#i don't think you can be surprised that it's a bit disheartening to do all that and then be met with basically silence

[shiny-jr]

VERY IMPORTANT!

THE INTERACTION.

This announcement pertains to the recent plagiarism incident that I've been dealing with behind the scenes. This announcement will contain the explanation in the form of a timeline, along with evidence (as much as I can provide given that Tumblr has an image limit) of the plagiarism and interactions, as well as what you can do to help. This post will be the interaction post, and you can find the other post of the evidence here:

Evidence post.

If you choose to help, thank you, and please make sure you read the entirety of the two posts for all the information and as I'd like to set some boundaries.

Before I explain the timeline, I would like to make it clear that it was my full intention to solve this privately and quickly. It was what I wanted since the beginning, but that has been made harder and harder, and now it is practically impossible. I did not want to go public, but I was compelled to do so.

Here is the rough timeline to understand the situation.

DECEMBER EIGHTH. I receive a message in my inbox notifying me that my work has been plagiarized. I check it out promptly, despite being busy. Sure enough, I find a story on Quotev that has multiple scenes that are far too similar to mine, with some words even being the same, but of course slightly adjusted probably to go under the radar. What I found even more preposterous, is the user followed me and still had this story posted.

I took some time to skim through the story, comparing scenes with mine. I have different tabs open, looking at each line and recognizing some lines and scenarios. After a bit of comparison, I came to the conclusion that it was indeed plagiarism. This was entirely new territory for me, as I don't remember if I had ever dealt with something like this before. Which is why I took this issue to a small server of writer mutuals where I received advice and feedback.

My main objective was to end the situation as quickly as possible, without any major drama or harsh words. There were no direct messages available on Quotev, so I had to resort to the comment section. I leave a comment on the copied story, detailing an explanation with dates provided and one of many examples being used to further my point. At the end of the comment, I ask them to delete the story.

Unfortunately, I did not think to take a screenshot of the comment I made, but I do have a copy of it from when I was typing it out in my notes. My comment on the copied story went something like this:

"Hello. I really did want did to be a private conversation, but due to the fact that Quotev has disabled private messages, this is the only way my message could get across. My username, as you can see right above this comment, is ShinyJr. My story is Damnation, a Twisted Wonderland yandere series that bears a striking resemblance to yours. I would say it's a coincidence, but I really don't think it is based of the fact alone that you published this series in June of 2023 while I first published scenes of my story in December of 2022 from Tumblr then officially posted it on Quotev in January of 2023. It's an ongoing series of mine, which makes it more disheartening when I find a story such as this one that have blatantly copied both the premise and a vast majority of the scenes. Not only this, but I also noticed several instances of potentially copied scenes from a mutual of mine and their own story, who I won't name as I don't speak for them. This just further proves that you deliberately copied others. If you need more proof of this, I will gladly provide it, as I gathered plenty of side by side comparisons. Just in case though, here are some comparisons I found: 1. MC is trying to think of how to manipulate the story. Up to this point, there are a lot of uncanny similarities, such as the MC waking up as the chieftain of the hyenas, Ruggie being the first one to greet them, climbing a cliffside and being surprising by Leona, the prince of the kingdom. But there's one line in the thought process which particularly caught my eye. My version: The plot was moving forward. Leona needed the hyenas, he couldn’t complete the coup all on his own. So either way, with or without your approval, he would win the majority of the hyena-folk by his false good-will. You could reveal to Ruggie and the others that you weren’t who they thought you were, but that didn’t work before. Even if it did work this time, what then? Would they turn on you? Would they accept you but lower your standing in the ranks? Or would you be banished, die stranded in a hot desert where the vultures would peck at your remains? . . . Your version: The plot was moving forward. Leona needed the hyenas, he couldn’t complete the coup all on his own. So either way, with or without your approval, he would win the majority of the hyena-folk by his false good-will. You could reveal to Ruggie and the others that you weren’t who they thought you were, but that didn’t work before. Even if it did work this time, what then? Would they turn on you? Would they accept you but lower your standing in the ranks? Or would you be banished, die stranded in a hot desert where the vultures would peck at your remains? This is just one example of the many I found. I ask that you please take down the story. Next time, if and when you decide to continue writing, do not copy. It's not a big request, it's just basic decency."

A few hours pass when I get word from a mutual that my comment was gone, and eventually, the user had disabled the entire comment section, leaving no evidence of my message and no way to speak to them. Meaning my comment was never responded to, and the user was trying to avoid responsibility.

With no other choice left, I report the story for plagiarism.

A few hours later, the story is gone completely but the account remained. I do not know if this happened by choice of the user as in they deleted it willingly or the report worked, but the story was gone. This was completely fine with me. I was content, as I thought that it was the end of things. Oh, I was so wrong.

DECEMBER NINTH. A mutual informs me that they found the same exact story under a new profile. Same cover, same notes, same everything. Looking into things, I discover that the user created an entirely new account just to avoid being caught, and put the story back up. Not only that, but they added notes on their account and the story that were clearly meant to be jabs at me. So you can probably understand the stress this was creating.

Here is the note that was found on the second version of the copied story. The username of the other writer is blacked out because I have not spoken to them and I do not want to involve them in drama they may want no part of.

Additionally, here is the second profile the user made just to post the story again. Take note of the words on their profile and how long the account was active, as well as how long ago the story had been posted.

This time, again, I had little choice but to report both the story and the new account. I did not want to comment on anything again in case I would be reported for harassment, so this was the safest option.

At this point, I considering going public with the information, but I really want to avoid this as it just makes the issue that much bigger and problematic. So, ultimately I push the idea aside.

A few hours later, the original account, the secondary account, and the copied story are again, gone. Gone entirely. Again, whether the reports worked or the user decided to call it quits, I have not a single clue. But surely, that must be the end of it, right? You would think so.

That same day, I was informed that this same copied story was on another site. Wattpad. I investigate, and sure enough, there it is. The same user, same story. This version had been up for a while and seemed relatively low activity.

This version is still up. Now, before anyone does anything, I ask you to please finish reading for all the details.

After discovering the profile, I decide to comment directly on the user's profile. This is one I do have screenshots to. My comment was very similar to the one I left on Quotev, but with some changes.

My comment:

Their reply:

My response:

Their answer:

Notice how there is no reply after that? That is because they blocked me before I could say anything else. They also chose to go to my profile on Wattpad and comment on a post I made two years ago. This comment was likely made sometime around the time they blocked me.

This is currently where things stand. Despite the report I have attempted to make, I am unable to do anything more because of the rules of Wattpad.

This is the part where I would ask you, my followers and readers, for help. If you have fully read both this evidence post and interaction post, and you are wondering if there is a way to help, yes, there is.

However, I want to remind everyone that I do not want anyone to spam or send outright hate. That is not what I want nor will it be useful.

If you would like to help, then please report the story and comment discouragement. Especially comment on the story, as I feel that this would be the most efficient method. If you wish to reblog, you may. Again, I stress this, DO NOT send any hate or spam! I am entirely serious on this point. I will block any users I find that are clearly hating or spamming the user on my behalf.

All I want is this to end as quickly as possible, so I can just get back to writing in peace. Please, and thank you for your time.

Where can you find the story and user: Wattpad

The user: kristynaka1

The story: In The Right Time

[bonelyheartsclub]

for the swap versions of eachother (undertale/underswap and underfell/fellswap) what was it like seeing themselves essentially swapped with their own brother? and do you think the swapped versions of themselves get along for being like minded or are opposed to each other for it (at least when they first met i know they get along now lol)

Stretch: Was definitely…… overwhelmed when he met Papyrus and Boss. Imagining himself running around, doing everything like that every hour of every day made him feel tired just thinking it. More power to those guys. And he gets along with them as easy as his “lazy” counterparts, just conversation naturally oozes out with them.

Blue: Was absolutely astounded to see Sans and Red, how could he ever be that lazy in any universe? Though given he also shares their trait of lacking motivation in some things, he supposes he can relate. Papyrus was a great make-up gift, though, and the two became quick friends! Boss not so much, but that was for other reasons. Mainly dissimilar wavelengths. If anything came from it, though, it was nice to see that no matter the universe, his brother still kept his sweet tooth.

Red: Felt right at home with Blue and Nox. Even with the switching, he just saw it as more people to playfully antagonize with puns and pranks a plenty. He knows himself, he'd enjoy some April fooling, even if they were a bit more uppity. Stretch and Rus were a bit odd; he never thought he'd see his brother be so lackadaisical about anything. It took a bit of adjustment, but he considers them good buddies now. Though he does try to tone things down a little bit for them, moreso than he does for Sans; the part of him that still sees his little brother deems it so.

