#hearing stuff like this from my fellow nerd friends

[h-ypno]

man.

[frankenwolf1564]

Transformers ONE: a quick overview

I'm fresh off my second viewing of TF ONE (at the time of writing) (yes I am that kind of nerd) and I really gotta get my thoughts out on it because it is such a spectacular film and easily one of the best pieces of media this franchise has seen, like, ever. This first bit will just be some general thoughts and full on spoiler-y stuff will be below the line in case you still haven't seen it, which is something you should go and fix, like, right now. Do it. Go watch the movie.

First off, the whole thing is just. Gorgeous. Nearly every frame is its own work of art. Cybertron is realized beautifully, both in Iacon and on the surface. Buildings hanging from the ceiling, endless layers and impossible heights, it's so easy to get lost in it all. It contrasts amazingly with the grungy, cramped mines and the harsh, living crust that's constantly changing and shifting. The visuals alone sell this film.

Orion and D-16's friendship is handled impeccably. It's really fun to watch them bounce off each other and it's easy to see why they're friends. What's even better is watching them fall out. This is your spoiler warning, because even if you know exactly where they're going to end up (which is likely if you've consumed nearly any Transformers media in the like, past decade?), the fun part is seeing how they get there.

oh and like. Bee and Elita are alright. I guess. They're probably not why you're here but y'know. Scarlett Johansson was ok. I thought some of her deliveries were kinda weak, especially by comparison to Brian Tyree Henry and Chris Hemsworth, but she wasn't bad. Neither was Keegan-Michael Key. I found Bee a bit grating but that was kinda the point and he was still funny, so.

Alright. You've seen the movie? You don't care? We're clear? Good.

You can see the exact moments that turn D-16 into Megatron. Yet even before those you get these tiny little hints that he's a bit off. He goes off about killing Orion or straight-up mutilating him, but it was a joke guys, he didn't mean it! "I'll melt your face into slag" isn't a sign of a sound individual, no matter how casually it's said. He's only convinced to go on Orion's quest for the matrix by the allure of praise and adoration. Everyone else is shocked or remorseful when they hear about the Primes getting killed, while D-16 is angry. The second he saw Sentinel's betrayal he was thinking about what he could do to him. How he, personally, was betrayed by what he'd done. How he could get his revenge. He took every single slight against the entirety of Cybertron, the betrayal and selling out of their race, as a personal offense. He slaved in the mines to fuel the Quintessons. He had his T-cog ripped out. His hero was killed. His idol was a traitor. Why shouldn't he be the one to set it all right? Then there's his declaration to kill every one of Sentinel's followers. Right before they're captured by the high guard, he's telling Orion that none of Iacon would turn their backs on Sentinel, that even when shown his lies like they were, they would ignore it. They would continue to follow him. He was fully comfortably slaughtering every single person that even for a second believed in the system like he did. There was one bot that tried to talk sense in to him, but he had stopped listening long ago.

Orion Pax is great. He's (going to be) the boy, he kinda has to be. Right off the bat you're shown that he's a rule breaker and not contempt with the system. He wants to find the matrix not to please Sentinel, but to help his fellow Cybertronians. He wants to bring back the flow of energon to make everyone's lives better, especially for those down in the mines. He's eager to do a good job in them because he wants to help. He's a little self centered about it all, certainly, but it always comes off as for the greater good. He broke protocol to save Jazz when the mines were collapsing. He broke into the Iacon 5000 to show the city that all miners were capable of more, not just that he was. He knew that there was more for everyone than just mining more energon. He's looking for a way to make things better. This is one of the many things that helps set him apart from D-16, who, while not happy with his place in the world, was content. He believed it would all work out as long as he stayed in his lane and did his part, even if that lane sucked. Then there's his reaction to the truth. He feels sorrow and anguish when he learns the Primes were betrayed and killed. He mourns the loss of life. He's put off by how eager D-16 was after killing one of Sentinels guards. He tries talking him down but it doesn't work. He's dead set on that path and there's no getting him off it. You can see the fear in Orion's eyes that there might be no turning back for his friend as he's fighting Starscream. It's a side of him he's never seen before and he doesn't like it. The rage. The unrestrained, unfettered violence. The sheer brutality in both his blows and his words. But there's still a shred of hope that, once this is all over, he'll have his friend back.

That last scene man. I cried in both my viewings. Orion is desperately trying to talk D-16 down, hoping that maybe, just maybe his friend will listen one last time. Sentinel is beaten. He's been completely exposed. He can't run. He can't fight back. There's nothing left for him except to be taken in and shown justice, but D-16 isn't having it. He will give Sentinel what he feels he deserves. He will tear down everything that traitor has built. He will rebuild their new world. He. Will. Have. His. Revenge. And he's not letting anyone get in his way. Orion jumps in front of Sentinel in a final bid to do the right thing, to preserve some sense of right, to get his friend to see the light, but it's not enough. He takes the blow. He gets knocked to the edge, and out of instinct D-16 grabs him. Then he lets go. He lets Orion fall to the depths of Cybertron and. Man. The music swelling as the planet itself parts to bring him to the core. D-16 tearing Sentinel in half. Any and all remaining clutter and debris clearing as the core comes into view. D-16 declaring the traitor as finally dead. That the age of Primes and their impersonators is gone with him. Primus himself grabbing Orion and saving him. D-16 tearing the stolen cog from Sentinel's lifeless torso. The Thirteen Primes coming forth from the core to induct Orion. D-16 upgrading himself into his new form while Orion is healed and blessed with his. D-16 declares himself as Megatron at the same time that Orion Pax is given the title of Optimus Prime. It's powerful stuff. Any other flaws this movie has are rendered completely null and void by that one moment. It's that good and I can not wait to see what comes next.

I want to end the review there because *gestures broadly* but I still have more to say. I am. SO fucking glad Optimus isn't the reincarnation of one of the Thirteen or anything like in IDW(?) and the Aligned continuity. It's Orion Pax's destiny to become Optimus Prime, don't get me wrong, but he still has to earn that. He shouldn't be handed it on a silver platter because whoopsie daisy yur the reincarnation of one of robot god's direct descendants kid. So I am very happy to say ONE Orion worked for his new title. He stood up for what was right. He fought against injustice. He didn't take the easy way out. His creator saw that he was worthy of more and granted it to him. And it's such good contrast to Megatron, who took the power that he wanted, not caring who got hurt in the process. Just. God damn it I love having actual themes to dissect and analyze and character arcs and stuff. Feels fucking good man.

so go see this movie I need a sequel

[seoliee]

Driving Fear Into Your Heart

Word Count: 2.7k words

Pairing: X x Reader

TW: Cursing, Kidnapping, Stabbing, Yandere Tendencies (Pls read smth else if not comfortable)

A/N: I said this was inspired by X's halloween theme skin, but idk this maybe how I perceived it instead? Anyhow, lemme know y'all thoughts <3

In a dark and hollow forest somewhere near the city. Where only fragments of moonlight shone through the small crevices of the tall trees branches and its leaves. It was eerily silent, until swaying locks of hair pass through the bushes in a haste.

A girl ran barefooted, cracking sounds of dried leaves filled her hearing, leaving a trail behind. Her complexion was pale, fear stricken and distressed. Her body felt sore and drained, it was only sheer adrenaline that made her push through.

Her feet were starting to hurt, forming small cuts and bruises on the sole. She has to stop running at some point, but she can't. Not when she's running for her life.

~*4 days ago*~

She was in the cafeteria, sitting along with her friend at their usual booth and chatting about ramdom stuff. Just like the usual. She was attentively listening when her childhood friend X, came into view along with his own fair share of group.

She found herself falling out of the conversation and instead decided to watch him from a distance. Only did her friend's voice broke her out of the trance with a small nudge.

"Don't stare at him too much or he'll melt." Her friend says teasingly, chuckling at her obvious crush at the lab nerd.

"I-I wasn't staring!" She quickly rebukes her claim, though her blood red cheeks and ear were contradicting it.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Anyway.." Her friend's tone suddenly became serious, which made her get a bit confused as her friend seldom becomes serious during their conversations. "Have you heard about the kidnappings that's happening near the university recently?"

She shakes her head. She's been too absorbed on finishing her research paper these past few days that she blocked out any kind of gossips or news that would distract her from concentrating. She even went as far as to cancel all her plans of hanging out with X.

"There were a total of three missing cases reported and all of them were  students of different universities near our campus."

"The authorities haven't gotten a single clue whether it's a solo or a group operation. Either way, the kidnappers are still out there so do be careful."

Her warning sent a chill down her spine, terrified that such happenings were happening near them. Those poor students, she hopes that they were at least safe and alive.

She sent her friend a reassuring smile, squeezing her hand in a comforting way. "Don't worry. I always walk home with X anyway. You should be careful too."

"Oh, I'll be fine. Besides, I'm going on a date with y'know who later..." Her friend managed to light up the mood immediately by redirecting into another topic that she knew, she would interested in.

"What?? Since when? Tell me the fucking details!" She exclaims hysterically, practically slapping her hands down on the table earning a few strange looks from the people around them. She couldn't care less though.

Alas, the final bell rang throughout the halls signaling the end of the day. Tired groans from her fellow students and a few hastily gathers up their things, wanting to leave immediately.

As for her, she's delighted to walk home with him again after for so long only to be met with disappoinment.

"Sorry, (Y/n). I promised the guys I would hang out with them afterschool so I won't be able to walk you home." X says apologetically, a troubled smile grazing his handsome features.

He could see how your bright and grinning gorgeous face warps into a look of disappointment, making him feel guilty. "I can cancel it though. I'd rather be with you anyway."

The disappointment in her face quickly turns into a sheepish smile as she shook her head for a no. "No, it's alright. I can walk home with my friend instead." She obviously can't make him cancel his plans just for her satisfaction. After all, he has a life of his own.

"You sure? I could really—"

"Hey, X! You coming or what?!" One of his friends yells from a far, having an impatient look while the others grin at him in a teasing manner as they watch the scene unfold.

"Be there in a sec!" He yells back in response, looking over his shoulders with his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. He looked back at her in disbelief. "Sorry about that. I gotta go. Remember to text me once you got home, okay?"

"I will." She chuckles, fondly grinning as light pink hue flows to her cheeks. This made X's heart softened, huffing a tiny chuckle as he brush a stray hair behind her ear.

"Be safe, my little lamb."

She watches as he ran up to his friends, some of them teasing him for the little moment they had. She's glad to know he found good friends despite his peculiar personality, he meant well.

~•~

After getting off the bus, the way to her apartment was already a bit dark and somewhat silent than usual at her on time arrival at dawn. Though, that's to be expected as she's staying in a peaceful neighborhood which she should be thankful for.

The soles of her shoes clicks on the pavement on each step she makes, the soft cold breeze of air moving past her ear as chills ran down her spine. Her surroundings were dark, the only light present were from the flickering street lights and the moon above her, which she thinks added to her paranoia.

She doesn't know if it's because she isn't used to walking home alone or is there someone watching her? She swore she could feel eyes from everywhere around her.

As she turned to a corner, footsteps sudden came to light from behind. She didn't thought anything of it, as it could be a passerby or a neighbor. Thankfully, she's near to her home so she briskly walked and much to her surprise, the person behind her began to speed up.

This set off alarm bells in her head, once she could see the light from her porch. She began to ran and screamed for help. However, all hope is lost once she felt a sharp pain struck behind her head as darkness engulf her sight.

~*~

A horrible stench whapped into her nose, as consciousness slowly seeped back into her figure. She pry her eyes open, blinking away the drowsiness as her vision clears up and able to take in her surroundings.

She's sat in the corner of a crusty room, the wallpapers were ripped and moldy. The pipes above her were leaking with merky water which where the awful stench came from. The windows in the room were boarded, as nothing but the gush of wind and crickets were heard from the outside.

She tried to move, but found it difficult as her wrists were tightly bounded together from behind to a pipe. She found it quite hard to breath because of the tight cloth on her lips. Panic fills her body as she heard heavy footsteps, and an unknown man had entered the room.

She glares at him, which made him smirk at her feistiness. He bends down to her eye level, and pats her head. "You're a pretty one, aren't you?"

