#except that it is not for happy reasons at all

[verdancy-hime]

Sometimes you can.

If people leave you alone to do it, it's easy.

The main reason I can't think myself out of depression or executive dysfunction is because the overwhelming majority of the people in my life throughout my life have wanted me to be depressed and barely functional.

I think about how after years and years of struggle I finally beat my messy tendencies and then this guy I used to talk to started telling me all of a sudden how sexy my messy room was and praising me for photos of it.

I think about how any time my life is stable and going well, some funny little series of coincidences piles up to make it incredibly hard out of nowhere.

Some of those are just coincidence.

Some of them have been my employer that didn't pay me enough or give me full time hours giving me the worst shifts and the worst tasks and switching up my hours so I couldn't get a second job. My boyfriend suddenly getting our joint account garnished by the irs when I finally found a full time job. My boss accusing me of stealing to cover up her own theft. Now the people at my job are intentionally stalking me online and in person trying to make me stressed out all the time. Targeting me at work and pretending that suddenly all the things they used to like they hate now and annoy me in various ways on purpose.

I don't know why.

I'm just not allowed to be happy or stress free.

I'm not allowed to be cute or not in poverty.

I'm not allowed to have a relationship that's not abusive. I tried that for years. No matter what I did, it just turned into being in a hostage situation with a guy who hated me. Only the means of control was different. The idea that I don't want to be around any person who doesn't treat me well is apparently also not allowed, because the more I keep to myself the more people bully me.

But most people in most friendships and relationships seem to be unable to allow me to be normal and be myself and constantly follow either a bait and switch cycle or turn abusive.

I don't know what I'm supposed to do about that.

I guess I know one thing.

Anyway, the point is?

You very much can think your way out of internal problems.

You can take other actions that also help.

The problem is that you can not think your way out of the fact that most other human beings are sadistic and hate you. Like... most other human beings default to wanting to see you miserable and dysfunctional except while you are doing things for them. There is never enough that you can do for them that they won't want every minute that you aren't doing something for them to be hell on earth. There is never enough you can do for them that they won't try to make hard or impossible on purpose.

You can't think yourself out of the fact that capitalism requires you to beg other people for resources to survive and those people all hate everyone

Say you break your ankle. You could know everything there is to know intellectually about the injury. Even with this vast knowledge, you will still experience physical pain.

Now take this logic and apply it to things like ADHD, autism, clinical depression, and other less visible/divergent disabilities. You cannot think your way out of feeling.

That is to say: you are not a bad, lazy, or selfish person for struggling, even if you know why you are struggling.

[reminiscingtonight]

Guilty

Lia Wälti x Russo!Reader

Word Count: 1.2k

A/N: Tis the season for sequels. Featuring a lot of Kyra and Alessia and not so much of Lia

[The Thing About Families Masterlist]

You should have known better than to trust her. 

There’s a reason Steph’s always more than happy to drop Kyra off on your doorstep whenever camp’s over.

There’s a reason Mini looks like she’s gained five years every time the younger girl has been granted privileges to “babysit” her two kids. 

You have a million reasons to not trust her yet you did. 

Why did you trust Kyra with the ring?

Your knuckles are nearly white as you drag the young girl into a nearby unoccupied conference room. Kyra’s looking apologetically guilty, but a delirious haze is starting to take over you. It’s a mixture of horror and disbelief, but at the bottom of it all, you feel beyond stupid.

“What do you mean you lost it?!”

Kyra looks like she’s moments away from crying, but you can’t find it in yourself to be compassionate. You can console her later. Right now you need to get to the bottom of this and try to salvage your relationship with your girlfriend first. 

“I swear it was stashed at the bottom of my drawer but it just wasn’t there when I looked this morning.”

“Well where did you put it?”

“I never moved it! Someone must have taken it.”

You pinch your eyes shut, praying to whatever soccer gods that are above that this was just a cruel joke. This wasn’t really happening and you weren’t about to postpone all the plans you’ve spent months working on. “Kyra, I am begging you not to do this. What am I supposed to do? The dinner’s been booked! The restaurant knows I’m proposing!”

“We can get you a new one! I’ll front it, I swear.”

Forget Kyra crying, you’re going to cry. 

“Unless you’re willing to shell out five grand in the next few hours, I don’t think ‘buying me a new’ one will work.”

The young Australian’s eyes bulge out at the sound of how much you spent on Lia’s ring. 

It’s not a well kept secret that you were going to propose. You and Lia have been together for years now, married in every way except for the official one. Wedding plans have already been discussed, from venues to food to the invitation list. The last thing you actually had to do was the actual proposing and getting married parts.

Though with the ways things are going, you’re not sure you’re going to get married anytime soon. 

There’s a knock on the door but you ignore it, pacing back and forth as your mind races. There’s not really much you can do at this point. The place you got Lia’s ring custom made at is already closed at this time of day, and your girlfriend deserves something better than a last minute generic engagement ring. 

A flash of blonde enters your peripheral just as you make your decision.

“Okay. I think I’ve got a plan.”

“Oh I’ve been looking for you guys--”

“Now’s not a good time, Less,” you wave your sister off, not even bothering to pay her any attention. “Okay Kyra, listen closely because I won’t repeat myself.”

The younger girl nods, determination painted all over her features. 

“I’ll cancel the reservations. That’ll buy me a couple days.”

“Guys--”

“Less. Not a good time,” You repeat, shuffling to turn your back to her to ensure Alessia can’t interrupt again. “The jeweler still has the plans I sent him. I can probably get Gio and Luca to lend me some money, but you have to find where you stashed that ring, Kyra. It wasn’t cheap.”

“About the ring--”

“Not now Alessia!” This time your and Kyra’s voices blend together, neither of you willing to give Alessia a minute of your days. 

She lets out an offended huff and you have half a mind to just strangle her right here and now, your mother’s feelings be damned. 

Gritting your teeth you turn around, not really happy to have to find out what your sister wants. She has free reign to bother you at any minute of any day but why was she so insistent on doing so right now? “What could possibly be so important, you impatient piece of--”

You cut off suddenly, eyes doubling in size when you look down at her hands. 

There’s a velvet box clutched between her perfectly manicured nails, the tiny thing sitting there like it’s mocking you for losing your temper earlier. 

“That’s my--”

“The ring! But-- but--”

“Where’d you find it?”

“Oh god, Lessi I could kiss you, you just saved my ass--” Kyra breaks off, something clicking in her brain. “Wait, where did you find it?”

There’s a slight pause as you wait for Alessia’s answer. 

“Err… so funny story.” She blows out a breath of air, trying her best to look nonchalant. “I might have been-- actually Kyra hid…” Alessia fidgets, not liking the crease that was growing deeper and deeper between your brows. “IwantedtoprankKyraaftersheprankedmesoItooktheringthelasttimeIvisited.”

She slams her mouth shut the second the words are uttered, but no one says a word. 

An uncomfortable tension settles into the room and Alessia does her best not to wilt to the ground. 

You stare at her.

Kyra stares at her.

Alessia stares at a spot past your faces, nervously shuffling under the weight of your gazes.

There’s no mistaking icy stare or the clenched jaw that proved you caught every word of her fastball confession. 

“You… What?” There’s an edge to your voice, a tone Alessia rarely was at the end of growing up, but one that she recognizes all the same. The order there is clear, but Alessia’s not so sure she wants to repeat herself out of self preservation.

She shrinks, suddenly wishing she wasn’t so tall. “Um. Well. So Kyra hid my earrings the other day, and I, uh, I thought hiding this would be a funny way to prank her back?” Alessia cringes, not liking the way this all sounds now that she’s saying it out loud. “But judging by the looks on your faces, I’m going to say otherwise.”

Your nose flares but that’s the only response she’s given. 

Kyra looks grumpy, probably the result of taking your misplaced anger from earlier. 

You hold out your hand.

No words are exchanged but Alessia is quick to drop the box into your hand. 

Just as quick as she darts forward to do so, she jumps back, shoving her now empty hands into her pockets. 

“See, no hurt no foul, right?”

Crickets. 

That’s all Alessia hears as she nervously chuckles. 

Neither you nor Kyra have moved, faces giving nothing away. 

At least not until you call the Australian’s name calmly, eyes never leaving your sister’s.

Alessia watches as the two of you slowly peel away from each other. Her eyes keep darting between the two of you, feeling more and more like prey that’s being stalked as the seconds tick by. “Guys, c’mon–”

“Remember how I told you to play nice with my only sister?”

Kyra’s frowning. It’s probably supposed to come off frightening but she looks too much like a kicked dog for it to really do too much.

But the look on your face… yeah, that was intimidating enough for the two of you.

“Forget everything I’ve ever said. I don’t have a sister.”

Alessia gulps.

“Get her.”

She bolts.

[muwapsturniolo]

I was all over her ⋆.˚ M. Sturniolo

"N-no...No girls or guys...I don't uhh - girls don't really look at me."

⟢No smut, loner!Matt, tiny bit of asshole!Matt as well as angst. Deep convos and vaping, that’s it me thinks

@adornedwithlight for divider!

Pursuit of Happiness

That was the song currently blasting throughout the house of a random person Matt didn’t know.

He had been dragged here by his brother Chris, the younger boy claiming that a girl he was talking to asked him to come and bring people. Matt didn’t know why Chris brought him out of all people—he wasn’t the party type, nor was he a good wingman.

He tried to enjoy the party, he really did, but this wasn’t his style.

The loud music, bodies bumping into each other like sardines in a can, the excessive drinking—he preferred more chill, laid-back settings.

Hence, why he escaped to the bathroom filled with balloons and laid in the tub.

It was a weird hiding spot, but it brought him comfort. Chris didn’t even notice he had disappeared. No one did. He liked to think it was his own superpower.

He let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes, humming along with Cudi as the balloons lay on top of him like a blanket.

Suddenly, the music got louder for a split second, the door opening and closing as a voice was heard.

“Pee, I have to pee so bad. No more drinks for me, unless it’s an Angry Orchard. I fucking love app—it’s occupied.”

The girl nearly jumped out of her skin, wincing softly as her side hit the corner of the counter.

The two stared at each other, one with wide eyes and the other in annoyance.

“Can you get out?” Matt asked right away. He didn’t mean to be harsh, but he wanted to be alone and not with some random girl.

“Bro, I really have to pee. I damn near made a puddle on the couch. I promise I’ll be quick!” For extra flair and a way to convince him, she clenched her legs together and did the ‘pee dance.’

