#god I love drama that doesn’t involve me

[inact-ice]

Me weighing in on 9-1-1 discourse with my incredible lack of qualifications of 1 season and like 3 episodes of knowledge

[heartaces]

𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐃𝐔𝐑'𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝟑 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 ASTARION EDITION ⟶ part one

“there is a time and place for violence. i mean - this place is perfect. but is it the time?”

“heaven forbid. we’re all entitled to our secrets.”

“sitting by the fire while you do all the hard work sounds marvelous, actually.”

“couldn’t you wait ten minutes before being an absolute freak?”

“you’re welcome to try and kill me, of course. but i don’t die easily these days.”

“ugh, don’t be so nice to me. it makes me want to be nice back.”

“a horrible death is always just around the corner with you.”

“stabbing someone a dozen times can be many things. but ‘the right thing to do’? hm, i doubt it.”

“immortality is only as good as the life you’re living. an eternity of luxury sounds a lot better than an eternity of struggle.”

“what are you doing? this isn’t safe. you can’t trust him.”

“look, i’m a not a details person, all right. but turning up and causing chaos has worked for us so far.”

“they were clearly artists. you can tell because it’s a mess in here.”

“you know, there is a point where bravery becomes stupidity. and walking into that thing would be very, very stupid.”

“i’ve had enough of bad poets singing of my looks - urgh.”

“is the plant bothering you?”

“until then, try not to die.”

“oh yes, i’m fine. i just feel… awful.”

“shut that oversized chicken up.”

“you know, the only way to cure temptation… is to give in to it.”

“next time, just warn me before you do something stupid.”

“there certainly is a strong ambience down here. i don’t know if it’s the bats or the decaying - everything. it’s quite homey.”

“it’s nice to see heroes are as awful as the rest of us.”

“unusually polite for a god.”

“of all the places you dragged me, this might just be the most foul. and that is saying something, given some of the things you exposed me to.”

“i mean, i hate to judge the proverbial book, but that oath may be all cover and no pages.”

“a shapeshifter? it could be anyone. i mean - it’s not me. but it could be anyone else.”

“sometimes we need to think with our heads before our knifes, dear.”

“you could watch for anyone acting strangely, but - well, you know the lunatics we camp with.”

“thank you. for being that evil bastard.”

“can you feel that? the dark, it’s - hungry. best watch the shadows.”

“this place brings back the worst memories.”

“well, that’s disturbing. still, better than having an actual conversation with him though.”

“oh no. not again.”

“honestly, just once, could we end up somewhere normal?”

“i prefer to travel in smaller groups. it’s more… intimate.”

“nice as it is, she still doesn’t have the best hair in the camp.”

“thank goodness. i was worried i’d have to get involved. now, let’s keep our hands to ourselves.”

“i much prefer it when i’m the one prowling in the shadows - about to strike.”

“ah, nothing says ‘true love’ like faking your own death to avoid someone.”

“you’re not going to eviscerate him? i was hoping for a show.”

“it’s just a waste of a perfectly good cult we could be controlling.”

“can you - ugh, can you shut up and let me read?”

“i hate to be negative. but they’ll carve you up like a goose.”

“my, she sounds positively demented. i love it. let’s tell her everything.”

“you villain. i didn’t know you had it in you.”

“a well-presented face can open a lot of doors.”

“hardly a promising introduction.”

“do you mind? i’m brooding.”

“i’d rather be the only dark power inside your body, if it’s all the same to you.”

“easy now, let’s not do anything hilarious.” 

“i’m with you, my dear. wherever this leads.” 

“i appreciate anyone who opens a conversation with bodily harm.” 

“nothing like a little camp drama to spice up the evening.” 

“it’s almost a pity things ended up amicably.”

“what do you see when you look at me?”

“i would’ve liked more for my trouble than a pat on the head and vinegar for wine.”

“do you have any other chaos you need to unleash here?”

“all i want is a little fun. is that so much to ask?” 

“don’t be so sour. i like a good time as much as anyone.” 

“this seems like a lovely little spot. the sense of impending doom aside.”

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Who is Vegetta?

Had to wait until my hands stopped shaking for this one, I love Vegetta so much. He was recently — miraculously — announced for the QSMP, so here's a rundown for English fans of both who he is and his lore. 

Vegetta777 is a Spanish Youtuber who is one of, if not THE biggest pillar of the Spanish community. He's been doing content for over 15 years now.

He's the creator of the Karmaland series, which he started when he was around Quackity's age.

I cannot emphasize enough: Vegetta doesn't do series or events or tournaments EVER, so him accepting the invitation is a huge deal. This was his exact commentary on it:

Vegetta: Quackity me invitó hace tiempo y le dije que no suelo entrar a series que yo puedo controlar, pero le he dado ese voto de confianza, además le pregunté como sería la serie porque no quería nada competitivo y quackity me dijo que no me preocupara por nada. [...] Si yo confíe en quackity y él confío en mi para Karmaland pues yo le doy ese voto de confianza para esta serie que está haciendo y además se le veía emocionado al chaval, si te soy sincero, Quackity el hijo de Rubius de cierto modo Translation: Quackity invited me a while ago and I told him that I don't usually enter series that I can't control, but I have given him that vote of confidence, I also asked him how the series would be because I didn't want anything competitive, and Quackity told me not to worry about anything (does this confirm QSMP is an RP server? 🤔) [...] If I trust Quackity and he trusts me for Karmaland, well, I give him that vote of confidence for this series he's doing. And also the boy looked excited, if I'm honest, Quackity's the son of Rubius in a certain way. (🥺💕)

Vegetta is very fond of Quackity after interacting with him in Karmaland 5, and he's spoken multiple times about how much Quackity's impressed him. He also said Quackity will be bigger than him someday :') He's very supportive of the new generation, and he spoke highly of Spreen today too.

Vegetta is one of the most talented Minecraft builders out there, and he's fast

While most of the other Karmaland boys were still living in basic houses, Vegetta built a CASTLE within a super short time

Vegetta loves cats. In Karmaland he had an entire cat rescue with 50+ cats (and yes, he’s named every single one of them). IRL, he shares lots of adorable cat photos and videos. 

His skin, like his name, is based on the Dragon Ball character Vegeta. Vegetta777 is basically the yassified version of Vegeta (just like Phil is the yassified version of Uruhara).

In Karmaland 5, Vegetta was a bit of a wizard, and he had a flock of crows / ravens (remind you of anyone?) 

Vegetta is sometimes called "the father of Minecraft", so many people (myself included) are ESPECIALLY excited to see him and Phil interact because they have a lot of similarities.

Vegetta is one of the heroes of Karmaland and the unofficial leader of their group. In terms of lore, he's essentially a demigod / minor god, though it's not as direct as Sapo  Peta's contact with them.

Vegetta is typically a staunch rule-follower, however, since he's not in control of the series, he said: "I feel like Rubius: 'Let's see what I can do to destroy everything, let's look for all the legal loopholes,' get ready Quackity, I'm the new Rubius!" (LMAO)

Vegetta’s the king of “stay in your own lane” he never gets into drama or gets involved in controversies, he just watches the dumpster fires from the sidelines like the rest of us

He almost never wears a shirt in the series (and honestly? Good for him)

His character is also, canonically, absolutely shredded

It's impossible to talk about Vegetta's lore without also talking about Rubius, so buckle in because this one's a doozy. I can't cover everything without this post becoming longer than it already is, but I'll do my best to summarize what I can:

Starting with Karmaland 4 and continuing into Karmaland 5 and beyond, Rubius and Vegetta have created the world's most torturous slow-burn telenovela-esque love story.

Rubegetta (Rubius x Vegetta) is the most popular Karmaland ship that, to some extent, has become an inside joke between the boys and the community. I'll elaborate on this more in Rubius' post.

To simplify years and years of lore and drama, Rubius and Vegetta love each other, but they are incapable of being in an actual relationship. I've talked about it in depth before, but Vegetta said it best in this metaphor-filled exchange with Sapo Peta and Willy: Sapo Peta: I wanted to ask you about your relationship with that Rubius guy. Vegetta: Oh, yes well Rubius likes to be with me a lot, but at the same time he likes to snack everywhere, and he never finishes eating the morcilla (blood sausage). Sapo Peta: So he rejects you? Vegetta: It's not that he rejects me, it's that it doesn't finish clearing up, you know? We could say that our relationship is like a hamburger. WiIIy: You prepare it and he doesn't eat it. Vegetta: Exactly, he doesn't finish you know?