His breath fans to her face, which made her feel nauseous and wants to puke at the horrible smell of alcohol and poor oral hygiene coming from him. He took off the cloth that's covering her mouth and traced his disgusting thumb across her bottom lip.

She didn't hesitate to bite down on his finger, hard enough to make him scream and recoil his hand away as blood rushes out of the bite. The man was furious and smashed the bottle of alcohol in his hand and points the severed half towards her.

"Don't fuck with me, woman. I can—" He was cut off when he heard a buzz coming from his phone. He clicked his tongue and immediately answers the phone, proceeding to leave the room.

Once he's out of sight, all the energy seeped out of her body as hot tears rushes down her cheeks. Tears trickle down to her knees, as she kept her mouth close to silent her ugly sobs. Her chest felt so tight, she's scared, deeply scared. She didn't think something like this could happen to her. Not when after being warned by her friend.

Then, she saw a faint glimmer from her peripheral vision. She looks up and saw a piece of broken glass from the bottle near her. She uses her foot to reach towards the shard and manages to push it to her side and tries her best to grab it.

Once she successfully got it, she began to slowly cut the rope, but found it to be quite thick and tough for the nibble blade.

It took her roughly 3 days before she could finally cut the rope because she was constantly interrupted by people coming in and sometimes watching over her. She felt drained as she refused to eat anything they gave her, but it didn't matter because she'll be out of her in no time.

She pushed her body up, and slowly walked up to the door, careful not to make any noise. She turns the knob and opens a small gap to peek. It was silent and there was only one man outside, and he was sleeping soundly, practically snoring.

She gently swing the door open, careful to not make it creek as she steps out of the room. She held in her breath as she began to take light steps behind the sleeping man. She sucked in her breath as the man began to turn in his sleep, rendering her still as she kept her eyes on him. Once she deemed it was safe, she continues her way to the door.

She steps out into the cold night, as a smile finally crept to her lips, tasting her freedom. Only for panic to once again surge as one of the men guarding outside saw her and calls to her, alerting the others.

She didn't think twice and ran into the dark woods. She didn't mind if twigs poked the sole of her feet, nor if she stepped on pointed pebbles. She just ran wherever she could, taking sharp turns to confuse her captors.

She could hear their voices getting farther, but she knows she shouldn't celebrate yet as the woods were hollow and wasn't sure if she's heading towards civilization or deeper in.

Her speed slow down as her adrenaline began to dissipate, she's breathless and looks around for any source of life. Much to her surprise, a hand had grabbed her wrist and instinctively she swipped her hand forcefully and elbows whoever it is.

The person grunts and moans in pain, the voice was oddly familiar. The person lights up their phone to their face, and soon she was able to make out who he was.

"You pack a mean elbow, little lamb." X smiles, chuckling despite the stinging pain on his nose. "Makes me think you didn't actually needed me."

His face quickly transforms into a scowl, looking back once he heard numerous of voices barking behind them. Without another word, he took her wrist and guided her out of the woods.

She saw his motorcycle parked by the side of the road, she hopped on and X quickly stepped onto the pedal as they drove away.

Her hands tightly hugged the small of his waist, leaning her head against his broad back as she tries to catch her breath. Her feet were in pain as well as her whole body. She couldn't stop shaking, as she cried on his back.

She felt his hand comfortably brush against hers, which sent butterflies inside her stomach flutter in ease.

"How.. did you find me?" She asks, keeping her head close to his back and listens to his faint heartbeat.

"I finally managed to track your gps using my phone and followed its location." He replies, keeping his voice low and words consise. "Sorry it took me a while. I had to first know your ips before managing to connect. Thank god, your phone is in working order too or I won't be able to track you."

His words flew into her ear, but she couldn't make sense of it as her energy began to lower that's she finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. "Thank you, X."

"No worries. After all, you know I'm always here for you." She could hear the usual smile in his voice. She finally lets herself rest and is unable to hear his next words.

"And I'm all that you need, and no one else matters, my little lamb."

A sickening and sadistic smile curls up to his lips, chuckling lowly.

~•~

X dumps a bucket full of cold water down on the unconscious person tied up to a chair infront of him. The man, jolts awake and flickers his eyes up at X.

"Good, good. You're finally awake. Did you slept well?" X muses, keeping the usual permanent smile on his face.

The man didn't bother to answer, starting to wiggle his way out of the chair in panic. X was displeased by this, but made no action and instead clicked his tongue.

The man finally stopped trying, his energy running low. "You bastard! Why are you doing this, X?! Let me go!"

The man's voice was irritating to X's ears, but he was glad to respond to his question in a simple and conventional manner.

X had walked up to the nearby switch and flicks it. Light began to shine on the wall littered with pictures. Pictures of (Y/n). His cheeks reddens as he took a step closer to the wall, his eyes flickering at each picture he took throughout the years in complete secrecy.

"Don't you think she's beautiful?" X asks the man, which confuses him and found the revelation quite disturbing.

"W-What...?"

"You asked why I'm doing this and it's because of her." X says, turning towards him once more. He took a step closer to a nearby table, his hand brushing against each tool on it. "I am merely protecting her from the filth swarming around her and trying to take what's mine..."

X grips the handle of a sharp and bloodied knife in his hand, taking slow steps towards the now frantic man who's eyes are filled with terror as he tries to reason with him.

X stops infront of him, bending down to his eye level. He moves his face closer to him, keeping his heterochromatic eyes into the man's terrified and shaking ones, a sadistic smile slowly forming on his lips. "This wouldn't have happened if you just kept your distance from her and not end up in the same predicament like the others..."

X had driven the knife into the man's throat, and pulls it back out. He watches as the man gurgle in his own blood rushing out of his mouth. He continues his attack until he was satisfied.

He only stopped a buzz emits in his pocket that came from his phone. With his bloodied hand, he tapped the screen and answers the caller.

"You got her? That's good news!" X muses, as he nods at the following sentences from the person in the other line.

His eyes flickers down to the mutilated and lifeless man in front of him, blood pours down onto the ground and pools around his shoes. He clicked his tongue, thinking he made quite a mess this time.

"Yeah yeah, I got it. Remember, don't touch her. Unless, you got a death wish." X warns before ending the call. He began to walk towards the wall swapped with photos of you, filling his heart with love and feeling of ease.

"Sorry, my little lamb. You just have to learn the hard way this time." X took a certain picture from the wall, looking down on it with a soft eyes and smile. It was a picture of them back when they were still children.

"And this time, with driving fear into your heart. You'll realize that I'm the only you'll ever need and trust after I come and save you."

~•~

I think I flunked this lol.

Thanks for reading though <3

Happy holidays everyone!!!

[persistentplums]

i love love your venture bros posts. youre really attentive to the vibes

a character dynamic i think was underexplored but had potential was billy and gary. what do you make of it?

Omg thank you so so much!! I’m really glad you think so! my post are mostly me spitballing hoping I’m getting the vibes right!

I actually made a post about this here! I should tag my posts tbh but I always got more thoughts I just think that post is a better summary of my thoughts. But here’s some more it’s VERY long:

They agree on most things except for the core idea of their livelihood. Which is wild because out of many characters I think Billy and Gary get along VERY well. They speak the same language and love the “game”. (I call it a game but the entire cape business) I don’t think they agree though on everything outside of nerd stuff.

I have this thought in my head maybe it’s a scale or a graph or something but it’s basically Believers, Nonbelievers, middlemen when it comes to this hero stuff and Gary and Billy are definitely Believers. But I think after Gary whole journey as a henchman, now a second/arch himself I think the idea of what makes something “Heroic” very firm in scale for him vs Billy who’s still sorta new at the whole thing but flexible.

I hope this makes sense but despite appearances Gary is rigid and Billy is flexible. I think while the morpho arc was sick (def loved the entire plot unfolding) Gary definitely had a hard time being on a grey area. He is either a hero (Sphinx!) or an arch. He feels haunted by killing all his fellow arches. He’s loyal af but doesn’t like the middle ground (his relationship with shelia, being a hit man, even 21 death you can say)

Billy is “flexible” in that sense that good is no small or big act. I’m forgetting the episode but the one where they fight Cloud over the ball, Monstroso surgery, especially Pete White as a person. Billy like superman genuinely would do good, it’s an oath it doesn’t matter to who he would. That comic run where Lex Luther is dying and gets superman to help him find a cure is VERY Billy. To Billy he is so firm to that one thing (two technically, hippocratic oath?whatever ykwim) it makes him apply it to literally everyone regardless of where he is. While Gary is very set on the us vs them side, that’s why he made such a good henchman leader.

I think when they interact it’s that trope of people in a mineshaft on their carts having a great time then an abrupt turn separating them, then they meet up again. Which I think deeply defines both characters despite being incredibly similar.

If I was summoned to a universe where I was told by Doc and Jackson that I could write a VB season but only when Billy and Gary interact aside from writing a Bromance for the ages that would get avid 21/24 fans mad at me (I think Gary and Billy would become like really REALLY into each other big “oh wow how come we never hanged out before?” “Idk!” Vibes) i would like to write them fighting a little because I think their small disagreements would be very telling about who they are as characters because they are the most genuine fan part of either side.

Gary is for every person who LOVES a hater ass villain (I cheered when green goblin killed aunt May in NWH I think Gary would, but still have issues with NWH ik I did anyways!) and Billy is for someone who LOVES a good wins no matter what (voltron, power rangers, he-man etc)

To me it’s not how Billy and Gary agree that’s interesting (big 2 nerds just in a mind meld moment, they’re also too similar ik why they were written to NEVER interact now, too alike) it’s when they don’t that is fun and I think it would happen the most at their dnd nights and when they watch shows together. Which pisses off everyone else (Malcom, shelia, white) bc they can’t hear anything as an argument is happening.

Also Billy wins most of the trivia stuff they do because he’s a bit older than Gary, this is Billy rodeo. I think Gary having someone as a friend who gets him is good for him honestly, he’s a third? Sorta? To his bosses/not boss anymore and I think he needs friends that he can really nerd out with.

Other fun things they do:

Hang out at each other places so often others remember the dates they see each other due to arching schedules

Follow each other blogs/have a podcast (movies, tv, and shows of influence throughout the ages guest star Pete white is on for music. Malcom calls in also surprisingly about music) either in podcast format or blog format doesn’t matter which but they work on it together

Have a show they follow together/watch together

Try to get Dean and Hank into stuff not intentionally their energy is infectious

ESPN announcers when on the field (when it’s not about them they’re doing commentary on the arch/protag tactics or at least commentary about Rusty and Malcom)

Wave/greet each other when they aren’t “on” in an arch or enjoy it too much when they’re “on”

Small acts of arching did happen between them. Cloud felt cheated on, Pete got freaked out, Billy and Gary settled on being friends instead. Malcolm thought it was Billy flirting with Gary, (confused but that’s his boy! Who wouldn’t flirt with Gary!) and Rusty thought Billy was going through a rough patch with White again but this time he really lost Billy (Awkward 1on1 where Rusty talks about cherishing and appreciating people while White gets so freaked out he runs to Billy)

They had a vibe, I feel like they would’ve hooked up or something once maybe bc I’m gay but I want to believe that. But in general they got a vibe together!

That’s all I got for now, if you read all this again thank you for your ask and I’m gonna tag all my VB thoughts once I think of a good tag!

[luminouslywriting]

I'm so sorry to hear that you have to undergo surgery. As a fellow chronic illness girl, I know how that can be, and I'm sorry you're going through that. If you're still looking for things to keep your mind off it, I'd love to hear any general headcanons for the guys' interests? Just random things you think they might like that weren't specified in the show? I headcanon Buck and Brady as great cooks, for example. 😊

Nonny, thank you for your sweet message :) I so appreciate the love you're sending me! I would love to answer this ask, so more below the cut haha!! And as always, my requests are open and I love getting asks and requests from you all! Please note that this was cut for length and I kept it centered on Bucky, Buck, Rosie, and Brady!

Bucky Egan:

-This will come as no surprise to anyone, but I think he has an extensive collection of baseball cards that start from the time he was five onwards.

