#he knows his future will be full of internet shenanigans

[jojosbizarrekakyoinobsession]

Speaking of, I think I’ve discovered the true identity of the op who wrote that infamous “you have to have a high iq to understand Rick and Morty” copypasta

And I think he was being unironic too 😜

You see this shit Mr. Joestar? Two identical rocks. Funniest shit I’ve ever scene

[papayafiles]

i have a draft from ages ago that goes "god i wish i could time travel ten years into the future to see how many world championships lando norris has won" but the more i think about it, the more i think that if i did, via some crazy scifi shenanigans, end up in the future, i would do everything possible to avoid finding out the wdc results. and it's the same reason watching a replay of a race where you already know the results never hits as hard as waking up at the crack of dawn to watch it through a laggy grainy livestream, frantically livetweeting or liveblogging every lock up and overtake, heart in your mouth, the rest of the world falling away, fully locked in on 60 laps of cars just vrooming around and around in loops. because a huge part of this sport is the anticipation, the hope and the faith and the possibility. the not knowing is painful, and the thought that my driver's entire career could pass without that coveted championship—that i could follow him for years into the future, and never get to watch our wildest dreams come true—literally haunts my nightmares. and i know it's a possibility—it happened to so many promising young drivers, due to circumstance or luck or timing or talent or skill or any combination of the above (see daniel ricciardo)—and i know that becoming a world champion is such a rarity, but despite all that, at this moment in time, i'm convinced that lando is a future world champion.

and i think that kind of belief, the whole i don't know where it came from or how i ended up here but i believe it so absolutely this is borderline religious, is a part of what makes being a sports fan so much fun. it's what makes this such a special, magical, incredible experience. getting into sports is the last thing i thought i'd do; i spent my entire childhood not really getting it, because if this is just a game, then why are people losing their heads over something that's not even real? and i have a whole separate monologue about exactly why i think sports are so compelling to so many, which i won't get into in full now, but one of the best parts of it all is getting to believe in something that much. having faith, holding faith, keeping faith over time: the odds are stacked against literally every athlete, because this whole career path is so treacherous and random and slippery; so many things could go wrong so fast, half a tenth of a second and it's all over, but i'm still here, and i believe in my driver always. that's been proven through his past results, obviously, but it's also: i chose him, or he chose me, or some cosmic combination of events occurred circa austria/silverstone 2023, and now i'm in this for life.

i honestly feel so bad for people who have never experienced this kind of fan(girl) experience—and really, i see it a lot, particularly with the whole internet irony epidemic we're in, people who make fun of fans of any celebrity for being sooo parasocial and cringey, for feeling such magnitude of emotion over someone we don't even know, who has no idea we exist, etc etc etc and it's like: i really don't think that's the point? of course the version of lando who lives rent free my head is different to the real 24 year old british adult man probably fast asleep in his monegasque bed rn. when i blog about him and i call him my little guy and my future world champion and my favorite person in the world, that's a version of him who exists in the gray space between the real person, his public media personality, the fervors of my f1/lando norris obsession, everything i've read or written about him, every image or video i've seen, every night i lay awake dreaming about him, etc. and that version of him is my guy. the experiences that led me to the place and the person i am now, one inextricable from the past year-and-a-half of living breathing and loving this sport so much all my friends know i'm a die-hard fan, is special and is mine and is more important than a simple "lol she thinks she knows this millionaire." i lay no claim to the man himself, but this experience, these emotions, this faith, this community and these memories—they're all mine.

one of these days i will watch him cross the finish line in abu dhabi in first place, and i will hear his uncontrollable screams of joy over the radio, the way his voice goes up higher when he's happy and his accent comes in stronger and he suddenly sounds young again, and he'll thank the team back at the factory and he'll thank will and he'll thank his parents and his siblings and his family, and i'll be sitting over my laptop in my lando hoodie sobbing into my hands, and he'll pull into that first place spot and climb out and stand on top of the car that brought him there, and he'll put his fists up in the sky and i'll watch him, and the entire grid will come around to hug and congratulate him, max and oscar and carlos and all the rest of the drivers who love a story and love a new champion and love him, and then he'll take off his helmet and his hair will be all crazy and there will be symmetric balaclava lines on his face, his ears will be flushed red, and he'll be smiling so big and wide, all wild, infectious joy, jenson or nico or hell even david coulthard will do the post-race interviews and they'll ask him how he feels and he'll respond with something that will be plastered on my twitter timeline and then i'll watch him raise the trophy on the podium with this sense of elated disbelief in my chest, and i'll log on here and say "is this real IS THIS REAL" and "i can't believe this is REAL" and "oh my god. oh my god this is actually happening THIS IS REAL MY DRIVER IS A WORLD CHAMPION" and the national anthem will play and he'll throw his head back still grinning and still happy all golden and glowing and radiant, having won it all, and i'll cancel all my plans to cry on the internet about it. it'll be miami 2024 all over again, but magnified and elevated on every single level. and i don't even want to time travel forward and find out for sure when that moment will come, because honestly, i'd rather not rob my future self of the unbelievable feeling when it finally hits, when lando norris world champion passes from the realm of daydreams and manifestations and uncertain tremulous maybes, to certainty, reality, the undeniable truth. to: this is the timeline we're in, and god am i glad, god is it the best one. all those years of waiting and hoping and dreaming and fearing, holding this so carefully in the palms of my hands as if it's a possibility i can make true, somehow, if i just think about it hard enough, delicately enough, cheering him on with everything i have, and now. and here. the champagne pop on the podium, the alchemy playing on repeat, he's getting sprayed from every direction, that ginormous world champion trophy, the shine of his reflection in the gold, the instagram post, the message of gratitude that i'll want to get tattooed onto my eyelids, the tribute video and his name engraved in the annals of history, the entire mtc roaring his name, grandstands of flouro rising to their feet, lando norris formula 1 driver race winner world champion, my guy forever. i want it all. i can't wait i can't wait i can't wait but i will, i'll wait as long as it takes, and this is real to me, to me it's already been written, i'm just waiting for that chapter to arrive. because it will.

[professors-polycule]

Professor Kōwhai

(//picture by the wonderful @jade-la-crystal)

Hi people! I'm Professor Owhanu Kōwhai! I have to say i'm really interested to see if Boris can keep up with the internet and its demand of content. He's always so busy and now he took this on his plate as well!

In any case, hi! Again. As my title suggests, i'm a researcher. Like my Husband and Wifes, i'm currently at the Marawhetu University, and tbh i don't think that's gonna change soon. I like it here and i have everything here i need for my projects.

Ah yeah, my projects! I'm looking into states of extraordinary power that Pokémon can achieve, which happens mostly during battle! These include things like Mega-Evolution, Z-Moves or simple pokémon-moves that are commonly known as "status-boosting", like Swords Dance or Calm Mind. Right now, i'm looking into said Z-Moves! But, looking to the future, when you're reading this, maybe i've long moved on to another topic!

Oh yes, my Pokémon! Here they are!

Emily the Machoke, probably my most trusted friend and favourite sparring partner!

Chorizo the Chatot, very quiet but capable of incredible battle feats!

Laurence the Pikachu, a little lazy guy but very friendly with strangers

Darry the Incineroar. A shy guy but once he knows you, he's always up to all sorts of shenanigans

🌸

//written description below

//Professor Kōwhai is a tall man with an impresive physique. He has to spend a lot of time working out to maintain his body. He has a cleanly shaven face and his dark brown hair is often tied into a short ponytail or a simple bun. His overall appearance suggests he cares a lot about his looks. His Labcoat has no sleeves and he wears no top underneath, at least when it's warm enough. Since his toned chest is on full display, one can see two horizontal scars about 2-3cm below his nipples, but the Professor seems to care very little about this. If it's colder, he also has a Labcoat with sleeves and tends to wear shirts with Pokémon- or Band-designs. 

[jacobotaidgh]

Info - WIP

[ Interacts from @smearrpsmore, rules here. ]

Info and tags under the cut.

This is both a narrative  AND ic blog as well. There is only ONE timeline to this blog, but there WILL be metatextual shenanigans.

This post will be updated as needed, including with a full bio eventually, and headcanons. Info I DO have is here, and will be more detailed in the future.

Timeline here, if you want a summery of events and links to the most pertinent ones. There is also a list of plot beats I’d like to hit, if you want to be part of them, feel free to use this knowledge to meta game a little. 

If your character is from a universe that KNOWS of Jack or the movies he’s in, your character may mention it.

Tags:

Mod art - Art I make

jackposting - jacks blog posts

action post - posts that are narration and plot relevant.

aes - things jack likes

plot aes - ooc aesthetics and posts that set the mood im going for

ask - for asks

open starter - feel free to reply to one of them! 

gallery - OOC potc posts

tba

Headcanons:

full name is Jacob O’taidgh

Jack is cafab and genderfluid, and uses they/he pronouns. Bi, with a pref for ladies.

Biracial, his dad being caucasian and his mom southern asian. (i have textual reasoning for this, ill explain when i have time.)

tba

the journal:

A book Jack found. Basically, it is a diary with internet access.

It’s pages are web pages, and he can use a feather quill like a stylus to interact with it. 

When he writes a dated entry, and finishes it, it will be ‘posted’ to tumblr. Notes will be seen when he clicks on the number, and it’ll flip to a new page and show them.

If your character messages him directly, it will create a new page. He will write under the message to respond. Before the chat pages, is an index of chats.

He can make private entries as well, by not adding a date, but instead, a title.

tba

I used to run a jack blog all the way back in 2014. i missed him a lot. ive tried picking him back up again, but this time i have a STORY!!! uncover it with me :)

[autumn-sweet-fae]

YO CAN I GET A RECAP ON THE SUBMAS WANTED AU? IM VERY CONFUSED AND INTERESTED HERE WHATS GOING ON LOL

Ok, I ended up having to rewrite this like three times because I didn’t want to make it too long. I tried to keep it as compact as I could, if you have any questions I’d be happy to expand on it.

(please note that I’m still plotting this story out and haven’t had much time to work on it so there’s still allot of gaps I’m trying to fill.)

ALRIGHT HERE WE GO

Akari discovers a second Arc-phone while shiny hunting in the Icelands. On this phone she only finds half finished notes on Snorunt and what looks to be a video log. Specifically, this Zorua/Zoroark video. She recognize the person’s voice and realizes the phone must have been Ingo’s. He must have arrive here just like she did if he had this phone, but then must have lost whatever memories he had of that arrival in the Zoroark attack.

She takes the phone back to him, and as she explains it/shows him the video Ingo has that weird experience of watching a memory he can’t recall. Then! Both phones suddenly react to being held by the correct person and a new feature is unlocked. A PC storage feature! They can now store pokemon into each phone. They also get notified of a new mission, ‘capture x number of each Hisui pokemon’, and next to the little reward notification it reads ‘return home’.

So they do that, then say a heartfelt goodbye to every one. Arezu, notably, gives Akari one last hair styling for free. On a whim Akari chooses the tied back style in white so to match with her lil Zorua.

Meanwhile, the events of my earlier post play out when Ingo goes to say goodbye to lady Sneaseler. Ending with the noble choosing to go with him to the future along with her basket full of her latest clutch of eggs.

They then arrive in modern Sinnoh! Where they, through shenanigans I’m still figuring out, are accused of stealing their Hisui pokemon from the new fancy totally not evil pokemon research lab. And the fact that Akari introduced herself to a cop as a member of the Galaxy Team, hoping that could make her seem credible in this time,  is not helping their image either.

So Ingo and Akari are labeled as wanted suspects in the theft of multiple highly endangered pokemon. What images they could get of them from security footage and shaky phone pictures are spread across the news. Due to the new hair and poor pictures, Akari is not recognized as Dawn, however Ingo is immediately recognized due to his old uniform and the internet blows up with theories.

Poor Emmet learns of his brothers sudden return and criminal acts all at once when cornered by reporters outside the subway station. Elesa saved him and they are contacted by the police to ask what he knows. He knows nothing and asks them what they know and they tell him they can’t divulge that information during an ongoing investigation. Emmet and Elesa both go ‘fuck that’ and book tickets to Sinnoh.

Due to the lack of info on Akari, her light hair, and her closeness to Ingo, people start theorizing for a hot minute that she’s Ingo’s secret criminal daughter who pulled him into a life of crime! That excitement eventually dies down until it’s reported that she referred to Ingo as ‘Uncle Ingo’ and the internet is set ablaze again. This time with theories that she’s Emmets secret crime daughter who he abandoned so his brother left to join her in her life of crime!

Everything after is still wibbly wobbly, though I now have the idea of when Ingo and Emmet first reunite. I also definitely want to include team galactic as well because Drama. I plan to sit down and write a proper timeline out soon, but haven’t had the chance. You folks have been so kind, giving me ideas and helping me expand my own, I’m really glad so many are interested!

