#if youre not your sent to the Doom Zone | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ponett · 1 year ago

Note

Whenever I complain about graphic or dark content in media I watch, I keep hearing people retort with this apparently very popular opinion that people who enjoy comfy, wholesome things are actually more likely to be raging assholes than people who love things like death metal and gore. As someone who seems to enjoy comfy, wholesome things yourself and likely met many others who enjoy similar such things, do you agree with this opinion? If so, why do you think this happens?

So I've been sitting on this ask for like a week, not knowing whether or not I wanted to touch it because it kind of feels like being handed a live grenade

For one, I don't like being pigeonholed as someone who just likes "comfy" or "wholesome" things. Yeah, I enjoy My Little Pony and Animal Crossing. I made a game with cute furry characters and lots of bright colors. I also enjoy things like Berserk and Chainsaw Man and Doom and violent crime dramas and punk rock with vulgar lyrics and porn. Variety is the spice of life

Anyway: I generally don't think it's a good idea to make sweeping statements about peoples' moral or intellectual character based on what genres of story they enjoy, regardless of what direction you're coming at it from. But this is a very leading question that kind of skirts around the root problems

There's frequent (perhaps a bit exaggerated) pushback these days against people who prefer their fiction to be a warm blanket, a form of escapism meant to distract you from the real world. In particular, the dreaded "person who only watches kids' cartoons" is a form of this that gets brought up a lot. I don't think the root problem here is what media people enjoy or don't personally enjoy - taste is subjective, and I don't think it's a moral obligation for everyone to have diverse tastes in TV shows - but I do think some folks should try to get out of their comfort zone a bit more. Sometimes stuff that seems like it won't be for you on a surface level will really end up speaking to you, but you won't know until you give it a shot. Trust me, I've been there many times

It becomes a problem when people demand that media ONLY cater to that "warm blanket" attitude. And I think that's part of the reason why that stereotype you mentioned about fans of ""wholesome""" media being assholes exists. People who view dark or violent content as an inherent flaw because it's not what they like. People who yell at creators when they make bad things happen in their stories, because how dare you do this to my comfort characters? People who say movies should never have sex scenes. People who want "problematic" moral complexity stripped out in favor of black and white moral instruction. People who seem to hate any sort of interpersonal conflict in fiction at all

These attitudes can be the result of many different cultural factors, factors that can't all be traced back to Tumblr or what shows you like, but sometimes it's definitely because of that lack of broader perspective on media. You can tell when someone's opinions on The Right And Wrong Ways To Write Fiction were shaped almost entirely by, like, Steven Universe discourse. (Yes, this is a jab at Lily Orchard.) And when these people are very loud about their opinions, well, it becomes a trend people notice

Like. I don't know you. You sent this anonymously. But when you say you "complain about graphic or dark content in media you watch"... that could mean a few wildly different things! Maybe you're just venting about something that unexpectedly triggered you, and that's totally fine. But the wording could also imply that, like, you take issue with these things being present at all, and that you expect a person who likes "death metal and gore" to be more of a "raging asshole" than someone who likes the "wholesome" things you like. So... well, maybe you're more dismissive or judgmental of things outside your comfort zone than you realize?

Unfortunately, in case it's not already obvious, on the internet this shit quickly becomes a proxy battle over dozens of intersecting cultural issues at once where everyone is kinda just talking past each other. So it gets messy

For example, I have no reason to believe that the people who run the "Wholesome Games" showcases have anything against games that are dark or violent or contain adult themes. (They've outright said they don't. Many times!) But when you see people going "why is Spiritfarer allowed in the showcase? That's a game about DEATH and that's NOT WHOLESOME, why would you make me think about death?" or "Ugh, why does Disco Elysium have to be about a cop? Why can't we apply these systems to a game about a young witch who's trying to find a lost cat in an idyllic village instead?" it... Well, it makes me sympathetic towards the indies who don't feel comfortable with the "Wholesome Games" label and consider it limiting. But it also doesn't make me think that devs catering to a demand for more chill, nonviolent video games are categorically facilitating fascist censorship from the Christian right

It's complicated! The written word is imprecise and the internet is a nightmare

I've kind of gone off on multiple tangents here. Basically: I do think that people can kinda turn fans of "comfy" media or "adults who only watch Bluey" into an overblown boogeyman these days. I think people online generally have a habit of swinging too hard in one direction or another in their stances on certain things, overcompensating based on what group of people online are currently annoying them the most and turning said group into like The Main Problem With Society Today. But I also think that boogeyman only exists because of very real examples of people demanding that everything cater to their narrow comfort zone. Go like what you like, but also, y'know. Don't be that person

#anon #ask

814 notes · View notes

sinful-mind-joyful-thoughts · 5 months ago

Text

𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 | 1

part 2 - Life 360

screencaps and gifs: Pinterest

Pairing: dark!Joel Miller x Fem!reader

Warnings/tags: MDNI 18+, DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT, Drinking, food,flirting, DRUGGING, KIDNAPPING, talks of true crime THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT YOU CONSUME

Summary: A Tinder date goes very, very wrong, but you always considered yourself prepared for such situations.

WC: 2.9K

For notifications follow - @sinful-mind-joyful-fics

A/n: I tried to step out of my comfort zone a little with this. It's based on a post I saw while doom-scrolling on this app from @blondwhowrites. She had this amazing post about wanting to see more readers who fight and don't stop. They don't lose hope, they go into survival mode, and I just hope I do this idea somewhat justice.

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.

Two glasses of wine deep, you and your best friend sat comfortably on the couch, a true crime podcast playing in the background. The room was dimly lit, the only sources of light being the glow from the TV and the occasional flicker from a scented candle on the coffee table. The smell of lavender and vanilla filled the air, mixing with the earthy aroma of the red wine.

You laughed as your friend, Jess, made a snide comment about the latest murder suspect discussed on the podcast. Her dark hair fell in waves around her face, a playful glint in her eyes as she took another sip of her wine. You felt a warm buzz from the alcohol, a pleasant contrast to the cold shiver the podcast sent down your spine.

"Can you believe some people are actually that dumb?" Jess snorted. "I mean, come on. Who leaves that much evidence behind?"

You nodded, your eyes focused on your phone screen, fingers swiping left and right in a rhythmic motion. Tinder had become a mindless distraction, a game you played together to pass the time and maybe, just maybe, find someone interesting. The profiles blurred together after a while, a parade of faces and bios that hardly registered in your mind.

"Ugh, another one with a fish picture," you groaned, swiping left. "Do they think holding a dead fish makes them more attractive?"

Jess laughed, nearly spilling her wine. "Maybe it's supposed to show they're 'outdoorsy' or something. Like, 'Hey, I can provide for you in the apocalypse with my fishing skills.'"

You rolled your eyes, ready to swipe again, when Jess nudged you with her elbow. "Wait, wait. Give me the phone for a sec."

Reluctantly, you handed it over, watching as she scrolled through your potential matches with a critical eye. She made a few quick swipes, her lips pursed in concentration.

"Nope. Nope. Definitely nope," she muttered. Then, suddenly, she paused, her finger hovering over the screen. "Oh, hello. Who's this?"

You leaned in, your curiosity piqued. On the screen was a man named Joel. He was 56, a contractor, and attractive for his age. His profile picture showed a ruggedly handsome man with a salt-and-pepper beard and piercing eyes that seemed to look right through you. He had an air of confidence about him, the kind that made you stop and take a second look.

"Damn," Jess said, raising her eyebrows. "He kind of looks like Pedro Pascal. Not bad for an older guy."

You couldn't help but agree. There was something undeniably appealing about Joel, something that made you hesitate before swiping. You read through his bio, which mentioned his love for traveling, his work as a contractor, and his interest in trying new wines.

"Well," Jess said, nudging you again, "it's your last free swipe. What do you think?"

You took a deep breath, your finger hovering over the screen. There was a strange flutter in your chest, a mix of excitement and nervousness. Finally, with a small, decisive movement, you swiped right.

As the screen flashed "It's a match!", you felt a thrill of anticipation. Jess cheered, raising her glass in a mock toast. "Here's to Joel and his contractor skills. May he be as good with his hands as he is with a hammer."

The sound of your phone buzzing broke through the haze of wine and laughter. You glanced down, surprised to see a new message notification from Joel. Jess leaned over, peering at your screen.

"Well, well," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like Mr. Contractor is making the first move. That's not something you see every day."

"Yeah," you agreed, a bit taken aback. "It's kind of refreshing."

With a grin, you opened the message. It was simple, yet charming: "Hey there. I saw you like trying new wines. Any recommendations?"

Jess snickered, taking another sip of her wine. "Smooth, Joel. Real smooth."

You couldn't help but smile as you typed out a reply. "Hey Joel! If you like reds, you should try a good Malbec. There's a great one from Argentina that I'm obsessed with."

His response was almost immediate. "Sounds perfect. I've been meaning to expand my wine knowledge. Maybe you could give me a lesson sometime?"

You showed the message to Jess, who giggled and nudged you playfully. "Look at you, already setting up a date. You go, girl."

You blushed, quickly typing back. "I'd love to. Any wines you're particularly curious about?"

Joel's reply came swiftly. "I'm open to anything, really. Maybe you can surprise me?"

Jess leaned in, reading over your shoulder. "Ooh, he’s smooth. What are you going to say?"

"How about this," you muttered, fingers flying across the keyboard. "Great! How about we start with a nice Pinot Noir? It's a favorite of mine."

"Sounds fantastic. Any recommendations for a good one?" Joel texted back.

Jess snorted. "He's definitely into you."

The conversation flowed easily after that. Joel proved to be both witty and engaging. He shared stories of his recent travel adventures, his favorite being a trip to Italy. "I spent a week in Tuscany, just soaking in the culture and, of course, the wine," he wrote.

You smiled, replying, "I've always wanted to go to Italy. Did you visit any vineyards?"

"Several! It was incredible. The scenery, the people...everything was perfect. You should definitely go if you get the chance."

Jess sighed dreamily. "Italy, vineyards, and wine? He’s painting quite the picture. Ask him about his work!"

You typed quickly, "So, tell me more about your work. What kind of projects do you usually take on?"

"I'm mostly into residential renovations, but I dabble in commercial projects too. Keeps things interesting. My favorite project was restoring this old Victorian house. Took a lot of work, but it was worth it."

Joel sent a photo of the Victorian house, its intricate details beautifully restored. Jess peered at the screen, impressed. "Wow, he's really good. That house looks amazing."

"Right?" you agreed, replying to Joel. "The house looks incredible. You have a real talent."

"Thank you! I love what I do. How about you? What keeps you busy?"

You shared stories about your job and hobbies, feeling the conversation flow as naturally as the wine. The atmosphere in the room grew even more relaxed, filled with the sound of your laughter and the comforting cadence of the podcast in the background.

"He's really something," Jess said, leaning back into the couch. "I haven't seen you this excited about anyone in a while."

You nodded, a warm flutter of excitement in your chest. "I know. It's...nice."

Jess smiled knowingly. "He's definitely a keeper. I should probably head home though. Work tomorrow, unfortunately."

"Yeah, me too," you sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment as the evening wound down.

