#i hope i'm not making this too weird

[titleknown]

...I can understand where you're coming from, but feel as if you're overlooking one major thing Bog: What about stuff that was created collaboratively, in a way that you cannot truly separate a singular creator without losing a major part of what makes it?

Like, who created Bugs Bunny, for example? There's no one answer, because the way that we define "creator" changes it.

Like, to give another example you've cited yourself: Ridley Scott, HR Giger and Dan O'Bannon can all be cited as the creators of Alien, and all answers would be correct to some degree.

And then you get into greyer areas. Like, with the "Marvel Method," who is the true creator of a lot of the Marvel universe, Stan Lee or his artists who played a major role in interpreting those synopses?

How much can Rob Liefeld be considered the "creator" of Deadpool when Joe Kelly was the person who added everything people like about him? Can Koji Igarashi's Dracula be considered the same character as Bram Stoker's even though he took him in such a different direction? Who is the original author of Little Red Riding Hood or the demons of the Ars Goetia?

Like, while I again understand where you're coming from, I think the problem with the idea of that sacredness of the singular creator is that it leaves out a huge swath of creative work and ways of creating.

Tho, for single-creator works, I will concede the point: 20 years post-death is significantly more reasonable than the 70 years after death we have now. Tho we do need that universal sort of protection, otherwise we get into the problem of orphan works.

But then that gets into the problem of "works for hire" that most often use that collaborative framework. Which is how megacorps end up declaring themselves the "creators" of work made by a team and landlording over it, because the system of copyright was never made to handle collaborative work like this.

In reality, I think if it was made in collaboration, for collaboration in the future as well as in its creation, I think that everyone should be able to collaborate on it.

That's kinda why I have such a big Thing wrt the public domain, I think that collaboration is also a sacred part of art and deserves protection too, and for that I think we need a proper commons.

But also Bog, even beyond that, there's a concept in law like what you're describing that's separate from copyright: Moral rights.

Like, the idea of a creator's moral rights over their work as a separate right from copyright is a thing that exists legally in several countries, but unfortunately, not in the US. Hence why, I think, folks here tend to be so weird about this.

Like, moral rights does to some degree grant the sort of thing you want (Albeit incompletely), and I wish creators with views like yours would embrace the idea of moral rights more, because it is significantly better than using the framework used by landlords to defend art.

Which, IMO, I think cheapens it and opens it up to greed...

[tuba-david]

(shouting into the void) DOES ANYONE HAVE A GOOD SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD RECIPE? MY MOM IS WATCHING HER GLYCEMIC INDEX

[off-mozzarella]

Nice catch! :]

Here's a very self indulgent and low effort drawing I made in an attempt to keep my sanity lol

[icewindandboringhorror]

I made a few new wax seal stamps out of clay (like the ones I did for my worldbuilding stuff forever ago), this time just of random symbols that I thought might look good done in the style of painting over the raised part of the wax or etc. :0c Some of them aren't carved deep enough to really show up that well, but overall they worked okay for being clay lol

[aurosoul]

me and my bf spent last night in the desert and I discovered I could make art in the sand

[yarrowleef]

dude nightheart and sunbeams entire relationship is so funny. if I felt like digging through other books id make a compilation of these moments. No, Nightheart will not be by Sunbeams side to help her through the invasion of ShadowClan. Nightheart will almost get violently executed in RiverClan, and Sunbeam will only show up after the problem resolved itself (off screen). Sunbeam doesn't even feel like grieving with him around.

this entire arc, every major problem required them to ~sadly~ separate, and then reconvene for some generic niceties after its all over. I really thought, at bare minimum, the reason that kept happening was going to accumulate in them doing SOMETHING major together in the climax of this final book, like, 'something something our relationship can survive all the plot inconveniences that kept us apart bc this event proves why we're stronger as a team blablabla'

but no girl, their asses are NOT stronger together, they are not supporting each other through anything, they are not working together to accomplish a single goal. right to the end, every one of their greatest physical/emotional trials must be done separate

like. like it's incredible. the most go girl give us nothing relationship development of all time. i cant even find it in me to be mad. they are so lame it loops around into comedy. is this a prank why did they write it like this help

[sciderman]

I swear I have read your big post regarding Peter Parker's neurodivergence and why it is best to avoid labelling him, but he definitely has a weird brain

