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verai-marcel · 1 year ago

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Your Hearth Is My Home (BG3 Fanfic, Astarion x Female Reader, Part 12 of ?)

Summary, Notes, Tags, & Part 1 are here.

AO3 Link is here, my dear.

Word Count: 4,401

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Act I, Chapter 12 - The Grymforge

1479 DR, 13 Years Ago

Coughing up smoke and ash, you pushed yourself up from the ground. Fires were all around you, but they were being contained by magic users running around the area, casting water and ice spells. You blinked away the sleep in your eyes and spat out the remnants of whatever spell had been cast upon you.

A man nearby who was casting water magic at the retreating flames noticed that you had awoken and came up to you. Kneeling down, he handed you a waterskin.

“Are you alright?”

You nodded, and coughed up some more ash.

The man raised an eyebrow, then his expression turned kind. “My name is Cardin. May I examine you?”

It was your turn to raise an eyebrow. You chugged some of the water. “I’m fine,” you croaked.

He shrugged. “If you say so. We found you under a Feign Death spell, a really strange one. Took us a while to undo it. Whoever cast must have really wanted to keep you hidden.”

Mother…

Your heart clenched, but you held yourself together. There would be time to cry later. “Are there any other survivors?”

The man shook his head. “Not around here.”

You suddenly gasped. Oh shit, the children. “Did you find any children?”

He shook his head again.

You shakily got to your feet, determination coursing through your veins. “I think I know where they are.”

Getting the children to safety was your first priority. After finding them at the end of the cavern pathway, you made sure each of them had been accounted for and taken into custody by the rescue team. Though you felt bad leaving them in the care of others, you knew that they would do better in a stable situation, not wandering around with you, wherever you would go. Although you were only fifteen, your parents had trained you to be independent. Besides, you didn’t want to go to the orphanage with the children. You could work. You could make a living.

But part of you wished you had a bit more time to be a child.

Mother… Father…

You sat down and leaned against the trunk of a dead tree, your mind in a haze as you watched the knights, clerics, and mages running around the ruins of your village, putting out fires and performing the rites of the dead. The emblem of the city of Neverwinter was all over their tabards and flags.

Perhaps I could work in the city?

You saw Cardin walk over to you. He waved as he came closer, sitting beside you against the tree. “How are you feeling?”

You shrugged, shoving down your emotions. “I’ll live.”

He nodded. After a moment, he asked, “Do you have any family outside of the village?”

You shook your head.

“Do you have any skills? You’ll probably need to find a job to make your way.”

You sighed. Almost everyone’s dead, and he’s being practical. But he’s right, I don’t exactly have time to mourn. I can do that later. You searched your mind. What could you do? What skill did you have that few others did? “I can feel others’ emotions,” you replied.

You would later regret saying that.

He looked at you. “How so?”

You reached for his hand and held it.

confusion…disbelief…tired…

“You don’t believe me. And you’re tired.”

The man scoffed. “That much is obvious just from looking at me.”

pity…sadness…regret…

“You feel pity. You’re sad about something.” You leaned in and looked him in the eye. “You regret something.”

The man blinked. He pulled his hand out of your grasp. “Well. Guess you can feel something.”

“I can also make potions. That might be a more… transferable skill.”

Cardin laughed. “That’s true. Being an empath is a hard sell.” He pulled out a small piece of paper from his satchel and used magic to scribble down an address and a name before handing it to you. “You seem like you got a good head on your shoulders. If you go here, let the guards know you need work as an apothecary and that Cardin Everember sent you. I can get you on a ship from the port in the city if you choose to go.”

You nodded. Nice of this guy to give you a head start on getting your life in order. He patted your shoulder and went back to work, while you stared at the note.

“Waterdeep…”

***

1492 DR, Present Day

In the morning, you got your small traveling pack together along with a separate backpack of goods you wanted to trade. Waving goodbye to Halsin, you set off north with Gale to the Myconid Colony.

You traded with the various denizens of the colony and had a great time speaking with Blurg and Omeluum about the different species of fungi and plants in the Underdark. You had to admit that Omeluum’s appearance startled you at first, but as you spoke more with him, you became comfortable with his presence.

In fact, you were so engrossed in your conversation with them that you had forgotten that Gale was waiting patiently for you. Turning towards him, you saw him staring far away, his head tipped to one side, as if he was listening to something only he could hear.

You waited until he nodded and his gaze focused onto you. “Are you alright?” you asked.

“Yes, I just received a Sending spell from Shadowheart. She said they could use my expertise at the arcane tower southwest of here.”

So he needs to escort me back to the camp. “Okay, let’s head back then.” You turned to Blurg and Omeluum. “Thank you so much for your time, I’ve learned a lot.”

It has been educational, Omeluum said in your mind.

“Come find us in the Society of Brilliance in Baldur’s Gate, we would enjoy speaking with you again,” Blurg added.

You bowed and left with Gale, who set a rather rapid pace. I wonder if there’s something he’s not telling me.

Returning to camp, he barely made sure that Halsin was nearby before quickly leaving.

Oh, there is DEFINITELY something he isn’t telling me.

You decided that there was nothing that you could do about it now, so you turned to the pile of loot that was sitting on top of the travel chest. Alright, I suppose it’s sorting time.

Time passed, and without the sun, you found it difficult to tell how long the others had been gone. You had cleaned, prepared ingredients for quick cooking when they returned, and sorted all of the gathered loot into sell, keep, and discard. You wondered why they picked up some clearly rubbish items, but you guessed it was because some of them were hoarders and could not be stopped. You glanced at Gale’s tent, which had a few strange items piled in front of the tent flap, and surmised that at least some of the clutter was his fault.

With little else to do, you decided to renew the hot water rune in the water beneath the cliff, and also to explore a bit further along the shore. Walking down the path and around the rocky shoreline, you decided to go a bit further, wondering if there would be a better place to cast the rune. You turned a corner and found a small waterfall, just tall enough for a person to pass under.

You had a thought.

Taking off your outer clothes, you stepped into the cool water and circled around the waterfall, your arm in the air, your fingers passing through the water. You hummed the heating cantrip, drawing the lines in the air until it formed the rune.

Moment of truth.

You tentatively stepped into the waterfall.

It was hot and just the right amount of pressure. You felt that this rune drained you a bit more than normal, but it was worth it. You stood underneath the hot shower for a little while longer before you finally forced yourself to leave and get out of the water. Drying yourself off with a cantrip and pulling your clothes back on, you made your way back up the cliff and to the campfire.

You told Halsin about the hot shower, and he gladly partook, leaving you alone with Withers, Scratch, and Owly for a half hour. You played fetch with the animals until he returned, then took your turn in the shower properly. But even that wasn't enough to keep your mind from clouding over with fatigue.

You felt like a full day cycle had passed, but there was still no sign of the party. You couldn't wait any longer; you were getting too tired. So you prepped their tents, set up the wire trip alarm, and told Halsin that you were going to sleep.

***

A montage of scenes went by in your dreams, memories half-remembered, emotions doubly felt.

Serving your lord’s guests at a dinner party. A brush of a hand there, a light touch on a shoulder here. Gathering emotions like flowers for a bouquet, bringing them back to give to your lord. A warm smile. A pat on the head. The feeling of having done good, of being praised, addictive as silkroot.

Nobles, too arrogant for their own good, asking for more than just a dance. Getting too close, up in your face. Dodging hands, hiding from gazes that made you feel like property, like chattel.

Fellow servants and maids, butlers and guards, camaraderie built, then easily broken with a whispered word. Friendships made, friendships faded as people moved on.

Ten years passed. Nine of them in ignorance, one of them with knowledge you would have been happier, and yet more foolish, for not knowing.

Three more years passed in relative freedom. But the constant urge to look over your shoulder, the constant suspicion of anyone coming by your cottage, was starting to wear you down. Anxiety building, building, but never a release—

***

You felt like you had just barely gotten to sleep before the chime of the alarm bells woke you up. Getting up and heading towards the entrance of the campsite, you saw everyone looking muddied, bloodied, and exhausted.

“Oh gods above, what happened?”

“I want a bath and a long rest,” Astarion muttered.

Everyone else began to mumble and grumble all at once, but you got the gist. They had gone to the arcane tower, retrieved the herbs that Omeluum had asked for the day prior in hopes of getting the tadpole out of their head, but that didn’t work. So they had gone to the beach, defeated the duergar dwarves, and found a boat that took them to the Grymforge. There, they had gone through a lot of trouble to get a drow out of a cave-in so they could get a moonlantern that could push back the shadow curse, only to find it broken and useless.

“But everyone else has practically cleared out of there, so we’re free to wander in and take the elevator up to the Shadow Cursed Lands,” Gale concluded.

“What about the curse?” you asked.

Halsin answered for Gale. “Any kind of light will work, but none of it will be as effective as a moonlantern. And we won’t be able to enter the strongly cursed areas without one.”

“We’ll work it out,” Wyll said with more confidence than you thought he ought to have, given the circumstances.

You sighed. This journey was getting more dangerous all the time. But you had already pushed yourself this far. You would see this to the end, wherever, or whatever, that may be.

“Well, there is a hot water rune under the waterfall if you wish to shower, and I can make a meal quickly,” you announced to the group as you headed to the campfire. You heard some general mumbles of agreement as they all dispersed to their tents to change and take turns in the shower.

Setting up the pot and heating the water took hardly any time at all, and you threw in your pre-chopped ingredients and left it to cook while you went around to each tent, collecting their clothes to clean and mend.

With a pile of clothes & leather armor beside you, you started the tedious process of casting your cleaning and mending cantrips. You had seen the other magic users perform their cantrips in a very different way, with just a few words and some hand gestures, but also requiring some materials, like lodestone or phosphorous moss. But your method had always been purely songs.

You used to avoid using your magic where others could see while you were in Waterdeep, and even now, you tended to hide away in a corner to work, even though everyone here had already seen you and accepted your eclectic form of spells. Old habits, you supposed. You were never one to bring attention to yourself.