Jess gathered her things, giving you a hug at the door. "Good luck with Joel. He seems like a great guy. Text me all the details later, okay?"

"Will do," you promised, waving as she disappeared into the night.

Returning to the couch, you saw another message from Joel. "It was great talking with you tonight. I'd love to continue our conversation over that Malbec. What do you say?"

You smiled, feeling a warm flutter of excitement. "I'd like that too. How about this weekend?"

Joel’s reply was quick. "That sounds perfect. How about Saturday night? I know a great Italian place downtown. We can have dinner and then maybe a glass of that Malbec at my place?"

You hesitated for a moment, the true crime stories from the podcast playing in your mind. But something about Joel felt genuine, and you decided to take a chance. "Saturday night works for me. What time?"

"How about 7 PM? I can pick you up if you’d like."

You thought about it, weighing the pros and cons. Jess had always warned you about letting strangers know where you lived, but Joel seemed different. Maybe it was the wine or his charm, but you felt a sense of trust. "Sure, that sounds great. I live at 112 Maple Street, apartment 4B."

"Got it. Looking forward to it. Have a good night!" Joel replied.

"Good night, Joel," you texted back, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.

The next few days passed in a blur of anticipation. Jess was thrilled when you updated her, giving you tips on what to wear and what to talk about. By the time Saturday rolled around, you were a bundle of nerves and excitement.

As the clock neared 7 PM, you stood in front of your mirror, adjusting your dress for the hundredth time. It was a simple, elegant black dress that Jess had insisted was perfect for the occasion. You had paired it with a delicate necklace and your favorite heels, wanting to strike the right balance between casual and sophisticated.

Before heading downstairs, you grabbed your phone and texted Jess. "Hey, just a heads up. I’m going to that Italian place downtown with Joel. His address is 245 Fallsview Lane. I’ll text you when I get back. My Life360 will be on the whole night. Can you check on my location occasionally?"

Jess replied almost immediately. "Got it! Be safe and have fun. Text me if anything feels off. I'll keep an eye on your location."

You always prided yourself on being prepared. Too many hours of true crime shows had taught you the importance of caution. Sharing your whereabouts had become second nature; you never wanted to take any chances.

At exactly 7 PM, your phone buzzed with a message. "I’m outside :)"

You took a deep breath, grabbing your purse and heading downstairs. When you stepped outside, you saw Joel waiting by his car. He looked even better in person, his rugged charm accentuated by a casual yet stylish outfit.

"Hi," you greeted, feeling a bit shy.

"Hi," he replied with a warm smile. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," you said, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks. "You too."

Joel opened the car door for you, and you slid into the passenger seat, your nerves slowly easing as he drove towards the restaurant. The conversation flowed easily, much like it had over text, and by the time you arrived at the Italian place, you felt completely at ease.

The restaurant was cozy and inviting, with soft lighting and a warm atmosphere. Joel held the door open for you, and you were soon seated at a corner table, a bottle of red wine already waiting.

"This place is lovely," you said, looking around.

"I'm glad you like it," Joel replied, pouring you a glass of wine. "To new beginnings."

"To new beginnings," you echoed, clinking your glass against his.

The dinner was wonderful, filled with laughter and easy conversation. Joel was charming and attentive, his stories about his work and travels fascinating. He had a way of making you feel like you were the only person in the room, his eyes never leaving yours.

"So," Joel said, leaning back in his chair, "tell me more about yourself. What do you do when you're not working or swiping on Tinder?"

You laughed, taking a sip of your wine. "I'm a server, working my way through college. I'm studying to become a digital design artist. In my free time, I love reading, especially true crime. I also enjoy hiking. What about you?"

"I enjoy traveling and exploring new places," Joel said, his eyes twinkling. "I’ve been to quite a few countries. It's always interesting to see how people live and what they value. Speaking of which, are you close with your family?"

You hesitated for a moment, the memory of your dad's death flashing in your mind. "Not really. My dad passed away a few years ago, and things have been strained since then. My family lives across the state, so I don't see them often."

Joel's expression softened. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be tough."

You nodded, feeling a bit vulnerable. "It is, but I've learned to rely on my friends. They're like my chosen family."

"That’s great," Joel said, smiling warmly. "Having a strong support system is so important. Do you have a big circle of friends, or do you keep it more intimate?"

"Mostly intimate," you said. "I have a few close friends who mean the world to me. Jess, who you’ve heard me mention, is my best friend. We've known each other forever."

Joel nodded, his eyes never leaving yours. "It sounds like you have a great support system. It's so important to have people you can rely on."

"Absolutely," you agreed, feeling warm and comfortable.

As the night went on, Joel skillfully guided the conversation, his questions always seeming casual and light. "So, have you ever traveled alone?" he asked, casually.

"Not really," you admitted. "I prefer to have someone with me. It feels safer that way."

"That's smart," Joel said, nodding approvingly. "Safety is always a priority. Speaking of which, do you have any health routines? Like, do you take any daily vitamins or medication?"

"Just the usual vitamins," you replied, not thinking much of it. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Joel said with a charming smile. "I like to know what keeps you healthy and happy."

You smiled, feeling flattered by his interest. The conversation continued to flow effortlessly, Joel's charm and attentiveness making you feel special.

After dinner, you and Joel were heading back to his place for a glass of Malbec. You hesitated again, the warnings from the true crime podcast whispering in your mind. But Joel's smile was disarming, and the evening had been so perfect that you found yourself agreeing.

Joel led you to his car, opening the door for you like a perfect gentleman. As he drove, you looked out the window, making a mental note of big landmarks. You saw the city skyline fading into the distance, a large water tower, and a distinctive old barn. You kept these in mind, your true crime-trained brain insisting on caution.

"So, what do you usually do to unwind after a long day?" Joel asked, his tone casual.

"I love reading," you replied, glancing at him. "Especially true crime. There's something fascinating about the psychology behind it all."

Joel chuckled, his eyes briefly meeting yours before returning to the road. "That's interesting. So you must know a lot about staying safe then, right?"

You nodded, feeling a bit more on guard. "Yeah, it's always good to be prepared."

Joel's eyes gleamed with a curiosity that felt too intense. "Do you ever get scared living alone?"

You shrugged, trying to keep your tone light. "Not really. I take precautions. Plus, I have friends who check in on me."

"That's smart," Joel said, nodding approvingly. "It’s good to have people who care about you."

Finally, you arrived at Joel’s place. It was a secluded farmhouse, far from the city lights and surrounded by dense woods. The house itself was charming, with warm lights glowing from the windows and a cozy, inviting atmosphere.

Joel led you inside, and you were greeted by the comforting smell of wood and faint hints of vanilla. He poured the Malbec, and you watched him closely, noting every move he made. He didn't seem to spike the drinks; it all looked perfectly innocent. You settled on the couch, feeling a mix of comfort and unease.

"Thank you for tonight," you said, raising your glass. "It’s been wonderful."

"Thank you," Joel replied, his eyes meeting yours. "I’m glad we matched."

You took a sip of the wine, savoring its rich flavor. As you talked, the conversation drifted naturally.

"So, what inspired you to go into digital design?" Joel asked, his curiosity genuine.

"I've always loved art and technology," you explained. "Digital design feels like the perfect blend of both. Plus, I enjoy creating things that people find useful and beautiful."

Joel nodded appreciatively. "That's a great combination. Do you have a favorite project you've worked on?"

You smiled, thinking back. "Probably a website I designed for a non-profit. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding."

Joel leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued. "That sounds amazing. Do you see yourself starting your own firm one day?"

"I'd love to," you admitted, feeling the warmth of his attention. "But for now, I'm just focusing on finishing my degree."

"That’s smart," Joel said. "One step at a time."

You took another sip of the wine, feeling a strange dizziness creeping in. Your vision blurred slightly, and you set your glass down, trying to focus.

"So, do you have any big plans for the future?" Joel asked, his voice sounding distant.

"I... I want to finish my degree," you managed to say, the room starting to spin.

Your true crime instincts kicked in hard. Something was wrong. Very wrong. You discreetly reached for your phone, trying to text Jess, but your fingers felt heavy and uncoordinated.

Joel’s voice was soothing, almost too soothing. "You seem a bit tired. Are you okay?"

You nodded, your heart racing. You had to get out. Now. You fumbled with your phone, trying to hit the call button for Jess, but your vision swam.

Joel leaned in closer, his expression concerned. "Do you need to lie down? Maybe you had too much wine."

Panic surged through you as you struggled to keep your thoughts clear. "No, I... I need to..."

Just as you were about to press send, the phone slipped from your fingers. Joel was quicker, catching you as you slumped forward. "Easy there," he murmured, his arms strong and steady around you.

The last thing you saw before darkness claimed you was Joel's face, his expression unreadable. The phone buzzed futilely on the floor, Jess’s name glowing on the screen.

129 notes · View notes

apricitystudies · 11 months ago

Text

what i read in 2023: best of

(full monthly lists) bold = favourite, * = interactive

investigative & longform journalism

shadow diplomats

the deputy and the disappeared* (usa)

adrift*

catching the men who sell subway groping videos (japan)

inside the secretive world of penile enlargement

have assisted dying laws gone too far? (canada)

the journalist and the pharma bro

raising the dead (south africa)

crime & justice

crime of the centuries

the indonesian children australia sent to adult jails for years*

the mercy workers (usa)

the occupation of water (palestine)

a hidden universe of suffering (palestine)

history

from mind control to murder

singapore's prison without walls made the world sit up in 1960s. how did it fall apart?* (interactive journey here)

the horrors of pompeii

blood on his hands* (cambodia)

culture & essays

quantum poetics

honey, i sold the kids

how to wash your hands in a war zone (colombia)

the strangely beautiful experience of google reviews

"blurred lines", harbinger of doom

the teacher crush

what kind of future does de-extinction promise?

#studyblr #studyspo #student #academia #university #literature #productivity #long reads #knife gang #myresources

271 notes · View notes

writerofadream · 11 months ago

Text

Fortune favors the Bold ⛓

TDI!Duncan x Juvie Bestfriend! Reader ⛓

Chapter Five: Hug me (Or kiss me)

You and Duncan stared as most of the 'Screaming Gopher's' team jumped down. Then it got to Owen. Geoff, Gwen, and You go to the outhouses all stationed around various areas on the island. When it's your turn to go in, you start to laugh. "He's going to drown us all if he jumps. I for one, am to young to die."

Then you go back to the moutain and see he still hasn't jumped.

"We're all doomed aren't we?" Duncan whispered in your ear. "Oh most certainly." You laugh under your breath.

Then you watch as your end falls from the sky, and hits the water like a bomb making water splash all around you dispersing the campers in every which way. Duncan and you landed right by each other, his legs tangled with yours.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate water?" Duncan groaned his body shivering from excess fear he was shoving down. "Actually yes, countless of times." You laughed ruffling his hair as he pinned you to the grown smiling. "Don't touch the hair, princess."

