of the bathroom counter safely away from his head as you sigh in relief hunched over catching your breath. 

“What... were you... thinking... right there” you ask panting between breaths.

“I got gum in my hair and needed to get it out before it caused more of a problem”… he paused looking at you with a bit of confusion “Did I offend you in any way?”

You're dead, honestly this boy is too cute and you cant help but burst out laughing. “No of course not, but there are other ways of getting gum out of hair besides cutting it you silly goose.”

“How so? Washing it did nothing and it only has gotten worse.” his eyes going toward your book bag on the floor between you.

“You'll think it's crazy but I promise it works like a charm.” You pull out a jar of peanut butter from your bag and look at him. “Shoto?” you ask, “will you let me help you out today?” 

Any look of confusion and concern disappears as soon as he looks into your eyes. They seem to exude trust and sincerity that he can't say no to.

“Y/n I trust you, please help me.” There's a hint of a blush on his cheeks as he looks over to you. You gesture for him to sit down on a small stool while opening the red lidded jar lightly coating your fingers in the substance. 

“Soo, how does this work?” he asks while you carefully work the gum out of his hair; The scent of peanuts heavy but not unbearable.

“No clue but its working!” You grin stupidly, feeling proud of the progress that you have been making unaware of the fact that Shoto is planning on asking you on a date once this Sticky Situation is all over.

Spoiler alert you accept. ;)

[emachinescat]

II've decided to watch MacGyver from the beginning (again), and I'm live tweeting the experience with every tweet tagged with #savemacgyver. I thought it would be fun to share my collected thoughts from the episodes on here as well.

My Thoughts on S1E3, "Awl"

You're not only going to make it to 30, Mac, but you're going to make it to season 6. #savemacgyver

I love that Jack's bucket list includes finishing the Harry Potter books. Guess he's not a one-trick pony after all with sci-fi. A healthy blend of science fiction and fantasy is just what the doctor ordered.

Dylan Thomas reference! That poem was written about the poet's own father, and is about how everyone, no matter who they are or what they stand for, fights against death in the end. He's begging his dad to "rage, rage against the dying of the light," to not give in to death so easily, to keep fighting. Just taught this poem, actually, so I'm vibing with this reference super hard. Though to be fair, I'd be vibing with it anyway. Love Dylan Thomas.

Oh my gosh, this is the one with the fire extinguisher and inflatable escape! I'd forgotten which episode that came from, but I see GIFs of it all over Tumblr. Poor Mac especially, that looks like it hurts. Why is Lucas Till so good at being whumped?!

Jack hugging the fire extinguisher: Iconic.

I'll never get tired of seeing that polar bear! Do we know if he has a name?

I cannot get over how small and excited Bozer is, not a care in the world except for his movie. It's exciting to think about what's to come for his character growth, though I do wish he wouldn't have to go through all the things he does. :(

Jack's conversations with his dad at the grave are just everything. And I feel cheated that we haven't gotten to see Mac have the same kind of conversations at Jack's grave (though I firmly believe it's a regular occurrence off-screen).

Seriously, the way he talks to his dad is so familiar, so comfortable, so natural. It's like Daddy Dalton is right there with him and it fills me with so many emotions that I can't even.

The smile on Jack's face and the pride in his voice when he talks about Mac to his dad is the purest thing ever.

Also, that's a big-ass tombstone Jack is leaning against.

"Hi, Mr. Dalton. How's... life?" MAC! 😂

I can't tell you how much I love it when other characters talk about how smart Mac is. "He's a genius..."

First mention of Mac's dad. It's sweet how invested Jack is in Mac rebuilding his relationship with his old man. Also, I really wish we would have gotten a flashback of Jack's dad at some point. He seems like such an amazing man.

"If I could have one more day to sit and talk to my dad instead of that hunk of rock, I'd do anything." Jaaaaaaack 😭😭😭

Good old Ralph Kastrati. Single-handedly the most annoying character in all of cable television. Y'all have no idea what you're getting into with this one, dream team.

PUNCHFACE.

"My mom dated a guy like that once." Ouch. I'm about to start a Riley Zinger Counter for each episode. Her comebacks are 🔥

It's not just his face, Jack. Everything about this dude is punchable. Especially the way he says "yo."

Ewwww tightie whities no thanks imma head hom now byyye

Mac just snatched that can right out of Jack's hand as he was about to take a drink. Classic.

If I didn't hate Ralph before (spoiler: I did), then I extra hate him for the foie gras comment.

Yes, Jack, "asshat" is the perfect descriptor for this guy.

Is Mac seriously about to just make him some noise-canceling headphones? Who am I kidding? Of course he is.

