#however i also love will using the i'm gay too as a power move he Would

[parkitaco]

hello fellow jealous Will enthusiast: so imagine that Will has an “I’m gay too” moment with Mike’s bf just so that the bf feels more threatened OR mikes bf clocks Will as gay before Will even SAYS anything and figures out how Will feels pretty quickly and it’s a whole mess 👀👀👀

hello fellow jealous will enthusiast i see your vision and raise you: mike's bf finds out will is gay bc mike simply cannot shut up abt will at any given moment

[ultraviolet-cello]

Gooooood morning Trigun fandom, I'm up bright and early, ready to sink my teeth into today's analysis/detailed watchthrough episode - 11. To A New World.

I can't believe we're almost done with @tristampparty. These 12 days have been a blast and I'm very glad that I got to chat abt them!! I've been in a bout of artblock recently too, so I'm glad that I can just ramble instead!

Spoilers for Trigun Stampede and Trigun Maximum, and CWs for. okay this one is a Lot, but discussion of violation of bodily autonomy, sexual assault and trauma, pregnancy, transphobia, harm coming to children, Millions Knives in general, Vash's passive suicidal tendencies. If I think of any more I'll pop them up here but this episode is a heavy one!

If you wanna skip those first few CWs (Totally understandable <3), you can skip the paragraphs labelled with a [CW] at the front.

[CW] Okay so we're gonna tail off the end of Episode 10 for a second, but uh. Knives in this scene is using extremely Loaded Language to outright tell Vash that there is something wrong with him that needs to be fixed.

Just to be clear I do think Vash is very trans-coded (intentionally or not), and that very strongly influences how I interpret this scene - I myself am a trans man as well.

Cool, moving on! That's all really for the end of ep 10, I just needed to point out that Knives is using language that is commonly used to justify corrective sexual assault; which is pretty much what my reading of this scene is analogous to.

what in the fresh hell i got jumpscared by dub again. returning to subs hold on a moment. Like i've been checking dub occasionally to match up some dialogue and make sure I'm not being misled by Subtitle Jank but I'm one of those guys who can't listen to anything without subtitles lmao

But i also think i do get the funniest possible translation of this line - actually wait no i hate the double meaning (with Vash's body being used to kickstart the pregnancy imagery). was that intentional. who did this.

Anyway Meryl kicking Wolfwood is really funny but also like. Yeah. justified. She's having a no good awful time but like. She's so willing to believe in Vash, to chase after him even into Extremely Dangerous conditions (There's those hints of Trimax Meryl again....) and Wolfwood is being an ass here. (An understandable ass. But an ass nonetheless). Which is to say YEAHHH MERYL GET HIS ASS!!!

Knives' gay little like. bodysuit here. He and Vash have the same build but their respective clothes make them stand out very differently. Also that Knives' stuff seems to have more muscle definition (HYDRATE. You shouldn't have that Knives you need water :pensive:) which could be building towards his more intimidating appearance.

Also I'd be a fool to not show everyone my initial reaction to this

I've talked a little bit about how Vash uses his gun as a tonfa (thwacky baton) most of the time in melee combat, and I think that's a great way to show him utilizing something Knives gave him to Kill as a nonlethal weapon - in this, however, he doesn't have it and his normally very fluid very good form martial arts is flailing and panicked. Vash is pretty good at keeping his cool in most combat situations, and is a very skilled fighter. Seeing him lose that cool and just start struggling when Knives tries to grab him is :(

Once again the metal/organic dichotomy is coming into play - the creation of inorganic but the destruction that comes from the organic. Typically plant (as in flora) powers in media lend themselves to being creation powers, life, and healing. But Vash here has that plant (flora) theme but those are very much a force for destruction.

Also Knives with the angelic white, and Vash with the black.

I hate Conrad So Much (he's such a good character). Like we Know to some extent that dependent plants are self-aware enough to feel pain, to hold onto memories, to hatred, to love. They don't have consciousness the same way humans or Independents do, but they feel, they live, they understand what Vash tells them. Maybe it is a shallow form of themselves. But I think something a lot of people fail to realize is that (some, not all, because they are individuals even throughout a hivemind) plants appear to enjoy their purpose.

Once again the memory that is shared with Knives in Trimax of a woman and her child thanking the plant for her service and she smiles? After being fused, that plant held onto that memory. I've been given no reason to believe that plants in Tristamp are different, so Conrad is just,,, ignoring the subtleties of plants and taking away their agency to choose for themselves. Doubly so for Knives, who can communicate efficiently with them.

A very quick blink and you'll miss it detail is that Vash says "It was our fault humans crashed here!". The shifting blame and guilt between the two is something that is fighting the narrative allll the time, but Vash attributing to both of them as an appeal to Knives is interesting to relay how he feels.

I also don't think Vash is right, though, when he says the only reason humans abuse plants is because they crashed. Tesla was before, Chronica in Trimax has apparently seen independent fusions before (For what reason?). Like yeah to this extent it's a result of the big fall, but there'd still be problems without it. Nobody is right in this argument lmao

(except me. I'm always correct about everything ever)

[CW] Once again - violating Vash's consent and autonomy because he does not agree with or differs from Knives. Corrective violation, in this case. It's also important that it's Meryl who calls this out - she has to really really struggle for her autonomy to be important. She's small, carry-able, inexperienced, doesn't have any special powers or genetic modification. She's carrying a tiny gun from a man who can never back her up anymore. In fact, nobody is backing her up! She's out here alone! But she's sticking up for Vash. She cares about him,,,, so much

SURPRISE ROBERTO ATTACK [sobs]

Meryl pulled the nail out of him and placed his hands gently over the wound, as one might do in a casket. A memorial of cigarettes and his flask. All this will be destroyed soon, but Meryl did give him a funeral to the best of her ability.

Knives using Roberto's image is cruel as hell. Not to Vash but to ME. He's already dead you can't do this to meeee. "How do you think they'll react when they learn you caused the big fall" He will never learn it!! he never got the chance!!!

So fun fact you can actually eat geraniums. It's just that if Rem had said yes Vash probably would have eaten it right there and then. I've made that mistake before (told one of my class that nasturtiums were edible and he just ate one. right from the plant)

So; the Tesla scene. Something I do want to point out is that Rem finds them almost immediately, and Knives doesn't immediately pass out - Is he still catatonic enough to miss Rem's speech, or did he hear it? Because the reason that Vash turned out like he did is because he was awake to go through that with Rem - Knives was unconscious the entire time and didn't get to start that trauma recovery.

It's also important to recognize that these memories could be unreliable, especially as Knives tampers with them later.

I do want to know which version of the Bible Knives was reading. Because depending on translation/version, you can get Very different ideas out of that.

Anyway Knives is kind of beginning his spiral in that memory - "Humanity never learns" kinda shit, which seems to take place after Tesla. Who knows how long. But baby Vash calls that out and goes "yeah lets have faith"! Baby Knives looks a tad shocked and then Present Knives just. Cuts off the memory. What was the ensuing conversation!!! Hello???

Like he's clearly Having Thoughts (The Horror), we just don't get to know what those were.

So remember when I said it was interesting that Vash said it was "our" fault that the ships crashed, sharing the blame?

Yeah that gave Knives some ammo that just. Broke him. Shifts it allllll to Vash. Update Vash's description to running on 18 guilt complexes, CPTSD, and bisexuality.

[CW] There's so many different forms of assault, metaphorical and. Not. That is happening in this scene from mind violation to Knives literally using Vash's (specifically Vash's) body as a vessel to impregnate other plants which. Hey did you know that pregnancy is a massive fear of a lot of trans men. So many transphobes reduce trans men to their capability to have children, as if that's all they're good for (even if it would kill them.), and that often leads to corrective rape in order to "remind them of biological reality". In this case, Vash is a plant, he's meant to create, and yet he doesn't. But he's still being used to create anyway.

Again, Meryl also directly calls out Vash's lack of consent and gets shot down by Conrad. The whole scene is just. Hgnrhgnhrhnrnrn. It's So,,, everything to me, because it's a really good scene and shows you how far gone Knives is in Tristamp.

There are panels in Trimax that are,,, the imagery is there, but it's very overt in Tristamp.

Also hey yeah. Why is Conrad still alive?? Did he have access to cold sleep? or it's probably the robotics but did he not think of enhancing humans that way? It might just be a temporary solution, I guess, given that he is. Actively coughing up blood.

Alright! I have finished this part of the analysis that I always Feel Strongly about lmao - I have fun doing it but that's such an emotionally heavy episode.

[zarvasace]

Another Point in Favor of Vidow

By this point, many of us in the Four Swords manga fandom are aware of the relationship that is (or maybe isn't) implied between Vio and Shadow. I agree that it is up for some debate, but also my opinion is that the relationship is as clear as it can get, operating within the bounds of its context—that is, early-2000s Japan, kids' manga, the bias against gay couples.

This is just another pin on the conspiracy board of red lines!

The moon is present in three main places during the Vio/Shadow arc—very first (and most damning) when the two meet one-on-one, once in a panel showing the Fire Temple that the two are hanging out in, and once behind the two as they ride on the dragon to cause chaos. (Many thanks to @hauntinghyrule for helping me find those!)

There is a common belief in Japan that the author Natsume Souseki once told a student that their translation was wrong. They'd translated "I love you" as "kimi o aisu," and he thought it was far too blunt. He was a product of the Meiji era, and preferred the idea that the Japanese language should be more poetic and subtle. He then proposed the idea that instead of "ware kimi wo aisu," one should say "tsuki ga kirei desu ne" instead, which translates to English more as "the moon is beautiful, isn't it?" (You can read more about that, and why the guy might not have actually said it, here!)

You can see where I'm going with this.

Whether or not Souseki actually said it, the phrase is widely understood to be a sideways way of saying "I love you." The moon has a lot of meanings in Japanese culture and language, and I won't say that this is the interpretation, or if our lovely authors meant this at all, but they might have. They seem fond of hinting at it. ("We feel blessed that the characters' feelings came across so clearly.")

If we can read into the presence of the moon as presence of romantic possibility, what happens then? Well. A lot.

When Shadow first approaches Vio, he's seen hanging out on top of a pine tree with the moon bright and full behind him.

This isn't the actual manga panel, I don't have that right now, but this art was based on that specific scene, and you may recognize it. There are a few other panels this scene that Vidow shippers like to call out—Vio's apparent blush when Shadow casually moves his sword away (a power move regardless of intent that made me fall in love with him), or the way Shadow hangs on Vio when persuading him to turn to the dark side. If we can read the moon's presence as a hint towards romance, then it's pretty clear what's being implied here—there's an element of seduction.