Boss: The swap siblings were a bit of a surprise to Boss, initially. Though over time, he realized Stretch still had ambition in his own way. Maybe not for the same things HE did, but nonetheless. Blue was a bit more difficult to understand, but gradually he noticed more similarities with Red. Particularly in their need to mess with each other; something he was glad to not be a part of. He was most perplexed by Rus. Knowing he came from such a harsh universe, he was initially surprised someone so clumsy could make it out of there. Though seeing Nox, he supposed it wasn't too much of a surprise: his brother would look out for him in any universe.

Papyrus: For Papyrus, seeing other versions of himself was a little earth-shattering, since before he had assumed it was just he and his brother. At first, he's ecstatic that there's more skeletons!! More friends who understand, especially with Blue!! He does realize later on that not all of his alternates have had the best life, but he wants to make sure they're comfortable from now on.

Sans: Was initially a bit surprised by the swapped siblings (and he for sure had some thoughts about multiverse theory when he met them), but once he got over the moment of shock, he found it easy enough to get along with all of them. Both Stretch and Blue remind him of Papyrus at times, just in different ways. Nox and Rus don't exactly have that same odd familiarity, though he likes them enough to be a general nuisance to them.

Nox: Was defensive and confused at first; seeing different versions of himself and his brother disheartened and enlightened him a bit. Seeing that others had better lives than them had him disappointed, but knowing Boss and Red having similar experiences of the underground had him feeling a sort of comradery- especially with Boss, even if they don't see eye to eye all the time.

Rus: Was a bit overwhelmed in general by the different versions, but he finds them all to be good company now. Papyrus was the oddest version of himself to see, but he admires Paps' energy. Boss reminded him a little of his brother and Rus admires him for his drive and ability to get things done. Stretch is the easiest to get along with for him, and Blue is a bit perplexing to him at times. Sans and Red are odd and definitely different from Nox, but he likes them both well enough (as long as Red keeps any big pranks to himself.)

Via @/Buttergriffin332 (Stretch), @/DuskySkye (Blue, Red, Boss), @/Creative-poptart (Papyrus), @/Lost-immortality (Sans), @/ChrysanStarset (Nox), & @/Goatdadjaxx (Rus).

[ethereal555]

JEALOUSY, JEALOUSY.

angst x jobe bellingham.

You’ve never seen Jobe act this way before. We had just finished our dinner at Hakkasan which started off lovely; you'd both missed each other to bits. It started when Jobe expressed his confusion about the amount our waiter spoke to me, the way in which he spoke and looked at me and definetly didnt like the fact I was slighly enthusiatic in return when the mans questions regarding my profession. And no matter how many times i'd tell Jobe, that 'it's common decency' it fell upon deaf ears every time.

In situations such as these which occured often, he'd be a baby about it and whine about how all the men we come across were always infactuated with me and how it wasn't fair because I am his and his only. Or he'd tell me to be more blunt and harsh in my rejections. At least he was communicating with me..

But this time, it was an intense silence on the way back home, a silence that left your mind unsettled.

-

You both made your way back to his black Audi. Your gaze frequently shifting from the side profile and then to the floor as you internally prepared yourself to rectify this issue before it got out of hand.

Your gaze landed on Jobe again only to see his sharp jawline prominent due to the extent of which he was tensing it. Tensed hard enough to break glass. You also noticed his walking pace quickening by the second, another telling sign of the volcanic eruption brewing within him.

“J, you’re going too fast can you hold my hand please?” you whined. You knew he wasn’t in the mood for that and definitely had other things on his mind but he did it anyway reaching his long arm back and in doing so not sparing me a glance. Your rolled your eyes, hard.

You latched onto his hand making your way back to the car at a decent speed this time. Thank God.

Everytime you both were at a social event, there would always be an odd circunstance that occurs leaving one of you jealous, disheartened or upset. Jobe was the usual culprit; you had told your man for what felt like the uptenneth times that you were an attractive girl, men were bound to stop and stare and wink and do whatever they desired and the same applied to him. But you also told him, there would never be any reciprocation from your side; which you expected him to trust. Simply saying thank you to compliments would suffice. Just common decency that you'd been taught growing up- it wasn't going to change. It baffled you as you'd never given him any slack throughout your 3 year relationship about any of the thousands of fangirls that were overbearring and desperate around him. You trusted him, and you were secure.

This time, you think it hit harder for him because it was supposed to be an especially romantic date; as you both had been apart for 5 months in different countries for work purposes - so you did sympathize slightly.

You halt in your tracks, consequently making Jobe's walking stop. He looks back at you, unimpressed. You smile at him sweetly, leaning up to kiss his mouth. 'Please don't be mad at me. Baby, I've missed you so much and I want us spend quality time tonight. I really enjoyed dinner and I want to enjoy.. you later.' you whine as you pepper wet kisses over his jawline and neck. Hoping he'd leave this atttitude in the resturant and not bring it home with us.

You see his adam's apple move up and down, he beckons with his head 'Get in the car, Tee', pushing at your waist.

You both get to the car, and to your surprise he doesn’t open the door for you, like he usually does. He goes straight to the drivers seat and sits.

You scoff entering from your side of the car, slamming it shut once you were in.

“Listen Jobe. Bellingham. Don’t let your jealousy get you fucked up. I don’t give a toss if you're pissed , especially because of how stupid it is. You’re still my man. So act right.” You scold mushing his head with your index and middle finger.

He moves his head away from your hands.

“Stop - don’t touch meh or ya walking home, crazy girl”

“Get the lad in 'er to rush over and open the door for ya, and 'em lads you like to entertain. Desperate” He said gesturing towards the waiter who was now serving some guests who were seated outside.

You look at him dumbfounded. Mouth wide open.

'I could.. Jobe.. i could spit on your right now, how dare you..?'.

'Try it' he dares, an inferno arising in his chest.

“Y-You're really upset because I was being a decent human being. You’re a child you know that right? and you're fucking childish and immature and direspectful as fuck” you spat.

“That’s great actually - fucking brilliant - because I’d rather be a child than be a fucking flirt that hasn’t a self aware bone in their body” he humours, driving out of the parking lot.

It felt like your heart dropped.

“A flirt? When did I flirt?” I questioned hysterically. I understand Jobe was jealous , and had those tendencies, but to say I was entertaining another man was absurd and not in my character.

You start to shake your feet, attempting to distract yourself from this recongizable feeling. The heat you felt rising from your chest racing toward your throat, your cheeks burning and your eyes stinging. No, you thought, I'm not giving him the satisfaction.

'Stop the car', you cry. Struggling to get your phone our of your back, that was placed by your feet and underneath the dashboard.

Your voice betraying you.

'N-now, Jobe, I can't anymore' you shake your head continously.

'Ya can't do what?", his face softeneing for this first time as he briefly turns to look at you. He pulls into a side road and removes his seatbelt turning to face you. Rubbing his hands over his face as if I was the one stressing him out.

You chuckle bitterly 'that's the only thing you've listened to, this whole ride', your vision and your thoughts become blurry so you carefully remove the accumulated tears from your eyes as you try and call an uber, not wanting to pull any of your clusters out.

Jobe cradles your face when his left hand, you react as if his hand was a bowl of scorthching hot oil.

'If ya must ya can call the uber later, just look at me'.

You knew he hated to see you cry, that was his kryptonite, no matter how bad the arguement is.

His right had catches your other cheek until he has encaptured the entirety of your face within his palms. He stares, looking deep into your eyes, for what felt like minutes. maybe searching for words to say, accountability maybe.. you anticipated an apology ..

“Ya do this all the time me love.."

'what jobe, what i do?' you croak

'ya cry when I tell ya the truth, baby, ya know I don’t lie', he pecks the corner of your lips.

You break away and look at him through your now damp lash clusters and teary eyes.

my man my man my mf man

'make up your mind' - chris brown inspo kinda

i hate a nigga that doesnt take accountability btw.

[fatuismooches]

Hi Smooches!! I know a little while ago you said you were thinking about reader feeling ignored by Dottore and the segments, but that you probably wouldn’t write it because it would be too angsty. So please feel free to disregard this but… I’m thinking about Zandy throwing a fit on readers behalf. Like, storm into Prime’s office and stamp his little foot type of fit. And he gets upset about how he feels reader is being treated and ignored. And Prime and the other segments brush him off at first until the start making their own observations and realizing that something IS wrong with reader. Bigger angst is them being too stubborn and set in their ways to think a change needs to be made.