[rggie]

Idk if we do oc talk here, but i needed to tell someone about my favorite boy. I made a whole twst oc who is a third shroud w/middle child syndrome named Connie bc of certain connections to greek and latin words in the other boy’s names. Cringe is dead you can make ur ocs related to canon now/j. He bullies Idia (lovingly) about using gamer speak and internet abbreviations out loud. He and Ortho are menaces bc of their 🥺 act. He’s still very much a Shroud and an ignihyde student he never wears his uniform coat it’s the Emotional Support Jacket at all times.

Connie isn’t quite as eccentric as his brothers are considered, but he’s got his quirks. A little paranoid, never seems to sleep, has cameras and bugs and droids everywhere he can hide them. Seems quiet and hard to approach, but is a warm person until someone hits his berserk button. He hears someone say a single negative word about Idia or Ortho and he’s already swinging. Connie has no mercy for anyone who would even think hurtful things about the people he cares about. He’s their shield, he’ll stand at Idia’s side in the future, he needs to make sure nothing bad happens again. Never again.

He’s still a kid though. He likes to have fun, and his idea of fun can vary drastically depending on who he’s with and if there’s someone acting as impulse control. He and Ortho aren’t allowed to wander campus without a chaperone. They’re watched diligently to ensure it doesn’t happen. It happens anyways, and then explosions happen. Connie and Idia have a healthy sibling rivalry, always trying to one up each other. Fighting over academics, video game scores, height, you name it. Often verbal, sometimes physical, never magical. They have their sibling fights the old fashioned way, by wrestling, yanking hair, kicking, and biting until someone (Ortho) tells them to stop.

Connie is still Idia’s little brother, no matter how much he annoys him. He helps with homework he struggles with and they play games together when they’re not at each other’s throats. When Connie and Ortho get in trouble, which is often, they can always run and hide behind Idia’s back. What do you mean Idia’s precious little brothers caused that mess?? They’re totally innocent, how dare you accuse them of something like that! He could see Connie doing it, but Ortho? NEVER! It’s probably those other freshmen! Jeez!

They’re just funny little guys. I needed someone else to know about them before I exploded. Thank u for the ramble spot- 🐝

we absolutely DO talk ocs here. ocs, theories, brainrot abt ur fave characters, literally anything. if there’s one thing i am, it’s a good listener. (it comes with my introverted nature😭 i think.) scream at me abt ur blorbos and i will scream back!!! /pos

another shroud sibling. my heart is so full. FIRST OF ALL CONNIE SOUNDS LIKE A MENACE TO IDIA (lovingly) AND I ADORE HIM ALREADY. the sibling rivalry… i love it. pushing each others buttons😭 realistic sibling dynamics🤍🤍🤍!!! and oh my god imagine connie and idia getting into a physical fight in front of the other third years.. absolutely shocked because who is this firecracker able to wring such emotions out of idia????!! and ortho is more than happy to brag abt both his brothers 😞😞

and aaaaa ortho and connie getting into little shenanigans.. the way they have to be supervised PLEASE THEYRE SO SILLY… AND THEN HIDING BEHIND IDIA’S BACK WHEN THEY GET INTO TROUBLE😭😭 i can’t fight the smile growing on my face “He could see Connie doing that, but Ortho? NEVER!” i’m ascending. this is absolutely gold. idia’s innocent little siblings could never do anything wrong!!!🥺🥺🥺 it must have been ace or grim. it must have!

thank u for this bc u have no idea how much i love familial tropes. like romantic things? they’re cool! but familial tropes and platonic intimacy are at the top for me 😭 just imagining all the shroud sibling interactions has me tearful. and this isn’t even touching on the angst potential…

[mostlycompetentwriter]

My Side

F/M Pairing: Y/N x Bang Chan (SKZ)

Warnings: language, lots of smut, prostate massage, fluff, some mentions of angst (but it’s very minimal)

Genre: Marriage AU

Word Count: 4K

Summary: Y/N has had her entire future planned out ever since she could remember: step one- graduate college (done), step two- find a good-paying job (done), step three- marry someone she adores (done), and step four- have kids (???). She understands that life is full of obstacles, but is it too much to ask for your husband to finally knock you up?

A/N: Big apology to this anon user who requested this and had to wait like 8 billion years for me to finish it.

The fertility clinic was unusually cold, and I found myself shivering in direct contradiction with the sweltering summer heat collecting outside of the office building. Maybe that was the point: the doctors wanted to keep you totally alert while you waited for what seemed like hours for a standard routine visit. Because I could’ve already fallen asleep at this point - taking advantage of my day off from work to do something other than fret over the working condition of my reproductive system.

Of course, there was also the issue of my grumpy husband who had been thoroughly displeased when he found out exactly what a pap smear test implied. “He was totally checking you out when we came in,” Chan said. “Then, he insisted on sticking that thing up your vagina?”

“Oh, give it a rest, Chan,” I said. “I knew they would do that before I even came here.”

“I think he just wanted to look at your pussy,” Chan insisted. “And he did it right in front of me like I didn’t even exist!”

“You weren’t forced to stay in the room,” I pointed out, which I would’ve preferred but Chan insisted on standing over me like some kind of jealous observer who actually wanted to watch such an intimate procedure. 

“Yeah, he would’ve preferred that,” Chan said, leaning further back in his chair. “How the hell is this even supposed to help us? We’ve only been trying for a few months.”

“Well, I want to make sure everything is working properly,” I said, and (just to spite him) I glanced down at his crotch. “What if you’re having performance issues, honey?”

“My dick works just fine,” Chan insisted. “But you know what? I think it’s partially your fault that we can’t pregnant. You’re putting too much pressure on him and it’s hard for me to focus.”

“Him?” I questioned with a grin. "Do you really want to personify your penis?”

“That’s not the point!” Chan exclaimed. “Did you even hear me, Y/N?”

“But what is the point, Chan? What exactly are you having trouble focusing on?” I asked. “We’re talking about fucking, not a tax audit. Keep the office out of our bedroom.”

“You don’t think I know the difference?”

“Apparently not since it requires more effort than necessary for you to orgasm,” I screeched, barely getting the words out before the doctor’s return.

Immediately, Chan and I were both forced smiles, pretending like we weren’t just having a pointless argument. “Well,” the doctor said. “Everything is fine on your end, Mrs. Bang. I guess that means we can perform some tests on your husband.”

“Oh, that would be great,” I said, even as Chan shifted restlessly from next to me. “Is there anything you need?”

“We’d like to ask you for a sperm sample,” the doctor replied while handing Chan a clear, transparent plastic cup that he accepted with obvious hesitation. “I’ll give you some time.”

“Thank you,” I said, looking over at Chan who was glaring at the cup as if personally offended by its presence.

But at least he waited until the doctor was gone before looking at me with wide eyes. “What do I do?” Chan asked, holding up the plastic cup while appearing thoroughly taken aback.

“It’s just masturbating,” I hissed at him.

“They want me to jerk off into this cup?” Chan gasped like the idea was so totally perplexing to him.

“How else will they get a sperm sample?” I asked him, rolling my eyes because I was growing impatient.

But Chan still hesitated, using one hand to hold the cup while his other traveled down to the front of his jeans. “Do I just...”

“Yes!” I shouted while standing up from my chair. “It’s nothing hard, Chan, you’ve been masturbating since 9th grade!” 

“Yeah, but it’s embarrassing to do it here,” Chan argued, and I sighed for what had to be the thousandth time that day.

“There’s a curtain for privacy,” I said, reaching for my bag from the floor. “I’ll be waiting outside until you’re done.”

“Y/N!” Chan whined, but I left without another word, hoping that Chan could get his shit together because I was exhausted and the prospect of the bed waiting for me at home was suddenly everything that I wanted.

It turned out that Chan and I were both perfectly healthy, and there should be nothing impeding my ability to finally get pregnant. Chan even managed to smile after our doctor complimented his sperm because they were powerful swimmers or whatever the hell that meant. But that had also been hours ago, and after a well-deserved nap, I was feeling exceptionally horny. Thankfully, Chan was never the type to turn down sex, and a few innocent kisses had turned into a full-blown pornography session within moments of me circling my hips against the front of his jeans.

“Fuck me, Chan,” I said, and he nodded eagerly as we both helped each other escape the obstacle of our clothes.

“You should apologize to my dick first,” Chan said teasingly when he had me spread open in front of him, fisting his cock as he started jerking himself off.

“What? Why?”

“You questioned my performance earlier,” Chan said with a shit-eating grin. “Maybe my cock isn’t good enough for you.”

“It’s fine,” I said, whining when I tried to wrap my hand around the base of his erection, only to have Chan knock it away with a sharp growl. "Alright!” I groaned. “I’m sorry I questioned your all-powerful shaft, okay? So, can you please just fuck me already?”

Chan chuckled at my easy compliance, and he ran his thumb across the slit of his cock before positioning himself at my wet entrance. “Remember that next time, Y/N,” he said, exhaling shakily when he started to push inside.

“Shit!” I cried, reaching out for his broad shoulders as I held on as tight as possible for the ride waiting ahead of me.

“Such a tight cunt,” Chan remarked, pausing a moment to grind himself against my insides just to feel the pressure around his cock.

“Go faster,” I requested, throwing my head back when he complied, smacking his hips into mine as he searched for the perfect angle to leave me seeing stars.

“Yeah?” Chan purred, and he started thrusting faster than before, dragging his cock against the pulsating walls of my cunt, forcing more arousal to leak out around him. “Look at how good you always take my cock, baby.”

I reveled in the praise, craning my neck to the side just so that I could watch him disappear inside of me over and over again to match the sensation of his thick cock filling me up so well that it was almost mind-numbingly good. The best part was the pleasing sound of Chan’s moans, and I admired the way that he held himself up over me so that his muscles were practically bulging as he rolled his hips with seductive grinds. Meanwhile, I was drooling over the visual of his bulging biceps, whining underneath him because Chan was being unusually rough. Not that I would ever complain since every thrust managed to brush the tip of his cock perfectly against my cervix.

But it was only after Chan reached down to add a finger to the already tight fit of his cock inside my pussy that I remembered something that I had read on the internet as part of my endless pregnancy research. My eyes flew open at the reminder, and the lustful haze surrounding my sex-addled brain quickly vanished. “Hold on, Chan,” I said, pushing against his chest and disrupting the steady rhythm he had been maintaining.

“W-what?” Chan stuttered, pulling out while watching me roll over onto my stomach. 

“This is a better position,” I said, raising my ass high into the air before giving him a teasing wiggle. 

“Whatever,” Chan grunted, still too gone in his pleasure to care that much about my shenanigans. He immediately caged me in with his thighs, fumbling with his erect cock before aligning the tip with my aching cunt. I was relieved when he started jostling his cock back where it belonged, meandering in elegant strokes that resulted in the best friction.

“Make sure you come,” I told him while decorating the pale skin of his shoulders with nail marks as I reached behind me. 

“You first,” Chan insisted, and my heart warmed at his selflessness even while it felt like all the blood inside of me was rushing south, moving through my veins and spilling over with a rapid descent that left me seeing white while Chan moved even quicker, thrusting like a man deprived. 

I felt him come only moments later with the familiar heat that I had grown to appreciate more and more over the last few months. Thereafter, I immediately reached for a pillow from behind me, wincing at the sensitivity that lingered between my legs. “What are you doing?” Chan asked when he collapsed on the bed next to me.

“It’s supposed to help,” I said, raising my hips to place the pillow directly underneath me. “This article said that raising your legs after sex can improve your chances.”

“That seems ridiculous, Y/N,” Chan said. 

“Hey! Blame your sperm,” I countered. “It’s not my fault they need an extra boost.”

“My sperm are just fine,” Chan grunted. “You heard the doctor. They’re excellent swimmers.”

“This is just a precaution,” I told him, sighing in relief when I reached down to cup my heat, ensuring that all of Chan’s cum stayed inside where it belonged.

For the past several weeks, work had become something of a chore that I was forced to endure on a regular basis. It was often a struggle to force my way through piles of paperwork or tedious emails that always said much of the same thing. After a while, I would find myself glaring at the clock because I was quite certain that time was moving slow for the sole purpose of annoying me.

There was also the issue of dealing with my colleagues, especially the ones who liked to gossip and had effectively made a whole thing out of my failed attempts at pregnancy. “Oh, Y/N,” they would tell me. “It’s been three months, hasn’t it?”

Like they didn’t have anything better to do with their lives besides meddle in mine. But the worst of them all were the ones who decided that they were some kind of authority figures and tried to give me helpful “advice.” Everything from the shit that I had already heard from my doctor and the articles online, to bizarre practices that left me wondering where they found their information.