"Yes, yeah! Who's the man?" Owen yelled from the safe zone in the water. The Screaming Gophers had won, the team cheered and you groaned. "Coward fucking Courtney." Duncan hit his head against the sand in contempt. "Be nice." You lightly punched his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" You heard Trent ask. "I think I lost my bathing suit." Owen muttered. "Ew." All the campers voiced their varying opinions of grossness.

As their prize the Screaming Gophers got wagons to wheel their boxes, but that didn't really bother you. The rest of your team? Yeah, it bothered them. Duncan kicked his, you just carried yours on your shoulders. "Lift with your back wasn't meant to be taking literally." Duncan teased you smiling as Eva and Courtney argued.

Tyler finally voiced his need to take a piss (for some reason) and suddenly Sadie and Katie had to go as well much to Eva's dismay. Luckily, it didn't take them very long but you noticed when Satie and Katie returned their thighs were a redish tint, but you stayed silent.

"Poison Ivy?" Duncan asked from next to you. "Oh for sure." You smiled as Chris asked you guys what was taking so long, lightly screaming when he saw Courtney's eye which was now pulsating.

Duncan rememebered when you both were around nine and were sent to 'Wilderness Survival School for troubled kids' and one of your teachers left you all in the middle of nowhere in a forest for three weeks without any supplies.

Bridgette began asking them what kinda plants had been around them when they had left, and she very quickly realized their mistake. "You guys squatted on poison ivy." She laughed behind her palm. "Oh no way, that's awesome." Chris laughed at the now freaking out girls.

Finally they ran into the water and you guys left them behind.

Geoff tried to give you all a 'inspiring speech' but in reality it made you realize how close you were to tackling someone. Courtney decided she was going to be the 'project' manager and yelled at Duncan almost immediately.

She put you in charge of building the motor which you did with ease. They had you build small engines at juvie a LOT and she had Duncan use his switchblade to cut the boxes open. But everyone else failed their jobs... spectactuarly.

The other team's hottub looked terrific.

Yours look like it did drugs.

So obviously, they won.

Yours had exploded the second Chris had touched it. "Well, I think we have a winner here." the host yelled. "The Screaming Gophers!" He announced their prize. "I'll see your sorry butts at the campfire tonight." He yelled at you guys.

Once it was time for dinner, Katie (or was it Sadie?) finally asked the question everyone was dying to know. "So- uh- what do we do now?" she muttered. "We have to figure out who we're going to vote off." Courtney explained her eye still swelling. "Well, I think it should be you sweetheart." You smiled pointing at her. "Or maybe the brick house here." Duncan pointed at DJ. "What! Why?" Courtney whined.

"Because, unless I'm mistaken, you two are the only ones here with the chicken hats, and if we ever have to lift a truck I like our chances better with the big guy." Duncan bumped shoulders with DJ causing the man to smile.

"You guys need me. I'm the only one-" Courtney began to whine. "We know, who used to be a real C.I.T." Bridgette groaned rolling her eyes. "I hate to break it to you hun, no one gives a shit." You laughed at Courtney's expression. "So who would you pick?" Bridgette asked finally letting the girl speak.

"What about him?" Courtney pointed at Tyler causing Lindsay to scream at the other table. "At least he jumped off the cliff." Duncan pointed out. "Chicken wing." You chimed in causing Courtney to yell "Shut it!" At you. "Okay, let's just chill out, this is getting way too heavy." Geoff got between you both causing you to growl.

"I've had enough prison food for one day. I'm gonna take a nap, you coming Y/N?" You both stood up to go walk off but Courtney stopped you. "You can't do that, we haven't decided who's going yet." She complained causing you to groan. "I just told get why we lost, eh. They're the ones that have six girls." That made you stop dead in your tracks because there ain't no way Ezekiel just said that.

Before Duncan could stop you, you had shoved Ezekiel's face against the table slamming it hard. "What's that supposed to mean?" Bridgette growled. "Yeah home school, enlighten us." Eva hissed. "Well guys are much stronger and better at sports then girls are." Ezekiel said his voice muffled against the table. "Dumbass." Duncan groaned from behind you.

Geoff saw this look in your eyes and took a step back. "Oh snap, he did not just say that." Geoff laughed putting a hand to his face. "My dad told me to look out for the girls here, eh, and to help them in case they can't keep up." Eva grabbed Ezekiel by the throat pulling him up. "Still think we need your help keeping up?" She growled. "Not really." Ezekiel shrugged. "Okay guys let's give him a break." Geoff had Eva drop him. "At least he doesn't think guys are smarter then girls." Geoff explained and suddenly Ezekiel decided to say..

"Well they are!"

Duncan had to pull you off of him.

That night at the campfire Duncan sat on the bench and you sat at his feet . "Dude, you've got a lot to learn about the real world." He advised the homeschooled boy. "Killer bass, at camp marshmallows represent a tasty treat that you enjoy roasting by the fire. At this camp marshmallows represent life. You've all cast your votes and made your decision. Thee are only eleven marshmallows on this plate. When I call your name, come up and claim your marshmallow. The camper that does not recieve a marshmallow tonight must immediately return to the dock of shame to catch the boat of losers. That means you're out of the contest and you can't come back... ever. The first marshmallow goes to... Geoff." Chris explained the 'game.'

You weren't worried.

He went down the list of names rather quickly.

"Duncan. Y/N." Chris called out and Duncan threw a marshmallow into your mouth. You hated toasted marshmallows. Finally Chris made his last annoucement. "Campers, this is the final marshmallow of the evening." It was between Courtney and Ezekiel. You stared at your bloodied knuckles.

.....

......

.....

"Courtney. Can't say I'm surprised, I saw you picking your nose, not cool bro. Dock of shame is that way." Chris pointed and for some damn reason Ezekiel looked surprised.

After the rest of them ate their marshmallows you walked back to the cabins going past the dancing gophers. You stepped up onto your cabin's steps and everyone quickly went inside leaving Duncan and you alone. He kissed your knuckles. "Your anger is a beaut everytime." He quietly teased grabbing your waist to bring you closer.

"Mhm." You laughed.

"Well, goodnight scorpion." He kissed your cheek and you fucking blushed to your dismay. "Screw you, tiger." You kissed his cheek right back and dissapeared before he could say anything. You left the 'green-haired dickhead' standing there holding his cheek in surprise.

-----------

|Trending on X right now|

#Yourangerisabeaut

#CHRISTMASS

#holyshittheykissed

#THEYLOVEEACHOTHERRR

#homealoneremake

----------

71 notes · View notes

glitcheslikeslego · 6 months ago

Text

Show Me Your Moves (Chapter 21)

AO3 STORY

Chapter 21 : Attack Order

Attack Order is an attacking move with an increased critical hit ratio. It is one of the signature moves of Vespiquen.

Lunar New Year.

Oh gods, Lunar New Year.

You were with Sandy as he handed out little trinkets from his giant backpack, wishing everyone a prosperous new year. You had a bag of friendship bracelets Sandy somehow managed to convince you to make.

So as you walked around, you decided to vibe instead of thinking about the impending doom that is Spider Queen’s eventual attack.

The night was fun so far, at least. For almost every friendship bracelet you gave out, someone gave you something in return, from samples of food to their own little trinkets, your little bag was starting to get full.

“Good cheer and happy new year! Look at all these delicious goodies! I got enough to share!” Sandy cheered as you handed the person a bracelet.

“Ooh! Thanks guys!” Mei thanked him as she grabbed a goodie and the bracelet I offered her.

“So uh, where’s MK?” Sandy asked, not seeing MK anywhere.

Pigsy grumbled. “Would you guys please screw around somewhere else!? I got a business to run so if you ain’t gonna help, go bother some other noodle shop owner!”

You and Sandy ended up sticking around with Pigsy to help him out, but at some point, Sandy sent you off to go and get something to eat. So far, nothing was piquing your interest, until you heard a loud yell from one of the stalls.

You looked in and saw Red Son and DBK in the stall, making their hella spicy barbeque. They were talking between each other, and DBK was yelling about something, but you zoned out, eyes wide.

Why?

The Spider Queen attacks.

There was chaos all around, and you went to return to Sandy and the others before you were attacked by one of the spider bots, it having landed on the back of your head. In a panic, you immediately grab it and throw it into another bot before running back to the others.

Thankfully it wasn’t a very far run, it was just surrounded by spider bots. You shook them all off as you ran.

“Sandy!” You yell out.

“Bestie, get up here!” Mei called back, helping you climb up. Another spider bot jumped onto your leg but you kicked it off.

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Tang yelled as you all began running to the docks to where Sandy’s boat was.

“What about MK?” Mei asked worriedly.

“MK’s with Monkey King, remember? He’ll be safe… I hope…” You muttered that last bit to yourself.

“Trying to get away from the spiders and we're in the middle of the o—cean?” Tang trained off as a bunch of spider bots appeared, and Sandy’s boat broke down.

“Um, Sandy? We gotta get going soon.” Mei said, with all of you huddling closer to Sandy, who had brought out his control remote.

“Don't do this to me.” The control burst into flames. You took the fire extinguisher and put it out. “I don't usually have this problem. Honest.”

Tang’s glasses reflected over. “We're all gonna die.”

The spiders all began closing in on all of you. “Uh, Sandy?” Mei panicked.

Pigsy growled. “Get us out of here!”

“Uh, working on it!” Sandy says as he rummages through his boat, looking for something.

Spider Queen’s lackey, Huntsman, began approaching the group, and you, Pigsy and Mei immediately took on a fighting stance.

“We can handle one of her lackeys.” He says with full confidence before Strong Spider emerges. Now he’s worried. “Two of her lackeys? Oh boy.”

Huntsman and Strong Spider were about to attack, but at the perfect moment, MK flew down from the sky.

“Guys! You're okay! I thought you've been turned into gross spider thingies. They're. Everywhere! I can still feel them crawling all over me.” He shuddered, hugging the staff.

“Kid, focus!” His boss yelled out, making MK snap out of it.

MK nodded determinedly and faced the spiders, despite still being terrified. The spiders smirked evilly, making MK panic again.

“Sandy! It's now or never, old buddy!” Pigsy yelled, to which Sandy yelled back, holding up another remote triumphantly. He pressed the button and a meow was heard in the distance.

“Uh, Sandy?” Mei looked confused.

“Give it a minute!”

Then, a drone looking ship arrived to pick you all up. The Dronecopter, if you will. We all immediately hop onto the Dronecopter to escape the spider demons.

Everything was fine for now. You had escaped on the Dronecopter and everything progressed as is. Then MK revealed that Spider Queen had captured Monkey King, and everyone gasped.

MK explained what had happened, and you all gave him comforting words, and everything was fine again.

But then Red Son fell from the sky.

Sandy punched his bike, which crashed into bits when it landed, and he was holding Red Son by his face.

