#how do I say this I dunno

[egophiliac]

still ruminating over Lost In the Book With Spooky Skeletons Part 1, so here's a selection of some of my favorite little bits! (...some more loosely paraphrased than others) (I just feel like Idia has no room to criticize in general, okay)

anyway, I'm sure we're just going to have a fun time celebrating Halloween and nothing bad is going to happen whatsoever! :)

[heavyheavycream]

05 tea party

[yellowocaballero]

Miguel is Fine, Actually (Being Spider-Man's Just Toxic As Hell)

Before I watched ATSV I said that I would defend my man Miguel O'Hara's actions no matter what, because he's always valid and I support women's wrongs. I was joking, and I did not actually expect to start defending him on Tumblr.edu. But I'm seeing a lot of commentary that's super reductive, so I do want to bring up another perspective on his character.

Miguel wasn't acting against the spirit of Spider-Man, or what being Spider-Man means. Miguel isn't meant to represent the antithesis of Spider-Man. Miles is the antithesis of Spider-Man. Miguel represents Spider-Man taken to its extreme.

Think about Miguel's actions from his perspective. If you were a hero who genuinely, legitimately, 100%, no doubt about it, believed that somebody is going to make a selfish decision that will destroy an entire universe and put the entire multiverse at severe risk - if you had an over-burdened sense of responsibility and believed in doing the right thing no matter what - you would also chase down the kid and put him in baby jail to try and prevent it. He believed that he was saving the multiverse, and that Miles was putting it in danger for selfish reasons. Which is completely unforgivable to him, because selfishness is what he hates the most. And then he goes completely out of pocket and starts beefing with a 15yo lmfaooo he's such a dick.

But why did Miguel believe that? Why did he believe that Miles choosing himself and his own happiness over the well-being of others was the worst possible thing? Why did he believe that tragedy was inevitable in their lives, and that without tragedy Spider-Man can't exist?

Because he's Spider-Man.

Peter Parker was once a fifteen year old who chose his own happiness over protecting others. It was the greatest regret of his life and he never forgave himself. Peter's ethos means that he will put himself last every time, and that he will sacrifice anything and everything in his life - his relationships, his health, his future - to protecting and helping others. Peter dropped out of college because it interfered with Spider-Man. He destroyed his own future for Spider-Man. He ruins friendships and romantic relationships because Spider-Man was more important. If Peter ever tries to protect himself and his own happiness, then he's a bad person.

That is intrinsic to Peter. Peter would not be Peter without it. A story that is not defined by Peter's unhappiness is not a Spider-Man story. If Peter doesn't make himself miserable, then he's just not Peter.

That is a Spider-Man story: that not only is tragedy inevitable, that if you don't allow yourself to be defined by your tragedy then you're a bad person. If you don't suffer, then you're a bad person. If you ever put anything above Spider-Man, then you're killing Uncle Ben all over again. Miguel isn't the only one that believes this - as we saw, every Spider-Man buys into what he's saying. There's no Spider-Man without these beliefs.

Miguel attempted to find his own happiness, and he was punished in the most extreme way. He got Uncle Ben'd x10000. He tried to be happy, and it literally destroyed his entire universe. It's the Spider-narrative taken to the extreme. Of course Miguel believes all of this. Of course he believes this so firmly. He's Spider-Man. That's his story. And the one time Miguel tried to fight against that story, he was punished. And like any Spider-Man, he'll slavishly obey that narrative no matter the evil it creates and perpetuates. Because if he doesn't, the narrative will punish him. The narrative will always punish him. It's a Spider-Man story.

I don't think the universal constant between Spider-Mans, the thing that makes them Spider-Man, is tragedy. I think it's the fact that they never forgive themselves. And Miguel is what that viewpoint creates. He doesn't believe this things because he's an awful, mean person. He believes them because he's a hero. He's a good person who hates himself.

Across the Spider-verse isn't really a Spider-Man story. It's a story about Spider-Man stories. Miguel's right: if this was a Spider-Man story, then Miles acting selfishly really would destroy the universe. But Miles' story isn't interested in punishing him. It pushes back against Peter's narrative that unhappiness is inevitable and that you have to suffer to be a good person. It says that sometimes we do the right thing from love and not fear, and that Peter's way of thinking is ultimately super toxic and unhappy. ITSV was about Miles deciding that he didn't need to be Peter Parker, that all he needed to be was Miles, and ATSV is about how being Peter Parker isn't such a good thing. Miguel shows that. Whatever toxic and unhealthy beliefs he holds - they're the exact same beliefs that any Spider-Man holds. He's a dick, but I don't think he's any more awful a person than Peter is.