Or, as another person phrased it:

The fault doesn't just lie with Rubius however; Vegetta himself can be pretty oblivious.

In Karmaland 4, despite the fact Rubius and Vegetta had a kid together and got married, it still didn't resolve anything. As soon as the vows were said and they were married, Rubius revealed it was all just a ploy to get Vegetta's diamonds and immediately asked for a divorce.

You can watch a translated animation of the entire wedding here.

In Karmaland 5, after deciding he'd had enough of Rubius' BS, Vegetta decided to marry someone else (Lolito), but Rubius burst in at the last moment to stop the wedding. We all thought he'd finally confess his love and stop being so emotionally constipated, but instead he proposed to Lolito solely so Vegetta would remain single. (They're a mess, what can I say)

To quote a meme shared by another Spanish fan, Vegetta's reaction to that was basically: “You don’t want me to be with you, and you don’t want me to be with someone else. How miserable do I have to be for you to be happy?”

I do want to emphasize that even though Rubius and Vegetta sometimes have relationship issues / communication issues, it doesn’t diminish their friendship in the slightest. Even after both wedding disasters, they were back to speaking to each other the next week, being flirty and laughing together. Yes, they have issues, but their love for each other remains – despite everything.

(I should also note here that, even while engaged to Lolito, Vegetta was still flirty with Rubius).

Vegetta is very close friends with Luzu, who supported him during the fallout from both failed marriages.

In Karmaland 4, Rubius and Vegetta had a son named Brayan Dobluque (a mix of both their names).

There's too much Rubegetta lore for me to cover everything, but Glay has a massive thread of translated Rubegetta clips I highly recommend watching if you'd like more context.

One clip I recommend is the Meteor date, which is one of the few instances where Rubius is honest vis-à-vis his emotions with Vegetta.

As a whole, their friendship / relationship is a romcom novela for sure, but sometimes they'll catch you off-guard with some romantic BS that'll make your heart ache. They really do love each other; they just don't know how to commit.

Vegetta is bi! (Both real life Vegetta and character Vegetta). Pretty much every single character in Karmaland is on the ‘ol rainbow spectrum somewhere.

Lore aside, I feel like Vegetta, and pretty much all the Karmaland boys in general, have the least machismo (toxic masculinity) I've ever seen. They're all genuinely sweet guys who aren't afraid to be flirty and play gay characters in their queer little telenovela Minecraft series. (With the exception of Willy, who we like to joke is the "token straight friend"). Vegetta's a cool guy, and he's a great addition to the QSMP. I'm excited for you all to meet him!

Other info posts:

Who is Sapo Peta? | Who is Luzu? | Who is Spreen?

[theflagscene]

Random QL Superlatives - 2024 Edition

Listen, if there’s a trend that involves lists, imma jump on that! So here I am, giving random niche awards to my faves ☺️

Best use of a deity’s name - God / Monster Next Door

His nickname being Godzilla made sense in the webcomic, they carried the whole fire breathing monster motif over into very cutesy cartoons but I was not expecting them to shorten his nickname even further. Giving a nickname a… nickname?? 🤔 But you know what, it freaking worked! God was a gift sent down from the heavens. He was the perfect giant puppy and the greenest green flag, really perfectly named imo.

Best jerk off scene - Fadel / The Heart Killers

Not only was this jerk off scene the most realistic one I’ve ever seen on network television—boy was done in sixty seconds!—but it was also the most realistic male orgasm I’ve ever seen. The scrunched up face, the weird grunting and huffing noises, kicking his leg, Joong came (heh) to prove a point and he did!

Best allegory for life and death - Love For Love’s Sake

From the constant water noises, to the video game visuals, the loss and gaining of points, the borrowed time, the crumbling world, the memory loss, the messages from the people left behind. When Myungha is caught between the life he lost and the second chance he was being given as he stands surrounded by darkness and water, dripping wet from his death but wearing the high school uniform from his second chance… just ugh! Perfect, absolutely beautiful.

Best fucked up family dynamic - Unknown

I love a messy family, but I love a messy found family even more. This was the perfect blend of both, with Wei Qian and Li Li being biologically related, Zhi Yuan the one they took in from the streets and Tan Yu the lifelong friend and only reason Wei Qian was able to keep a roof over their heads for so many years, it was bound to become insane. And insane it was, but in such a fantastic way. Messy forbidden love all around, arguments and fights and so much drama. But they all came out of it the other side better people, and a stronger family.

Best horniest bastards - MutRak / Love Sea

FortPeat will always deliver when it comes to high heat, and while I might have issues with the screenwriter’s… idiosyncrasies, shall we call them? Love Sea was one of her lesser offensive offerings, focusing mostly on the lust driven horn balls that were Mahasumut and Rak. Were there other plot points? Yes. Didn’t any of them matter? Not really. We all knew Mut would get his man in the end, boy put Rak under a dick spell from the first moment they met. I think this was the first QL with a canonical facefucking scene, kudos boys.

Best speedrun of feels - KanThiu / Spare Me Your Mercy

Where did the emotions come from? When did they start? Did Kan have a crush on Thiu from the stories that Thiu’s mother had told him? Neither are in the closet or into one night stands… yet they’re not dating. They have a full blown emotional relationship, before even sharing a kiss. KanThiu might secretly actually be useless lesbians and we’re all just being tricked!

Best health code violations - OabPlawan / This Love Doesn’t Have Long Beans

No amount of Purell will ever make any of those kitchens food safe, two public kitchens and one private one, those pots and pans saw some shit!

Best sudden pairing replacement - MarcPoon

When the little DV dickhead was yanked from the We Are lineup, even though half of the filming was done, I was very concerned about the series getting shelved. But instead we got MarcPoon and omg, they are quickly becoming everything to me! Why are they so perfect? The chemistry, the cuteness, I just adore them.

Most unexpected second season announcement - Pit Babe Season 2

The scream I scrumpt, okay, that’s a lie, I didn’t scream. I laughed out loud and shouted: omg they fucking did it! Which prompted the infamous ‘butt babies’ conversation with my mother, so yeah, completely unexpected but very much excited for.

Best return to the QL world - Saint Suppapong

I have never been so happy to be wrong in my life! The morning I posted my answer for one of the ‘15 Day BL Challenge’ questions where I mentioned that I wished Saint would return to BLs but I highly doubted he ever would, that same morning Idol Factory dropped the teaser the rocked the fandom. Saint is returning to QLs! My flabbers were gasted.

[physalian]

Writing Tone #2: Avoiding Manufactured Sincerity

There’s a scene in season 5 of My Hero Academia where two beloved teachers have been brought to some high security prison to interrogate a captured villain that turns out to be a brainwashed childhood friend of theirs. The scene is really dramatic, these two teachers are screaming at this guy, heartbroken, and when I saw the episode (shortly before quitting the entire show mid-episode over how bored I was) I was not at all as outraged and horrified as they were.

It was so tonally jarring, and so unfounded within the plot, that it was almost uncomfortable to watch. The villain they’re interrogating isn’t unfamiliar, but the plot-twist-surprise childhood friend is a stranger no one but these two care about.

I didn’t care, couldn’t empathize with why they were upset, knew nothing about their relationship with the guy beyond the ham-handed flashbacks given right that moment. I wasn’t prepared to mourn the loss of this random character, wasn’t primed ahead of time with the idea that this was a possibility to dread the scene before it happened. I was just waiting for it to be over and when it finally was, the impact it had on me was a resounding: Well that was weird. Now back to the plot.

Unfounded sincerity is the uncomfortably ugly step-sibling of plots that are starved of sincerity—look at most of Phase 4, but really, starting with Thor: Ragnarok in the MCU. Many Marvel properties are afraid to embrace the emotional moments and resort to bad jokes to laugh at themselves before the audience can laugh at them. Because how dare a late-stage superhero story about mythical gods be at all sincere in its relationships, its quiet moments, its tragedies. Nope, time for jokes.

Unfounded sincerity is when a story goes far harder with the drama, the love-declarations, the angst, the humor, where it’s trying really hard to convince the audience to care and it just isn’t working.

This happens when arguments start out of nowhere, as well, when characters explode at each other in a heated screaming match that hasn’t been left to fester for nearly long enough, undercooked and hard to swallow.

This happens when characters fall suddenly, madly in love with each other with zero dubious intervention to explain away the sudden passion.

