#i hated how directionless it felt...

[ch3rrytr3e]

Enter: the Sporty and Curious Pen-Wielder

Iris!

[skrunksthatwunk]

not my dad not liking moral orel season 3 🤭🤭🤭that's so embarrassing for him (<- he's not wrong for feeling that way but i think it's like 60% because he doesn't like it when art gets weird and that's so so tragic for him)

[valentine-writes]

Can you do enemies to lovers with 1016 Miles?? :3

[ this will be my last req for this account, moving to my new blog officially once this one is up! catch me on @l0vem41l <3 reqs will be open there when i'm ready ＞︿＜ ]

overachiever

「 tws + notes: no tws, unedited, burnout, reader also attends visions academy, reader is trying so so hard to not be mean and fails (im so sorry), one-sided academic rivalry, author doesn't know how american schools work (i am so so sorry), comfort (?) 」

「 gn!reader, can be platonic or romantic <3」

↳ ft. miles morales (1610)

author's note: YES I CAN!!! however,, i put a lil twist on the prompt given and made it academic rivalry (i genuinely cant find a viable reason to beef w/ miles i am so sorry (-﹏-；) !!) anyways! hope this works with you!!! soz itz so short!!! :[[

"wow," your friend's eyes light up, scanning over your test results, "...you've gotta be like, the smartest person i know."

you laugh politely, smiling at them as they hand your paper back. "no, it's really not that big of a deal–"

"what do you mean 'not that big of a deal?! dude, you got 100% on a test most people failed." your friend shoves their paper in your face as evidence– a 57% in red on theirs. "that's like... the highest grade achievable. probably the highest in cla–"

"THIS GUY GOT A 101%!"

everyone turns to the voice– the loud kid who sat behind miles eyeing his test.

you blinked in disbelief. you didn't even know getting extra credit was possible on this one.

miles looked up at the faces of his staring peers faces filled with disbelief and slight annoyance, and fumbled to set his test face down on his desk. he flashed an awkward grin "uh... yeah?"

-

▸ you liked miles. he was friendly. sweet. genuine. you couldn't hate him if you wanted to. no, you didn't feel hate towards him. it was just... jealousy. simple, petty, burning jealousy.

▸ visions academy was something you had to work your ass off for, constantly studying just to stay on the level of the students who attended. NERDS. all of them were nerds. but you were attending this school too sooo,,,

and then there was miles. someone who barely even had to try to get the highest grades. he had you seething.

▸ the most humiliating part was the fact that he had little to no interest in competing with you at all. the few times you had spoken were awkward and curt on your end, and yes– it felt awful being so mean for something as small as personal resentment.

▸ nothing justified your one word responses or the accidental snark that would slip into those few words. you mentally kicked yourself for the times you watched his grin falter because of something you said, miles awkwardly trying to laugh off whatever cold remark you just shot at him.

he'd walk away, dejected, and you'd stand there for a moment– frozen as you fought the urge to run up to him and try to explain yourself or beg for forgiveness. it didn't make sense to at this point. maybe he'd just accept this was the way you were– the way things would be between you two.

▸ so yes, perhaps in your pursuit of favouring school over every other aspect of your life, your social skills were left rotting and underdeveloped. but you knew, deep down, it wasn't just you being awkward.

being around him made you feel small. talking to someone, radiating the aura of someone with a promise-filled future made you look completely directionless and clueless in comparison. the effort you put into your academics was almost repulsive to think about when miles could take a test with a blindfold on and probably still score 90s.

maybe it was the deep set fear that you'd never amount to anything if you didn't burn yourself out trying. all of a sudden, the academic validation of being good wasn't enough. not when you were one of the best once.

▸ you spent an absurd amount of time trying to avoid him, deliberately moving to the furthest corners of the library so he wouldn't see you there struggling to wrap your head around whatever you were being taught in physics.

heavens above forbid that he walk up to you, greeting you with that sunny smile and cheerful voice that could make anyone falter. you may have been jealous of him– but oh, how you hated that feeling that way when he nothing but well-meaning.

-

the last sip of your coffee– long cooled by now thanks thermodynamics– did nothing to make you feel less dead. you had lost track of the time you had spent practically decomposing in this library, studying for an upcoming physics test that had you reeling just by the mere thought of it.

you sighed, staring at the papers strewn on the desk. your hands fidgeted with the pencil in your hand, it's eraser and tip rendered flat and useless by now, as you tried to muster the energy to gather your things to leave. it was much too late. the library would be closed soon and you'd be forced to go back home to study at your own desk in your bedroom.

this was routine. go to school, study in the library until it gets dark, and go home to study more– the next day, you'd find yourself still awake and studying or with a headache, your cheek pressed to the desk, and drool on your notebook. yeah. your bed hasn't been used in a solid while. and science homework isn't exactly the comfiest pillow. but this is what you were used to.

standing up, you stretched out a bit– and immediately froze as a familiar voice called your name. you paused, reluctantly turning to the source of the voice.

"...god, morales–" you huffed, "you nearly scared me half to death."

this is the friendliest you've been towards him in a while, he notices, as you flash him a tiny, crooked smile on your tired face. all potential malice you could have held had been beaten out by your absolute lack of energy.

he approaches you and looks at your desk, considering what to say to fill the silent air. he places a hand on your shoulder, you stiffen–

"hey." miles flashes a grin, not his signature smile but,, somewhat of a forced smolder.

you stare and resist the urge to cringe, wondering if you were sleep deprived to the point of hallucinations. you gently brush his hand off your shoulder.

"...hi?" you respond, unsure of what to do.

miles is snapped out of whatever stupid trance he was in by your voice.

"oh– uh– yeah, hey," he repeats your name again, trying to recover from whatever that was, "is– is everything okay?"

"i could ask you the same thing."

he lets out a little chuckle. "you know what i mean. all... this." miles' hand gestures vaguely to your desk and current state of complete entropy. "how long have you been here?"

you avert your gaze, shame burning in your face. "i... don't know?"

a pause.

miles places a hand on your back this time, in an attempt of friendly comfort. geez, are they keeping you locked in here?" he quips, earning half of a dry laugh from you. "c'mon. you should probably get home and rest by now."