“Red Son!?”

~~~

30 notes · View notes

wanderingnork · 3 months ago

Text

Gith Deep Dive: Dark Sun Part 1 - Introducing the Gith of Athas

When you tell a githyanki they can't do something, they always turn around and prove you wrong. Tell Gith she can't be free of the mind flayers? She'll tear down their entire empire and found one of her own in its place. Tell Vlaakith she can't rule forever? Not only will she become a lich to extend her rule for thousands of years, but she'll figure out how to become a god, too. Tell a member of the Sha'sal Khou his work is doomed? He'll turn his entire creche into a spark of a revolution and invite the githzerai for dinner.

So when the githyanki were confronted with a law of the very universe that forbade them from reaching a world they wanted to conquer, they turned around and staged the greatest break-in the multiverse has ever seen.

Unfortunately, the world they broke into was the world of Dark Sun, unlike any other place the githyanki had seen before.

The Dark Sun campaign setting takes place on the grim planet of Athas. In a long-past age, the planet was green. It was prosperous, thriving, protected by nature-masters and widespread psionic power. But then a powerful psionicist discovered arcane magic. In order to power his spells, he drained the life from everything around him, defiling the land. His champions began a series of terrible "cleansing wars" to destroy as much life on Athas as they could--and they nearly succeeded.

The planet was left as a blasted desert under a dull orange sun. Temperatures rise to up to 55C/130F regularly, and even the most fertile regions rarely see more than a gentle mist instead of rain. The seas have been replaced with vast oceans of super-fine silt. Familiar animals and plants and fantasy creatures have been wiped out, leaving strange but hardy mundane beasts and horrific monstrosities behind. The wider multiverse was cut off by a planar dead zone called "the Gray," leaving Athas without gods or any kind of contact beyond its own plane. Travelers trying to get in via the Astral Plane get lost in the Gray and either turn around, or simply never leave. Even its crystal sphere (the mystical container of each material plane for various campaign settings) is completely sealed off, and beyond the reach of spelljammers.

It's a terribly lonely place.

Back when the world was a more hospitable place and still open to the multiverse, the githyanki were present. Open your Black Spine: Adventure Book Two to page 4 if you want to read along. They had residences on the surface of Athas, but their primary city was Yathazor, in a cavern deep beneath what would someday be called the Black Spine Mountains. This was millennia ago: the Green Age, when Athas was hospitable and psionic powers were first widespread, began 14,000 years before the present day and ended about 8,000 years ago.

Yathazor was a strange and stunning city, filled with plants and gardens, githyanki living in vertically-stacked homes and palaces. Status and rank determined how high up a person's house could be, with the highest-ranking githyanki occupying levels of the city where they traveled along walkways between buildings. Such githyanki may have never touched the ground. An artificial yellow sun circled the ceiling of the cavern to give life to the plants. Decorative stonework, carvings, and plentiful ironwork enhanced the city's beauty. To defend it from enemies, especially githzerai, it was locked behind a planar shield that prevented any plane-shifting.

But the githzerai weren't so easily stopped. At some point, they launched attacks on every githyanki settlement on Athas, using bombs called "psionic devastators." These sent out powerful psi-waves that blasted every githyanki in the vicinity. Some githzerai managed to get hold of keys that let them through the planar shield into Yathazor, and a bomb was detonated there.

The carnage was terrible. Every githyanki on Athas was killed or had their minds destroyed by the psionic devastators, and many more were killed in ensuing attacks by the githzerai. In the ruins of Yathazor, adventurers can encounter a group of sword spirits. They're the remains of githyanki who were trapped in a locked guardroom when the psionic devastator went off, and died screaming in fear of starvation. Their souls attached to their silver swords, leaving them as perpetual guards of the dead city. By the end, no githyanki beyond Athas remembered Yathazor or how to find it. None of them ever returned to the planet, at least none whose visits were recorded, and when Athas was cut off from the rest of the multiverse it was almost completely forgotten.

(The cover of the Black Flames adventure, by Brom.)

The githyanki who remained on Athas were unrecognizable compared to their Astral kin. Not only were they physically changed, their minds were also terribly altered. Afraid, enraged, their violent impulses and survival instinct overrode everything else. Settlements destroyed, they scattered and vanished from Athasian history. From eerie, orderly, urbane Astral warriors, the gith became terrifying, disorganized, feral monsters underground. The impact of the psionic devastators was such that the effects remained for thousands of years afterwards. Any hope the gith might have had of recovering from the calamity was shattered when defiling magic tore Athas to shreds, leaving them with a burned, bleak future.

Continues below cut.

In the modern world, the gith are of relatively little consequence to wider world affairs. Sorcerer-kings, city-states, and political movements mean little in the depths of a blazing desert. In all Dark Sun materials, from 2nd through 5th Editions, the gith appear frequently on random encounter tables or are mentioned as hazards of desert travel. They're organized into tribes and clans, and don't have walled cities or access to defiling magic. (According to the 2E Monstrous Manual, that last may not be true. See p.151.) They mostly live underground to escape the blazing sun, hunting at night and attacking any travelers who dare to brave the desert.

They haven't forgotten everything about their past. In the Black Spine adventure, the gith have maintained connections to Yathazor, treating it with immense respect as a sacred site. If they fight inside the city they leave no bodies behind and require that anyone visiting wear shoes as a gesture of respect. In the 4th Edition Dark Sun Creature Catalog, some gith are mentioned to be seeking fragments of the ancient ship that carried the first githyanki to Athas ages ago.

While just about every available source discusses the gith as "barbaric" and "savage"...I would argue that they're not so different from most other peoples of Athas. The halflings of the mountains are cannibals, just like the gith. The gith use obsidian weapons, illustrated as a beautifully-knapped spearhead in one illustration in the Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p.55), which is absolutely an art form. In Dungeon magazine #110, they even carry bronze weapons--almost impossible on Athas, where metal is so scarce as to be nonexistent. They raise children, who are listed in the Black Flames adventure explicitly as noncombatants. Females lay eggs and, per the 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual, rumor has it that they may operate shared hatcheries containing hundreds of eggs (p.151). Their alignment in the original AD&D Dark Sun campaign setting is listed simply as "chaotic." (Chapter 5, p.93) At least in this edition, they're not evil, simply predatory like everything else in the wastelands.

Society is structured along similar lines to many other Athasian socities: the toughest person is in charge. Here, the leaders of each tribe are those with the greatest psionic power (original Dark Sun setting, Monstrous Manual, Dungeon Magazine #110). Any other positions of authority are distributed at the leader's pleasure. As usual, 4th Edition gives us a different spin: some gith hatched with extraordinary psionic ability are trained not as leaders, but as "drones" with the ability to scald the minds of opponents (Creature Catalog, p55). In addition, elemental shamans and priests hold positions of some power in gith society (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water p.31, Monstrous Manual, Merchant House of Amketch Part 3). A festival, the Ghost Moon feast, is even named and described in Merchant House of Amketch along with a pair of sacred sites.

As often as the gith war with each other, they do get along sometimes. Just like everyone else in Athas, they LOVE gladiatorial games. In the Dragon's Crown adventure, players can even be cordially invited to watch a gladiatorial competition held in a ruined city. Four tribes of gith (over four hundred attendees in all) have come together to settle some issues between the tribes by gladiatorial warfare. Rather than an all-out war, they've found it pragmatic (and more fun) to capture a powerful monster or warrior as a champion for their tribe to fight in the arena. The players can peacefully attend the games, seated near the leaders. One of the party members will even be chosen as a champion for the Skull Smashers tribe. If the player wins, they become an honorary member of the tribe and receive a reward of treasure. If they lose...well, the party is going to have a very bad time.

This isn't the only time the gith get along. In "The Ivory Triangle" sourcebook for 2nd Edition Dark Sun, in the section on the Blackspine Mountains, it's revealed that a leader has begun to unite the gith of the mountains. Formerly simply a horde of disconnected tribes, over five thousand gith in all, the mysterious Blackspear has begun taking control of the tribes. At the present time, he's ruling over about half of the gith in the mountains. Unified gith forces regularly attack merchant caravans and even forts in the mountains, showing remarkable power and cohesion. The future of that area of Athas appears to be at great risk.

And, as I hinted at the beginning of this post, there's other trouble brewing deep beneath the mountains. The githyanki of the Astral Sea have finally found their way to Athas.

Next time, in Part 2, we'll cover a short story in The Ivory Triangle that gives us real insight into gith culture, and wrap up with the Black Spine adventure.

Footnote: The exact date of the githzerai attack is unknown. However, apparently some Athasian scholars who know this secret history wonder if the explosive psi-waves might have affected other creatures of the planet, humanoid and otherwise. (Black Spine, Adventure Book Two, p.4) The attack might have rendered them more open to the development of psionics. It might have wiped out psionic parasites and allowed widespread development of power. Since the Green Age is stated in The Wanderer's Chronicle, the major 2nd Edition source on the history of the setting, to be the period where psionics truly became widespread on Athas, it's the one I think likeliest to have been when the attack took place.

Footnote Part Two: The dates of the Green Age (14,000-8,000 years before the present) are taken from the 2nd Edition The Wanderer's Chronicle. Placing this against the larger timeline of gith history, all of this took place before the reign of Vlaakith CLVII (157), the current queen who's been on the throne for approximately a thousand years. However, within the Black Spine adventure, the players can encounter a statue of the mysterious, ancient lich-queen. The specific details of Vlaakith's reign didn't get nailed down until 3rd Edition, though, and 5th Edition has altered the details yet again (she's now the only Vlaakith who ever reigned). Due to the sheer volume of sources that reference Vlaakith as being 157th of her name (including Baldur's Gate 3), I choose to lean on that instead of the 5E shift. Exactly how all the dates shake out, though, is really up to you.

Footnote Part Three: 4th Edition's Dark Sun Creature Catalog changes the history of the gith a little. Here, the githyanki never colonized Athas as they did in 2nd Edition, but rather arrived aboard an Astral ship and got trapped behind the Gray. Defiling arcane magic then warped them as it warped the landscape. Due to the paucity of 4th Edition Dark Sun sources, I've chosen to adhere to the 2nd Edition story in this post. Since the history of Athas is so shrouded in mystery, though, this tale might also be true.

#nork rants #dark sun #d&d #githyanki #githzerai #gith #GOOD LUCK EVERYONE THIS IS LONG AS FUCK

14 notes · View notes

kaixserzz · 1 year ago

Note

LISTEN.. I know you love your fluff and comfort 🙄🙄 /s /lh but I'd like to hear abt what you'd think on this

Dottore and reader breaking up due to issues in both ends, whether be our fault or his, they're not longer together.

A heated decision, in which everyone inloved was hurt, it all came to a boiling point.

You leave dottore to his own devices, it qas a sudden decision but you and he were done.

All the while, he can't find himself to be angry at you then, but soon after, he grows upset.