The second place we see the moon is just after Vio and Shadow's heart-to-heart on the balcony, one of the only canon interactions between them during this period without a lot of plot happening. Here's the panel I mean:

Like hauntinghyrule pointed out, if the moon is visible here, it was likely present during that conversation. That feels like reaching, but I think it's pretty significant that we can see the moon in this panel, too. It's here for that bonding moment. It's part of establishing the tone and setting. If the moon is inherently romantic, then so is this scene.

And then the third panel that the moon is seen in is this one, Vio and Shadow flying on a dragon to bring chaos and fire:

If the moon means romance, then this is a date. They've had their moment, they're in love, all is going well.

It might not mean that much. I could be veering into atla-levels of overanalyzation, for sure! However, this feels like something that could definitely be intentional. "月が綺麗ですね" is understood to sort-of kind-of mean "I love you," turning the moon into a symbol of implied love.

And...it's very thematic, even if it isn't intended. Come on. The moon, hinting toward unspoken romance in some of the scenes where Vio and Shadow's dynamic is at its most stable? Dramatic. Amazing.

...You could read even more into it, and say that Vio is Shadow's moon—reflected light of the Hero or the Princess, guiding him to see the good, a desirable light in the darkness that Shadow insists he has to stay in. There's something lovely about that interpretation, too. :)

[fixfoxnox]

I’d love to hear any Makarov headcannons if you have any, especially about his sexuality. Like how he was treated growing up in Russia, how he figured it out etc. I wonder if he ever just had to stomach backlash when he was in spetsnaz but once he rose to power he no longer cared or was threatened enough to hide that part of him.

(Still a bad dude, but he’s just so much fun to read about)

I'm doing this outside of SiTO Makarov cause I think that's what you were getting at here, so its just my headcanons on what we've seen about Makarov thus far:

He was an orphan, raised in a really packed orphanage with caretakers who didn't actually care about him or any of the kids there.

He watched kids come and go as well as several kids end up dying because of the cold/bad conditions, it ended up fucking him up pretty good

He was in the Orphanage until he was sixteen and during his time there he was like an older brother figure to many of the children there

He joined Spetsnaz/the military because he felt like it was the only option he had available to him

He knew he was gay around the age of ten, but he's smart so he also knew to keep it to himself

Kept his sexuality a secret under lock and key during his time in the military and was particularly good at hiding it

Would tell the other men fake stories of hookups with women and comment on women with them while they were out at bars/in towns

Lots of internalized homophobia, but he can't bring himself to sleep with women

When he starts moving up in Spetsnaz he begins to get a taste for power. He'd spent his entire childhood pretty much powerless to do anything, so finally having some control is a big deal for him, especially when he's placed in charge of his own unit

The power corrupts him and is what encourages him and his team to start doing all the bad shit they were doing

Particularly he was told that if he did this shitty stuff he would get a promotion/more power essentially, which is why he was so willing to participate

It would have worked out for him, except the intel of what was happening got to the UN and the UN, with the US spearheading it, demanded that Russia take action against these crimes. So he was made the fall guy and dishonorably discharged

The sudden loss of that power he'd gained fucked him up even further and pushed him to begin leaning into crime fully as an option. At this point is when he gets into all the stuff Shepherd mentions like human trafficking, terrorism, weapons deals, hired murders, etc.

He gets really good at this stuff which is what eventually catches the attention of Zhakaev

Makarov didn't actually give a shit about the ultranationalists before that, but he hates Americans and Zhakaev is offering him power and revenge against America so he's down for it

Fucking hated Victor Zhakaev. He though the kid was a little prick who had no actual talent and only got where he was because of daddy, he never said that though

He's assigned Yuri as a second by Zhakaev and he gets attached to the fucker insanely quickly

Yuri was ex-spetsnaz like him (though left on his own) and they bonded over that

Naturally he also earned a big fat fucking crush on Yuri too, though that actually works out somewhat well for him

Yuri is the only person who finds out about his sexuality and he only finds out about it because Makarov is begging him to fuck him while drunk

Anyways they start a secret relationship

They're together from like a year or so after Chernobyl to the airport breakup

Yuri starts pulling away from Makarov slowly after the nuke, and Makarov can feel it

He ends up kinda super desperately trying to fix whatever he'd done to make Yuri pull away because, at that point, the two had been together for well over a decade

Yuri was his person and so to have his person suddenly pulling away from him was not good

However he gets very distracted from Yuri pulling away when Zhakaev dies and he suddenly finds himself the head of the ultranationalists

He's working on his plan to start the way between Russia and the US and he gets tunnel vision on it to the point where he doesn't realize he's fully losing Yuri until its too late

He starts having suspicions that Yuri might have switched sides, but he doesn't want be believe it

Then Yuri introduces him to Alexei Borodin and Makarov knows that Yuri has switched sides. He's suddenly confronted with it in the form of an American man pretending to be a Russian man

Absolutely heartbroken, but ends up essentially locking up his emotions and throwing himself into his plans, including the new plan to kill Yuri in the airport

Even though Yuri betrayed him, Makarov still loved him so when the time came to "kill" him, he shot him somewhere that he knew the other could survive, under the excuse of making it painful for him

As we know, he lives to regret this as Yuri eventually teams up with the 141 to help bring him down once and for all

[ineffable-rohese]

I'm not a Christian, but I went to Christmas Eve service at the Anglican Cathedral tonight as is my custom. I go alone and sit in a room full of strangers and listen to old stories and sing old songs and cry at least once. It's a tradition I hold dear, and one I haven't been able to do for several years due to circumstances.

I was raised mainly Episcopalian (American Anglican), with most of elementary at Catholic schools. We also did Vacation Bible School at some mainline protestant church for a week or two most summers, probably because it was free childcare and was next to mom's work. But we didn't talk about religion or beliefs at home basically at all. My parents totally outsourced that.

I honestly liked Catholic school (other than the bullying, but that was a whole different issue). I liked going to Mass. It was at a Cathedral school, so the church was big and full of beautiful stained glass and statues and art. I remember a marble statue of Mary crushing a serpent beneath her bare foot, standing on the globe. And I loved the music. I loved singing the hymns. I loved the organ. I loved the ritual of all of it, too, the prayers and the vestments and the holy water and the standing up and the kneeling. It was clear and intentional and once you knew the rules (which they taught us), it felt good to be part of something where everyone acts together.

When I was 11-12, we moved and started going to the church near our house. Because I was a smart and responsible child and they were short on adults, I wound up teaching Sunday School for a year or so at around 13. I have no memory of what I was supposed to be teaching them. But despite mom strongly hinting (though never actually outright asking because we don't just ask people in my family), I never went to confirmation classes.

I still loved the ritual and the art and the building itself - a late 19th century replica of an older English church, lovely and un-modern and smelling of wood polish and candle wax. And, of course, I loved the music. I sang in the choir for years.

But sometime in early adolescence, I didn't so much lose faith as realize I didn't have any to begin with.

And, oh, I wanted to! My best friend was the child of a Methodist minister in town, and I went to their youth group (I was the only kid around my age in my congregation), and we'd go on retreats some times. And they'd talk about being filled with the holy spirit and living Jesus, and it seemed so comforting and ecstatic at the same time. I wanted it so much! The only time I felt close to what they seemed to describe was while I was singing. But once the music stopped, it was gone.

(Much, much later, I finally had that religious experience, but not with Jesus or the Holy Spirit or the Christian God. And it was everything I wanted then. Turns out I just needed a different form of deity. But this is not that story.)

But try as I might, Jesus just wasn't my guy.

There was a bit of queer rebellion in there, too. The new priest, who I liked (and who many years later extra-legally married my spouse and I), and who had shocked the congregation by preaching a pro-choice sermon on his first Easter, came out as gay. Now, the Episcopal Church as a whole didn't have a problem with this. They either recently had or were soon to have their first openly gay bishop. However, some of the old guard at the church did have a problem, and he got forced out. So like, there was apparently no theological problem with gay people. Just a cultural one. I wasn't even aware I was queer yet. I just thought it was hypocritical and shitty.

So why do I go to church by myself on Christmas Eve? I go as a way of honoring my family and my ancestors. And I go for myself.

There's power in rituals. Personal rituals have a certain amount of power. But collective rituals even more so. And rituals that have been done in more or less the same way at more or less the same time for hundreds of years are very powerful indeed.

How that power is used is important. I won't go to just any church. I've been in churches where they were actively praying against me and my family, or praying against bodily autonomy, or calling people I care about sinners. To my mind, that's an abuse of power and a failure to understand the words of the God you profess to follow.

(The Jesus I was raised with loved the outcast, stood with the marginalized, and cared for those whom others ignored or forgot. I have no beef with him. He's just not my dude.)

So I'm particular about what churches I go to, and what prayers I lend my power to. Tonight, the litany of prayer started with the King (which, lol, I forget we technically have one of those; he didn't get my prayers, sorry Charlie), but then was for the leaders of First Nations for true reconciliation, and then for the unhoused in our city. We prayed for Ukraine. We prayed for the Earth and the oceans (which included a fairly cutting jab at spending all our money on space exploration while the Earth burns) as the only source of life. We prayed for the people of Gaza and the West Bank and Israel, too, that there would be peace and an end to the humanitarian crisis and a just resolution. We prayed for our pets. We prayed for music and art and creative expression.

The power of all those people lending their thoughts and prayers, in this service at this time, with all the ranks of centuries of spiritual ancestors behind it, was palpable.

And I sang the old songs, together with a couple hundred strangers. I sang the songs my parents sang, and their parents, and their parents. "Silent night, holy night." I sang words my ancestors have sung or said or heard for a thousand years. "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us." I heard the words they heard. "And there were shepherds abiding in their fields keeping watch over their flocks by night." And I say to them that their beliefs may not be my own, but that they are not forgotten. They are loved, and I am reaching out to them with words they will understand.

May Christmas be merry for all who celebrate. And for those who don't, may you find joy and connection in the ways that best serve you.

[donfadrique]

Previous part

Part Seven

14/🗡️

So, we will not just return to the possible homoerotic plot line—I will be extremely sincere in my conclusions, because my goal was to understand the intention of the director and the film crew.

Let me immediately say about the only negative thing about the scene, and close this issue.

Tyrone Power's poorly drawn mustaches annoy me :) Maybe this was done on purpose, but they annoy ME aesthetically xDD Well, let's move on.

This scene is ambiguous. Look, Diego comes to the party with a lorgnette, begins to act mannered and explains his lateness by saying that his bath was tepid, etc. In general, everyone is indifferent to this—except Capitán Pasquale, who tells Inez, "His bath was tepid. Poor Lolita. I'm afraid her wedded life will be the same."

This can be interpreted in two ways: Pasquale considers Diego to be a pampered and weak fop, unable to use either a steel sword or the sword that he has in his pants (it is believed that men who are too careful about their appearance are not, erm, temperamental). But this could also be a hint at Diego's homosexuality (remember the book's canonical "he seldom wears a blade, and I doubt whether he can use one", "the flashing dark eyes of lovely señoritas do not disturb him", and even "he may wear petticoats, if it please him").