(x) It's funny to think out of all the mature adults you have as lovers, a child is the one who's able to understand your feelings the most. Sure, he probably can't understand everything precisely, but you're sad, and that's all that little Zandy needs to know. It's so simple for him and that's what makes it so endearing - he knows what it's like to be sad, it hurts really bad, and he knows you must be experiencing the same pain right now. The parent he loves so much! It makes his tiny chest hurt too. He can't let that be - you always comfort him and remedy the situation when he's sad, he must do the same for you! Even if that means confronting the big, bad... P-Prime, and the other segments by extension.

It's pretty hard considering they don't really want Zandy around in the first place, but for you, the boy is the most persistent child around. Initially, he just drops a few sentences about how much you miss them, and how much you talk about them (smart boy he is) to see if that'd do anything, if they'd maybe make one percent more of an effort. The child's experiment is a failure. Despite your insistence and fake smiles to leave it be, Zandy still pouts in dismay. You're the best grown-up ever, you had the kindness to give him a chance, why don't the others reciprocate that? He does try to listen to you and leave it be, but it makes the boy's poor heart ache too much to see you distracted and despondent. So in true child-like fashion, he throws a big fuss.

Admittedly, Dottore and the others are a bit surprised because Zandy isn't the sort of child to do this - when he has something to say, he usually ends up being mostly ignored, and then he just makes himself scarce. But nope, this time the boy is fully adamant about expressing his displeasure on your behalf, because you've given up apparently. Unfortunately... the brief feeling of surprise is again replaced with general apathy once again. Zandy probably cries by himself after that.

Still, eventually, they do take notice as to how their routines have slightly been changed, more like not disrupted for once - you're not popping up around them anymore, not fiddling with their items and notes, any acts of service you'd do, you barely even strike up a conversation nowadays, even when they're right there giving you medicine, you hardly even meet their gaze anymore. The more days that go by, the more the list grows. Dottore tries to ignore it, the pile of work in front of him isn't growing any smaller. He tries to justify the treatment in his mind, you've dealt with this for so long, you know his role, and you should be able to deal with it. Admittedly, he recognizes you didn't exactly sign up for this, but what can he do? He pushes your disheartened face out of his mind and believes you should find more to occupy yourself, just as he does. (Deep down somewhere, he knows he's in the wrong.)

By the time the man realizes his part in the growing problem, it may be too late.

[starryletters]

no moment of silence

synopsis ; talking and reminiscing with satoru!

inspired by:

"i always have such a need to merely talk to you. even when i have nothing to talk about, with you i just seem to go right ahead and sort of invent it."

- virgina woolf

☆

notes: au! where no one dies and geto stays, gojo being a silly chatterbox, flashback to when you first met, meet ugly sorta, new girl reference!

wordcount: 1.3k words

"so!" satoru breaks the silence.

the silence that had lasted for about 15 seconds.

his head lays in your lap and one of your hands is tangled in his soft white locks.

it had honestly made you a bit furious when you first moved in with him and realized all he used was some basic shampoo and his hair was apparently just naturally blessed by the gods to always look perfect and feel soft and silky to the touch.

although that's hardly surprising. every part of him seemed to be blessed by some deity.

you gently scratched at his scalp. today had been a long day for both of you.

you two had been sent on a mission that seemed to last for hours, leaving you physically and him mentally exhausted by the end.

on evenings like this, it often dawned on you how unfair all of this truly was.

you two were just now entering your twenties and instead of enjoying your youth, you had to risk your lives in a fight against grotesque-looking curses on the daily.

before you can spiral down this disheartening path any further like you usually did, satoru's voice interrupts your thought process.

"do you think i should grow out my hair like suguru?"

you glance down at him with a bewildered expression. then you paused to think. obviously, he would look good but-

"you really think sugurus gonna let you do that?" you grin.

he crosses his arms, "he doesn't own that hairstyle! anyone can have long hair." a soft chuckle escapes your lips. "you'd look good. but i doubt you are actually planning on doing that. plus i like your hair the way it is now."

being with satoru made everything feel so easy. he was easy to talk to, he made it easy to forget about the cruelty of this world, and he was so so easy to love. just the mere sound of his voice rambling about the latest odd thought he'd had, flushed away all of your worries at a moment's notice.

of course, they'd always catch up, with both of you, but even in those moments when you would both be too choked up to voice your grievances, the gentle touches exchanged between you seemed to put everything into words.

"what if i got a buzzcut, would you still think i look good then?" he continued.

an awkward silence fell over the room.

"wow, is this how vain you are? is the foundation of our relationship just built on my good looks?" he dramatically placed his hand on his forehead and averted his gaze while sighing.

"you didn't even let me answer!" you protest a lighthearted smile etched onto your features.

"your silence is deafening." he glares.

"i would still think you look good. megumi definitely wouldn't though. so i'd advise against it." you brush a few rogue strands of hair from his face.

"pfft! i don't care what that brat thinks!" he huffs

"he made you cry the other day."

"i told you there was something in my eye!"

"yeah, tears."

"i hate both of you" he sits up and slumps his lanky body against you.

a comfortable silence falls over the room.

that's the thing with satoru, silences are always comfortable even though-

"i'm bored."

they never last very long.

"how is that even possible? it's been two seconds." you chuckle, nudging your head closer to him.

"be honest. do you think i would win against sailor moon?"

"no way." you immediately reply, with a quick shake of your head.

"woooowww, you could've at least hesitated." he scoffs and clutches his chest in a dramatic fashion.

"sorry but she'd beat your ass." you shrug, and he starts pouting.

"i'm the strongest!"

"not as strong as sailor moon! you're just jealous you can't have a magical girl transformation."

"i don't need a magical transformation i always look magical and beautiful!" he pokes your cheek.

"i don't know, i think you'd look more magical fighting in a sparkling skirt." you grin down at him.

"ooh naughty" he says in an overly sultry tone while winking at you

"not like that!" you flick his forehead. (well, maybe just a little like that..)

"anyways she'd win, sorry." you change the topic. he lets out an offended gasp and turns his head in your lap so he is not facing you anymore. "you're always so mean to me, i'm never marrying you." he groans. "aw you wanna marry meee" you reply in a singsong tone. "not anymore" he replies.

you chuckle before saying "you remember what you said to me when we first met?" he turns back around his blue eyes lighting up with surprise then annoyance. "yeah of course i remember, shoko and suguru made me put like 3,000 yen in the jar for that one" he groans at the memory. you smile fondly.

jujutsu tech, common area

(2006, 9:34 pm)

it was your first day in tokyo and your first day at jujutsu tech. you had transferred from kyoto to be closer to your relatives who were sorcerers unlike your immediate family in kyoto. "it'll be good for you to be surrounded by family who have the same abilities as you! they can teach you more about the day to day life as a sorcerer." your mother had said. you didn't want to leave kyoto or your parents but she was right. and often times you were quite honestly frightened that just your mere presence might bring curses to your parents' doorstep. you wanted to protect them. so they wouldn't have to be involved in this world at all.

earlier today you met your new classmates. 2 guys one girl. they seemed polite and pleasant save for one overly confident (and flirtatious) white-haired guy. though he was the only one you'd heard about before. obviously. everyone in the jujutsu world knew gojo satoru. his confidence wasn't exactly misplaced you'll give him that much but that didn't make him any less annoying in your eyes.

besides him, the first day at jujutsu tech had went well. shoko and suguru seemed like nice people and you hoped they would consider you their friend soon like you already considered them yours. you could get attached quite quickly.

currently, you were spending time with them (and gojo) in the common room.

you were chatting with shoko about an arcade that was apparently nearby when suddenly gojo pulled out his wallet and slammed one 1000 yen bill on the table while smirking at you.

suguru glared at him "oh god, you're about to say something stupid, aren't you?"

before you could even process what was happening or why he suddenly put money on the table, he grabbed your hand, pulled you closer, and said,

"girl, i'm gonna marry you."

—☆

("three thousand yen? i've never put that much in the douchebag jar!" satoru protested while you sat on the common room couch and giggled.

apparently, that jar of money that you had been curious about before was instituted because satoru kept saying and doing pretty douchey things, and suguru felt he and shoko should be financially compensated.

"dude, you just met her today! that was like the douchiest thing i've ever heard!" shoko argued. suguru nodded. "i was willing to let the pickup line you said earlier slide, but..that? unacceptable."

satoru pouted and dejectedly stuffed 3,000 yen into the already overflowing jar.

at that moment, for whatever reason, you decided that maybe he wasn't so bad, after all.)

you and satoru's shared apartment

(2009, 8:54pm)

"i think weirdly enough that was the first time i kind of started liking you."

he sits up in shock "what? THAT? can we make it a cuter moment please?"

"nope, no can do." you grin brightly. "you know..now that i think about it maybe we should bring that jar back.." "no! im better now. im a changed man."

you laugh, "the kids would get a kick out of it."

for a moment it's quiet and then.

