#fun fact: 7 of those pictured have kids now.

[wewerehappymp3]

We made this clock for my granddad for his birthday one year. It just went off but the voices are gone now. So instead it just kind of made a weird noise instead. My granddad’s 96th birthday was yesterday. He passed nearly 13 years ago. But this clock is still around.

[driftwooddestiel]

i had such a strange dream last night i had to make this project about SOMETHING in like one hour and it had these little lego models that i built in some sort of lego-minecraft hybrid? and then my friend started talking about the time they accidentally were rude to this guy who my sisters friends with who moved here from america in 2017 and then left in like. 2019 (who were still friends with)(his family are family friends and stuff they visit like once a year bc the mum is australian) who for some reason in this dream used to be in some sort of orchestra ? that my friend was also in despite the fact that irl they dont play any instruments in an orchestra they just play the drums occasionally? and so i made my project about that event for some reason and i was freaking out because it was really rushed . and then i was watching some sort of documentary where the guy from america was like. 8 for some reason and at my old primary school talking about my sister?? then he appeared and was weirded out by my project (understandably)?? and i started remembering some random converssation i overheard his dad having ages ago where he talked about getting comics with his brother from the only shopping centre in the really empty desert town they lived in . idk why

and then i had to frantically finish my project, and THEN i was woken up irl finally

[m1ckeyb3rry]

what it’s like to bring the jjk boys to…have dinner with your family!

ft. fushiguro megumi, fushiguro toji, gojo satoru, geto suguru, ijichi kyotaka, inumaki toge, itadori yuji, kamo choso, kamo noritoshi, mahito, muta kokichi, nanami kento, okkotsu yuta, panda, ryomen sukuna, todo aoi, yaga masamichi, yoshino junpei, zenin naoya

warnings: not all of these are romantic! reader is lowkey desi coded in some of them. reader is mentioned to have a brother, dogs, aunts/uncles, and cousins in some of them. reader slanders like 75% of the characters. honestly the characters might be ooc too i wrote this two years ago for fun and giggles and just found it again and wanted to post. also tw naoya!

FUSHIGURO MEGUMI

Literally perfect

Your parents love him

Your dogs love him

You love him

Was kind of quiet at first but settled in eventually and opened up a bit

Was still kind of reserved but that’s to be expected from him

Your mother found it sweet that he tried to hide behind you when your uncles started interrogating getting to know him 

He let your younger cousins play with his shikigami so that your dogs could get a break from being bothered

Really liked the salad your mother made and asked for the recipe

1000/10 

FUSHIGURO TOJI

Actually not too bad

Was polite enough and liked the food

Showed your parents pictures of Megumi as a baby

They were suitably impressed

Your cousin asked him where he goes to the gym

He told him he doesn’t believe in gyms (thinks they’re oppressive institutions designed to disadvantage the poor?)

Did give him a discount code for some random protein powder that he’s sponsored by though

Asked your parents to donate to his charity

They were happy to do so and thought it was amazing that he has a charity

You decided not to tell them that his “charity” is literally just his bank account

4/10 for scamming your family

GOJO SATORU

Solid 7/10

Goofs around a lot but he did come so he gets points for that

Your parents hated him at first but then he showed them the album of cute Megumi pictures he has saved on his phone and they switched up

“He’s so responsible for raising a kid so young! And it’s not even his!”

Bullshit

He does NOT raise Megumi and you were the one who sent him half of those pictures 

Demoted to a 6/10 just for that but at least your parents like him

Also the fact that he had an album was cute

Somehow managed to keep the dirty jokes to a minimum

Your brother kept making fun of his eyes being so blue so halfway through he had to switch the glasses out for the blindfold

Surprisingly high spice tolerance

GETO SUGURU

Honestly really a fun guy!

Actually brought his own dish to the dinner??

AND IT WAS GOOD????

Your mother wants you two to get married now

Asked if he could take some leftovers back for Mimiko and Nanako

Which was very considerate of him actually

Your mother told him he didn’t have to return the dishes she packed the food in

Let your brother win at Scrabble

Listened to your mother talk about the auntie drama

Apparently he’s going to start putting coconut oil in his hair now

Your parents are going to adopt him and kick you out

9/10 would’ve been higher but he didn’t beat your brother’s ass at Scrabble (he wanted to “make a good impression”)

IJICHI KYOTAKA

Similar to Nanami in that he and your father got along really well

Your brother called him “goofy”

He had to go to the bathroom and cry after that

He did compose himself and came back to eat

Can handle spicy food quite well

Complimented your mother’s cooking

Brought flowers as a thank you for the dinner

Was super sweet and grateful to be invited at all

11/10 would definitely invite him again

INUMAKI TOGE

Everyone was really excited to meet him

Let your cousins play with his hair and do his make up and paint his nails

Was your partner for Charades and you two won by a LOT

Kept sneaking treats to your dogs

Your mother ordered seafood for him because he could only speak in rice ball ingredients and she thought he really wanted salmon

He did eat it though

He would be a 10/10 but he accidentally used his Cursed Speech on your aunt so 8/10

ITADORI YUJI

Somehow lit the grill on fire

Managed to put it out but he did lose his eyebrows in the process unfortunately

Looked stupid without eyebrows

Spent most of his time hanging out with the little kids

Your family actually really liked him though

He’s too sweet to dislike

Helped wash the dishes and did not break any

7/10 because you almost had to call the fire department

KAMO CHOSO

Showed up an hour late

Was friendly but kinda nervous and awkward at first

Loved the food

He and your brother are best friends now

Genuinely he gets along better with your brother than with you

Impressed your father with his history knowledge

3/10 was too perfect and now your parents keep asking why you’re not more like him

KAMO NORITOSHI

He hates kids

Spent the entire first half running away from your cousins

Once he finally escaped he got along great with the adults

They really liked how responsible and mature he is

Thought it was impressive that he’s going to be the clan head

Your aunt told you that he was a keeper and you should “marry for money, hope for love”

Started crying when your mother asked him if she could hang up his jacket for him

It reminded him of his own mother who he was forced to leave as a kid 

All of your aunts have unofficially adopted him now due to his tragic backstory

Deserves 10/10 just for being relatively normal 

MAHITO

-892378/10 your parents couldn’t see him because he’s a curse

He was very happy to hear that and nearly destroyed your house

You had to call Geto halfway through to chase him off

Your family was thrilled to see Geto again though so at least there’s that??

