#he knows OP has always been by the book but even has to go outside the box to dupe the Cons to win the battle

[haloangel21]

I really do like that even Ultra Magnus himself acknowledges this in “The Elite Guard” episode. And even had the balls to reprimand and chaste Sentinel like a freaking toddler

You know how people ignore the fact that TFA Optimus is willing is destroy his Megatron, but decides to let him rot in prison instead? 

A lot of people also ignore that Optimus might be loyal to Ultra Magnus, but he isn’t as obedient or submissive to Ultra Magnus as everyone thinks… 

Yes, Optimus prefers to follow the rules, but he’s willing to break them behind the backs of his leaders, if it meant doing the right thing! 

Keep reading

[ashprince-of-bel-air]

So, I wrote a Gale fic the other day about him watching Tav reading by the campfire, in the notes I said that Tav was reading smut and I’ve not been able to get the image of Gale accidently finding out that you read smut so I decided to write it, it’s not a serious fic so just enjoy.

part 2 , part 3

It was late in the summer afternoon, the sun hanging low in the sky, getting ready to disappear below the horizon as it casts a red and orange hue over the clouds above you. This was your favourite time of the day to catch up on your reading in the cool afternoon air, you would take a seat against the tree line and find a comfy tree to lean against, the contents of your book hidden from the prying eyes of the camp. You had already removed the book sleeve so as to make it seem as a boring and regular tome to any of your camp mates that glanced over. You were their seemingly innocent leader, matters of the flesh was not something that they attributed to you, that assumption was saved for Astarion or Halsin, both of whom had tried to be very forward in their advances to many of the camp. You absolutely didn’t want them to know that you were on volume 3 of “The Lusty Dragonborn”, the long awaited volume where the Dragonborn protagonist works as a house keeper for a very wealthy Elf who pays them in other ways.

You enjoyed this part of the day, most of your camp mates had retired to their tents and only a handful of them remained in the camp fire vicinity, it was quiet and allowed you to focus on the enthralling novel before you. Today was quieter than most, only Gale was present in the camp, practising some new spells outside of his tent, he was no longer allowed to practice in his tent after he set the walls of it on fire last time. There was a connection between you and Gale, neither of you could deny that, you both seem to be drawn to each other like magnets without even realising it, you often think back to the other day where he asked you if you had done some certain reading about the effect that a battle has on a person. You wanted him to act on that insinuation, but he hadn’t as of yet, much to your dismay.

You sit there in silence as you read your book until you decide that a glass of wine would make the situation better, you had no plans to go out to battle tomorrow so some wine would be a welcome treat. You lay the book down on the floor, pages facing down but open so that you know where you had left the story and head into your tent to sniff out some wine.

Gale watches you from afar, he does most evenings at this point, ever since he saw you fight in the shadow cursed lands, admiring you lithe body and how the sweat glistened on you, making you even more mesmerising. His gaze was just constantly on you, he saw you most nights nestled away reading, he was always curious to what was so enrapturing to you but you never really gave an answer to him, always saying “oh just some boring tome” and waving your hand dismissively. He knows he shouldn’t invade your privacy but he was just so damned curious, Gale walked over to where the book laid on the floor and picked it up. He brushed the slight dirt off the pages and began to read “he swiped his throbbing penis against her dripping wet folds before….” Gales eyes went wide and he blushed. You were reading THIS every night!

Gale continued to read out of pure curiosity is what he told himself, really he wanted to read so he could figure out what you liked. You finally exited your tent, a bottle of wine and a glass in hand as you look up at Gale, your eyes panicked, dropping both the bottle and the glass as you see Gale reading your book. Gale hears the thud of the bottle of wine on the floor and he gives you a devilish smirk, “well well Y/N, I didn’t know you enjoyed such… ahem.. colourful reading” The teasing in his voice and smirk on his face caused you to rush towards him and try and grab the book from him to prevent him from reading any further. As you approach Gale he lifts the open book above his head, playfully out of your reach so he can tease you further. You stand there trying to jump up and grab the book from him all while he taunts you “oh now the reader is talking about his partners heaving breasts, you can’t take the book away now I’m getting to the good stuff.” Gales teases playfully smirking between you and the book.

You try aimlessly to jump up and grab the book from his hands but unfortunately, you were not blessed with enough height to do so. Instead, you try to think of another way to quieten the wizard before he alerts the whole camp to your reading preferences. You were a sorcerer, you could have cast Silence on him but that never crossed your mind, you only knew of one way to shut him up, to kiss him. You grabbed his face with both of your hands and pulled it towards yours, your lips crashing passionately against his, part of you doing it to make him stop talking but the other part of you having desired this for a while. Gale is taken aback by this sudden move but quickly adapts to the situation and returns the kiss. This is the only time he had ever mistreat a book in his life as he dropped it from his hand and let it crash to the floor, his hands more interested in finding your hips and pulling you flush against his body as you kiss.

The kiss lasts way longer than it needed to for a distraction, not that either of you were complaining of course, you had both wanted this to happen, yet you were so caught up on waiting for the perfect moment. The kiss ends after a few moments as you both need to part for breath, Gale leans his forehead against yours, still breathless from the kiss as he speaks. “What say you about a… rehearsal of what I read in your naughty book?” His eyebrows wiggling with mischief and his eyes filled with lust as his hands were still gripping your waist, as if he was scared you would disappear. You look back up into his eyes, yours filled with lust, which was all the confirmation he needed as he threw you deftly over his shoulder and carried you over to his tent which thankfully was nearby.

As you very much enjoyed your intimate night with Gale you had forgotten all about your book that was laid strewn on the camp floor, the thought of it came to you in the middle of the night as you were laid against Gale’s chest, wrapped in his arms. You hoped nobody had found it, it would be awkward enough to explain why you had spent the night in Gale’s tent, never mind the smut you read on a nightly basis.

[ask-the-koopa-kingdom]

can we get a bit of info about each kid?

[YAPPING TIME, LETS GO!!! - OP]

In addition to the info presented here:

Larry has the least amount of abilities in comparison to his siblings. With only fire breathing and magic blasts, Larry has to get creative in battle. He'd actively practice to get better at magic... if he had the level of commitment required. As mentioned in the first post, he started the ask blog to avoid problems with press - but it's also because he adores any attention he can get. Makes him feel special (T▽T)

Lemmy and Larry are birds of a feather.

Larry could be considered the weakest of the seven, but Lemmy is undoubtedly the smallest. The two hang out more than anything, and can always rely on each other when they need company.

In addition to fire breathing and magic blasts, Lemmy is capable of casting illusions and summoning those silly circus balls he can run over opponents with. A feat achievable with an enhanced balance and acrobatic support in comparison to the others.

Morton is more complicated than he seems. What he lacks in intelligence he makes up for in compassion and perception. Streets smarts rather than book smarts. He can tell when something is wrong much faster than the others and is quick to act on it. He's even quicker to put himself in between those he loves and any trouble.

At the moment, he's struggling with anxiety surrounding that specifically. A hunch that there's a danger lurking, ready to attack if he doesn't keep an eye out. (It's not exactly an unfounded one, it's come up after the events of Bowser Jr's Journey where he and his siblings were forced under mind control... that'd make anybody a little worried.)

Only time will tell if he's actually right on this hunch.

(There was this sighting, but... not really reliable)

Similar to Roy, he's one of the strongest Koopalings (he knows this), as such, barely needs to use magic in battle instead of his brute force. So, he thinks learning to use it is a waste of time.

Iggy is EXTREMELY hyperactive, and loud. If there's one thing he doesn't have, it's any lack of intelligence. He's the fastest Koopaling, and prides himself on being a genius (though mad genius is a better way to put it).

His impulsivity can bar him from making the BEST decisions, but his own unpredictability gives him a leg up when required.

Owns a pet Chain Chomp named Chompi, who he treats like a pitbull named Princess. (Most accurate description of that thing as he is GLAD to sic on either unsuspecting plumber).

Wendy is sweet, but extremely cunning. She uses that sweetness to get whatever she wants out of someone, almost imperceptively, whether that be a chat, sweets, or information. (She understands the saying "You'll catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar" and by god does she USE IT.)

She does use magic, moreso for convenience rather than a true desire to learn. She's content with what she knows already. (Sometimes she wishes she could use hypnosis though...)

Good Lord, Roy. On the outside, a tough guy. On the inside, reasons upon reasons to be that way. Dude has layers.

He's a believer in tough love, as such, isn't as outwardly affectionate towards any of his siblings - however, he will still defend them just as fiercely in the event of an emergency.

One of his most important dislikes is the dislike of press

(This one's actually shown up from as far back as the intro post!)

He considers news reporters to be vultures waiting to use something against him and his family. (This is due to a past experience out of canon that's kind of tainted his view on all sorts of press entirely. And makes his relationship with this ask blog pretty complicated too...)

Ludwig has similar beliefs to Roy (Tough love and all that) but he can't help but be a BIT affectionate here and there. However, he's barely had the time due to what he's been doing on his day to day. He keeps a very tight schedule, training at every opportunity he gets, whether it be magic, or hand-to-hand combat, and as mentioned previously, barely sleeps. Not for the best reasons, either. He doesn't have the same anxiety Morton does that something bad's coming their way. He just wants to prove to someone (and himself) that he's the best at what he does.

[If you guys need more specific info, pls ask, these are practically the basics - OP]

[georgiapeach30513]

RE: Red One.

It’s funny how critics and people online continue to want to keep this film down, but I think it’s continuing to exceed expectations which is a good sign.

I had a feeling for a long while it was going to surprise people, given how many were complaining nonstop about Chris’s involvement.

Also, the discourse about his career choices… 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

It’s one thing if he were to sit there and complain to the media about not being able to find more serious roles or prestige movies to do.

But to my knowledge he’s never done that? I can only think of him saying years ago that his good films he feels nobody watches (true, or at least not ENOUGH people watch) but even then it wasn’t so much a complaint as a response to a question.

It seems like he is having fun and just picking what he wants to do. I’ve never heard him say “I only did this because I couldn’t get that.” He’s thrown out there he did Red One because he’s always wanted a Christmas film and there was a part for someone like him in it. Makes sense to me. And he just did three smaller scale lower profile projects with directors that are still establishing themselves. Without his and Anya’s involvement, don’t know that sacrifice would have been able to get made. I wish critics who aren’t up to date with his career move at least stop talking and wait for developments over a “hot take” for hits.

I saw a ridiculous tweet once again undermining Red One and his choices. Here’s the thing…red one was an orignal IP. It was a new story that wasn’t from an existing franchise, show, book, or sequel. Lots of people worked on that film and Amazon giving it a theatrical release also helps those who worked on the film that aren’t DJ or the rest of the cast. People who are seeing it in theaters are helping to create box office return and if films like this did well and were received well, maybe there would be more studios willing to take a chance on an original take over an existing IP.

Just because it’s a popcorn movie with silliness does not mean it’s trash and only films like Oppenheimer can be considered art.

I really despise that take and how some cinephiles look down on these films yet solely up lift Oscar bait films.

It bothers me immensely as a creative myself because in my opinion, movies are entertainment and they’re supposed to entertain you. If you and others have fun with the content and enjoy, have a good laugh, a smile, a cry, then I think the creators have done their job. Not all films need to be awards worthy, and art is subjective.

Ahh, the discourse on Chris' career is a tale as old as time at this moment. According to some he will never be good enough or rise to his potential. According to some he is a washed up has been, and yet they can't seem to quit him. I think that makes him a bit more powerful than they want him to be. But alas, we're all free to spend our time how we see fit.

It's funny because I don't think some people realize the roles that he was considered for, the roles he turned down, the roles that he was wanted for. Back when Running Man was in talks, he was top of the list as the lead, and we see that he wanted Sacrifice instead. I think that was a better choice, because quite frankly I'm getting fatigued at all the remakes, but some people want to make their career out of remakes. To each their own.

Unfortunately Chris outside of the MCU has never been quite as a box office draw. A lot of his movies, well most, are on a smaller scale. I think people are looking at his last three movies; Ghosted, Pain Hustlers, and Red One, and immediately jumping on a hate bandwagon. Let's break this down, Ghosted was a small movie, and judging by the synopsis I think we got what we were promised. I think that Dex, Chris, and Ana all were making different movies.

Pain Hustlers will mostly be forgotten. It was part of the opiate epidemic movies that became oversaturated. It didn't have any promotion, and compared to the other projects in the opiate crisis genre, it wasn't that great. I still will die on the hill that his performance was solid, and the best in the movie. Emily was oddly terrible.