My manager’s personal assistant was a frequent advocate. She was far more insistent than the rest of them because she already had two kids at home who she described as future Mozarts in the making. And because she had already been successful (twice, I might add), she always sat next to me at lunch with a new suggestion that supposedly guaranteed fertilization.

“It could be that he’s under too much pressure,” she told me before biting into her salad.

“I’m asking him to have sex with me, not invent a new computer,” I grumbled.

“Yeah, but I’m sure you’ve both been having a lot of sex, which might seem like a good idea,” she continued. “But it might actually turn out to be far worse.”

“What do you suggest then? Should I kick him out of the bedroom for a week or two?” I snarked, but she was hardly bothered by my sarcastic attitude.

“My husband and I tried stimulating him more directly,” she explained. “Maybe you could try it out.”

“How so?”

“It’s something like a prostate massage,” she revealed in a hushed tone as if it was top-secret information. “There’s all kinds of information about it on the internet.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I said, wanting nothing more than to brush aside her words, but maybe I was too desperate because I found myself skimming through countless articles after lunch, soaking in the vast amounts of information that I uncovered.

And I left the office that day with a new strategy in mind to surprise my husband.

The moment I first walked through the door, I was yanking off my jacket and calling for Chan who ducked his head out of our bedroom. “Why the hell are you yelling?”

“Because I have a wonderful idea,” I said, practically skipping over to him and offering him a deep kiss.

“Y/N,” Chan murmured against my touch, grabbing my shoulders to pull me back. “What are you going on about?”

“Just take your stupid clothes off,” I said, skirting past him into the bedroom. “I want you naked on the bed.”

“You’re already horny?” Chan chuckled, but he made no protest of yanking his shirt over his head.

“I want to try something,” I told him, opening the door to our closet to search for something that we hadn’t used together in a long time.

“Should I be afraid?” Chan asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed as he fisted his half-hard erection.

“Not if you have an open mind,” I said, turning around to hold up the bottle of lube, and Chan’s smile instantly vanished.

“What’s that for?”

“Well, tonight I’m using it on you,” I said, laughing at the way his forehead creased in confusion. “My co-worker actually made a pretty useful recommendation today.”

“Okay?...” Chan trailed off with an expression of perfect concentration - like he was doing his absolute best to understand.

“The internet called it prostate milking,” I explained, biting my lower lip to keep myself from laughing at the horrified expression on Chan’s face. “I want to stimulate your prostate.”

“Why the hell would you do that?” Chan asked.

“Look, it has a lot of medical benefits,” I said. “Plus, I read that it can feel really good.”

Chan squired anxiously on the bed when I sat down next to him, and I could see that his cock was perfectly flaccid between his legs. “I don’t know, Y/N-”

“Don’t worry,” I interrupted him. “This is perfectly normal. Now, be a good boy for me and get on your hands and knees.”

Chan frowned. “Good boy?” he grumbled before obeyed my command, crawling his way up the bed to position himself in the way I had suggested.

“There we go,” I said, softly running a hand down his spine. 

“So far, I’m not impressed,” Chan muttered.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” I said, situating myself behind him before palming his ass. “This looks better than I remember, Channie.”

“Yeah, I guess the squats helped,” Chan said, and he flinched when I snapped a glove in place over my right hand. “What’s that for?”

“You think I’m gonna mess around your ass without a glove?” I snorted. “That’s not very hygienic.”

“Hygienic, yeah, okay,” Chan huffed, and he let out a noise somewhere between a whine and a grunt when I opened the bottle of lube and drizzled some on my fingertips. 

“Hold still,” I said, trying to get him to relax when my finger started circling his asshole, pushing against the tight muscle which wasn’t so easy to penetrate. However, with enough perseverance, I forced one finger inside and heard Chan release a rather unattractive sound.

“How does it feel?” I asked him, trying to move my finger around like I had read online.

“It just feels like you’ve shoved your finger up my ass,” Chan snapped, and I knew not to take it personally since he wasn’t so willing to go along with my crazy scheme in the first place.

“Don’t be so tense,” I said, rubbing my hand along his lower back. “Should I use more lube?”

“Fuck, I don’t know, Y/N,” Chan groaned, and I could tell that he was growing frustrated.

I was also losing confidence - wondering if this had been a bad idea because it definitely wasn’t as easy as my co-worker promised. Plus, I could tell that Chan was uncomfortable, squirming around under me while his cock hung limply between his legs. Clearly, he wasn’t finding any pleasure from this, and maybe it was entirely my fault for jumping into this without more preparation. 

“Shit, Chan,” I said, removing my finger while releasing a sigh. “I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have done this.”

I cleared my throat, feeling increasingly anxious when Chan refused to respond to my apology. He was still supporting himself on his hands in front of me, chest heaving up and down with each breath. I could see that the bright red tint to his ears betrayed his embarrassment and that only made me feel worse because the last thing I wanted to do was make this bad for him.

Eventually, Chan rolled off to the side of the bed, collecting his sweatpants from the floor before walking into the bathroom. I closed my eyes when the door slammed behind him, and I quietly left the bedroom to give Chan some privacy because it was obvious that he wasn’t pleased with the situation. 

So much for my co-worker’s stupid suggestion.

However, in the grand scheme of things, I was always the first to recognize when my actions warranted reprimand. 

After sleeping on the couch in the living room, I woke-up with a sore lower back and a guilty conscious. Chan had already left for work that morning, and he probably hadn’t paid me a single glance. But I probably deserved his wrath, which meant I would do everything that I could to make it up to him.

Consequently, I found myself flashing a bright smile at Chan’s office secretary who greeted me politely before calling Chan’s phone to see if he had some time to see me. There was a small part of me which worried that Chan might send me away because of last night’s events. Thankfully, his secretary waved me inside and I took a deep breath before opening the door while carrying the packed lunch I prepared for him.

Once inside, Chan offered me a cursory glance that only lasted a brief moment until his attention was once again focused on the file in front of him. “Channie,” I said, wincing at my shrill tone. “I brought you some lunch.”

I hesitated when Chan didn’t respond - walking over to his desk to carefully deposit the bag on his desk. I waited for a brief moment, but Chan refused to acknowledge me, which meant I needed to approach him more directly.  “I’m sorry about last night, Channie,” I said, coming around his desk to perch myself on the edge. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m also sorry about the past few months because I’ve been so desperate to finally have my positive pregnancy test that I started to really neglect you.”

The pen Chan had been writing with stopped in the middle of whatever sentence he had been writing, and my husband finally allowed me the privilege of looking into his dark brown eyes. “It’s hard for me to stay mad at you, Y/N,” Chan said, and I nearly burst into tears at the simple declaration.

“You deserve to be mad at me,” I said. “I can’t believe you let me get away with acting like this. You should get the husband of the year award or whatever.”

Chan chuckled, tossing his pencil aside. “Sweetheart, I know how much this means to you, and I want it just as much, but maybe it would be nice if we could be intimate sometimes without worrying about whether or not we’re following all those advice columns you read.”

“You’re right,” I agreed, and I pushed myself away from the edge of the desk and fell onto my knees in front of him - reaching out to grab his thighs between my hands. “What if I blew you right here in the office?”

Chan’s answering moan was enough to solidify my resolve, and I easily worked apart the belt fastening around his suit pants. My fingers worked with an experienced touch because this wasn’t the first time we had done something like this in his big executive office and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. “Fuck, Y/N,” Chan said, grabbing large handfuls of my hair while directing my lips closer to his exposed cock-head. 

“Let me take care of you, darling,” I said, offering a tentative lick to his pulsating tip. Chan was already hard, and I gave him a few strokes with my hand before allowing my mouth to take care of the rest - opening wide to take him as deep as I could without gagging. 

“Look at you,” Chan snarled, and his fingers traced the seam of my lips stretched obscenely around his cock. 

I moaned around his erection, and Chan closed his eyes as he fingers tightened their hold - hips moving every so often to force his cock even further down my throat. But I’m sure it made for one hell of a visual, and I hollowed my cheeks as I ran my tongue across the distinct vein trailing along the underside. 

“Keep going,” Chan said, and I could tell that he was close. And I started bobbing my head up and down, mimicking the same effect of his cock fucking my pussy, relaxing my throat and encouraging Chan to do whatever he needed to push himself over the edge.

He eventually came with an exaggerated groan, and I wrinkled my nose at the taste of him. Yet, I knew better than to let anything go to waste, and I struggled around the rawness of my throat as I swallowed - swiping my tongue around the head of his spent cock to clean up the excess.

“Was it good?” I asked him with a hoarse voice.

“Of course it was,” Chan replied, encouraging me off the floor and into his lap. His arms wrapped around me, holding me close as I listened to his heart slow back down to normal. “Thank you, Y/N,” he said, teasing his lips across mine. “You’re not gonna freak out over the fact that we just wasted my perfectly good semen?”

I rolled my eyes before playfully hitting his shoulder. “It’s never a waste if it makes you come like that.”

He smiled, bringing out the fullness of his dimples, and we sat together while Chan ate his lunch and I mindlessly talked about the latest office gossip. It was moments like these that I loved more than anything about my marriage to Chan - pregnancy be damned. Ironically, it was only a few weeks later that I found myself looking down at a thin white strip with a blue cross displayed across the surface: positive.

[agentnico]

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) Review

So, are we just gonna sit here not addressing the elephant in the room or do we give director Hayao Miyazaki a call and make him aware that he has full right to sue Disney for blatantly stealing his design of the water dragon from his movie Spirited Away? I don’t know, just seems like the cool thing to do these days, you know, suing Disney? Wait, is that me throwing shade at Black Widow for no reason? Why yes, yes it is.

Plot: Martial-arts master Shang-Chi confronts the past he thought he left behind when he's drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.

Critics and reviews are useless. Yes, stating that makes me a hypocrite of the highest order of orders seeing as I am a film critic myself, albeit an unpaid one. I even have a T-shirt that states “UNPAID FILM CRITIC” and that is both hilarious and also self-heart-breaking but nonetheless you are not here to read about my wardrobe contents. You’re here to read about my thoughts on Shang-Chi and all those numerous rings that are referred to even though we all know that the only ring that matters is the One Ring that needs to be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came!! Unfortunately that ring does not make an appearance in this film nor is it even mentioned, and that may be due to the case of it belonging to a different franchise entirely however, and this is a big however... I don’t give a crap! Gimme the One Ring!! I wants it!! The precious is MINE!! But anyway, returning to my original point from which I strayed unnecessarily, this movie underlined how frustrating reviews can be. 

You see, Shang-Chi is a solid movie. It very much is a good solo superhero origin story that features some well choreographed martial arts action sequences and makes great strides in pushing for diversity in major Hollywood blockbusters. Similar to Black Panther in fact. That is all well and good, however about half a month ago this film was previewed to a bunch of critics and they all came out with their social media reactions and reviews screaming and hailing this movie as being one of the greatest superhero solo movies ever. Naturally that got us all really excited, especially since at least in my eyes, with me being a huge Marvel Cinematic Universe fan and all, Shang-Chi was never particularly in my radar of interest originally as I was more looking forward to other MCU upcoming titles such as Thor: Love & Thunder, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Eternals. So when critics came out on the internet spilling endless praise for Shang-Chi, my first reaction was “DA FAK!?” following which I joined on the hype train and screamed “choo-choo!” in excitement as I looked forward to this new exciting entry in the MCU. Having now watched the film I come out feeling disappointed, as even though I enjoyed it, like any Marvel film, I find that this movie suffers heavily from being overrated. 

As stated prior, Shang-Chi, like any Marvel movie, is enjoyable. It’s perfect blockbuster movie escapism filled with action, fun characters, big visuals and many references and Easter Eggs that would excite die hard franchise fans. However does this film really offer anything truly out of the ordinary that other films prior to it have not? The central dramatic plot dynamic involving a son and his father not seeing eye to eye due to one being blind sighted from reality is very common in the world of cinema. Also the martial arts action sequences, though certainly well choreographed and especially one of the first fight sequences set in a magic forest (naturally) that plays out more like a dance is worth mentioning, are cool to look at, however they too are downgraded by some sloppy editing and camera cuts that really make you lose the feeling of immersion that some superior martial arts films have such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or The Raid or any of the Bruce Lee movies. I’m certain that the stunts and choreography are effortless, but due to the shaky filmmaking and jump cuts I missed a lot of it. However nevertheless for Marvel and the superhero genre as a whole this is evidently more impressive than the usual Hulk-smashing shenanigans.

