#even though they're very nice and didn't mean to offend me at all

[meshaamem-li]

showing a coworker a piece of art I made from a few years ago and them going "no way, that's AI, no way you drew that" as if it's a compliment over how good I am at drawing and I go "haha it's not AI I drew it myself :)" but in my head I'm like

[rogueddie]

Eddie couldn't take his eyes off of the ugliest, evil looking polo top that he's ever had the misfortune to lay his eyes upon. It's everything he hates in one piece of clothing, so horrible that he'd gagged at it when he'd first seen it.

His friends had laughed, agreeing that the top is an abomination and crime against humanity.

But Eddie couldn't stop looking at it.

It's the exact type of thing that Steve would wear. It's the type of thing he would love and brag about.

Even though the party, with the help of Robin, have been trying to 'fix' Steve and his taste. They're currently targetting his wardrobe and they're almost wearing him down enough to get him to stop wearing so many polos.

It's making Eddie feel... conflicted.

He agrees that Steves taste is horrible. He listens to bad pop music most of the time, he has no sense of fashion and loves romance so much that he thinks awful rom-coms are the height of cinema.

But it's Steve. Those things are what make him so... Steve.

He sneaks back to the top when his friends aren't looking, crouching behind racks to get to the till and quickly buy it. He buries it in the bottom of his bag, ignoring the bored and judgemental look the staff are giving him.

"There you are," Gareth squints at him when he rejoins them. "Where did you go?"

"Fainted," he sneers, throwing an arm around Jeffs shoulders. "All these neons and pop are making me dizzy."

They laugh, quickly moving on.

After dropping them off, he goes straight to Steves house. He doesn't want the ugly shirt on his person longer than necessary and the last thing he needs is someone finding it in his closet.

He nearly cheers when he pulls up to Steves house and his parents car isn't parked out front.

They'd only caught him in their house once, when they'd come home early, and he's sure he only escaped with his life because the entire party was there too.

"Eddie?" Steve frowns when he opens the door. "What are you doing here? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, fine, just..." he huffs, rubbing his eyes. He digs through the bag, grabbing the offending shirt, and throwing it at Steve. "Got you that. I thought- whatever. There. Good night."

"Woah, woah," Steve quickly catches his arm. "It's ok, man. If the others ask then I'll say I got it. It's... this is really nice, Eds."

"It's ugly."

"Sure," Steve snorts, looking back to the shirt. "But it's definitely my style. This really means a lot to me. I think it looks cool."

"Uh, yeah, I guessed," Eddie shifts, squirming with how genuine Steve is being. "It's just a polo."

"No, it's not. It's special to me."

"Right, because you think that pattern is 'so-"

"You saw it and thought of me. Like, you hate it, but you knew I'd like it and... it just means a lot to me, that you're thinking of me."

"Alright, it's just a shirt, calm down."

"No, I don't think I will," Steve gently tugs him inside so he can shut the door. "I get it if this is difficult for you but I'm getting impatient."

"If- what?"

"Do you need me to make the first move? Or- is this a move? Is your love language gift giving or something?"

"You've lost me."

Steve huffs, putting his hands on his hips and giving Eddie a look that he can only describe as 'disappointed parent'.

"We've been flirting for months and you haven't done anything about it." Steve falters quickly when he sees the shock on Eddies face. "Or... am I missing something? Is it the whole, like... keeping it secret thing? Because I don't mind! It's not safe to be out in Hawkins, I know, and I'm not expecting a big date at-"

"You knew that I was flirting with you," Eddie interrupts. "This whole time?"

"Well, yeah, I was also flirting with you."

Eddie stares at him for a moment. "And you've been waiting for me to make a move on you?"

"Exactly. Was I not being obvious enough? I didn't want to out you or anything..."

"No... in retrospect you were being very clear. All of Robins cryptic advice makes so much sense now. Oh, God, even Wayne figured it out."

[weebsinstash]

you know what I wanna see. A yandere finding out they're getting platonicly cucked and getting like really offended because they find out you basically pretend to be a different person around them?

Like I can't decide which Hazbin man I'd like the idea for more but I keep veering back towards Alastor/Vox/poly radiostatic where they find out that you've just been keeping up an act with them and that you show the true you to other people, which hurts especially bad if he/they is a soulmate to you

For example, both men know you as this, shy reserved young lady who mostly keeps to herself and you do things like read books and do puzzles and you're overall pretty softspoken and kind of awkward. Then they catch you hanging out in public with a group of friends and you're standing there in a totally different outfit than they usually see you in, getting, basically just loud and happy as you interact with your friends? Just hollering out on the side walk or something, "no, no, you don't understand, when rock lee dropped the weights that was THE best anime moment of my entire childhood, it was iconic, rock lee was HIM, he was THAT GUY--" and you're laughing and snorting and all shoving each other around as you talk and goof off and you happen to look over and see Vox/Alastor there and just, deflate. You very obviously don't want them to see you like that. You have a very "oh shit I've been caught doing something I'm not supposed to and I'm going to get in trouble and I'm really worried and sad" visible reaction that they both clock immediately

Because imagine like... you were just doing this because you thought they would judge you and they never actually gave you a reason to hide things from them, you were just insanely anxious and feeling under pressure from the relationship that you hid everything you assumed they wouldn't like, which was... almost everything about you, so your new demonic hubby finds out you've been, in a way, essentially scared of him this whole time? Thinking he's a judgmental piece of shit which maybe he is but thinking he would do that to YOU though?

The two wanting to like actually I mean it genuinely HURT your friends because, what the fuck do you mean all of them have been getting to see this adorable true unique side of you and meanwhile the people you're actually 'supposed to be with' scare you and you lie to them and think they'll be cruel to you, kinda justifiably because they're notorious Overlords but also kinda unwarranted since they've been really nice to you specifically?

"what if Alastor didn't like if his darling was a gamer or heavy tech user" well what if Alastor wasn't a fan but he ultimately respected your autonomy enough to let you do it anyways because you're a working bill-paying adult and he's actually significantly more upset about the fact you think he would treat you poorly and would go to significant lengths to hide such huge parts of yourself from him?

"what if Mr Professional CEO Vox thinks his darling is a huge dork and cringe and wants to make you more traditionally feminine" yeah and what if Vox would LOVE a darling that can smoke weed and binge on pizza and anime with him and he's mad that you two could've been hanging out sharing genuinely mutual hobbies this whole time? (And also Vox is... a huge dork already ok the way he talks to the tvs and stuff is such dorky white guy shit fr if you told me he was in a frat with guys named Tanner and Hunter and Skyler and they chugged beer and watched family guy I would believe it immediately)

I'm even over here like, "what if Valentino started trying to force his employee crush to start looking and dressing a certain way and he's like 'hmm you know what? I hate it actually. Go back to doing your own thing, boo'" because he's actually like So Down that when you stop cracking jokes and being as cute he immediately hits the reverse

Lucifer finding out you've been trying to like, pretend to be this calm collected woman because you're trying to be formal and fancy with him as the king of hell and a creature that has existed since your entire family line existed and you're EXTREMELY intimidated, and then HE'S ALSO trying to be all macho and tough because, pwease dont hate him for being a lil small, he promises he can be a good husband for you 🥺👉👈 he's just a silly lil guy who loves his daughter and is a little goofy about ducks and then he finds out you're like, one of those "weird girls" who spent recess catching bugs and you can start rambling off about things like, "you know there's this misconception that mantis shrimp can see colors in a larger spectrum than humans can but some of the colors we can see that they cant involve certain 'transition' colors that are helpful for actually fully perceiving objects and seeing fuller shade ranges and things like shadows and--" and now you guys can watch nature documentaries together

But it's just like. You get the two sides of the same coin because, you can think of cute bonding moments when they find out who you really are and their opinions on your interests, AND you can think about them being INCREDIBLY jealous and possessive that you were trusting other people in a way you didn't trust them, and sometimes even people you know much less than them as well. Just because they're willing to share you by letting you have your own autonomy doesn't mean they're not going to get their feathers ruffled that you've been having what they perceive as actually quite intimate moments with, you know, people that aren't them :) it's the kind of thing that might make certain types awfully CLINGY, you know... some may even get a little POSSESSIVE over a discovery like this. good thing you've been practicing your charisma on all your little friends, because something is telling me your social circle just got a whooooole lot smaller.....

[ask-nurse-curly]

as stated in the updated pinned post, we are diverging from the canon roleswap timeline starting nnnnnnnow :) ask boxes are open again!

[ Transcript under the cut ]

Hey Curly, I just wanted to check in with you. Things have been a little weird recently with this nearby satellite..

Are you doing okay?

Hey Captain!

Funny business, isn't it? I don't think we've ever had anything like this happen before.

It's okay, though. Sometimes I kind of want to follow Daisuke's example, but most people are nice.

What about you, everything alright on your end?

Me too, there's just so much going on at all times, haha.

Everything is mostly alright. I've got nice people, but some of them.. They're just getting under my skin. I should probably put the phone down.