Red One I think surprised a lot of people. Nobody expected it to be as fun or as good as it ended up being. Due to the strike, Chris didn't get to really film last year, minus the Deadpool movie. Had R1 not be released a year late, he would have only had Deadpool for this year. Starting next year we're going to have another surge of his projects, and they all seem different, so maybe people should just be patient.

The average movie goer wants to be entertained. That's why popcorn flicks make more money than the award movies. now sometimes you can have both. But anyways.

[hevexns-realm]

Hello! I came here with another random question:

What type of games characters in your AU like: Video games, board games or sport games? And which ones? 👀

EEEE I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE-

Sonic, tails, and silver all love video games. Even if Sonic loves physical sports, he tends to make video game nights for everyone who wants to participate. While Sonic plays a few more edgier games like COD or even Diablo, silver and tails prefer cozier games like Minecraft or animal crossing!

Shadow is more of a board game type of guy, and the game of life is one of his favorites! Although he does play the occasional call of duty with Sonic. Sometimes he uses the voice changer Iris lets him borrow for his drag queen role and uses it to mess with little shits online who are being assholes. It’s funny as all hell, and when the villain group gets ahold of the shadow clips, they’ll be laughing about it for a few days-

Mephiles isn’t much of a gamer, he’s more into novels, audiobooks, the dark academia type stuff. HOWEVER, he does play horror games or mystery type games on occasion, when he has the time. (He refuses to admit this, as he doesn’t want anyone to associate him with his snapcube alternate counterpart. He hates the bastard with a passion, even more than I do-)

Blaze, Nazo, and seelkadoom are all similar to mephiles. They view most video games as a waste of time, or at least the violent/stressful ones. Although, they each have a comfort game of some kind. For blaze, it’s coffee talk (episodes one and two) while Nazo and seelka have a soft spot for cult of the lamb, as it’s a co-op game that they can play with either each other or can take turns playing with Iris when it’s a quiet night.

Adding onto Nazo, he really likes games where there’s always a little something at risk. The higher the risk, the more competitive he gets. This especially goes in gambling, when he knows that there’s a giant pot on the table. When it comes to physical activity, he prefers fencing, speed skating, and a little bit of the waltz on occasion!

Seelka is really into physical sports. His training is arguably the most vigorous, and is the most athletic of the three. It shows through his physique in his work attire, and Iris needs to restrain herself every time she sees him in that suit. (Every other day tbh- and nazo isn’t much better about it either.)

Iris doesn’t really know what games are, but she loves dancing and swimming! She’s actually participated in the Solaris festival as a dancer multiple times at this point, and she loves it even more throughout the years! ^^ outside of the physical stuff, she loves messing with people’s heads. Making them think she’s one thing when she isn’t. She does this with a lot of older rich men, and once she’s gotten larger spoils, she shares them with her friends! (Nazo and seelka get the largest amount before her-)

Iblis loves monopoly, the game of life, anything that relates to mortal life the way she wants everyone to live. She wants them to live their happily ever after, as long as it’s safe, she’ll be happy to support her subjects achieve their dreams!! ❤️❤️

Aeon is a valorant/league of legends player, but she plays a ton of other video games as well! (Non-toxic player, but she’s more than happy to match energy if needed-)

Rouge loves monopoly, but she and iblis have a serious rivalry with the game. Any other game they’re fine, but since both of them are good cheaters, they tend to try and expose the other! ^^

Amy loves card games! UNO, go fish, even some solitare, you name it, she’ll play it! Although, she really likes to play with nazo, as he’s literally a high-class gambler, he knows every trick in the book. She learns a lot of things from him!! ^^

Taglist:

@thebreadmeower @hunniegl4zed

Sorry it took so long, school was long, got some press on nails, and currently getting sick QvQ||

[wilhelmsbee]

Okay now I also would like a director's commentary, if you'd be willing to do that!

First of all for the book discussion edit you did which is.....INSANITY ...literally one of the best edits ever ever ever

And also maybe "real funny that things go to hell now that I've found it" because I think it's criminally underrated!!

Also, feel free to pick one of those haha and I might take you up on more some time haha

I am gonna do them both but I'll be doing the second one in a standalone post! Starting with this edit!

because this edit has no lyrics I'm gonna do it like the line of dialogue & the scenes played instead :P

And what do you think the dilemma is?- Starting with the actual scene, Simon is asked the question by the teacher, basically showing that the edit is going to be entirely about Simon's interpretation of the book Kris, which is used as a parallel for wilmon! The text is purple for the teacher, but that's also the colour I use to represent wilmon as a couple so its a little nod to that as well :)

That Malin has grown up with strong Christian ideals, that...- Wilhelm walking through the castle, trying on Erik's old jacket, paralleling Wilhelm's upbringing as a Prince to an extremely religious upbringing. He's been raised in this place, with its long-standing traditions and deep beliefs that permeate into the modern world. He's surrounded by this institution and even though he tries his best to be himself and accept who he is, obviously it has fundamentally carved out his brain in a specific way. The royal upbringing is what made him so afraid of his sexuality, and even when he accepts that there are still parts of him that naturally fall into that safe self-serving mindset.

She has trouble combining with how she really feels.- Wilhelm is left out when August and Erik get to see each other, the etiquette book being forced into his hands, leaving Simon after his mother told him 'no more mistakes.', telling Simon that their kiss was a mistake. He doesn't know how to fit into either box, Prince or Wilhelm. He's in a completely new space and all he's trying to do is be exactly what everyone wants him to be, what he's expected to be. He struggles during the photo-op because he wants to be himself, but he's quickly reminded that he should actually just follow everyone else and fit the mould. This mindset is what makes him leave Simon in E4. He's struggling to find the line between what his upbringing expects of him and what he actually wants, and he can't manage to thread that needle no matter how much he wants to. The one time he figured it out, realising his mistake and backtracking, it didn't change anything. He was forced back into that same box. Despite his best efforts, Wilhelm doesn't know how to balance his title and himself.

Especially about Siv.- The anxious hovering before the kiss in episode 4. He's desperately trying to reassure himself this is okay and that he's allowed to be happy and accept himself even as the Prince. It's all he has, nobody else around him cares like Simon does, and still, he has to hesitate, he's afraid that once he crosses that line he can't go back. I always thought this mirrored the party scene, when Wilhelm looked like he wanted to kiss Simon, but the show cuts before we see (and I don't think they did kiss here tbh). He's so terrified of crossing these barriers he's made in his head, consciously or not, because once he does how will he go back? How could he go back? He doesn't know where to put these feelings, there's no space between his royal upbringing and societal expectations. Both of these scenes feel like a free-fall jump. He's risking everything just to see. To feel something that he's held back from himself, allow himself that experience. Get to know himself.

You wish that Malin could just ignore them,- The outside pressures on Wilhelm rearing their ugly heads. He's a poster-child for Hillerska, especially since Henry confirms that the school board thought Wilhelm would bring more students to the school. The plaque reminding him that he is responsible for the legacy of the school causes him to spiral, because he's a public figure whose name can never be separated from the school but he might be falling for a boy who he can't ever really be with, and he hates it. His mother reminding him that he can't make any more mistakes, that he's the sole heir to the throne and he needs to make the family proud, it just cements this fear. Wilhelm is stuck in this cycle of accept himself/ outside pressure to conform/ accept himself... and it's wearing him down already. He's taking his mother's words and applying them to what he knows she wouldn't like, even though she doesn't know about it. [You] in this scenario is Simon, or at least Wilhelm's interpretation of Simon. He imagines it's irritating watching him go between reaching out and pulling back, how draining it must be for Simon, but he also knows that there's no easy solution to this problem.

I mean, the duties and ideas about God- Again, God in this context is the Royal Family. Wilhelm giving his pre-written speech, Wilhelm giving his pre-planned lie about the tape. These scenes show his duties to the throne. He needs to keep up appearances, come hell or high water. There's a distinct lack of emotion in both scripts (though he does go off-book after Erik's passing, but this isn't a public space, so it makes sense). He is just following exactly what is expected of him, with no real personal attachment, even though both of these things are extremely emotional events. His duty to the Royal Family is to pretend that everything is fine, all the time. To rid himself of his humanity, just be the figurehead he's supposed to be.

It's not just coming from outside, it's her own fault, too.- Wilhelm's admission. It's not just the Royal Court deciding his actions, his every word, thought, and movement. He's accepting blame for himself, too. It's something he's been extremely hesitant to do in the series up until this point, but it was extremely necessary. Wilhelm's acceptance of fault is what helps reform that trust with Simon. It was Wilhelm's own recklessness that almost got him taken out of school, and it was his own naivety that made him believe Simon could trust him post-tape-denial. Yes, there were outside sources, but he wasn't acting as a puppet for the Royal Family, he was making his own decisions as well, and he's acknowledging the hurt that it brought to Simon. A lot of Wilhelm's S2 arc is related to taking responsibility and understanding the pain he's caused, as well as trying to amend it to the best of his ability. Of course, he still messes up, he's a teenager, but he puts in as much effort as he can.

She has been forced to...- I always thought the Queen manipulated Wilhelm by using the dead-brother-card to ensure he didn't confirm the sex tape. He was forced into giving that statement, and I think at this point Simon has begun to realise just how much power and reach Wilhelm's family (more specifically his mother) has over him and his own existence. He's forced to be this perfect son, with no problems, not a hair out of place, and it has shaped him. Even when Wilhelm fights against the manipulation, he knows that it's not going to work, because everyone around him is willing to do whatever it takes to get him to agree. Jan-Olof doesn't care about Wilhelm's upset at the song changing, all he has to do is say 'The Queen Requested It' because he knows that's all Wilhelm needs to hear to back down. His mother knows this, too. Although Wilhelm has free will and makes a lot of bad decisions on his own, his mother's ability to control and manipulate him only makes those bad decisions worse.

Follow those rules.- Wilhelm just wants to be the perfect son, and considering the fact the show starts on a PR disaster, it makes sense that he's doing anything he can to fix that public perception. He won't speak about politics because Royals are supposed to be politically neutral, even though he clearly isn't politically neutral. He tries to thread the needle, which endears Simon but also shows his fear of further repercussions. He's already lost so much after the fight video, so he's on his best behaviour now. Even months later, he still struggles with regulating emotions and suppressing his anxiety, causing him to be mad at himself for not doing enough. Not being the perfect boy who doesn't want to be openly queer and isn't upset that his ex-boyfriend has a new boyfriend. He can't pretend that he feels okay with these rules, but he also can't let himself bend them. The breakdown after the first kiss is the biggest reflection of this. Yes, he kissed Simon back the second time, but once he was reminded that this was real life where others were nearby and there could be public ramifications to being caught like that, suddenly he's desperately spewing out anything that could remotely sound like he's straight. When Simon actually listens and tries to leave, though? That's also bad. He can't break the rules, but he also can't imagine letting this go. The rules he has to follow just trample him and cause more harm than good, and Simon recognises this.

She can't just throw away everything she's ever learned about right and wrong.- Mostly just highlighting the differences between when Wilhelm was kissed by Felice and when he was kissed by Simon. The kiss with Simon felt right, he was surprised but wanted it to continue. The kiss with Felice didn't. He can't throw away everything he's learned about what's right and wrong for him. It kind of was supposed to spin the line on its head. It's not what he's been taught as right and wrong, but what he's learned, from experience.

She discovers that- The therapy session with Boris, the one where Wilhelm realises he actually can be emotionally vulnerable with Simon and tell him how he feels, and let him be informed. He's finally learning that he has some say and control in his life, that it isn't just predetermined because of who he is and what he was born into. There's this change in expression that emphasises his sudden realisation, like his whole world has been spun on its head.

She wants to change her life,- Confronting Simon with his feelings!!! Simon had asked him to just be open and honest, and for once, he actually is. He wants to change, he wants to have control in his life, and he wants to pursue what's actually important to him! Of course, he tells Simon don't charge August because then I can't abdicate BUT he gives him the option to do whatever feels right. He isn't demanding control of a situation which is out of his hands, he's just letting Simon know his options. Also he apologises and is the bigger person about the wrongs he's done, he's changing for the better. His love is making him better.

Because of what she learns through her feelings for Siv.- Wilhelm has grown a lot throughout the course of his relationship with Simon, even when they weren't together a lot of his growth is centred around Simon and wanting to fix their relationship- and by extension himself. Happy, silly wilmon contrasted with more emotional and sad wilmon not only shows how much they've been through together, how much they've faced together, but also just hammers home the depth of their connection. Wilhelm feels safe and vulnerable with Simon, and Simon feels comfortable and happy with Wilhelm. They're always reaching out or touching each other in these scenes, the constant affection between them just emphasises their love and connection which is what this edit is all about.