The central main cast is made up of mostly Asian heritage which of course is great for diversity in cinema, and to be fair many of these actors prove themselves to be major stars that fit quite smoothly into such a big blockbuster as Shang-Chi. Simu Liu as the titular character is a natural born star. He has that genuine star power and he easily proves that he can carry a big movie. He has the necessary charm and charisma that shines on screen, so I look forward to seeing him more as this character in future MCU entries, and also hope this proves Simu Liu a gateway into more mainstream movie projects. Awkwafina is fine in her role as Shang-Chi’s best friend Katy, and it was nice seeing a central duo of a man and a woman that doesn’t force a useless love story between them. They are just friends and it was nice seeing that type of dynamic. That being said I personally am not a fan of Awkwafina and her overly croaky voice, but that of course is just personal preference. Tony Leung as Shang-Chi’s father and also previously Marvel teased villain the Mandarin brings the necessary heft and gravitas to the role, and also a certain appearance by a British actor returning as a character we’ve seen previously in another Marvel movie was a welcome surprise that brought many laughs in my screening and honestly this guy nearly stole the entire show. It’s just that this is such a well written and performed character and I’m so happy they brought him back. I’m certain if you look it up on the old Internet Explorer you’ll find out who I’m talking about, however no spoilers in this review. 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a perfectly enjoyable Marvel movie featuring martial arts. That’s in a nutshell what it is. It has moments of true greatness but in my opinion doesn’t actually stand out that much from other Marvel solo superhero outings. That’s in no way a complaint towards the movie, I’m just confused as to why this movie is so overrated? Maybe I’m missing something. Regardless, I’m now gonna go back and focus on the ring that actually matters - the One Ring - and begin yet another marathon of the Lord of the Rings movies. Ciao! 

Overall score: 6/10

[changeling-rin]

Hi Purple!

That's a valid point

Hi Concerned!

I did not know the money limit in Hyrule Warriors, but I did know that Farore shows up! I'm more bemoaning the fact that she was reduced to cameos rather than getting her own full game like her sisters

But also, Lux is clearly the new packing horse for the group's money, his wallet size is ridiculous

Hi Peahen!

Well, the shenanigans would become exponentially more nonsensical, but also exponentially more likely to actually work. Lore has that sort of effect on things

Hi Stardust!

...Moth Miraculous? Is... is that the Butterfly? I'm gonna assume it's the Butterfly, for simplicity's sake

Question, though, if Mask has the Butterfly then who Akumatized Lore? Because I'm gonna guess it wasn't Mask, but I think the Butterfly is the only Miraculous with that sort of power - oh wait you mean Mask is the villain oh okay-

That sounds incredibly depressing. Where's Ocarina in this? Where was he at when his future self decided to go off the rails into villainy? He had one job.

There would be so much snark like oh my gosh. Codex is easily the worst saucebox I've ever written, literally almost every other word out of his mouth is sarcastic

On the other AU, I'm not sure how much Zant would actually get done. To quote a famous internet insult, he sort of seems like he'd struggle to pour water out of a boot with the instructions on the heel. Not for lack of intelligence, but more for the lack of... common sense

[tren-fraszka]

Fic in a Box 2021 Exchange Letter

Dear creator,

Thank you for taking your time to check my requests. I know my requests can sound a bit tricky, but please don’t be discouraged. I wish you will have good time writing first and foremost!

My AO3 is Tren, if you wish to check it out.

Likes: comedy, casefics, canon compliants, AUs, time loops, bodyswaps, roleswaps, “being hoisted by your own petard” plotlines, snark, pettiness, rivals, enemies to friends to lovers, violence, friendships, and character bonding,

DNW: explicit sex (makeouts and fade to black is okay), A/B/O, mpreg, rape depicted as positive (so no “it’s okay, because the other person enjoyed it/it was what they truly wanted”), trans headcanons, soulmate AUs, stories ending with surrender to fate/destiny, fourth wall breaking in canons where that doesn’t occur, character has cancer or other real-life terminal disease AU, word “queerplatonic”.

Also, I included what ships I’m okay with in each fandom. Please do not include any ships that aren’t canon and I have not allowed in those sections (if you feel really strongly about a ship I haven’t mentioned, you can always ask through mods just in case).

On a separate, but similar note, I’m okay with OCs as long as they don’t overshadow the characters I requested.

Additionally, while I almost never request fanart as possible medium, because I prefer my main gift to be fic, I would be very okay with receiving fanart treats. Also, feel free to peruse my old letters if you get your hands on them. I never stop being interested in fandoms, and if I requested something once I will still want it in the future.

                                           REQUESTS

Medium opt-ins (they are the same for all the fandoms):

Length Opt-In: Drabble Length Opt-In: Drabble Series Medium Opt In: Any - Any In-Universe Documents Medium Opt In: Art - Drawn - Comics Medium Opt In: Art - Drawn - Fanart Medium Opt In: Art - Excerpts from a Character's Sketchbook Medium Opt In: Art - Tarot Card Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Bureaucratic Paperwork Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Excerpts from a Journal/Notebook/Sketchbook Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Field Report Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Mission Report Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - In-Universe Scientific Documents Medium Opt In: Writing - Unreliable Narrator Medium Opt In: Writing - Non-Linear Narrative

MARIMASHITA! IRUMA-KUN

I read new manga chapters as they get translated so feel free to incorporate anything from the manga that’s available in English.

Kirio Amy/Suzuki Iruma

There are many good ships with Iruma, but this one just has a lot things I like. I love enemy ships with both sides being way too emotionally invested into each other so this was inevitable. I love how this relationship starts as this really wholesome friendship and school festival preparation, except Kirio turns out to be a bit messed up and wants to blow up everyone. But then they both accept the outcome and go on with their lives still thinking about each other. Iruma goes through a lot of trouble to keep the club operating even though Kirio has been pretty much expelled. And then Kirio is now obsessed with Iruma as his anthitesis and perfect enemy.

I’m okay with the potential story happening at any point in the canon. I would love both a story set before the festival while Kirio is still hiding his true colors or a story set after it. Maybe Iruma runs into Kirio somewhere after he escapes prison and instead of calling an adult, he tries to stop Kirio from causing trouble on his own. As for pre-festival story. Maybe some upperclassmen steal important parts from the club and Iruma and Kirio set out to get them back.

Naberius Callego & Suzuki Iruma

I love Callego for being a much better take on Snape than original Snape ever was. The second the series made Callego Iruma’s familiar I knew this was about to get good. And it was. I love how Callego slowly warms up to Iruma, even if he is still allergic to his and Sullivan’s antics. I love that Callego is actually a competent teacher who cares about his students, but at the same time he would rather eat a whole lemon than admit it out loud.

For prompts, maybe Sullivan ends up having an important business and Opera isn’t available so he dumps looking after Iruma on Callego for a few days. Or Iruma is struggling with studying since so many things are new for him, so Callego ends up forced to help him catch up with the material (if you are following manga inclusion of Balam is always welcome). Or maybe Iruma gets into usual trouble ends up stranded somewhere and the only one he can call for help is his familiar.

Crocell Kerori | Kuromu/Gyari

One of the last thing I expected to get this year was a canonical yuri romance in this manga, but here it is and it’s perfect. I love how it is pretty much built on mutual pining. I love how Kuromu loves Gyari, but refuses to reciprocate her feelings, because she knows that she needs to remain unattainable to keep their relationship alive, and I love how Gyari is never ever going to give up.

I would love to see more of the time when they worked together. We know it was love at the first sight for Gyari, but I would love to see how Kuromu’s feelings grew. Those hours they spent together practicing, maybe a not-date where they sneak together to scout a venue where they will be having their first big concert, or maybe a small contest that would sow the seeds for their future rivalry. I would love any and all of it. Also, Gyari doesn’t seem to be aware of Kuromu’s civilian identity, so I would love a story where Gyari meets Crocell Kerori rather than Kuromu. Does she recognize her? Or does Kerori manage to successfully trick her? Maybe Gyari makes a full investigation after hearing rumors that Kuromu is attending Babylys. I would also love any sort of future fic for those two.

AUs and ships

I love the worldbuilding around the demon world, so I would ask that if you decided to write an AU that it still incorporates demons. I would definitely love an AU where rather than getting summoned to demon world, Iruma accidentally summons either Kirio or Callego into the human world. Maybe Iruma’s parents try to use him as an offering, but instead he ends up bound to a demon. I would love to see Kirio excited to unleash suffering (even if his weak powers severely limit him in that regard) onto human world just to discover that he made contract with the biggest pacifist possible. Or Callego being torn between wanting to return home as soon as possible (he has classes to teach!) and wanting to somehow help the weird human child that just keeps getting into trouble. Any other demon-focused AU is also welcome. For Gyari and Kurmou, maybe one of them is a human who ends up summoning the other as a demon. How different would their relationship be then? I’m also fine with any sort of AU divergences scenario. Maybe Iruma keeps accidentally sabbotaging Kirio’s terrorist plans without realizing it. Or Iruma ends up summoning Callego more often as his familiar when he gets into trouble. What if Gyari also attended Babylys.

As for ships, I’d rather avoid any love triangle scenarios for this canon, so please focus on just one pairing per character (competing for Iruma’s attention is normal for this canon, I’d just rather not see outright romantic competition). It’s self-explainatory for Kirio request, but if you want to include some shipping elements into the other requests I also ship Iruma/Amelie and Callego/Balam.

VIVY: FLUORITE EYE’S SONG

Solo: Vivy

WB: Any

I would love a look into some alternate timelines or missing scenes. Feel free to go as tragic as you like for alternate timelines, or make a happy end, or anything in between. I just think the core concept of the show has a lot of potential in that regard. For a more specific prompts I would love an AU where Diva doesn't disappear, but maybe she and Vivy end up spliting in some way (I'm sure Matsumoto could find a spare body or something). Or maybe a story where one of the Sisters ends up dragged into Singularity project (I really loved what they did with Elizabeth in the show).

For more worldbuilding prompts I would love a more in-depth look of how Matsumoto as more advanced AI differs from the past eye and how that gap is slowly being closed with each case he and Vivy resolves. Or outsider POV on how Vivy’s and Matsumoto’s actions shape the world. Them turning off the plant producing new androids and the subsequent suicide would definitely get coverage. I would love to know how the whole thing was officially explained. Are there conspiracy theories on the Internet? Sisters are involved in every major incident, would people suspect something?

AUs and ships

I would prefer no setting changes for this story. Any other AUs are fine. As mentioned I would love any look for alternate timeline. I would also love an AU where Diva doesn’t recover her memories and keeps helping Matsumoto while trying to regain them.

Any canon pairings are fine.

SOUSOU NO FRIEREN

I read new manga chapters as they get translated so feel free to incorporate anything from the manga that’s available in English.

Frieren

Frieren/Himmel

I love how this manga is a slow-paced fantasy dealing with loss and inevitable passage of time. And I love Frieren for being one of the best depictions of an elf whose long life actually affects their outlook on life and actions.

I would equally love the insight into Frieren’s present with her charges and the past with hero party. What other shenanigans they get into on their journey? What kind of weird magic Frieren pursued? I would love to see more of her mentoring Fern and Stark. I also love to see her interactions with the hero party. Maybe some more insight into how they fought with demons, since Frieren seemed to have picked up a number of enemies during that time. For some more specific prompts: maybe Frieren accidentally stumbles ona cursed item that erases her memories (or just her memories of Himmel). How would it affect her? What would the party do to help her? Or maybe a demon kidnaps someone from Frieren’s party?

Feel free to include any other characters, they are a colorful bunch.

AUs and ships

I’m fine with AUs as long as Frieren’s long lifespan is preserved. Her perspective is very much shaped by how long she has lived, so I wouldn’t want that aspect to change. One exception would be, a roleswap where Himmel is an elf, while Frieren is a human, and exploration of how both of them would be affected by having a different lifespan. An AU with mythological creatures or similar could be interesting.

I would very much love Himmel/Frieren, though I also enjoy how the manga softly builds on their connection. I also enjoy the budding romance between Fern and Stark.

ONMYOJI

I like all the characters so feel free to include any of them in the story. Bonus points for Ennmusubi doing some subtle matchmaking.

Hakuro/Kusa

I love both of them and how much Kusa looks up to Hakuro. I would love to see them have some adventures together. Maybe they help some other youkai? Or one of the onmyoji? I would also love a deeper insight into how Kusa became stronger after getting inspired by Hakuro. How did she try to improve herself? There definitely was some trial and error and I would love to see that.  

Shiranui/Kinnara

That pairing came out of the left field for me, but I absolutely love the interactions the two of them had so far. I would love to see them meeting more, their feelings growing each time they see each other. I also feel like a story where they keep meeting each other in a dream would really fit them, as they would long to finally meet each other in reality.

AUs and ships

I’m fine with any AU. A modern AU with archer Hakuro and gardener Kusa would be cute. Or a dancer Shiranui and a musican Kinnara. Alternatively an AU where one of the two is onmyoji could be very interesting.

I’m fine with Hakuro’s admiration for Hiromasa being present as long as it doesn’t overshadow her relationship with Kusa. 