“Is she being serious?” Matt thought to himself. He let out a huff of frustration and lazily motioned toward the toilet, looking back down at his lap covered in balloons to give her some privacy.

After a few seconds, he noticed the silence in the small space. He side-eyed her and saw her sitting on the porcelain throne with a sheepish look.

“Are you going to pee or…?”

“Sorry... I’m pee shy.”

He groaned loudly and ran his hands down his face in frustration. “Just close the curtain! It’ll help me pretend you aren’t here!”

The boy in the tub yanked the curtain with force, the sound of tinkling immediately being heard. He tried to ignore the sound, thinking about everything else besides this moment.

As he got lost in his head, he missed the sound of toilet paper, the flushing, and the washing of hands.

She went to leave the bathroom, her hand just a centimeter away from the knob, when suddenly, she thought about something.

Matt’s eyes flashed open when the curtain was yanked back, the girl standing tall over him.

“Do you have a vape?”

He sighed as he reached into his pocket for the small device, handing it to her and mumbling to himself. He could have told her no and to get out, but he figured letting a stranger hit his vape for a few seconds wouldn't cause any harm.

Except it wasn't just a few seconds.

The girl smiled and settled down on the floor next to him, hitting the fruity-flavored air and blowing it out.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before she finally spoke, “What are you doing in here away?”

She handed him back the vape, watching as he took his own hit before exhaling.

“Don’t like parties…”

“So why are you here then? And what’s your name?”

For some odd reason, Matt couldn’t answer her question or at least the first half of it. He decided to avoid it altogether, deflecting by asking her the same question.

“What’s your name?”

She smiled at him, her body leaning more against the tub.

“Trouble.”

He raised a brow at the name. He could tell it wasn’t her real name, but in an odd way, it fit her perfectly.

“So, are you going to tell me your name now? Or am I going to have to play hangman to figure it out?” He found himself chuckling softly at her question, the idea of teasing her and having her guess being too good to pass up.

“Guess.”

“I’m just going to call you Blue.”

His brows furrowed at the name. Why would she call him that?

“Blue?”

She shrugged as she plucked the vape from his hands once again. “Yup, Blue. Blue eyes, you’ve got a blue balloon on your lap... plus you give off blue vibes.”

He wasn’t sure what she meant by ‘blue vibes,’ but he took it as a compliment. He takes the time to examine her, processing her choice of clothing and how she looks.

She had on an oversized sweater that was a bit random, between the blue skulls with eyes and the two bands 'Nirvana' and 'Smashing Pumpkins' on it, he didn't know if he liked it or hated it. She paired the oversized sweater with a pair of ripped fishnets and a pair of beaten-up platform Converse on her feet.

Her hair was slicked up into two balls of curls, a few stray pieces hanging down and framing her face.

She didn't look like all the girls attending the party. He didn't mean it in a degrading way, he meant that she was different - in a good way.

"So why don't you like parties?" She asks the question once again, hoping to get a different answer. He already stated he doesn't like parties, and she understood that, but she wanted to know the reason.

Matt shrugs, leaning his back against the wall and propping his legs up in the tub. "Don't know really... I think I like parties but not ones like this. It's too packed, too loud and hot. The music is ok, but I don't even know whose house or party this is."

"Bonnie."

He turns and looks at her with a questioning brow, hoping she will elaborate. "Bonnie, it's her birthday party. I know her, but not that well. Honestly, she's kind of a bitch, but she's friends with my best friend, so I got dragged along. Not complaining though, Bonnie has some good alcohol and-"

Matt watches her as she rambles. He usually hated when people talked too much for no reason, especially when he didn't want to talk. But for some reason, he found her rambles enjoyable. Maybe it was because she was odd herself, maybe it was because she acknowledged his existence and actually sat to talk to him.

"My brother, Chris, dragged me here because he likes some girl and she invited him. He didn't want to come alone, so I was dragged out of bed, and now here I am."

"Who's the girl?"

Matt shrugs and runs a hand through his hair, adjusting his body so he is actually facing the girl on the other side of the tub. "I don't know. if I'm being honest, I really don't care. Chris finds a new girl what seems like every other day, I'm done trying to keep up."

The girl known as Trouble hums in acknowledgment, resting her arms on the rim of the porcelain tub.

"Well, what about you?"

"Well, what about me?"

"Any girl in your life? Maybe guys? I'm not one to judge."

Matt could feel his face getting warm, his eyes darting down at the balloon-filled tub. "N-no...No girls or guys...I don't uhh - girls don't really look at me."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck before resting his head on the edge of the tub, the girl following suit. "I don't know...I think I'm invisible to most people, like they see me, but they don't see me, you know? usually, I enjoy that, not being seen and being able to be alone and with myself, but sometimes it's a curse. You get lonely, but you get used to it... Then when they do see me, it's like I don't match the version of me in their head, I somehow fuck up, so once again, m'left alone."

Silence settles over them for a moment, Matt realizing he rambled and expressed too much, it wasn't something he was used to doing.

" I see you...."

Her soft words cause Matt to turn and look at her, his expression one of nirvana.

Truth be told, these two strangers didn't know each other, they just met and yet, a mutual understanding is had, a connection is being formed - a deep connection.

It seems like time grows slower, the world moving in slow motion as their faces inch closer. The muffled music and voices from the outside created an odd sense of tranquility in the dimly lit bathroom.

There was no urgency in the moment, the two strangers that seemed to be growing closer at an accelerated pace, teetering on the edge as their lips ghosted each other, their breath fanning over the other's face.

Just before their lips could meet, the bathroom door swung open, a guy standing at the entrance. He misses the way trouble and blue jerk away from each other, their eyes wide and hearts beating wildly.

"There you are! I've been looking for you forever. Party is almost over, let's go."

Matt watches with longing as the girl stands up, giving him one last glance as she leaves with the other boy.

After a few seconds, he stands up quietly, the balloons in the tub flying up and spilling over. He moves towards the sink, gripping the counter as he stares at the reflection in the mirror.

He couldn't help but feel a dull ache in his chest, the loneliness settling in once more.

Who was that stranger that came to get her? Was that her boyfriend? If so, why did they almost kiss if she was taken?

Why doesn't he feel bad about the potential kiss?

He sighs and rubs over his face.

They didn't makeout, yet he was all over her.

[hunkygreenbean]

We have more in common with Trump voters than Trump voters do with Trump.

Read that again. And again. Read that as many times as you need to until you understand it.

I'm from Appalachia, and its filled with Trump supporters. But these folks are far from the rich bougie archetype you're imagining; there are mfs in my hometown living in trailers, getting their eggs from the plywood chicken coop out in the back, who have to drive 20 mins into town to wash and dry their clothes, who still willingly voted for Trump despite the fact that his policies will directly hurt the working poor.

So many Leftists exist within their own bubble of other urban Leftists. As I'm now entering college in an urban area, it's jarring to hear how Leftists talk about working, poor, and rural folks who just so happened to vote for Trump. Like yeah, there are definitely racist assclowns in my hometown who like Trump because of how he plans to deal with Latinos and Blacks, but I'd say a good 80% of those who voted for Trump did so because they were genuinely convinced that he would make life better for them on an economic level.

When you've lived through generations of poverty, and some flashy New York con man comes through and promises that if he gets rid of the Woke, you'll finally get money, is a very enticing offer to many of his voters. These are human beings that are in desperate straights who do not have the privilege of knowing how the economic workings of America and the world work because they are too fucking busy working 3 jobs to enrich their minds through education. This could have easily been any one of us just by sheer chance. There's nothing ontologically different about an urban leftist and a rural Trump supporter except Leftists (supposedly) have set aside their kneejerk reactions and put in a little more work to fully comprehend how the world around them works. Any one of us could have and still can be radicalized. Leftism is not a linear, progressive path where you just keep becoming more and more leftist. You can backslide, fall off, whatever. Same with Trumpism. These people can change, just as you were changed.

And so many fucking Leftists, both irl and on this website, wet their panties at the thought of the rural working poor losing vital resources just so they can point and laugh at the dumb hick MAGAts. I get that we're in a political shitstorm right now, but those are still human beings who deserve healthcare, food, clean water. These people need help, not your derision. I dont give a flying rat's ass if you think these people are nothing more than the shit on your toilet paper, but you still need to advocate for their human rights as well.

The whole reason Trumpism thrives is because its a cult. Cults operate by making their members feel cut off from the rest of the world, by positing that the mainstream hates them. When a Trump supporter leaves the cult of Trumpism, they need to see that we do not hate them so that way they can begin to heal from their time in the cult as well as begin to get involved in efforts to rescue more people from said cult. Even if you do hate them, can you at least force a smile, at least tolerate them? Even if they don't go for leftism, can you at least be happy that they've finally seen the light?

you can be hurt, you can be mad, and you certainly don't have to forgive former Trump supporters. But the thing with solidarity is that you stand up for all working folks, all the poor folks, all the backwoods hillbilles. You don't have to love all the people who happen to share the same race/class/disability/gender/sexuality/sex that you have, but you can't really pick and choose when all of our asses are on the line.

like idk as someone who has been deeply, disablingly affected by trump’s policies, i am never going to understand people who get so up in arms about the idea of a former trump voter realizing they fucked up and wanting to join progressive spaces instead. polarization in this country is what gave us trump. i am never going to agree that perpetuating that polarization is the right move.

[mamawasatesttube]

man... "time machine" by autoheart has me pondering the agonies. like fuck rebirth not doing that, but. a situation in which via magic or something, everyone [temporarily] forgets kon rebirth style. and he has to deal with that. and oops! what's that? oh it's just his suicidal tendencies coming back in FULL force, haha.

like its devastating enough when his friends don't remember him. but john henry? ma kent? clark?

what's he supposed to do with himself now? he has nothing and no one. he knows what he was made for, though. he wants to die a hero. he wants to die a hero. it won't hurt anyone this time because they forgot they love him. why is he here? he's a hero. he wants to die a hero. except heroes are remembered even after they die. what are you when no one remembers you, other than "dead twice over"? and you keep thinking of how unfair it is that the first time you died it hurt everyone you love. and now they forgot you so you may as well be dead. you kind of wish you stayed dead.

so he's not exactly taking it well. and of course ma and clark take it in stride when he shows up at the farm in distress. maybe it's a case of inadvertent dimension travel or something, clark muses, stroking his chin. and kon looks at the notch on the leg of the sofa that krypto accidentally scratched while wrestling on the floor with kon three months ago and says, haha yeah. maybe.

