#if you think they'd vibe with it -- that's what ambition is all about

[ambitionsource]

I found ambition when looking for Jack and Eric fanfic on ao3. I genuinely thought it was it's own show with characters who just happened to have the same name as my two bmw favs (I didn't watch gmw and for my own sake I probably never will because they do my babies; jack, eric and angela, so dirty, and I knew of certain things namely Lucas Maya Riley I didn't know enough for it to make me click). I had no clue what I was getting myself into but then I started reading. I'm so beyond glad I did, I've loved every second, every laugh and every tear. Ambition is the show I wished I had as a teen (instead I had glee... and Riverdale... that says enough...) but I'm glad I found it when I needed it, as I face the same challenges the gang has been facing in season 4 as they move on from triple a and onto life in the real world. I like to believe the stories we need find their way to us, the characters we need to meet come to us, thank you for bringing all the characters but especially Jack, Charlie, Nigel, Asher and Jade to life, joining them on their journeys throughout the show and seeing parts of myself - good and bad - reflected back on me has helped me in ways I'll never be able to put to words so I'll simply say thank you. That's the power of good writing, it leaves the reader changed, the writing in ambition is incredible. I've been invested at every step, hooked by every twist. Ambition feels so real, so poignant, the characters feel like real people, it is so true to life in all it's complexities and in all it's ugliness and beauty. It's raw and it's human and it's about community and hope and it's about flawed people who make mistakes but are still worthy and deserving of love and who are trying to do not only do their best but do good and it's the story I desperately needed. I just wanted to write a wee note to send some appreciation to you all for your incredible work and everything you do to bring us this brilliant piece of work.

If the multiverse is real there's a universe where I follow Dylan Orlando on yt and TikTok and debate and jokingly bicker with Nigel about Shakespeare and am mostly likely a techie, I'm kinda sad that I'm not in it lmao but I'm glad and so grateful in one where I found your story. Looking forward to the rest of season 4 and in time season 5, it's going to break my heart to say goodbye but that's how you know that it mattered, if it hurts to let it go.

{backpedaling to bmw for a sec, BLESS YOU FOR WRITING THE WRONGS. I loved the Shawn Angela storyline in season 1 and honestly it healed a part of me that bmw/gmw broke. Without a doubt ambition did it better. I love when they pop in and they have some of my favorite lines. Shawn absolutely kills me, to paraphrase ; "oh yeah I could be jack, authority baby" destroys me every single time. I adore his dynamic with the techies too and Jack. Speaking of Jack, I am on my knees praising y'all for Jack and Eric, so rarely are older couples in teen/ya shows given such depth and it's even rarer to see a queer relationship between two men in their 30s/40s. Their relationship isn't perfect, it's flawed and complicated and there is so much love, their journey so far has been beautiful. It's rare for older characters especially teachers and parents to be treated as three dimensional and as complex individuals, they're typically just the joke or unreasonable antagonist, not in ambition. They are just as complicated and as real as our mains and I love that}.

omg hi! hello!! welcome welcome to the ambition family! full disclosure when i got the notification in my email that i had an anon on this blog i always lowkey dread it's going to be something harsh -- because internet -- but this message was the absolute opposite and the most lovely of surprises. i don't even know where to begin, but you wrote such a thoughtful and packed note here so i wanna address it all in turn -- please bear with me for the long response!

(though if you've read all of ambition up to this point, you're probably used to my writing being way too long. ahaha.)

first off, i wanted to highlight, underline, emphasize in bold what you said here: "I like to believe the stories we need find their way to us, the characters we need to meet come to us..." because you quite literally put our mentality about creating the show into words (beautiful words at that). that is near word-for-word the approach esther and i have taken with this show basically since its inception when we started writing it for ourselves -- we never ever expected it would reach as many people as it has. and we think of it that exact same way, that those who are meant to discover ambition will find their way to it (and its never too late to dive in). so it's so special to me to see you say that, to reflect that sentiment back to us, as like... proof that it is true. this series has brought a specially strange and wonderful cohort of readers together and it is always amazing when another one pops in to make themselves known. so thank you, thank you, for taking the time out of your day to share that with us. and again, welcome!

secondly -- HELL YES TO FINDING YOUR WAY HERE BECAUSE OF JACK AND ERIC! as someone who admittedly has grown less than fond of bmw in the intervening years (does our version of ct show that a bit... oops lol), jack and eric as a duo are still who holds my heart because they were that iconic in the source material of yore. i typically just tag them because they are so central to ambition (though as you probably noticed, i don't tag bmw as a fandom -- at this point i wouldn't tag either show honestly since its so like it's own thing but i have to unfortunately lmao), but i had considered not doing so because i didn't want to clog up the jeric tag but now i'm so glad i do, because look what a lovely little happenstance of bringing you to ambition it fostered!!

(also, you're correct. don't watch gmw. i enjoyed my time with it back in the day, it's cute, but there are better shows and the fandom was absolutely horrible. basically everyone who was there will attest to that LOL. that's partially why we emphasize that at this point ambition really is its own thing, because it's so far removed -- and clearly you can vouch for that now 😊)

and thank you for your kind words about how we write jack and eric -- we 100% agree that adult characters on young adult dramas tend to be useless at best and downright vile at worst (hellooo mr schue, speaking of glee), and we wanted them to be fleshed out and flawed and featured just as much in their own right. plus not only do they have a great relationship with each other that we enjoy writing (enemies to friends to lovers done right, if we do say so ourselves), they have such incredibly important dynamics with others (lucas and isa being the obvious ones) that it's impossible to think of the show without them. so it is SO great to hear such specific praise for them from a reader! and i love that you shouted out a shawn line, he is an underrated gem in the ambition story world for sure (and allowing him and angela their due was very satisfying for us, yes, hahaha).

lastly, can i ask, are you a writer too? because the way you phrased this is absolutely gorgeous and i want to just. hang it up on my wall and hold it close to my heart forever: "joining them on their journeys throughout the show and seeing parts of myself - good and bad - reflected back on me has helped me in ways I'll never be able to put to words so I'll simply say thank you. That's the power of good writing, it leaves the reader changed, the writing in ambition is incredible. I've been invested at every step, hooked by every twist. Ambition feels so real, so poignant, the characters feel like real people, it is so true to life in all it's complexities and in all it's ugliness and beauty. It's raw and it's human and it's about community and hope and it's about flawed people who make mistakes but are still worthy and deserving of love and who are trying to do not only do their best but do good and it's the story I desperately needed."

like legit, that means so so much to us. it's so heartening to see readers engage with the material so deeply AND come away from it with exactly the themes we set out to explore -- community, love, complexity, humanity, faith, failure, rebirth. so thank you, genuinely, for taking the time to send us this wee little note. it is incredibly kind of you, and we're so glad you found this series and get to take the journey with us.

enjoy the rest of the season to come, and please feel free to pop in at any time ✨

-- Maggie

[loftec]

Shameless DVD Commentary: None the wiser

I was tagged by a lovely anon over at @shamelessdvdcommentary to do this, thank you! Here we gooo

Which fanfic is your DVD commentary about?

The people (11 out of 20) have spoken! None the wiser

Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc)

First published: 2015-09-23 (coming up on 9 years what is time??)

Last updated: 2021-12-11 (holy heck that's... shit! I'm sorry!)

Words: 218,480 and counting

Chapters: 53/68

What was the initial inspiration for your story?

A little bit of everything, mostly I'd been reading a lot of Shameless fic at the time and really wanted to write something that was both a really quite basic diner/coffee shop AU, but The Most version of it. The slowest burn, the most diner AU. I had no ambition for people to like it but I wanted it to be Known. If anyone ever asked for a diner fic, they'd HAVE to say, well, NTW is The Most diner fic we've got. If someone asked for slow burn, people would sigh and say, WELL, this one over here is the worst, but it is very slow. And also I was inspired by Before Sunrise / Before Sunset, and working in the music industry.

If the story is written from a character’s POV, why did you choose this character?

I chose Mickey specifically because of the Concept, that Ian decides when the chapters start and end (with some exceptions) by going to the diner, but we're limited to Mickey's POV. Generally I think Mickey is easier for me to write, too, he's got a really strong voice and I like looking at the world (and Ian) through his eyes.

What was your favourite scene to write?

The whole banter/walk scene in chapter 44 when they leave the venue:

“Sure you and your lips can do whatever you set your heart to,” he says, “I believe in you.” Ian is silent, and when Mickey risks a glance in the direction of him and his non-trumpeting goddamned marvelous lips, Ian is looking at him like he’s some kind of unsolved mystery. ”What?” Mickey asks, frowning at him when Ian smiles. “Just a thought,” he says. ”You’ve been flirting with me since we first met, haven’t you?”

I had that whole back and forth leading up to the first kiss in my head for years before I got to finally got around to write it and I still love it.