So it isn't all bad, and we don't know what happens after the book ends.- - More wilmon comforting each other, lots of touching and holding and love. Even when their relationship is in a bad place, there's still that love and care there in every action they do together. Everything they do is an output of their love- even when they're upset and fighting is because they love each other and they're hurt and don't know how to express it. They just want to hold each other together and keep close, and the beauty in that pure expression of love just carries through the scenes so nicely. They're in love your honour!!!

Closing Scene- I chose this scene because it is just such a perfect encapsulation of wilmon to me. The soft, gentle movements and the warm lighting, the comfort and safety they feel... it's also my favourite scene in the whole show but that's just my opinion etc... truly what I want is for wilmon to have a silly little morning after scene that isn't tainted with the agony to come. We don't know what happens after young royals ends, but I imagine it is gonna be that scene every morning because they're in love!!!!! and I do not care what anyone else says!!!

FONT CHOICE

The font I used is I'm DW pica!!! it's the folklore/evermore font, and I think it has storytelling vibes and that kinda links back to the whole It's A Story For English Class thing :P

Also the text changes colour between Simon's voice and Wilhelm's voice because usually (read: if I'm making my edit like a conversation) I'll colour the texts to match who's speaking (or who matches the current lyrics, or who's POV I'm editing from). When I do this, Simon's text is always a yellow-gold and Wilhelm's is always a teal-blue.

COLOURING

The beginning of the edit has a pale pinky-reddy colouring over it, it's quite desaturated and it's supposed to feel quite cold and hopeless. In sadder edits I'll usually use a red/pink/purple or sometimes a blue pallet for colouring, and it'll be very desaturated. However, by the line she discovers that the colouring actually shifts to a warm golden tint (most of the time my gold colourings are modified from the S1E5 opening scene). Basically showing how he's gaining control and hope and life is looking better and happier :)

by the way how I shift colours in edits is literally just having two layers with the different colour overlays and making one go from 0-100% opacity at the same rate as the other goes from 100-0%. It looks pretty smooth imo :3

[lostcauses-noregrets]

I know new AoT stuff wasn't going to be anything but still an artbook wasn't what I expected. I know it was never going to be about the Ackermans but I swear Isayama should do something about them one day because they are "weakest point" storytelling-wise in AoT. Kenny Levi and Mikasa are all my favorites but also they don't make sense and always feel like something Isayama only invented to explain how they are so OP in a more grounded story where ordinary people without Titan powers are just that, ordinary people. That ask you answered recently for example. They are just... It makes zero sense. Fandom, especially Eruri fans, did so much more justice to this side of AoT compared to Isayama. Because in no world it makes sense that they just discover 2 of their soldiers are literally super soldiers and there can be more out there when they are literally threatened by intelligent titans and a mostly unknown enemy. Don't get me wrong, I love that Yams kept it mysterious which gave the fans creative freedom when it comes to Ackerman stuff. Eruri fans are so creative with it. But he still acts like Ackermans exist in their own little world. No one reacts to them, no one is interested in them unless the story has to remind us they are special (again that ask you answered about ackermans being immune). You telling me Paradis, in desperation under the threat of outside world and their intelligent titans, didn't search for possibly more Ackermans? Erwin who loves things like that never questioned Levi or Mikasa? Hange, who is a science freak and loves titan science in the first place, begged Levi or Mikasa to give them their blood sample or anything? No one tried to weaponize them? Ackermans make no sense because it feels like their story is a side story, a side quest and completely seperated from the main storyline, not because they are a mystery. THEY MAKE NO SENSE ITS DRIVING ME CRAZY

I got this ask last weekend and we've had a lot more information about Shingeki FLY since then. We now know it's going to be a 200 page art book, a "top secret final draft", and "Attack on Titan Vol. 35 which contains the newly drawn manga Bad Boy". There's been a lot of speculation about who Bad Boy refers to with many fans holding out hope that the new manga or side story will be about Levi. (Though I did laugh at the person on twitter who said it might be about Armin and Annie.). So you never know Anon, you might get your Ackerman lore yet!

Much as I would love to know more about the Ackermans, I'm not sure I agree that they're the "weakest point" storytelling-wise". I think there are much more annoying plot weaknesses, particularly whatever the hell is going on with Historia! Personally I can live with the layers of ambiguity surrounding the Ackermans, particularly because they've proved such fertile ground for fic writers, as you rightly said.

The thing about the Ackermans is that, given the king's attempts to wipe them out, it's not clear whether anyone on Paradis knew anything about them. Erwin wanted Levi for the Survey Corps as soon as he saw his strength and skill, but when he recruited Levi, he had no idea he was Ackerman, or what that meant. Levi himself only discovered he was an Ackerman at the end of the Uprising Arc. We don't know from canon whether Levi revealed his lineage to Erwin, but I'm quite sure he did. He certainly doesn't seem to have been reticent about talking about his relationship with Kenny to Mikasa and Hanji in the cart, and with Nifa on the rooftop.

But even if Erwin did know by the end of the Uprising that the Ackermans were a clan of supers soldiers, as you put it, he didn't really have a chance to exploit that information; sadly he was killed barely a couple of months later. Hanji does appear to have some knowledge of the Ackermans later in the story, but again, by that stage they were all fighting for their lives so they weren't exactly in a position to go hunting for more Ackermans to support the Alliance.

Anyway, I can understand your frustration about the lack of information about the Ackermans, and I really would love to know more about them too. However, over the years, I've made my peace with the fact that they are likely to remain a mystery.

[ficnoire2]

Legendborn/Bloodmarked Character Spotlight: Valechaz

Legendborn/Bloodmarked Character Spotlight: 

Valechaz

I love this character.  It could be because he reminds me of a slick talking uncle always working an angle, not sure, but Valec makes me chuckle to myself.  Here are some of those instances and commentary about my favorite fast-talking, crossroads child.

Empathy

I find it remarkable that Velec is so empathetic given his background and history (someone has mentioned this before but the OP escapes me, apologies).  In chapter 46 Mariah says, “Valec was born on a plantation to a mother who practiced.  His mother’s people cast him out, but he ended up enslaved elsewhere…”  “You and I may feel the dead, see them, but we don’t carry the memories of what these places were really like.  He does.  He lived it.  Survived it.”  I thought this was a powerful statement considering how understanding Valec is of Sel in particular (which is one of the reasons I think Erebus is his father as well as Sel’s, but I’ll touch on that later).  Going through and surviving chattel slavery is something I cannot fathom.  I can only think of the generational scars and trauma carried in the bodies that lived it.  Despite this Valec is able to see people for who they are without excusing less than desirable behavior, but offering understanding and perspective.  At 205 years old he is able to impart all the knowledge he has gained through pain and loss.  I am amazed that he sees fit to do this.  Why he isn’t angry all the time is beyond me (the most balanced Cambion in the region).  Even after whooping Sel’s ass and exposing his true face at the bar, he still gave him aether vials to sustain him.  The level of understanding and care there is off the charts if you ask me.  Much like William, Valec knows his power but so far we have only seen him use what he can do minimally. I think in book three, he will be unleashed.  As Bree says “The words are jovial, but the tone has a note of dark warning.  Everything about the newcomer is balanced on a razor’s edge between charm and threat.”

A Special Thing

When I say Tracy Deonn did her research, boy did she ever.  The fact that the demon Valac is described as an angelic boy that rides a two-headed dragon and finds treasures, and our baby-faced Valec has found the ultimate treasure (Bree) is a nice little Easter egg.  There is so much to unpack regarding Valec and such a big chunk of his life missing for readers to do so.  The self described “special thing” found many treasures in Bloodmarked.  He felt Bree’s root and discovered her Bloodmark which later helped Bree reveal who Erebus really was.  He revealed the treasure that is Volition helping Bree understand a bit more about her power.  I wonder what led Valechaz to be so well-balanced?  That would indeed make him a special thing in this world.  

History with the Order?  

The scene where Bree and Sel blow Erebus halfway through the forest and Valec shows up was a bit curious to me.  When the Shadowborn appear and it is stated that “Without speaking, Valec and Sel separate, circling behind the pack faster than the lesser demons can change course, slicing and striking as they move.  It’s a technique I’ve seen Nick do before…”  I am curious as to how Valec knows this type of battle tactic.  Also, that he and Sel just instinctively do it, much like Bree and Sel combining power, knowingly without verbally stating anything.  Not that Valec would not know how to defend himself, but the way in which this scene was described made my ears perk up.  Bree even seemed surprised with the weapons he was able to forge. What history does Valec have with the Order?  He seems to know about the inner workings and terminology which are not usually known to outsiders.  “Onceborn? Oh they have gotten you good, haven’t they?  The Legendborn with all of their honorifics and hierarchies, who gets power and who doesn’t, who is worthy and who isn’t.  I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s all several layers of assholery.”  He seems well acquainted with the “Good ol’ boys club” that is the order and how they abuse their scions as a means to their own ends.  Before Bree stalks into the woods after Sel holds her together, Valec tells her “You can’t belong to an idea” in reference to her saying Sel belongs to the Order.  Fitting words for someone who was in bondage.  I have so many questions regarding Valec’s backstory which leads me to…

Erebus

I feel like Erebus fathered Valec.  In chapter 26 of Legendborn when Louisa takes Bree to see Valec’s birth (it was stated that she needed to see it) Louisa says “A crossroads child born of a crossroads man.  The father walked among us and shared our form, but in truth he was a demon born of the shadows.  The child is half human.”  Much like Sel, we get minimal information about their fathers (Valec, a bit more than Sel).  It is briefly mentioned that Sel’s father crawled into a liquor bottle and never came out, BUT, it was also said that his mother was killed by a Goruchel and five minutes later he found out she was alive.  I think Erebus fathered both boys.  He is ancient and has connections to both of them.  I would love to know under what circumstances Erebus met Valec. Hell, how did he meet Valec’s mother?! Why her?  Valec describes him as an “old goat” that he’d hoped was dead.  Why?  What history do they have?  Erebus is also constantly trying to get in Bree’s head about Sel, desperately trying to keep him away from her.  I think he knows the two of them can bring him to his knees (it is alluded to at Volition that Bree can defeat The Hunter).  Valec and Sel have a sort of brotherly connection as well.  Valec is the more balanced version of Sel in my opinion.  I think he recognizes this much like he recognized all the things that drew people to Nick.  He is enraged when Valec proudly proclaims that he wouldn’t mind keeping Bree for himself and exposes him for wanting the same thing.  Valec understands more than most what it is like to be Sel, to be cast out and to want to hide himself from the world.  Valec has the potential for great violence, but uses his wit and wisdom more readily.

Curious to hear thoughts on our witty, well-dressed cambion!

[iztarshi]

Febuwhump - Immortality

Fandom: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Girl Genius

Note: Turtles as Jägers

You sit on the pavement outside the Castle. There’s an awful lot of Jägers doing the exact same thing, bodies loose and exaggeratedly casual, games of cards being played on the pavement with the usual cheerful arguing reduced to a mutter. No one becomes a Jäger without riding with them first, which means everyone here has someone they know inside. Someone who might become a brother. Or they might not. You know the odds as well as any of them and the fact that the odds can be just as bad in battle doesn’t help at all. In battle you could do something, throw your body between Mikey and the enemy even if he yelled at you afterwards.

”Raph, you can’t fight my battles for me! Just because I’m human doesn’t mean I’m useless.”

“Hy know dot, little man. Big man. But Hy em bigger und hyu is hundreds ov years younger.”

“Yeah, but I’m good at this. I’ve got the skills. I’ve got the flamethrower.” Mikey, not yet five feet, glares and you, going on for seven feet and covered in scales, cower back.

Leo laughs. “He’s got de intimidation factor too.”

Leo is lying on his back, hat over his eyes. He’d look relaxed if he wasn’t chewing his claws so hard he’s broken one. He’s not even complaining about his pretty scarlet claws being ruined and demanding glue.

You pull Leo’s claws away from his mouth and he pushes his hat back to glare. For a moment you think there’s going to be a fight. You’d almost welcome a way to release the tension except it’s the wrong moment, the wrong mood. All around you are other Jägers, also not fighting. Leo rolls onto his front instead and rests his chin on your thigh.

”Dot line needs to be higher,” Leo says.

“Shot op und stop micro-managing,” Donnie growls, painting a little higher with the ink. “Hy haff done this before.”

“Hyu vouldn’t know it,” Leo says.

“I think it looks fine,” Mikey says, smiling. The outline of a Jägersymbol is on his skin, just in ordinary ink right now but it’s ready to be tattooed.

Donnie picks up the needle and you say, “Did hyu clean it proper? Mikey iz human.”

“Hy sterilised it, yez,” Donnie says, rolling his eyes.