Why does Pasquale say this? Because he is angry that Inez is infatuated with Diego. Regardless of his sexual orientation, Diego is the Capitán's rival (which Pasquale says directly when he sticks a knife into the fruit, hinting to Diego that he would like to do the same with the young man; on the other hand, if someone wants to see in this act of violence against the fruit act of same-sex love, then who am I to restrain your fantasy? xD)

Perhaps the Capitán wants to tell Inez that Diego is physically incapable of satisfying her, but he cannot say it directly because that would be an insult.

It is beneficial for Diego that Capitán Pasquale sees him not just as a weakling and a dandy, but as a "gay caballero" (an expression from Guy Williams). Why?

Well, firstly, this is a book canon, and we are dealing with a film adaptation.

Secondly, it is beneficial for Diego that Capitán Pasquale, instead of envy of his rival, begins to feel complacency, seeing that handsome Don Diego Vega, the son of a rich man, is fascinated by a "second-rate soldier of fortune" who is much older than himself.

So Diego, sitting at the table opposite the Capitán, begins to flirt with him so openly that even a blind monk would have seen it xDD

However, as a result, Pasquale is more surprised and wary than charmed (the Capitán is not a fool, and Diego is more likely to mock him than flirts, and, if you look closely, Diego’s black gaze is much harsher than the Capitán’s gray one).

Capitán Esteban Pasquale: I had the misfortune to kill a man of influence.

Don Luis Quintero: A lady was involved, I believe.

Don Diego Vega: The gentleman's wife, no doubt?

Capitán Esteban Pasquale: Just how did you mean that, señor?

Don Diego Vega: I had hoped to be amusing... Have I failed?

Capitán Esteban Pasquale: Somewhat. With me.

Diego dances with Lolita and proposes marriage to her (more precisely, to her uncle, and Lolita herself, disappointed in Diego and in love with Zorro, runs away—later Diego/Zorro will pay a visit to her bedroom).

Vega also demonstrates magic tricks again (this Diego has a variety of skills: he knows how to flirt with men and to handle weapons, shows magic and acrobatic tricks, understands fragrances etc).

Diego tells Inez that his marriage will help their extramarital affair remain a secret, but Inez is too jealous and tries to dissuade Lolita from the marriage. It's funny that not only does she not consider Diego incapable of loving a woman, she doesn't even notice how Diego flirt with the Capitán (Inez is too confident in her attractiveness to pay attention to such things).

At the end of this scene, Diego admits to his mother that he is not indifferent to Lolita.

NB! Thinking about Diego's "ghostliness", attractiveness, cunning and mockery, I suddenly remembered... kitsune. Kitsune, a mythical creature in Asian mythology and folklore, a fox with supernatural powers. Often plays the role of a trickster. According to legends, it lives for hundreds and even thousands of years, and can also turn into other animals and humans.

There's something about it. Yes, of course, El Zorro is only a mortal, but he's unique.

[touchtranscendslanguage]

is there anyway for us to know what each of their magic is? like we know that virge has fear and lightning magic, but what about everyone elses?

you dont have to answer, i just really enjoy the story line and the writting, and i wanted to know a bit more about the characters :)

First off: Sorry it took me so long to answer this, tumblr did not notify me that I had an ask.

Second: Please excuse any typos I'm still on vacation and using my phone to type. I finished writing this right after getting back from vacation and am running on little sleep.

Third: thank you so much! I always love hearing that people like my writing especially the story line and I'm so glad you want to know more about the characters!

Fourth: I don't have all of the character's powers fully fleshed out, but let's see what I can tell you.

More below the cut because this got looong

Okay, so you've got Virgil's lightning and fear magic down.

The fear magic doesn't work on other witches who have protections up or someone whose mind has been warded somehow (not easy to do). He can sense people's fears and insert new fears into someone. The most concentrated fear he can give people is fear of himself. General and simple fears can be given from a distance. The more complex the fear, the closer he has to be until it reaches the point that he has to be touching the person. A permanent phobia also requires touch.

Using mental magic on someone also depends on whether or not they're another magic user, how strong their protections are (if they have any), how receptive they are to the magic, how often the witch has used mental magic on them in the past, and how familiar the witch is with them. For example, it gets easier for Virgil to share complex fears with Janus as the story progresses.

Virgil can also take fears away which he doesn't do often. He believes that fear is vital to a person's survival and that taking it away can have disastrous consequences. He will, however, lessen detrimental fears and phobias sometimes.

In addition, Virgil can cause anxiety and panic attacks, but he can't get rid of them. At least, not entirely. He can push them off for later. This doesn't always work for him.

Virgil's lightning magic is pretty straightforward. He can turn any cloud into a storm cloud and maybe even move clouds around to summon lightning from (I can't decide if that last part is overkill). His body is also a source of lightning with more electricity than average being generated from his body. He can shoot blots of lightning from himself and can electrocute people with touch.

Janus's magic is deception, healing, and secret-keeping.

Deception magic includes illusions, lie detection, and manipulation.

Janus's illusions can affect all five senses and can be nearly impossible to "see" through when he's at full power. At full power, they can withstand skepticism making it so that even when you know they aren't real they won't go away. Smell and taste are the easiest illusions with sound coming in third and sight and touch being the hardest.

Lie detection is complicated. It tells Janus how much of a lie something is as well as which parts are a lie. Not just lies he hears, but ones he sees, too. To an extent. Janus knows you're in disguise. He can also sense illusions.

Janus's manipulation is convincing people of things that aren't real. He specializes in comforting lies, though he can be vicious when he wants to be. It's great for getting his brothers out of trouble when they fuck up.

Janus's healing magic's speed depends on the severity of the wound. He can patch up just about anything. All it takes is touch and a bit of concentration. He insists on kissing Virgil to heal him because he's a dramatic gay.

Secret keeping magic consists of silencing and suppression magic.

Yes, silencing magic includes covering one's mouth with their own hand. What can I say, that's a classic. Janus can put a lock on certain facts, words, and concepts so that the person in question can't say them or communicate them in any other way. If they try the hand thing happens. The hand over their mouth isn't what's stopping them, it's symbolic.

I haven't worked out distances for silencing magic.

Suppression magic is exactly what it sounds like. It suppresses memories. Depending on various variables such as distance, Janus's health, protections, etc. the suppressed memories can sometimes be triggered into being remembered. He can also know what a person's suppressed memories are (if he looks for them) and can unsuppress them.

A side note on mental magic: it's amazing how easily a fae can use their witch magic on someone if they have their name. Rules get bent and sometimes broken when combining witch magic and name magic.

Both of the twins have creation magic. They can create things out of thin air, though most of the time it takes a good amount of concentration. Some things that they've created many times and are more familiar with are easier to create. Hence, Roman only creating a duplicate of his sword during his fight with Virgil.

The things the twins create have to be imagined very specifically or else they won't turn out right if they get made at all. They can't just make a house, they have to know where each brick is and what it's made of. They need to know what kind of wood the doors are made of, exactly how big the fireplace is, what glue is holding the wallpaper up, etc.

Roman specializes in creating fanciful things while Remus specializes in creating more taboo things. Hence, their monikers. It's really just personal preference, they can each make anything they can imagine.

Remus also has mind reading/telepathic magic. Mind reading can be a bit more complicated than most people think. Some people think in images. Some people can't mentally visualize things. Some people don't think much at all. However a person thinks Remus can tap into their thoughts.

Remus can also push his own thoughts into other people's minds giving them literal intrusive thoughts. He does not always use this power for good.

Like most mental magic Remus can't use this magic on people who have protections in place or are warded.

In addition to creation magic Roman has magic related to hopes, dreams, and romance.

Not only does he know people's hopes, dreams, and romantic feelings he can manipulate them, too. Roman can build hopes and dreams and destroy them just as easily. He can be cupid or make you fall out of love with just skin-to-skin contact and a bit of focus. (Honestly I think Roman's powers are the most terrifying).

Patton has empathic and unreality magic.

Patton can sense other people's emotions even through protections. Protections can, however, stop him from manipulating emotion. Long distance it's temporary, but with physical contact he can do permanent damage.

Patton's empathic magic only works for certain emotions. Basically happiness and sadness as well as most emotions related to those two. I think.

Like Virgil, Patton understands the importance of feeling emotions - even the "bad" ones (he's a fucking hypocrite but what can you do) so he doesn't tend to go around eliminating people's sadness. Just tries to reign it in a little. But like with Virgil he can only put off his own sadness for later. I haven't decided if the same thing happens when he does it to other people.

Unreality magic is quite terrifying. It's making things cease to exist. Just gone. Forever. I hate to compare it to Thanos's snap but that's basically what it is. And yes, he can do it to people, but it takes a lot out of him.

Logan's magic I've thought about the least. It definitely includes some kind of magic that allows him to learn things faster and/or easier. And he has negation magic. He can negate anyone else's magic.

Remy actually wasn't born a witch. His magic was a faerie godfather gift from Thomas. As such, he only has one type of magic. Sleep magic.

Remy controls people's ability to sleep. I haven't thought very far into the details of that.

Thomas has many kinds of magic. Dude's a magic hoarder. No, really. The magic he was born with? Magic theft. He has the ability to steal other witchs' magic. Once he takes it they don't have it anymore. If he takes all of their magic they are no longer witches and they lose everything that came with the classification including immortality.