BUT! this time all the discrepancies and all the little things that don't add up? they're the point. kon gets to go to centennial park and point at his statue next to clark and say look. look, i'm real. i lived. you loved me. i died. i'm real. i'm real. i'm real.

and i think clark gets really quiet at that point. and then he's devastated. and furious. because he has a little brother/son/cousin/Little Guy. and someone robbed him of all of his memories of him. he has so few kryptonian family members and someone took one of them from him in the most raw, horrific way possible. they took his little guy from him so thoroughly he isn't even grieving. and isn't that in itself a horror? that there's no grief where he knows grief should be?

and i think kon here just kind of sticks Hard to clark's side at this point. if anyone remembered him or the people he loved, they'd find it odd and notable how conspicuously he's avoiding tim, bart, and cassie. unfortunately, no one knows him anymore, so no one notices. but kon just can't face the complete lack of warmth in their faces when they look at him. and it feels like far too much to explain "sorry, you don't know me, but you're supposed to love me. i love you and it's tearing me apart." so he just needs as much space as he can get.

(there's definitely a subplot of tim's nosy ass going "hey bruce, who was that guy with superman and steel at the jla meeting? what was that about? he looked a lot like superman huh?? hey bruce what's up with that guy? hey bruce what's going on--" and bruce, a paranoid asshole on the best of days, just going "i don't trust him." but tim is a nosy little ferret who will not be deterred and quite possibly pulls bart and cassie in on trying to investigate the guy who looks like superman but isn't superman.)

(however, for some reason, the guy who looks like superman but isn't superman seems to want absolutely nothing to do with the three of them. isn't that weird??)

anyways it has to have a happy ending where the curse is lifted or whatever and everyone gets their memories back and kon gets to have an incredibly cathartic breakdown into ma's lap. but probably not before he nearly gets himself killed at least 4 times first. oops!

[fluemsiie]

our family [ j. ackles ]

synopsis. you need jensen to come back home. notes. 1.3k words, breastfeeding, depression, mentions of ppd, not proof read, happy birthday jensen <3 — comments & rbs appreciated.

jensen’s been filming for a while, and by a while, you mean for freakin’ months. he can’t catch a break and so you did what any sane person does— you moved to vancouver all the way from texas just to be close to him. it took a lot of planning, and way too much money, but you weren’t letting your husband stay at a different country alone anymore, it was taking a toll on both your mental health and your relationship.

not to mention your daughter always asking for daddy, where he is, can she go out with him; it’s breaking your heart as much as it is his and so you decided to settle for a smaller apartment near where they were filming.

you’d say it helped your mental health but that would be a lie. ever since you had your daughter you knew something had been seriously wrong. you’re unmotivated to move out of bed, you try to do everything you need to in your room, hardly go out to see anyone but her. anything you need to go do, you have delivered. if the whole ‘not moving’ thing wasn’t hurting you, then the fact that you let your body go a little is fucking breaking you.

you don’t think anything has ever been so wrong in your life, nothing goes the way it should and it seems like you can’t fix it no matter what you do which is disappointing considering you’re a mother now. a mother. you’re supposed to know everything and have all the answers.

and despite moving to be closer to him, leaving behind your own family, something not a lot of people would do, he still spends some nights at jared’s (because gen is still in texas, like you should be).

except there’s also another thing jensen has no idea about; you got diagnosed with depression shortly before you made the move, it’s a big reason why you did the move in the first place. you thought it was past partum but you made sure to actually get diagnosed before telling jen and since you won’t be harming yourself or your baby girl, you decided he didn’t need to know.

he’s been so busy since he decided to start directing too and you’re insanely proud of him, even if you’re having a hard time. but you don’t wanna risk it so here you are, alone in a city you’ve visited only a handful of times with your two year old daughter.

but today’s by far one of your worst days. you tried taking some pills, just pain killers, you aren’t comfortable taking pills for whatever’s wrong with you, you can’t risk hurting any future babies. it isn’t like you don’t believe in them— you’re a nurse, of course you do, but you also know they could hurt you long term, it’s not worth it.

some days it seems like it’s just not worth it. you pick up your phone to call jensen. it takes a few rings but then he responds and you sigh in relief. you honestly thought he wouldn’t pick up, “hey.”

“what’s wrong? are you okay?” it catches you by surprise but when you recover you tell him you and rhyme are great. “i mean you, sweetheart. you sound off.”

you don’t sound that off. definitely not enough for him to pick it up the second you greet him. not that you’re complaining, maybe if he knows what’s wrong he’ll get home faster. jensen’s always helped you in ways he wouldn’t even believe— he’s your life force at times and you’re not sure what you’d do without him, especially now when you need him.

and he’s not neglectful, he took your first four months off from filming and had his sister stay with you for the other two. he’s always put your needs in front of filming but you don’t want to be overbearing.

“when are you getting home? i’m making your favorite.”

“yeah? ‘m not too sure. twelve-thirty, give or take.” which is code for ‘don’t wait up’ so you wake up and find out he never made it home, just crashed on set or at jay’s

“okay.” you can’t bring yourself to ask him to come home even if you don’t doubt he will. jen’s working because he loves his job, sure, but it’s also to provide for you, he wouldn’t want to hurt you over something he’s doing for you in the first place. and you know all that, you just wish you’d always be logical enough to remember it. 

“is that it?” god, this is conflicting. you know you need him right now, you just can’t get the words out. “sweetheart?”

“yeah.” 

It’s a beat before he responds. “i’m coming home at twelve with dinner. don’t cook anything.” he ends the call and you’re smiling. it’s no surprise he figured you needed him, but you couldn’t be happier to have someone that cares enough to come when you call, despite your call being ominous and downright needy.

+

it’s the third time you’ve started frozen because rhyme doesn’t understand that when a movie ends you start a new one, all while breastfeeding her. it’s gotten significantly easier as she nears two years old, she just sits next to you instead of you having to kill your back, and she honestly does it for ten minutes maximum before she gets bored.

and at this point she’s tried everything from lamb to mashed fruit, milk is hardly a full meal to her. but your doctor said it’s best to try and breastfeed her until she hits the 22 month mark. she’s nearing 20 months now.

when she’s done, and else is singing ‘let it go’ with rhyme as her background vocalist, you get up to get started on dinner. jensen said to not make anything which means he’s ordering take out himself but you should probably make sure the counter is clean and that there’s a salad to go with the food.

just as you’re done cleaning the table, the front door opens and your shoulder fall in relief. you didn’t even know you were raising them. you hear his footsteps all the way to the living room, where rhyme runs into her dads arms and lifts her up effortlessly. 

he turns to you, sees you standing in your open kitchen and walks over to kiss your hair softly. “hey, baby girl.” 

rhyme laughs and hugs him tighter. well, the endearment is yours as much as it is hers, you’re both his girls. 

“thanks for coming home, jen.”

“don’t do that, don’t thank me for that. i should’ve known it bothered you— and you should’ve told me earlier.”

“it doesn’t always! just when i need you and then i wake up and i just don’t find you.” days where the depression is just, god, it’s horrible. days when you can’t take rhyme crying because you can’t find the toy she lost or when she’s hungry and you’ve only slept two hours, waiting for his text to confirm he’s safe and at home. 

“baby, i can’t always read your mind, sometimes you gotta help me out.” you nod quickly and he kisses his daughter before putting her down. 

“foor?” food. he nods, placing the bag onto the table. you’ve been teaching her german so she confuses d’s for r’s. you’re not too sure how that came to be but you don’t question it because she’s been saying words in german.

the smell hits you all at once, and your heart practically squeezes itself. jensen drove to your favourite restaurant thirty minutes away. it makes your home country’s food the most authentically and you’ve always loved feeling at home. 

“jensen, seriously?” he smiles and you’re the one who throws yourself into his arms this time, his little girl, not quite understanding, joins in. and you’re not sure how you would’ve gotten through today without him coming back home to his girls.

[synchodai]

What's the appeal of Gortash?

Look, I've seen this question floating around, and I understand, man, I do. I'm not going to try to convince the naysayers by going on about his traumatic backstory, greaseball charm, or his chemistry with the Dark Urge. No, this is BG3 — everyone has trauma and a hot bod.

I'll be speaking only for myself and for my own tastes here, and the reason why I'm personally obsessed with this man is because he is my favorite kind of antagonist: an ideological antagonist.

ideas as a weapon

The Chosen of the Dead Three are all threats, but they administer violence through markedly different ways. Military threat, bodily threat, ideological threat — the third one so mundane and subtle that sometimes it doesn't even register as violence.

Ketheric (and his army) is your collective antagonist which threatens society as a whole and whom the factions must band together to defeat. Orin (and her dopplegangers) is your personal antagonist which undermines the bonds and trust between companions. But Gortash's deal is challenging your perception and beliefs of how things should be. The lure of his Steel Watch is that people are willing to sacrifice personal freedoms for security — a balance you and your companions struggle with throughout the game yourselves.

There's a reason why he's the one who controls the Baldur's Mouth and why he's all anyone can talk about in this goddamn city. Mindflayers operate on ideas, and so does he, except his psionics is ideology.

Gortash is the reason why the cult is called the Absolute, because his is the philosophy of absolutism.

the absolute and absolutism

Absolutism (not to be confused with moral absolutism) is the political movement that rose in response to the decline of the monarchy as a ruling institution. In general, absolutists believed the ideal society was one of complete unity that followed a single, central power (usually in the form of an absolute monarchy).

Guess who also had that belief? Well, if we read Gort's political manifesto...

What is progress? Progress is the movement of society and culture towards a state of collective unity. Without unity, mortals, each with their own individual agenda, blunder against each other, causing friction, conflict, war. Unity - peace and prosperity - is achieved when the collective follows a single agenda, that of one superior person. Runaway egocentrism, that urge often miscalled 'free will', is the one true enemy of Unity. Free will must be eliminated. Control of the brain is the key. The Netherese tadpole is the perfect tool. Tadpoled, the brain is freed of egocentrism to follow the agenda of Unity. The tadpoled brain is a happy brain. There is no conflict, except against the enemies of Unity. And the brain is all you need - once freed from its agendas of 'free will', it can also be freed from the frailities of the mortal form. The brain can live forever in a steel body, or even better, control that body from afar. This is progress. This is the Ultimate State. - Lord Enver Gortash

Thomas Hobbes, daddy father of political philosophy, believed power should be concentrated in a being known as the "leviathan." Hobbes, of course, was using them term "leviathan" as a metaphor for an ideal government institution that holds all the power, but in Baldur's Gate 3's case, the leviathan manifests physically in the form of the Netherbrain and whoever gets to control it.