"but–" your lips part in protest, looking back up at him to argue– but he just looks back, concern filled in his dark doe-like eyes. all possibilities of fighting him on this were out the window.

"you need it." he insists, a gentle smile forming on his face. much better than the weird smoulder from earlier, you think. "i'll even walk you there."

before you can speak up, he moves away from you, beginning to help you gather up your things to pack up. you mumble a silent thank you to him, which he accepts happily with a nod.

as he hands over the papers, his eyes scan them. "oh! physics? i love physics."

"no shit, morales." you scoff, snatching up the papers from him and stuffing them in your bag. "it sure seems to love you."

yet again, you've managed to mess things up. you bite the inside of your cheek before you can say anything worse. a sigh escapes your lips, as you decide to at least try and save the interaction.

"look... i'm really sorry. it's been a rough day, i've been struggling to get the concepts down, i'm falling behind and feeling stupid as hell right now, and– to make everything worse, the fucking test is just stressing me out and i just– i just..." you trail off from your ramblings, a sob getting caught in your throat as your shaky hands grip your backpack.

"woah, woah, hey– it's okay."

he slowly puts an arm around your shoulder, careful not to startle you or make you uncomfortable. you don't even realize how you lean into him. "let's just get you home. you've done your best, yeah?"

you nod. he offers you a little smile.

"exactly. and that's enough. okay? you're doing more than you can handle right now." there's a few more shared words as he reassures you.

part of him wonders how long this had been going on– how long you had been working yourself until you broke– mainly because that test that was stressing you out was more than a week away. yeah. he'd need to convince you to watch after yourself more often.

-

"and now a silly one!!!" (more lighthearted hcs below for the aftermath of this becuz goodness me.)

▸ things definitely ease up around miles. if he can't convince you to step away from your work, he's chosen to be able to regulate it.

studying with him in a local cafe is now a frequent thing you two do together. miles always gives you time to work, but will then ever so subtly lure you into moving on from your work to hang out with him normally. and it works. every single time. you might start in the library or cafe, but where you'll be later? always a mystery.

whether it's a walk in the park, going back to his place to chat, or finding some random activity to do, you find yourself bonding with him more and more. your jealousy begins to fade, finding a friend in him instead of someone you have to one up.

▸ you both spontaneously decided to see a new horror movie once and accidentally got miles in trouble with his parents for coming home after curfew. and he'd 100% do it again in a heartbeat if you asked.

▸ no matter what you get on that next test, miles is going to congratulate you like it's the best he's ever seen. he's overjoyed to share your achievements, to celebrate them like no one in your life ever has.

miles holds up his test as you tell him your grade. "you got a 92? hey look– me too!"

a snarky voice speaks up, "well, i got a 98% so–"

"no one was talking to you." miles retorts.

you press a hand to your mouth and look away, trying to stifle laughter. was he always this sassy or did you just end up rubbing off on him?

▸ you both end up being extra studious for the next test (breaks included this time) and he's sure to be extra loud about congratulating you for your perfect 100%

maybe the sass wasn't all you,,, but the minor pettiness definitely is your influence. it's actually not. miles is pretty easygoing,, but man did he not like when that random ass kid gave you attitude.

you smile at miles, ensuring to do the same for him if not, a little louder

"what? 'm complimenting you." you tilt your head at miles' stunned expression.

for a moment, he stumbles over his words. "i know– you just– i didn't expect that from you, so–"

you laugh. "what? you want me to go back to being mean or something?"

miles laughs too. it's hard not to stare at the way he lights up a room like this.

▸ things feel lighter now. you've made social progress with others, you have a life beyond just school– and you have miles. part of you wonders if you'll ever be able to tell him just how much he means to you and how you wish you could've just been his friend from the start.

sometimes, in the corner of his eye, he catches your wistful stare. and though he doesn't utter a single word, you start to feel that he cherishes you just as much.

[jewishcissiekj]

hi let's talk about her

Honestly I have so much to say about her. so much. so here's some of it

-Asajj (NOT VENTRESS THAT'S HER LAST NAME ISTG PEOPLE JUST HATE USING HER ACTUAL NAME AND IDK WHY I GUESS IT'S A COOL NAME BUT ASAJJ IS ALSO A COOL NAME AND)

-Asajj was last seen in canon in the Dark Disciple novel. Where she died. I would never recommend that book to anyone so if you haven't read it yet please don't. In short, after becoming a Bounty Hunter in The Clone Wars she grew out her hair, got a cool yellow Lightsaber and for some reason teamed up with Quinlan Vos to try and kill Dooku. They didn't manage to do it. And Asajj died (was fridged) trying to protect Quinlan. The Bad Batch will not contradict that, as was said by the creators. So this is just a summary for anyone who hasn't read it because I wholeheartedly believe that book is bad

-I have not watched a single Bad Batch episode in my life. As a disclaimer. I started the first one, watched their TCW arc and saw memes screenshots clips and spoilers but I do not know this show. I will watch it now that Asajj's there tho

-She does not have the same outfit anymore! It's a change, and we haven't gotten a clear look at her new design so idk how to judge it yet. Might be to look less recognizable, but it has a very different vibe than any of her prior outfits. There's a leftover shoulder pad and probably some other stuff from her last design but I feel like they kinda clash with the new one and tbb's design language in general. The Bounty Hunter look has a very TCWish feel to it and this one is a sharp turn in another, much more casual direction. I'm not inherently against it but I guess we'll see how it looks in action soon

-In my opinion the hair looks like shit. I don't think she should have hair ever. I don't understand why she can't be bald. Why is she bald when she's evil and has hair when she's a padawan (good) and when she is "redeemed"? guess we'll never know. It's a leftover from the cancelled Dark Disciple TCW arc design (and the Dark Disciple cover and promotional material ofc) and it's bad if you ask me but to each their own and if you like it good for you

-Her Lightsaber!!!!! Same case as the hair in terms of irl development but I like it so much better. The yellow just fits her character and it's pretty. Would love for her to find another one and get back to dual-wielding (I know that won't happen)

-The bag and pouches make me so happy as a design element do you think she carries a (tooka) cat in there

-Now, visually she looks great and the animation style is smoother and nicer than TCW (as is the quality), but what about the direction the character's going in? I didn't like her being dead before, but I felt like it was somewhat better than her being shoved into being a cameo character in new content. If you can't touch her after a certain point, you also can't mess her up. But I do wonder where they're going with her. A few questions:

-Asajj in canon is a directionless character. Also, a partially nonsensical and inconsistent character in her choices and storylines. I've talked about it a lot but in short she just feels messy. What's her purpose in life? Her motive? Her origin story doesn't really make sense, even. She's a Bounty Hunter, sure, but why? If all she wants is revenge on Dooku and maybe money (which was pretty much the case in Dark Disciple), what's she doing after the Empire? And more importantly, why?