Okay, I'm really tired right now and this has gotten ridiculously long so I'm ending it here. I have one more post to make tonight and then I'm headed to bed. Forgive me for not proofreading most of this

[garak]

here are my thoughts on the x-men movies since ive finished most of them

x-men (2000): in my top 3. love mags and xavier in this one mostly because its ian mckellan & patrick stewart. my main gripes are with the merging of magnetos and mystiques brotherhoods & the exclusion of destiny from the brotherhood. magneto being willing to sacrifice his life & another mutants for his dream to be realized seems pretty accurate but i feel like they didnt make it clear enough that if the plan worked he would have died too...? HATE wolverine trying to put the moves on jean grey but thats true regardless of whether its a movie or a comic or a stageplay for all i care.

x2: the plot of this one kind of lost me mostly because i havent read god loves man kills yet so i didnt have any basis to understand wtf was going on except stryker was there and hes evil. love maggy in the prison being emo and shit although them deciding when he can or cant fly or use certain powers seems pretty arbitrary... ? i feel like deathstryke is treated pretty poorly by the plot here seeing as shes you know kind of an important character who they never introduce properly. nightcrawler looks better in this movie than he does in the later ones but still not good.

last stand: ive already talked about the choice of angel & worthington industries as the villains in this one so i won't go over it again. i think its DEEPLY funny that scott disappears and wolverine finds his glasses (which he cannot live without) just lying around and doesn't think "hey i wonder what happened to cyclops" until jean is quite literally unbuckling his belt halfway through trying seduce him. why does no one in these films seem to give a fuck about what happens to cyclops he dies in the first 10 minutes of the movie and its never addressed. also prof x dies in this one and i dont remember how he comes back to life so what was that. also they fuck up bobbys characterization SOOOO bad like i know they didnt know he was gay and he is kind of a player but in the comics kitty uses him as a rebound then breaks up with him and then his younger self (teleported to the future from the 60s) is like "why arent you gay. i'm gay" and bobby is like "no i'm also gay. i just act straight because of irish catholic guilt". so having him cheat on rogue with kitty and pressure rogue into getting the mutation blocker thing so they can have sex is retroactively an insane plotline. sorry im bobby drakes number one fan and this is so fake. also beast is so hot in this movie. what? who said that. also the phoenix plotline sucks and also magneto was right to try and explode the factory or whatever

origins wolverine: INCREDIBLY funny movie serious excellent. completely unintentional in how funny it is but so enjoyable to watch. why was cyclops there? why was emma frost there? what is going on in this movie? why is wolverine naked all the damn time? why does he know the blob? why can he BEAT the blob? why is the blob in this movie? seriously what the fuck is going on in this movie? x-men origins wolverine does not have answers to these questions. its really great to see the awful cgi claws though. i liked that gambit was in this movie.

first class: i have a lot of questions on this one. why is hank here. why is mystique acting like a child when she should be over 70 years old at the least. why would they get my hopes up by putting banshee and moira in the same movie but then not give them a relationship. why the fuck is scott summers' younger brother here. however it does well by making you root for magneto and then being like "and everybody then teamed up with magneto because hes awesome and abandoned xavier except for hank because theyre both centrist democrats" like you know what. so true. i like how mags just starts drama constantly for no reason like why was he fucking w mystique like that... good for him i guess but hes so gay in this movie its not even funny. okay it is funny but only a little.

the wolverine: i fell asleep during this one so i don't know but it seemed weird and racist in many ways and wolverine was a complete bitch during it for NO reason as always. also its so funny to see him fail on screen with basic japanese when in the comics he gets mind wiped and regains the ability to speak japanese before he regains english like that guy is an r/whiteguyswithasianwives prodigy. i liked deathstryke in this movie the actress was very cool. why didnt wolverine take the deal to save his friend and not be immortal anymore when he fucking hates being immortal half the time like bro come on... i hate him sorry

days of future past: okay at this point they should have known bobby drake was gay. so why all that with kitty. also why blame MYSTIQUE for the creation of the sentinels dawg she had nothing to do with that in the comics. the sentinels were not purple enough OR big enough btw. also, where is rachel summers. you cant do days of future past without rachel summers. either way this was a pretty good movie. quicksilver was excellent.

apocalypse: guys. why is scott summers wearing raybans. here are some other questions i hate about this movie: why is cyke's backstory never properly discussed. why do they give cyke angel or bobby's personality. why does nightcrawler look so bad. why would apocalpse choose angel over literally anyone else. why is it never addressed that nightcrawler is mystique's son. why is psylocke here if theyre not going to do anything with her. why is xavier such an annoying liberal. why would they introduce a new magneto daughter when he already has like 3 to pick from. why dont hank and mystique just sort their shit out. why does mystique go to bat so hard for maggy. why does jean already have telepathic abilities when she and scott meet thus making the way they originally get together (one of the main reasons i give a fuck about their relationship) impossible. who is the girl with the yellow hoop earrings they hang out with. dazzler??? why does jean have the phoenix spirit in her if she hasnt died yet. why isnt storm in her home on the mountain at this point. why is moira not scottish. why introduce her son if theyre not going to do the moira son plotline. last but not least, why would they include any character in this movie who wasnt quicksilver when hes obviously the best character by a wide margin and all scenes that dont include him are basically worthless. otherwise i quite enjoyed it. i liked angels haircut and im so glad they FINALLY made xavier bald.

i will add my reviews of new mutants, dark phoenix, deadpool, etc. once i watch them

[mad-rdr]

March Reads

10 books!

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake (★ ★ ★/5): I loved getting to see Astrid be a normal human being with wants and needs and I especially loved her getting with a woman!! And telling off her awful mother!! (mommy issues hit hard bro)

Blue Monday by Nicci French (★ ★ ★/5): this was such an interesting little mystery involving twins and I loved how Frida was like "I'm a criminal investigator now" and broke like 10 laws. I was also not expecting that ending holy shit (he killed his twins and took his place)

Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian (★ ★ ★/5): honestly, I'm not sure anything actually happened in this book aside from a weird love triangle, this 16 yr old queen realizing she doesn't know shit and some half-assed revival from the dead “twist” at the end.

Ember Queen by Laura Sebastian (★ ★ ★/5): this series finale wasn’t too bad, I still feel like if it was written as an adult book it could’ve done so much more with the characters and plot, but I’ll accept it. People die, Theo learns to wield fire, and there’s a lot of unnecessary injures. Truly, where would they be without Heron. Don’t get me started on the dream walking.

The Power of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (★ ★ ★/5): this was a good book, if a little more scientific than I was expecting. Definitely made me think about the human relationship with trees and how we really do take them for granted.

By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter (★ ★ ★/5): I love historical tellings of gay people- factual correctness aside. I did not, however, enjoy the incessant use of the word “tis.” If you’re going to commit to 16th century England you gotta do it all the way and not just sprinkle it in here and there. I did loveeee our chaotic asf mc though- he doesn’t know anything except lust and money (and sometimes love)

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout (★ ★ ★ ★ /5): finally got around to this book and let me just say… these new high fantasy authors need more editors. Has no one told them that repetition is the bane of my existence?? If I read the word “Maiden” one more time I’m gonna lose it. On that note though, this book wasn’t too bad overall. I found it highly predictable (like duh of course Hawke is the dark prince) but once I accepted I wouldn’t be surprised I was able to enjoy it. I love me a good vampire story and this delivered.

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer Armentrout (★ ★ ★/5): someone please tell me why it took the entire book for the characters to move from one place to another. Seriously. There seemed to be little development character and plot-wise and while it was quite steamy... *something* should've happened in 600 pages.

A Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer Armentrout (★ ★ ★/5): this book was far better than the second one but I'm still chasing that high of book one. Book three is almost too much, Poppy goes from being crowned to kidnapped to rescued to dying to being revived and "Ascended" all within the first 80 ish pages... and then after that there's still 600 pages to go. In the course of the book her parentage gets "revealed" like 6 times and finally lands on her being a god? It was good, action-packed and smutty, but my god, someone needs to teach this author the skills of pacing.

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake (★ ★ ★ ★ /5): this was such a good end to the little Bright Falls trilogy; I love me a good bisexual mess who doesn't know how much love she deserves. I just didn't like the breakup at the end, it felt like the author was trying to add a little angst in there and it didn't really work because we all knew they would get back together. But hey, I'm never gonna pass up a fake dating trope.

[memwazz]

SEVEN - Ezra Marshall

- ROLE

Ezra is Aloïs Marshall's twin brother and right-hand man, as well as the founder of the 7th Division. He's a superhero-ine who does drag and goes under the name of Queen Elizabeth.

He will act like a mentor towards Erwan and teach him how to fight/control his powers.

- APPEARANCE

Species : surhuman

Age : 37

Height : 180 cm

+40 years old Ezra (right) during his corruption arc with Ginger (left).

COSTUME

Mermay!Ezra (right) in Elizabeth's costume with Mermay!Roxanne (left).

Killer Queen's costume during Ezra's corruption arc.

- ILLUSTRATIONS, COMICS, SHITPOST

- Illustrations :

Finish Line - Mermay 2023 - Pockets - Marshall Cats - Teenagers - Bodies - Lingerie - Pink Doodles - The Purge - Grass - EzThur - BOOM - Stay Hydrated ! -

- Comics :

At first - I'm Gay - Somebody to Love - Cigarette -

- Shitpost :

Disney Princess Meme - I Needed Attention - Trauma Dump - Bi Disaster - Puta Madre - Each Other's... - Bigots - Spoon - Cliff - Mistake - Spectrum - Communist -

- ABILITIES

Ezra's sensitivity to gravity is variable and he can control it. It allows him to levitate, weigh heavier or lighter and move some heavy objects quite easily. His strength may be terrible when he uses gravity to hit harder.

He's not the best fighter but learnt some basics and is able to defend himself in the field.

- PERSONALITY

Ezra's most notable trait is his messy mental health. He has depression and suicidal thoughts since the age of 13 and it affected his personality. He will often look and be depressed and will vent a lot about it. He regularly slits his wrists, failed multiple suicide attempts and had to stay in a mental hospital a few times. He also has a C/PTSD and an invasive chronic anxiety.

However, he remains someone with a great sense of humor and could be considered the funniest member of the team. A lot of his jokes are self-depreciative or revolve around his mental health he seems to take carelessely, but not only.

Ezra can be quite cynical and sarcastic too. He has quite a sassy mouth, especially on the battlefield where his persona Queen Elizabeth always provokes enemies.

Ezra's self-esteem is very low but he manages to hide it behind this clown-like behavior. He has a lot of body issues because he was bullied for his weight as a child : he now suffers from anorexia and other disorders such as pica, but tries to hide it so his relatives won't prevent him from putting his life at risk.

Indeed, Ezra has the bad habit of endangering himself a lot. Whether during missions or in his personal life, he doesn't care about living so he won't always think before acting a dangerous way.

Due to being abused as a teenager, he developed a taste for violence he evacuates fighting criminals. The way he acts in missions is quite savage and his morals are questionable.

If Ezra is a clever person who can get away from perilous situations with a good sense of strategy, he willingly acts immature and silly. Carelessness is his coping mechanism and he makes a game of every obstacle paving his way. He sometimes defies law, authority and order just for fun; he's an effective superhero and a good person but can't be considered as reliable or responsible.

His depression may impact his energy and there are some days Ezra is just unable to get out of bed. He's treated with antidepressants which don't seem to work much. One of the causes of his mental issues is his homosexuality he desperately tries to hide. Being told he would go to hell if he was gay as a child, Ezra is afraid his loved ones could reject him if he came out. Keeping his sexuality for himself is painful and worsens his self-esteem problems. Moreover, hiding it prevents him from talking about his biggest trauma.

Indeed, Ezra was groomed aged 13 by a 25 years old and went through domestic and sexual abuse for 4 years. He's convincted it was his fault for being gay and can't cope with it because he refuses to tell anyone he "dated" a man.

After living those violences, Ezra developed a deep fear of physical contact. He can't be touched by anyone (except by his brother under certains circumstances) without having a panick attack or a violent defense reflex.