There are a lot of words people use to describe this political philosophy: authoritarianism, fascism, the Grand Design, pick your poison. Tyranny is a great catch-all word for it. The world of absolutism and the cult of the Absolute is where everyone is powerful and immortal with their mindflayer abilities and steel bodies, but ultimately subservient to the state. Basically, it's the sacrifice of 'free will' in exchange for power.

we are all in danger of agreeing with gortash

Throughout the game, we are constantly being challenged with how much of ourselves we are willing to surrender in exchange for power and a purpose. Gale loses his personality and ideals in exchange for godhood. Shadowheart loses her memory and the possibility of love to be the leader of Shar's church. Wyll gives his soul to Mizora to save Baldur's Gate. Astarion gives up his remaining humanity to become a Vampire Ascendant. Lae'zel, when siding with Vlaakith, ultimately gets gladly consumed by her, fuel for the Gith queen's rise to power. And Karlach values her freedom and right to be an individual so much that she's willing to die for it.

In some ways, there's something even revolutionary about Gortash's desire to supplant the gods and replace them with a mortal human being. After all, he doesn't want to give power to Bane. He wants the absolute authority to be himself (and the Dark Urge). If he succeeds, it'll be the ultimate underdog story of a slave who crawled through Hell and became a god through his own resourcesfulness.

See, sacrifice for the good of a collective purpose is not necessarily a bad thing. But to give away all your autonomy to an authority is to be consumed, and some people want to be consumed, to lose themselves to be part of something bigger. There's a reason why Tyranny falls under the domain of death — because tyranny and its many faces (facism, authoritarianism, etc.) demand death of the self.

And it IS supposed to be tempting, to shut off our brains and be possessed by someone more competent in a time where everything is scary and complicated. In times of crisis, society's historical inclination has been to reach for dictatorship and martial law. This is ultimately the appeal of gods and authoritarians. We want someone to make the right decisions for us because we fear failure and pain more than we value autonomy.

But if there's anything BG3 stands for as a game and makes it a cut above the rest, it's allowing players to make decisions — especially objectively wrong ones.

a single point of failure

The greatest irony of Enver Gortash as a character is that he's supposed to be this genius inventor but makes the most rookie mistake any technical designer can make — all his plans have a single point of failure. He engineered it to be that way. The Steel Watch has one (1) place where they all operate from. His office where you fight him is trapped to the nines but has one entrance and exit. All his key hostages are kept in one location. The godsdamned netherbrain becomes a single point of failure once the netherstones are reunited.

That is the game showing us why absolutism absolutely suuuuuuuucks as a political doctrine. Having all the power does not in fact make you impervious — if anything, it only magnifies the precarity of your situation. True security and safety is found in actually trusting others and spreading around the responsibility instead of betting it all on big netherbrain.

As a craftsman, I think Gortash himself realized this. The teachings of Tyranny and his political manifesto say one thing, but his actions and reality say another. He knows the he and the Dark Urge do not share a united vision, but he still offers them an equal alliance. Sharing equal power is not only necessary for checks and balances, it's also something that he personally misses.

Because at the end of the day, this megalomaniac who was so narcissistic to think that he should be making all the decisions for everyone else is just a human man. And it's not power or unity or perfection or security that motivates humanity, it's our social bonds. He is the way he is because something about his parents, just like everyone else. All of the Dead Three Chosen are like this. They do what they do because of they are afflicted with the all-too human condition known as "wanting community recognition."

To quote another fantasy franchise filled with evil people: "We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy."

conclusion

I like Gortash because I think he represents the shadow of this game's themes on the value of free will and equating vulnerability to true strength. The bigger they are, the easier to score a critical hit and all that. But spread out your power and trust in others, and suddenly everyone is covering everyone's weaknesses and if one falls, the structure still stands.

The reason I'm so obsessed with the Dead Three villains is because they're all walking contradictions. The Chosen of Necromancy brings his daughter back to life as a healthy and whole living being. The Chosen of Murder fails to murder the one person their god actually wants them to murder. And the Chosen of Tyranny is willing to share their power. These contradictions are where we find these glimpses of humanity — flawed and complex individuals instead of simple monsters that represent one evil.

Do you like political philosophy references and Enver Gortash? May I then interest you in my fic which is basically my manifesto on the Dead Three Chosen and their respective belief systems?

Now that I've said my personal piece about politics, please don't let that overshadow the fact that Enver Gortash does indeed have nice tits. I wholeheartedly agree that should be the pervading discourse about him.

[tinfoil-jones]

Jerk Ford AU: The Worst Timeline

Out of all the scenarios and alternate timelines / other AU's this one could cross over into or adopt elements from (You can see a Reverse Portal Scenario Here and Here), the worst and most destructive alternate timeline for Jerk Ford would be Drifting Stars.

If you don't know, Drifting Stars is a popular AU where during the events of Not What He Seems, Mabel goes through the portal instead of Ford coming out. And now Mabel and Ford are together in the multiverse.

Stanley never stopped being involved with family because he was never kicked out, so Mabel and Dipper have actually known their Grunkle Stan their whole lives, they've even visited him a fair few times and stayed over, the summer that the events of the show takes place in is just the first time they stayed for an entire summer.

Imagine if, about five years before the show starts, little 7-8 year old Mabel falls into the bottomless pit and somehow gets ejected to the only other thing out in the multiverse with the same dimensional signature as her; Jerk Ford, her great uncle who has been missing for twenty five years.

Jerk Ford sees this crying little kid and he takes pause because, for one thing what is a kid doing in Mystery Flesh Pit National Park in the Body Horror Dimension, and another thing why does she have an eerie resemblance to his nephew, who was only ten years old the last time that he saw him?

Jerk Ford at first was considering leaving her to the lost and found at the tourist outpost of the national park, but then she called him "Grunkle Stan." (Because she is mistaking him for Stanley, and Grunkle why did you cut your hair?) And it's all over.

Jerk Ford, a multidimensional space hobo vagabond who has been trying to get home for the past twenty five years at this point and has had absolutely no contact with his family for obvious reasons, he just goes YOINK THIS IS MINE NOW.

And why is this the worst timeline for the Jerk Ford AU?

You know that scene in the Lion King when Rafiki is holding up Simba to the valley? Well, imagine Jerk Ford doing the same thing with Mabel. Except she's like this:

Because Jerk Ford already has poor impulse control when it comes to pettiness without his brother to reign him in, and now he has Mabel who is a very similar brand of unhinged as he is, they're just subjecting the entire multiverse to a path of glittery destruction the likes have which have never been seen before and will hopefully never be repeated.

Jerk Ford was already wilding all on his own now he has Mabel who has so many ideas. And she has this pathetic, lonely man wrapped around her little finger.

Also, Jerk Ford is a known runner. He does not fight if he doesn't see himself winning, and he'll usually go out of his way to not kill people. He just lacks the trigger-happy 'shoot now journal about it later'-gene that most Fords have. (He has very specific exceptions)*

But in a scenario where he has Mabel? Where he isn't facing consequences all by himself? He isn't letting anything in the multiverse so much as breathe rudely in her direction. So now, he isn't just some jerk or mostly harmless nuisance, he is stacking bodies (not in Mabel's line of sight, obviously).

The (Jerk) Ford Hate Club is besides themselves. Now, stopping or killing Jerk Ford isn't their only prerogative, they also need to 'rescue' this small, innocent child from The Worst Ford and his influence. Unaware that the terrible-flavoured beanboozled jellybeans that keep making their way into their catering were all her idea.

When Jerk Ford and Mabel return in 2012, Dipper is besides himself because, sweet Moses his sister is alive! She's really alive!

But she's been with with The Author who he hates, and being raised by him for the past five years has had obvious effects on her development.

She's still happy go lucky and nice, she's not a jerk at all like her Grunkle Ford.

But she's basically a supervillain who is on the FBI's Most Wanted List in every dimension she's been to that has one, and some organizations both official and criminal consider her a bigger threat than Jerk Ford (relative to body size).

Her sunny disposition did not change at all; she's blowing up whole buildings with a damn smile on her face

It's terrifying. This is the worst Jerk Ford timeline.

*While he was in the multiverse, instead of celebrating Jewish holidays the traditional way there was no point without his family, he would travel to different parallel Earth dimensions to kill Nazi’s. He would try to be a little more traditional, and halt the killing spree while he had Mabel with him, she was too young for murder.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

March 1st

~*~

1. Hi!! Do you have any fics you'd recommend that feature WWX having like... the worst time of his life? Like extreme hurt BUT with comfort too pls. And also no rape/non-con stuff pls :)

Thank you! <3

out in the garden, there’s things you hid away by saltyfeathers (E, 121k, WangXian, Possession, Animal Death, mass death event, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt(s), lotta hurt lotta comfort, wwx-centric, unfortunately there’s also a bodily fluids warning, just like a lot of bodily fluids, there is sex and it is all in the last chapter, Serious Injuries, Angst with a Happy Ending, Post canon)

we’re starting at the end by Miss_Enthusiasimal (M, 92k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Time Travel, Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Golden Core Reveal, Burial Mounds, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Starvation, emaciation, Cannibalism, Self-Harm, Amputation, Suicidal Thoughts, Sunshot Campaign, let JZX and WWX be friends club)

🔒🧡 rain falls and soaks into the earth series by RoseThorne (T, 60k, WangXian, WIP, Near Death Experience, Attempt Drowning, Madam Yu Bashing, Recovery, No war AU)

🧡🔒 Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 178k, WangXian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX, caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war)

Odd Geometry by maziodyne (M, 126k, WangXian, ChengSang, XuanLi, QingLi, WIP, Major Character Death, WWX does not grow up in Lotus Pier, WWX Isn't Adopted by the Jiangs, Elemental Magic, Healer WWX, Sunshot Campaign, Post-Sunshot Campaign Slow Burn, letter writing romance, flirting at inopportune times, Crows, Familiars, Homoeroticism, epic divorce incoming, triple agent WQ, lockpicking, communication (but does it change anything?))