TL;DR: Miguel isn't a bad person, he just has Spider-Man brainrot.

[m1d-45]

the eye of the beholder

summary: shields were a vital part of any combat. you knew, of course, that your lover was capable of summoning one with his vision, but you’ve never been on the receiving end of it…

word count: 1.5k

-> warnings: nope :] petname "my dear" is used towards reader once

-> gn reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @arienic || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr || @ryuryuryuyurboat || @undrxtxd || @rainswept || @wanderersqt || @rozz-eokkk

< masterlist >

liyue was well guarded. millelith studded the streets of the harbor like jewels across rings, well averting most thieves or would be criminals. it was hard not to feel safe when walking along any street, with the rare exception of some of the further-out docks. even then, you’ve never really had reason to worry; in part, of course, due to the company you kept close.

zhongli was… eccentric, to put it kindly. he dressed in thick, heavy suits even through the most unbearable summers, he bought any manner of strange stones or old strains of tea just to take pride in spending fatui money (how he got away with this, you didn’t know), and he made a habit of seeking out every historian in the harbor just to prod at them with his knowledge of history. he gave no clear reason for any of these things, chalking it up to “personal preference,” “it’s not like they’d miss the money,” and “simply seeking knowledge” respectively.

you knew this, and you loved him for it. every time you went to his house, he had some new trinket or teacup lining his shelves. he was a collector, mainly of amusement and knowledge, and often brought you along on his adventures. he brought you everywhere: to the higher end of feiyun slope, where just a single stone cost more than your house, to the deep edges of the lower harbor, the air thick with humidity as he pointed out the various streaks of wear on the cliffsides. to dunyu ruins, because he heard a rumor not of ancient treasure or unimaginable glory, but of a geoculus.

geoculi were as common as the birds in the sky, with very few adventurers having the time or skill to move them. deceptively heavy, rooted in place by binds of geo energy, and those that did manage to haul them to a statue of the seven were rewarded with barely a glimmer in the wind. despite their legends, oculi were common across every nation, and were only about as interesting as a strange bird to most of the public.

naturally, your partner had reportedly been trying to acquire one for months now. why? for fun, it seemed. and so you set out beside him, past bubu pharmacy and out into the plains.

aside from settlements, liyue was mostly wild land. tianqiu valley was overrun with treasure hoarders, cuijue slope covered in geo elementals and ruin machines. and yet, despite going out on similar trips with zhongli several dozen times before, the worst injury you’ve had is a minor scrape from tripping over a tree root when he wasn’t looking. he was quick with his spear and fine with his words, not to mention that most of the various gangs and thieves knew his name well by now. if you didn’t know better, he’d almost look like an easy mark: a well-dressed man with a slow tone and silk gloves, like he wasn’t in the think of jueyun karste searching for ore.

they learned quick. you’ve fully seen a fatui member stop and walk the other way mid-patrol when he walked by, which while strange was perfectly fine by you. no conflict, no need for worry, just him and whatever sight he felt like showing you that day.

today, you approached a wide, open basin set into the earth. one half was covered in ruined stone and overgrown vegetation, only broken by pins of red torchlight. within, two massive statues guarded the entrance to yet more ruined buildings, the half-crumbled body of another laying not too far away. in the center of it all was a pool of water with a stone pedestal in the center, holding a rusted chest. far above that, however, was your beloved’s target: a shimmering geoculus, spinning lazily in the air.

how were you going to get it? no idea. how were you going to get down there in the first place? not a clue. what was the pale dome around it and the pond? you had to stop asking questions you didn’t have the answer to.

zhongli hummed, satisfied, his shoulders shifting back a bit in pride. he took your hand in his, leading you closer with a whisper to “watch your step, my dear.”

he found a path like it had personally called his name, the one corner of the sheer stone that had walkable ground. tucked between the cliff face and a wall of the ruin, he went down first, leading you down after, never letting you fall. he never once slipped, as if his boots had spikes that drilled into the earth and weren’t high end dress shoes. the perks of a geo vision, you supposed…

the path was steep and your hands were admittedly unsteady by the end of it, but before you knew it you were standing on solid ground. his arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you toward him, a soft kiss pressed to your cheek as a quiet reward for your tenacity.

the geoculus was hidden within a strange dome of anemo, three oddly-carved pillars spaced around it. near one of them was a floating wisp over a mossy stone, which flew to the pillar with the sound of faint bells when touched.