It took him 48 hours to realise your were truly gone. When his segments told him you were nowhere to be found, he knew it was most likely, actually, over.

He'd take this as the worst betrayal ever done to him, growing resentful of what you did to him, how could you leave him?

Soon that resentment turned to restlessness, he didn't know how to explain it, but he was desperate to get you back. He sent fatuus out to find you, to bring you back to him, but you never came up.

You spent centuries of your life with him, surely you hadn't actually left him, he kept reassuring himself to be logical, to believe that you'd be logical enough to come back.

You never did. And when he visited your guys room, he found your stuff gone. The sight of that almost made him break down.

How did it turn out like this?

My phone is on 2% so I couldn't format this right :( anyways! I thought abt making a fanfic abt this, I love hurt/no comfort, but even this makes me feel sad 😭😭

STOP SHUT UP !!!1 111! DONT U EVER... TALK ABOUT ANGST TO ME... STOP !! PLEAHDNSMADSADSAT HIS IS ONLY FLUFF ZONE.. HURT/COMFORT... 😭😭😭

says the guy who thinks about killing reader ever conceivable long fic to make him suffer ^

dottore is definitely the type of guy who could never move on from a break up like that. like, how could he??? you've been part of his life for too long and you're one of the things that makes him genuinely happy!!

you don't even wanna see him anymore? talk it out? are you happy now that you're not with him anymore? did you feel like you've wasted centuries with him?

has he lacked as a lover? was he too prideful to notice what was wrong? to save something the cherishes? or was your relationship just fated to be doomed?

OKAY thats enough.... if you write this,, i will BAWL.. no no angst please noo NOO

#˚₊໒💉꒱kai talks₊˚#˚₊໒🥢꒱tommy₊˚#thats why i write dottore and reader like a yandere x yandere relationship #because im delusional #if you take away one from each other it's like taking a lung away #they've been together for centuries you think they'd know how to cope without each other?#toxic but whats love w/o flavor!#esp with dottore

59 notes · View notes

frikatilhi · 1 year ago

Note

it’s sadly nothing too specific, but maybe it can still be a source of inspiration. I’ve been thinking a lot about Jere in that luchadora mask and Bojan training with that MMA champion. I’m sure they’d /enjoy/ play fighting (or maybe training together) a lot a lot…

Oh my god. Okay, confession time: Bojan’s instastories about training with that MMA champ did numbers on me, and I accidentally wrote a Bojan/omc pwp that I’m now just sitting with and wondering if it fits in another story or not or if it’s just doomed.

Anyway, here’s an answer to your prompt! Jere and Bojan sparring. I know nothing of sports, if you can't tell. 😂

Jere wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. But Bojan had asked so enthusiastically (“There’s even a Finnish sauna there! We can go afterwards and you can make fun of how wrong it is!”). Usually Jere was always up to trying anything new, and he had been working out a lot himself lately, if mostly only with weights, so he thought why not? Martial arts? Could be fun?

Now, looking around at the gym, he was having serious second thoughts. He wasn’t insecure about his looks, and he couldn’t care less what these dudes - ripped, sculptural, giant dudes - thought of him and his short legs and soft belly. But something about this place got to him, a little. Maybe it was the way some of these guys were looking at him, like they were sizing him up. Or maybe it was the way Bojan was fist-bumping everyone, laughing, excited, clearly in his element.

Because Bojan wasn’t always like that. Jere had seen him at some of his low moments, and watching this Bojan, so giddy and carefree, felt awesome and bittersweet at the same time. He wanted to think he had something to do with it - he’d been like this at least since Finland, Jere thinks - but on the other hand, there could be a million reasons. Anything and everything could be behind Bojan’s new mood - making new music, touring, big stadium concert, meeting new people, maybe finding a new sport? Which, admittedly, to Jere seemed less like a sport and more like a form of foreplay, but hey, if Bojan liked it, who was he to judge?

Then again, maybe that’s exactly why Bojan liked it, and the thought sent an unpleasant jolt through him. He couldn’t deny that the sight of Bojan rolling around with some… thigh-master of a human, it woke something in him, something he maybe wasn’t super proud of.

“You ready?” asked Bojan, jogging towards him.

“Sure.” Jere followed him to the mat.

“Have you done martial arts before? Boxing or kickboxing?” asked Bojan.

Jere jumped on his feet a little to warm up. “Only cardio, with bag.”

“Ok good, so you know some basic techniques?” Bojan was also bouncing, moving his weight from one side to another.

“Sure, some, yeah.”

Bojan beamed. “Ok, so let’s do this!”

They started with simple one-for-one exchanges. Staying within punching range, taking turns. Slips, fakes, returns off of a block. They kept it light and easy, laughing as they went. Bojan showed him a few sequences that they then repeated until the movements were smooth. Jere found that he was enjoying himself, despite not being in his comfort zone. His hockey days might be far behind him, but the quick movements and core control required to stay in control seemed to come natural to him.

After a while they moved into takedowns. Bojan had been working hard on learning them, so he was enthusiastic about showing off his skills. This required more contact, and soon Jere found himself pinned down, locked in between Bojan’s legs. Relaxing himself, admitting defeat, he started to get up, but Bojan pushed back, his thighs keeping Jere in place.

“Say it,” Bojan said, laughing.

Jere huffed out a laugh, as well. “You want me to say it?”

“Yes, I think I do.” Bojan squeezed his legs a little harder. The sensation was… not bad, and it took Jere by surprise. He wanted to laugh it off, make a joke, but suddenly couldn’t think of anything to say. Nothing light-hearted enough came to mind, instead, his breath caught in his throat and he felt–

Shit. Shit shit shit.

“Okay, you win,” he breathed out quickly. Bojan stopped laughing. He let him go and stood up. He reached to pull Jere up, and Jere took his hand.

“You okay?” asked Bojan, looking at him closely.

“Yes yes, of course,” Jere said, trying to laugh it off. “Again?”

Bojan smiled. “Your turn to try!”

Maybe it was time he talked to Bojan, Jere thought. About… things. Maybe it would be better than accidentally getting hard while working out with him. Wouldn’t be any less awkward though, maybe.

But that would be later. Now, he was ready to take Bojan down.

#fanfic #käärijan #bojere #prompt fill #not!fic

22 notes · View notes

tyxoxo · 2 years ago

Text

Recognize

jeno x fem!reader oneshot teaser

genre: stripper jeno x reader au

words: ~

warnings: loading…

there was no better way to move on from a relationship than to indulge in life’s greatest pleasures. that of self-destruction, recklessness; whatever words could describe how life was going right now.

though, something was missing from your goal of distractions. something that could tip you over the edge in the most cathartic way possible.

something to make you forget about being cheated on, completely.

a mass of new exploits were out there to experience, but going to a male strip club was not your first choice. the idea sounded somewhat out of your comfort zone, bizarre even. but after drunk texting your ex, binging on junk food for weeks, and contemplating calling-in for work every day since,

there was time for a change of pace.

of course, your friend suggested going, but knowing such a feat couldn’t be done alone, the two of you went together.

9:06pm

you glanced down at your phone, the overhead notification reading,

“im outside, lets go”

taking a final glance in the mirror of your outfit didn’t yield much satisfaction. anyone could see it in your face, or your body that you were broken. with a huff and correction of your posture, you exited your flat and headed towards your friend’s car.

the gps was loaded and ready to go, 25-minutes until you reached

“City of Archangels”

the name sent a shiver through you, naïveté failing from the images of half-naked men flooding your mind.

“kinda curious what type of guys are gonna be there.” your friend said while pulling out of the parking lot, briefly eyeing your outfit to see if any effort was put into your choice of clothing.

“i can try looking them up and see if there’s any pictures?”

the shakiness in your voice had to be a predisposition towards your downfall.

it didn’t matter what type was there, as soon as one of them made eye contact, you were doomed.

too late now.

#nct dream fanfiction #nct dream fanfic #jeno x reader #jeno x you #jeno au #jeno oneshot #lee jeno #honestly just writing stuff to get my juices flowin #why not share my madness with you haha

52 notes · View notes

jackiequick · 2 years ago

Text

Arrowverse OC ✨

Inspired by DC Comics

-> Shayera De La Cruz of Andor 🌱

Adopted Earth Name: Lyra Olivia Cruz

Nicknames: Princess, Green Thumb, Shay, Liv, Ly, Ms Cruz and etc

Age (depending on the season): 20–25

Height: 5’5 (5’7 in heels)

Nationality: American

Ethnicity: Latina. Mexican one her moms side and Cuban-American on her father’s side

Place Of Birth: A fictional planet called Andor, next to the planet Thalon in the Rao System

Grew up: She landed in Coachella Valley, in California when she only less than 5 years old. Since she stuck in the phantom zone for a few years. She was found by a lovely couple. How she doesn’t know much of Earth’s actual culture, she was never one to truly understand it.

Shows appears/media references: Smallville, The Flash, Marvel, Supergirl, Dc Legends Of Tomorrow, Glee, Arrow, Star Wars and etc.

Career/Job: Artist. Paint, cartoonist and such.

Friendship: Team Flash, Team Supergirl, Felicity Smoak, Thea Queen, Sara Lance, Ray Palmer and much more.

Powers set: Earth based. Girl got a green thumb. With just the flicker of her fingers, Lyra can grow and control planets such a flowers, trees and make the air more fresh. On occasion, she can create plants. Her emotions effect the planets around her. With time she realized, she sometimes can control the weather just to make it grow or the sun to shine on the gods green earth.

Sometimes she will say something like, “The trees. They speak to me..they’re happy that it rained.”

—

Extra Info

Her biological parents were like royalty in her small planet across the south coast of the planets. Far from behind the other universes or planets nearby, simple people. Like down to earth country folks were the people on her planet. Everyone and everything looked like Earth with a fairytale style in the architecture (very much like Naboo). Their technological advances were slower than other planets, since they shared and borrowed from one another. But no one cared. Rather rich themselves in the minimalistic living instead.

Some rarely gifted with certain abilities when they reached a certain point in their lives, meanwhile someone are not. One powers that only some elders held dear, that few past onto their children were to remember their past lives. Such as soulmates.

Her home looked like an Enchanted Forest, the ones you would hear in fairy tales crafted to share with little girls to imagine when they play dress up. She was kinda a loner growing up, having her books of fairytales and action filled stories of heroes to read.

One day she was stepped around the streets when a voice called her, consumed and curious she followed. Her dress flew behind her, walking until she saw that appeared to a wishful bouncing voice, belonging to a tall man. He was magical in a sense, convincing to anyone who listen.

“Hello?” She asked, fixing her dress and gasping at the suited man, “Who are you?”

“W-who am i? Well I’m your ticket to advertising adventures dear.” Reply the said with a kind smile, “I’m Roland.”

“My ticket to where?”

“Well Princess Shay-era, you are a very good girl. You don’t deserve to leave in this dump of a planet, but to bring your gifts to others.”

“M-my gifts?”

“Why yes of course. Your gifts. No offense, but do you really wanna be stuck in a place with no longing a little thing like you?”

Shayera crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, “What’s your game, pirate? What about my parents?”

“You’re planet was doomed to death anyway, just like the otherwise beautiful ones on this side of the galaxy. We rather saved your ass now.” He said with a shrugged smile and secretly he opens a portal.

“We..? Uh, w-who sent you?”

“You’re mother. She knew you wouldn’t want to listen without a little push.”

“My mama..? Wait—”

—-

The said portal opened and slides underneath her feet, Shayera landed asleep and shipped off world. She wasn’t brought with much, expect a few items. The portal trip was fine until she was knocked off course resulting, in her form landing in the phantom zone for weeks.

