#is gonna go. and again maybe its bc its information that will be given in kh4 and thats just the curse of waiting for a new installment but

[cinnabeat]

watching people speculate abt the ending of kh3 from when it came out and talking about the significance of yozora and the verum rex trailer and theyre fumbling through ffxv knowledge and its physically hurting me how much theyre getting wrong

[thevillainswhore]

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

Pairing: Stalker!IT/tech!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

(snippets/mentions of Carter Bazien x F!Reader and Ending, Beginnings!Frank x F!Reader)

Summary: Bucky, the IT and technology expert of your office, has been secretly obsessed since the moment he set his sights on sensitive, naive, little you. But, your only fault is your repetitive ability to get your heartbroken by fuck boys. So, naturally, he has to do whatever it takes to make you see he’s perfect for you… right?

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: Stalking, mentions of smut (p in v, male masturbation) violence, grievous bodily harm, dark elements, possessive behaviour, hacking, reader is very naive, Bucky is a hell of a warning here (will add more with the upcoming chapters) PLEASE HEED THE WARNINGS - THIS IS A DARK FIC!!!

A/N: We are finally here!! 😭 incase anyone doesn’t remember, I teased this fic a longgg time ago and it makes me so happy to announce its now live 🥹 as mentioned before this is a multi part story - I’m aiming for 3 parts but it could be more with me who knows 🤣 I also changed the my moodboard bc my last one did not include inclusivity and that is the goal here 💗

So now onto my appreciations ❤️ first of all I need to thank @mickeyhenrys for helping with the fic title - she’s a genius and I’m so thankful! Next, I need to thank @sgt-seabass for the help with the IT/cyber security aspect of things - she was absolutely amazing with providing all the information I needed and I’m super grateful for it. And last and certainly not least… my beautiful @rookthorne. my god I can’t even begin to thank you for all the help you’ve given me on this. To beta’ing this fic, helping me a lot with my moodboard even when I was a pain the ass 🤣 and just supporting me in general with my crazy ideas - this fic sprouted from our brainstorming and looking back from then to where this has flourished now is amazing 💗 thank you for being the beautiful person you are and inspiring me to grow as a writer. I love you so much 🥹

Now onto the fic, please enjoy the start of this crazy, wild ride and good luck - you’re gonna need it… 👀

You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.

Bucky glances over at you through the window that seperates the two of you, gushing about your new date already. It took you a week, maybe two, to get over the last guy. And here you were, yet again, in the same conversation with the same co-worker, debating about which dress you were gonna wear tonight. 

Did it matter anyway? 

The same shit happens every time. You go out with a new prize idiot, get laid, wait for them to text you back (spoiler: they never do), and you sit there, crying and wondering where you went wrong. 

It was frustrating. 

You only ever go out with the conventional ‘fuck boy’. The same three-piece suits and quiffed hair that looks like it’s been cemented to their skull with product and arrogance, both in equal measure. 

When were you going to get it? You choose the wrong type of guy, every single time. And yet, you wonder why they never stick around long enough to make things official, or to settle down. 

You were gullible; so naive.

The perfect girl that Bucky has kept his sights set on from that very first day that you begun working in the same office.

That’s when you walked into my life, Angel. 

It wasn’t all that new for it to rain in New York. Heels clicked and splashed through the deep puddles of the pavement, and leather briefcases bumped against each other in the chaos of the crowds as Bucky made his way to work.

He found he didn’t so much mind the repetitive routine – his life had never been exciting. It gave him peace of mind to hear all the usual sounds and to witness the usual frenzied rush from his run down apartment all the way to his office.

 

He liked his job, truly. It’s what he’s always excelled best in and it’s what has kept him in his comfort zone. There was never no real need to talk to people as all communication or pleas for help were addressed in an email. Those who didn’t email always dragged themselves to his office and slammed their technology down on his desk, grunt or curse at him, before primly walking back out again. 

That would anger most people – the blatant disregard for his existence and the treatment similar to that of a scolded dog, but Bucky’s been there for ten years now, and over those many, many days, he had gotten used to it. 

It was a bonus, however, that nobody questioned him once on how he managed to fix every problem with their device with so little information as a curse and a demand to get it working.  

Pushing the door open, Bucky expects to be walking into a normal day at the office. Paying no notice to the hustle and bustle of his colleagues at work.

That is until he’s stopped in his tracks. 

The surprise of seeing the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on; a woman that was sunshine and everything he dreamed of personified standing in the lobby. He watched you speak to anyone that paused to say hello. 

The errant thought of such an innocent bunny smiling for all that gave her attention made his cock twitch in his pants. He wanted to give you that attention that you craved.

Never had he been so entranced by and enamoured in anyone. He thinks he could stay like this forever, almost blown over by his new found obsession that made his hands shake and the whole volume of blood in his body to rush to his rapidly swelling cock.

That obsession called and rooted for him to take the few steps and cover the distance to reach you, when he was abruptly shunted forward by another body slamming into his back. 

He spun around, ready to curse the person for being so oblivious, when he saw Brock. “Hey man, why the fuck were you just stand- Oh, I take it you’ve seen the new hire, hot isn’t she?” 

The predatory smile on Brock’s mouth physically made him recoil.  Looking Brock up and down, clear disgust in the sneer and glare of his expression, Bucky turned and stalked away towards the stairs in a bid to head to his office. 

His closest safety net, the office where he spent his days, came into view and he slammed open the door, only to fall back onto it, his breath coming in sharp pants. Wildly, he glances around him and then out of the blinds that shroud his office from onlookers. Nobody was paying attention to his moment of crisis and doubt, except, he finds you glancing over your cubicle wall. 

You send a small wave, one of which Bucky can’t believe is directed at him, and you smile broadly – a kind gesture. He can’t remember the last time someone smiled at him like that. 

Bucky hastily looks away and strides over to his desk, adjusting the sudden tent of his slacks before he turns to sit in his desk chair to start his day. 

Who the fuck is she? 

The day starts slow, each task as mundane as the last, when you finally get a chance to talk to Sasha, your favourite co-worker. “I really think he’s going to be the one this time.” You can’t stop grinning, wiggling in your seat from excitement to be going out with Frank this weekend – the party that you met him at still fresh in your mind. 

“Girl, you said that last time! With... What was his name again?” Sasha groans, her chair swivelling so she could face you fully. You stare at her with a furrow in your brow while she stumbles to remember the name. “Chad? No, I don’t think that was it… Chris?” 

“His name was Carter.” There's heartbreak evident in the way your voice turns to a solemn whisper when speaking of him, and your eyes start to water as you begin to think about how your previous date left you high and dry after your night together – only to ghost you the next morning. Your lips start to tremble at the memory. “And I thought we said we weren’t going to speak about him anymore.” 

Sasha notices your dejected expression. “Shit honey, l’m sorry. I just want you to be happy.” You nod once, wiping your cheek with your palm. “Car-” She hesitates, and then frowns. “He-who-shall-not-be-named was a rich asshole, he doesn’t deserve you and he can choke on a dick.”

The crass statement shocks you. “Sasha!” you admonish, glancing around the office for anyone milling about that may have overheard. Although you were never one to bad mouth, you couldn’t help the small giggles spilling out at her vulgar words. 

Sasha’s abrupt and scandalous nature has always been the exact opposite to your docile character, but she was the first true friend you had made in the office – always looking out for you, taking care of you, and with your doe-eyed persona, the men can’t help but desire to have a piece of you. 

It is a blessing that she always knew how to pick you back up when you were down, no matter how many times you would come to her in tears over the same problem. 

“Anyway, I promise this one is different,” you promise. The sadness that gripped you a second before fades with the humorous nature of your friend. Sasha shoots you a look. “I didn’t even match with him on Tinder! We met at that party–the one I told you about, Daphne’s?”

“I remember,” Sasha murmurs, nodding. 

The memory flashes across your mind, and you shake your head slightly. “He looked so silly with the little tiara on his head. He came up to me and we talked a little–said I looked really pretty and that we should meet up sometime,” you explain, almost imploringly – you desperately want her to understand that it was a good thing. “It’s what you wanted, isn’t it–for me to get myself out there?”

Pride makes your voice strong, unwavering in it’s conviction. Stepping out of your your social circle is a huge step, and by the softening in Sasha’s gaze, she thinks so, too. 

The night you met Frank swirls in your mind, clouding it as you stare dreamily at the wall beside Sasha’s head.

The party was in full swing – loud cheers and clinking bottles and glasses filled the night air, while the pounding bass music rattled your chest. Your friend, Daphne, had left to go smoke in the corner, abandoning you to your own devices by the pool. 

Fairy lights had been strung up from pole to pole above you and you were admiring them, when Frank caught you by surprise.

“Hey doll,” he greeted, and you glanced at the six foot Prince Charming in a wool coat and tiny tiara. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. What’s a pretty little thing like you doing all alone in the corner?” 

Frank had thrown you a dashing smile and you found you couldn’t maintain eye contact with his intense gaze – you swore you fell in love on the spot.

To say you were flustered would be an understatement. “M-Me?” 

Frank almost looked amused. “Well, just between me and you dollface… I don’t see anyone else nearly as pretty as you here.”  