MUTA KOKICHI

Sent a robot in his place obviously

Everyone wanted to know why you brought a robot to dinner

They thought you had hit a new low

You had to explain that Mechamaru was basically his body because of how weak his actual body was

Nobody believed you

-3/10 he was nice but it was overall a humiliating experience

NANAMI KENTO

Cannot eat anything spicy

Started tearing up at the appetizers alone

Had a massive stomach ache afterwards and his face was red for like twenty minutes 

Your father liked talking to him about business and the economy and shit

Did not get scared when asked about his plans for the future

Actually has plans for the future

Your brother is kind of gay for him tbh (??) and threatened to marry him if you don’t 

10/10 because he still finished everything on his plate so he didn’t seem rude even though he was lowkey dying 

OKKOTSU YUTA

Tried his best

Your dogs tried to leave with him because they liked him so much

He brought gifts from Africa for your entire family

Did stop a toddler from getting kidnapped

Is physically really good at grilling but emotionally cannot handle the stress

Had a mental breakdown when you asked for a vegetable burger

Made the discovery that he really likes corn and proceeded to eat all of the corn you had bought for the night so nobody else got any 

Summoned Rika and allowed your cousins to use her as their dress up doll

Rika was very nice and enjoyed the experience

She wants to be a fashion model now

2/10 he burnt your vegetable burger and you were really looking forward to having some corn

PANDA

Is a panda

Your younger cousins thought he was adorable

You got asked multiple times if he was a furry

5/10 he was only invited because he had nothing else to do and you had to chase him with a hose beforehand because he refused to bathe

RYOMEN SUKUNA

-1244129/10

An asshole but what’s new 

Told your family to “go back to where you came from”

Degraded your parents

Degraded you

Degraded everyone really

You got into a fight with him and Gojo had to intervene

Did ask for one of your mother’s recipes so he could get Uraume to cook it for him

She did not give it to him

TODO AOI

See you thought this would be hell on earth

But it wasn’t???

Played with your dogs

Carried your cousins around on his shoulders

Your uncles were impressed by his muscles

He saved a kitten that was stuck in a tree

Did not ask a single person about their type in women

Annihilated everyone in Wii Sports Resort

Absolutely sucked at Just Dance though

He thought he was too manly for the wrist strap but then he threw the remote into the TV while playing Wii bowling and it broke

6/10 he said he’d pay for a new one

YAGA MASAMICHI

Literally your boss

Only invited him because you wanted a raise

He liked the food

Exchanged sewing tips with your mother

200/10 you got the raise

YOSHINO JUNPEI

Really cool!

Gave everyone good movie recommendations

Someone gave him a baby to hold and he nearly dropped it

Burnt his hand on the grill

Found your uncles’ shitty jokes funny so they all liked him

He was decent at debating with everyone and having intellectual conversations even though he cried whenever someone disagreed with him too harshly

Your parents were very dismayed to see the cigarette burn scars on his face

Your mother told him he could always come to your house if he needed to

4/10 because he almost gave a baby brain damage 

ZENIN NAOYA

Told your parents about your sex life

Called your mother “woman”

Your cousins have a crush on him solely based on his looks

He thinks he has a harem now

0/10 they are all like 13 years old

[duelinthesun]

what is your favorite Phil fact please I yearn for knowledge

Hi, i'm so so sorry it took me so long to answer! That yesterday's message pushed me to finally finish this post. So here's a bunch of cute or interesting or just phil things I think about a lot

1. My favourite fact is that he's silly as you can see in his War is Over songbook, where he put a picture of himself in a trashcan right next to the excerpts from negative reviews of his music😭

Couple years later he referenced the Esquire critique in his Midnight Special performance (55:35)

This is the performance he watched with those college kids he met right before and here is one of them recalling it:

2. Another amazing thing is that he was R. L. Stine's classmate in Ohio State University and both of them were involved in the humour magazine The Sundial there. Phil once told Stine he should ditch the magazine and start writing novels. Stine did that and moved to New York to pursue career as a writer, which resulted in him writing the Goosebumps series!! Sure, even if Phil hadn't told him to leave, he *probably* still would've written them, BUT! what if not?? So, we can still say we have Phil to thank for the existence of the series

3. Whatever this is (shame he lost)

4. His last meeting with Meegan is something i think about frequently. She was so young when she lost her dad, and since she didn't even live with him she got to spend so little time with him:(

"On the last day that I saw him, we went to the flea market in Sausalito, and he bought me a set of encyclopedias. And I'm pretty confident that he knew he wasn't going to be seeing me again. And he also got me a cat, which he named Rimbaud. When I was 20, and read Arthur Rimbaud, it was like, "Oh, OK. I see." I do feel like they're seeds. He was trying to leave me with little bits and pieces that I would discover over time."

5. I can't find the source right now, but I'm 99.9% positive that i've heard it from @imgonnasayitnow (Hi Tori, I hope you don't mind me tagging you). So, when Phil went on a farm to buy Pigasus for DNC 68, he got attacked and knocked to the ground by a herd of puppies, which is the cutest thing ever

6. When he was arrested in Chicago in 1968 he was behaving like a 15yo boy and bragging about his music? Go off Phil (this is a pic of his FBI file i saw on Tori's account and honestly most of the fun things I know about Phil i know from them, they're the best😅 shout out to her!!)

7. Phil's drawings that look like they really are a 15 yo boy's doodles instead of a 30+ yo man😭 (I hope the Woody Guthrie Center puts them on a exhibition one day... please...)

8. And the last thing is his response to Boradside's critic Ralph Earle who mixed up Roger Taylor and Gregory Peck in his (terrible) review of Pleasures of the Harbor

[babydollmarauders]

MEDIA MANAGEMENT— JACK HUGHES (PART NINE)

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 5.5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9

notes: i’m finally up to the games that i attended! pictures 5 and 9 were taken by me at this game! fun fact: dawson and the equipment guy actually posed for that pic for me after his hat trick <3

y/ndevils00

liked by dawson1417, john.marino97, and 34,186 others

y/ndevils00 hey! hi! how are ya?! i’m great thanks for asking because MY BEST FRIEND GOT HIS VERY FIRST HAT TRICK!!

let me preface tonight’s recap post by saying that i’m aware that there were 3 goal scorers in tonights 5-1 win against the penguins, and i’m proud of dougie, timo, and ALL of the guys for their hard work tonight. however, tonight’s recap is slightly different because it’s focused mainly on my very own best friend!

my puppy, my sun, the godfather to my child, best friend number 1, my favorite person in the world (jack look away), dawson mercer. you got your first career hat trick and i could not be more proud of you! i’m so glad i was healed from my debilitating illness (i had a cold) and was able to witness it in person! i’m not saying i’m your lucky charm but… slap me in green and call me a leprechaun! 🍀

i’m so happy for you, dawson! i love you so very much! here’s to this being the first of very many!

p.s. it would not be a y/n postgame post if i didn’t have a couple pics of my favorite ipad kid snuck in there <3 you did great tonight, my beautiful princess!

tagged dawson1417 and jackhughes

dawson1417 thank you best friend number 3! i’m glad you were there to see me hit this milestone! here’s to many more! love you so very much! ❤️

y/ndevils00 you are actually my very favorite person in this entire world! i’m so insanely over the moon for you right now! drinks?