How bad is it? My worst has been spam messages, mostly. Did you know the Halcyon colonies are reopening admission?

Makes you wonder why they need new people so soon after launch.

Oh yeah! I don't think I'm going to take their offer, I'm pretty content with Earth.

As for the messages.. I don't know. Some of them are just.. Mean, I guess. I don't want you to worry about it, I can handle it, it's just frustrating.

Have you gotten any fun messages though? I got one not that long ago asking about how I felt being a pilot, it was a nice question.

'Mean'? I'm sure you know that sounds worrisome. Are you okay?

Ah, I can't even remember all of them! There is this Martian scientist who gave me the scoop of planetary warfare amongst their kind, someone who is very intent on educating me about possums, and I even reconnected with someone from my med school years, that was pretty wild. Also someone from an actual gunship patched into our frequency, apparently their surname is the same as yours? Do you know a Hideo?

I'm really fine, if I couldn't handle a few weirdos, I wouldn't be on this ship lol

But.. That's very interesting. I don't know if I have any familiar faces on my end, so consider me jealous of you. I can't say that I know a Hideo? Should I?

Now who are you calling a weirdo? :-)

I don't know if you should! If it's a coincidence then certainly an amusing one, guess Musumes are just made to be captains. :-)

Maybe so.. I'll have to start a club then, Captain Musume club.

And I would NEVER call you a weirdo, Nurse Curly, never ever......

Uh huh. I believe you.

:-)

What is weird is just...how much some of these people seem to know. I wonder if our phones were hacked into somehow? Do you think I should be worried about my Meeboo subscription at this rate?

I feel like I should be more shocked but with how much of our data gets sold off and leaked on a daily basis, I can't find myself to be horrified.

You should definitely worry about your Meeboo subscription though.

...Fair point.

Well, if my streaming services are what takes the brunt of exposure, I suppose I could live with that.

Do you think that's how they found out about your nurses calendar? If that's even a real thing.. Did you ever model for a nursing calendar? Lol

Haha!

No, god no. I could never. Can you imagine me in a pin-up calendar? That would be bonkers.

No, I was just joking. I guess the very nature of their, uh, request was too much for my English sensibilities, so I turned to my trusty defence mechanism honed by generations of haughty stuck-ups.

...How did you know about that?

Well we certainly love a modest king..

I was told about it by one of the messages I got, I didn't know if it was true or not but I guess my curiosity was piqued. Sorry, it was inappropriate to ask.

Oh god, are they still harassing you about me? I'm so sorry.

They are strangely...invested.

I hope it's not too much of a bother. And I doubly hope they cease soon.

I don't mind too terribly, I just feel bad talking about you when you're unaware. I certainly try to keep my answers vague so that I can maintain your privacy.

Truly, I don't know if I should be offended or relieved they ask me more about you than they do myself, haha!

I'd go for relieved! Or perhaps even flattered. They seem to think highly of your captaining skills. :-)

They do! I'm not sure how they know about THAT information, but I'll take what I can get!

I can't say i blame them, it's pretty obvious!

I mean

Crew ratings should be public access, right? Based on delivery reviews and stuff. Or could be if they weren't and got leaked too.

I definitely don't doubt that...

I don't know, they seem fairly invested in my love life as well. Which goes beyond the scope of simple work appraisal. I've been asked if I'm single, who my type is. I felt like I was filling out a dating application lol

Haha, funny that

You could lean into that too, if you wanted to, let them do all the legwork. It's worse than the Wild West on those apps sometimes.

I'm not trying to find someone through texting strangers, besides, it seems they already have my ideal love interest picked out for me. They're trying to cause trouble is what they're doing.

And how do you even know what those apps are like? Isn't that like.. Cheating for you?

Oh shoot. Er

It would be! It totally would be if. If I were still in a relationship.

Which I'm not. For the record.

In any case, not that I prowl those apps much, it's not really uh, worth it for me.

What? Since when are you not??

You were just talking about Marie before we took off. Unless.. Did you break up when we got service...?

Yeah, haha, turns out it's not always great when familiar faces text you, right?

But yeah, she... It's not easy, I guess, dating someone who isn't there for half a year at a time at least, you know?

It was kind of a long time coming, so. She just was the braver one out of the two of us to cut the cord.

Sorry, didn't mean to be a downer. It really is okay though. We're good, and. I think I've kind of went through the stages of grief back when we were still earthside.

So. Not a big deal.

I'm so sorry, Curly :( I wish you would've told me. I'm still here if you need to talk, okay? Breaking up sucks, even if you see it coming.

Oh no, I promise it's okay! It really, really is

I'm okay, it's not a big deal.

I mean, it would be, it

But it's not like

I didn't really

She maybe...didn't really...exist?

Curly what are you saying right now

I am a fool is what I'm saying :-(

I'm so sorry.

Any chance we could pretend I never said anything?

How are we supposed to do that? I don't even know what to say.

Why would you lie about that?

...Could we talk?

I mean, in person.

I'll explain everything, just

I'm afraid of how much of this might get exposed.

Please.

Yeah

Are you in the medbay? I'm on my way.

Yes.

Thank you.

[quinngefail]

IMPORTANT QUESTION AS A THEATRE KID:

Do they like musicals? Because I feel like they would, but the musicals they like are incredibly differentttttttt and that one of them loves Mean Girls and the other likes Heathers and they debate over it

ALSO YOUR ART IS SO BODACIOUS ASTACIOUS SCRUMBLY AHHHHHHH

-🐜anon

OKAY LMAO SO LIKE... I'm not a big musical person at all (EXCEPT FOR SAW THE MUSICAL THE UNAUTHORIZED PARODY OF SAW!!!) so I can't give specifics on if what plays they may be into but like. On a general scope, I feel like Adam wouldn't like them at all (though he did participate in a few plays at school... That is to say, he did tech- like working the lights and shit), but Lawrence would like them- not to a die hard degree or anything, but I could see him enjoying a musical once in a while :)

And Adam obviously makes his opinions on things known in a rather brash manner, so I think Lawrence would be very aware that Adam doesn't fuck with them 😩

But I also started thinking about scenarios where either Lawrence doesn't know Adam doesn't like them yet and takes him to one as a surprise for a date, or Adam, knowing Lawrence likes them, decides to just suck it up and he's the one to do the Surprise Musical Date. And like in the first scenario especially, I feel like Adam would at least try to hold his tongue coz it's like. Okay he did something nice for you, don't be all pissy and ungrateful over it

Either way I imagine both scenarios having similar outcomes where Lar had a fun time, but Adam was just. Kinda sitting and waiting for it to be over

And when Lawrence asks him how he liked it afterwards, Adam, notoriously terrible liar, tries to be like "Yeah I liked it :) !!!"

...But Lawrence sees right through this and is just. "You didn't actually, did you" and Adam pauses. Before gong "No,"

And like Lawrence isn't personally offended, he'd maybe even laugh a little and be like "Well I know they're not for everyone," but he appreciates Adam tolerating it for him. He'll even admit, they can be rather silly 😌 and with that said, the two of them start going back and forth with these little jabs at musicals, laughing between themselves ("And don't even get me started on all the 'singing out of fucking nowhere', it is so goddamn corny-") and just further establishing that they can and should feel okay in honestly expressing how they feel about this and that, even over little things like this :]

And y’know. Even if he's way too stubborn to admit it, maybe Adam would start actually enjoying them after a while. BUT YOU COULDN'T INTERROGATE THAT INFORMATION OUT OF HIM 😩😩😩

Lastly, THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS!! 😭💙

[the-milk-monarch]

hello there milk! really love your writing, I want to eat it very badly /pos :D. can I please request a Mike, Mal and Scott x reader with very noticeable stims? like clapping, chirping, flappy hands ect? totally cool if not!

☣︎ Hey Anon! Tysm, it means a lot! I hope It's alright.

[𝚂/𝙾 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙸𝙲𝙴𝙰𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙼𝚂]

Summary: General headcanons.

☢︎ | Total Drama | 621 words | gender-neutral reader ♡ | Mike | Mal| Scott ⚠ | Mal being an ass

[𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚎]

I believe he has some knowledge about those.

I mean, he's not an expert, but he understands that stimming is a calming method.

With that in mind, he wouldn't make any comments about it.

At most would ask how it feels like, out of curiosity.

"Well... it calms me down. Sometimes I do it out of excitement as well." You explained simply. "...So... You're like a puppy who wags their tail?" He tried to joke lightheartedly, hoping it's not offensive or ignorant. "That's a first time I hear this comparison." You truthfully responded, a bit amused and not offended at all. "Is it bad?" His voice hesitated slightly as he got more worried about your reply. "No- It's actually kinda cute." And so, he immediately calmed down.

His only repetitive movement (and point of reference) is scratching his arm when stressed, but he doesn't do it on the daily, unlike you.

Would never make fun or think of you weird, and is ready to throw hands if anyone is planning on that.

Well, okay, not literally, but

He'd make sure they're not bothering you to the best of his abilities.