It happens particularly when characters care a whole heck of a lot about someone the audience doesn’t, at the expense of characters the audience is invested in.

It happens when characters have emotional breakdowns and start crying over what ends up reading like spilled milk. When stoic and strong characters break over something they normally would never, for ~drama~.

This is usually both a tone and pacing issue, and a serious case of telling. The author hasn’t done any of the work ramping up a situation or relationship for proper delivery of these emotionally charged moments that are written like critical character beats we’re supposed to care deeply about.

So how does this happen?

1. The author *really* wants this scene, but writes it too early into the story

Unless there’s foul play involved, or this is a romantic comedy that isn’t supposed to be a realistic and healthy depiction of how romance works, characters suddenly declaring love for each other at the cost of their own well-being, their own character arc and journey, and their other motivations can be very frustrating to read.

But the author wants to get to the Good Stuff, so they coast on the “male + female leads = relationship” expectation without writing the why (and so ensures the rise of so many gay ships in the process). Or the male + male leads” or what have you.

2. The author cannot fluidly change tone and characters explode, instead of simmer

An argument that comes out of nowhere can really take your audience out of a scene. Your characters suddenly look ridiculous and your audience can’t follow what’s going on or why they’re so upset. This is different than a character exploding seemingly out of nowhere, but who we know has been building resentment for dozens of pages and loses it over something otherwise inconsequential.

These scenes are painfully, obviously there for manufactured drama and don’t feel natural. These characters don’t feel like people, but playthings, action figures manipulated by the hands of the author.

3. The characters involved are underdeveloped

As in the My Hero scene mentioned above, of the three characters in the scene, the “friend” we’re supposed to care about is a non-entity. The two teachers could have lost their minds over this guy’s sudden death, or the reveal that he turned traitor, or that he murdered younglings and puppies and kittens, to the same emotional impact, because we don’t care about this guy (or, I don’t, at least. I didn’t, and shouldn’t have to read the manga).

You can of course have characters who grieve non-entities, like the fridged wife trope. The difference is the audience knows we’re not supposed to know or care about that lady and the character she never was. This happens pre-plot, not mid-season 5. The frigid wife is the catalyst for the character we then come to know, not a character whose death radically changes our heroes from the people we’ve already established.

4. The tonal jump is just too extreme from the established rules of the story

Abrupt changes in tone can be very tricky to pull off, and almost always fail when it surrounds an abrupt shift in character dynamics (as opposed to something more plot-related). As in, your lighthearted comedy suddenly stops the plot so two characters can scream at each other, when this level of emotional charge hasn’t been established as a possibility.

Or the aforementioned emotional breakdown that just leaves audiences uncomfortable like the awkward friend trying to soothe a weeping companion.

—

Unfortunately, the fixes to these situations are either delete that entire scene, or go back and do a lot of rewriting so there’s enough build-up to justify its existence. Go back and write in that simmering resentment, all the little frustrations, a pre-existing tension within the relationship that is always primed to snap.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and there’s a reason the “slowburn” is so popular. Setting out from the beginning to write a fast-paced, passionate romance tells your readers to expect exaggerated displays of emotion.

My favorite musical is Moulin Rouge. This movie is insane. Everyone is hyperbolically emotional and nothing is half-assed. The dances, the belting singing, the costumes, set-design, editing, the declarations of love– they’re all dialed up to 11. So characters screaming their love or rage from the rooftops is a *lot* but you’re prepared for it from the opening scene, knowing exactly what kind of movie this is.

Even if you don’t start your story with the level of drama it will eventually reach, there should still be some sort of progression when it comes to character drama.

Last Airbender didn’t open episode 2 with the emotional intensity of Zuko and Azula’s last Agni Kai… but it did show you that this isn’t just a lighthearted comedy in episode 3, with the reveal of Gyatso’s body and Aang’s violently emotional reaction.

Speaking of episode 3, they didn’t throw in Gyatso out of nowhere. We know from the show so far that a) Aang is the last of his kind, and b) he doesn’t know this. Everything leading up to this reveal is lighthearted, sure, but with that undercurrent of dread, waiting for Aang to see for himself, waiting for that other shoe to drop.

So some things to keep in mind are:

Prime the audience with dropping that first shoe, make them aware of the building tension (romantic, aggressive, grief, or otherwise), even if not all the characters are aware.

Build that tension. If your characters will eventually explode, let them be mildly irritated first, then annoyed, then frustrated, then angry, then raging until they can’t contain it anymore.

Make sure every party involved in this dramatic moment is someone the audience actually cares about, not just someone they’re told to care about.

TL;DR: Don’t pull the trigger prematurely. It’s most obvious with suddenly passionate arguments, characters flinging insults and hurts the audience isn’t prepared for and doesn’t know about, in effort to move the plot along before it’s fully cooked.

So unless there’s some drugs or fairy magic involved, or one of these characters has a gun to their head forcing them to do this right now, people don’t just explode in a rage without some buildup first. People can explode in a rage over a seemingly inconsequential and unrelated thing, but they’re likely already upset and this one little thing is the final straw. Audiences love the anticipation of what that final straw will be, and whether the explosive drama is rage or romance, “slowburn” is immensely popular for a reason.

[eyneyke]

Twitch stream pt3

Pairing: Max Verstappen x PewDiePie!sibling Summary: What if Felix had a genius brother who works as a RedBull's engineer and is also secretly dating Max part 18 of A Calm to my Storm Masterlist

Sam visits Felix and Jack during their stream

The next day Felix and Jack were live again, the chat buzzing with activity as Felix continued to lament the betrayal of his younger brother.

"Honestly, Jack, can you believe it?" Felix was saying, leaning dramatically on his hand. "Sam streams with F1 drivers—actual Formula 1 drivers—but doesn't even tell his own brother? I’m still hurt, man."

Jack laughed, shaking his head. "Hey, I think the real betrayal here is that he’s streaming with Max Verstappen and you had no idea. I would’ve been losing my mind!"

The chat was loving it:

User 231: Felix milking this drama for all it's worth lol

User 232: Still can't believe Sam left Felix out of the loop

User 234: Jack is more excited than Felix hahaha

User 235: Justice for Pewds!

---

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Felix sat up straight, grinning like he had just caught someone red-handed. "Oh, look who it is—a traitor."

The chat lit up as Sam entered the room, shrugging off his jacket with an amused expression.

"Oh, so I’m a traitor now?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. "Alright then, if it's like that, then this traitor is going to call Max to come pick him up and share this amazing cake I made with people who actually appreciate me." He waved his phone dramatically, pretending to dial.

Felix's mock indignation only deepened. "Oh no, not the cake! Wait, wait, we can negotiate. Let’s not get hasty here!"

The chat exploded in laughter:

User 236: LOOOL not the cake threat working!

User 237: Sam really out here living the life haha

User 238: MAX'S MENTION I CAN’T!

User 239: Felix be like ‘Cake being taken away is the real betrayal here.’

User 240: Sam, please, we need to see the cake before you leave!

---

Jack, watching the whole thing from his end of the stream, groaned. "Dude, I’m stuck here while you’re eating Sam's cake? This is so unfair!"

Sam smirked, walking over to sit beside Felix. "Sorry, Jack. Maybe next time. But I did save you a piece, so when you visit, I’ll make sure you get it." He placed a carefully wrapped piece of cake next to the camera, teasing Jack.

"Next time? I'm booking my ticket now!" Jack said with a dramatic sigh, earning more laughter from the chat.

Sam settled next to Felix, a plate of cake in hand, and took a bite, sighing with exaggerated contentment. "This is soooo good. Felix, you sure you deserve this after calling me a traitor?"

Felix, already digging into his own slice, mumbled around a mouthful of cake, "I'll let it slide this time."

The chat was absolutely losing it:

User 241: Sam with the cake flex hahaha

User 242: Felix folding as soon as food is involved, classic.

User 243: Poor Jack, stuck cake-less in Ireland lol

User 244: Jack come join them, you’re missing out!

User 245: This stream just went up a whole new level.

---

As they both settled in to eat and chat, Sam turned to read the comments. "Wow, people really thought I was going to steal the cake for Max, huh? Trust me, the man could just fly in more cake if he wanted it so bad."

Jack laughed. "Yeah, because he totally would."

"Of course he would," Felix agreed, nodding toward the camera. "He’s Max Verstappen, nothing’s impossible. Plus, Max already has you making him look like a god. He doesn’t need your cake, too."

