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odukora-lore · 1 month ago

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For the bootloaders ever (the TEF main cast), how about 🎮🩸🎶💯🔶 (is medical training required in the ORCA? And also is it required in the OWL???????) and 🚫

Lmaoo aight some of these could be interesting

🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies?

Ngl my ass wrote these down before in their individual profiles, but since some are not too relevant I never bring them up and have forgotten a lot of it until I saw them again lmao, anyways

Lio

I think I've always talked abt this but mainly sewing ✨ has a lot to do w them growing up on a farm that mainly produces silk, their mom is a seamstress and their dad is a farmer idk if I've dumped that lol (throwing in bonus trivia that their mom is named Marmalade and their dad is Crimson cuz this is never brought up either and I need excuses lmao) so yes Lio did learn how to sew from their mom, probs know a bit of farming knowledge from their dad too, idk if I'll consider it a hobby but Lio def has some soft spot of watching plants grow and taking care of creachurs even if it's not rlly their main thing™ to them it's more like duty but they wouldn't mind doing it for the rest of their life either, I've dumped this I think but they sewed their own cape

Another would probs be baking tbh I always hced Lio to be more of a baking guy than a cooking guy (Jingle is the cooking guy lmao more on that in his section) I'd think they also learned it from their mom though it's not rlly her main forte either, I only hc thing cuz she makes the best pumpkin pies apple pies and carrot caked (in which I have never tasted either of these LMAO but they reeked of autumn enough I slapped these on for the aesthetic, also cuz there's canonically a harvest festival around autumn that's Lio's fav season so it only made sense), Lio probs only learned these specific recipes so they can make it for themselves when they feel like it lmao

Also post arc Lio will eventually go on to take up pottery ✨ idk if I've dumped this lol but it's a thing I came up on a whim a couple years back and for some reason it just fit them a lottt seeing as it's something that needs a lot of patience, and they're exactly the time to sit in a spot for hours on end quietly trying to perfect something (though from what I've heard it's a kind of hobby that's also frustrating when you fuck up cuz u have to start all over lmao, Lio is the type to pull through thou) they usually create little mugs/bowls and also love painting them, I think this is the default gift they will give ppl (they make them for Jingle all the time lol) either way never thought in depth how they picked it up post arc, I just hced they felt like picking up something new after the long journey to refresh their mind or whatever and they figured they wanna make things™

Jingle

cooking 🔥 mainly!!! As we all know mf is theeeeeee master chef of the entire cast, I wanna put him inna room w Maca and Rurene just to see them have a cook off lol (but you don't know much abt those blorbos so that's a thing for another day), Jingle's main hobby has a lot to do w his mom running a cafeteria and him helping out ever since he was a kid, he basically grew up learning the skill and cooked for his family fairly often, knows hundreds of recipes by heart and can taste out what ingredients are in a food upon tasting it lmao, Jingle cookbook when!!!!!! (Pepper canonically jokes abt this actually) but yeah he's good at it and flexes the skill quite often lol has extremely high standards for food and *will* chew you out over questionable food combos, but if he thinks a questionable combo is good himself he will defend it w his whole being and you will never win lmaooo Anyways idk if I wanna put baking as another hobby cuz it rlly does go in line w his cooking, it's a thing that goes hand in hand rlly though I kinda always hced he's better at cooking slightly, though he does have a snack mainly for making desserts, idk if smoothies count cuz that's another one of his fav things to make esp berry flavoured ones

Ig another fun one is dressing up lmaooo idk if this counts as a hobby but this is something he genuinely loves, just matching outfits and looking fashionable you just knowww his wardrobe is loaded (Rei likes to help him w this), he puts a lotttt of effort into his appearance and looks good for himself rlly instead of as a way to attract others (though that does come as a bonus and he likes to tease ppl for it) it's basically some sortttt of subversion for the trope cuz usually the flirty tease™ is known to purposely wanna look good for others' appeal (nothing against this that is) but I find it infinitely more interesting when the char does it in a way that is for self indulgence and has no intention of looking nice for others, but because of that confident energy they naturally have that charisma™

Anyways idk if this counts either but a little thing he likes is making flower crowns lol esp when going on picnics, I think having growing up in a small town makes him quite fond of nature in a way cuz he spent a lot of time as a kid exploring the woods w Rin (Rin was def the more adventurous one though) he's not that much of an explorer post arc though I'd like to think he tends to reminisce abt it by interacting w nature in a more peaceful way that calms his mind rather than reminding him of how dangerous it was, though this is also something I'm coming up on a whim cuz I rlly did slap this hobby for him for the sake of it fits his aesthetic lmao, it's just a fun thing to keep his hands busy when he thinks cooking/baking is too hectic (which can happen occasionally esp when it's what he mainly does for a living post arc), w that said he's also def the type to love making flower arrangements to decorate the cafeteria

Slightly off topic for a bit but I love how Lio's magic and identity as an explorer is quite separated from their pastimes, cuz they never intended to be an explorer to begin w and it's obvious they only learnt it at a later time for self defense, to them it is more like duty that they keep separate from their personal life, whilst Jingle's magic is completely intergrated in his hobbies cuz you just know he mainly picked up on them as basics back before he became an explorer, and even after retiring he is still fond of them and continues to use them in a way that satisfies his life post arc

Truffs

This guy is the collector everrrrrrr I can go on and on abt this lmao I think Truffs being a collector is a hc since pretty much forever tbh, I just know this adventurous spirit is the type to find cool rocks on his journey and hoard them (he literally has a pet rock collection), a load of other stuff he hoards are feathers, leaves, sticks, seashells, anything in nature rlly, I think it's a way for him to express how fond he is for the little things he find tbh, guy finds a thing and decides to keep it forever kinda applies to all of his hobbies, exactly the type to find rock in a cool shape and go around telling ppl about it, he already does it w oh look cool bug!!! Except he would rather have the bug alive in the wild so instead of keeping it in a jar he would feed them lmao, I think a bonus somewhat off topic thing is Truffs as a hoarder is slightly diff from Cindy as a hoarder cuz Cindy hoards to make new things from her peculiar trinkets (and usually doesn't have to be from nature, she's the kind to ravage through a junkyard to find bits and bolts and go ohhhhh I know what I can do w this then forgets abt it for years before it finally has a use, Truffs more so collects to preserve and almost always keeps it in it's original form as a way to appreciate what he found I'd say

Anyways on the same vein of his collector attitude he also loves photography ✨ I think this is a thing he picked up from Clover tbh (be glad you didn't ask Clover Hobbies™ cuz that is a whole novel on it's own guy does everything) but yeah Truffs and Clover always go on journeys to take pics of cool things, Toffee getting unfortunately dragged around cuz "we have to go allllll the way up there for a good shot!!!" also this is written in my blorbo profile notes drafts but mf apparently owns 10 photo albums lmao

To combine 🔥 his peculiar findings and pictures into one single hobby Truffs is also a scrapbook enthusiast ☝️ but yeah all his hobbies are of the same vibes rlly and I just knoww his scrapbooks are the messiest looking things and alll over the place but you can see it's made w heart lol, in a way it's quite similar to journaling without the words, Truffs more so associates his journeys with items he finds and things he saw so compiling them in itself is sorta like keeping a diary for him, this guy does not have the patience to sit down and write words on a page but you will find him in a corner w scattered scraps on the floor and having the time of his life pasting and piecing them together into an elaborate concoction, also he very much shows them to ppl allllll the time like "oooh did you know I make scrapbooks?!" And then flips to a random page and can tell you exactly where and when he found a thing and took a photo of a thing, also if *you* end up in his scrapbook that is the biggest honour in the universe cuz as much as he goes around making friends w everyone ever only the real ones he appreciates the presence of end up in there

Rei

I think it goes without saying that Rei loves crystals lol again it has a lot to do w her magic but also she def only picked up on crystal magic because of her fondness for it, she's a crystal collector but not in the Truffs way but solely because she wants to make jewelry out of them, she likely picked it up as a way to bring her crystals around easier but it ended up becoming something she enjoys, ngl like the Jingle making flower crowns thing I honestly came up w this for the sole aesthetic factor lmao so I honestly don't know how and where she picked up the hobby, it could be during her time when she lived in Mount. Kimoru and receiving jewels as a little girl is pretty common esp when she was pretty much spoiled and pampered by the Tree Fam

W that said I think she also just like making cute accessories in general, like beaded bracelets/necklaces/earrings (I should probs draw her wearing them tbh, even the current Rei outfit is a bit outdated cuz I have some slight tweaks in my head, she also has a shit load of bows and hairties and upon asking if you can have one she'll be all petty abt it even if she never actually wears them all lmao, but this also means if she does give you one you're probably someone that earned it (think the time she gave Jingle a hairtie when they started bonding more)

Aside from all these "girly" hobbies I think she's also someone that plays video games w Clover occasionally lol, she is just as if not more competitive than he is and they bicker like hell during a gaming session (I literally hc No Mercy by The Living Tombstone to be their exact energy I need to make an animatic someday lmaooo) also I think she's the only one out of the main four that genuinely enjoys combat and goes out of her way to train tbh (her idea of training is to sneak out and wreck havoc lol, usually by sneaking into dark alleyways and barge in if there's sus shit happening)

Overall I don't actually have that much concrete ideas of Rei's hobbies cuz for a while she wasn't rlly in the main four lineup, so ironically Rin is more developed in this regard cuz the main four spot was filled by her for a while aka why there's a bit more stuff on her profile draft in some parts, I can name them but there's not much backstory detail like the other three rlly

🩸 DROP OF BLOOD — what is your oc's blood type?

Stardust lol /hj

My first thought upon being asked this is *you probably only asked just to know the blood type conventions in universe* lmao and tbh while I never thought too hard abt it (or at all cuz like many things it's not very relevant, it's the equivalent of knowing a char's exact height and weight lol in which I actually do somewhat keep track of to know who's tallest to shortest), but yeah ngl I don't think they follow our ideas of what blood type is tbh, animals in our world alone don't even have the same blood types as humans do so imagine what is it like for a fantasy universe where there's millions of possible hybrid combinations

Similar to horoscopes I also don't bother assigning it to blorbos just purely based on vibes lmao esp when it doesn't rlly add anything to the character or story hence the existence of constellations (among other things), lifeblood in universe is very heavily implied to be a raw magic force for every life form in existence so it only makes sense that every being at the core is made of the same thing lol, so yes it's still blood but probably not limited to just insert categories cuz it doesn't feel lore relevant to make said categories exist at all, imagine donating blood and they're just all compiled in one single blood bank™ anyone can save anyone deal lmao

The only so called exceptions is probably how immortal blood and mortal blood are different in nature, there's a reason immortals can internally wield magic whilst mortals can only use it as an external resource, immortal blood is more magically concentrated by default that their life force is inherently stronger, also explains why attempting to infuse immortality in a mortal vessel (like in Thorn's case lmao) can cause several issues and mutations, so yes while we don't have the conventional *if the wrong blood mixes things fuck up* we do have *if the wrong blood mixes things fuck up but worse* lmaoo

Ig there's also the whole draviarant / glowlin dichotomy but that's a whole other thing for another day

Again didn't rlly answer your question but I hope this bonus lore dump makes up for it lol

🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often?

Ngl I think their playlists while having songs that relate to their character story wise it is also pretty much what they usually listen too lol, though I def had plans to tweak the Jingle playlist a taddd bit cuz it's honestly too dark for my current taste and I want more of his char to shine through instead of solely his trauma lmao

But overall

Lio - mostly soft acoustic w the occasional louder tunes, in some way it shows their timid humble nature but also how they're determined and dedicated at their core, the entirety of their playlist def reeks of what they listen too tbh

Jingle - actual Jingle likes ballads but I don't have them enough in his current playlist lol I do think there's a couple loud songs in there he does like (esp during the main arc) but post arc Jingle def have a softer vibe, generally he's very sentimental so cheesy love songs are also on the list lmao, though I usually don't like to include too much romantic focused songs in individual playlists cuz those go in the ship playlists lol, I think he def vibes to some more playful sounding stuff though

Truffs - def folk/medieval sounding music w a mix of modern sounds, again just more hints towards his origins as the prince of Corondale whilst trying to blend into Naru but also the songs reeks of going on a grand adventure which is 100% Truffs core

Rei - pop/rock, just extremely loud af music for her loud af and outspoken personality lol I think there's a tinge of playfulness in her music taste that reflects her mischief but they're honestly also quite emotionally loaded, they either sound rlly fun or rlly angry aka her whole char duality

💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know.

Idk if there's anything abt my blorbos that I haven't dump already lmaooooo esp in regards to the main four that I talk quite often abt, ig I have these in my notes but you may or may not already know them

Lio

Hates jellybeans w a burning passion cuz Jingle pranked them w a cheese flavoured one as their first impression and it tasted like shit

Was named Helio since they were born on a sunny day, ironically prefers cloudy weather instead

Wears socks when they sleep, usually in mismatched shades of green, they probably just lost the other

Jingle

Touches his neck and plays with his hair when he's nervous, a thing he's picked up since childhood

Morning person, used to wake up early to help his mom run the cafe and to prepare breakfast for the family, but in return would fall asleep before midnight, his sleep routine hasn't changed since, I'm talking the wakes up around 4am and falls asleep around 9pm kind lmao

Has been growing his hair out since he was a trainee in ORCA up until it was cut off during the main arc (iykyk)

Truffs

Carries candy in his backpack as a little backup snack, for himself and for the ants, though he'd always forget to throw the wrappers away

Wears a headbands cuz it's hard to fly around and explore when his hair covers up half of his view in the wind

His fav colour is blue but he can never choose between ocean blue and sky blue

Rei

Has been told her pigtails are not practical in combat but she doesn't care and continues to wear them out of spite

Figured out she's bisexual from dating around in hs, never rlly had what one might consider a "serious" relationship though

Kept the mug that Oak used to make her milktea w (even if it got shattered during Oakrion's argument when the Eternal was revealed to the agency a couple years back)

🔶 LARGE ORANGE DIAMOND — does your oc know cpr? do they have any other medical expertise?

Going in line w the ORCA/OWL question I think it's 100% required in the ORCA for all recruits w the strict regulations as we all know, though I think it's mostly basic first aid and medical knowledge and only those that are specialized in healing magic go on to learn further details abt the expertise, so canon wise in the main four Truffs would be the most knowledgeable in this regard, though I think Lio is def someone that went on to learn more cuz they're paranoid like that and there's no harm in knowing more than they already do lmao

In terms of OWL I'm so sure it was pushed by Conifer cuz Orion is the kinda bastard to overlook it lmao though he does try his best to make sure all the recruits don't get hurt (esp Rei) which is ironic cuz he never takes the advice himself (this is a whole plot point that leads to their fallout down the line but that's another tangent lol), so while Rei has the knowledge she's way more likely to do everything w brute force, who needs healing magic when you defend yourself well enough to not get hurt deal lmao

Jingle only knows for being an ORCA recruit at some point lmao, Corondale gives no fucks abt anyone thats affiliated cuz they can always find more replacements™ it goes without saying

🚫 PROHIBITED — does your oc drink/smoke? do they do it regularly, or is it more on occasion or for special events?

Ngl not a lot of my chars smoke for the sole fact that I don't like it so my blorbos don't get it lmao, Budgie smokes because I don't like Budgie 💥

In terms of drinking I think the main four do have slightly varying lvls of it

Lio def reeks of someone that only drinks a little bit during special occasions, mostly festivals but I imagine them to not be very fond of how it tastes lol, they much prefer soda esp lemon/lime flavoured ones

Jingle reeks of a wine drinker but def the kind to like the floral scented ones, I think he indulges occasionally but not as often as Orion (which is probs the most notorious wine drinker in the entire TEF lineup alongside Maple lmao), he def uses wine in cooking for the flavour though, you'd find a shit load of wine in his kitchen cabinets and assume he's a heavy drinker but he'd tell you exactly what dish it is for and how much to use and how almost none of it is to be drinked lmao

Truffs def tried once out of curiosity but he rlly reeks of someone that doesn't take it well lol in other words Toffee had to fly him home instead of Truffs flying him as usual lmaooo, I think Toffee scolded him after that, idk if he ever got around to trying more but Truffs only tries out of curiosity every now and then when he gets reminded it's a thing that exists lmao it's just not on his mind

Rei is def the mf that tried drinking to seem more mature lmao but hated the taste so much she never looked back, she hates coffee w a burning passion for the sole fact of how bitter it tastes so at most she's drinking the sweet ones

#anyways yuh thanks for the ask ✨#I contemplated a whole day to answer all these lmao #hopefully I didn't miss anything cuz I didn't answer in order and jumped around lol

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seattlesea · 4 years ago

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✨My (maybe) Unpopular Heroes of Olympus Opinions✨

(maybe part one??? idk)

-I don’t really ship any of the main canon ships in HoO. None of them had any chemistry and most of them are either pedophilic, forced and rushed, or toxic in some way

-Most of the characters that were shoved into relationships (Leo, Nico, and Hazel especially) really did not need a love interest to complete their character arcs and their relationships ended up boring and flat cause Riordan just wanted everyone to have a love interest and it never went deeper than the skin

-Piper took advantage over Jason’s amnesiac state and manipulated him. She really went ‘But what if he has a girlfriend he can’t remember 👉👈 it would be wrong to start a relationship with him while he still has amnesia 👉👈 and cause it was based off lies and fake memories 👉👈 lmao imma just jump all over him and make him fall for me while he’s still amnesiac 🤪’ as if that’s not taking advantage over someone’s mental state

-And then she blamed her relationship being forced on Aphrodite and Hera saying they ‘forced her into a relationship’ and ‘arranged their relationship’ even though Aphrodite never said anything about or did anything to them and Hera gave Piper fake memories of them being a couple but it was Piper’s conscious choice to act out on those memories she knew were fake and her relationship was in no way influenced by anyone (especially Hera and Aphrodite) other than herself

-Shelper and Solangelo were way too rushed and forced (inside and outside of the books) and were only added for publicity, plus it seems like most of the fandom only like them cause they’re LGBTQ+ ships

-I hate Pipeyna and Pipabeth. My girls (especially Reyna) deserve better than some manipulative little girl who went ‘we were friends? no weren’t ❤️’

-The fandom portrays the characters really inaccurately (tweaking them a bit for humor is fine, but changing their entire personality is a different thing)

-The movies actually aren’t that bad when not compared to the books (I mean, you gotta admit- it’s pretty good effects for 2010)

-And speaking of the movies, they did a better job at portraying Thalia and Annabeth’s relationship in one movie than Riordan did in 5+ books

-Speaking of which, Riordan wrote pretty much every platonic friendship that weren’t Thalia/Nico and Reyna horribly and most of them shouldn’t have been friends and wasted all the potential for the good friendships

-Calypso should’ve joined the Hunters, not Reyna

-Annabeth and Piper are horrible friends lmao (separately and together)

-Silena is a hero and deserves redemption, but Luke doesn’t despite most of the fandom agreeing he does (he was a pedophile y’all)

-The fandom over-exaggerated the Tartarus fall, it wasn’t really that bad tbh

-Reyna is stronger and a better leader than Annabeth

-Annabeth’s intelligence is more tell than show (and quite a few characters including Leo, Reyna, and Octavian have shown more intelligence than her)

-Riordan over-glorifies and overpowers Percy way too much. Just cause he’s the main character doesn’t mean he has to be the best of the best after barely 8 months of training (four years at CHB only in the summers is 8 months total)

-Speaking of which, Jason can beat Percy (8 months versus Jason’s twelve years) and so can Annabeth, Reyna, Thalia, Hylla, Luke, Hazel and maybe Frank and Nico. Percy’s skill is overrated and unrealistic

-And I feel like most of the fandom knows that Jason can beat Percy but just doesn’t want to admit it cause they like Percy more

-Same thing with the Greeks and Romans- the majority know the Romans are stronger and can easily beat the Greeks but they don’t want to believe it cause they favor the Greeks more

-Percy and Annabeth shouldn’t have been part of the Seven, they already had their chance to shine. Riordan should’ve brought minor characters into light instead

-And Piper shouldn’t have been part of the Seven either. Riordan really expects me to believe that she’s stronger, more powerful, and a greater/better hero and deserved to be part of the Seven more than Reyna, Nico, Clarisse, Thalia, etc.?