As the night went on, Frank continued to sweep you off your feet. You genuinely had no clue how desperate you made him over your sweet little dress riding up your thighs when you fiddled with the the hem. Or when you started to feel shy and you crossed your arms to try and hide yourself – only to squeeze your tits together. It gave him the perfect image of how they would look bouncing up and down on his cock. 

The way he stared at you so sweetly, acting as the perfect gentleman made the butterflies in your stomach swoop and flutter up a storm. You had planned a date with him at the end of the night and you were beyond excited. 

Snapping out of your daydream, you focus back into the present, aware enough of your surroundings to see Sasha clicking her fingers sharply in front of your face making you blink. “Hello? There she is!” She sits back and rolls her eyes. “Jesus girl, I was calling your name for ages. Where did that cute head of yours wander off to this time?” 

“Sorry! I just got caught up in Frank again,” you sigh, dreamily. 

Sasha scoffs. “C’mon, he can��t be that cute. Show me a photo of him.”

You clap your hands and squeal, rushing to search through your bag for your phone to show her just how lucky you are to have someone as wonderful as Frank interested in you. Scrolling through the photos you’d taken that night, you finally find the one you couldn’t stop admiring; him with that silly tiara sitting atop his soft, fluffy hair that you could imagine running your hands through all day, wrapped in a snug jacket with a cigarette between his fingers and blowing out smoke the side of his perfect lips. 

His eyes fixed intently on one thing. You. 

The image sends a shiver down your spine, and before you get too carried away, you turn your screen to face Sasha. 

After a whole minute of considertory silence, she finally speaks up, her voice aweful. “Holy fucking shit, babe. I wanna lick his face.” 

Your jaw drops. “Sasha, oh my god, you can’t just say that!” Laughter threatens to bubble over and your cheeks heat in response.

“Watch me,” Sasha teases, and you both dissolve into laughing fits.

Bucky is seething. He doesn’t think his teeth could be grating together any harder; grinding to dust until his jaw clicks. While your laugh is melodic to his ears, and his heart leaps and bounds at the sound of your voice, even muted from his vantage point of his office, he saw how upset you looked when your co-worker mentioned him. 

Carter. 

Even thinking his name gets his blood boiling. But, he wills himself to calm down. To just breathe. There was no point in getting worked up over that spoiled prick anymore, he’s dealt with after what he did to you –  the very lengths Bucky had to go to get that video Carter took on his phone deleted. 

You, the not so innocent whore on your knees for someone who wasn’t him, begging for Carter’s dick down your throat until you were suffocating; saliva drooling from your chin and dripping down onto your heaving tits.

Bucky can feel his cock twitching in his trousers at the thought of you being so submissive. Pity floods him – you didn’t even realise how Carter had not only ignored your texts that morning, but he had also planned to send that precious gift you had so willingly given to him, to all of his friends and ultimately ruin your life.  Leaving it in shambles for you to pick up the debris of your professional career and sociality with so little care.

Bucky wasn’t the most pleased with you after seeing that video in the first place. It was such a foolish decision to trust and allow that sleazebag to film you. 

He took it upon himself to remove every trace of the video. After all, he was a good person, what a man should be.  

Such a good man that he paid a visit to Carter, leaving him with a few of his own gifts. A black eye, fractured skull, and a break in his right femur that may, or may not have, resulted in him taking residence in the local intensive care unit fighting for his life.

“All I want is for you to be happy. And who better to make you happy than me?” Bucky wonders quietly at his desk, the door to his office wide open so he can hear you chatting to your friend. “I would treat you so good–dote on you every hour of every day, never let you out of my sight, either.”

The next train of thought is one he will not voice aloud, but the vision of him fucking you hard and rough, just as you deserve, until you cried for more – for all of what he could give. 

“You’re better off with me,” Bucky grumbles. His lips turn down into a grimace and he glares at the cubicle wall that separated you from him. “You just don’t know it yet, bunny.”

Nevertheless, here you are, flaunting your latest boy toy off to your friend. 

The pencil he’s been tapping absentmindedly on his desk stops suddenly and small pieces of wood splinters by the second until it snaps in half,  almost capturing your attention – head whipping side to side in search of the noise until you give up and go back to your conversation. 

Pain laces through his hand when the wood scratches his palm, reddening lines etching themselves in retaliation for his daydreaming.

He’s got to be more careful with his frustrations. 

You have hardly ever looked in his direction, let alone spoken a single word to him. Why would you? Not many people did, if he is honest with himself. His shoulder-length dark hair that is always covered by the same black cap in combination with his piercing and brooding stare didn’t give off the best impression, or invite conversation. 

Bucky was not a popular man, even thinking back to his early school years. He was always considered the loner, the nerd, the creep. No sisters or brothers to grow up with; distant parents who paid no mind to him or bothered to foster and nuture his affinities. 

The lonliness of his childhood paved the way to the depths of his desperation. Intelligence was something he had an abundance of, and weaponising the skills of his cyber skills was an underutilised talent of every one of his past employs. 

It never assuades or lessens the burden of need for affection. A craving that naws like a festering wound in his barren heart, for something that could make up for the miserable nights of self reflection and doubt; wondering why he was never enough for his parents, or popular at school where the girls would fawn over him.

Something for his own; to be just his and unable to be taken from him, not by anybody. 

I’m right here, Angel. You just don’t ever see me. 

Bucky has done nothing short of pine after you from afar; stealing glances and furtive wanders to get close in any way he can. 

He knows you wouldn’t go out of your way to talk to him – you don’t run in the same circles and you are definitely not socially compatible. That doesn’t stop him from imagining how soft your skin must be, or how flawlessly your body would melt against his as he railed you into his bed. Your heavenly little cries of his name, breathless chants pleading him to “Keep going!” and “Don’t stop!” never leave his mind. They fuel his needy desires at night until he can get the real thing, whimpering your name until his voice is hoarse as he fucks his fist over and over and over – the thought that it was your hand or your pillowy lips guiding him into ecstacy pushes him to the very brink of insanity. 

The dreams will do for now, he thinks privately as he stares at you through the glass pane of his office wall, straight to your cubicle, the sound of your laughter echoing down the hall and muffled through the glass. He’s managed for the last six months since he first saw you, it’s fine. 

Impatience chips away at his resolve, though, and his fuse is shortening by the day.  No matter what it takes, no matter who you think is good for you right now, Bucky will have you, and when he does… He’s not ever letting you go.

[inawearyworld]

free if you truly wish to be: chapter iv

shit goes DOWN. as y'all have probably gathered. bc. yknow. the plot of the movie. but first there's a song yayyyyyyyyy

2023!wonka x oc, this chapter ~2.5k

god, i love musicals.

(edit: realized after posting that i was looking at the wrong page of the screenplay while writing this and therefore royally screwed up the song structure of a world of your own but it’s fiiiiiiine)

once again, thank you mat for that interview taking a typical one-dimensional dahl villain and letting him be a more complex character. also i should probably throw a content warning on this one for depiction of a slightly abusive relationship

but i promise everything's gonna be okay soon-happy new year everyone!!

part three fic masterlist part five

While going through a time of personal growth involving trying to unravel one’s identity from that of one’s rich and powerful husband, it often happens that there are advantages to said husband being wrapped in worry over a new business rival-and, therefore, spending far more time at the office.

Wren’s favorite advantage at the present moment was that she was the only one to watch the mail come in.

Deep purple stationery was the signal she looked for-and steadily received, then returned with her own emerald letters-every day. The notes included scrawled updates regarding the operation to allow the earnest young chocolatier his day in the sun, anecdotes about the group of launderers that supported it (who she’d snuck out to meet often enough that they now felt like a second family), tales of a mysterious orange man, and exchanges of advice, witticisms, and Shakespeare quotes.

The handwriting was inexperienced, and there were more than a fair share of spelling errors toward the start of their correspondence, but she didn’t care a whit.

We’ve got the shop, Willy had written one day. For now, the task is digging through its decrepit debris and designing its decoration. (The credit for those words goes to Noodle-she says hello.) There are so many possibilities, I barely know where to start.

Start with the “why”, Wren wrote back. That’s what I always do. If there’s a piece I’m struggling to sing and I lose motivation to practice, I go back to the reasons I love the piece, even all the way back to the reasons I love the arts in the first place. Maybe there’s something in there for your shop-what made you want to share your chocolate with the world? (And hello to you too, Noodle!)

My dear Wren, came the reply, you’ve just given me the best of ideas.

He told her then about his mother and the inspiration she provided. Wren would be lying if she’d said a tear hadn’t fallen onto that particular letter.

As for how to keep him safe from the Cartel, police, and every other corrupt authority, Wren did her part by becoming Florence again whenever necessary. She acted less suspicious around her husband, leading him to be less secretive-although the gain in information was miniscule, it was better than nothing.

Felix’s rages would range anywhere from tittering, jealous rants to scheming monologues during which his whole being seemed to take on a lower, darker, more calculating tone. She’d listen carefully to all of these, tactfully calling out anything that might get him to consider he was wrong, but that had little to no effect.

Plan B, then, she’d realized, is all I can do.