DRESDEN FILES

Harry Dresden/Lara Raith

I was sceptical of this pairing all the way through Peace Talks, but then Harry and Lara had this intense falling out, Murphy had died, and suddenly this is a supernatural arranged political marriage and I love everything about this situation. I mean everything. Harry still being in mourning and absolutely not wanting to be forced into this arrangement, Lara still being distrustful of Harry, suspecting that Dresden is using their brother as a bargaining chip, Mab expecting both of them to present themselve as a couple for political reasons. It’s just terrible time for both of them, but so much fun for me.

I would love to see them forced to attend various supernatural events to present themselves per Mab’s wishes. How badly would Dresden handle it? Also it was confirmed that he was marked with true love which means he and Lara probably can’t even touch directly. How well do they hide that fact from everyone? How much guilt would Harry have once he realized that the mark has weakened or disappeared now that he started to develop feelings for Lara? How much chaos will ensue when the wedding does happen?

AUs and ships

I don’t want any setting AU for this fandom, because the existing setup is just too perfect. I’m fine with a divergence AU as long as Lara and Harry are still forced into arranged marriage.

I would want for Harry’s past relationships be acknowledged mostly because him being in mourning is part of what I find appealing about his situation. I don’t expect any scenes actually showing him with his past lovers, but I would be very okay with them appearing.

TALES OF CRESTORIA

Feel free to include other Tales characters. My faves are the cast of Xillia, Symphonia and Graces, but I’m also fine with including other characters (I would appreciate proper introductions in that case, I still haven’t played some of the games, so I might not recognize everyone just by their name).

Solo: Lloyd Irving

I would love more insight into small, but murdeous Lloyd. Seriously I loved the idea of Lloyd originally being manipulated into killing Colette and would love to see Lloyd remembering his lost memories at some point (bonus points for also exploring the idea of Colette as an artificial construct). Also I'm always a sucker for Kratos and Lloyd awkwardly trying to rebuild their familial bonds. What if Lloyd went with Kratos after all? What would happen if they ran into each other again. 

Stahn Aileron & Leon Magnus

I would love more of Leon's utter suffering as he searches for a way to turn his best friend back into human, so people stop thinking he's crazy whenever he tells his sword to shut up. I would love to see him reunite with Crestoria’s main cast and getting annoyed at how chaotic they are. Or running into Sorey again. Honestly, I would love seeing him interact with pretty much anyone, and grumpily helping them kill monsters/do charity/etc. Or exploring Stahn’s and Leon’s past. I would love to see their childhood and how they grew to be such a good friends.

I haven’t played Destiny, so please give me context if you want to include any elements that aren’t in Crestoria.

Velvet Crowe/Milla Maxwell

I thrive on the twisted codependency those two have in Crestoria. I will take both good, tragic and/or ambiguous ends for this relationship. Whether Velvet decides to forgive Milla or kill her it will be great. Give me all those twisted emotions, the hesitation, and pain both of them are carrying.

For straightforward approach, maybe the two of them stop in a town while chasing the last Incarnation and Milla decides to throw a party (because it’s some sort of festival, or maybe she found out it’s Velvet’s or Laphicet’s birthday and wants to make some amends however small). Or maybe one of them gets hurt during the fight with an Incarnation and the other ends up nursing them to health.

For some more levity, maybe Velvet and Milla ran out of money and pick up some side-job to have enough money for an inn. Maybe they work as waitresses and are both great and terrible at it at the same time. Or they have to take care of kids. Any other amusing job is also good.

AUs and ships

I’m fine with any AUs, though for Stahn&Leon request I still want Stahn to be the sword. I’m okay with Stahn turning human (or from human to sword) in the course of the story or being human when showing his past with Leon.

I don’t want Velvet or Milla paired with anyone else or Asbel/Cheria. Other than that there’s too much ships. Please inquire through the mods about specific ones.

FATE/GRAND ORDER

WB: Any

Please only include NA content, I want to avoid JP spoilers

I would love to explore any part of the setting really. I especially love the various interesting connections Servant have with each other that might not be obvious at first glance (like the fact that Iskander is also a pharaoh). I’m just fascinated by all the intricate historical connections. I would also love to see how some Servants would react if they were taken to Singularity/Lostbelt/Event they weren’t a part of. 

Alternatively I would love to see exploration on how different the protagonists upbringing is from other mages especially given how bad they are at magic. We get some of it with Crypters (I loved how frustrated Kadoc was at the fact that the protagonist is even worse at magic than him), but I would love to see more of it. Maybe some Servants try to teach protagonist magic or prepare them for interactions with Clock Tower mages.

I'm fine with both male and female protagonist. Feel free to do anything from a serious character exploration to zany antics. I love both moods FGO jumps between, you can't go wrong with that. Historical context always welcome. I'm fine for any usual suspects when it comes to plot ideas: be it training simulator shenanigans, "oh no we lost comms and are stuck in Singularity", Moriarty scheming, to someone wanting to make Master happy in their own special, dysfunstional and/or possibly destructive ways

Some of the characters I enjoy: Gilgamesh (any), Mordred, Karna, Medea, Saint Martha, Ereshikigal, Danzo, Jeanne D'Arc Alter, Mysterious Heroine XX, Sitonai, Moriarty, Goredolf, any character from pairings section solo. Though honestly I love pretty much everyone in Chaldea except Columbus.

AUs and ships

Obviously, no setting changes AUs, but feel free to Canon Divergence

Pairings: Amakusa/Semiramis, Izou/Ryouma, Kintoki/Fuuma, Romani/Merlin, Romani/protagonist. Also feel free to assume protagonist/everyone (except the "child" Servants). Feel free to ask about other pairings through mods, I’m definitely missing some

[thebrooklynsavage]

Exercise 003 - W@HL - Waraire

January 4. 10:33pm

I’ve been sitting in this bed, pencil in hand for almost 45mins and the only thing I can think of is how journals should come with some kind of warning about how intimidating a blank page can be. My therapist and the internet thought this would be a good idea, and everyone said to not think about it too much, but that’s literally all I know how to do. 

My mom died so I came to the hotel to stay with Uncle Penny, because the rest of my family doesn’t trust me being so far away at school by myself. See, that’s what I’m talking about. My family has a hotel that my Uncle runs, but if I hadn’t explained that just now and someone found this journal sometime in the future, they’d think some weird shit was going on. How much of the thoughts in my head do I explain, or do I just talk to myself, knowing the full context of everything I’m talking about?

This is so stressful. 

Anyway, I can take all of my classes online so I came to spend time with my favorite Uncle and my mom’s closest brother. I hadn’t stayed here in so long I’d forgotten how nice the hotel is. I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised, my family is a dynasty of saditty, southern assholes, so Uncle Penny didn’t have to dig too deep in his sissy bag to make white people want to spend their money here. 

It’s been two weeks since her service which means I’ve been here 10 days and we actually haven’t talked about it once. I’m not entirely sure who’s avoiding it more, but I’m glad for the illusion of normalcy for now. My mom was so big. She was everywhere and now, most days feel like trying to breathe in rooms with no air. Uncle Penny, is cool with me letting a part of myself suffocate, for now. I imagine because he’s probably feeling the same way, but who knows. 

I’ll stay here for a while, maybe finish out the semester and see what bullshit the summer brings. If nothing else, I have the shenanigans of the guests to look forward to, maybe I’ll fill these pages with those stories instead. 

[echoeternally]

Mario Thread Opinions

I saw something making rounds on Twitter featuring Mario characters, so, I wanted to respond to that, but without flooding the timeline.

So, I’ll put them here instead! ...And I’ll try to keep thoughts short...

... ... ...

Original Tweeted Characters

Mario: He’s such a cheerful and happy protagonist! I don’t get why people ever have strong dislikes for him. He’s full of energy and normally kindness. Maybe they think that’s bland, but I’ve been following Mario’s journeys since I was very young, so he’ll always be a great protagonist for me.

Toadette: She’s so energetic and sweet! She’s come such a long way since her debut from Mario Kart: Double Dash, and currently, Toadette seems to be a regular mainstay for the franchise. You’re doing amazing, sweetie! Keep going!

Dry Bones: One of the cutest zombies and/or reanimated dead characters that I can think of. While a tricky enemy to handle, I still enjoy seeing them. Plus, they’re welcome additions to spin-off games like almost always!

Shy Guy: The beeeeest! Shy Guy is the cutest little enemy, and I love how they get included into various roles as either friend or foe. I think I’m always happy to see Shy Guy around in some way!

Pink Gold Peach: Peach deserves a cool power-up form! While I wish she had it outside of spin-off titles, I think it’s a cute concept regardless. (Though, I get the disappointment when she shows up.) People mention “rose gold” as a title instead, and I think I agree with that, but also, alliteration.

Peachette: (deep, heavy sigh) You could have been so fun conceptually...the potential for future uses that could be dramatic with bait-and-switches for Peach. But...marred by Internet memes...also, not a fan that Toadette gets replaced on-screen by Peach in the first place, so, yeah.

King Boo: This dude has so many change-ups in how he appears. I kind of love him as both a Mario enemy and a Luigi’s Mansion main boss. He makes a good adversary for Luigi, so, I hope he sticks around to spook the cast! Love his laugh too, lol.

Daisy: She deserves so much love and attention, and I don’t understand why the developers at Nintendo have kept her locked behind spin-off titles for so long. I feel like that could change going forward, so I’m hoping that she becomes even more awesome and help save the day in future adventures!

Peach: Arguably the most iconic damsel in modern media, though I wish we could let her evolve past that. Peach is strong in her own right, so let’s see her headline a franchise and save the day herself! She doesn’t get opportunity to do that enough. She can be more than just Mario’s plot device. Anyway, she’s great, and I wish she would get more respect from Nintendo. She could make the Disney princesses shudder if given the chance.

Yoshi: Quite possibly the cutest steed known to pop culture! He’s so sweet and precious, like, I feel as though no one can help but love Yoshi. Anytime he pops in and the moment immediately improves!

Luigi: As a younger sibling myself, I totally can relate to Luigi easily. He’s the best deuteragonist that Mario could ask for! His fans can sometimes be a little much, but I can understand the enthusiasm! Luigi’s a good boy. Nintendo should dunk on him less though; he’s proven well enough.

Hammer Bro: Bah, an enemy that always keeps me wary! Probably one of the biggest common enemies that is practically guaranteed to be at least a light challenge. As they appear in more spin-off games, I like their energy and excitement more. They’re fun dudes!

The Koopalings: No clue how they were kept dormant for so many years, because they provide so much flavor to the series! Then again, it’s painful to see any of them separated from one another, and including seven characters can be a challenge. Overall, I love them, and they make great opponents and even additions to rosters! Best generals, I think.

Kamek: I know that the name isn’t supposed to be significant, but he ended up being so. And I really wish we would get a version of Kamek that stands out from the other Magikoopa! His role seems too important to be neglected as often as it can be. Definitely the coolest standalone enemy on Bowser’s minion roster, and I hope they keep helping this one stand out more in the future!

Waluigi: He’s pretty funny, and he can sucker a few laughs out of me time and again. I think that he’s underrated by the Mario franchise itself, and that he should appear more often or join Wario for his franchise. His loudest fans are definitely a bit too rambunctious. Still, he’s been around for 20 years, and I do agree that he probably deserves better.

Rosalina: Definitely a cool character that I really hope we keep in rotation. She should be used for more than just spin-off shenanigans without question, so I hope that we see her more as time goes on. (She almost joined Odyssey in a cool appearance!) Anyway, I love her motherly and calm yet elegant nature, and the lore that she gave to Super Mario Galaxy as well. Luma princess!

Bowser: As Mario is one of my favorite protagonists, Bowser would be one of my favorite antagonists! Though, I do wish he’d get a break. He’s a fun character without always being evil. We should give other villains a chance to go crazy and let Bowser do something else, either helping Mario or just living life without being the big bad. He’s sometimes more interesting being just a dad above all else!

Piranha Plant: Plant gang rise up! Not going to lie, one of the most iconic Mario enemies to appear, and yet, I feel like they’ve been slept on until their recent inclusions in games as playable characters, most especially in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Great surprise trap enemies too. Overall, love these chompy dudes! ...Except when they chomp me, that is, ha!

Metal Mario: Probably one of Mario’s coolest power-up forms! He’s appeared in several spin-offs as a playable character, starting with Mario Golf for the N64, if I’m not mistaken. While I prefer him as a power-up, he’s a fun concept to see turn up every so often.

Whomp King: An iconic opponent in Super Mario 64, and one that I’m surprised to see turn up every so often! Yet, I’m also surprised that we don’t see him more often as well. It’s odd, but then again, Whomps can be underutilized. I like him though!