Can't find it and feel kinda sad about it cuz I deeply related to it

i know exactly which post you're talking about and i can't find it either! i've raked through my archive, and it's just - nowhere to be seen. i think tumblr eated it (it happens.)

really, tumblr's search functionality is so so useless, i don't know what to tell you. there are plenty of keywords i can search to find it that post, but the search functionality actually just does not work!

undiagnosed audhd-addled peter parker, my darling, my light, my life, my everything.

i think peter parker's such an interesting creature to write, because a lot of people will point to a certain behaviour about him and say "this is an autistic thing, right?" but a lot of those behaviours are actually, in my head, tied to certain traumas in peter's life too.

people say "oh, the food thing, peter's a picky eater because he's autistic" and yes, absolutely. but also it's tied to his trauma with his parents.

peter gets overstimulated, and yes, it's an autism thing, but also he was bitten by a radioactive spider and his senses are dialled to 11.

it's a similar case i've found for myself, too – where a lot of friends i have kind of diagnose me because i have autistic traits, but actually - i'm hesitant to claim the label or pursue diagnosis because, actually, i know where these certain behaviours come from, and they come from certain traumas. there are events i can pinpoint in my life and say "yep. that's where this behaviour comes from."

so - i think there's a lot of overlap between trauma and autistic traits. the brain is very complex! i think the reason for that overlap is maybe as simple as the fact that people with autism and people with trauma are both doing the same thing - developing behaviours to protect themselves or soothe themselves. so - i think it's nice to be able to see a character like peter parker, who may or may not be autistic, but recognise behaviours in him and see yourself in him.

people who go undiagnosed for whatever reason - people who are really good at masking - so good, in fact, that they have no idea they might be on the spectrum - everyone and anyone at all can look at peter parker and recognise themselves. because i think we discredit the thought that every single brain does the same thing! develops certain behaviours in order to survive. every brain has that same software - we've just all been faced with different hardships that we need to overcome, and that's were all the differences come in.

autism is a spectrum, i guess - everyone falls into it to some degree. and i think events in your life probably push you along on it. but i don't know, i didn't study brain science. probably what i'm saying is very stupid and uninformed. of course there's brain chemistry involved. but i know people in my life living with autism and certain events in their life have exacerbated certain behaviours or made coping with it a lot more difficult. so maybe trauma is a catalyst.

[astralhope]

Yuma's unshakable trust in Astral makes me cry every time

[welcometogrouchland]

Hello, another doodle compilation post of everything I haven't posted since the period of May to now that I didn't hate but didn't like enough to post on its own + fanart i made of @catboymoments's fankids Azura and Hyacinth! I'm not normally a fankid person but these guys are a whole moment unto themselves I love them sm. ID in alt text bc it was getting lengthy! Let me know if there's any issues

[agalychnisspranneusroseus]

Got any trans HCs for the amphibia trio? I love the many different interpretations I've seen from this fandom

I don't know about specific headcanons, I know I'm considering making Anne trans in RiAAU but I haven't decided yet.

In one hand: it would be interesting to think how she deals with her first periods because, well, amphibians don't have those, and Hop Pop assumes she's dying (she doesn't tell anyone else because she's so embarrassed). Not that he tells her that, but it really freaks him out. He thinks she has some sort of internal damage, and it's only after months of research that he finds out about some rare mammalian species, such as a few monkeys and rodents, that experience the same cycle Anne goes through. The whole point of this is that it makes Anne feel even more out-of-place. She doesn't remember her world or her parents, only that she came from "somewhere" (possibly another continent) full of people of her species, and she wonders if things would have been easier if she grew up with her biological family. I mean, surely this would be easier. It just serves as a reminder that she knows nothing about her species, not even its name, and she has no idea of how her biology works or what is good and bad for her or how long she'll live or what changes she'll go through.

.

BUT, on the other hand: Trans Anne. Let's start with the obvious: amphibians don't have penises or vaginas and they reproduce externally, meaning they like... release eggs and sperm in the water and they mix without the involvement of either parent, meaning no one knows what the cultural significance of a "penis" or a "vagina" tends to be in most human cultures. As a literaly 3yo, Anne probably didn't have an extensive understanding of s.ex and gender, and it wasn't like the clothes she showed up with told Hop Pop much. She just knew that, as time went on, she found herself relating more and more to the female frogs of Wartwood, and she almost subconsciously began to refer to herself as a girl. There wasn't any big coming out moment, more like a point in which, after months of ambiguity (this kid kept using different pronouns for herself) she just settled on some good ol' she/her and began picking somewhat girly clothes when Hop Pop took her to the market.