Focused on your work, you got through the pile, folding everything and organizing them into separate stacks to bring back to their respective tents. As you hummed through the last shirt, you realized it was Astarion's shirt, the one you had mended thoroughly all those nights ago.

You felt a soft smile on your lips, and you immediately bit your lip. Godsdammit. This… this isn’t that kind of feeling. I just care about him as a friend. He just needs a friend. I… I just want to be his friend. Right?

Nodding righteously, as if you had convinced yourself, you finished your work and distributed the stacks of clean & mended clothing back to their rightful owners.

Of course, you ended up saving Astarion’s things for last, laying his pile before his tent flap. You stared at the pile for a little bit too long before turning away.

…and running straight into his chest.

You staggered back a step and rubbed your nose. “How are you so sneaky?” you asked, your voice sounding a bit nasally.

“How are you so bad at situational awareness?” he asked in return.

“I’m not usually,” you countered. I just feel safe with everyone here.

He raised an eyebrow, but let the subject go as his gaze slid to the pile of freshly cleaned & mended clothes. “Excellent timing,” he said as he moved to pick them up.

“You’re welcome,” you mumbled as you started to walk away, but you noticed his pained grunt and stiff and slow movements as he stood back up.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m sore from all the fighting today. Cure Wounds only does so much.”

“Do you want a massage?” Wait, why did I offer? He wouldn’t want that.

He blinked and looked at you for a moment before he smirked. “Darling, are you being coy?”

Your face heated up at his implication. “What, no! I simply meant a massage for your sore muscles!”

He laughed. “You’re so easy to tease, my dear.” Looking at you with his arms full of his clothes, it almost looked like he was wielding them as a shield. “If you think it’ll help, come in.”

You followed him into his tent. He set his pile of clothes aside and lay on his stomach on top of his bedroll.

“Where is the soreness the worst?”

“Everywhere.”

That didn’t help. You rolled your eyes as you knelt down beside him. Deciding to start from the top and work your way down, you pressed your thumbs into his shoulder muscles and began to massage in circles.

Gods, he has so many knots. Is this the first time he’s received a massage?

You realized that this probably was, and you felt a bit sad at the thought.

Astarion let out a soft breath and relaxed under your touch. You were grateful that his shirt was separating your bare hands from his skin so you could focus purely on his muscles. Which, quite honestly, was a distraction in of itself. But you concentrated on working out the knots, working down his back until you reached the waistline of his pants.

He suddenly tensed. It was subtle, but you felt it.

Quickly pulling your hands back, you debated your next move. His neck and head are bare. I don’t have my gloves, and I’m not sure I can mentally handle him right now if he’s not shielding.

“Are you done?”

“Do you want me to be? Otherwise, I could get your neck and head, if you want.” Why did I just offer the very thing I was wary of? I'm an idiot.

He was silent for a moment. “Sure.”

Taking a deep breath, you prepared yourself for whatever emotion you might feel from touching his bare skin. The neck was a particularly sensitive place, and though your mother had taught you how to put up mental shields against others’ emotions, you were never good at it. I wish I had listened to her more when she was training me.

You scooted over to kneel at the head of his bedroll and leaned over him, putting your palms on either side of his neck. He feels content, although he seems muted, so I guess this is fine. You gently pressed forward, going down along his shoulders slightly before coming back up, your fingers stroking his neck muscles.

He groaned.

You immediately stopped, lifting your hands away. “Did I hurt you?”

“Keep going,” he said in a muffled voice, sounding annoyed that you had stopped.

You continued, doing the same thing as before a few more times before you started to use your thumbs on the muscles between his neck and shoulders, near his spine, gently rubbing circles, gradually moving up his neck. Eventually you switched to using your knuckles, running them up and down his neck.

“More,” he mumbled.

With your fingertips, you found the base of his skull, feeling for the little spaces and massaging small circles, around and around.

He moaned, and this time, you definitely didn’t mistake it for pain, since you could sense his pleasure.

You ran your hands through his hair, massaging his scalp until your knuckles cracked.

“Alright, I need to stop, my hands are getting sore.” How long have I been in here? I’m losing all sense of time in the Underdark.

Astarion sat up slowly and pouted at you. “So soon, my dear?”

“Yes, yes.” You rotated your wrists and wriggled your fingers, hearing your joints crack. “I need to go sleep, it’s been a long day. Are you taking first or second watch?”

“Second. Karlach is taking first.”

“Alright. Can you wake me when you’re done so I can start breakfast?”

“Of course.”

You smiled. “Thanks.” You started to lean forward, intending to wish him sweet dreams like you always did.

He pulled back.

Oh.

You just smiled to cover your surprise. “Well, have a good night,” you said quickly as you got up and left his tent, resisting the urge to run. You forced yourself to walk at a normal pace to your bedroll, managing not to panic. But the cracks around your heart were starting to make themselves known.

Of course. I shouldn’t have pushed. I should have let him come to me. I… I shouldn’t have expected anything.

It took a long while to fall asleep as regret ate at your thoughts, like crows at a carcass.

***

As soon as everyone was rested and camp was packed up and ready to go, you and your companions set off to Grymforge, taking the boat from the shoreline through the waterways of the Underdark, traversing through the now empty fortress, picking your way past all of the rocks and ruined walls to get to the elevator that would take you to the Shadow Cursed Lands. Halsin told you a bit about its history, and that to lift the curse, he would need to save Thaniel, the spirit of the land. He suspected that the spirit was trapped in the Shadowfell.

Wyll and Karlach were quick to agree to save the boy. Gale and Shadowheart seemed ambivalent, while Lae’zel and Astarion were downright irritated by the decision.

Meanwhile, the seal on your back tingled. You concentrated on it and thought of saving Thaniel, and it tingled more. You thought of not saving him, and the tingles went away.

I can’t believe that works. Hm. This may be a way to help decide what to do, as oblique as it may be.

“Don’t you think we should save him?” Karlach asked you suddenly.

Dammit, I was trying to stay out of the conversation.

“It may be the right way forward,” you said slowly.

“And why is that?” Astarion said with some disdain.

“...Just a hunch.”

He blinked and looked at you. He subtly pointed at the small of his own back, a signal that no one else saw.

You nodded imperceptibly back at him.

Astarion just shrugged. “Well, I guess it just means more enemies to kill along the way.”

By the time you all reached the elevator and headed up, you were starting to feel exhausted. Schlepping all the backpacks and gear while navigating all the difficult terrain was more tiring than usual.

As your group stepped out of the elevator and fanned out into the space to check for traps or enemies, you saw an old man appear nearby.

“Um…”

Gale looked at where you were pointing. “Elminster?”

***

Your head was whirling from the conversation between Gale and Elminster. The consequences. And the fact that he was willing to sacrifice himself so easily… You glanced over at Shadowheart, who looked more pained than usual. And you had the feeling it wasn’t due to the eternal injury on her hand.

I’ve been watching those two get closer…

You didn’t want to pry, and you had no concrete evidence, but if your guess was right, you figured those two would sort themselves out sooner or later.

After that set of news, the group decided to hole up here for the night before setting out once more. The shadow curse was just beyond the doorway, and this was likely the last night of relative safety before heading into unknown territory. Setting up camp quickly, you sat at the campfire alone while the others did their own thing. The sounds of the scraping of your spoon along the pot were accompanied by the clanging of swords where Wyll and Karlach practiced. Lae’zel, Halsin, and Shadowheart were meditating quietly, while Astarion and Gale were poring over their books.

Staring at the pot and wishing it would hurry up and boil, you hummed a song. Tongues of flame and wisps of water vapor, heating faster, bubbling and boiling…

In what felt like no time at all, your rather large pot of stew was letting out tendrils of steam. You looked at the stew more closely. It looked ready. It smelled ready.

After a few moments of trying to figure out how in the hells you had sped up the cooking, you realized that Gale had come up to the campfire and was staring at you suspiciously.

“Wha-what?”

“Do you know what you cast?”

“No, I was just… mumbling… a song… why do you look so confused?”

He pointed at the pot. “Your stew looks ready, and it’s only been a couple of minutes.”

“Oh, well, you wizards”—you gestured at Gale—“conjure things up all the time. Surely speeding up cooking isn’t that out of the ordinary.”

Gale furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, then shrugged. “That’s true. Well, I for one, am quite hungry. Let’s eat.”

Supper went by as normal, but you could catch Gale’s occasional curious glance in your direction.

Don’t look at me. I don’t know what in the hells I did either.

***

After cleaning up and packing up as much as possible to be ready to leave early tomorrow, everyone had gone to sleep. Usually whoever was taking watch would patrol the perimeter of camp, checking for enemies. But in this small foyer, there was hardly a need. So Astarion sat at the campfire, staring across at the occupied bedroll where the little hearth witch slept.

He spent some time ruminating on his previous interactions with her and discovered that he actually enjoyed spending time with her. From the first time he had teased her, to when she had tipped her head, exposing her lovely neck, to letting her touch his hair. He closed his eyes and remembered her soft caress. It was completely unlike what he had experienced with all those… targets… in the past. No, she was… different.

His impression of her had grown from mild irritation, to indifference, to amusement, and now to… whatever this was.

Whatever it is, it’s certainly novel.

But it was interfering with his plan.

I thought she’d be easy to seduce. But she’s dodged me at every turn.

He had tried flirting with Gale, but he seemed too dense to recognize it as such. He had started to sweet talk Shadowheart, but she was as prickly as a cactus. Besides, he had caught the way she and Gale looked at each other. He could recognize a losing battle from a mile away. Lae’zel would probably slice his head off if he tried anything more than a smile, seducing Wyll might have worked if his righteousness hadn’t irritated him right off the bat, and Karlach brushed off any attempts like water off a duck’s back. Halsin seemed distracted; it would be hard to keep the druid’s attention on him long enough to tempt him.

So it has to be her.