So, whenever Felix seemed particularly incensed or just on the verge of coming up with how to destroy his rival, Florence would swoop in with wine and dark lipstick and a low-cut dress. She’d endure being his caged pet songbird, his doll, his perfect plaything, only because she had the growing feeling that things were about to change.

If Willy’s shop becomes successful enough to be completely undeniable, maybe the Cartel will finally acknowledge him as an equal. Maybe I’ll finally be seen as an equal, too. Maybe things will finally be truly fine.

So, night after night, she’d sit on her husband’s lap, twirl his tie, and kiss his neck until he’d forgotten the name of Wonka.

The same could not be said for her.

~

Due to just how glamorized she always had to be while in public, it didn’t take much to come up with disguise enough to be able to visit the new shop on its opening day.

With a fluttering sense of hope, Wren approached the fourth building of the Galeries Gourmet, blending in seamlessly with the sea of soon-to-be-wonderstruck passers-by. She cast a few nervous glances to the window of the Fickelgruber office, at which the man stood in his usual stance. There was no chance, though, of his recognizing her trademark ginger flame amongst the crowd; it was safely tucked under a dark, low-brimmed hat.

This could have set her mind at ease, but the fact that he looked even more smug than usual as he surveyed the ground below him made her nervous.

Did they plan something?

She was distracted from this worry by a sudden flash of color at the long-empty shop’s door. Willy Wonka stepped through, looking more himself than she could have ever imagined. He addressed the crowd with a flourish, and she marveled at his ability to combine showmanship with authenticity.

He took a skeptical older man’s arm, leading him to the shop’s entrance, and began to sing.

All at once, the shop transformed before all of their eyes, flooding with color, and the music settled into a sparking pulse that thrilled Wren to the core.

Willy grinned, fully in his element, and the doorway went dark. Gloved hands presented chocolate wonders as their creator sang them into existence. When he lit a match, the store seemed to come alive, and Wren gasped.

If his letter was anything to go by, the sight he had created was an homage to his childhood on his mother’s boat, brought to life in a way nearly too beautiful to be true.

Willy and the other man danced up a bridge of sorts as his song continued, proudly offering his shop as a world for each of his customers to call their own. Overtaken and lifted by the enchanting environment, Wren squealed with the rest of the crowd and ran into the shop, ripping the hat from her head and allowing her auburn curls to tumble freely down.

She threw her head back and laughed aloud. Her lack of makeup, and plain blouse and skirt replacing the usual emerald-colored finery, gave her assurance that she wouldn’t be recognized here; this was the closest thing she’d experienced to liberation in a very long while, and she relished it, along with the sweetly simple soar of Willy’s voice across his song.

When she looked up at him again, he was sitting on the boat that floated on the circling chocolate river, and she noticed he’d already been staring with a sideways grin. As the bassline that came from nowhere launched into a rollicking chromatic vamp, he tipped his hat to her, and she gave an enamored wave.

The second verse passed, and suddenly he’d reached her, extending a hand which she took without a second thought. He helped her onto the boat, then pulled her alarmingly close, but before she could say a thing about it, a cloud of smoke appeared around them.

Wren blinked and realized that she and Willy were now at the base of the massive chocolate tree in the center of the shop.

“How did you-”

But he only smiled and started to dance his way up the tree.

“A world of your own,” he sang, then gestured an invitation straight towards her.

This’ll be easy enough, she thought, nearly bursting with joy.

“A place to escape to,” she continued, running farther up the tree to meet him in the middle. His expression filled with awe upon finally hearing her sing, and they began a whirling back-and-forth.

“A world of your own-”

“-where you can be free!”

“Wherever you go, wherever life takes you…”

“This is your home,” she sang to him, twirling herself into his arms and beaming with pride. He’s found it-he’s created it.

“A world of your own,” they finished. He looked at her for a moment, seeming struck, then kissed her hand and disappeared through the branches of the tree to continue with the song’s bridge. She let out a dazed and happy breath, taking a moment to let her gaze roam the shop from her perch in the chocolate tree.

She didn’t know what would happen next, but she’d be damned if she wouldn’t let herself enjoy this moment.

~

What did happen next was…as an understatement, not what any of them had hoped.

She wished she could say it was a complete surprise, and she wished she could have done more to stop it. The candy started having disastrous effects, the customers understandably balked, and it was clearly not Willy’s fault in the least. In a blur, the shop was in ruins, and Wren sat in shock with the little group who’d worked so hard to make it magical.

The candyman himself was devastated; not just by the massive setback, but by the absence of his mother’s spirit. Wren and Noodle sat by his side, but Abacus ushered them up. It broke Wren’s heart to think of leaving him like this-if the truest and most trusting dreamer on Earth can be broken down, where’s the hope for the rest of us?-but she somehow still felt she had to follow the group out.

She felt a hug around her waist and a held-back sob, and looked down to see Noodle clinging onto her. Wren immediately knelt to her level and hugged the girl close, finding it hard now to keep back her own tears.

“Terrible shame what-”

“Florence?”

Slowly, she opened her eyes, her breath dropping to the floor.

Slugworth had spoken first, a smooth and practiced opening to what would have turned into a gloat. The voice that had interrupted him was genuinely shaken and clearly belonging to her husband.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to Noodle, who nodded. “You can go, you shouldn’t have to see this-”

“Florence,” his voice came again, at a loss. She took a breath, stood up, and faced him with tears in her voice.

“Hi, Felix.”

Silence.

Slugworth looked with growing puzzlement between the woman and the girl, and Felix could only stare at his wife with dawning realization.

“You’ve been working with him,” he said simply, every usual quirk of inflection having vanished.

For a moment, the wash crew surrounded her in an attempt at a shield, and she heaved a breath to keep back a sob-of fear, of gratefulness for these friends that had become family over the past weeks, of everything suddenly crashing down.

“I’ll be okay,” she said quietly to the wash crew and perhaps to myself. “You all should go. Like you were going to. I’m sorry.”

They didn’t move.

She looked at Piper, whose worried hand was on her arm. There was an unspoken vow of protection between the women in that moment, but Wren’s eyes pleaded, so Piper nodded sadly, took Noodle’s hand, and the group left.

Wren was almost afraid to look at Willy, but she did; the boy was staring at the old chocolate bar in his hands, looking as if he could barely process a thing.

The sympathy in her gaze must have been far too obvious, because she suddenly heard footsteps, felt a hard grip on her wrist, and gasped in pain as it was yanked up and backwards.

“Darling,” Felix hissed with a sinister edge, though his voice was breaking, “I don’t know how or why this betrayal-”

“Betrayal?” she finally cried out, breaking free from his grasp as Willy rushed between them. “You lot have just poisoned dozens of innocent people, all for a business rivalry, and I won’t-”

“If you want your family not to starve, you had better lower your voice,” he barked.

Every speck of air seemed to leave the room.

“...My family?”

“I may have been distracted enough for the past weeks to ignore the mail that came in and out of our house, but I had not always been that blind. I thought your compassion to be an incomprehensible gesture, but I let it slide. When I felt like it.”

…They haven’t gotten everything I’ve sent.

They haven’t-

“In fact,” he continued, “it served as what was almost a pleasant reminder of the truth. For your family, for your stupid dream, and for your sweetly dependent soul-you need me.”

“If you knew I was poor, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because it’s the same way for me!”

This was the peak of what had been a building explosion, and this was the moment in which they both remembered there were other people in the room.

“What?” the four besides him breathed, almost in unison.

“Oh, you heard right,” Felix launched into speech, the characteristic gestures starting to work their way back into him. “I came from nearly nothing, just the same. But I did what I had to do to climb to the top. I cast them all away, left my old life behind completely, and I suppose it was a foolish hope to think my wife would do the same. But she-but you-you are nothing but a guileless, deceitful bleeding heart.”

“I…”

Tears blurred her vision.

“I am…genuinely sorry that you felt you had to hide your past, but that doesn’t excuse trying to make the rest of the world match your insecurity and fit your little chocolate mold. And if that makes me a bleeding heart…I’m proud of the title.”

For a moment, the man looked as if he would allow his wife’s words to affect him.

Then his face, normally so expressive, turned completely cold.

She’d lost him.

She’d never truly had him to lose.

But she looked at Willy, and she thought of the wash crew, and she realized she finally had a truer support system. And if she could try to start over, find some other way to earn money to send to her family without interception, and some other way to reach the dreams that felt so far away at the moment, she knew Felix would be wrong: she didn’t need him.

After a long silence, Slugworth cleared his throat.

“Get her out of here. We have business with Mr. Wonka.”

What?

Her and the younger man’s eyes widened, and they grabbed each other’s hands on instinct, but a small number of policemen came around the corner of the shop door at Slugworth’s order. They clamped hands on her shoulders and dragged her away from Willy as the Cartel stood silently and watched.

“Wait-wait, no, I-”

“Wren-”

She struggled, fought, kicked, but was forced into the backseat of a police car-

“Let me go, you corrupt bastards-”

“Wren-”

“Let me-”

“Just drop her somewhere in town,” Felix said coolly. “Somewhere that isn’t my home.”

“WREN!”

The car door was slammed, and the last thing she saw was the Cartel advancing on a dazed Willy, opening a suitcase of cash.

