#but it certainly gives a different effect from where I'm sitting

[martianbugsbunny]

Downton Abbey au where Tom is so obsessed w getting Mary to marry Henry Talbot bc he's actually in love w Tom himself

[embbarnes]

Logan being a brat tamer scratches my brain just right.

18+ MDNI | Dom/sub themes. 'P/t' is used for preferred title.

Logan is not exactly known for his patience, or to be pushed around.

He would absolutely put you in your damn place if he needed to. You think you can get away with being bratty? I don't think so.

If you so much as say 'no' or disobey him when he tells you to do something, you are over his knee and his hand is smacking your ass at least ten times. You don't realize how effective this method of punishment is until you realize his adamantium skeleton makes his spanks hurt a lot. You're brought to tears every time, and he rubs over your ass when he's done. "Are finished being a brat, hm?" his hand continued to rub soothingly over your red hot backside, handprints imbedded in your skin by now.

"Uh-huh..." you manage, making him smirk slightly as he pulls you up into him. "Such a naughty thing. Why can't you just behave for once?" he asks with a light scold to his voice, but it's mostly calm by now. "What the hell am I gonna do with you?" he sounds a bit amused now, still holding you after and rubs your exposed thigh.

I think a lot of people assume he wouldn't be into toys because he sort of has that 'I'm all you need' vibe, but come on. He has things for you. He's not insecure about it either. And he certainly doesn't get jealous over silicone.

Sometimes he will make you sit on a dildo while you suck him off, knowing it drives you crazy not to have his cock in you. You want him, not silicone. But he doesn't give in if you've been naughty. "You're a lucky girl/boy, at least I let you have something put in that greedy hole of yours." Logan grunts out, watching you struggle to take his dick down your throat, "You've been so unruly today, now you have to deal with your punishment. My cock won't be going in your sweet honey hole, so sit there like a good girl/boy and take your punishment."

Even if you're a brat from Hell, he will tame you down. A single glance and you stiffen and instantly rethink your attitude. "Talk to me like that again, and I will show everyone here why you always scream my name."

He's a good dom though. He knows how to take care of you. Maybe you act like a brat as a way to cope with something that happened in your life, and you need the stability of a dom like that. Logan's had his fair share of traumatized buddies, he is traumatized himself ffs. He can read you easily and identify exactly what's wrong or where your behavior stems from. He can differentiate when your brattiness is on purpose and playful, or when you're struggling mentally. And he will approach it properly.

Sometimes you don't need to be spanked or forced to cum until you're crying for forgiveness and he wipes those tears away. Sometimes you need a sit down and to just talk. Sometimes a verbal scolding with firm yet gentle authority does the trick, or you need to cry and he sits with you so you're not alone.

Not all of it is about sex.

Logan is good with whatever you may need. He's there for you, which is the most important thing. "Come on pup...what's the matter today? You're being a brat for no reason. Why are you being so bad, hm...tell your p/t." The way he asks in a different tone than normal can make you crumble, and sometimes a good cry or needing some grounding helps a lot.

Maybe your brattiness stems from a lack of care in your life, or an absence of a nurturing figure so when Logan shows himself to be a protector, you lash out with bratty behavior.

He obviously notices this, and he is unmoving. You might get frustrated, used to pushing people away and his stern authority frustrates you to lashing out. Logan is smart; he can handle your little tantrum. "You can fight all you want, little one. You're not gonna move me." He says calmly, hypothetically since he's not actually cornering you in any way. He watches you get mad but eventually his persistence pays off and you realize he's not going to hurt you like others may have done in the past.

Logan is the protective figure you needed. He keeps you in line, but he also tends to your needs. Sexually, emotionally, physically, mentally. He's a good dom, able to handle your behavior with ease and keep hold of you when necessary as he fucks you to climax.

That’s all I got.

[poisonlove]

can you write a fem reader x tara fic where reader is anika’s best friend or sister or something and anika wants to introduce reader to the group

Oh yes, I really like the idea, haha. I just hope you like what I've come up with. Sorry for the delay, but sooner or later, I'll write every request. 😊

The night we met | t.c

tara carpenter x reader

"Excuse me, sorry," I uttered with difficulty, trying to navigate through the crowd.

I found myself at the fraternity party in New York, immersed in the atmosphere of loud music and an air filled with a mix of sweat and grass. It was Halloween, and the guys were dressed up, adding a touch of eccentricity to the party. The noise of laughter and music served as a background as I struggled to make my way through the crowd, eager to reach my destination amid the festive chaos.

I released a sigh of relief as I made my way through the crowd, and finally, in the center of the party I saw a familiar scene. My best friend, Anika, was sitting on a small couch with a girl. It was clear that she was Anika's girlfriend considering how Anika had her legs stretched over hers, and the girl's hand was absentmindedly caressing Anika's leg.

I approached with a smile, happy to have found my destination amidst all the festive chaos.

"Hey," I said smiling at my best friend. Anika gave me a beautiful smile as soon as our eyes met.

"Mindy... this is y/n, my best friend," Anika introduced, pointing in my direction. "y/n, this is Mindy, my girlfriend," she announced, smiling broadly and giving a playful look to her girlfriend.

"Pleasure to meet you," I said in a loud voice, trying to make myself heard amidst the party's noise.

"The pleasure is mine," Mindy replied with a smile, looking at me with curious eyes.

"Cute costume," she noted immediately, looking me up and down with a mischievous smile. "Certainly... frightening," she added laughing under her breath.

"Thank you," I replied, slightly embarrassed. Perhaps Harry Potter wasn't the most suitable choice for this situation, now that I think about it.

"I'm going... going to get something to drink," I said, leaning toward Anika, who nodded in agreement.

I made my way through the crowd again, heading towards the drink counter a few meters away. While walking, a girl who was dancing accidentally elbowed me, making me lose my balance and collide with someone.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry," I immediately said after regaining my balance, looking up to apologize to the person I had bumped into.

When my eyes met hers, I was mesmerized. Before me stood a girl dressed as a pirate, with brown hair cascading to her shoulders.

"Don't worry, it's fine," she said calmly, indicating that she was unharmed by our collision. Her eyes, glazed from alcohol, analyzed me more closely.

I responded with a slightly embarrassed smile.

The girl with a smile on her face approached me even more causing my heartbeat to quicken. The height difference between us became evident as we looked into each other's eyes. Her presence, heightened by the festive atmosphere and the effect of alcohol, created an aura of curiosity and excitement.

The pirate, tilting her head, raised her hands to my face. With a confident and gentle gesture, she adjusted my round glasses.

"There you go, much better," she said laughing softly.

"TARA!"

The voice resonated in the chaos of the party and I immediately turned my gaze towards the sound. I saw Tara turning, revealing her well-defined jaw, upturned nose, and full lips.

"Everything okay?" Mindy asked, directing the question to Tara and showing a slight concern as I turned to see.

Tara's brown eyes turned back in my direction, radiant with brightness and fascination. "Let's go get something to drink, Pottah," she said, smiling widely, and a slight giggle escaped when she pronounced "Potter" with an English accent.

"That's what I wanted to do, Elizabeth Swann," I replied, amused.

Tara raised an eyebrow with curiosity, her scrutinizing gaze fixed on me. "Swann?" she asked with genuine curiosity. "Oh... it was a reference to Pirates of the Caribbean, you know... like a matching costume to your pirate outfit,"

I was grateful that the room was relatively dark, allowing me to conceal my embarrassment.

Tara chuckled softly. "Got it, I was teasing you." She raised a hand, shaking it timidly while she spoke.

"Could I have another?" she asked the person behind the counter, genuinely smiling. It was only then that I realized Tara already had a glass in her hand.

"There's none left," the guy behind the counter replied.

And that's when a certain guy approached with a flirtatious smile. "Hey beauties... I'm Edward," the guy said, but he only looked at Tara. "Y/n," I said, annoyed. "Tara," the girl replied with a smile on her lips.

My eyes rolled slightly without making a sound.

"In the kitchen, there's something to drink... if you want," Edward affirmed, giving me a dazzling smile t

Tara and i along with Edward, made our way to the kitchen to get something to drink. As I took a sip, the strong, bitter taste of alcohol made me scrunch up my nose. Meanwhile, Edward was openly flirting with Tara, creating a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere that made me wish I were elsewhere.

The guy put an arm around Tara's waist, causing clear discomfort to the brunette.

It was clear that the guy wanted to take Tara upstairs. With a pleading look, Tara asked me to help her in that embarrassing situation. Her expression reflected a mixture of discomfort and hope as she sought a way out of that embarrassing situation.

"Hey!" I said seriously, putting my hand on Edward's arm.

The guy, obviously tipsy, looked at me confused, smiling mischievously. "If you want to come too, I won't complain," he chuckled quietly.

"Let go of Tara," I said seriously, tightening my lips at the disgusting proposition. "She doesn't want to," I added, shooting a glance at the pirate.

"Potter..." Edward muttered weakly. "I'll make her change her mind," he concluded, smiling.

"Tara! Let's go home," Anika intervened, looking at the guy attentively.

"He won't let her go," I said nervously, noticing how Tara looked at me with bright eyes, perhaps trying to hold back tears.

"Tara stays here," a guy intervened. Mindy was next to him.

a statuesque cowboy.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion thinking that maybe he was the pirate girl's boyfriend.

"Come on, Chad... we just want to have some fun," the guy said, his face red from alcohol.

"She stays here," the guy reiterated seriously, approaching the stairs.

Edward, climbing two steps, made Tara lose her balance, clearly not wanting to follow him. The sudden movement surprised her, and her expression reflected a combination of fear and disorientation as she tried to maintain stability. Edward's firm grip on her arm seemed more like an attempt to drag her than a supportive gesture, adding an element of constraint to the embarrassing situation Tara found herself in.

Tara grimaced, trying to hide the pain as Edward insisted on dragging her up the stairs.