But she had thwarted his every attempt to lure her into his bed. Surely, she wasn’t that pure. She knew what he offered. He wasn’t so out of practice, was he? But there was a connection; of that, there was no doubt. He’d seen the craving in her eyes whenever he touched her. As if she wanted more, but didn’t want to admit it.

So he was determined to seduce her, using whatever means necessary. Anything to get her to fall for him. All he had to do was keep her favor, and he’d be safe. She wasn’t a fighter, but the others cared for her, more than they did for him. She had already defended him once and they had listened.

So why in the hells did I pull away from her last night?

Deep down, he knew the answer. He just didn’t want to admit it.

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Act I, Chapter 12 End notes: Yup, I broke viewpoints again and added a small snippet of Astarion at the end. I thought it might help to get a sense of where he’s at, emotionally, in relation to Hearth Witch. Hopefully he came across as genuine, but let me know in the comments what you think! We’re off to Act 2 after this, and I’ll admit, there will probably be less chapters, since I actually sped through this part of the game.

Tag List: @numblytemporary @xalphafox @avitute

#bg3 #bg3 fanfic #astarion #astarion x f!reader #baldur's gate 3 #female reader #writing #bg3 spoilers #your hearth is my home

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dogtoling · 17 days ago

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I mean, you quite possibly saw salmonid-ink die... I loved running it, but splatoon 3 pretty much killed my passion. I still love the stuff I made for splatoon on the whole, but man do I get it. nintendo had interest in worldbuilding for like five entire seconds, where it just STOPPED because they wanted to sell a product. salmon run is a popular game mode, so we can't develop little buddy THAT much... why explain mechanics when they can just HAPPEN because. idk, ~future~ or something

genuinely, I wish you luck with any projects you make in the future! I enjoy seeing your OCs quite a lot, so I'll continue to view them, splatoon or no. I hope things can look up for you a bit!

Yeah, I remember, it was a shame but I fully understood where you came from back then (and now, lol). For the record I think the developers DO have interest in worldbuilding and the series is a big passion project for at least a handful of people on board. I unfortunately also believe that when you're making video games in-house at Nintendo and half the business is just about the profit margin, you don't really get to decide to spend half the budget on story when the gameplay focus is on repetitive multiplayer that could as well take place in a box and it wouldn't matter for most people who are genuinely in it for the gameplay. Unfortunately, and i HATE THIS OBVIOUSLY, unless you have a game series that's a story game as its selling point, it's REALLY unlikely that the story will be good... indie games win in this niche because independent developers CAN pretty much do what they want a lot of the time, the industry has no such freedom. Hell, nintendo HAS a story-focused big series in Zelda, and i use story-focused VERY loosely because.... well. Lol. these are all reasons i went to school for video games and never want to work in the industry for the record. i hate everything about it

I started rambling but TL;DR falling in love with a product is devastation waiting to happen at some point I think. my expectations of future games USED to be "SURELY, expand on the world and adapt the gameplay to those settings, it ONLY makes sense". If literally anyone ever has played Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, that's the kind of world and level setup I could see Splatoon somehow realistically do and it would be SO GOOD and it's ALMOST THERE EVEN, they're just... allergic to actually letting you IN THE WORLD. Nowadays, thinking about the future of Splatoon, i'm HONESTLY more inclined to believe future titles will be "new random micro-setting, random one-time-use goop because we need an Evil Goo to combat our Good Goo, unconsequential supervillain causing unconsequental but supposedly world-ending events, and poorly done plot with forced climax". Which is Not Good but it keeps happening. My smile and optimism gone

ANYWAY, thank you! I'll post here once I do anything. Mostly whenever I get an account set up for whatever I get going with.

#mailbox #writing this made me remember the state of zelda theorists after totk. im so sorry everyone

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yourdeadcutie · 3 months ago

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I'M BACK TUMBLR<3

(yes I'm aware it's only been an hour) but that's just toooooo long!

I still haven't made any friends at school sadly 😔. I did take the last puff out of my cigarette,now I don't have any more (what a terrible life I know). I'm kinda just standing around during lunch, can't hide out in the bathroom because it gets too crowded and I'm not into it. Instead, I've found this nice corner to stand in (occasionally sitting because my legs started falling asleep). There's these girls who stand around me too but I don't really know them so whatevs.

I'm still upset about my break up (I'll ask anyone's questions about it,I can't move on) Yes I'm the one who broke up with him but that's because he wouldn't text me back any other way! "What if he was busy?" He was going through things (probably other bitches) but you'd think he'd have the decency to at least talk to me or update me. For fucks sake at least reach out when you could. He ghosted me for 4 fucking days without a single text. I should probably stop writing about this before I blow a fuse.

My headphones are kinda shitty,at least when it comes to standing around all day. They die too quickly unlike my old ones. My old headphones lasted all damn day. Rip 🕊️

I just need someone. Someone I can build a meaningful relationship with. Someone I can do dr#gs with. Someone to make out with pop rocks in our mouths with. I wanna feel like I'm not a complete fucking loser. I wanna feel like despite how creepy,shitty,and narcissistic I am that someone can see how cool i am. Someone who isn't ugly. (Yes I'm incredibly shallow, Don't worry it's not personal)

I wish I had a pet cat. I would name him Francois. That's all really. Just something to take care of but I don't have to worry about it shitting on the floor I mean yeah I know cats do that but their shit isn't as bad as dog's. Yes cat pee stinks but they can't help that.

I need cigarettes and a pumpkin spice latte. FOR FUCKS SAKE IT'S GONNA BE FALL 🍂 (I love fall)

I want a guy with good music taste,a dark worldview or at least as fucked up as me,long hair,and good taste in movies. Is that too much to ask? (Yeah it probably is)

Back to fall,I can't wait to eat my bodyweight in pumpkin shit. also my birthday is around fall (November 22) yayyy! I wanna buy some CDs or something and maybe watch a movie at the theater (probably Beetlejuice 2 or something like that).

I love eyeliner! Eyeshadow my second favorite makeup product and lipstick is third.

I really hope my bus doesn't take fucking forever like it did yesterday. I think it took long because something about an elementary kid which tf does that have to do w me and my bus?

There's this guy at my school,he has long hair and is kinda tall. he's a senior I think and his bus number is 2820 (I didn't explicitly search for it I just saw him go onto the bus) I know that nothing is coming out of it. But I can dream.

#girlblogging #female hysteria #femcel #this is a girlblog #female insanity #gloomcore #dollette #dark coquette #coquette #coquette girl #girl interrupted #manic pixie dream girl #girlcore #gothic #hell is a teenage girl #feminine urge #female rage #female manipulator #im just a girl

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sophieinwonderland · 4 months ago

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Sweet Tooth fan here. Reading your posts (and the posts of others you’ve shared) has made me reconsider the show and think more about whether or not there is still misanthropic sentiment left in me.

I feel like if Gus was a real person and watched the show, he would be critical about the “all humans are bad” trope as well. Gus knew several humans that clerely didn’t want to watch the world burn, and showed he was desperate to see humans and hybrids coexist within the last few episodes of season 3, despite reaching peak misanthropy after Birdie died.

Ultimately, instead of making Big Man, Dr. Singh, and Mrs. Zhang go bye bye, Gus lets nature decide (or something like that), which results in the total eradication of the H5G9 virus, leaving the remaining humans spared.

As much as I like to think of the natural world before modern humans as some sort of lost paradise, I don’t wish to be too pessimistic of humanity. If the creators of show tried to convince me that David Suzuki, Carl Sagan, Greta Thunberg, Bob Ross, and Fred Rogers are automatically bad people because they wore clothes and emitted carbon dioxide, I would be devastated and disappointed by Sweet Tooth.

I appreciate having found your posts.

I totally agree that Gus probably wouldn't agree with the show's message.

I also feel that the idea of Earth before humans as a lost paradise sees nature through rose-tinted glasses. Nature is as violent and cruel as it is beautiful. Evolution is a process defined by a constant string of death and renewal, leading to where we are today.

Something else I need to mention, seeing how much of what I post is focused on disability and mental health... nature also has a tendency of being extremely ableist. We as humans, for all the our faults, have learned in the past decades to be kinder to those with disabilities.

Many animals, including past humans, have a tendency to just straight-up kill disabled children. And if they don't kill them, they'll at least often be abandoned.

I think as humans have become more developed, we've generally become better and more socially-aware than our ancestors.

One thing I find fascinating is to try to step outside of ourselves and consider how an extra-dimensional being might see us.

When we as humans look at the constructions of our vast cities and planes and amazing feats of architecture, we see things that are clearly unnatural because they're human-made.

But yet, we see a spider's web as natural. We see an ant colony as natural. A beehive. A bird's nest. A beaver's dam.

I understand that humans can be a bit... extra... when it comes to feats of construction, but to me that makes humans all the more fascinating as specimens of nature.

We are nature evolved to be capable of studying and understanding itself in a way never seen before.

I think of the now as an incredible and unique moment in the history of the world that will never come again. We are living through a snapshot between the beginning of the internet era which has morphed the globe into what's practically an interconnected brain with each human as a separate neuron... and a new era that may become dominated by genetic engineering and artificial intelligence which may become its own sort of life.

This single moment in the history of the world has never before existed and is likely to never come again until humanity has passed from this Earth.

For all the destruction we caused to get here. And for all the destruction we continue to cause, I see a beauty and wonder in humanity and our place in the world.

And returning a moment to morality, we see so many people, including those you mentioned, who are out fighting to make the world a better place in whatever ways they can. Whether it's fighting for the environment or for human rights or to make the world they leave behind better for their children.

There are so many good people in the world.

And for one final note...

I wonder what Gus would think if he saw humans at our best.

Because in the end, the world of Sweet Tooth is a deeply traumatized world of broken people who watched loved ones die and the world around them crumble to dust.

I'm rambling now...

All in all, I think we humans look at other parts of nature through rose-tinted glasses too much, and that humans are actually better than we give ourselves credit for.