-Riordan’s women line-up of Reyna, Annabeth, Hazel, and Piper was really cheap and boring (Avengers: Endgame women line-up who?)

-Percy (in HoO) and Piper are easily some of the worst, most underdeveloped characters Riordan has ever written

-Annabeth got really bland and weak in HoO and couldn’t do shit for herself without others (especially newbies) having to help and/or save her. She pretty much became exclusively Percy fangirl

-As much as I like them, Frank and Hazel don’t have what it takes to be Praetors and Reyna and Jason should’ve stayed as them

-Jason’s whole ‘am I more Greek or Roman’ arc was dumb af

-Riordan’s bias towards the Romans is also dumb af (the Romans could beat the Greeks in an instant)

-Jeyna is and always will be 1000x better than Jiper

-Hazel is the most powerful demigod (way more than Percy and even Jason)

-My hot take on who should’ve been the Seven: Reyna, Nico, Thalia, Frank, Hazel, Leo, and Clovis (son of the god of sleep puts Gaea back to sleep who?)

-Riordan confirming Piper bi was a cheap move to make her more likable. It didn’t even make any sense. A character is confirmed LGBT only after they become a minor character despite being a main character before and kisses some random unnamed girl only three months after her ex-boyfriend whom she still loved dies??? girl what??? Kinda obvious it was just for publicity. Like- Riordan, honey, the LGBTQ+ community is not a circus you can plop your characters into to make them more entertaining❤️

-The PJ series as a whole isn’t that creative. It’s legit just a copy of exactly what past mythological figures have already done and a bunch of character tropes and clichés shoved into one book

-And in general it’s not even that well-written (like HP, it’s over-exaggerated a lot)

-All of the romantic relationships and platonic friendships are extremely unrealistic. Like they never argue/fight, disagree, etc. (then grow stronger from those fights) at all??? Even if they’re complete opposites???

-Reyna is the best-written character in the whole series and a queen she deserved better and y’all sit on her too much

-Theyna is ✨amazing✨ their dynamic and chemistry was just *mwah Pansexual Muslim blessings to you* and people are allowed to ship them even though they’re Hunters and swore off love

-Rachel doesn’t deserve all the hate she gets. Y’all hate on her cause she crushed on Percy when half of you are doing the same thing and then y’all go and ship Percy with Nico, Jason, Artemis, Athena, etc.

-If y’all want to hate on Jason for ‘not having a personality’ you’d also have to hate on most of the main HoO characters except Reyna, Nico, and Leo (and maybe Hazel) for the same reason cause they have the exact same problem tbh

-Zoë and Bianca’s deaths weren’t actually that sad. We didn’t get to see them enough nor did they have enough development for their deaths to have a real impact. The only sad thing about them was Zoë’s last words and Nico’s reaction

-Thalia needed more time in the books

-Reyna was the only main female character in HoO that wasn’t a boring, bland Mary Sue that all the other characters automatically loved. She was the only one with real flaws and distinct personality traits she’s my queen

-Piper, Annabeth, and Calypso did have flaws but the fact that they weren’t called out by other characters or even noticed are what makes them Mary Sues. It doesn’t matter how many flaws a character has, if they’re not called out by other characters (more specifically, other protagonists who actually like them) they don’t count as real character flaws

-Riordan can’t write female characters for shit

-Clarisse, Drew, and Octavian deserved better than being completely antagonized for no explained reason other than to make the protagonists seem better and to make the readers root for them. Those three had more potential than most of the Seven combined

-The whole ‘Aphrodite kids don’t train’ thing is bs. It’s specifically stated that all the demigods follow a strict schedule and have to follow it or they’ll be on stable duty or smth and the Aphrodite kids shouldn’t (and can’t) be excused from that

-Therefore, Drew should be way more powerful and skilled than Piper, at least enough to not back down automatically from a duel by a newbie who hasn’t even learned how to fight (Drew can control an entire cabin of people at once and Piper can barely control one person at a time, who’s more powerful again??)

-Also I have no idea why Riordan portrays all the Aphrodite kids as weak and girly in the first place. ‘Femininity’ and ‘weakness’ are not synonymous and ‘love’ and ‘beauty’ don’t equal ‘feminine’

-Speaking of which, love is actually really powerful but Piper doesn’t stand for love or ‘inner beauty’ and all her ‘thoughtful/insightful’ quotes in ToA/TBM about love were complete bs

-Riordan using the LGBTQ+ community for the sole purpose of making Piper seem more likable and ‘special’ was disgusting and proves he thinks that straight is the default- “...Or Hera’s ideas of what a perfect couple looked like. Piper finding her own way, not the one people expected of her” my ass. In other words, he’s saying ‘The expectations for love and the idea of a perfect couple are a heterosexual relationship, and anyone who 'finds their own way instead of the ones people expect’ are different’. ‘Different’ and ‘default’ are antonyms, so if you think LGBT people are different, then you think that straight is the default. Aphrodite is the goddess of love not heteronormative bullshit. Like Riordan, honey, you’re the one who thinks that the expectations for love and the idea of a perfect couple are heterosexual couples, not fictional gods from a fictional mythology. Remember kiddos- an author writes their own beliefs

If you don’t agree with some of these that’s fine sis it doesn’t matter if you have different opinions than me❤️

#heroes of olympus #opinion #unpopular opinions #percy jackson #annabeth chase #jason grace #frank zhang #hazel levesque #leo valdez #reyna ramirez arellano #reyna avila ramirez arellano #thalia grace #nico di angelo #zoe nightshade #bianca di angelo #will solace #clarisse la rue #octavian #ships

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andsmile · 4 years ago

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tbh i don’t mind BA in the show so much, no reason for me to ship them but no reason to hate them. but the worst reason a BA stan could give to ship them is the comics. Because Archie treated Betty like a doormat in the comics- there wasn’t even a proper alternative for her but sometimes she got a side character like Adam and i thrived off that.

from all the ba anons i got, this one i was looking forward to answer, because it’s some actually interesting discourse. i have absolutely nothing against the idea of betty and archie. their characters together don’t appeal me but i think that if you look at them as paralleling kids in paralleling houses with paralleling lives that go from light to dark, i think that could be a very interesting story if told the right way.

my problem with ba runs way deeper than just “it’s a ship composed by the characters of a andrews and b cooper that people cheer for” and i’m adding some discourse about it under the cut (including the comics discourse):

the bav dynamics in the older comics is outdated and sexist. va are the better ship in there if only because the woman has the upper hand, and i ain’t about to start cheering for men, but they also suck. with ba, not only you have archie making a human doormat out of her, you also have her willingly placing herself in that position and more than often showing obsessive and psychotic behavior with him. the best comics are those where b+v say fuck an archie, and we all know that. i have trouble understanding anyone that actually ships their dynamics like this, but well--digests are meant to be funny, and in the most recent series they toned down these stereotypes a lot. and you have some verses where ba work as a ship. you have universes where they don’t--imo, riverdale is one of them.

i understand when there’s a sense of entitlement that stems from the comics with ba, though. because b is a character that mostly pined for a for over seven decades and the fans of the archieverse sometimes want to see a pay off for that. they see archie as her prize, like she’s entitled to end up with him this time.

they also see the same for him: he should get ‘the girl’, since he’s ‘the main’. he should get ‘the good girl’, since he’s ‘the good boy’. he should get ‘the one that got away’ because ‘he let her get away’. a lot of comic fans also don’t like how in the comics archie is seen as veronica’s doormat, so they want archie to have a chance of a love that’s ‘pure and true’ (and virginal, and white, and middle class, and self-insert) instead of a rich bitch.

...except that rich bitch this time is not just any rich bitch. veronica is a latina, in riverdale. the lodges are a mexican family. she’s not even a bitch--she’s a reformed rich bitch. and that already changes the entire varchie dynamics. riverdale also changed the entire ba dynamics when they had both ba look the other way for the first time and given her a love interest that could actually compete with archie. this is a different universe. these are not those characters ////// we can discuss how they haven’t given veronica a proper alternative yet, but some other time.

so what’s my problem with ba in the universe of riverdale?

veronica. veronica is my first problem. archie is veronica’s only valid love interest so far and they want to build ba’s narrative by invalidating her. veronica already is a latina woman whose main reference of goodness are the characters of archie and betty, the whitest, most american, most middle-class of the show. veronica's character is seen as sinful, sexual, criminal, dark, bad. she has seen people say that to her face. she has apologized and repented but it’s never enough. her father is sick in the head and many, many riverdale viewers say point blank that varchie are just sex, despite all their build up and romantic highs, that all she has to offer is that she’s hot.

many, many riverdale viewers also say that archie is only waiting for betty now, or that he’s waiting for himself to be ready for betty. idk exactly what they say. that would be fine, except it isn’t anymore. it’s not fine that archie’s had three woc as girlfriends and people will deadass say that he’s just passing time and getting his dick wet while he waits for the white girl next door. it’s not. how can anyone think that’s fine? and whenever the show gives any indication to support this narrative, it disgusts me.

it’s also not fine that betty has finally found the character development needed and broke out of the sexist molds she was made of--always waiting for archie--after literal decades and now people think that because of that, archie should be her prize. archie choosing her is what she gets for breaking the mold and being better. betty finally has someone who loves her and chose her, and who’s the most compatible to her (istg, i have never seen two characters more compatible than bughead are, regardless of my shipping preferences), but people think she needs to do better than “trailer trash” (arguments i’ve seen around). she should get the abs. she should get her first love. she’s entitled to him. he’s entitled to her.

so i don’t support ba in riverdale not only because i don’t think the writers know how to write a compelling story about them like they could, but also because i think this sense of entitlement and this embodiment of awful stereotypes and hurtful prejudices is too much. there are many ways they could write them connecting more interestingly, but the way they’re doing it, and did it already, isn’t it. maybe it’d would work better in a coming of age show that could build some nuances more carefully without just throwing out character development, but that’s not what riverdale is. like i said, it might work in some universes. not in this one.

plus, the way 95% of their fandom behaves is absurd--and i know there are many absurd shippers around, in every fandom, but they also use of many racist and sexist comments towards veronica, classist comments towards jughead; they want veronica to sob and cry, they want jughead to be dead, they want the entire thing to fall apart so the entitled neighbors entitled to be together get together, and it all DOESN’T SIT WELL with me. it just doesn’t.

so, yeah. they’re happening and i always knew that, and i do feel like the show itself sometimes gives out these ~feels about them being entitled to each other which ignites them being hateful, spiteful and spoiled, but the way they wrote it was so careless. i do think that if ras was in actual charge he wouldn’t have messed up so bad, but ras doesn’t really care anymore. anyway. these are my eleven cents.

#anti barchie #rd negativity #anti b*rchie #anon #reply #re: riverdale #for actual discourse lets go lol

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transsexualhamlet · 3 years ago

Text

sherlock holmes reactions part 4 (?) ive lost count already but unsurprisingly ive grown even more attached to him

using this as the cover image because i made him a playlist. cause im awful

no legit this is gonna need a read more because it's SO LONG SHIHEWIESHEFSHIEWHF

Had three mental breakdowns this week and realized i do in fact kin sherlock motherfucking holmes. this does not bode well for anything in my life mentally I've diagnosed him with so many things

Oh boy lol you want the list I think hes autistic (undisputed honestly) plus also adhd but on top of that there's the manic depression and uhhh the bpd lmao I dont even think that's it those are just. the obvious ones

But yeah man's a fucking mess and a shit person but in the same way as me so 👍

Some highlights I thought were very funny:

watson: we are in fact going to be waltzing into a place where people are Shooting People you do not have your gun. this is a problem

sherlock: don't worry watson I have my trusty stick!

watson: visible pain

This clearly happens like every day or so with them

but yeah there were some really honestly sweet scenes with them at the apartment and why am i getting soft over the crusty man being gay

have you considered tho. have you considered them

have you considered sherlock, who usually only plays absolute garbage on his violin serenading watson to sleep when he was tired and in pain and watson being so fucking in love with the man and waxing poetic about falling asleep to his music and waking up to see him fallen asleep on the couch next to him and oh my god them

They're just really sweet together for such a completely dysfunctional couple so much of the time lol I just. Sherlock being like.

Sherlock half of the time: watson you're fucking stupid. no i won't take care of my personal needs stfu. watson get a goddamn life. watson shut up. watson no one cares about your goddamn opinion. no i need to disturb you in the middle of the night it's for science. hey watson mind if i manipulate mansplain malewife

Sherlock the other half of the time: HELLO SIR YOU ARE MY FAVORITE MAN TO EVER MAN HELLO MAY I SPEND THE REST OF MY DAYS WITH YOU HELLO I WILL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU WE ARE PERFECT MATCHES I LOVE YOU AND I NEED YOU YOURE SO MUCH BETTER THAN ME PLEASE MARRY ME

They're... they certainly are.

ALSO OH MY GOD.

THIS ONE TIME WHEN SHERLOCK WAS JUST PACING AROUND THE ROOM AT 3 AM GOING "IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE >:(((" AND HUDSON LIKE BARGED IN TO COMPLAIN AND THEN WATSON WAS LIKE DUDE YOU GOTTA STOP DOING THIS AND PROCEEDS TO SAY THE LINE "YOU ARE KNOCKING YOURSELF UP, OLD MAN"

BAHGHSFHGRHEWHEWHIFEW

BRB SOBBING

CALLING HIM AN OLD MAN???? KNOCKING HIMSELF UP?? I DONT KNOW WHATS FUNNIER

The main highlight of this part was I have now gotten to see him have a great time watching his homo homie get married

Its so fucking funny.......

I was prepared for a funny reaction by yuumori sherlock's face when he said it lol but. Damn i was really not prepared tbh

watson: I'm engaged!

sherlock: *pained groaning*

watson: do you... not like her?

sherlock: no she's fine she's great you'll be wonderful together bUT I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE ARE HETEROSEXUAL WATSON DO I HAVE TO MARRY MYSELF THEN WATSON? ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE ME MARRY MYSELF.

watson: yeah... yeah... fair, I feel really bad because you did this whole case and I got a girlfriend out of it and all you got was me leaving you alone fuck man im sorry what are you gonna do without me

sherlock, highly sarcastic: dont worry watson I've always got my handy cocaine! *pulls it out and gets high in front of watson just as he's about to leave*

watson: *in fucking agony*

sherlock: good for you!

I DONT EVEN- THIS SCENE KILLED ME MULTIPLE TIMES OVER WHAT

ITS SO GODDAMN NONCHELANT ABOUT IT SHERLOCK IS JUST LIKE YEAH I WILL IN FACT NOT BE MENTALLY HEALTHY IF YOU ARE NOT WITH ME 24/7 BUT WHATEVER YOU DO YOU /S

I'd like to apologize to watson on sherlock's behalf lmao. man is being a bit too codependent on main

The last thing about sign of four I do need to address is yeah, there's the Horrific Amounts Of Racism in that one and the whiplash hearing it is just ridiculous because they seem to be so knowledgeable in all other areas and fairly... politically correct, taking sherlock's original misogyny as a purposeful character flaw, but then they just mention someone indigenous once and suddenly its all parrotting racist propaganda and just... really awful shit. There's no way I'm gonna speak for the group that just got absolutely hate crimed here but anyone can tell the author just has no clue what he's fucking talking about and it's physically painful.

And I don't know, it's just so bad it seems out of character? Doyle's making these motherfuckers say shit that honestly, Sherlock would know better about. And especially Watson. Come on, you cannot tell me watson is mentally capable of being prejudiced against someone. Please do not make him that way.

I'm not sure how to handle it specifically, or what's the proper way I should handle something like that in a media I otherwise like. Is it ok to say Doyle was clearly a piece of shit on the matter and separate those characters from his bias or is that insensitive?