How did you come up with the title?

It's from a song, one of the core songs I associate with this fic. My playlist now has 149 tracks on it, but the ones I consider "core songs" are None the wiser, Day After Tomorrow, Let's Dance, How I Made My Millions, Not Dark Yet, and Mosquitoes. I'm not sure I can explain why, but None The Wiser came on randomly when I was doing dishes and thinking about this fic I was writing, and the vibes just lined up in my head. Also I think it fits this version of Mickey I'm writing, who knows so much and has so much experience, but refuses to understand what's happening when Ian walks into his life.

Are there any little moments or references you hope readers will notice?

Oh, wow. Yeah. I always reference silly little things and I just have to hope people understand them, or tolerate them at least. I think one of my favourite bit of foreshadowing is in chapter 39 when people keep staring at Ian because they obviously recognise him, but Mickey thinks staring at Ian is a completely reasonable thing to do and is mostly just annoyed over how blatant they're being.

Was there anything you struggled to write? If so, how did you overcome this?

I am struggling right now lol, I had meticulous notes for what I wanted to happen for every single chapter up until 45, and now half of them say "they text all day" and I'm like THANKS!!! VERY HELPFUL!! Also life and writers block etc etc.

Favourite line in the story?

This is such a hard choice, so I'll just go with this one from chapter 42:

“So,” Ian says, sitting back to sweep his arms out in a wide motion, presenting his solution. “I think we should go out for breakfast sometime.”

Because to me it pinpoints the moment when Ian breaks the format, in a way? They have met outside the diner before, but only on accident, and here Ian realises that it might be a problem that they only ever hang out at Mickey's job. But metatextually, he also highlights the narrative crux they're stuck in. I don't know, is that a boring favourite line? I have many, and I grabbed the first one I saw so I wouldn't get stuck rereading the whole fic lol. Do you have a favourite line?

Did the storyline change in any way as you wrote the story?

So much, it's hard to believe because there isn't too much of a plot, but so much. My planned ending is so far from what it was when I started out, which is maybe one blessing that comes from how long it's taking me to write it, I have time to rethink things. I can't really talk about it now without spoiling the actual ending, but you better believe I will expose myself once we get to it.

If you are writing a particular trope or genre, was it your first time writing this?

I'd written fic for a different fandom ten years earlier, but nothing in this style I don't think, and this was my first time writing since I was 20 and stopped writing jrock rpf. I suppose I'm still writing about music, though!

What are you most proud about in the story? (plot, characterisation, dialogue, twist/cliffhanger, etc)

One of the things I've always wanted to do with writing for Ian and Mickey is to let them have conversations, have things in common, and be friends. Because I think they were in canon, we just never got to see it (in the first 5 seasons, careful what you wish for). Guess I'm saying I'm proud of the bants!

Are there any deleted scenes that didn’t make it to the final story?

I don't think so! I mean, maybe the last 15 chapters? I kid! They will make it!

Are there any ‘behind the scenes’ info you’d like to share - e.g. what’s going on in a characters head in a certain scene or how you came to write a certain line?

There is one line Ian says where, when I wrote it, I was like; this is the first time Ian thinks "I love you" but says something else. Cannot remember what or where right now, and I don't want to try and find it, it's late! Submit your guesses here, I might find it over the weekend if I have some time to look. Also, it's like one of those silly I love yous, one of the early ones, full of potential and feeling but perhaps lacking a bit in substance, but he thought it and I saw him thinking it!

Reading back the story now, is there anything you’d change or add?

Eh *coughs* I might already have, and I apologise. The worst part about writing something this slowly and posting the chapters as I go is that the fic isn't finished and so I feel like it's fine for me to sometimes go back and edit already published chapters. It's not right but I... will still do it. Sorry! A most embarrassing example is when, not too long ago, we discussed the layout of the diner here and I went back to the first chapter to see how I had described it, and it had changed in so many ways over the years? Small round tables?? The tables haven't been round since 2016!! So that's a very clear case of something having become canon for all the hundred little times I've thought of the tables as square while writing vs that one time in chapter one I carelessly said they were round.

Would you ever write a sequel to this story?

Yes! So many! Or maybe not a sequel, that suggests another part of equal size. But little bits of stories, yes!

If you’ve chosen your most popular story, are you surprised by the popularity?

Yes! Like I said, my only aim was to annoy my way to fandom infamy. Turns out it's so much more fun to actually connect with people and write something with someone else in mind, besides myself. I feel so lucky that so many people have connected with NTW over the years <3

Were you nervous or excited to post this story?

Mostly just excited, I think! I still am, whenever I get to post something : )

Did you have a beta or a friend who helped you as you wrote?

No, I probably should have but I have a very hard time showing things to people when they're not finished.

Ask your followers to pick a snippet (no more than 500 words) and share your thoughts about it.

Add snippets in the replies and I'll share thoughts, if you want!

Thanks for reading! <3 <3 <3

[lohotine]

https://www.tumblr.com/shmolish/750251834196852736/so-not-sure-on-the-limit-for-characters-but-feel?source=share

Hey I got inspiration from this other anon's ask and...gotta ask:

Same traits question...but for...well Royal margarine, clotted cream, shining glitter, cherry blossom, dark choco (after he redeemed himself), butter roll, red velvet, Caramel arrow and finally...cream unicorn.

If it's too many cookies at once...surprise me with who you choose from the List lol! (Sorry for so many...I simp for a LOT of cookies! Just picked a few from the list of cookies I Simp for.)

AN: I don't know some of these characters that well, so sorry if they seem a bit wonky-

Multiple x Reader CRK

Headcanons

Warning: Some of these characters may be OOC, not proof read

Royal Margarine

First and foremost, Buttercream has to like you

If they don't, you're automatically out (sorry)

It shouldn't be that much of an issue as long as you are a halfway decent person

Since he's kind of a wimp, he'd definitely appreciate someone who can fight rly well

A person to take care of him when he's drunk

Oh, and you have to be able to handle his constant flirting

And he probably won't mind someone who flirts back as well

Starts blushing and kicking his feet at the thought /hj

So, someone outgoing and bold

Clotted Cream

Knowing his profession and all, his day to day life is very stressful!!!

Therefore, I think he'd like someone who can help him wind down a bit

Someone who is always put together and organized

Like housewife vibes, even if that's a bit stereotypical

A person to just help his life become a little easier and a little less dull

So, someone detail oriented and calm

Shining Glitter

Since music is such a big thing in her life, she'd enjoy someone who can create music with her

Or even just dancing along to her own would be enough

Someone who appreciates everyone's art

A person who never gives up on their dreams

Or a person with a lot of ambition and ideas

Since it reminds her of herself <3

So, someone determined and creative

Cherry Blossom

100% you need to go on picnics with her daily

Bonus points if you know proper tea-party etiquette

She gives off nice aunt vibes but gossips a lot

Probably enjoys someone who she can gossip with

Not only that, but I'm sure someone who can bake would do her some good

After all, you must bring plenty of snacks to a picnic

So, someone who always listens and is easy to talk to

Dark Choco

Enjoys a person who will always love and accept him, despite his past

It would be a sun an moon kind of relationship

He seems rather touch starved, so a cuddly partner will definitely serve him well

So, someone understanding and kind

Butter Roll

He'd like someone who appreciates and is interested in his work

A person who always listens to his rants and what-not

An upbeat person to match his sunny personality

And perhaps someone who can notice small details and point them out

Someone who's dedicated to their craft

So, someone focused and upbeat

Red Velvet

I think he'd be interested in someone who is very kind and gentle

Since he has a lot of dogs, (cakes?) He would appreciate someone who can help him take care of them

Not only that, but I think he'd enjoy someone who he can just rant to

I don't know why, but I feel like he has a lot to say

So, someone gentle and caring

Caramel Arrow

She would be attracted to a person who always looks out for others

A person who fights to defend those who can't defend themselves

Even if they have to defy authority

You two would share that struggle

So, someone who looks out for others and has integrity

Cream Unicorn

Though they are very kind, they are actually rather calm

Therefore, I think they'd need someone a lot more extroverted to be with

A person who always tells them about their day

They just find you so interesting

A person who is kind to everyone

Someone with lots of energy

So, someone who is energetic and loves to talk

[cxhleel108]

LITG S7 MC: Tanya

Name: Tanya Peters

Age: 24

Birthday: September 5, 1999 (Virgo)

Hometown: Born and raised in San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago. Moved to Richmond, London around age 10

Ethnicity: Trinidadian

Job: Conservationist

Sexuality: Pansexual

Height: 168cm/5’6

Hobbies: Exercising, Gardening, Cooking/Baking, Traveling, Morning Walks, Swimming, Beading (Really anything she can do where she's surrounded by nature)

Personality: Confident and loves every part of herself, flaws and all. Knows she’s that girl but doesn’t need to be told it constantly nor does she act like she’s better than everybody. Down-to-earth and very likable but also makes sure her boundaries are known. Absolutely loves her job and has multiple career goals she wants to achieve (and trust she’s gonna make sure she does). Definitely a perfectionist but has learned to embrace messing up as she’s matured. Gets her ambition from her dad and her hard-working attitude from her mom. More goofy than most would assume. Even though she likes to focus on her job, she always makes time for her girls. Whether they’re going to the club, hanging out at the house, or vacationing in a foreign country best believe they gon be lit!