You watch as he pokes the needle again and again into Mikey’s skin. Mikey smiles and smiles through the process.

“Now hyu will be a brother forever,” Leo says. “Effen if hyu leave, get married, buy a house…”

That and not the pain makes Mikey scowl. “I’m not leaving.”

You fold a hand over his shoulder, careful of your claws. “But hyu’d still be our brother if hyu did. Hyu don’t need to do anyting to make dot true. Hyu ken liff hyu own life.”

“This is my own life,” Mikey says, firmly.

Donnie is scribbling something in a book. A quick peek over his shoulder reveals probability calculations, done over and over again. The answer always comes out to about one-in-ten.

You put an arm around his shoulder and pull him against your side, he leans into it with a grumble but the pencil keeps going. On the other side of you, Leo peeks up at him, before looking away again to lose himself in his own thoughts.

”He asked me!” Mikey shouts. “Master Saturnus asked me! I’m gonna be a Jäger!”

You freeze, all three of you freeze, and you should congratulate him. You understand the honour that has been done to him. You remember. Even if you had died then you would have died a Jäger, you would have died for the Master. But this is Mikey, little Mikey, who loots artworks instead of gold.

“There’s a moch higher chance hyu vill simply die,” Donnie blurts out. “Nine in ten pipple dun survive the Jägerdraught.”

“Not how I vould haff said it, but Donnie’s got a point,” Leo says. “Hy mean, congratulations and everyting, but are you really sure?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Mikey says. “You know how much I’ve wanted this. I’m gonna be like you guys.”

“Mikey,” you say. “Vot if hyu die?”

“I’m going to die anyway,” Mikey says. “Way before you do. Even if I live to be old you guys will still keep going after I’m gone and you’ll forget me the way you forget everyone who rides with you.”

“Not hyu,” Leo says, finding the words for all of you. “Ve could no more forget hyu than ve could a Heterodyne.”

Mikey reaches out and squeezes Leo’s arms. “You’re not going to forget me because I’m not going to die. I’m going to live forever and set the world on fire and I’m going to do it with you.”

When one of his hands lets go of Leo and reaches for you you wrap an arm around them both and pull Donnie in with the other.

The Doom Bell rings and the square goes from quiet to utter silence. Master Saturnus enters first, hair wild and stride loose with exhaustion, but still radiating energy and satisfaction.

Behind him come the survivors. Still mostly human looking, but stumbling with rearranged muscles under their skin. Grinning with still blunt teeth but grins sharp with something new.

Mikey stands among them.

You don’t know who moves first. Whether it was Leo, rolling from lying against you to standing in one swift movement. Whether it was Donnie, forgetting his notebook as he runs. Whether it was you, running, running, as the crowd around you surges forward in the same motion.

The three of you hit Mikey together and he goes down beneath you. He’s laughing, poking you between the ribs with newly-minted claws. He smells of sweat and pain and pack, the Dyne singing in his blood.

“I told you,” he says, wild and joyful. Then he laughs and says with mischief in his eyes. “Hy told hyu. Hy told hyu all.”

[lorbanery]

"I don't actually care if you don't read the comics, but ... "

NOPE

"You should at least read some of the comics to get a better understanding of the character :) "

WRONG

How exactly is reading a comic book with its own canon going to tell me more about a character from a movie/cartoon/show/book/webcomic/whatever that has its own canon separate from the comics???????

Like, how is knowing more about the social butterfly, the axel that all the spokes in the superhero wheel are connected to; the man loved by most and respected by almost all, including supervillains; who's a friend, mentor, and/or colleague to every superhero in the biz; founder of the Titans; former member of the Justice League; big brother to four other Robins, two other Batgirls, and I don't even know how many other Bat-themed extended family; second father to Damian; generally well-adjusted, given the givens; still in touch with his extended family even when he's feuding with Bruce that is comics!Dick

Supposed to give me a better understanding of DCAU!Dick, who's never been a member of any team outside of the Bat-family; never canonically even met any other non-Bat superheroes; is barely even shown having any relationships with people outside of the Bat-fam, and one of those only partially counts because one of them is Babs before she was Batgirl and also before he knew she was Batgirl; saw the woman he loved (Babs) go on to date and marry HIS OWN LEGAL GUARDIAN/FATHER FIGURE; had a single younger sibling who he saw get tortured out of the role; and had such a nasty falling out with Bruce in the long-term aftermath that, as far as we know, he never spoke to a single member of the Bat-fam again?

How is knowing more about a Dick Grayson who's always been one of, if not the, most experienced and competent people in the room whether that room is filled with Justice Leaguers, Titans, supervillains, spies, or any other people highly skilled in crime-related pastimes; who has a well-earned confidence; who has been able to shape his own superhero career even when he was Robin; who is fueled by his fierce love for and desire to protect his friends, in addition to his firm sense of justice and fairness

Supposed to give me a better understanding of Young Justice!Dick, who has rarely ever had real control over his superhero career; who, rather than founding a superhero team with his friends, was PLACED on a team with other kids he mostly didn't know, by the League; who was given orders by the League; who realized he was not the most competent person in the room early on and voted someone else into that leadership role; who only took on the leadership role later when he was much older out of necessity for a long-term secret op; whose entire superhero career has been defined less by achieving successes with his friends, and more by on-going, stacking trauma and only occasionally getting a small win in between much larger, more significant losses; whose sense of justice and fairness is, I would argue, tempered significantly by a fear of fucking up, of hurting people, of losing people?

How is knowing more about a Dick Grayson who was an only child who lost his parents to a racketeering mob boss; who was Bruce's legal ward and grew up with Bruce as both a mentor and father figure; who relied on Bruce to not only teach him how to be a superhero, but to raise him and take care of him, to fill the role of the parents he lost; who was told by Bruce that killing the man who killed his parents would be wrong and took that to heart so strongly that when he thought Bruce might be planning to kill Zucco later, he raced off to stop him; who dated the police commissioner's daughter only to find out later that she's Batgirl

Going to give me any insight into Schumacher-verse!Dick who lost both his parents and an older brother because Two-Face decided to hold up the circus; who was at least old enough to be thinking about applying to colleges when Bruce took him in, creating a dynamic where Bruce was perhaps thinking he was stepping into Dick's father's place, but was actually stepping more into his older brother's place; who was perfectly capable of taking care of himself without Bruce and without his family; who inserted himself at Bruce's side as Robin rather than being recruited or offered the place; who was talked down by Bruce into not killing Two-Face, but then watched Bruce take an action that he had to have known would result in Two-Face's death and watched Two-Face die the same way his family had; who dated Alfred's niece and watched her become Batgirl, helped her even?

"IT ISN'T CANONNNNFDKLASFDAJGLBBJGNGG;OGOAGHUEGKH"

YOU'RE WRONG, IT DOESN'T MATTER, AND YOU'RE LITERALLY THE ONLY ONES WHO CARE.

Bruce Wayne being able to talk openly and honestly and vulnerably about his feelings at the drop of a hat is Wayne Family Adventures canon.

Jason and Babs talking candidly about Joker-based PTSD and exchanging tips, tricks, and techniques to deal with it and discuss it with a therapist is Gotham Knights (the game) canon.

Young Justice being founded by Dick, Wally, Kaldur, M'Gann, and Kon is Young Justice canon.

The Titans being founded by Dick, Raven, Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy is Teen Titans/TTG canon.

Dick being old enough to go to college when Bruce takes him in and the Batman and Robin suits having nipples meticulously molded into them is Schumacher-verse canon.

The Joker killing the Waynes and Catwoman having a supernaturally prolonged life because of the sheer power of her Single Cat Lady energy is Burton-verse canon.

Just because something that is not a main-universe, main-timeline published comic book does not comply with the main-universe and/or main-timeline comics does not mean that it's "not canon." It just means that it's not comics canon. Those are two different things! Just like a webcomic and a cartoon and a movie and a live action series and a video game and a comic book are different things!

The comics aren't the only canon and most of the time? They're only barely relevant because, whether you like the adaptation or not, the characters are only based on their comic book equivalents and sometimes bare only a passing resemblance to them.

And frankly every DC comics fan should understand and be fine with this because every single adaptation is an alternate dimension Earth according to comics canon.

No one NEEDS to read the comics to "better understand" the characters in their preferred adaptation.

No one SHOULD read the comics to have a "more well-rounded grasp" of the characters in their preferred adaptation.

I, personally, love (some of) the comics.

But, and I say this so so sincerely, fuck the comics!

Telling a WFA fan that they "should" or "need to" read the comics to better understand the characters is like telling someone they should watch Dr. Who to get a better understanding of Bill & Ted just because Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure was partially formed around Dr. Who's idea of a time traveling telephone booth.

Is that too dated of a reference? How about this:

It's like telling a Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom fan that they need to play the other Zelda games to akshully understand BotW/TotK. Like even though every new game establishes that it's a new version of the story that has little to nothing to do with the previous ones. Even though Nintendo has officially stated that each game is a different incarnation of Link, Zelda, and Ganon, and sometimes they even exist in a completely different timeline. Will playing through Ocarina of Time greatly impact your ability to understand the plot of TotK? No. Will playing through Skyward Sword reveal some fundamental truth about Link, Zelda, and Ganon that was severely affecting your ability to play through BotW? No.

But it's IMPORTANT!!1!!!1!!!!!1!!!!!

For REASONS*!!!!!!!!11!!!~!!!!!11!!!

*I, the Most Correct Legend of Zelda fan, personally like those games the best and think you're liking LoZ WRONG by liking something else and the version I made up of you in my head doesn't even KNOW about the other games or doesn't CARE about them or maybe even HATES them just because they're OLD and WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S A HIGH PROBABILITY YOU'VE ACTUALLY PLAYED OTHER ZELDA GAMES BEFORE BECAUSE NEW ADAPTATIONS OF ESTABLISHED FRANCHISES MOSTLY ATTRACT EXISTING FANS FJDKL;AGJK;HFEUAGHLHGJK

Anyway.

To anyone out there who is a fan of only the adaptations, or even just mostly adaptations, I, an official

Comics Enjoyer

Fandom Old

Person who got into the comics BECAUSE I was first introduced to the characters through MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ADAPTATIONS

Person who understands that every reason to not get drawn down the Adaptation-to-Comics pipeline is a valid reason whether it stems from lack of access, interest, or knowledge

I hereby give you permission to NOT read the comics

Whether you can't, or you can't right now, or you just don't fuckin' want to

Don't!

You don't have to! Enjoy whatever adaptation's been pumping away at your serotonin

And let the people who read the comics care about what's going on in them.

[marta-bee]

This is an issue for lots of demographics. There are all kinds of racist tropes. Class issues. And for all the fandom has been going on about how he can finally respect women now that the latest books are public domain... that is very much an unsettled question, even there. I definitely get uncomfortable with the way he’d physically touch his female clients to uncover secrets about them that had nothing to do with the mystery, just as a way to show off his deductive prowess; as a woman, the physical, uncalled-for touching but also the reducing them to a spectacle for Watson always gave me the willies.

And even on the LGBT front, as much as I enjoy Holmes/Watson, there’s also a very strong case to be made that Holmes’s queer identity is very tied in with isolation and being an “other,” even the Gothic theme of monstrosity. I’m not really qualified to talk about that at any length, personally, so I won’t delve, but just because it’s one of the most popular queer ships out there doesn’t mean it’s an unambiguously positive thing for every queer person trying to read this.

I’m cautious to say the Letters from Watson crowd has an obligation to do anything on this front, personally. Depends on how much of that project is just them sending out the canon stories and how much spotlighting of different peoples’ reactions (or critical/creative responses from outside fandom, historical already-published stuff) they’re sharing. I do hope that factors into our response just because I’d like to read it, and if they’re doing more than just sharing the primary canon on a schedule (which is quite a lot of work on its own), I do hope they don’t shy away from these issues. I just don’t know enough about how they’re structured to make a blanket statement that they’re doing something wrong if they don’t highlight this kind of response.

Which doesn’t mean the rest of us, minority or otherwise, shouldn’t be sensitive of course. It’s easy to get excited about something new and shiny and let that override how we respond to a popular new thing. It also doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy canon Holmes just because you’re a minority or a non-minority ally. That’s pretty much everyone around here, I think. How we view history, fiction from different historical periods included, is a very complicated thing, and a personal one.

I’m always reminded of that DS9 episode, “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” in situations like this, the one where the crew has to save Vic Fontaine from having his casino taken over by mobsters. Particularly why Sisko doesn’t want anything to do with the caper at first. As a black man he recognizes he would never have been allowed to go into casinos as a patron back then, so pretending like this world was open to him is revisionist. His wife’s response is telling, though: participating doesn’t mean she’s forgotten about the history of oppression, but it does let her imagine what the world would have been like if they had been allowed to participate. For her, it’s restorative, not revisionist. And I’ve always thought --in the end, and keeping in mind I’m white so my opinion isn’t the one that matters-- both really were true. It comes down to the individual, and not just their choice but what their personal situation makes most real.