-I also think he really enjoys reading, specifically American Literature such as Rip Van Winkle or Tom Sawyer. He does really enjoy learning about New York as well, so he definitely has some New York memorabilia somehow.

-Board game KING. Actually, most games. He's down to play football in the dirt with his friends and he's down to play a game of checkers when the occasion calls for it.

-He strikes me as an animal person, for obvious reasons—so I think he must've had a dog back home or growing up. He definitely thought about going into some form of animal medicine before going into the military.

Buck Cleven:

-Stargazing or cloud-watching. I can't explain it, but I just know that this man has a fascination with the stars and clouds. It's a relaxing way to pass the time and it helps him center his thoughts.

-Plants?? He strikes me as a boy-scout sorta guy, so I picture he got his poisonous plant identification certification or something. He also has some favorite flowers that he likes gathering now and then.

-Science experiments. Again—this one is heavily based on the stuff we see in the show, but he collects the most RANDOM things and spare parts and will just casually build things or try to make things fit together because he likes to know how things work.

-COOKING, babe you're so right. He's a GREAT cook! Put him in front of a slab of meat though and he kinda panics. Breads? He can do it and make a recipe better than the original.

Rosie Rosenthal:

-Music history and theory; this NERD absolutely adores looking into the history of music. He knows about Brahms and Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Handel, and is able to easily memorize music and tunes.

-MOVIE BUFF. I can't explain it, but I just know that he can quote movies like there's no tomorrow and half of the time, no one even gets the reference.

-Oddly really likes reading the ads in the newspaper? He likes to see what's going on and what kind of help is needed.

-History boi with a niche for weird specific things. Like, he'd be in the middle of a conversation and he'd be like, "this reminds of when the Ottoman Empire...." or "Did you know that the Crusades were actually...."

John Brady:

-Poetry?? He really enjoys reading it, really enjoys writing it?? He strikes me as the type of man to enjoy Tennyson, Keats, or Byron

-Running; it's a really easy way for him to clear his head and he can go for miles before actually realizing that he's run that far.

-HE BUILDS MUSIC BOXES; listen, I have no context for this one, but he just starts tinkering around and this musical KING can just put things together super easily.

-Writes his own sheet music when he's got a lot of feelings....that doesn't mean anyone has ever actually heard said music, but it's definitely a way for him to channel his emotions into something constructive.

[pocketwei]

Hello !

As a fellow artist, I really admire your style, and would like to study it.

In that spirit, would you be OK to tell us a little bit about your process ?

I hope you have a great day and I look forward to seeing your future pieces !

Woah, this is high praise, thank you so much �� And thank you for allowing me to nerd abt process hahaha, I love to talk abt this stuff! Drawing is so much fun honestly

For process, I'm not sure if you mean more the actual process of crafting the art, or rather the thought-process that goes into it, so I'll briefly cover both! I'll just talk abt my personal/fanart practice since I think this is what the "style" part refers to? As in, I won't mention process for, say, storyboards or backgrounds I make for animation.

Under the cut bc long answer!!

A piece usually begins with an idea, it's often inspired by something I see or hear, by something that comes up in a conversation with friends, by something I read in a fic, etc. And imo, the most crucial aspect of my creative practice is narration; it's the thing I strive to perfect and polish the most. What do I want to say with this piece, which story do I want to tell. Before I even start sketching, I usually have an idea of the intention I want for a piece, and with enough experience, at some point you start guessing what "visual devices" you should use to render that mood. E.g. if I have an idea that involves a really suffocating mood, a feeling of tension, one of the basic ways to go about it is to crowd your piece, have it more zoomed-in and in longer focal length so the perspective is flattened. Similarly, you'll often choose not to show your character whole (especially not their feet, with which they could flee!) or the floor (which is a way out for the character), you have many overlapping objects, etc. Knowledge of these "visual devices" honestly come with time, and sometimes they sound super basic, but they do the trick, and they're not hard to spice up and make more original when you keep your mood/intention in mind.

Then comes storyboarding/sketching! It's the most important part to me, because this is where you decide how you're going to tell your story. Sketching is the most exciting part, you can let your mind speak and find creative ways to spice up the "visual devices" you've figured out at the initial thinking step. I think one of the greatest advices I got, ever, was from my storyboard professor, who told us to always keep in mind that a picture (moving or not) is ALWAYS a 2D surface, and that it should be treated as such when storyboarding. I.e. when you board, think of your image as an arrangement of shapes on a flat surface, rather than a 3D scene. You can figure out the logistics and the perspective in lineart, but for storyboard, composition has to be prioritised over a well-constructed room, bc otherwise you'll just draw the same things over and over.

It depends on the pieces, but nowadays I prefer to just clean up the sketch rather than do a whole clean line on top of it, as not to lose the spontaneity and dynamism of the sketch. Lineart is about making things look pretty and nice to look at, but it's also a step where you can reinforce your initial intention with details. It can be details of anatomy (giving an expression, working on your characters' anatomy to make it expressive (what story does this body tell)), or of environment (what does this place mean for my characters, why are they here, what does it tell about them). For this I use truckloads of references!!!! Super important. Either from other artists, especially for anatomy details or line efficiency (matanai_ke, nisir0, nonebrainer on twt, whose styles I've been really digging recently), or from pictures/real life for enviros. No one's born with the ability to come up with a plausible baroque interior so get those refs! Lineart is honestly one of the steps I enjoy most, I spend the longest time on it because I need it to be perfect and tell exactly what I want to tell. I'm working on improving my linework quality because I feel terrible abt it ahjdsf

Then I do a coloursketch. My approach of colours is painterly (applying colours directly as they appear) rather than the neutral flats + coloured filters workflow, which do work great for beginners however, and I did my time in the mines with it as well asdjfh...... I usually apply an underpaint layer as shown below, usually then place lights first, and then work my way through all the elements.

Sometimes my underpaint is bright and saturated, sometimes it's more muted and darker: again, it all depends on the intention of the piece! I do this to visualise better and to contextualise the colours I'll paint on top of this base. The yellow in the top-left screenshot gives a warm touch to the wood-browns, even though they're not actually super saturated! With the bottom-right, the pink gives a colder aspect to the teals/greens and makes them more "aggressive", as it's their complementary colour. It also bears a narrative purpose: on the bottom-right screenshot, I wanted pink to seep from the edges of every shape, and purposefully left the edges jagged and rough instead of cleaning up the painting perfectly. Bright pink like this is not only a crazed colour, but it also represents Doflamingo, and in this case, it fit the intention to have him and this madness as the backdrop of a scene that doesn't involve him, but to which he is the unspoken key and center (Monet is hallucinating/projecting that it's Dof looking down on her, when it's actually Law). As if his presence was underlying the very materiality of the scene.

God that was long. Then comes rendering, which I hate with my guts because I don't know how to do it and if I could get away with only colour sketches for the rest of my life I would!!!! I hate spending time on colour details and rendering materials and polishing brushwork I just hate this step :')

And finally, compositing!! Slap some grain* on this bad boy, slight chromatic aberration in the corners if we're feeling fancy, perhaps a bit of field blur... chromatic aberration is to mimic cameras! it's a physical effect of the lens, and having it on illustrations give them a more cinematographic quality.

*in a non-destructive way I BEG!!!! Quick grain tutorial for the poor souls who still merge everything -> filter -> noise!!! 1. Create a gray layer with HSV at 0, 0, 50 2. filter -> noise as you'd normally do 3. set blending mode to overlay so your grain is more visible the darker your colours are (like for a real camera! grain is an artifact created when there isn't enough light in your captor) (I won't get into the maths of overlay but it's quite fascinating, basically it multiplies the value of pixels that are V>50 and "divides" the value of pixels that are V<50, while pixels that are V=50 like our initial grey layer, it doesn't change the value of the pixel underneath it) and 4. set opacity to ~20% depending on what you want or need

and tadah! you have an illustration. how cool!! there are still many things I need to work on, but it's a very fun exploration everytime :'D I feel glad that I've reached a point where I somewhat know what I'm doing, it made drawing so much more fun in the past year. Good luck w your own endeavours!!!

[yet-another-deanw-girl]

Chapter 13: Split

||The Prophecy Series||

She knew for 15 years that this day would come. She knew her destiny had already been written. That her death had been foretold.

She knew she would have to stop him. She knew she would have to kill him. And she thought she was prepared for all of it. But the day she met him she realized how wrong she was…

Set in Season 10

Pairing: MoC!Dean x Female!OC

Warnings: the usual SPN, language

Episode mapping: During episode 11 of season 10 "There's No Place Like Home"

Note: The events of this story are following season 10 of Supernatural and are taking place between October 2014 and July 2015. I tried to make sure that all the references to weapons, tech, etc. are accurate with the time period.

AN: This is my first time writing a fanfic but the story has been in my head for too long and it just needed to get out. I hope you like it.

AN: English is not my first language, I apologize for any mistakes.

"You must be Emilia!" A cheery petite redheaded woman walks in the bunker with Sam. "Sam told me everything about you." "Ah… yes…" I sigh. She had talked to Sam, so she hated me even before she met me.  "I'll just…" I try to leave but before I can the woman hugs me. "It's so nice to meet a fellow nerd. You have to tell me everything about the bunker's mainframe. I tried to do some stuff with it once but this combination of magic and technology is not exactly my area of experience." She is smiling at me like we are old friends.  "We have work to do." Sam interrupts her babbling. "Yes! Right!" The redheaded woman says. "Oooh yeah! I'm Charlie, by the way!" She extends her hand and I shake it, still puzzled. I try to leave the room again but Charlie's words stop me at the threshold. "Maybe Ema can help us to find it faster?"  I hear Sam's disapproving grunt but I turn around anyway, intrigued by the opportunity. It will be a distraction from the mainframe for a while. I'm at a point where I have checked everything and I have upgraded the majority of the stuff and still can't find the problem. "Are you sure you want my help?" I ask Charlie cautiously. "Yes!" She answers without hesitation and I look at Sam. "It's her choice!" He simply states. "Ok! So… we are looking for information about the key to Oz."

Charlie tells me about going to Oz, the war there and that in order to win the war she needed to 'unleash her true darkness'. The wizard of Oz had used the inner key of Oz to do this. That separated the darkest parts of her into another body, into another Charlie. They are still connected. If one of them gets hurt the other is hurt too. Dark Charlie has broken the key, so now we have to find a way to restore it, so that the two Charlies can go back to Oz and the wizard puts them back to one.

"Okay, here we go. Clive Dillon." Sam starts to read the file I gave him. "He is the Man of Letters that first discovered the key to Oz. So, according to this incident report, Clive went to Oz, but he left the key on earth, and then L. Frank Baum found the key and went to rescue Clive in Oz. And then after Baum rescued Clive, Clive came back and retired." "You can retire from the Men of Letters?" Charlie muses. "Well, you can ask Emilia about that, but apparently, they put him in some sort of, like, uh, witness-relocation program." "Where did he end up?" After some more digging we find out that Clive Dillon was given a new name and it looks like he is still alive. He must be over 100 years old but Charlie insists that the time passes differently in Oz. So Sam and she are on their way to talk with the former Man of Letters in hope that he can fix the key.