Finally she woke up to the pretty sky. Coachella Valley, in California. Her eyes were closed but sun shine still peaked into her face. She heard a young couple talking over her body. They were kind people from what she heard.

Shayera’s eyes gently blinked open catching the couples eyes. From their perspective, sweet young bright eyed little girl in a blush pink soft dress landed a few feet away from their home. It was a charming sight. The pair always wanted children and thought it was a gift from the universe.

“Hi sweetie, what’s your name?” Asked the women, Rosita.

“I don’t know..not remember..I’m sorry..” Said the girl looking at the couple confused but with a sense of familiarity in her eyes.

The man, Sean smiled, “It’s okay, we’re take you in.”

She smiled, gentle love in her eyes. They returned it, the couple named her Lyra Olivia Cruz. After Sean’s mom and Rosita’s grandmother.

—>

Years went on, Lyra lived a normal life as a teenager. School, friends, traveling to different place, reading and watching movies, shopping and so much more. Sure weird things happened over the city, in which her and her good friends coined it as ‘The Wall Of Weird’. Posting everything that happened onto the school newsletter and journal the ones they didn’t say anything about for themselves.

Sometimes it was like a damn comic book or music happened right before their eyes.

Until one day over the spring time, Lyra developed theses annoying headaches and decided to detox her body in the backyard nearby the small flowers she grew with her mother. It worked like a charm taking it all in, the fresh air, the sun and the greenery around her. Her fingers ran across the grass then flowers, as her hand sparkled. The flowers grew a little bit as Lyra looked at her face gasping in shock. Poor girl screamed, she though she was dreaming.

And her first thought afterwards was…

“MAMI! I THINK I GOT POWERS!?” She yelled calling her mother stumbling back in the house, practically falling face first on the wooden flooring. “Ow…” She added shortly.

Her mom was confused for a moment until Lyra showed her, more or less. After her dad came home from work, they had a long talk. Sean and Rosita told her what they know, that wasn’t much for neither of her parents to off on. The two felt sorry. They told Lyra that she was sent here in a pink dress, wearing a pair of dusty rose earrings and a small notebook that kept drawing in them. To their surprise, their daughter wasn’t mad at them or worried about anything. She knew she was loved and sent her as a blissing for a chance to live a good life.

As she started to work on her small scale of skills she promised to use her powers for good care, not destroying or manipulate nature. Eventually her friends found out finding it super cute and interesting.

—>

Everything was great until after senior year, she moved up to Central City to start exploring her job as an artist. Yes she does have the opportunity in California to draw and sell her art, but she wanted a different environment as a landscape for her cartoons. She was chatting on the phone with a friend when she noticed a young woman about to trampled over by a incoming speeding car.

She noticed a abandoned flower stand nearby, the man left for a break. So in result Lyra wiggled her fingers sparkling a dusty rose color as the flowers stretched out and grew wrapping themselves up gently pushing the woman away. It was a very subtle movement. Lyra released her touch on the flowers as they went back to their original form.

Lyra looked around hoping no one truly noticed, buying the said flower, leaving the money on the flower cart and walked away. They were tulips her favorite. However she was wrong, the woman who she saved did notice and a few days later found her at Jitters Coffee Shop.

Leanna O’ Conner was called in by her friend Officer Penny Spivet to see her.

Lyra refused the idea, she wasn’t one to use her powers very often and doesn’t want to be like the hero The Blur or anything.

Leanna wasn’t suggesting that and said, “Girl I ain’t asking for you to do that. But you were spotted and tracked by a camera, your smart and sweet and kind. We could use you on the team, every once in a while.”

“I’ll think about it..what do you know about me?” Lyra asked curiously.

“You grew up in Cali, you studied news and stories eventually becoming a artist for the paper. And you can manipulate planets?”

“I can control and manipulate them to grow or even strengthen themselves.”

“If you come by to the labs, I’ll like to see it sometime.”

The sometime came soon as the day she visited, The Team Flash was fighting King Shark. She had to help them by growing a cage from the ground up to hold him off in the park until they can get handcuffs on the huge half animal. Caitlin and Iris grinned impressed. Once it was done, Lyra agreed to come over every once in a while to help, but she was more than happy to hang out with the crew.

—

Her, Cisco and the others would do movie nights. Referencing comic books, tv shows and movies. In their universes, Marvel was a common thing that would mention among pop culture.

The superheroes in a barn reference, excelsior, spidey senses tingling, superhero landing, Hulk references, X-Men and etc. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, so much more being named dropped ever so causally no one bats an eye!

—-

One day Iris even mentioned, “You said you were touched on journalism right?”

“Yeah? I usually do the doodles.” She replied one day as the girls were hanging out.

“Do you know a column called ‘The Wall Of Weird’? It was popping up on again on my throwback new feed.”

“Hahahahaha! I do actually, cause i help write it.”

“No way!”

“Yeah it was a fun thing we dropped online, I didn’t know it reached cities.”

“Girl it’s the Internet, of course it did.”

—-

Hell Lyra when met Kara Danvers and others, she fell head over heels in love. Yeah she loved the other teams but Team Supergirl was unique.

With her being from technically another planet, the colorful city, the similarities between perspective she shared, and Winn was her absolute favorite. All having to save each other at least once. Oh did I mentioned how nerdy everyone was with certain things? It was super cool!

Winn opened the door where she locked in and yelled out grinning, “Hi! I’m um here to rescue you, princess.”

Even though she was chained up, Lyra grinned and gasps, “Hmm. Aren’t you a little short to be a stormtrooper?”

“You rewatched Star Wars without me?!”

“Actually it was me and James!”

“Traitors! Me and Kara rewatched Wizard Of Oz without you guys.”

“You traitors!”

—

Alex was a badass, Lyra supporting her every single step of the way to her journey. In result, Alex helped her try to find more of her heritage whenever asked.

She was one of the most supportive people in her life and vise versa.

—

Plus she wouldn’t lie saying she had a small crush on Supergirl. I mean how could you not have a crush on Kara Danvers?! She’s adorable!

Also, they worked together so they get to see each other almost every day. Other days they were chilling together.

“You’re gonna love me forever. Close your eyes!” Lyra said running into the apartment.

“Okay? Please tell me it’s a puppy!” Kara yelled out with her eyes closed.

“Okayyyy! Now open ‘em.”

Kara gasped seeing pizza from their favorite restaurant, donuts from the shop across from CatCo, and a dvd of the film The Great Gatsby.

“OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU!” Kara yelled in glee hugging her.

“HAHAHA! IT WAS NO BIGGIE!” Lyra yelled back hugging her.

——

If you wonder if she gets to see her friends and family, Kara and Lyra are able portal or teleport using a device Cisco made. Winn sometimes had to adjust the schedule or corrected coordinates for travel.

Sometimes it leads her into trouble bouncing from once place or universe to the next…

—

Thank you for reading this! I hope enjoy it 💞

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @yetanotherwells @msrochelleromanofffelton @blueboirick @sherloquestea @morgan108 @t-nd-rfoot @ohgodnotagainn @topgun-imagines @gcthvile @superspookyjanelle @hanlueluver @halesfavoriteharlot @rooster-84 and etc

41 notes · View notes

totaleclipse573 · 1 year ago

Note

Hello, I followed you rather recently and know basically nothing about your Eclipse headcanons. So I am curious, does he have archie sonic backstory or something else, an AU perhaps? Sorry I am too lazy to scroll your blog, can you give me an overview please? 🥺

Ah yes, recruiting a possible new Eclipse fan to the small fanbase he has, I do love my work

*LONG POST WARNING!*

If you really want to understand his full character, he appears in the Archie Sonic Universe reboot, in Shadow Fall (issues 59-62) and Total Eclipse (issues 67-70.) Shadow Fall gives more info on his character and how he is, while Total Eclipse gives more of an understanding of his true nature. Here's a link to where I typically read them in case you want to check those out :

But if you want a quick overview on his character coming from me? I can summarize his story the best I can, but be warned, spoilers + I love him a lot.

Eclipse is, essentially, Shadow's "half-brother" from his Black Arms side, being created specifically to put an end to Shadow once and for all. But Eclipse, being the only Black Arms soldier with free will and the ability to think for himself, doesn't exactly want to hurt Shadow? They're brothers, after all, and Eclipse thinks it would be more beneficial to drag him into the hivemind instead of just killing him. Black Death, his creator, (he's pretty much like Black Doom but...less cool in my opinion) does let him try this idea when Team Dark and G.U.N. arrive on the "New Black Comet," but it doesn't seem to work. There's a whole scene in issue 60 that showcases Eclipse's mental power over Shadow through their hivemind connection, and its cool as hell btw. When he can't manage to drag him into the hivemind, Black Death has to come and assist. Long story short, it ends up working, and Shadow is ordered to basically kill Rouge and Omega (but of course they manage to snap him out of it and they work together to blow up the comet, but this is about Eclipse)

(Also I should mention that, at the time, Eclipse had been experimenting on Wisp DNA with Black Arms DNA in an attempt to create a new species of Black Arms to strengthen the numbers of their race. Keep this in mind, it's important.)

Theres a battle between Shadow and Black Death, and all the while, Eclipse is sent off the comet and into a shuttle with the wisp experiment eggs by Death's Eye (same thing as Doom's Eye just with different colors) so he can survive as the last remaining member of the Black Arms species to carry out his mission, and raise the next generation of Black Arms so they can survive. Eclipse though, is heartbroken, screaming as he gets dragged away that he can help, let him help, he'll destroy Shadow this time. But while Team Dark and G.U.N. escape, he's on the shuttle, watching his home explode. Its then he gets REALLY angry, vowing vengeance on Shadow.

THEN THERES TOTAL ECLIPSE

Total Eclipse takes place more in Eclipse's POV, giving his character more of a chance to shine (and that's why I love this arc so much, it also shows a softer side to his character.) His shuttle coincidentally ended up crashing on the Red Mountains of Angel Island, where he passed out on impact when the shuttle crashed. It's never stated how long he was passed out for, but when he wakes up, the shuttle is in absolute shambles. And the eggs? All destroyed, and Eclipse is panicking over it.

Luckily though, four managed to survive and hatch, much to Eclipse's relief and joy. No seriously, his reaction to them being alive is precious (until the whole vengeance thing anyway lmao)

He calls them the Dark Arms, their names being Blurk, Cregal, Cyzer and Rhygenta. Look at them, they're adorable.

As shown later on, each of the Dark Arms can "bond" with Eclipse (its like a fusion basically) and give him different abilities. Blurk basically turns him into living armor, Cregal allows him to fly, Cyzer gives him this cool laser canon arm, and Rhygenta gives him a "sonic canon," which when fired, blows back enemies. Though that isn't revealed until the end of the arc in the final battle, until then Eclipse is just happy she's the well behaved one of the four.

There's a whole subplot of Team Dark having to find Knuckles so he can help and stuff but Eclipse is the real main character here so who cares

While they go find Knuckles, Eclipse is taking care of the Dark Arms, even becoming a sort of father to them (he's a child and he was forced into so many responsibilities.) He has an extremely strong bond with them and loves them very much, and will do anything to make sure they're well fed and cared for. (It's also funny how the Dark Arms even seem to have their own personalities. Like Blurk is relatively chill, Cyzer and Cregal are more wild and always fighting each other for food, and Rhygenta is the sweet and well mannered one. Its so cute how they interact with Eclipse and with each other.)