All she could do was scream, and the scream turned into a cry.

They did indeed drop her somewhere. She burst out of the car the second it had stopped, and the officers drove away without a word.

Sick with worry and trying to regain her breath, she looked around, almost fainting with relief when she saw the laundry building. Piper, having heard the commotion, stood outside, and they looked at each other for a moment before Wren fell sobbing into her arms.

This is not over.

[foreststarflaime]

Was watching Mulan but everything I think about these days turns into ff7 so here we go

✨Mulan AU✨ with the crisis core crew

Gen small town “girl” with famous rich parents

Has bestie Angeal but otherwise hates his life

Fails utterly with matchmaker. Will not shut up about Loveless thinking it will improve his chances, accidentally burns house down (or maybe not by accident)

Reflection moment

Meanwhile Shinra pushing harder into wutai territory, calls for conscription come to Banora

Angeal is going, gen feels desperately left out

Begs to go instead of his father, yelled at and shamed in front of village

Constantly being told he’s a dishonor by everyone as a child has given him massive inferiority complex, doesn’t help that angeal is so into honor (not that he says that to gen tho)

Sneaks off in the middle of the night for war, def doesn’t tell angeal

Ancestors send zack the puppy after him, cloud the lucky chocobo is the horse and cricket combined?

Angeal sniffs him out pretty quick after he joins the camp, chews him out in lecture about honor

Gen very upset with him about that, uh oh they’re beefing

Angeal still doesn’t rat him out and keeps an eye out for him even if they’re not talking tho

Hojo comes to tell his “son” sephiroth that he’d better not disappoint him with the trust they’re putting in him to let him lead this group of soldiers after the last glencident (rhadore o7)

Rufus left in charge to supervise sephiroth (or maybe a turk? Just think the animosity between those two fits the shang and scribe dynamic)

Training montage. Gen has gender crisis realizing this is him actually, while also having crisis over his new massive crush on sephiroth

After training montage angeal apologizes and they are besties again until angeal laughs at him for his crush on seph and genesis is now in a huff

Zack and cloud overhear seph and rufus fighting about the quality of the troops

Gen tries to reassure seph as he storms away from rufus

Zack and cloud forge orders to the front to give to rufus

Girl worth fighting for is seph having a sexuality crisis over genesis, maybe also angeal

Seph’s thoughts: oh god is that somehting i was supposed to want??? Its never happened before,,,,, and now that maybe it is it’s not with a girl? Shit

Angeal can also have a crisis over oh shit gen I’ve loved you since forever and I thought I was gonna get to marry you but you’re not a girl ig so wtf do I do now

They come across a burned village in wutai that shinra’s armies have already swept through

Seph starts questioning his allegiance to shinra

Instead of finding hojo dead bc we’re not that lucky maybe he finds glen dead having joined the resistance against shinra. Maybe rufus shot him right before he could get to him

Ambush by angry vengeful wutaians, gen saves the day with strategic forest fire to give them a chance to escape without doing too much slaughtering but gets injured in the process

I would put avalanche here as a funny reference but idk how id fit them in

Uh oh gen is not amab

Transphobic rufus, seph is just even more confused in his identity crisis now and also has spent his entire life being conditioned against this sort of thing hes not really that upset

Angeal left behind with genesis bc he knew and didn’t turn him in

Rest of the army takes the fort they were supposed to take and goes back towards midgar

Gen is big sad, angeal gives rousing acceptance speech

Gen, inspired, decided that Genesis Rhapsodos does what Genesis Rhapsodos wants and goes after them to give them a piece of his mind and inform them that gender norms are bullshit and what stops him from being a man really they all seemed pretty convinced before

Gen and ange run to catch up to the army having a victory parade in junon

On the way back they run into a group of wutaian ninjas sneaking up on the city

Seph, who has just been chewed out by hojo and is having a bit of a panic attack internally, doesn’t listen to gen

Big showy ceremonial thing with sephiroth and pres shinra, wutaians show up to crash the party and kidnap shinra, seph still reeling from hojo and genesis and everything is off his game a little and isn’t able to stop them

Gen and angeal show up while seph is about to go after them, comes up with plan to crossdress to get inside

Perhaps seph has an oh shit gender moment of his own here

The others deal with the guards while seph goes on ahead after the president

He busts open the doors to the throne room where he finds shinra just chilling with the wutaians??? Turns out he hired paid actors (mercenaries) to attack the parade to fuel propaganda against wutai

Since wutai is known to use monsters to combat soldier he has no qualms about getting hojo to set a giant monster on ags bc they’ve seen too much

One cathartic hojo murder and climactic rooftop battle later and shinra’s evil plans get revealed to the public

Maybe kunsel leaks the receipts or something or shinra monologues evilly for a hidden camera held by zack or both

Shinra definitely at least gets deposed if not outright assassinated

Rufus tries to step up as emperor but the crowd is not having it. They are chanting for the great hero sephiroth instead

Sephiroth deflects the praise onto Genesis who actually wants it and preens under the attention, angeal is just proud of his besties

When gen and angeal return home gen finally gets to fulfill his dream of sharing an apple with sephiroth yayy

If anyone wants to do anything with this go right ahead, just lmk, I would 99999% read this fic but I do not have time to write it rn and I am not an artist

[marumarielle]

‼️ anon

It's been a LONG time here, lol 😭 Maru I hope you're doing well bc ur schoolwork seems to be killing u (dw me too, I can not wait for the school year to end) .

So I wanted to talk about something that I would love u and other people's input on. That is; manifesting wars (and major world events for that matter) away.

It's a very touchy subject in this community, and I'd like to give my 2 cents on it. Before I address it, though, I would like to give my opinion on to very commonly adopted assumptions in this community.

Now, personally, I don't believe the whole "if you were to manifest it away, it would only be in your reality and wouldn't reflect on other people's realities" belief because when people manifest appearance changes, it's not only visible in their reality but in other people's realities as well. And I don't just mean this for physical appearance changes but for literally every other type of manifestation. What you manifest will not only reflect in your reality but other people's realities so the whole "you can't manifest wars to end because it would only manifest in your reality and no one else's lest you were to make people adopt the same assumption as you" falls apart in this regard.

Now, other people think that you shift with each manifestation, so regardless of whether you manifest here or not, this reality would stay the same and you would simply shift to a reality with your manifestation fulfilled. Personally, I don't have anything to say about this belief because it could very much be true, but I'll decide that for myself once I gain more information about the topic in this regard.

Now, imo I really don't know why wars can't be manifested away or why people are seemingly unable to do so. It could be that we are, but people don't care enough about them to do so (I mean, you rarely hear of a "I manifested [war] away" in any void success story) or there's something stopping those who are manifesting it away from being able to do so in this reality. Either way, I would like more input into this topic that is not just backing the two belief systems that I spoke about earlier.

notes: hello ‼️ anon! I'm so glad to see you again in my inbox and thank you for taking the time to write that all down. Obviously, this post will be my 2 cents as well. Disagreements to this topic is unavoidable, but its best shared constructively.

tw: mentions of war, doubting the law (i think this is a given here)

here's my input. It's more like an extension of your ask to be honest. No solution or any of that kind is what's presented. Just my inner conflict and me wondering if anyone else feels the same way:

To be honest with you anon, this was also my belief when I believed that shifting & manifestation are somewhat the same. Like you, the problem I had when it comes to the whole "manifesting wars away" is that "what if you're just shifting to another reality for this major change since manifestation and shifting are technically the same?" because then you won't be really fixing the problem here if you're just switching realities where it's resolved.

Sometimes, more unrestrained thoughts come in: "what if the reason why this is still happening because you're aware of it and believe that it'll continue?" or "what if you're not manifesting hard enough?" Obviously, both made me doubt the law and question my belief system.

I wondered that since imagination is the only reality and that you can manifest anything, how come wars and other world crises still happen? I then had a thought that maybe I wasn't persisting enough. But, then, we go to that loophole that manifesting takes no effort, you only need to switch states and stay there. And then I'd worsen the loopholes. Because I'd think: How the hell am I supposed to act like the war is resolved when literal children, women, mothers, sisters, fathers, brothers, are dying everyday? I felt that looking away and thinking everything's gonna be fine after viewing a video of another family begging to be saved was equivalent to turning a blind eye. I couldn't bring myself to do that.

Some of you reading this post may go "Oh, but then you stopped persisting! That's why it didn't manifest!" but how can I seriously do that and not feel horrible???? The only relief I'd get in "manifesting the wars away" is by turning to manifesting that the families get to safety as soon as possible (and some of that were fulfilled).

Ultimately, it's a huge loophole that I don't understand but I still want to help in any way that I can with the knowledge that I have.

This is a pretty sensitive topic to touch on so I tried my best to tread this carefully. Thank you again ‼️ anon for asking this. I genuinely wish this was talked more and I'm glad we're both at least bringing a bit of light to this part when it comes to the context of manifestation. Does anyone have their own inputs for this? I'm interested to hear them.