The boys and Charlie are back. Dean's face is bruised, Charlie… she is worse. Her face is bloodied, her hand is probably broken… "What happened!" I ask but Dean just passes by me going to the training room. I look at Sam questioningly but he doesn't say anything either. I help him take care of Charlie and when she is resting in one of the rooms, Sam finally speaks to me. "Maybe you should go talk to Dean." He starts and I raise my brows at him. "He… He did this to Charlie..." "And YOU want ME to talk to him." He nods. "He… He is getting worse… And I don't think that hiding all of this from you is helping. And I think that right now he will only listen to you." I gape at his words. Obviously the situation had gotten out of control but for Sam to say those things… "He likes to talk to you… He trusts you… And… I suppose you know him really well by now… So…" I can't believe what I’m hearing right now! But I quickly realize what he is actually saying. And I'm livid… "If you are referring to Dean talking with me, yes he does. Unlike some other people living in this bunker." I raise my voice. "If you are suggesting what I think you are…" I angrily poke at his chest not caring that the man is towering above me. "It's actually none of your damn business!" I poke at his chest and walk by him in the direction of the training room. "But, Sam, I'm not sleeping with your brother. And that's not something you have to ever worry about…" I say without even turning to look at him. Because if I was… I would never have the strength to do what I am supposed to do… And then we will all be screwed up…

GIF from Pinterest

I walk in the training room. Dean is hitting the punching bag. His face is bruised, his lip - cut. His knuckles are bloodied but he keeps punching.  "How is she?" "She's a little bruised but she will be okay." I walk behind the bag, securing it in place. He keeps punching. "I can feel it all the time." He starts after a couple of minutes. "The rage, the constant anger. Maybe you will have to do your job sooner than you thought." "There is still time…" "Yeah!? You saw what I did to Charlie! How many people should I hurt before I need to be stopped?" "What makes you angry?" "Everything… Fucking everything! Sammy! You!" I just keep quiet waiting for him to continue. "Sam's constant efforts to find excuses for me, to try to save me when it is obvious there is no saving me. I have to accept my fate! That I will become a monster! That I will lose control over that thing! He has to accept that too! He has to stop trying to save me!"  He keeps punching the bag harder and harder, his voice raising with every word. "And you! You!" He yells at me, stopping for a second. "You!" He renews his punching routine. "You are just sitting there! Not giving a shit you are about to die! Why are you not fighting this? Why are you accepting it all?" "So…" I speak after a long pause. "You are angry with your brother for not giving up on you, when you are trying to come to terms with your fate? And you are angry at me because I already accepted mine?" I summarize.  "Yes!" He grunts and punches the bag even harder. "Fair enough." My voice is calm and flat. "That was easy. So… what now?" "Oh… Nothing…" He finally stops his punching tantrum and looks at me with rage. His knuckles are cracked and bleeding but he doesn't pay any attention to them. He is focused on me. "But you just agreed…" "I acknowledged your right to be angry and to have your opinions about your brother's actions… about my actions… This doesn't mean that it will change my view of what I'm supposed to do nor that I will try to change Sam's. You can have your opinions and you can be angry with us all you want. And I will be here holding that punching bag for you every time you need me to. And I know you are used to giving orders and bossing people around. That you are used to your brother doing what you’ve said. But it doesn't mean I will just do whatever you want or that I’ll try to appease you. It doesn't change the fact that Sam has his own opinions… That I have my own opinions. And it definitely doesn't mean I'm going to follow your 'commands' and accept what you deem is right or wrong!" I say with a still calm voice. He just pushes away the bag that separates us. The next thing I know, I'm pinned against the wall behind me, his hand around my throat. His grip is tight but not tight enough to hurt me. His other hand - on the wall above me. His green eyes are burning with fury and rage… and something else…  He stares at me breathing hard and trying to calm himself down. His eyes quickly darting several times between mine and my lips.

Created with Microsoft Designer

My eyes don't leave his.  I don't speak.  I don't try to free myself from his grip.  I'm not scared. I know he will not hurt me.  That's maybe stupid of me, considering the state Charlie is in right now…  I'm not sure how I know this. I just do. His breathing starts to even but his hand is still on my throat. He is looming over me with his height and I realize how small I must appear to him.  No surprise he keeps underestimating me.  He doesn't even perceive me as a threat… doesn't even suspect that I can easily overthrow him with no problem even now. The rage in Dean's eyes slowly dissipates and is replaced with... Desire? He shifts his body impossibly close to mine. "Emi…" He speaks, almost touching my lips, the anger in his voice now replaced with lust… The nickname makes my heart skip a beat. All rational thoughts slowly leave my mind.  A small part of me is whispering that this is not a good idea… that I have to leave this room… that I have just promised Sam that he would never have to worry about me and Dean...  But with every passing second this voice in my head is getting quieter and quieter…  My eyes never leave Dean's green once.

The door to the training room opens and that makes all of my ability to think to come back in a rush.  I can not afford moments of weakness like this again.  I harden my stare and Dean catches the change quickly. "Are you calmer now?" I ask with a now cold voice.  "Yeah!" He blinks away the hot fire of desire from his eyes. "I'm fine."  He releases my throat and takes a step back from me.  We look at each other for a while before I nod and without another word, leave the room passing by Sam.

"Dean?" My brother's voice brings me back from my haze. "Are you ok?" "Yeah!" I clear my throat. "Peachy!" "What was that about?" "You know how she is sometimes." I try to downplay the tension that is still lingering in the room, but struggle to find a reasonable explanation for all of it. "She just… she is so stubborn… and she drives me nuts…" I breathe out in frustration. "And she just pushed the wrong buttons." "That was not all. She might have pissed you off but…"  Sam hesitates for a moment, clearly not sure how to continue.  "I know you… I can see how you are looking at her lately." He pauses and the next words are spoken softly… with worry… and wiring… "Dean, it's not a good idea for you to…" He starts. "I don't know what you are talking about!" I quickly cut him off and leave the room.  Fuck! I know exactly what he is talking about.  I have no idea what I would have done if he hadn't entered the room when he did… I can't even be sure if I was going to kill her or fuck her… And I know it is not a good idea. I can't afford to lose control over this! I have to fight it as long as I can!  And today… Today was exactly the opposite of what I am supposed to do!  With Charlie…  And now with Ema… And all of Marathon’s insinuations… He is just trying to mess with my head… Right?  Right!

"Yeah, he's, uh, he's better. I mean, he's calmed down now. Cas, we got to…we got to find Cain, or . . . We got to find something, you know? … "Right." … "Yeah, I know. I hear you. Okay. You got it." … "All right. Thanks." I hear Sam talking on the phone. I turn around to go back to the kitchen. I had become used to avoiding him and not getting in his way if I don't have to.  Charlie is staring at me from the door of the room she was sleeping in for the past two days. "So… you are avoiding them?" "Well… I'm not exactly welcomed here, you know. So I'm just trying to stay out of the way." I pass by her. I haven't talked to any of them since the day they brought Charlie. "Dean seems to think otherwise." She smiles at me. "And Sam… he is just trying to protect his brother. He is a good guy… you know…" "You don't need to defend him. I know it. And I understand it. But… soon he will realize that there is no other way…" I reply sadly. "I'm not giving up on Dean either. I'll do everything I can to help." I take a deep breath and smile at her. I'm not going to try and stop her or convince her that there is no point. I already know she is not going to listen… And I'm glad that Dean has people in his life that are ready to fight for him… "I'm also not giving up on you." She continues. I was not expecting that!  Her, trying to save Dean, that is understandable.  But me… "I know you have been fighting this longer than any of us. And I know you have lost hope and accepted the situation. But I'll keep hoping instead of you. And we will find a way to save both of you." "Why?" I ask quietly, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "Why do you care what happens to me? You don't even know me…" "Because I do." She pads me on my shoulder. "And I'm sure I'm not the only one…" She goes to the library leaving me standing in the hallway. "I think sleeping for two days in a row is probably enough. Anything about The Mark?" I hear hers and Sam's conversation coming from the library. "Yeah, maybe. I found this book. It's a lore book..." Another book… another false hope… He will understand it soon… there is no other solution… "I'll go check it out. If I find something, I'll call. If not . . . I'll just keep digging." I hear Charlie's determined reply.

"Anything about The Mark?" Charlie asks Sam. "Yeah, maybe. I found this book. It's a lore book - The Book of the Damned. It's in a library somewhere in Tuscany.” Another book… another false hope… They will soon understand what I already know in my head to be the truth… "I'll go check it out. If I find something, I'll call. If not… I'll just keep digging." "Charlie, I . . ." I try to apologize even if I know that nothing could fix what I've done to her. "We are going to fix this." Charlie interrupts me. "I'm not letting what happened to me happen to you." "But it's already happened." I protest. "Cain found a way to live with it." Sam chains in. "Right… Yeah, after centuries of murder." I grumble. I'm tired of him trying to convince me that we are going to find a way. "Yeah, well, there's one thing that you have that he didn't. You're a Winchester." That's the Charlie I know - always relentless to help. "I forgive you, Dean." She smiles at me. "Yeah, well, I don't." And I never will… "I know... Kind of your move. How's that working out for you, huh?" I get up from the table and hug her. "I'm so sorry, kiddo." I try to apologize again. I hope she knows I really mean it. "Then prove it!" Charlie murmurs into my chest.

GIF from Pinterest

"And go tell her, dummy!" She whispers so only I can hear her. "I don't know what you are talking about." "Aham… Whatever you say…" She releases me and gives me her signature know-it-all smile. "Be careful out there." Sam says after hugging her himself. "Does that sound like either of me?" She looks at us before going up the stairs. "Arrivederci, bitches!"

Chapter 14 - Coming soon

||The Prophecy Series||

[sarcasmismydefaultmode]

My MCM London Experience

So my Comic-Con experience certainly had its ups and downs...somehow, I always seem to end up catching a bug like COVID a few weeks before an event I've been looking forward to for months, and then I'm left with a chronic cough and feeling like death even once I stop testing positive. I had so many plans to meet up with friends and catch up over drinks, and I ended up going to bed in my hotel room by 6pm...

But........

There were certainly some highs. Meeting and chatting with @wifeofsyril & @karnpuffs in the queue for the photo ops with Denise on Saturday, talking all things Star Wars, Andor, and Dedra (which frankly I don't get to do enough of, it's criminal)...

Meeting up and getting to play with my old saber training group, Silver Sabres, and spend half the day surrounded by fellow saber nerds...

The utter chaos that was the Witcher 3 panel. It felt a little...strange, like it was vaguely linked to it being ten years since the Witcher 3 came out, but it all felt quite loosely connected to the fact. It was more fun watching Denise slowly lose her mind over having to draw anything 😄 (I felt that, Denise. As a fellow artistically-challenged-person, I felt that. Pictionary is my idea of hell) and the conversations the cast were having about their characters. An interesting snippet from Denise was about her decision to pitch Yennefer a little lower than her natural speaking voice, to project authority and power, and I felt you can hear that in Dedra's voice too.

The lighting wasn't great so this was pretty the only picture I took during the panel which didn't turn weird...

Nearly had a heart attack when they started mentioning fanfiction. Admittedly, it was Witcher fanfiction, not Star Wars or Andor, but now I can't get the image of Denise scrolling the Dedra Meero tag on Ao3 out of my head 🤣🤣. Denise and Doug, the guy she's sat next to who voiced Geralt, and some of the other cast, also spoke about the importance of fandom and the escape it offers as they've been told by fans over the years, which I fully concur with. Fantasy has always been my escape when the world gets a little too much.

And finally, what probably had to be the highlight of the weekend:

I debated about covering my face but I'm posting this on the clock app too since I post cosplay shit over there. You should've seen the way Denise's eyes lit up when I offered her the lightsaber. Don't get me wrong, I love that Andor doesn't rely on the Sith-Jedi-lightsaber stuff at all beyond occasional references to ol' Palpy, but I think it should be written into every Star Wars actor's contract that they get to play with a lightsaber at least once. This is also my Inquisitor Dedra cosplay's debut, got some really great comments walking around MCM, and when I took the photo for Denise to autograph, she basically said she wants a black uniform like mine. Now, to work on my photoshoot skills so next time, you can actually see more than just my cloak, one boot, and one gauntleted arm 🤣😅

[gefionne]

Hi Gefionne!

Have you been reading any good books lately? I recently read “A River Endless” because I saw you mention it, and I enjoyed it a lot.

I noticed you have written quite a few fanfics set in a historical AU. I can only imagine the amount of research this takes and as a fellow fanfic writer I would love to hear a bit about your process when you write these.

Do you enjoy reading historical fiction in general, do you have any favorites that you would recommend?

Hello, friend!

I'm glad you enjoyed A River Endless! I also enjoyed those books, since I've been on a fantasy kick in the past 6 months. I loved fantasy most as a kid, and while I moved away from it for a while, I reread the Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab and got yanked back into wanting to read fantasy.

Shades of Magic is a favorite, though iirc Schwab's first move from YA to adult fiction. It still has a very YA flavor because of that, but it's such an engaging world that I got sucked in. Totally wrote an OT3 fic based on the series when I finished it again this time lol.