Which doesn’t mean we shouldn’t allow or even showcase critical responses. Quite the contrary, that’s the only way to open up this world for quite a lot of people. Just as saying you can’t enjoy stories centering on racism and including racist tropes can close off a way other people can enjoy the works, including folks from those racial communities. Not that OP’s suggesting we do that; it’s just a place I’ve seen this kind of discussion heading in the past.

Speaking for myself, though, bring on the criticism. And the uncritical squee. Both are good, even necessary, and the key for me is in finding that balance.

Me, a Jew: I sure am excited to read Sherlock Holmes in it's original form

A Study In Scarlet Extract #2: "The same afternoon brought a grey-headed, seedy visitor, looking like a Jew pedlar..."

Me, a Jew: can't we just have one thing

Seriously though, apparently ACD had (at best) a very complicated relationship with Jews in real life, and presenting his work without so much as a mention of the harmful tropes perpetrated in Sherlock Holmes is pretty alienating to minority readers. I was really excited about the Letters from Watson thing since I'd never read Sherlock Holmes before, but seeing a publication from 2022 (which I'd argue this technically is) use the phrase "Jew peddler" completely uncritically was kind of a gut punch.

I'm not saying we shouldn't read Sherlock Holmes and I'm not saying Letters from Watson is a bad idea. But what I am saying is that presenting a massively popular work to a ready-made Tumblr fandom without any care or concern for the fact that the work has explicitly racist elements is irresponsible - and that since it's only Jan. 6, Letters from Watson has an opportunity to make changes to its structure in order to address this (perhaps by incorporate minority commentary, critical analysis, and historical context into its publications?) before this thing really gets off the ground.

[oh-my-damn]

Ethereal

A/N: I couldn't stop thinking about living next to puppy Steve and not knowing he's cap. So here's a mini-series!

Series Masterlist

Part 2

Pairing: TWS!Steve Rogers x Neighbor!Reader

Summary: When you move into your new apartment the last thing you'd expected was the greek god living next door to you.

Warnings: Steve is a literal golden retriever, riding on a motorcycle, mutual pining (a lot), reader doesn't know Steve is Cap, alcohol consumption, being awkward, first date vibes, Steve is a cutie.

Word Count: 5300

The beautiful divider is by @firefly-graphics

When you found a cheap apartment in an old but well-kept building in Brooklyn Heights, you were relieved.

You'd been searching for a new place to live for a while, after you found out the building you'd been living in was going co-op.

You had no means to pay for that old apartment, and even if you did, you wouldn't have wanted to. It was run down, new problems seemingly appearing every day, and there was no way you would have tied yourself to that place for good.

So when you found your new apartment you were excited; the building was old, but clearly well taken care of, and it was in a safe neighborhood. You lived in Williamsburg before, so you had no problem with staying in Brooklyn. In fact, you preferred it.

It took you about an hour to get to university, but you didn't mind the travel time. You would always spend that time studying, catching up on whatever you were missing, or getting ahead of next weeks readings.

You'd also always loved riding on the train; it could be hot, and cramped, and uncomfortable, but it also provided you with a sort of peace. You enjoyed people watching, or gazing out the window with your headphones on. Riding on the train provided a forced tranquility, because you knew, no matter what, you had to spend an hour or so on there. And so it forced you to disconnect with the outside world and in turn, connect with yourself. Even if it was just for a little while.

The day you moved into your new apartment you remember a feeling of curiosity. You remember lugging your boxes up to the top floor and down the hall, unlocking your front door as your gaze moved to the door further down the hall.

Your neighbor lived at the end of the hallway, while you lived to the right. You didn't know anything about who occupied the space; the only thing you knew was that someone lived there, by the doormat placed on the floor.

The apartment didn't have a specific name attached to its mailbox, only initials, and that was both intriguing and unsettling.

S. G. R.

You've met many people in your life who value their privacy, but not even providing a name on their own mailbox seemed excessive to you. Your first thought was how much of a hassle it must be to have packages delivered - you know for a fact that your online shopping habit would severely suffer if your name wasn't properly visible on your mailbox.

You moved in with no issues, other than a bit of sweat and a few groans of exhaustion.

Within a month, you'd gotten used to living there; it was almost like you'd lived there your entire life. You'd always leave early in the morning to get to class, and you'd often arrive home after dinner time, choosing to stay on campus to study, or go out with your friends.

All in all, it was a normal apartment, and it allowed you to live a completely ordinary life.

Until that fateful day back in March.

You arrive home earlier than usual. The entire day has been a disaster; first you missed your train, resulting in you being late for class, and then you spilled your coffee down the front of your shirt as you were walking across campus. When class was over, you'd talked yourself into staying and catch up on your reading, only to realize you'd forgotten the book for the course you needed to catch up on.

With a heavy sigh, and even heavier footsteps, you trudge up the stairs to your apartment. You're cursing yourself for forgetting your book, because you know that once you're inside, your urges will get the best of you, and you'll probably end up watching TV instead of catching up on your studies.

You release another heavy sigh when you reach your floor, turning the corner in the direction of your front door. Your eyes are locked on your feet as they carry you along, your bones tired and exhausted from this utter disappointment of a day.

But then your ears perk up when you hear the familiar sound of a key sliding into a lock.

Your eyes flit up to look ahead of you, breath almost hitching when they land on a tall blonde man, his broad back hunched over slightly as he unlocks his door.

Your feet still, making you stop just a few steps from your front door. The change in movement makes the stranger ahead of you glance over his shoulder, his brows furrowing for a moment before he turns around to face you.

"Hi," he says, grazing you with a dazzling smile, "You must be my new neighbor."

His voice is deep yet gentle, matching the hypnotizing features on his face. A strong jaw, chiseled cheekbones, matched with a pair of bright blue eyes and pink, plump lips.

He's fucking ethereal.

You can practically feel your heart hammering against your ribcage as you take in his full form, eyes gazing over his 6'2 frame. Broad shoulders to match his back, curving into a narrow waist, and legs that go on for days. His short, blonde hair is a little mussed up, his eyebrows raised in a question.

He's wearing a navy blue jacket, which matches his jeans, and a white t-shirt underneath. Entirely ordinary yet painfully breathtaking.

You're not sure you've ever seen a specimen quite like him.

When he tilts his head ever so slightly, you snap out of the daze he brought you in.

"Yeah, uh, hi. I guess I am. I just moved in."

You gesture towards your front door, and the stranger nods in acknowledgement.

"I heard some ruckus," he chuckles, bright white teeth practically blinding you, "I'm sorry I didn't come around to introduce myself earlier, I've been a little preoccupied with work."

You wave a dismissive hand as you smile, "Oh, no worries. I know how it is. But I'm glad we finally met, I was starting to wonder who lived next door."

"Yeah?" He asks with a grin, "Why?"

"Because I've never seen anyone," you chuckle, "I was starting to suspect it was an investment property or something. Figured no one lived there."

The stranger laughs, the sound a bubbling melodic tune that makes your heart beat excitedly. It's a beautiful, genuine sound, that makes you feel special in a way you can't quite explain.

"Oh, I live here, don't you worry," he replies, his smile turning softer, "I've been away for a little while, but I'm back now. I did hear you move in, though, but I had to leave for work early the next day, so I didn't have time to come by and welcome you to the building."

You nod, "Okay, I see. What do you do for work?"

His brows furrow momentarily before he shrugs, "You know, I work jobs here and there. I travel a lot, though."

"You're an easy neighbor to have, then," you joke, tilting your head, "I guess I won't have to worry about you making a noise complaint."

He laughs again, the sound is practically addicting to your ears, "No, you won't have to worry about that, I promise. I usually keep to myself."

You nod and hum, holding eye contact for a moment longer before your eyes dart to your front door, "Good to know.. Well, it was really nice to meet you, uhh..?"

He smiles, hesitating for a moment before he says, "Steve. Steve Rogers. Nice to meet you too."

Two days later, you're out for drinks with your friends, excitedly telling them about the greek god living next door to you.

"I swear to god, he's fucking ethereal. Like, insane. I can't even explain it."

You take another large sip of your drink as your friends giggle.

"You have to show me a picture!" Janine says excitedly, eyes wide as she looks at you, "Come on, show us his social media!"

"That's the thing!" You exclaim, placing your drink perhaps a bit too harshly back on the table, "I tried to look him up but I couldn't find any social media accounts for him. It was so frustrating because apparently he shares a name with one of those Avenger guys, so it was practically impossible."

You take another eager sip as your friend, Melanie, narrows her eyes at you, "What do you mean he shares a name with one of the Avengers? Who?"

You wave your hand dismissively, "I don't fucking know those guys, you know that, but when I googled his name all of these articles for those guys showed up so I couldn't find anything on him. I didn't feel like sifting through all of that."

Your friends share a knowing look before Melanie leans closer to you on the table, "What did you say his name was?"

"Steve," you chirp, sipping your drink through the straw happily, "Steve Rogers."

Your friends share another look, although this one seems more shocked than before, making you look between the two of them.

"What?" You ask, watching their expressions, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing!" Janine immediately interjects, glancing quickly at Melanie before she looks back at you, "It's nothing. But that sucks, you gotta take a sneaky picture next time you're able to."

You snort, "Okay, I'll try, but I haven't seen him since we met the other day. He gets really busy with work, apparently."

"I'm sure he does..." Melanie replies, taking another sip of her drink.

After one too many cocktails, you called an uber to get back home. You're trying to stay focused as you walk up the stairs to your apartment, swaying ever so slightly with every step.

"Almost there," you mumble as you reach the final step, "God I'm tired.."

You round the corner and head towards your door, pulling your keys out of your bag.

Right as you find the right one, and struggle to slide it into the lock, your neighbors' door opens.

"Hey," a deep voice says, making you glance in its direction, "You okay?"

Your eyes find a pair of beautiful cerulean ones, your cheeks growing warm at his presence.

"Yeah," you drunkenly giggle, moving your attention back to your key as you try to slide it into the lock, "I'm fine, just need to figure out how to unlock the door.."

You hear a quiet chuckle and then approaching footsteps before Steve is standing right beside you, a large hand reaching out to cover your own.

"Here, let me help you."

He easily unlocks your door, handing the keys back to you with a smile.

"Thank you," you hiccup, smiling goofily up at him, "You didn't have to, I could have figured it out myself.. Eventually.."

"Yeah," he chuckles, smiling down at you, "But then you'd probably have spent half your night out here."

You giggle again, shaking your head, "Noooo, I would have figured it out."

"Mhmm," Steve hums, placing a strong hand on the small of your back when you stumble where you stand, "Sure. You need help getting inside?"

"No no," you immediately respond, frowning up at him seriously, "I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

"Okay, big girl," Steve chuckles as you step over the threshold, "Just make sure to drink some water, okay? And maybe some painkillers, too."

"Will do," you grin, gripping the door handle to keep you steady, "Thank you, Steve."

"Anytime."

3 days later you're walking home from school when you notice a motorcycle parked in front of your building. You look it over for a minute, impressed by how well kept it is despite it being an older model. You don't know a lot about motorcycles, but you know enough to realize it's a Harley-Davidson and that the design is a classic.

Your dad taught you what little knowledge you possess on motorcycles since he owned a Harley himself back when you were a kid.

You hesitantly let your fingers graze over the cushioned leather seat, the material soft against your fingertips.

"This is nice," you mumble to yourself absentmindedly, brows furrowing momentarily. It's clean, practically shiny, which makes you wonder where it's usually parked. Whoever owns it must have a covered parking space for it.

Just as your fingers lift from the leather cushion, the building door opens. Your eyes flit up to the figure walking down the steps to your building, heading in your direction, and you feel a flurry of butterflies when you recognize the man approaching you.

He's wearing a brown leather jacket this time, with a grey t-shirt underneath, a pair of blue jeans to finish off the look.

You can practically see the outline of his undoubtedly defined abs through the tight t-shirt and the thought alone makes your cheeks heat up.

"Hi Steve," you say with a smile as he walks in your direction.

His face splits into a wide smile, shoving his hands into his pockets once he descends the steps and walks over to where you're standing by the bike, "Hey neighbor. Nice to see you again. How's your head?"

Haven't had any complaints so far...

You chuckle, resisting the urge to make the dirty joke that popped into your mind, a small shake of your head as you speak, "That was 3 days ago. Hangover is long gone. But thank you for helping me inside, that was nice of you."