I don't know, I was Not a fan of it and I'm glad to see they've at least finally shut up about the guy

But anyway yeah, uhhhh onto the short stories because I'm trying to read those before I get to the final problem

Scandal in Bohemia was a fucking ride, first of all, before we even get to Sherlock's girlboss arc we have to discuss how gay the whole situation was and how Doyle's attempt at making them less gay failed spectacularly

Like he's all "ah yes I need to marry off watson and uhhh make sherlock ummmm interact with a woman so they dont look gay" but he does it SO BADLY that it makes them look EVEN GAYER

cause i mean, even the conversation they had about watson getting married back in sign of four was gay af, but how Doyle handled things afterward was in no way straighter.

Cause you know, the man kind of wrote himself into a corner with the fact of Watson narrating these stories. So Watson has to be around to witness them, and to witness Sherlock's own thought process rather privately, so he has to be around sherlock at night, a lot. But trying to come up with a reason for that happening just... it didn't occur to Doyle. He just went. Ah yes this makes sense. And it's Watson just like Sleeping Over At Sherlock's like every other goddamn day and every time his wife leaves town and having them basically still live that cute domestic home life but they have absolutely no excuses for doing it anymore. It's quite funny

Like it was gay already the way they interacted when they officially lived together but it was like, a necessity for them. Now it's not, Watson just comes over because he goddamn wants to, and it's hilarious to me.

LIKE IDK I THINK THEY KIND OF BROKE UP FOR A YEAR OR SO BC OF WATSON GETTING MARRIED AND THEY LIKE DONT HAVE CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER BUT ONE DAY WATSON JUST INEXPLICABLY HAS THE URGE TO COME VISIT SHERLOCK ON NO NOTICE AND THEN SUDDENLY THEY ARE TOGETHER NEAR 24/7 AGAIN LIKE BARELY ANYTHING CHANGED AHIEHOEWH

SIT DOWN AND TRY TO TELL ME THOSE ARE NOT HOMOSEXUALS

Watson walks in on no fucking notice after a full year and Sherlock is just. In the middle of some experiment obviously but hes like

Sherlock, carrying around unidenfiable chemical mixtures: W A T S O N you look good you look good! i see you've gained seven pounds!!

watson: uh. thanks??? Hey lol *awkwardly waves* Uh um Wanted to Uhm sEe you

Sherlock: ABOUT gODDAMN TIME AND YES WONDERFUL LOOK LOOK SIT DOWN I HAVE THINGS TO INFODUMP ABOUT

watson: :) ok :) *turns to camera* and we were back to the old days

sherlock: makes a deduction

watson: wowwwwwwwwwwww !! so true bestie !!

sherlock: !!!!!!!!! :))) !!!!! :))) uh fuck im supposed to be smooth Its Elementary Lol

watson: *turns to camera* when i stroke his ego like this and compliment him he blushes like a girl like i just complimented his dress so i do it more because he likes it. this is a homie trait

watson: well i should probably get going! my wife will notice that i am gone my dear buddy bro homie!

sherlock: NO DONT LEAVE IM LOST WITHOUT YOU (pretty much a direct quote lol) your. wife doesn't. get back home until monday. I know this because I am smart and definitely have not been stalking you.

watson: alright :)))))

AND THEN HE FUCKING SLEEPS OVER LMAO FUCKING HOMOS

So yeah they're right back where they were before pretty much and there's a case bc of course there is

And honestly I think this short story specifically was so insane mostly just because of how absolutely fast it all went. Yuumori kind of made me believe the original Irene Adler was more of an important character than she really is? And I think that's. Honestly so funny. Motherfucker shows up for ten pages, girlbosses her way around town, and changes sherlock's entire opinion of the female gender while still keeping him gay?

LIKE NO LOL SHES NOT IN ANY WAY A LOVE INTEREST AND WATSON GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO SPECIFY THE FACT THAT IN NO WORLD WOULD THEY HAVE BEEN ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED BECAUSE. SHERLOCK. DIDN'T DATE WOMEN.

HE WAS JUST??? SO IMPRESSED AND SHELL SHOCKED BY HER EXISTENCE HE DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR GIRLBOSS APPRECIATION DAY TODAY AND ALL DAYS HENCEFORTH???

AND THEY HAVE LIKE O N E INTERACTION?? God, the power this woman(?) has. Watson looks at her once like. damb shawty 😳 and she's like "no<3" and he's like FUCK

Like yeah it's pretty much just the king walking up like "help girl the whore is blackmailing me" and sherlock being like "ok lol this will be easy" and then it proceeded to not in fact be easy or even possible

sherlock like... posed as a dead body and tried to get her to give up the location of the photo but she out-acted him and skipped the town the next day after doing the 'good night mr. sherlock holmes' thing with sherlock completely tricked

and she just. sends a letter like "dear sherlock holmes. you're a fucking idiot and i think it's funny that you lost. nice job tho mad respect" and sherlock just SHORT CIRCUITS

the king comes back a bit later like "hey Dude where's my Photo" and sherlock's like oh yeah uhhhhhhhhhhh about that and the king is like HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN THAT GODDAMN HARD i would have dated someone more noble if she wasn't so pretty i swear im on a whole different level from her

and then. GIRLBOSSIFIED SHERLOCK HOLMES RESPONDS "from what I have seen of the lady, she seems indeed to be on a very different level from your majesty" ABSEHHESHEFHHFES ROASTED

and the dude just LEAVES

After that I read a few more of the short stories and well the highlights I got from that pretty much were these conversations

Watson: sherlock. honey. have you. eaten anything today

Sherlock: IT DIDNT OCCUR TO ME DEAR WATSON

Watson: ITS FIVE PM

and:

Sherlock: *having one of his Moment Moments at three in the goddamn mornig* GRRRR CRIME ISNT WHAT IT USED TO BE

Watson: MY DEAR SHERCOCK WHAT IS CRIME S U P P O S E D TO BE LIKE ACCORDING TO YOU

Sherlock: no one's original anymore fucking copycats

Watson: so you want the criminals to make things harder for you specifically.

Sherlock, exasperated: yes!

I love them your honor.

#rowan's hyperfixation essays #rowan screams into the void #rowan views moriarty #sherlock holmes

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wr0temyway0ut · 4 years ago

Note

7 17 20 22 24 28 37 for the 40 Questions Meme for Fic Writers!

Hey have i mentioned lately that i freaking love and miss you

This post got very long so answers below the cut!

(40 Questions Meme for Fic Writers)

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Tbh I’m proud of most of my work but recently I’m especially proud of this bit from Tiny Symphonies (warnings for implications of disordered eating and depression, mentions of blood and stitches):

Bobby wants to tell Luke that he knows exactly how he feels, that he’s been in his shoes before. That he knows how pointless it feels to take care of yourself when the people who were supposed to do that for you—who were supposed to love you unconditionally— just don’t anymore. That he’s not alone; that Bobby stopped eating and sleeping and showering too, obsessing over what he could have done better, what would have made him more worthy of love. But he’s never told anyone that, not even Alex, and no one’s ever asked. Bringing it up now would make this about him, and it’s not about him, it’s about Luke. There’s no point in treating a faded scar when there’s an open gash that still needs stitches.

Just because I’m a screenwriter by trade, so most of my writing is action and dialogue, and I was sort of worried that I’d lost my touch for internal monologue or really anything that can’t be seen or heard on screen, but I think I did really well with this introspective take on Bobby, if I do say so myself.

17. Do you write your story from start to finish or do you write the scenes out of order?

Start to finish! Mostly bc with fanfic I generally don’t outline or plan ahead so I’m just seeing where the writing takes me, but even with my academic/professional work I find it hard to skip around between scenes.

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

For fanfic: on my phone in bed at midnight. For everything else, on my back porch on with my cat in my lap.

22. Choose a passage from one of your older fics and edit it into your current style.

Aha okay here’s a rewritten bit from my single Good Omens fic Lift Home? I wrote in 2019 (I refuse to go any older than that)

They sit in silence for a good deal of the ride, Aziraphale clutching his books as if doing so can control Crowley’s reckless careening through the city.

As they near the bookshop, Crowley slows down ever so slightly, not that the change would be perceptible to any being without their heightened senses. Still, Aziraphale relaxes the tiniest bit, and deems it safe to break the silence.

“That really was very kind of you.”

“I said don’t mention it.”

“Well, I won’t bring it up again, but I do want you to know…” He places a gentle hand over Crowley’s on the steering wheel. “That was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

A spike of panic shoots through Crowley’s chest. Without thinking, he wrenches the steering wheel to the right, pulling his hand away from the angel’s and sending the Bentley crashing around the corner. He slams on the brakes in front of Aziraphale’s bookshop, just barely missing a fire hydrant.

With as much indifference as he can muster, Crowley drawls, “Here you are.”

24. Have you ever deleted one of your published fics?

I don’t think I have, thought lately I’ve been seriously considering orphaning my old Hamilton fics. The only reason I haven’t done it yet is because the rare email notification that someone has commented on them makes me happy.

28. Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

@martialwriter do you count? Is this for specifically fanfic? Idk if you write fanfic but I will say it was a freaking honor to read your early drafts of the Guardians and make films with you bc you’re such a great writer. Also @a-tomb-with-a-view was sort of the first jatp writer I read when I was getting into the fandom and they continue to write astonishing pieces. I owe my entire good dad!Caleb au to @siriuslyrose and her absolutely delightful fic Are You For Me or Against Me. And @satisfictiion my old buddy from the hamilton days who is now writing a jatp percy jackson au that’s so fun and intriguing and has me on the edge of my seat. I know it said only three but also @kybee1497 and @on-irratia deserve appreciation to

37. Talk About Your Current WIPs

Ooooh boy there’s so many. So I’ve got Heart of a Dancer and The Parent Trap which are already published and in progress (i’m working on the next chapter of Heart of a Dancer rn). Honestly I have so many WIPs rn it’s just easier to post screenshots of my list

The ones I’ve actually started are the Vagabond, Finally Free, and Teenagers Scare the Living Shit Out of Me, but I’m very excited to get to the other ones. (edit: I just realized Unconditional Love has no explanation lmao, it's about Alex finding out his parents have changed and being pissed about it, framed by the song "Unconditional Love" by Against Me!)

As a bonus, here’s all the titles I went through for Tiny Symphonies before I settled on one:

#thank you for the ask!#so many good questions #mutuals #ask games #my fic #jatp #it's not sunset cis either #julie molina

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gamerwoo · 5 years ago

Text

Junhui: Oh, Positive (Part One)

Characters: Junhui x female reader

Genre/warnings: vampire/vampire hunter au, kinda angst but not really that angsty tbh, kinda crack thanks to flirty and sassy vampire!jun, lots n lots of cringey flirting

Word count: 2,163

Summary: As a vampire hunter, your job is pretty self-explanatory. But sometimes, the enemy has to become your ally, and that’s exactly what happens when you're ordered to track down Jun. To stop the coven of vampires that’re bringing up the death toll in Tokyo, you have to work with the thing you’re trained to kill -- assuming the two of you don’t kill each other in the process.

a/n: there will be more parts but i’m not sure how many which is why there isn’t a masterlist yet. this is just a lil idea i’ve had for a while sooooo it’s not really top priority so updates will probably be slow. but idk i wanted it out there (and yes i wrote this bc i love vampire!jun from that web series)

“Don’t kill him, just capture him. Bring him back here when you do.”

Those stupid instructions kept repeating in your head. What was the point of capturing a vampire and not killing it? All vampires were bad. They killed humans. That’s why you existed. You were trained to kill them on sight, but now you were being told to show some sort of mercy. What sort of bullshit was that?

But your boss gave you orders so you would follow them even if you didn’t agree with them.

It had taken a few days to figure out where to find this Jun. There were apparently a few places he hung around, so you were checking those places. It was well into 2am and most of the streets were empty. However, most vampires were known to linger in the alleyways of more crowded places, hoping to lure humans away to feed on them. So you stuck to the shadows, watching and listening carefully for any sign of--

‘Vampire.’

You froze as soon as you sensed it, knowing exactly where it was. You didn’t make it obvious you knew, but you stayed in your spot, slowly moving your head to seem like you were surveying the area. In reality, you knew it was perched on the fire escape above you, ready to pounce down on you.

But you were ready for that.

Just as it leaped down, you rolled out of the way, swiftly and smoothly pulling your knife out of its sheath. You were on your feet and running at the vampire quick enough to catch it off guard. Since you knew where it was, you had time to figure out your plan. So you tackled it to the ground, straddling it and holding your knife to its throat.

And lo and behold, it was just the vampire you were looking for. Jun looked up at you with a smirk, his eyes blood red as he eyed you up and down, licking his lips hungrily.

“Wasn’t expecting my dinner to be so quick on its feet,” he chuckled. “Shouldn’t have been so careless, I guess.”

“Shut up,” you stated boredly as you used your free hand to get the handcuffs from your belt.

“So what now?” he asked, ignoring your order. “Are you gonna kill me or whatever?”

“As much as I would like to,” you sighed as you began cuffing his hands together, “I have to take you somewhere.”

“Ooh, an adventure,” he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows as you managed to get off of him and tug him to his feet. “Just one question, sweetheart--”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Do you really expect some handcuffs to stop me?”

You rolled your eyes before looking at him, “Do you not know anything about vampire hunters?”

He shrugged, “Never been caught by one.”

“Well, those will keep you from running away. Now let’s go.”

You turned to walk away, but, of course, Jun had other ideas.

“Thanks but uh, I think going home with you after the first date is too early for me,” he said, miming tipping his hat to you. “Sorry, but this won’t work out. Please don’t contact me again. Bye!”

You knew vampires were quick. You knew Jun could easily get away and you wouldn’t catch him. You’d have to follow your instincts to find him again, but you knew he’d definitely be hiding pretty well for the rest of the night and probably for a few weeks at minimum. But you also knew how the handcuffs worked while Jun had no idea.

He was only a few feet from you when he shouted out in pain and had dropped to his knees. He was hissing as he stared at his wrists that had felt the painful shock, looking between them like he was trying to figure out a difficult math problem.

“Those’ll shock you if you’re a certain distance away from me,” you explained, “and it’s so painful that you can’t get away. So I suggest you keep up or you’re going to be in a lot of pain.”

“Look, I’m into pain, but this is too much,” Jun huffed with a small pout as you dragged him up off his knees and shoved him to walk in the direction you wanted him to. “Do I at least get a safe word?”

“Shut up,” you groaned.

“That’s a really shitty safe word.”

You wondered why you’d spent days trying to track down Jun when he was so obnoxious and annoying. The entire way back to headquarters was awful, containing him trying to flirt with you or make some sort of comment that walked the line between flirting and being a snarky asshole. Honestly, that seemed to be all he was capable of.

“I really wish I wasn’t told to not kill you,” you sighed halfway through.

“Well isn’t that unfortunate,” was all he replied to you with before he carried on with whatever he was saying before -- you weren’t paying attention, you’d learned very quickly to tune him out.

Once you were back at headquarters, you thought maybe Jun would shut up a little bit. You thought maybe being in a place full of top of the line vampire hunters would intimidate him into silence, but he seemed to not be fazed by anything at all. He had something to say to pretty much every person you walked past, and it got to a point where you were pretty positive every hunter in there wanted to kill him. The guy was just so annoying.

You finally reached the boss’s office. You knocked on the door three times as Jun leaned down and whispered, “Is this where I die? Because I’d like the heads up when it finally happens, y’know?”

You knew Jun definitely wouldn’t just take his death lying down. Hell, he probably had something up his sleeve to get out if he had to, he probably wanted to just see where this was going -- and you would be right about that because he figured he had nothing better to do.

“I wish,” you mumbled as you heard your boss tell you to enter.

Opening the door and walking in, you went straight to the boss’s desk. Jun, however, decided to take his sweet ass time and look around the large room, his head tilting back as he looked all the way up at the ceiling and rolled his head around to look at the other side of the room. But being too far from you caused his cuffs to shock him, and he let out a surprised yelp.

“Are you kidding me?!” he demanded in annoyance.

You just silently snickered at him.

“I’m impressed you found him,” your boss, Jicheol noted as he stood up from his desk and observed Jun.

Hearing that familiar voice, Jun snapped his head down to look at the man behind the desk. His face spread into a smirk as he approached the desk, standing beside you.

“Ji, long time, no see,” he said casually as if they were old friends. “Been a while since you were trying to slaughter me. How’s the wife?”

“Dead,” Jicheol deadpanned.

Jun opened his mouth but nothing came out as he blinked, “Okay, not the reply I was expecting...”

“So what did I have to drag this pain in the ass here for?” you sighed, wanting to get this whole thing done and over with.

Jicheol grabbed his computer monitor with both hands and turned the screen to face you. It was an article about the death toll in Japan going up, and the worst of it seeming to stem from Tokyo. Nobody was able to figure out what it was, but the three of you knew exactly what was causing it.

“As you’re aware, _____, a powerful coven of vampires is ravaging Tokyo and spreading to the rest of Japan,” Jicheol began, looking between you and Jun. “Jun here is, unfortunately, one of the most infamous vampires in Korea for how hard he is to catch, and for how strong he is.”

“Thanks, chief,” Jun grinned.

You already hated where this was going.

“That’s why I want you to go with him to Tokyo--”

“Wait, wait, hold on,” Jun quickly interrupted. “Let’s go back to when you were just complimenting me, yeah? You ruined it with the whole ‘go to another country with this party pooper’ thing.”

Jicheol sighed, folding his hands together in front of him, “_____ is the strongest vampire hunter we have, but all the best in Japan have tried to catch this coven and have come up dead. If we want to stop them, we need the help of a strong vampire, too.”

“And why would I help vampire hunters?” Jun quizzed, raising an eyebrow. “You’ll just kill me when it’s over.”

“Maybe not...” Jicheol shrugged.

“What do you mean ‘maybe not’?” you demanded.

“He could be useful to us if he chooses to cooperate with us for this. And if he chooses to stay with us, of course he’ll be spared his life, and we’ll provide protection, housing, and means of food.”