It's not like the concept of trans people doesn't exist in Amphibia, it's just that Anne didn't realize that was her situation until, at least, meeting Marcy, and noticing the differences between them. It's not like either of them had ever seen another human from up close, so they didn't know what to expect anyway. Anne's only encounters with Sasha beforehand had consisted on magical girl swordfighting in the sky and whatnot. Certainly not enough to discuss their unique biology, which is something Marcy is very excited to discuss, since she's never met anyone with her same "condition" before, and she wants to know everything, so she uses her as her little rat lab whenever she has the chance. Even then, since she also lacks all knowledge of human s.exual dimorphism and its cultural implications, she doesn't associate anything about either of their bodies to any specific gender that could possibly be asigned to anyone based on biological feautures. Since Sasha remembers the most from Earth, she's probably the only one who could maybe possibly remeber her mom or the kindergarden teacher saying something about "the difference between boys and girls", but by the point she's in speaking terms with Anne, and by the time she realizes their bodies are different, she doesn't really care.

That's not to say Anne doesn't experience dysphoria or that she never undergoes any kind of physical transition. It was probably around the time her voice started to change during puberty that she realized her case may be kinda unique: neither Marcy nor Sasha's voices have changed that much, she can tell even though she only sees Marcy in person like once every 3 years and all the words she exchanges with Sasha consist of death threats and insults. Plus, there's a clear difference between """male""" and """female""" voiced in frogs too. She doesn't want to sound like a man! She doesn't want to be anything like a man! Men are gross! Sorry Sprig, Hop Pop, but it's true. Men are icky icky yuck yuck and Anne is a girly girl. She doesn't want to turn into Stumpy! Or Buff Loggle! Oh, no, is that her future? She commits the triple mistake of 1) sending a letter to Marcy that same day, 2) knocking on Maddies' door promising her firstborn if she can save her from turning into Stumpy, and 3) she becomes obsessed researching mammalian biology in the archives. Bad decision. Bad bad. She's discovering things to feel dysphoric about she never even knew existed! Did you know mammalian mothers feed their offsprings with "milk" that comes from their "mammary glands"? Did Sasha and Marcy have those? She hates herself a little for checking out Marcy next time she sees her and she realizes that, indeed, in the past years she's grown a pair of those that Anne does NOT have. She notes that both she and Sasha are pretty much hairless. She used to think hair was a normal mammalian trait! That weasel that tries to eat the frogs every winter sure is covered in it!

Maddie shows up to her door with a bunch of new spells to try out, happy to have a willing subject. Most embarrassingly, Marcy starts doing her own research as soon as she gets Anne's letter and sends her all her discoveries, and now Anne feels mortified because Marcy knows about all the bad bad very bad changes she's going through (Marcy, for her part, is just fascinated by the nature of their "condition").

It takes a bit, but after a few very frenzied weeks, Anne comes to understad what's going on: her species had certain level of sexual dimorphism and she just happened to have been born with the supposed "sex" usually associated with "men" as a social category. When Hop Pop finds out, he burst into laughter. Oh, it was THAT all along! Anne made it sound so complicated, but it was just the same things he went through when he was younger, just the other way around ("Say what now Hop Pop?")! A few curses here and there and she won't have to worry about these so called "mammary glands" and "hair" anymore, though in the meantime, as Maddie perfects a human-friendly curse, she gets turned into all sort of different creatures. By the time it's done, she just wants to feel like... herself.

It's true that there are some things about her body that make her feel weird, like they don't quite fit in, but there are others she only worries about because she compared herself to Sasha and Marcy, which wasn't fair to anyone involved. Did she really want to fundamentally change parts of her body because of insecurities she developed last week over a book about lemurs? Then, a second set of fears come in: what will happen when she goes back to her place of origin? Because she does want to find her birth family. Will they recognize her, if they're looking for a boy? Will they think she's lying if she claims to be their daughter? If she changes only a few things but doesn't "go all the way", will people there think she's a freak? Will she ever be able to fit in with those of her species?