"Of course," he beams, a bashful shrug of his shoulders, "It was nothing. What else are neighbors for, right?"

"Right," you nod, smiling shyly when your eyes flit down to the motorcycle in an effort to hide your flushing cheeks.

"You like it?" Steve asks when he notices your gaze trailing over the bike, "Just pulled it out of storage today. Figured it was time to take it for a ride, now that the weather is getting warmer."

Your eyes dart up to meet his, brows raised in surprise, "This is yours?"

"Yeah," Steve replies, patting the leather seat as if it was a horse, "I used to have a different one but I like this newer model, too. Drives like a dream."

"Of course it does," you snort, fingers lightly touching the sleek silver on the side, "It's a Soft Slim, they're spectacular. Harley does good work in general, but they certainly stepped their game up with this model."

Steve quirks a brow at you, his eyes slowly moving over your face as you continue looking at his bike, "You know motorcycles?"

You shrug, "A little bit. My dad is a Harley-Davidson enthusiast, so I know some. Not a lot, though. But I know this model. She's a beaut."

"Yeah, she is," Steve chuckles, his head tilting slightly as he looks at you, "I was just about to go for a ride. Care to join me?"

The brisk spring air breezing through your hair send shivers down your spine as you race down the almost deserted highway. Steve takes an exit, heading towards New Jersey, and you cling to him as your arms are wrapped around his waist.

He's in complete control of the bike in a way that seems almost effortless; it moves with him in every turn, and even at high speeds, you sense no hesitation in him.

It almost feels like flying.

Your arms tighten their hold a little more when the cold air nips at the bare skin on your neck, instinctively burrowing your face into his back.

He tilts his head slightly, and lifts his shoulder, seemingly inviting you to tuck your face into the crook of his neck.

You only hesitate for a moment before you bury your face in his neck, pressing your chest to his back, his warm skin heating you up almost instantly. He tilts his head more to give you proper space, leaning his back into your chest.

Your arms tighten in response, a small smile grazing your lips as you breathe in deeply. His clean and fresh scent envelopes you, making the shivers running down your back happen for a very different reason than before.

Your thighs tighten where they are on the outer side of his, holding onto him more firmly, and by all accounts, it appears he's enjoying it.

He speeds up experimentally, making you let out a small squeak before you hold onto him even tighter, and you swear you hear the melodic sound of his laugh before it's swallowed up by the wind.

Eventually Steve brings you back home, the city of Brooklyn enveloped in darkness, the lampposts on the side of the road the only thing lighting your way.

He drives into a spot in front of the building and you reluctantly unwrap your arms from his waist, sliding off the bike.

He parks the bike and gets off, standing in front of you with a soft smile on his lips. His cheeks are the faintest shade of pink, probably from the cold, and his hair is mussed up in a cute way that makes you yearn to run your fingers through it.

You smile up at him, another small shiver running down your spine, and Steve immediately notices. He shrugs his jacket off, placing it over your shoulders, "I'm sorry, I should have figured you'd get cold. I hope it wasn't too bad?"

He has no idea you've been shivering this entire time, or that your shivers are triggered by something other than the cold.

"It's okay," you respond with a warm smile, "I wasn't cold while you were driving, you're surprisingly hot."

Steve's lips lift into a goofy grin, making you immediately backtrack, "Oh my god, uh, I mean warm. You're surprisingly warm."

"I got it, don't worry," he chuckles, placing a protective hand on the small of your back before he starts guiding you in the direction of your building, "Let me walk you up."

You chuckle, walking beside him up the steps, "I don't think it counts as walking me up when you're going the same direction yourself."

He snorts and shakes his head, "Probably not. But I would have done it if I didn't live here, too."

"Such a gentleman," you muse, your fingers gripping the hem of his jacket. It smells like him, that clean, fresh scent, and you'd want to drown in that smell if you could.

"I try," he jokes, grinning at you quickly.

You reach your apartment door, and once you're standing in front of it, you slide his jacket off your shoulders, "Thank you for lending this to me. That was nice."

"Even if it was short lived," Steve responds as he takes his jacket from you, "I'm sorry I didn't give it to you before we left on the drive."

"Steve, don't worry about it," you reply earnestly, "I promise, I wasn't cold. Not until I had to unwrap myself from you, at least."

Steve's eyes lock on yours, a tension filling the small space between the two of you as you look up at him. His smile is soft, gentle, a quiet hum leaving his lips as he nods.

"I'm sorry you had to do that, then."

"It's alright," you grin teasingly, "Maybe I'll get to do it again some time."

"I would love that," Steve immediately responds, a wide smile breaking out on his lips, "For there to be a next time, I mean. Doesn't have to be a drive, either."

"No?" You tease, your head tilting as your eyes stay locked on his, "What did you have in mind?"

"A cup of coffee?" He asks, blue eyes shining in the dimly lit hallway.

"I like coffee," you smile, nodding, "I'd love to."

"It's a date," he firmly replies, his fingers fiddling with the keys in his hand, "Maybe in the next few days?"

"Sure!" You beam up at him, immediately reaching into your bag, "Let me give you my number, that might make it easier to plan."

"Oh, uh, yeah, okay," Steve responds, hands clasping over his pockets almost as if he's unsure where his phone is.

When he brings out a flip phone, you snort. "That's your phone?"

Steve's cheeks tinge pink, this time certainly not from the cold, a small nod of his head, "Yeah, I uh.. I'm not really good with technology. Needed something easy."

You chuckle, "Okay, fair enough."

You take his phone, putting your number in and sending yourself a text. "There. Now we have each others numbers. Just text me when you have time to grab that cup of coffee."

"Will do," Steve responds, lingering for a moment as he stands in front of you.

When he suddenly leans down and places a quick kiss on your cheek, your breath hitches, and you fight the urge to pull him closer.

"I had a great time," he says as he takes a few steps backwards, in the direction of his apartment, "Have a good night."

"Goodnight, Steve."

A few days pass without you running into Steve in the hallway again. It's also been very quiet, you haven't heard a peep from your neighbor, which is surprising because the walls aren't that thick. You can always hear your downstairs neighbor, especially if they're listening to music or have people over, so you're surprised you never hear anything from Steve.

No movement, no accidental run ins, no noises. Nothing. Only silence.

It makes you wonder if he's even home.

A week after your bike ride, you finally hear from him.

You're sitting on your couch, watching one of your favorite shows on TV while binging a tub of ice cream. It's Saturday night, and you weren't in the mood to go out even though your friends tried to convince you. It'd been a long week at university and the only thing you were in the mood for this weekend was to stay at home in your sweats and watch silly sitcoms to get your mind to relax.

You phone chimes just after 8pm, alerting you to a text message.

You pick up your phone while licking your spoonful of ice cream clean, your eyes flicking from the TV to your phone screen. Your brows raise in surprise when you see who it's from, a snort leaving your lips.

Steve Rogers: How's your Saturday night?

You: Oh hello there, stranger. I was starting to think perhaps you'd moved

Steve Rogers: I'm sorry, I had a work emergency I had to take care of. I've been gone for the past few days, just got back. How has your week been?

Your brows furrow at his response. What does this guy do for work?

The last time you asked, his response was pretty vague, but he obviously does something that's important enough for him to leave without notice. Often.

You: It's been alright, nothing exciting to report. Mainly just studying and classes. How's yours been?

Steve Rogers: A little rough. Had to deal with a tough project at work, but it's over now, luckily. At home licking my wounds now

You: Wounds? Literal or metaphorical?

Steve Rogers: Little of both

You blink in surprise, putting down your ice cream to be able to text quicker.

You: What? Are you hurt?

Steve Rogers: I'll be okay, I'm just tired. I'm sorry I didn't follow up on our coffee date, though. I hope you didn't lose faith in me

You: Was just about to, but then you texted, so I'll give you another chance

Steve Rogers: Yeah? When do you have time?

Steve Rogers: Are you busy right now?

Your brows raise in surprise at the double text as well as the question.

You: It's a little late for coffee, don't you think?

Steve Rogers: How about tea, then?

You manage to tidy yourself up a little bit, tossing on a tank-top instead of the oversized shirt you were wearing when there's a knock on your door.

You're still in your sweats from earlier, but you don't really mind that; he messaged you with very short notice, so he couldn't exactly be expecting you to look all dressed up.

You unlock your door before opening it, grinning up at Steve when he comes into view, "Hey there."

"Hi," Steve smiles, his hands shoved into his pockets, "Nice to see you again."

You let your eyes trail over his form; he's in a white t-shirt, one that's tight and allows you to see the firm outline of his torso (you suspect tight t-shirts are his signature, by now), and you apparently guessed right on keeping your sweats on, because he's in a pair of his own. A grey pair, to be exact.

Your eyes move up to take in the features of his face, lingering on his beautiful, baby blue eyes and pink plump lips. But then your brows instantly furrow when you notice the small mark on his cheekbone.

"Oh," you breathe out, instinctively stepping closer, and before you can even stop yourself, you reach up, letting your fingers gently touch the skin right below the mark, "Are you okay?"

You can tell Steve tenses at your touch, making you immediately remove your hand before you step back again, mumbling, "Uh, sorry, I shouldn't-"

"No, it's alright," Steve interrupts, putting up a hand to stop you, "Don't worry, I was just caught off guard. It hurts a little, but it'll go away soon. Promise."

"Okay," you reply with a small nod, smiling softly as your eyes meet his. Then you step aside, gesturing to your apartment, "Well, come on in."

Steve smiles as he walks inside, continuing further as you close the door behind him. He wanders into the open kitchen, eyes moving over the space and to the living room area.

"This is nice," he hums, placing his hands in his pockets, "I like what you did with the place."

You chuckle, "Thanks. I only buy the finest Ikea furniture."

Steve lets out a melodic laugh, following your movement when you walk into the kitchen. You reach up to pull open the cupboard as you ask, "So, what kind of tea do you like?"

You don't hear a response immediately, but you almost jump in surprise when you suddenly hear his voice from right behind you, "What kinds do you have?"

You glance over your shoulder, eyes locking with the blonde man towering over you. You smirk, "Well, you tell me. Seems like you can see better than I can."

Steve snorts, stepping closer before his attention is pulled to the inside of the cupboard. He reaches up, his chest brushing against your back when he grabs for a packet and places it on the counter in front of you, "I like this one."

You release a quiet, unsteady breath when you feel the warmth of him pressing against your back, your fingers reaching for the packet of tea.

"Black tea," you hum, picking two tea bags out of the box, "Good choice."

You slide a little to the side, reaching for two mugs in a different cupboard, still nervously aware of his close presence.

"I'm glad you think so," Steve hums, following your movement. He stands behind you again, taking the mugs for you when you stand up on your tip toes to reach them, "Did you know that was the kind of tea the British soldiers drank during World War II?"

Your brows raise in surprise, looking up at him over your shoulder, "No, I didn't. That's pretty cool."

Steve grins, nodding as he places the two mugs on the counter, "Yeah, uh, actually the British government bought out practically all the tea in Europe in order to be able to give them to the soldiers on the frontlines."

"Wow," you respond, your brows furrowing, "That's actually crazy. How could they even do that?"

You walk over to the kettle, filling it with water so you can boil it, while Steve moves to lean on your kitchen counter. He shrugs, "Guess they just decided it was worth it, to keep morale up."

"Hm," you hum, turning on the kettle before you turn to him, "That was really nice of them. I didn't think the government cared much about their soldiers, to be honest. All you ever hear about are the glory while they're away, and then those horror stories when they come back and have PTSD."

Steve's face falls a little, his hands going back into his pockets as he nods slowly, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Perhaps the British government cared more about their soldiers then they do here.."

"Yeah," you mumble, your fingers reaching for the packet to fiddle with it, "My brother was actually in the army.."

"He was?" Steve asks curiously, "For how long?"

"A long time," you sigh, "Too long. He wasn't the same when he came back home.."

"That happens," Steve replies quietly, "A lot, unfortunately."

You glance over at him, watching how his eyes are trained on the floor. You tilt your head, asking hesitantly, "Is that something you know a lot about? The army?"

"Kinda," he shrugs, offering you a small smile when he looks back up at you, "I was also in the army. I still kind of am, I guess.." He cringes a little, making you turn to directly face him.

You take a small step closer, slowly lifting your hand until your fingers are almost brushing his cheek as you hold eye contact, "Is that how you got this?"

Steve's lips part in a nervous breath when you lean closer, his hands bracing the edge of the counter as he leans on it. His baby blues hold yours, dipping his head ever so slightly until your fingertips trail over his skin.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"But you're not shipped out?" You inquire, your fingers trailing down his cheek to his jaw, "You live here, and you don't go away for months at a time."