Sam grinned at that, playfully nudging Felix. "That’s right. Gotta keep him winning."

The chat kept up with the fun:

User 246: Sam is basically Max’s secret weapon confirmed.

User 247: Apparently Max has had Sam bake cake for him before??

User 248: Sam out here living the life. Formula 1, Max, and cake?!

User 249: Max better win the next championship cause my guy Sam looks tired.

User 250: Sam deserves a raise for this level of dedication.

---

Felix turned back to the camera, licking frosting off his fork. "Alright, alright. So, let’s talk about this F1 streaming thing. How do we get me in on that? I’m just saying, it seems like my invitation got lost in the mail."

Sam chuckled. "You really want to jump into the chaos of gaming with Max, Charles, Alex, and Lando? It’s wild. And George would drive you crazy with how bad his coordination with the controller is. But hey, I can bring you along if you’re brave enough."

Jack’s voice came through, "Felix, I’m telling you, you’d lose your mind. Sam and Max teaming up is a whole different beast. Plus, you could finally meet the man you keep seeing in your chat."

Felix snorted. "Yeah, yeah, I’ll consider it. But let’s focus on getting Jack over here for some cake first."

Sam, Felix, and Jack continued to banter while enjoying the rest of the stream, Sam coolly answering questions about his work, the streams with Max and the others, and chatting casually with the fans.

The chat was still rolling:

User 251: This is the most chaotic stream, and I love it.

User 252: Felix joining F1 stream! That’d be insane.

User 253: Sam being so chill about everything while secretly plotting world domination 100%

User 254: Jack’s gonna fly over just for cake meaning the cake must be good, right??

User 255: Sam is winning at life. Max, cake, and being Pewdiepie's brother?! What’s next?

---

It was clear that the fans were loving every second of this unexpected family moment, and Felix, Sam, and Jack knew exactly how to keep them hooked with their hilarious interactions.

[rosy-eyedsweetpea]

Family headcanons about TPTM! Why? Because I want to.

It’s kind of a long one. :D

@weevildoing, please, tell me if I got anything right…

CW for child abuse and neglect!

Disposable Girl: she comes from an emotionally neglectful environment. It used to be even physically neglectful in the past, but it got “better.” I imagine Jordyn’s mother to always be high on her meds or just really uncaring about life and existence, while also being attractive, and she probably compared herself to Jordyn, while her father is misogynistic and makes less-than-savory comments. Her parents try to be good to Jordyn, but it just isn’t enough because of their emotional states, views, and financial condition (I imagine they’re lower middle-class/poor.)

Irreverent Girl: they are pieces of shit. That’s it, Kairi’s parents are disgraceful human beings. Emotionally abusive and emotionally neglectful, sometimes even physical, and they genuinely believe they are doing it for co own good. Kairi must sneak some things in sometimes because her parents would cause a big drama and want her to repent. They will always put “God” first, instead of Kairi. Definitively with the “purity culture treatment” too, for Kairi to be so embarrassed to fall into temptation, because co mother would just ridicule her and force her to repent. She can’t express herself, at all, barely be co own person, without her parents trying to have a say in co life. They seem like the picture-perfect family of a commercial, but Kairi knows how co feels about it.

Splitter Girl: she has a shitty family. Emotional neglect, emotional abuse, sometimes even physical abuse. Her parents aren’t married, but they aren’t split up (Tahira is a bastard kid, like Jordyn.) Her dad’s especially shittier, someone with a short temper and very violent, someone who only thinks of himself, and her parents are constantly arguing and fighting, ignoring her or berating her. Her mother just tends to be numb and sometimes leave and stay out for hours or even days. Tahira has no respect for them, and she is mad at them. Anything can blow her parents up. She prefers to stay 24/7 in her bedroom. The rest of her family are more parental than her parents, but her mother would be worried if anything happened to Tahira, even if she doesn’t show it. They all don’t live too far away. Tahira considers her older cousin of whom she stole the gun from as the brother she never had.

Fainéant Girl: her family is not good, but it could be worse (below average parenting at best.) They used to be emotionally neglectful with her, but they’ve gotten better with it, but they still get into arguments frequently about how she could do more. To Freyja, if her parents and siblings were there or not, it wouldn’t change nor bother her much. They are worried about her and try to be good, but it’s hard because they don’t understand her issues at all, thinking sometimes that she’s faking it because of internalized ableism. Her parents seem picture-perfect outwardly, while her siblings are, to Freyja, “better” than her because of her mother’s comparisons and their social lives; A students, involved in sports, her older sister having a great job and helping out, charismatic fellows. Freyja was, in the end, glad she could leave her house because of everything: they neglected her medically and emotionally and never believing her, by making her feel lesser.

Caliber Girl: her parents saw their daughter’s potential, and… well, forced her to become the burn-out gifted kid archetype. They really loved their daughter, but they would ALWAYS make her do something in excess, always make her be the best, control what she could eat and dress. There was never a moment of rebellion from Nora. They were against Nora’s transition at first, but they accepted it after sometime. They never saw how much they hurt their daughter, and even if they did… well, perfection first, they have priorities for their daughter to “succeed.” And while Nora seems to have succeeded, she’s unhappy because of it. Her older brother helped her when her parents were busy, making Nora really close to him, because he didn’t conditionally love her.

Chocolate-Box Girl: THEY ARE GREAT! They love their cutie-pie very, very much! They probably taught Morgan how to cook and bake, they gave her cute plushies and jewelry (which she got very attached to.) They often have outings together. They have plenty of nicknames for her. They feel very guilty when they discovered about Morgan being groomed, for not knowing how to help her. They still take care of Morgan, even if the relationship has grown VERY distant. She felt deeply abandoned by them because of how they never stopped her relationship with… them…

Taxidermy Girl: a physically abusive and emotionally abusive mother, even if she worries about Mayra. Her father wasn’t around, only her mother, grandmother and aunts. Mayra is terrified of her mother and aunts, because they say about every horror story men can do, and her mother blames Mayra for having been SA’d, even when she was just a kid. They terrified Mayra because of their treatment, trying to help her by trapping her in her own house, never leaving her alone, and all their generational trauma. Her mother projects her own issues, traumas and fears onto Mayra, like her mother did to her, causing an intergenerational trauma from grandmother to mother to daughter.

Refraction Girl: normal, average parenting. She was closer to her father, which I assume is dead. It’s definitively nothing special, not being like Morgan’s parents (deeply loving her) or Tahira’s parents (being violently and neglectfully shitty.) Nataana felt unfulfilled with the relationship she had with her parents, and once her father died, she never truly left the grief and likely writes songs about him (or grief in general.) Her father gave her more attention than her mother.

Chemical Girl: HER MOTHER SUCKED. OKAY?! Her mother was likely an ableist, dragging her daughter to ABA (ew) and denying her daughter was Autistic. Emotionally and physically abusive, she yelled at her for the littlest reasons, would emotionally neglect her, or leave her alone for hours on end. Her father (I imagine her parents are divorced) was only slightly better, but also with mood swings, leaving Joy in an inconsistent or neglectful and abusive household. Her mother only started seeking treatment when Joy was a teenager, mostly leaving her with her father, and although he was caring, he was still too unstable to take care of another person. So it got worse for her, she was either unloved or left alone. She felt deeply unloved as a kid, and she tries to please everybody, and isolates herself when she’s about to explode emotionally.

Nurse Parallel: she has Dissociative Identity Disorder. That speaks for itself, really. … Poor Xiomara (for what I imagine.)

[lunar-alden]

OKAY SO THE SYLUS MYTH

It reminds me a LOT much of a certain k-drama starring Gong Yoo that was really big a few years back. I noticed several similarities while watching the myth and I really need to just get them written out somewhere soooo

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT FOR SYLUS MYTH + THE K-DRAMA (the name of which will also be under the cut because spoilers)

Has anyone seen the k-drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (sometimes also just known as Goblin)?

I see quite a few similarities between the character who is “the Goblin’s bride” and the LaDS MC as the “destined archnemesis”.

• The MC of both the myth and of Goblin have some sort of power (LaDS MC with her “sorceress” power, the Goblin MC being able to see ghosts + summon the Goblin.

• Both of them bear a mark that ties them to Sylus/Goblin.

• Both MCs are destined to finally “kill” an otherwise unkillable being, and part of the process involves pulling a sword from the chest of said being. The MCs are literally the only ones that can grant Sylus/Goblin a “true” death.