“We’re going to protect a vampire?” you clarified. “Jicheol--”

“Yeah, that seems counterproductive for a group of vampire hunters,” Jun agreed.

You rolled your eyes, grumbling, “Can you not interrupt me?”

“Can you get to your point faster then?” he countered.

Instead of speaking on your bickering, Jicheol sighed and continued, “It would be helpful to keep a few vampires on our side to weed out the difficult ones. Look, we could sit here all night and discuss rhymes and reasons but the faster I get the two of you to Tokyo, the faster we can fix this issue.”

“Do I get a negotiation?” Jun asked.

You snorted, glancing down at his handcuffed wrists before looking back at him, “I really don’t think you’re in a position for negotiating, bud.”

But instead, Jicheol replied with, “What kind of negotiation?”

Jun flashed a snarky grin your way before taking a step forward and clearing his throat, “I want protection for my brothers, too. That’s first and foremost.”

“How many?” Jicheol questioned, raising his eyebrows to show he was interested.

“Four.”

“Would they be willing to help?”

“...I can talk to them.”

Jicheol nodded, “Continue.”

“I want cool clothes like sweet cheeks over here,” Jun said, nodding his head toward you, “and I want a really nice umbrella so I can go outside during the day. And I want--”

“We can offer your friends protection,” Jicheol stated.

Jun nodded, stepping back, “Cool, thank you, sir.”

You looked incredulously between the two men, “So this is seriously happening?!”

“We’ll prepare the flight for tomorrow night,” Jicheol explained, essentially ignoring your comment, “so that gives Jun time to talk with his friends. _____, I would like if you accompanied him to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere.”

You wanted to tell Jicheol he was out of his goddamn mind if he thought sending you alone into five vampires was a reasonable idea, but the look on your face said it all. He simply said he knew you could handle it before carrying on.

“We’ll handle packing and such. We’ll equip you with everything you’ll need and everything that’ll help you. Please report back here tomorrow at midnight.”

“What do I do with him until tomorrow night?” you wondered.

“Take him with you,” Jicheol replied as if the answer was obvious.

You raised your eyebrows in surprise, “You-- Y-you want me to babysit a handcuffed vampire all day?”

Jicheol cocked his head, “Do you think you can’t handle it?”

“Of course I can!” you insisted immediately.

“Then what’s the issue, _____?”

You really wanted to snap at Jicheol and tell him to go fuck himself, but instead you just grumbled and turned sharply on your heels to leave. Jun giggled at your angry expression and began to follow after you.

“Goodbye, Jicheol!” he sang over his shoulder. “See ya later!”

“You two have fun,” Jicheol smirked playfully.

Jun sighed as he fell in step beside you, seeming more amused than ever now, “Oh, I’m positive we will. Isn’t that right, _____?”

You frowned, refusing to look at him, “Eat a dick.”

As the door closed behind you and the two of you walked down the hallway, Jun tisked, “I would watch your attitude around me or I just might end up eating you, sunshine.”

“I’d like to see you try, bloodsucker,” you shot back, glaring at him now. “I can kill you just as easy.”

He chuckled shaking his head as his voice dropped lower, “That’s not the kind of eating I meant.”

You cursed yourself for blushing -- and Jun definitely noticed because he was giggling about it -- and cursed Jicheol for getting you into this mess. But the sooner everything was over with, the sooner you didn’t have to deal with Junhui.

Tomorrow night really could not come faster.

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hopelessly-aro · 4 years ago

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Chapter 4: Communication is Key

Better Than it Was Before: chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3...chapter 5

AO3 (this chapter) (the whole story)

Tags: LAMP (currently platonic but endgame romantic), everyone gets angst now, flirting, a bit of fluff as a treat

Words: 3146

Summary: Continues right on from the previous chapter. The other three answer Patton's question.

Notes: Uh this one is really dialogue heavy, sorry about that. Also realised part way through writing this that an American college course is four years not three so their ages probably don't make sense. Tbh theres not much I can do to fix it other than say the college in this town is weird and does a three year drama course.

Warnings: some cursing, reference to drinking that would have been underage, referenced polyamory-phobia (idk what the word is)

~~*~~

"If it wasn't my fault then why...why did you leave?”

The question was met with a heavy silence.

There was no music playing now, no whirr of the dish-washer from the kitchen, even the cars and people outside faded away until the whole world was just the four of them, crowded together in the corner of the room.

When the stillness dragged on a little too long, Patton shifted uncomfortably.

"If its too personal you don't have to-"

"No, I owe you an explanation," Roman interrupted, "its hurting you." He was staring at his hands fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt.

Patton knew he was uncomfortable, and made to protest again but Virgil spoke up instead.

"Yeah we should probably have gotten this over with, on like the first day. Communication is key, and all that."

There didn't seem to be any way to back out now, and Patton was kicking himself for asking. He'd tried not to be clingy and overbearing and nosy and what had he gone and done? Exactly that. Now everyone was feeling awkward, and he was basically guilt tripping them into talking - the same way as he'd gotten them to write again.

So useless Patton, so pushy. They'll hate you in the end, if they don't already.

As the seconds ticked by, and no-one spoke, Patton dared hope maybe he could get them to drop it. Just tell them doesn't matter, and change the subject and we can forget all about this.

Then Logan spoke.

"I suppose I shall start, if no-one else is willing," he paused, stalling, then gave a tiny, jerky nod, sat up perfectly straight, and fixed his gaze somewhere above Patton's head.

"It is quite straight-forward. My grades began to slip throughout high school and my parents identified the problem as being the amount of time I was spending communicating with you three. I could tell they were disappointed, even if they didn't say it explicitly."

His expression was completely shut off, and he was sitting so stiffly that Patton actually noticed when he blinked.

"It did not make logical sense to me that conversing with you would have been that much of a detriment to my studies, but I was having difficulty concentrating and staying motivated, with no other apparent cause, and my parents have more life experience than I, so I concluded they must have been correct.

"I wrote less throughout junior year, but by senior year my grades were still not as high as would have been expected from someone like me. I stopped altogether in an effort to focus on more," there was a pause so brief Patton almost missed it, and Logan's brow furrowed ever so slightly, "productive endeavours.

"By the time studying was no-longer my primary concern, all communication between us had ceased some months before, which I, apparently incorrectly, took as a sign that the soulmate bond did not matter to you three, and so I did not write again."

"I will not pretend it wasn't my choice to stop writing - while my parents implied what they wished me to do, I was not coerced or persuaded into it - but I would like to clarify it was not a decision I took lightly." Logan's voice was shaking slightly by then. He looked so torn up, even as his entire body was rigid and his face expressionless.

Not a decision he took lightly...oh goodness, he must have been struggling so much and I couldn't help him.

Logan cleared his throat a little and his gaze flitted between the other three for a second before coming to rest firmly on his lap.

"I hope that explanation is satisfactory. Please inform me of anything I should clarify."

Patton's heart ached.

Logan's formal speech patters were usually so endearing (it was one of the many things Patton had instantly adored about him), but this was all wrong. This was too rehearsed, too robotic, completely shutting down all emotion for fear of rejection (something Patton recognised far too well). Patton wanted to pull his soulmate's into his arms, to hold him tight and let him cry the tears he was forcibly holding back, to let Logan know he wasn't angry or hurt by his explanation.

To tell him he forgave him (though there was nothing that needed forgiveness).

Instead he just reached out to give Logan's hand a squeeze. It didn't convey even a fraction of what he felt, but his throat had closed up so he wouldn't have been able to speak even if he knew what to say.

Oh great, now Patton was making someone else's pain all about him. Again.

Logan looked up at him and Patton's face must have conveyed some sort of helpful emotion for the furrow between Logan's brows softened and his shoulders relaxed a little. It wasn't enough but it would do.

Beside him, Virgil shifted a little and Patton was suddenly aware of their other soulmates again.

Two more people that needed emotional support.

He tried not to feel too exhausted.

(He was, of course, completely overlooking the fact that he was the one who needed the support and reassurance right now, and that he didn't need to be a shoulder to cry on while they were trying to look after him.)

"I uh," Virgil started, shifting back towards the arm of the sofa, away from Patton, "I'll go next. Just gotta get it over with.

"I guess for me it was 'cause I was some dumb teenager thinking 'fuck society'. My parents weren't soulmates but had - have - a really good relationship. My two best friends were soulmates and their relationship was...well J calls it a QPR and Re calls it friends with benefits. Anyway, we lived in kinda a purist place - everyone's expected to marry their soulmate, you know - and my parents and friends got a lot of shit for being weird.

"So I had loads of people around me saying cheesy stuff like 'oh, don't worry so much about your soulmate, you're gonna love them no matter what, you'll meet them and it'll just work' which really doesn't help 'cause anxiety isn't rational. And then I had all the people close to me saying society can shove it, and being very happy living that way, so I thought they were probably right.

"I drifted a bit I guess. My three soulmates were just words on my skin...I dunno...you just didn't feel that real.

"So I started dating other people - not saying you shouldn't date people who aren't your soulmates but yeah - and that felt real...but the relationship always failed cause of me."

Patton made to protest, wanting to reassure Virgil it couldn't always have been his fault, but his soulmate ploughed on.

"I would be the one to get drunk at a party and cheat, I didn't communicate enough, I was too much to deal with. Towards the end of high school I'd kinda gotten used to the idea that I'd probably never meet my soulmates and would just have a string of failed relationships with other people.

"I didn't dislike any of you guys or anything, but no-one I actually respected ever made it clear that it was ok to want a stereotypical soulmate relationship if that's what makes you happy. To be honest I'm still trying to accept that idea."

Virgil shifted and brought one leg up onto the sofa so it was tucked against his chest, almost protectively.

"But by the time I started college, I had a long term boyfriend - ex-boyfriend now - who really got me. I was happy and I kinda..."

He shrunk into himself further, hair falling over his face and hands twisting together in his hoodie pocket.

"...well it felt safer, more certain. I knew where I stood, and I liked the guy. It felt...it felt more right than being with three people I'd never met and barely spoke to anymore. And I kinda just...stopped."

Virgil didn't make to speak again, and Patton figured that was it.

Strange...it didn't sound like the whole story. There had been a shift during his speech: when he brought up that boyfriend, Virgil had suddenly sounded more uncertain. Maybe he was just dreading how the others might react to him having dated other people, but Patton found himself wondering if Virgil was actually telling the whole truth - after all, he hadn't said why that relationship broke up.

Patton berated himself for assuming Virgil was lying. He's perfectly entitled to privacy.

He once again resisted the urge to hug his soulmate to let him know it was alright. Physical contact looked like the last thing Virgil needed now. He gave a reassuring smile, and the other seemed to relax slightly, giving a small, tight-lipped, pale-imitation-of-a-smile back.

At this point the conversation just felt weird. It was like circle time at school but instead of introducing yourselves you had to explain the reasons for your teenage insecurities. Patton was well beyond regretting asking, he just wanted this to be over.

But at the same time...it was helping. Sure, he felt awful for not being enough for Virgil to feel right thinking of a future with his soulmates, and for being too much for Logan so he thought he had to pull away, but the knowledge that it wasn't directly his fault, and that they probably weren't all regretting ever reconnecting with him, eased his worries a little. Not a lot, but it was something.

Roman cleared his throat and Patton turned to him, seeing Logan check his watch, and Virgil relax now the attention was off him.

"I grew up in a purist area too, though I had quite the opposite experience to Virgil."

He was looking towards his lap, gaze unfocused. His voice sounded far away.

"My family were the purists, mostly through ignorance rather than maliciousness, I believe. I wasn't really aware of it when I was young, though I must have had some idea for, when I realised I had more than one soulmate, I asked my parents if that was possible rather than outright telling them.

"I am incredibly grateful that was how I went about it for they explained it wouldn't be good for a person to have more than one soulmate. Their reasoning was that if soulmates are two halves of a whole then a group of soulmates would be splitting that whole into smaller pieces so the people involved aren't complete."

Patton frowned. He had never subscribed to the "two halves of a whole" philosophy and, judging by Logan and Virgil's expressions, neither did they. Roman, however, didn't refute his parent's opinion.

"For a long time I simply ignored what my parents had said. After all, I was very happy with all of you, but gradually I started to doubt myself. My parents began to say worse things about groups of soulmates - mostly along the lines of 'how would that work' and 'imagine having to be good enough for so many people' - and I supposed I got more and more confused."

It suddenly struck Patton just how not like Roman he seemed now. There was none of the boisterousness, nor the laughter in his eyes that meant Patton couldn't help but smile too.

Oh what had he done? They were all upset because of him-

"My three older sisters all found their soulmates, and went off to college or started families. My older brother moved in with his soulmate even before he finished high school, though from the way my parents hardly spoke about him afterwards I don't think his relationship was what his parents wanted it to be.

"Him leaving really hurt my parents, and I didn't want to do that to them too. Maybe I wrote less because I was scared, I don't know, but the fact that everyone else - well except Patton - were writing less somehow proved to me it wouldn't work. So when we all stopped it was...this makes me sound awful but...it was a relief. If my parents thought I didn't have any soulmates they would just pity me and that would be so much easier to deal with.

"So I took a gap year to train at my father's company, which was the compromise for me going to theatre school, and now I'm here, burning my way through mummy and daddy's money on a theatre course they wouldn't have paid for if Remus hadn't disappeared off into the sunset." His words held a hint of bitterness but he mostly just sounded sad.

Roman had been tracing the writing on his arms as he spoke but he suddenly stopped, pulling his hand away like he'd been burned, and gripped the sofa cushions instead. Patton carefully placed a hand on his shoulder and Roman immediately leaned into it, sagging completely against the cushions.

He wanted to do more to help him, to help all of them, but he didn't know what to say.

"Wait, did you say your brother's called Remus?"

Roman looked over at Virgil confused. "I did."

"Is his soulmate called Janus?" Virgil was leaning forward now and Patton shuffled back so they could talk across him, seeing Logan glance between them curiously and then check his watch again.

"Yeah...do you know him?"

"Remus and Janus were my friends. Me and you must have grown up in the same town, though I don't think we went to the same school. Remus went to some snooty private school before he moved in with J so I assume thats where you went?"

"Yep, that sounds right." Roman sighed to himself before asking, almost tentatively, "how is he? Do you know?"

"I haven't seen him in a while but the three of us still talk a bit. He's doing fine I think. Still a trash goblin but what else is new?"

"That sounds like my brother!" Roman laughed.

Patton was glad to see that smile back, even if it was a little wistful. Roman clearly missed his brother but didn't look like he wanted to admit it.

Beside him, Virgil had uncurled himself from his protective position, and on the table Logan was looking pensive.

"The odds of that are truly very small...How fascinating..."

They all fell quiet again and Patton tried not to sigh. A feeling of melancholy had descended over them, though Patton supposed that was better than them all sobbing in a pile on the sofa.

He knew they needed to talk about this more, that there was still things left unsaid. Logan didn't really say why he made a decision that upset him, when no-one was forcing him to. Virgil's story was a black hole from the start of college onwards. Roman's explanation didn't quite make sense, and he hadn't actually said he no longer believed what his parents told him.

From what Patton could gather, it really seemed like they all had some extra emotional issues that they weren't willing to talk about yet.

Which he was fine with, Patton realised. Sure, he was too much for Logan, not enough for Virgil, and Roman's issue was Patton's very existence, but there wasn't really anything he could've done to keep them talking. The circumstances were all out of his control.

There was still a part of him that insisted he should have done something, should have tried harder, but Patton pushed that down with the practiced ease of someone who'd been doing this all his life. Pushed it down with the fear of being too-much, not-enough, in-the-way, and the knowledge he was likely falling headfirst into unrequited love.

He was okay now, he told himself. The issue is resolved and I can now be the emotional support they need.

Patton didn't condone lying.

Patton was also a hypocrite.

Logan glanced at his watch again. His leg was starting to bounce. "I know it is not what many would define as 'late' however I believe it would be pertinent for us all to aim for an early night tonight. This evening has been rather strenuous."

"Yeah, I'm usually nocturnal but I'm kinda tired now. And Pat's had a stressful week."

"Oh don't worry about me kiddo! It hasn't been anything I cant handle!"

"Falsehood!" Logan said indignantly, more concerned than angry.

"Patton, darling, we know you're overworked, please promise you'll get some proper beauty sleep tonight...not that you need it," Roman added with a grin, tapping Patton's nose and making him blush something awful.

"While ample rest is beneficial for one's appearance, I would argue none of you three require it for that purpose," Logan said, gathering his papers, "you are all quite - I believe this is the correct usage - fine."

Well that certainly didn't help Patton's composure, nor Roman's if his sudden blush was anything to go by.

"Says you, L."

Apparently that, combined with his signature crooked smile, was all it took for Virgil to fluster Logan. The poor guy practically made the windows error noise.

Then Patton was giggling and Roman was chuckling and Virgil was trying to hold back a snicker and Logan was smiling fondly and they were all filing out the door into the night.

They said their goodbyes as Patton locked up, then prepared to go their separate ways.

"Wait!" Patton burst out, "um...thank you...for this. I'm sorry I pushed you guys into it but that talk...really helped."

"You're all good Pop-Star, I think talking it out a bit helped me too." Virgil said softly.

"Oh certainly! Also we quite literally abandoned you, I think you were owed an explanation."

"Indeed. And it feels a better to get it off my chest, so to speak."

It was strange really. They were all looking at him with roughly the same expression but there were so many subtle differences. Virgil's mouth was always crooked to one side no matter what expression he pulled. Logan naturally smiled with his eyes more than anything else, and always looked ever so slightly curious. Roman was so overly expressive, emotion clear in his entire body, not just his face.

Patton wondered what they were all thinking about that made them smile so.

(He was in an oversized coat, eyes shining behind his glasses, and backlit by a streetlight that made him glow.)

Oddly, by the time Patton got home, he wasn't so overwhelmingly tired. The evening spent with his soulmates, despite how emotionally draining it had been, relaxed him so he was just sleepy, and content, and somehow optimistic about the future. He wasn't sure if it was because socialising always made him feel better, or if it was because it was specifically with his soulmates.