"I'm a.. different kind of soldier," he whispers, his face slowly leaning closer to yours, "But I used to be in the army."

"So, you got promoted?" You tease, your voice low. Your fingers trail down his jaw, to the column of his neck, Steve's breath hitching when the delicate touch tickles his skin.

"You could say that," he smiles softly, his eyes burning into yours intensely as he continues slowly leaning closer, "The job isn't very different, though. But I get to go home more often."

You hum, nodding slowly as your fingers curl around his neck hesitantly. You break eye contact for a moment, eyes dropping to his lips, your stomach doing a flip when his tongue darts out to lick them.

Your eyes raise up to meet his again, the hand curled around the back of his neck slowly pulling him closer until you can feel your breaths mixing.

You look up at him with wide eyes, your nerves on edge, and it's almost like your mind goes blank when he whispers, "Can I kiss you?"

You nod immediately, there's no way in hell you'd ever say no.

Steve's eyes drop to your lips, inching himself closer until they softly brush over yours, and then you let out a content sigh when he presses them firmly against your own. You pull him closer by the hand curled around his neck, one large hand landing on your waist to pull you into his chest.

Your other hand slides up his chest to his shoulder, gripping it as your lips glide over his in perfect synchronization.

You lose yourself in the softness of his lips, your unsteady breaths mixing, and you're only faintly aware when you hear the water boiling in the background.

[brighteyedbushybrowed]

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 1833 words.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 Was supposed to be working on today's Ghosttober fic but this wouldn't leave my brain alone so I needed to write it all down and post it here. Parts will gradually get longer as I get into the swing of writing for this universe, I promise. Think of it as the first chapters of a book being shorter before they get longer as the narrative goes on (is that still a thing? I never actually count how many words are in book chapters oopsy). Also Swiss gets flowers because I said so, okay?

Copia had never seen Swiss so interested in someone outside of the ministry. He tried to recall a time where he was so eager to check his phone during practice, using every break as an opportunity to reply to messages, and came up short. Whoever the multi-ghoul was talking to, they were both a blessing and a curse. Swiss bickered with Sodo a little less, but he was also clearly distracted. Not that the former cardinal minded, of course. Everyone deserved friendship and love and who was he to deprive his friend of that?

It was three weeks after the hospital incident that Copia got the chance to meet the person that had captured Swiss’ attention so effortlessly. There had been an echoing knock and toll of the doorbell not long after practice finished for the day. He had been close to the entrance, strolling through the hallways to clear his head, and decided to answer before Sister Imperator got the chance to. When he opened the large doors, he was a little taken aback. He’d expected the usual kind of visitor: door-to-door salesmen, clueless individuals trying to convert people to their own religions one unfortunate house at a time, even scouts selling cookies. What he hadn’t expected was to find someone dressed semi-formally and holding a small bunch of flowers in their arms.

“Hey, are you Papa?”

He blinked, still in a momentary daze. “Ah, yes, that would be me. How can I help you today?”

“Oh, good!” You heaved a sigh of relief. “Sorry, I’m here to see Swiss. We’re meant to be heading into town and I got here a little earlier than planned. I hope that’s not too much of an inconvenience for you.”

Copia immediately stepped aside and gestured for you to enter. “Of course! Please, come in. Swiss has told us much about you. It is good to finally put a face to the name, eh?”

He watched as you raised a brow in response. “Oh, really now? What kind of things? Nothing too scandalous, I hope.”

“Nothing like that, I promise.” He leaned back against the wall and shoved his hands into his tracksuit pockets, his black gloves stark against the scarlet fabric. “He is, how you would say… excited about spending more time with you. Stares at is phone and smiles at it a lot when he talks to you.”

“Interesting. Good to know. Thank you, Papa.”

Smiling, Copia turned his head when he heard footsteps rushing towards you both. He couldn’t help but chuckle at how dishevelled and flustered Swiss looked. The multi-ghoul glared at him briefly before it was replaced with a broad grin when he turned his attention to you.

“Sorry I made you wait. Oh, are those for me?” he said, eyes wide at the flowers you were holding.

You held them out towards him and Copia took note of the way Swiss blushed when your fingers ghosted over his. If that wasn’t the look of someone completely besotted, he didn’t know what was.

“I remembered you said you liked having flowers in the dens, so I thought I’d buy you some. Is that okay? I can always throw them out if it’s weird –”

“No!” The multi-ghoul cleared his throat and breathed in the floral scent of the bouquet. “No, they’re perfect. Mountain’s gonna love them just as much as I do.”

The former cardinal gently took the bunch out of Swiss’ grasp and chose to ignore the quiet hiss he got in response. “I will make sure they are placed in a vase with some water in your room by the time you return. Now, you should both be going, yes? Have fun and don’t return too late or Sister will have our heads.”

You took the opportunity to loop your arm through the multi-ghouls and began to lead him out of the ministry. “I’ll get him back on time, don’t you worry! It was nice to meet you, Papa!”

“Ah, and you too, little one! Take care now!”

Copia watched you and Swiss make your way over to your car and didn’t close the doors until you drove off, your vehicle shrinking in the distance. He heaved a sigh as the heavy doors slammed shut and ran a hand down his paintless face, forehead resting on the dark wood. In just one short conversation, he’d come to realise just how lonely being Papa was and how much he craved a friend that was completely separate from the ministry. He was happy that Swiss had found someone like that in you, and he hoped that your friendship would only grow from here on out.

***

“He seemed nice. Papa, I mean.”

Swiss grinned as he bowled his ball, watching it roll down the alley to knock over seven pins. “Yeah, he’s great. He’s always been supportive of us forming friendships and relationships outside of just us ghouls.”

You watched the multi-ghoul pick up his next bowling ball, ready to make his next shot. “How long have you known each other? Has he always been Papa to you guys?”

“Just a few years.” He glanced over his shoulder at you. “I joined around the same time he took over from Terzo, the previous Papa. Back then we knew him as Cardinal Copia. We sometimes still accidentally call him by his old name, but he doesn’t mind it too much as long as it’s not on purpose. I think to Sunshine he’s always been Papa – she’s the newest ghoul that joined us. But for the rest of us, we knew him as Copia before we knew him as Papa Emeritus IV.”

You nodded, taking the information in. “And he treats you all well?”

“Definitely. I don’t think Papa has it in him to treat us cruelly.”

Once the pins were ready, the ghoul bowled and cheered when the remaining pins were knocked down. You applauded him and laughed when he turned to you and bowed dramatically, his spade-tipped tail swishing behind him. Throughout your time together, you’d noticed his tail often moved of its own accord. Others had stared over at the pair of you throughout your game, eyes fixed on the appendage, but you couldn’t care less. You barely knew him, yet Swiss made you feel much more at ease around him than some of your exes had. Not that you thought of him like that. For now, he was just a friend, and you weren’t going to try and blur or cross that boundary so soon after you first met.

Similarly, Swiss felt more able to fully relax around you in comparison to the humans that lived up at the ministry. While he loved and cared a lot about the siblings of sin, he couldn’t help but monitor himself a little more around them. There was always the unwanted possibility of frightening them and making them much more cautious around other ghouls than was ideal, so he was always more careful in their presence. Papa was always telling him that there was no need for him to do that, but as one of the newer ghouls he still felt that hesitation. He hid it well, but he was always conscious of those around him and moulded himself to the needs and wants of others. However, around you he didn’t feel the need to do that. He wasn’t sure what that meant yet, but he could ponder it more another time.

Once your game was over, the two of you made your way to the milkshake bar neighbouring the bowling alley and took a somewhat secluded booth nearer the back of the building. As you both drank your shakes, the multi-ghoul pulled his phone out and pulled up the camera app.

“Mind if I take a pic? Just for my Insta, I promise.”

You hummed as you propped up your chin on your upturned palm, elbow sitting on the edge of the table. “Just Insta? So, you don’t want it to show off to the other ghouls that you got to go bowling with someone pretty?”

He caught onto your teasing tone and gasped. “Damn, I’ve been caught! Called out! Exposed!”

Swiss could’ve sworn the giggle you let out in response would be etched into his memory forever.

“Take as many photos as you want, Swiss. Just make sure you send them to me afterwards so I get to keep them too,” you replied, making his stomach flutter.

You beamed into the lens as he took a few photographs of you, pulling a couple of faces for some selfies before he finally put his phone away and slurped at his salted caramel shake.

The sky was just starting to turn pink when you finished your drinks and climbed back into your car to drive the ghoul back to the ministry. Despite the best part of the afternoon together it still felt too soon to be saying goodbye. However, you respected Papa’s request that he be returned at a reasonable time and didn’t want to get your friend in trouble with Sister Imperator. You hadn’t heard much about her, but from what little Swiss had said about her you decided it would be for the best that you weren’t late taking him home.

Both of you took your time walking up to the heavy doors of the ministry once you arrived, your hands shoved into your coat pockets while Swiss’ were clasped behind his back. Neither of you spoke until you were finally stood upon the abbey steps, sadness settling in the pit of your stomach.

“I guess this is me, huh?” the multi-ghoul asked with a sigh.

You glanced over at him to find him chewing on his bottom lip, fangs pulling at grey skin. He seemed to be just as unwilling to part ways as you were, igniting a sudden surge of confidence within.

“Why don’t we hang out again sometime next week? We could go catch a movie or something. Or we could hang out here if you’d prefer?”

The glow of his eyes intensified at your offer. “Yes! I mean, sure. That’d be great, actually. A movie sounds fun.”

“Okay, cool.” You used your newfound courage and pulled him into a hug, his woodsy scent inhaled into your lungs. The warmth that filled you as he returned the embrace almost made you forget where you were. Had it not been for the unholy screech from within the ministry’s walls you would have held onto one another for longer.

Swiss’ hand lingered on your elbow as he began to push open the ominous door. “Let me know when you get home, ‘kay? I want to make sure you get back safely.”

You smiled. “Promise. Now go on, get in before I get you into trouble with Sister.”

With that, the ghoul entered the building and you forced yourself to return to your car, trying not to get giddy over the thought of spending more time with him again.

[maddenleftchat]

No worries about it taking longer to write, it was a long one-shot and it was really awesome to read! Seeing as requests are open again now... maybe XD with a darling who escapes occasionally, but always stays just out of reach and sees it as a fun game/confirmation he cares about them enough to come after them? (Ace Anon)

Ace anon....you smarty pants. Here have a loli pop 🍭!

Triggers: possessive behavior, threats, God complex, and yandere behavior. Please be careful when reading.

Enjoy

-DreamXD-

Oh...you foolish reader. The first time you pulled this off, he was….less than pleased.

The minute you left your home (which is where he keeps you), he knew you were gone.

But just to be careful, he tore apart your house.

There wasn't an inch that wasn't checked.

Once he found no trace of you, he immediately went into panic mode.

XD used his OP godly powers to track you down.

It took him like 10 minutes max, to find you in a bush by a river.

In frustration, and pettiness, he pushed you into the river.

Of course like any person, you screamed in surprise.

Once you emerged from the water, you were met with a very displeased XD. You gave a small wave and a shy smile.

But XD only picked up by the collar of your shirt, and began to walk back to your house.

He lectured you the entire walk.

And your punishment? No outside time for 3 weeks.

~

But that was only the first time you did something like this.

So the punishment wasn't that bad, but XD was very frustrated.

For the rest of the day, he had trouble focusing on his work.

His mind was completely centered around you and you attempting to run away again.

~

Though, a while passed, and you had once again ran away.

XD didn't know how you found away, but things went down the same way they had before.

This time, your face had a small smile when he found you.

He only rolled his eye and scoffed, this time when he took you home he didn't lecture as much.

But as the months went on, you some how kept finding a way to get out of your home.

XD slowly got more and more frustrated.

He was annoyed.

Why couldn't you learn to just stay put?!

This was like a game to you?!

Was this funny to you?!

Do you know how scared you made him for your safety?!

God!

Ugh!

He was about to give up on you as a darling.

He may be a god with patients, but even he has his limits.

And you, dear reader, were pushing them.

But the last time you hid went a little something like this:

~

You had somehow squirmed your way out of your home, and began to book it.

You knew the minute your feet laid foot on the ground outside your home, XD would know you were gone.

You ran in the opposite direction that you normally would.

You didn't run away because you hate XD. No this was the complete opposite. You did this to test how much he truly loved you. How far he would go to seek you out and save you.

And plus, to you this was like a fun game of hide and seek.

You climbed up a tall tree, cutting your hands and knees along the way. You stayed in the middle of the tree.

Knowing if you were too low, he could see you from the ground.

And if you were too high he would be able to see you from the air.