Does she really care so much about what other people think? She just wants to be herself. Some of the changes she's been going through are making her feel less like herself and more like she's being turned into a tax collector from Toad Tower. Those things have to go - her voice, for example. And she wants a more femenine silhouette (she may or may not show Maddie photos of young Mrs. Croaker as a reference). She wants a softer face. She's seeing her face changing in the mirror and she doesn't like it. She wants it to stay round and soft, not to grow hard and sharp or big and rough. She's not so sure she wants those "mammary glands". It's not like she ever thought about having kids, and the whole "breastfeeding" thing just seems gross, but after her research, and finding out she could have kids with, I don't know, maybe Marcy one day (a thought that makes her blush), she thinks it may be a good idea. She'll consider it. Maybe later. Her genitalia... well, she's used to what she has now. It already took her like 10 years to fully figure out what it was and how it worked and starting over with a whole new set just feels like too much work (also, the babies, the potential babies with Marcy). Frogs and toads have neither "penises" or "vaginas" so there's not a lot of information, and based on books about lemurs and her own empirical experience, comparing herself to other mammalian species isn't too useful. She'll leave it the way it is. She'll see if there's anything else she wants to change later, or if she wants to go back on something.

Marcy is surprised next time Anne visits Newtopia. In her letters, she described this strange transformation in excruciating detail, but seeing her in person now, holding her face in her hands, all she sees is the same Anne she's always loved.

A few more ideas:

HEADCANON: in Amphibia, two people of the same "s.ex" can reproduce through magic, which means there has to be a concious effort and intent. The external fertilization process there's no such thing as a pregnancy, and there's no such thing as s.ex. All reproduction is intentional, which means there's no need for abortion either. There are processes to destroy fertilized eggs and embryos, but they look completely different from human abortions.

Amphibians may perform acts resembling s.ex for pleasure or fun but they look different from human s.ex and have no relation to reproduction.

Andrias is the only person in Amphibia who knows enough about humans to know how they reproduce (a process he finds repulsive). He never tells Marcy, of course, though once she becomes queen, she finds his secret library and his hidden tomes on "alien biology", some of which talk about humans. He's also the only one who knows humans can have children on accident, and that Anne is the only human in Amphibia who could cause something like that to happen (he reads all of Marcy's correspondence). He knows his daughter is very close to this weird farm girl penpal of hers, and even though she's still a child, he worries for her future and the future of the crown. This new discovery could land the crown in the hands of a dynasty of aliens if he's not careful. Is it weird that he spends so much time worrying about his 12yo daughter getting pregnant from another 12yo? Yes, yes it is, but he already controls every aspect of her life, it's not like he's going to stop at her sexuality, future, real, or imaginary.

Man now that I wrote it all down, I think this option is more compelling than the first. Maybe I WILL go with this one.

[suave-hogan]

First drawing of the New Year is always the first Havve of the New Year

[stellamancer]

niku i don’t thiiiiink we’ve ever talked about this before (<- goldfish brain)……. but . that drabble made me wonder. how would bten!reader react if gojo found out abt their bday and did something sweet for them….? since their relationship with time is all fucked up i’m assuming they maybe wouldn’t remember it themselves 😭 or care? question mark? anyway this is just me begging for more crumbs im sorry …. scurries away . into the night (i love u)

omg ari so i intended to write this a a drabble when I was very sleepy, but as I got into attempting to it got so depressing LMAO.

so I'm going to. not. FORGIVE MEEEEEEE. but uh, I will answer this in reverse order.

first, I'm assuming when you say that they wouldn't remember it in the sense of they wouldn't think about it coming up, which is... pretty accurate. honestly if it weren't for their own phone they would not be able to keep track of like what day it is. I mean, I guess saying it like that it doesn't seem like anything too special but like... the days kind of blur together for them (especially since their sleeping habits are abyssmal). So like, if their birthday is coming up they just know it's 'soon' and not like 'it's in three days.'

As for caring, as I told you LMAO, prior to the events of bten, bten!reader wasn't the type to make a big fuss about their birthday. I think their personal form of celebrating may be like a splurge purchase. However, their besties would DEFINITELY make a big deal of it, and drag them out to celebrate it together (going out to dinner together, going for karaoke, there's one year Mio demands bten!reader takes the day off from work and they go to Tokyo Disney Sea). And while bten!reader would always tell them that they don't have to do anything, they still do and deep down it makes them happy. I think the only reason bten!reader cared about their birthday in the past was because it was a reason for their friends to get together and, since they're adults with jobs and such, they have less opportunities to do so.