"i wasn't kidding back then." satoru says in a suddenly serious tone.

"i know you weren't." you smile.

– i'll ask her again soon

– this time i'll say yes.

a/n: i hope you liked this! i kind of wish it was longer, but i also dont wanna add anything just for the sake of it! the new girl reference is one of my favorite moments in the show, actually! and it also seemed like something gojo would do LOL

[ryin-silverfish]

Stray thought: something I found the "SWK is manipulated into the Havoc!" take often obscures is his fear of death. Y'know, the very reason he begins his quest for immortality in the first place, and I'm glad the LMK show at least paid some homage to.

Death is but one of the many sufferings that accompanies existence and samsara itself. So is his fear of death and the desire to avoid it. The problem is? The way desires and attachments work, getting what you want doesn't solve the deeper issues.

First, he sets out to avoid death for himself. Then he did that, and also made death null for as many of his fellow monkeys as he could find. But it isn't enough, no.

His own immortality will not grant the safety of all of his subjects, his friends, and all the good stuff he has ever gained that rightfully belong to him, mind you, and he is responsible for. So he just needs to find a way to hold onto them, forever and ever and ever.

Since he has an abundance of creativity and intellect, but not the wisdom to match, his solution is to find the "Hows" rather than asking the "Whys".

Keep stacking up the powers, the immortalities, the allies, the weapons, the victory counts——which eventually became its own rewards, the thrills, the satisfaction of getting away with yet another daring heist, the feeling of invulnerability.

But let's go on a tangent and talk about book!SWK. When he came back after getting banished, he found his monkeys bullied by the Monstrous King of Havoc, wrecked the guy, and rescued his subjects. Immediately afterwards, he emptied the armory of Aolai Kingdom to arm his monkeys and robbed the dragon kings blind to arm himself.

Yeah, seeing a bit of a connection here. He is pulling off these heists to protect against perceived threats to him and his people. Then, moving on to the First Havoc, when he came back to his monkeys, he was surprised at just how much time had passed since he departed for the Celestial Realm——10+ years in the Lower Realm!

Yet, after the First Havoc is resolved, he happily stayed in the Celestial Realm for half a year, without remembering that meanwhile, at least a century had passed for his monkeys and demon allies. In a sense, he had become detached from his subjects, despite his first instinct still being "bring my buddies all the divine wine" after he got sober and returned to them.

I don't know you, but I feel like he probably expects everything to stay the same while he was gone. He isn't yet selfish, but certainly self-absorbed, in that he doesn't seem to realize that his actions can have consequences for people other than himself.

Like, if he is in his old "Monkey King" mindset, he may have comprehended that the Celestial Realm will treat him and his monkeys as a single entity that will be collectively punished for his misdeeds. But by becoming the Great Sage, he has drifted away from his duties as a king, which sets the stage for his behaviors during the Second Havoc.

After the 72 caves of demon kings have all been captured during the first wave of attack, his reaction is basically "lol, at least they didn't get any of my monkeys". This, I think, is the point where he is showing true selfishness instead of just being self-absorbed. Like, if I were one of his non-monkey allies and I heard that, I'd be pretty pissed.

The thing with the unrestrained freedom of the Havoc is, by cutting himself loose from all the rules and norms and disregarding every potential consequences, he is also unknowingly severing his tethers to others and alienating himself from his people.

Which is how I interpret SWK becoming so disheartened when his epic battle with Erlang terrified his own subjects into a rout, he just turned and fled——he realized that they, too, were seeing a monster.

He is no longer fighting for his people's safety, but an idea of them, who will always look up to him and do okay without him and never perceive him as a threat, and when that idea is shattered, so does his will to fight on.

I feel like the same could be said for his pursuit of immortality and power: it started off as a way to rid himself of existential fear and defend against concrete threats, but the list of "things I must do to secure my happy eternity and what is rightfully mine" just keeps growing longer and longer, until he's only focused on that sweet, sweet feeling of reward whenever he ticks off a checkbox and tunes out everything else.

After all, the more you have, the more you can potentially lose. A never ending cycle, exacerbated by his desire to never lose, until it all comes crashing down, figuratively and literally.

Back to LMK: People always point out that Azure worships this idea of SWK, and never quite sees SWK as his true, flawed self. Which I agree, but also: SWK does this too. He, too, loses sight of the actual people he's fighting for.

"I did it for US!"

The thing with a claim such as this is, multiple people can all try to do everything for the idea of "us", instead of something that may actually help each other, then feel wronged when their efforts essentially amount to nothing.

"We were all on a path of self-destruction."

For this statement to land, the self-destruction has to genuinely be each character's own doing. The fallout can, and is indeed magnified by what the others did or didn't do, but ultimately, the causes of their consequences come from within themselves: their own obsessions and attachments.

And making SWK the exception, the innocent figurehead and scapegoat, removes the complexity from the character while outright ignoring the few implications of the show that actually have some basis in book canon and are kinda interesting.

I rest my case.

[alleycatchitchat]

Kung Fu Panda 4 Initial Reactions

Just got back from the theater! Here are my thoughts. I'll try to be vague about the plot, but be warned: spoilers below.

---

So I went into the theater with rock-bottom spirits. I had seen the cringeworthy previews, read the disheartening reviews, connected the unsatisfactory dots and concluded that the movie I was about to see would be a nasty dumpster fire of a train wreck. And yet kfp played such a big role in my childhood that I couldn't just stay away. Filled with dread and morbid curiosity, I braced myself for the worst.

And it wasn't that bad.

Don't get me wrong; this movie made some decisions that I HUGELY disagree with. And compared to the other kfp movies, it's undeniably lousy. But it didn't ruin the franchise for me and I actually enjoyed myself in the theater.

Listing off my thoughts in no particular order:

Zhen. She is, to my surprise, a lot less irritating that I expected. The trailers don't do her justice and Awkwafina's voice was a whole lot less jarring than I expected. In terms of actual personality and even backstory, I liked her! However. Let's be honest, her design is shit. She looks like someone's Zootopia self-insert. She feels totally out of place in this movie -- particularly, during the end credits when she's side-by-side with the five (who all have the most beautiful stylized designs). Also, plotwise, WHAT is she doing in this film? Spoiler alert: she becomes the new dragon warrior. Spoiler alert again: yes, this is every bit as random and undeserved as you can imagine.

Furious Five: Were not in the movie. First of all, fuck you dreamworks, how dare you withold my children? My darlings? The loves of my life? Their absence is keenly felt and the plot is emptier without them, and I mean that with complete sincerity. I’m also going to point out the obvious; if there has to be a new Dragon Warrior, and I’m not saying that’s a good plot idea, but if there has to be, it should be Tigress. It makes the most sense thematically and the possibilities are just so good – developing her relationship with Po as he provides guidance, facing her feelings of inadequacy, exploring her connections with Shifu and the rest of the five — I could go on and on. The wasted potential is breathtaking. To be honest, it kinda feels like Zhen was written to replace her(using a hug to de-escalate a fight with Po, anyone?). Fanfic writers, I need a rewrite of this movie with Tigress, stat.

TAI LUNG! He was obviously played for nostalgia and there was no concrete point to his lines or presence. He was also written, if you ask me, pretty out of character. I’m still fuming over the fact that they brought him back and we don’t get to see Shifu’s reaction at all. Again, the wasted potential is breathtaking. When compared with Kai and Shen, who have NO speaking lines, it’s obvious that dreamworks just didn’t want to pay for extra actors. I thought that his acceptance of Po as the Dragon Warrior at the end was super cool, but there was NO lead up, NO meaningful character development to make this feel sincere, and again, it would have hit much harder if Tigress or Shifu were also there or if Po was NOT giving up the title. That being said, I never thought he would appear in a movie again, and I’m happy to have any crumbs I can get. They did a bad job, yes, but they BROUGHT HIM BACK. 

Po’s dads! Their side story was goofy and unnecessary but fun, and I enjoyed it. Also maybe it’s just me but the romantic tension between them is AMPED UP – does Li, like, live at the restaurant now? And they spend the movie acting like the most married couple ever. And when Li bursts into the tavern to rescue Mr. Ping, who looks at him with those starstruck eyes – well. I’m just saying. I think there’s something going on there.

I liked the Chameleon! Yeah, her whole gimmick is a little bit ripped off from Kai, but she’s sinister and greedy and badass, so she’s the real deal. I actually thought she was scarier than previous villains – there was less comic relief, maybe? I can only think of one instance where she’s presented in a comedic light, and even then, the tension just picked right up from where it left off. Which is strange, because the rest of the movie is a lot more lighthearted than previous films.

The pacing was weird. Too fast.

Shifu was cute in this movie. More Shifu please!