#sweet tooth spoilers #sweet tooth show #humanity #nature #sweet tooth #misanthropy #netflix #people #humans

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the-togepi-man · 5 months ago

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So who is Chris exactly? I'm late to the party. Why is he always hanging around with you and your partner? Are you guys trying to get him involved in the relationship?

Haha Chris is a really good friend Sean and I made. Initially he started as just a friend to me (well, we were going to do a fwb kind thing but we ended up enjoying each others company), but after getting to know him and spend a lot of time with him these past few months, I realized how awesome and special he is. Sean likes him too, which is a big plus in my eyes haha! He's loving, quick witted, cares about the things that are important to him, funny, genuine, and also incredibly handsome. But that last part might just be me haha! I also noticed that I don't get tired of him- a trait that I get with almost everyone. Not in a bad way mind you, but like one of those- "i know we could exist in the same space and do our own things and I your little habits tend to not drive me nuts." He, Sean, and I have had a lot of cool adventures, from going to a theme park, to staying up till 3 am talking about weird shit, from debating reality, to staying in a cabin together and getting high and talking about life, to going to the beach with some close friends of Sean and I (and we all got along awesome). Speaking of getting along awesome, its absolutely fantastic watching Sean banter, talk, and goof around with him. Whatever the opposite of jealous is, I feel that when I am around them haha. As he knows, I have feelings for him and see him as a part of our future (yes, to answer your question, I wish he was more than friends with us. It doesn't have to be "dating" in the classic sense, but I would love to explore the options with him. However..) I think us three would and do make an absolutely effective team, and I'll always believe that. However, he has expressed that this might not be something he wants, and he is happy as he is right now, just doing his own thing. (which is another trait I find great in someone. Sean is the same way. I'm here because I add to his life- not because I'm a crutch, but because im an amazing bonus, one that helps us both grow!) I can't deny it doesn't bum me out, since we started as FWB and I havent gotten that out of my head in months (it actually ruined a hookup I had a month ago lolol), but it's important to me that he stays a part of our lives - so I do what I can on this end :) I think the hardest part is wondering if every hang out will be "the last time it's like this." before he maybe moves to a monogamous relationship and can't spend as much time with us or be flirty or anythin'. Can't live with that fear though, and more than anything I'm super glad to have met him and gotten to know him so much in these few months! I wish I could show him what I saw, but since I can't I'm just glad to know him. Truly, I know he hates flowery words and big emotions, but I hope he finds people who make him feel special, 'cause he is :) tl;dr: He's an amazing friend, and while Sean and I like him a lot and like having him around, our main goal is to make sure he is happy and cared about as a friend unless one day it's more. He adds a lot of fun conversations, moments, and memories to our lives, and has also helped Sean and I grow with each other

#and thats on that #i know he reads my tumblr sometimes but idk if he will ever see this #and thats ok!! like i said we just want him to be happy #But sometimes “when you know you know” is weird to say when its on one end haha #Togepilife

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reijnders · 1 year ago

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PLEEEEEAASE give me your pixie hollow headcanons or lore or theories or whatever i am so deep into it right now and i don't know anyone else who likes it :,)

- @pairies-n-fixies

a new hand touches the beacon…

imma put everything below the cut cus this is gonna get /long/, but heres a TL;DR as well :)

blurry boundaries btwn seasons + air currents + common Clank and Bobble forgetfulness L

the Keeper's ice film about Peri and Tink's Arrival isn't beat for beat, its just a summary

oh god idk if i can tl:dr this one but basically both lord milori and minister of winter can exist i promise

starting off with Tinkerbell, Clank, and Bobble flying through the winter woods b4 settling on Tinker's Nook my /personal/ thought is that 1) the boundaries between seasons are only hard and fast across water, like between winter and autumn in Secret of the Wings, 2) the air right above those borders can have a lot more variation due to changing air currents n stuff, so while is was definitely chilly, it was also bordering spring(evidenced purely by the color of the snowless trees in this horrible screenshot), so with a combo of those they could potentially be okay for a few brief seconds of a fly-by, and 3) Clank and Bobble are not always the thinkers when it comes to Anything Except Tinkering. i could fully accept that they were /not/ supposed to do that and forgot until a bit after.

Periwinkle's existence! dull boring-ass answer: camera didnt care about Periwinkle/wishful thinking that they had some level of meta planning ahead and wanted to keep the idea of more than one a secret. less dull answer: the cinematic reenactment that Peri and Tink saw in the Keeper's work zone wasn't as accurate to real life within the world timing-wise. the Keeper's own personal magic(and by that extension, the natural way in which he and any past and future Keepers are able to manipulate dust) is for the retelling of history. So Peri and Tink were from the same laugh, yeah, but not as back-to-back as it was made to seem in the movie. essentially its like the Keeper has OpenShot Video Editor edition pixie dust powers.

my big finale,,,, the one i actually focus a lot on in my fairy worldbuilding Lord Milori vs the Minister of Winter in the first movie I personally choose to believe that they both exist, but lemme break it down for you beat for beat

PART ONE: THE FUNCTION OF A MINISTER

so we know, based on ofc the first movie, that the ministers are for each season, they oversee the organization and prep for bringing that season to the mainland, and also just keeping it tidy within the Hollow.

so naturally, there should be four ministers, one for each season. now here is where i first start deviating a little from canon. so understandable, the pixie hollow seasons are based on the far northern/southern hemisphere experience of them, because going elsewhere would mean a lot less difference between each season all the way until you hit the equator's dry/wet season split. therefore, spring, summer, and autumn aren't the same level of warm. summer is the warmest season, and Warm fairies who do most of their tasks for that season will be biologically more optimized for that region, same for all the others.

The ministers of Spring and Autumn, for instance, would have a somewhat better resistance to the cold than the minister of Summer, though they are still naturally Warm fairies and eventually would reach a point where their wings would grow to cold and snap. The minister of Winter could technically be neither a Warm or Winter fairy by this metric. Because the ministers do a lot of their work with the Queen, and only oversee the production and take down of their seasons, it's understandable that the winter minister would be a Warm fairy biologically, but since Talent is an innate thing, each and every minister of Winter that Arrives could be of this unique class of fairies that can spend a much longer time in the Winter section of the Hollow, and on the flip side, maybe not do so well in the Summer section of the Hollow.

PART TWO: THE FUNCTION OF LORD MILORI

So we have ministers and we have a Queen. i've established that the minister of Winter could feasibly venture into Winter whenever she needs to to check on how things are going, but what about the long term? This is where Milori comes in, not as a minister, but as a stand-in for Queen Clarion. Since she herself cannot go into Winter for very long, he's essentially her, but for Winter. he may occasionally receive correspondence from her with big news and changes to protocol, but for the most part he operates on his own, since i imagine mail between the seasonal boundary would require rigorous scheduling and couldn't be done just on the fly unless you've acquired a bird, or...

...if you have a minister of Winter.

PART THREE: WORKING TOGETHER

Having both a minister and a lord of winter would make sense, mainly because the role of minister is necessary regardless of seasonal conflicts! in the first movie, when Spring is being brought to the world, it is the minister that accompanies the nature talent fairies, not Clarion. Similarly, it shows the minister of Winter returning with her fairies after the onset of her season.

If Milori were to overwrite the minister entirely, and take over all her duties, it would conflict more with his own lore, because he would have to be able to join in meetings conducted in the Tree on the regular with no issue, which we know he can't do. And on top of that, he would have to travel to the mainland on the regular, which would leave the Winter Woods without a leader for a good chunk of each year, which would not be a good combination in an emergency situation.

PART FOUR: LITERALLY JUST SHARING SOME FUN STUFF I CAME UP WITH

I like to think that things like queens, ministers, and lords comes in rough cycles. Now some of this delves into things that i truly dont have time to get into(regarding mother dove, the age of the Hollow, fairies interactions with humans, the power of flight, how fairies interact with dust) but im gonna try with what i have.

So imagine, for a moment, that Clarion is not the first queen, and on top of that, the Hollow is not the first location on Neverland that fairies have lived. I headcanon Clarion as a "young" queen, but she is still a little over a thousand years old, with a lot more to go.

Ministers and Lords also follow a cycle, with the one of Lord/Ladies of winter being shorter than that of a Queen, but still pretty long(minimum half of a Queen's expected lifespan), and ministers being less than that(minimum a third of a Queen's lifespan). The average fairy lives a while, but not forever, so it is rare for the average joe to see the changing of Queens, lords, and ministers. There can be exceptions, of course, when someone passes away due to outside causes, or if someone is exiled, but those situations are rare, especially now that fairies live in The Hollow.

With the exception of Spring, i headcanon the current ministers as having Arrived in the last few years of the previous Queen's life, and Milori showing up <10 years after Clarion Arrived as queen. Any fairy alive today(with today being late 18whatever the hell in the movies to the 1940s) would not remember this stuff, but its fun to think about!

#pixie hollow #disney fairies #fairies #my canon #lord milori #queen clarion #apologies for answering so late! college got a hold of me #which i should be used to by now but alas

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jpitha · 2 years ago

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Just a Little Further 13

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Ugh, really? Bad is so black and white Melody. We're better than that.

No, look at what you're making me do!

Making? Melody we're not making you do anything. We're facilitating. This is all stuff you wish you could do, but couldn't. Don't lie, we're in here too.

What are you?

We're you. The part of you that you try to keep submerged with gallons of coffee. The part of you that's really good with firearms and chalks it up to practice. The part of you that knows computer systems inside and out but never seemed to figure out people.

We fixed all that.

We're a Builder.

And you are too.

So you're the nanomachines.

No, we are Builders. The nanites help you to remember who you are. Who you are meant to be.

Then what are the nanomachines?

Think of them like... an insurance policy. We knew we probably weren't going to be around forever, we didn't know what would happen to us - by the way? Being stuck on Earth with no Gate and having to start from scratch and coming up with a better way to traverse the stars anyway? Full marks. You haven't told anyone here you can link right? Good.