So, the first birthday after the events of bten.... Would be hard. Very hard. I think that bten!reader would actually actively try to not even think about it if they can avoid it. But I think Mio still reaches out and they do end up spending bten!reader's birthday together but like... visiting shinn and kei's graves and it's probably pretty depressing LMAO........

as for how they would react if gojo did something sweet for them...

Just inside the barrier leading to Jujutsu High you find none other than Satoru Gojo waiting, leaning casually against the pillar of the torii gate that leads onto the campus grounds. He grins widely when you catch sight of him making it clear that he was waiting for you. The realization makes your stomach twist. What could he possibly want?

"Not like you to go anywhere when you don't have a mission," he remarks. "Where'd you wander off to?"

"...went to visit my friends' graves."

"Pretty morbid way to spend your birthday, if you ask me."

You frown slightly, not even bothering to wonder how he knew. "I didn't ask."

Gojo merely shrugs, annoyingly nonchalant. You stare at him, wondering if he's going to tell you why he's been waiting for you on his own or if he's going to make you ask.

Knowing him, it's the latter.

"...what is it?" you finally ask with a sigh. You feel oddly tired and the sooner you can settle whatever it is Gojo wants, the sooner you can lay down and rest. Though, whether or not you sleep is another matter entirely.

"Nothing much," he answers casually. "Just wanted to give you this."

Out of seemingly nowhere he pulls out a large rectangular package and bops you lightly on the head with it. Slowly, you reach up and take it from him. Upon further inspection, you find it's some item wrapped in decorative paper. You stare at it for a good, long second, then up at Gojo.

He chuckles. "It's a present. You know, a birthday present."

"...you didn't have to," you say almost automatically, hand running over the paper. It's a shimmery sort of light blue that's reminiscent of Gojo's eyes. You're surprised, not only did he take the time to find out your birthday, he got you a present— even had it wrapped

"And?"

"...thank you," you say quietly. "...is it okay to open it?"

"Go ahead."

You carefully pull at the folds in the paper, careful to not rip the paper as you unwrap the present. Beneath the paper is a book of sorts, with a soft leathery cover. You blink. "A journal?"

"Thought it might be useful," he explains. "You're having trouble keeping track of the days, right?"

You are, and you think you remember reading somewhere that keeping something like a daily journal might help but... "Isn't it more common to use a blog or app for this kind of thing."

Gojo shrugs. "Probably, but I thought you might like something more ... tangible."

You're not so sure. The last time you wrote in a notebook was in high school. It's easier to use a phone or a computer, but there's something about the physical journal that's...

"Take a look inside," Gojo urges, barely managing to contain a grin.

Your eyes narrow and you flip the pages of the notebook. Sure enough in the corners and the top parts of a few of the pages you spot little doodles and drawings; all cartoon renditions of the man before you.

"...most people wouldn't appreciate someone defiling their journal like this," you deadpan.

Gojo waves his hand dismissively. "It gives it character! Are you telling me you don't like my drawings?"

"I didn't say that."

"So then you do like them!"

"I didn't say that either."

Gojo pouts, ignoring you. "Well, then, which is it?"

"....they look kind of dumb."

"They do not!" Gojo exclaims, scandalized. "You take that back!"

"No," you respond flatly. The pout returns to his face and you sigh. "But I will admit you are right, that it does give the journal character."

The pout is instantly gone, replaced with the proud puff of his chest. How ridiculous. Sometimes you have a hard time believing this ridiculous man brutally exorcised hundred of curses right before your eyes. "...will you use it?"

"...yes." After all, it's not like you to waste a thoughtful present like this.

"Promise?"

"Yes, Gojo."

"Will you let me read it?"

"...... maybe." If it's just recording your daily life you can't imagine there being any reason to keep the contents a secret. But at the same time...

Gojo grins, and you can tell he's taken your "maybe" as a "yes."

You could correct him, but you decide not to.