• The MC in both doesn’t want to kill Sylus/Goblin because she’s fallen in love with him. In the end though, her hand is forced and she has no choice but to kill him.

• After his “death” the MC eventually loses her memories of their time together and of him. (While in Goblin the MC does eventually regain said memories, we’ll have to wait and see for the LaDS MC…)

If you’ve seen this K-drama before and noticed any other similarities feel free to add any I missed! And if you haven’t seen this k-drama yet, it’s one of my all time faves and I highly recommend it (just prepare to cry a lot)

[candlecordyceps]

Ok I’m taking the time to Yap now WARNING FOR ANIME SPOILERS IF YOU HAVENT WATCHED IT!!!

This is just my raw emotional reactions, opinions, and just general interpretations of the last few scenes in the episode.

Starting off, I’m beginning with Shuro confronting Laois for what he did. Shuro seems to be a very high-standing fellow from what I’ve been given so far (as an anime only currently- I will start reading the manga once it finishes releasing I promise). He has guards that are close to him, and I assume he’s rich, and knowing that he will DEFINITELY care a lot more about black magic and laws, because they effect him more due to his (assumed) status. He’s understandably terrified of what this means for Falin. And he confronts Laois by asking him,

“Do you know what you’ve done?” He tells him all the hell that he can go through for it, what FALIN will go through for it, Marcille will go through- but Laois knows.

He’s well aware of the consequences and he was willing to do it anyways. For Falin. For his sister. Because she was willing to risk her life for him and for everyone, everyone followed suit, and the desperation to do so was so powerful they were willing to do what it took. And Laois ALSO knows, that despite what Shuro is doing right now,

He would’ve done the same. Shuro won’t kill him, because he knows he would’ve done anything too. Laois doesn’t GET people. He thought he could trust Shuro to be quiet. At this point it’s pretty obvious to me, especially in the episode with him being clingy and friendly with Shuro, calling him the one of the “only ones to call him a friend”, despite Shuro’s very obvious uncomfortable-disturbed-annoyed attitude toward Laois and general unwellness being unnoticed (until told specifically of it, to which Laois immediately got onto Shuro about his health). Yet, he knows Shuro would’ve done anything too.

Shuro stays his sword, Laois wishes for understanding, Kabru gets a drama boner (I find it funny how into it he is), and the scene changes. And FUCK man.

Laois loves Falin so much, and he knows how much Shuro cares. He cared enough to return. He told him everything because he needs the help, and he’s banking on the care for Falin to be enough to work with him to return her to safety. I’m SOOOO hoping he does help. That he breaks down and the sword falls from Laois’s neck. That even though it goes against a law so potent it could get everyone involved into extremely deep trouble, the bonds he’s made are enough. I don’t know Shuro well enough at all. Lord knows if he’ll even keep it to himself if they get out of the dungeon. But GOD am I not thrilled to figure out more. AND NOW, to the scene that made me scream from my seat multiple times,

Faliiiiiinnnnnnnnn GHHHHHOOOODDDD. When I tell you I GASPED. Watching the hands that we had witnessed painstakingly put together. The hands That two people took the care into fixing and making sure each was in the perfect place- scraping against the floor. Bloody around the sleeves, clawing forward- on a mission for someone she doesn’t actually know. Her mind is warped by the mission of the mage. Put back together just to bleed and be reshaped and melded to something scary and unknown and new-

AND ITS TERRIFYING. LOOK AT HER. JESUS CHRRRIIIIIIIST. Someone so loved and someone they all want to protect is RIGHT THERE, but she’s almost unrecognizable beyond her face, and mentally she’s so incredibly far away.

I can’t imagine the distress in everyone as they realize that they have to fight the exact person they’ve been fighting for. Because there’s no way she is peaceful and there is no way she’ll just “be Falin” without some extreme inbetweens. There’s no way that the mage doesn’t return if/when they succeed. I’m SOO excited to witness them figure it out and try to save her once more.

IF YOU MADE IT HERE THANKS FOR READING ME YAPPING!! This is mainly a little storage for me later when I wanna revisit and figure out what I thought before I knew what happened. Have a nice day/night readers!

[paintbrushnebula]

I think now that Tangled the Series has been over for the better part of four years now, what makes me sad the most is that there were enough pieces left behind by the film to construct a compelling narrative for a strong continuation of Rapunzel and Eugene's story that wouldn't have required all this "bigger and more epic" stuff that the series made up in order to be interesting. 

And you can have big epic magical stuff, that's fine! I LOVE epic large-scale stories! But there's a difference between expanding your world by further developing its elements and themes, and just scaling up the adventure tenfold to be “bigger and better”—which is what I feel that the series did in the end. 

It’s funny, because I was already a fan of Tangled when I was little. I still remember being 7 years old sitting in that theater with my sister, actually breathless and in shock when Eugene drew his last breath. I had never seen a kids movie where a lead character dies.

(and I know that sounds absurd because there were Disney films before where a lead character dies and comes back XD look I was 7 and my parents weren’t people who knew many pop culture American movies at the time so I didn’t watch much that wasn’t Disney Channel or VHS films that my Grandma owned. To this day I’m still kind of trying to catch up on film culture XD)

Sorry to get off track but what I’m trying to say is, I was there when the series was announced and they revealed that promo art back in 2016, I saw the 30 second promo trailer, I watched “Wind in my Hair” when it was released on Youtube in February 2017 the morning before school and I was hyped for the rest of the day, and I remember watching Before Ever After’s premiere with my sister and was FLOORED that it was good??!! Like actually was gonna have a serialized overarching story and everything! God I’ll never forget Eugene’s verse where he pulls out that ring. I’ll never forget Rapunzel’s face when he gives her his proposal speech (before it went downhill that is), and I’ll always forget the last 25 minutes that take place  after Rapunzel’s hair grows back because its low-key pretty heckin boring! 

What hyped me was the relationship stuff, Rapunzel’s PTSD, the parent drama, everything that those first 30 minutes had that made me THINK we were in for an emotional story about Rapunzel’s life after the tower, I thought we’d get to see in detail how she’s gonna to grapple with her trauma, her new life, her new responsibilities, her new relationships, all that. And some of the series was that, a very small “some.” Not enough by any means for me lol

Because like, wouldn’t that have been a more interesting story to tell than the one we got? Ultimately Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure doesn’t feel like a continuation of Rapunzel’s story, it’s more like a Brand New Adventure that happens star Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert. I know that sounds weird and I might not be making much sense here but, did the story of a girl who stops a plague of darkness and fights a transdimensional demon blueberry ghost girl and has to reconcile with her “step-sister” HAVE to be about Rapunzel? Also like, just. NOTICE how that summation of the story of the series DOESNT involve Eugene in some way. You know. The hecking CO-LEAD of the film this series is based on. 

And like, there was so much story to be told with Rapunzel and Eugene WITHOUT the blueberry Disney Junior-giving ghost girl, the poorly written heavily contrived step-sister conflict, AND the big plague of darkness nonsense. Rapunzel and Eugene are two VERY tragic individuals. DO SOMETHING WITH THEM, IOUHWO4Y2IBBU3FN3FI

I’ll admit that I was more attached to the series than I was to the movie while it was airing, and even for like 2 years after it was over. I was younger and more immature and the big stakes and fresh new characters and magical adventures captivated me more than the focused drama of the movie. But now that I’m older, I realize that I resonate more with Rapunzel in the movie. NOT in any concerning “do you need help?” Kind of ways, just that I find myself thinking the way she thought, since I’m now around the age she was in the movie. The way I think about my future, my self esteem etc. I relate to how she feels inexperienced and fresh in the world despite being a young adult, because she hasn’t done any of those “big things” yet. And you wonder “how am I gonna do those big things? When do they happen? Will I know what to do when they happen?” I get it, Rapunzel, I really do. 

The series is kinda an afterthought to me now I guess. I still appreciate that it exists and I’m so happy it happened. In the beginning, it didn’t feel real when it was happening. Like a dream honestly. And like, Tangled the Series is literally 80% the reason I wanted to write fiction, so I’ll always be grateful for it. 

But holy kriff is the movie so much better heeheeeeeeeeee

[apoptoses]

Have you ever been reading Devil’s Minion and thinking to yourself, “damn, I just can’t nail down a face for Daniel”? Have you watched Interview with the Vampire and felt like neither Christian Slater nor River Phoenix hit the mark for you?