The reaction to Tai Lung’s return was WEIRD. It’s obvious Dreamworks didn’t want to dedicate time or effort to what was, essentially, a red herring. But. Plot-wise, it’s SO WEIRD that Po would try to face him with no backup. And the fact that we didn’t get to see Shifu’s reaction AT ALL, ugh. Realistically speaking I think Shifu would try to go face Tai Lung, no matter how “inner peace”-y he is now. Like come on, Tai Lung was his son, for crying out loud! 

The goats at the start? Also weird designs. Feel out of place.

Mantis got married! What the heck? (neutral about this, but it was definitely unexpected.)

In general, the plot was weird. It didn’t feel meaningful and it didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the kfp universe. Storytelling decisions were just plain bad. But as a standalone movie, it was not… terrible. Not irredeemable. I think, if Tigress had taken Zhen’s place, this could have actually worked. But she didn’t, and it didn’t.

So I’m going to headcanon it as fake and just stick to loving the first 3 movies. I don’t regret watching it, but there were huge problems that prevented me from enjoying it to its full potential.

[juniperdugong]

Hi again!! Thanks for the American and Gojo squad! Now I’m just gonna wing it cause this idea makes me all giddy but can you do the Gojo squad reacting to their new American friend offering to make bentos for them cause they interested in cooking. (Cause I would do this for them) thank you!!

A/N: Let's all thank @broad-strokes87 for keeping the JJK part of my blog active 🙇‍♀️😌

When their American friend offers to make them bentos!

Incl: Teen Gojo, Geto, Shoko, Nanami, Haibara

GOJO - HESITANT AF - But would graciously accept your offer (he's shaking in his boots) - Discreetly shows you different cookbooks, homemade recipes he likes, etc. under the guise of educating but he just really doesn't want you to mess up or be embarrassed by your attempts - Will definitely poke at it like it's alien food once he gets his hands on his bento - Expecting it to taste bad - Is visibly shocked when it tastes good - "Cut the cameras... You're actually really good at this..." - It's honestly disheartening to see how relieved and surprised he is, he really thought you were gonna basically poison him - Inhales the rest of his food and has the nerve to pick off of the others bentos and ask if you have more - Doesn't have any decorum when asking you to bring him bentos from now on (will put on a cute act to get you to say yes... eventually will offer money for your services)

GETO - Accepts graciously and sweetly - Offers to help you out and figure out what goes into a bento if you want him to - Teases you a bit in the days leading to you bringing in the bentos - "Thought you said you'd try and make us something good? Not lying are you?" - Always makes sure you know he's joking though - If any of the others are actually pressuring you to make them he tells them to back off and always gives a reassuring smile - Slightly cocky when you give him his bento because it's so nicely prepared (he thinks it's due to his guidance) - Is pleasantly surprised when everything tastes really nice - With every bite, he's acting like it's the best thing he's ever tasted in order to boost your confidence - "Tell me when you're feeling like doing this again, I really enjoyed everything."

SHOKO - Confused as to why you would want to try something like that in the first place but concedes and is happy that you'd make something for her - Another one who is keen on helping you but actually gives you good advice instead of pressuring you to make good food or looking over you like master to an apprentice - Would even offer to show you how to make simple bento dishes in the kitchen you want her to - Helps you dissect bentos and lowkey gives you lessons on how things should be and what pairs well with what - Is impressed when you bring the bentos in but not entirely surprised (she knows you worked hard) - Gives small critiques but praises you soooo much as well - "You did really well for your first time doing bento's and you made so many for all of us too!" - Gives you a pat on the back for your work and offers you some of her candy as a "dessert"

NANAMI - "I'm good but thank you for offering." - Refuses vehemently at first and doesn't realize that it hurt your feelings when he does so -Haibara has to convince him to say yes eventually (Haibara is much more likely to notice you sulking than Nanami tbh) - Doesn't push you to make good on your words in the following days, low-key hopes that you forgot - It's really not so much that he wouldn't want a bento from you but he doesn't want you to go through all the hassle for him - Completely surprised when you actually give him a bento - Gives a full-scale review of every dish at your request - Laughs when you're dutifully taking in every word he's saying - "You don't have to take it seriously, it's good. You're food's good."

HAIBARA - The only enthusiastic and genuine "YES!" you get lmao - Honestly, he just likes food and even if you gave him something burnt to a crisp he would love it - Doesn't offer any help but tells you what his preference for dishes are - Is super worried if he's pressured you to make his favorite stuff though so he immediately apologizes - "No no no, I meant that I'd like anything you're willing to make! You really don't have to make what I want just because I said so!" - When he gets his bento and sees some of his favorite stuff he tears up thinking that you did it because of him - Thanks you up, down, and sideways for the meal - Buys you snacks for the rest of the week because he's still worried about pressuring you - Also, swears that your bento is even more delicious than the ones he would get from his mom when he was younger

A/N: This one was so cute!! I'll be real, I think Haibara might be ooc but what do y'all think?? We didn't get much of him but he's still my baby boy and I write him as such!!

Please Reblog and Comment if you enjoyed ! (They act as power-ups for me)

Taglist (OPEN): @iluvmattyb

[not-poignant]

I was surprised to hear that Ice Plague is a lesser read story from you! It’s one of my favorites and something I re-read often. I treasure that little family. I’ve never loved these particular characters more, they’re all my favorite versions of them. It’s such a beautiful and brilliantly plotted book!

Oh thank you anon!!

Tbh I think there were a few things working against it:

It came at the end of an already long series and there's more drop off the longer a series goes for, because it can only keep the people reading it, and doesn't attract new readers (though it attracted a few who didn't like Gwyn/Augus!)

A lot of people just didn't want to leave Gwyn/Augus behind and/or didn't like Mosk/Eran (I learned my lesson there)

It was actually written a lot more like a book series because I was writing them with a view to publishing down the track, which means of the whole Fae Tales Verse series, The Ice Plague is the one most ready to go directly to paperback/hardback etc. But I actually think that style of like epic fantasy storytelling is a bit less compatible with AO3 serials.

I wrote less cliffhangers. I now write a lot more cliffhangers (for all people hate them, they just do create more connection to a story as long as they're breaks and it's not constant).

I still love The Ice Plague. At the time I got really disheartened with it, and then I reread it and I was like 'wait this is fucking good though???' - I also think this and the final epilogue give Gwyn and Augus the happiest ending they could ever hope for.

In terms of writing quality, it's the story I'd publish first in the Fae Tales Verse even if it's out of order. It was the thing that was like 'shit, I can do this, and I can do this pretty well actually.' But I didn't know that at the time, because I was watching like... every metric of engagement dwindling over the years.

I'm afraid of this happening again with Underline the Red and Underline the Silver, but...I'll just have to suck it up and figure it out if it does happen! And in the meantime, I don't regret writing those stories, I'm just sad that it all fell out the way that it did. There are some of us who really love TIP, and I toast to like all of you, because whether you found it during the series or after the series, it's kept me going! <333

[honey-milk-depresso]

Alright so I really like your writing and I was wondering if I could request smt ?? Can I request some fluff With Malleus , Floyd and Azul from Twisted Wonderland with a (S/O) who is more on the chubby side and gets easily flustered about it .

Hey, so I've been really busy with schoolwork recently and so I'm not around on Tumblr so often anymore. Sorry for any troubles!

**TW: Mentions of the chest- cuz- titty soft and warm let's be real (not explicit), A bit of insecurity (but trust me your loved, by me also <3)

TWST Chubby s/o who gets easily flustered about it

Azul Ashengrotto

He has the same experience when he was younger: he was a chubby octopus when he was much younger, Azul was a lot shyer about it. Maybe because he was insecure? He can't remember, but he does feel some sympathy towards you.

Azul adores you, and he thinks you're just, well, cute. Body type doesn't really matter to him, so long as he knows you're taking care of your health is already the best.

Your darling octopus loves to just bury his face into your stomach or chest, and just sigh in satisfaction. You just provide him a warm and soft comfort after a long day, and the security and love he needs.

He hides his amusement whenever he does this, you're blushing and stuttering never cease to be endearing to him.

If you're ever insecure about being chubby, he's always there for you, and he feels disheartened to hear you feel such about your body when he feels you're beautiful, adorable and just... perfect.

"My dear pearl... I love you for who you are, and you're perfect the way you are." <3

Floyd Leech

For Floyd, he feels like he's hit jackpot. Aren't you the most adorable shrimpy there is~

Floyd loves your body; it's soft to lay his head on and you're his personal warm cuddly shrimp he wants to affectionately hug all the time when he's tired, in a bad mood or just out of randomness because he loves that feeling.