Why She Came On Love Island: It’s been about 8 or 9 months since Tanya broke up with her ex-girlfriend after finding out she had been cheating on her with a mutual friend of theirs. While it’s the first time she’s been cheated on (to her knowledge), it’s not the first time a partner has lied to her. After this incident, she started to realize how both her past experiences and now this have contributed to some underlying trust issues within her. Because of this, she took a break from dating to focus on healing and getting back to her true self. Now that she's taken that time for herself, she's ready to get back into the groove and this time hopefully find someone that she'll be with for a while. She didn't feel like going through the monotonous dating process again so she decided that she'd go on Love Island to speed up the process. She may like taking things slow but not THAT slow.

Who She’s After: After watching the beach hut updates, Tanya decided that she wants Bryson. First off, according to her, “He’s the finest dude there. Like the type of fine that you just KNOW he smells good.” Second, she likes that he's not boring. She doesn't mind his chaotic nature…it adds character. He appears to be a “what you see is what you get” type of person which she likes because she wants a partner who's honest about who they are from the jump. He said he likes someone who can match his energy…she most definitely can handle the challenge. Like Bryson, Tanya also wants someone who can match her vibe, and it’s clear he has enough energy to both match and amplify her vibe, and sis is here for it! All in all, Tanya thinks they'd make a really cute couple because they'd balance each other out. Bryson would allow her fun, more goofy side to come out and Tanya would help him to settle down and mature a little more. Plus, a man who can dress? DING DING DING we have a winner!

[grapefruide]

Episode 2: Do Not Open

I don't trust this man when he says he was more sober than his friends.

I can imagine that a degree in architecture would be mostly math, but I still appreciate the history. I could talk about Gothic cathedrals for hours, but that's a tangent.

No accent? Or no Liverpool accent?

Did John literally say the word onerous. I hope not because I feel that would be a red flag of some sort.

If I'm going to be honest I feel like I'd make a pretty good smuggler.

I think it was probably a specific ability of the Buried to keep someone in their seat. Dampen their resolve, kick aside ambition.

I think it's probably illegal to cross borders without declaring that much cash, but I get why he didn't or didn't put it in the bank.

Yeah, that's another thing I was thinking about with the Architecture degree. As with the sciences, it might be pretty hard to find an entry-level position.

I agree, Joshua. Thinking you look like a different person just because you grew a beard is ridiculous. You were probably just proud of it.

First appearance of Breekon and Hope! Love those guys. They're actually just so fun and cool.

I wish it had had just a corpse in it. That would be more interesting. I mean, why a coffin, Buried? I get that you bury a coffin, but you bury so many other things. Leave that shit for the End.

I'm presuming that he means, like, a box cutter. Also PSA guys, don't drop knives if you can help it. I have seen a few people almost lose toes of that.

I wonder who carved the letters into the lid. Did a victim do it? Or did it just come like that? I want so bad to know a detailed backstory of every single artifact. They're so dark and multifaceted. How much does it take to make an artifact? Just something owned or touched by an Avatar? Or does it require very prolonged exposure to a Fear?

The Dark is cold and the Buried is warm. But they both are wrong in the same way.

Your really can get used to anything. But the way he describes getting so cocky, as he said, is wrong. He wasn't cocky. He forgot what it was, maybe even that it was there. Although he didn't really know what it was ever, did he.

Why. Why the scratching. What does this have to do with the Buried. Just why.

Actually very clever of him, what he did with the key. But I still would like to know what he tried before this that didn't work.

Did John want him to be eaten? Or did he just really want it taken care of? I would think the latter honestly because if Joshua had disappeared the coffin might have gone into police custody and that would be a hassle.

Of course John is from Bournemouth. That just seems fitting somehow.

Was it just the Buried's general vibe driving everyone else off? Or was it making sure that if the coffin swallowed him they'd be able to get it back?

So many unsawered questions, even with all the reappearances of the coffin itself. It keeps with the vibe of the first episode, which I like and even admire. Good on you, Joshua Gillespie.

[bthump]

Would Griffith and Guts ever actually work as a pair or even just friends? Even if they got past their own issues, would that relationship had any chance of blossoming into something more? I remember reading someone talking about if they got their issues resolved they would just found out they are completely incompatible witch each other. The only thing holding them together is basically their miscommunications. Idk what to think about it myself

Well I definitely disagree with whoever's take you were reading. I absolutely think they're very compatible interpersonally.

Granted I can see why others might not see that, because we don't get many scenes of them just hanging out - rather we're told that they happen all the time, and we have to fill in the blanks ourselves.

But we are told that they happen. Guts has visted Griffith in his fancy nobleman room enough times to notice when he buys new books. Owen's strongest memory of Guts is seeing him at Griffith's side all the time, chilling with him. Griffith's climactic memory of Guts when he's about to sacrifice him is a mundane moment where they're just hanging out after a battle.

We don't get to see these moments, but they're given a lot of narrative significance, because they reflect Guts and Griffith's relationship.

They're comfortable with each other - the way Guts casually wants to visit Griffith after Zodd and has to be punched out so he doesn't interrupt the noblemen visiting him already. Relatedly, the way Griffith's ascension into the nobility drives a little artificial wedge between them that frustrates both of them (see Griffith bitching about the noblemen when he visits Guts on the stairs). They hang out and share porn before Griffith asks Guts to kill a guy lol. Their first bonding moment was a waterfight in which Griffith was naked. Guts spends like half the time between the rescue and the Eclipse holding Griffith. They're pretty emotionally and physically intimate.

They might not seem that compatible at a glance, but there's a reason "opposites attract" is a cliche.

Also on a surface level I think they make sense as good friends (or more) honestly - they actually remind me of several friendships I've had lol. As someone who, like Guts, has very little ambition, is chill, down to earth, and a bit introverted, and has several much more ambitious, more charismatic, more sociable friends, it's a pretty workable dynamic. I do more stuff and get more opportunities to try new things with those friends, and they get to relax and enjoy a low pressure environment with me. And I think in the story we can see shades of that vibe.

Though that said, I don't think it really matters whether they'd make sense as good friends/lovers if they were real, because a) the world is a vast place and contains multitudes and I'm sure you can take any two types of people and find them in a happy relationship somewhere, and b) it's a fictional story. We're essentially told that they love each other and had the potential to be very happy together in some capacity, we occasionally see glimpses that show us that they work well together interpersonally, and that's all we should need. If it goes against what someone might expect from a real life couple, well, that reflects more on their worldview and their experiences than it reflects on the characters in the story, imo.

If you're interested in more takes on their dynamic and how they could work as a couple btw, I have a headcanons tag where I've discussed them as a ship quite a bit in more hypothetical ways. And I have a couple posts of compiled links to griffguts headcanon posts here and here.

Anyway thanks for the ask!

[mega-ringsandthings-world]

Ahh! Well that be glad for I also love talking about this au! And I have some many questions!

So Mihawk activates armament on their way out? Any chance, since he doesn’t know how armament works, he uses it in such a way that it’s like, well shit, I don’t know enough about armament to say that can't work, and then he does something fucking crazy with it? Like how Sanji lights himself on fire or Zoro creates several other body parts? Like it’s an extension of your will—why should it be limited when your ambition isn’t?

Thoughts on tattoos? The boys could get them to cover up scars or other forced tattoos or brands. Also, will Mihawk dress less exposed in this AU? Maybe in the beginning of their escape, slightly ashamed of his scars, a bit self-conscious or at people looking at his body, developed body dysphoria from all the torture--the scars could trigger memories maybe? Maybe as they heal more slowly, he starts to stop covering up as much as he does? I don't know. Shanks would be just as much of a disaster when it comes to clothes as his older counterpart, and you know, for those first few years of freedom and being able to wear whatever they want, they'd either A. Freak out over all the choices now that they have them. Or B. Wear some of the most outlandish stuff, which from One Piece probably makes everyone shrug and go, "Yeah, they can slaughter a whole Marine base without breaking a sweat; we don’t give a shit what they wear." I still want to write/draw Shanks clothes covered in Mihawks embroidery projects though.