In the blink of an eye, the situation escalated as Chad grabbed Edward by the shirt, attempting to force him to step down. Edward, trying to retaliate, eventually let go of Tara. With a swift motion, the pirate sought refuge in my arms, trying to regain balance after the unexpected turmoil. The tension in the air was palpable as gazes clashed, with Tara still a bit disheveled but clearly grateful to have escaped from that unwanted aggression.

"Take her outside," Anika said seriously. Without saying anything, I found myself walking with Tara against my body toward the exit of the house.

Outside, silence reigned supreme, broken only by the occasional passing car. The starry sky shone, and the full moon illuminated the night. The cold made Tara shiver slightly, enveloped in the quiet of the evening.

"Are you okay?" I asked with concern.

Tara looked at me, smiling and nodding.

I decided to take off my tunic, a sort of jacket I was wearing, and offered it to her. In short sleeves and jeans, I noticed the cold was starting to be felt a bit.

"Take this, it might help you warm up," I suggested, offering my tunic to Tara in the hope that it could give her at least some comfort.

Tara raised the corners of her lips, putting on the coat I had given her and looking at me with a grateful expression.

She swayed slowly towards me, resting her hands on my shirt. Her gaze was directed at me with her chin slightly lifted. A mixture of vulnerability and gratitude reflected in her eyes.

"Thank you," she said timidly.

My cheeks tinged with red due to the proximity, and Tara smiled sweetly. With a sloppy attempt, the girl tried to stand on tiptoe, causing a laugh from me for her effort.

Tara pouted, but it was amusing to see the slightly tipsy girl.

Tara's hands moved gently on my face, removing my glasses.

With a smile on my lips, I watched as the girl pushed her glasses up on her head, looking at me curiously. My smile faded when I saw Tara lean forward, eager to press her lips to mine.

"Tara... you're drunk," I said, smiling amusedly. "And I'm a girl," I clarified, not wanting Tara in her state to overlook the situation.

For heaven's sake, I was gay, but I didn't want to kiss a drunk straight girl.

"And so what? I've noticed," she replied, smiling, biting her lower lip. "I just want to kiss you," she affirmed, amused.

Her hand caressed the lightning-shaped scar on my forehead. "You're extremely sexy with this costume," she murmured.

"You have a boyfriend," I said with a slightly irritated tone, remembering a certain Chad. Tara gave a wide smile, shaking her head. "I don't have a boyfriend," she said amusedly.

"In any case, you're drunk," I reiterate, amused, sensing how Tara smelled of alcohol and most likely a perfume."Maybe you can give me a kiss when you're conscious of your actions," I whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.

"Pottah, kiss your Hermione," she blurted out with a smile on her lips, and I rolled my eyes at her comment. "Actually, it's Ginny," I said, smiling slightly. "Whatever it is," mumbled Tara.

"Another time," I added, smiling at her amusing behavior.

Tara sighs loudly and leans against my chest, wrapping her arms around my body in search of warmth. My eyes curiously scanned the exit of the house, but the smile faded from my face when I saw Anika's eyes looking at me mischievously from a distance. Her girlfriend did the same, and the only one confused was the guy next to them.

Oh, crap. I'm in for an unpleasant interrogation.

[messylustt]

Hii 👉🏻👈🏻 Could you write an Ethan Landry fic where he tries anything too woo the Reader and get together with her even though she has already a boyfriend. Hope you have an amazing day! 🩵

FRIEND-ZONED roommate!ethan landry

he would hate the readers boyfriend so much, but then the reader would like smile at him and his scowl would be gone

contains: protective ethan; ethan lusting over taken reader

step one step two

“HEY! HOPE YOU DON’T MIND, TOBY IS COMING OVER A LITTLE LATER.” You said as you finished eating your breakfast.

You lived in a dorm with Chad and Ethan. There was a mix up, you were meant to be rooming with some other girl. But you gradually didn’t mind being around the boys, and neither did they mind being around you.

Especially Ethan. Once the first week of you living with them past, Ethan became nearly infatuated. Your joyous personality and bright smiles made Ethan days all the more better.

Chad brushed it off as just a fleeting crush since you were a girl staying in their dorm room. Plus Ethan didn’t exactly get much action. But Ethan gradually grew to realise that it was certainly not fleeting. He liked you, but then he found out about your boyfriend, Toby.

He was unimpressed the first time he came over. You had triple checked with Chad and Ethan that it was okay. Chad of course said yes, while Ethan did also, but he certainly wished he could have said no.

Like a normal boyfriend, Toby would visit. You’d usually just stay in your room majority of the time. And Ethan tried not to listen in, or call for you to help him with something when his jaw tightened too much at the thought of what you were doing in there.

Ethan knew he had no right to feel jealous. Toby was your boyfriend, and he was just your roomie. You had announced him as your friend, which of course felt good, but then he’d catch you introducing Toby to others. ‘This is my boyfriend..’

“Of course!” Called back Chad from his room. “Bring him ‘round, I’ve got this new game I wanna try out.”

Ethan walked into the kitchen, seeing you sitting on a stool, wearing a large top…and nothing else. Of course you weren’t like flashing him or anything, but the effect of your bare legs did all the same.

"Morning, Ethan." You smiled. Ethan easily reciprocated it, loving the way your eyes lit up.

Later that day, when lessons and study had finished, you and the boys settled on the couch. You plopped down beside Ethan, who placed his arm around the back. Close enough without meaning anything more.

"Chad maybe don't hit it, and it might start working." You chuckle, watching as Chad got pissed at the tv. Ethan watched you as you grinned. You looked so pretty.

"Did you style your hair?" Ethan asked, suddenly noticing the way it fell differently today.

You turned your attention to him, touching your hair. "Yeah. I wanted to try out something different."

"It suits you." Ethan smiled, and yours widened.

"Thank you."

"Alright, I give up. y/n, fix it." Chad said, glaring at the tv.

You scoff. "I'm no more 'techy' then you." You cross your arms.

Ethan absentmindedly picks some lint off your sleeve, shifting slightly closer to do that. You turn back to Ethan. "Wait." You say, making Ethan meet your gaze.

You leaned slightly closer, and Ethan could smell your strawberry shampoo. "Hold still." You raised your hand to his hair.

A tiny spider had found its way into his curls. Your breath hits Ethan's face as you focused, picking the spider out. You catch Ethan's confused gaze. "Sorry, there was a spider."

"A spider?!" Chad exclaimed, eyeing you.

"A tiny one. No need to freak out." You scoffed as Chad slightly shuffled away. You teasingly brought the spider closer to Chad you backed up, before placing it on the couch.

Ethan grabbed your wrist pulling your hand back to his hair. "Are you sure thats the only one? What if I have a family growing in my hair?" Ethan just wanted to feel your hand again.

You chuckle and sink your hand back into his curls. You shift closer, tilting his face. You had one hand on his chin, directing his head where you wanted. Ethan tried to hold back a smile, but feeling you touching his face and hair, while your body stayed close, made a grin form.

You drop your hand, slightly knocking his head away. "Don't worry, you don't have a spider family living rent free."

Ethan still had that giddy smile present. "Are you sure? We live in the same dorm. What if some of its babies crawl into your bed?"

You hit his shoulder. "I could have left that spider in there."

"You wouldn't have." Ethan let his arm drop around your shoulder. "Your just too sweet."

You scoff. "You say that like it's a fault." Your brows cutely furrowed as Ethan's gaze darted. That's when a knock resounded on the door. You quickly stood, to Ethan's disappointment. He refrained from grabbing your leaving form, because he knew exactly who was at the door.

You shot Toby a smile once the door was open, and he gave you a hug. Chad was busy setting up the controllers for the game, and Ethan was busy watching you both. His jaw tightened, as he watched Toby peck your lips.

Toby then spotted Ethan. "Hey, man." He darted his gaze to Chad. "Oo, new game?" Toby rushed over, taking your previous seat.

Chad then went to explain what this new game entailed as your boyfriend became invested. "God, the minute he's through the door, your taking him from me, Chad."

You rested your elbows against the back of the couch, right behind Toby. Chad just sneakily grinned as you narrowed your eyes.

Ethan shifted his gaze from the game to you. Your hands were rested against Toby's shoulders as Chad and him began the game.

Ethan couldn't help but poke your side gently, earning you to glance at him. He narrowed his eyes on the hands that had been touching him earlier, now touching your boyfriend.

Ethan tilted his head, asking you to sit beside him. You ruffled your boyfriend's hair, before jumping over the couch to sit beside Ethan. Ethan tried not to scowl at the fact that you had touched Toby's hair and not his. But his smile soon returned when he heard you whisper in his ear.

"Who do you think's gonna be more of a sore loser?" You asked in reference to Toby and Chad. Ethan leaned closer to whisper in your ear, placing his hand behind your back. "My bet's on your boyfriend."

You scoff. "That's just because you don't like him very much."

Ethan turned his head, so that he was facing you. You were close and Ethan hated the way his breath hitched. "Why do you think that?"

You raise your brows. "I've never seen you smile at him once. And you always smile at people you like."

"Do I?" You noticed that?—Ethan thought to himself.

You nod. "Do you have some secret beef with him or something?"

Yes. "No."

You narrowed your eyes. "Yes, you do." Your gaze darted between his eyes and Ethan tried not lean in. Your boyfriend was right there—hellbent way too busy, but still there. "What—he steal your lunch, or something?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "No, he's just not my type of guy."

"He's literally so similar to Chad."

Yeah, with the games, the frat vibes and loud personality. "Then, you should have dated Chad."

"Ew no." You shake your head. "I mean he's cute, but like very much a friend."

Cute? Did you find all your friends "cute"? More specifically, him? Would you say "ew, no" about him too?

"Well, then let's say your boyfriend wasn't in the picture..."

"Is this a dare or something? To see if I really like Toby?" Your eyes widened. "No—or did Toby put you up to this?"

"No, fuck!" Exclaimed Chad, most likely having either died or went off track.

"Toby? No." Ethan scoffed.

"Then what's got you all weird?" You still spoke so sweetly. Ethan hadn't moved his hand from behind your back, maybe even slid it further around you.