Other stuff I've really liked lately:

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries and Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawlett - I really like her prose style and the books overall are whimsical and endearing.

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas - Dark academia with a supernatural twist; reread it recently.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan - Also YA-flavored adult fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology.

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo - I love this book. I will never stop gushing about this book. I reread it this summer because it's a creepy, humid Southern gothic that's queer af and has delicious prose.

In terms of historical fiction, I've had a lot of trouble connecting with it for quite a while now, despite having written a couple of meaty historical fics. There are some quirks of historicals that will bug me enough from the start that I can't get into them: mostly that they info dump the setting within the first paragraph with a laundry list of historical details that's like "Hey, look, I did my research!" but it actually makes the story sound like a freshman HIS101 paper, not a novel.

One of the toughest things about writing historicals is doing all that research and then judiciously weaving it into the story, not putting your whole-ass knowledge of details into every page. While of course I want to make the setting come alive with historical detail, in the end, the story is about the characters and their arc, so you have to walk this line of putting in enough detail to make it believable while not getting bogged down in the details. If a historical novel leans too hard on establishing the setting at the very start and less on introducing the characters, I tend to put it down because it seems like a book about the period, not a book about these people I'm supposed to care for. I might as well read non-fiction for that. All the historicals I've picked up lately--which, admittedly, isn't that many--have been like that, so I noped out.

My research for fics is not anywhere what would need to be done for a novel I'd be willing to query. I read 3 books about the Eagle Squadrons, watched a movie or two, and always had the internet's legion of aviation nerds at hand when I was writing my WWII Royal Air Force AU, but I still fudged enough that I'd be reluctant to do more than fanfiction with it. All historicals require some fudging, extrapolation, and creative license, but if I wrote an RAF novel, I'd have a far larger reading list.

For Limerence, the 70s English public school AU, I read a book of accounts of queer men and their experiences in public school, with some history of public school in general. Again, not half enough to float a novel, but perfectly adequate for my purposes of writing a fic for fun. The Good Omens fic that spans several historical eras is a product of internet research, and I believe one commenter found an historical misstep with tea, when it wouldn't've been available in the place Zira and Crowley currently were. I nodded to them for noticing the error, but didn't go back and fix it because while I put a lot of work into my fics and take them seriously as an art form, I'm comfortable with some anachronisms or imperfections in historical accuracy because I do, in fact, write these fics for fun around a full-time job, house, partner, and pet, and people can read them for free.

My advice for writing historical fics: pick up at least one non-fiction book about the period you're writing about, then see if you want to read more books or just chill on the internet. Decide how much you're comfortable fudging and what you need to be super accurate. Then focus on your characters and plot, using the setting to prop them up and make them come alive. The setting/time isn't the main focus, but you have to know enough about it to let your story unfold within its confines.

Anyway, this is so long and if you've made it all the way to the bottom, anon, that's lovely. I was just taking a break from my workday to reply, so it's back to the grind. ;-)

Love, Gef

[demetrius-haggarty]

Demetrius,

Thank you again for inquiring as to the state of my plants after the terrible storm that rolled through. It seemed to come out of nowhere! Almost had me wondering if a Thunderbird was at fault...though I could have SWORN Professor Howin said they were native to North America...suspicious.

Anyhow...I had to write you for two reasons:

To implore you to please teach me more of those protective charms you are currently using for your garden... a good amount of my dittany plants were taken out by the storm, and I'm still crying about it like a mandrake looking for ways to hopefully avoid that for the next time around, and need your help!

@ask-wren-zhang mentioned something about a 'Shrub Club'? What do you know of this....and more importantly where can I sign up?

Your Fellow Herbology Nerd,

Theo

Theodora,

I was so sorry to hear that some of your plant friends did get damaged in that storm! It is sadly what nature does. Back home when our crops get damaged we just accept that those events come unexpectedly and that we should be happy for what is still left intact. I feel bad for thinking that way but sometimes it also means less work for me later in the season since it's not like my gramps is going to walk around collecting vegetables, it always ends up being me >:(

Regarding your reasons, I wish I had answers for the first one but you've seen me in most of the classes that we share: I am kinda rubbish as magic. The only protective spells I am great at are the ones we learn in DADA and mostly because I happened to use them a lot. But who said magic is the only answer? Well, sure, we you we can do some research into proper spells but I think you will do a much better job at those than I. I can, however, do a lot of regular stuff, building some supports, maybe protective covers, some sort of a makeshift greenhouse even, for some of your more precious babies? Mandrakes do need to be protected! My hands were made for crafting and building while you can do some research into the protective charms at the same time! Maybe you can even teach me a thing or two. But only if it's not too much studying...

Now. The Shrub Club? I cannot believe this title actually spread, I've only mentioned it to Magnolia (@justmagnoliaellistor) in passing once, and then Wren (@ask-wren-zhang) knows about it somehow, and now you! I, er, didn't think that far ahead when I got this idea… Perhaps somebody else should do the organizing… But the idea is simple: we just love plants. We talk about plants. We talk with plants. We plant the plants. Everything is plants! We can try and organize our meetings a few times a week in one of the smaller greenhouses? I do not think we really need any papers to sign, I certainly do not have that much parchment left to last me until the end of the month to make people sign things. I'm not really comfortable organizing anything on my own anyway... Just a word from you is enough so that I know who is curious.

Your proud (but unsure?) Shrub Club leader,

Meech

[scribe-of-stories]

Author Ask Tag

Once more I get to talk about my work due to fellow Scribe @covenscribe (Scribe unity). Read their post here. I'll be answering these questions focusing on my WIP Fleshtown.

what is the main Lesson of your story? And why did you choose it?

Fleshtown has several: cities can turn into abusive hellscape where an individual human doesn't matter, just their flesh and the work one can squeeze out of it. Those that sit at the top of societies like this are parasites (very literally in this story). Kindness is a powerful thing against those affected by it, but eventually violence becomes the only song society can hear.

What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding?

General lexical inspirations that affect nearly everything I write in it are: KSBD, SCP, Worm/Otherverse, and inescapably Homestuck.

Though for Fleshtown itself I think I was exposed to a game called Fear and Hunger (very heavy content warning) and the aesthetic of it stuck with me for a while. Then eventually a thought spawned in my head “I haven't written a romance story yet. I should try that in the flesh walls of this awful city I've imagined”.

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

Poet arrived at The City on accident and is really just trying to get out. Virus/Prince is trying to get back to the Court of Parasites so to behead the stagnant king. I, meanwhile, am trying to get them to realize that they don't have a home to go to if they did escape; and the eternal torment of this city can only be stopped by those living in it.

As for a lesson taught: violence is the only tool we have to fight tyranny, but by that very same tool we forge the shackles of the next generation uhhh? Healing a community is a worthy and fulfilling thing? idk Fleshtown has a lot of scattered ideas right now.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

Don't know, hopefully more than 1 and less then 100 but we'll see. It's planned to be a Novella right now, but its rough draft isn't done.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Original content, and not sure. I imagine I'll post a non-insignificant amount of it on Tumblr/send it to whatever mutual wants to read it. Maybe classicaly publish it, maybe do web serial stuff with it. Really I haven't had any major thoughts/decisions about that nor intend to till it's more finished.

When and why did you start writing?

Way back in intermediate/middle school me and my friends were nerds playing games like runescape. One of my friend made the mistake of showing me the RS roleplaying forum. From there I went on to roleplay from site to site for a while. I only started “writing” in a conventional sense recently. As for why? Because it's fun and I find fullfillment in it.

Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of writeblr? What other writers of tumblr do you follow?

Hey! You, yes you. Write whatever you want. Forget that things like rules exist, forget that stories need a flow or need to follow some set chart. Make something without the limits of what is conventionally “good”.

Have to shout out the first Writeblrs that I really interacted with on here @sunset-a-story and @vicstmichael, who's attention and encouragement kept me working on this platform. Also to @squarebracket-trick @iced-ginger-tea for sending me so many asks over the last while. Y'alls small acts really do mean something to me, and always make my days better.

As for tags: Whoever is reading this. Open tag, you're all getting hit with the talking stick.

[the-night-that-feeds-if]

Okay I’m too shy and awkward to actually write this as not-nonny but still, after I read your lore post, wanted to nerd out hehe

First, you used to paint minis??? That’s so cool!!I used to watch a lot of videos when I first got into DnD and how people made the maps/dungeons and all that good stuff. I’ve always been fascinated by dioramas so when I found the fantasy version of those I was ecstatic to say the least hehe I don’t really have the chance to play DnD as I don’t have people who are interested, but I’ve been enjoying some solo journaling TTRPG lately and it’s been really fun! (Apawthecaria is my fave and I suggest check it out if you were interested in Wanderhome)

Second, as a fellow artist I really relate to the need of always make something and it’s inspiring to see others make their own stuff, not matter the form! As somebody who struggles with mental health as well, make art, read ifs and get inspired by others creators has helped me a lot through the years.

I’m really sorry to hear about your chronic disease but, I really hope that things will get a little better and more manageable, at least a bit, with time 💕

Going back to your if, I’m really curious about the Void and what inspired you for the concept of it? Also, I can’t wait for the descriptions of monsters and fight scenes in case we’ll get some of those ✨

Thank you so much for writing an ask! I can tell you have a lot of passion here :3

I made dioramas for my homebrew dnd setting when I was a teen, I made a sculpting material from salt, flour, water and then sculpted on canvas boards and painted it with acrylics when it dried. I want to make more elaborate ones once I have the space to!

It's difficult to find a group to play with, I've only had two groups, one in person that fell apart, and now my fiance and I have a bunch of amazing online buddies that we play with over discord. I actually met my bff on tiktok when I was on there after I made a dragonage video and we bonded lmao, he's a great buddy. I hope you'll be able to find some people to play with.

Also thank you for the rec, I will definitely check it out!! The only solo journaling game I was planning on playing was thousand year old vampire.

I really appreciate your kind words, I'm definitely a lot better off than I was a year ago, and things are starting to get even better for me physically and mentally.

I absolutely talking to fellow artists, and please send me more asks, or if you ever feel up to it, you can message me on here to nerd out. I love talking to people and hearing about projects and stuff. That also goes for anyone who feels like making a buddy online, I love making friends lol.

And the void was inspired by the Weave in the forgotten realms dnd and also the Warp in warhammer with my own little world separation/dimension stuff that I was thinking about for my old dnd homebrew!

[heavywithourbabies]

A four part storyline arc, or "Run" for a reboot of Spider-Man and a come to Jesus moment for your author

Part one: A look at young Spider-man in like the fifth year of him in his career as the web slinger. (Don't retell the Uncle Ben story. Good lord it's been done to death.) Following the ups and downs of being spidey while crushing hard on fellow scientist nerd, Gwen Stacy, catching up with old friend Harry Osborn, and tutoring a briliant teenage Miles Morales. Peter sells spider-man stuff to the daily bugle, and fights weird dudes in costumes more often than not. He isn't prepared at all to deal with his first real threat, when an old college proffessor, Otto Octavius, suffers an accident at Osborn labs, (yup, the four arms, ya guessed it) and goes on a rampage through New York. it's ya classic spidey story while laying the ground work for a large background cast (Eddie Brock is the journalist who gets assigned Peter's photos and they kinda work together. Norman Osborn is exposed to an chemical explosion at the same accident where Otto gets his arms, Peter awkwardly dating gwen with her police captain father, tons of early character work.)