dawson1417 drinks!

user68 wait i always thought the “best friend number 1 and 2” was just y/n being silly about dawson and marino, but they actually have assigned numbers?! 🥹 that’s so cute!

jackhughes so happy for you merc! @/dawson1417

dawson1417 thanks hughesy! ‘preciate it!

y/ndevils00 my two favorite people 🥹 where’s my other?!

trevorzegras @/y/ndevils00 right here!

y/ndevils00 @/trevorzegras k well we all know i wasn’t talking about u, lucifer’s favorite child

john.marino97 @/y/ndevils00 i’m scared to ask but is it me?

y/ndevils00 @/john.marino97 THERE HE IS! all 3 of my people <3

jackhughes @/y/ndevils00 you’re being lovey to marino… how much did you drink tonight babe?

y/ndevils00 oh so much

john.marino97 @/dawson1417 so proud of you man!

dawson1417 thanks bro!

y/ndevils00 my boys 🥹

john.marino97 @/y/ndevils00 you’re weirding me out now. stop being nice. it’s unnatural

y/ndevils00 alright ur done. ur booted down with trevor

trevorzegras @/y/ndevils00 what did i ever do to you?!

y/ndevils00 @/trevorzegras exist.

jackhughes babe, you gotta stop referring to our cat as your child. you’re gonna make people think we actually have a kid

y/ndevils00 we literally do?? lil satan IS our child

jackhughes she’s a cat.

y/ndevils00 @/nicohischier you’ve gained a child and a y/n. congratulations!

nicohischier yay! i’ve always wanted those!

jackhughes @/nicohischier stay away from MY y/n!

trevorzegras i don’t go here but congrats dude!

dawson1417 thanks dude!

y/ndevils00 stay away from my best friend, demon!

trevorzegras @/y/ndevils00 doesn’t feel too good does it?! stay away from jimbo!

y/ndevils00 too late! we already have a snap streak!

trevorzegras @/jamie.drysdale tell me it isn’t so!

jamie.drysdale do you want the truth or a lie?

nicohischier congratulations merc! ❤️

dawson1417 thank you cap!

jesperbratt did you take that last picture through the glass?

y/ndevils00 yes. but i think you forgot something….

jesperbratt congrats @/dawson1417 !

dawson1417 thanks bratter!

y/ndevils00 much better

[spideyhexx]

sam woodbridge fact sheet

a long overdo list of random facts for sam (an OC), enjoy <3

Samuel Alexis Woodbridge (s.a.w., yes those are his initials)

age range 26-29 ish??? Never discussed, but this is what I have been envisioning.

Pitcher for the Yankees (undetermined on the team, but that's what we last talked about)(his number is 47)

Has four sisters, two younger, two older.

Originally from a small town in Maine, but now permanently lives in NYC

Has one earring and a nose ring (both silver)

one time got a tongue piercing on his off season and loved it

His teammates gave him the nickname, "Woody," yes because of his name, but also because he got a boner in the middle of practice when he was a rookie and he hasn't lived it down since

Went to college, played baseball there, but also majored in sports journalism and minored in fine arts

Was usually deemed a class clown in school, was a theater kid in high school just for fun

Deep sleeper

Loves taking pictures with a digital camera

Super talkative. Sam is outgoing and friendly, just loves conversation and new people

Love languages are physical touch and quality time

Will be a full on slut for you

Any and all photoshoots of him have a silly vibe

JUST A SILLY GUY!!! He doesn't take himself too seriously, and sometimes he's okay with knowing when to tone it down and be serious, but once in a while, misses the cue on when to stop and actually be serious

Absolutely loves Sabrina Carpenter's music, but otherwise, most of his music is all from the 90s in a variety of different genres

Dresses casually, lot of jeans, t shirts, sweaters, crewnecks, henleys, etc. A good baseball cap, sneakers or work type boots.

Sends voice notes and middle of the day selfies no matter what he's doing

Shuts down during arguments and has a little trouble communicating in those high emotion moments, which leads to ignoring the situation for a little bit

Which also leads to him brushing off some emotions he's feeling and using humor instead

He is online and a fan favorite of the team

Was always an athletic guy

Is an Eagle Scout

Did a manscaped ad once

His family has iconic christmas parties

Penguins are his favorite animal

Only into baseball, he doesn't care for any other sport (besides maybe mini-golf and bowling)

Loves tender love-biting (reciprocating and receiving)

An overdramatic man when he has a minuscule cold

Got his nose ring piercing because his sister was scared to get his ear pierced and he made the deal he'd get a piercing with her

His favorite snack is three oreos

has texted "prepare your panties," on multiple occasions

Huge hsm2 fan

looks like a fuckboy sometimes, but he's nowhere near that, he really is just a sweet guy

muttering tiktok audios 7 times out of 10

More dominant than submissive in bed, but only focused on both him and his partner having a good time

One time shaved his hair into a buzzcut and bleached it like his other teammates, but never again after his family's (and you's) reaction

Curses a lot (favorites are; fuck, motherfucker, dickhole)

Will make a tiktok with his friends and partner

definition of gentlemen in the streets, freak in the sheets

[zarvasace]

It’s “appreciate yourself” hours! Pick five pieces of writing/art that you’ve done that you love and talk about them! ❤️❤️❤️

Ahhhh okay, thank you!! 💜🌻 I finally have a free moment (aka work is slow) so I'm going to work on drafting this out :) I have far too much art I'm proud of—I'm at a stage in my progress right now where I think my art looks pretty awesome. So this list will be stuff from my Greatest Hits collection on AO3. In order of oldest to newest, I think:

incandescently happy

An LU post-adventure work, one of the first longer fics I posted. I released one chapter a day over the summer of 2022, so a lot of the notes have something about my day in them. It's about 30k all told.

I absolutely adored expanding on what the boys might do after the whole LU adventure happens (though I did forget about the fact that I think Time and Malon have a kid during this time!) This work features some proto-Shatterproof stuff, like Wind having a prosthetic leg and Four starting to specialize in crafting prosthetics/disability aids. I gave Hyrule longer hair and a job making maps for the royal family. Legend got another adventure but also started a magic garden/orchard, which pulls in more business than Ravio's stuff. Four and his grandpa adopted a single mother and her two kids. Man I went off with some of these headcanons. I've always considered writing more in this world, but I think it stands very well on its own. Maybe someday I might revisit and rewrite it with some of my new skills. :)

Rise and Shine and Fall

Whumptober 2022, focused entirely on LU! Guys this thing is almost 78k. I realize now that most people pre-plan or pre-write for things like Whumptober, but I wrote these one by one every day, which was extra-hard because I had both college classes and a day job at the time. I came up with some fun AUs, learned a lot about writing (especially whump), and proved to myself that I can do hard things like this!! I've adored doing daily challenges since, though I haven't done it in a while. I look forward to this year's whumptober though!