"Humour me. Besides Toby, I don't know the sorta guys you like."

You tilted your head, a small realisation—you thought was true—hitting you. "Oh my god. Do you like someone? Are you trying to see what girls like?"

Yes, Ethan thought to himself, I do like someone. Someone I can't have. You quickly grabbed Ethan's hand, and drag him into the slightly hidden kitchen.

You looked giddy, excited for Ethan. "Why didn't you tell me? I'm happy to help."

Ethan wished you were happy to help him get what he wanted. Still, Ethan went along with this small lie. It had gotten him alone in the kitchen with you.

"I don't know why I didn't. I just..." Ethan shrugged.

"Okay, well, who is she?"

Ethan shook his head. "I can't tell you. If she rejects me, I'll be embarrassed."

"Fine." You say, leaning against the counter. "But different girls like different things."

Ethan nods, stepping closer. "Well, whats a general thing that'll "woo" any girl."

You stayed silent, thinking. Chad and Toby's cries of anger and annoyance could be heard from the lounge, but Ethan was entirely focused on you.

"Attention." You nod. "Anyone loves when someone gives them attention. It also means that she'll most likely notice you more."

Ethan moved slightly closer, resting his own hip against the counter. "So, if I just smiled at her and stuff?"

"That, and maybe if there's a project, ask her to be apart of it. That shows her you want her company too."

Ethan nods, paying close attention to the way your lips moved. "And if she still doesn't notice you. Talk to her, ask her out."

"What if she has boyfriend?" The words slip out extremely fast, and Ethan curses himself for being possibly obvious.

"Oh." You say, slightly deflating. "Then, there's not much you can do, I'm afraid."

"Really? Nothing?"

"I mean," you sigh. "You could still talk to her and get to know her. But if she's a good girlfriend you'll know you've been friend-zoned."

And that's exactly what Ethan knew. You had friend-zoned him straight way, leaving him to just pine after you. "Is there anyway to get out of the friend-zone?"

"If she has a boyfriend, it's hard."

"But possible?" Ethan now stood directly in front of you, trying his best to not lean down and kiss you.

"If I'm being honest. You should just talk to her and try. No harm in getting shut down. You can easily tell if she isn't happy in the relationship. And if she isn't, then of course wait till they've broken up, but their's hope for you." Your trying to be supportive, knowing Ethan can be very shy around girls.

"So, if I just told her how I felt. She might shut me down or..." Ethan lets you fill in. What is he looking for to show him that he has a chance?

"Or stay silent. For a while." You say. "It means she actually had to think about it, or get rid of the butterflies in her stomach."

Noted, Ethan thought.

Soon, Toby had lost the game, agitatedly walking into the kitchen. He reached you, pulling you to his lips. You pushed away from his sloppy kiss, tasting the alcohol on his tongue. "Toby, I'm not kissing you while your tipsy."

Toby scowl but leans back. He finally noticed Ethan, who stared at him with a clench to his jaw. Toby had grown to realise Ethan's little crush on you, you stayed oblivious, but Toby had noticed the lingering glances shot your way.

Chad and him had a few drinks while playing, resulting in him being a bit more brazen than usual. Toby gripped your waist a fraction tighter, keeping you close to him, as Ethan's gaze shot toward the action.

Toby went to kiss you again, this one oozing with possessiveness. "Toby." You say, placing your hands on his chest, growing embarrasses by the PDA in front of your friend. "Not here."

"Then why don't you come back to my place?" He grinned.

"Not while you're drunk." You say pointedly, slightly freeing yourself from is hold. When you step back, Toby tries to grab you again, but Ethan gets there first, pulling you to him, while keeping his gaze on the your tipsy boyfriend.

Ethan had tugged on your shirt, until your back hit his chest, making you sightly jolt. "Your drunk, just go home and sober up."

Toby glares at Ethan. "Why are you touching my girl?"

"Okay, Toby, how many drinks did Chad give you?" You ask stepping away from Ethan as you usher Toby to the door.

My girl. Toby's words circled Ethan's head. He hated them because they were somewhat true, you were his girlfriend, but by all means not his.

When you all reached the door, you opening it for Toby. "Head straight home. Don't do something stupid." You said, hoping your boyfriend wasn't too drunk to walk home.

"Come on, y/n. Just come stay at mine, you can bring all your uni shit with you."

Before you could answer Toby, Ethan spoke. "She's fine."

"Really, Toby. Just head home, and I'l call you, alright?" You kept your tone light, a strange tension filling the room.

"Y/n, just come." Toby goes to pull you through the door, when Ethan wraps his arm around your shoulder, pulling you flush to his side. "She said go home, Toby." And before Toby could speak Ethan shut the door in his face.

"Maybe that was a bit harsh." You say to Ethan, before calling through the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Toby!"

Ethan kept his arm around your shoulder, even when you glanced up at him. You scoff seeing his expression. "I knew you didn't like him, like a lot."

Ethan rolls his eyes, and finally lets you go. Maybe he’d have to execute the plan you had laid out for him on a silver platter.

this may need a part two if I find the time

kisses, holly

🏷️ @jakesully-sbabygirl @emlovesya @netey6m @lullvu @wenvierismycomfort @lilihale23 @urmomlovesliyah @shesoperfectt @dazedmind @ummmmwhatsblog @isabela30 @2683d @kyliemarief @elandrys @aqellano @explosiongamora @jackchampionswife @h-e-y-y @mixed-theater-faisty-tings @imbiafandbored @svmh-1 @moonroamer @wickedmunson @nina357 @h34rtsformilli @pastellixz @bigtittitiffanyy @mistpx @oscarisdaddy69 @dizzyscreams @bungunz @fandom-freak-geek @joemama352 @c78r @igotmajordaddyissues @justanotherkpopstanlol @ily2lia @ethanlandrysgf69 @tesstesla @motusilas @melllinaa @kaamiyato @karslyn @minyiyiii @joce09slay @nooimmaastarr @itlover8000 @imabee-oralizard @petersniya @criesinlies @m-ar-i @radiant-whore @stopnala @babygguk98 @feral4austinbutler @michaelangdonsslut

[klikandtuna]

2024 FIC ROUNDUP

Oooookay I barely know what I’m doing here but I’ll give it a shot. 😁

What fandoms do you write in?

It’s allllll Good Omens. After S2 broke my brain, I started sending tiny snippets of fic ideas to a couple of friends, which over the course of a few months really snowballed beyond any pretense of control. I’m gone, y’all. This is my life now.

How many words have you published in 2024?

WELL this number is about to jump with the posting of Find Every Sky next week, but at this moment I’m sitting at

✨758,377✨

Which is pretty cool! To be fair, a good chunk of that was written before I had joined AO3 (it took those couple of friends about six months to convince me to join up), so it wasn’t all written this year, though certainly most of it was.

What is your greatest achievement this year?

Aside from actually joining the fandom at all, this award definitely goes to the TWENTY-TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKS, May-October, in which I posted TWO CHAPTERS PER WEEK without missing a single update. Find the Light and Sky Clear Blue were written back-to-back without any break inbetween, and while the schedule for SCB got a little dicey for a while, my beta-reader and I managed to keep that Tuesday/Friday ride going allllll the way to the end. Pretty proud of that.

What are your top three favorite fics you wrote this year?

This is so unfair because they’re all my babies 😭😭 I pour so much of myself into everything I write that I really hate choosing favorites, buuuuut I’ll try.

When You Go (101k Reverse Omens, complete but there’s a sequel coming, rated E)

My human AUs receive by far the most attention (and I’m not complaining!), but I want to give some love to my Reverse-Omens fic because I’m pretty darn proud of it. Each chapter bounces back and forth between an ongoing present-day storyline and anecdotes from their past, and it was my first attempt at switching tenses for effect (which I really got the hang of in Sky Clear Blue, haha). I feel like I really nailed the characterizations here, and it was a joy to a) flesh out the Starmaker as the Seraph Baraqiel and let him be his full glorious self, and b) experiment with what the Fall might do to someone as sweet as Aziraphale; while I did give him the demon name Azazel, I did NOT make him a goat demon because frankly that’s all wrong for him. I went a different direction and it’s FRIGGIN COOL, Y’ALL ☺️

Sky Clear Blue (289k human AU, complete, rated E)

Obviously 💛 Time travel, coming out, the beautiful transformative power of love. My biggest piece to date, started as a tiny seed and germinated into something really beautiful. Also at some point I started illustrating every chapter which was a real game-changer, and makes me feel a weird obligation to KEEP DOING THAT for all of my fics.

Naked and Afraid: Jingle Hell (24k human AU, complete, rated T but only for, like, mildly suggestive themes)

Okay my new favorite thing EVER is to take an extremely silly premise and make you FEEL THINGS 🥰 "Aziraphale and Crowley are participants on Naked and Afraid" is not a thing I would have expected to be received with joy and tears, but here we are, and I'm very very happy with how this one turned out.

What was your biggest Pit of Despair moment?

...That's awfully dramatic, but I guess when the SCB posting schedule was really catching up to me and writing was more of a HAVE TO thing instead of a just-for-fun thing. But that didn't last long, and it never got to the point where I wasn't enjoying myself. Writing is a real passion of mine and I'm having the time of my life with these fics.

What have you learned?

Honestly...I've learned that I can do this. I really can. I can take an idea, just the tiniest glimmer of silver in the aether, and follow it and draw it out and spin it into something magnificent. I can write things that make people Feel (including myself!). When I reach, the story is there, and I can trust that I'll find it as I go along.

I've also learned that a good beta-reader is worth their weight in gold, rubies, mithril, any incredibly valuable thing, and that it's okay to open myself up to criticism, and that accepting suggestions from someone smart and articulate and caring makes my writing soooo much better.

What fic did you want to do, but never made it off the ground?