Part Two: The 6th year of being Spidey. Peter Parker may not always have the best luck, but being Spider-Man is still as fun as ever. And life is pretty great now that he has an apartment with Gwen. Sure, there's still costumed weirdos popping up like an idiot calling himself The Shocker but our beloved wall crawler is confident and knows his ropes. He may be facing an uphill battle trying to mentor Miles Morales who has become the Spider-Man of Brooklyn and his day job at the Conners labs may be over since Doc turned himself into a eight foot tall gecko. But this is the life, the yin and yang of being the original spider-man. ......but something is very wrong with his friend Harry. His father, the founder and CEO of Osborn Pharm has just woken up from the coma he has been in. He seems paranoid. Delusional. seeing enemies everyhwere and hearing voices....yes, something is very wrong with the very big public figure of Norman Osborn.........(Long story short, it's Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin. This will also cover the death of Gwen Stacey because of direct actions caused by Norman. The finale battle is epic and Green Goblin beats Peter within an inch of his life. Its a bloody brawl throughout Osborn Labs and includes a set piece where Goblin throws Peter against a meator being studied and it's cracked open. A strange black substance gets on peter's costume. The battle seems lost at one point but green Goblins pride is his downfall as he is killed by his own glider. Reporter journalist Eddie Brock is witness to the finale moments of Osborns life and has taken pictures of the whole thing including unmasked photos of Spidey. Eddie can't believe Peter is Spider-Man but takes it in stride. Until Peter does something very unlike him and destroys the photos. Peter believes he is worried about what will happen to harry if the photos are exposed but the strange black goo on his costume seems to pulse. as he is explaining himself)

I realize halfway through doing this that A. No one is going to give a shit. B. This poor fast written stuff will sound stupid the way i am just barreling through it all. and finally C. If anyone DOES read this and actually likes these ideas, who knows what they will do with it? I know it's crazy but I would be pretty pissed if this ended up happening in the books and it's been written poorly by someone else. I know. My ego is huge........

If anyone ever wants to know what happens in parts three and four, let me know. I really would love to share. I will say this much, Part 3 is Kraven, the black suit, and Venom. Part four is the Sinister Six and Carnage.

Yes, i am this big of a nerd

[taruchinator]

💌 Teen & Up Audiences

💌 3.3k Words

💌 For the @/dkbkexchange!

“Kacchan?”

The blond's body jolted— sitting up straight with rigid shoulders as he clung to what appeared to be a scarf around his neck.

Turning behind him, Katsuki's red ruby eyes pierced into Izuku's green ones as he scowled. “What the hell are you doing here, you shitty nerd?!”

Gulping down any lingering doubt, the freckled teen walked closer. “I wanted to talk to you-”

“FUCK OFF!” Katsuki roared as he threw an object in Izuku's direction, missing the boy completely. Upon closer inspection however, the grenette's eyes widened.

It was an empty can of beer.

Hey everyone! Alice here! ^^

Happy late Valentine's Day! This little fic was created as part of a DKBK exchange from last month, but I forgot to post it here for some reason~

My giftee really wanted to have something where these two dorks actually talk about their feelings and such for once, and even though it's a little hard to do considering their relationship in canon, I figured a little of drunken confessions could help with that! I had lots of fun with it, so I hope you like it!

Izuku wasn't really one for parties.

Being born Quirkless came with its disadvantages, and among them was not being able to make friends easily, which would cause some trouble for people that wanted to try and be outgoing in their superhero society.

Izuku was one of these people, as due to him not having many friends during his childhood, he didn't get the chance to socialize— or in this particular case, fraternize— with his fellow classmates in outings or other gatherings.

But ever since he came to UA, things were vastly different.

He had a Quirk now, just to start off. There were so many people he could proudly call his friends, and classmates who he'd trust with his life. A wonderful array of teachers and a mentor who worried for him sometimes very similarly to his own mother.

And above all, was his rekindled friendship with his beloved childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugou. If he had a crush on said childhood friend was not relevant to this discussion.

Or at least that was the way it was supposed to be.

Once their graduation date had been announced by their homeroom teacher Aizawa, Katsuki had started acting… strange, to say the least.

It started simple.

They had built a habit of getting together after class to compare notes and study, but the blonde had suddenly started making excuses as to not show up. From being tired, to being busy, to getting sick. The grenette did find it odd at first, but tried not to think much of it since maybe Katsuki just had other things he needed to do instead.

Then came the hang outs. Whenever their friend groups agreed to do something together, the explosive teen would have a reason to be absent. He'd get called by Endeavor's agency, he'd have to finish homework, and he'd have to visit his mother because ‘the old hag will nag at me if I keep putting it off’.

Again, strange, but Izuku never linked any of it to himself, and just silently worried that perhaps the blond had some stuff going on and made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Turned out trying to ask him about it proved to be futile.

Katsuki started ignoring him altogether. When Izuku called for him, he'd pretend like he didn't hear him. When they'd meet in the halls, the blond would pick up the pace, even if that meant leaving Kirishima behind. When Deku went to his room, he'd never open the door.

It was only then that the pieces started coming together: Katsuki was avoiding him.

“Why is he doing this? I thought we were on good terms now! But if we weren't, he'd at least make snarky comments at me like before, but he's not even looking at me. Did I do something to upset him? Did I say something? Did I-?”

Izuku had pretty much gone through every possible reason as to why Katsuki wouldn't want to talk to him, and none of it seemed to make sense.

He knew that if he just talked to him, he'd have his answer. But how could he do that if Katsuki kept reacting as if he had the plague?

That was where the party came in.

With only a week left before graduating, the students of Class 3-A decided to throw a celebration to all the years of ups and downs they'd spent together in UA, and of course, everyone was invited! And everyone was expected to attend.

And so, as the freckled teen walked between his two friends towards the common area where the party was being held, he couldn't wait to finally see the blond and be able to confront him head on.

“Midoriya!”

"H-Huh?!”

Being brought back to reality by the sudden voice calling for him, Izuku turned to see Uraraka giggling and Iida staring at him with arms crossed. A blush spread across his face as he chuckled nervously. “I'm sorry, Iida. You were saying?”

The ravenette shook his head as he let out a sigh. “Unbelievable that even after three years your mind can continue to wander as quickly as that.”

“Oh come on Iida, cut him some slack! This is supposed to be a party, after all! He should be allowed to drift into space as many times as he wants.” Uraraka continued giggling as she stayed between the two boys.

“I-I swear it wasn't on purpose, I've just got some stuff on my mind, that's all!” The grenette tried to argue, but he knew it sounded vague and like a poor excuse. He'd know what a poor excuse sounded like.

“Don't you mean you have someone on your mind?” The brunette girl smirked slightly as she raised an eyebrow in the boy's direction.

Heat rose to his cheeks as he turned sideways and whispered rather harshly. “That's not it at all!”

Only Uraraka and Iida knew of Izuku's crush on Katsuki— even though he was pretty sure that some already had an inkling based on the way he interacted with the blond. They also knew of his dilemma with the explosive teen giving him the cold shoulder, and how much it worried him. That didn't stop Uraraka from teasing him at every chance she got, though.

“Hey guys!”

A new voice resonated in the hall, causing the trio to turn around and see Kirishima and Kaminari heading their way towards the party with bags of snacks stacked between them.

Iida was the first to greet them. “Good evening, Kirishima and Kaminari! Thank you very much for agreeing to bring the snacks!”

Kaminari saluted from behind his mountain of cheeto puffs with a smirk. “Not a problem, man! This way we get to bring the stuff that we want, don't we Kirishima?”

The red haired boy grinned in return as he adjusted his own pile of potato chips and french fries. “You betcha!”

Izuku quickly moved to the front of the group with a smile, but was immediately confused when he looked behind the duo and Katsuki was nowhere in sight. He turned to the blond's best friend. “Kirishima. Is Kacchan running late?”

Kirishima visibly shifted his gaze as the grin on his face faltered. “Um… yeah, about that. I'm sorry, Midoriya. But he said he wasn't coming.”

The grenette couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wasn't coming? Why was he being so stubborn about this? He tried to not let it show, but it must have still been visible since everyone was looking at him with saddened expressions. “I… I see. D-Did he tell you where he was going?”

At that, Kirishima nodded. “Yeah! I think he said something about the school roof? Not sure what he'd do up there, though.”

“You know, Deku? We can meet you inside later if you want. Iida and I have lots of taste testing to do, anyway!” Uraraka suddenly spoke, with an accompanying Iida nodding at the statement. They knew how much the boy wanted to go see his Kacchan.

With a quick smile, he replied. “Thanks guys. I won't take long, I promise! And thank you, Kirishima! Hope you all have fun!”

And just like that, the freckled teen waved goodbye to his friends as he made his way to the rooftop staircase. He was getting his answers, one way or another.

The moment Izuku stepped out onto the school's rooftop, he immediately regretted the fact that he didn't bring a jacket with him, for the chilly nights were starting to grow heavier this time of year.

His frozen skin would have to wait, however, since just as Kirishima told him, the boy could make out the lonely figure of his favorite person sitting by the edge of the roof with feet dangling below.

Approaching slowly, he spoke softly as to not interrupt the stillness of the night. “Kacchan?”

The blond's body jolted— sitting up straight with rigid shoulders as he clung to what appeared to be a scarf around his neck. Turning behind him, Katsuki's red ruby eyes pierced into Izuku's green ones as he scowled. “What the hell are you doing here, you shitty nerd?!”

Gulping down any lingering doubt, the freckled teen walked closer. “I wanted to talk to you-”

“FUCK OFF!” Katsuki roared as he threw an object in Izuku's direction, missing the boy completely. Upon closer inspection however, the grenette's eyes widened.

It was an empty can of beer.

Looking back at the blond, Izuku finally noticed the six pack that was sitting right next to him. His body quickly shifted gears as he felt himself flare up with anger. “Kacchan, are you drinking?! You're seventeen, you shouldn't be drinking this stuff yet!”

“Don't tell me how to live my life, you damn nerd! Now GET LOST!” Katsuki roared and proceeded to throw another can, which this time didn't even make it past a few feet away from him. Katsuki had a great arm to throw, but this wasn't a good example of that.

This worried Izuku even more. “Are you drunk right now?”

“You think I'm some lightweight prissy?! 'course I'm not!” Katsuki said that, but the slurring in his voice told Izuku otherwise.

“That's it, I'm taking you back to your room!” The grenette quickly closed the remaining gap between them as he tried to pick at the boy's torso to get him into a standing position. There were about two packets of six packs remaining, and all Izuku could do was wonder where he even got them from.

“LET ME GO, YOU NERD! YOU'RE NOT MY FUCKING BABYSITTER!” Katsuki began swatting at Izuku's attempts to pull him upwards, throwing what could only be described as a tantrum. The freckled teen was getting impatient, the accumulated stress of the cold shoulder treatment during the past weeks getting to him.

“Well, I might as well be with all the stupid stuff you're doing! If I sneak you from the back, the teachers won't see you and hopefully you won't get in trouble-” Izuku started mumbling, but was quickly interrupted by a cry.

“YOU DON'T HAVE TO BABYSIT ME ANYMORE, DAMMIT! JUST GO LIVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT ME!” The blond's screams turned into wails as he began pulling at the other teen's arm with little to no strength left, sobs escaping his lips occasionally.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” Izuku was beyond confused at the sudden change in his friend's demeanor, but noticed the seriousness of the situation and tried acting accordingly by standing still.

“I'm always holding you back… Making you pity me so that I can walk all over you in the end! Telling you to fucking jump off roofs and hope for the best in the next life— what kind of hero does that?! No hero does that! NO HUMAN BEING DOES THAT! ONLY ASSHOLES DO!” Tears began pouring down the blond's cheeks as he continued speaking aloud, refusing to look up from his position on the ground.

Izuku could only stare in silent disbelief at what he was hearing. The rooftop incident… Well, not just that, but everything else. The boy had forgiven his best friend for that a long time ago. Sure, they had never openly talked about it, but he'd assumed it remained as an unspoken understanding.

To know he was still clinging onto it was very heartbreaking to see. “Kacchan… You aren't like that anymore. It happened so long ago, it doesn't matter-”

“Of course it fucking matters, Deku! I destroyed your life! I made it a living hell! And I'm supposed to be graduating in a week to become a ‘true hero’ when I couldn't even apologize to the one person I hurt the most?! The one person I love the most?!” Katsuki finally dared to look up at his friend with teary eyes and streaked cheeks, this time reaching for the grenette's hands.

The more Katsuki said, the more Izuku started to understand.

Why he was being ignored, why he was being pushed away, and why it all began the moment Aizawa told them when they'd be graduating— his Kacchan was holding all of this in, and never allowed himself the chance to think that maybe Izuku had forgiven him.