🔒💙 A Heart Undying by NonsensicalRambling (M, 114k, WangXian, Undead WWX, Canon-Typical Violence, canon-typical dead things the burial mounds, Fix-It of Sorts, Canon Divergence, Eventual WangXian, No Yīn Tiger Seal, Morally Gray WWX, Animals Eating People, WWX’s questionable choices, Morally conflicted LWJ, Oblivious WWX, WWX Creates a Sect | Yiling Wei, YLLZ WWX, Sect Leader WWX, LWJ & WQ have an Understanding)

a bite of a vow, a taste of the truth by occultings (microcomets) (E, 29k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Case Fic, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Kissing, Pining While Fake Fucking, Truth Serum, Whump, Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Voyeurism, Monsters, Succubi & Incubi, Getting Together, Hand Jobs, Intercrural Sex, Barebacking, Happy Ending, medically discouraged anal, Brief Subspace, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, impressive heights of soap opera plot)

~*~

2. any fav nielan fics? :D

I like stiltonbasket's nielan fics

the universe moved for us by scribblemetimbers (G, 7k, NieLan, Modern AU, Romance, Meet-Cute, Wrong Number AU, Romantic Comedy)

found myself and my melodies by Stratisphyre (T, 10k, NieLan, background wangxian, Modern with Magic, Reasonable Authority Figure LQR, Qīnghéng-jūn's A+ Parenting)

~*~

3. Hi!!!

Would you recommend me some jealous WWX fics? I do not want either LWJ or WWX to be (or had been) in a relationship with somebody else though. I just want them to be so madly in love with eachother that they do no have time for anyone else (except A-yuan. He's their love child 😌). Just pure wangxian (or xianwang). I prefer it not to be a modern au. Some misunderstandings are welcome 😁

Thank you so much for all my previous asks!! 🤗 @grrumpywoof

For you by 10thNoNamePerson (T, 16k, WangXian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Canon Divergence, No War AU, Teen Wangxian, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Jealous WWX, Soft WangXian, No Sunshot Campaign)

Always Light My Way by cqlorphan (E, 27k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Friends With Benefits, to lovers, Jealous WWX, a little bit, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Pining while fucking, angsty sex, Top/Bottom Versatile | Switch LWJ/WWX, Bottom LWJ, Service Top LWJ, Topping from the Bottom, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Coming Untouched, Dom/sub Undertones, Oblivious LWJ, archer wwx, Smart WWX, Porn with Feelings, Also warning for Panic Attacks, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dual Cultivation)

call me home and I'll build you a throne by anaphoricae (E, 51k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Cloud Recesses, Getting Together, Developing Relationship, Self-Indulgent, Gusu Lan Juniors Dynamics, Touch-Starved, Non-Sexual Intimacy... and then Sexual Intimacy, Lán Juniors Gossiping about Wangxian, as a treat, Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Farmer WWX, Chief Cultivator LWJ, Mutual Pining, Communication, Quietly Falling Into a Married Life, Light Angst, Wholesome, POV LWJ, POV WWX, LWJ in braids agenda, Sharing a Bed, WWX's Birthday, Semi-Public Sex, Cold Springs, Inventor WWX, Jealous WWX)

🔒 Four Parts Honey and One Part Vinegar by masked (T, 13k, wangxian, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Junior Quartet Dynamics, Fluff, Humor, Time Travel, 5+1 Things, Jealous WWX, the Impeccable Trust between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, POV Outsider, everyone is Thirsty for Hanguang-jun as one tends to be)

💖 Hanguang-jun’s Husband by lilacevergarden (alittlemorecreative) (T, 6k, wangxian, time travel, bullying ur younger versions, jealous wwx)

Look Not With The Eyes by Spodumene (G, 28k, WangXian, Case Fic, Fluff and Humor, Love Confessions, Idiots in Love, There Was Only One Bed, Post-Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Original Character Death(s))

~*~

4. Heyy. Hope you are having a great day/night /morning, I wanted to know if I can submit a IITMF:

A) where Wei WuXian cuts off Lan Qiren beard.

B) Outsider or any characters point of view of Wei WuXian being intelligent/inventive.

C) A character or OC walking in on WangXian doing 'Everyday is Everyday' and is trunatised.

Thank you so much in advance!! 💐 @thewintersoldier2002

4B)

All Things Belong by kuroi_atropos (M, 93k, WRH & WWX, WangXian, WWX is a Wēn, Abuse, Whipping, Manipulations, Warning: WRH, Smart WWX, Possessive Behavior, Warning: JGS, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Past Rape/Non-con, Society Level Victim Blaming, Victim Blaming)

💙🔒 Away from Trouble by Ilona22 (M, 15k, WangXian, Not JC Friendly, LWJ/WWX Get a Happy Ending)

🧡 Company by WithBroomBefore (T, 29k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Pre-Relationship, Getting Together, POV LWJ, Fix-It, Pre-Canon, at least to start, WWX goes to Cloud Recesses, But Not In The Usual Way, fear of character death, Everybody Lives, Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Light Angst, good teacher LQR, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, brief discussion of past minor character suicide, Kitten, Not YZY Friendly)  

Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 283k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious)

💖 Hoards and treasures by apathyinreverie (T, 21k, WangXian, Siblings, Family, not particularly Jiang friendly, YZY Bashing, slightly darker Gusu Lans, LXC being the best brother, Some manipulation, But with the best of intentions, and not between wangxian, Dragon LWJ, Fox WWX, Smitten LWJ, Fluff, perfect happiness, adorable WWX, Romance, Some worldbuilding, courting)

Just go forward like you mean it by tawaen (M, 101k, WangXian, WWX & WN &WQ, WWX & JYL, NHS & WWX, Canon Divergence, WWx does not attend the Wen indoctrination, WWX saves Lotus Pier, Inventor WWX, No Golden Core Transfer, Sect Leader JYL, JC Has No Golden Core, Bad Parents JFM & YZY, Not JC Friendly, but he gets a happier ending than canon so don’t look here for bashing)

in the shadow of moonlit flowers by Reverie (cl410) (T, 56k, wangxian, LXC/NMJ, cloud recesses, NHS & LWJ friendship, developing relationship, LWJ pov, minor injuries, autistic LWJ, implied/referenced child abuse, aka YZY warning, genius WWX, light angst, hurt/comfort, WWX protection squad)

❤️ The One-Body Problem by metisket (T, 29k, LJY & WWX, LJY & LSZ, wangxian, possession, cohabitation, The One-Body Problem by SeaNoodle)

4C)

Lan Qiren walks in on Lan Zhan and Wei Ying having sex & gets upset in chapter 45 of Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 283k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious)

A Brother's Woes by pupeez4eva (M, 2k, WangXian, Crack, Humor, Time Travel) Lan Xichen time travels and tries to reduce Wei Ying & Lan Zhan's shamelessness after having walked in on them having sex multiple times in the original timeline.

~*~

5. I am looking for some good fits from LWJ point of view. Preferably following his life according to canon (novel, donghua, cql). The longer the better (usually). Thanks! @hiddendonut

🔒 The Price of Old Wishes by SoManyJacks (E, 67k, WangXian, Minor canon divergence, Angst, POV LWJ, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, semi-verbal!LWJ, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Suicide)

~*~

6. Can you recommend a fanfic where jiang cheng got curse, and his partner is lan xichen?

~*~

7. Hello,are there any fanfics that deal with the aftermath of Nightless City with Wei Wuxian in the burial mounds leading up to the Siege. Like, the Wen siblings are now gone and his shijie. I am seriously drawing a blank here though on any specific ones that go over the reaction of all of them being gone or the wens reaction to just waiting to die. Au's are fine though.

~*~

8. ITMF a canon divergence fic where the golden core transfer fails and wwx has to amswer to jiang cheng about why his wasn't repaired and instead wwx lost his too and we go from there @body-inabyss-heart-inparadise

~*~

9. ITMF! Just any fics with lwj being a huge simp. Modern or canon all are welcome. (No bottom lwj. Canon dynamics only) @aristocraticteacup

we'll get him falling for a stranger (or a catfish) by sweetlolixo (T, 38k, WangXian, Modern AU, College AU, Catfish AU, Eventual Happy Ending, Crossdressing WWX, Rich heir LWJ gets catfished by pretty WWX online that's it that's the fic, Pining LWJ, Fluff, Humor, lwj is a grade A+ SIMP, Identity Porn)

it’s just (aah) a little crush (crush!) by sweetlolixo (T, 9k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Romance, Fluff, Pining LWJ, Humor, Courting Rituals, Teen Wangxian)

I'll light the fire (You place the flowers in the vase) by somnologic (E, 6k, WangXian, Getting Together, Canon Divergence, Period-Typical Homophobia, Jealous LWJ, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Inventor WWX, Oblivious LWJ, Fluff and Smut, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Gusu Lan Arm Strength, No Sex Education in the Gusu Lan Sect, Beards (Relationships), WWX gets a beard Lan wife, LWJ gets confused, Happy Ending, Background Femslash, No actual cheating or infidelity occurs, Pining, Coming Out, Light Dom/sub, Simp LWJ)

The Nightshift by love_kacey (E, 27k, WangXian, Modern AU, Hotels, nightshift, receptionist lwj, POV LWJ, First Meetings, Flirty WWX, Simp LWJ, Workplace Relationship, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Power Bottom WWX, Explicit Sexual Content, Blow Jobs, Face-Fucking, Cock Warming, Light Dom/sub, Anal Sex, Dirty Talk, LWJ Talks Dirty)

The Mummified Emperor Wants To Marry Me by sweetlolixo (E, 84k, WangXian, WIP, Modern, Historical Fantasy, Royalty, Emperor LWJ, Mummy LWJ, Reincarnation, Size Difference, Archaeologist WWX, Simp LWJ)

beautiful, just like you by whenitfalls (T, 2k, WangXian, Bakeries, Mutual Pining, courting, Modern AU, Fluff, nielan, ZhuYi)

~*~

10. hello! for a future itmf: any modern AU fics were they attend some sort of cultivation school? been reading in this fandom since it practically started on ao3 and get hankerings for fics I only barely remember. thank you all for what you do! @abomimablesnwm

The Life Cycle of the Frog and the Fish by Aerlalaith (T, 53k, wangxian, modern, fairy tale elements, reincarnation, fluff & angst, humor, illnesses, curses)