Wario: Greedy guy supreme! Wario is perhaps the grossest Mario character, but also one of the funniest. He’s usually a welcome addition to the rosters that he joins, so, I like to see him around too. His laugh is hilarious and definitely one of the more recognizable out there!

Dry Bowser: Bowser’s reanimated corpse! Originally a cool concept and perhaps even a surprising one! Since I like Dry Bones, I tend to like this dude, even when he’s not exactly Bowser himself sometimes, since that happens. Either way, cool and creepy, so totally a unique flavor!

Pom Pom: Honestly, not an addition that I ever expected, but totally welcomed alongside Boom Boom’s return to the franchise. I love her shuriken attacks and ninja theme, because I’m a sucker for that. And more female creature features are always welcome to roster! Not every lady needs to be a princess, after all.

King Bob-omb: I love him! He’s arguably my favorite boss from Super Mario 64, and I’m so happy that he’s been popping up more frequently. He’s finally playable for the first time in Mario Kart: Tour, so I hope he appears as such in future titles! His mustache deserves greatness!

Toad: I have literally always had a huge soft-spot for the Mushroom Kingdom citizens. Also, I feel like Toad should be recognized as an individual as much as Yoshi is! He’s cheerful, helpful, sweet, and usually so helpful! Plus, I totally crush it when I use him in Mario Kart, lol. One of my favorites as well, and I consider him as part of the core cast!

Bob-omb: Who knew living explosives could be so...cute? I can’t deny that I delight in seeing them, even though they usually terrorize me whenever they’re around. Totally love to see them included, as they’re great inclusions.

Boo: Spooky time! I love seeing Boo, they’re fun. Also, horrifying to face off against, since they’re not usually the easiest to defeat. They’re cute though, and I love to listen to their cackles and trills! Also wonderful inclusions, both in the main Super Mario games and hilariously so in Luigi’s Mansion. (I love their titles and names in those games!)

Bowser Jr.: While his existence should raise questions, mostly concerning how, I tend to hand wave that as easily as Nintendo does. I love that Bowser has a bratty kid, it’s so entertaining to me! And it’s precious, because I really enjoy seeing Bowser having a soft spot for his son. Junior himself is enjoyable to see too, because he’s a pint-sized enemy with lots of personality!

Pauline: That’s my girl! That’s my girl right there, whoo! I’m so deliriously happy that she’s returned in the greatest form, from nameless damsel to major city mayor! And now she’s regularly included for Mario franchise casts by the fans and the developers. She deserves it, and I hope we continue to see Pauline appear all the time in the future! Get it, One-Up Girl!

Baby Daisy: A cute baby bean, and a logical companion for Baby Peach! Not usually a character that I favor, but I don’t mind her. The scariest kiddo on the racetrack, that I’ve learned.

Petey Piranha: It makes sense that the Piranha Plants have a boss leader, since Bowser is that for the Koopas, and then we have such for Bob-ombs, Whomps, Boos, and the others. Anyway, the sludge stuff is gross, but I do love to see Petey! He’s actually sort of cute with his little utters of “yay!” in spin-offs. Plus, he’s usually a fun flavor of boss to battle!

Lakitu: Honestly, I forget that these dudes are supposed to be bad guys; they’re usually so friendly and helpful! And I think I prefer them that way overall. But, they do make challenging opponents when they’re not helpers, so that is fun to see from time to time. Totally a great mainstay to the roster either way!

Baby Rosalina: Like, I do get the idea of her, but at the same time, she’s more or less a walking contradiction, more than Bowser Jr. or the other babies by far. She is cute though, and I guess we’re not meant to think about it.

Koopa Troopa: Basically Bowser’s equivalent to Toad, and I don’t think that’s a comparison that’s addressed often enough. Like, they’d be great to make Bowser’s forces more sympathetic. Anyway, I like them as enemies, though I tend to see them as helpers fairly often too, since that’s how they’ve appeared over the years. Totally a great mainstay!

Boomerang Bro: As if their hammer throwing cousins weren’t bad enough, we get these dudes to battle from time to time. They’re tricky but cool variations on classic opponents. And I think I enjoy seeing them when we have big cast herds for the spin-off Mario titles.

Bullet Bill: Fear. These guys just come flying out of cannons and my instinct just shifts into fight-or-flight. I love them appearing, but I’m always wary of the challenges they normally present. Also, similar to Bob-omb with the whole, “who knew living artillery could be cute?” Because I know it’s Mario, but geez.

Baby Luigi: The baby bro! He’s a fun alternate option for Baby Mario to rescue, and cute to see included from time to time in spin-off titles. Though, I think his best appearance was Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

Banzai Bill: The developers went, “Hey, know what’s scary than a big bullet chasing you down? How about a MEGA DEATH BULLET that destroys everything in its wake? Let’s even give it a creepy slasher-grinning face!” And nobody really questioned that. Utterly horrifying to battle (or just run from), but cool conceptually, so I like the enemy inclusion.

Buzzy Beetle: They’re such lowkey baddies that I actually love. Like, there’s even a sinister hint to them with the glowing red eyes and everything! Totally underrated as opponents, and I enjoy their appearances whenever they’re around.

Baby Mario: The leader of the bunch, and you know him...wait a minute. Anyway, he’s a fun character concept, and I like the idea of exploring characters at different points of their lives! It’s cute to see Mario was thrown into heroics since basically birth, and Baby Mario’s usually entertaining to see around, even though we should really question the lacking moral/ethic decisions of letting babies drive go-karts and playing sports.

Goomba: The number one low-level grunt of all-time! At least, I think so. They’re such fun enemies to see included almost all of the time. It’s fun how they’re normally super easy to fight, but can be surprising challenges in various appearances too. Simple conceptually, yet really diverse in use! Overall, one of the best baddies out there!

Thwomp: Floating death trap extraordinaire! These dudes are utterly terrifying to be anywhere near, most especially under. I tend to remember them for the blocky blue forms used during the N64 era, but I think that’s the less iconic form. Still, they’re great trap enemies for sure, with a great slamming grunt to boot!

Captain Toad: While I’m not entirely sure if he’s meant to be separate from the Toad we know, I treat him that way. Plus, it’s fun to have a light-hearted version of Wario’s treasure hunter role used, and one that actually provides aid to Mario on his adventures! Plus, a hero in his own right. A great character indeed!

Wiggler: Instead of chanting “don’t be suspicious,” it’s “don’t wake the wormy” for me. This crazy caterpillar is full of anxiety inducing moments for sure, but on the cuter side too. Also, shout-out to the Flutter form! Anyway, they make a fun enemy, and it’s fun when they go from passive to aggressive!

Cheep Chomp: I really can’t deny that I’m surprised that this was included for an opinion list. Anyway, bigger and scarier fish enemies are always a good fright to include, so, why not? I like the purple version too.

Baby Peach: The original baby princess, which is weird to mention, given that I never expected more than one to appear or matter. Anyway, she’s a cute companion for Baby Mario and has her own baby princess posse, so...yeah.

Boom Boom: These dudes were always such cool enemies in Super Mario Bros. 3, so I’m really glad they came back into newer games! I love seeing them appear more in spin-offs lately too, they’re entertaining options to shuffle in with the cast now and again. Fun to face off against too; normally easy, but can be tougher too!

Cheep Cheep: Fishy! It’s weird how they can be so cute, and yet they’re so dangerous, since one bite cuts you down to size. But yeah, I like them as basic aquatic enemies!

Blooper: These troublesome dudes...they can chase you, tentacle smack you, and ink you in the face! That last one never used to be a problem in kart racing, but they totally improved over the years. Good enemy. But, also? A really, really cute spin-off character! I kind of love seeing them appear in other titles as playable characters. Especially in Mario Tennis Aces. Their voices are so cute!

Whomp: Really weird to see them included so far from their king. But anyway! Cool enemies, totally underrated compared to their Thwomp cousins, and I like to see them turn up now and again. They make fun guards, most commonly utilized in the Mario Party series. They’re fun enemies and deserve more love!

Additional Characters That I Like Too

Birdo: The disrespect at people never including my girl...shameful! Anyway, I love Birdo a lot. She’s pretty cute and should totally be included way more often than she is. And she pairs so nicely with Yoshi, that’s so perfect! Plus, she’s probably the earliest trans character that I was ever introduced to, and/or consciously aware of. Anyway, I love her, so there.

Toadsworth: Why does he get so neglected over the years? I thought he was a great inclusion for Peach’s staff, and yet, he’s diminishing so frequently over the years for some reason. Anyway, he was a very entertaining character, made a great equivalent to Kamek, and I wish he’d be used more frequently.

Donkey Kong: Not going to lie, I tend to not include him in Mario cast calls a lot too, since he just feels comparatively detached to other characters. That’s so weird for someone that basically helped kick off Nintendo’s main franchise. Anyway, I love him a lot, even if I don’t show it much. He’s a cool kong, and doesn’t need to be the king to prove it!

Chain Chomp: The bark and chain rattle of sheer terror. I love these guys though! They’re so cute! And dangerous. But cute! Whether being used as a baby’s weapon of mass destruction in racing, or as another avid tennis player, Chain Chomps are just delightful to have around.

Wart: Yeah, not really expected to be included. But, I like Wart from Super Mario Bros. 2, and he’s basically my new character to campaign for since Pauline made it back from the yester-years already. Wart has great potential to be an alternative to Bowser, or even just a fun character to include, so, I hope that we see him come back to the Mario franchise in the future some day!

Nabbit: This pesky thief actually stands out well enough to me, probably because he’s included as a playable pick in the New Super Mario Bros. games from time to time. Anyway, an oddball of sorts, but pretty cute to see pop up from time to time! Maybe he’ll be kept in rotation for future spin-offs...we’ll see!

Monty Mole: Perhaps a more forgettable enemy, but I think they’re entertaining and rather unique ground enemies! Also, I enjoy their Rocky Wrench cousins. But yeah, I felt these dudes deserved a special mention too!

Diddy Kong: Although I typically don’t consider Diddy a Mario character, he’s appeared so often enough that he should be. I like him as Donkey Kong’s go-to partner, and he’s fairly cute too!

Tatanga: Look, if Wart doesn’t work out, then I’m rallying behind Super Mario Land’s Tatanga. Plus, if we get more Daisy, we might as well get an enemy to go along with, or rather against, her. Who better than this little dude? ...Though, I kind of like the bulky version from the comics more. Then again, it’s less expected for a tiny guy to be a main bad guy, so, he’d work either way. Another fun alternate for Bowser, so he can have a break, and Mario gets more enemies!

Fire Bro: I saw the Boomerang Bro and was kind of expecting this dude to show up too. Normally easier to handle than their weapon tossing cousins, at least for me, but they’re challenging enough too. Another fun variation inclusion for big roster herds.

Spike: You know, I recall the Paper Mario version known as Clubba best. But anyway, I like these dudes, and I’m enjoying seeing them appear more often in newer spin-off titles. They’re cute! And they provide strong diversity for Bowser’s usual forces.

Luma: How did we not see these little fellows in the main set? They’re so adorable, I love seeing them all the time now! Definitely one of the coolest races to come from the Mario games, totally fitting for the franchise, and I love seeing them appear basically whenever they do. They’re so cute!

Rex: The retro Super Mario World enemy that’s rather squishy and most commonly forgotten. I think they work nicely as an evil equivalent to Yoshi, at least in appearance. It’s honestly strange that they’re so underrated and underutilized by the franchise; they’re pretty cool!

Ninji: Little ninja-like minions from Super Mario Bros. 2 that appear sparingly across the Mario series. Another enemy that I feel is super underrated and totally has potential for inclusion in spin-off games or just as a more frequent opponent like Rexes should be.

Koopa Paratroopa: Kind of included with Koopa Troopa above, but I like to see Paratroopa distinguished, since they normally tend to be, even among flying enemies. Plus, they’re common inclusions to the Mario spin-off titles, so it’s weird to pass over them. Anyway, I like these winged menaces too!

Professor E. Gadd: Speaking of underused characters and E. Gadd should totally pop up there. I like that he’s a Luigi’s Mansion mainstay, but I miss the days where he was slowly branching out in other titles, perhaps most notably in the Mario & Luigi series, but he’s also the reason that Mario had FLUDD in Super Mario Sunshine! I wonder why he’s not included more frequently; even if not playable, he makes sense just being used in some capacity.

Spiny: Lakitu’s little monsters that rain terror from the skies and onto the ground! Perhaps one of tougher baddies to battle with, but I like to see them, since they’re pretty iconic. Even without being Lakitu’s minions, they’re still plenty tough for Mario to battle against. Plus, they’re kind of cute? We should see a blue variation some day though, so that way we all know who to hammer on for all of those Mario Kart horror stories...