The Naked and Afraid piece would have been my answer here, except I found a way to make it happen 😁 I have a bunch of half-formed, nebulous ideas floating around, but really I've just been going for the stories that I want to tell. I guess we could count the When You Go sequel here, haha. As soon as I've had some time to absorb and process Season 3, the sequel is ON

Did you beta any fics? Any faves you want to give shout out?

I kiiiiinda did one soft beta-type-thing just last week, but that was my very first time! I'm usually soooo busy with my own projects that I barely have time to read anything anyone else writes, much less offer thoughtful feedback. Maybe one day...

What three fics have you read this year that you love?

See just above — I don't have the tiiiiiiime. I did read For Loving One by @thescholarlystrumpet and it was gorgeous (she even embedded a piece of fan art I did in one of the chapters, which was very exciting for me), and I read Love, Uh, Finds a Way by @heretic1103 which was a delight, annnnnd oh! oh! I stumbled upon Lay Thee Sinner, 'Neath the Cross and Pole by @thenerdalert and have been enjoying the updates!

What ideas are percolating for next year?

Okay NOW I'm excited, because as I mentioned above, I've got a brand-spankin'-new BIG multichapter human AU on the waaaaay and the first chapter is going to drop on December 31! The title is In His Hand a Burning Coal and it has officially consumed my entire heart. Can't WAIT to start sharing this one. It's tapped into some deeeeep, lifelong reservoirs of love and nerdy passion for me, and I think that comes through in the writing.

ALSO, in late February we're going to do something REALLY FUN. What do y'all think about a Choose Your Own Adventure FANFIC?? Like, I post a poll with options for the next chapter, you vote, and I write in the direction of the winning option? I'm super excited to give this a try. I do dearly love a good prompt, and if we can get a bunch of people in on the voting action I think it'll be an absolute blast. Soft and sweet? Hysterical crack? Enemies-to-lovers or a tooth-rotting meet-cute? ALL OF THE ABOVE??? YOU choose! 😃

Is there anyone you'd like to thank?

First and foremost, always, I thank @suzypfonne. A random comment on one of my fics has become a friendship I treasure dearly. She's smart, she's funny, she's deeply kind and caring and generous, and she's the best friggin' beta-reader I could imagine. She has made me a better writer, and I'm always excited to turn over a doc to her. 💛💛

Huge thanks as well to @sparklyshinymagpie, who messaged me out of the blue one day to say "hey I could help code the social-media stuff in your fic, if that's something you'd be interested in." HOLY SHIT YES. She has put a huge amount of time and work into making my stories so much prettier, and our next project will be compiling the PDFs for my big stories so I can finally make print copies available for purchase! She is VERY talented and patient and I APPRECIATE HER VERY MUCH

I'm also tremendously grateful to @e-rated-beardo for the unspeakably gorgeous gift that is this incredible recording of the titular song from Sky Clear Blue. One of the lovliest gifts I've EVER been given!

And a final thank-you to @lolalu16 for her tireless cheerleading. They sometimes get early access to chapters, just because I like them 😁

OKAY this was fun but also took forever, haha. I'd love to read others' posts on this subject, so feel free to go for it!

[flowersdiceandlove]

i just realized that for the tgcf rarepair fic i was talking about, i forgot to say why i wanted it to end around the time of the mid-autumn banquet. So, the heavens still don't know that xie lian and pei ming are a couple. They aren't really aware that people don't know, they just think people haven't really brought it up because of professionalism or they did think people were mentioning but they actually misunderstood what they were talking about. Anyway, people don't know about them, so canon has continued pretty much the same with only some smaller differences.

SO, the mid-autumn banquet comes and pei ming gives xie lian a whole knew outfit and accessories to wear to it that totally compliment xie lian's looks and his physique, making him look like the flower crowned martial god/crown prince of xianle he once was. people are floored by how handsome and beautiful he looks, and pei ming is endlessly smug at it, his eyes tracking all over xie lian like "yep. that guy's mine." shi qingxuan still calls xie lian over to sit near him (but xie lian would have gone there anyway bc that's were pei ming was sat). so xie lian and pei ming are sitting across from each other, and the thing is, i think that after so many decades of being in a relationship, pei ming's flirtations would wear off on xie lian and they'd become more shameless in public. They behave when business is involved, to the best they can, but during leisure time? And, the mid-autumn banquet is a banquet. a party. it's the time for the gods to let their hair down a bit and have fun. so, as soon as xie lian gets settled across from him, pei ming's appreciating eyes on him the whole time, he starts flirting. obviously. saying something like "Your Highness is certainly a sight tonight. those robes suit you beautifully. it's as though the one picking them out knew your body intimately."

With a blush, xie lian responded, "thank you, general pei. my husband has good taste and an eye for this sort of thing." because they want to play a game. You know how couples will come up with scenarios and then roleplay as a type of foreplay? Yeah, this is that. that's why they didn't arrive together, so they could act this out.

"oh? Your Highness is married?" pei ming responds coyly. "then where is this mysterious husband? should he not be at Your Highness' side? to let Your Highness attend such an event unaccompanied...tsk, that man truly does not know how to treat a beautiful flower like Your Highness."

"Oh? and general pei does?"

"I do. I'm quite good at such things. I'm sure I could take much better care of Your Highness tonight than some man couldn't even be bothered to accompany his husband to a banquet."

they go back an forth with this through the night, and everyone around them is shocked because they didn't know xie lian was married, or that xie lian was pei ming's type, and finally by the fact that xie lian is reciprocating pei ming's flirtations. as far as they're all aware, xie lian is still the virginal and ascetic god that follows the same path as mu qing. and mu qing and feng xin are not dealing well with these revelations. that xie lian is married to a man and seems to be indulging in the idea of cheating on said husband with pei ming of all people. everyone already knows that pei ming sleeps with married women sometimes, so they're not too shocked that he's not deterred by xie lian being married.

oh, and throughout it all, xie lian is getting more and more drunk. he rarely drinks, but he knows pei ming likes it when he gets drunk/tipsy. pei ming likes it because xie lian rarely indulges in such things, and so xie lian, losing control a bit and doing so around him, is very attractive. xie lian, since he doesn't follow the cultivation path that forbids it, just tends to not drink just from habit and the taste, and even if it won't effect his cultivation anymore, still likes that way of living. so, xie lian mostly just drinks as another way to indulge pei ming. and, now, he does so, and he's fine with getting drunk, as pei ming keeps pouring him more cups of wine. his lover/hubby is there and will protect him and make sure he's okay, so xie lian can lose control for a bit knowing he'll be well taken care of.

by the time the banquet ends, xie lian is a giggling, drunken mess, with a rosy, drunken blush across his cheeks, practically leaning across the table to "whisper" to pei ming, and pei ming has taken his hand and was stoking it gently. when it comes time to leave, pei ming says "Your Highness, why don't you come back to my palace tonight. I'd hate if anything were to happen to you in this state," with a very seductive smile and in a very suggestive voice.

"Oh, general pei is too kind. thank you, general. I'll take you up on that offer," xie lian respond, and when pei ming helps xie lian to his feet, he stumbles right into pei ming's chest and dissolves into giggles again. Pei Ming can't help but smile and chuckle, wrapping his arms around xie lian to better support him.

"Your Highness should be more careful, but he needn't worry. This general will take good care of him tonight." Xie Lian hums, nodding his head, his cheek rubbing against pei ming chest bc he hasn't stepped back from pei ming after stumbling into him.

"thank you, general pei, i'll leave myself in your care, then."

this is when feng xin and mu qing finally snap. they've been watching pei ming getting xie lian drunker and drunker all night while flirting with him and trying to seduce him back to the palace of ming guang. they don't know that xie lian is fully consenting to this and has been enjoying playing this game with pei ming too. they just think that pei ming is taking advantage of xie lian and his kindness, innocence, and trusting nature (like they did with hua cheng earlier). so, they finally decide to step in and try to "save" xie lian from pei ming. when they do though, pei ming starts to get ticked off because why are they interfering in his personal business and he's been waiting and leading up to this all night and isn't happy about his plans hitting hiccups. feng xin and mu qing are unrelenting, saying that there is no way that they're letting pei ming take xie lian back to his palace and do who-knows-what with him while he's in a compromised state.

after a little back and forth of that and xie lian realizing that pei ming hasn't taken his back to the palace of ming guang to have sex (he has also been waiting for this and building up to it with pei ming the whole night). he is not happy. and still very drunk. so, pushes himself up from pei ming's chest (finally) and frowns up at pei ming.

"why haven't you taken me to bed yet?" he demands petulantly. many people gape at the shameless demand, and pei ming is just endless fond, smiling down at him.

"well I'm trying to, your highness, but these two generals here are very insistent that I don't." xie lian then turns to feng xin and mu qing who haven't recovered from xie lian's earlier words and basically tells them to leave him alone and that he wants to have sex with pei ming and that they've been having sex for decades and stuff. (he's not trying to be mean, he's just drunk and wants pei ming, and they're getting in his way.)

anyway, either xie lian, tired of all the bullshit keeping pei ming from taking him to bed, jumps straight into pei ming's arms for pei ming to carry him princess style to his palace, or xie lian keeps stumbling on the walk and so pei ming picks him up on the way. the bed in the palace of ming guang is already covered with flower petals and the room set up for xie lian to spend the night with him in, pei ming having set this all up before the banquet in anticipation.

And that is how i think it would be funny for the gods to find out that pei ming and xie lian are lovers/married. by a drunken xie lian professing it loudly after the banquet and demanding that pei ming take him to bed already.

anyway, i'm still writing on it, and want to sit with the fic itself for a bit to see what more comes through to me before shifting my attention to another fic.

[shadowmor]

Where your soul belongs

Summarize: After the blip, in which some Avengers somehow manage to survive, Tony Stark's daughter returns in coma, but after two years, she finally wakes up, but something seems strange in her memories. It's like she's never lived there before.

Reader is female (she/her)

This story has: parallel universe/life, some characters are alive (Tony Stark)

This is just the base of the story, i'll add more ideas later on.