My soulmates.

He fell asleep smiling.

~~*~~

Am I forgiven for the cliffhanger now?

Apologies if this is a bit of a mess, it fought me all the bloody way.

Btw if theres anything that's confusing, in this chapter or any, just ask me to clarify. I have all these ideas and I keep forgetting that I need to actually explain them properly.

#sanders sides #sanders sides fanfiction #lamp #patton sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #roman sanders #drinking mention #cursing #coffee shop au #soulmate au #college au #only referenced tho #ugh I usually post earlier in the day than this ffs #ro's writing

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deceits-left-glove · 4 years ago

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[uh, may I say that the first time I wrote this it was July 30th 2020, because I know for a fact this is just going to sit in my drafts and rot there ;-;]

[ (8/09/2020) hi, presumably authors note here! Thanks to my weird habit of suddenly deciding to write something new and going until I'm falling asleep typing at 3am... I don't remember making this. At all. It kind of appeared in my drafts at one point and I'm just going to go with it. I also have no idea what it's supposed to be but I'm posting it how I found it cos I thought it was funny. You have been "warned". proceed.]

Core four feel guilty af so all try to mend their relationships with the dark sides independently of one another bc they don't know how the other three would react, anyway, the dork sides think they're doing it this way to not overwhelm them or something, (they have no idea that everyones trips have been "secret") but they figure that Virgil would want his headphones back sooner rather than later so they go up to give them back to him and Oop! everyone is in the same room and all four of them think "am I going to have to defend their asses in a second, oh god what if I get kicked out and go live down there with them and I never see these three again! What if that makes something bad happen to Thomas? Oh god oh fuck-" (mhm, even Patton. Having to pick between his famILY's warrants a "fuck" he thinks) and are waiting for the other shoe to drop, while Janus and Remus are just there like "yo, tf is going on why are y'all looking at each other like you're trying to figure out who the murderer is?"

Virgil gets Panic! ked because 'oh shit history is repeating itself has nothing actually changed, I thought we'd had some Growth™ -' and Roman sees this and thinks 'oh shit Virgils history with them is probably all flooding back to him rn, I gotta help him see that everything's gucci-' so he asks lemon and lime to back it up a lil bit. Logan sees this and thinks 'ah yes, how fitting that I have to (verbally) fight Roman about this. Welp, guess I'm loosing a friendship today. That sucks dick.' And (figuratively) ((maybe also literally too, idk)) jumps to the defence of the two and Janus sees this and is like "hold up, did non of y'all know you were all doing the same thing?" And Patton's like "HAHAHA- UM what thing??? Janus???? What????? do you mean??????" And Janus is like "well fuck, I guess you really do need my help with lying, damn. Anyway all of y'all have been coming to vibe w/ us over the last like month, I thought y'all had coordinated it tbh, but apparently not." And during all this Remus snuck a tentacle to Virgo for him to grab onto while he Panic! ing and Roman tried to poke it away at first bc he didn't want Virgil to freak out, but he actually made grabby hands for it so Roman was like 'oh, ight I guess that works' and took his other hand cos they want him to know that both sides of his family still vibe with him, no matter what.

Also Virgil happy cries a lot when he starts to go and chill with them BC he has Nostalgia and crying is a good thing sometimes.

Also also Raman cries a lot in the start too bc he's been having Even More dreams about them together as kids and waking up Extra Sad™ but now he gets to clown about w/ him again and yeah he has to wash his tunic thingy more thoroughly now bc there's almost always dirt or monster blood or slime or something on it but he'd rather wash a billion stains out of his clothes than stop having a good relationship with his brother again

Also also also Patton cries in the beginning BC he still blames himself for everything, so Janus and Remus explain to him that there's nothing that calls for blame to be placed on anyone. Yes Thomas might have been different if Creativity hadn't split, but that could go for worse as well as for better. He might not be able to help the people that he helps now. And also Roman and Remus wouldn't exist, and if he's honest, Remus prefers having someone to fight and bounce ideas off of and bully relentlessly, because Roman can do the same right back, and it's never boring. And that does make Patty feel at least a little better. For now.

Also also also also Logay doesn't really cry, but that makes sense. Not because he's emotion-less, but because the other three have strong emotional ties to the pair, he on the other hand, just has some choice words he could reprimand, so he rants. And rant he does. He rants about how sorry he is and the things he should have done differently. He rants about the others when they get a little too much (Remus likes these, especially when they're about Roman and he can join in) he rants about the sea and the stars and the wonders of the world (not the list, just cool things in general) he rants about philosophy (of course Janus loves these, there have been many debates and once REMUS had to brake up a nearly-fight... They've since avoided that particular philosopher.)

Also also also also also (I need to chill) it ends with a cuddle pile, that started out the same way cuddle piles used to go for the others. Janus, all six arms out, and Virgil curled up facing each other with Remus's front pushed against V's back, a good few more tentacles out and crawling all over the other two, then Roman squeezes his way in next to Virgil and Logan and Patton go to Janus and Remus's other sides (hehehe) perspectively. Logan puts his arm around Jan, and gets one back in return, while Parrot jumps on Remus's back, and his tentacles carry him over so he's laying across the rest of them and giggling. It's so much warmer and safer than any of them imagined it would be...

Logan does cry then, they all do. It makes sense, it's a very emotionally charged moment, for all of them.

It's perfect.

#platonic dlampr #sympathetic remus #sympathetic deceit #sympathetic light sides #sympathetic everyone #but the all light sides think the other light sides aren't sympathetic #if that makes sense #creativitwins #soft angst #happy endings all round motherfucker

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tartagilicious · 4 years ago

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Tagged 🥥)) In that case id like a mlqc + hq matchups if possible 🥺 im 5’5 w an athletic build, i have very straight natural blonde hair, it’s currently dark brown, cut to about my cheekbones but its like choppy and a bit longer in the back. I dont have a style tbh i just wear comfortable clothes like hoodies and shorts. My personality types are 4w5 INTJ Aquarius; I get worn out after hanging out with large groups of people nonetheless i love hanging out with them,

Tagged 🥥)) tho I’ll mostly be glued to one person to whole time. Im friendly with everyone even if i dont like them, tho it takes a while for me to consider someone an actual friend. I need time for most everything i do; I hate rushing things- and deadlines, it stresses me. I’ll end this by saying thank you so much, I really appreciate you reading through this and taking the time to write matches for me!! 🧡🧡

—

me: yeah making matchups is just so draining for some reason idk

also me: writes an entire essay on why an anon is made for this fictional character

for mlqc, I’d match you with Shaw!

- I headcanon shaw to be an ENTP, and while INTJs and ENTPs generally aren’t each other’s natural matches, they’re still a good pair nonetheless!

- being more of a half and half kind of pair, there are both notable and small differences in the way you either handle yourselves or just express things in general. but! in my opinion, the most important part of this pairing is the way that you’re able to fill in each other’s blanks —

- you mentioned that you get worn out in large groups but still love hanging out with them, which when being compared to an ENTP, is the opposite. that personality type enjoys being the leader, and for other outside reasons, I have absolutely no doubt that Shaw would love having you glued to his side for an entire night

- he’d pretend not to like it, when we all know he’d actually love it. a constant familiar presence is extremely comforting, especially in a crowded setting. imagine him silently holding your hand the entire night, and while he might talk to other people in the beginning, he ends up roped in a deep conversation with you for hours.

- I feel like he would be so nice to talk to 🥺 he has a traumatic past, so he’s a bit more understanding of a lot of issues than a normal person probably would be, and. plus, in a relationship setting, he’d just be so appalled at the idea of his s/o having any type of past regret. you deserve to be happy and he’ll try his damn best to make sure that with him, you are.

- we love silent pining!! that is actually not very silent at all!! shaw!!

- shaw, having adopted the tactic of being an asshole to push people away, doesn’t know whether to be jealous of your ability to be nice to everyone, or to resent it completely. I could see his teeth just grinding whenever you’re nice to someone you don’t really like, especially when you both know that if the roles were reversed, shaw would be on the run from the cops in 5 minutes or less

- but in actuality, I could see your personalities mixing really nicely. shaw, the more shameless and outgoing one, and you, someone who is probably on the more reserved side that doesn’t know how the hell someone like him roped you in. it’s like a magnetic force.

- taking the example of you being stressed about deadlines, I can just imagine shaw’s silent affection when trying to help you out, because he isn’t really sure how to express affection, but he’ll try his best for you 🥺💞

- he’ll actively make sure you keep yourself on track if he knows you won’t. that one fic I wrote where he drops in through the window at like 10pm? it becomes a reality babey. shaw hates seeing you stressed, because it changes people. he doesn’t want the feeling of obligation to mould you like it did him.

- but onto the actual relationship quirks — when I say I want this- 😫

- his love language to you might look something like this: letting you take a break (or keep working!) while sitting in his arms on the couch while he naps silently over your shoulder. bringing you random drinks from a nearby cafe just because he saw you stressing. getting into the little habit of squeezing your hand three times for “I love you”

- 🤲😳✨

(alternate match, lucien)

for haikyuu, I’d match you with Oikawa!

- I was SO caught up in this you DO NOT understand — this was a life or death decision for me it had to make perfect sense and there was no going back. though, I’m not gonna get into mbti matches much this time, because there’s just so much raw material to get through

- now that my English teacher has possessed me, Oikawa ✨

- Oikawa’s mbti, I think, is ENFJ! you guys naturally compliment each other, and from the brief accounts I read from people in relationships of this match, you’re set for success. you both share the basic characteristics of being loyal, respectful (generally of privacy, boundaries, etc) and both being more of a leader type, are open to listening to the people around you.

- anyways, onto the more personal aspects of this relationship-

- I headcanon the Oikawa just craves a domestic type of relationship with someone where you can just be each other’s rocks. he wants someone that will always be there and notice if he’s in a bad mood, which, judging from your personality I think would be a great equation 🥺 you can be honest with each other, and that’s one of your greatest strengths.

- he craves a storybook romance, so, his love language might be a bit different than yours, but I’m willing to bet that his cheesiness might be something that grows on you, if you don’t already like it.

- he’ll go all-out for holidays like white day! but would you be able to tell the difference between a white day gift and a normal gift? maybe not. he’s extra for the people around him that are genuine 🥺

- taking what you said about not liking large groups of people but still finding yourself happy to be around them, Oikawa is the perfect subject for this. He enjoys being the centre of attention, and can often be found in a crowded place like this whether he means to or not. but, Oikawa is also the type of person to never forget about who’s beside him. even if people gravitate towards him, he’ll always keep you closest, and make it a point that he’ll never ignore you despite his popularity

- and UgHhH I CAN JUST IMAGINE HIS SURPRISE WHEN HE FINDS OUT HOW SIMILAR YOU ARE TO HIM IN THE WAY YOU MAKE FRIENDS. it may not be for the same reasons, but it just makes him feel justified that he’s not alone in taking a while to accept someone’s friendship

- I don’t know how old you are, anon, but when you mention deadlines I think of schoolwork, so let me tell you — Oikawa. You. The library. Him making a thoughtful schedule for the both of you during exam season, all for the sole purpose of making sure that you don’t get more stressed out than you need to be—

- for the most part, Oikawa would literally be the perfect boyfriend. If he learned to integrate someone into his volleyball life, that is 😔 but don’t lose hope anon! your Oikawa is out there~

(alternate matches, osamu or kuroo)

#matchup #haikyuu #mlqc

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masked-disciple · 4 years ago

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1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 15, 21, 22, 23 for the writers ask?

1. Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

Currently, I’m working on a fic titled A Monstrous Manifesto, which is a fic entirely inspired by Cat Valente’s poem of the same name. Every line is a chapter, every noun is a part of that chapter, and every single beast named corresponds to a Spectre, allowing me to dig directly into their heads and demonstrate their full psychology.

Progress stopped unfortunately back in July on part four - a fiend, which I picked Deadly Beetle Stand for, because I just couldn’t get into his head. Kiril played soundboard for it and I’ve been humming and hawing over him trying to figure it out, but let’s be real it’s gonna come to me in a dream.

Because see here, most folks who’ve read my works, if told to point to my best, it’ll either be a) my breakthrough with Armour Adventures (which tbh if I redid I’d do better on), b) In Kismet Marcescence (which I need to sit down and plot out properly before I continue), or c) rather unexpectedly to me, Green Grows The Asphodel. Guess everyone likes that soft MiAlba where Alba gets his bastardization arc, but also I let him speedrun it in Broken Shine The Stars and people seem to like that one too, so.

The thing is with AMM is that this would be my greatest work. Like AA, it’s gen, but here’s the one advantage I’ve realized I actually have over pretty much everyone else in this fandom: I am myself a monster, fictionkind and all. I’m a Devil and a feral little beast, which means when you offer me Spectres - warriors of the dark and death who are all based around animal motifs - I take one look and go “oh! You’re like me!” and proceed to write them as actual monsters while having some unspoken and long-winded conversation about what it means to be human, what it means to be shunned, and what it means to belong among the broken.

It means that I write Spectres wildly different than anyone who isn’t Kiril (who is on the same wavelength as me and we argue back and forth about the inner details of everyone’s monstrosity), which means when I do it, nobody’s seen this shit before and apparently people seem to think it’s cool. So AMM is the very epitome of that style, of that psychological and philosophical discussion. I don’t really have a background of research in either of those things, so any similarities to works or theories already out there is entirely coincidence. Cat Valente’s poem was the first stepping stone I ever took to accepting myself for who - and what - I am. I owe as much of my identity and confidence to her as I do Zamorakian philosophy, which built my personality and is a major part of how I survived the middle school era of my life. The least I can do in return is offer the best of me out into the world.

4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

“Somewhere deep below conscious thought, below his training and the life and this Lemurian body, buried under lifetimes of war, buried under the idea that a Spectre was a fighter, his blood remembered how to love the memory of the fallen.” - Beneath Blood Ties

BBT is one of my most unappreciated fics, which makes sense as it’s set almost two thousand years prior to Classic, starring a fourteen-year-old Lemurian Minos and the Saint who raised him, Aries Kirien, whose name is probably still spelled Kiriel at least once in the fic because no beta we die like Gold Saints.

The original inspiration comes from Seanan McGuire’s Once Broken Faith, and the line in question is Toby reading the Luidaeg’s blood memories after the latter told a young Karen that she couldn’t speak Faerie even in her dreams - she speaks it in her blood memories, and Toby notes that her blood remembers.

It stuck with me, though I’ve read OBF approximately a million times. It, along with A Killing Frost and An Artificial Night, are my three top Toby books. And it responded to me as someone who’s fictionkind: I couldn’t speak the language I spoke as a Devil in my dreams, or in the waking world, but I know some part of me remembers it. Would know how. The Chaorruption filters all of that into English because it thinks it’s helping, but if I were a magical creature right now, in this world, I’m pretty sure my blood would remember.

So I wrote about Minos, and the sorrow he carried. The premise of BBT is that a Pope realized some Spectres come back, went around before they became Spectres, and kidnapped the lot of them to train as Saints, leaving them all traumatized as fuck, unsure of who they were or who they followed, and messed up for lifetimes. I also wanted to show more that Spectres were more than what the Holy Wars made of them, and about digging through that exotrauma to remember that they could be kind.

Spectres, originally, would make sense as really just Hades’ servants and the ones who keep the Meikai running. Pretty sure that means they know every single death rite that’s existed in the past three millennia. Pretty sure they know how to be respectful of the dead. Pretty damn sure that below all that soldiering and war, they’re all really exhausted librarians who want to do their job and also dig graves.

But I like this sentence here best, because that’s pretty much the climax of the plot here: that there is, in fact, something underneath all his exotrauma, all the current trauma he’s been dealing with. That below all of that bitterness and war, he’s a better person than what Athena made of him.

Idk, I just think it’s neat and no I’m not projecting being ‘kin on him again. /j

5. What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

Albafica, to nobody’s surprise. I mean, come on. A guy with a fuckton of traditionally-feminine beauty whose looks keep getting brought up, is very introverted, has seen some shit, just wants to kill people who hurt what he cares about while also not hurting the people he does care about, really wants you to keep your damn distance, is super touchstarved, and holding onto his humanity with his fingertips? Come on the only things he’s got that I don’t is an actual male reproductive system and naturally blue hair.

Once you realize that especially in TLC Athena’s actions are pretty damn horrific, especially to her Saints, Albafica has the perfect setup to become a Spectre. Seriously, if he’d been offered Luco’s deal but while holding a dying Lugonis, do you really think he wouldn’t have taken it? I explore that more in Broken Shine The Stars, but like. Albafica is the perfect fallen angel of a character. He has genuinely good intentions. He’s hurting so damn bad and only fucking once in his entire onscreen performance is that acknowledged (shoutout to Luco for that one), and if you take his sorrow and let him turn it into anger, he’s a glorious monster indeed. Albafica’s descend into monstrosity and Spectrehood is exactly what would happen if I got angry and also hadn’t been fucking nerfed physically.

I love him way too much.

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

Surprisingly, Aiacos. Alba’s hard as fuck to write. Aiacos, though. You’ve heard me go off about Aiacos at length, but like. He’s the very embodiment of the worst person you can become while still loving, still surviving. Aiacos is the type of person we’re all capable of becoming, and we all should be terrified of becoming, because every single choice he’s ever made is completely understandable and that much more horrific for it.

It’s somewhat unsurprisingly easy to get into his head. He’s fun to write because he scares me. Because if I let him do all the dumb, selfish, sadistic-looking, survival-focused things, then I don’t have to worry about doing it myself. I let him look out for only himself when the pieces are down, so I can do better.

Also I haven’t seen anyone else write him that way (Kiril being the obvious exception here), so it’s double the fun because new territory.

11. What do you envy in other writers?

Hey. Hey you fuckers who can plot shit. Give me the number of the demon you sold your soul to. Let me PLOT SHIT.

15. Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Summaries! Titles are easy, I steal them from songs and Toby books. They’re just fancy wordplay and I have literally a list on my fic spreadsheet of titles I want to use. Summaries, though, are very important. People don’t pick fics based on title and tags, they pick based on summary. They’re your hook into the work, so you’ve got to give the audience your premise short and sweet and actually sounding appealing.