Unless you don't want to, which he'll also respect.

It also never bothers him.

[𝙼𝚊𝚕]

He doesn't stim, like, at all, so he doesn't get it.

But you do you ig.

He's aware about what it is and why you do it, but he doesn't care much. /pos?

He might get a bit annoyed if he's trying to focus on something and you start doing it, though.

His first instinct isn't to be nice to people, so prepare for some rough reactions at first.

"Will you shut up for a minute?"

He'll learn to tone it down.

"...Can you stop for a moment, I'm trying to think."

But he will not tolerate other people saying that.

Only he has the right to be mildly mean to you sometimes /affectionate

Even if someone were to look at you the wrong way.

He's not the one to infantilize you, as he knows you're capable of protecting yourself, but if he's feeling particularly spicy that day, there might be some domination display on his part.

"Are you looking for something?" He stared daggers at the person who dared to show any sort of negative opinion towards you. "...To get hurt, perhaps?"

[𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚝𝚝]

Now this poor guy has no idea what autism/adhd even is.

Like, never heard of it.

So he'll just bluntly ask you what you're doing.

"Why are you... clapping?" He asked, tilting his hands. You immediately stopped, feeling a bit put on the spot. "Uh... I'm excited?" You responded casually, although you weren't sure of Scott's opinion on the topic yet. You wished he's gonna grasp it. "Oh." He said as you saw a bit of cogs turning in his head. You decide to spare him the figuring out by himself and explained further. "It's a stim." You calmly concluded. "You do drugs?!" His face turned into a surprise, concern and disbelief. You got thrown off your trail of thoughts, so a chuckle escaped your lips. "No- It's a stim. Not a stimulant." You elaborated once more. "Of course. I obviously know what that is." He didn't.

Be prepared for a long list of questions.

It doesn't really bother him, plus he has the benefit of now knowing your body language.

If he can make you make those movements, he won!

In case your stimming stems from stress.

Which he also gotta learn is a thing.

If anyone dares to point your stimming, he's ready to protect your honor like the hero he is.

"Hey! If you make fun of their flapping, you get the- slapping!" He was really proud of that one.

[hollow-lime-green]

hi, anon from "t/b discourse is dumb" ask here 👋 this conversation actually is really interesting and i wanna add a little more if thats okay. (how long is the average anon ask? im not new to fandom but i am relatively new to tumblr and its etiquette... so sorry if this is too long. ive done my best to condense it 😭 there's just too much to say and im a rambler)

i hope i didn't come off as blaming anybody for their response to harassment and such, i don't want to contribute to that. my ire is only pointed toward people who make it their business to hurt others over innocuous fandom happenings, those people who leave dickish comments on fics and send anonhate and mass qrt on twitter. but like i said, expecting those kinds of people to go away any time soon is not really something i have hope for at this point. you put it well: people get so emotionally invested --- and i too Love getting emotionally invested when it comes to fiction --- that logic stops being a factor. people all over the internet also tend to struggle with simply disliking something and leaving it there. you're allowed to dislike/disagree with something without turning it into a moral failure when it's all down to preference and the characters involved are not Real

i just wish more people saw the value in Healthy™ discourse. hell, even if someone's opinion ticks you off, that doesn't mean you can't engage in an open minded discussion with them, if you want to. but people can't do that even outside of niche online fanbases.

i would love to share my own opinions on t/b dynamics for satosugu and to learn why others may feel differently. actually, stsg is the first yaoi ship ive been this invested in, though it's been a while now, and reading fics for them has opened up a Lot of doors of thought for me that i wanna talk to someone about. but there's such hostility around the topic that opening that discussion up to the general fandom public hardly feels worth the risk, as much as i want to. that kinda leaves one floating out at sea here. so i have these conversations where i can, but i'll also block people over simple things. not because i think they're evil or their opinions are invalid, but because i really do just want to have fun, and previous fandom experiences have exhausted me with how much of the same repetitive venom i can personally handle at once

welcome back anon, and feel free to ramble away. honestly this has been a nice side quest for me during the thesis-ing, believe it or not.

if you want to have discussions/share takes on stsg (or fandom meta), then feel free to keep sending them anon, and i am happy to host that discussion in our friendly little corner. i haven't gotten anything nasty in my inbox, and i think everyone commenting and engaging with the posts on my blog is pretty friendly and level headed :)

i think it's possible that some people could get offended by your previous ask? but it's very obvious, to me, anyway, that what you are saying with "t/b discourse is dumb" is "this drama is dumb why are we doing this why can't we just have fun". you can twist the words, but that's the clear sentiment that I think 99% of us are trying to get across here.

and that also does not conflict with empathizing with and supporting people who have been targeted by this harassment. in fact, i would say out of anyone, they are probably most securely in the camp of "this drama is dumb please let's stop".

as @fushiglow pointed out, part of the reason fandom can get so vicious is due to depersonalization. none of these people would be acting so fuckin foolish in person. but across the screen, it is a lot safer and easier to be an absolute asshole than when you have to look someone in the face as you tell them that they are literal scum for your opinions on dick in ass, or something.

over the past few months i have been struggling with this in reverse, actually. one of my gaming group members almost definitely voted for trump (white women... we need to talk). i get so worked up when i think about it, because i hate her for it, especially her reasons for it (she is antichoice). and yet, when I see her in person, when we hang out, it is so easy to remember that she is my friend and she held my hair back when I was puking after my other gamer friends gave me too many free beers (blue moon isn't worth it guys).

one other thing i would like to add, and part of why i'm so happy to post this ask, is that conversations are not sentences. you get to clarify. you get to add. you get to change your mind. real 'discourse' (note: this word has lost all meaning in the year of our lord 2025) or debate is an exchange of ideas, whether it's about dick in ass or how we react socially in the situation of being attacked for dick in ass. keeping the conversation going to clarify these things, like your intent with the last ask, is important and necessary! it's what keeps us from being xitter/bluesky. we don't need to live as zingers and soundbytes on a text-based forum. we have the space to express ourselves fully, as many times as that takes. and i think that helps build back the empathy that is lost with the lack of face-to-face, voice-to-voice communication in online spaces.

so in the words of the great philosophers re: t/b discourse:

any hole's a goal

[dootznbootz]

Aspec Penelope and Odysseus mean a lot to me and I want to ramble about it as it makes me really happy 🥺

If you don't like, don't read! Someone being aspec or sex-repulsed or sex-neutral is not insulting allos or people who are sexually active!!! And even then, some aspecs ARE sexually active just like these two end up being! This is all headcanon and any aphobes will be yeeted into the wine-dark sea. (semi-inspired by epic the musical but also...not.)

Aspec Odypen!

Both are aspec, demisexual specifically and are just like that. While they ARE Athena's pets, she didn't "make them ace". (It may have influenced why she's fascinated by them alongside their cleverness)

Both have situations that make it somewhat different in how they experience it though. I'll have what they both experience first. (Kind of just explaining what it feels like being aspec in a way, except they're shittier about it) Then Penelope as her's needs less explanation. For once in my life, Penelope isn't the one with the most stuff on her 😭

"Oh that person's very strong! Impressive! Oh, wait, is this supposed to be sexual? ...hm...Alright, I guess."

"Alright, I posed this way and looked at them like this and they seemed more open to this idea. Taking note for manipulation..."

"Goddamnit, I don't want you, I want all that silver 😩"

*sees what takes place during certain events (Symposium-esque event)* "...Yeah, I'm not doing that."

Both are pretty in their own way and use that to their advantage to get the things they want. Both get almost weirdly offended when outwardly flirted with and/or propositioned. Kind of sex repulsed (that changes when with each other but before they never really even think about it as..."What is everyone talking about? What do you mean "needs"?")

Friends? Absolutely!!! Not knowing someone but getting to know them eventually? Yeah! But the idea of only wanting to date or have sex because of appearances genuinely perplexes them both. Also, they weirdly test people and are just straight up weird and picky.

"How stupid and naive can you be to wish to court someone you know so little about? A stranger? I look pretty only to get what I want and that's not you... Yeah, we definitely won't work out. I'm going to rob you to teach you a lesson in how looks can be deceiving. I'm pretty but I'm also shitty."

"...You want to do what?! ...uh, okay... You know, what? >:) I know a place. Yeah, us naiads use it. Yep, just around here. Yes! The water is perfectly safe! Don't worry about the leeches! They're harmless! Completely normal leeches" *Steals their clothes and jewelry and leaves them to the very not-normal leeches.* What? It's not like they died!!! They shouldn't have been so stupid to trust me knowing nothing about me!"

Both also have hubris as their flaw so they also have a very shitty superiority complex about this. Fellow aspecs, don't do this!!! It's not nice!!! These two are both mean and nice and this is one of the ways they're mean. Very "While you were out doing whatever, I studied the blade" bullshit. Also, a "Me being unaffected by beauty makes me better at manipulating. Look at how stupid they get when I look all pretty, Athena. I absolutely made them believe that that was a fair deal!!!" Athena kind of encourages this behavior

Meeting each other is a very humbling experience for them both. They both actually learn that there's nothing wrong with being vulnerable with people, just because THEY'RE likely to mess with you doesn't mean EVERYONE is.