“an unfinished seelie court,” zhongli mused, looking around the basin. one half was overgrown with vines hanging down from the upper level, and the other was blocked by a gate with some sort of puzzle waiting to be solved.

naturally, he turned to the mess of vines, holding out his hand for you again.

“stay close. we don’t know what might be inside.”

you do, following as he cut down the foliage, listening over the sound of your breath for the seelie’s chimes. the walls were covered in greenery, but where they parted were intricate geometric patterns, sharp spirals cut into the stone. the air was cool, the stone quiet, moss cushioning your steps. if you were being honest, you thought zhongli was being a bit overcautious; but liyuen ruins were more challenging on the mind than the body. you were more likely to find a seelie than an arrow in your shoulder… though you’d be lying if it wasn’t endearing every time. who wouldn’t feel special, with such a pretty man so concerned for their safety?

you didn’t think much of your surroundings when the room opened up, still searching for the seelie that seemed to be nowhere. but you heard no bells, no chimes, just your shoes on the floor and the clank of heavy gears from high above.

fine. so maybe he had a point about danger this time. broken clocks and all that.

your eyes tracked the sound to the ceiling, not minding the arm the stretched in front of you. whatever was moving, it sounded heavy, old, rusted metal falling through the gaps in the stone beams. the heap pushed itself up only unsteady feet, studded with gears in indecipherable script. it was easily twice as tall as you were, if not taller, and you suddenly understood every precaution he’d given you about the dangers faced in the plains.

your fear didn’t get the chance to set. the floor glowed as geo condensed, the sharp snap of zhongli’s arms pulling a stele from the earth, directly between you and the machine. in an instant, pure geo energy coalesced around you, a paper-thin layer of shining gold that you felt more than saw.

you were not one for combat. you were not a vision wielder, not an adventurer, not a pirate or guard or anything of the sort. you had never once been with zhongli in a fight, and though you were grateful for that…

time had slowed to nothing. all you could see was the gentle shield wrapped around you, an almost physical pressure that settled into your mind like water soaking into sand. assuredness, confidence, security kept tight around you as the shield shined. you felt safe, a bone-deep sanctuary that made it a little hard to breathe, if only from surprise.

it made sense, somewhat, that shields would protect the mind as well as the body. you lifted a hand, pressing it against the delicate film, resonance buzzing where you touched.

the earth shook beneath your feet, pulling you from your thoughts. just as you moved to step out from behind the stele, zhongli returned, eyes scanning over you for harm before sweeping you close to his chest. he held you tight, warm and protective and between him and the shield you felt as if you could cry. indemnity flowed in your veins, the world falling away, the weighted air keeping you grounded.

“let’s go home, darling.”

you blinked, pulling yourself out of the deep warmth of the jade shield. “what about your oculus?”

“i can fetch it another time.” he pulled away just enough to kiss your temple, keeping his arm around your waist as he led you out of the ruins. “your safety matters more to me than any gem.”

the shield didn’t last you saw the sun, but the sense of shelter long persisted.

[dalvs-wife]

drinkin night with the fellas!

[do not tag as ship]

[cowardlykrow]

"That is where you are wrong, my boy!"

@ratb4stard3 and I deliver another Cowardlyghostbro's(™) collab ✨💛

[failyaoi]

Raiko ... Reiden .... yea we gotta think of a better shipname

honorary doodle from January that started this all:

[uncanny-tranny]

"The only person who can save you is yourself, don't rely on anybody else!"

Actually, what has saved me is books and my favourite video game and my cats and my friends who I've shared late nights and too-early mornings with and the dew-covered grass I walked on on the way to a competition bus in ninth grade band and the sunburn that kept me out of school for days the month prior.

I understand the viewpoint of how you are ultimately the person who can save you, but don't discount that you aren't an island. You aren't meant to be your sole savior. Let others save you, too. You are worth the care and love the universe has for you.