Marks of weakness, marks of woe by Song_of_Storms (E, 48k, WangXian, WIP, College/University, Modern with Magic, Dark Academia, Rivals to Lovers, Dark LWJ, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Murder Mystery, Minor Character Death, Familiars, Fencing, Nonbinary NHS, Poison, Aftermath of Poisoning, Tagged Explicit For Later Chapters, LWJ's canonical inability to distinguish between immediate hatred and immediate attraction, furthering the LWJ/JZX/MM friendship agenda, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Intrusive Thoughts)

🧡 One Can Keep A Secret (If He Does Not Know It's There) by H_Belle (T, 5k, WangXian, Modern Cultivators, Inventor WWX, Secret Identity, Identity Reveal, YLLZ WWX, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Pining LWJ, POV WWX, Background Wangxian Getting Together, Jiangs are only mentioned in the passing, inspired by a tumblr post)

These next ones are also cultivation schools but Wei Ying and/or Lan Zhan are teachers rather than students:

Documented Fact by Scrippio (T, 7k, WangXian, Modern AU, Modern with Magic, College/University, Professors, Minor Injuries, Misunderstandings, Fluff, Zizhen POV, Humor)

Roadside Attractions by Bodldops (T, 10k, WangXian, Teacher WWX, Teacher LWJ, The power of organized aunties)

🔒 Song of Divination by LittleSummary (M, 28k, WangXian, NieLan, WIP, Single Parent WWX, Modern with Magic, Demonic Cultivation, Amnesiac WWX, Curses, Past Abuse, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Behavior, Bad Parent YZY, Bad Parent JFM, Canon JC, No JC & WWX Reconciliation, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, LSZ is a Wei, MXY is a Wei)

~*~

11. Hi, first thanks for all your amazing work!! This site is awesome!! I searched but I couldn't find a list or compilation. I want stories that deal with Wei Ying is never found by the Jiangs. Not only him being raised in other sects, but not only major sects but small ones, or even being a rouge cultivator. Him being awesome no matter where or with whom he grew up. Thanks!! Be well!! :) @monicaop21

You might find some fics you'd like in this Non-Yunmeng Wei Wuxian comp

A Thousand Things by tickertape (M, 108k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, WWX Isn’t Adopted by the Jiāngs, Developing Friendships, lots of OCs, miscommunication and misunderstandings (they’re idiots your honor), Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Slow Burn)

🔒 the hearth series by eccentrick (G/T, 65k, WangXian, HuaLian, Found Family, fluff with plot, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Disabled Character, Ableism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, WWX Isn’t Adopted by the Jiāngs, slow burn found family, Adopt WWX, Married HuaLian, Post-Canon TGCF, Kid Fic, TGCF Spoilers)

Going on charmingly by scribbet (T, 21k, WangXian, Teenage LWJ, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, WWX is BSSR’s Disciple, Genius WWX, Petty LWJ, Meddling LXC, What if LWJ didn’t have an excuse to instantly write WWX off?, Canon Divergence, JFM Doesn’t Adopt WWX, WWX minus canon sense of obligation, but still with an inability to shut up around LWJ, I swear LWJ’s inner voice was no quite so snarky when I started this, JZN is unfortunately present but only to lose face, LQR’s inconsistent adherence to the Lan clan precepts, writing the effective Lan education you would like to see in the world, Technically pre-relationship, but in the typical Wangxian way of them being in deep but just not acknowledging it yet, POV LWJ)

🔒 I Will Call You By Name by DisasterMages (T, 73k, WangXian, WWX raised by XXC, Canon Divergence, Family Feels)

❤️ Seen and not heard by eatmyass (E, 51k, WangXian, Case Fic, No Sunshot Campaign, Kid Fic, dadxian, Strangers to Lovers, Found Family, POV LWJ, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Time, Falling in love in metaphors)

what builds a home by Stratisphyre (T, 45k, WangXian, MY & WWX, Canon Divergence, Adopted WWX, POV Multiple, warning for JGS behaving exactly as expected, child endangerment, Brother Feels, Minor Character Death, [Podfic] Cold read of “what builds a home” by Stratisphyre by KeriArentikaiPods (KeriArentikai))

~*~

12. In the mood for fic: I have recently read some crack ship ideas about Jin Zixuan and Wei Wuxian:-) Is there any fic where Jin Zixuan has actually crush on Wei Wuxian (or even Jiang Cheng) and is frustrated and that's why he treats Jiang Yanli that way. Because he actually wants her brother(s), not her. Any universe is okay except modern au. Thank you.

Couldn’t Scream Couldn’t Shout by mermorgie (T, 42k, WangXian, LXC & WWX, LXC & LWJ, LQR & WWX, JZX & WWX, WWX & NHS, LWJ & NHS, WIP, Not for JC stans, Muteness, Sign Language, references to selective mutism, Homophobic JC, canon JC characteristics, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Anxiety Attacks, Pining, LWJ is a Panicked Gay, Supportive Sibling LXC, JZX Tries, LQR Tries, Protective JZX, Scheming NHS, Bisexual JZX, LWJ is Bad at Communicating, WWX Has ADHD, Autistic LWJ, WWX Has a Fear of Dogs, Jiang Family Bashing) Jin Zixuan is bisexual in Couldn't Scream Couldn't Shout and talks to Wei Ying about sexuality in chapter 6. The author note in that chapter says Jin Zixuan has a crush on a guy but not Wei Ying and it was supposed to be revealed who Jin Zixuan liked but I dont't thinks it's been revealed yet (the story is a WIP that was last updated in August of 2022).

Also for 12, I swear I remember reading a story where Jin Zixuan was jealous of Lan Zhan being in a relationship with Wei Ying during the Cloud Recesses arc. I recall a scene where Jin Zixuan watches them while they're in Caiyi and I think Jin Zixuan had a crush on Wei Ying but I can't remember the name of the fic. Maybe someone else recalls it?

~*~

13. Hi, does anyone know of any fics where Wei Ying, after Lan Zhan ignores him, gives up on Lan Zhan and gives Lan Zhan the silent treatment and Lan Zhan later regrets ignoring him? @lanwuxian0725

Of Bunnies and Sleeves and All Happy Things by moonwaif (G, 3k, WangXian, two dorks, failed attempts at flirting, Lan Zhan is jealous, but he doesn’t know it, unresolved romantic and sexual tension, Mutual Pining) the ending is a bit abrupt in this one but it's the only one I can think of that fits

~*~

14. Hello!

For itmf could you recommend any modern AUs where the equivalent of yllz wwx/his death is him having a mental health crisis?

Love you so much

Love Don’t Belong To Me by airinshaw (E, 28k, WangXian, Modern AU, Getting Together, Kissing, Intercrural Sex, Light Angst, Happy Ending, PTSD, Panic Attack, WWX’s canonical self-esteem issues, Canonical Child Abuse, not as dark as the tags imply, Past Relationships mention)

Come Around and Stay by trippednfell (M, 160k, WangXian, NieLan, Slow Burn, Kid Fic, Found Family, Modern AU, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, PTSD, Blood and Injury, Dissociation, Angst with a Happy Ending, Musicals, POV Alternating, Baking, Yunmeng reconciliation (eventually), Friend Zoning, Literal Sleeping Together, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks)

The Winner Takes It All by YilingSani (M, 46k, WangXian, Modern AU, Single Parent WWX, Old Friends, One Night Stands, No Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Forgiveness, Second Chances, Inspired by Mamma Mia! (Movies) Teen Pregnancy, Mpreg, mention of miscarriage, Birth Trauma, amniotic fluid embolism)

like a saturated sunrise by moonsteps (T, 26k, WangXian, College/University, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, References to anxiety, Family Issues, Friends to Lovers, Roommates)

总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pianist, Getting Together, Mental Health Issues, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Hospitals, Overdosing, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note) please mind the tags on this last one.

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you’ve met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation) that's the backstory in this (excellent) fic

~*~

15. Hi, thanks for all you do. ITMF fics where LWJ is extremely horny for WWX. I know this is saying a lot because he's canonically very horny, but I need him straight up "can't think about anything but wwx's ass" @thehappyyellow

🔒 The Second Jade of Lan’s late but incendiary sexual awakening by KizuKatana (E, 41k, wangxian, First Time, LWJ’s Horny Grip,LWJ does not know what hit him, and yet somehow he still realizes it before WWX, canon wangxian dynamics, college AU, LWJ starts off annoyed at WWXBut quickly discovers both his competency kink and a caretaking kink, Genius WWX)

Give Me One Good Honest Kiss by thunderwear (T, 1k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, LWJ kisses WWX when he drinks the alcohol for him, JZn can get fucked, WWX like idk whats happening but im into it, LWJ shooting his shot, First Kiss, horny LWJ agenda, LXC is suffering in LQR's namere, [PODFIC] Give Me One Good Honest Kiss by thunderwear)

LWJ’s Big Dick Agenda Series by raitala (E, 146k, WangXian, Modern AU, College AU, Porn with Feelings, Light Dom/sub, Under-negotiated Kink, Public Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Cock Warming, Angst, Feels, Domestic fluff, Misgendering, Slut Shaming, Crossdressing, Rimming, Roleplay)

slide by Anonymous (E, 5k, WangXian, PWP, First Time, Masturbation, Rimming, Thighfucking, Anal Sex, LWJ’s extreme thirst, no thoughts head empty just wwx getting railed, Intercrural Sex)

depths within by andreanna (E, 17k, WangXian, Dubious Consent, Canon-typical dubcon, Aftercare, Light Angst, Survivor Guilt, Pining, Kink Negotiation, Character Study, LWJ is a lusty boy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bondage, Voyeurism, Minor canon divergence, Family Feels)

~*~

16. I want any story about Lan Wangji marrying out of the Lan sect. Mostly I am looking for him marrying into the Jiang sect after Sunshot but anything where he leaves the Lan by marriage. @unaffiliatedmagpie

The Fire Lapping Up the Creek by notevenyou (E, 66k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Injury, Injury Recovery, Blood, Respiratory Illness, Major Illness, Fever, Grief/Mourning, Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hunger and food scarcity, Surgery, Fix-It of Sorts, Le feu qui gagne la rivière by Silu_chan, [Podfic of] The Fire Lapping Up the Creek by exmanhater)

Grey Area by pearliegrimm (M, 31k, WangXian, MM/WQ, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Found Family, Yílíng Wèi Sect, Sect Leader WWX, WWX lives, Canon Divergence, LWJ defects, married wangxian, Established Relationship, Secret Marriage, Angst, POV Multiple, Unreliable Narrator, Eloping, Reconciliation, Fix-It, Not Everyone Dies)