[causenessus]

HELLO!! okay lowkey i feel like we talk more through your inbox than we do in dms so im just gonna start ALWAYS talking here 🙂‍↕️ idk tumblr dms just don't work or something so GOOD AFTERNOON!! I HOPE YOURE GETTING A TON OF REST NESS bc tomorrow... we have to go back... sigh. and i have picture day tomorrow so i probably need to make myself look presentable ykwim?? 😞

but like about that friend i yapped about HIGHKEY SHE IS NOT IT YOURE RIGHT!!!! i think what makes it worse is whenever she thinks theres an issue between her and me and she goes to literally everyone but me about it to try to get other people to validate her?? FUNNIEST THING EVER because usually people side w me too pls 💔 like they'll defend me, and the people usually tell me when she starts yapping about it to them so like... just wondering why she feels the need to tell everyone in the world about what i apparently did wrong ⁉️ live laugh love i suppose... AND IF YOU EVER WANNA HEAR ABOUT STUFF THAT SHES DONE TO ME I LITERALLY HAVE STORIES FOR DAYS

ALSO!!!! IM SO EXCITED IM FINALLY GONNA GET MY DRIVER'S PERMIT AND START DRIVERS ED AAAA like ive been waiting for ages!!!! i had to like save up and stuff so it took a bit CAUSE WHY IS IT LIKE 400 DOLLARS IF YOU DONT TAKE IT THROUGH THE SCHOOL LIKE PLEASE 💔

its been days and the try again playlist is literally the only thing pulling me through... ness im forever grateful for the existence of this playlist‼️try again isnt even finished but like NESS i would marry it if i could i think i think about it even more than love notes omf 😭 i need yn as my therapist NOWWW!!! AND ADDING ONTO THAT, TONICS LOOKS SO AMAZING SO FAR OH MY GOD?? LIKE ALL THE DETAILS AND THE GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR ARTIST PROFILES AND EVERYTHING UGHH IM SO EXCITED

okay another thing, i think i told you about a phone vault before cause like my school was really talking it up... it was the stupid pocket thing on the wall. they're out there calling it a phone vault GOODBYE 😭 anyway ive given up on paying full attention in class and have reverted back to wearing and airpod in class so i can listen to music (the SOLE reason why i have airpods is bc they were a christmas gift i dont have enough money to buy those on my own 🫡)

ANYWAY I HOPE YOURE HAVING AN AMAZING DAY LOVE!! MAKE SURE YOU EAT, DRINK WATER, AND TAKE YOUR MEDS LATER!! <33 ILY

HELLO SAV!! AND PLEASE TALK WHEREVER U WANT!! I WILL RESPOND WHEREVER <3 and omg good luck with picture day!! 😭 literally those pics never turn out good like they PURPOSELY WANT ME TO LOOK BAD they're always like "no no!! push your hair out of your face behind your shoulder so we can really see how much of an egg you look like!!" but i'm wishing you the best of luck and that your picture turns out well 😔

and also HELLO??? I'M SO GLAD EVERYONE TAKES YOUR SIDE BC LIKE,, THAT'S JUST EMBARASSING FOR HER 😭 I HOPE SHE TAKES IT AS A SIGN AND REALIZES LIKE...maybe she's in the wrong...or maybe she should go to you and sort it out with you!! instead of just complaining about it to others!!

AND AA YAY GOOD FOR YOU!! it's def expensive but so so worth it in the end 😭😭 i remember for me (idk if every state does this!!) but i actually did my lessons when i was like 16 1/2 (for many reasons we won't get into 😔) but anyway!! in my state or at least at the drivers ed school i went to if you were that age they'd allow you to do this thing where basically they just threw all the information you'd learn over the course of the week (or however long all the drivers ed courses are) in one night crash course style!! and then u take the permit test at the end of it and then u get ur permit!! and although i felt a little behind everyone else bc i didn't start drivers ed immediately yk i was kind of glad i got it all done in one night!! and like you learn all the info and then IMMEDIATELY take a test on it so it was kind of easy!! but best of luck to u!! i hope it all goes well <3

AND AA THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'M SO GLAD YOU LOVE THE TRY AGAIN PLAYLIST!! i always listen to it in the morning when i'm still waking up and then will switch to the tonics playlist when i'm more awake LMAOO BUT YES!! DW i think now that i've gotten tonics intros out of the way i'm gonna work on try again while trying to outline tonics!!

BUT HELLO THE "PHONE VAULT" BUT BEING THE SHOE HANGER THING?? MAN THAT IS NOT A VAULT 😭 THE WAY SCHOOLS ARE OUT HERE COMING OUT WITH THE CRAZIEST NAMES EVER JUST SO THAT IT LIKE FITS THE AESTHETIC OF THEIR SCHOOL OR WHATEVER IS CRAZY but yes!! i think my wireless earbuds were also a christmas gift or something and then during this one play during high school that was literally the bane of my existence (and also simultaneously the best play i ever did) i NOT ONLY lost my earbuds but i ALSO bit my phone on accident and then broke the screen so like...i sacrificed blood sweat and tears for that play frfr (i also bled all over the set after cutting my finger on accident so i mean it...) so i had to buy myself another pair after that bc my mom was sick of me 😭😭 but they were like an off brand pair and tbh they're better than like samsung buds!! (what i have to use bc i'm not an apple user </3) so honestly it worked out in the end!!

BUT I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY AS WELL!! THANK YOU SO MUCH SAV <3 HAVE A LOVELY DAY AND REST LOTS AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!

[aewrie]

i've gone so far off the rails but we're in too deep now too late to turn back

or, long ass tirade re: writing consent and lack of thereof and weird nuanced situations is go

(who died and made me the boss? no one. but ppl keep telling me i write this stuff good so presumably i'm doing something right)

first off: if you think deriving enjoyment/catharsis of any kind from fictional nonconsent scenarios is gross and wrong: you're not gonna like me, please go away

second off: i am approaching the majority of this from the angle of writing (hopefully) engaging fiction. this is personal thoughts flavoured by my preferences, not a universally applicable how-to guide and not a consent 101 for real life purposes

ty

also, for context

--

'excplicit on-screen consent is awkward'

skill issue

but yes. it can be. very much so. 

i'll start off with that i have put words into characters' mouths at times bc i felt the need to tell others something (even if intended audience for a given message might never stumble across it) and will do it again, But good luck trying to figure out what those instances are,

but anyhow i think that's where a big part of the problem stems from. people (writers) try to tell their audience things (educating them on consent) at the expense of their story and characterizations. and then when they try to make it sound less awkward they attempt shortcuts like a handful of specific Sexy Ways To Ask For Consent lines that i saw people lamenting about in the notes of that post, rather than, again, trying to think of how these characters might have this interaction happen and if it serves the story and its purposes

(what i mean by 'a story's purposes' is what's the goal here. is it to explore these characters. is it to make the audience feel a certain way, or to have them think about something. and bc we're talking about smut here too is the point to get off and that's it)

if i try to think back i can remember exactly one (1) pwp smut fic where a character stopping abruptly in the middle of business to ask for consent in an somewhat questionable situation was entertaining, and that's bc the other one's response was basically that ship sailed ages ago don't you fucking dare leave me hanging here

'fiction influences how people act irl'

"...and therefore all sex scenes should have on-screen consent to help model healthy communication"

to a degree, yes, fiction can influence people when information on a topic is otherwise scarce, but the solution here isn't to turn porn into sex ed, it's to provide better sex ed outside fiction. if you write explicit enthusiastic consent SOLELY because you think your average reader needs help grasping the concept, i worry. to paraphrase a post i can't be assed to dig up bc it was years and years ago: if we rely on people's chance encounters with pornography as a means to educate the masses on safe sex, we've already lost the ball. grievously.

and i need to stress that i LIKE writing explicit consent, when it makes sense, and in ways that make sense. i'm not opposed to showing what attempts at healthy communication can look like in fiction. i think there should be stories like these! i think they can be great in introducing people to new ideas and encourage learning more outside fiction. but also i think in many situations it's just better to share educational resources separately and let the stories be stories, even if the aim is to have the communication etc reflect what you'd generally want/expect irl.

one thing i like to include (when applicable) is the term edgeplay in my descriptions/tags; it's a small thing but maybe someone not familiar will see it and realize that maybe they shouldn't be diving into what my characters are doing headfirst, even if it works out in the story

i do think mainstream porn especially could use more things like brief scenes after the main meat of a film where the actors are just chilling and stuff. a little grounding moment when it's time to 'return to reality', particularly with more hardcore stuff.

but we're primarily talking smutty fanfic, a niche within a niche, and like. honestly a lot of fanfic does better on this front already, bc we tag for these things. the understanding is already there that the fic is following tropes and kinks and specific crafted scenarios regarding consent. #sex pollen is the author telling you here will be that particular kink/trope, but also that someone's decision making is influenced/impaired by some substance belonging under the sex pollen category 

wait i thought a good way to highlight the key point here; 

> author's wanting to include on-screen consent because they prefer that, or want to encourage people, even if on a small scale, to think more about this more, etc: awesome! go for it! i do this too!