English is not my first language, so i'm really sorry. If something is gramatically incorrect I'll apreaciate if you point it out for me.

When you woke up in a strange laboratory with holograms floating in all directions, you were certainly intrigued by it, until you realized that you were trapped in a capsule as well.

A strange tube stuck to your face, apparently giving you oxygen back, it looked like something out of a horror movie mixed with science fiction.You hit the capsule for a while to break it, but it was obviously not a simple glass that could be easily cracked, especially since your body was so weak for some reason.

After a few hours of despair, someone came to your rescue, a man who strangely seemed familiar to you, his name on the top of your tongue, but it wouldn't come out. He seemed disconcerted when he saw you hitting the tube, as if he was doubting what he was seeing, but after a few desperate knocks from you, he regained consciousness and took you away.

"I can't believe it, finally... finally you woke up." He hugged you so genuinely that you just let, even though you were extremely confused by everything. His tears dripped down your face and he stroked your hair so naturally that it tickled you. But wanting to know what was happening, you pushed him away.

"Where am I? What am I doing here? Where are my parents?" The questions made his face distort for a few seconds.

"Sorry, honey. What did you just say? Did you...ask about your parents?" Helpless, you just nodded, which made him slightly stumble back, losing his balance. Luckily, you held on long enough so that he wouldn't fall. He held both of your shoulders.

"You...honey, don't you know who I am? Look closely, pay attention, it must be because of the dizziness."And again, just a shake of head from your part. With just one look, you could tell that his world had fallen apart because of that gesture, but without knowing exactly why.

"Why am I here? Where are my parents? What happened to me?" He didn't answer, as if he had gotten stuck listening to her asking nonsense. "For now, just sit here. I'll... I'll call Stephen, he'll... he'll fix this, just wait a moment."

Half an hour later, a man appeared floating, which startled you. Had he just flown? Stephen didn't ignore your reaction. He already noticed that something wasn't right.

"It's not common memory loss. She really doesn't have the memories from here." That's what Steven said after some time observing her and questioning.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll be brief. Her soul is from here, but her memories are from another reality."

"You're kidding me," the voice next to you came out weak. He held your hand. "No, I'm sure it's her. The same look, the same hug, the same voice..."

"The thing is: It really is her. The only difference is that apparently your daughter lost her memories of life in this world and replaced them with those of another. It's interesting." The other man in the floating cape approached you, looking into your eyes, as if he knew everything. Your gaze rested on the other man who held your hand tightly, looking exhausted.

"Where is this interesting? Huh? My daughter comes back, but she comes back without being her?"

"Like I said before, Tony. She's still her, the only thing is that for some reason her life experiences were exchanged for those she lived in a parallel world. So far, she's the only one with this effect after the blip. It must also be one of the reasons why she just woke up 7 years later, unlike the others who regained consciousness as soon as their existence returned after 5 years."

Tony took a deep breath, he seemed to have weakened, but rested his eyes on yours for a moment. And he simply hugged you "It's okay, I... I still love you. Let's figure this out"

"You say I lost my memories, but I don't think that. What's going on? And why am I here?" You pulled away from Tony's embrace and looked at the man called Stephen.

"Okay, it must be even more confusing for you than it is for us. I'll summarize..." The man who called himself Doctor Strange explained all the events, starting with the age of heroes, Thanos' attack, the Blip and finally the return 5 years after most people existed. Obviously, you didn't believe it at first, it seemed like something out of a movie. Even though you couldn't forget him flying over you, it was still hard to accept. Tony and Stephen tried to show you their powers and their armor, even the Stark technology, along with a tour of the city. It was something completely new, with such advanced technology that it scared you.

"You're my daughter, the Stark's firstborn. I... I'm your father, and it's my fault you're going through all this. I don't know what to do, but if I can help you in any way, you can count on me." Tony was a little different from the father you had, but that didn't make you accept him so easily.

After three months living in that environment, the adaptation was less horrible to deal with. Although it was strange to see floating things, intelligent armors and heroes, it was less difficult to accept than before. It was just a little awkward having to deal with your "family". First, because for you they weren't, second because it seemed like they were trying to force your memories back, which made every lunch uncomfortable.

"You can try to get a GDE and then take the exam to get into the college you want, I recommend MIT, but no pressure. You don't need to worry about the cost, I-"

"But I already go to college, why would I take another test?"

"That's..." Tony lightly remembered that for his daughter life went on, even with her real body unconscious. "But you didn't do it here yet. It's okay, we'll think about it later. What course had you chosen, well... there?"

"Humanities"

"My goodness, what has my daughter become?"He laughed a little at his own internal joke, but she didn't get. "It's just that I'm... like an engineer." She continued to stare at him in silence. "Like more into exacts. And you were too, that's why I was just kind of... never mind."

Tony didn't expect it to be so hard to reconnect with his own daughter. It was just a little while ago, but now it seems like she was a completely different person. And she was. Her interests changed, her opinions, her way of speaking, her slang and even her way of acting. -- He still can't get over the fact that she tried to get a part-time job at McDonald's. The Starks' firstborn serving burgers wouldn't leave his mind anymore.

But it's not like it irritates him, it hurts him sometimes, thinking that it was caused by him. He should have protected her, acted right away... but there are times when he likes this version of her. -- Even though he hates it when she talks about her father. Who does he think he is raising his daughter? Flattering her enough that she now called him Tony instead of Dad.

"You're a little different from the others." Stephen said. "They don't remember anything, as if the five years that passed were just an instant. For you, life went on, even if in another place."

"Is what I lived a lie?"

"No. I don't know how, but your consciousness managed to overcome the barriers of other parallel realities and enter one of your bodies and live the experiences of that one." He stopped, placing his hand on his chin, as if thinking about it. "It's quite unfortunate, but at the same time very interesting."

[thanatika]

pathologic 3 thoughts... i almost made a post awhile ago about hoping that they incorporate frostpunk-like gameplay mechanics into the bachelor remake, if they really are going all in on getting rid of the fps survival elements and adding more town management and resource sim elements. and now i'm mad that i never actually wrote it, because it seems like pathologic 3 is going to be incorporating frostpunk-like mechanics into its town management. "shape their lives with your decrees" and all that.

though one resource that frostpunk never really deals in is currency, and i hope they lean on that for dankovsky's town management mechanics. in that long dev post back in 2022 or something, i remember an offhand mention about getting rid of the survival elements because dankovsky's position means he shouldn't have to struggle for food, healing items, or money... and for one thing, pathologic classic has him struggle easily without it feeling unrealistic, so i think they might as well have just said "we wanted to do something original instead of a reskin of the previous game" and left it at that. but with money specifically... even if dankovsky is put in control of funds due to his position (which he canonically is, there was just no fleshed out mechanic for it in the first game) the bigger question would be how to effectively use them? based on the original game, the amount of medicine and food and money was never quite enough, even when the town's nobility would finally hand it over after trying to ignore the problem. so you have access to resources, the real painful challenge comes from having to allocate them, whether it's an equal distribution that isn't enough to help anyone at all, or an unequal distribution where some are left out.

i'm imagining something like The Fund in pathologic 2, which was a very barebones mechanic of just "heal more people = get more money". the bachelor route is possibly going to be more hands on in its management, and more incriminatory towards you if resources run scarce due to mistakes or mismanagement.

and as for dankovsky's own survival, well, i guess he could be sitting pretty if he has access to all of the resources, and can just take however much he needs off the top. that's certainly what npcs are accusing him of doing throughout both games and the dlc. but is that really in character for him? you certainly have the option to do that, most explicitly with taking lara's money and running on day 2. but personally i think that characterization makes less sense than him trying to distribute as much as possible. not because i think he's such a great guy, but because:

a) why does the first game have so many side quests that hinge on him agreeing to go put his own life at risk and his own mission on hold just to save someone else for 0 reward, if it's out of character for him to do it? like taking over from all the ladies who agreed to test medicines, or going and getting shot at by soldiers to save the father of two random kids. what a waste of writing and scripting, if he really isn't "supposed" to do those things.

b) even if he doesn't give a shit about the town or its people (which his dialogue and quest logs imply he does care, up to a point), his whole purpose in trying to stop the plague is that it's his mandate from the powers that be, with the promise that they'll restore his lab to him if he succeeds. his lab that he canonically values so much that he equates losing it to his own death or suicide, all the way back from day 1. yeah, i think he'd deprive himself if he thought the resources might make the difference between saving it or not.

so i think that's also important to keep in mind for his motivations, because especially if they do end up removing the pressures of surviving against hunger and combat, the tension is kinda lost if we're supposed to think that he actually doesn't care about what he's trying to save, at least in the beginning.

[dukeofankh]

Fully there does need to be better (or any) community for male leftists but tbh in order for it to be at all effective men need to be the ones leading it. Like there happens to be a good SRA chapter near me (I've heard not all chapters are great but idk) and a bunch of the guys from the chapter do camping trips and hikes and stuff that aren't just for sra members and it's great. but it's the whole idea of bottom-up vs top-down organizing where there isn't going to be a nebulous 'someone else' who starts these things so it's got to be up to the men who feel isolated to start organizing for themselves. Unfortunately tho it seems like so many men don't know how to organize and the isolation builds a defeatist attitude where they aren't willing to just go try shit? obviously there's no easy answer but I guess I just want to say that community is out there for people if they're willing to look for it and put in work to make it.

Well, I'm not sure which of my posts recently this is in response to, but I did say in at least one of them a long list of things that I have attempted to do to get involved with stuff, and how I'm not some hyper isolated incel dude who's just sitting in my room staring at a wall and grumbling that someone hasn't broken into my house and forced me into community yet. I am gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't read that one.*

I am not saying that we should all give into despair and that no men out there are happy and integrated into loving communities. And I do agree that men need to be a large part of the leadership of movements like this. I just don't think that this complaint is nearly as much of a "wah wah we want women to fix us for us" as is commonly believed.