Sunshower in Yiling Series by Aki_no_hikari (T/G, 24k, WangXian, Canon Divergence wwx is a genius and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, Light Angst, Introspection, Pining, Family Fluff, Battle Couple, Yílíng Wèi Sect, Teacher WWX, Family Drama) Parts 3, 4 & 5

Run Off The World by Sapphire_Roses (M, 336k, WangXian, XuanLi, SongXiao, WIP, Not Everyone Dies AU, Canon Divergence, Wen Remnants Live, Flashbacks, YLLZ WWX, WWX Creates a Sect | Yiling Wei Sect, Sect Leader WWX, Married WangXian, OCs, POV Outsider, Morally Grey Characters, (Do Take That Tag Seriously), Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Developing Friendships, Fluff, Attempt at Humor, Yunmeng Siblings Feels, Gusu Siblings Feels, Sibling Bonding, Pining, Character Study, Tenderness, Mild Smut, POV Alternating, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Minor Character Death)

The Trouble With Politics: a Treatise on Jiang Sect Deputies Gone Rogue by Sect Leader Wei Wuxian by stiltonbasket (G, 56k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Yílíng Wèi Sect, or: the one where yu   zhenhong is a wild card, Smitten LWJ, Domestic Fluff, Politics, Happy Ending, Sect Leader WWX, Fix-It of Sorts, JZX still dies though)

💖 And They Have Escaped The Weight of Darkness by cosmicmilktea (T, 10k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Memory Loss, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Screw the Cultivation world tbh, The Lan precepts deserves better, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, domestic life, Social justice boyfriends wangxian, Happy Ending)

~*~

17. itmf a fic where wwx is good with children pls! <3

Wei Wuxian: Baby Whisperer by JangJaeYul (G, 1k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Babies, Domestic, Fluff, WWX is good with kids, also they talk about LWJ being sad after WWX dies so be ready for that emotional ouchie)

🔒 Baby Whisperer Wei Wuxian by Preludian_Staves (T, 15k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Not Jiang Clan Friendly, Arranged Marriage (eventually for reasons), Parent-Child Relationship, Soft WWX, Pining LWJ, Good Parent WWX, WWX Is Good With Children, Single Parent WWX, Fluff and Angst, Developing Relationship)

The happy family book by blackberrydhhshhshsh (M, 13k, WangXian, WIP, Fluff, Slow Burn, Family Dynamics, Single Parent LWJ, Kindergarten Teacher WWX, author WWX, Modern, Falling In Love, Love Confessions, LWJ is Bad at Feelings, WWX is Good With Children, A-Yuan as a Tiny Matchmaker, Soft LWJ, tender moments, Angst with a Happy Ending, Kindergarten & Pre-school, Fluff and Humor)

Wei Wuxian Changes the Rules by cinder1013 (G, 2k, WangXian, learning, WWX is a teacher, WWX being so cute with kids)

🔒 Temporal Shift by Cy_an_Blue (E, 33k, LQR & WWX, WangXian, LWJ & WWX & LXC, LQR & LWJ & LXC, Amnesia, Amnesiac WWX, Third Jade of Lan WWX, Good Uncle LQR, Good Parent LQR, LQR adopts WWX, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Curses, Cursed WWX, there is no cure, Fluff and Humor, Happy, Time Travelling WWX, Angst and Feels, Near Death Experiences, Lanling Jin Sect Bashing, Lanling Jin Sect, Lanling jin disciples are assholes, Warning: JGS, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Talks of Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Classism, Period Typical Attitudes, WWX's canonical cynophobia, no animals were harmed, WWX is Good With Children, Minor Character Death, it's SS, SS dies)

Protection by SauerstoffBrauchtManZumAtmen23 (T, 1k, WangXian, Crimes & Criminals, Dark LWJ, Dark WWX, Mute WWX, Crime Boss LWJ, Married WangXian Have Children, WWX is Good With Children)

🧡 paint smears on sunny days by SnowshadowAO3 (E, 53k, WangXian, Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Everyone Is Alive, Modern AU, Dadji, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending, Brief Alcohol Mention, Masturbation, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Accidentally co-parenting with your son’s art teacher, Fatherhood)

🔒❤️ Joy In the Midst of These Things Series by Glitterbombshell (T/G, 53k, WangXian, Angst with Happy Ending, Post-Canon, Teacher WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, [Podfic] Joy In the Midst of These Things Series by GoLBPodfics (GodOfLaundryBaskets))

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[spitfirerose]

Been looking at PLZA theories and speculations, so here's my own two cents.

Buckle up, kids. In this essay, I will...

Explain that you can't have a game set in Kalos feat. AZ & Floette without the Ultimate Weapon. Let's say the Urban Redevelopment Project is being used by our potential villain(s) to accomplish their goals under the radar. Do they want to become immortal by being within its radius? Bring back someone from the dead? Or perhaps wish to wipe an entire region off the map? Are they working alone, or is someone else manipulating them and using their power and influence to get what *they* want, since they wouldn't be able to on their own?

Whichever the case, the Ultimate Weapon *needs* Pokémon as a power source. *A lot* of Pokémon. It sure would be convenient to have a full supply of "wild" Pokémon available in the City to harvest at their leisure. No one would notice them missing. They're meant to be captured, after all. Perhaps these strange disappearances are investigated by Looker & Emma, especially if people's Pokémon begin to vanish as well (the aforementioned "incidents" occurring in the City). And hey, if those Pokémon aren't enough, there's always that peculiar Floette said to have lived for thousands of years. She could probably recharge the Ultimate Weapon as many times as desired. All the villain(s) need to do is lure her away from AZ. They could do it themselves, or enlist the aid of a certain rival that just happens to live and work there, and is just so, so happy to support their boss with whatever he needs.

Secret villain Urbain/Taunie and my life is yours. Seriously, their names are literally a reference to the Project. It is time, GameFreak. Everyone and their mothers suspect Jett & Vinnie, it would be perfect.

Anyway.

You may be wondering what purpose will Xerneas and Yvetal serve in the meantime? In X and Y, the Legendaries were used by Team Flare to start up the Ultimate Weapon (unlike AZ who didn't need them). There's any number of ways for them to return (Hoopa shenanigans, XY Protag released them, there's more than one, etc.), and since this is a Legends game, both will be available. If one villain wishes to revive a beloved companion, they may be after Xerneas. The other wishing for death and destruction will have their sights on Yvetal. Just like with deciding to team up with the Diamond/Pearl Clan to ultimately determine if Dialga or Palkia are caught first, it will be up to the player to decide what order they want to rescue the Legendaries in.

It doesn't really matter though, since the lives of people and Pokémon will be at stake regardless of player choice. That's where Zygarde comes in, except this time Squishy is not our friend. All of Lumiose City *will* be destroyed if Complete Form Zygarde isn't stopped from trying to clean up the true villain's mess (by creating an even bigger one, of course). It's up to you, the player, to deform Voltron and save the day. Maybe with a little villain redemption while everyone takes shelter in Hotel Z....as a treat.

As a bonus, it's revealed that the reason Zygarde took an interest to you at the start (aside from being the Chosen One™️) is that you remind them of the XY Protag aka your half-sibling. I see you, Sycamore and Grace. I see you.

Anyway that concludes this essay. It's too cool of a concept to be canon because they're all cowards, but damn if it wouldn't be incredible, game-of-the-year material.

[r3va-dwme]

In The Quiet Of Us

The Stark name was synonymous with genius, wealth, and innovation. But if you asked (Y/N) Stark, it was also synonymous with neglect.

Growing up under Tony Stark’s shadow wasn’t easy, not when the world adored Iron Man and barely acknowledged his daughter. Not that she cared. She had long since learned that the best way to make her mark was not in the limelight, but in the shadows—where she built the impossible and provided the Batfamily with some of the most advanced tech they had ever used.

Not even Batman knew who their secret supplier was.

Tonight, however, wasn’t about secret projects or hidden identities. It was about the gala—another mind-numbing event filled with fake smiles, overpriced champagne, and old men discussing stocks like it was some form of war strategy. It was boring. Or at least, it was supposed to be.

Then she saw him.

Damian Wayne.

The youngest Wayne heir. The League-trained assassin. The boy who walked with a confidence that was earned, not inherited.

(Y/N) had done her research. She knew everything there was to know about the Waynes—Bruce’s double life, his children’s alter egos, and more importantly, that Damian Wayne was the only one close to her level.

And he was looking right at her.

“Happy,” she whispered, nudging the bodyguard beside her. “That’s my future husband.”

Happy Hogan sighed, already used to her dramatics. “Kid, you’ve never even spoken to him.”

“Minor detail,” she dismissed, straightening her already-perfect dress. “We’re fated. Look at him. Brooding. Dramatic. Probably thinks he’s better than everyone here.” She paused. “Which, I mean, technically, he might be. But so am I.”

“You do know your dad and his dad don’t exactly get along, right?”

“All the more reason to marry him,” she said, as if it were obvious. “It’s like Romeo and Juliet, except I don’t die, and we get a cool wedding.”

Before Happy could respond, Damian started walking toward her.

And just like that, (Y/N) Stark, the girl who never faltered, who was perfect in every sense of the word—felt her heart race.

For the first time in a long time, something unpredictable was about to happen.

And she loved it.

{First post guys hope you like it}

[omorimodreverie]

Reverie Devlog - March 2025

Intro

March is here, which means it’s time for another Devlog! This may be the final log for Chapter 4, as we approach the finish line. We’ve made a lot of progress ever since the New Year, so let's get straight to it.

Progress

A major amount of progress has been made, this time mostly on the battles - as it's one of the later things to be polished.

Restructuring

ALL enemy data has been restructured to a new system, for ease of development.

- In technical terms, each enemy now occupies one slot in the RPGmaker data editor instead of the base game’s four.

As a result, all previous enemy AIs have now been standardized based on emotion, as opposed to being hard coded percentage differences (With exceptions for certain bosses).

- Angry increases the chances of offensive skills.

- Sad increases the chances of defensive skills.

- Happy increases the chance of special skills (less chance to use a basic attack).

- Drop rates based on emotion have also been standardized to be consistent.

Fixed a lot of broken or unintended AI behavior in Chapter 1 and 2. Some are also getting a total overhaul, like Kite Kid.

Others

Extra area maps are now finished; these are singular large maps to explore, with extra rewards and battles.

Most new enemies now have AI.