You were little aware of the raging storm of a god you had coming your way.

XD was just displeased or annoyed.

Oh no.

He was fuming.

You had been looking around for XD, but you didn't realize he was already under.

A strong gust of wind knocked you from the tree, and he let you fall to the ground.

You groaned from pain, and had the breath knocked out of you.

"What the hell?!"

"I do everything for you! I give you whatever you want! I let you roam outside during a certain time! I gift you with the finest gold! I drape you with the best silks! And yet you still run! Are you that ungrateful and stupid of a mortal?! Have I really been waisting my time with you?!" XD yells out in frustration.

But really who could blame him.

The tone of voice he used made your heart ache.

He...he didn't sound mad twords the end...he just sounded exhausted.

You slowly stood up, and cleared your throat slightly.

"You best be careful with your words mortal." XD warned.

You stopped yourself to reconsider his words.

As soon as you got your little plan together, you went through with it.

You had immediately dropped to your knees, and placed your forehead on the ground.

This took XD aback again.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel that way! I just wanted to see how much you cared…" you apologized.

"Stand." XD said.

You did as told.

~

After a long and slow talk, you ended up in your bed.

Your bed, with a gods multiple arms around you as you slept.

~

In short: XD would get sick of it after awhile. So I would recommend telling him what your intentions are. I'm sure he wouldn't mind playing hide and seek with you once in awhile.

Word count: 837

_________________________________________

Thanks for reading!

[mikoyamisheadcanonblog]

Modern AU Ace and Law Headcanon's

I know I should be working on Itachi's profile, but I am in no mood to wrestle with his profile. To figure the layout and summarize his profile and link information and search….I am just….you know…On a positive note, after talking with @drawingaddict1 and working on our own OC in OP world and creating a modern-day world out of boredom and a need to RP. (Seriously message me if you guys want to RP 😉) I will share a few headcanon’s we have thought about.

🐅Law🐅

🐅Law is always focused on school or work. If he isn’t at work or school, he is thinking about it. He will find his thoughts off work and school if he is with his S/O. They help keep his head clear.

🐅His fashion is close to what he wears in canon with a few modern touches. Sadly, he does wear a shirt outside a lot. Boy would cause everyone around the area to have a heart attack.

🐅He will however study shirtless at his S/O place or his place, or his place (depending on the noise level). It is much too hot in the apartment instead of turning the AC on or the heat down. If at his S/O place he will sit and study/read on the couch. At his place, he is usually at his desk or on his bed. He is aware of what his body does to his S/O, he does it on purpose.

🐅He does have a couple of “Sora, Warrior of the Sea” figures in his room on top of his desk. He forgets he has them, sometimes but they are mint condition and basically used to hold his books. He really likes them and when he does look at them from time to time, he does have a small smile on his lips.

🐅He also has movie posters but those are sitting somewhere in his closet in a safe space.

🐅He does have the “latest” phone, he isn’t a phone guy and doesn’t care much about it but he will have something modern just because he is a busy guy and the modern phones are built for busy people. He will take notes on his phone lookup information he doesn’t know and basically use it as a mini notebook.

🐅Doesn’t believe in pet names for his S/O but on rare occasions will text ‘babe’ when talking to them. Emojis are rarely ever used. Probably uses the “annoyed emoji” the most.

🐅Doesn’t have the latest laptop, running a little behind because transferring files on it takes longer and he needs all his files. And laptop also takes a lot of room. Probably only uses it for typing essays and bulky research.

🐅Has been to a few comic conventions before with the Straw hats crew, said he didn’t care for it but he truly enjoyed it.

🐅Has a fan club on campus, too scared to talk to him but will keep annoying people away from him. They still manage to slip through and cling to him despite Law wanting to study alone.

🐅Hates college parties will be dragged to a few but he will be sitting in the corner reading his medical books or just watching people.

🔥Ace🔥

🔥Probably, a college dropout, he tried school it wasn’t for him. He slept through most of his classes, missed important information.

🔥Favorite time of day was always lunchtime.

🔥Was/Is the popular boy on campus. People are drawn to his laid-back attitude and friendly yet polite personality. Has wandered into a few college parties uninvited was not turned away because it is Ace.

🔥If his S/O is there would probably find a spot where they could watch the stars together and party together on their own. As much as he loves people he loves being with his S/O even more.

🔥Isn’t the life of the party, he can keep a party going but he is more of someone who just likes to join in on an already fun party and if the food is good that is a bonus.

🔥Spends most of his time doing random odd ends jobs, for extra cash. Finding a lost pet, he will spend a good portion of the day looking for it. Will work at autobody shop if they need an extra hand, surprisingly good at fixing cars. Cleaning the house, he isn’t the best, but he tried his best and that is what matters. Don’t hire him as a chef.

🔥Does walk around the campus/city shirtless. He loves showing off his tattoo, probably has his S/O first initial tattooed on his arm. He really trusts his S/O if he got their initial tattooed.

🔥Gets confused for the resident bad boy on campus. But he is the resident good boy, picking up trash/litter off the campus street and throwing it away, always giving polite and smiles and waves to other friends or teachers. Rarely causes trouble.

🔥Bad with technology, uses his phone just for calling and text. Was surprised he could use his phone for more, will start using it for more mostly to help him find odd ends job that pays well.

🔥Lives almost nomadic lifestyle crashing at friend’s place couches to another if work keeps him busy. Has his own place, probably with Sabo but he goes where he is needed. Will spend most of his nights with his S/O. If not spending a night with his S/O will spend a good portion of the night texting them. Loves using emojis hearts and flowers are his favorite.

🔥Actually isn’t too familiar with pop culture, boy lived in the mountains but will get interested if his S/O is interested.

[simonsnowichooseyou]

This excellent essay was posted by @goodbyedandelion and reposted on Instagram—however their account sadly seems gone now. But it is in rememberence of their Tumblr spirit that I post a continuation to their essay!

EVEN MORE Reasons Why Carry On is so groundbreaking as a YA Fantasy/Romance

Misconceptions/Character Complexity

A large topic in YA Contemporary is gossip, but I feel like fantasy doesn’t touch on this as much. Think of how others perceive one another in Carry On. Early on we learn that Simon, for example, saw Penny as different because of her race. But of course, we quickly know this isn’t true.

But what about Agatha? In Harry Potter, for example, Lavender Brown and other feminine characters are often looked down upon because of their femininity. We often as a culture perceive beauty as overcompensation for what’s inside. Sometimes Agatha is looked at in the same light in Carry On, but when we see things from her POV, we realize that Agatha is perhaps the smartest one there. Maybe she’s not Penny Bunce-smart, but she has the survival instincts that Penny lacks.

Agatha isn’t the only one. Baz looks cold and unfeeling from others’ POVs, but we quickly learn that he is a boy with a soft heart that’s been hardened by his past. Everyone thinks he cares about nothing but we know he cares about his mother and how she’d feel about him; his father and step-mother and siblings; Simon, of course; Bunce, in his own way; he even cares about flowered suits and dramatic entrances! We think Bunce is nerdy and perhaps annoying, but we learn she’s very sweet and like a mother to Simon. And the mage. Ugh, the mage. We think he cares about Simon but we learn that for every bit he cares about Simon, he cares about the war more.

Rowell doesn’t allow any character to be simple, stereotypical, or as they appear. My sister, for example, was saying that Baz sounded like a stereotypical gay man in the media. But he’s not, is he? He might love fashion but Rowell does not make him simple or stereotypical. Everyone is so complex, and she uses the multi-POV to not just show us their complexity but also the complexity of how they are viewed by others.

Woman on Woman Drama/Anger

For years and years, only one woman was allowed to have a true seat at the table in films. Take Indiana Jones, the original Avengers, and Star Wars for example. This woman was often made to be the sex appeal or romantic interest, but I’ll save that for another day. Because of there only being one spot, it set a precedent that women in media needed to fight with each other to take that spot, thus depriving us of women getting along!

At first, I was worried Rowell had fallen into this trap. Bunce thinks Agatha is simple and too feminine, Agatha thinks Bunce is a major pain in the ass. Their dislike for one another is complicated in that they’re essentially two different types of feminism battling it out, and half of their fight was about Simon and their roles in his life.

But in the end, Penny and Agatha create a relationship that exists outside of their relationship with Simon. Penny sees Agatha’s strength and resilience; Agatha recognizes Penny’s harsh exterior for what is is. When Agatha moves away, they text without his even knowing. Penny is the one that decides they need to check on and save her. In the end, penny and Agatha fight alongside one another.

Rowell didn’t just give us a feminine friendship—she showed us what we’ve been doing, and how to get from Point A to point B. I think it’s the most underrated part of the series.

True Friendship

It might sound bad, but I truly believe a lot of today’s media ruins the idea of friendship. I just feel like none of the portrayals are realistic. Friends are either joined at the hip and have never fought (toxic) or never get along (also toxic). The fact that Baz and Penny and Simon and Penny and Agatha and Penny can get into fights but still continue to love one another platonically is really heartwarming to me.

Trauma/Mental Illness

I remember getting to the end of Harry Potter and thinking “he went through all of that and we’re just supposed to leave him now?” We see some remnants in the most cursed play ever: The Cursed Child. But more than trauma we see someone who looks back on the days they risked their life everyday with *longing.* While that’s about the most Harry Potter thing Harry Potter has ever done (and the most canonical part of that play) it’s so unrealistic. You’re telling me Harry grew up with nothing and was an amazing father—minus a few spats with his son. You’re telling me Harry was able to hold it together emotionally after fighting for his life from ages 11-18 without a therapists help? You’re telling me Harry lost two father figures in the ministry of magic AND spent 7 years going through what amounted to a lesson titled “the government is corrupt” just to be a part of that government!?

Wayward son isn’t like that. Wayward Son shows us what happened to Simon afterwards, and it’s not peaches and cream. He had therapy, he quit therapy. A lot of us have been Simon on that couch, and we all needed the Baz in our life to drag us across a metaphorical America. Wayward Son is hands-down my favorite book. Realistic depictions of mental illness, check. Subverting our expectations of after the end, check. Reading it feels like taking a road trip, check.

As OP mentioned, Simon is a beloved chosen one because he’s just so wrong for the role. He’s not levelheaded where he should be, he’s bold in all the wrong places, he couldn’t possibly maintain a professional relationship with the coven. Meanwhile his super-hot enemy Baz was the absolute perfect choice to be chosen, but he was completely passed over. And part of this chalks up to how Simon became so powerful—fate isn’t twisting its whims this way and that. Simon is only chosen because he was a Petri dish experiment-gone-wrong baby. When Simon asks the fates why, really he should be asking the mage. There’s something delightful about the fact that Simon was made. The chosen one was made, and in the same process, so was the greatest threat.

De-escalation

I think it’s clear by now that Carry On is a great book, Simon Snow is an amazing series, and Rainbow Rowell sure can write. But I feel the need to point out that the end of Carry On wasn’t well-received by everyone. I recommend the series to everyone I know and some people are really disappointed you don’t get a big magical battle at the end. Some people think Simon filling in the humdrum was a cop out. But I disagree. I felt it was thrilling to witness a book where war was as stupid in fantasy land as it can be in real life. This is the first fantasy I’ve ever read where they find a better way to handle conflict than senseless fighting. It’s emotionally rewarding, to me, to see de-escalation. To see conflicts fixed before they start to be huge problems. It was a risky choice for an end, you have to admit. But Rowell pulls it off amazingly.

Nothing is Wrapped in a Bow

A day will never go by without me thinking about the fact that Simon Snow Salisbury doesn’t know who his parents are. Or how Baz will never know what exactly happened with his mother—whether she really ended herself to avoid vampirism and whether she would’ve done it to her too. We’ll never even quite understand the mage’s plan behind fix the humdrum and get an all powerful boy wizard on his side. Rowell doesn’t wrap everything up. She gives you closure as often as she gives you something to ponder. The ending of Harry Potter was so controversial, I think, because it spelled out so clearly much of what was happening. And what you didn’t learn in that epilogue, Rowling released later through Pottermore and interviews. That’s fine and dandy—but there’s something to be said for ending Simon Snow’s books with questions. Not infuriating questions but rather things that I’ll always ponder—that will shed new light on different situations depending on how I look at them. Rowell sets a precedent that you can fill in Simon’s world with your imagination while also reminding us that life doesn’t have endings. Not really, the way books to. Rowell is one of the few writers of today’s fantasy, I’d argue, who’s okay letting things go unanswered. There’s always a thread of fantasy and magic going. It’s something that will keep Simon alive in my heart for many, many years to come.

So yeah, that’s what I think about when I think about Simon Snow. It’s not nearly as coherent as the original post but I hope you enjoy it.