-Obviously, the question I haven't asked yet because I don't like it: How the fuck is she alive? Nightsisters have a weird relationship with death but seriously, how?

-She's a Force User after the Rise of the Empire now, so what does he do about that? Is she founding The Path? Fucking around and finding out? Making a not-Jedi-not-Sith order with other force users she finds? Is the Empire after her? Do they know she's live?

-What about her girlfriend? Is Latts Razzi safe? Is she alright?

-Why is she in The Bad Batch show? Are we making her into a cameo character or is there a purpose? Why'd they bring her back? For fun? What is she doing after the show? Floating in dead space? Cameo-ing? Will we have a book?

-OK enough for tonight but if we see Quinlan Vos in the show I'll become violent (/neg). We probably will (he might just get mentioned idk).

[molsno]

one time I went to see a captain america movie with some friends even though I wasn't a marvel fan and had only watched the first movie and I walked out of the theater hating the entire thing. I remember asking early on "why is iron man in this movie?" because I had quite reasonably assumed that it was a captain america movie, not an avengers movie, but my confusion only grew throughout its runtime as more characters from other series appeared, with the writers expecting you to have seen all of their movies up to that point as well. by the time it was over, I fucking despised the titular protagonist, because his stance, that he was willing to fight the other characters for, was "I should be able to do what I want without any supervision no matter how destructive it is to others because I'm the united states of america and I decide what's right and what's wrong." he was the worst character by far, and that's quite an accomplishment considering it was his movie and his opponent was a billionaire ceo. the whole thing was a bore too, with directionless action sequences, bland visuals, forgettable music, unlikable characters, and a skeleton plot. it felt more like an extended advertisement for the us military than a work of art. and all of that has been true about every marvel movie I've ever watched, which is few of them. I have no fucking idea how there are fans of this garbage, honestly

[citylighten]

Storytelling Secret Saturday

I was tagged by @havenroyals 😘

Secret One! Let's Talk About Relationships In my first half-formed draft for Sink or Swim, Pietro was an absolute mess, but as I planned things out more thoroughly, he gradually became better and my angle around him shifted. Pietro was originally very devious, cunning, and a tad extroverted. He was actively plotting to kill Raphael, which, yeah, he is now, but the plotting wasn't really justified. Rosaria was going to end up working for Pietro due to Franco's situation with Raphael and be manipulated by him into thinking he was a good guy. They still would have had their sexual relationship. Eventually Sal would've found out, took issue with it, and Pietro set Sal up to be arrested. But then, I decided to dial it back some 'cause that would have been A LOT of drama and confusion. I remember thinking, okay what if he DID have a heart? What if he DID grow to love Rosaria? Then, I rambled out some thoughts at @ladygangsters and she was a sucker for an office romance, and that prompted my heart to soften towards Pietro and Rosaria more. I started to think of how there would be a significant sexual relationship between them, how Pietro would lead to changes in Rosaria and accordingly, Raphael became the antagonist. In regards to Rosaria, she and Ben were never meant to be a lasting couple. It was always meant to be something brief that led her to someone else. Originally, I swore I was going to have Adriano and Rosaria be end-game, but no matter how cute I felt they were, I couldn't visualize a story for those two. Neither of them changed. Similarly, before simblr, Rosie's old college friend Tariq and she were a thing. But, they also felt like a directionless pair. Pietro, even when he was at his worst character-wise, was the first person I could see her having a 'story' with.

Secret 2! The hit on Ben was suppose to be muuuuch different. So, what was going to happen was originally this: Ben was the one who harassed Rosaria on instagram. However, instead of Ben and Bethany being at the bar when Sal was on stage? It was Ben and McNeely. Sal would still follow the men outside the bar, but instead of Ben (who was passive as always) he would have instead fought McNeely and been arrested for that. Rosaria would have been pissed and told Pietro, but the punishment would have been different. Pietro would have contacted Iris from @digital-deluxe's Public Enemies who would have placed a virus on Ben and McNeely's computers. And that was it. This was my plan for awhile. But then I thought. I need to go harder than that. I thought Ben's harassment would have been more meaningful if it was shown that he was dating someone new and still had Rosaria on his brain. I thought, for Sal to directly call out Ben on stage and fight Ben would have been meaningful 'cause he's hated Ben since Dear Diary, and this action didn't sideline Ben, who is the issue and has been a core character since the beginning. I did want Ben to be written out appropriately, not in a, "well, he and Rosie broke up and they never crossed paths again and it's all good." As said above: I needed to go harder than that. I decided that Rosaria would give Ben's name to Pietro after this whole fiasco. HOWEVER, she was going to be more conscious in what she did. She was going to tell Pietro, "don't hurt him" and Pietro would agree to it. Then I thought, "nah, I need her to be totally blinded by her rage and speak through the lens of seeing nothing but red, only to be stunned when disaster happens." Why? Because she needed the character development for this chapter! She needs a little arc! Pietro has told her a bit about his world, sure, but she's only seen the glitzy and calm side of organized crime. She needed to see how brutal things could get and work through it in order to become the woman she is in the future. Secret 3!

The scene I'm depicting in my next update? It was always envisioned for Sink or Swim. But, it was actually meant to be a turning point for Pietro and Rosaria's relationship - the beginning of the end of the first half of the story, if you will. But if I squeeze out this update tonight or tomorrow? I'll be elaborating on this more lmao

Tagging @sirianasims @digital-deluxe @swiftviolets @rebouks

[bajablastflavoredsaxreed]

i was lucky enough to manage to get crazy cheap tickets to a touring production of les mis and HOLY SHIT.