Onto Penelope Specifics

For one thing, Penelope is used to people immediately going nuts over Helen and she doesn't mind having less of the attention. As mentioned before, doesn't happen often but when people wish to possibly date, she tests, then sees "okay, I don't see this happening. I'm going to fuck with you now". She'll also just start doing weird shit in a "you think you can handle me?" way.

Thankfully, Icarius and Periboea are chill AND somewhat overprotective so the footrace usually goes in her favor of "I do not like them." Until Odysseus but you know. She just sees she won't click with most people.

Icarius and Periboea have a pretty happy marriage and she thinks that's sweet. One of her siblings doesn't have a happy marriage sadly and that's a big thing later on but she sees Helen and Menelaus with their childhood sweetheart thing going on and the other nymphs and thinks "Guess that won't be happening for me...I can be a fun river auntie." As she's kind of planning to be dedicated to the rivers fully if she can.

She also was there when Helen got kidnapped by Theseus :'D That does affect her.

Her actually testing him the same way he does when they first meet is part of the reason he falls for her so hard. "You do the same shit I do. Not only that but you were actually able to trick me! Wait, that broach, are you also one of Athena's pets?! And now we're scuttling about the castle basically entirely intuned to exactly what we're gonna do?! Oh, gods, that was so fun! Ugh, be my WIFE! 🥴 Wait, no! Sorry I scared/lied/overwhelmed you! Please give me a chance"

Her not getting a lot of genuine romantic attention has influenced her a little bit though.

She's genuinely pretty but it's in an unconventional way (sharp teeth, weird eyes, "Born in a Creek", etc.) So while at first on Ithaca, she was considered very strange, as naiad ties get better with her influence and people get more used to her, it's a "Oh, shit, she IS pretty." Also, she aged like wine. Why the suitors wanted her (also yeah, "I want to be king") and why she just didn't want them. Ofc, she wants Odysseus but she's also just someone who is usually unimpressed. (as Odysseus is as well.)

Odysseus Specifics

Very much a hopeful romantic. His mom and dad have a very loving marriage, (I want to write a thing on their love story), and knowing how his dad never took a concubine (It literally says he doesn't in the Odyssey). He wants what they have.

"Being with someone who you can be your complete self with, show all the good and the bad to and still loving each other despite it all. That's love."

As someone who is a person of many twists and turns, he desperately wants to find someone to show ALL his sides to.

So first up we have the fact that he blames the fact that he's never felt sexual attraction on the boar scar injury. (Boar Scar Idea Stuff Here) It's easier that way as he doesn't necessarily want to think about himself as being different. It makes people "pity" him in the sense of "Oh, you poor thing, you're so beautiful but that boar ripped you apart so horridly. Taking away your ability to feel such things and leaving a disgusting scar."

It's very frustrating for him because he IS very beautiful and so people are attracted to him often. He wants to be left alone. He knows what he wants. Fuck off.

Ancient Greece was fine with Nudity but he, being quite ripped up and "not all there" by the boar, isn't really comfortable with it. People often stare and him, being hotheaded, he's like "What are you looking at? I'll kick your ass!". It's kind of a convenience though because it also makes people leave him alone.

He's had "one relationship" but it was basically just a kiss. He had a one-month romance with someone that ended badly.

Then OdyPen meets each other. >:D

Clarifying this as I know I talk about it a lot with how "Odysseus was in love at first sight" and... YEAH. but also not. It's more of a "This is the fucking best and I KNOW that we'd be incredible together." He chills out a bit as he got that ADHD (they both do) and was all up in his emotions. Other folks with ADHD know when you get too excited and just...become a LOT. It was that. He calmed down a bit and realized he WAS overwhelming her, STILL wants to marry her but isn't in love yet as they JUST MET. And they finally get to know each other more and then he actually falls in love.

Penelope was always somewhat intrigued by him but it was only when he chilled out a bit and let her lay the ground rules of them getting to know each other. And she was in deep denial, then she was hit by a truck when she couldn't deny it any longer.

During the War

He doesn't have any listed concubines (Hecuba was an old woman in her 60s-70s...Be reasonable.) and even in the Iliad, he thinks of Penelope often. And when offered, he threatens or just is passive-aggressive, and eventually people understand that "I wouldn't do that if I were you. He'll probably stab you."

With the fact that in the funeral games, he is mostly invested in getting the shiny and fancy ITEMS instead of winning for the pretty slaves. That also gives me big "I don't fucking care about that, WHERE'S THE MONEY?!"

With how Nauplius (Palamedes' father), tried to get Penelope to believe that "oh your Odysseus plans to replace you." and how she was like "pfft, fuck that. That's a load of shit. My Odysseus would never. Get outta my palace." that yeah, Penelope knows how he rolls.

With he's quite uncomfortable with Nausicca's crush on him despite her being young and beautiful.

Even in the beginning, the fact that he saw Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, and was still like "eh...Ooooh, who's that woman over there that's causing chaos?". He's unaffected by beauty.

He leaves his tent alone in Book 10 of the Iliad. Like, I cannot stress enough how aspec Odysseus feels to me lol

Odypen already give Aspec vibes in the Odyssey but hearing "Man of the House" with Epic and that "She's who I saved my virginity for" was like an "YES! ASPEC!" and yeh :D He wasn't technically "saving it for her", he just never wanted it til Penelope.

Alongside "Done For" a lil bit!

"...I'm not sure I follow... What do you mean by lust? Penelope's not here...oh no..."

Idk makes me happy to write them aspec! 🥺

[ladysomething]

consider this: max is newly single so charles tries to be a matchmaker and set him up with girls but it's not working and you know you knowww

no plot, just a drabble. whoops!!!!

"I just don't understand," Charles says, kicking his feet in the air. His legs are draped over the back of Max's lounge, head dangling off the edge, watching Max play FIFA. Even upside down, and lightheaded from the blood rushing to his head, he's absolutely enamoured with how Max is playING. "They are all very pretty, and very nice. What's not to like?"

"Charles, would you just let this go?" Max says, barely dragging his eyes away from the screen for a second to hold the conversation. "I just didn't like them."

Charles is a little offended on their behalf. "Well, why not? They're very pretty."

"You date them, then," Max scoffs.

Ew. Charles doesn't date women. He just meant that they're objectively pretty, and any straight man would be lucky to have them. He only offered Max the finest of his friends, the ones who are beautiful and funny and kind and who wouldn't care that he's gone half the year.

But, he can't really say that. Even though he and Max are friends - Charles might even say best friends, as weird as that is - Max doesn't know that he's gay. He thinks he might be getting close to being able to trust Max with that information, but he's thought he could trust people before.

Instead, Charles just says, "If I wanted to date them, I would've done that by now. I definitely wouldn't set them up on a date with somebody else!"

That doesn't seem to ease Max's burden any. He actually seems to frown more, sadness pulling at the lines of his face. Charles doesn't know what he said to make Max look like that, but whatever it was, he wishes he hadn't said it. He hates when Max looks sad.

"Charles, Kelly and I . . . we didn't break up because I want to see other people. Um, we did, but it was because I'm interested in one specific person, and he's a . . . well, he's a he."

Charles almost falls off the lounge as he tries to scramble up, but instead of falling he ends up smacking Max in the side of the head with his feet. Max is knocked over, rubbing at the side of his head, while Charles tries not to fall over from the blood rushing out of his head and back to his body.

"You . . . you are?" Charles breathes.

He never thought . . . well, if he'd known, he would never have tried to set Max up with somebody else. He would have been trying to date him instead.

Max looks pretty uncomfortable, and Charles realises that maybe he's never really been able to trust people with this information, either. Maybe he's as terrified as Charles always is.

"I am, too," Charles admits. Then his face flushes, because he didn't break up with Kelly because he's interested in a he. "I mean that I'm gay. Too. Or whatever you are, I didn't mean to assume."

Max's face softens. "I suspected."

He did? Charles never suspected that about him. Then again, Charles didn't publicly integrate his life with a woman, so.

"Anyway, you can stop setting me up with your friends," Max says after a moment, turning back to his game. He doesn't continue on and say that it would be okay if they're male friends.

Charles doesn't think he'd be able to do it, anyway. Not now he might actually have a chance.

[erika111111]

Just to show everyone how truly toxic and evil these Rylan shippers really are. I rest my case.