I really like the table of contents in the first chapter—it makes things easy to find. I know individual works are probably more accessible, but I was still getting to know AO3, and those big numbers are fun. XD I have a hard time picking favorites, because I really went off on these, but I'd say a couple of them are:

Chp 3, "Right Here" about Sky

Chp 7, "Proof of Life" about Four and Shadow

Chp 18, "I'm onwy a babey :(" about Wind

Chp 21, "6:13" about Hyrule and Time

Chp 26, "Silence is Golden" about Wild

Chp 31-32, "The Worst Thing About Earth" about Legend, but kind of more specifically the rewrite/expansion I did last year... haha...

The Marvelous Misadventures of Wind and His Merry Band or Maybe-Human Heroes

It's been a while since I updated this story (56k, 6/8 chapters), but it's constantly on my mind. I've started chapter 7 twice, and I know what I want to happen, but I am easily distracted by the siren call of some other whump fics. XD

I freaking love this story, though. I really want to finish it. It's kind of an... experiment? I guess? I want to get published someday, and I picture myself writing middle-grade novels. This story is sort of my attempt to hit that tone. Also I just love Wind so so so much. Let him be cool!!

Blood-Sucker's Guide to High School

56k Four Swords completed story! I wrote this in a frenzy of like two or three weeks, then took another two to edit. It takes plot points from a vampire novel I enjoyed and twists and applies them to a story about Shadow and the Four Swords manga boys. I'm very proud of what I accomplished here, and that it's a complete story! I think it worked out really well. I learned a lot about plotting and handling larger stories, and it helped that I had the half-remembered structure of an existing novel to use as training wheels.

I love the worldbuilding in this story! The premise is that Shadow is an evil soulless vampire from a (rather abusive, not that he sees it) family of the same, but then he gets the ability to walk in the sunshine. He's assigned to go to high school for a while to get a feast for the vampire gala, but meanwhile he's developing a conscience and getting very attached to these human boys. I think I did a good job. I love rereading this, every scene is just so fun! :)

Counterbalance

55k exactly of a stupid LU darks AU. This started life as a series of oneshots and then the plot progressively got more and more convoluted and I love these stupid boys so much. The plot is very much not tight, in contrast to Blood-Sucker's Guide, but I learned a lot about how I write and how I like to plan with this one, too.

The characters are stupid and the plot is just kinda silly and there is both a bathhouse scene AND a spa scene. Legend blows up multiple things, my lovely nasty little Dark Links need smacks and therapy, and Prince has a legitimately emotional moment at the end. I love how it turned out, it's like an ugly little stuffed animal I made and hug until the eyes pop out.

That's five but I would be extremely remiss if I did not also mention something from Shatterproof:

The Incredible Shrinking Chain

About 10k, this is entry 31/68 in my series Shatterproof, which is a close-canon AU in which each of the boys has a different physical disability. This series also plays into my publishing ambitions, because whatever I publish will very likely have some disability representation. I'm rather passionate about it, actually! Shatterproof is close to my heart, and I'm so honored that so many people seem to love it too. :) I need to work on the next entry again!!

This entry in particular is so much fun. In it, the whole Chain sans Four is stuck mouse-sized, and Four has to travel out to Twilight's castle with them to get Dusk to help break the curse. They all have to figure out how to navigate while tiny, and Four pulls some very silly stunts. I love them.

Anyway, there's my list!! I've written a lot over the last like two and a half years, and I'm so so glad that I get to be here and part of this community. The LU fandom as a whole (or at least the parts I've seen!) is so welcoming and positive and I try to give back where I can! I'm going to suggest looking through my bookmarks and ultimate rec list collection to find some new favorites from some very talented authors! :) (oof I need to update the collection soon!! I've been seeing some awesome stuff!)

[homestuckreplay]

!!!! page 413 revealed !!!!

(page 409-418)

7/28/2009 Wheel Spin: Sburb Lore Verdict: INCORRECT

7/29/2009 Wheel Spin: Character Switch Verdict: CORRECT!!!!

First, we get the details of John's shift from hammerkind to handlekind. It's a fun mechanic, but I'm a little sad because I really liked the idea of John needing to use both separate halves of the hammer to defeat the shale imp. Also, being able to repair the hammer just by merging cards is definitely consistent with existing captchalogue lore, but it's a tiny bit unsatisfying if a weapon getting broken isn't a meaningful risk. Still, I like getting clarification on the rules, it definitely helps for future theorizing.

Dave is pestering everyone here, as is seemingly his way. I like his silly face being in the speech bubbles on p.411 and p.415, and I know it's for the player/reader and doesn't exist to the characters, but it raises the question. Do John and Rose have any idea what Dave looks like? He's a photographer, and in 2009 digital cameras have just recently become affordable enough to be mainstream. It's cute to think about these kids taking grainy digital pictures of themselves and figuring out how to upload a picture to Pesterchum so that they can show each other what they look like. But it's also funny to imagine that booting up Sburb was Rose's first ever time seeing John's face.

I expected Rose to bring the generator back to her house, but no, she's straight up in the mausoleum. Just setting up a tiny home with her tuxedoed dead cat and her books and pillows and violin. This is unquestionably the most goth thing she's ever done, and it totally rules. She also shares some perspectives on how the dead should be buried, and while she might just be being contrarian and going against what her mom has done, I think it fits with her character that she'd have strong opinions on this. She's the kind of kid who might have already drawn up a funeral plan for herself.

One thing I 100% agree with Rose on? Generator safety IS everyone's business. I think it makes sense that she'd know about that given that she lives in such a rural area, and it's cool to see her exercise those practical skills.

And I gotta say, good on John for noticing the door had been put back into place. I had to scroll back through the comic a bunch to notice what was out of place - he doesn't have that luxury and he's been through a lot recently. He's definitely more perceptive than I give him credit for.

We end this segment with an absolute slam dunk of a prankster's gambit from John's nan. And really, who's surprised? She was probably the OG prankster of John's family, and taught John's dad everything he knows. And now she's come back as a ghost, merged with a mischievous, one-armed, cake-smeared harlequin doll, and is basically the absolute embodiment of mischief. The fact that she was killed by a Colonel Sassacre's and a ladder, and that John recently got up to some urn based antics, can't hurt either.

Everything that has happened to this woman in canon has been classic comedy related - and this plus the Ghost Dad parallels make me think that her coming back as a pranky ghost has been planned from the start. And her reveal moment is very satisfying - glowing, hovering, unapologetic, her prankster's gambit bar at max having just succeeded on an often-pulled prank that's classic for a reason, an old timey version of Harlequin playing. Hoo hoo hoo indeed.

[whytheylosttheirminds]

Hey! I just reread dcmk's chapter 8 to see if I've any good questions that might be able to help you, you don't have to answer all of them or any questions that give the plot away, answer whatever you're comfortable with <3

1) I'm wondering what could possibly be a good enough reason for Rafe to drop her hand as soon as he sees Cassie, we know he's not shy with pda he used to kiss girls in front of the reader.