> other people pushing an expectation that fanfic smut writers of all people are responsible for educating the masses in order to fix a society-wide problem: please get a grip

i have written a pretty wide range of situations where there was on-screen consent but i'll get more onto that later,

and then i've also written/drawn stuff where there's absolutely no whiff of anything resembling healthy discussion or concern for boundaries, and a good chunk of that has been smut. i do love pwp fic/erotic art where you can read into it what you want to read into it; eg i have a fic that *could* be read as the pov character is really into it, the consent just isn't explicit on screen OR yeah that's just straight up noncon and brainwashing, just subtle about it -- i tagged for power imbalance. readers can read and imagine further details as they like. a one shot pwp with no wider narrative attached to it lends itself particularly well for something like this.

when there is a bigger story attached, i gotta start considering more how characters interact with each other and what their relationships are like, but even then, please refer to the diegetic vs non-diegetic bdsm fic post

and of course the one part of this wank that only noncon enjoyers seem to even notice: i'm more worried about the people who write ""consensual"" sex scenes that are in fact dubcon at best, because they genuinely do not seem to realize this, than the ppl writing wildly not-appropriate-to-replicate-irl scenes with full awareness that this is the case. and often, you can tell. even if it's not spelled out in the text itself.

'consent is sexy'

i am facepalming and groaning (in frustration, just for the sake of clarity) and glaring at my screen

rl? consent isn't sexy. it's necessary. it absolutely CAN be sexy but that's not a prerequisite. in fact sometimes these discussions can be actively unsexy and THAT'S FINE (trust a cnc kinkster to be the one voice of sanity in the notes of that post and be the one to bring up this point; you, random tumblr user, are a real one) bc being sexy is not the point. the mutual agreement and knowing what you're getting into is the point

(i get this phrase is less or more something created with the purpose of basically marketing consent but still)

in fiction, it can be many fucking things. including the worst boner killer you've seen. refer back the where we started, and also the whole, when the reader's here just to get off chances are they aren't in the mood for a lowkey lecture in consent (and/or safe sex)

also!!

i wouldn't say character gasping i want you in the middle of making out is sexy bc it's explicit consent, but rather it's sexy bc they're needy. because they can't contain how much they desire the other person and are emotionally vulnerable in expressing that. and does leaning into something like that not make for a more interesting and engaging (including in the sense of being arousing) storytelling than 'yes, i, a mature adult of legal age to consent and not currently under the influence of any substances that might impede my judgement, enthusiastically consent to performing the sex with this person who is my equal in every way'?

(i am exaggerating for comedic effect but that's how reading some examples i've seen feels like at times. and if someone out there thinks that is sexy i want to study them under a microscope. fully solidified brain risk centers has me fucking weeping.)

people writing things with consent/boundary issues that aren't straight up noncon (moderately spicy opinions time)

you see here' the thing with me being comfortable acknowledging that something can be noncon AND sexy: i am also perfectly content acknowledging more grey area type situations that so many others completely miss on their crusade against the Problematic noncon (and age gaps. let's be real fandom loves to hate on age gaps even when they're a completely non-issue, and then is damn oblivious to often far more glaring potential red flags. (see hannigram. apparently some people think the ship is Bad because of the age gap and no other reason.))

coffeeshop aus being the ~fluffiest most wholesome trope~ that's actually problematic bc that's just sexually harassing a service worker who may not be able to do shit about it is just one oft used example. other such things include: teacher/student or mentor/student relationships, doctor/medic/healer + their patient relationships, gods + their followers/priests, spiritual leaders + regular people of the applicable faith, ceo/evil overlord/whathaveyou and their employees/staff/underlings, the list goes on, wrt consent these are all at the very least sketchy by irl standards even if everyone was an adult and technically consented, and i didn't even list nearly every scenario imaginable,

and oh boy i almost forgot to mention things like love potions, sex pollen, aphrodisiacs, characters in heat, etc etc

BUT in fic, if we're not all fixated on being Pure and Unproblematic, these can be fucking great and romantic and sexy. for a moment we can pretend that getting flirted on by the cute regular and writing your number on the back of a receipt to hand with their drink you have memorized bc that person always orders the same thing is the pinnacle of romance. we can imagine that a follower in their blind devotion isn't a prime target for exploitation but rather their god's favourite pet who gets special treatment. you get the idea.

just, don't whine about problematic fic if you can't face the iffy parts in your own favourite romance/sex fantasies?? we're all freaks here and slapping a BUT my characters EXPLICITLY STATE that they consent on yours doesn't change that my dubcon pwp and your coffee shop au both inherently have a certain disregard of boundaries built in. it's a feature. it makes the story better at what it is supposed to be. that is: a fantasy. trying to shoehorn in standardized explicit on-screen consent can get weird beyond a superficial level of wholesome, unless you're willing to acknowledge the fact that this is actually at least a little Problematic. you don't have to spell it out in the fic, but. at least think about it, if depicting only the most wholesome consensual educational intimate encounters is so very important??

back onto depicting attempts at healthy communication/consent for a bit

the thing is, care and communication and respecting boundaries and trusting each other and all that can just as much be a fantasy explored in a story(!)

and i say 'attempts at healthy communication' rather than 'healthy communication' for a reason. even when i try to go for something grounded in how these things can look like in reality, characterization and narrative comes first. i've cut banger lines bc they felt too much like we're trying to do therapy and i'll damn well do it again. same with consent. i'm here to tell a story. even when it's grounded in realism. i'm not First And Foremost trying to model a healthy relationship even if my story has an element of hey, practising good consent *can* look something like this. characters can and should stumble and make mistakes and have conflicts that don't have perfect solutions, and that applies here too. we apply suspension of disbelief everywhere else in fiction. this is no different.

!! and, in insisting on reading this kind of fictional intimacy as Educational, people are going to miss more subtle ways in which the scenario may not be ideal. i shouldn't have to explain why that's Not Good

you can have fun with this actually And make it another tool of characterization etc

and on-screen consent doesn't have to look the same for every scenario and character. in fact it shouldn't. bc if it does, now you've probably stumbled into the pitfall of writing consent 101, possibly with an attempt at making it more sexy, rather than story.

like, just some ideas off of the top of my head that aren't 'yes, i consent':

normally abrasive character who needs to be in control at all times becomes more subdued and allows another to get intimate. just maybe a reserved 'you can', and them not fighting like they usually do with everything just out of habit

characters who cannot keep their hands off of each other because they're just desperately wanting to get as close and intimate as possible. no time for words. no chance for words because between kisses they're too out of breath anyway. (how is there any argument about this sort of scenario leaving consent 'vague'??)

normally reserved & quiet character making a subtle first move that, when coming from them, is Big

character is too excited and aroused and struggles to make the words go but their actions very much scream Want, while the other is going on about how sexy they are

honestly, nala giving simba the bedroom eyes in tlk style situation is a good one if you're just fading to black

'i want you', 'i need you', 'let me have you'

actually i'm providing some examples by yours truly;

my longfic is just. there's two sex scenes. one character is very experienced and the other is aroace and has not had an intimate relationship of any kind prior to this. i put emphasis on the curiosity and uncertainty and the more experienced character wanting to be sure that everything's fine, because he cares about that. for how i wrote these characters and this relationship, this approach made sense. i have lines like:

"You would give me this experience with you, then?" "Is this alright?" "I know my boundaries. That includes knowing which ones I am willing to bend." "Go slow at first and it's all good." "Tell me how it feels?"

I wouldn't necessarily label ^this scene smut in a conventional sense tbh. it's more the characters trying to figure things out and being a bit awkward about it at points.

and then i have this example later on of how a lack of clear 'yes' can be more fun:

If they think they are going to get a coherent answer out of him, they are wrong. The sight between his legs demands his attention, and he knows nothing sensible would come out of his mouth now, if he tried. The best he manages to give is a whine that maybe was supposed to be a 'please', but who knows. He certainly doesn't.

from a different story with same characters, we have 

"You are so responsive to simple touch, my friend." Simple, he says. Distracting. That it is.

closely followed by

"If I should stop, will you tell me?" They look up. Tell him? They don't bother, often, with trying; so many don't pay attention. Most keep a distance anyway. But some, they don't care if they push away or try to leave, unless they want to go away themselves; don't care that they hold a weapon until they use it, they know how to use it, it is not an idle threat. Easier to fight or run away, depending. Not to bother, when others deny their mind, their decisions. But he wants to know? "Three taps. Or something else, but still thrice. Somewhere I can feel it. I will know, then." So simple. They can do that. "Will you?" He wants to know. Nod; yes. They will.

in which we establish a safeword without calling it a safeword! to have a clear way of communicating no/stop when these two aren't that familiar with one another and the pov character is nonverbal. again, bc it made sense for my characterizations. frankly(!) leading up to this there's little things that are less good consent, like pov character feeling they have to decide on the spot if they engage or not when they realistically would have liked more time to think (and did not expect further checking ins along the line bc Unfamiliar Territory) but for the oneshot fic it works, bc it gets things moving along at a decent pace.

also good spot to go on a tangent about how perhaps im just too aroace for all this nonsense bc I KNOW the gag is that oh you're reading this very filthy smut? we all know what you're here for ;) ;) and i'm legitimately like. good character writing?? yes?? with tasty word building on the side as a bonus maybe?? i Do Not look at sexual content as inherently or even primarily as something that exists for the sake of sexual gratification, it's just another thing you can include in a story. if it's sexy for others and all that awesome, if not, that's a you problem lol.

then less plotty more smutty ones;

The King parts his legs, then, just enough to allow access. 