Cappy: Since this is being posted on the 3rd anniversary for Super Mario Odyssey, I’ll give him an additional inclusion. After all, Cappy is probably one of Mario’s best companions for a 3-D Mario title to ever be included, easily surpassing FLUDD and Baby Luma / Co-Star Luma. I hope he’s not left to be forgotten as the years go by, because he had plenty of personality and flavor that really made the adventure even more entertaining, and a great concept to engage with the game play, so, here’s to Cappy!

... ... ...

Phew. Anyway, these are just some thoughts on Mario franchise characters! There sure are a lot of them, huh? Probably too many to count if we really dig through the series, that’s for sure!

That’s all from me though, at least for this. Thank you for reading!

[mistical52]

Fic Rec List 26/09/20

So, I’ve been wanting to do a fic rec list like @captainkirkk for a while now, so here we are. I’ve finally decided to do one.

These are all fics I’ve read this week which are all on Ao3, but I will probably make another list of recommended fics that I’ve finished, or which are long and still ongoing that are top tier in my books.

I will categorise by fandom. Full discolour I’ve read a lot of Marvel Cinematic Universe this week.

Also please always read the tags before you proceed with the story. Make sure you’re ok with the ships (if there are any) and the content of the story.

 MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

 The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle

Homecoming A/U.

Ben and May divorced before Peter’s parents died, so when Ben is murdered Peter goes into foster care. It takes just a tiny taste of superpowers for Peter to decide he doesn’t want to put up with his horrible foster father anymore—the streets are infinitely more appealing. All he wants is to be Spider-Man anyway.

So he leaves.

Simple.

Simple, that is, until Iron Man needs Spider-Man’s help. Peter isn’t about to turn down an opportunity to fight alongside Tony Freaking Stark, but he also isn’t going to let his hero know that his recruit is a fifteen-year-old homeless dropout. So they strike a deal. Peter will help Tony. In return, the mask stays on.

 And that’s when things get complicated.

 Misti’s Notes: Please read the tags, this is a hard-hitting fic which deals with a lot of stuff, but it is a good fic. Make sure you’re comfortable with the content.

 5 Times Peter Made Tony Laugh Out Loud by grilledcheesing

... and one time he did not.

Post Spider-Man: Homecoming — Tony is just trying his damn hardest to keep this reckless kid from Queens safe, but it's hard when Peter is, occasionally, ridiculous as all hell.

 Misti’s Notes: This is a good fic and I had a great time reading it!

 Miscommunications by Isnt_it_pretty_to_think_so

Rhodey gives Tony an unhappy look. “We’re standing in front of a high school, Tony. Just break the news to me already.”

OR: Five times the Avengers learn about Peter Parker, and the one time the rest of the world does, too.

 Misti’s Notes: I got some good laughs out of this fic. It’s a great fic and I loved it.

 to memory now I can't recall by Etharei

While on a mission storming a HYDRA facility, James Buchanan Barnes touches one of the many strange alien devices collected by the Red Skull. He does this, in fact, twice— in the past, and in the future.

Next thing he knows, Bucky Barnes is opening his eyes in the 21st century, which is full of great gadgets and coffee, and at least includes his old pal Steve. (And, inexplicably, a different Stark.) Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier finds himself in the middle of World War Two, helping Captain America hunt down HYDRA (which is at least familiar), pretending to be Bucky Barnes (which is not), and figuring out the very noisy group of soldiers who call themselves the Howling Commandos.

 Misti’s Notes: I love a good time travel fic and this defiantly was one! Also, this does get a bit raunchy but that’s not straight up. It’s not in the tags but you do have to click past the warning. Also, either read on a computer or make sure you have internet. There is some text in French and German that are translated when you hover your mouse over them, but they don’t translate when you tap them on mobile.

  Pirates of the Caribbean (PotC)

 Persephone by waterbird13

Calypso calls to her, and Elizabeth makes a deal.

Or, what could have been post At World's End, if we treated Elizabeth a little bit better.

 Mist’s Notes: Pirate King Elizabeth is BAMF. This was a good and well-done story.

  Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (RotTMNT)

 Mikey Gets A Cat by dragondawdles

Mikey gets a cat! Shenanigans ensue!

 Misti’s Notes: This entire fic is a little comic. It’s absolutely fantastic and they’re all babies!! I love them all so much!!

  Star Wars

 Force of Many Sights by DAsObiQuiet

Paved with good intentions or not, the road back from Hell is a difficult, slippery slope for those who choose to walk it as Anakin has. Now he has to face the consequences of his choices, avoid suspicion of everyone from the Jedi Council to Palpatine and try to prevent the future from turning out as badly Before all while somehow finding a way to balance the Force... again!

 Misti’s Notes: This is a series and I just read the latest update. It’s absolutely fantastic! It’s a good time travel series that has Anakin/Darth Vader go back in time to his nine-year-old body. I highly recommend this series.  Also read the tags. They deal with a number of things during this series. 

  And that’s all I’ve got for this week. Like I said a lot of MCU. Honestly don’t be surprised if I end up doing this next week and there’s more MCU time travel. I just finished ‘to memory now I can’t recall’ literally today and that’s put me in the mood for time travel. Which is honestly one of my favourite tropes (?) scenarios (?). Anyway, always down for time travel. If you have good recs feel free to tell me, or if you want a good rec ask me and I’ll see what I can do.

[this-is-moony-lovegood]

More Theories about Folklore Songs: Cardigan/The 1/Hoax/LGAD/Mad Woman/This is Me Trying

This is kind of long, so click if you want to read about my borderline obsessive thought process as I listen to Folklore.

The connections between Betty/James and Cardigan, The 1, and Hoax:

So, we all know the popular theory about the Betty x August x Cardigan teenage love triangle. But, I think Betty Sings not only Cardigan, but also The 1 and Hoax.

Then there is Hoax, the conclusion track. Hoax talks about a toxic relationship; therefore, I think Betty took back James at the end of ‘Betty’. Hoax is a song, sung from Betty’s perspective about her relationship with James, because regardless of how much she loves him, he keeps cheating on her. The relationship is hurting her, but she loves him, and she think that even though he’s not faithful, he loves her (“your faithless love is the only hoax I believe in”)

But The 1 is Betty saying, that at some point enough was enough. So, she finally left him again. The 1 is after their breakup and she is reflecting on the good days with James. If Rebekah Harkness is Betty, then she was born in 1915, which means that she would’ve been 5-15 during the 20s (“roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool”) which would put her in a place she could’ve had young love with James then. She looks back at those memories thinking that it would’ve been nice if he had been the one for her, but sadly she couldn’t take the emotional abuse from his cheating and lying in hoax (“if you wanted me you really should’ve showed”)

Cardigan jumps far into the future where she also looks back on her fond memories with James – the reasons she stayed – but, still remembers the reasons why she left.

However, James could be singing The 1, not Betty.

James could be singing this far into the future, where he’s looking back on his relationship with Betty long after he has left. He’s doing good now, but he’s still thinking of her – like when she left him in ‘Betty’.

Or maybe The 1 is from both Betty and James’s POV’s, like a conversation taking place during her marriage to Bill (if she’s also Rebekah):

So, if it flowed like a conversation:

James: Verse 1 (Same reasons as James’s POV from before)

Betty: Pre-Chorus 1 (“and if you wanted me you really should’ve showed”)

James: Chorus 1 (“in my defense, I have none, for never leaving well enough alone” – I have no defense, I’m the reason we broke up, but I wish we hadn’t)

Betty: Verse 2 (“you meet some woman on the internet and take her home” / “we never painted by numbers, baby, but we were making it count” – Reference to James’s cheating on her, and is probably still sleeping with other women. But, the second part there could reference the part about them making it work, sort of, in hoax as well as the good parts from cardigan and other parts of the 1)

James: Pre-Chorus 2 (“I guess you never know, and it’s another day of waking up alone” – I guess you won’t know what I’m up to, because you’re not here)

Betty: Chorus 2 (“in my defense, I have none, for never leaving well enough alone” – I knew you were cheating, and I still stayed.”)

James: Bridge (”I, I, I persist and resist the temptation to ask you If one thing had been different Would everything be different today?”)

Betty and James: Chorus 3 (James: “Rose flowing with your chosen family” – If Betty’s Rebekah, the this is a reference to her and her new family living the high life in Rhode Island. Betty: “in my defense I have none, for digging up the grave another time” – she did the same thing, chose another man who cheated on her (see the next section about this theory)

 The connections between Rebekah/Bill and The Last Great American Dynasty, Mad Woman, Cardigan, and This is Me Trying:

Rebekah Harkness killed Bill because he cheated on her, and that girl -if she really is Betty - has escaped that once and is NOT about to deal with that shit again!

“What did you think I’d say to that? Does a scorpion sting when fighting back? They strike to kill and you know I will.” / “The doctor told him to settle down. It must have been her fault his heart gave out.” / “The master of spin has a couple of side flings. Good wives always know.” / “I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss. I knew you’d haunt all of my what ifs.”

From the way Taylor tells the story, Rebekah is not all too upset about Bill’s death. If Rebekah is Betty then she met Bill when she was coming off her marriage with James – see connections between Betty, The 1, and Hoax – and she met Bill, which would explain the middle-class divorcee lyric as well. From there, she left St. Louis, got married to Bill, and moved to Rhode Island. But, apparently her taste in men like James (the haunting) still stands, because she caught Bill cheating on her with someone. Maybe the neighbor? Since she had already been burned – likely multiple times by James – Bill’s cheating finally made her snap, and she struck back with a vengeance, and poisoned Bill without something that would make it look like a heart attack. The town assumes that which is another reason why the town hates her, and why she is so nonchalant about burning through all of Bill’s money after his death.

With that said, I think she feels guilty.

“They say she was seen on occasion pacing the rocks, staring out at the midnight sea.” / “Stood on the cliffside screaming, ‘Give me a reason’”/ Pulled the car off the road to the lookout, could’ve followed my fears all the way down.”

I think here, Rebekah’s guilt is overwhelming her, and she is contemplating throwing herself off the cliffs, or driving off the cliffs. Maybe her coping mechanisms are her crazy shenanigans from LGAD like swimming in champagne pools, gambling with Dali, dying the dog green, spending money on boys and trips to ballet – essentially an extravagant lifestyle full of distractions that keep her away from those thoughts. But sometimes, she slips off to the cliffs when she’s being overwhelmed. And maybe that’s why she left Holiday House (she had to have left because Taylor said the house was vacant for 50 years but Harkness didn’t die until the 80s, meaning she had to of left in her 70s in order for the house to have been vacant that long before Taylor bought it), because she couldn’t deal with it anymore, especially when the townspeople worshiped Bill and know she killed him, but they can’t prove it. The folklore and gossip of the situation bring back up the memory.

However, that particular This is Me Trying lyric could also be about Bill.

I think they got into a fight where he “didn’t know if you’d care that I came back.” So, he went to the bar and got drunk (“so, I got wasted like all my potential”). There was a woman there, potentially a bartender, who was pouring the whiskey that he confessed everything to (“pouring out my heart to a stranger but I didn’t pour the whiskey”). So, because he was upset, he let the bartender comfort him and cheated on Rebekah. Rebekah found out about the affair – probably because someone in town saw – and confronted Bill about it (this would be separate form when she killed him, obviously). This song is him trying to crawl back to her. Showing up on her doorstep, talking about his regrets and nearly jumping off the cliffs… he’s trying to win her back. But from my previous theory, he fails.

Do you think there is any merit to these? Reply or message me if you want to talk about it, or you just obsess over Folklore with me.

[batz]

youre just super cool and i. have post notifications on for you because you make me feel secure in an odd way and i wanna befriend u so bad but I'm!!!! nerbous,,,ALSO TELL US JR RAGGEY ANN MOVIE IDEA!!! 💞

OMG M SORRY FR TAKING SO LONG 2 RESPOND 2 THIS AAAA im just so rambley and whrn i ws asked abt the movie idea i essentially like..... froze up... my brain working 2 fast......... thinking abt Everything.......

ALSO omg u can come off anon whenever! i pride myself on bein chill (when it counts ofc..!) so dw fhskdhddjd i hope ur havin a good day..!