2) Throughout all those years that reader was in love with him, did she ever feel like giving up on him? Cause let's be real he was kinda horrible to her.

3) Will Cassie be staying for the rest of the trip? Or was she just visiting?

4) Does the fact that the reader had a glow-up, a part of the reason why Rafe likes her or is interested in her now? I mean we know he liked spending time with her, thought she was fun and cared about her. But the romantic feelings only came when her saw her after so many years, so was it him just being mature now or the fact she's prettier too?

5) Carter is so good at giving relationship advices when it comes to the reader but her own love life looks like a mess. Is there a deeper reason to why she hesitated to deal with her feelings for topper?

re: pls help me get the juices flowing on dcmk ch 9

omg thank you so much for taking the time to do that just for me that means sooo much actually I couldn't do this without y'all 🥹

some spoilers below the cut!

such a good point about him not being shy about pda before! without giving away too much, his reason has to do with him not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings, but this is such a good point and I think reader needs to be like 'I'm glad you've grown but I wish you cared this much about not hurting people's feelings four years ago'

I have a note written that at some point during high school reader did actually date another guy very briefly and it absolutely killed Rafe like ate him up he hated it (this is based on a real thing that happened to me lolllll)

she is staying, but the trip is almost over! chap 9 takes place on Saturday and Sunday and then Monday is memorial day and then they're leaving

y'know I go back and forth on this all the time, because as much as I wanna defend him by saying no, he's always found her pretty (which I think he has) there is a reality thing going on here where like, he's a man and he has eyes and he can't help but notice the glow up. but I don't think that's the only reason at all, I mean he hasn't seen her in four years and as we learned in 7, he'd thought about her everyday they were apart, and when he thought about her, he was picturing what she looked like before. so it's a bit of both I think...

such a true statement about Carter!! she's very much a "let me fix everyone else's problems so I don't have to think about my own" kind of gal. I think she doesn't like to slow down and think about things too long, avoiding pain where she can (I'm not self-reflecting through her character at alll 👀) I think she's poured a lot into building her life the way she wants it and is afraid that loving Topper will tie her down. also I think I've only mentioned it once super briefly, but reader and Carter's parents had a super messy divorce when they were kids, which has impacted them both a ton, and Carter remembers it even better than reader and it definitely impacts her relationships!!

thank you so much for the thoughtful questions it's helping soooo much!!

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate National Picture Book Month with 7 Queer Stories We Love!

Teaching compassion and inclusivity starts at an early age and is made a little easier with fun, queer-friendly picture books. Here at Duck Prints Press, those of us who have or expect to have kids in our lives are certainly relieved that things are changing, and there’s now a choice of queer picture books for the little ones. And there are so many that are so good! Here are just a few of our favorites, recommended by Nina Waters and an anonymous contributor.

-

One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine and Melody Sarecky

Two children—one with blue dads, one from a more traditional family—compare notes in this light hearted book about parents who are different. In the end, of course, they discover that blue dads aren’t really that different from other dads. Except for one thing.

-

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell and Henry Cole

In the zoo there are all kinds of animal families. But Tango’s family is not like any of the others.

This illustrated children’s book fictionalizes the true story of two male penguins who became partners and raised a penguin chick in the Central Park Zoo.

At the penguin house at the Central Park Zoo, two penguins named Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the others. But their desire for a family was the same. And with the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo got the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own!

-

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss and E.G. Keller

Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa Mike Pence, the former Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon’s life is about to change forever …With its message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming bunny book for kids explores issues of same sex marriage and democracy. Sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, this better Bundo book is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different.

-

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own.

-

Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian and Mike Curato

You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of a worm . . . and a worm.

When a worm meets a special worm and they fall in love, you know what happens next: They get married! But their friends want to know—who will wear the dress? And who will wear the tux?

The answer is: It doesn’t matter. Because Worm loves Worm.

-

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall

Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. His teacher tries to help him be red (let’s draw strawberries!), his mother tries to help him be red by sending him out on a playdate with a yellow classmate (go draw a nice orange!), and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe. But Red is miserable. He just can’t be red, no matter how hard he tries! Finally, a brand-new friend offers a brand-new perspective, and Red discovers what readers have known all along. He’s blue! This funny, heartwarming, colorful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone!

-

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself?

-

What are your favorite queer picture books?

You can find these, and more children’s books we love on our Goodreads shelf.

See one you want to buy? You’ll find them in the Duck Prints Press Bookshop.org affiliate shop.

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 22 - Part 2

Lest you've lost your way, click here to progress (regress?) back to Part 1.

...Okay, now I'm officially worried.

Meanwhile, back in the Real World™️ (shout-out to my buddy @kantochampred!):

Alright, I'm about to go off on a small side tangent here but I promise it's worth it-

(Sorry to post your sins on main, Red 😔)

(Why Do I Climb the Mountain? is a reference btw)

LMAO OKAY thank you for bearing with me, now back to the main show:

Good job, neither of those two things is correct!

...Okay, Cherrim has replaced Drifblim, yes, but. Imagine this tiny seed holding Teresa and Andrea by their little stubby hands while riding the wind down the mountain.

I had to look up a walkthrough to identify that little Riolu to the right. Normally, that's an Exeggcute! (And the backup for Team Frontier, apparently).

The Third Station Pass was dubbed Great Turn, while the clearing was called:

Admittedly, I had no idea what an "oubliette" was, so I did a quick search and...

Wait a minute, are you freaking kidding me-

WE ARE STARRING IN A WAR DRAMA AAAAAAAAAAAA-

(Apologies for the small text at the start, let me know if I need to add an image description!)

...No >:l

The only reason I left this in is because this happened:

Oh my God yes PLEASE-

So fun fact, I actually did a dry run of the first few dungeons before doing it for real and taking photos. And the first time around, this gift was an Escape Orb? Which isn't bad, but I would 100% take the Reviver Seed over that any day.

The 4th Station Pass was named Sad Peninsula. (Florida? Dat you?) And the 4th Station Clearing? See below.

But then!

(Handsome Desolation? Is this where the handsome men in uniform... perish?! 😓)

I feel like a large, prehistoric rock dino should be enough to scare most things, but I guess taking the even larger rock snake as backup can't hurt.

So we go through the 5th Station Pass, Sandy Way... (Only one letter different from Sandy Bay.)

I. Don't remember why I took a picture of this. The downfalls of not immediately composing posts after the playthrough...

But yeah, those giant two-room dungeons with guaranteed MH's and a huge mass of enemies in the other room aside is definitely a theme and I hate it.

Andrea consumed enough Gummis to obtain this IQ skill, which is awesome since Max Elixirs are so hard to come by.

Look at this!! I'm pretty sure Blizzard only had 7 PP before! Yee haw!