Allow me to introduce you to James fucking Spader.

Look at him! Is that not the face of Daniel, completely fed up with Armand feeding his cigarettes down the garbage disposal?

He’s got the naive and beautiful face but ALSO the defiant yet beseeching thing down! Also he was like 22 here, which is right around the age Daniel met Armand so he’s at peak Healthy, Pretty Molloy here. No wonder Louis decided to take him home!!

“Do you know what a zip code is, or a tax bracket? I’m the one who buys all the goddamned airline tickets. Millions. How are we going to get millions! Steal another Maserati and be done with it, for God’s sakes!”

Spader is the original 80′s pretty boy you’d assume starred as the leading man in some schmoopy romances or schlocky teen dramas and he did that for a minute. Like check him out in Pretty in Pink-

 Is this not peak Night Island Daniel, in his Miami Vice looking bespoke suit ready to head out with Armand for the night?

Look at him snuggled into his blanket in Tuff Turf, like Daniel hungover and forcibly woken up to honky tonk piano tunes!

But the deliciousness doesn’t end at his looks. Because in true Molloy fashion that man said ‘you know what? I wanna make movies for freaks and weirdos only’

In Sex, Lies and Videotape he plays the sweetest pervert who loves interviewing women about their sex lives, video taping it, and then watching them back naked but not actually getting off! He’s impotent, he’s a gentle and lovely weirdo, there’s vampire!Daniel fodder for days in this one.

Crash is a horny flick that defies all explanation and really you need to go in blind if you’re gonna watch this one, but let me just say this: If Spader and his Wife in this film aren’t the most Daniel and Armand coded couple in cinema history I will eat my shoes. Also there’s tons of beautiful footage of him driving around at night with his blond hair ruffling in the breeze.

Your prefer your Daniel with glasses? Oh, perfect, because in Bad Influence he plays a sweet guy who gets into a fucked up situation with a toxic friend and a sex tape!

In Storyville he lets himself be thrown on the floor and lays there submissively before getting involved in yet another sex tape scandal!

Don’t even get me started on Dream Lover, another smut filled romp (with some filthy deleted scenes if you google the uncut version) which has the most Devil’s Minion promo photos of all time-

Like! Get the fuck out!

I could just go all day about his body of work but some of it you’ve just gotta see for yourself. In pretty much every film you’re guaranteed smut with him being deliciously submissive, extremely gentle with his hands, and down for all kinds of kink. And in most of his movies he gets bloody at least once, like-

this is a shitty picture i took of my laptop but look at the blood at the corner of his mouth! Vampire activities!

In summary, let me hit you with a photo dump:

Daniel laying in a cheap motel room during the chase years!

Daniel with delightful 70s hair!

More glasses!Daniel!

Daniel with a half-buttoned 80′s shirt looking so beautiful it’s no wonder Armand couldn’t NOT turn him!

It’s dark, he’s wet, he looks exhausted!

He’s the ideal beautiful Molloy Weirdo and I will not be accepting any other arguments, goodbye!!

[madisonthetimewalker]

You know what fuck it take modern AU Adamai headcanons

1. Adamai works in retail do not ask why he just does.

2. He has clip on ear rings he got his ears pierced once and he regretted it because of the pain

3. He doesn’t like to express himself very much mostly keeping to himself and not talking about his problems.

4. He likes to read and I mean he LOVES reading, if you’re lucky you can catch him on break reading a comic book.

5. He knows how to skateboard (yugo does not and he laughs at this)

6. He mostly stays in his room only coming out for food or unless he wants to be outside for a bit. Other than that he doesn’t really leave his room.

7. He’s very smart about specific dragon cultures, every so often you can catch him in the library reading about dragon myths and possibly ancient food recipes.

8. Surprising he’s very quiet, sure at a young age he was bubbling with joy but now he’s more quiet and sometimes shy.

9. He doesn’t really like big gatherings it was never his thing. If he didn’t know anybody there then he would sit in a corner and mind his own business. (This man has horrible social anxiety)

10. His taste in fashion is decent most of the time he just wears baggy jeans and a shirt, he isn’t much for looking nice.

11. I like to see him as this huge nerd, for example if you ask him about a specific event involving ancient dragonic history. He will talk for hours explaining every detail and every bit of lore (look at my nerdy boy)

12. He doesn’t have many friends at work or at all for that matter, he just works although yes people have tried to talk to him in the past he rarely interacts with them.

13. He loves listening to drama, he loves to listen in on interesting conversations it’s like a hobby at this point.

14. Adamai isn’t much of a people person (as I have said multiple times in this post) and if your lucky enough he might talk to you about specific issues and topics, although he has this bad habit of dozing off during conversations. (Just like me fr)

15. He’s a heavy daydreamer, often times you can see him standing in the middle of nowhere dozing off we don’t know how he does this or how he gets himself in these situations but god is it funny.

16. He gets embarrassed easily when told he did a good job on something, Adamai rarely if ever gets compliments so telling him he’s the best guy in the world it makes him hide his face due to how red it gets.

17. He gets scared easily but not like “omg everything scares him!” More like if you come up behind him without him hearing you he will scream like a banshee.

18. He can run and I don’t mean “oh he’s just fast” HE’S PRETTY FUCKING FAST, if this man so much as sees a big ass spider he’s fuckin GONE

19. I like to believe Adamai has a huge sweet tooth. He loves to eat sweets whenever he gets the opportunity

20. He hates night shift and I mean HATES IT if he so much as hears one creek from the ceiling his ass is already out the door.

21. He has humor trust me it’s there, he isn’t one to make jokes but when he does none laughs sadly mostly because they don’t get it and Adamai has the humor of a broken down 1950’s truck. (Don’t worry Adamai I’ll laugh at your ridiculously stupid jokes)

22. He rarely sleeps (unlike qilby who’s sleep schedule is so bad that it could rival that of Xelor himself) but when he does he’s knocked out for Atleast 2 days. Adamai honey please take care of yourself I’m begging you.

23. He listens to music a lot it’s mostly to block out the annoying noise of people talking and baby’s crying for no reason

24. He can babysit (if you pay him enough) he hates it but he does it for people who need a break.

25. He gets bored easily, sometimes you can find him in the skatepark minding his own business.

Ok that’s all for now can you tell he’s my fav? And can you tell how much I love modern AU’s?

[moony-2001]

Lore Olympus ep. 256 critique

A note from last episode

One thing I forgot to mention in my last episode critique is why would Apollo even be allowed to take the throne? Hera still exists. Zeus has brothers who could step up. Other legitimate children. Obviously, Apollo is the “de facto” ruler for the sole reason that the plot needs to be driven forward somehow, but realistically Apollo would be, like, the last person who’s allowed to step up. Speaking of which, where is Artemis? She knows what Apollo is like. Why doesn’t she step up if they’re letting literally anyone rule?

Ah, yes, of course. Our fearless protector of women, everyone. I have so many things I could say about Artemis and her portrayal in this comic but for the sake of keeping this post relatively short, let's move on.

The fucking nightie

Oh. My. God. The nightgown.

I literally had to put down my phone when I first saw her in this. The rage I felt and still feel when I look at her.

Persephone is a queen and she just found out her brother-in-law/supreme ruler is in critical condition after being poisoned with a "mystery substance". Jfc have a little decency. And I don't want to hear "Oh WeLl ShE oBvIoUsLy DiDn'T hAvE tImE tO cHaNgE" or "sHe DoEsN't HaVe AcCeSs To ClOtHiNg" because she so obviously did. Hades is wearing a full-ass suit. She had time to cut her hair and "accessorize" with a stupidly oversized hat and cape. She is a QUEEN. She has access to all the clothing she could possibly want. Persephone has no excuse for showing up in a skimpy little nightgown.

I just-

Persephone is not a good queen

Let’s be real here. Persephone is a terrible queen. What have we, as readers, actually seen her do for the betterment of the underworld.

She doesn't even follow through on her "promise" to help with the influx of the dead. Instead, she focuses on her own personal problem of her powers taking a massive shit because of a deal she made with an unknown being (which was her own choice). I mean, who could've foreseen the consequences of making a shoddy deal with being you've literally had no previous interactions with. Not me, that’s for damn sure /s

Let's see what Persephone has done thus far leading up to and during her reign as queen:

terrorized lower-class citizens

caused the return of Kronos

caused a child deity to be held hostage/abused by Kronos

Tartarus being controlled by Kronos (caused by Persephone)

the mortal realm dying

still hasn't established Elysium

verbally abused recently deceased mortals because they're confused and haven't provided a resounding yes to help with... whatever it was she was trying to do.

lots of sex

letting 2 beings who have no business listening to a leadership meeting listen in anyways because it's "background noise"

Yep, all the actions of a great queen.