Eventually though, Eclipse does realize he'll never be able to enact his vengeance on Shadow if he's always staying in the shuttle, so he decides to go out and find him, telling the Dark Arms to stay behind and to stay safe. So he ends up where Shadow is, the Master Emerald shrine (Knuckles reluctantly went with Rouge and Omega to some place) and after giving him a few strange hallucinations through their mental link just for fun (he can be a jerk sometimes and I love that,) they battle.

After a bit of fighting though, Eclipse tells Shadow something and the page honestly speaks for itself on the levels of HEARTBREAKING it has

He started crying. And he did because he genuinely loved his big brother. Otherwise, why would he even bother to try and get Shadow to join him again? Sure maybe the "leave this broken planet to rot" thing wasn't the best choice of words, but to Eclipse he was trying his hardest. He just wants a brother, who doesn't want him back. He loves his brother, who will never love him back, because he's a Black Arms. And that's part of what makes his character so tragic.

After more fighting, Shadow eventually uses the Master Emerald's power to beat Eclipse, and throw him to a completely different part of the island. The way he beats himself up about failing is pretty sad too, because you KNOW he's trying his hardest.

Then Shadow and Knuckles fight over how to keep the Master Emerald safe from Eclipse and blah blah blah

Eclipse goes back to the Dark Arms while Shadow and Knuckles fight, AND. JUST. LOOK.

ITS LITERALLY SO CUTE HOW MUCH HE CARES ABOUT THEM. BEST SINGLE FATHER OF FOUR.

*cough* anyways

The Dark Arms, after hearing this, want to help Eclipse fight Shadow. Eclipse is reluctant at first, but then he remembers that they were created SPECIFICALLY to fight. And they're already growing up too, so why not? So he leads them out of the shuttle and they go to fight Shadow all together. Only now that Shadow and Knuckles are out fighting, he battles Rouge, Omega and Relic (also an archie character) instead, and this battle shows off the Dark Arms' abilities when they "bond" with Eclipse. The kid absolutely DESTROYES THEM. Relic is crying, Omega is torn apart, and Rouge's shoulder is dislocated. Eclipse can be pretty brutal sometimes. AND HE TAKES THE MASTER EMERALD.

But of course when Shadow and Knuckles stop fighting like idiots, they go after Eclipse and the Dark Arms, who are taking the Master Emerald back to the shuttle. But just before they can make it, Shadow and Knuckles arrive to stop them. There's another battle with the Dark Arms' powers included, and this is where we first see just how powerful Rhygenta can be. (But not before Knuckles shatters the Master Emerald to keep it safe from Shadow and Eclipse.)

And then, exhausted, Eclipse and the Dark Arms leave on the shuttle to at least be able to escape.

AND, I AM NOT JOKING, THIS IS HIS FINAL APPEARANCE

AND THATS IT. WE NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN (due to the archie cancellation.) So sadly, that's his canonical ending. And it broke me. Because he deserved so much more than what he was forced to be cut short to. (He was even supposed to get a redemption arc and I SCREAMED when I found out because that was what I had wanted.)

So yeah, Eclipse overall is an amazing character, if not one of the best, and I really wish he would come back in any piece of media someday. Hope this helped!

#sonic the hedgehog #sth #sonic fandom #eclipse the darkling #shadow the hedgehog #archie sonic #sonic archie #MY BABY BOY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

15 notes · View notes

quotablefanfiction · 9 months ago

Text

“I’m not on the best terms with Connors,” Tony warned. “I can work with Foster, but Connors might actually try to slit my throat, I think.” “If you hadn’t sent him a pair of alligator boots with a card reading ‘sorry Iron Man helped Spidey kick your ass, but welcome back to humanity’ on them, when you found out he was working with Selvig, that might not be the case, Stark,” Maria sighed. “It’s not my fault his sense of humor is lacking.”

Tony is not sympathetic to Dr. Conners’ lizard problem (chp. 4)

Catch and Release by Like_a_Hurricane (AO3) The Avengers (Marvel Movies) – Explicit – Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Loki/Tony Stark, Jane Foster/Thor #Alternate Universe #Extended Marvel Universe #Obscure Comics References #Slow Build #Trust Issues #Politics #Worldbuilding #Torture #Miscommunication #BAMF!Loki #BAMF!Tony Stark #Violence #Dragon #Sex #Magic #Double Penetration #Dreamwalking #Extremis #Temperature Play #Pining #Multiverse complications

Here unfolds a tale of war, desire, and warring desires.

After the invasion of New York, Tony figures out Loki’s game, and he lays out an ultimatum that he realizes the trickster can’t escape from, maneuvering Loki into agreeing to be an ally, rather than a foe, if only when the time comes.

A god’s sworn word is a promise that the god cannot break, but once Thanos’ head is parted from his shoulders, all bets will be off: no protections, no alliance, Loki free to do whatever he pleases, so long as he can still evade recapture at Asgard’s hands. So it’s simple, Tony tells himself: trust the war, not the god.

It should have been simple. It was doomed to be anything but, because infatuation has no place in a war-zone, but Tony is prone to impropriety at all sorts of slightly impractical times, or he wouldn’t have wound up with the god of lies in his bed so frequently in the first place. Practicality and safe-distance plans are all going wrong, and Tony likes it too much to stop.

#fanfiction #quote #Avengers #Tony Stark #Maria Hill #Catch and Release #Like_a_Hurricane

3 notes · View notes

nicklloydnow · 1 year ago

Text

“In Russia, power is a pyramid. This pyramid was built by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century – an ambitious, brutal tsar overrun by paranoia and a great many other vices. With the help of his personal army – the oprichnina – he cruelly and bloodily divided the Russian state into power and people, friend and foe, and the gap between them became the deepest of moats. His friendship with the Golden Horde convinced him that the only way to rule the hugeness of Russia was by becoming an occupier of this enormous zone. The occupying power had to be strong, cruel, unpredictable and incomprehensible to the people. The people should have no choice but to obey and worship it. And a single person sits at the peak of this dark pyramid, a single person possessing absolute power and a right to all.

Paradoxically, the principle of Russian power hasn’t even remotely changed in the last five centuries. I consider this to be our country’s main tragedy. Our medieval pyramid has stood tall for all that time, its surface changing, but never its fundamental form. And it’s always been a single Russian ruler sitting at its peak: Pyotr I, Nicholas II, Stalin, Brezhnev, Andropov … Today, Putin has been sitting at its peak for more than 20 years. Having broken his promise, he clutches on to his chair with all his might. The Pyramid of Power poisons the ruler with absolute authority. It shoots archaic, medieval vibrations into the ruler and his retinue, seeming to say: “you are the masters of a country whose integrity can only be maintained by violence and cruelty; be as opaque as I am, as cruel and unpredictable, everything is allowed to you, you must call forth shock and awe in your population, the people must not understand you, but they must fear you.”

(…)

Alas, Yeltsin, who came to power on the crest of the wave of perestroika, did not destroy the pyramid’s medieval form; he simply refurbished its surface: instead of gloomy Soviet concrete, it became colorful and was covered over with billboards advertising western goods. The Pyramid of Power exacerbated Yeltsin’s worst traits: he became rude, a bully and an alcoholic. His face turned into a heavy, motionless mask of impudent arrogance. Toward the end of his reign, Yeltsin unleashed a senseless war on to Chechnya when it decided to secede from the Russian Federation. The pyramid built by Ivan the Terrible had succeeded in awakening the imperialist even in Yeltsin, only a short-lived democrat; as a Russian tsar, he sent tanks and bombers into Chechnya, dooming the Chechen people to death and suffering.

Yeltsin and the other creators of perestroika surrounding him not only didn’t destroy the vicious Pyramid of Power, they didn’t bury their Soviet past either – unlike the post-war Germans who buried the corpse of their nazism in the 1950s. The corpse of this monster, which had annihilated tens of millions of its own citizens and thrown its country back 70 years into the past, was propped up in a corner: it’ll rot on its own, they thought. But it turned out not to be dead.

(…)

The Pyramid of Power was vibrating and its vibrations stopped time. Like a huge iceberg, the country was floating through the past – first its Soviet past, then only its medieval past.

Putin declared that the collapse of the USSR was the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century. For all clear-headed Soviet people, its collapse had been a blessing; it was impossible to find a single family unscathed by the red wheel of Stalinist repressions. Millions were annihilated. Tens of millions were poisoned by the fumes of communism – an unattainable goal requiring moral and physical sacrifices by Soviet citizens. But Putin didn’t manage to outgrow the KGB officer inside of him, the officer who’d been taught that the USSR was the greatest hope for the progress of mankind and that the west was an enemy capable only of corruption. Launching his time machine into the past, it was as if he were returning to his Soviet youth, during which he’d been so comfortable. He gradually forced all his subjects to return there as well.

The perversity of the Pyramid of Power lies in the fact that he who sits at its peak broadcasts his psychosomatic condition to the country’s entire population. The ideology of Putinism is quite eclectic; in it, respect for the Soviet lies side by side with feudal ethics, Lenin sharing a bed with Tsarist Russia and Russian Orthodox Christianity.

Putin’s favorite philosopher is Ivan Ilyin – a monarchist, Russian nationalist, anti-Semite, and ideologist of the White movement who was expelled by Lenin from Soviet Russia in 1922 and ended his life in exile. When Hitler came to power in Germany, Ilyin congratulated him hotly for “bringing the Bolshevization of Germany to a halt.

(…)

In his articles, Ilyin hoped that, after the fall of Bolshevism, Russia would have its own great führer, who would bring the country up from its knees. Indeed, “Russia rising from its knees” is the preferred slogan of Putin and of his Putinists. It was also taking his cue from Ilyin that he spoke contemptuously of a Ukrainian state “created by Lenin”. In fact, the independent Ukraine was not created by Lenin, but by the Central Rada in January 1918, immediately after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly by Lenin. This state arose because of Lenin’s aggression, but not thanks to his efforts. Ilyin was convinced that if, after the Bolsheviks, the authorities in Russia were “[to become] anti-national and anti-state, obsequious toward foreigners, [to dismember] the country, [to become] patriotically unprincipled, not exclusively protecting the interests of the great Russian nation without any regard for whorish Lesser Russians [Ukrainians], to whom Lenin gave statehood, then the revolution [would] not end, but enter its new phase of perishing from western decadence.”

“Under Putin, Russia has gotten up from its knees!” his supporters often chant. Someone once joked: the country got up from its knees, but quickly got down onto all fours: corruption, authoritarianism, bureaucratic arbitrariness and poverty. Now we might add another: war.

A lot has happened in the last 20 years. The president of the Russian Federation’s face has turned into an impenetrable mask, radiating cruelty, anger, and discontent. His main instrument of communication has become lies – lies small and big, naively superficial and highly structured, lies he seems to believe himself and lies he doesn’t. Russians are already accustomed to their president’s lie-filled rhetoric. But, now, he’s also inured Europeans to those lies. Yet another head of a European country flies to the Kremlin so as to listen through their traditional portion of fantastical lies (now at an enormous, totally paranoid table), to nod their head, to say that “the dialogue turned out to be fairly constructive” at a press conference, then to just fly away.

(…)

Putin’s inner monster wasn’t just brought up by our Pyramid of Power and the corrupt Russian elite, to whom Putin, like the tsar to the satraps, throws fat, juicy bits of corruption from his table.

It was also cultivated by the approval of irresponsible western politicians, cynical businessmen and corrupt journalists and political scientists.

(…)