I wonder which Pokémon are the ones bothering Sneasel Pichu?

OH NOOO!! I'm imagining this grisly scene where all these Combusken are just pecking Pichu to death.

Team Frontier happens to beat us to the punch:

I love that Onix is so big that she blocks Nidoran F.

Like all territorial encroachments in Mystery Dungeon, everyone just jumps right into the fray without listening to anyone 🙄

Honestly, all of Team Frontier was pretty based. Jolteon had an ability that allowed him to attack twice in a row (I think because the weather was different?) and he consistently used X-Scissor. Nidoran F had Sesimic Toss (55 damage) and Ice Beam. Deoxys had Attack Order, Seed Flare, Rock Wrecker(!), and Swift, the last hitting for 120 damage on a critical. Combined with Teresa's Chatter (when we finally got there, because you start off a ways from everyone), they didn't stay up for much longer.

Also Jolteon shielded me when Teresa got low on HP 🥺️

"SIT DOWN FOR TWO SECONDS AND LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, I SWEAR TO ARCEUS!"

"We owe you..." -> Yet another line from this game that never made any sense to me. (Unless it was sarcasm ig?)

💀You what

Hey, speaking of... I know Onix is huge and all, but have y'all seen Pichu since the fight started...?

(Beep boop, click here to advance to Part 3)

[esotheria-sims]

Sims Tag

Got tagged by the fabulous @deedee-sims - thank you! 🤗 Throwing in a random in-game pic because I can.

1. What’s your favourite sims death?

Hum, tough one. I guess being struck by lighting is pretty cool, not that I get to see it that often. Also being hit by a satellite, but I’ve literally never seen it happen in my game unless I cheat.

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match?

Alpha, obviously. Although I prefer to call my style ‘semi-realistic’.

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight?

I used to, but now I’m like, nah. Let those sims have some meat on their bones!

4. Do you use move objects?

All the time, bruh.

5. Favorite mod?

If I only had to pick one, then Gunmod’s radiance lighting. Picked based on the fact that it’s always the first mod I get whenever I have to reinstall.

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got?

I think it was Nightlife? But my PC from back then was so weak that I couldn’t get the EP to work at all, save for a couple outfits that were randomly showing up in CAS.

7. Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing?

Been pronouncing it ‘aLive mode’ ever since I started simming. I never even knew there was a debate about it until I saw a post on simblr some years ago.

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made?

What, just one? D: I have a bunch of faves, and you can probably tell who they are by the fact that they crop up in every new iteration of my game.

9. Have you made a simself?

Never, nor do I plan to! Having a sim version of myself in the game would just feel weird.

10. What sim traits do you give yourself?

I don’t know them all by heart and I’m too lazy to google 'em, so pass. xD

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color?

I wouldn’t say that I necessarily have a favorite, but I noticed a lot of my sims tend to have black hair.

12. Favorite EA hair?

Imma go with hairshortcombed solely based on the fact that I don’t have a burning urge to replace it the second I see it in my game.

13. Favorite life stage?

Adults, duh. And teens. They’re pretty fun too.

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

I do a bit of everything, but I definitely lean more towards gameplay, especially since starting my BaCC.

15. Are you a CC creator?

Yep! Got my own cc tag and everything! 🙂

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad?

I want to think so! ^^

17. What’s your favorite game? (1, 2, 3, or 4)

Sims 2 all the way, babey!

18. Do you have any sims merch?

Nah

19. Do you have a YouTube for sims?

Nah

20. How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing?

I think it’s gotten more consistent? I’ve been trying to find a balance between realistic and cartoony cc to maintain that elusive ‘semi-realistic’ look that I’m so fond of, and I like to think that I have a pretty good grasp on it now, after so many years of simming.

21. What’s your Origin ID?

Never had one, lol.

22. Who’s your favorite CC creator?

One favorite cc creator? BRUH. I have a 10GB downloads folder, and you better believe every creator whose cc is in there is my favorite! 🤣

23. How long have you had a simblr?

11 years! Golly, has it really been that long?

24. How do you edit your pictures?

By offering a blood sacrifice on a full moon. Nah, kidding. No blood is spilled during my editing process, though it does feel that way sometimes, considering how effin' long it takes me to iron out all the small kinks that annoy me about my screenshots. I kinda hoped having a dedicated photoshop action would help, but it only speeds up the process so much, unfortunately. :(

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next?

For Sims 2? Dunno man. Maybe a higher-res remake with all existing EPs/SPs and all known issues ironed out. Which is probably never gonna happen, but a girl can dream, right?

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far?

I’m partial to Apartment Life because it introduced witches, one of my favorite supernatural life states!

I’m tagging: @blackswan-sims @eleysims @episims @rudhira @ho3sferatu @analog-mothman @nervosims @frauhupfner @mrs-mquve-cc and @gphoenixsims! But feel free to ignore! ^^

[rigil-kentauris]

URIANGER: 2,4, 7 OR 8 (whichever you prefer), 15-16-OR-17 (again, preference), 20, 23

RUBS MY GREEDY LITTLE HANDS TOGETHER HELL YEAH

urianger my beloved

okay let me go dig up my questions

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

I LOVE HIS THEE AND THOU-ING. I especially love the fact that. There's no reasons like culturally for him to be like this, most sharlayans talk normally, if not a touch more formally. he made himself like this. i adore it.

i forget here it is (if its an npc who says it or if its a lorebook thing) but i like the part where the lore says hes Like This because of all those damn prophecy tomes he was on as a little kid. so i just imagine tiny little urianger looking at Ye Old Prophies and COMMITTING. he is precious to me

Small thing: I also love his stupid two sets of goggles when in his Potato Sack era.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

hmm... i feel like if i just sent him off on his own, he would wilt a bit. i would want to put him in something that gave him a fun, relaxing time, and think if thats to be accomplished I would have to send some of his People with him. he's been alone an awful lot and i see those as times that have also been or ended Bad. i think that might be something he dwells on.

OH I KNOW. okay weird one. but. BUT. hear me out. i would send him to Roller Coaster Tycoon. I know that's just technically just like a theme park but when i build them they are the BEST POSSIBLE THEME PARKS IN THE WORLD. if he could bring than, ryne, and gaia along, i just know he'd be really fulfilled by having a Fun Family Trip. i kind of see him as the guy who happily holds the bags and waits at the end of the ride. and i KNOW gaias got bags. also i feel like he is taking pictures and making the kids wear silly Park Gear. they go to some of the slow like Sitting and or Show type rides for him.

also if he was in RCT i could pick him up and Dangle him. not like malevolently but with the same emotion as I would have if I was Rotating Him

also also i have. forgotten everything ive ever read played or watched so im sure i have a better answer rolling around in there but alas.

7/8. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like/despise?