Sometimes I can write them no problemo. Other times, they’re a fucking nightmare. I try to imply the tone of the ending in my summary, because I have absolutely been blindsided by the ending in a way I really didn’t like because I thought the summary was hiding the ending. (Example - there was this one fic that made it sound like my OTP was going enemies to lovers, and it wasn’t, it wasn’t, it needed the fucking dead dove do not eat tag, stopped just short of serious nonsexual noncon (which wasn’t tagged at all), and ended very unhappily and it messed me up for days, I did not like it.)

So for my summaries I set the scene, set the tone, and imply the tone of the ending so you have a vague idea of where it’s going. Easier said than done.

21. What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)

Anime, probably! Manga wouldn’t lend itself too well to my style, but I’d enjoy short anime episodes, I think. I honestly don’t know. Someone tell me what my stuff would work good as. I dunno.

22. Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?

For fic, all the time! I write what I want to read, and since six out of seven of the Dohko/Kagaho works on AO3 were my fault, I’d better get used to reading my own writing for pleasure. Fortunately, I like most of my writing recently, so that’s pretty all right!

Don’t ask about what I had up on ff.net. Don’t. It’s old and bad and I didn’t know how to write.

23. What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

Hmmm... I want to rephrase this better as ‘what fic exists only as a concept and has done so for the longest out of all the concepts of fics currently in my head’, and hmmmm. Honestly, it’s either Shion and Aiacos’ romance fic where they also get a daughter (which has a title actually, The Lost Sea Fantasia, but still hasn’t been written); or it’s Wyvern Rose and the Trials of Lightning, which is about 15th century Rhada’s two daughters, the elder of which is surprise-given his surplice and his job when he dies right before Hades does, and the younger of which is kidnapped by a spiteful goddess who doesn’t like the elder of the two.

ToL is a fic that I have somewhat plotted out, but really needs a lot of work. I’m not really sure how to go about writing it, because whenever I sit down to sketch it out, it never comes to me. It does, however, lend itself well as a bedtime / campfire story that Albafica tells Regulus while they’re out on a mission together, as part of Alba sneakily teaching Regu how to be a Spectre without anyone knowing. It’ll stay a concept for a long while until Rose crashes into my headspace and actually fucking tells me more about herself other than “oh yeah btw I’m fucking Julia” like thanks, already knew that from Julia herself, tell me more about you you awful little Judge of a dragon princess.

[ask game here!]

#asks #saint seiya #dorksmithery #thank you!!#i'm gonna go answer the other one now #but ofc send me more if yall want!

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surveys-at-your-service · 5 years ago

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Survey #266

“... and buried deep beneath the waves, betrayed by family, to his nation with his last breath cried: beware the daughter of the sea.”

What's the last thing you looked up in the dictionary? Shit, it's right on the tip of my tongue... I was making sure I was using it right, which I was. Do you ever listen to instrumental music? Rarely, and if I do, it's normally game soundtracks. Who did you last sit on? I'm hoping you mean like... on their lap lmao in which case it'd probably be Jason. No one wants my fat ass to sit on their lap nowadays. What do you think about wind? I HATE wind, unless it's hot and there's a nice breeze. Has there been anyone that you wanted to get to know but never did? Well of course. That happened in high school a lot. What's the last thing you looked at that reminded you of someone? Teddy's picture on my shelf. Have your parents ever tried to commit suicide? Not that I know of. I couldn't even begin to imagine either of those trying that. Do you have a gag reflex? A VERY STRONG ONE. Would you rather have sex before you're married or wait till marriage? I don't care. Tbh by now, I kinda think before is wiser only to ensure you two are compatible in that area. It wouldn't matter to me personally, but I know that's important to some people and can cause issues and built-up bitterness. Just use protection, Christ. Have you ever let someone hit you? Um no? Do you have friends in other states/countries? Plenty. Been on the Internet since before I was even a pre-teen, talking to strangers lmao. Do you ever pay attention during church? I would try to back then, but I never succeeded well because my mind would wander out of boredom. Do you have self-control? That very much depends on the situation. I can be EXTREMELY impulsive, but in other cases hold it together. Have you ever broken a window? No. When was the last time you freaked someone out? I'm sure it was a few nights ago when I had another nightmare and woke up screaming. Mom always yells my name to snap me out of it. Have you ever gone on a date with a weirdo? No. Who's the last person you called a bitch? I don’t know. Is anyone in your family disabled? Yes. What do you want for Christmas? It's hella early to think about it, but I'm quite certain I'll be asking for a treadmill. How many moles do you have? I don't think I have any? Aren't freckles and moles different? Do you own any comic books? No. What is the nastiest dare you have ever committed? I don't know. I never did really nasty ones because I wasn't stupid. Do you know anyone who has been raped? Almost, anyway. Idk if I know anyone to really has been... I hope not. Are you an atheist? No. I think there's... something. Have you ever owned a goldfish? Well yeah, from like, carnival games and stuff. Who was the last person to call you beautiful? I dunno, probably a family member when I changed my FB profile picture. How many times have you been stung by a bee? Once. Those fuckin hornets better stay the holy fuck away from me. What was the last flavor of gum you chewed? Probably something fruity. When was the last time you used tape? Ummm probably when I had to tape the side of my laptop screen a bit. When was the last time you said fuck? A couple questions ago in this survey lmao. Have you ever stolen something? Only this pink crayon I thought was beautiful at Sunday school oof. Who would you like to kiss right now? Maaaan there's three people I would so long I wasn't involved with anyone else. Mark of course lol, Jason, or Sara. Who was the last person you told to 'Shut the fuck up' to? Ha ha, probably playfully to Sara. Why were you last nervous? So I joined this group on deviantART called the Guiding Light Project, which is about mental health help and positivity, and there is a list of people seeking help and what their problem is. I decided to reach out to two people I really thought I could help, and one was a guy. Men make me so nervous that I was very nervous sending him a message, but it's going very well. Whose pants did you last take off? Uhhhh. OH YEAH HEY when I was hanging out with Colleen and she got me to change her son's diaper. Hate hate hate hated it. I do not ever need kids. When was the last time you were disturbed? Hm. I'm sure over something I saw on Facebook. NO, WAIT. Sara, do not read this. When I was at Ashley's, we were watching Naked and Afraid, and they caught a chameleon to cook for food. I almost screamed. Poor thing looked terrified when the guy grabbed him. Why did you last feel awkward? Also when messaging that guy. When was the last time you got in a fight with your best friend? It's been a long time. Have you ever asked someone for a tampon? Only a friend. Who was the last person you read a book to? My niece had me read a book like fifty times. Who is the person you say the naughtiest things to? Ha ha, Sara when we're having our stupid fangirl moments. Who was the last person to send you a letter? Sara. It's still on my shelf. :') How do you feel about war? I’m a pacifist, so guess. Do you like cupcakes or muffins more? Hm, maybe cupcakes. Have you ever pushed someone on purpose? Yes. Have you ever slapped someone in the face? No. Do you have any tough life decisions to make soon? Nothing major. At what time of the day do you usually have the most energy? In the morning, once I've passed the drowsy phase. Magenta, aqua, or coral? Coral. Do you like the color orchid? Ye! Would you rather be a wedding photographer or a nature photographer? Uhhh I literally want to be both? I'm *realistically* more interested in shooting weddings for the income, but if I had my way, I'd be perfectly financially content being a nature photographer. Man, I hope that happens. Have you ever had an ulcer? No. Are you interested in health and wellness? "Rather than interests, I consider them two very important things I should always try to pay attention to. Health is very important." <<<< This. Would you ever be a fitness coach? HA no. Do you ever question whether something that makes you uncomfortable is a good thing or not? That's a very good question. This can definitely lead to you questioning flawed morals, so in that sense, it sure can be. In other ways though, it can certainly be a bad thing. Do you think for yourself? Yes. I am, generally, very opinionated and follow my gut instinct. Do you live life on your own terms, or do you do what everyone tells you to do? The former, usually. I can be AWFUL at making decisions though, so I definitely consider advice. What color is your bike? I don't have a bike. Are you due for a hike? There is physically no way I could handle a hike in my current shape. Muscle atrophy in the legs is not fuckin' fun, and with hyperhidrosis and THIS heat? Oh, hunny. Have you ever created a themed scrapbook? As a kid, I fainty remember having one? How often do you eat dessert? Very rarely. I don't need it. What's the trendiest item you own? Oh boy, I don't have a clue. I don't even know what's "trendy." Did you pull an all-nighter last night? No. When was the last time you wrote an essay? My first semester of this year. Do you enjoy writing essays? I actually do if it's a subject I'm passionate about. Do you enjoy learning? Yeah! What is your favorite fairytale? Fuckin fight me if you say Shrek isn't one. What is your favorite name that starts with a "Z"? I have no idea. Maybe Zena, though I prefer it with an "x." Have you ever felt like you were going to throw up while you were at school? Yes. I have before. Do you own a princess crown? No. When was the last time you were jealous of someone? Ugh... with how bad my PTSD has been lately, I've been having periodic episodes of raging hate and jealousy of the girl he dated after me, thinking things like, "what if he loved her more," "what if he also told her this or that," etc. They're not even together anymore, but my brain doesn't care. Do you know anyone with an eating disorder? Maybe? What was the last thing you killed? I think an earwig-ish thing. Whose number did you last get? The girl's who adopted Bentley. When was the last time you used a public bathroom? Probably not since an appointment with my psychiatrist some time ago. Have you ever used someone for money? Wow, no. Do you have manners? I honestly think I have great manners. Have you ever woken up and realized that yesterday really happened? That was ABSOLUTELY the day after the breakup. It didn't at all feel real when it was even happening. When was the last time that you had a pet that died? Last November is when we had to put Teddy to sleep. God, I miss that baby boy. Or did Mitsu die later? I don't recall for sure. Do you know anyone who retired at a young age? I mean, probably. I'm just unaware. When was the last time you took a taxi/Uber? Where were you going? Never, actually. We don't really have those here. Have you ever been diagnosed (by a professional) with OCD? Yes. Do you know any married gay couples? Distantly. Who is your favorite person to spend time with? SARA! I feel like kids having a sleepover when I've been with her. Is there anything you should tell someone, but don’t want to? Yes. Have you ever woken up somewhere and not known how you got there? I don't believe so. Do you live somewhere where recreational marijuana is legal? No. Have you ever quit a job with no notice? No. Do you have nightmares often? HA, it's just about a nightly basis now. Have you ever been on any sort of government assistance? I've gotten loans for school and stuff. Does that count? Did you have your own bedroom when you were growing up? No, I shared it with my little sister. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? Pessimistic. Are you comfortable with your weight? Fuck no. How often do you listen to classic rock? Semi-frequently. Not as much as I did in high school. What about country? Just about never ever. Do you know anyone inside and out? I don't think that's possible. Is anyone in your family sick? Both Mom and Grammy are fighting cancer right now. I don't think my grandma has much time left. She can't walk on her own anymore. What kind of camera do you have? A Canon EOS Rebel T6. What is something you know you shouldn’t do, but do anyways? Download music. What is the most amount of money you have ever lost? Idk. Is photography one of your interests? Of course, I aim to make a career out of it. Do you know your neighbors very well? I personally don't. The person to the right of us, though, my mom knows decently and is a total and complete sweetheart. Have you ever hurt yourself just to get attention? "Kind of (I hurt myself for my own purposes, but I did want attention paid to it), when I was a teenager, because I desperately needed someone to treat me with compassion and, like, take the shit that was happening to me seriously." <<<< I don't like admitting this, but it's happened. I want to emphasize that it was not the primary reason and was rather impulsive anger and self-hate, BUT for the mentioned reasons, I did want this shit taken seriously and realize I really needed help. Has anyone ever called you conceited? No. Do you write ever write poetry just to get your feelings out? Certainly. Not like I used to, though. Who were you last really mad at? REALLY mad? I'm not sure, but probably Mom. What is a sad song that you like? "Terrible Things" by Mayday Parade has been in my head lately. What is a rumor people tell about you? I don't know of any. The only rumor that I know has ever been spread about me was that Jason and I had a baby in high school. Despite the fact I was slim then lmao. If you were given 1,000 acres of land with no strings attached, what would you do with it? Definitely plant a forest around a house I'd like to model myself, dig a nice pond for more wildlife... a lot of stuff that would benefit nature. If you had to flee their home country, where would you live? Canada. Do you think psychic abilities exist? Which one would you like to have? No. I'd like to uhhhh... predict the future when I will it myself, I guess. What’s a skill or craft that you would like to master, but haven’t? I wish I could draw exactly what I see in my head. How did you find out Santa isn’t real? My mom just told me. What’s a personality trait that you wish you had? CONFIDENCE!!!!!!! Do you believe in getting revenge on those who do wrong by you? If so, how do you go about it? Noooo no no. That creates so many more problems. If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family think you’d had done? That's a great question. If you could shop for free at one store, what would it be? For the sake of being smart, Wal-Mart. Necessities are there. Do you have any pets? If so, what are they? I have a Siamese-esque cat and a champagne ball python. I'm currently DESPERATELY trying to talk Mom into a Mexican red knee tarantula... and I really want a hognose snake. What event in your life would make a good movie? The breakup and my recovery. If you could dedicate your life to solving one problem, what would it be? Discrimination. Where do you find meaning in your life? Quite honestly, I don't feel it has much meaning currently. I'm not doing shit worthwhile. Do you believe things happen for a reason? Hell no. What do you think is a conspiracy? Honestly, I believe in quite a few. The one I believe in most was that the government was 120% involved in 911. Research. It is unbelievable. I'm very dubious that the "first" moon landing was real, either. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence it was on a soundstage. Why? America wanted to beat Russia in the space race. I love conspiracies. Do you believe in the afterlife? How do you picture it? Yes. I don't quite know how I picture it, but I lean towards like... this nirvanic state of peace and knowledge, and unity between the dead. What’s a superstition you believe in? I don’t believe in any superstitions. None. What is the dumbest way you’ve ever been injured? YOOOOOO when I was at Colleen's in-law's having dinner once, I literally took a large bite of rice RIGHT WHEN IT CAME OFF THE STOVE. I didn't know it'd only just been removed. My tongue was burned for weeks on end. Do you mind conflict? Hell yes I mind. I'm terrified of confrontation. If you could start a charity what would it be for? Something with mental health. Maybe to help those who can't afford help/therapy. If you were a cryptid (bigfoot, mothman, ect.) what would you be? I'm already a cryptid. What’s your ideal temperature and weather? Hm... like 55 and partly cloudy. What topic could you give a 20-minute presentation on with no preparation? Gay rights. Have you ever worn those drunk goggles? Yes, for D.A.R.E. in elementary school. Can you agree to disagree, or usually get upset over conflicting views? It depends on the subject of course, but I'm normally very good at agreeing to disagree. Rodeos – entertaining, or cruel? Animal fucking cruelty. Dumbasses getting gored are well-deserved. Who is the best female rocker? Why? Lita Ford is a badass. Slays on the guitar and is just cool. What color of roses do you find the prettiest? I actually like the classic, deep red. Have you ever accidentally found porn when looking for something else? I don't think so. Why do so many fans with OTP’s insist that their ship is real? I don't really know, but it's annoying. Some people are just friends, y'know. Being similar/compatible does not equate to actually liking each other like that, and the feral ones are just... wow. Do you draw fanart of anything? Not anymore. There's soooo many pictures I'd love to draw of Mark, but I literally love him so much I don't want to disgrace his face with my poor ability to make shit proportional lmao. Favorite thing to see in museums? Fossils! Have you ever seen an unwrapped mummy in person? No. What things have people shamed you for? My AvPD doesn't want me to think about this. Are there any 'adult stores’ in your area? Probably at some point. Have you been inside of them/shopped there before? No. Do you watch The Masked Singer? Any theories? No.

#survey #surveys #questions

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hannahlovestheatre · 6 years ago

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A RANT ABOUT RENT LIVE AND HOW GOOD IT WAS

Okay so I need to stand on a soap box real quick to make a point. Please read the whole thing. I feel like Rent Live not only needs to be reviewed but is the perfect example for what I am about to say. If you have a problem with this, thank u next.

Let me ask you a question. How many people do you know named or are probably named Sarah? How about Taylor? Maybe Alex? Okay, now that you have a number in your head think about this: are they all exactly the same? Same hair color? Eye color? Body type? Do they all play soccer? Do they all love the same kind of music? Are they all the same race? Same sexual orientation? Is your answer no? It should be. They are all different yet special in their way.

Now let's look at Rent. We have Rent, the Broadway musical (which is actually a reincarnation La Boheme, an opera with a lot of other versions as well!!! It all comes full circle) ; Rent, the movie; and Rent Live. All share a name but none of them are the same. They are all special in their own way.

Rent, the Broadway musical, is one of if not the most revolutionary musical to hit the Great White Way. Without it, Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen and The Prom and The Band's Visit and Fun Home probably wouldn't exist. It inspired artists to cross the borderlines and expressed the true meaning if love and being a part of a community, a family. It inspired composers like Lin Manuel-Miranda do even make musicals. It swept the Tonys, it won the Pulitzer prize, it ran for a very long time. It was so important that they filmed a pro shot of the final performance. However, that proshot was not a one take deal. They pre filmed some stuff to get those epic close ups, like the beginning of Out Tonight. Again, it was crucial to the world of theatre.

Next we have Rent, the movie. It was filmed as an independent film, kinda like how The Last Five Years was. They got most of the original cast to reprise their roles. Tracie Thoms and Rosario Dawson swept in to save the day. They are honestly the best Joanne and Mimi that I've seen. Tracie has played Joanne literally everywhere: in the movie, on Broadway, and at the Hollywood Bowl. And it was also a good thing for Rosario to put on her resume. The actual movie itself cut and rearranged the order of songs from the musical and doesn't focus much on being in the 90s but the present day. There's nothing wrong with that, but the creative team wanted this Rent to be it's individual being. People that see the movie might have only seem the movie and not the Broadway musical. When they see it's mostly the same cast, they got excited and were looking forward to seeing the other Rent. It's not the same Rent, but it's called Rent and is similar to that other Rent, but it's not that Rent. It's like Rent the II.