NEVER ONCE did I say if you like a gay ship are you misogynistic or fetishize gay men. I said that specifically about the Lyan-hating Rylan shippers, NOT EVEN all of the Rylan shippers. Using the term "braindead" is ableist and disgusting (I actually lost a relative who went braindead after having a seizure so this really fucking triggered me). Apparently these people would rather use ableist insults against me than actually read my damn post, because I NEVER said that, and never would. I literally ship several gay ships, just take a look at my blog, man. Sure seems to me like some people got butthurt and despite me not calling them out specifically because these were NOT the people I was targeting with my posts, my post triggered them because they took it as a personal attack. I also said I ship LAURAMAX, not Lyan. I made a whole ass LauraMax playlist. I don't EVEN like Lyan. I stood up for the minority group that was being bullied, I'm not "hiding behind canon" to "ship my shit" or whatever. I actively ship LauraMax, there's no insecure canon shield being held here, I don't like Lyan, but again, canon is canon. I'm not wallowing in any misery, but clearly you are, or you wouldn't be attacking and mocking me behind my back when I literally didn't say a single word to you. No one's hiding behind canon. Canon is canon. If you don't understand what that means, that's your problem. And for the millionth time, not all Rylan shippers are bad, misogynistic, or fetishize gay men. I met some very nice Rylan shippers. I said the LYAN HATERS and the Chrashley/Jossam haters you get around here are. So stop accusing me of whatever bullshit you're accusing me of (homophobia, pfft, nice try, I ACTIVELY ship Blygbank, Jemily, and ChrisMike; again, how about you actually take a look at my blog and PUBLIC likes before making baseless accusations) and actually read my damn post before you get offended and sarcastic and start attacking me and making nonsensical accusations. Never once did I say that the only way to like Rylan was to be delusional, misogynistic, or fetishize gay men. Never. I specifically said I don't care what you ship. Again, it was targeted at the Lyan haters and people like them where they literally admit to that sort of thing. But okay, just make up lies about me because you're angry and miserable, that's cool too. Also I don't believe I ever said anything about race?? So I sincerely hope that part wasn't about me too. I'm literally in an interracial relationship and I'm the POC.

And seriously, how the fuck is saying someone saying it's disgusting for people to fetishize gay men render them a homophobe? That's the most nonsensical thing I've ever heard and the complete opposite of the entire point I was making with that statement. I'm LITERALLY saying it's disgusting for people to ship a gay ship if it's just because they have a fetish for gay people. We all know those people exist. Are they everyone who ships a gay ship? No, obviously not. But they exist and they're disgusting. That's the point I was making. That should've been obvious but again, I guess people can't see behind their rage to read that much. And I think just because I don't like this ONE PARTICULAR gay ship, you people were just waiting for the opportunity to call me a homophobe because it was easy even though it didn't make sense. But again, Blygbank, Jemily, ChrisMike, Jerin, and that's just from Supermassive Games. I like all kinds of ships, gay, straight, I don't care. Sexuality does not affect my opinion of any given ship. (Also, I made character playlists for the cast and put several gay artists in Dylan's, like Mike Taveira, JORDY, Passion Pit, all of whom I love dearly, and literally put a reference to Rylan but also putting Radiohead in Dylan's playlist as well, as Radioheads is the other Rylan ship name. But, you know, apparently I'm a homophobe. Whatever.)

Also, why try to attack me for being "new?" That's just weird. This blog is relatively new but I've been using Tumblr since I was 11. I didn't block anybody because I thought they wouldn't see my posts if I did, that's another crazy accusation and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I block people I don't even hate, I just block people whose content I simply don't want to see, plain and simple. Some people view that as a stretch, yes, but I literally temporarily blocked some people who were talking about the Until Dawn remake because I didn't want to see it at the time, I had nothing against the bloggers themselves though. Who the hell would even assume blocking someone would make them unable to see YOUR posts? It's the other way around. Again, that comment was just weird. Also, for the millionth time, I said I don't care what you ship and this was not some call to get people to stop shipping Rylan. So no, I will not be dying mad. Once again, I sincerely just don't care. If you like the ship, good for you. Truly. I'm only mad now because you people shoved lies in my mouth and called me/my opinions some very insulting, disgusting things.

This fandom clearly does fucking suck. Thanks for proving it. Also even some Rylan shippers say the fandom sucks, so what say you to that? The only good in the fandom is not Rylan and I very much enjoy tons of other The Quarry content. Again, check my likes. And Lyan shippers get a whole lot of hate so why are people who don't ship Rylan the only ones who need to change and not the people actively hating the Lyan shippers? Hypocrisy.

Now block me and leave me the fuck alone. Literally attacking me for no reason. I didn't even know you three existed. There were no personal attacks and I didn't call you any names. I didn't call anybody any names, but you guys sure did. "Personal attacks, what you say about me, insults from unserious people, how insightful," you guys really thought I was talking about y'all. It's just sad. You made literally all of this stuff up. You really should calm down and actually read my posts first or maybe just ASK ME if I was talking shit about you guys behind your backs if you were concerned or offended. None of this had to happen if you just calmed down enough to communicate like adults. Yet, I'm the one not being an adult here? Okay. Your attacking me and hatred for me is completely unwarranted and unnecessary. I was talking about other people. But NOW I'm mad. @erzivy @pandanomalous @ghostradiodylan (And if there were more of you, I don't care, just block me as well and move on.)

EDIT: These people still keep shit talking me and spreading lies behind my back despite calling them out specifically and just wanting to move on. Can't have this keep affecting my day to day life and clearly nothing that I do will stop them from shit talking me and speading lies so I'm just gonna be the bigger person here and block them and stop engaging with this bullshit. The amount of lies and evil things that have been said to and about me is fucking overwhelming over a goddamn video game. This is no longer worth my time, sorry. I actually have a life unlike you people. Edit 2: It got to the point where these people are making alt accounts to continue to attack me and I just... don't have the words anymore. All I'm gonna say about this one is that I didn't put fandom wank in the tags, I don't even know what that term means, that tag was only used by the people attacking me but there were a lot of reblogs/replies so I guess it got confused somewhere. You can't force people not to tag things. And it's not "bEcAuSe i'M nEw," everything I actually did tag I did intentionally so you know, people would see it? If people with an unpopular opinion about a series can't even tag said series then you're doing nothing but intentionally silencing them because you disagree with them, plain and simple. Also the Lyan haters always tag "Lyan" and "The Quarry" in their Lyan hate posts and I don't see you complaining about them. Again, complete and total hypocrisy and it's pretty clear this argument isn't about being fair or moral, it's just about what you want and demanding that your opinion is the only one on the website. Same thing with Hackearney as well, although I also don't ship them, everybody tags "Hackearney" and "The Quarry" on their Hackearney hate posts too and I don't see you complaining about that even though there are also people in this community who are fans of and ship them too. So why does this nonsense only apply to Rylan? Hmmm. Leave me alone now. Please and thank you. Edit 3 and hopefully final, to clear my name of all the remaining slander: I was not talking about anyone on Tumblr, I was talking about people in chat/comments on Twitch and YouTube who were bashing Lyan shippers, fetishizing gay people, and ignoring canon. TheCaitlinMarie was one of the streamers/streams this happened on, I forget the others now. I was watching/participating in a lot of livestreams at the time and a lot of people were playing The Quarry to prep for the Until Dawn remake. Not everything is about you, Tumblr. You people obviously won't believe me even after citing proof, but whatever, that's your problem. I spoke my truth. Also, saying "you need better reading comprehension skills" to insult me, me calling you out for insulting me, you going back to edit and delete that portion of your post, and then accusing ME of being the one that started that insult is one of the pettiest, most childish things I've ever experienced. Just yet again proves me even more right that you people are the nasty ones desperate to make yourselves look like the good guys and demonize me. Also, laughing at/mocking someone's triggers/trauma makes you trash. And thanks for admitting to intentionally talking shit about me behind my back so you could try to get away with it. And all of you ignoring/not replying only to the specific portions of my post where literally every time I factually proved you wrong, not taking back a single slur, insult, or accusation because you're mad and embarrassed I proved you wrong. Peace. Though you'll probably never find it. Edit 4: @camillabanilla Justice Smith himself said that the "maybe neither" line meant that he was interested in Laura, so his feelings for her are canon; not the ship itself, but I quite literally never said that the ship itself was. Maybe learn something or actually read my posts before running your mouth. Thanks for proving my point as well, I'll add you to the list of toxic conclusion jumping trolls.

[sunny374940]

WIP Wednesday

Hi, @starfleetteddybear, thank you for making me realize it was Wednesday again :D

So, I've been sitting on this wip for way too long (will continue sitting on it, but I like this bit). Emmrich takes Rook and Ellie (who is three now) on a seaside vacation. @lavender-tea-fling, remember the firefly squid you showed me?