Also, side note, when have we ever seen Hecate be nosey? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but Hecate has pretty much always looked out for her best interests and tried not to get involved in others' drama. Am I surprised that Rachel is changing a character's personality? No. Am I disappointed? At this point, also no. Let's continue on.

The meeting

The meeting was certainly… something. I will say I loved Apollo getting his shit rocked by Ares. But after that, Apollo says this:

I mean... he's kinda right? Yes, it was all a big ploy to get specifically Persephone there, but Apollo isn't wrong. Persephone does have a habit of hiding in the underworld and letting Hades deal with her shit instead of facing her problems head-on. Yet another fantastic trait to tack onto her resume as queen.

And on that note, we circle back to the beginning of this post. After Hades has his big-boy temper tantrum, Athena and Amphitrite rightfully point out a few things:

Athena is right, Apollo has no claim to the throne, not when Hera is still around and especially not as a bastard child of Zeus. In terms of a line of succession (especially since all of his children excluding Hebe are grown), Athena would be the best candidate for this temporary position. She's the goddess of wisdom. Who else could fit this role? Poseidon and Amphitrite are busy ruling the oceans, Hades and Persephone are off doing whatever, Ares is all brawn and no brain, and Hephestus wants nothing to do with his family. I mean, we haven't actually had any kind of serious interaction involving him since like halfway through s2 I'm not counting those 2 little portions in s3 with Aphrodite.

And once again, we have a character that is so close to figuring it out but I guess we can't be affording too many brain cells to Amphitrite since she was to share with all the rest of the characters. Also, rip Aphitrite and all her pretty loops and swirls. I miss the individuality the characters had back in s1.

Before the meeting can continue any further, Demeter bursts in deeply distressed and crying out:

B-bbb-but how can we tell if the mortal realm is actually dying if we don't have a handy little message at the end of the chapter that clarifies whether or not this is a metaphor???? Rachel, you know your audience only has the reading comprehension skills of a kindergartener, how do you expect us to cope??

Sorry lol.

Final thoughts

Surprisingly I found this chapter to be a little short, but I don’t know if that’s just me. Again I wouldn’t say that this chapter is any worse than 255 but it’s not great either, y’all know the drill by this point.

Until my next post! I’m hoping to be all caught up by early next week? And then I can start posting more fun things that aren’t chapter critiques 👀

[fandom-monium]

Sweet Poison - Part 1

Summary: In which you don’t recognize the Prince of the Underworld, but your next prey. (AKA a budding friendship and love between a godling and a succubus.)

“I don’t know when I’ll see you again, but if the Fates are kind, I hope it’s soon.”

WC: 1k

TW: Zagreus (Hades Video Game) x Succubus!Reader, GN!Reader, a succubus AND an artist bc sex is just work and food, au where in game Zag commissions the paintings using gems, what if boons actually affected Zagreus, slow build, strangers to friends to lovers trope, sex work, fluff, fluff and humor, mutual pining, idiots in love, mild angst, pheromones, technically it’s succubi magic aura, smut, oral sex, penis in vagina sex, vaginal sex, blowjob, cunnilingus, foreplay, squirting, overstimulation, vaginal fingering, rough sex, soft sex, dirty talk, size difference, Zagreus is at least 6 ft convince me otherwise, cream pie, unprotected sex, multiple orgasms, EVENTUAL SMUT

AN: i recently bought Hades and now im in love ahahaha. 

In this context succubi feed off cum and if they overfeed they risk killing their victims includes but not limited to shades in which case they consume their souls or smt. 

Supposedly in latin succubus is a term for tops while incubus are bottoms and concubus are switches

—

In your defense, you don’t keep up with godly politics.

That’s not to say you’re uneducated. You know the basics: who the Olympians are, who Lord Hades is—hell, you have him to thank for giving you the greatest job in the world—but anything that involves delving any deeper into the ever-complicated and drama-filled family they are, you have no interest. So when a man with messy black hair and hellhound skulls on his shoulder winds up in your domain, you don’t see Underworld royalty but your next meal.

Alright, time to get to work.

You hide away most of your physical succubus-traits like muscle memory, hardly thinking as your horns, wings, and tail disappear in an instant. The only telling sign you’re not human: your eyes, with vertical-slit pupils against (your eye color) irises.

“Uhhh hi,” He greets you when he notices you across the chamber. He’s got his hand halfway up to his mouth, cupped with the revitalizing water of the fountain residing by the far wall. You tilt your head curiously, raising a brow at his tone, amicable and unafraid, and his smile, friendly and almost open, despite having barely registered your presence. And towards a creature like you.

Handsome and strange. You should have known. Those two usually go hand in hand.

The thought makes you return his smile. “Normally, I would welcome newcomers, but you do realize that’s my fountain you’re drinking out of?”

“Your fountain?“ Bruised and calloused hands go slack, and the water splashes back into the bowl. He sounds incredulous, as if you can’t possibly own something, and it makes you bristle.

But you’re a professional.

You scoff, “Well, not mine mine, as everything in the Underworld belongs to Lord Hades, but this one specifically is for my use.”

“… I see. My apologies,” You almost accept it, if not for the way his lips twitch like your statement is humorous. Still, he takes a step back, respectful of your supposed property. "In that case, might I ask you to grant me a sip?”

Apologizing. Asking. Not even demanding but politely asking for permission, even if he doesn’t seem to believe you. Gods, he truly doesn’t know where is, or at the very least, what you are.

You suppress a chuckle: you can work with this.

“You know what? Go ahead, you look like you can use the drink,” You say and he glances down at himself, taking in the gash on his shoulder, the burns, the blood. (Most of it isn’t even his.) Usually, you’d jump straight into your main course but no matter. Meat tastes much better when properly prepared anyway.

His smile broadens, “Thank you, good shade.”

You don’t bother to correct him, just as you don’t ask for his name. Seems pointless, considering you’re going to consume him soon enough.

He leans over the fountain’s rim and brings a handful of water to his lips. Your eyes trail after the few stray droplets dripping down his chin, down his neck, as most of the wounds stop bleeding, close up, or even disappear altogether, Your stomach rumbles softly.

“So,” Your reflection ripples in the water as he glances up at you across the basin. Studying him, you cross your arms over your chest, cleavage accentuated by your chiton as your natural aura seeps through little by little in a constant stream. Too quick and the man will convulse on the floor before you can even get a taste. Don’t want to drive the man into madness yet. “What’s someone like you doing in this corner of Tartarus?”

If he’s trying to keep his eyes above your collar, you can’t tell as he straightens up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Someone like me?”

“Yes. Most poor souls sent my way aren’t so…” You round the fountain and circle him, his eyes following after you as you gesture to his—well, everything. Nothing about him screams disgusting sinner per se, but that doesn’t necessarily make him Elysium-worthy.

He stares at you inquisitively. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but I wasn’t sent here by anyone. Not technically anyway. The Underworld’s an ever-shifting labyrinth; I usually go where it leads me, and fortunately it’s led me to your fountain.”

You stop before him, and he lets you absentmindedly prod one of the hellhound skulls. You smile wryly, “Fortunate, yes.” For me, perhaps.

“And what of you, dear shade?”

You retract your hand, blinking up at him. “Pardon?”

“You seem to have made a home for yourself. Lovely, I must say,” He looks around your chamber, from the drapes by the balcony entrance to the green flames licking at your fireplace to the many canvases, one of them half-finished and perched on your easel. He steps around you, and you trail after him as he moves to examine the black and white details. “Did you do all these yourself?”

Your eyes flicker over him, suspicious. “Y-yes, I did.”

He turns to you, and you’re taken aback as your gaze meets steady, heterochromatic eyes, so much so you know he’s being genuine as he asks, “They’re magnificent. Are you a deity of the arts perhaps?”

“O-oh, thank you, but I’m not…” You clear your throat, “It’s just a hobby, something to pass the time.” When I’m not consuming the souls of sinners.

Warmth blooms across your cheeks, and you purse your lips at your stutter. You’re used to flattery, so how would this be any different? Your food never took notice of their surroundings, much less your work.