I’ve been peripherally interested in the show for a while (as is my theatre kid duty) but i was not expecting it to blow me out of the water like it did

all the actors KILLED IT

Grantaire behaved proportionately homosexual and was very tall and strutted around the stage in a way that was really funny but also impactful when it had to be

there was some sort of tension between javert and vanjean. like they were looking at each others lips. that was enjoyable

SPEAKING OF JAVERT OMG

during the scene where he dies i was like almost crying because the actor so beautifully portrayed the feeling of having your core ideals as a person being challenged and feeling directionless in life but then he jumped off the bridge AND HE FLEW INTO THE AIR. THE WIRES WERE SO WELL HIDDEN I DIDNT NOTICE. HE WAS FUCKING UP THERE.

and he was like kicking and moving his arms in slow motion like he was falling and he was slowly being brought back towards the projector screen thing in the back of the stage and it changed to water and they somehow made him like. go through the screen? the lights covered enough up where i couldn’t rly tell how they did it but it was so cool. i knew that he would fall into the water but i didn’t expect them to go so fucking hard with the visuals

the projector was used so well also? like they were in the sewers towards the end and they projected like an image of the inside of a sewer but it would like move as the actors did to really sell the location? and crazy amounts of fog and shit too it was rly immersive

and they had these MASSIVE set pieces for like every location. like buildings and carts and the barricade and everything. it was so well done idk how they had room for them backstage

and the Thénardiers were so funny jesus christ. they stole the show every time. my favorite murder couple i hate them so much. during cossete and marius’s wedding where they were dancing and during the line “this one’s a queer” Thénardier dipped a man and the entire audience applauded lmao. his stage presence was so campy and evil and hilarious

which was desperately needed because the rest of the show was fucking DEVASTATING oh my god

i never got empty chairs at empty tables before but like. holy shit. it was so fucking tragic. they all like lined up behind marius holding candles and then marius blew his candle out like YOU CANT DO THAT TO ME

also felt so bad for éponine someone give that girl a break. marius was too down bad to notice anything. like dude.

“you’re such a good friend éponine! i love you! please deliver this love letter to cossete for me please! thank you friend! :D”

and éponine is straight up passing away go dkdofoskrkrkdo

i have so many more thoughts but my fingers are getting tired

[bangtan7butnotonly]

ACOTAR Completely Fell Off After Book Two

- A popular opinion

I've said it before and I'll say it again, book five is unmitigated bullshit. Everyone's personality got fucked except Nes and Cas. Like, come on, Feyre becomes a nobody, Rhys becomes an asshole, Amren attempts to convince Rhys to take over the fucking world, and Mor in implied to be jealous of Nesta. What??? She's jealous that Nes is hooking up with Cassian??? Why? On so many levels that makes no sense, and Maas never goes anywhere with it.

Book one was strong, book one could function as a stand-alone. Book two was also strong, if and only if book three was strong too and delivered on the expectations, loose ends, and unanswered questions book two had left us with. Spoiler alert, it didn't.

The King of Hybern is a shallow, one-dimensional antagonist. I've met Disney villains with more justification, Marvel villains with more backstory. Naruto gave me better antagonists than ACOTAR. Rhys does some questionable shit in this book. Amren dying and then undying with no explanation takes all the meaning and weight out of her sacrifice (and look what she went on to do in book five, get her personality completely overlooked for five minutes of tension. Stay dead, girlie) The list could go on forever.

I think we all know what happened here. Maas had no idea what to do with her story beyond book two. Book one, solid. Book two, solid, but leaves book three with some work to do. Book three, does none of that work, bs. Book four, it's 200 pages and doesn't count, filler. Book five, unmitigated directionless bullshit. Wtf was happening with that human queen??? Nothing that happened in the “main plot” of that book made any sense (whether we're diving in and taking this as their lives that they're living or as Maas's fictional narrative) the only good part was Nesta and the girls.

Anyway, so concludes my rant. I love the Court of Dreams to death, but they deserved a better author and a better story.

OH! And wt actual f is going to happen in this alleged book six???? Like, book five's ending felt like closure. Please god tell me this is not going to be an Elaine x Azriel switching POV like book five🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 The only thing worse would be if it was a timeskip and Nyx is our MC. I would actually burn the book.

OHHH! I also hate that Nesta and Cassian are mates. I really thought Feyre and Rhys would be destined love, soulmates, an example of how beautiful it is when the bond works out, Nes and Cas would be love without the mating bond, and no less valid or beautiful, and Elaine would be finding her mate and choosing not to take him, and also choosing not to take the other suiter. I thought Elaine would end up either with Greysen or with some rando from Velaris (if rando, then off page. The series would end with her single and happy)

Anyway, yeah✌🏼

[a-caterpillars-world]

So. I finished Homestuck.

Reading Homestuck in 2024, over a decade since it started, was definitely an experience. There was a lot that i was spoiled for, but a lot that took me by surprise, even though "spoilers" are just about everywhere. I'm glad I was able to go in blind, there's a lot that wouldn't have felt nearly as impactful had i known about it beforehand. I'm not great at just directionless rambling, so I'll organize it in the form of an FAQ of a sort, under a read more since I'm expecting this to be a longer post.

Did you enjoy yourself?

Honestly, yes. I know Homestuck has a kind of negative reputation, and now that I've finished I can certainly see where it comes from, but even considering all of that I can't say I had a bad time. I think Homestuck has a lot to love, even if there's also a lot to hate. Personally I think there's several elements and characters of Homestuck that deserve a better rep, there was a lot I read that was very funny or very narratively compelling even through all the obvious flaws. I had a good time, I don't regret picking up Homestuck.

Do you plan to read anything else related to Homestuck (eg Homestuck 2)?

Maybe! I'm not entirely sure how much I'm missing out on, or how much the various side stories impact the main canon. If one of them seems particularly interesting to me, I'll look into it, but right now I'm good. I'm not even entirely sure how deep the Homestuck rabbit hole goes, though I suppose I could look it up and find out for myself.

Do you have any favorites/what do you think about [character]?

This is a hard question to answer, as Homestuck is a series with a loooot of characters to talk about. If you want to know a more in-depth opinion on your favorites, send me an ask! I love conversation and even since I started my liveblog I've been open to asks being sent in even if we've never spoken. Maybe I'll make a tierlist to organize my favorites, that could be fun.