Anyway, we figured that if one of us, or a descendant or hell, even a pretty close relative found a Gate and like the foolish, curious monkeys we (yes we) are touched it, you'd get the nanites and they'd help you to... remember what we were. What we are.

Melody, you have to realize.

We are in charge here. Us. You. The whole of Reach of the Might of Vzzx. The whole of FarReach. The whole Galaxy. You are in charge. You are Empress.

You're tired. You need to eat, you need to sleep. Tell everyone here whatever, it's fine. Half of them don't believe it and the other half, like Captain Q'ari, know it in their hearts and are already frightened. Play at it all you want but when you're ready to take your mantle as Builder,

I'll be right here.

"Melody?" It's Dr Irenimum. He's at the airlock. "Melody? Do you want to come to the infirmary?" He didn't tell me, he asked.

"Yes, please Doctor Irenimum. I think something is wrong with me."

When I get there, I lay on the table and he begin another scan. The hum of the machines is so soothing, I nearly fall asleep. Before I can nod all the way off he says. "Okay Melody, I'm all finished. Let's take a look at what we can see."

He spends a moment looking at the results. His body language says he has bad news and fears telling me.

"What is it Doctor? Please tell me."

"Uh well Melody, it looks as if the nano machines have... replicated further. Do you feel the same as before?"

I laugh dryly. "In what way Doctor? You saw me outside right? I'm apparently taken the mantle of Builder and am now a living God to everyone onboard this Starbase and-" I look at my hands "-I have the power to back up that claim."

"Er, um, no, I meant more like your weight. You're nearly two kilograms heavier. All of it nano machines."

I'm what?

"Dr Irenimum, isn't that a whole lot of nano machines?"

"Hmm yes, yes. Trillions, if not more. Yes. Working in concert I imagine they make you formidable. Increased processing power, increased reaction time, you apparently can understand all languages and can now manipulate fields to rearrange matter nearly on the atomic level. Whoever these Builders originally were, they were nobody to trifle with."

They were us, Melody. Humans were the Builders. Are the Builders.

Shh.

"Is... Is there anyway to remove them? Or turn them off?"

"Off? No, no I don't think so no." Dr Irenimum thinks for a moment. "Well, maybe a very very strong magnetic field. But that would also have the unfortunate side effect of killing you too. Plus, with a density this high and clearly how much work they're doing with your body, I have a feeling that turning them off will just kill you outright."

He's right. There's no getting rid of us.

"But, er, other than that." I chuckle darkly "I'm okay?"

"Oh? Yes yes, you're better than okay I'd say. Compared to the baseline scans we took when the mission started you're in better health then ever."

See? We have good points too. With us, you need never die.

"Melody? I believe we've removed beyond the realm of the physical to the... metaphysical." Dr Irenimum makes a face. He hates religion. Good, that make two of us. "You know you're not a God and... most of us here know you're not a God, but they out there?" He gestures towards the airlock. "They're pretty sure you're a God. Given you you reacted today when the security guards tried to break up a... congregation of your worshippers? I'd say that their side it looking better and better."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Doc, you don't think I'm a God, do you?"

For the first time since I came in, he looked me in the eye. "Melody. There is an old, old K'laxi religion. It's about the Gates actually. See, we had no proof, but one of our religions stated that there would be "doors in the sky" to other worlds. Time passed, and we moved on and left the religion behind - well, most of us anyway - but when we went into space, and found the Gate? Well, you could say there was quite the revival of the religion. More than a few wars were fought over it. Once we learned how to traverse the gates and there were no Gate Builders around anymore, we figured maybe it was just a legend, or maybe it was something that was true aeons ago, but was left in the dust of history."

Dr Irenimum looks away. "Then we met humans."

"They sure met the description we had in the holy books of the Builders. You had no Gates though! It couldn't be you. You traversed space in a whole different way and when we asked you about the Gates you had no idea what we were talking about. It was a coincidence."

He looks me in my eyes again. "But now... Now, we traverse the Gates in a ship built by humans and modified by K'laxi. A human touches the Gate and it reacts in a way never seen before. A human touches the directory stone and you get wild... powers, there is no other way to describe it. A human with these powers brings us across the Galaxy and we find a Starbase full of species we've never met and when they first see you Melody. When they first talk to you Melody, they act like God came to visit."

"When a group of their churchgoers shows up and security comes to break up the group with violence you cow them all with words and light and force and they are compelled to do your bidding."

"Okay then Doctor. What does your religion say about the Builders?"

Once again, he meets my eyes. "Nothing good Melody. It feared your return. Their Empress was known as Tep’ra’fel - the undeniable. It said she literally could not be disobeyed."

"Melody, I fear that our old religion is right. Captain Q'ari doesn't know what to do. I think her family was still religious even in these more... modern days. She fears you."

"But what do I do Doctor? I don't want to be a God." I nearly wail.

You are you who are Melody. There is no denying yourself.

"I don't know Melody. You are who you are. Have solace in the fact that you are a good person, and have shown all of us here on FarReach that fact. You are a kind, generous, good person. A little bit of Godhood won't change that." He pats my back. "It's late. Go sleep. Things will be clearer in the morning."

I get up and thank him and go to my quarters. The ship is dark and quiet, by ship-time it's late. I am exhausted. I barely have the energy to take off my uniform - ugh vestments now I guess - and crawl into bed.

Another night, more wild dreams.

****

This time I'm in a throne at a Starbase. Maybe the one we visited? Maybe not.

I'm there, and everyone fears and loves me. Everyone.

I tell them so, and they agree. I tell them to build the Starbase and it is done. I tell them to build a gate and they build it. This one isn't active yet, the ring is folded tight to the asteroid. It's towed by a ship - a Starjumper? - no, it can't be - towards a gate and it disappears off to the far reaches of our - my - empire to expand. Any sapients we meet along the way become my subjects. I am Builder. I am Empress. I am.

A courier ship traverses my Gate. They approach my Starbase with news of my empire. A small race of newly found sapients - they call themselves K'laxi - have rebelled. They had the temerity to kill their overseer and close their Gate. How did they learn to do that? No matter. I will go and see to the Gates reactivation personally.

The messenger fears giving me the bad news. This is right, but I am not without pity. I do not destroy them for the crime of bringing me bad news. If people fear to bring me bad news they will hide it from me until the empire totters over, all the while I think everything is fine.

No. The messenger is rewarded. A new ship, bigger, more comfortable. A promotion. Command of Courier Corps Ten. Go forth and give me the news - good and bad - of my empire.

****

You know, when that happened originally you had the messenger killed and the ship destroyed. You are learning.

But, killing the messenger only tells everyone else to keep bad news from me - her. Then she wouldn't know when things fell apart.

Which is what happened yes. A mere century after that incident, the K'laxi closed their gate permanently. The only time you were disobeyed on such a level before that was when the splinter group of Builders on one of your furthest colony worlds conspired to close and lock their Gate and prevent anyone from entering it. It was theorized they destroyed their own Gate, though until now we had no idea.

On Earth?

That's what you call it yes.

How long ago was this?

I don't know, it's not like you keep the same calendar. Tens of thousands of years probably. More even. Given the statue and how well we're integrating, not long enough for genetic drift to change you that much though. No more than fifty thousand is my guess. The K'alxi though? That was much more recent. It's one of my last memories.

So what, I'm a... reincarnation of the Empress?

A... memory maybe. A double exposure. The nanites contained enough of her personality that we can give you her abilities and you are a Builder - it wouldn't work if you weren't - but now?

Now you can do it right.

With that, I wake up and get dressed. Good work previous me to make sure my uniforms are clean and pressed. I put one on that doesn't look like Holy Vestments or something. I check the time - 6:30am ships time. and realize it's still an hour before breakfast. I go to the kitchenette and make some coffee.

Really Melody? After all that, you're still going to sully yourself with.. Caffeine?

Oh goody, you're still here.

I'm no dream Melody. I am us.

Well I am the Empress, and I want coffee.

Oh, you admit you're the Empress? Tsh. Fine. Get your coffee.

While I'm making coffee Mei'la comes in. "Oh good morning Mei! I say brightly."

"G-good morning Melody." She says, awkwardly.

"Mei, what's wrong? I'm still Melody, I'm still me"

She knows you're not.

"Sorry Melody, it's tough. My... Mother's mother on that side of the familial group was very religious growing up."

"Oh. I spoke to Dr Irenimum yesterday about K'laxi religion."

"Yeah, so I'm a little freaked out to meet God."

"Mei, I don't know how many people I have to say this too, but I am not God!"

She knows you are.

"Melody, I have to say, I'm not so sure." Mei'la tries to stand straighter, to look me in the eye, to have me deny that she's wrong. Part of me is so proud of her. What a good subject.

"Mei'la, would it be easier if I was God, or if I wasn't God."

"Well, if you weren't God, I'd be less scared of being your friend. But if you are God, key, how many K'laxi are friends with God?" She laughed weakly.

I laughed too. It was funny. Plus, I knew that was the reaction she wanted to hear. How did I know that?

You know how.

Quiet, you.

"Mei'la. Is that why the Captain is acting so out of sorts?"

She nods. "Captain Q'ari was even more religious than my mom's mom. Her whole family has been churchgoers for centuries."

Shit. "I should go talk to her."

Mei'la flicks an ear. "I don't know Melody. Maybe."

Come. Let's see how malleable our Captain Supplicant is.

I said Q̷̢̭͚͙̤̠͙͍̝̑̒̆̐́͌͛͐̒͋̍̈́̚u̶̧͖͚̟̬̱͒̀͛̐̀i̷̭͚͙̭̅͌͆͋e̷̮͇͇̳͖̔̿̊ţ̴̨̱͇͍̥̤̣̳̓̿͂͐́̎̓̔́̈́̐͆̑̕ͅ, you.

Don't go and threaten us with a good time now.