Oh yeah, wanna bet about how absolutely terrifying and confusing freedom is for them once they get out? For two years, they had a routine, had their life structured, and even if it was horrible, it was a predictable type of horrible. Do you think they sometimes lie awake at night wishing they could go back and then hating themselves for thinking it? And are absolutely confused with stuff like shopping and human interaction that’s beyond fighting, faked complacency, and/or trauma-bound?

Do they freak out grocery shopping and walking in a crowd? Does Mihawk forget how to act human, and all the refined intricacies that are no longer muscle memory? Does Shanks refuse to talk to anybody who isn’t Mihawk for a good long while? Like if he talked to anyone else, it was probably interrogation or something worse? Are they confused by normal everyday things that they used to understand, but now it just doesn't make sense? Do they do things in public or around people that were fine when captured but are completely faux pas or uncomfortable to see in public?

Anyway, healing sucks, and learning to rejoin society and not try to kill everyone who so much as looks at you wrong will probably take a long time for them, like a soldier rejoining from the army or an inmate getting out of prison. And I've read and watched a lot of interviews from soldiers and former prisoners, and one of the things you can spot after you get out is another prisoner or soldier. Do you think the Loguetown kidnapped can just spot each other across a crowded room? Can they just look and go, "Yeah, them. I know that general vibe?"

Are their conversations then from their perspective reminiscing while everyone else is like, "Uhh, that's torture, you all were tortured? And your wistfully looking off into the sunset thinking about it?”

Like a conversation can go— "And man, food, Oda Christ! When we first got out and I had a peach again, I thought I'd fucking die, man. But then, sometimes, it's like the food is too much? You know what I mean? Like too much flavor and color and choices and health and shit? Like, we can't just eat chocolate all the time, and while gruel was disgusting, it at least kept us in top shape, ya know?"

"Oh my god, man, I totally get it. Sometimes I'll just be sitting, wondering why I'm hungry, and then remember, 'Oh yeah, I actually have to make my food now,' and like, food is just so much, man. I miss the gruel sometimes." And everyone, like staring at them, talking about getting their teeth pulled out like it was the good old times and not deeply horrifying.

Keep 'em coming, lol! Both Mihawk and Shanks discover their full haki while escaping/shortly after escaping. There's some amount of discourse on this, but I'm planning for Mihawk to use his Armament haki to turn Yoru black. Or more black. Haki (and armament haki's black color )wasn't a thing yet when Yoru was shown to be black, so Yoru is technically a black blade with no influence of haki, but shhhh, I do what I want. We also know Yoru is one of the twelve supreme grade blades, among which Roger's blade, Ace, is one of, so a big thing is that Mihawk takes Yoru from the marines, because Marines had rounded up as many of the twelve blades as they could. As far as doing improbable feats with Armament Haki, Mihawk does, because at that point, he's desperate enough to. And so does Shanks with his. And while we're peaking of tattoos...armament-black imprints from Mihawk grabbing Shanks to protect him, anyone? (Yes, I know that's not how it works. I can get a pass here.) Tattoos are always a draw. What they'd actually be of is really interesting to think about. I think they'd dress as close as possible to the way they did before their capture, because it's a way of maintaining control/grasping at their former selves. But of course, there will be be the aspect of a security blanket, so while the style remains the same, their clothes become armor. (Mihawk does wear high-collared vampire shirts for quite a while, though. And he won't be found without his coat.) They'll be more structured and ornate, meant to project status and stop people dead in their tracks. i.e Mihawk gets his hat, his coats are fully embroidered and embossed/beaded and have gold hardwear, he wears gold jewellery. Shanks takes to wearing long heavy leather cloaks he can wrap himself fully in, flowing red silk sashes. Silk shirts too. Real shoes. Mihawk embroiders everything of his. All those patterns canon Shanks wears? Loguetown Shanks wears Mihawk's patterns. Dripping bloody red flowers and gold filigree everywhere. Oh, it would be. During the times when they are fighting/unable to be around each other because of their recovery, they would think that. Too, they both secretly expected the other to be the one who would survive. They'd never thought it probable that they'd both be free again. And now they are, and they are dealing with it, and they can't. pt.2 coming up

[bluu3berry]

Underwing! (Birdtale "remake")

Author note: This is my take on the concept and seeing how i think birdtale would've looked like or progress not saying Grayscales original AU is bad or needs a rewrite.

!!Warning!! > I'm a minor so bad grammar/punctuations I'll try my best to fix!

Chapter 1 - Before Fall

_________=)_________

They stretched their arms high into the sky, Laying ontop a matted and dirty bed this orphanage was never good! Fris jumped up as their dull face heard child laughter in the distance heard the laughter of happiness. Fris was never apart of this being a far gone outcast from this society after.. Mishaps with their parents the small child was on their own with no friends or no one to be with.

But this day.. Today.. 20XX, March 25. Same month and day as Fris' birthday. Was going to change now they didn't know this however. They didn't hear a singing or anyone calling for them unlike another kids birthday Fris was forgotten about. They sighed and moved on as they silently moved down the stares, being the smallest kid in the orphanage only at 5 it was hard for them to get down the steps by foot.. So they sat down and-

Thump Fris sprawled out blankly sliding down the stares, like a bumpy slide would act. They tumbled near the bottom and landed near the shoe pile where all the shoes were gone except their lovely brown boots they had gotten from their parents! The boots still had that stain of dirt, they stared blankly at them before picking them up sitting down and struggling to get the old pair of shoes on. Once they did finally pop on uncomfortably they buttoned up their onesie never leaving it due to being a comfort item.

They hopped up and down trying to grab the door before it swung open they fell onto their bottom as a group of kids came running in with a pet dog they've found, Fris was to focused on going outside to play to even care about what the other kids had gathered as a group. They left the warm, but unwelcoming orphanage vibe and into the brave forest that covered the small hill it sat apon.

But what is fris going to do today? well their ambition was driving them to the point they'd wanted to find out if the myth of Harpies was even real!.. They grabbed a pack of bandages and their bag of rocks shoving them into their onesies pocket as they sat off on an adventure they'd never come back from.. or would they?..

~ While we wait for the ambitious soul to climb this scaling Mt. Osye let me tell you a tale, a tale of wings.. ~

Once there was 2 races. Harpies and Humans. Harpies in this world was the birds was another race with wings, Feathers. They weren't however near a human form...

The humans grew jealous of the Harpies flight of the sky.. So the king of humans banished the Harpies far away from home into the depths of MT. Osye.

The harpies were pacifist at this time so they didn't think of fighting.. They were seal and trapped...

Lets say the harpies grew cold..

~ Seems are protagonist has made it to the top! lets check up on them. ~

Fris stared down at the hole. They blinked seeing the black bottomless pit, They looked around the Almost ruined cave.. hearing a rumble before a crash! The cave enterance! It was about to close!

" ... " Fris still had a dull mind as they stepped back not to take damage but ended up tripping and falling into the wide pit below just seeing the rocks tumble closing up the hole they fell into. They stared blankly with no real expression.. They closed their eyes knowing this had to be death.

Tat- Ruffling of flowers was heard under them they sat up using their hand as a prep as their striped onesie was now dirtied by.. yellow daisies.. Talking about flowers they looked up to see a flower... with feather like petals that blew in the wind.. spikey soft looking arms and a Unsettling smile, looking untrustworthy..

" Howdy! I'm Feather.. Feather the 'Flower'! " The feathered flower spoke as it raised a hand to wave. " Welcome to paradise! "

Author note: Fris is the frisk of the AU not a different human, They're Boyflux use he/they hate being called a girl.

[crazycatsiren]

Tarot card of the day from mother witch

Page of wands. This is a delightful card. When the page of wands appears, they come with ideas and are blooming with creative energy. Art projects, new inventions, start-ups, the possibilities are endless. The page of wands is a fireball of inspiration and motivation. But because they're a page, they're lacking the confidence and the understanding of how to make everything come together, and how to pull everything through to the end. But like the other pages in the tarot courts, you can bet they're ready to dive in and figure it out.

The page of wands would be a spark to light up something in your life. They're inspired, and they seem to never run out of ideas. Their beginner's mind is blossoming. However, it might take a while for them to develop the focus and maturity to follow through on everything they start. They're attracted by so many things, and they're easily distracted. They have all the potential, and their enthusiasm is contagious. But they have a lot of growing up to do before their creativity and excitement are no longer all over the place.

If this is an older person who's made a change of path in life and is starting at square one once more, or someone who has returned to where they'd left off after a long hiatus due to life circumstances (such as moving or starting a family), I will say this: I love these people. They have as much energy and drive as their younger peers, and they have wisdom from their life experiences to share. I remember when I returned to my old graduate school after 4 years away to complete my master's. I had one year left to go in my music education program, which involved the same courses and internships that undergraduate education majors have to go through before they can become state certified. I was 28 years old, sharing a classroom with a bunch of 21 year old undergrads. Let me tell you, that was a load of fun. They counted on me to look after them, and their youthful vibes definitely rubbed off on me.