During missions, Ezra incarnates Elizabeth who's his drag queen persona and a character by herself. Her sassiness is close to real life Ezra's but she's more cheerful and extravaggant. Elizabeth is a colorful character who likes to be seen and make spectacular entrances. She has an obsession on guns and explosions and makes a lot of noise. Her expressions are often very exaggerated and she seems to be extremely confident and arrogant.

The famous gimmick she always shouts at the crowd after an intervention is Stay Hydrated, Bitches !

- BACKSTORY

Ezra is the son of two NASA engineers and grew up with his twin brother Aloïs. His father died from a heart attack when they were about 7 : his mother was pregnant and struggled to raise the kids so she asked for her brother's help.

The uncle accepted to take care of the twins just to live rent free at Lola's house, but he actually hated and mistreated them when his sister was not around. He verbally assaulted Ezra a lot, repeatedly calling him fat and ugly when he started gaining a bit of weight. At some point he would even poison Ezra's food for him to slim, which caused him to develop several eating disorders. His uncle crushed his dreams of becoming a model telling him he would never fit the standards and also told him he would go to hell because he looked gay.

His mother didn't notice the abuse for over 5 years : it left Ezra with deep psychological wounds including depression, anxiety, daddy and body issues and a lack of self-esteem.

When Ezra was 13, his uncle was sent to jail for child abuse and didn't cause him harm anymore. Meanwhile, Aloïs decided to withdrawn from school and left the house for a military camp. Since their relationship was fusional and they couldn't live without each other, Aloïs' departure broke Ezra's heart.

Feeling alone and desperately needing a male role model, Ezra engaged in a toxic romantic relationship with a 25 years old. His "boyfriend" quickly started beating and raping him, which caused Ezra even more traumas, a terrible fear of contact and violence issues.

Back then, he used to fight violently with bullies and was evicted a few times from both public and private schools, which never stopped him. He even earned some money secretly participating in street fights. Ezra calmed down a bit when he integrated a new school again : he didn't want to be evicted anymore after meeting his best friend Leanor.

In the meantime, Ezra had decided to use violence for the good cause and was fighting criminals wearing a cheerleader costume. Since Leanor had superpowers on her own, Ezra finally revealed her he was acting as a superhero and from then on, they formed a duo named "The Rising Freaks".

When he was 17, Ezra found her mother dead in the living-room after she had shot herself in the head. Aloïs came back from the camp after this tragic event : he quickly discovered about his abusive relationship with his older boyfriend.

Aloïs tried to confront the man but they had an argument and he accidentally killed him. Ezra didn't want his brother to go to prison and despite his protest, asked Leanor's help to get rid of the corpse.

Aged 20, Aloïs also joined The Rising Freaks and Ezra who was attending a fashion school started sewing fancier costumes. The team (whose Ezra was the leader) gradually got bigger, including Connor and Arthur.

During a mission 10 years before the story, the heroes had to dismantle a branch of the mafia and met a teenager named Roxanne whose power was exploited to kill people. She was forced to fight them but they won and the twins decided to take the girl home to raise her like a sister. She was very aggressive at first but finally softened thanks to their love and care. Their relationship is now strong and loving.

Two years later, they were investigating on a child trafficking case and the acts of pedophilia it involved triggered Ezra a lot. He refused to ask for his teammates' help and overdosed on Xanax instead, then lead the mission while being completely high. The intervention failed and resulted in Connor's death : Leanor left the team and disappeared out of resentment and hate for Ezra.

After this incident, Ezra stopped being a superhero for months and when he started fighting again, he found himself unable to direct the interventions again. He gave his brother the leadership and became his right-hand man.

He's still in the team (now renamed the 7th Division) aged 37 and his role has remained the same as before.

- PRIVATE LIFE

Ezra graduated fashion school and now works as a stylist : he runs his own business and brand and manages to do the job despite his catastrophic mental health. He lives at the Division's headquarters with his twin brother and his adoptive sister Roxanne.

Most of his friends are from the 7th Division and he's single but has a crush on Arthur.

Nicknames :

Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Ez

Mr. Marshall (Charlie)

RELATIONSHIPS

ALOÏS

Ezra is Aloïs' twin and couldn't live a single day without him. They're extremely close and still live together even as adults.

Due to his mental illnesses, Ezra relies on his brother a lot and Aloïs knows how to take care of him when he's at his lowest. However, they sometimes argue because Aloïs is too controlling or Ezra too irresponsible. Their relationship is flawed but fusional and loving : they do almost everything together, including taking decisions for the team.

Ezra himself has a positive influence on Aloïs : their support is mutual and indispensable to each other. Ezra is the only person who's able to calm Aloïs' autistic meltdowns/shutdowns and sometimes sleeps next to him when they don't feel well.

Despite their personalities being polar opposites, the Marshall twins share a lot of common interests such as superheroes stuff (including comics as well as real life missions), fighting or chess.

They couldn't stand being separated and need each other a lot. However, they don't show much signs of affection : Aloïs likes hugs but Ezra is contact phobic and both have difficulties telling each other "I love you".

In the Division, Elizabeth is The Clockworker's right hand.

ARTHUR

Ezra has been crushing on Arthur since the day they met (aged 13-17), even if he was still with his abuser back then. He's still in love with him but does everything to hide it because he fears Arthur could reject him or find his homosexuality disgusting.

When it comes to anything else, Ezra has a total trust in Arthur and his soft personality makes him feel safe. They're very good friends at the beginning of the story and could spend days and nights talking, having a drink or playing chess (with or without Aloïs joining).

A few years after the main timeline, Ezra finally confesses to Arthur and they start dating. From then on, Ezra gets triggered again by the idea of a new relationship and his trust in Arthur collapses. He fears he could abuse him too now they're a couple : however, this fear will disappear as the relationship evolves and Ezra understands Arthur respects him.

Even if they're dating, they rarely have physical contact nor have sex due to Ezra's traumas. They're raising Arthur's biological daughter Ruby together.

ROXANNE

Just like Aloïs, Ezra considers Roxanne as his little sister. He's not able to hug her because of his fear of contact, but he would like to and shows her affection other ways. He would die and kill to protect her.

Ezra is the person who taught Roxanne how to behave in society after she was taken away from an abusive environment and had received a very limited education. He's always ready to listen to her problems and help her dealing with her emotions. Roxanne sometimes comes up to him when she needs advices.

RUBY

Ruby is Arthur's biological daughter and therefore will become Ezra's step-daughter later in the story.

From the moment she arrives to the headquarters to ask for the Division's help, the two of them start bonding and Ezra acts like a dad towards her way before he dates Arthur. When she doesn't feel well because of her visions and the other members of the team don't know what to do, he manages to calm her anxiety engaging in activities such as visual art or showing her how to make up. Ruby quickly gets as attached to Ezra as to Arthur.

When Ezra becomes her second Dad, he's the "cool one" giving the most chaotic education. He sometimes allows her daughter to eat things Arthur forbid for dinner, teaches her that violence is a solution when kids bully her, etc. The opposite education the couple gives to Ruby sometimes results in conflict.

Because of her death-related superpower, Ruby is able to feel Ezra's distress and his history with suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts. It worries her a lot but she does her best to help.

LEANOR

Leanor used to be Ezra's best friend : they met at school when they were 13 and 14. They founded what became the 7th Division together and fought alongside for over 15 years. Unfortunately, a tragic lead by Ezra took Leanor's boyfriend's life 8 years before the story.

Leanor never forgave and has been hating Ezra since, wishing him dead or emotionally destroyed. She even became a criminal and arms trafficker in order to fight the 7th Division.

Ezra on the other hand, tries to reason Leanor when they meet again during her arc, in vain. He still sees her as a friend and feels guilty and heartbroken after what happened. He wants Leanor to forgive him and become his friend again but knows deep inside things will never be the same.

From time to time, the mention of Connor and Leanor triggers Ezra and causes him a panick attack.

GRACE

Grace is one of Ezra's closest friends and someone he trusts in a lot. He feels safe and relaxed around her thanks to her reassuring aura and her delicacy. Grace being a lesbian, he's less afraid of physical contact when it comes to her because he doesn't fear she could sexually assault him.

She's also from the rare people to be able to calm his panick attacks and depressive episodes : her powers are quite effective on Ezra. However, she never managed to really improve his daily mental health.

MYKO

Myko is Ezra's good friend and they're having a lot of fun together. He likes their careless personality and the two of them share the coping mechanism of acting goofy to hide from their problems. He can't help laughing when Myko willingly acts stupid or causes chaos during missions.

[strangelittlestories]

Okay, so:

Hopepunk relies on a world or setting that is hostile to its characters. It seeks to isolate them. To weary them. To burn them out, grind them down, snuff them out.

In the face of this, in a story where *hopelessness* and *powerlessness* are forces of nature like entropy, our characters see a situation where it would be so very reasonable to stop caring. To embrace cynicism. Selfishness. Nihilism.

But they say: fuck it. The world is caustic, its earth is poisoned ... but I'm gonna plant a seed here *anyway*.

They build community. They make little change. They protect the weak, because they themselves *are also weak* and they also deserve that.

In the face of systems that effectively punish you for being gentle, that in a very real way *criminalise* softness, they commit acts of kindness and mercy.

And when they no longer can, when their part in the struggle is done, they trust the ripples of goodness they put out into the world will come back to them. For they must, surely? So they hope.

However ... a problem someone recently raised to me with Hopepunk stories is that it can be hard, just in terms of writing, to make slow and incremental change *exciting*.

These are often small soft actions, repeated and peppered through communities, actions that move the needle by inches or less ... the example the guy gave was specifically around community organising. He used to go door-to-door, raising awareness for social issues and local campaigns, and it was *boring* work of long days, cold smiles and wearing down the pavement with your footsteps.

And my answer to this is ... have you played tabletop RPGs? Have you listened to actual plays? Do you know the thing that people *really* fall in love with? Do you know the thing your players will truly go feral for?

Most of the time it's not the big plot. It's not the clever mechanic or dramatic set piece you worked so hard on.

No, most of the time, the thing they sink their grubby little dice-filled claws into is that one goblin called Gleb you made up on the fly. But he had a funny voice, a weird kinda wild energy, and a Single Problem. And gosh darn it, the party immediately decide they will burn the world down if it means Gleb will get their Problem Solved.

And then they will adopt Gleb and never let them go.

I once joked to my forever-GM and party when we were talking about how to get players to care about NPCs: "Come on, it's not rocket science, just make them gay and fragile and call it a day."

And, like, you *should* make your NPCs gay and fragile, because most tables I'm at will go wild for it. But really that's just my shorthand for: make them tactile and make them vulnerable. Show the players there is clay here in need (knead) of shaping, and show them they have the means to shape it.

Because you know what's true of NPCs in most ttrpg settings? The world is hostile to them. The story is so ready to make collateral damage of them. The world wants to take their agency and put it in the hands of the PCs.