Should I read Homestuck?

It depends. Homestuck can be a very good and interesting story at times, but a lot of what makes it a great story is hidden behind layers of questionable-at-best humor and casual ableism. I think if you can approach it as it is and understand the flaws inherent to it, it's definitely worth at least checking out. And then if it isn't for you, then it isn't for you, but it did end up being for me so take it as you will. Even if you're just looking at it as a part of internet and webcomic history, I think it's not a waste of time to give it a read. Via the downloadable archive though, not the browser version. Homestuck suffered greatly from the death of Flash, so it's best to read on a version that can better support all the unique elements it utilized without much risk of it crapping out on you (like it did to me, in several key points including the finale.) I also recommend reading with a friend, preferably one who's read Homestuck before so you can talk about things as they come up naturally.

Final thoughts

Homestuck is a fascinating piece of internet history. It's a near-perfect capture of the humor and culture of the late 2000s and early 2010s, largely dependent on a web service that is now entirely defunct. Were it not for the actions of archivists and fans, it's entirely likely we could've lost massive chunks of an incredible piece of webcomic and fandom history. It certainly isn't for everyone, its flaws have been talked about with regularity by essayists and internet historians with the whole spectrum of opinions on it. Even with its flaws, though, it still puts together a quite lovely story, with several compelling characters and scenes that grab your attention and hold it tight. Not only do I not regret reading it, but I completely understand how Homestuck created such a storm of a fandom especially when it was being actively updated. I'm glad I read it, in the end. It brought me a lot of joy in the best moments, and even at the times when I was most frustrated with the story I can't say there was ever a point where it was too much for me. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to check on the liveblog, whether you're one of my friends or a stranger checking in from the Homestuck fandom. It has certainly been an interesting ride, and I'm glad that I got to take it, even if I am in fact several years late to the party. Until next time, everyone!

[awaytobeunshaken]

If You See Me Falling

He tried. After everything that went down, after seeing Orym throw that locket away with the remains of a man they’d all started to think of as a friend. After seeing him walk away and shut down and say with every bit of body language that he just wanted to be alone, whether or not it was truly what he needed. If you see me falling down, pick me up, Orym’s words from a few nights ago rang in their head. So Ashton tried.

And again, he failed. Words were no good here; all the words they could think of felt trite and condescending. So the next morning, after they’d all finished breakfast and Orym was trying to disappear again, Ashton did something that surprised even him, dropping to one knee and putting his arms around Orym. They’d accepted hugs from the halfling before, never given one. It felt nice. At least until Orym flexed his arms and shrugged his shoulders to slip free of Ashton’s grasp, muttering, “Don’t touch me.”

Ashton isn’t hurt, or angry. How could they be, as many times as they’ve expressed the same sentiment. He doesn’t think Orym’s angry, either. Not at him, at least. Maybe just at everything, and why shouldn’t he be? They haven’t seen that kind of anger in Orym before, that directionless rage bubbling up behind his eyes, but they sure as hell know it. Ashton just hopes they find somewhere for him to put it before it eats him up. They’ve long envied Orym’s calm, as much as it’s baffled them, and Ashton hates having to watch Orym, too, be hardened by circumstance.

~

He knows Ashton was just trying to help, and up until ten minutes ago he probably would have accepted it. Welcomed it, even. Now it just feels like a distraction. He’s let himself get so distracted, trying to focus on the biggest targets because the little people were victims, too. Trying to let someone else take the lead so the decision didn’t have to be his.

And a lot of them probably were victims; they’d been lied to, manipulated, their worst traumas used against them. But they had still made a choice. Liliana, Bor’dor, the man with the locket, they’d all decided to make someone pay for how their lives had gone, regardless of who actually wronged them or what the collateral damage might be.

He looks over at Ashton, who has as much or more reason to be angry than anyone on the other side, who doesn’t steal what people can’t afford to lose, who is gentle with people who are vulnerable, who has reached out to Orym time and again, not letting him retreat into himself, much as he might like to. All that rage, but they manage to save it for the people who deserve it. And if he can do it, the rest of them have no excuse. There’s no room for him to be quiet anymore.

~

Jrusar. The Spire by Fire. The place where it all started. Ashton wonders how they made it back there, from wherever they’d been the other day. Another archdruid? Well, assuming everything goes the way it’s supposed to, he supposes they’ll find out soon enough.

Ashton approaches Orym again, this time keeping a comfortable distance. “That thing you said about picking you up when you fall, I’m gonna assume you meant that and weren’t just saying it to get me off your back.”

“I meant it. I don’t need picking up right now.”

“I know you believe that. I know you’ll keep believing it unless someone reminds you that you don’t have to.”

“I don’t know what you can do that you’re not already doing. Because what I need is for this to be over.”

“Yeah, I hear that. But if you think of anything else between now and then, you can let me know. Because I’m gonna keep asking.” If that makes them the asshole that’s fine. It’s a role they’re used to playing.

read on ao3

[deva-arts]

Human Vince and Sera are not on the best terms, but at least they talk to each other!

They're waiting for the others so they can take the train.

Some human au lore under the cut! it's kind of disjointed ahah

Just raising Vincent in a 'normal' environment outside a lab would change the outcome of his character a LOT.... But some parallels still stand!

He's always been a very performative and willful person (even as a kid! He's lived for the spotlight just to prove he can shine in it), so I imagine he'd still have that spitfire in him... But directed towards means and goals that aren't as destructive to himself and others.

He was the type that was categorized as the gifted child, but his talents were never really given much space to develop since Sera's birth took the forefront of their parent's priorities in an already failing marriage. He felt neglected and even replaced in many ways, trying and failing to get their attention and recognition... And suffering academically because of it, which created more rifts. He dealt with his frustrations using physical means- exercise, running off without knowing where, and spending the day roaming and doing dumb tricks with his friends. "Ooh, this makes people pay attention to me? they're looking for me? I should keep doing this!"

Vincent is a bit directionless, getting in trouble with his parents, his school, the law... Until eventually he realizes his shithead hobbies (parkour, stupid dares, sports and street racing) could get him somewhere. He becomes quite successful in this field! but he never seems to get his family's approval... Nothing he does is perfect in their eyes. Is he just a bug to them? He gets kicked out after going to jail for reckless endangerment.