But that wasn't all—

“L-Love?” The freckled teen mumbled the word to himself in disbelief. Katsuki… loved him? Him? There was just no way! Was there?

The blond's eyes widened, and he immediately turned his gaze downwards once more. “Shit! You weren't supposed to know! You were never supposed to know! If anyone deserves to jump off a fucking roof… it's me.”

As soon as he heard that statement, Izuku's blood ran cold and his body moved on its own as he engulfed the other boy in a hug, refusing to let go. “NO! KACCHAN, YOU CAN'T DO THAT! DON'T YOU DARE EVEN THINK THAT!”

Katsuki's body went rigid for a moment, not daring to make a move as if he'd break something if he did, but slowly went and returned the embrace as sobs began to hiccup past his lips. “I-I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Deku! I'm sorry for being a dickhead back then! And I'm sorry for falling in love with you when I don't deserve it!”

Izuku's own body began to shake as tears of his own began to flow, the emotions he held back for years starting to come out. “It's okay Kacchan… It's okay! I forgive you. You did some really bad things, but everyone deserves a second chance… And you've earned it!”

Pulling back slightly, the freckled teen pushed the blond's bangs out of his face as he began to place gentle light kisses against his forehead, mumbling sweet words of encouragement as he tried to get his beloved to calm down.

Despite enjoying the treatment he was getting, Katsuki quickly pulled away as soon as he came back to his senses— or at least as many senses he could have after drinking so much alcohol— and stared at Izuku with an incredulous expression. The grenette couldn't help but chuckle at the cute display.

“Why are you kissing me?” Katsuki's tone was the softest Izuku had ever heard, and it only melted his heart even more.

“Because I love you too, silly. I always have.” He smiled as he wiped the remaining tears from the corner of his Kacchan's eyes. He then proceeded to lean forward and kiss his eyelids, softly and gently so as to not break his precious one's heart any more than it already did that night.

The blond tried to wiggle his way out, mumbling grumpily. “B-But… How could you love someone like me? Someone who did awful things to you?”

“Easy. I see how much you've grown and changed over the last three years, and how hard you try to make amends. I see the way you treat those around you, and even though they might just see an angry guy, I see the real you. The Kacchan who's selfless, and strong and so very kind. My Kacchan.” By the time Izuku finishes his speech, the blond's eyes are filling with tears once more, which the freckled teen knows don't suit him at all.

“I-Is it okay? Is it really okay to love you? To tell you how much I want to make you happy and see your smile everyday?” Katsuki continues to mumble, so Izuku takes initiative for the first time in his life.

He takes the other's face gently between his hands, staring into those ruby eyes he's seen in his dreams many times before, and slowly leans in as his lips gently touch Katsuki's.

The kiss is short yet sweet. Filled with unspoken feelings, promises, and love. Izuku can feel the blond's tongue gently trace against his lips, and so he parts them to allow his loved one access. Their tongues have a slow dance before exploring each other's mouths and then going back to the courtship.

Katsuki let's out a sound that Izuku can only describe as a moan, and he has to hold himself back as he reminds himself that the blonde is drunk and most definitely not in the condition to do any of the sweet yet naughty things the grenette has been yearning to do with him for so long.

A few seconds go by, and that's when Izuku notices the sudden heavy weight of Katsuki's body against his. Pulling away from their kiss, the boy panics for a moment, only to realize.

Kacchan had fallen asleep.

The soft snores are more than enough to make it worth cutting their make-out session short. Izuku smiles and leans forward, kissing the other boy's temple one more time. “Goodnight, Kacchan. I hope you will still be mine in the morning…”

And with that, Izuku shifts Katsuki's body weight against his own and begins his perilous descent back into the dormitory.

After the events of that night, he merely placed the blond back in his bedroom and proceeded to head towards his own, sending a message to Uraraka that he wouldn't be able to make it.

Laying down in bed, the freckled boy smiled as he had nothing but beautiful dreams filled with the love of his life right by his side.

Partners in more ways than one.

The next day, Izuku just wants to stay in his bedroom forever and scream into a pillow until the floor decides he's worthy of being swallowed.

He can recall the events from the previous night in great detail, but he's pretty darn sure that Katsuki won't, which will definitely be an issue since now that his feelings are out in the open, he's not sure if he can contain them anymore.

Still, he realizes that he'll have to face his favorite blond eventually, so might as well do it sooner rather than later.

Either Katsuki remembers and threatens to kill Izuku if he even dares to mention anything, or he doesn't remember and Izuku has to live with the fact that the other loves him back, but just won't admit it.

No matter the outcome, he'd lose.

Still, he had to press on.

Once he changed into his uniform, he headed to the dinning room where mostly everyone was already gathered and having breakfast, sounds of groaning and complaining from pulling an all-nighter here and there.

As Izuku heads for a table after serving himself a bowl of cereal, he stops dead in his tracks as he sees Katsuki walking into the room. Trying to avoid eye contact, the grenette attempts to power walk past him.

“Deku.”

Katsuki's voice freezes him, and he begins to prepare for his funeral as he gulps and turns towards the blond with the largest smile he can muster. “Yes, K-Kach-”

He isn't allowed to finish, as the explosive teen holds onto the other boy's head and pulls him in for a kiss. It's not gentle like last night's, but rather rougher and sloppier. But the message behind it was crystal clear: ‘You're mine and I'm yours.’.

Once he pulls away, Izuku stares wide-eyed at the red plump lips he now loved so much— just like everyone else in the room, who had immediately stopped eating to witness the scene before them.

Licking his lips, the blond turns sideways as a small blush spreads across his neck. “Good morning, nerd.”

As Izuku spaces out, he can only faintly distinguish Uraraka's ‘you owe me $20’ followed by a groan that seems to come from Iida, along with all the cheers and pictures being taken by his classmates.

And in that moment, everything is truly right in the world. Everything is perfect, and Izuku wouldn't have it any other way. And as such, he smiles at the person he plans to spend the rest of his life reminding that he's worthy of love.

The person he will love until the day he dies.

What could be more perfect than that?

“Good morning, Kacchan!”

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[serendipnpipity]

Greeeen thank you so much for sharing your story, I loved reading it. I’m smiling so much right now actually, that you took the time to write this much about it. Posting art IS scary!! But it’s like ripping off a bandaid that first time, I promise it gets easier if you ever feel like making more.

Warning, I’m gonna waffle on a little bit in response, but I’ll put it under the cut if you want it. 💚

This part. This part that you wrote really stuck out to me:

“the realization that you can just live with a fellow nerd who loves you and you don’t have to follow the path the adult world expects from you. seeing them act silly and embrace everything they love and be so carefree and happy to be themselves, sharing a domestic life that doesn’t follow what heteronormative society demands… i know this is all obvious to so many people, but i really needed it at the time.”

I’m gonna hazard a guess and say that a lot of us feel the same way, but from my own experience personally (especially now seeing my friends get into relationships and grappling with facing the reality of what the heck do I want?) their ease and joy makes it easier for me to believe that I’ll be okay. No matter what.

I love your bit about being parasocially protective of Dan, especially at first; he’s been through so much and it’s incredible to see him smiling and glowing in the gaming videos and things we see him do now. It makes my heart happy. (Also yeah, Dan is hot. Say it. You’re right; he carries it well.) (This feels almost illegal to say bc I grew up watching the guy, but it is true!!)

And your thing about Phil!!! Gosh, the caliber of comfort that guy is able to resonate through what he makes and the way he talks. I’m glad he was able to be there for you at Christmas (“patch of sunshine” = accurate).

*personal ramble incoming*

I relate to Phil quite a lot. I’ve been painfully aware of that fact since I was fourteen (lol), and so even though a lot of his stuff is more casual and less serious-topicky than Dan’s, his anecdotes and perspectives resonate with me big time. In terms of queer journeys, mine is more like Phil’s, and I found a lot of comfort in that, like… even though my experience has not been That Bad, having it paralleled by someone who seems so genuinely happy still gives me more hope and happiness in times that the internalized homophobia (biphobia? in my case. or formless-blobphobia…) does strike. But even beyond that, especially beyond that… I remember hearing him talk about feeling social anxiety (when I was younger and struggling a lot) or getting over the fear to take risks (more recently, that “party in New York” thing from 20 Things I Wish I Knew Age 20) and those would be reminders that made me feel stronger in everything I do, that made me unafraid to be who I am without fearing what others would think. And then in that Slumber Party DAPG vid when he talks about being perceived as shy but tbh he’s not, he’s just introverted, that smacked me in the face bc now I realize that’s me!!!! That’s so me!!!! And it’s so silly, but it was like looking in a mirror, like you said watching Dan did for you, and it helped me finally let go of that Ser-is-shy rhetoric in the back of my mind from high school and embrace who I am now. So yeah, Phil’s amazing. I hope he knows.

*okay ramble done, thank you for listening*

And with all of that, it’s exactly like you said!! Our current place in life influences how we see them. I can confidently agree with that, seeing how they’ve shaped me and been there as constants for the past six years and counting. Thank you, thank you, thank you again for your story! If you read mine, I hope it could bring you even close to a similar amount of 🥰 as yours did for me.

-Ser 🧡

Hi, Green!!! I noticed in your bio you said you're a post-hiatus phannie and I'm curious, what got you to start watching them? Do you remember your first impressions?

(Sorry if this has been asked before! I hope you're having a wonderful day and also just wanted to add I lovedddd your phasquerade art, it's hilarious and adorable 💚)

-Ser :)

hi ser!! this is actually my first ask on this blog, so i was really excited to see something in my inbox 🥹 and thank you!! posting art is SCARY but everyone is being so nice… thank you so much for organizing the phasquerade!!!

i am incredibly sorry for the Length of what is to come now. my feelings aren’t easy to sum up + i doth yap

the main reason i started watching them is probably the dapg revival itself, since my friends started watching their new videos together in our server, and i got curious and asked to tag along. before then though i’d also heard of dnp from them, and as a long-time (12 years) tumblr user i have felt their influence without realizing they were the source? i now know where the whiskers and “protip” come from…

before starting to watch dnp myself i remember seeing my friends react to the phouse reveal (i remember i was like “huh wait at their age that might actually be gay”), basically i’m gay, why i quit youtube, and dan and phil tell the truth (i didn’t know what a girl in prague was and i WAS afraid to ask). those made me curious! but not curious enough to sit through the videos themselves. i felt really bad for dan from all that though! he really sounded like he suffered more than jesus from the contents of both BIG and WIQYT 😭 i remember feeling parasocially protective of him. this is all to say my impressions weren’t COMPLETELY fresh when i started watching and especially for dan i already had one

now back to late 2023! i’d made some really massive changes in my life, like actual leap of faith, the course of my life has been altered kinda massive, so youtube become a comfort space for me. enter these two nerds! the first impression i had of both of them together kind of related to where i was in life at the moment: the realization that you can just live with a fellow nerd who loves you and you don’t have to follow the path the adult world expects from you. seeing them act silly and embrace everything they love and be so carefree and happy to be themselves, sharing a domestic life that doesn’t follow what heteronormative society demands… i know this is all obvious to so many people, but i really needed it at the time.

they became a reminder that i could have this life, that i have something to look forward to and my life isn’t over or doomed to be what society wants it yo be. their chemistry is something very pure and very real and especially now that they’re both open about their sexualities you can really feel how connected they are and how much fun they have together. it just makes me so happy to see two people adore each other so much after all these years!! god!!!

as i’ve said before i knew about dan from his yearly videos in the hiatus era, but i knew almost nothing about phil! the first thing that stood out to me was his accent, since i am very bad at recognizing accents BUT i watch plumbella so i was like whoa is he northern!! and that was kind of an instant comfort factor.