You've told me straightforwardly that you have joined a local organization doing the exact sort of thing that I am talking about. That is amazing! Good for you. The Socialist Rifle Association probably wouldn't be my jam personally, but that's really kind of besides the point because I am not American. Like, we don't want to drift into Bean Soup thinking but we do also have to recognize that your lived experience in this area is not actually a rebuttal to mine. It is, in fact, a reinforcement of it.

Like, you looked for, and found, an organization of peers and mentors who wanted to give you community and support. What I want you to consider is that I have also looked, and I have not found that. Like, I have actively looked for organizations and meetups for lefty guys where I live, and I have found bupkis.

Now, you can then take the argument further, as many people do if they are fully dedicated to shunting all systemic issues harming men back onto those men and ask "well, why haven't you organized one yourself yet?". That's certainly the implication of your ask even if I don't think you'd really want to be lumped in with that sentiment.

But here's the thing, I am not gonna respect that question because it's asking me to do something you didn't have to do. Reaching out to existing groups and making the effort of going to things and meeting new people is hard in and of itself, but its a fundamentally different prospect to creating a new community from scratch. You did have to do the first, and I'm proud of you for buckling down and doing that. But you didn't have to do the second, and frankly, I think it's perfectly reasonable to feel betrayed and let down for the fact that these young men have been failed by their communities. Are those communities also men? Yeah, for sure. Never said they weren't. I do have a totally different set of resentments about Radfem ideology driving men out of queer/feminist spaces, because I was looking for this community there until it became clear that the writing was on the wall and I started looking for community with progressive men, this is a fully secondary sense of anger about the failure of that search among those men.

The sense of betrayal over the fact that the entire left wing ecosphere is terrified of men, worried for them, jawing constantly about how they're getting radicalized, but also doing absolutely fuck all about it and just demanding that they just...do it all themselves? That is perfectly legitimate.

You start by saying "there does need to be better (or any) community for men" then shift to saying "Isolated men need to create community for themselves" before shifting again to saying "that community is already out there, and that other men could find that if they were just willing to look."

Like, men absolutely should look. The fact I couldn't find any doesn't mean that other men in other places and with different identities and needs won't, but, with kindness, stop sucking your own dick. Your experiences are not universal. The existence of a socialist organization in your area that you found and enjoy is not a result of you trying harder. It's a result of other people trying harder to help you.

*if you did see that one, and ignored that part to send me this ask anonymously anyway, consider yourself rebuked. I have rebuked you.

[thedawningofthehour]

Okay, first of making fun of rich people's houses on Zillow. This is actually the tamest house out of the three that made me want to do this.

This house was in Arizona and is like 15 mil and 13,000 square feet.

Entertaining Room That We Absolute Use.

I'm guessing this is either for the two people that are still friends with them or for inviting over other rich couples to show off how rich they are. Look, we have this grand piano here. It has never been used and we have to pay a guy to tune it regularly, but one day little Susie will prove to be a musical prodigy and we can force her to play for people we don't like.

Oh, this is the other side. I actually hate it more now. The other side wasn't my taste, but at least it was scenic. That flooring and those columns are literally just "look I have so much money." Also the effect of Fancy Chandelier is somewhat diluted if you put two of them in the same room.

Featuring Much Used Table and Chair in the background and...what is that supposed to be, like a secretary counter on the left? I can just imagine some lady in an office chair behind that answering the Very Busy house phone.

"This is where Daddy loses his Christmas bonus on poker night."

Okay, I-no, I hate this, I can't pretend not to. I hate the white kitchen trend, I hate marble countertops. They have...they look like brussel sprouts on a tray? As a decoration?

The dual fridges thing might have been cool if the execution was different, but for some reason the design and color just makes it look like it was tacked on, like if-wait. How many ovens are there?

So they have two stovetop ovens there

And what looks like two ovens in between the fridges? Four ovens?!

I mean, the top oven looks like it might be a microwave? I think the bottom might be a proofing drawer for bread, (lol like these people make their own bread) so many the middle is some specialty oven?

Still. A lot for a kitchen that's almost certainly never used.

I don't really have anything to say about this one. I'm just confused as to what it's for.

I'm increasingly suspicious that rich people are just pretending to be human.

Oh, finally, the living room people actually spend time in.

Featuring Exposed Beams That Are Totally Structurally Necessary.

And big TV you need binoculars to watch from the couch and can't be properly seen from a third of the sitting area. Much used dining table there. Bonus Dead Exotic Animal so you know they travel.

"To show off that we have the money for a bar but we don't want to look like alcoholics."

Deadass thought the back of the couch was stone for a minute.

This room isn't too bad-it's extra and they definitely don't need two sets of double doors right next to each other, but it does seem kind of cozy. I mostly left it in as a palate cleanser for what's to come.

Is that...

Yes. Yes it is.

WHY WHY WHY WHY

Why would you put glass double doors on the bathroom?!

What is going on with that ceiling-oh god, someone is going to slip and crack their head right open on those stairs. Maybe this entire house is an elaborate life insurance plot. If you get bored of your fifth wife just tell her to go take a bath and then you're free to marry your mistress of the month.

This would be so goddamn COLD, guess it's a good thing they have that fireplace.

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS SHOWER?! Is it supposed to be a communal shower?!! Why is it so big?! WHY IS THERE A WINDOW?

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WHY IS THERE A WINDOW.

I will give them this, I do like how they rounded this out. This part isn't bad. I actually do like the tile design, I just...don't like how they used it.

Just in case you're too befuddled by the actual bathing facilities and choose to go "fuck it" and shower outside.

Actually, the shower out here does make sense, they have a pool. If you're in and out of the water all day, do a quick rinse to get the chlorine off and put a coverup on to go eat lunch or whatever. That's reasonable.

All I can think of here is someone trying to put their makeup and hair products down and accidentally knocking them to the floor because they forget that the counter gets thinner.

Also omg the duuuuuuuust.

There's just something about those 'pretend cultured and fancy' columns against the stark white walls and ceilings that I hate. It's so pretentious and fake.

Is it just me or does every single chair look photoshopped in? There's something weird going on with the lighting.

"Do you hate being able to feel your toes? Do you love having cold feet? Then I have one hell of a basement to sell you!"

I feel like those chairs would actually be extremely uncomfortable and you know each one cost more than my car.

No one has ever used this pool.

Seriously, you couldn't swim laps in it. You could only really swim around in the very deep end, kids wouldn't have a whole lot of space where they can touch to play around. Maybe they could take a little kid to the very edge and splash in the water. And by 'they' I mean the underpaid nanny the parents look down on for being Hispanic despite their ad requiring applicants to be bilingual.

Totally Legit Well. Seriously, guys, this is an ancestral home.

Oh, but we're not done. They have like a guest house or pool house?

Wait, why does this kitchen look better than the main house's kitchen? This one I can actually picture someone using.

Look at that sink! Actually made to wash dishes!

(idk what's up with the line of apples in the cabinet tho)

Okay, the pool house is way cooler. I feel like the big house is literally just for show and this is where people actually spend their time. This looks far more comfortable.

Car stables. "Daddy, why do you have so many cars you use twice a year and cost a quarter million each?"

"Well, sweetie, the short answer is your mother is cheating on me and this fills the void in my life."

Okay I'm gonna go make myself a grilled cheese now. Idk if I'll do another one tonight, but this was fun! I love roasting rich people.

[lover-of-skellies]

smooch Horror

Giving him a healthy 6, all things considered :P

1) How dangerous is Horror/Axe's mouth? His teeth may not be sharp or jagged like they are in Crooks' case, but I feel like getting anywhere near his face is still an incredibly risky bet, so he only gets 1 point for this

2) Would Axe bite, and is he aggressive? Yes to both of those. We know he's a big food lover, and it was definitely canon that he really craved human flesh. He did try to resist the urge to eat Aliza, but without Crooks' intervention, he would've snapped and turned her into a snack without hesitation. That, paired with his violent tendencies and sort of unhinged personality make him a dangerous one, so biting could almost certainly be a given. With that in mind, he gets 0 points for this area

3) Are there any health hazards to the smoocher? The biting risk. That's all I've got. That, or you lose an arm like Aliza. The violent tendencies from before also result in points being docked from this qualification, since the violent tendency are also a health hazard and could very well result in physical harm being done, or at the very worst, death. For this section, I feel like he should get no points. Not being unfair to him, just thinking logically about everything

4) Does he have a sympathetic backstory? He lived underground, starving, with everyone relying on him to solve their problem with the core and get it running again. He still was persistent about keeping an eye out for his brother and the other monsters despite his much bigger responsibilities, and everything just kept bubbling over until he eventually snapped. That's not even counting the way Undyne betrayed him, either. Considering the storyline of Horrortale, yeah, I'm giving him 2 points for his sympathetic backstory

5) Does he deserve a smooch? He's a little grouchy and touchy with certain things, but he did try his best to help whoever he could, despite everyone's living conditions underground. He did hurt Aliza, but for the most part, he just kept a watchful eye on her, and we know he's helped get her out of some pretty sticky situations, too. He tries to resist his hunger for flesh as much as he can, but if I recall right, it'd been 7 years since he'd last eaten when Horrortale took place. The guy was starving. He was delusional and probably lowkey desperate for something to eat, and although taking Aliza's arm and tearing it off her body to eat it is definitely not a good thing to do, people will do very extreme things when they get desperate enough. All in all, he's been through hell and back a million times over. He's very rough around the edges, but he's at least somewhat deserving, so he gets 1 point

6) Is he cute or cool? His design jumps out at me a little bit more than others dye to his missing eye, his eye color being different, and the gaping hole in his skull. He's also got a big bone ax he's supposed to carry around, too. His design is simple, but very effective and not too flashy or anything. For this, he gets 2 points for coolness

His smooch-ability rating sits at a 6 out of 12. If you try to smooch him, I'd equate that to that alligator game that kids play, where you press the teeth one by one until it chomps down on your finger. There's a slim chance it'd go alright if he expected it and was cool with the idea, but there's also a decent risk of being bitten and severely injured

[seismic-lawns]

Gladiator Big Talk: Foundations, White

So on the gladiator discord, (Gladiator is a competitive singleton format using the Timeless card pool on arena and you should check us out, it's great) I do a series of long, hastily written thoughts on every single new-to-arena card, and Foundations is looking to be a very big set for us, with 4 different products that each introduce new cards into the format, so I'm going to start putting them here. Some notes before we start:

This is comprehensively talking about every single new-to-arena card in the main set of Foundations. If I don't bring up a card, it's probably because it's already in the format or in Jumpstart Foundations, which I'll cover later.