I need more of Mac punching people in the face. For science.

Poor Jack didn't get to punch the punch face.

🎵 Snipers gonna snipe, snipe, snipe, snipe, snipe 🎵

Between the foie gras and the calfskin, they are really making this guy so easy to hate just sayin'.

"As soon as you're done saving his life, I'm gonna kill him, you hear that, smart-ass? I'm already dressed for the funeral." 🤣🤣🤣🤣

"He's g-good. He just... got kinda shot." Is that the medical terminology, Mac?

Jack using country music as a form of torture 🤣

"You're going to be seeing Yelp stars if you don't shut up!"

Have I mentioned how much I love the music in this show?

"I don't wanna die listening to country music!"

I love how bossy and grabby Mac gets when he improvises.

Another belt grab! I can’t get over Jack trying to keep his crazy partner from falling out of the window – it gives me life!

Actually makes me wonder if he does it because Mac’s taken a tumble out of a car window before. *fanfic brain engaged*

“You know how I feel about your puns.” C’mon, Mac, pus are the greatest forms of humor, bar-pun. (Geddit?)

Mc made a C in biology? I’m not buying it.

Dwwwwwww the sounds of the surgery. No thanks.

Though I will say this is one of the coolest (albeit grossest) things Mac’s ever done on this show.

What the heck is with that elevator door? It took a whole 10 years to close! I wouldn’t trust it. (To be fair, I don’t trust any elevator, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Sir Bleeds-a-Lot lol

Riley stepping in and taking charge once again. No idea how these two functioned before she came along.

Some seriously cool MacGyverisms in this episode. The whole process of “killing” Ralph and bringing him back with office supplies is so OG MacGyver and it gives me all the warm fuzzies.

Ralph: “You’re not a scientist, you’re not a doctor. So how the hell do you know all this stuff?” Mac: “...I read a lot of books?” I love Mac so much.

“Now go die.” Lolololol

The moment with Ralph wanting to call his mom and grow the hell up is surprisingly genuine and heartbreaking. Character development for a character in only one episode, hello, is that you?

“He’s dead, but he’ll get better.” MacGyver, 2016

Riley’s comeback about Jack’s plan to take out six guys if Mac takes out two is another winner. (Riley: 2, Jack: 0) Still, I love the whole, “Sure it does [count as a plan]. First, I’ll take two. Then, I’ll take the other four.” This is why Mac is the plan guy, not Jack.

“Or I can take them all out.” Mac’s confidence = 🔥

I might need to start a Mac sass counter too. Jack: “You seriously want me to put this on my face?” Mac: “Only if you like breathing.”

Jack’s left fist getting jealous 🤣

They really liked choking Mac in the early episodes, didn’t they? Not that I’m complaining. Actually, why did that stop? That strangled, panicked cry of “JACK?!” is music to my fanfic writing, hurt/comfort obsessed, whump-loving soul.

That cough - it actually hurts me to hear it! They should have given us some more repercussions or aftercare for Mac breathing in that gas!

Ralph fell asleep. Of course.

“You know, it’s weird. I’m glad he’s alive… but I still want to kill him. 🤣 I’m with Jack on this one!

Ralph: “A fresh start. I could use one of those right?” Riley: “Or a whole new personality.” ZZZING!!! Riley: 1 million, the world: -10

Oh he did not just call Riley “little hottie.” I’m back to wanting to kill him, character development be darned. So diminutive, dehumanizing, and objectifying. This guy has more than won the douchebag lottery. Riley can more than stick up for herself, but still. The way he speaks to her here makes me feel all kinds of gross.

He just said “ya heard” unironically. Can we let Jack punch him now, please?

Jack offering to let Ralph keep the cash he lifted if he gets to punch him is great, but even better is Mac and Riley offering to chip in money for The Cause.

Oh, yeah, Bozer was in this episode. I’m excited for when he is utilized more!

Bozer’s monster Mac is nightmare fuel!

“A letter? That you put in the mail? It’s 2016.” Hey, as someone who has an actual, old-school type pen pal, step off, Jack.

Mac: “You just gonna watch?” Jack, offended: “Not anymore.” How is it Jack is like Mac’s dad but they also bicker like 5-year-olds? This relationship is so strange, so wonderful, and the heart of the show in so many ways. I love them.

Mac’s words of wisdom about the nature of life are actually super encouraging and exactly what I needed to hear today.

I’d forgotten how much I love this episode – t’s so fun! Although the Codex storyline in season 4 is probably my favorite plot-wise, coming back to these early episodes is like a breath of fresh air! Excellent, excellent episode with so much to offer!

What are your thoughts on "Awl?" I'd love to discuss! :)