“Emmrich. Emmrich! Wake up!” He sat up, blinking sleep away from his eyes. Rook sounded urgent, but they didn't seem to be in danger. He was pulling Emmrich up, grinning in excitement, and he was so beautiful in the firelight that all remains of tiredness left Emmrich at once. He could forgive the rude awakening, if it was followed by his husband looking like this. “Look! The sea is glowing, that's so awesome!“ Emmrich followed his pointing finger and saw that the sea was glowing. The whole of it was an ethereal blue glow, glimmering softly with the movement of the waves. Rook picked Ellie up from her hammock, carrying her to the shoreline. Emmrich followed them and they stopped right at the edge of the water, taking in the sight. There were thousands of tiny cephalopods just below the surface, setting the sea ablaze with a fluorescent blue light, and the full moon was hanging high in the sky, completing the image of wondrous beauty. Ellie woke up, staring wide-eyed at the sea. “What is it?” she asked. She was rubbing her eyes, still half asleep and so very adorable. “These are firefly squid, my dear girl. They are bioluminescent cephalopods, which means that-” She yawned the biggest yawn Emmrich had ever seen her perform and he suspected that it wasn't mere tiredness that caused it. “What?” she asked, giving him that confused frown she shared with Rook whenever they were confronted with something they didn't immediately understand. He sighed. “They are glowy squid.” “They're pretty,” Ellie said, and indeed they were, though not as pretty as the light reflected in her eyes.

And of course Sky Whales again. The boys will have a nice time. Eventually.

“I'm glad you feel a little better,” Gareth said and Fern could hear the smile in his voice. “Want me to wash your hair?” “Yes, please.” He was past caring about being seen naked. Or being touched like this. “Lean back.” He did and Gareth poured some water over his hair, careful not to get it in his eyes. Fern found the intense concentration with which he did it very endearing. There was a crease between his brows as he wiped some water droplets off Fern’s forehead, looking at them as if they chose to be there to personally offend him. He turned away for a moment to root among Sam’s colorful arrangement of bath products and came back with two bottles of shampoo. “Which one do you want, “Passion” or “Bubblegum”?” Fern had to laugh at the disgust with which he looked at the bottles. “Both sound absolutely horrible.” “Heh, you're right about that,” Gareth chuckled. “Wait, there's one more. Summer meadow.” “That seems marginally better. I'll take smelling like flowers over bubblegum any day.” “Yeah, and whatever passion even smells like. Feelings have colors, not smells.” Of course feelings had colors. What else could he have expected from a person that had a wall of unicorns in his apartment. Gareth took a little of the shampoo and started lathering his hair. Fern closed his eyes, sinking into the feeling of Gareth’s hands massaging his scalp. “Your mind is an interesting place,” Fern said, making Gareth chuckle again. “I'll pretend that was a compliment.”

Hi babes, belated nosy tag :D @lavender-tea-fling, @spinfins, @mercars-musings, @sorrowsfallallaround, @redheadsramblings

[marigoldbaker]

General 1 and story 8 for everyone!

OH FUN!!!

1. Where can your Tav be recruited?  Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region?  Or are they not recruitable until a later act?

we're going to go with tadpoled marigold for this, for simplicity's sake, which means that mari is in the nautiloid crash region! i think my beloved girl went a-wandering and with her amazing conflict resolution skills her recruitment event is you watching her enchant those bandits by withers's temple. they're getting hostile and trying to defend their score, mari (wizard) starts twirling her hair and going "oh i'm so sorry, i didn't mean to offend! listen, i'm really just hopelessly lost and i could do with some directions and protection, i'd make you a lovely cake in return!" and then when the bandits start gearing up to rob her she fucking wastes them in front of you & turns around with blood on her skirt like hey guys what's up :D and you can recruit her. astarion approves if you do this but all of their banter after a certain point becomes him going I Literally Fucking Hate You So Much. Gods.

evie (ranger) shows up as part of mari's personal quest, which is directly evie-centric <3 it gets weird and probably violent. evie basically begs you to recruit her as a party member and if you don't do it she will just become a camp follower anyway. you have to dismiss marigold to get her to leave your camp, and at any time while she's there you can recruit her.

thea (cleric of haela brightaxe) is recruitable in the last light inn. she showed up to confer w jaheira bc she's very stressed about her missing daughter, which means that jaheira basically shoves her at you like "hey can you take my situationship out for a walk so she stops semi hysterically propositioning me in war meetings." and if you agree: you have thea :)

TECHNICALLY ros and norie woulda come with thea, but we're spacing this out bc this is now working within bg3 party member game logic, so they're both recruitable in act 3 when you visit the tasty pastry! they're kind of redundant atp i think bc you don't REALLY need another fighter or another cleric but if you take one you have to take both.

8. Do they have comments on who the Player Character chooses to spend the night with? 

marigold makes like 200 really really really bitchy and passive aggressive comments if you flirted with her at all but chose someone else OR if anyone starts romancing gale and does not ever really get over doing that for the entirety of the game to the point where a few of the gale specific banters triggered by the PC romancing him are just him going "hey marigold can you please let it go." she does not. toxic hater girl.

evie, who actually probably propositions the PC at some point, will mostly just be congratulatory (a very "hey nice look at you getting some!") but asks a little apprehensively if you're sure about astarion. seems like maybe he needs a friend, not a lover. i also think if you're romancing wyll she asks you if you're sure he's safe. sometimes those hero-types aren't as nice as they seem when the doors are closed and no one is looking.

thea is just like for FUCK'S SAKE do you not have PRIORITIES??? we have BIGGER FISH TO FRY. which becomes super funny and stupid later because i do think there's a cutscene that's the PC walking in on her and jaheira having one of those swoony and very stupid romance novel arguments like the world isn't literally ending guys cmon

roslin wants details. independently of who it is. details. share. now. gossip.

norie doesn't care and doesn't comment. you can mention it to her if you want her take and she will immediately be like do not talk to me about this. actually do not even talk to me. What is your fucking problem. THOUGH. she's gender locked (women only) and if you flirted with her or romanced her a little before settling on someone else she gets this little kicked puppy attitude like i kinda thought we had something what happened :(

[annymation]

for the asks requests:

1: DARIO BACKSTORY NOW

2: I wanna hear abt bravo

3: Florian reaction to everything

4: SYMBOLISM. PLEASE. 🍽️

Oh I actually didn't expect for all of these to be asked all of the same time, as they're kinda long answers... Specially number 3. But I can work with that :)

I think you guys might really like what's down here:

1- What Did Dario Not Tell Them At The Campfire

So when asked if he had any bad experiences with the king, Dario just answered he'd rather not talk about it. The reason isn't because Magnifico did something to him directly, but rather indirectly. See, Dario's dad is the royal announcer and his mother is a singer, both jobs that require their voices, and they value their voices a lot, while Dario was born with a speech impediment.

One day, Dario overheard them talking in their room, and they said how they hoped when Dario turned 18 he'd wish for the king to give him a voice.

Now, to some that may seem like a good wish, "who wouldn't want to have a voice?" you may ask, thing is that most disabled people don't want to be changed, what they want is to be accepted. Obviously though I can't speak for the whole ASL community, however I did study the basics of sign language in college, and my teacher, who is deaf, taught us about deaf culture, and how you shouldn't assume someone WANTS to be like you, to be "Fixed".

Dario didn't want to change himself, but in that moment he felt like his parents saw him as someone broken and hoped the king could fix him...

So yeah I didn't have him explain all that because it's way too depressing even for me.

2- Where Did Bravo Come From

A more wholesome little story with our faaaaaaavorite evil duo! Yay!

So, Amaya often goes to the woods to get ingredients for her potions, mushrooms, herbs, animal parts, you name it. She goes alone, just wearing a hooded cloak so she's not recognized.

One day, during her foraging, she heard a sound coming from behind her:

"Miirrrau!"

It was a quiet, growly meow

And she kept hearing it over and over, like it was asking for help. Now although the queen has a heart as cold as ice, she felt moved by the tiny cries, so she followed them into the woods.

And here's what she found:

"Awwwwwwwn~" Her iced heart melted at the sight of what she thought was a little kitten "Are you lost, little one?"

"Miaurrr!" the kitten had a weirdly growly voice, but still high pitched like any kitten, he seemed to be scared and lost, looking for him mom

"Don't fret, you're safe now" she takes him and puts him in her basket full of mushrooms "I'll take you to your new home. Heh heh heh my love will have quite the surprise when he sees you"

So she goes back to the palace, Magnifico is busy changing some wishes when she arrives

"Daaaaarliiiiing~ Look what I found in the woods today!" She says showing him the kitten

Magnifico looks quite surprised, although he has seen Amaya do some REALLY messed up things, he never thought she'd use a whole kitten as a potion ingredient

"Hmmm... How nice dear, but uh- If you don't mind me asking- What kind of potion requires a kitten sacrifice?" He asks smiling, trying to be supportive of her weird hobbies

"SACRIFICE???" She holds the kitten close to her, looking very offended that her husband would imply that "I don't want to kill him! I want to keep him!"

"OOOOOH I see, I see. That makes more sense" The king says kinda relieved

(They have murdered and ruined the lives of millions, but they draw the line at killing a kitten)

"Well then, if that's your desire then he's all yours, my beldam. But don't expect me to take care of him as well" He said

And that basically went like one of those "Dad said he didn't want the dog" memes, because Magnifico really liked the cat and took care of him just as much as Amaya.

They named him "Bravo" because it's both what you say to cheer for someone after a performance, and their whole thing is that they're constantly acting to their people, and also means angry in Spanish, and the kitten often looked grumpy.