Part 14

#humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #humans go on adventure #humans are space oddities #sci fi writing #writing #humans and ai #humans and aliens #the k'laxiverse #jpitha #just a little further

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yourlocalmechanism-dr-carmilla · 4 days ago

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Hi, I saw you posting stuff about making your own music and I'm sorry if this comes out of nowhere but I just really like music, especially when people make it themselves. I always see people like drawing or writing but never music so it always makes me excited when I see people who are trying to do it because I play the violin and so it sort of feels a bit like my thing, and also it's pretty rare.

Anyway see this as an excuse to talk about whatever your planning if you want to because I'm excited for it!

Yep!

I have a few self written songs-sole about my ocs, one for the world of ulysses dies at dawn and also one thats evry personal- i may also cobble a album together with them (that like i make more songs and put them together and so on). But rn i REALLY focus on the first album "The Tragedy of Emily de Glacier & The Joy of Orpheus de lyra" :D!

I AM VERY HYPED! i wanna lesnr how to paly the keyboard-i am super impressed that you play the violin, like omfg how cool is thst?- but i also wanna just get the keyboard pit and jsut hit the tiles and sikg and maybe remmebr what tieks i hit to have a sort of melody? Just experimenting. Ill prob stsrt proepr practice next year or end of this year :3

But i am glad you asked :D i LOVE talking about things mike this-

Soo about the album-itll follow the story of the titular caheaczer, princess emily de glacier, and her story. I will input experiences of my own life in there-hesrtbreak, familyissues, emotilns, etc. -it will be ürojev5ing on my part, so not eberytihng that happens to emily happend to me. And its musical storytelling, essentially lke The Mechanisms do it (i actually "cover" their songs aka sing them myself w the instrumental in the background...i am thiinigk about proeprly recording thwse as i think covers are okay by cooyright? Cause i cant play a instrument yet yk..do you think anything about it?) And this album per se is HUGELY inspired by Jessica Laws song "raising the dead!". I habe a google folder with some of ly recordings ill link here, for you to listen ^^. I also wanan make album artwork ina abstract style (akak i cannot draw good so yeaa :/). I also currently look for a stage name to use to open a 2nd tumblr thats onyl dedicated to my songs and also prob poetry :3 .

Also finfact, i am a cosplayer and have applied to be a showact at cons-my stage name there is "your local mechanism" and i will sing songs by the Mechanisms..casue they are my passion. I also wanan sing some of dr carmillas songs BUT i keed to figure out how to extract the isntrumental audio :]

ALSO WHEN I PLANNED THE ALBUMY ESTERDAY AND WROTE THE SONG- I felt ripped out of my saddened state..there was gope..as if i had found my calling....its liek..am i mesnt to do this? (I gotta thank jessica law). And its like. I LOVE THIS! its liek..i wish i could do it as job but itll stay a hobby prob :/

Anyways, heres the link (i think tzats all i can currently ramble about me thinks...words are hard and puttign thoughts innwords is even harder

Anyways, thank u for ur ask! Feel free to dm me for more info :D or questions :3

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versegm · 2 years ago

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Also gimme the deets on Theatre AU!!

Oh BOY this is gonna be a long one. I am incapable of making a normal modern au i NEED these bitches to be freaks in some way I literally can't help it.

The cape Castoria finds is meant to be Saber's cape! The relationship between Castoria & anime girl king arthur would be way too long to explain in thsi post, but they're connected so I figured it would make a cute easter egg.

I considered having Castoria freeload below the deck instead, because I've personally never played in a theater that had storage rooms above deck, but I really wanted to keep the Phantom Of The Opera vibe so I just went fuck it.

Love my girl Castoria who is a paranoid little rat constantly looking for the closest escape route <3

I have no idea how to write Oberon I just imitated Herlock's speech pattern and crossed my fingers

Gray is in fact a different Fate character! the tl;dr of Gray is that she's a regular-ass human, but unfortunately she was born in a weird arthuriana cult, which lead to her body slowly turning into that of king arthur. She has issues with her face a lot because like, if your face shifted to become that of a perfect stranger wouldn't that be fucked up. Coincidentally, Castoria also has king arthur's face, though for arguably less angsty reasons.

The Night of Wallachia is another nasuverse character (technically from Melty Blood rather than any fate work tho.) I will redirect you to Lance's post as to whomst this man is though because I have yet to play Melty Blood myself.

Moly is a plant from Homer's Odysseus btw

Deep fucking sigh I fucking wish. I fucking wish we had more stories about the aftermath of isekai adventures, my man. I want to know what's it like to see someone with medieval wartime reflexes who just refuses to talk about shit. Anyways the entire Guda subplot is just me not being normal about isekais, as per usual.

So this scene was originally a lot longer, with Guda tricking Castoria into giving a lot more personal information (exact date of birth, last name) and ending with them taking a group selfie- all info they can use later on to forge her ID. But it was kinda boring so I just went the "Guda forges papers by winging it and she can't call them out on it without admitting that her own living situation is garbage" route.

Didn't put nearly as much foreshadowing as I would have liked, but it's meant to be a hint of "hey maybe Castoria straight-up created Oberon, cuz how else would he know so much about her?"

Castoria is so fucking gender.

You probably saw me posting about it, but Guda's canon age in fgo is kinda nebulous. At the beginning of the game they are definitely "below the drinking age," but it's mentioned/implied a couple times later on that no one knows how old they are now (I think Vritra? Has a voice line along the lines of "oh you don't drink because you don't know how old you are so you're just being safe by assuming it's below 21? ok") What time travel and time loops and being locked outside of time does to a mf.

The Guda-Castoria-Oberon banter is a fucking joy to write. Bitches who keep teaming up to dunk on the third one.

This bit was inspired by my sister, who has collected all six of her chairs on the streets.

SO FUNNY STORY. I didn't actually ship Castoria/Oberon going in. But like. There was no reason for me not to include them having weird sexual tension, especially considering I was gonna do that with GudaCas and ObeGuda. So I was like whatever I'll keep it ambiguous but I'm not closing any doors. And then like a fool I tricked myself into liking it. I literally never fucking learn.

Ultra mega shout out to my cosplayer friend for their extensive knowledge of how to make fantasy armor.

The Luik festival is in fact a real-life music festival.

Lance was the one to point out that in a way the theater au is a role reversal from canon. In canon, Castoria and Oberon are both painfully aware of what they are and what they need to do, while Guda is increasingly unsure as to what they want and why they want it. Meanwhile here Oberon and Castoria are desperately grasping at any hint as to what is wrong with them, while Guda is crystal-clear on their singular goal of "I need to get the fuck out of here."

I keep forgetting that sexual attraction is a thing so I tried to pay attention to it for once. Hope I didn't overdo it.

Something something you have to let go of your past or you will only end up hurting the people who are in your life now.

When you learn that your friend has been on a path of self-destruction and you are directly to blame bottom text.

I think I already said it, but my original outline was for the three of them to have incredibly violent sex post fight, and then an extra chapter of "mh. Perhaps we should talk about things actually." I remember I wanted the dialogue to go along those lines:

Guda: ok so maybe we should talk about things actually

Oberon: not talking about things worked just fine for us until now

Castoria: it literally did not

Oberon: cranky because hatesex is so much better than regular sex aren't you

Castoria: I wouldn't know, only ever had one of those two

Guda: wait, shit, was that your first time? Oh my fucking god. what the fuck. let me give you an actual proper kiss instead of whatever the fuck this was. Oberon, you kiss her too.

I rewatched a bit of lb6 for unrelated reasons recently and I'd. Completely forgotten that when they reunite with Mash at the end of part one they do in fact act like that.

Quote from the lesson of the moth!

Wanted to make it reminiscent of their first meetings, with Guda also dragging them through a door.

So yeah, that's my self indulgence! I had a lot of fun writing it :) I love... isekais.

#characteroulette #ask

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vinnbe · 5 months ago

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hi there ! you can refer to me as liz (she/her). this muse has been on my mind for quite some time now, and i finally decided to join this lovely place to give cha vinn a home. thank you to all the warm welcomes i have already received, i can't wait to plot & write with everyone. also a quick note: i might be a bit slow at times due to a busy schedule, but i will definitely get back to everyone in time. below the cut i will list some quick information about vinn, but if you want a more in depth biography, you can find it here. if you would like to plot, don't hesitate to reach out or leave a like on this post, and i will come to you instead!

tl;dr:

cha vinn was born on 14/09/2002 in inglewood, california

he grew up in an orphanage there, left behind by his biological parents due to unknown reasons

when he turned nine years old, an american family adopted him. although grateful, vinn still had a hard time warming up to them as he wasn't used to being part of a family

he was a troublesome child at first, getting into all sorts of trouble until meeting a music producer who worked with underground rappers

this was also when he developed an interest in music, learning to create his own beats and write his own lyrics

at the age of 16 vinn reconnected with his ethnicity and stumbled upon k-pop which sparked his interest in the genre and ultimately lead him to attending dance classes as he wished to imitate all the choreographies from all the music videos he saw

after turning 18, vinn decided he wanted to find his biological parents. he managed to contact his aunt, who helped him reunite with his biological mother living in korea

wanting to make an effort to build a relationship with his biological mother, vinn accepted his aunt's offer to move in with her and her husband

he also began working part-time at the convenient store they own, while attending university and giving private guitar lessons

his main goal is still to get scouted as a trainee and eventually debut

trivia:

is rather quiet and a big introvert

he's a perfectionist who criticizes everything about himself

vinn still doesn't know who his biological father is, but he's determined to find him too

his korean isn't perfect, and he still has a strong american accent when talking in korean

most of the time he looks angry even though he isn't actually upset

close / deep relationships and / or friendships scare him, so he tends to avoid them

he's aiming to become a trainee at studio delta

although he is serious most of the time, he can be a big dork too, it just takes him a while to let loose

possible plots:

customers of his aunt's convenient store who have become accustomed to vinn's face as he works there seven days a week

people he is giving guitar lessons to

someone who wants to befriend vinn, but he's being reluctant in giving in, although they spend a lot of time together

other aspiring trainees with the same goal as vinn. they could talk about their dreams and fears, maybe even practice together

past flings or almost lovers. as vinn never commits to relationships, he could have left behind some bitter feelings or mutual understanding. either way, his excuse is usually the same: he's not looking for anything serious (even though he is)

there is so much more potential, i'd be happy to brainstorm anything, especially things related to following his dream of becoming a trainee. don't be shy to throw ideas at me or ask for specific plots, i'm happy to write whatever works <3

#be:intro #⸻vinn : ooc #thank you for having me #can't wait to get to writing!!