^depending how you kinky you'd like something like that, it could be an invitation or a command. depends on the surrounding context

He listens to the raspy breaths above him; they do not betray much, but he knows the subtle differences in the pattern, knows when he is getting close. / They would expect him to do something. They delight in the spontaneity, -- / -- watching how their hands twitch, listening to their little sounds. How he adores those sounds.

a selection of small things implying these characters are familiar with each other. and, that there's not so much of a point in confirming consent for everything every time. you can have it in there without spelling it out if you want, and especially with established relationships, that just makes sense, unless it's a Thing for them to go over the details each time. in which case: why. explain the logic and convince me (is it a kink for them? you could make it a kink thing if you want to play up the sexiness, but do realize that's going to be a niche thing.)

ooc is ooc. how would your character show or not show that they want to get nasty?

sidenote for kink etc: if your story isn't set in present-day real world or something close enough, you can implement a system that the readers will understand is a safeword, even if you don't call it that. is there something unique to your setting/characters that they might use instead, that might even make more sense in-universe? ALSO, in scifi/fantasy settings particularly you can possibly take stuff MUCH further than would be plausible or possible irl. don't be restricted to real world rules for kink, and with that, consider how this might impact stuff like negotiation. eg, 'anything that doesn't leave a permanent mark goes' carries a whole lot of different meanings when you have access to magic healing that leaves your skin looking perfectly unharmed. (this is for if your characters are aware that they are doing kink; if your characters aren't aware of this, proceed accordingly)

fixating on a verbal 'yes' like it's some kind of magic word just shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what consent even is

[cw for talk about sexual abuse etc from here out]

(if you're not familiar, please look up the fries model of consent. it's not a be all end all, but a solid starting point, particularly for vanilla scenarios.)

you can have a character go through the motions of consenting without it meaning jack shit due to the circumstances that lead them there. this partially ties to the whole people writing noncon without realizing. bc fiction generally involves conflicts of some kind, the things that drive your story forward can at the same time be what makes consent between your ship-to-be iffy, even if we all know that it's actually fine and no one's really being hurt (again, we apply suspension of disbelief etc), or just not good consent by any stretch of imagination.

is my neglected and emotionally abused ~late teens oc meaningfully consenting to sex when she's being pressured to 'earn her keep' by her caretakers and then getting pimped by her boyfriend who manipulates her? she says she's consenting. must be fine, then. right? right? (hint: No.)

another oc initiated what was at first a consensual encounter, voiced discomfort when things started going sideways, and when things Really went to shit, started fawning (among other things). is a yes, go ahead, i like that good consent here, or later in different situations, when this trauma rears its head and they're fawning again? (hint: No.)

and don't get me started on the 'verbal' part of a verbal 'yes' bc apparently some people out there genuinely insist that that's the only thing that matters- like YES, irl, if someone's body is responding to stimulus but they're saying no, that verbal no is what you pay attention to. but communication is so much more than plain spoken words. ffs.

writing lack of consent (spicy opinions incoming)

disclaimer addendum: if you're writing based on personal experiences, do whatever makes you comfortable. and i mean whatever. hell, even if it's not personal experiences or you're not sure, still that applies. i sure as fuck know it isn't so simple knowing if your experiences 'count' sometimes. again, personal thoughts/preferences re: fiction. not an edict to follow.

so, with fictional sexual abuse/nonconsent, i find a common point of struggle with this is a) person is writing noncon smut and they try too hard to make it Sexy, b) person is writing a story focusing on trauma and they try too hard to Be Sensitive

like honestly the best ones i've read, regardless of what the purpose of the story was, are the ones where the author approached it like just another topic to write about. go into detail when it serves the story you're telling. be vague when it serves the story you're telling. let the characters react in a way that makes sense rather than in a way that tells the reader how sexy and/or terrible this situation is. even if you're keeping things off screen, show what's going on in the character(s) heads.

for smut, trying too hard to make it sexy can come off as awkward and at times comical. and i'll wager, not in a way that's intended. not a noncon exclusive phenomenon, but perhaps more obvious here with the tone issues that come from that.

trying too hard to be sensitive is. it can come off as condescending? i don't want to chew up anyone for being uncomfortable, but i do take issue when people act like their way of dealing with their trauma is the Only Correct One (please shut up) and anyone who disagrees is Not A Real Survivor (please shut up), and especially if anyone more removed tries to dictate how to supposebly be respectful as if trauma worked the same for everyone

...have you ever watched a crime drama featuring sexual abuse and the general vibe that the whole situation has is just this oh you poor pitiable thing :( wrapped in a package of copaganda dressed as revenge fantasy. and it isn't even that the victim wants revenge, or anything really, for that matter, they're just kinda there to look vaguely sad. it's all just a side note to the getting the fix of Justified Corporeal Punishment

adjacent to that, is what comes with the territory of writing a sensitive topic with care: people beating around the bush and using vague euphemisms instead of describing ANYTHING. i'm not saying every single instance of depicting sexual abuse has to be graphic, but when it comes across like this is something so terrible and gross that you can't even mention it, are you being sensitive, or are you being avoidant? not every story that features sexual abuse in some capacity focuses on that, but with the ones that DO, worth considering why something is being left offscreen/underscribed.

(like i can straight up say when i've been Avoidant it was bc *i* was not in the spot to be dealing with that particular scenario in depth OR bc i was pre-emptively wanting to appease hypothetical others. for daring to include something a touch more personally vulnerable in art/fiction. neither was exactly the best mental place to be creating something planned to publicly share from.)

uh oh it's complicated

idk if i'll make any sense but i'll try to words

a somewhat tame example: unexpected kiss that gets handsy. we could have rough division of scenarios as such

1) character didn't consent to this, but actually wanted it so it's fine, 2) character didn't consent to this, and aggressively makes it clear, 3) character didn't consent to this, and it's complicated

scenario 1, when done well, is the surprise affection is sexy situation. characters know exactly what the other wants. there's a fantasy in that, of not having to voice your desires to have them realized, and whatnot.

with scenario 2, when do things pause to give it some weight? character in the receiving end shoves the other away and yells at them, or someone else does it for them, and then the whole matter gets brushed off after maybe a quick are you ok, feels like the usual way it goes. from a storytelling perspective, even a brief moment to show discomfort would make that land far better, if the point is to show that this is creepy and unwelcome?

and 3 is. what if it is unwanted, but the response doesn't scream get off of me. what if the character has complicated reactions, for a possibly wide variety of reasons. where things get messy. this compels me. but it's very different from both the prior ways to go about the same scenario and easily the most complicated, because we don't get that immediate simple dramatic 'resolution' either way, if you do this properly.

i love good dubcon/soft noncon/technically consensual/things of that nature. and i will argue that you can't really do those well if you don't have a decent understanding of consent. you can't properly navigate the nuance and grey areas and technicalities and it isn't consensual, but it's complicated or consensual but not safe or sane for a compelling, believable story if you don't have a solid grasp of how these things work

depicting sexual trauma without showing anything or even directly naming it

a while there was a post about how if you can't bring yourself to use words like 'kill', instead opting for euphemisms like 'unalive', then you probably aren't mature enough to write about death with any grace, and shared there was the sentiment that this applies to sexual abuse as well. absolutely valid point but also i had happened to finish a fic relevant to that discussion recently and Now i'm getting out that particular yes but there's also this other angle to consider

which is: does it make sense for the characters to describe things using a given phrasing?

my character who's just been slapped in the face with a significant trauma and is struggling not to dissociate probably isn't going to talk about it the same way as someone who's had time to process and heal and just had an epiphany in therapy. probably.

but i'm getting sidetracked from getting sidetracked so onto the next point (for now?)

if you're not allowed to write it badly, are you actually allowed to write it?

do your research and approach these topics with care and all that, yes, but also, are we demanding that people potentially writing about their own trauma and lived experiences are masters of their craft? does a vent fic or an autobiographical work have to stand up to scrutiny of representing sexual abuse 'respectfully'??

like, a bunch of people have pointed out how demanding people publicly disclose their trauma to be judged by complete strangers in order to determine if they're allowed to write something is all sorts of shitty, but hey, here's a thought adjacent to that i don't think i've seen anyone bring up. because seriously. if someone's screaming that they're hurting why the fuck should the primary concern be but are your creative skills up to par??