I don't actually know much about the fandom takes on Urianger. Most of what I see is people analyzing his actions w/ The Warriors of Darkness and in Shadowbringers, and I haven't seen it be unfair yet. I think, though, I am not deep in the Fandom.

OH you know what I do hate. Every now and again people will mishear a bit about 1.0, and start popping off about how ~~~~~~secretly~~~~ Urianger is ACTUALLY a millennial old WISE and SCHEMING IMMORTAL WIZARD~~~~~~. I cannot blame anyone for thinking that, but it drives me off the wall. hes a 29 year old weird PhD haver who went around at aetherytes and chanting his insane End Of The World prophecies, he wears EITHER potato sack OR a backless dress and the only thing he knows how to do other than is eat hot chip be bisexual and tell the most insane lies possible. actually come to think of it i feel like HE was the one who started the insane lie ' is ACTUALLY a millennial old WISE and SCHEMING IMMORTAL WIZARD' so. either that or it was a general team effort. im getting into the weeds here so i digress.

urianger is so weird. i love him.

15. What’s your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn’t matter if it’s canon or not.)

I'm on that Urianger/Than ship if the bit about the theme park didn't give me away lol. I also like Uri/Moen but if I had to pick one it would be Uri/Than. Uri/Moen makes me sad to think about...

16/17. What’s your least favorite ship for this character?

Lol I havehit up the archive for this one. I'm genuinely not sure what the most popular ships are for Uri outside of Thancred. My guess is Uri/WoL, then Moen. But lets see.

lmao i opened the ffxiv tag and the first fic is an Uri/Than fic ive been reading which YIPPE! its updated!

okay im back its all than/uri and some uri/WoL. there are other ships but i got to the point where there were so few it would feel like kicking a life-raft to mention them.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn’t matter?

I thought about this long and hard. I went at it from every logical angle. I took apart his characteristics, history, things he's done and to who. Interests, likes dislikes. I thought HARD.

I could NOT shake my immediate and initial thought of Estinien. I haven't got a stick to shake at my pile of evidence I just feel this in my heart.

I guess I was very impacted by uh... when was it. The Scions were in the Rising Stones, and Uri was mentioning he was going to get some books or something to try and share with Estinien to get to know him. It was the most endearing shit I have ever seen and it cut me to the bone. I think probably that attempt did not work but I do not care. GO FOR IT URIANGER! i also, i suppose, wonder how many friends Uri has every actively tried to make himself. like in childhood it seemed more like moenbryda Selected him, and that not many other kids liked him. his complicated history with the scions is complicated, but i think obviously he has to put in active effort to maintain those relationships (ESPECIALLY SINCE HE LOVE HOT CHIP LIES), but a lot of his character development w/ the scions seems more akin to 'hey this is the guy on our team we've known each other for like a decade so we are friends now' and less akin to 'hi my name is urianger can i show you some cool books'

its just intriguing to me why he did that. i hope so much it works out.

also come to think of it i dont know how many friends ESTINIEN have sought out of his own volition. he actively avoids aymeric half the time. orn kahi appears to have also gone the moenbryda route of Mine Now. tataru and krile had to actively hunt and Blackmail him into the scions. certainly i would call him friends with us now, and he cares a lot about alphinaud, but as far as Who Reached Out To Who, i think he is actually in the same boat as uri. huh.

vrtra, i think, is it. though i haven't had enough review time to say who lead that one.

now i want to see uri and estinien sitting silently in a room doing their own separate silent tasks (uri is reading a Tome, estinien is Caring For Weapons) SPECIFICALLY so i can caption it 'tag two blokes who do fuck all'. maybe its alisaie sneaking a bad blurry picture over her shoulder with her front camera and sending it to alphinaud.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

oh man i dont know. theres so much good ingame content and there SO MUCH GOOD ART and i do not have ANY of it tagged by character. let me go look.

OH NO I KNOW this is my favorite image of urianger of all time i want to cry every time i look at it. the fucking. expressions. i cant possibly describe in words how MUCH i feel when viewing this image. im going to pop.

[nocturnalghoul]

Mushy May Day 7: Dinner and a Movie/ Compliments

Okay I know I said I was skipping day 7, but random inspiration hit me so I wrote this short little piece. It’s my Mushy May fic and I get to make one about one of my ghoul OCs if I want to! If that's not something your into I totally get it and I'll catch you on the next ficlet for Day 8 and some Zephtain content

Tempest (nameless ghoul OC) tries her best to boost Aether’s ego before he leaves for a date night with Swiss and Dew. Compliment’s hit a little harder when the person giving them literally cannot lie.

words: 525

Rating: T

Read below the cut or on AO3 here

“You look splendid, stella cadente” the ghoulette chirps, attempting once again to calm Aether’s nerves. “I’m sure the others will be completely taken by your charm during your little dinner or whatever it is.”

Aether looks down at the way the shirt pulls tight against his pecs everytime he moves, still convinced he should change. “I still just feel like you are only saying that so you can get back to the library” he mumbles, once again pulling on the restrictive sleeves. 

He sees the way that Tempest raises a singular eyebrow at him, along with the piercing stare and immediately realizes how stupid that was to say. “Sorry, forgot about the whole can’t lie thing” he continues. 

The ghoulette sighs, hopping off the bathroom counter they were perched upon. “To be fair I do want to go back to the library, but this is more important. I gotta make sure that my favorite band ghoul feels good about themselves before their date.” 

Aether watches as she shuffles her way over before firmly grasping his bicep to spin him around towards the large mirror. Immediately he starts to find little flaws with his outfit but the kind smile on the ghoulette face is somewhat reassuring. 

“Alrighty then, tell me what you think is wrong so we can put this all to bed and get ya on the way” she demands, but there's a warmth to their tone that he deeply appreciates. 

“The entire ensemble feels a little tight”

“It highlight’s your wonderful assets, Dew and Swiss are going to go crazy for it. Besides, this seems like more than the outfit, try again”

“What if they don’t like what I have planned?”

“You are the sweetest and most caring ghoul I have ever met, stella cadente. I know for a fact whatever you planned for them you put so much time and love into. You are sweet, handsome, worthy of so much love, and every person you shine your presence onto is forever bettered by the light. The fact that it was you planning it means that those two will adore it.” they assure him, punctuating the praise with a kiss to the cheek and a pat on the back.

“Thanks Tempest, it means a lot. I think I’m ready to get going now.”

“Anytime dear, do you want a prophecy before ya go? Maybe it’ll bring a little extra luck.” 

Aether nods his head enthusiastically. He knows the way that the ghoulette normally hates sharing prophecies so to offer one in order to make him feel better almost means more than the compliments. 

He watches as her left eye begins to glow ever so slightly before her mouth opens, the telltale voice like a cool breeze pouring out. With the addition of a motion picture to your dinner, you will surely find yourself entangled with the flesh of another sinner.