But as time went on, and Bravo grew... They noticed he just wouldn't stop growing. And soon enough they realized... That wasn't a cat, that was a lynx.

And thats how the situation went from good to GREAT!

Like, they just raised their own killing machine without even knowing it was a killing machine, they were beyond ecstatic, they were running around like "YES YES YEEEES!!!" ya feel me?

3- How Florian Reacts To Everything

Now, to answer this one, I'll tell you a story... About something that happened in the chapter "Into The Eye Of The Storm".

Something that happened from Magnifico's perspective... After he got struck by lightning.

So let me set the scene.

...

He felt excruciating pain he never imagine possible course through his body, and light was all he could see.

Until it wasn't.

Everything went black.

Magnifico shot his eyes open, and all he could see was a dark emptiness surrounding him, and feel water beneath his feet.

The king looked around completely lost, one moment he was in the storm with that star, and in the next he was here... His staff wasn't with him, he was powerless.

He hears a voice

"Huh... Took much longer than I would've liked, but oh well, looks like you finally got what you deserved."

Magnus gets startled by the voice coming from all around him, but tries to hide his fear by masking it with anger "Who's there?!" he demands to know

"Really? After just 25 years you've already forgotten my voice?" The youthful but voice says, bitterness dripping from his tone. Magnifico's eyes widen as he indeed starts to recognize the voice... The voice he celebrated he'd never would have to hear all those years ago. The figure starts to manifest itself in front of him as it says "But then again, you never were the type to listen much, were you, Mag?" Florian calls him by the nickname he used to affectionally call his older sibling.

Magnus sees his younger brother floating in front of him, but the expression on his face is one the king has never seen before. Florian was always happy, always kind and sympathetic, innocent, he was like the personification of sunshine itself. Now? Now his expression was so full of hatred, hiding behind a mocking smile, like Florian has been waiting for this a long time.

"See you grew a beard heh heh you look just like dad" The spirit jokes

Magnifico is staring at the apparition before him with wide eyes, his mind is racing, trying to make sense of any of this, how could he go from fighting with the star to thi-... Wait... He remembers something he read about wishing stars, they have the power to give people dreams... He must have been knocked out and the star is trying to play a trick on him... Yeah, that's gotta be it.

He smiles thinking he just figured this all out "Hahah guilt tripping? Really? Didn't think that was your style, Aster, I'm almost impresse-"

"You died." Florian just gives it to him straight.

Magnifico freezes.

"You flew too close to the sun brother, or rather, too close to the storm." The spirit explains, and starts to float circles around his older brother "And soon, your soul will completely leave this plane, and I will finally rest in peace knowing MY people are free from you." The spirit speaks almost spitting on Magnus face, emphasizing how the people of Rosas are his people, his kingdom that Magnus stole.

But the older brother is almost blocking out the sound of his voice, too busy processing that if what he's saying is true then... "Amaya... It can't end like this, I can't leave her no-"

"HAH! That's what you worry about? That wretched witch?!" Florian now has a mocking smile on his face, it's a smile Magnifico has never seen from his caring little brother in life... It doesn't even look like him anymore.

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HER THAT!" He yells, now starting to accept that yes, that is indeed his brother's ghost, and he's enraged to see him again.

"Pretty sure I get to call the woman who poisoned me whatever I want." Florian says nonchalantly

"Tsk not our fault you made it so easy" the older brother smirks, trying to come out on top of the situation "I mean, a random mystery woman shows up out of nowhere, and you just invites her to be the royal potion maker? What did you think was gonna happe-"

"I thought you'd finally be happy." Florian interrupts him with a serious expression, Magnus stops talking and stares at him confused, so Florian continues "When you first locked eyes with her, I saw a spark in you... A gleam of happiness you never shown in all the years we lived together... I knew you were in love with her... THATS why I let her stay." He explains with every word dripping with bitterness "I thought "Finally, my big brother won't be so lonely and angry all the time! Love will surely make him move on from the fact he wasn't meant to be king!"" Florian makes a slightly more high pitched and cheerful voice as if to mimic how he used to sound like when he was alive "Hahah It's quite the tragic comedy, ain't it? I helped in your union... Unaware I was digging my own grave."

"... And do you think I care? We would've ended up together regardless. And I would take the crown that is RIGHTFULLY MINE regardless of whatever you did!" Magnus exclaims. If he's really dead and this is just the limbo between the land of the living and the after life, then he might as well take this opportunity to let out everything he wanted to tell his little brat of a brother all those years "The throne was MY RIGHT! But he said "NoOooO son! You must learn magic! So you may grant their wishes" WELL what if I don't WANT to grant all their whiny little pleas, like I'm some kind of SERVANT?! I wanted to follow my own path! I dreamed of being a good king! But then YOU showed up!"

"Sorry for being born, I guess" Florian says sarcastically

"YEARS watching them give you everything I ever wanted... I was pushed aside like I was NOTHING." Magnus sounds more and more deranged as he begins to smile sadistically at his brother "WELL GUESS WHAT! Now I "grant" more wishes than YOU and all of those old fools EVER DID! The people ADORE ME! And no one even remembers you!" Magnus spats out like he just won this argument, Florian is raising one eyebrow, looking at him like this is quite pathetic. The older king walks closer to him with a grin "So, how does it feel huh? Knowing your legacy will forever be "Just King Magnifico's little brother that fell ill and died""

Florian looks at him serious for a moment, before smiling confident again "I never did it to be remembered, I did it because I wanted to make my people happy, and I can rest easy knowing I did just that... While you lived a meaningless life, trying soooo desperately to make everyone love you, hoping that would make it up for the years you were ignored... Did it work?" Magnus looks shocked by those words, he tries to respond but Florian doesn't let him "Of course it didn't, you'll never be satisfied. And now, as if making my people suffer all these years wasn't enough, you try to steal the magic of a star, but oh-oh that didn't work, it got you killed in the most foolish way possible!... Now it won't be long until people find out the truth, then NO ONE will "Adore you" nor "Remember you"." Florian smiles widely as he asks "So, how does it feel huh? Knowing your legacy will forever be... Nothing."

Magnus has no words... His brother had never spoken to him like that... No one has ever spoken to him like that.

Florian looks satisfied, but he already know that... Unfortunately, Magnus time hasn't come just yet

"*sigh* Karma really does work in mysterious ways... Looks like the witch comes to your rescue, Mag... Again." Florian says with his arms crossed.

Magnus doesn't understand what he's talking about "Wha-"

"When you get back, if you even remember any of this... Tell Amaya that I lied, her tea tasted terrible." He says with a cheeky grin while waving his brother goodbye.

Magnus feels him sink into the water beneath his feet. He screams and-

His eyes are shot open.

He gasps for air.

Amaya brought him back from the dead with her kiss.

...

So yeah, that's dead Florian, his personality is waaaay different when he was alive by the way, but I enjoyed writing someone that can spit some facts on Magnifico's face.

4- Symbolism

I've wrote a whole lot in this, so I'll just end on a simple note:

I like the symbolism of Asha's family always being with her, from her wearing her mother's cloak and her ability to draw being what saved her, to her singing to inspire the people like her father, and playing her grandfather's mandolin, it really feels like even though they weren't THERE they were essential characters in her journey. And I'm proud of this little detail.

There's more juicy symbolism but now I'm exhausted from writing because MY GOSH Florian was intense, I really got into the mindset of a 20 year old that got murdered by the brother he once admired and I don't feel well. OOF. Imma take a break lmao

Thank you for the ask and

Thank You For Reading!

[turtlecleric]

for the honesty hour tinggg — what is one of the biggest life lessons that has made you who you are today? (ie you think about it daily)

Keisha coming in with the hard questions. I love it. (And I love YOU!) This got a little long. Maybe it only feels long because I'm on mobile, but I'll put it under a cut just to be safe.

A lesson I think about daily would be that everyone acts like they do for a reason. Like, people's past experiences have shaped them, and everyone has a whole life they're living that not everyone else is privy to. So even if it's not clear WHY they're behaving a certain way, there is still a reason for their behavior. I notice it in myself a lot, where I'll do something and be able to pinpoint the reason I do that, and that reason isn't necessarily obvious. Others might perceive my behavior as odd because they don't have the context that I do. Knowing this helps me to be kinder and more patient with others, I think, because I try my best to give people the benefit of the doubt. I don't always succeed at this, and sometimes it's nice just to vent or complain a little, but in my heart it helps me to not get so worked up over things and it helps me to give grace to others easier.

For example, if someone does something rude I might be offended, annoyed, etc. But then I try to think about the fact that we all know so very little about the others around us. Maybe they didn't understand the expectations well. Maybe they have trauma around the situation. Maybe they've always acted that way and no one has ever said anything. Maybe it's a defense mechanism. Maybe they had an emergency that wasn't apparent to me and their behavior felt appropriate to them in that situation. Maybe they're going through something right now and they're hanging on by a thread and they just don't have the mental bandwidth available to monitor themselves like they should. Maybe they don't even know how else to act. And so on.