And as of yesterday we have Rent III, Rent Live. Now I get it. Technically this wasn't live as in broadcast live and everything you saw was happening in real time and that sucks but also thank God they filmed that final dress or it probably wouldn't have happened at all or at least not in the way they planned. The whole concert version they released clips of would have been what we saw for those 3 hours instead of the full out production that we deserved to see. People would have stopped watching right away if they only got to see poor Brennin in a wheelchair and the cast just sitting there in the same spot watching with the live audience they have in front of them. But ya know what? It was still live. They did'nt lip sync or animate themselves to be CGI dancers. They sang live, they moved live, they had a live audience. That's why it's called LIVE THEATRE. It is happening in front of a group of people. This was also the first live musical that had an issue that prevented them from putting on the production as is. Grease Live had some weather and audio issues but guess what? They added pre filmed video and audio to fix that!!!! Tbh, I would not be surprised if they stop broadcasting it live and make it live meaning LIVE theatre in front of a LIVE audience that you prerecorded and show the world on whatever night.

The cast was unlike the other two in the sense that it was part Broadway performers, part music artists, part actors and dancers that can sing, and one phenomenal drag queen. If you want my opinion, Valentina is tied with Wilson Jermaine-Heredia as the best Angel. For someone who has never done anything like this, she did a hell of a job and was literally perfect in the role. Vanessa Hudgens, again in my opinion is probably the best Maureen. Her Over the Moon soars over any other one I have seen from the costume to her comedic timing to her commitment to the whole damn thing. She killed it. We also got see Jordan Fisher live his lifelong dream of being the first POC Mark and he did the role justice. The way they wrote Mark's monologues and made him feel as isolated from his group as friends as we've seen him was BRILLIANT. Especially at the top of Act 2 where they incorporated Seasons of Love into the plot, something that was not done in the other Rents which was literally genius. It was where I shed my first tear. Then we have Brandon Victor Dixon who did the best I'll Cover You Reprise EVER. I thought Michael McElroy was the best before last night. I was a wreck when Brandon did it. He is definitely one of the knots that binds these things together. And then we have Tinashe, Mario, and Kiersey Clemons. These three did their roles justice as well. I think Tinashe was up to par with Rosario's Mimi but her Mimi was definitely the most believable because she played it so young, she is supposed to be 19 but also a little coy and super sexy, which she did. Mario's vocals popped off and he definitely showed how much of a jerk Benny is. And Kiersey had a rocky start in my opinion but still played a great Joanne that had the perfect amount of spunk, sass, poise, and intelligence. Oh and don't get me started on Keala Settle. That woman took me to theatre church to bless the lord of blessing us with her talent. They rewrote Paul to be a woman named Cy which to me felt so raw.

And now the censorship thing. Idk what everyone else saw but I saw the same risque and edgy components of Rent that the Rent I and Rent II. The lyric changes were obvious ONLY TO THOSE THAT KNOW OF THE OTHER RENTS IN THE FIRST PLACE. And the changes they did make were seamless. On these main broadcasting networks, you cannot say shit, fuck, dildos, expose bare asses, be overtly sexual, etc. etc. unless that creative team anticipates a lofty fee and a potential lawsuit. They were only able to cross a certain amount of lines before it got out of control. The final line was clearly mucho masturbation. They had things taken away from them and saw it as the perfect opportunity to really make this Rent the 2019 Rent that is different from the other 2 but doesn't try to be the most superior of the three we know of.

Do you see what I mean though? All of these things are called Rent but none of them are the same or trying to replace the other creations. Sarah A isn't trying be better than Sarah B who isn't trying to beat Sara, the one without an H at the end of her name and the same applies to any new adaptation of a book or movie or musical. Every time this happens, that same story is trying to be expressed to an audience that needs to hear it. This messed up world we live in now needs to see a place where people are loved and accepted and are a part of a tight knit community. Rent does exactly that.

So the next time you see that ______ Live is happening or _______ the Musical is happening or a certain musical is getting a film adaptation, don't compare the two as one entity. Call it _____ II or the Sara without an H at the end.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

#rent #rent live #musical #musical theatre #broadway #jordan fisher #tinashe #mario #brandon victor dixon #valentina #kiersey clemons #theatre

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fleetwooded · 6 years ago

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talk about music!!!!!! gimme the whole top ten, then i also want 22, 44, and 88!!

THANK YOU FOR ENABLING ME STEPH!!! this ended up predictably long-winded, so here is the list, and you can click through to read how i feel about all these songs if you want to. if you’re on mobile, and have to scroll through, i’m so sorry.

1. why, fleetwood mac2. from the dining table, harry styles3. home, one direction4. animal, troye sivan5. i’m yours, pixie geldof6. ambitions, donkeyboy7. bring it on home to me, sam cooke8. bad (live), U29. american tune, paul simon10. 1950, king princess

22. everywhere, fleetwood mac44. trouble, lindsey buckingham88. border, years & years

ask me about my favourite music of the year!

1. why, fleetwood mac - this is ZERO PERCENT a surprise, i think i’ve fallen asleep to this song every night for the past three years. it is one of my favourite fleetwood songs even though it’s a real niche one - the final track off mystery to me, which is uhhh not one of their more popular albums. but a) i am very fond of the awkward post-peter green pre-lindsey/stevie albums, b) christine mcvie gets paid DUST by everyone, but she is an incredible songwriter with an incredible voice, and really held the band afloat during that era, and c) this song is so gentle and beautiful and i could never ever get tired of listening to it. i’m obsessed with the extended guitar opening, which keeps you waiting for the piano to kick in for ages and makes you instinctively listen more closely to the guitar throughout the whole song. also the lyric well, my heart will rise up with the morning sun / and the hurt I feel will simply melt away is such a beautiful and clearly expressed sentiment. and when those strings come out from the back of the arrangement just before the last stanza!! ugh i love this song.

2. from the dining table, harry styles - honestly this is only so high up because it is one of the other two songs on my sleep playlist and therefore gets played every day lmao. i will say that this is pretty much the only song of his where the studio version is better than the live version, and therefore the only one i regularly listen to after going to his concert bc i don’t resentfully compare it to the live experience. that harmony on the third maybe someday you’ll call me and tell me that you’re sorry too and the strings in that whole section make the entire song worth it.

3. home, one direction - lol i always say that my favourite 1d song is walking in the wind, but it’s really this one. i was in a very small, l*arry-free corner of the fandom when this came out, so it never had those associations for me, and i just think it’s a very warm and beautiful song and i DO NOT understand why it was not on the album. i also used to listen to it every morning back when i had to walk to work at 4:30am (in the winter! when it was pitch black and i lived in a not-so-great area!), and it was very very comforting to me, so listening to it always sparks that feeling of comfort, like being wrapped up tight in a warm blanket.

4. animal, troye sivan - the last song on my sleep playlist, and one of the best songs off his new album imo. my favourite kind of song is the kind where you can put on big headphones, get on a bus or train, close your eyes, press play, and just have an experience. it’s unquantifiable! everyone’s mileage will vary! you either feel it, or you don’t! but i really really feel it with this one, especially on the second verse. it’s such a stripped back song, but has this rich sonic landscape that just pulls you in if you let it.

5. i’m yours, pixie geldof - ugh, this album was such a huge and exciting discovery for me this year. i had no idea she made music until i heard woman go wild on one of nick grimshaw’s insta stories and looked it up, and then i listened to her album over and over and over again for months and developed a massive, useless celebrity crush on her. it’s a little bit derivative, definitely nothing groundbreaking, but so perfectly matched to my sensibilities and so endlessly listenable. i also find it very satisfying to hear something and instantly know it’s going to be your new favourite thing, and then get to prove yourself right. i usually listen to the album all the way through, so i don’t think about the specific songs too much, but if i had to pick a favourite, it would be this one!

6. ambitions, donkeyboy - i’m pretty sure i found this song because it was referenced in a fic lmao? if that is the case, a million thank yous to whoever wrote that, because i never would have come across it otherwise. it’s a collaboration between a 2000s norwegian synthpop band and a girl whose only other resume builder was finishing in seventh place on norwegian idol. but it is a BOP, and a bop with a strong emotional drive, which is the best kind. the lyric I can't tolerate / the feelings that I feel when I feel is another one i spend the whole song waiting for.

7. bring it on home to me, sam cooke - another song i have been listening to for years and years and never tire of. when my best friend moved out of her parents’ house, she said that the only reason she wanted her own place was so she could sit in her living room and play this song on a turntable. she did play it, often, because she only owned a few records for the longest time, so listening to it always brings me back to curling up on her couch and talking and talking while she made me dinner in her tiny and dark but beautiful home.

8. bad (live), U2 - god i love this song. i think i have talked about it on here before, so i won’t go on and on, but i LOVE this song. tbh i have never actually listened to the album version of this song, and maybe it is just as good, but i really love live albums - when they can capture the spirit and energy and RISK of a live concert, they feel so electric. anything could go wrong at any moment when music is being played live, or it could go SO right, and the artist and crowd could feed off each other’s energy until the whole venue feels alive, and the music could take on a whole new artistic life. idk what exactly it is, but i feel all that potential in this song. it’s eight glorious minutes of that electricity, and every time you think it’s peaked, it just keeps going and reaches new heights. my favourite is the bit where bono just belts out the words desperation, dislocation, separation, condemnation, isolation, desolation, isolation, let it go like a cry out into the universe. i think about it so often. sometimes i also want to just stand in front of a crowd and yell ISOLATION, DESOLATION. i feel that live music can often feel like a purging, or a cleansing, or a transformation - like singing about these feelings of profound misery or pain or anger with a crowd of people who also feel those feelings can reshape them into something joyful and exultant instead.

9. american tune, paul simon - damn, this really was a melancholic year!! this is another of my go-to comfort songs when i am feeling those lost feelings. i listened to it a lot in the winter, and again this fall, and related a little too much to the bits about being so far away from home. it’s got this sense of deep weariness in its lyrics and structure that i like listening to when i am very tired and want to commiserate. the drums leading up to the and I dreamed I was dying are my favourite musical moment, but my favourite lyric is the ending, with: tomorrow's going to be another working day / and I'm trying to get some rest / that's all I'm trying to get some rest.

10. 1950, king princess - honestly, introducing me and the world to king princess is the best thing harry did all year. first of all, it’s truly remarkable how much cultural power he has - not that this song wouldn’t have been successful without him, but literally every write-up and interview mentions him tweeting the lyrics as a mark of approval that propelled her into the public eye. it’s also just an incredibly well crafted song, and i’m endlessly impressed by her talent. to write and perform a song like this at her age is no small feat, and i’m very glad she’s ended up getting the attention she has. i got to see her live this summer with my sister and a few of our friends, and she was every bit as commanding and magnetic as i would have imagined.

22. everywhere, fleetwood mac - another all time favourite!! at my work this summer, my boss was a very cool woman who played in a very cool all-female punk band. we got along tremendously, except for that she had NO patience for me constantly playing what she referred to as “mom rock.” this one is the only fleetwood mac song she liked, so i would just play it over and over and we would delight in that shimmery little intro. when i was closing, i would put it on just as the sun went down enough to shine right through the big windows at the front of the store, and it feels good to know that i am going to listen to it years from now and remember that summer and that sun.

44. trouble, lindsey buckingham - my fave song of his, except maybe never going back again. i really like this whole album, but this song is another one i just want to burrow inside because it feels so rich and dense. i feel like i have nothing to say about him that hasn’t already been said - he’s a massively underrated guitarist, and a great songwriter, and i just love listening to him play.

88. border, years & years - a fantastic song off a fantastic album. i’m ngl i was a little disappointed by their sophomore album, so i just kept listening to this one. also brings me back to great memories of seeing them live and the catharsis of yelling my heart, it will start to shine / and I will be alright with a whole crowd of people. live music is magic!!

if anyone made it here, thank you for reading. i love year-in-reviews. it feels good to take stock of a year and try to put all the little moments and periods of time in order and make some sense out of them. i also love music, and it feels good to sit down and listen to my most listened to songs with new ears and try to remember or figure out why i listened to them so often. it’s been a long, hard, tumultuous year, but my relationship with music has really flourished, and stuff like this feels like nurturing that love.

#if anyone went and read all that: you are such a trouper thank you so much #1000-directions

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hoodiegf · 6 years ago

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the feeling of family

so i wrote a thing for @x-adia and tbh idk what the fuck this is but its about family and i’m hoping against hope that rayla gets to be in this family? anyway please enjoy!

Rayla thought, before she met them, that the most disgusting fact about the royal princes would be bloodlust. Arrogancy. Maybe even things like greasy faces and hair, greedy fingers, soulless eyes. Something that marked that they are, in fact, evil. That they deserve what is coming to them. She trained day by day thinking of black eyes, greedy smiles, merciless need to kill- she trained hard enough to take down a foe like that. She trained to have a chance and be worthy of the task that her people had bestowed upon her.

Now, Rayla thinks the most disgusting fact about the royal princes is that Ezran can eat seven jelly tarts in a row without taking a breath and has a glowtoad by the name of Bait, and Callum gets pimple breakouts if he’s not careful of washing his face.

As Ezran reaches for another jelly tart- tart number eight without pause- and Callum lets out a sigh that causes a wind to gust through the room, Rayla watches them with weary eyes. They had been wandering for two weeks before. The road was rough, but now they’re back in Xadia, the dragon egg safely tucked with them, and they’re sitting in the castle- the human castle that she’s only ever been in one other time to kill the princes- on soft cushion seats with a plate of jelly tarts piled high in front of them and the great human King Harrow sitting across from them, face slackened in amusement at his son’s actions.

Rayla’s never felt so out of place.

“So,” King Harrow says, watching as a bit of jelly tart slips from Ezran’s mouth. Rayla winces when Ezran, looking sheepish, picks it back up from off his dirty clothes and attempts to put it back in his mouth. Callum, thank god, nudges him and Ezran puts it on a cloth napkin with a sad frown.

“So,” Rayla says, searching for something to start with. Thank you for not killing me on sight? Thank you for believing that I’m no longer here to murder you all in your sleep? Thank you for bringing up two great, caring human beings, even if one isn’t yours?

That last one sounds sappy. She buries that one deep in her chest, only to be brought out if she gets a moment alone with King Harrow. She can’t let those two know- Callum would never let her hear the end of it and Ezran’s smiling face would make her start crying.

Rayla clears her throat. “Thank you for allowing me to enter your land, King Harrow,” is what she ends up saying. King Harrow gives her a small smile that twists her heart in her chest.

soft smile, soft smile, fatherly gaze, feeling of acceptance, feeling wanted, feeling okay-

“Of course. You kept my sons alive, after all.”

Callum looks like he wants to argue- Rayla makes sure to focus on any and every instance that she saved his and Ezran’s life in the past two weeks and send it through her mind. Telepathy may not be a magic form, but some superstitions will never die.

In the end, Callum seems to receive the message any way. He doesn’t say anything and takes a jelly tart with the smallest smile she’s ever seen.

Humans are strange.

“Ezran, please, you’re going to choke,” King Harrow says as Ezran takes the second to last jelly tart. “At least give yourself a minute to cool off- I would like to hear of your adventures,” he eyes the dragon egg, “and of your findings.”

Ezran puts down his jelly tart- any disappointment in his face is drowned out by his growing excitement. He opens his mouth and Rayla braces herself for the tumble of words that are sure to explode out of his mouth.

Sure enough, the words do explode from Ezran’s mouth. He tells his father of all the things they found out, of all the misadventures they had, of all the times Rayla saved their lives and the one time they saved hers, of elves and fae, of magical creatures in forests far away, of the trek up Dragon Mountain. Rayla finds herself smiling at his excited voice- some of the retellings are not overdramatic, per se. If anything, they’re made out to be more than they are, while bits of information one may find useful is passed off casually and he trips over his words trying to get to the good parts of the story. The jelly tart in her hand is warm but rapidly cooling, the scent of berries and warm bread filling the air and her lungs. Callum and King Harrow give Ezran fond looks that make Rayla smile happily. She likes this feeling. It’s… overpowering.

acceptance, love, happiness, fondness, soft smiles, soft smiles, soft smiles,

family, family, family, it’s a feeling of family-

When Ezran’s wild tales come to a sudden stop, replaced by the sounds of soft sighs as he bites into a jelly tart again and it disappears before their very eyes, King Harrow gives the table a firm pat, like he’s saying alright, that’s that. “Sounds adventurous.”

it was, and it made her so happy, she feels okay now-

“It was.”

King Harrow’s soft and kind gaze turns to Rayla, and she can sense it’s hesitance. It’s considering glance- is this a good idea? Should I be giving hospitality to the assassin sent to kill my sons?

Apparently, his answer is yes, because he says, “why don’t we set Rayla up with a room and continue this in the morning? You all must be exhausted.”

Callum and Ezran nod- Rayla gives a smile of thanks. “Thank you, King Harrow.”

King Harrow gives her a smile back and waves off her thanks. “Of course, what kind of host would I be? Now, let’s go, my boys.”

The family of three gets up- King Harrow embraces his children and Rayla hovers on the sidelines, unsure of what she should be doing. She hopes, however, that one day she can join this family. Or a family of her own.

smiles, smiles, smiles, fondness, happiness, she wants it so bad-

She thinks a family like this will find her, one day.

#the dragon prince #han writes #tdp #tdp fic #tdp oneshot #the dragon prince fic #family #rayla #rayla tdp #callum tdp #ezran tdp #king harrow tdp

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spaceorphan18 · 6 years ago

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Finding Kurt Hummel: Old Dogs, New Tricks

Masterpost

5x19: Old Dogs, New Tricks

Previously on Glee: Everyone else is doing things - while Kurt has his collections of neckerchiefs. Kinda wondering if Chris wrote that one, lol.