The ghoulette bursts into laughter, slapping Aether on the arm. “Okay it was worth it for a fun one like that. You kids have fun and tell Dew I like his tramp stamp” she giggles before walking away, leaving Aether blushing in the bathroom.

stella cadente = shooting star

[theyarebothgunshot]

i was tagged by @trampledundercas to talk about 8 shows to get to know me, thank you for the tag!

i’ll be talking about the shows in the chronological order in which i started to watch them, to make it easier for myself lmao.

1. buffy the vampire slayer: listen. if there is just one show. one piece of media on this earth, that you need to know about in order to understand me, it’s buffy. this show came out when i was a kid, and i watched it even though i hardly grasped what it was about back then. all i knew was that david boreanaz was hella hot and also buffy + angel forevah. obviously, as i grew up, my opinions changed, and they continue to evolve even now. (for example: season 2 was my favorite season for the longest time, but the last couple of years, season 5 sneaked up on me and is now my favorite season). every time i rewatch it, i get something new out of the experience. the way i talk, my humor, my taste in media and ships, my very being has been influenced by this show. i know in my heart that this will always be my favorite show.

2. dawson’s creek: listen. i can’t really explain this one, except for the fact that it definitely solidified my love for the friends to lovers trope, and the enemies to friends to lovers trope. it is just *chefs kiss* and yes i also watched this way too young but ehh i survived. 

3. the o.c.: i was old enough to browse the internet when this show came out, thus i finally stumbled upon livejournal, and by extension, fanfiction. this was the first show i ever read fanfic for, and also m/m fanfic that i wasn’t looking for but that definitely rewired my brain for good. so. yeah. ever since, i have been permanently online. so there is that! plus - and this is a big factor too - it literally shaped my music taste to this day. next to the national, my favorite artists/bands are death cab and rachael yamagata, who i was introduced to by the o.c.

4. the office u.s.: next to the o.c., the office u.s. was a show i read a LOT of fanfic for at a formative time in life. jim/pam was my jam (hah. the ones who know, know). again: friends to lovers.... cannot get enough of it. i will say this though: once they get together, unfortunately the show did lose it’s spark for me. but alas. season 1-3 will always have a special place in my heart.

5. how i met your mother: i have a very complicated relationship with this show. a love/hate relationship, if you will. those who are familiar with it, undoubtedly know why. but this WAS a great show imo, at least when it went with the flow. again, the enemies to friends to lovers of it all.... yeah. that plus nonlinear storytelling? hellooo. sign me tf up. 

6. the wire: this show was just so good. SO GOOD. it was like watching a novel come to life. it definitely changed the way i look at tv, and made me appreciate long form storytelling.

7. breaking bad: this is purely a case of excellent television. it didn’t change me as a person, perse, but i cannot picture my life withouth this experience. i binged the first 3 seasons when i was sick, in the hiatus before season 4, and watched the last two seasons live. my friends and i had a watch party for the series finale, we baked a cake and made fake blue crystal meth, it was a whole thing lmao. good times indeed. 

8. supernatural. need i say more?

this was a lot of fun ngl. i’ll tag @regardingjenmish @clarkenting @blanketforcas @thosewildcharms but, no pressure, feel free to ignore lmao

[maliro-t]

nat 20, crit fail, prep and tpk!

nat 20: What's the most memorable RP scene you've been a part of?

I know this is technically a question for me as a player but as a DM, there was an exchange with one of my players (in blue) as this little kid NPC (in red) after they'd saved him from a pretty horrible massacre that just went:

"Have you seen people die?"

"Yeah."

"Did you like them too?"

"Yeah. But there's nothing I could do for them. And they're happier where they are now."

"I wish you could be happy too."

"Yeah."

Which just got me real in my feelings about Mr. Mumford and made me real proud of his player :)

crit fail: Have you ever had a character death? What happened?

I personally have not! I think that's in part because the longest campaigns I've been in as a player were only over about 7 or eight months, so I haven't had a ton of opportunity to be thrust into mortal peril. Although I guess you never know lol, especially at lower levels.

prep: How much prep work do you do? How far out do you prep?

I would say it varies session to session, which is probably normal. I've played around with completely homebrewing some shorter sessions, but there honestly isn't a place for that in my work life balance, so I've turned to running published material (namely Curse of Strahd). That takes a lot of the burden of prep off, since I more rarely am designing things from scratch-- although I do my fair share of modification, and there still is plenty of stuff that I have to figure out myself! For most games I will make sure I have the sections that I will need from the book marked out and available, and especially if looks like it's gonna be a sort of open-ended RP game, I'll write out certain guidelines for myself into my campaign notebook so it's easier for me to keep track of things (I also do this for combat, in that I'll usually write a few lines about major figures' goals, if they're relevant, and maybe their first move or two). I try not to prep much beyond what I think will fit in a session (because I frankly don't have time), but sometimes I overestimate, and will end up with notes that last me three sessions. But beyond sort of vague notions of bigger picture building blocks that are moving in the background, I try to only prep stuff I think will be immediately pertinent. And I do trust my improv skills enough where a lot of that will be vague sketching! For example, in CoS there's a festival that's upcoming in one of the major cities, but the book has truly no information about what the festival itself entails beyond sort of a morbid procession, so I went into that game with an opening scene, a vague thought about ring toss, and a vague thought about local card sharks, and just kind of played it by ear from there. And it was one of our most fun games! I do prep a LOT for combat though-- we play on roll20 so I'm cobbling together maps (which usually will take an hour or so depending) and will often times write out entire stat blocks so I don't have to be looking for them. I do use the dnd beyond encounter tracker some of the time, but in big, complicated encounters, I find that can actually make my life extra confusing, so I do a lot of handwriting shit out on paper.

tpk: Have you ever had a game go completely off the rails? TPK? How did you adjust?

I did in fact facilitate a TPK in my current campaign which was !!!! yeah I would say off the rails is putting it mildly! The entire party was slaughtered by dire wolves, which was a random encounter on the way to a completely different objective so. very unexpected. It was one of those games that truly makes you feel insane, and it was almost entirely down to rolls-- I was rolling very well for these wolves (I think I crit 3 or 4 times?) and they were rolling extremely poorly. It was honestly easier for me that everyone went out than just a few people, because it meant that I could make on the fly decisions for the group and no one had to sit out the rest of the session. So, once the last person went down I gave everyone a kind of solo limbo vignette where we zeroed in on some character/backstory stuff for each of them, just to kind of settle everyone (which was really fun to do, especially since there's a lot they don't know about each other's histories, some more than others), and took a five minute recess to figure out what to do next-- I was lucky that unbeknownst to the party, they were on their way to knock on the door of a hag coven, who had their own reasons to want them alive, so I ended up having them all wake up as their captives. Congrats, you made it to where you were going! Sorry, you're still fucked! And THAT ended up being one of the most fun, intense encounters we've run. And I certainly am weaving some threads in the background about how exactly they survived and what the long-term consequences of that are.