That person speeding and passing me might have diarrhea and really need to get to a bathroom! The kid with a bad attitude might've gotten no sleep because their parents kept them up all night with their fighting! The person making a comment that feels rude might not have meant it that way at all and might not even realize it was rude! We just don't know. So I try to be kind (key word: try), because I don't know. I don't know what they're thinking, what they've been through, what they're going through right now. And I hope others do the same for me, because even though there are people that are mean and malicious and hateful on purpose... I feel like most of us are just doing the best we can with what we have.

I hope I actually answered the question. Felt like I sort of rambled 😅 thank you for the ask dear! 💕

[biapascal]

Camping 🪵🤎

Veryinactivewriter:

Joel takes reader camping for the first but they're actually excited since they never been camping before?

Joel remembered the good times he had camping during his childhood: he and Tommy went every summer; they built forts with the other kids and played with them until late at night. Many of their peers were foreigners who came from far away on vacation, but the two brothers didn't care about the language barrier.

One morning, when you casually mentioned that you had never pitched a tent in your life, he raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Over the next few days, you made inquiries and found a quiet place to camp.

Joel kept his eyes on the road while you watched the sky grow cloudy. This was not a good sign. "If you want, we can go back" you suggested. He shook his head. "I checked the weather, only a light drizzle is forecast" he reassured you. You slept peacefully for the rest of the trip. Joel gently woke you and you stretched, ready for this new experience. It began to rain and the cold air was filled with the scent of moss. You two walked hand in hand for a while with your hoodies on. It felt nice. You watched Joel as he walked: you could see that the forest was one of his favorite places. No people, no traffic, just the quiet flow of nature.

As you started to set up the tent, the weather got worse. You cursed. "I didn't expect that," Joel admitted. He stood up. "Well, we need to go inside and get our clothes off, they're soaking wet..." you looked at him, raising an amused eyebrow. "What?"

"We just got here and you already want-"

"Come on" he led you inside. "You know what I mean" you nodded, smiling. "Yes, I know."

The ground was uneven and you felt uncomfortable. "This is not a good start," you said. "Yeah..." you looked down and noticed that ants were crawling all over your sleeping bag. You didn't want to be dramatic, so you decided to keep quiet, even though Joel noticed your nervousness. "Want me to get rid of them for you baby?" He suggested. "Hell, no! I'll do it myself!" You replied. Joel laughed. "But maybe tonight..." While the two of you waited for the rain to stop, you listened to a true crime podcast while Joel read a book. As you started a new episode, you heard a whimper. "Did you hear that?" Joel tilted his head. "Yeah, let me check” You took off your EarPods and quietly followed him. A child was crying. You spotted some blonde braids and widened your eyes. "Joel!" Your boyfriend heard you and you pointed at the little girl: her face was red and her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't be older than five years old. "Hey hey," Joel approached her and the girl flinched in fear. "It's okay, where are your parents?" She didn't trust him, so she just sniffed without answering.

Joel was a little annoyed and you decided to try to talk to her as well: "Hey, it's okay, we just want to help you” you reassured her with a soft smile. The little girl looked at you for a moment with her big brown eyes. "You're pretty, your boyfriend isn't" you couldn't help but smile a little at this affirmation while Joel tried to calm down. "Are you a fairy?" She asked innocently. "Aw," you looked at Joel. "Did you hear her? She thinks I'm a fairy."

"Yes, very cute, but she is lost, where are her parents?" he insisted. "You're right...um, honey, do you remember where your tent might be?" You asked her. The girl tried to think, but she ended up crying again. "Oh no no," your heart broke. "Just try to guide us” she nodded. "Okay, but only with you, because you are a fairy. Not your friend, he is an ogre!" Joel was really offended and crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "I was actually trying to help you”

"Come on, she's five," you justify her amusedly.

You let the little girl lead you. She wasn't sure where she was going, but eventually the two of you found yourselves in front of a tent. A couple was looking at the little girl. "Erika!" The woman hugged her tightly. "We thought we had lost you..." You were proud of your noble deed of returning a little girl to her parents, but now you had to return to your "ogre". When you returned, the rain had stopped and Joel was waiting for you. "So she found her parents?"

"Yes Shrek” you teased him.

"Very funny." He rolled his eyes and you sat down and laid your head on his shoulder. "Children..." you remained silent. You enjoyed the soft breeze on your skin as the night approached. "How about we eat and get some sleep, uh? we walked a lot today” He suggested. You nodded. Joel made two tuna sandwiches: not exactly gourmet, but filling. You started to feel sleepy, but then you remembered the ants on your sleeping bag. “Fuck." You whined and Joel gave you a confused look before he realized. "Oh."

"Why? Why only all over MINE?" You vented. He chuckled. "I don't know," he laid down. "Do you want to sleep with me?" You smiled softly. He patted his sleeping bag. His body was warm and you could hear his breathing becoming regular as he fell asleep. You began to feel less and less nervous about the experience, and you closed your eyes as well.

[bijoumikhawal]

Rating Vulture Crowns

I've been making one myself, and as such looking at other versions of it. I'll be rating versions made for film and TV here and not rating ones being sold or cosplays because the latter seems a bit mean. I'll be giving two ratings: aesthetic and accuracy. The accuracy rating will be about the crown only, not about the other costume details or the person wearing it.

I believe this is Claudette Colbert. This version is pretty accurate, though the snake head isn't actually that common on vulture crowns. I've noticed that a lot of reproductions shy away from admitting these crowns are based on vultures because they aren't seen positively in Western culture, though they were admired in amcient Egypt and neighboring cultures, usuaply by putting a different animal head on the front. However, the marks on the forehead piece look like they were done with sharpie which makes me like it less. Also, while most vulture crowns included the feet and tail of the bird, this is less common in reproductions, and this looks like it doesn't have either.

Accuracy: 8/10. Aesthetic: 7/10

Claudette again. I like this one MUCH less. Its less accurate in silhouette abd I dislike the way they tried to do the body feathers- they aren't even pointing the right way. Also the trim between it and the wings looks like something I'd see on a 5 year old's dress. I don't think the straight down feathers look as nice as the flared ones. The cobra isn't sculpted badly on either of these.

Accuracy: 5/10. Aesthetic: 4/10

Advertisement by Henry Cline. Another snake head. I think I'd like the crown itself more if it didn't have a random blue dome, and the cobra looks awkward. I'll note here that this headband detail on the forehead isn't accurate at all. The wings also don't have three long feather layers- just two, which is how real wings work.

Accuracy: 7/10. Aesthetic: 7/10

I don't know who this is. The head is proportioned badly and the join to the rest of the crown is awkward, and I dislike the silhouette (which isn't accurate either). I can't tell what animal the head is, but I'll be generous and assume it's a vulture. The body feather portion is too wide compared to the wings, and the wings are too short for my taste.

Accuracy: 4/10. Aesthetic: 4/10

I believe this is Sibylla Deen and I'm sorry ma'am but this crown is fugly. Inaccurate silhouette, it looks more like seashell than a bird, I don't like the way the feathers are sculpted, and this is our first "peacock head" offender. The join between the head and the rest if the crown is awkwardly done too.

Accuracy: 3/10. Aesthetic: 2/10

Vivian Leigh and Condola Rashad (I think, its from a canceled show she was in). These crowns are different, but it's clear the latter was based on the former. I actually think the blue flowers (?) Are very interesting, and they remind me of a faience necklace from Ancient Egypt. I can't tell of the first has an animal head on it at all, but the second has a vulture head because the costumer wasn't a coward. The wings on the first are slightly more accurate because they're flat, and I've seen a vulture crown depiction inlaid with faience before, so this enameled look isn't too far off. The tiny Hermes wings aren't accurate though. The dimensionial feathers on the second aren't accurate, and neither is the absence of wings.

Accuracy: they're different, again, but I'd say both are a 6/10. Aesthetic: both are a 9/10

This is from Serpent of the Nile. The silhouette and proportions are pretty accurate, but it's another peacock head instead pf a vulture or at least a cobra. I do think it looks a bit... cheap. There's a wrinkly quality to the wings. We can see the back here, and it's missing the tail and the feet. It also has a variant of the inaccurate headband.

Accuracy: 6.5/10. Aesthetic: 7/10

This has a similar flower detail to two previous crowns, but is much different in design overall. I'm not sure who's wearing it. This much flare isn't accurate, and I feel the flight feathers look a little sparse. There's also a whole nother bird on top instead of just the head, and it looks like a duck?

Accuracy: 4/10. Aesthetic: 6/10

Glenn Close. I'm sorry miss, but this is again, terrible. Like I've said before, I've seen a faience depiction before and anyone whose seen King Tutankhamun's sarcophagus knows it has lapis inlay, so that means the colorful details here are possible. The faceted gems aren't though- facetious like this was innovated by Muslim jewelers iirc. The front should come down further (most vulture crowns don't allow hair in this area to be visible), and the proportion of body to wing is wrong. The flight feathers look a little messy.

Accuracy: 5/10. Aesthetic: 4/10