So.... Yeah, this is the episode that Chris Colfer wrote. And what do I think of it? Because I know you guys are all here for my very professional opinion on all these things... lol. It’s... fine. There are some things that really work -- Santana as a publicist - excellent!! Sam and Mercedes’s relationship issues -- great. Dogs dragging Lea Michele down the road because of her bratty behavior - totally here for that. Honestly, I think the Kurt portion of the story may be the weakest aspect of this episode, but this is Chris’s first try at a TV script, and I think he’s done a lot better than a lot of people out there -- including whoever wrote I Kissed a Girl, ug.

I do think there’s some dialogue that’s a little stiff, and Chris has a tendency to write a little on the cheesy side, but I’m really sad that season 6 wasn’t longer to give him another go at it, cause I think TV writing might have been a good avenue for him. And I really hope that some day he gets to head his own TV show - because I think it’s something he’d do rather well at. So - that’s my two cents.

I will say - this episode is mostly stand alone. And with the season drawing to a close -- I really am missing those extra two episodes that were chopped off the end of the season. I really would have liked to play around in this sandbox for a tad bit longer, as I think there were most definitely more stories to tell. At least I am grateful for what we got.

Problem Child

So, I’m not going to spend much time (or really at all) trying to figure out how Chris feels about this or that as evident through the script. I mean -- TV is a collaborative process -- and even if Chris wrote the script, I’m sure a lot of people still had their input, and he didn’t direct it, so... But I think this still is a good indicator about how he felt about Rachel. I mean... yeah, it’s probably how we all feel about Rachel, tbh.

So as we open -- Kurt wants to see a movie, but, well, Blaine is too busy doing stuff with June, Santana just doesn’t want to, and Rachel’s freaking out that image is being tarnished because she fucked up in the previous episode. And, as most things do, it becomes all about Rachel. Santana, however, steps up to be her publicist -- which is -- incredibly inspired!! Can I just keep the headcanon that Santana sticks to being a publicist, this is a fantastic choice for her. Thank you, Chris, for this.

Anyway - Kurt’s more than annoyed -- and even has to tell Rachel to keep her voice down because they’re in side -- because he is, more often than not, Rachel’s care giver. Because seriously, this girl cannot seem to function on her own.

So -- here’s my thing. This script is a little awkward going forward -- a lot of it is Kurt harping on how his ‘friends’ aren’t there for him, though only specifically focusing on Rachel. And while I think the Rachel was the safest route to go, and one that’s been clearly building for a while, I do think it might have been interesting to see how that played out with others -- such as Mercedes or Santana or even Blaine. (Though, honestly, I’m glad Chris did the smart thing and not include a lot of Blaine in this script. I totally get why he did -- because he really didn’t want to be harassed about it -- and that was the wisest choice for him.)

Oh and then to everyone’s shock - Rachel goes to yell at someone for putting their dog in their purse. I mean, is this an LA thing? I kinda wonder if this is an LA thing that pisses Chris off and he gets to yell through Rachel. It kinda feels like it, lol. Anyway... Kurt’s in the background, but his ‘wtf are you doing’ look is classic.

Pillsbury

So - this episode has to do with three of Chris’s favorite things: 1. Dogs (animals); 2. Old People; and 3. Fairy tales. I mean - I don’t think it gets much Chris-ish than that -- unless you wanted to throw in aliens. I do find it hilarious that he brings all these things to Kurt, because they aren’t really there before -- but it seems to fit in pretty well.

Anyway - we get June Squibb in the form of Maggie Banks (Do you see -- it’s a combo of Maggie Smith and Mrs Banks from Mary Poppins -- at least that’s what I assume is the inspiration.) I’m not going to talk too much about June Squibb’s performance -- because it’s awkward at best (I can’t tell if it’s her acting or if it’s the lines). But it makes a ton of sense that this actress just coming into her own in her 80s is who they got to play the part. I assume Chris adored working with her.

Anyway, this old folks home is doing a rendition of Peter Pan (get it - cause they’re old, and they want to stay young forever -- this script is full of stuff like this. I can’t tell if it’s clever or not.) And Maggie’s gonna start screaming elder abuse if the poster doesn’t go up in the diner. But -- that doesn’t stop her from noticing that Kurt’s full of his usual ennui.

Hilariously, he says he files all his problems away and lets it out during an episode of Long Island Medium. (This is another Chris-ism. Yeah, I can’t stop pointing these out.) While questionable choice of reality TV aside, I do think this is a fascinating beat for Kurt -- he’s internalizing all of his issues. Maybe it’s cause no matter how far he gets in his life, and partially cause he does have super involved in themselves friends, Kurt’s not one to reach out when he’s got issues. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING KURT!!

You wanna know why Kurt and Blaine break up a second time? Cause Kurt pretty much sucks at letting people know he’s struggling with something. He thinks he can fix everything himself, and you know what? You can’t sweetie -- so talk to people!

Well -- here he gets to talk to June, and let’s it out that he’s feeling a little left behind lately. Santana’s starring in vaginal cream commercials, Mercedes’s is becoming the next Beyonce, Blaine has found a sugar mama, and Rachel has already hit her mid-40s where she’s fucking up her Broadway career for a shot at TV. And Kurt feels like he’s gotten nowhere. Which -- yeah he hasn’t. And that’s not a bad thing, not really, since he’s the only one on a sure and steady course, but when everyone around you feels like they’re miles ahead in their lives, it can feel heavy being the only one not /there/. (I getcha kiddo, I really do.)

Also - I think it’s hilarious that he says he’s the mother in a Nancy Myers movie. (That is so Kurt, and so Chris.) And, god, yeah, let someone else take over handling Rachel. Geez.

Kurt then finds out that his therapy session is with /The/ Maggie Banks -- the woman who once starred in the worst Broadway show of all time, a musical about Helen Keller. (Eesh) And after being awkwardly asked to come back to the home, she invites him back to watch them rehearse. Sure - why not, he doesn’t have anything else to do.

Look at what a happy little goober he is -- he’s gonna hang out with old people!

Broadway Bitches

Oh Broadway Bitches. I have a heancanon that Chris came up with this at 2 in the morning and immediately texted Ashley cause he thought it was so funny. Is it clever? Yes. Is it something I’d use as a name for an organization dealing with kids? No... But moving on...

Can I just reiterate that Santana as a publicist is hilarious. Also her line -- ‘a designer so fancy I can’t even pronounce his name, there’s hardly any vowels’ is a line Chris probably came up with way back on the season 1 press tour and never got to use.

Anyway - to rehabilitate her image, Rachel, Santana, and Mercedes are going to do a show. And Kurt wants in -- cause Chris remembers continuity and Dani’s off doing roller derby and Elliott’s at a yoga retreat so no more One Tree Hill. You know - I hate to say this - but I kinda see why he’s not invited here, cause it is about imaging - but they don’t have to be such awful people about telling him no.

Santana actually says if he’s there he’d probably pull focus which is a) meta and b) probably true. But Kurt’s rightfully hurt. They get to continue to roll around in their self-involvement while Kurt gets to be shoved aside. Again.

I’m kinda surprised Kurt hasn’t taken up a drinking problem at this point.

Memories

So Kurt goes to check out the retirement home. They’re getting ready for their production -- and there are three different headshots of Maggie on that board. Just saying. Kurt thinks it’s pretty cool. And I mean -- I think there is a cool story there to be told about actors who are now considered over their prime when in fact they’re still awesome and kicking butt.

This episode is going to be a bit heavy handed about it -- cause as much as I love Chris, he’s incredibly heavy handed in his writing -- but it’s a nice sentiment. And I do think it’s proper that Kurt would be infatuated with stars of old.

I don’t really have any thing to add -- it’s just a nice shot of Kurt. He’s amused by this sweet little production.

Also! I suppose it’s time to bring up Billy Dee Williams and Tim Conway, who have really minor roles in this episode. I kinda wish they were in it more - their characters are a bit fun.

And then the woman who plays Peter dies. Okay, so I kinda find the dark humor funny. (Also Chris-ism.) It’s fine guys. I’m sure she had a delightful life.

After the commercial break, and after Maggie’s irritation that the dead woman was selfish for dying and ruining the production, we get some more heavy handed commentary about how old people need a reason to keep on living. Which -- is fine? Chris not to edit your script but you gotta work on more showing and less telling

And then we get this weird beat of Tim Conway wanting to sit on the chair. Move kid - it’s his chair! idk. I think it’s funny?

Kurt claims he can fill in, unless they have rules against that. They only really have two rules -- a) don’t loose your teeth and b) take the correct meds. Sure. The guy claiming he was a pterodactyl however steals the show with his delivery. It’s absolutely hilarious.

Meanwhile - Kurt goes on to say how much he adored Mary Martin’s Peter Pan back in the day (which explains a lot. Also Chris-ism. Five bucks that was one of Chris’s favorite movies as a kid.) Anyway - he also still sings like a girl so he can totally take it on.

The retirement home has standards so they have to at least have to hear him sing -- which is great! Cause Kurt always carries around sheet music just in case, lol. That’s such a Glee-esque line. What?

And then Kurt sings a perfectly adequate version of Memory from Cats.

Okay - I don’t have a lot to say about it, tbh. It’s nice, Chris sounds just fine on it -- and I’d guess this would be his last solo of the series if Maggie didn’t come in at the end. But, you know, the song is more about cherishing the memory of these actors -- and people in general who are worth remembering for their great accomplishments - even if they aren’t doing as such any more. Again - a nice sentiment. But I don’t really have anything to meta about on Kurt.

Also I don’t like this song (I’m sorry! don’t send me hate mail).

By the end - Kurt’s inspired everyone to get up and keep on living. And has proven to himself that he can handle Andrew Lloyd Weber.

Btw - the couple of guys dressed up as the lost boys are super cute.

Homocchio (Ha!)

The scene before this, btw, is Rachel being dragged by dogs a block. I mean - it’s funny, yes, but also, c’mon -- are you really going to tell me it’s not at least a little bit of payback?

Anyway - Kurt bounces in to let Rachel and Santana know that he’s scored the role of Peter in a retirement home’s production of Peter Pan -- to which they are like - eh, okay, nice try Kurt. And well, Kurt doesn’t take that too well. I mean, sometimes a role is a role -- and Kurt’s obviously excited about it -- so if you’re a good friend, you suck it up and at least congratulate your friend. I mean seriously. But this is Rachel and Santana - Santana mocks him and Rachel gets incredibly self-involved. This has been the case since season 1 - so I’m not sure what Kurt was expecting.

Kurt asks them to go - but they say no. Santana’s honest about it being dumb, but Rachel claims she has her image to keep up and her stuff is more important. And Kurt finally lets her have it -- he’s right, she calls him day and night to fix her shit, but when is she ever there for her? Honestly, this rant could have gone on for another five minutes. It’s nice to see that I’m not the only one irritated by the unbalanced Hummelberry dynamic that’s been going on since season 3.

Kurt storms out of there cause seriously, he’s had enough.

Dress Rehearsal

Hey - it’s time for an awkward dress rehearsal with some pretty entertaining jokes and some more heavy handedness about how you’re only as young as you feel. I don’t think it’s a bad idea -- but does every scene have to have a speech about it?

Anyway - Kurt’s sweet in his attempt to inspire them and himself, and suggests updating the music.

Btw - there’s this line: Ever since you were a question on Jeopardy, you’ve been a know-it-all. (ha! that made me laugh)

And then we get some back story on Maggie - how she sends herself flowers because her daughter is estranged. And Kurt feels sad. I mean there’s some stuff in there about how Maggie’s daughter is like Kurt’s friends -- not really there when needed, which again, is a nice parallel. I’m just not really fond of Kurt feeling like he’s gotta fix things with Maggie instead of trying to fix things with his friends. YMMV.

I Hate This Scene - Yup, I’m Going With That as a Header

So - Kurt claims he caused an oil spill in a national park and gets himself in to see Maggie’s daughter. Oh my god - Kurt, no... At least Clara directly calls security (one guy - cause it’s Kurt) and then when Kurt claims it’s about his mother -- she thinks he’s ‘dating’ her to get her money.

Oh, god, Chris, why did you write this scene??

So here’s my real issue. The crux of it is about Kurt trying to get Clara to see her mom again cause Maggie misses her so much. But Clara tells him that basically -- Clara was emotionally abusive to her, which is why Clara doesn’t go see her. And then Kurt gives a song and dance about why she should just get over that -- and omg NO KURT NO!

Look - I get the sentiment here -- that we should maybe try to make amends before it’s too late. But - Clara made the healthy choice of cutting out an abusive family member and looks like she’s just doing fine on her own. And to have a stranger, who has no understanding of the situation come in an tell you to try to fix it is over stepping like whoa. Kurt is so in the wrong here - and I can’t even a little bit defend him.

This story would have worked just fine if Maggie had her regrets and talked to Kurt about living his life and not having them -- it wasn’t needed for Kurt to fix Maggie and give her a happy ending. Stories don’t always need to have happy endings to make their point.

Anyway - Clara rightfully throws him out. But not before Kurt goes on to talk about how his mom died and he wished he’d had one - so she should be grateful that she does. And be the better person and take care of Maggie now that she’s old - even if she sucked as a parent. Again - no - this is also emotional manipulation. Kurt, no! Stop! This scene is just... no!!

I am glad that Clara just doesn’t say anything and gets him out of there.

My Old Ladies Are Better Than Yours

To make up for the atrocity that was that previous scene - we get a Klaine scene that is really quite beautiful in its simplicity. Chris didn’t have to put this in here -- but he did, and I’m grateful, because it’s sweet and warm and old married-like, and while Blaine really isn’t in this episode, I’m glad that they were allowed to have this small moment and leave the drama for someone else to write.

So -- Blaine jokes that he’s missing stuff with June to be there for Kurt -- but ultimately, of course he’s there for Kurt. Because he’ll always be there for Kurt. Like I said earlier -- this story is more about Kurt’s issues with Rachel (and himself for feeling like he’s going nowhere) more than anything having to do with Blaine.

I do think it’s interesting that Blaine comments on how happy Kurt’s been -- and how that hasn’t been the case lately. I like that Blaine’s checking in, even if Kurt isn’t fully open. Kurt admits that he feels like this role is finally a step forward in his life, and being with the retirement group is giving him something that he’s been missing -- but I do think there’s an underlying sadness that Kurt’s not addressing.

Kurt’s not opening up to Blaine about his insecurities and his feelings -- and that is going to cause a problem. While they are mostly fine -- I do think Kurt’s continued withdrawal from admitting how he feels is going to blow up in his face later. Communication is key, guys, do it!

How adorable is Kurt in this outfit? :)

The other thing I really love about this scene is the casual intimacy of familiarity. They are an old married couple in this scene -- from Blaine helping Kurt with his costume, to Kurt telling Blaine to sit a row back cause Gladys can’t keep solids down. It’s not in-your-face affection - it’s light touches and smiles and I really love that during this arc they finally allowed Klaine to have that.

Peter Pan

Before the show - Kurt asks Maggie if she’d like to be his family, since their own families are too busy for them. It’s a sweet moment - but I’m also like -- Kurt, seriously -- talk to your friends!! But yeah, sometimes you do need to carve out your family where you can find it. Non-tradition is an okay thing.

For reasons I don’t fully understand, Kurt breaks down and calls Rachel -- apologizing for yelling at her (seriously?) and tells her he hopes her own show goes alright. Kurt’s a good egg. Rachel’s lucky to have him as a friend.

She rushes him off the phone -- but only because she’s sitting with the rest of the gang waiting for his show to start. And he’s stupidly excited. See -- they love you Kurt -- they do!! (Plus, it’s my headcanon that Blaine had something to do with rounding them all up...)

And... then we get the whole reason Chris wrote the episode -- so he could fly around as Peter Pan while singing Madonna’s Lucky Star, with an entourage of old people in the background. Lol. The whole thing is cute and ridiculous and cute. And of course, it works for the show, and gives a chance to Chris Kurt to completely geek out. I mean, yes, I know, Kurt in that costume, but the old people are also ridiculously adorable in this scene.

I’m not sure about the whole old people turning into little kids thing (man with the heavy handedness, the metaphor works fine without it) but it’s nearly blink and you miss it, so I won’t really even comment.

Clara ends up showing up and reconciling with Maggie. And I have a cold, dead heart because the scene just doesn’t work for me. Like I said earlier -- not everything has to have a happy ending.

But at the end of the day, this show is still Glee.

But the important thing is that Kurt’s friends all showed up. Rachel gushes that some day they’ll be old folks in a home (eesh) and Sam goes straight for the crotch to comment on the harness squeezing, um, things, lol. But ultimately - Rachel’s set it up so that the old folks can come do the performance again -- so we can combine old people with puppies and could this episode be any cuter? The only thing missing is aliens.

Kurt: What do you say, Maggie, you think you got a second act in you? Maggie: I never used to believe in second acts. But you’ve proven me wrong.

Omg. Chris - this should be your submission for a place on the staff of a Disney show.

Take Me Home

See -- look how adorable?

After a rousing speech from Rachel about being shallow is dumb and you should care about things that are bigger than you are -- they break out into a chorus of Take Me Home. And this is where I appreciate Lea Michele - because she’s able to sell the incredibly cheesy dialogue better than June Squibb. I mean, look, I like cheesy - I do -- but it’s dialed up to 11 in this episode. Chris, I love you to death, but you don’t have to try so hard to get your point across <3

I’m sorry if I came off as extra harsh about the episode -- I don’t think it’s bad, and it’s certainly better than about half the other episodes of the show. I think it’s just me nitpicking - cause I do adore Chris and I really want him to push himself to be better. This is a great first try, and I really do hope he gets more tries in the future -- cause I do think he has potential. I just want someone there to soften the rougher edges of his writing. That’s all.

And the episode ends with a mutual love fest for everyone. Cause it’s not a true Glee ending without everyone barfing glitter and rainbows. Lol, I’m only half being facetious - it’s cute, and a little wrong about Rachel, but fits the episode perfectly.

Oh my goodness - one more season 5 episode left...

#finding kh #kurt hummel

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