Personally for Floyd, he loves that you're chubby. It makes you adorable to him and he loves that you're very easy to fluster whenever he lies on your chest.

He loves squishing and pinching your cheeks lightly since they're just so soft. Sometimes he lightly pinches your stomach from behind to surprise you and no matter how many times you whine about it, he'll do it anyways (unless you really don't like it).

Floyd doesn't get it whenever you feel insecure about your body. Not that he's indifferent, but to him, he thought that your chubbiness should be something you're proud of. He loves it, so why don't you?

"Shrimpy, I think you're alright, so don't be so sulky about it. You're the cutest shrimpy no matter what hehe~" <3 and he cuddles you more-

Malleus Draconia

He finds you rather charming, a loveable child of man. Like Azul, Malleus doesn't care what type of body you have. So long as you're taking care of yourself, he's happy.

Besides, he finds your chubbiness adorable. Malleus, like the two other Octavinelle boys mentioned, likes to lay his head on your chest. All for the same reason: titty warm and soft because he feels secure and peaceful this way.

The dragon fae smiles fondly whenever he surprises you by randomly lying on your chest, his horns in a way encages your neck closer to him. He finds it endearing when you blush. It makes you even more cute than you already are~

He doesn't understand when you feel insecure about your body. He frowns with a pout after hearing about how you feel that people judge you for it, or that you wish you were thinner. Malleus already loves you for who you are, and he doesn't care what you look like. You're his source of happiness and he could never imagine life without you.

Besides, he thinks your chubbiness is the highlight about you. He loves it. Seriously.

"Child of man, your appearance is only a mere fraction of what truly makes you beautiful. Lilia told me before that true beauty lies in the heart, and I've come to understand it when I met you. Your "chubbiness" is something I love about you, don't you know? Regardless, you're the most beautiful person in the land, Child of man." <3

Reblogs help! ^^

[my-writings-and-musings]

Hello!! Um, if it’s okay, could I ask for a RB Chase x reader? I’ve been drowning in college assignments lately and I barely have time to rest/eat :(( It’d be nice if it included some comforting <3

I hope this was okay, have a good day/night :> 🫶

I know that experience well, anon, so have this and good luck on your assignments!!

For those who don't know: if you like my writing style, you can always commission me, and please reblog to help spread my work! Thank you!

The light of your desk lamp was nearly blinding at maximum brightness, but you didn't dare turn it down, and even made a point to keep it right over your notes for the most pronounced effect. For all the pain it caused your eyes, it was well worth it to stay awake. You didn't dare drift off with so much more to do...

Alone in the bunker for privacy, you occasionally paused to check the time and found it increasingly disheartening, the late evening turning to early morning with so little progress to show for it. Between assignments that were presently due and studying for those that would be due layer, you weren't sure you'd ever be finished with your work. Your primary comfort was in knowing that you'd be able to sleep once it was done, and even if you only got a few minutes before you were needed for something else, you considered that more than enough. Just imagining closing your eyes for fifteen minutes sounded like heaven.

Between the exhaustion and your focus, you were very easily snuck up on, even by someone over fifteen feet tall who made no attempt to actually sneak.

"Y/N? Why are you-?"

Jumping like a startled cat and sending multiple papers flying, you turned to find Chase behind you, servos up in a disarming gesture. Letting out a sigh of relief, you felt your blood pressure drop as you sat back down. Your exhaustion must have made you jumpier than expected, as surprises from the bots had never frightened you so intently before. 

"Apologies. My intent was not to frighten you." Chase said with as much sincere guilt as his monotone could carry. Feeling guilty yourself, you massaged your tired eyes to try and meet his gaze without looking like a sleepless zombie, almost able to feel the bags forming beneath them.

"It's not you, Chase, I'm sorry I jumped." you replied as he kneeled down to speak at a more even level. Looking into his optics brought you a significant amount of comfort, which almost made you feel worse about how little time you had for this conversation. There was nothing you wanted more than to just relax and converse with the mech you loved, but you simply didn't have enough energy to split between him and all the work you still needed to get done. It didn't help that your traitorous brain was reminding you of how comfy it was in his arms...

"You appear... exhausted." he said plainly, hesitating before he settled on his usual bluntness. You'd have smiled if your body wasn't struggling just to sit up.

"I've got a lot of assignments to get done, so I've been pushing my bedtime back a bit." you explained, trying to play down your exhaustion while steering the conversation in a way that would allow you to politely get back to work. It was far too tempting to just forget everything and chat with the assignments being so incredibly boring, and with his presence being so wonderfully calming... you had to pinch yourself just to keep your head from dipping under its own weight. You must have been less convincing than you thought, because even Chase had to slightly lift a brow at your obvious underselling.

"It is three eleven AM, that is more than could reasonably be defined as a "bit", by any acceptable definition." he countered, gentle but firm in his refusal to back down. You wilted a little at how quickly you were seen through, but your dedication to your work refused to allow you a chance to surrender. There was a part of you that just didn't like being helped.

"Well... yeah." you conceded as your fried brain scrambled to think of what you could say. Of course Chase was worried, it was in his nature to fret, but you were determined not to admit you needed any kind of help when you were so confident no one else in your position would have needed it. Not meeting his gaze, you tried to smile in a manner you hoped would read as reassuring. "I'll get some sleep once this is done, I promise."

Chase bent down a little lower, getting more on your level and not bothering to hide he was looking you over. "You appear to need it most urgently right now." he said in summation, pushing you into more arguing even as a growing urge within you wanted nothing more than to submit. 

"Fair enough, but I just don't have the time. If any of these assignments are late-"

"Can you not request an extension on the deadline?" he interrupted, concern growing more evident as you leaned against your desk to stay upright. He hovered a hand by your side, and you took it instinctively for support, an act you immediately regretted once you felt the warmth of his armor against you. There was nothing you wanted more than to lean into him and let his considerable strength support you...

"I... I wouldn't want..." you couldn't even manage a rebuttal through the fog in your mind, and worse still, you didn't even have the energy to be upset about it any longer. The pages of notes and the spread of open books on your desk turned to a blur as you held on to the cruiser's arm, head resting against him as your eyelids grew heavier than stone.

"Could it be requested on your behalf?" he pressed further, offering his other hand to tilt up your chin. Like a cat, your neck went limp and you allowed him to support the weight of your head, your tired eyes meeting his optics as you managed a single word.

"Maybe?"

Softening his gaze, Chase let out a tiny sigh, speaking with a level of inflection that more fully conveyed his concern. "You need sleep, Y/N."

"Probably..." you conceded at long last, worn down more by his efforts in five minutes than you'd been by hours of your body demanding what it needed. There was no denying you'd pushed yourself to your limit, but you just couldn't bring yourself to go any further with his presence being so comfortable and your desk being so hard and unwelcoming. You thought fondly of the time you'd fallen asleep in his backseat during a long drive, and how safe you'd felt and how deeply you'd slept... There was nothing you wanted more.

"Definitely." he said to finish the argument. You actually helped him pull you to your feet, but when your tired legs wobbled under your weight he simply scooped you up and pulled you to his chassis, flicking off your lamp with remarkable dexterity. Being cradled in his arms drew a sigh of absolute relief past your lips, and it was almost impossible to stay awake as you felt his warm embrace all around you. Chase moved away from your little workstation and moved quietly through the bunker, his voice a distant but pleasant echo that barely reached you. "I cannot access your bedroom, but the couch has blankets and pillows."

You felt the plush fabric of the couch meet your body like a cloud, and when you instinctively reached to tuck yourself in the cruiser beat You to it, delicately pulling a blanket over your body before he slipped a pillow under your head. A final burst of stubborn independence compelled you to assure him the extra effort was unnecessary. "You don't have to do this, Chase."

"I know." he confirmed softly. There wasn't enough in you to reply, but before the bliss of long overdue sleep took you away you were aware of being tucked in and the blurry image of a rare smile, his words reminding you there was nothing you needed to face on your own.

"But I want to."

[babacontainsmultitudes]

As some of you already know, I am disheartened- though certainly not surprised- by the recent backlash against one Sparrow Oak Garcia for his recent transgression of *checks notes* having a mixed-to-negative opinion on zoos.