The page of wands also reminds me of myself as a 19 year old new music major in college. I had no idea how I would go about making things work. I just took an opportunity and ran with it. Looking back, I don't think I had an inkling as to what I was getting myself into. I knew I was taking a risk, but I wanted to give it a shot, and I took the chance anyway, without family support and all. I was so incredibly naive when it came to how the world operates, but I wanted to give it my all, and I was set on at least trying. All I had was my ambition, my work ethic, and a dream. I wanted to be an opera singer, so I set about to become an opera singer. What the hell was I thinking? Well, here's the thing: I wasn't thinking.

[hedgewyse]

Tag 9 people you want to get to know better Tagged by @dummerjan, @misspoetree, @letsabandonthisworld (I got around to it eventually!)

Three ships

I love power dynamics in ships, and people who absolutely should not be together. I love people who could destroy one another if they chose to. Whose family or society would be horrified they are together. Bonus points if they are definitely fucking each other up, but continue anyway.

Dongfang Qingcang/Shangque - Love between fairy and devil Ghostship

I love the idea that Shangque is this ancient, powerful dragon but is utterly devoted to Qingcang, knows all his habits, looks after his little mood swings, let's him feel like he's in control even though he probably knows rightly how to manipulate him if he wanted to. Qingcang is the definition of cringefail edgy villain who tries not to show that he's squishy in the middle but only for the right people.

VegasKim - Kinnporsche Ghostship

I really don't care at all about the cousins angle here. When you take a step back and think, our weirdness about that is rooted in concerns around genetic risks and that's uh, not really an issue with same-sex stuff, y'know? Anyway, no, the bit that does it for me is that both families would be outraged, and that they are both utterly tough and unhinged about the family business and absolutely could destroy one another. And they are definitely fucking up each other's lives, ambitions, and self-identity.

Gahan - The Devil Judge main co-stars

Kim Gaon and Kang Yohan are so clearly into each other. So much fascination with each other, how the others operates, what motivates them, the grudging respect. But also just really hot for it. The roaming eyes on both sides when shirts are off. The moments of softness Yohan allows to slip out, the moments of brokenness and anger that Gaon suffers Yohan to witness, how they betray each other but are inexorably drawn together again anyway. I love the moment Yohan risks discovery to save Gaon. I love the moment Gaon risks his life to go down with Yohan. I love both gradually realising the other will come to rescue them, no matter what the risk. I love the age gap. I love how different they are, and how they are two broken pieces which fit together perfectly nonetheless. It's messy and beautiful.

Honorable mentions: WangXian ults, obvs. But I can't put them in every single one of these so I'm trying to branch out.

First ever ship - BtVS: Sprusilla

The second I laid eyes on Drusilla and her graceful, syrupy brand of crazy I was in love, and Spike is such a cringefail dark little villain I was always going to fall for him. They are perfect together. I wish they'd had a spin off series Bonnie&Clyde-ing all over Europe.

Last song

I got this recc from a fanfic. Fucken love when people have fic songs! Set the vibe, queen, I wanna cosy up in your brain.

Last movie - Wandering Earth

Currently reading

Mastering Active Directory by Dishan Francis. Don't even ask, honestly.

But I pretty much read some kind of snuggly fanfic every night to get to sleep - I need my 'literal sleeping together' angst fix.

Currently watching

Just finished Physical: 100 (the women! 👀👀👀) and Moonlight Chicken (this was my first FourthGemini and I am SOLD, holy smokes).

Deciding now between The Glory, Interview with the Vampire (which I'm resuming at ep 5 after the friend I was watching with got distracted by his girl and I am tired of waiting), and I'll probably cave to My School President even though I hate school BLs because of the aforementioned FourthGemini. I'm also still in the middle of Taxi Driver and a rewatch of Magicians with a different friend.

Currently consuming

It's been a really hard month so I've gone back to comfort food; so sweet and sour chicken, pad thai, garlic ramen. And still burning toast every time I come home drunk, lol.

Currently craving

I dunno. Friends who actually want to dance as something more than just pulling at the club? Skinship? An occasional twink to spoil? A deeper conversation? Carrot cake?

Issue declined due to absence of required parameters

Pretty sure everyone has done it already, but just in case, tagging @hilema @negrowhat @dream-thief-forever-amen @cloudburst-ink @eyesof-kkomi @staytotheend @saturnskyline @hoe-for-jihyo @sinistergooseberries

[lcngliive]

Was that [ALVA BRATT]? Oh no no, that was just [SHIN HATI], a [CANON CHARACTER] from [STAR WARS]. They are [TWENTY FIVE] years old, use [SHE/THEY], and [ARE] aware that they are not actually from Washington DC. Too bad they can’t stray from this city for long.

how long has your character been here

they've only been here for a week.

what is your character's job

nothing yet, but she'll probs be some sort of muscle for hire.

where has your character been pulled from in their fandom

from the end of the ashoka series after being trapped.

has any magic affected your character

nope.

and any other information you might find useful for us and the other members to know!!

okay ,, this feral lil shit is shin hati, there's not much on shin's early childhood or anything like that - I'm just going to kinda make that up as i go along tbh bc the show hasn't touched much on that other than she's a force sensitive kid that baylan found not in the jedi temple or on courscant. obvs if we get a second season of ahsoka, I'll change her stuff if we find out more abt them :)

okay here we go

shin's always been force-sensitive, but obviously, because the jedi order was no more.

shin doesn't remember her parents - they were killed when shin was four and they spent time in an orphanage before baylon found them.

from there, he could see their potential to be something greater than the jedi ever were - except for most of the things she learned early on were heavily influenced by the jedi, esp the wearing of the padawan braid that she still has.

they both spent years being muscle for hire until they allied with morgan elspbeth in the hunt for thrawn, but there was always something greater than baylon wanted for both of them, so he went along with the plan to find thrawn just to further his ambitions.

so they spent years working for her and eventually broke her out of prison after she was captured by ahsoka tano.

after that, shin was sent off on a few missions of their own - specifically one to lothal to retrieve the orb that held the map to get to peridia, nd that was where she met sabine wren for the first time and where they stabbed them lmaooo.

after all of that, they managed to get the giant ass hyperspace rings working so that they could go get thrawn.

shin absolutely did not like morgan or the other nightsisters that were around, they lowkey creeped them out.

shin fought off ahsoka, sabine and ezra for a little bit - but in the end up they ran away when ahsoka asked her to join them.

but baylon had gone off and left them, so they were once again on their own, so she went off to find the hunters that they'd worked with before and that's the last we see of shin in season 1 :)

jodie's hcs abt shin :)))

was raised by a single mother, her father was killed by smugglers when they were trying to get to a different planet before shin was born.

shin bites. 100% is a biter, will bite to win a fight.

also pulls hair.

does not like being alone, it reminds them of the time when she was alone when she was a child after her mother died.

they don't know how to talk to people their own age without being rude lmaoooo.

will absolutely start a fight over anything tbh.

they favour form iv ataru - it's known as the aggression form - and a lot of shin's control comes from her anger, which is shown a lot when she spontaneously does things that are driven by anger.

here in dc

after everything that happened in the ahsoka show, shin is very confused abt how they're here??? she was still thinking they'd be stuck on peridia after thrawn left.

so she is very confused about everything, will be absolutely so defensive abt everything.

so it would be good if there was someone that would be able to kinda like show them around lmaooooo????? give them the vibes of the place pls nd thank.

potential plots

roomate(s) - idk why anyone would wanna room w/her but ?????? they clean up after themselves and probs wont say much so ????? win-win kind of situation lmaooooo.

friends - kinda like everything else??? shin doesn't trust easy and def stabs and bites so ????? take that as you will lmaooo - but def some people who are of the same sort of mind set as her ??? like the whole dark vibes nd kinda thing like that, they'd get on easily with someone like that.

a slow burn relationship - shin absolutely does not trust anyone but her master - and obs he's not here so ?????? feral lesbian is open to a ship - but it will def need to be slow burn, she has a lot of trust issues and that won't exactly make them a good partner to start off with ?????? but they'd probs end up catching feelings

friends with benefits/hookups - like before, shin is a lesbian - but this would just be random people they've met and would probably never want to see again lmaooo - but some of them could turn into something like enemies or whatever ???? down for vibes.

[sparxaf]

Since I spent so much time sorting my reasoning for being a believer in Lucas and Hope for TSIME, I figured I might as well barf it up here. But first, remember, these are just pixels and it's all for funsies. If you don't agree with me, that's fine. But let's keep it chill.

Here's why I think they work as a couple. Strap in, this is a long one.