Vincent and Sera grow to be somewhat estranged; Sera thinks that he hates her for being the 'perfect child', and he thinks that she looks down on him for his rockier go at life. "She doesn't know how hard I had it. She'll never understand." His jealousy certainly doesn't inspire any bonds, even though he knows it's not really about her as a person. Their idea of the other was never dispelled with an earnest conversation, and so it continued to build until... They felt it was their reality.

Sera is the quiet, good child. She doesn't bicker, does her tasks well, and their parents even go so far as to say they learned from their mistakes with Vincent. However, she's always swallowing her feelings, and never feels secure when moving outside the lines set for her. Vincent never understood Sera's plight with always having their parent's 'approval', and so she never brings it up. If anything, he was the bad example. She somewhat envies his freedom, and resents it all the same. "Maybe if he tried harder I wouldn't have to pick up after him. "

She grows up quite alone, with few friends if any. She's always in new clubs and practices and study groups, out by six and back by nine. Sure, it's great to train your child to be multi-talented, but the pressure placed on her leads to whittling herself down into a utilitarian shell to meet her family's expectations, and she loses interest in the things that made her happy. She doesn't have time for herself anymore, nor does she make any. She has work to do, things to attend. What's the point of anything?

Sera leaves home early after a very, very low point in her life and goes to juvenile bootcamp with her highschool friend, Eric, in search of some sort of release from her life, where she'd eventually continue on until entering the Airforce under Monica Herrera's mentorship. There, she eventually meets Nathaniel.

Vincent wanders around the country a lot, likely working in fields that give him the sweet thrills he seeks without staying in one place too long. Good way or bad way, he learns regardless, like a renaissance man of risk taking. Stuntman gigs, extreme sports, racing, and competitions would be his bread and butter. It brings in the dough. And the dopamine. When things slow down, he often leaves to try the next thing and see where it takes him. His unabashed nature opens both doors and windows, while also closing many others. Maybe monotony just scares him.

It's only years later, when Sera and Vince reach a more stable time in their lives and careers, that they reluctantly see eye-to-eye.

[roobylavender]

Omg I'm glad I found a fellow new teen titans hater (or at least critic) because while I think Wolfman had some really neat ideas it really amazes me how so much of what he's written for Dick is like the polar opposite of his character for 40 years and how people ignore that simply because they don't read golden/silver age batman... like I hate reboot Nightwing as much as anyone but it's crazy to me how people think he's always been the most anal about his moral code as if it didn't take years for him to develop it after watching Bruce (like in canon: https://64.media.tumblr.com/f20ae729d626788129a371dab7f790db/5b84ba907a5dc5f9-ac/s1280x1920/e0e719108502d4fa51364eb748450141fd1bcedd.png), or how he'd give up college/a day life to be Robin when in canon he was the one all gung-ho about going to college while Bruce hoped for him to stay home (and ironically enough Bruce quit Wayne Industries himself so he could focus full-time on being Batman lmao: https://64.media.tumblr.com/48945b33fa70a2bfbded0fe6c83017d0/68e853c82fce0d82-5a/s1280x1920/32e3b3ab44fa7364ca82eb63bb8c6d5bbbbb7132.png), or even that Dick wouldn't have the patience to mentor children or something when the literal purpose of creating Robin was to be a role model for children to relate to and sef-insert themselves as his friend, hence why he always excelled in school and sports and stuff...like Bill Finger even created this concept of "Robin's Regulars" to show that Dick liked kids and inspired them (https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wpPLG-yJpJw/S5v2_3KXjdI/AAAAAAAADnM/1aOMBWuCmT0/s400/robinsregulars.jpg)... the good part is that NTT took place when Dick was just 18-19, I can easily pass it off as his angsty phase that he grew out of in the same way Peter's Ditko era is passed off as his edgy college kid phase in-universe that he outgrew thanks to his friends lmao

admittedly i think trying to ascertain any kind of moral code from bruce or dick in the golden age is a bit of a directionless endeavor bc the writers switched things up soooo often depending on whether they want to pander to morality or comedic value 😭 like there's a golden age issue where bruce quite literally lets= someone die in an electric whirlpool of some kind omds it was hysterical. but yeah interestingly with wolfman i like a lot of the things he did with dick as a character if i view them as developments resulting not only from his personal foray into adulthood but also from the distance that started to grow between him and bruce. it was completely logical for dick to reassess a lot of the things he wanted back when he thought it was going to be him and bruce forever versus at present when bruce clearly no longer wanted to sanction him being robin and dick took that to mean he wasn't good enough (even though bruce was merely being protective and trying to respect dick's own ability to choose his own path in life). the problem with wolfman is that rather than portray it as a series of newfound assessments made in context of newfound developments in dick's life, he wrote these assessments as if they had been lodged in dick's mind since the day he was taken in. which to me at least seems to diminish the significance of dick's development into a more agitated, hyper-emotional control freak. it's not supposed to be something that's always been there. it's more latent. dick's belief in himself with respect to his relationship with bruce sort of hung by a thread for the entirety of their tenure together. that's what happens when you let a nine-year-old become a vigilante and spend nearly nine years together thereafter fighting crime with him as your exclusive partner. it builds expectations, hopes, dreams. for his entire life dick was building up to this.. fantasy almost. and when he went to college it still wasn't so bad because even if there was a desire to be independent he still felt like he had bruce's support. the fantasy remained intact. it was only when dick started to realize that being in college hindered what he really wanted to do with his life, and then bruce opposed him on it, and then they proceeded to disagree on a number of other things—as respectfully as they could admittedly. that was the nice thing about the early 80s. they actually talked in the truest sense of the word—and then bruce finally cut the cord (so to speak) on robin existing as a required extension of batman, that the floodgates really opened. every latent positive emotion that dick had ever felt in his life because of what he believed bruce had given him unconditionally was suddenly up for dissection. and that's how you proceeded to get the neurotic ticking time bomb we know and love so well today. or at least that's how i like to conceptualize it in my head

[megatraven]

Yo, I just finished season 3 of Alex's route and I love bit to death! I honestly liked it more than Season 2 which felt a bit directionless until the third act, but season 3 was almost perfect! Can't wait for season 4!