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reanimationstation · 1 year ago

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Saw your reblog about misogynism & people not liking female characters and I'm agreed w Adrienne saving the day with Bendy female characters

Rose and Constance are great protagonist

Dot is AWESOME deuteragonist and even with being created as Buddy's supporting character she's *equal*. She's not "plain girl for male protagonist" type of deal

Abby Lambert is so good. People barely talk about her bc she's more interesting in TIOL and it's Joey book but i ADORE her even with little time in books that she has

In vanilla Bendy games i really love Twisted Alice/Susie Campbell but i should note that she deserved more focus (only in my opinion)

+possibly less "woman hates another woman for being fired" (it looks to me like they lowkey dropped it but. It was kinda here in ch3)

I'm all for women who are far too gone but can still have sympathetic angle. I do feel like devs suffer with reflecting it in writing tho

Audrey is good enough (would appreciate better writing at places but yk). I'm biased because i have hyperfix on her lol. Idk i love her little character moments and Erin did great job at changing tones when it was needed. If Adrienne got her even as side character in some book, she'd greatly benefit from it.

Allison Angel is more enjoyable in DR (to me) but she's more developed in fanon

Allison Pendle on the other hand. . . Erm. I wish she was more than Alice's second VA if you get me

Anyway I love women in Bendy👍 Bendy's funny deal is that a lot of characters suffer from lack of development and they're not only female. *Stares at certain male characters*

YES YES YES TO ALL OF THIS.

all the girls in the books are fantastic and are genuinely such charming characters. they're well written CHARACTERS and i feel like sometimes people forget that writing a women is writing a PERSON but Kress never really does that and i appreciate her so much for it.

i need to appreciate Abby more i love her dearly i just don't think about her much. she's so good, i wish we got more of her but i get that it's Joey's book.

MALICE/SUSIE HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL AND SHE DESERVES BETTER WRITING. i love her so much but gosh her writing could be better. especially in batdr like queen im so glad you're here but what ARE you doing here. can we get more of your character struggles, a little insight into how thats going maybe?? and yeah the hating another woman cause she was fired is a bit touch and go but i feel like with the right writers they could make it work. they unfortunately do not seem like theyre trying to do that

i do love Audrey i just have problems with some of the batdr writing. like how she kinda just goes along with whatever opinion she needs to have to move the plot along and at times i was like WHY ARE YOU SIDING WITH HIM/DOING THIS but thats not her fault. she has her good character moments and yeah Erin did a fantastic job voicing her. and she would REALLY benefit from being written by Kress, you're right. a lot of the characters would (cough susie cough)

ill be so real i barely remember any Allison Angel moments in either game IM SORRY THEY JUST DONT STAND OUT IN MY BRAIN </3 i do agree that shes better in batdr tho

ALLISON PENDLE THO. she needs more screentime in the books outside of being Very Pretty and Kind.

‼️SLIGHT FADE TO BLACK SPOILER‼️

in FTB though i really REALLY liked her characterization, with how she was tired of being expected to be the entertainment when she's a guest. it felt realistic, and makes sense with what little else we know about her. I need more private moments with her, ones where she isnt putting up a mask to perform, because only then we'll see what she's really like. and shes SO sweet with Rose, i really adore thar scene in general.

SPOILERS OVER

BUT YEAH WOMEN IN BENDY MY BELOVED. I think a lot of it is that most of them come from the books, and Adrienne is REALLY GOOD AT WRITING COMPELLING CHARACTERS. everyone she got to write for got an improvement in their characterization, not just the women. some of the male characters desperately needed it. anyways put more well written ladies in the games challenge

#(or more well written characters in general) WHO SAID THAT #victors asks #bendy fade to black

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stargazingellie · 1 year ago

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lazarus is risen

chapter four: gifts from hestia

(masterlist) (part 1) (part 2) (part 3)

hello beautiful people <3 here's part 4!!

synopsis: After deciding to let Abby live, Ellie has returned to Jackson. But given everything she's lost, it no longer feels like home. She's sad, she's confused, and above all else, she is so, so very lonely. So when a group of strangers shows up and offers her a second chance, she might just take them up on that. Ellie must decide between staying in Jackson – and living with the ghosts of her past – or leaving in search of new meaning. Whatever she decides, her choice will have far-reaching consequences – not just for herself, or for Jackson, but for all of humanity.

Or,

Ellie saves the world, maybe?

(ellie williams x reader, post-tlou2, useless lesbians, slow burn, cross country road trip, lots of references to greek mythology, etc.)

Hestia: Greek goddess of hearth and home. Originates from the Greek word “Ἑστία,” meaning “hearth” or “fireside.”

[Ellie]

Ellie could feel the stares before they even got to the town center. As news does in small towns, word of the new arrivals and their conversation the night before seemed to have already made its way around the entire community. Ellie could hear murmured conversations as she passed by, and it was obvious she was the topic of interest. After all, it wasn’t very often that a group of strangers showed up and took someone with them when they left. Even less common, though, was the revelation of that person’s immunity, which inevitably became the talk of the town.

Ellie kept her head down as she walked. Never before had so many people known her secret, and despite having no control over her situation, she still felt guilty. She felt, of all people, she was the last person who deserved such a gift. And now, walking through the town center, everyone else seemed to feel that way too.

When they arrived at the dining hall, the newcomers were already waiting. When Dr. Reynolds noticed the packed bag on Ellie’s back, his face lit up. He clasped his hands together and exclaimed, “Ms. Williams! We’re thrilled you’ve decided to join us.” Next to him, Lucy smiled widely.

“Uh… yeah, no problem,” Ellie replied awkwardly. She couldn’t help but notice other townspeople taking a keen interest in their interaction. Part of her wished Dr. Reynolds would tone it down a few decibels, and she tried to swallow her embarrassment.

Lucy fished around for something in her bag. “Here, we got some food for you already,” she said as she handed Ellie some canned goods. “We didn’t know what you would decide, but he’s the eternal optimist.” She nodded her head towards her father, who grinned with excitement. “Says he had a good feeling about you.”

Ellie looked between the two and, against her better judgment, felt herself warming up to the pair. Hard as she tried, it was difficult to dislike them. “Thanks,” she said.

Putting her hand on Ellie’s shoulder, Maria said, “Well, let’s get you all on the road then, shall we? The gate is this way.”

After a short walk, the group arrived at the entrance and Maria gave the order to open the doors. The newcomers made their way through the opening, but Ellie lingered inside. Wanting to say something, she turned to Maria, but words escaped her. Maria, usually so eloquent, seemed at a loss too. Instead, the woman reached forward and embraced Ellie in a tight hug.

Still holding on, Maria said, “Ellie, I know we’ve had our differences in the past, but I want you to know how much I care about you. You’ve been through more than anyone should ever have to go through, and I’ve seen how much it’s weighed on you these past few years. Whatever happens out there, I hope you find the peace you’re looking for.”

Ellie exhaled deeply. “Me, too,” was all she said. It was all she needed to say.

They were interrupted by someone nearby clearing their throat. Turning to see who it was, Ellie almost couldn’t believe who she saw. Even after so many years, she was still surprised by how similar he and Joel looked – the same deep lines around his mouth and nose, the same tired eyes. Well, just eye, now.

“Hey, Tommy,” she said as she approached cautiously. She’d barely spoken to Tommy since returning, and she wasn’t sure what his intentions were. They both stood with their hands in their pockets.

“Hey, Ellie,” he replied. Even the way they said her name was the same. “I, uh… I heard you were leaving.” Ellie gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded in confirmation.

“Well, I just wanted to see you before you left. I, uh… I wanted to give you this.” He took something out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was small and flat, and displayed a hand drawn picture of a moth. She instantly recognized it as one of Joel’s guitar picks.

Tommy continued nervously, “It was one of his favorites. Kept the damn thing on him all the time. Thought you might like to have it.”

She could recall many a night when she had watched Joel on the porch with his guitar, that very same pick in hand. The memories brought a soft smile to her face.

“He’d be proud of you, y’know,” Tommy said quietly. “No doubt in my mind about it.”

Ellie felt her throat tighten. Not wanting to cry, all she responded with was, “Thanks, Tommy.”

He cleared his throat again. “Right, well, don’t wanna hold you up. Good luck out there.” He gave a final nod and walked back toward the center of town. Ellie stood watching him for a moment, then turned back towards the gate. She waved to a tearful Maria as the large doors closed behind her.

The short hike was largely uneventful. The early-autumn air meant they didn’t work up much of a sweat as they made their way through the forest. Lucy and Dr. Reynolds occasionally conversed about the wildlife, but the other three mostly remained silent. After about an hour, they stumbled out onto a paved road and approached a large truck parked nearby. They loaded their belongings into the back of the military-grade vehicle and took their seats in the cab. In the backseat, Lucy sat in the middle, with Dr. Reynolds to her left and Ellie to her right. Ellie leaned her head on the window to watch the foliage pass by, trying to cement into memory the place she once called home.

They stopped briefly every few hours to stretch their legs, until the sun began to set and Jacobs suggested they make camp for the night. The two guards left to check their surroundings while Lucy and Dr. Reynolds began to unpack the truck. They all moved with such efficiency that Ellie could tell they’d completed this routine many times before.