Part of me honestly feels a bit silly responding to any of this, but what are any of us here to do if not have opinions on fictional podcast characters. Anyways, I will get to the more important stuff, as obviously (if you've seen any of the criticisms I'm talking about) this ties back to Hero at the end of the day, but seeing as the first wave of hate I saw after the episode was largely to the effect of: "what the fuck does Sparrow have against zoos?", I would like to start by addressing that point briefly (and only briefly, as it's really not the sort of topic I care to discuss online), by saying that zoos and animal captivity more generally have a long history of being contested and criticized by animal rights activists, and that instances of animal abuse and neglect within zoos and other animal-based theme parks are anything but obscure. Furthermore, it feels worth noting that as of present less than 10% of zoos in the US are AZA-accredited. I say absolutely none of this with the intention of making any definitive statements on the nature of zoos, nor to judge people who do enjoy zoos, nor even to provide my own feelings on the matter. Rather, I offer this information only to explain that someone like Sparrow taking issue with something like zoos really isn't strange at all? And whether you agree with such a stance or not, it undoubtedly comes from a place of empathy. Moreover, I don't think we can honestly divorce Sparrow's take and compulsion to voice it from the metacontext that Sparrow is a character being played by Anthony Burch, you know, a vegan, who probably has his own views on the matter that may or may not differ from yours and mine.

Okay, on to more important matters. At the forefront of things I suppose is the assertion that Sparrow's behavior regarding Normal and the zoo and all that is hypocritical and perhaps even nonsensical in light of what Hero was going through at the time with her training. "He wouldn't take Normal to the zoo but he forced Hero to kill a deer with her bare hands?" Certainly the sort of statement that will elicit a strong emotive reaction from the fandom, but one that ultimately relies on a pretty major assumption, namely, that Sparrow acted as the primary organizer and perpetrator of Hero's training, one who supposedly felt no internal conflict towards the situation whatsoever, rather than instead serving as an enabler of it, who ultimately intervened but only after far too much damage was already done. Neither is a great thing to be, but there is absolutely a difference between both of these roles, and I think that Lark and Sparrow's respective behaviors over the course of the season point almost unanimously towards Sparrow being the latter and Lark the former.

(The above being a non-exhaustive list, of course)

The funny part about the whole zoo thing is that it only further corroborates the notion that Sparrow is someone who is sensitive to the suffering of others, and by extension only serves as more evidence that he most likely was not the one actively making Hero undergo the worst of what she had to do. Does this make him guiltless in the matter? Absolutely not, but it does point to Sparrow having issues that are fundamentally different from Lark's, and means that the instance with the zoo is not only consistent with Sparrow's characterization, but frankly not actually all that hypocritical if you look at it for more than a second. That is, there is a very important but simple difference between the situation with Normal and the zoo and that of Hero and the deer that accounts for the variances in Sparrow's behavior between both cases: Lark. Sparrow isn't okay with either situation, based on all the evidence we have so far of who he is as a person there is absolutely no reason to think that Hero's training is not something that deeply upset him- I mean for fuck's sake everything about how Sparrow raised Normal down to his name stems from not wanting his kids to have to live that kind of life. So why doesn't he put a stop to things sooner? Why does he let any of Hero's training happen at all? Again, very simply, because Sparrow cannot say no to his brother. I mean, he does eventually, given Hero's current status, and that change is an important and still ongoing facet of Sparrow's growth and his arc, but at the start of things it is something he struggles with even more than he does now, to his own suffering and detriment and of course even more so to Hero's. But did Sparrow himself "force Hero to kill a deer with her bare hands"? Almost certainly not, and I have to admit that I find it quite frustrating how quickly Lark vanishes from the collective conscious of the fandom when the time comes to assign accountability for matters concerning Hero. But then, who is Sparrow if not someone who takes the fall for his brother, apparently even in the fandom-space.

[Not that there isn't any nuance to Lark's utilitarianism, either. In general I feel as though discussion of the twins' biggest mistakes too often omits the acknowledgement of the fact that all of it has been to stop an eldritch horror responsible for the death and torture of millions of people, but anyways. Not what this post is about.]

I think that's mostly it lol. Got some thoughts on the family's policy on pets (and how it relates to the Hero thing but also to Beanie actually), as well as some remarks on Rebecca and how we really shouldn't be leaving her out of this discussion (I say, leaving her out of this discussion) but eeehhhhhhh y'all I'm especially low energy as of late eheh and mostly just wanted to speak my peace on a couple major things so let's cut it here for now I think :b

[blehblarghblah]

wait wait wait, what about "Like Father, Like Libby"?? What are your thoughts on THAT dad episode? Especially bc what you said about alador. I cried 😭

^ me at that sleazy Matias

This is one of those moments where I meant in my other post TGaMM does a good job of balancing humour with serious tones, but evidently not making it a cheapened moment. Libby is a great character who has visibly grown out of her shell thanks to Molly's influence, and when we see her be passionate we can see/relate to a lot of aspects of her child-like glee. Granted, she is still a kid, but the way her excitement of lost time/potential takes hold of her here in this episode is even something Leah was surprised by. Which makes it very real and relatable!

To briefly pull away from the focus of the episode, I loved the B plot with Molly and Scratch because of the gags and one-liners. One of my favourite tropes in fiction, especially in sitcom series, is a character who is suddenly doing crosswords for the entirety of the episode which basically tees up punchlines and gags. I don't care if it's cheesy, I always find it hilarious. It's a simple way to set up jokes, but TGaMM did great with their deliveries and had me and my sister cackling.

Which is good! As undercutting serious tension can be needed to add levity. I feel as though if I had watched this episode as a kid, a lot of Leah's behaviours would've gone over my head then. But as I am now, seeing how she is, having moments of laughter adds great balance to the main story. And additionally, more moments of Libby and Molly's BFF nature is great: the fact that she knew Molly already messed up but was just playing it off just goes to show how well she knows her friend (I headcanon she asked Molly to put Simon on the phone just to troll her).

Now, the dad.

I love that Leah wasn't disheartened or jealous with Libby's sudden affection for her father. She had discomfort, but mainly because she knows what kind of man Matias really is. Seeing how she subtly places herself in support of her daughter throughout the entire is a great detail in how she is the parent that stayed and truly loved Libby, but also that Libby is aware of her mom's presence. As when the moment happens, she immediately knows she can rely on her mom again.

She just misses her dad.

And that, is wonderful storytelling in the way that not even Libby was aware how much she wanted her father in her life until the opportunity presented itself. I don't think she wanted to become a writer because of him, but I bet that had a small influence in her outlet with her poetry and such. Much of his lack of presence takes a toll and is finally let loose here, which enhances Libby's expectations. She asks her mother if his personality is basically anything like the stereotypical dads she's no doubt read/heard about.

Though I believe even Libby started to suspect something at the moment she met him too, as when her dad gave her a signed copy it felt like she recognized his signature was more general than personalized for her. Seeing that after all the expectations and build up, he turns out to be exactly as Leah suspected, was a gut punch but also very raw. Letting Libby soak in her moment for a bit was nice, but having her come out of it and recognize her mother's value in her life made it all the better.

All in all, a great episode and definitely up there in my top five faves so far.

(P.S.: Matias book series is gonna flop, what kind of publisher decides to make a book into a trilogy after a book is released?)

Until next ask,

- Bleh

[offbeat-manga-ships]

i've finished shikimori-san and it might be a little pathetic of me to say, but what i'm most glad about is that at pretty much no point did it ever feel like a chore to read it! i'm not very good with long manga. i wouldn't say i'm a person who can't focus, i'm actually pretty good at sitting down and just getting on with it once i put my mind to it, but it does at some point start feeling like work and err how many chapters until the end again and that kinda stuff. (i guess since i havent concerned myself with popular manga for more than a decade now, the stuff i read is just way shorter).

but, as i was saying, this manga knew exactly how to pace itself. usually i'm suspicious of short chapters. a long run can break the rhythm of a manga that supports itself in small-to-medium bites. but this manga knew what it was doing from the get-go. the author never used anything as a crutch. it stayed true to character interactions and even character development. i have to say i teared up more than one time because of the pure feelings of youthful wholesome slice-of-life. i remember seeing that anime called tsuki ga kirei years ago and not being on board with all the praise and how it was pretty much called the epitome of young japanese love and student life. well. this manga is my tsuki ga kirei. it made surprised how emotional i felt at some points and how it made me remember my own high school days.

i think there is an argument to be made that it might be a little too wholesome. but rather than think that is a flaw, i think it's just one of those things that is not exactly my cup of tea, but if i'm gonna try it, i'm glad that it was exactly like this. if you're gonna make wholesome overload, i think this is how you should do it. for all that this manga is drama-free and filled with good kids doing good in life, the author still took care to establish their bonds in interesting ways and flesh out their personalities. it's not just because they're all extremely good people that they have to be boring.