And that's fine, that's how the games work.

But also: the players, those folks who have the agency and the power, what do they choose to do with it?

They choose to *build fucking community* with this 2D goblin I invented out of the goddamn ether *because they had a funny voice and a problem*.

Goddamn that's beautiful. Goddamn that's Hopepunk.

Let's imagine for a moment what Gleb the Goblin's problem is.

See, his dayjob? He has to go door-to-door with a clipboard and tries to get people to sign up to help out at the local secular temple (e.g. fantasy community centre). See, there's a shadow curse in this town that eats you if you spend too long in public outdoor spaces on your own.

But the local secular temple will be safe if enough people sign up to take shifts lighting candles and sweeping floors and tending the vegetable garden.

Because Gleb doesn't know how to kill a shadow curse.

But they do know how to plant a turnip and organise a rota. So this is what they're doing.

And you know what? Your adventurers are gonna be out on that trail with Gleb before you can say "we're gonna ruin the local economy with stolen dragon gold".

And Gleb will get *so many sign-ups*.

And after that, sure, your party might go and actually end the shadow curse that you seeded.

But another problem will hit the town eventually, because the world never *stays saved* in an rpg.

So when trouble does come to that town again, they'll know they'll be safe in the local community secular temple, with its garden and its new coffee bar and its indoor basketball court.

And that's because of a little goblin called Gleb, who had a funny voice and problem and some wild friends, who used to go door-to-door around this town ... selling hope.

Nobody:

Me: actually, the tendency of TTRPG parties to adopt NPCs and solve all their problems is inherently Hopepunk.

[littlebittykittycommittee]

Callout post @ Chara & how they are canonically a cutie

In normal run, they speak very casually, cheerfully, and excitedly, while also being an insatiable little smart-ass. Still likes to sprinkle in some of them fancy words (to show off? because Toriel and Asgore's very proper way of speaking rubbed off on them?).

In Kill All, they are extremely short and blunt in their narration. When prepared to give their full attention and big speech directly to the player however, though still stiff and clipped, they switch to a more formal way of speaking that seems to be directly based on Toriel; imo, this shows that even then, they still fall back on Toriel as the prime example of someone powerful and worthy of respect in their big moment to give a speech and impress their partner.

tbh tho even Kill All Chara chugs their "respect gay women" juice? Undyne is "the heroine", Alphys is "Dr. Alphys"… meanwhile they're slinging MUD and talking trash all over Papyrus and Sans in the checks lol ("Forgettable", "The weakest enemy")

like sorry, boys, be girls I guess

Totally picked up on their mom's playful sense of humor and love of jokes. This includes but is not limited to puns.

On that note, they think they're VERY funny. Likely was the class-clown on top of being the new kid/the only human kid/the new royal kid. Probably spent a lot of time bantering with their equally goofy mama and joking around a lot to make their dad and brother laugh (Asriel spends SO MUCH TIME giggling at their antics in the VHSes, he was definitely used to seeing everything they did as goofing off). Bad move, Dreemurrs, now Chara thinks they're a stand-up comedian.

A mother-kid comedy duo probably explains why they're SO upset by the sight of Snowy's mom calling out to her kid that they slip up so bad on the narration. Snowy's "the comedian" and its mom likes to laugh at its jokes too, after all.

SO committed to the narrator bit, they literally say sound effects out loud. The cutest is giving the Annoying Dog in MTT Resort Dog Residue when you have a full inventory ("ZOMM!!! It shoots back out at a high speed!")

(seriously Chara did you really say "zomm" what the fuck)

So we can deduce from this they would probably make comic book sound effects with their mouth when play-fighting with Asriel.

They also literally say "zzz" out loud in the Greater Dog fight after canonically calling Napstablook out on doing it

Very possibly did narrator shit like this in life too, which would explain why Toby Fox decided not to give them any lines in the VHS tapes to not make it too obvious lmao. Imagine Chara narrating doing their own creepy face at Asriel.

The point I'm trying to drive home here is that Chara is actually a total baby geek and a nerd and more people need to recognize this, y'all are letting Chara WIN if you think they're even the slightest bit cool. A close examination of the narrative confirms they were not EVER cool.

Chatty af! Literally the type of kid who gets home from school and follows you around to jabber nonstop about their day (me, I was that kid)

Calls their mom's pie ButtsPie, regardless of what flavor you say you like better. Imo could mean that THEY like cinnamon more (in other words, might "turn their nose up" if they found butterscotch on their plate… picky-eater Chara?) or that Frisk has An Opinion on butterscotch and they're teasing them.

[footsiepop]

pleeeeease recommend your fave yuri/yaoi manga i’m looking for new stuff to read

Okay so to start for print stuff, if you haven't read it, I super recommend Murcielago! It's about a serial killer lesbian who is given the opportunity to commute her death sentence by working with the government to catch... unique cases. The character designs are excellent, they all stand out from each other and they're all hot! Hyperviolence, lots of explicit sex, and hot girls. Everything important in a yuri.

Another yuri I have been enjoying is a weekly twitter comic (translations usually come about a day after, so comic is on Sunday and translation comes Monday) known as The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy At All about a girl who works at her uncle's record shop and the popular girl from her class who's super into rock music and falls in love with her androgynous worksona. The pacing is really good, and done in a way that's very aware of how it's a 4-page weekly comic, so while it's always like "omg I want more NAO" it never feels like it's moving too fast or too slow.

The creators of Love Stage also do yuri and they did one I really enjoyed called Renai Idenshi XX/Love DNA XX about a post-apocalyptic Class S world where there are no men. Women are divided into Adams and Eves and love between two Adams or two Eves is forbidden. So of course our protag is an Adam who falls for another Adam. It's very indulgent with its tomboy hotgirl leanings which is very up my alley.

BL wise, one of the ones I'm currently keeping up with is Mitsuya Sensei no Keikakuteki na Edzuke. There's no license yet that I'm aware of. It's about a magazine editor in his late 20s who's suddenly assigned to pick up manuscripts from one of their writers who's an older gay man, and a skilled chef. Our editor falls for him pretty quickly, and deals with the emotional turmoil of being in love with one of the magazine's writers, and a much older man. Also they're both HOT!!!!! they're super hot!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, Omega to Akuma no Sefure Jijou. This one's an omegaverse (this seems really popular with fujin lately :0) about an omega working at a host club and concealing his secondary gender, and an incubus he summons to try and grant him more success at his job. However, said incubus wants him to bear his child, and our omega doesn't want pregnancy to interfere with his job. But it turns out that getting cummed in by an incubus is doing great things to his looks, thus making his work as a host go better, and they come to a sort of agreement where the incubus watches how far our omega can go using the power of incubus cum. The romance here is actually really sweet, and the author draws super hot faces.

His Favorite/Aitsu no Daihonme is about a super sadist who's madly in love with a super average guy. I don't have a lot exciting to say about the plot here so please look at our cute protag (said average guy. the super sadist is a bishie which is nice and all but imo he doesn't stand out as much)

(Also honorary mention for Yarichin Bitch Club and Dick Fight Island, but I don't think these need so much introduction XD)

[babygirldennis]

This shit is fake bby!!!

Here she is.. My masterpost of all the dumb, illogical bits of info contained within these s15 “leaks” that make me fairly confident they are complete bullshit. It also includes my little tinhat theories that have absolutely no evidence.

I will be putting it all under a Readmore in case you don't want to risk it or if you simply Do Not Care

First up, I'd like to point out that these call sheets repeatedly give very detailed backstories to characters that have few lines which conveniently paints a picture of each episode's plot. And I'm not an expert so correct me if I'm wrong, but after looking at other similar casting calls, they only ever include the demographic and necessary skills.

Basically who in their right mind would write up casting calls that give away so many spoilers? Seems like that could cause and issue if they were leaked lol. But anyway that's my 1st point. But onto the actual content

So the conceit of this episode as a whole is that during the pandemic, the gang "gamed the system" and received three (3!) Loans to start businesses that went bankrupt. One of these businesses is implied to be the one started by dee and charlie who end up selling to Qanon shaman. Already this is so impossible baby.

1. We've already seen the gang try to get a loan and it didn't work. They don't have good ideas. Ur telling me, they managed to finagle 3 separate loans for 3 separate business ideas from an actual bank?

2. Maybe I just have bad reading comprehension but how does one have a business that is both fictitious and bankrupt?

3. If the customer is supposed to be Qanon shaman, an actual real life guy, why are the only descriptors white and male? They say he's shirtless so are they going to paint on all of the tattoos he has? And if so, doesn't that kind of ruin the dramatic reveal when charlie "throws in" the viking helmet? Why would he do that anyways? Sus.

Moving on

Alright this episode would fucking blow for obvious reasons but im going to refrain from looking at this through my gay dennis thruther lens because im biased.

Purely from a narrative standpoint, a woman hasn't been shown to be interested in dennis in nearly 5 years during the wade boggs episode. Ever since, every single woman he approaches has been actively creeped out by him. And now I'm supposed to believe that 3 "smart, passionate woman" (In Their Twenties!!!!!!) agreed to go on a date with him? And Anna even slept with him! Just because he what? Agreed with her? I'm not buyin it.

Plus the concept of this scenario lacks any potential for comedy. When iasip gets political, they always discuss a very specific topic using hyperbolic situations and flawed metaphors. If this is supposed to be a political episode, what ultimately lukewarm point would rob be trying to make here? So far we know they're ranting about

The patriarchy

Privilege

Socialism

No more personal responsibility(?)

The... nature of power in society(??)

How on earth would an episode like get approved? This shit sounds like a Ted talk. It sounds like it was written specifically to sound like a political episode so boring and pointless it would generate outrage and mile long essay posts from Tumblr users and reddit users alike. Almost like this one lol.

On a completely unrelated note, do not try and convince me that Frank "casual cock ring wearer" Reynolds is unable to perform.

Jeez this is getting out of hand fast. Let's move on

Ok now we're starting to getting into the Ireland of it all. Let me go on a bit of a tangent here about all this.. Now I thinq there are just 3 possibilities. Either this is all a publicity stunt and there is some truth to the Ireland rumors, the entire thing could be bogus from some weirdo fan (ps, if a fan did write this I want you to know I fucking hate you. You did this to me), or it is a publicity stunt but Ireland is just more bullshit.

I am going to assume it was a publicity stunt, otherwise I just wasted my entire evening and I can't have that kind of mentality rn. Additionally, I'm Going to tinhat here for a second and say that the Ireland rumors are true, but the details are different.

I say this because if they were going to do filming in Ireland, they probably figured that that information would be impossible to hide. In essence, my completely unfounded hypothesis is that this leak was their fucked up little way of controlling the situation while simultaneously messing with us.