[agentark]

whatever you do, don't imagine a young J Corvin waiting every day at the end of their drive, hoping today is the day the mail carrier finally brings a letter from their very best friend

[romance-rambles]

godheim clarence | because it's you

On a seemingly normal day, as he's braiding your hair in the morning, your husband asks you if he should cut his hair. You try to be brave about it.

1.6k, post-clarence epilogue, misunderstandings + fluff, reader is mc, series: none

"SHALL I CUT MY HAIR short too?"

You register your husband's words as a joke at first. Why would you not? It flows so seamlessly from your own, after all—about how he might actually thank you for freeing up his time in the mornings if you chop off your long hair.

You know full well Clarence will not.

It is not enough to prevent you from chasing after your favorite kind of high. The one where he huffs exasperatedly and tells you as much, as a lovely but faint scarlet hue spreads across his cheek. The one that leaves you with the singleminded desire to kiss him, which you waste no time in doing—because you can.

So, expecting to see a hint of mirth in his blue eyes, you roll your eyes and watch him through the vanity's mirror with an unfaltering grin.

There is none.

Instead, the mirror reflects only the almost clumsy seriousness you've come to expect in his endeavors to prove himself worthy of being your husband. It is both flattering and worrying.

And sometimes, it makes you wonder if you were too harsh on him in the early days of your time together in the void, when you demanded apology after apology from him. Then, you remember that he's the same man who catches fishes only to free them in the end—and that this is simply sort of endearing idiot he is.

It helps immensely.

"Would you like to?" you ask carefully, concealing your silent insults with a half-awkward smile.

You would not like him to.

But it is rare for Clarence to express an interest in his appearance outside of what you make of it. His most frequently worn coat is the one you once complimented him, under a brightly-lit street lamp as he wrapped his scarf around you instead. He always buys the same fragrance, and only when it runs out, with a polite explanation of My wife likes this one the most that drives most merchants mad.

The only response he's ever offered when shopping for clothes is: If you like it, I'm fine with wearing it.

Biting back a scowl, you add, "I think you'd look good with short hair."

Of course he would. Even putting aside his hairstyle when he was younger, your husband is handsome enough to pull anything off.

You are, of course, very biased—it's an accusation you've never tried to deny.

"I see." With a pleased hum, Clarence ties off your braid. "Then I'll pick out a date. Would you like to come along?"

He's careful to adjust the hair tie first, concealing any stubborn tufts hair poking through between the gaps before he reaches for your usual red ribbon. Then, with a practiced ease that comes only with years' worth of repetition, he loops it through the hair tie and twists into a proper bow.

Today, you cannot find it in yourself to admire his careful movements through the mirror.

"I'm never going to hear the end of it if I do that," you answer, shuddering a little at the thought. The people at this village are mostly kind, but a few of the louder ones tend to comment on Clarence's tendencies a bit too frequently for your liking. "You remember what happened last time, don't you?"

Your fingers traverse down the full length of your neatly-braided hair to pull it over your shoulder. Their grasp on the end of it lasts for only a second before your hand falls to the edge of your stool. Gulping, you swivel around and soon find yourself properly face to face with your husband.

He smiles faintly. "In a sense, they weren't wrong."

To properly hold onto his face, you have to scoot closer to the edge. Clarence bends down slightly, further easing the burden on your arms. Your eyes narrow fondly at him before you ruin the moment by smushing his cheeks.

"They were insulting you," you correct him, indignation fueling your flat tone. "I'd say they were very wrong."

His expression grows helpless and fond. Wrapping his hands around your own, he settles down onto the hardwood floor. In doing so, he ignores your chiding entirely; instead, he looks at you with a hint of reverence in his gaze.

"Perhaps," Clarence agrees softly. "I've heard worse."

Inhaling sharply, you press your foreheads together. When you next speak up, your tone is softer. "Do you have a cut in mind?"

"The same as it was when I was younger, I suppose," he says, sounding a bit uncertain.

You do your best approximation of a nod. You're not entirely certain what brought this on, but that won't stop you from being the most supportive wife to ever be supportive. As you squeeze his hands gently, you hope he can sense your resolve.

"Alright," you say, a bit forcefully, as you press a kiss to his forehead. "—now get off the floor. It's my turn to do your hair."

IT'S WHEN YOU'RE CAREFULLY UNTANGLING your braid at night that you remember the conversation from that morning.