Also, I've been inspired to write a fic that's basically a route for Hercules since he's my favorite Greek Hero and they did my boy so dirty and the prospect of a romance between Herc and the reincarnation of the Goddess that ruined his life has enraptured me. And because I can't abandon Alex, it'd eventually turn into a poly relationship with them as well.

NICE!!!! alex's season three is a huge fave for me, did you get the passionate or thrilling end? 👀 because while both fuck SEVERELY. the season three thrilling end is a damned masterpiece with how chilling it is. i like it more than season 2 also, but i still honestly really love season 2. there's so much angst and i am the biggest angst fan on the planet >:3c i hope you enjoy season 4! it's short and cute :33

HELL YEAH!!!! @seduceme-lovestruck-thearcana and I have talked about hercules routes in the past (we are big multishippers in this fandom) so i always support a good non-canon romance >:) while i don't have any personal gripes with hercules' portrayal, i love the power of love (and the power of MC being Cute and Badass) changing the hearts of lovestruck's terrible men.

never considered an ot3 with him, mc, and alex before but now i am! my personal favorite ot3 involving him is with mc and hydra (which btw, hydra's season 1 gives some more background on why hercules is the way he is, if you're interested in that)

ANYWAYS. the angst of hercules being with the woman who is the reincarnation of the goddess that hates him is so fucking good. does he turn his back on his father's orders to bring her to olympus for awakening into hera? does he distance himself from the woman he loves because of something she can't help? when he looks at her knowing that Hera is beneath her skin, is he disgusted? can he pick out hera's features in her face? does he find some sort of love for hera through loving mc? THE POTENTIAL IS ENDLESS!!!!

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Hey!

I’m in a bad need of a recommendation of a more recent long slow burn chaptered fic.

I’ve read all the older (2020 and back) fics and I was wondering what good ones came more recently.

Can you help? Thank yoou ❤️❤️

Here’s some that have been posted from 2021 to present :)

Advent Calendar 2021 (ao3) - Phantje

Summary: Phil lives and works in a town in the North called Lylchester. Well, 'works'. He does charitable things in the name of being nice and his (adoptive) parents. Things are fine. Yeah. Fine. Meeting Dan who has strong opinions about peculiar things shakes up Phil's life and he is falling before he can help it.

Dan lives and works somewhere, or anywhere really. By fate, or call it the British Railway train running times, he ends up in Lylchester. Before he can help himself, he has made the first real best friend he has ever had - Beatrix. And suddenly, life does not seem so difficult anymore. Dan appreciates the work he can do, even if it has him interact with the rich idiot Phil more often that he would personally choose.

Broke, Gay and New in Town (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Dan Howell was in dire need for a change - he hated his job and his life and he just felt stuck. His grandfather's letter was a blessing that came with an incredible gift: A farm. Dan had no idea how to run a farm but he was willing to give it a try.

He arrived in Stardew Valley with few expectations but even so, he could never have imagined he would encounter magic, otherworldly creatures, corporate conspiracies, so many queer villagers, a secret destiny and right at the centre of it all the love of his life.

Dandelions (ao3) - throughtheirsnoses (det395)

Summary: Phil returns to his small town after studying how to improve his power that lets him grow plants with his mind. Phil is anxious and struggling with the expectations put on him to grow new plant-based medicine and on top of it all, his childhood best friend, Dan, gets his heart broken and turns to Phil as a rebound. Phil panics.

do you feel it too? (ao3) - heartsopenminds

Summary: A bad break-up has left Phil scared of getting his heart broken again. He’s not ready to date, but he’s missing the easy affection of a long-term relationship.

Cuddle therapy might be the perfect way to get what he needs, with no strings attached. But what happens when that’s no longer enough?

First to Listen (To Anything I Said) (ao3) - SylvesterLester

Summary: It's 2004, and Dan Howell is screwing up in school. He can't help that he's stuck in boring classes with boring people and just doesn't care. So when Phil Lester, one of the geekiest kids in school, is assigned to be his tutor, he's expecting this to just be another crappy part of his already crappy life.

But when it turns out Phil might be Dan's first real friend, his hormones threaten to screw all that up. Because that's all it is, right? Hormones?

Laws Of Attraction (ao3) - strawberrysunflower

Summary: When Phil turned twenty-nine, he wrote out a list of all the things he had in his life. One terraced house in Manchester, rented. Two housemates who still buy the cheapest alcohol on offer in Tesco. Three failed long-term relationships.

After a spur-of-the-moment Friday night out on Canal Street, Phil ends up in the bed of a very handsome stranger. It’s a nice yet meaningless distraction from his directionless life. No big deal. Until he bumps into him again. And again. And again...

scratch bark bite (oh, love me, i lied) (ao3) - Tarredion

Summary: Music & Drama teacher Dan Howell has a well-known rivalry with his coworker, English teacher Phil Lester.

An unforeseen event flips everything Dan thought he knew about Phil and himself on its head. Slowly but surely, the grudge withers, and the two of them cross the line between enemy and friend. But what will happen when their true intents and feelings get revealed? And was what they had ever really a rivalry? Was it even mutual?

strike a deal, kiss my lips (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Witches were the only magical beings capable of binding and controlling demons. It required a complicated ritual and crazy amounts of magic.

It happening on accident was practically unheard of until Phil came along and got tangled up with a snarky and dangerous demon named Dan. Suddenly bound together, Phil must grapple with control over a chaotic demon that wants to strip the skin from his bones.

And maybe strip the clothes off of his body as well.

The River (ao3) - Portia331

Summary: Dan arrived in Melbourne two weeks ago with just one suitcase crammed with running gear, psychology textbooks, and a mere fraction of his wardrobe especially curated to fit both his aesthetic and the Melbourne weather.

He's about to start in the role of a lifetime on a 12 month contract, but he's barely ready for the Australian summer heat, let alone what the world is about to throw at him.

Thunder Only Happens When It's Raining (ao3) - Nefertiti1052 (Succubusphan)

Summary: Dan meets Phil at the lowest moment in his life and is immediately enchanted by him, but nobody is perfect - not even those with good intentions and a kind heart.

This is the story of two imperfect people trying to do their best, to find love and strive in life. They gravitate towards each other at every turn, sometimes dancing in harmony, other times colliding.