Ok tangent is over, returning to the casting calls. From the looks of it, dee starts a "scam" acting class and has some very devoted students (Note that Tony was also the name of the porn shop owner. Seems weird!) Presumably after the gang replaces her with a monkey as the title suggests.

Honestly, there isn't too much here that's a red flag to me... seems like a nice little dee-centric episode that is the link to the Dublin angle. Assuming I am At All right, this could be a genuine plotline for Dee. However, the monkey could be a red herring and there could be a whole different side plot with the guys. who's to say. Next one!

Ah yes this is the dennis we all know and despise.. no red flags for me here really, I'm also running out of steam because idk if it shows, but I am majorly sleep deprived atm. Anyway I'm going to the next one

Okay this is where things start getting weird again ough a migraine just hit, anyway back to my earlier point about how casting calls would never contains major spoilers bc the people who see these wont be under any kind of NDA..

These ones reveal that bonnie dies. Again, that info wouldn't be in a casting call.

But also they suggest charlie has a irish penpal named Shelley who is his biological father. First off charlie is illiterate, although as pointed out by @undeadbreeze shelley could also be communicating in symbols. However, this scenario is still unbelievable to me for a couple reasons:

1. Bonnie's last name is Kelly obviously, and we know it's her maiden name because Jack's last name is also Kelly. But Shelley's last name is... also Kelly? In the context of this big ol hoax, it feels like it was written to show that look! his last name is the same as charlie's! That's how you know that's his dad! But It would be way too big of a coincidence if charlie's dad happened to have the same last name bonnie.

And 2. There's the whole mystery of charlie's long-lost sister from 'charlie got molested' but never any mention of a brother which according to this, shelley has been pretending to be his brother for years. And we all know how much rcg loves their continuity, it seems uncharacteristically lazy to just tack this on without any prior buildup.

And finally let me talk about mac for a second and specifically the line in gus's summary "both are gay men who are attracted to the priesthood for all the wrong reasons"

Iasip has commented on pedophilia in the priesthood many times in the past which leads me to believe that they are implying that mac is a pedophile? Please let me know if I completely misread the implications of that statement, but if not, then that is completely insane and one of the biggest indictators that this is fake. Mac is awful, just like everyone in the gang but he is definitely not a pedophile.

However even if i did completely misread that, it's still proof this is fake.. For all his faults, Rob put a surprising amount of care and effort into mac's coming-out. It hasn't been perfect, but Mfhp in particular firmly established that mac's faith is integral to his identity so Its unlikely that rob would throw all of that away for a cheap shot at priests.

Ok my brain is irradiated sludge at this point, but in conclusion. I hope that 1. I'm right, at least about it being fake (Otherwise damb that'll be so humiliating for me) And 2. This eases ur fears a bit. I don't want to lose all faith in future seasons bc I love iasip and miss the gang. If you read this far youre insane but I literally love you so goddamn much because I spent so so long tapping this out on my silly little phone

Please feel free to add on or message me your thoughts and opinions I need to know I'm not the only one who uhhh went a bit insane. And finally: whoever made these is a cunt. Mwah.

[pub-lius]

ACTUALLY Hardcore Facts About Alexander Hamilton

Alright, take two.

I've already typed this entire thing out once, so this is likely going to be a lot more lazy than anything else I will ever post, so :).

Sources: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow; John Laurens and the American Revolution by Gregory D. Massy; The Federalist by Alexander Hamilton; George Washington's Indispensible Men by Authur S. Lefkowitz; Lafayette by Harlow Giles Unger; Who Was Alexander Hamilton? by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso

Hamilton wished for a war when he was like a baby. So if you know Hamilton, you know that one line where Hamilton says "As a kid of the Carribean, I wished for a war, I knew that I was poor, I knew it was the only way to rISE UP-" in Right Hand Man. Well, that line is based off of a letter Hamilton sent to his childhood bestie, Edward Stevens: "...Ned, my ambition is [so] prevalent that I... would willingly risk my life, tho' not my character, to exalt my station... I'm no philosopher, you see, and may be jus[t]ly said to build castles in the air... I shall conclude by saying I wish there was a war. Alex. Hamilton." Okay, dude, calm down, you're like two years old. I think he was actually like 14-16, but for dramatic purposes we'll say he was an actual infant (do I sound like Chernow?). But I hate how much this letter foreshadows. It's like he jinxed himself, its almost embarrassing.

Hamilton ran a business at 14. Now if you've ever been fourteen and you were like "i think i feel like running a business" literally shut up no one asked. I think this is impressive. When Hamilton was at least 14, the guys the owned Beekman and Cruger (it had a different name by this time but this one sounds cooler) just dipped and left Hamilton in charge. This was actually a pretty good decision, since Hamilton managed it well. There was also this one time where Hamilton told a whole captain of a ship who didn't perform up to standard, "Reflect continually on the unfortunate voyage you have just made and endeavor to make up for the considerable loss therefrom accruing to your owners." This man was so arrogant I wish I had his confidence. Yeah that was cool ig, but if I met teenage-Hamilton, I'd literally hate him.

Hamilton saved the president of his college. Ever the dramatic, Hamilton had a thing for suppressing mobs (though he was pretty much never successful). There was this one time at King's College where a mob formed to "talk" with the president of the university, Dr. Myles Cooper (by "talk" i mean make him into a tory bird). And, according to Who Was Alexander Hamilton? (this book gives me so much joy), "Alexander vowed to protect him [aww]... He stood up to the crowd, telling them that violence would only hurt their cause. He couldn't stop the crowd, but he delayed them long enough for Dr. Myles Cooper to escape in his nightgown," (Pollack and Belviso 27-29). This is a really sweet description of it, but Hamilton was probably calling the mob a bunch of insults and stuff, judging by how he later handled riots. Also, Cooper thought Hamilton was rallying the mob, so he was a complete jerk to Hamilton, but rightfully. Everyone, bully Hamilton. He's short and dead like an idiot.

Hamilton was really cool on the battlefield, don't @ me. Now, despite being a clumsy little gremlin and an absolute dork, Hamilton was a pretty good leader, and I guess veterans deserve to be recognized for their victories or whatever. At the battle of Princeton, one of my favorites, Hamilton had very big, cool guns, and did some cool stuff. "Returning to the final phase of the battle of Princeton, British infantry took refuge inside Nassau Hall, the building that housed the College of New Jersey. American artillery commanded by Capt. Alexander Hamilton [ya boy] was brought to bear on the college building... Washington was on the scene and noticed this young artillery officer who skillfully commanded his gun battery. The general would soon invite Hamilton to become one of his aides-de-camp," (Lefkowitz 92). Wow so cool moving on to Yorktown.

When the Americans were building their fortifications, two British fortifications were in the way. So rude. Consequently, Washington sent The Gay Trio, Lafayette, Laurens, and Hamilton, to uh, silence them. Hamilton pulled off a successful sneak attack, and won the battle swiftly, leading to the American victory in the battle of Yorktown, and therefore the war. "...Colonel Hamilton['s] well known talents and gallantry were on this occasion most conspicuous and serviceable. Our obligations to him, to Colonel Gimat [stan], to Colonel Laurens, and to each and all the officers are above expression..." -Major General Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette is so nice I would marry him if he was alive and single and legal and not old as hell. Like omg he gave credit to everyone but himself that's so nice I'm such a simp for Lafayette. Anyway, Hamilton was cool too ig.

Hamilton caused the evacuation of Philadelphia like an iDIOT. So, after Brandywine (British victory), Washington sent Hamilton on a foraging mission in Vally Forge to get flour, horseshoes, and tomahawks (not quite as exciting as Yorktown). Well, our clumsy ginger rat got caught, and wrote to the president of Congress, John Hancock, "If Congress have not yet left Philadelphia, they ought to do it immediately without fail, for the enemy have the means of throwing a party [party rockers in the house tonight] this night into the city. I have just now crossed the valley-ford [Valley Forge], in doing which a party of the enemy came down & fired upon us."

Surprise, this turned out not to be the entire goddamn British army, it was just a few scouts sooo... let's just say Philadelphia wasn't happy. "Our Removal from Philad. Was owning to information that General Howe was crossing Schuylkill [River]... However tho' this Intelligence was from one of the General's family (Alexander Hamilton) it was not well founded & we wish we had not left Philad.," -James Duane. Yeeeaaahhh, that's awkward. Not the best way to get your name known in the capital, I must say.

Hamilton was possibly bisexual, and this is hardcore because I say so. Now, I'll add more quotes to this later, but basically heres my interpretation of the historical evidence and whatnot. Basically, Hamilton was a really closed off, cynical guy, since like everyone he ever loved died or left him pretty much, and he wasn't really the type to make and keep close friends; "...how little dependence is to be placed on treaties, which have no other sanction than the obligations of good faith, and which oppose general considerations of peace and justice to the impulse of any immediate interest or passion," (Federalist 64); It is a known fact in human nature, that its affections are commonly weak in proportion to the distance or diffusiveness of the object," (Federalist 73). Um, Mr. Hamilton? You're projecting your trauma on the government again.

Also, despite working with him for like twenty years, Hamilton really never got close to Washington, like at all. He even said to Laurens, "I have no friendship for him and have professed none," in regards to Washington, which is kind of mean. But he ALSO told Laurens:

"Cold in my professions, warm in my friendships, I wish, my dear Laurens, it m[ight] be in my power by action rather than words [to] convince you that I love you. I shall only tell you that till you bade us adieu, I hardly knew the value you had taught my heart to set upon you. Indeed, my friend, it was not well done. You know the opinion I entertain of mankind and how much it is my desire to preserve myself free from particular attachments and to keep my happiness independent of the caprice of others. You s[hould] not have taken advantage of my sensibility to ste[al] into my affections without my consent."

*mocking Hamilton* its YOUR fault that i love you and it was RUDE that you FORCED me to love you how DARE you you SUCK i love you uwu.

Also, at the top of that letter, someone mysterious (probably Hamilton's son) wrote, "I must not publish the whole of this," and Massey still thinks Hamilton was straight.

But yeah, that's about it. I had originally written more at the beginning, but I unfortunately lost the original draft, so I'll just settle for this. I hope you enjoyed, though, and maybe learned something or found a quote you needed or something. I did more research than I wanted to in one sitting for this, so appreciate it or I'll cry. Thanks love you <3

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Do you have any fanficions that are very science-y, if that makes any sense? Like, focused on scientific things, in the writing style or actual experiments incorporated into the story itself? I hope I'm making sense

Hi Nonny!

Ahhh yeah, though a lot of the fics I read have it deep in the fic, lol. BUT!!!! Guess what?? Your ask is the lucky one that spawns a new list I’ve been waiting forever to post the next part for a tonne of new fics, LOL!

As always, gang, if you have a fic more tuned to what Nonny is ACTUALLY looking for, please add them here, LOL. Pt. 1 will have a lot more of what you’re looking for Nonny, since there’s a lot of my FFNet recs on that one, but both lists have great recs!! <3

IT’S AN EXPERIMENT! Pt. 3

See also:

It’s An Experiment!