"Did you decide on a date?" you ask curiously.

Clarence hums. "I didn't get the chance to quite yet."

He's watching you from his side of the bed, both hands occupied by a book he stopped reading the moment you walked in after your nighttime routine. When you shake your hair back to normal and settle under the blankets, he wordlessly turns the lamps off, with only a flick of his hand.

Accepting his answer, you snuggle up against his chest, fully intent on going to sleep—

Except you can't.

Curiosity nags at you, offering you the same question over and over again in the hopes that you'll break. And break you do as you call out your husband's name.

You can't quite make out what his expression is, but you know he isn't asleep. It's only been a few years—just a little over a decade, to be precise—since they've reunited. Adjusting to a life within the bounds of time, you know, takes some time, especially for someone like Clarence who had seemingly outgrown the need to sleep even before he entered the nothingness.

"Clarence," you whisper, "what made you want to cut your hair?"

For a moment, he remains silent. You can hear his beating heart, and that is enough to let you know that he's flustered.

"Clarence?"

"You said I looked very handsome," he says finally. "The other day."

Upon hearing those words, your mind offers you nothing noteworthy. To you, calling your husband handsome is no different making sure your heart's intact. You think you might actually die if you don't tell him, but you haven't tested it before.

Your heart, however, is filled to the brim with affection for this man, the one you've searched nearly your entire life for.

Even if you do want to throttle him a little bit.

"You'll have to be more specific, dear," you tell him, gently touching his cheek. He's warm, you think. You're tempted to turn the lights back on. "I'm sure I say that every day. And why would that make you want to cut your hair?"

Clearing his throat, he adds, "To be more specific, you didn't say it to me necessarily. You were—" Clarence pauses, a hint of uncertainty to his next words. "—talking about my younger self."

Oh.

The gears in your head start to turn. Now, you can faintly recall the memory of you waxing poetically about the man whose image remains in use on one of the most popular and frequently sold-out stamps even now, centuries later. Mostly, you remember smiling through a comment about how carefully you must've chosen your husband—as if she hadn't pressured into picking a man other than your husband to gush about.

You would've chosen the Archmage who seemingly had no relation to your husband regardless, but it would've been nice to know ahead of time.

Because you do have eyes, Eliza. That's how you know there isn't a man alive that's more attractive than Clarence.

Still, there hadn't been any deeper meaning when you chose his younger self specifically. There'd been a stamp nearby and you'd used it as a reference, in the hopes that it would help the other ladies downplay your incredible knowledge of his features.

You're almost certain they think you're deranged.

"Clarence." You giggle, suddenly amused. "Clarence. You look very handsome today."

Clumsily, you press a loving kiss to his forehead. Then, to the mole under his eye, to the tip of his nose, to his other cheek, until finally, you kiss him on the lips. At some point, while you're busy being productive, he goes from laying on his side to laying on his back.

"What brought this on?"

He sounds bewildered. You think it's cute.

After taking a moment to compose yourself, you begin to explain. Throughout, he's mostly silent, save for the occasional acknowledgement. Still, you don't have to worry about whether he's listening or not.

Until the very end, his hands—still wrapped around you—give him away.

"I like your long hair just as much, because—" You give him another peck on the lips. "—I love you. No matter what, you're always the best-looking man in the room."

Clarence wastes no time in answering you, though he very nearly chokes on his words. "And I...you."

"Good." Feeling satisfied, you rest your head against his chest. "Do you still want to cut your hair? ...Clarence?"

"I think," he says, clearing his throat. "It's fine the way it is."

You don't try to point out why.

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

four walls playlist

[milfbrainrot]

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I feel like in the past the mix of this site being used for both activism and fandom helped contribute to a lot of unhinged politicized fandom discourse where yeah ofc there's a political tie to media but ppl used it as... a form of activism where it was given disproportionate importance compared to other activism discussions? Whereas now we're swinging to the opposite site of How Dare You Care About Meaningless TV Shows When Politics.

Like... we can have a mix of realizing there's more important stuff to focus on than shipping discourse in the world at large without also minimizing the insane doxxing and death threats behavior going on in fandom that people in fandom have to take into consideration to be able to do their hobby, esp given how those attitudes stem from irl political climates at times in ways that are telling to study. Hobbies are kinda how we prevent activism burnout also. Crazey how that works.