It starts with what didn't work with Hope and Noah. There are many things at play but I always thought the main issue between them was Noah's dad energy. He treated her in a paternal way that seemed to grate on her nerves (like cutting up her toastie). Even the way he talked about her accomplishments had a "proud dad" vibe. But Hope didn't seem to want a dad, she wanted a partner. Which is why she freaked about the sweatshirt. She didn't want him to buy her a new one, she wanted him to help her fix it. Partner. Not daddy. And Noah has a version of Hope in his head that doesn't really gel with who she was. When he said Hope would never dance on tables because she's a LADY, it was like... um she absolutely would. She likes to take charge but she also has a wild, adventurous side that she revels in. She's a rebel to some extent. Also, at her core, it's clear that she's very insecure in some way and it always struck me that maybe Noah's stoicism was at odds with her insecurity. When she had to go on a date with someone (Jakub?), she had a moment of panic when she was picked but Noah didn't seem bothered at all. Which one could interpret as him being trusting and secure, but I think for someone more insecure and brittle like Hope, that chillness can feel like rejection. Which is also why (in my head) she was so clingy. She didn't feel secure. With any couple, IRL or pixel, there's no such thing as a personality in isolation. You respond to the person you're around and your behavior will begin to reflect that to a certain extent. So just because she's clingy with Noah isn't necessarily a reflection she'll be exactly like that with someone else. As @kikithegr8 said, she needs to feel safe enough to relinquish control. As for the money issue, money is important to her and so is ambition, something that Noah doesn't really seem to have. He has a job he likes and that's... it. I don't recall much in the way of conversation with him indicating he'd like to do more. Which is perfectly fine. He can be happy with what he has, but that was never going to work for her long term. She wanted him to be someone he couldn't be and he wanted her to be someone she never was.

So going off of that, you have Lucas. Yes, he's posh and he's uncomfortable with it to some extent. And he's not actually a rich guy based on his job (I always assumed his money came from family because everything about him screams TRUST FUND to me). But at his core, he's territorial, he doesn't believe in fate rather he believes in ambition and taking control of your own destiny, he's adventurous, and he doesn't live a life of regret. He also comes across as someone who likes to be in control but if you've ever played his route and behaved like a "bad girl" with him, you'll quickly find that he LOVES when his partner takes control. It gets him all hot and bothered when she orders him to stop talking during sex. Also he likes when his partner gets jealous. When he goes on the date with Elisa if you're jealous he gets kind of chuffed.

So now you've got two people (Lucas and Hope) who are both fun-loving, adventurous, rebellious, independent, ambitious, yet territorial. Both a little classy and a little wild. I think Lucas's jealousy would make Hope feel wanted and loved. Not saying that it's the most healthy, but I do see that working for her and allowing her to feel more secure. And if that works to make her more secure, I don't think she'd be as clingy as she was with Noah. They'd have a lot of fun together and it's possible that there's no big money differential between them (if I'm right about the trust fund thing) so her money would be hers and his would be his and he'd have no reason to feel any type of way about it. That's why I think she was stuck on him being minted. To her that's a sign that he wouldn't be freaked about her bank account. Also Lucas likes big showy romantic gestures, like sweeping you into his arms and dipping you for a kiss, and I can see that being really appealing to Hope.

The fact that they both don't want kids isn't really the main thing to me, it's more of a microcosm of the way both of them aren't really into nurturing or being nurtured. That's not how they receive love.

The reality is that no relationship is 100% perfect. Not even fictional ones. Do I think they'd fight a lot? Absolutely. And some people just do that. Whether that's healthy or not is irrelevant. I still maintain that they fundamentally work as a couple, even if they're a messy, argumentative couple. But I can see Lucas being able to navigate Hope much better than Noah could. Noah is kind of intractable. And while Lucas is is temperamental, he's also pretty self-aware. At one point in the game, he apologizes to MC for being unbearable because he knew he was being a prick. It's one of the things I like about him. So I can see him better able to handle the arguing and the control scuffles they're likely to have. Also I think they'd fight and have lots of wild makeup sex.

Wow that is a lot of words about some fictional people. Then again, I wrote three novels worth of words about these characters and their friends, so this is just how I roll 😆

Even if you don't go for Noah, Hope is extremely clingy and shows no encouragement for him to explore options. It's kind of a known fact that she "did bits" with him so Priya can't turn his head.

It's like Lottie and her "Girl Code" but is a hypocrite, Marisol saying she goes after what she wants, but is bitter if MC does it and Hope saying she won't mind if Priya gets to know Noah, but literally does everything to stop you and anyone else from getting to know him and him getting to know anyone. Which I could never see that flying with Lucas who would straight up say he wants to get to know other people and I can see the first clash.

I mean- she stops him from playing truth or dare barely a few hours in and he listens? You think Lucas would care or let that stop him? Boom. Another fight again.

Also. I don't see a double standard. She is in fact a little materialistic and money hungry. She makes multiple comments about Lucas being rich and posh, which he always shows discomfort over, and even gets embarrassed when he thinks he's "too posh". And the first thing she throws in Noah's face is that she's the one who makes money and is always talking about how much money she makes. I mean...even if I were frustrated and arguing over something sentimental why would "I make more money than you" come up in conversation?

Also Lucas is a Physiotherapist. It's kind of known that they don't make money like that. I'm sure if he's money hungry he could have just done what his parents wanted.

I'm not trying to be rude. I've just never really seen the appeal in that pairing and most of the reasons people point out are always superficial but there's not really any depth or balance beyond "They're both flashy and don't want kids"....I mean yeah, he's a whole commitmentphobe and clearly has issues with his own family.

First Hope was clingy no argument. I honestly think Lucas would have a charming way of reasoning with her as opposed to letting her get what she wants. The way you throw around the term “fact” so loosely I’m not sure how serious you actually are. This is fake. I don’t recall her doing bits to keep Priya away so I’m thinking that’s head canon at best. I just want to make sure we are on the same page there.

I agree with Lottie being hypocritical. Marisol not so much. When Marisol and Hannah made Gary breakfast and I ended up eating it with Gary Marisol basically said “well played” and gave us privacy.

I think Hope could use someone with a little more backbone than Noah, but not too much. I think she low key wants to be more submissive but it has to be the right guy. He can’t do it in an aggressive way, and has to make her feel safe enough to relinquish control and have her feel like she’s taken care of, not because she can’t take care of herself, but because she doesn’t always have to. I think she thought it was foolish for Noah to think she couldn’t buy her own sweatshirt and was triggered by past relationships where men we insecure about her financial independence. The only thing appealing about Lucas being a doctor is that hopefully he wouldn’t be insecure about her financial status.

I totally get the superficial pairing thing though. I think most people don’t analyze things that deep because it’s fake but I will say I’m similar to Hope in the financially independent sense without being clingy and I want kids though. I was interested in Lucas initially too just like she was but idk I was turned off because some things came off snobby to me.

Also physiotherapist > librarian which does not equal money hungry.

[vintagegeekculture]

Given that; out of left field; Mattel somehow bought the rights to Sun-Man to use in their collector-targeted MotU Origins series, any chance of a post on the history of Olmec Toys? Seems like your kind of thing!

I was not aware of these figures at the time, but since becoming aware of them as a pop culturephile, I think they're fascinating because they have that truly weird, brightly colored infusion of the time black culture in the US was dominated by electronic and synth, a sense of the psychedelic and futuristic. Remember Space Sumo, the telekinetic ninja? Say what you like, this stuff is acid weird and clearly the product of a distinct vision.

You see the movement that produced Sun Ra most clearly in music. In fact, it's kind of a shame that Sun Ra never got an animated series. for many reasons. First of all, I can imagine it looking less like Filmation and more like avant-garde Soviet Bloc animation like "Son of the White Mare." Also, it should have got a show because...boy, what would that soundtrack have been like? Afrika Bambaata, arguably one of the 20 most influential Americans of the late 20th Century, was at the very moment these figures came out, sampling German bands to create his space rock with themes like the Ancient Egyptians had the secret of telepathy and television. They collected the ambition and total unearthly weirdness of prog rock, the future sounds of synth, with true African soul and rhythms (Sun Man dresses in the colors of the Ethiopian flag).

George Clinton did stage shows dressed as a wizard while creating space music the Silver Surfer would appreciate, and Earth, Wind and Fire dressed like they just came through a Stargate or a Pyramid Ship (they were not a disco group, incidentally, it bugs me when people say that - they were around at the same time as disco, but they were soul and R&B and it does a disservice to their classic appeal to call them that). Even the most traditional and staid of old school R&B guys like Quincy Jones, at this moment, did an album like the Dude, where he combined bossa nova with acid trip space stuff.