[viveela]

So how about them redesigns going around? I wanna try doing some... here's how I'd change up Charlie

[moongothic]

Madoka is the promise you won't turn from a child, full of hopes and dreams and the wish to save the world, into a bitter adult who just wants to hurt others and ruin people's lives

Madoka promised to be there for you to remind you of the person you wanted to be and to stop you from becoming what you sought to destroy

Madoka made that promise and became the very embodiment of it

[spideypoolsupremacy]

(Asking as someone who can't stop cringing at my attempts of smut and will probably never write it)

Also kissing doesn't count as smut. You can argue about it BUT IT'S NOT

Also ALSO I know the answer might depend on the fandom u are reading so let's just answer in general alrighty

Reblog for larger sample size blah blah blah (but like really plz)

[egophiliac]

Serious question.

Do you think we’ll see the parents/family of each of the guys???

Like, We’ve been TEASED with Ace’s brother, that I’m starting to think it’s just a reference to that Alice in Wonderland park character in Japan and nothing else….

Jack’s family, Ruggie’s grandma, Falena, Maleficia, Ms.Rosehearts, Just now Vil’s dad is in the picture which I am really happy but now I’m wondering about his mom, and so Deuce’s mom.

I mean, some HAVE a silhouette!! It could mean they do have a design in the making/ready to show. They could’ve shown us Falena in the Tamashina (hope I said that correctly) event, but didn’t (prolly to make Leona not so σ(▼□▼メ) and it’s understandable)

Anyhow, any idea/headcannon about this? Who do you want to see first?

I'm wondering if everyone might eventually get a travel event? like they've now introduced with Vil's that it doesn't have to be specifically hometowns, so that opens things up a lot! (especially if they have to figure out how to do three separate Coral Sea visits) (how would that even work otherwise)

but yeah, I hope everyone gets a chance! there's a lot of backstory characters I would LOVE to meet. :D :D :D though I do think some of them don't really suit the more light-hearted tone of the events (pretty sure you're right about that being why Falena wasn't in Tamashina-Mina, that would've just been. too much for Leona.) so like...we're probably not ever going to meet the Rosehearts. or Maleficia (although I maintain that this would be THE funniest possible way to introduce her outside of the main story, and actually I would love this a lot, can we please Twst) (I need to see her to put Malleus in a froofy little outfit and tell him what a handsome boy he is). but they've sprung surprises like Kifaji on us, and honestly anyone who shows up and tells embarrassing stories about characters' childhoods is good in my book!

characters off the top of my head who I most want to meet: literally any of the Zigvolts, Azul's mom, Ace's brother, Che'nya's grandfather (<- I think he would be a good one for Riddle) (please just any non-terrible adult in his life), any member of Rook's family because I need to see how they managed to produce him, and...really just whoever they can come up with for Silver.

[royalarchivist]

Jaiden: Cucurucho, you have a lot of power, right?

Cucurucho: ...I don't know. Maybe.

Roier: Ah... Yes, you know, don't act like a dumbass, you have it. You have it, man. Eh?

Jaiden: Is there a way for us to protect all the Eggs? Do you know? I don't want anything to happen to the Eggs that happened to Bobby.

Cucurucho: Ha ha ha

Roier: WHAT? [Smacks Cucurucho]

Jaiden: [Bops him] Headpats.

Cucurucho: Maybe.

Jaiden: [Continues to bop him] Headpats. C'mon, I can get it out of you! Headpats! Chin scratches! Belly rubs!

Roier: [Joins Jaiden in bopping Cucurucho, chuckling and laughs]

Jaiden: Yeah? He's comin' around!

[Jaiden and Roier both laugh]

[dustykneed]

In your fem!trek, do Jim's boobs still get cameos every other episode? If not, is there an alternative?

hmmmmm.

honestly i have no qualms against going yeah, totally (because, well. 23rd century, after all.) but then again variety is the spice of life and there is just something about underboob and a glimpse of that abdomen that hits SO hard. so i guess f!kirk utilizes this particular... diplomatic strategy constantly loll

also i saw the note you left about f!scotty (saaaame lmao <3333) and let's just say most of the enterprise crew shares the sentiment xDD:

[cementcornfield]

[Zac] was just trying to tell me to be happy with the win, and I appreciate that about him. Because I can get lost in, just like everybody can, you get lost in the adversity of the season. You can't take winning for granted and I've tried to get better at that.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

What can I say? They're my favorite.