I'm sorting this by collector number, which, for this set is somewhat baffling, so Ctrl+F is your friend if you want to find a specific thought.

Each card is also a link to it on scryfall, so you can follow along without having the full set open.

Without further ado, let's start off with Arahbo, the First Fang:

Arahbo, the First Fang: I love Arahbo's vibes so much and if you're dedicated it can certainly be good enough for a Cat typal deck. Ultimately, that’s all this kind of design is here for, but it’s still cool in that space and I want to explore the deck now.

Armasaur Guide: This is the first of many limited commons that are fully unplayable in this format, so I’m gonna grade them on vibes. This lil guy gets a vibes grade of B-, cute, nice flavor, but also too beeg and not silly enough to go the extra mile.

Cat Collector: I’m gonna disparage a card for being a bad version of an effect with “When ~ enters, make a food” later on but I do think life gain = token is a slot that does exist in the food deck if maybe only a little bit, so I’m a lot more hopeful about the old cat lady <3

Celestial Armor: I’m more of a fan of Maul of the Skyclaves, and I really appreciate this being both a protection spell and slotting in as a stoneforge payoff without removing too much of what made maul good. That said, Maul giving first strike is no joke, but I think Celestial Armor’s versatility might push it into decks where Maul wouldn’t.

Claws Out: I think you need 2-3 cats consistently to be happy playing this, and even then it’s not a great reason to play more cats than necessary. This effect is just too medium for gladiator these days.

Crystal Barricade: I was pretty down on this card, but I might try it in ruin your evening despite it not progressing the board much. Being a flagbearer that doesn't die to bolt is very nice. At the same time though, this does nothing at all so it’s probably just bad.

Dauntless Veteran: The fact that this attacks as a 3/3 minimum is cute, but it’s just a bit too low-impact for a 3 drop these days.

Dazzling Angel: This is roughly second to last on our Soul Warden tier list, and I’m of the opinion that we should be drinking pretty shallowly from that well even in the decks that lean into that aspect a lot, so a somewhat vulnerable 3 drop one is suspect. Flying is also not that much of a benefit, since your soul wardens shouldn’t be touching the red zone unless in emergencies.

Divine Resilience: I think this is a classic example of charmitis, where added versatility comes at the cost of neither option being actually individually enticing. I like my versatility, but I want to feel good about casting any one part of a card, and the base level is ok, but nothing I would actually slot in a deck these days.

Exemplar of Light: Flying Ajani’s Pridemate is already tempting, but one that also draws you a card when you do or put a counter on it otherwise makes the draw big for a deck like BW ruin your evening, but on the other hand that deck has limited room for stuff with MV more than 3.

Felidar Savior: Hey there Basri’s Acolyte, how you doing ‘n how you been? I see, Basri’s kind of been a deadbeat for the past while and after having a reception as lukewarm as Teyo’s, felt it best to sit to the wayside this time round? That’s alright, we’re still happy to have his favorite cat around. Did you get a haircut? Oh an easier mana cost, that’s cute. I’m happy for you, it looks good on you. Yeah, I didn’t want to beat around the bush either, but I just wanted to see how’re you’re doing before I let you know again that you’re great for limited but we just don’t need you in any decks round here right now, sorry. Yeah, of course, any time you make your way around a standard set again, we’ll be right here still. Hey, tell Basri I said hi, ok?

Fleeting Flight: This card is better than it looks, by a decent amount, at least in the sense that it does 3 different things that are separately each not worth a card, but doing 3 of them makes it a lot closer. That said, unless your deck wants specifically +1/+1 counter and flying, you will be disappointed sleeving this one up. Even if you’re in that niche, this is an ultimately small effect and you need to be going a lot taller than is probably wise into solitudes and paths right now.

Guarded Heir: I think it’s interesting that this doesn’t make the iconic 2/2 with Vigilance, but this is essentially 2 blade splicers which frankly could be a lot worse.

Hare Apparent: So uh. This card is kind of cracked in many, many multiples. That said, I’m doubtful we have both the ways to capitalize on its effects and also the ratio to maximize hares and payoffs. It’s a super interesting proposition, though, and I think it’s more likely than not that the card has some great potential.

Helpful Hunter: I am always glad to get more Visionaries at 2, so always welcome. I feel like most decks on companion though have some incidental enchantment synergies and it might lead to hunter getting pushed out more.

Herald of Eternal Dawn: Now when's the Krumar of Eternal Dawn? Real talk though this just seems like a not great thing to cheat out when we've got elenda and atraxa and the like, yknow. There is a fun gotcha element to this having flash, but the reality is that the flash won’t actually come into play in decks that would be slotting Herald in.

Inspiring Paladin: Welcome back to buff dog alert, where we let you know the latest in upgrades to cards previously depicted as dogs. This episode, Ainok Bond-Kin! Now it’s 1 more cost, +1/+2, innately has first strike (on attacks), but has the downside of telling you to attack, you idiot, why would you waste attackers with first strike?! Which is a real downside, but not like that much to be fair. 

Joust Through: This is a good 3rd option for Elspeth’s Smite, and I like the push to having spells that previously would have abstract bonuses (exiling instead, conditional pluses, etc) now getting tangible bonuses that always apply. It doesn’t make this one better than smite, but it does make it more interesting.

Luminous Rebuke: The vibes are brought down a lot by this being a functional reprint, but they are brought up a bit by two very brave lil guys, which i really appreciate. Vibes grade: B++

Prideful Parent: Very cute, not for us. Vibes report: A- ; The hardest part of parenting is not reacting with either a “you fucking idiot” or “oh my god you’re so cute” to your child doing something dumb as hell, and you know what they’re killing it.

Raise the Past: I loved Rally the Ancestors way too much for my own good, and wowie zowie this is so much better for “fair” strategies like Ruin your evening or WBx Aristocrats. This might not have the juice to last too long, but I’m excited to see where it goes regardless.

Skynight Squire: Being a on-rate creature that grows with creatures entering is really hype, and this gets into the air really quickly. I think this will go into particularly go-wide or counters style decks, but I wouldn’t slot it in unless you’re confident it’s going to fly fast.

Squad Rallier: We have a Savannah Lions with nearly the same text lmao i’m not playing a 4 drop version of this. Vibes report: C-, the bird’s not doing anything for me here, and I like goofy birds.

Sun-Blessed Healer: Yo this card is kinda messed up. 3/1 is much better than 2/3 for a lot of decks wanting to push damage (compare to Phyrexian Missionary) and reanimating any <=2 drop to the field gives incredible energy to Ruin Your Evening, where the first Luminarch Aspirant or Thalia is answerable but the second is much more annoying to beat.

Twinblade Blessing: Double Strike auras have traditionally been quite bad, but this one is the first with flash, and that can change quite a lot. That said, I think this is still just not worth a slot in constructed formats.

Valkyrie’s Call: I haven’t seen that one moth that reanimates your non-fliers when they die in a good deal of time, and this is much, much worse in the sense that it doesn’t impact the board the turn it comes in and costs quite a lot.

Vanguard Seraph: This card seems cool as heck in limited and I love surveiling in white, but Vibes Report: B, I love the aesthetics of Zendikari angels and the halo just always does it for me.

Ajani, Caller of the Pride: 3 mana planeswalkers from before the pandemic are weird bc they're either the most unfun, bonkers bs to deal with or just don't do anything remotely close to what a planeswalker wants to do. This guy is in the latter camp.

Angel of Finality: I'm stoked this is uncommon now but it's a classic nothing special

Savannah Lions: A classic, play it in cats

Ancestor Dragon: You know I think this isn’t that horrible in all honesty, frankly to my surprise. Do I think it’s playable? God no, but it’s more playable than you think. A little.

Ingenious Leonin: Glad we have it now, but yeah it's bad

Jazal Goldmane: Jazal is very cool but like it also suffers from medium idiot syndrome, where it's really only good if you're ahead enough to play a 4/4for4 with 2 relevant words of text.

Leonin Skyhunter: We've outclassed this in the past few years but it's still a cool add.

Angelic Destiny: I think this card has dropped a lot in my eyes from when it was first seen in M12, where it demands your opponent give you an opening, and when the creature you suit up inevitably dies, it asks you to pay a lot of mana to get back to that state. Additionally, we have so much removal that exiles these days, that I’m wary to include this into a really competitive slot.

Ballyrush Banneret: This is one to keep an eye on, because once we have cards like Captain of the Watch that really push a bunch of soldiers out, I could see this making the cut eventually.

Crusader of Odric: These kinds of creatures are really hard to be worth the work in singleton, and this one also doesn’t do anything to reward you other than being a big idiot.

Dawnwing Marshal: 2/2 fliers for 2 are always something to pique the interest, but I think we’re at the point where we need slightly more going for it.

Felidar Cub: Were you playing Ronom Unicorn? Didn’t think so.

Stasis Snare: Ah, the good ol days where Banishing light was too good for common so they made medium sidegrades of it forever until they gave up and put it at common.

Hinterland Sanctifier: Wake up babe new Soul Warden dropped! This is a big W for the decks that were playing all the bad versions of this effect, and I’m so happy for them.

[mushroompone]

Hello! I really love your writing and with all the hype going with the mlp infection/zombie I was wondering how do you approach writing horror/gore? I mostly like to write slice of life, romantic, fluffy stories, so whenever I try to write something darker, a zombie apocalypse for example, the violence feels juvenile and the horror falls flat. Your stuff is absolutely terrifying and amazing, so I'm just sitting here wondering how?? I know that's a broad question, but I would appreciate a peek into your thought process for writing horror. Thank you and have a good day!!