Some skills have been rebalanced and tweaked for functionality. Namely, AOE emotion skills are now acquired before level 20 and are usable on both sides.

The majority of equipment and charms have been implemented, with some being buyable or extra challenge rewards.

Quality of life changes, with ailments being visible with particle effects.

Common buffs and basic attacks are now standardized to use the same skill and state across different enemies. This is also so translators do not need to translate the same exact basic attack 40 times.

An accessible guide book has been added that lists the gameplay changes that have been made in the mod.

What’s Next

Extra area gameplay, mostly setting up troops and meaningful reasons to go there.

Extra optional area cutscenes; these tend to be smaller.

Properly make the ending scene for Chapter 4.

Some skill animations. 

Moving on into early playtesting.

Final Notes

We’ve made tremendous progress so far, and chapter 4 is now nearing release. This is likely to be the final devlog for Chapter 4.

Anyways, as a thanks for reading this far, here's a teaser for a battle theme for the Castle area.

[milessunflowers]

photographer lando x model reader plsplsplssss 🥰🥰

-bear 🐻

BEAR, MY LOVE, YES 1000% (and i got the photo to work!!)

photographer!lando norris x gn!model!reader

synopsis: headcannons of meeting, falling in love with, and loving photographer!lando

author's note: we came up with the idea in dms over the adorable picture of lando with the camera and here we are now!

starts simple really

he is assigned to you for your first gig and his first gig professionally

you kind of just bond really well and go to every event/shoot together

you guys worked so well together no one even questioned it anymore

your shoots turned out ten times better than they did when lando wasn't your photographer

the entire shoot you guys are giggling and yapping so a good portion of the pictures have to be redone

they turn out incredible as always

nobody minds the constant giggles/yapping as long as you guys get the work done

which you do

it just takes you longer

no one complains though because the pictures bring in good profit so they pay you both reasonably well

he absolutely adores you so he puts even more effort into showing off how naturally stunning you are

of course, they still get edited because magazines you know

but like you are just amazing and he wants to show it off to people, and you guys, at this point, haven't even started dating yet

but when you do, it's ten times worse for everyone around you guys

because you are head over heels entirely in love and no one can stop it

always holding hands, always smiling, always talking

max f is happy for lando but man, lando is so much more gigglier than before

like giggling constantly everytime he sees a picture he took of you and gushes over you

or when you guys go on dates and he's still playing photographer because he wants to capture every single moment with you

you guys have like fifteen photo albums already

because even though you aren't typically behind the camera, you still want loads of memories of lando too

they aren't the best and lando teases you for it but you love them anyways

and there is so much pda, not like the hardcore stuff just hand holding and quick kisses here and there

like constantly holding hands

and he's even more giggling taking your photos now because he keeps thinking about how he gets to come home with such an amazing and stunning person

like he genuinely feels like the luckiest man alive

and you are absolutely the same way

when you look at the camera you focus on him, absolutely fawning over his smile and laugh and the little gap in his teeth

you also feel like the luckiest person alive

and all this because one random day yall were paired up

you couldn't ask for anything more

except maybe that he wasn't such a picky eater

always ordering the chicken strips 😔

TAGS! (if you want to be added lmk!)

@op-81-lvr-reblogs, @koalapastries, @justaf1girl, @ghostking4m, @spoonfulofmilo, @seonghwaexile, @alex-wotton, @raizelchrysanderoctavius

[savage-sinister]

@king-of-havoc

I'm happy to answer. I assume you mean something like 'how can you simultaneously act in an evil and villainous way while trying to be nice and polite to people?'

Alright so 'be polite and nice to people' is what I consider the 'social contract'. Other people would call it the "golden rule"- "treat others how you would wish to be treated." The social contract is how people are expected to act with one another in society. It is both a goal and a reward. The expected outcome is that when we are nice and polite to one another (at least to each others' faces) then that means we receive the benefit of other people being nice and polite to us. 

The contract is "if we all for the most part act nice and polite to one another, then our reward is getting to live in a society where we aren't constantly being screamed at and assaulted with knives everywhere we go."

As an evil person, the social contract is a sort of opening bid when I interact with anyone, or when I face any kind of choice with regard to pursuing a goal. It is the smallest, most delicate weapon in my arsenal for attaining what I want.

When I face any interaction my first question is, 'what benefits me the most here, upholding the social contract, or discarding the social contract?'

In probably 95% of interactions, upholding the social contract– acting in a way that is nice and polite to the people around me– benefits me far more than discarding the social contract would, if not in the short term, then in the long term

Sure, it might be more immediately satisfying to scream at someone, to stab them, or to steal what I want in full open view, but because of the social contract the negative outcome usually outweighs the positive outcome. If I'm routinely screaming, stabbing and stealing then I become known as a person who doesn't abide by the social contract, which has social and legal consequences. 

I obtain what I want from people far more easily if I have a reputation for being a friendly, polite, reasonable and understanding person than I do if I have a reputation for being an unhinged hair trigger asshole who screams obscenities and pulls out a knife at the first sign of conflict.

But this is very much a transactional calculation. If and when I run into a situation where the benefits of breaking the social contract outweigh the benefits of upholding that, then I do it, and I do it without regret because 'be nice and polite to people' is a tool, not a moral rule that causes me pain when it's broken. 

With limited exceptions, because of course, I *am* a hair-trigger asshole who often has the impulse to start screaming and stabbing people, and sometimes in the moment I think 'the calculation favors breaking the social contract', and later, when I'm more calm and composed I realize that that was not the best way to handle the situation. Breaking the social contract has consequences, and it's not always fun to deal with them after you're done wallowing in your id!

Does that make sense? I'm happy to elaborate as needed.

I cannot stress enough that "I am a villain and a bad person who just happens to think that it's important to be polite and nice to people" is not an online bit. That's just me.

[bixels]

The final TF2 issue really got to me. Spoilers, but it’s the reveal that all of this suffering and murder and war over gravel and shitty land was for nothing but senseless, bottomless hatred. That the administrator can’t even remember where this revenge plot started as she flashes through different false memories of her parents’ deaths. There was never a tragic backstory or justification, only terrible people doing despicable things. And despite how crass and stupid and unserious TF2 is, the story subverts every expectation by showing the survivors and inheritors willingly breaking the cycle. Ms. Pauling lies to the administrator and chooses not to save her, and finally lets her die. (Hurts even more if you read into the subtext that Ms. Pauling is in love with the administrator.) She lets the final cache of Australium go and walks away from the burden and legacy of a century-old bloodfeud. Hale lets Gray’s daughter go and live her life freely. Spy is the first to arrive at Scout’s house and meet his big family, finally takes off his mask, and helps with the kids. Even Merasmus exhaustedly makes peace with himself and Soldier and chooses not to curse him or something. There’s nothing to finish, no promises to keep, and no one to avenge. The only thing to do is break the cycle and walk away.

It feels odd how happy and warm everything is, but it feels so right and earned. These bloodthirsty, awful, violent men were expendable cogs in a machine of endless violence, and they found a way out. It’s a genuinely great message about letting go the past that burdens you and finding the will and a way to hit the bricks, change, and be happy. Maybe they don’t technically deserve happiness, but they’ve got it nonetheless, and they’re not gonna let it go to waste. They’re still all crazy and violent, but on their own terms now and with people who love them! Smiles.

[ladystoneboobs]

so, one aspect of catelyn which i think is underrated (certainly the biggest adaptation loss which nobody talks about) is her, let's say superstitiousness, or better yet, let's call it genre-savviness, being one of the few adult characters open to magic and the supernatural in this fantasy world. we first meet her in the godswood, home of gods which are not truly hers, yet she is still very aware of their power. when she and ned talk of the deserter he killed, he hopes he won't have to go with the nw to deal with mance rayder, but she has even more fear of that idea bc there are worse things beyond the wall than just wildlings. ned scoffs and says she's been listening to old nan too much, but she's right. we already know from the prologue that she's right! and here she is, understanding the genre of their world better than her husband, who was actually born and spent his earliest years in this northern land of deep magic, listening to old nan's stories. same with the direwolves, where she was uncomfortable with them at first, but later believed in them as guardians from the old gods even after robb had lost his own faith. and once again, we know she's right even if she doesn't know the evidence to back up her instincts, bc summer and shaggydog did not fail bran and rickon and robb was almost certainly a warg like his brothers. (perhaps making it more fitting that she's the one brought back as a fantasy vengeance monster, not ned and robb, the most unbelieving dead starks.) and in her 2nd agot chapter, everyone focuses on her ambition in wanting ned to agree to the hand job (pun intended) and sansa's betrothal, and while she does recognize the value of their daughter being a future queen more than ned does, that's only her stated argument bc she thinks it's rational enough for ned to listen to. (if ambitious matchmaking were as important to her as to her father she never would have made those frey betrothals fandom loves to blame her for.) in her own head there's a deeper urge driving her. she keeps thinking of the dead direwolf with antlers in its throat, an omen which filled her with dread from the first she heard of it, before robert's arrival, and thinking of it again is what makes her desperate to convince ned not to refuse robert. she had to make him see. and really, she's not wrong, as jon snow would say. the dead direwolf was an omen of ned and robert getting each other killed. it's just one of those misread portents, with no way of knowing the danger to ned was in his loyalty to robert, not conflict with him. BUT the next time she's dealing with baratheons, she knows exactly what she's talking about. it's catelyn, not brienne, who sees the shadow slaying renly, and explains that it was stannis who did that through some dark magic. with no way of knowing how it was achieved and no prior expectation that such a thing were ever possible, she realizes with no hestitation that stannis was guilty and that his red witch was capable of pulling this off somehow. really, the only instinct of the supernatural she's wholly wrong about is her insistence that varys gathered his knowledge through some dark enchantment. however, though that might offend varys, given his own personal experience with a sorcerer, i'd say it's a reasonable assumption without knowing the dude had children moving through walls everywhere like oversized rodents. and imo it just shows she had a healthy respect and awe for varys's power which most other characters lack.

oh, oh, and let's not forget that she also believed in the curse of harrenhal, from her own childhood and the stories old nan told her kids. "and every house that held Harrenhal since had come to misfortune. Strong it might be, but it was a dark place, and cursed. 'I would not have Robb fight a battle in the shadow of that keep,' Catelyn admitted." sure, that wasn't enough to save robb, but he did not die from the curse of harrenhal. that doom was meant for his enemies from tywin lannister to roose bolton.