Two Man Team (ao3) - Nefertiti1052 (Succubusphan)

Summary: This is the story of two struggling friends who after many trials and tribulations find their way back to each other and build the life they've always dreamed of.

Or how Phil changed his life by talking to random strangers on the internet.

what might come with the dawn (ao3) - cloud-gays (wind_brewed)

Summary: The Island has a Guardian, that's what people say. Phil doesn't know if this guardian is a mythical being or just a piece of gossip; a made-up story to make people feel safe during storm season. A made-up story just to make them feel secure.

Now that he decides to move in with his parents again, Phil needs the protection. Maybe he needs to reach out to this lonely, black-clothed being; reach out to the lonely man of winter.

Also called: Phil is a storm-chaser of sorts and Dan, a storm-magnet. In between running and hiding, they find each other inside the calm of the storm.

-Rae

[lettertoanoldpoet]

5, 12, 17 📚

5. What genre did you read the most of?

literary fiction!

12. Any books that disappointed you?

i keep my exoskeletons to myself by marisa crane. the concept seemed absolutely incredible (a single mother raises her child in a surveillance state after her wife died) but unfortunately i found the execution of it lacking. it felt shallow and directionless.

are you my mother? by alison bechdel. i hate saying this because i ADORE everything that i’ve read by her but this just wasn’t it for me.

the men by sandra newman. again, the premise was interesting but the execution was really poor.

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

notes on an execution by danya kukafka! i was not prepared to love it as much as i did. it’s centred around a serial killer, but the story unfolds through the women who, in one way or another, have been impacted by his crimes, and it’s told through their perspectives, which was a brilliant approach imo. it was a thought-provoking, fascinating read.

pure colour by sheila heti. did not expect to love a book that’s, partially, about a woman who turns into a leaf. but honestly i should’ve known that it was gonna be a 10/10 book after seeing lucy dacus’ review of it on goodreads.

i’ve also read a bunch of classics for uni and i’ve enjoyed several of those way more than i expected to. in particular - medea by euripides and don quixote by cervantes.

send me end of year book asks!!

[welcometogrouchland]

I'll admit- I really wasn't in to the hunter possession thing at first. I thought it was just putting hunter through the ringer AGAIN for no good reason other than to make him cry and as an excuse to merc flapjack. And I couldn't even think of a good reason why they'd do that in the first place.

But, after giving it a second watch (I was watching a very low quality stream when it came out and straight up missed scenes and dialogue) I have begrudgingly come to admit that it works. It's not the direction I would've gone with but it works (LONG thoughts under the cut, but with a TL;DR)

Hunters desire at the beginning of the series was freedom, and now that he actually has that freedom in the human realm he... doesn't know what to do with himself. He seems sort of reluctant to return to the demon realm at all, since Camilla and Luz have become such a stable family unit for him, but gravesfield still isn't his home.

Hunter still misses parts of the EC, namely the person he was as the golden guard- intimating, fearless, self assured, if thoroughly unhappy. He's still trying desperately to define himself in opposition to other things (namely Belos and Caleb) as he slowly discovers his interests. He may be happy but he's just floating through life with no direction at the moment.

Until Belos rears his ugly head again and hunter FINALLY states the things he wants- to study wild magic and be a normal kid who plays flyer derby and goes to hexside (and has an awesome surrogate family w/ the nocedas). He wants to stop his uncle from hurting anyone anymore- now that he doesn't have to worry about protecting himself, because as Luz said earlier, keeping him safe is her job now, their job.

hunter says earlier that he's "not who he's supposed to be, but he likes who he is". Refuting belos is meant to be him cementing that he's not Caleb, not the golden guard, not a vessel or a toy or a tool, he likes the part of him that wants all these things.

So does possession hunter hit better for me now? A bit yea. Again, I probably spoiled myself with my rampant imagination over the last couple of months- and I really would've liked to see more of Belos on his own terms. But at the end of the day it's not antithetical to hunters arc like I first thought it was. It's not a step backwards, it's closure. He recognised Belos was evil and that he didn't deserve what happened to him, now he knows what he does want and he's got people there to help him get it.

But now that hunter has different desires (and I hate hate hate to say this but...) It kind of makes sense for him to maybe carve a new palismen in place of flapjack that represents this change. Flapjack got him this far and a desire for freedom and love will carry him through the rest of his life as he gains more specific goals and wants.

(Also- tangent, even though Belos name drops Evelyn when killing flapjack, he also shouted "CALEB!" In kings tide when he saw the bird. I think flapjack in general reminds him of what he lost, and Belos naming Evelyn is him saying goodbye to her influence, attempting to twist the knife one last time as he again tries to exert control over his brothers image and their relationship. All this to say, no matter who carved it, flapjack is a symbol for both freedom and the wittebane brothers strife. Hence, it's painful and not 100% necessary but reasonable to want to move on narratively)

There's still all the unresolved threads re: Caleb and the Clawthornes and also WHY DOES BELOS WANT BACK INTO THE DEMON REALM. WHAT DOES HE WANT. Belos felt a bit...directionless in general in this one but again I'm holding out to see how his plotline is resolved since it wasn't resolved in gravesfield like we all suspected.

but like that one early review article said, this episode is just act one of the larger feature-length story that season 3 is gonna tell. A sort of owl house movie. Which is both frustrating since I don't think anyone was expecting that (we all had 3 act structure in mind but not this literally I don't think hsvsjfj) and even though I'm happy the releases are being paced in order to maintain hype and conversation within the fandom, I know things won't feel complete til all 3 episodes air.

That's the biggest flaw of Thanks to Them to me- an episode I otherwise really adore, ESPECIALLY in terms of Camilla and Luz's arcs. It's sort of trying to have its cake and eat it too- it knows it can't just be 44 minutes of set up, but it can't be it's own self contained story either. So it's conflicted and thus starts slacking at the climax for me. But it left me so excited to see where the show picks up next with reunions, lore, arcs concluding and reveals!

uhhh TL;DR: belos!hunter was jarring for me at first but I've come to accept it as part of hunters closure even if it's not in my top favourite ways you could've done that, and even though the episodes ending left me wanting, I'm excited to see what season 3 looks like as a whole!