Oh my gosh you're so kind!! First off, thank you! I have really enjoyed writing horror for this community for many years now, and it's been sorry cool to see this massive interest during of of nowhere for MLP horror content!

Second, definitely a broad question, but I can offer some broad tips in response:

(1) Work with what scares you. Horror actually comes naturally to most of us, you just have to be willing to explore some of the darker corners of yourself. Consume horror as much as possible and try not to shy away from what scares you. Most importantly, though, understand why you find it scary. This leads to step 2...

(2) Drill down to the core fear. There's a lot of creatures and things that pop up in horror again and again: ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and certainly zombies. But to work with these effectively we have to understand why they scare us. The answer is different for everyone! Let's take zombies as an example: for me, zombies are scary because they are infectious. I find plagues and diseases to be really really scary, even pre-covid lol. For others, it's more about loss of control - becoming a zombie means becoming an animal, or something else inhuman. Dig until you find the why. Then...

(3) Give someone the worst day possible. Picking your protagonist is critical. The monster has to be difficult for them to face! So think about what will play well off your core fear. If you've found zombies as your monster and distilled that to loss of control .. well, Luna would be a great choice! She's all about loss of control. That's super scary and very real for her. If you're going in more of an infectious disease direction, Twilight would make more sense - she would make a very believable germaphobe, yet still be driven to help those around her and find a cure. If you do it right, all you have to do is...

(4) Sit back and let it happen. It helps to have a destination in mind (even if it's as simple as "happy ending" or "real downer"), but if you've set yourself up this way you've got a concept and you're ready to let it rip. Start writing. Be gross. Scare yourself. Look over your shoulder and wonder who might be watching you. If you get stuck, ask yourself this: how could this possibly get any worse? Then do that. With pizzazz.

The details of writing prose that is gooey, gory, and chilling come from reading. You'll start to get a feel for where to linger, where to hold back, where to describe, and what to leave up to your reader's imagination. The hardest part is the balancing act - keep some things obscured. Leave some mystery while making it clear what is scary and why. However, once your audience knows the precise size and shape of what they're dealing with, it becomes a lot less scary! My rule of thumb is that I never want my audience to be able to plan a way around the danger. They should never be able to devise their own means of escape - something should always be left uncertain or shrouded in darkness.

I hope this helps!! If you'd ever like someone to look at what you're working on, I love beta-reading pony horror :) actually, come to think of it, I love beta-reading all horror!

Again, thank you! Your an earned my heart ❤️ I love hearing that my sacred are still scaring!

[innerchorus]

I finally have enough of the Holy Trinity Of Creative Projects (motivation, time, energy) so I'm now collecting references and inspiration for Farangis' design sheet!

The chapter was!!! Gieve going to give Bodin a “little greeting”. Hope he's the one to do the bastard in.

Ahh I'm so excited to see what you come up with for Farangis!

I was reading the chapter with very wide eyes, that's for sure. There's a lot that I love about it, and when the simulpub's widely available online I'll sit down and make a post with some thoughts. But yes, that scene with Gieve leapt out at me because it very much does feel like it's setting up for him to be the one to kill Bodin, and honestly I'm up for that.

That single panel flashback to Shapur's fate is accompanied by a line from Gieve where he now appears to regret not having shot Bodin back then — a mistake he now seems intent on correcting. A quick death by an arrow is better than Bodin deserves, but it's the right choice. To torture him would be to stoop to his level. And in taking him out with one swift, decisive action, the Knights Templar will have been effectively decapitated.

Gieve killing Bodin here fits with the theme of things coming full circle, which we're seeing a lot recently in the manga. It makes sense from that angle, and will almost certainly also lead to a scene where, rather than finding out that Gieve shot Shapur, Isfan hears that he was the one who killed Bodin. Perhaps this time he'll hear it from someone other than Gieve, whereas Gieve keeps quiet about it (he's not motivated by the thought of a reward, and he isn't looking for gratitude either). In the end, they may not ever be best friends but it would bring them a lot closer to reconciling their differences.

There's also the fact that (vague novel spoilers incoming) in Book 16, the very final novel, Gieve was responsible for effectively defeating an entire army with only three arrows, by aiming at one of the horses pulling a chariot, then taking out the driver, before finally sending an arrow right into the forehead of their leader.

And here we have Bodin, riding in a cart with someone else driving the horses. So I can't help but wonder whether we'll see the exact same thing here?

[suuho]

Hi! What do you think of Changmin (TVXQ)? Personally, I think he is one of the most talented and attractive men in kpop. I would love it if you could do a small write-up about him. No pressure, though.

this is honestly such a funny ask, because i am yunho biased and i always have been when it comes to tvxq. but!!! i love changmin, and i think he is hysterical, lmao. he really is someone who keeps it real, and i love that he is neither afraid to speak his mind, put people in their place, or just live his life the way he wants to. it helps that he has yunho by his side, for sure, who would probably burn down this entire planet and bend the earth in half if anyone were to actually give changmin shit, but the funniest thing about the fact that yunho will always support changmin is, that it has made changmin quite audacious. he really lets changmin do whatever and changmin has spent his entire career taking advantage of that. as he should, obv.

anyways, my thesis in defense of shimothy maximilian changmin.

i've talked briefly about him as a vocalist, so i will try to expand my thoughts here somewhat. first of all, changmin is in a duo in which his function is as the main vocal—and that position has remained unchanged since the foundation of tvxq, i might add—and by that, he de facto carries a lot of tvxq's vocals. yunho, of course, is insanely talented and has seamlessly filled the need for any other vocalist in the group in the past 10+ years, but changmin's voice sits way (WAY) higher than yunho's, so he is expected to fill the majority of high notes. which he does, of course! people love to claim that all he does is yell and scream when that is, in fact, not true. yes, changmin also has gone through a learning curve but he has always been a gifted vocalist with immense potential, and he has just grown into that talent and potential. contrary to what appears to be popular belief, changmin doesn't strain his vocals. at least not in the past years. he does mix his voice very high, though, which is fine considering how high the notes are that he sings. and at the end of the day, the voice is an instrument—just because a note is high doesn't mean it has to sound pretty. voices don't owe anyone to sound any way they want; changmin is a very talented vocalist and he uses his voice to create a distinct mood and sound in his songs for the purpose of the performance. not the pleasure of the listener.

he is very, very tonally solid and a very smart vocalist. his musicality is sooo good, you can hear it when he sings live and the choices he makes, which he can afford to make because he is insanely confident in his voice (as he should be). i love the way he conducts his riffs and the tiniest of vocal embellishments, you can tell he thinks about these things and has rehearsed them. and i'm obsessed with their killing voice just because it really shows off just how good changmin is. he intentionally adds effects to his voice (like a certain amount of vocal fry) to change the dimension and texture of their sound. that is part of his artistry and a personal choice, not a flaw. after 20 years, changmin and yunho are able to harmonize and blend their voices flawlessly; changmin, for as much of a brat as he can be (and certainly loves to exploit), is actually a very giving partner. he makes everyone around him sound better and yunho has benefitted from this the most.

it is actually mind boggling to me that people think this man cannot sing, or is a bad singer. like, that is simply not true. 😭 sure, he is not perfect, everyone has off days and everyone has flaws, but he is undoubtedly an incredibly talented and skilled vocalist. he knows how to conduct his sound in different environments, most recently in the benjamin button musical he is starring in, because he is aware that a musical demands different things vocally (often this is where idols stumble, or need an adjustment period, which is completely normal. i think jongdae and kyungsoo have a distinct musical sound to their voices, as do yoseob, jinho and eunkwang. there is a reason why an idol cast will always have to prove themselves in a musical, lol. not everyone got it).

the first time i watched the last minute of this fever performance, i couldn't fucking believe what i was hearing. he is so outrageous. taking those adlibs up the octave (and higher than the backing track) is just lunacy. showing off for the sake of it. as is his god given right after all the shit he had to endure.

[chaotic-history]

Apologies that this is going to be poorly written but I was rereading Candide and had A Thought™️. So there's the one interpretation of Candide that I very much disagree with where Candide &co having their little farm is basically resigning themselves from the world and isolating themselves from all the bad things and I hate that because all throughout the book they do the opposite. Staying in El Dorado, which was quite literally the best of all possible worlds, would have been removing themselves from the horrors and vices of the world, but they left because in El Dorado they weren't *doing* anything. They could stay there, in as a perfect a world as exists, or they could return to the real, shitty world and use the money to improve it (Candide gives some to someone to try and help them, I forget who it was), and they choose the latter. And then at the end, the "work without disputing" doesn't read as stepping away from the world, what would be stepping away from the world, and what Candide is saying is useless, is just sitting around ~philosophising~ without doing any actual thing.

Stealing tags here cause idk how to phrase it better, but yes!! the "disputing/discussing/philosophising" option is one that leaves them isolated from the world; all in all Candide isn't necessarily saying Leibnitz was wrong that this is the best world god could create, maybe it is maybe it isn't but certainly it doesn't matter and therefore it's a useless debate, what matters is that either way we can improve it just a tiny bit, and that's what the gardening is doing; it's doing something purposeful that can have a real effect on the world even if it's small, and it's what Candide's doing as well, the book is a commentary on so many different social issues and it's bringing them up not just to say "look how shit the world is" but to show that many of the evils are human made and therefore can be decreased. The earthquake will always happen, that's up to god, but we could maybe not push people off of ships during it.

Also, congrats V on the character development between 'we should be isolated and just philosophise😌' to this

Oh and one last thought, another example of philosophising about the world becoming more equivalent to ignoring the world is when Candide is hurt after the earthquake and asks Pangloss for help, but Pangloss is busy thinking about a tunnel of sulfur connecting Lisbon to Lima where there had been another earthquake, and Candide's just like 'yeah that's great buddy, but i'm fucking dying over here so maybe a little help?'