It’s An Experiment! (Pt. 2)

The Perfect Place by SilverSmile (K+, 1,955 w., 1 Ch. || Humour, Romance, 5 and Ones, Fluff, Experiments, Bed Sharing) – Sherlock attempts to find the perfect place to sleep, but his little experiment proves to be far more difficult than expected.

A Study in Lace by KarlyAnne (E, 2,320 w., 1 Ch. || Est. Rel., Crafty Sherlock, Tiny Lace Panties / Lingerie, Domestics, Experiments, Oral, Masturbation) – “Why do you suppose he was doing that?” “Why do I suppose who was doing what?” “The room. The lace. The secrecy. He was playing with fire in everything he did, and didn’t care one bit. But he had a secret chamber, carefully concealed, solely for the purpose of making lace lingerie. Obviously for personal use. Why?" Part 1 of The Unintentional Crafts of Sherlock Holmes

Insomnia by TheSingingGirl (K+, 2,635 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Humour, Bed Sharing, Sleepy Sherlock) – Sleep is merely the next frontier in what has become the battle to keep Sherlock alive. It's because of this that John ends up in bed with a sociopath.

Undercurrents by entanglednow (E, 2,996 w., 1 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Disturbing Things, Crime Scene Fetish, Pseudo-Necrophilia, PWP, Masturbation) – “There, that's it, perfect, shut your eyes and don't move - and don't speak."

John's Missing Wednesday by PipMer (K+, 2,999 w., 1 Ch. || Pre-Slash, Pre-TSo3, Non-Con Drugged John, Friendship, Experiment) –  "Now John I'd poison. ... Sloppy eater – dead easy. I've given him chemicals and compounds that way, he's never even noticed. He missed a whole Wednesday once, didn't have a clue." – The Sign of Three. This is the story of that missing Wednesday.

Museums and Laboratories by RhododendronPonticum (T, 3,004 w., 1 Ch. || Romance, Angst, Obsessive Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock, Anxiety/Panic Attack, Separation Anxiety, Doctor John, Co-Dependent Sherlock) – If Sherlock's kitchen was his laboratory, then his bedroom was his museum.

Bathroom Accessories by Evenlodes_Friend (E, 3,324 w., 1 Ch. || Sex Toys, Butt Plug, First Kiss / Time, Romance, Horny Sherlock, John’s Patience Wears Thin, Humour, Bottomlock) – John discovers that Sherlock has been playing with some very adult toys in the bath.

After the Bombs by VampirePam (T, 3,337 w., 2 Ch. || THoB AU, Drugs, John’s PTSD, Panic Attack, Nightmares, Caring Sherlock, Cuddles, Bed Sharing, Angst, Hurt/Comfort) – In which the drugs Sherlock used to dose John trigger a severe episode of PTSD. When terrors old and new cause John to fall apart, Sherlock must rectify his mistake and pick up the pieces.

Experiment by Gwen's Blue Box (K+, 4,222 w., 3 Ch. || Non-Con Drugging, Hurt Comfort, Friendship) – Of course John has always known about his flatmate’s irregular sleeping habits, especially when they’re on a case. This time, however, the case is taking longer and longer, and soon John starts to worry. But there’s not much he can do, is there? Because drugging Sherlock isn’t an option. Not yet, maybe, but will it be soon? {{CW: John drugs Sherlock without his consent}}

Survival Strategies for the Domesticated British Butthole by Atiki (E, 6,183 w., 1 Ch. || Crack, Rimming, Anal Sex, Iced Lolly, Hair Removal, Depilation) – In which there’s a rimming disaster, Sherlock depilates his butt, everything goes very, very wrong and groceries are mistreated. This fic contains hair removal creme in a butthole, ice lollies in a butthole and John Watson's penis in a butthole. You have been warned.

My First, My Only, and My Forever by vintagelilacs (E, 6,220 w., 1 Ch. || Post-ASiB, Virgin Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock’s Bum, John’s Scar, Sherlock POV, Body Worship, Fingering, Bottomlock, Promise of Forever / Proposals, Misunderstanding, First Kiss/Time, Loss of Virginity, Virginity Kink, Seduction) – Sherlock narrowed his eyes. He was missing a vital piece of data, he was sure. John had been looking at him oddly ever since they left Buckingham Palace, and the ensuing incident with Irene Adler had only exacerbated his erratic behaviour. What was it? Why would he care that Sherlock was a virgin? There was nothing reminiscent of mockery or pity in his gaze. And then it hit him. John Watson was aroused.

Time on my hands by Mildredandbobbin (M, 7,179 w., 1 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-S3, One Night Stands, Mutual Pining, Virgin Sherlock, First Time, Sexual Exploration / Discovery, Desperation, Body Worship) – Virginity’s a construct, a concept—what does losing one’s virginity entail for a gay man anyway? Sherlock wants to fill that particular gap in his knowledge but John won’t, can’t, never will assist and there’s only so much desperately unspoken pining even Sherlock can take.

Speak My Language by Itsallfine (T, 7,479 w., 4 Ch. || Thanksgiving, Love Languages, Love Confessions, First Kiss, John Experiments in Sherlock) – When Mrs. Hudson introduces John and Sherlock to the concept of the five love languages, Sherlock descends into a dark mood and John’s curiosity gets the better of him. What is Sherlock’s love language, and why does the whole concept set him so on edge? Part 1 of A Holiday Triptych

Made for You by Raxicoricofallapatorious (K, 8,440 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Sci-Fi, Androids) – When John was shot in the shoulder he was decommissioned and his memory and personality was wiped. Sherlock was given the blank droid and he quickly learns that this droid is more than it seems. John just so happened to come back and no one can fathom how or why. Johnlock if you squint.

Ravish Me by amalnahurriyeh (E, 10,025 w., 1 Ch. || UST / RST, Makeup / Lipstick, Sympathetic Sally, Experiments, Pining John, First Kiss, Face Fucking / BJ’s, Cuddling) – Sherlock is experimenting with patterns of wear on lipstick in daily encounters. John is going to go insane.

You fit me, Sherlock Holmes by orphan_account (G, 10,077 w., 1 Ch. || It’s An Experiment, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Questionable Science) – An unfortunate series of events leads to John accepting being a part of Sherlock's study in physical intimacy. As the days pass by, John realizes he might be in for more than he bargained for. He doesn't entirely mind.

Fucking Cake by Random_Nexus (E, 12,965 w., 1 Ch. || Pre-Slash, Humour/Crack, Inanimate Object Smut, Frottage, “For a Case” / “Experiment”, PWP / Kinky, Mutual Pining, Fluff) – Sherlock brings home a chocolate cake, John finds him about to have sex with said cake, then exceedingly weird hijinx ensue. Part 1 of "Fucking Baked Goods" - Sherlock BBC

Division by MrsNoggin (E, 19,542 w., 11 Ch. || Coffee Shop AU || First Kiss/Time, Fluff, Barista Sherlock, Clingy Sherlock, POV John, John’s Limp, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Sensuality, Touching, Virgin Sherlock, Insecure John) – John likes mysteries. And every morning he dips into the local independent coffee bar with his newspaper and ponders another... one Sherlock Holmes.

Hellfire by testosterone_tea (E, 28,596 w., 9 Ch. || Fantasy / Magic / Mages / Elementals AU || Mage Sherlock, Elemental John, Developing Relationship, Torture, Powerful / BAMF John, POV Alternating, Dark / Blood Magic, UST, First Kiss) – Sherlock is a Mage that gets involved with a case involving Dark Summoning rituals, leading him to John Watson, a man with Berserker blood. The only thing is, Berserkers have been extinct for centuries. And of course, nothing involving Mycroft and his interfering ways is ever simple. This time, even Sherlock may have bitten off more than he can chew.

Never Change a Running System by Lorelei_Lee (E, 54,246 w., 18 Ch. || Pre-TRF, Romance, Humour, Drama, Sex Toys, Anal, Rimming, Masturbation, Frottage, Blow Jobs, Public Sex, First Kiss / Time, Virgin Sherlock / Loss of Virginity, Accidental Voyeurism, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Experiments, Naive Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Straight With an Exception John, Hand Jobs) – Sherlock discovers his sexuality – with far-reaching consequences for John.

Being John Watson-ish by elwinglyre (E, 69,902 w., 17 Ch. || Bodysnatcher AU || Author John, Cranky Sherlock, Angst, Sexual Tension, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love, BAMF John, Past Soldier John, Feelings, Inside Someone’s Brain, Shy Sherlock, Sherlock Loves John, POV Sherlock, Switchlock, Slow Burn, Internal Dialogue, Mental Turmoil) – When consulting detective Sherlock Holmes steps on one toe too many at a crime scene, he's consigned to a desk job in an archaic office on the seventh-and-a-half floor of the New Scotland Yard. It’s in this bleak office that Sherlock discovers a portal into the mind of renowned author John Watson. Grander than his mind palace, this new wonderland affords Sherlock new vistas of experimentation. To learn more about the mystery behind the portal, Sherlock seeks out and befriends Watson. But then it all goes wrong when others find the secret portal door—including the man whose brain he visits.

Northwest Passage by Kryptaria (E, 95,157 w., 27 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Canadian AU ||  BAMF!John, Canadian John, PTSD, Anal / Oral Sex, Rimming, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Drug Rehab, Falling in Love, Pining Sherlock, Love Confessions, Sherlock’s Violin, Panic Attacks, Switching, Anxious / Protective Sherlock, Hugs for Comfort, Suicide Mentions, Healing Each Other) – Seven years ago, Captain John Watson of the Canadian Forces Medical Service withdrew from society, seeking a simple, isolated life in the distant northern wilderness of Canada. Though he survives from one day to the next, he doesn't truly live until someone from his dark past calls in a favor and turns his world upside-down with the introduction of Sherlock Holmes." Part 1 of Tales from the Northwest

The Adventure of the Silver Scars by tangledblue (NR [M], 142,458 w., 41 Ch. || S3 Fix-It, Post-HLV/ Post-TAB / Canon Compliant, Case Fic, No Baby, Angst, Humour, UST, Slow Burn, Angry John, Reconciliation, Not Nice Mary / Leaving Mary, Dependent Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Caretaker John, Fist Fights, It’s An Experiment, Virgin Sherlock, Dancing, Drugging, John Whump, Pet Names, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Scars) – It’s been thirteen months since Mary shot Sherlock and John finds he’s still pissed off about it. Sherlock had thought everything was settled: John and Mary, domestic bliss. But when John turns up at Baker Street with suitcases, the world’s only consulting detective might not be prepared for the consequences. A new case. Some old scores to settle. Certain danger. Concertos, waltzes, and whisky.