For Putin, life itself has always been a special operation. From the black order of the KGB, he learned not only contempt for “normal” people, always a form of expendable matter for the Soviet Moloch-state, but also the Chekist’s main principle: not a single word of truth. Everything must be hidden away, classified. His personal life, relatives, habits – everything has always been hidden, overgrown with rumors and speculation.

Now, one thing has become clear: with this war, Putin has crossed a line – a red line. The mask is off, the armor of the “enlightened autocrat” has cracked. Now, all westerners who sympathize with the “strong Russian tsar” have to shut up and realize that a full-scale war is being unleashed in 21st century Europe. The aggressor is Putin’s Russia. It will bring nothing but death and destruction to Europe. This war was unleashed by a man corrupted by absolute power, who, in his madness, has decided to redraw the map of our world. If you listen to Putin’s speech announcing a “special operation”, America and Nato are mentioned more than Ukraine. Let us also recall his recent “ultimatum” to Nato. As such, his goal isn’t Ukraine, but western civilization, the hatred for which he lapped up in the black milk he drank from the KGB’s teat.

Who’s to blame? Us. Russians. And we’ll now have to bear this guilt until Putin’s regime collapses. For it surely will collapse and the attack on a free Ukraine is the beginning of the end.

Putinism is doomed because it’s an enemy of freedom and an enemy of democracy. People have finally understood this today. He attacked a free and democratic country precisely because it is a free and democratic country. But he’s the one who is doomed because the world of freedom and democracy is far bigger than his dark and gloomy lair. Doomed because what he wants is a new Middle Ages, corruption, lies and trampling on human freedoms. Because he is the past. And we must do everything in our power to make this monster remain there – in the past – for all time, together with his Pyramid of Power.”

“The Russian president is facing the most serious threat to his hold on power in all the 23 years he’s run the nuclear state. And it is staggering to behold the veneer of total control he has maintained all that time – the ultimate selling point of his autocracy – crumble overnight.

It was both inevitable and impossible. Inevitable, as the mismanagement of the war had meant only a system as homogenously closed and immune to criticism as the Kremlin could survive such a heinous misadventure. And impossible as Putin’s critics simply vanish, or fall out of windows, or are poisoned savagely. Yet now the fifth-largest army in the world is halfway through a weekend in which fratricide – the turning of their guns upon their fellow soldiers – was briefly the only thing that could save the Moscow elite from collapse.

(…)

Much of this sudden resolution is as curious and inexplicable as the crisis it solved. Prigozhin appears – thus far – to have had none of his demands heeded. The top brass of Russia’s defense ministry is still in place. He has done incalculable damage to Putin’s control over the Russian state, and shown how easy it is to take control of the key military city of Rostov-on-Don and then move fast towards the capital. And it took the intervention of Lukashenko, an ally whom Putin treats more as a subordinate than an equal, to engineer an end to this ghastly of weekends for the Kremlin.

(…)

The rage and tension that has been building for months has not suddenly been assuaged. It has instead been accentuated.

So accustomed are we to viewing Putin as a master tactician, that the opening salvos of Prigozhin’s disobedience were at times assessed as a feint – a bid by Putin to keep his generals on edge with a loyal henchman as their outspoken critic. But what we have seen – with Putin forced to admit that Rostov-on-Don, his main military hub, is out of his control – puts paid to any idea that this was managed by the Kremlin.

(…)

Perhaps Prigozhin dreamt he could push Putin into a change at the top of a ministry of defense the Wagner chief has publicly berated for months. But Putin’s address on Saturday morning has eradicated that prospect. This is now an existential choice for Russia’s elite – between the president’s faltering regime, and the dark, mercenary Frankenstein it created to do its dirty work, which has turned on its masters.

(…)

This is not the first time this spring we have seen Moscow look weak. The drone attack on the Kremlin in May must have caused the elite around Putin to question how on earth the capital’s defenses were so weak. Days later, elite country houses were targeted by yet more Ukrainian drones. Among the Russian rich, Friday’s events will remove any question about whether they should doubt Putin’s grip on power.

(…)

As this rare Jacobean drama of Russian basic human frailty plays out, it is not inevitable that improvements will follow. Prigozhin may not prevail, and the foundations of the Kremlin’s control may not ultimately collapse. But a weakened Putin may do irrational things to prove his strength.

He may prove unable to accept the logic of defeat in the coming months on the frontlines in Ukraine. He may be unaware of the depth of discontent among his own armed forces, and lack proper control over their actions. Russia’s position as a responsible nuclear power rests on stability at the top.

A lot more can go wrong than it can go right. But it is impossible to imagine Putin’s regime will ever go back to its previous heights of control from this moment. And it is inevitable that further turmoil and change is ahead.”

“No one should be naive and think that any new Russian leader would automatically be better.

For their part, it is understandable that Ukrainians hope that liberation may be at hand if Russians fall out among themselves. But the chilling truth is that Prigozhin has made it clear that he is rebelling because the aggression against Ukraine has been mismanaged, not because it is a war crime. Prigozhin’s unrestrained brutality means that if he succeeds in bending the Russian state and army to his will, the war against Ukraine could be plunged into new depths of horror.

So far, Putin has used bluster about using nuclear weapons but don’t count on a criminal such as Prigozhin to show restraint. For this is a man who has used a sledgehammer to smash the head of an insubordinate soldier.

Would such a beast bother considering the consequences before unleashing nuclear weapons on the world?

Make no mistake, the fate of Russia’s vast nuclear arsenal is now in play. As bad for Russia and the world as Putin’s regime has been, a new power struggle for control of the Kremlin risks putting the world on the brink of atomic catastrophe. We have never witnessed a civil war inside a nuclear-armed state before.

(…)

Nuclear-armed anarchy is a terrifying prospect. But there is little in practice that the West can do to control the situation.

However much Putin deserves a grim reckoning, those who may yet topple him are even less predictable and self-controlled. Yesterday’s chaos suggests his coming fall would still set in train a worse time of troubles for all of us.”

#vladimir sorokin #sorokin #putin #russia #ukraine #russo ukrainian war #power #yevgeny prigozhin #wagner #russian coup #ivan ilyin #mark almond

5 notes · View notes

starredeclipse · 3 months ago

Text

Let’s throw a party!: a short story

(warning mentions of blood! Want to read part 1 and 2?: here you go ) In front of them amongst the many rows of tables and few chairs stood a animatronic with red fur and a hook for a hand, he towered over Teddy who was on the ground now, he had fallen over a chair allowing Molly to get away.

The boy screamed as the fox grabbed a hold of him when he tried to get up, Madison yelled out “We got to do something!” As the three of them stood there both stunned and confused on what they were even looking at, everyone seemed to be frozen in place as the animatronic raised his hook, everything seemed to be all over but as a chair came slamming down on the fox everyone seemed to unfreeze from the moment.

They saw Molly, the one who wasn’t the bravest out of the group taking on something that was far bigger than her, everyone sort of scrambled to action as the fox dropped Teddy due to the impact, the chair only seemed to stun it for a moment though before it turned its attention to Molly with a look of aggression, she let out a scream as it tried to grab her but she managed to dodge but just barely, this fox was quick. Jack jumped into the danger zone as he helped Teddy get away, the boys ran down a hallway in panic while Madison helped distract the fox “Hey you! Get your mangy hand off of my friends!” She was brave but also very scared, she didn’t have a game plan nor did she know what to do, all she knew was that somebody needed to lure whatever this was away so the others could escape and Madison was the fastest.

Foxy turned to look at her, his glare was menacing, his eyes flashed between red and white, almost like his visual censors were off. His movements were quick but clunky, the stage barely illuminated the area around them, Madison managed to pick up her flashlight before the fox reached her, she wasn’t ready, how could she be? The flash of a camera, the bright sudden light sent her vision into spots, she heard a metal screech of rage echo through her ears.

Her heartbeat raced so fast, she hadn’t even realized her own feet had started running not until she started gasping for breath. The darkness consumed everything in the hallway she found herself in, her flashlight barely lit up the areas around her as she ran and all she could hear was the clanking of a metal predator that was fast on her tail.

Madison ran around the corner, her shoes screeched against the black and white tile. Paper pals fell off the wall, a door opened and a pair of glowing red blue glitched eyes flashed from the dark doorway. The girl let out a scream as a purple looking bunny reached out as if to grab her, she ducked side stepping in a attempt to get out of range of its grasp slamming herself into the wall as a sharp pain ripped through her back.

Her breath hitched as she lurched forward nearly tripping herself and falling to the ground, tears stung at her eyes blurring her vision, could anything save her? Was she doomed to be ripped to shreds?

The only thing that saved her from a early end was the open room to her left, she stumbled into the room, the only thing illuminated was the buttons on a panel on the side of the door. Her back burned, everything was blurry, she stepped to the side the clanking of metal mere seconds away from her as she fell into the buttons that closed the door.

The scrapping of the cold hard metal panel opened the delicate wound on her back, red stained her shirt as Madison’s legs buckled and she found herself on the dirty tiled ground coughing and choking back sobs, metal slammed itself into the door repeatedly as if the animatronic itself had a major malfunction.

Madison cried when she finally could take a breath, she wanted her mom…..she wanted her dad, she didn’t want to be here anymore, this was supposed to be fun time out with her friends…..and now she felt like she might never get out of here. She tried her best to breath, she tried her best to think but she could barely do either, if it wasn’t for a gentle hand gripping her shoulder….she might not have ever gotten herself off the floor “J-Jack…?” His brown eyes looked horrified as he saw the blood on the back of her shirt that was only getting worse by the minute “Y-yeah, come on, we got to go!” His voice hissed with urgency, she wasn’t sure she could even run anymore, she was only running on pure adrenaline as he took her by the hand and led her down the rooms second door “Teddy already got out but I can’t find Molly or Brittany, after I get you out of here I’m going back for them” his words were determined, they both broke back into a run, a single flashlight lighting there way since the boy had dropped his at the mere sight of Foxy.

He managed to guide her back into the main party room before they saw Molly being chased by a robotic chicken, the chickens movements were janky and it kept making noises like its voicebox was broken “Molly!” Jack called to her but the only attention he managed to grab was the chickens, Jack and Madison froze in there steps as Chica looked at them, it changed its target but before they could run again Madison took a step back, she heard a sound….a crack sound? Her mind couldn’t register the source…..only that one moment she was standing ready to run and in the next second the ground from under her collapsed. Her eyes widened in that moment of weightlessness before reality snapped back to her in the form of Jack holding on her hand refusing to let go.

She looked up seeing the dim light of the room above her illuminating Jacks face, she didn’t remember saying the words “Don’t let me fall!” Nor does she remember what he said in turn, all she remembers……was seeing those metal glowing eyes staring from over his shoulder before everything went black.

1 note · View note