ALSO OK RAGGEDY ANN MOVIE IDEA again ill make a post about it soon but ill give some key points 2 it

- i want it to be 2D, but cgi/live-action works too. the medium doesnt exactly matter as long as it looks good. big thing is you never see the humans faces, the key focus is on the toys and should only Be on the toys. my voice hc for Ann would have 2 be Kate Micucci. but Andy is up in the air, rlly any weird white boy internet comedian works, like john mulaney or smthn? idk :/

- its a musical! obviously. u cant have a raggedy movie with some musical numbers. i would like it to be broadway-esque in genre but if they have 2 have a cash grab radiofriendly song in there thats cool too as long as its like... good

- main plot is a volland raggedy ann (one of the first made raggedys from 1918-late 1920s) is trying to find her brother after years of being separated. but due to being holed up in an attic for almost like. 90 years. she doesnt really remember much of him, other than the fact that they have matching tags indicating their previous owner. she sets out on a journey to find him, and its ur typical fish out of water/Im In The Future Woah kinda deal. when she does find andy, its in a toy museum, full of other raggedys..! andy is this rough n tough kinda guy, very rude and very brash. key point here is andy doesnt think ann is His Ann, kinda having this preconceived notion that His Ann would've been Cool and Adventurous. not the mousey kinda naive Ann he met, even tho This Ann is very certain that they were Real Sibs! (the brand does exist within the movies universe, so there are TONS of different anns and andys, thus the reason why andy is so skeptical). anyway shenanigans ensue, adventures are had, etc etc. the key point to this whole thing is that you never really get to know if they truly are sibs, at least, the sibs they knew Way Back When. but they grow closer n eventually see eachothr as sibs and thATS what MATTERS

- i want the moral of the story to be that, like, blood relation doesnt equate family. yea you never exactly Know if this ann and andy were 'actually' sibs but you know that by the end of the movie they are. its just a good moral thats not rlly explored in a lot childrens media.

- anns character is more similar to the 1977 animated movie, but with some. actual character. so, shes sweet n kind n affectionate, but also a little ditzy and naive. alongside that, shes rlly smart, handy and brave! shes forgetful, but adamant about the things she remembers. shes also fairly wise, in this childlike way. as her animator from the 1977 movie, shes like a wise little girl who is also 70 years old. shes like,,, v quirky fun lead, with some deep seated issues but also Gets Shit Done.

-andy is also similar to the 1977 movie, but again with like, some actual character added to him. hes a strong tough terrific boy, who's also audacious in nature? like hes just rude and obnoxious and a know-it-all. but, alongside that, he's insecure and anxious when met with Real Challenge. he often frets about remaining in Good Condition, mainly bc hes already had to get his leg reattached once, hes worth a LOT u know!!! but hes also sentimental, in a way that one would either not notice or not get to see. he takes his past very seriously, and even though he cant remember too much since, again, 100ish years is a long time, he finds himself drawn 2 what once was! so like, ur typical brave cocky lead, but also hes kind of just a big baby..!

- their personality differences definitely cause them to butt heads, and woild obv cause the keypoint in the movie where they go their separate ways. (NO it wont be the misunderstanding trope i hate those... itll probably just be an outright disagreement)

- i wont get into the actually Plot yet, bc i had too many ideas, but im certain itll lean toward either trying to find Ann's Andy, with Rude Andy™ being the sidekick. or something to do with the toy museum andy resides in.. hmmmm

- yea!!!! im being crimge but I DOMT CARE.... have a raggedy post!!!!

[danwhobrowses]

General Discussion: All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Part 2

This is a part 2 of a recent dump of stuff I’m talking about in regards to AEW, if you want to see my critiques and comments in hindsight about AEW Check it out on part 1 -> Here Part 2 is gonna revolve around the future, immediate and long-term, starting with the upcoming All Out PPV

All Out 2020

Criticisms about the Buy In aside, All Out still looks like a heavily stacked card, which is always a positive. I do worry a little that the Tooth and Nail match’s addition will cut into others’ time so hopefully everyone gets a good amount, but if people criticise some matches for being too short remember that fan demand insisted that the same Swole/Baker match be on the paid card rather than having a lot of time to show it for free. And as much as people criticise AEW’s women, the women’s matches are among the top 5 most anticipated matches on the card, probably only behind the tag title and world title match, isn’t that a great thing? Not to mention that the women’s title match encourages AEW/NWA relations, which really would make wrestling better if wrestlers could be more fluid in their appearances. But anyway, All Out is something I look forward to, so let’s break down some predictions? (if you’re wondering why I’m not just doing this on a podcast or something, my voice is not the dulcet flowing river of articulation my writing would imply to be, I like having time and proofing my words, plus if I talk to much my tongue swells and I stutter, stammer and suck at eye contact) So my thoughts for the full card

Predictions

The Buy In

Casino Battle Royale - Eddie Kingston. While I’d be down for Fénix, Pentagon, Archer or even a new or returning face like PAC to win, I think Kingston is the safe bet. The man talks like liquid and his match with Cody brought a lot of eyes to the product. This will continue and start new hostilities, but don’t expect anyone who has faced Moxley before to win, AEW don’t do title rematches so much.

Private Party vs Dark Order (Silver and Reynolds) - this quickly put-together match is going to Private Party, because Silver and Reynolds are enhancement tag teams still, they can win but they won’t win often. Plus the more Silver loses the more bits he’ll have with Brodie on BTE and those are gold.

Main Card

Tooth and Nail - Britt Baker, I expect the cinematic match to have shenanigans but also protect Baker in the midst of her injury recovery. While Swole has been doing the physical lifting of the feud I think having Britt lose on her return could be the wrong choice in the long run.

Dark Order vs The Nightmare Family - Dark Order, Brodie has elevated the tag team to the point where they are a big faction, and they need the big win for this. Cardona, Sky and the Natural Nightmares can take this loss too, but I’d expect QT or Dustin to take the fall for this. Bonus prediction that Tay Conti will indeed join the Dark Order with Anna Jay, leading to them beating down Brandi and Allie at ringside (setting up a women’s tag feud that’d explain why they were kept on other sides of the Deadly Draw bracket)

The Young Bucks vs Jurassic Express - This one I have Jurassic Express, it may be an upset because the Bucks are still reeling from Hangman’s betrayal, this can also lead to the Bucks being more heelish to accompany a Cleaner Kenny Omega. Keep your eye on Jungle Boy, AEW are still hot on him for good reason, this’ll be a huge scalping for Jurassic Express if they pull it off.

Broken Rules - A tough one, but I’m gonna stick with the Multifarious Matt Hardy. I don’t think he wants to end his career just yet and AEW would be foolish to let him go. Plus technically Sami is 2-0 in this feud, so it won’t hurt Sami too much to win in Hardy’s wheelhouse.

Mimosa Mayhem - Another tough one to put down the middle, I am gonna go with Orange Cassidy though. I think Jericho wants to amend the sloppy finish Cassidy’s win had and this’ll make for good comedy to see Jericho (and maybe Hager) flailing around in Mimosa

Women’s Title - I will be happy with either winning, but my heart says Shida. Mainly because I think Britt is the one who should take it from her, their last match was a banger after all. Rosa won’t look weak though, they may even have Shida challenge for the NWA women’s title down the line.

Tag Titles - FTR. That’s it, that’s all you need to know. Hangman’s head is out of the game and Kenny is becoming the Cleaner, it’s time for this schism to start properly, they’ve held it for about a year as well, it’s time.

World Title (Moxley cannot use Paradigm Shift) - It’s easy to say MJF, he is the home breed future and Moxley has had a long run defeating tougher opponents, but I am thinking that Moxley will retain. This is mainly because the odds are so stacked against him, he’ll eke out a win despite MJF’s trickery. The challenger will look fantastic to prove that he will be champion some day, but not today. Instead I think MJF will be thwarted by miscommunication, and as he hinted at during his tag match with Jurassic Express, will split from Wardlow for his ‘fatal error’. Then we’ll get Moxley vs Kingston which can be just as fantastic.

Looking to the Future So ‘looking to the future’ is not gonna all be direct consequences of All Out, some of it is just stuff I’d like to see happen, not all of it has to and my enjoyment isn’t killed from it, but certain things would make AEW better in my opinion. Business Relations So of course it’d be great to have more working relationships with other brands, AEW is already close to OWE and AAA, getting NWA on board would be a good step to establishing good relationships with ROH as well, maybe even NJPW. On the women’s side it’d be nice if they made more solid ties with Cyberfight - which has DDT Pro, TJPW and NOAH, maybe even Stardom, Sendai Girls, EVE and Ice Ribbon. More relationships would offer wrestlers not working Dynamite or Dark to perhaps represent elsewhere. In this representing it’d be great to see more outside titles being shown, it’s free advertising really. Thunder Rosa will for sure be carrying her NWA Women’s title but wouldn’t it be cool if other brand titles could be carried; Kenny carrying his AAA title with the tag titles, Cardona his Internet title, Lucha Bros their HOG and AAA Tag titles, Big Swole her Phoenix of Rise title, Moxley his NJPW US title (though I expect him to lose to KENTA soon), Rosa’s TJPW International Princess title as well and Yuka Sakazaki’s TJPW Princess of Princess Title. It may be me but seeing these titles does add an air of legitimacy to the competitors, showing how successful they are overseas while promoting other promotions. I’d also like to pitch a ‘Locked Down’ mini show or segment where AEW could show what their international talent is doing, Emi Sakura’s ChocoPro could be a light hearted segment, PAC could do some solid promos and like showing the titles, it’d expose the roster as talented. New Signings Someone just has to do good to have people ask for AEW to sign them, but in some cases it would be cool to sign them up. Of the frequent flyers right now AEW would be mad not to sign Ivelisse and Diamante, and I’ve already expressed my hopes that they sign Will Hobbs, Serpentico, Shawn Dean, Brian Pillman Jr, Kilynn King, Tay Conti, Veda Scott, Nicole Savoy/Lil’ Swole and Pineapple Pete, but it’d also be good business to at least call up Renee Paquette/Good/Young and Mauro Ranallo, even if it is for some guest appearances. Signing the likes of Danhausen, Warhorse, ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey, Millie McKenzie, Laura Di Matteo, Lana Austin, Jamie Hayter, Chris Brookes, Maki Itoh, Miyu Yamashita, Mirio (if he wants to come back into wrestling) and AR Fox. This being said, this should only ease into the Second Show, where we can expose more of the current roster as well. Speaking of Which. (A Few) New Accolades With a bigger division will require more competition. Not all of them need to be titles but something to be fought for. MJF’s Diamond Ring and Cage’s FTW title can help in that matter, but I think a Trios Accolade would be next in line for AEW. This would open the door for more teams to compete; The Elite, Jurassic Express, Best Friends, SCU, Dark Order, Nightmare Family, Death Triangle etc. would still keep it competitive and open the door for more stories of faction warfare. Since this is only my thoughts I would love to see the tag division be intergender too but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that. If we do move to this though PLEASE use whoever designed the world and tag belt, not the TNT belt. Faction Bolstering AEW are looking at the NJPW formula or big factions going into war or tensions with one another, which is good since it does make for lines to be written in the sand. But I think the factions can just be a little bit bigger in some places, and some are easy to add in already. Conti joins Dark Order for 2 women there, have Ivelisse and Diamante join the Inner Circle so we have full LAX (plus Ivelisse tagged with Sammy in LU), Statlander can pair with Best Friends and renew BTE’s skits of her and Orange Cassidy’s palpable sexual tension, I would also enjoy the thought of TH2 joining with Kip and Penelope just to be a faction of talented arseholes. May be the crass side of me, but I also seem to want Brian Pillman Jr to join the Gunn Club simply so we can have an entrance theme that starts ‘Someone call 911, Pillman’s got a Gunn’, Vickie Guerrero could grow her managing of Nyla to an all women ‘Las Guerreras’ faction maybe with Kilynn King, Shaul Guerrero, Abadon or someone else would be a decent move in my books but an exciting faction I can see clearly is a Moxley faction with Darby Allin and Lance Archer. Imagine having Jake the Snake taking care of all that, oh yes is that the good stuff. Future Feuds We’ll end with talking about some feuds I hope to see down the line too, even if they’re not set up already. I’ve already expressed my want for Kingston vs Moxley but another Kingston feud I see in the making is against PAC, Kingston is the man with the plan but PAC will want his Death Triangle buddies back. Speaking of, Moxley could use some bangers with Fenix and Pentagon, both are megastars. While the tag division is looking like it’ll lead to FTR vs Bucks, I think the bigger money is FTR vs Bucks vs Hangman and Kenny first, with Kenny having the Elite ties and Hangman with the FTR ties the storytelling would be ridiculously immense. This thought almost made me pick Hangman and Kenny to win at All Out...almost. I would expect a lot of title defenses from Mr. Brodie Lee, particularly from Cardona but I’d love it if Jungle Boy was the one to win it from him, and for JB to face Sammy Guevara, of the 4 Young Prospects of AEW I don’t think Sammy and JB have gone 1-on-1, could be wrong but Sammy usually went for Darby and JB to MJF, Fénix vs JB would be excellent also. Luchasaurus is also due his hoss match with the Butcher, as well as further conflict with Cage and Archer Also I’d like Shida vs Conti, both are very martial arts-like in their wrestling especially the latter so it would be a good physical match. But yeah, that’s out of my system for now, we’ve talked some good, some bad and some middle, don’t think it matters to anyone but I’ve said my piece Bring on All Out!