Then again, they always were too enraptured by your aura.

Sneaking of which, why isn’t he?

You eye his form, watching for the slightest hint he’ll double over with a raging hard-on as your aura releases, more intense than before. Still, he continues, admiring your paintings, your sketches, half-finished works you left on the back burner. Is he truly unaffected by you?

Before you can add anything else, he’s at your balcony, overlooking the lower levels of Tartarus. “Well, I can’t wait to see more next time.”

…Next time???

“Next time?”

A hand on the balustrade, he glances at you over his shoulder and grins, “I don’t know when I’ll see you again, but if the Fates are kind, I hope it’s soon.”

Then he leaps.

You shout, rushing over to the railing where he last stood. Dead or not, the impact will hurt like hell. (Favorite color) wings sprout out of your back. You’re fast enough, you can still—

Stone rumbles, and you peak over the railing, unable to contain the relieved sigh seeing the man—strange and handsome and strange—safely standing on the platform below your chamber, unharmed. No fall damage.

Of course you knew that was there. Obviously.

Once he disappears behind the door, his burning feet leaving scorch marks in the brick stone path, you finally let out your horns and your tail.

—

AN: you’ll never catch me using Y/N. Y/N is dead, there is only (Your Name).

This will have at least 5 parts. This is basically a mini series of Zagreus and Succubi!Reader as they becomes friends (and eventually lovers :D)

Part 2 coming soon~

[stardustdiiving]

What popular familial headcanons do you not like? If you're willing to share, of course

This post was specifically about parent / child interpretations of Zhongli & Xiao and Nahida & Wanderer ! which r my favorite genshin character dynamics and also involve my two category 5 genshin blorbos . Like obvious disclaimer I don’t have a problem with people liking said hcs but I have kind of a bad grudge against both bc I’m a bit polarized out of people just Really Really insisting on them whenever I talk / make fanworks about the characters ☹️ along with just really not liking the characterizations attached to both dynamics esp in how they handle Xiao & Nahida

Elaborating on both for fun & how I like to characterize them under the cut

I like Zhongli & Xiao as a form of character study where you kind of lean into the god/follower power dynamic and the way Xiao’s idea of duty/devotion blends with his internalized dehumanization. The idea is Xiao gives Zhongli a lot of power over him bc he wants to be devoted to Zhongli as a weapon more than a person while Zhongli is, used to being in a position of power but trying to navigate around this bc he wants Xiao to learn to exist outside suffering

Its not a very actively destructive dynamic for either of them but it’s kind of challenging Xiao’s dehumanization of himself and willingness to die/suffer for Zhongli out of a deeply engrained loyalty and devotion to him. I like zhongxiao (their ship) in the sense I think it can be fun to throw in very unbalanced complicated romantic feelings into this for added drama/ambiguity because I had my brain chemistry rewired by Pearl & Rose from Steven Universe when I was 11. I was so captivated by the idea of Pearl having such an intimate and tragic and self destructive devotion towards another woman it single handedly made me comphrend the fact I could gay

I’m just really not into the father/son portrayal bc I feel it’s just really awkward and weird to do any of the complicated emotional introspection or w/e I’m interested in doing w the dynamic through that lens. Also there’s only so many times u can draw zhongxiao and have people insist on interpreting it as father/son (?????? Soemtimes even while acknowledging i specific my work as romantic omg) before you just get kind of uncomfortable with it….im not a fan of the characterizations either…I feel ppl infantilize xiao a lot and EURFH idk it just makes me uncomfortable to think about bc of how I view the characters personally yk

Nahida & Wanderer I do enjoy exclusively platonically / even as found family, but I am a rare case of being a Nahida fan over a Scaramouche fan so it doesn’t do much for me when Nahida is reduced to being his mom/therapist/etc especially when a big reason I love hat radish is the way both characters compliment each other and make the dynamic a fun ground for mutual character study

I specifically don’t like her as a maternal figure because well. Nahida is a 500 year old child and I think this is important to her character & how she furthers the themes of Sumeru. The entire reason she’s neglected her entire life is bc she’s a child and the sages disregard the idea a child has any “useful” wisdom to offer them and feel emboldened to mistreat her because of that. Its that kind of mindset that we’re in conflict with throughout Sumeru. To have the Archon be a child who is still really smart and full of wisdom is like. Thematically sound to the story when the message is essentially don’t use wisdom/knowledge as a way to disregard people and seek only power/control. Its that exact mindset that Scaramouche, as an antagonist, is the cumulation of in the AQ

So to have him come to respect Nahida and listen to her is really sweet, and I think it’s additionally sweet when you lean into this kinda duality of Nahida being really wise and in a position of authority but also a kid, and Wanderer 100% rolls with it. (Especially given the fact Wanderer is established to have a soft spot for kids, I like imagining Nahida’s more childish qualities put him at ease and r something he actively likes about her—which is sweet when it’s her childishness that she was disregarded for yk) I think ppl struggle to grapple with that kind of contradiction of Nahida being a child on some level but not the same as an average human child, which is a shame bc that’s something I like seeing interpretations on

So with all of this in mind if I am viewing a character as a child where a big part of her character is it was wrong to disregard her as a God of Wisdom bc she’s a child, I don’t exactly find it really appealing or cute to have her dynamic with a character who is absolutely treated like an adult man in the writing be her parenting him and tending to all of his emotional angst 😵‍💫 the way it’s done esp with Scara being likened to an immature edgy teenager son here (which is kinda ooc to me) while ppl insist on Nahida being the mom feels very. Well. I am not really a fan of the idea of a female character being reduced to the mom friend and people being more willing to view a fictional adult male character as a “teenager” than the girl who again I feel is on a certain level written as a child? I and unfortunately it makes up maybe 70% of Nahida showing up in fanon NSJNDJCKDNND

[adviceformefromme]

Hi! Sorry if this gives bad vibes but I’m so sad. I’m 21, I don’t like my career and hate my work which doesn’t pay well and where I feel useless, just tried to get into medicine on Monday (the career I wanted from the beginning but was scared) and I failed. I hate me and I feel like I don’t know me, so I have no idea where to start. How I find something to do or something that I can like and love, having no friends and no family just makes everything worse

Hey sweetie,

I feel your suffering, I have covered a lot of healing this in my book I will be sharing very soon! First things first is, creating some space to really hear yourself. What do you want? Who are you without the world telling you who you are? This can take some time, and a lot of reflections. Self reflection can look like daily journaling, prayer, faith, meditation, really listening. The truth is, most people want a quick fix. They want to believe that something external can heal them and help them - when this work is in fact very much an inside joy. Going from hating yourself to loving yourself is an inside job. It involves re-parenting yourself, what is the love you need right now? It might look like, less screen time, going to bed early, less Netflix, more reading. Eating less crap, drinking more water, more time in nature. The simple things most people don't want to hear or think are healing enough. I will tell you the very most healing thing you can do is build a connection with God. Whatever this looks like for you. Again, something most people don't want to hear, but study some very successful people and you will find this is the foundation for them. Its' been my foundation and the deeper you go, the more light in your life. If that's not for you, which is totally okay. Here are some additional steps:

Learn to meditate. Its crucial you can hear yourself to understand clearly what you need. Your higher self is always talking to you.

Use books as a tool to lead you towards the light, if self development is new I recommend The universe has your back by Gabby Bernstein, or going to a book store and seeing what book feels right for you. Having a healing book when you are in suffering is like having a little best friend that shows you the light when you need it.

Set the intention - this can look like prayer, affirmations. Declare what you want, move away from what you don't want. Stop saying what you don't want, focus on what you want, wholesome friendships, a career that makes you feel like you are walking in your purpose, waking up feeling you are grateful for life...

On that note GRATITUDE> yes sounds simple, annoying possibly. But the more you can say what you are grateful for each hour, just a whisper to yourself, the more light you are bringing into your life.

STOP Consuming content. I cannot emphasise this enough, there is so much pollution for the mind online, in the news, in the media. It is subconsciously creating stress and anxiety for so many people. Go on a detox. Take a break from the news. From the drama series on TV/Hulu whatever it is, those low vibe undertones from different media, including music. Stop them. Its harming you.

Finally. Re-parent yourself, bit by bit start giving yourself the love you deserve. Treat yourself with kindness. This is not about having financial means, this is about the kind thoughts you tell yourself, the loving words you whisper as you look in the mirror. The sooner you start the better.

DM is open if you extra support xoxoxo