phil is an underrated comfort video genius like seriously... i was facing the horrors of being stuck at home for christmas with a thousand thoughts on my mind and his silly videos were like a nice patch of sunshine. i absolutely agree with dan on phil’s kind energy; he is like those nice people who come talk to you and actually try to make you laugh and feel more at ease if they notice you’re feeling shy. he kept me a LOT of company and i genuinely owe him for that. i can also tell he’s incredibly smart and creative even though his videos now are more casual; he definitely does a lot behind the scenes and he’s an excellent storyteller. i’ve later come to learn that he has also repressed a lot of things for the sake of his audience and probably dan as well, he really has a good heart. also, he resonates a lot with the autistic experience, and regardless of the reason that does make me feel happy and seen

as for dan. well! once i actually started watching his videos firsthand, dan felt like looking at a mirror, which has Impacted Me psychologically. a lot. BUT let’s get the silly stuff out of the way first i immediately understood why my friend has a crush on him 😭😭😭 like i get it!!! i can never bully them for having a crush again because i fucking get it he’s hot he knows it he carries it well! fuck!

but more than that… he immediately made me reflect on myself. i can’t get into my impressions on dan from dapg without saying first that i have had a similar journey with depression and homophobia and repressing everything and he forced me to face that i still have a lot of work to do. i didn’t realize that just knowing i’m queer and acting on it doesn’t automatically mean that i accept myself being queer. that is something that only BIG and hearing dan talk about queerness and mental health made me realize. so right after the omg funny hot nun, i had to kind of reconsider my whole life for a bit… and i’m still in the process of doing that…

more than anything, i think what i’ve felt and keep feeling watching both his older and newer videos is “god i’m so glad he’s out” and “god i’m so glad he can make art”. i just feel so proud of him, so happy he can experience life as himself, so happy that he can laugh and joke about being gay so freely, so happy he can make the art he wants and feel accepted, and so happy that he can proudly smile at his audience now, after i first heard of him as someone who was isolated and scared. again, i projected on him a lot, and i knew about his struggles beforehand, so my impressions are mostly sentimental 😭

all in all they’ve helped me immensely and made my life so much better, both as themselves with their comment and through the community they created over the years. i’ve been a lurker for the past couple of months and what made me come forward and make my own blog is the way their kindness and acceptance extends to their audience and vice versa :)

hopefully that answers your questions and i hope this wasn’t too much oversharing!! i feel like my current place in life influences how i see them and relate to them, and they also influenced me a lot and that contributes to how i perceive them, and so on. putting all these thoughts into words in one place and realizing things about myself bit by bit was really interesting; hopefully the formatting won’t kill those who try to read it. i’m sorry. i wrote this in my notes app 🫡

[natsbaby]

Stars and Rumors

Pairing: High School!Natasha Romanoff x High School!Stark!Reader

Summary: homecoming is coming up and everyone’s starting to ask other people out. Rumor has it that a certain Bucky Barnes has intentions of asking you and Nat isn’t okay with that

Warnings: just unedited ☠️

A/N: I have so many stories drafted and I can’t believe I manage to squeeze one in with my busy schedule HAHA I hope you guys like this one!

A/N 2: I added a song into the story so if you read this and didn’t read about a specific song, read it again because I added it! <3 but if this is your first time reading this and you see this then go ahead and read, i hope you like it! <3

“Come on Nat. It’s only two more weeks till homecoming, someone might ask Y/N already” Wanda whines at Nat, leaning onto the locker besides her as she puts her stuff inside. Nat then rolls her eyes at her fellow redhead and best friend, stopping midway of putting her book in to sigh then continues putting her books in.

“I’m sure she won’t accept the invite anyway, she’d rather stay at home play video games or watch movies” she reasons out as she puts the last book, closing her locker and faces the pouting Wanda.

“I know but it’s our last year, you might as well ask her out. Who knows? She might consider if you ask”

“Are you sure we’re talking about the same person who ditched prom last year at the last minute because of a surprise video game release on the same day” she challenges her with a raised eyebrow and a slight teasing tone, making the shorter girl laugh at the memory.

“Gosh we didn’t even hear from her for a month because of that game” Wanda smiles at the memory, making Nat smile softly as well. “You should at least try, I’ve heard that one of the guys is planning to ask her out too”

Nat’s eyes widen slightly at the revelation, wondering who’d ask you out.

Ever since Tony introduced you to the group back in your freshmen year of High School, you’ve been hanging out with everyone ever since. Since the group consists of the most diverse niches of people such as the jocks (Nat, Carol, Steve and Bucky) and the Nerds (You, Wanda, Tony, Clint and Thor), you and Nat aren’t that very close but it didn’t stop her from having a deep crush on you. You can’t blame Nat though, she thought you were the most intelligent but dense person she has ever met and intrigued doesn’t even begin to describe how she felt about you at first.

Now in your senior year and with homecoming coming up, Tony and Thor had made it their mission to make sure you’d experience more things this year such as football games where Steve and Bucky are part of, softball games where Nat and Carol are part of, and now homecoming.

Nat sighs softly as she rests her hand down at her palm making Wanda chuckle slightly at the stressed redhead. “Come on Nat, she’ll say yes I promise”

Before Nat could say anything else, both of them hears music playing down the hall. They both look at the source to see another homecoming proposal happening between a guy from the football team and a cheerleader.

“See Nat, even he has bigger balls than yo- OW!” Wanda squeals out a little as Nat punches her on the arm. “I’m serious!”

“I’ll think about it okay?”

You walk to the cafeteria with Tony as he talks about his current project which is AI Glasses. You chuckle slightly as Tony shows you his 15th prototype that is now broken, opening the cafeteria door with your back while walking backwards. You turn to look where you’re going to see homecoming proposals happening left and right.

“Has someone asked you to hoco yet?” Tony asks as he puts his prototype in his bag. You shake your head no as you grab a tray, grabbing another as you give it to Tony.

“Considering not going if no one asks honestly” you say as you grab 2 plates and handing one to Tony. He looks at you with a raised eyebrow as he takes the plate from you and putting some food on it.

“You already ditched prom last year, you’re gonna ditch hoco this year too?” He picks up a sketchy looking piece of chicken, grimacing slightly at the floppiness of it making you laugh.

“Yea, doesn’t sound bad you know and it’s not like I’m gonna miss anything”

“The fun happens during these school events you know”

You sigh as you look at the rest of the food then look back at Tony. “Lets go out and get something better than.. whatever that chicken is?”

Tony smirks at your suggestion, grabbing your trays and putting it away. “Let’s invite the others, we can take my car and maybe Nat”

You grin and nod at his suggestion as he sends a blast text to everyone to meet at the parking lot. In your school, you’re allowed to leave campus for lunch breaks as long as you come back after so from time to time, you would leave campus with Tony and sometimes Carol and Nat. You head to the parking lot to see everyone’s already there with Nat, Carol and Wanda talking at the bed of Nat’s pick up and the boys rough housing by Tony’s car that’s parked besides Nat’s.

“Hey! Don’t scratch the car or you pay!” Tony calls out and groans as Clint curses while looking over at the car.

“No scratches!” Clint grins at Tony as you chuckle at their tactics. “So, where should we go?”

“We can go to the new shawarma place that opened at 37th street” Tony suggests while looking through his phone for options.

“Or we can go at my friend’s resto-bar at 35th and get a free meal” Bucky suggests as he flashes his credit card as the boys cheers while you raise your eyebrow.

“Come on Y/N/N, it’s a free meal from Buck it’ll be fun” Steve smiles at you as he pats your back gently.

“Come on Doll, you can get whatever you want” Bucky flashes his charming smile at you making you blush slightly while Nat glares at Bucky slightly.

“Then that settles it! Boys ride with me and girls ride with Nat!” Tony declares as everyone get into the respective cars. As you enter the passengers side of Nat’s car, Carol stops Nat from getting down the bed of the truck.

“I’ve heard Bucky’s gonna ask Y/N out at the restaurant” she starts as Nat looks at her with wide eyes. “I saw him putting his proposal banner at the back of his car and the boys are in on it”

“I’ve heard too, you better ask her out already” Wanda urges Nat as she thinks of her options.

She could ask you to at the resto-bar also but she’s not ready to give you a well thought out homecoming proposal. On the other hand, she could also be an ass to Bucky and ruin his proposal but she loves him as a friend so she wouldn’t do that too. Nat groans as she rubs her face in frustration.

“I’ll figure something out on the way. Come on, Y/N might wonder whats up”

Everyone enters the resto-bar and looks around in awe at the military style design with flags of all the countries around and memorabilia that would represent the different sectors. You sit down in between Tony and Nat with everyone else in a circle at the booth.

“Wow Buck this is insane” Steve states in awe as he looks at the little jukebox at the center.

“Right? If you put a quarter in and pick a song, it’ll cue and eventually play at the restaurant’s sound system” he explains with a smile as a waiter comes with menus.

“Come on Nat, you gotta do it” Carol whispers to Nat who’s sitting by her right side. Nat rolls her eyes slightly as she looks at the menu.

“I have something in mind” she replies softly for only Carol to hear.

“Wanna split on the pasta?” You look over at Nat with a smile. Nat’s heart skips a beat for a moment, nodding in response. “Sure, you pick”

After ordering, everyone starts to fall into a conversation about homecoming.

“Does everyone already have dates?” Clint whines as a good majority of the group nods their heads in response.

“Not yet birdbrain” Bucky chuckles slightly as he leans forward to rest his arms onto the table. “I still don’t have one and I believe Ms. Y/N/N doesn’t have one either”

“Only because no one has asked me yet” you chuckle as you fiddle with the napkin on the table. “I’m waiting for someone to ask then I’ll go when they do”

Bucky smirks slightly at your response. He looks out at the window behind you and motions for you to look at he stands up. Everyone looks to see some guys from the football team holding up a “HOCO WITH ME?” sign decorated in a football and video games design and some balloons. He goes up to you with a smile.

“Come to Homecoming with me and let’s have some fun doll”

You gasp softly at his question, taking a look around to see the boys grinning widely with their phones pointed at you and the girls shaking a very shocked Nat wildly. You look back at Bucky as he cocks his head to side slightly in confusion as you haven’t said anything or even stood up.

You stand up and hold Bucky’s hands with a sad smile. “I don’t know Buck..”

“It’ll be fun Y/N” he smiles encouraging as he brings your hand up to his mouth to give the back of your hand softly.

“Did my brother tell you to ask me?” You cock your head to the side slightly and notice Bucky’s eyes look at Tony for a brief second before looking back at you. You sigh as you let go, crossing you arms.

“I don’t want to be asked out because my brother told you to, I want to be asked because you genuinely want to” you start and give Bucky a soft pat on the cheek. “Next time, alright?”

“Nat this is your chance” Wanda whisper yells at Nat as she hits her arm. Nat snaps out of her trance as she frantically looks for a penny from her pockets, and she leans over the table to put a quarter in and find a song. Once she finds Yellow by Coldplay, she selects the song and it starts to play at the sound system.

Nat takes a deep breath as she walks up to you, gently tapping your shoulder. You turn around to see the shy redhead with a questioning look. Before you could say anything, Nat raises her hand for you to stop and gives you a shy smile.

“Me first before I chicken out, yea?” You nod at her suggestion as you give her your full attention while the boys watches the scene in front of them.

“I know we’re not really close but I really want to change it. Do you remember when Tony was sick a year ago and asked me to pick you up from a date but when I got there, you were really sad because you were stood up?” You flush in embarrassment at the memory as you nod in confirmation. Nat takes a step forward, allowing you to smell her vanilla and lavender perfume that makes you unconsciously smile.

“I remember taking you to the field so we could watch the stars and you told me that it was absolutely terrible” you both chuckle at the memory and allow Nat to continue.

“Do you remember what I told you that night?” You think about it for a moment and meet Nat’s eyes once you do to see her piercing green eyes already looking at you.

“Let’s do this again soon and to text you if I need an excuse out of a horrible date” you repeat with a fond look on your face. Nat smiles fondly as you remember. You finally notice the music playing the background, tilting your head in curiosity as you smile at Nat.

“Isn’t this the song that was playing at your truck that night?” Nat gives you a nod and a shy smile as Chris Martin sings the ending.

“Wanna see the stars again with me at homecoming? I want to see the stars shining for you one more time”

A/N 3: I wanted to add Yellow by Coldplay because I felt like it was a nice touch since I noticed that initially, I didn’t add a song so why not!! I hope this made the story a bit better because I feel like I prefer this a bit more <3