For these reasons, Sun Man always had a sense of identity different from He-Man, who was inspired by Frazetta and the paperback boom. He was easily the most unique of the He-Man imitators, who tended to act like He-Man was the first western ever made and they were making the second. It's kind of a shame that Sun Ra never got playsets. Can you imagine what they'd be like? I can imagine his Castle Grayskull right now: a Sphinx with glowing red eyes for lights that when you push a button the eyes flash and it says "WHO DARES TRESPASS ON THE SPHINX?" And the goal of the set is to steal the jewel on his forehead that amplifies mind powers. How about a pyramid that functions as a starship, too? The inside would look like Ming's Throne Room from the 1980 Flash Gordon. I would love to design creatures as well, how about a flying lion that shoots lasers from its eyes, or some African elk thing with horns like an Irish Elk that runs through space. He should have a spaceship powered entirely by good vibes and soul named the Arkestra, after Sun Ra's band, the Sun Ra Arkestra.

Oh that reminds me, I suspect the character was named after psychadelic electronic pioneer, the incredible Sun Ra, who as you might expect, dressed like a space wizard.

[hopeshoodie]

Head cannon relationship for Jake and Hope? I honestly would ship this

YEEEEEEESSSS I feel like I made this post before but if Jake was on Season 2* he and Hope would've fallen in love and gotten married and genuinely been the best Love Island couple ever.

(*I think if Hope was on Season 1 it would've been bad news. S1 was very openly contentious and I think it would've brought out her aggressiveness/she wouldn't have learned that she needed to seek anger management help and therapy. I don't think Jake would fall for her in the same way if at all if Hope was on S1 duking it out with Jen, Erikah, and Allegra)

But if Jake was in S2... Ugh they would be so cute. He has everything she likes about Noah- the strong masculine appearance, the quiet introspectiveness, the sweetness/domesticity- along with more of what she expects out a life partner- career ambition, good financial prospects, less of a family-oriented expectation for his future.

I still think Hope would've immediately gone for Noah, and honestly, that would be better because Jake clearly only feels secure in a relationship if he's had time to get to know the person and fall in love over time (i.e. MC or Rohan)

So here's my HC for their relationship in S2:

Hope still immediately goes for Noah/steals him. Maybe Jake steps forward for her, maybe he doesn't.

S2 proceeds mostly the same, I can see Priya vibing with Jake and stealing him, only to realize they don't have the 'spark' like she did with Rahim. I think Priya would still go after Noah even when coupled with Jake, because he's not overly touchy feely or romantic in the way she'd want. In Matchmaker's S1 remake, MC can couple with Jake early in the season but he's super distant/weird about it. Like he's overly platonic and awkward around MC. He'd be like that with Priya, and Priya would get frustrated because she's with this gorgeous man who doesn't seem to be interested in her. Plus she loves the chase, so she's still going to covet Noah.

The bad news is with Jake added to the villa, I kinda see Rahim going home early in the season. They have similar 'quiet, nerdy' personalities, and I think Jake would be a higher priority for the girls to save than Rahim. Poor Rahim, I love you anyways.

Jake loves having deep, intimate chats with people about important things in their lives. If he was up on that terrace with Hope after the hoodie fight instead of MC, it wouldn't have just been a 20 line conversation. They'd be up there for over an hour, with him asking insightful questions to get Hope to really open up about her commitment issues and insecurities with Noah.

I think that conversation is the first time they both secretly look at each other like 'oh'. Jake inwardly chastizes himself, saying he's trying to help her be happy in her couple, he shouldn't be coveting her while doing it. Hope feels a little flushed but tells herself 'he's just being a good friend'.

Unlike Noah, Jake doesn't have a problem with confrontation, especially when he gets to be righteous. In the wake of Operation Nope, I think he has stern words for both Priya and Noah. He chastizes Noah for stringing them both along, but then relents when Noah shoots back that he can't communicate how he feels if he doesn't know yet.

Jake is the only one to point out that the issue isn't Priya trying to kiss Noah (like everyone else is mad about), it's that she tried to hide it behind playing a game instead of just openly testing the waters. This exchange is what makes Priya go "I don't want to recouple with you, you can sleep on the day beds. Stay out of my face." This would be a great fic, because Priya is super childish when she feels attacked, and Jake wouldn't be able to reconcile what he thought was a friendship with how she's treating him now that she 'attacked' him.

So Jake sleeps on the daybeds until casa amor. Hope definitely comes out and they have a little ~chat~ prior to the disaster recoupling. Neither of them are openly like 'I think I might like you', but they talk about missing their lives outside of the villa and their childhood. Maybe Hope rests her head on his shoulder for a bit before going back inside.

I think Jake gets stuck with Lottie in the disaster recoupling, which he tries to hide his distaste for. He's been avoiding her to avoid being openly annoyed. Highkey I can totally see Jake and Shane talking shit about Lottie during Casa Amor, and maybe pissing off Gary in the process.

Hope comes back from CA and still has her Cinderella moment with Noah. Everyone sees it, including Jake, and he's gutted. CA is what made him realize he has feelings for Hope. That same day, he corners Hope when they're alone and confesses his feelings. She's flattered, and does have feelings for him, but is insistent that her and Noah are working on it.

"Maybe if you'd said something a couple days ago... But... I have to go with my gut."

"My gut is telling me that I care about you."

"Well mine is... Jake. I care about you too. But I care about my relationship with Noah too."

He accepts that, and says "It's not going to stop how I feel about you. But I get it. And I want you to be happy." Agreeing to respect their relationship, he withdraws a bit, feelings hurt.

He's gotta stay in the villa somehow for the narrative, not because he wants to, so maybe he has a flirtationship with Elisa where they briefly couple up. She's fun and uncomplicated.

But around this time Jake starts noticing Noah's very obvious looks in MC's direction. How Noah's openly pining for MC while beginning to neglect/ignore Hope. I don't think he gets a good admonishment in, but he definitely scoffs and walks away when Noah makes the baby dinosaur comment (ignore that that's too late in the season for where we are).

At some point, Jake has another conversation with Hope. He feels self-righteous, going to her and saying "I know you don't see it but this is how he's treating you-" and Hope pushes back like "I know how he's treating me. It's none of your business, you said you'd respect our relationship.

They get a little frustrated with each other, Hope because she's lowkey thinking about her and Noah's shot at winning, and Jake because he feels like she's letting Noah get away with too much.

This argument culminates in a kiss, like a real movie kiss with them grabbing each other and pressing close and deepening it. When they finally pull away, Hope kind of says "damn it." Jake asks if it was okay, and she says that it was, but now she can't pretend she doesn't want to do that again. They kiss more. Squee.

I'm thinking this is around day like day 23 or 24, a couple days before the final recoupling. Hope goes to Noah and says she doesn't want to recouple. He's blindsided, maybe they get into a little bit of an argument but already Hope's feeling more secure, so there's no yelling. Jake lets Elisa know and it's less of a surprise.

We get two days or so of Hope and Jake being genuinely couple-y and delighted with each other, sleeping on the day beds together, etc. I can't remember if there's a challenge during those days, but even when they're with their partners they're very playfully competitive with each other.

Their relationship is really refreshing to watch because Nope was a bit one-sided- with Hope always leading and Noah always acquiescing. Jake's interested and willing to start conversations, plan moments for them, and stick up for Hope in a way Noah didn't.

Jake and Hope at prom??!!! Jake and Hope at prom 🥺🥺🥺🥺 He asks production for a pocket square the same color as her dress, and his speech to her is just... So adoring. Hope is speechless and gets through hers but is just. So shocked how loving and tender this man is towards her.

For his part, Noah clearly has had his world turned upside down. He still really likes MC, but if she isn't interested in him then he's... Lost. He's frustrated with the situation, he's a bit spurned. If MC doesn't agree to sleep with him on day 29, I think he leaves the show early like Nicky did in S3

I think when they first got together Hope would be preoccupied about not winning, but after prom she doesn't even care anymore. Noah and her relationship always had competing with others as an element in the mix, but now that Jake and her have basically thrown that to the wind she doesn't even care anymore. She loves him.

Thinking of them after the show building a life together fucking SO SWEET AAAAA. Her facing the twitter storm with him by her side. Rewatching the show and realizing she hates the anger and aggression she showed and wanting to get help and Jake supporting her through it. Hope trying to cook meals for Jake because he cooks all day at work and she wants him to relax when he gets home but she just absolutely ruins the food.

Like after Hope gets her huge promotion, the first thing she's thinking of is 'omg now we have the extra cash to invest in Jake's restaurant'. Them location shopping and planning every detail, and Hope's just so excited for him.

Jake proposes to Hope first, but it's this really intimate, sincere moment, maybe in their bedroom or right away in the morning. Hope laughs and says "yes but no", and then clarifies that their engagement should be way more elegant than what he just did. She says she's going to propose to him better than that, he's shocked. What follows is like five months of them each planning elaborate proposals and romantic dates where they keep one-upping each other. Finally Jake says yes on a hot air balloon, but "ONLY because the sunset is just, otherworldly and it seems like a sign".