As he retrieved items from the truck, Dr. Reynolds said to Ellie, “I’m going to start a fire and get some food going. Would you mind helping unpack the rest? Lucy can show you what to grab.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away. Lucy stood in the bed of the truck and waved Ellie over. When Ellie joined her, Lucy handed her items to carry.

“It’s mostly just sleeping bags and blankets,” Lucy explained, jumping down from the truck with a roll of fabric under each arm. “We have tents, too, but we only put them up when it rains. Saves time.”

“Makes sense,” Ellie replied.

“Alvaro and Jacobs alternate taking watch during the night. We’ve offered to help, but they insist on doing it themselves.” Lucy gave an exaggerated eye roll and smiled playfully. “Helps them feel like real macho-men, I think. But whatever floats their boat, I guess. More sleep for me.”

They finished laying the sleeping bags around the fire as Alvaro and Jacobs returned from their patrol of the area.

“Looks quiet,” Alvaro confirmed.

“That’s what I like to hear!” said Dr. Reynolds as he handed the men bowls of hot food. He then handed one to Ellie, which she accepted gratefully, realizing she hadn’t eaten all day.

She watched the fire as she ate, listening quietly to the others’ conversations. She didn’t know any of the people they were talking about, and she was more interested in Lucy and Dr. Reynolds’ relationship anyway. Ellie had known them for less than twenty-four hours, but it didn’t even take a whole minute to see how much they cared for each other. Lucy feigned annoyance during his tangents and ramblings, but she looked at him with such admiration it was clear she loved him deeply. Their back-and-forth was so easy, so comfortable. Observing their dynamic made Ellie a bit jealous, but mostly it just made her sad. It felt like watching an alternate version of her life – one that could have been, but would never be.

She pulled her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. She lost herself in thought as she gazed sadly into the fire, only vaguely aware of Dr. Reynolds asking Jacobs a question. She didn’t notice Lucy until the other girl sat down right beside her.

“You looked cold,” Lucy explained quietly as she wrapped a blanket around Ellie’s shoulders. “How are you feeling?”

“Warmer,” Ellie replied cautiously, surprised by the kind gesture.

Lucy laughed. “Well, that’s good. But I meant, like, how are you feeling… otherwise? You looked a little upset.”

Ellie scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment. “Oh, yeah, um, I’m okay. Just… missing someone, I guess.”

Lucy nodded solemnly. “That’s understandable. Did you get to say goodbye to them, at least?”

Ellie shook her head. “No, he, uh… he’s been gone a long time.”

“Oh. I’m really sorry, Ellie.”

Ellie smiled sadly. “Thanks.”

Lucy absentmindedly ran a thumb over the tattoo on her wrist. Those dots – they seemed so familiar, but Ellie still couldn’t place where she’d seen them before. Lucy gazed at the fire as she said softly, “I know what it’s like to miss someone, too.” Ellie watched as the flames reflected in Lucy’s deep brown eyes.

Lucy continued, “I had a brother. A twin, actually. His name was Erebus.” She smiled to herself. “The name’s kind of out-there, I know. But our mom was a Classics professor. She was really into the Greeks or something. I never got to meet her, but my dad’s told me all about her. He says when my brother and I were born, the only way to tell us apart was our hair. His was really dark and mine was, well, like this” – she gestured to her strawberry-blonde curls – “and my mom knew just what to call us. Erebus and Lucia, darkness and light. Twins, poetic duality, yada yada yada.”

“Wow, you sure she wasn’t secretly a Firefly?” Ellie joked. “They really took that whole ‘ When you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light’ thing and ran with it.”

Lucy made an exaggerated time-out motion and said facetiously, “Woah, woah, woah. I cannot believe you just talked about my dead mother like that.” Ellie laughed, glad to have broken the ice between them. It was hard enough leaving Jackson, the least she could do was try to make a friend. She found herself feeling immensely grateful that someone her own age had come looking for her.

“And anyway,” Lucy said as she poked Ellie’s shoulder. “It’s not just me. Your mom must have been a Firefly too.” Ellie’s confusion must have shown on her face, because Lucy quickly explained, “Y’know… Ellie, Elizabeth, Liz. They all come from lux , which is light in Latin.” Lucy nudged Ellie’s shoulder with her own to emphasize the point. “That means you’re part of the light too, Ellie.”

Lucy yawned deeply and stood up. “Alright, enough history for now. All this sitting has me exhausted. There are extra blankets, so just let me know if you get cold again.” She gave Ellie a warm smile and turned to walk back to her own spot. Before leaving, though, she turned back and said, “I know it probably doesn’t mean much, but we’re really glad you’re here.”

Ellie smiled back as she watched the other girl turn away. She tucked herself into her own sleeping bag and propped up her backpack as a makeshift pillow. She considered what Lucy had said about their names. Despite the unpleasant taste the Firefly motto left in her mouth, she still liked the possibility of helping make the world a little brighter. And out of anyone she had ever met, she felt like Dr. Reynolds’ team had the best chance at doing just that.

We’re really glad you’re here. As Ellie drifted off to sleep, she decided, definitively, that she was glad to be there, too.

#lazarus is risen // ellie williams #ellie williams #ellie williams x reader #the last of us part 2 #tlou2 #the last of us

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musicalrecs · 2 years ago

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Today's shameless promotion is for one of my favorite musicals that I can't believe isn't more people's favorite: Bring It On: the musical.

tl;dr: This is going to be a long post, so allow me to sum up: if you like Newsies but wish it had a cast of about 2/3 girls and don't really care about the plot so long as there's idealistic teenagers singing and dancing like they've consumed a dozen energy drinks each, building up to a happy ending with more singing and dancing, then you'll love Bring It On. You may now press "j" to skip to the next tumblr post.

Still here? Then please, allow me to reminisce. When I first saw Bring It On, it was on tour before debuting on Broadway, and they were still getting the kinks out. This means I got to see, for example, the original staging of Killer Instinct, and while I get why they changed it for Campbell's character development, I do prefer the original narratively.

It also meant there was no cast album available, and no internet hype that I was aware of. I was there strictly because I saw most shows at this theater if I didn't actively dislike them, and was all "Cheerleading in a musical? Even if the plot is bad it should be a lot of fun!" When I sat down and perused my program I recall turning to my date and excitedly saying "Oh wow, Lin-Manuel Miranda worked on this! You don't know who he is, but he did In The Heights and Sesame Street, this might actually be good!" I also had no idea Ariana DeBose was anyone of import. I should dig out that program and see if I got her to sign it...

I had only the first movie to go on for the plot, which I vaguely remembered the end of. This meant a) I rolled my eyes at conveniently putting Campbell on the "right" team early on and b) I was quite surprised by the ending.

Whatever I was expecting, it was BETTER. Bring It On grabs you with the beat from the get go and and then starts throwing cheerleaders in the air as rapaciously as Jim Henson ever tossed penguins. I hadn't been so captivated by a show's live energy since I first saw Rent.

And the plot? Reader, it was my very favorite kind of plot: girl is in unfamiliar situation, does her best, makes surprising new friends, screws up, learns something, demonstrates leadership, ends with stronger friendships and supportive love interest to boot. (See also: Legally Blonde) You know, the kind of plot guys have had catering to them for millennia so much that the second I hear "coming of age story" I peace out. But it turns out I am not immune to gender-targeted storytelling, particularly when it also has dancing.

It's been an age since I read the reviews, but I recall complaints that Jackson high school was much too "nice," "diverse," "unrealistic" and, had those reviews been written today, they would have almost certainly included "woke." I, on the other hand, was thrilled to see high school portrayed not as a battleground but as groups of friends supporting each other while still enjoying "krunking in the parking lot." (I have never been cool enough to do any equivalent to "krunking" but I admire kids with the confidence to do so, and I did overall enjoy my high school years.)

I am the kind of person who unironically appreciates songs about how it doesn't matter if you're fat or trans or otherwise not society's ideal so long as you love yourself, and songs about how winning doesn't matter as long as you know who you are and have friends. So I loved "It Ain't No Thing" and "Cross the Line."

Plus, a supportive, non-threatening soft boy singing about how high school isn't forever so you might as well "Enjoy the Trip"? Keep your "cringe"; I'll take a dozen more musicals just like this one, please. (No, really. Please let me know if they make any.)

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So I mentioned Lin-Manuel Miranda up there, but this wasn't just his show. To quote Wikipedia, "Bring It On: The Musical is a musical with music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, lyrics by Amanda Green and Miranda, and book by Jeff Whitty."

Tom Kitt has a pretty eclectic resume, ranging from Jagged Little Pill to Next to Normal to Spongebob. Lin-Manuel Miranda, of course, is best known for trying to sell real estate to Big Bird.

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Sidenote: Tom Kitt and LMM had another collab that you may have heard of: the 2013 Tonys opening number, "Bigger!"

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Although I couldn't get my hands on the album for over a year after I fell in love with the show, since one didn't exist, nowadays you can of course listen to the whole thing on Youtube, Spotify, or wherever. You can even buy the CD; it comes with a nice booklet with all the lyrics!

But as for seeing the show, I don't recommend trying to watch it online. A quick search doesn't turn up any proshots, and local productions just aren't going to be the same. Half the cast was made up of pro cheerleaders, and their intense choreography is part of the thrill. If a tour ever comes near your town, I highly recommend you get yourself tickets. Even if the moving screens aren't as cool and innovative now as they were in 2011, it's still a wonderful spectacle.

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So that's Bring It On: the musical. I suppose I could have actually described the plot (head cheerleader Campbell gets redistricted to another school which - gasp! - has no cheerleading team), but really, does it matter? You're there for the characters expressing themselves through song and dance (and cheerleading), not how easy it is to fool gullible teens by editing Wikipedia (actual plot point). I hope you get a chance yourself to fall in love with its unabashed enthusiasm for friendship and being tossed really high on stage.

#shameless promotion #musical recommendation #bring it on #bring it on the musical #musicals #lin manual miranda #tom kitt #Youtube

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