i also can't say i'm surprised, but i'm still disheartened by complaints about the main character, izumi yuuki. i don't stick around to read bad comments, but i've been seeing floating around how people think he's too weak and wimpy. and the thing that bothers me the most about these comments is that it's not even true. for all that shikimori gets the spotlight as a heartthrob sometimes, izumi is the actual star of the show. in fact, shikimori's life revolves around him more than the opposite. izumi buckles down and works hard to accomplish his goals and izumi is the one who gets the character development. i've also seen a comment complaining that the girl can be cool but stay feminine so why can't izumi also be masculine? and that makes me sad and angry in a different way. sure, izumi is not the epitome of traditional masculinity, but i don't understand how people don't realize that he's just comfortable in his own skin. his masculinity is not threatened by his girlfriend being a slice of life superhero. and even if he was actually feminine..... so what? people who like traditional femininity in women and masculinity in men.... i don't understand how they don't realize that the overwhelming majority of stories cater to them. you want to see a guy being manly and cool? read literally any shoujo manga ever.

the small little pool of the rest of us have to count our blessings when a manga like this comes around and STILL have to deal with it not staying unconventional through the end. as always, the manga needs to make a point that the boy needs to grow his capabilities to "be just as cool and assertive as the"catch up with the girl". and i think people don't realize that if shikimori was a guy and izumi was a girl, we would not even have a whiff of something like this happening. they would stay doing what they can and sometimes that means someone will be taken care of a bit more than the other and that's ok.

thankfully, it wasn't a painful process to read. it will always make me a bit sad, but it's something i'm very used to at this point. the story was charming, the characters were charming and as much as it champions normalcy and thinks "equal footing" means not letting a role reversal scenario thrive... i also think it did its best to stay true to who the characters are. i'm glad i read this.

[heartofspells]

Ugh, Dani. Why are you coming into my asks and making me cry? It feels so weird to not be posting a new chapter. What the hell am I going to do once it's finished???

But I mean, since it is posting day, and since I did promise snippets...

--

"Someone's having me on," utters Sirius as he gazes across the room with mystified eyes.

Trying to follow his line of sight, Benjy frowns. "What are you talking about?" he asks, sounding bemused, but Sirius shakes his head slowly, his lips quirking up in a half-smile.

"Never mind. C'mon, follow me."

Benjy sticking close to his side, Sirius guides them both across Lily's lounge to the other side where the food is spread out on a large table. He stops and clears his throat, gaining the briefest flicker of eyes before they fall to the table again.

"What do you want, Black?" asks Chrys in a crisp tone. "I'm busy. Make it quick."

Snorting, Sirius says, "You can't boss me around. We're not at work. This is my friend's house. And it's my birthday."

"Do I boss you around at work?"

"You try."

"Hmm. Seems I should try harder," mutters Chrys, picking up a sausage roll and inspecting it like it might be poisoned. "You didn't answer my question. What do you want?"

"Nothing. Thought you weren't coming. Bit surprised to see you here."

"Yes, well," she says slowly, taking a small sniff of the roll before dropping it onto her plate. "I got hungry." Her tone is deadpan, and Sirius bites the inside of his cheek to withhold a laugh as Chrys lifts her head to look at him properly. "And also, that boyfriend of yours is insistent. He's grating. On my nerves. And my sanity. But he doesn't take no for an answer. I can admire that."

Sirius can feel Benjy's eyes turning on him, asking silent questions Sirius doesn't have the answers for. Sirius has the same questions, gaze flickering towards a confused Benjy, the other man only shrugging in response.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about. I didn't do anything," says Benjy to Chrys, but the woman glances at him scathingly.

"I didn't say you, did I?" she barks. "I said boyfriend. Him." Chrys jabs her thumb over her shoulder, angling towards the corner where Sirius finds James standing when he looks around, his stomach twisting in an awful way. "What's his face. Jack, I think he said."

"James," corrects Sirius automatically, his chest tightening uncomfortably. He can still feel Benjy staring at him, but Sirius forces himself to remain as cavalier as possible.

"Right, that's it. He's very pushy. I told him I had no interest in your festivities the same as I told you, but he kept at it. Luckily for you," informs Chrys without a hint of humor, gaze fluttering over the food again. "Don't get used to it. I won't be back next year."

Benjy clears his throat. "That's me," he states, drawing Chrys' attention.

"What?" she clips out, expression unimpressed as she drags her eyes over Benjy. "What are you on about?"

Heaving a sigh, Sirius says, "James is my best mate. Benjy." He points his finger at the man beside him. "Boyfriend."

"The words coming out of your mouth make no sense," declares Chrys in a dull fashion.

"Boyfriend. Me. Hi," says Benjy flatly, like all the air has escaped him. "I'm Sirius' boyfriend."

Chrys looks over him again, eyes starting at the top of Benjy's head and dropping to his feet before roving up once more. Her lips purse when she's finished.

"I don't see it," she claims, turning away from them, obviously done with the conversation.

Sirius turns to face Benjy, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry about her," he dismisses, trying to brush it off. "She's a good enough person, but she's detached from people. Bit clinical."

"Yeah," mumbles Benjy, sounding disheartened. He's no longer looking at Sirius, gaze staring over his shoulder at the corner where James is. "Think I'm gonna go get a drink. I'll find you in a little while."

[scarletlilyy]

Main Text

Most people that claim they desire Academic Validation are really just suckers for human validation and I'm one of them.

I'm currently experiencing major burnout and I've realized it's because my motivation to succeed has never really been valid. Don't get me wrong I love the pursuit of knowledge for the most part but I think I've always loved academic validation more cus it's the only sort of validation I receive from other people

I'm known as this holy grail genius at my school and in reality I feel like a fraud. Especially right now as my grades are getting worse by the second, I can't even begin to go into detail but I'm getting marks I never thought I'd get and my only thought is "What would people think".

I'm scared and afraid of disappointing everyone around me cus ppl expect sm and no one say it's in my head. Cus once I told a friend of mine I got a 91 on the math exam and they were very clearly disappointed and surprised.

It was so disheartening and I feel like my entire worth has been based on my grades because that's the only thing that has ever made me worthy of attention from others.

Nonetheless I want to break free from this constant search of validation, I want to enjoy the bliss of success without it being connected to someone else.

End of Main Text

**********************

Beginning of yap - Feel free to skip

I don't know how to get it but it's part of getting out of this horrible rot I'm in right now.

I think the main part is building discipline and self love.

Heavy on the self love because I'm so self conscious lately, I've always been hyper aware of my looks and now I feel worse about it knowing my intellect isn't making up for it in any way.

I think I've been concerned with seeming smart rather than actually being smart and honestly you can blame me because perception is a bitch.

I'm not going to lie to myself here but I feel like even with every bit of self love perception is still important. I'm very much a leader and someone who likes to get involved wherever I am. Especially at school I'm always participating despite my depreciating grades.

I faced the repercussions of negative perception in my middle school grad year. I had really wanted Valedictorian and didn't get it cus most people including my teacher didn't like me very much. I don't blame them but it made me very hyper aware of people's views of me.

No I am not a people pleaser and I probably will never be, I do not wish to be viewed as the perfect kind person and I still very much set my boundaries without being mean. But all In all I try my best to make sure I'm respected and seen as smart. So far in high school that has worked, most people see me as smart.

The imposter syndrome kicks in even more when I'm surrounded by clearly smarter students, which is a part of the reason I didn't go to a competitive school.

I don't actively avoid smarter people though, I still respect and hold them to high honor. Even at my current school there are people I think are smarter than me and I admire them greatly (only the nice ones).

But in a room full of overachievers I feel overshadowed and there's no denying that.

Now that was a lot of yapping abt self esteem and perception but the real main cause of my current situation is my phone obsession.

It's sad to admit that my attention span has decreased, my sleep schedule is extremely fucked and there might be no saving me.

I don't remember the last time I've gone through a whole week sleeping early and not going on my phone at night. It's quite sad and I'm afraid to admit that I am addicted.

Right now it's 1:40am and that says a lot.

Now that we've addressed that, we'll talk about my plans to change.

Truth be told, I've planned to "change" a bunch of times but I never really execute the plan or held it for long and that is the case for a lot of things in my life. I love to plan but I never go through with any plans of mine

I think it's because I've never truly "wanted" something, which leads me back to the original point of his yap session. My motivations and want.

To succeed you really have to want it at all cost.

And I want it but do i want it badly? I don't know.

Right now the issue is, I'm too comfortable with myself and where I am. Always on my bed with my phone, afraid of any sort of discomfort and avoiding work.

My mind isn't willing to leave this state of false comfort and yet I keep facing the consequences of my actions.

I'm beyond disappointed in myself and I'm using this as a reflection period to really understand what I can do to change.

am I still scared I'm gonna remain stagnant and useless? yes. But will I try? yes.

This weekend I'm gonna ponder on all these thoughts more and really reevaluate my motivations in life.

I have life goals already, I know what I'm gonna do and I know what to do.

The problem is doing it.