Them going to the reunion together and they're both just so at ease, no regrets. No hurt feelings, just this sense that everything worked out perfectly and needed to happen the way it did. They're glowing.

[oddcoupler222]

I'm re-reading In The Long Run on kindle and realized how much of their lives the story covered, and it got me curious, what were the characters from your other stories like in highschool? Do you think they'd date their love interests if they met back then? Have any of them crossed paths with each other without knowing it? In the long run is an amazing fall read btw, I dunno why but it feels like crisp leaves and pumpkin spice

you know, i totally do agree that in the long run has fall vibes, even though i didn't intentionally put them in there?

this question honestly gave me a lot to think about tonight... and of course i have now figured it all out

Sutton Spencer in high school was kind of like - the model student? Definitely model daughter of a senator. She was smart, respectful, had a handful of friends (of course, Regan), was the captain of the track team. She dated a college boy (as mentioned in TWW) secretly, but other than that, wasn't in any relationships, really. The most trouble she got in was when Regan got her into some hijinks. Graduated in the top % of her class.

Charlotte Thompson was the exact fucking same as she is as an adult. She was doing internships in DC since she was 16, she had a whole plan for her future. Attending a prestigious private school, she took high level courses and aced them. She was easily frustrated when she struggled in science. She wasn't necessarily popular... but she also wasn't unpopular? Honestly, Charlotte believed she was above many of her peers. Not SNOBBY necessarily, but just - I don't have time for you because I'm busy doing me. It was an air that might have made her peers dislike her, but it instead gave off I'm a cool fucking bitch. She was much too busy for relationships even in high school, but did hook up with a handful of girls.

Sutton and Charlotte have crossed paths, in their younger years. Approximately when Charlotte was in her early teens and Sutton was even younger - Charlotte's grandmother was the president and Sutton's father was a senator, and they were both at the same function. They didn't directly meet, but they were both there.

If they met in high school... I mean. Sutton would have had a GAY PANIC. If you think Sutton blushes and stutters as an adult, imagine if she saw high school Charlotte. And Sutton would have been someone Charlotte at first would have paid no mind to... but if they were in the same classes, Charlotte would have taken notice of Sutton, because Sutton would have been competing with her to do the best in the class. Only, for Sutton, it wasn't a competition, and Charlotte would have been like?! Who is this girl, thinking she is going to BEAT ME? And then once she got to know Sutton, she would become enamored.

Caroline in high school was definitely nerdy? she had 3 older brothers who were all popular jocks and she didn't like get made fun of or anything, but she definitely felt other a lot of the time. she was in the midst of figuring out her sexuality and wasn't SUPER comfortable in her own skin until college. But she was smart and quippy and had her first girlfriend then (who dumped her). She had a couple of good friends, and mostly kept to herself

Hannah was very focused on her future. She had ambitions and she knew she and her mother did not have a lot of money, so she did everything she could to ensure she would get into a good college and be able to afford going. She was a cheerleader and in the art club, and picked up shifts at the diner her mom essentially managed whenever she could. She had a long term high school boyfriend and - she was a popular girl? but she was always relatively quiet, pretty nice; her focus was on her future

Caroline and Hannah's high school football teams were rivals and Hannah was a cheerleader at their games. But Caroline did not go to football games! Otherwise, they may have crossed paths.

And, had they gone to the same school, Caroline absolutely would have been a sucker for Hannah. She'd be a sucker for Hannah every single time. Hannah likely wouldn't have noticed Caroline, most of the time, because she was so focused on her future and her life. But if they were thrown together for a project or something, they definitely would have been friends (and mayhaps Hannah would have discovered herself sooner? who knows...)

[gdsplay]

I went on a KPop deep dive a month ago and ended up liking Big Bang & having a huge crush on Kang Daesung ♥️. I'm actually the same age as him and I totally missed out on this group for 14 yrs. Out of every group (1st gen to current) BB is just so different and the range they can deliver is unparalleled that I hesitate to call them an idol group.

In that short span of time, not even knowing what burning sun is about, Seungri just rubs me off the wrong way. There is no problem with ambition & tenacity but his is coupled with greed and even desperation. I looked back on their videos and he just seems to have this huge inferiority complex and wants to be seen ALL the time. He hogs the camera. In Go Show when Youngbae was dancing, he was too when it isn't his turn. In Strong Heart, he was imitating TOP when he didn't have to. In Family Outing he made them choose between him & Daesung. He's jealous of GD, but he'd always been jealous of Daesung also bec of his celebrity connections (which Dae doesn't ever exploit). Maybe that's why there is always noticeable distance between them. He's always the one saying "Nyongtory" which I didn't buy into; it struck me as always been for show only. It doesn't feel the same way as ToDae, there had been affection there right from the beginning.

It also struck me how the members treat him & Dae when they are both the maknae line. The rest have always been affectionate with Dae, constantly praising him. They play up his strengths (knowing Dae has his insecurities too & he had struggled so much esp in 2011 that he's never been the same despite his current playfulness). Even GD joked he wants to be Dae in one of those MADE series interviews. Their messages to him are always thankful (even 2 "I love you's" from TOP 😊). But with Seungri, they seem to always have their guard up when he opens his mouth. I like how Taeyang publicly showed his disdain for S in the GD & friends show.

Even w/o the scandal they'd eventually be a group of 4. Going back to old shows, I think this solidified in Go Show. In Weekly Idol, GD said that there's 1 they could do w/o. Same in Infinite Challenge. In Radio Star, they've repeatedly warned him about his acquaintances. They've readied themselves for this possibility long ago. They already saw the writing on the wall even if they don't know the extent of how badly he'd f*** it up.

But it's also good that it's Seungri who is out; I'm sure they could bounce back w/o him. They still have 2 of the vocal powerhouses who could very easily take his parts. His sound is not distinct anyway.

If it is any of the remaining 4, I doubt if they'd come back as a group, subunits maybe? (I even think that if Dae quits, then TOP won't come back even if GD & Tae wants to. This opinion is not being a ToDae fan as I'm not a shipper, I just like their friendship). I'm happy with the 4; with them there's balance: 2 singers, 2 rappers, GDYB & Todae as BFFs.

Even if they don't want to come back in SoKor, there's always Japan & China. I think they'd do well internationally, esp in Southeast Asia (there's too many of us waiting for their return). And if there's one group who could rise from this level of adversity, it's Big Bang. Go OT4! 🎉

One, I’m glad that you didn’t let Seungri turn you away from the whole group. One bad apple shouldn’t spoil the rest!

Two, I felt the same way to be quite honest. I didn’t dislike Seungri, I liked him in some aspects but he didn’t really click with me like the others. His overly cocky, obnoxious yet attention seeking personality turned me off. Wasn’t interested half of the time. His constant loud mouth always interrupting the others to squeeze himself into the picture when the spotlight wasn’t on him every minute got annoying to watch.

I’ve always noticed to a different behavior the members had with Seungri. As you’re right they expressed so much affection and love towards Daesung without it being forced and fan-serviced. Nyongtory was so noticeably forceful while the chemistry between the other four was always out of realism and not planned. I remember somewhere reading that GD said in their Made movie that he sometimes didn’t feel comfortable with what Seungri had planned on stage of their little scripted, Fan-serviced skin ship drabbles. Seungri was the one who thought of all of the ideas and pursued GD into the act. Why? Well it’s obvious, right in front of you. GD is the most popular member and if Seungri continues to do Nyongtory fs services he gets attention from GD and fans. The one and only few things he thrived off of. Seungri was always aware he was the least mentioned member. While the other members never needed forceful fan service their affection was always natural.

Their messages were always more warning and said in a scolded manner for Seungri, like each time was a lesson they needed to comprehend into his pea sized brain. I’m aware that their screen time together many of these red flags flew over our heads, we didn’t worry or take it into consideration like we have now. It was right in the open for all of us to catch on sometime..

I continue to say this is why the members weren’t shocked or surprised with the news. The kind of crime and involvement? Absolutely, they most likely didn’t assume he’d screw up so horribly the whole country would hate his guts and shun away but enough to have him leave and get the boot out of the group. It’s seems they’ve always taken into consideration he’d leave on his own sometime.

For the sake of BigBang they seem like they’ll do just fine continuing on without him. They’ve made it this far, I’d be pretty surprising if they didn’t. I’m not sure if you are aware or this but the four members renewed their contracts with their company Yge last March. That April of 2020 they were schedule for a big music festival Coachella. The pandemic ruined that moment. They’ll be back soon enough. GD , TOP and Taeyang have given hints. No one else will be leaving. The charts, fandom, South Korea and more are missing their existence.

Lastly, If a newer vip like you can sense and see the discomfort and untrustworthy vibes from him than so can many other fans; new or old just by going back and noticing behaviors and phrases from old variety or concerts.