(i'll be blunt again and say this is in part why i've been extremely hesitant up until recently to include these sorts of things in my stories in much detail, but far more so, i'm thinking about all the fucking awful treatment i've seen others receive for talking about/depicting fictionalized retellings of their traumas ""incorrectly"".)

i'll admit it: my first attempts at depicting sexual trauma even as a sidenote to another story just plain sucked. there was an attempt but it was no good. in part i was young and less aware of everything, in part i was poorly mimicking existing examples that were generally meh 

i'll also admit that what was genuinely most helpful at getting better was reading graphic noncon smut/angst. the well written stuff. because those fics aren't afraid to go into detail; rather, they enthusiastically dive into all the little and not so little things that make it more worse. they present the whole thing without dressing it to be palatable, and the jump from side note to copaganda to brutally honest survivor story was- i think the first really graphic one was the first time i could sympathize with the character and root for them in their journey to overcome the trauma. as opposed to almost voyeuristically (ironically enough) observe from a distance and then forget about it when the rest of the plot moved forward and forgot about it too.

and then one more thing relating to that that's been rattling around in the back of my mind for probably years now: there's one fic from years ago in particular that i think of when i consider the topic of fanfic depicting rape inappropriately. because that fic is not so different from noncon kink works i at times see from the type people arguably disrespected in said fic, just more novice in execution.  it also makes me think of how i handled various areas of this whole consent/communication/boundaries jumble in my earliest attempts vs now. which is just one of those reasons i'm reluctant to judge intentions in these situations, at least outside mainstream entertainment where standards/expectations should be completely different.

in conclusion 

this has been an i was exhausted and the filter was off ramble that got too damn long

have good day/night/whatever

[bitterrobin]

Wasp’s Comics Review (more like rambling, none of this is filtered thought)

Here’s some comics I’ve been reading in order to give me more motivation to keep writing the TAXONOMY!verse. Most of these are here in order to inform my personal views of characterization and how I’d write certain people based on their comics pre-2009/Bruce-Death.

Comics I have just recently finished/coming close to finishing:

Titans (1999)

Batgirl (2000)

JSA (2007)

Daredevil (2014)

Infinite Crisis

Battle for the Cowl

Blackest Night

Gotham Central

Nightwing (1999) #51-53

Robin (1993) #183

Titans (1999)

Okay, wow. I wasn’t expecting how good it would be. I started reading it mostly for Damage-Grant Emerson since I heard he had a nice relationship with Roy, and there’s a couple issues where Bette and Gar show up. Despite a few moments where the comic shows it’s age, I’m pleasantly surprised at its overall quality and character writing. Before this, I had only a little bit of prior knowledge of the Titans, so I really got to know them from this. My only gripes with it is that I don’t get to see Grant again (in a speaking/active role) after Roy drops him off at the reservation, and I think that storyline where Argent turns out to be dating a kid is weird. This comic has also given me more appreciation for Roy and Lian. I can understand Arrowfans now, Lian shouldn’t have been killed. Wtf, man. I got attached to her. I also think Roy and Cheshire’s relationship was interesting. Garth is not a huge character in this run, but I appreciate the kind of characters that are little more drama-free. (Not totally) (again, knowing Dolphin/Cerdian from this run, wtf man. Why do so many kids die in the 90s/early 2000s?!?) In conclusion, Roy Harper and Garth are now way higher up on my list of favorite DC characters. I also enjoyed Donna Troy, even though I had no prior context to all of the Dark Angel/mind wipe stuff.

Batgirl (2000)

This was a re-read, since I last read it around 2021. I forgot a pretty good portion of the early issues, so reading it again gave me renewed appreciation for the writers and Cass’s character. It reminded me just how great her character is, and definitely refreshes my ideas about her. I will be taking this in greater consideration when I get into her role in Chiroptera. I’m still not a Cass expert though, so if anyone else has some good ideas about how she would gain the Batman mantle and fight ideologically with Jason over it - thoughts are needed!!

JSA (2007)

Another re-read. Mostly here bc I needed to refresh Grant post-Zoom attack and Tom Bronson in my mind. Now that I’ve read Titans 1999, I can see how some people might take his characterization in JSA as different and a little ooc. My POV is, Grant in JSA is older so he’s gonna be different no matter what - it doesn’t bother me as much. When he shows up in the TAXONOMY!verse though, I am definitely including his familial relationship with Roy & Lian, and maybe hinting towards his brief friendship with Toni. I do think that Roy should’ve made at least one appearance in JSA for Grant.

Daredevil (2014)

My only non-DC read this month. I mostly read this bc I needed to step away from DC content, but also I like seeing the differences in the writing of vigilantes between Marvel/DC. I want to include just a bit of the grounded chaos from this Daredevil run into the au. Also, the utter insane angst that Matt goes through. This man is constantly struggling.

Infinite Crisis/Battle for the Cowl/Blackest Night

They’re…events. Not much else to say. Somehow I need to figure out how to work out the whole “Bette got teleported onto another Earth” in the au. Also, I think I will be keeping Grant’s death. Not because I like it, but because I need the emphasis of loss and grief (for Tom) for the themes of Chiroptera to work. I’m going to resurrect him eventually. No way he’s staying dead.

Gotham Central

Unrelated to the au. I just wanted to reread some Renee Montoya stuff.

Nightwing #51-53; Robin #183

Exclusively read bc it takes place right before Battle for the Cowl. This will inform a bit of my characterization for Dick and Tim. Will give a disclaimer though, I am way more familiar with Dick’s character now than I am Tim’s. I’ve read Nightwing 1996 more than once and I’ve gained further insight from Titans 1999- so hopefully I have a better idea of him. I’ve attempted to read Young Justice (1998) but I’ve never finished it yet. I’ve only read the Robin issues that crossover with No Man’s Land and War Games before this. I have my work cut out for me with Tim’s content *sigh*

[starlightkun]

lmao i saw this on my dash and was wondering if you felt this way

https://www.tumblr.com/16woodsequ/727490027584667648?source=share

cause you rarely write drabbles, everything you write is like full fic length and takes longer and i see you posting little progress updates and little notes about each fic without spoiling. as someone who likes to talk (may or may not be the adhd idk) i cant imagine being in your position like WEREWOLF SUNGCHAN! EXISTS! IN MY MIND! AND ON THIS DOCUMENT THAT YOU CANT SEE! BUT HE'S REAL!! HE'S REAL TO ME!! like how do you do it? having no one to scream to about your fics when you're writing? and having to wait until its completed and uploaded to have people to talk about it with? like especially with all the crack fics you're writing atm, i would be BURNING with the need to show people how funny your writing is

p.s. medication update: im going to switch from methylphenidate to dexamphetamine tmr because apparently im intolerant to ritalin and i think you're on dexamphetamine rn? im hoping that i see some benefits from it. btw your success is keeping some of my spirit and motivation up despite how abysmal ritalin was for me so thank you for posting about how Adderall was for you i really appreciate having someone experiencing meds alongside me 🫶🏻

-✨anon

link

LMAO sometimes that's me and sometimes i'm writing and i'm like "im never letting another living human see this abomination im writing rn this is the worst thing i've ever written and the only penance for what i've done is to throw myself off a cliffside" like there is no in between im either SO EXCITED FOR IT AND ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT AND AM SO AKSEGKJHKJGKTR or i think it's awful and consider deleting it almost immediately after like this scene for changer2 im writing rn like literally as i got this ask (im not gonna delete it but she is gonna b HEAVILY EDITED)

it's fr so hard having werewolf sungchan AND hockey player sungchan BOTH IN MY MIND RN LIKE 🤪 screams everyday i put on my uniform to go fight in the idgaf war on the side of gaf 🫡🫡🤪🤪🫡🤪🫡🤪🤪🤣🤣🫡🤪🤪🫡 lest we also not forget that single dad kun is in here too and some other fellas that yall dont know abt like its soooooo bad in here for me

sometimes i contemplate posting random one-liners or snippets when i write things that make me teehee extra hard or r like rlly 🔥🔥🚨🚨🚨 but i always get worried about spoilers versus teasers soooo i keep it locked away all to myself and maybe go a lil crazy idk who's to say so i do more vague type stuff like talking about how there's a 2.6k makeout scene without posting any actual lines from it, or saying that one of my favorite character bits that i think is genuinely super funny is in dr. magic but not saying what it is, etc., etc., OR also doing ask games like word in a wip where y'all can try to get some lil snippets from me (which i feel i am always very generous with lol)

p.s. to ur p.s.: very happy to hear that you're getting switched off the meds that weren't working for you! i'm on "amphetamine salts" (generic adderall) which is a combo of dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine, but pretty much yeah it's the big one in the amphetamine class of adhd meds. it has a sightly different effect than dextroamphetamine alone since it has levoamphetamine as well, which lasts longer and can produce better results in some people (pls go w ur dr on this im not giving medical advice omg just what i learned in my psych classes and the information i've been given). i actually just saw my dr today to check in on how i was doing on the adderall (reg check-up appt). i was rlly worried bc the initial good results i saw in the first days were practically gone after like the first week and i was practically back to normal (i.e., bad. my kitchen is a fucking mess again) and when i told him that he was like "lol that's fine! that was just the trial dose! so we can up you to a normal dose now since you saw good results at first" so hopefully i'll be functioning again 👍 so i love this for us 🫶 rooting for us 🫶🫶

[coquelicoq]

#AHHHHHHHH I NEVER REALIZED THIS (bc when i was reading i was imagining painstakingly bruteforcing this solo lol) #AHH…… SOMETHING ONLY NATORI CAN FIND IN THIS FAMILY………………. SOMEONE TO HELP HIM??????? #cause all this time ive been like. why did his uncle say that when it turned out not to be a youkai solution it was just mundanely #mechanical. BWAHHHHHHHH. CAUSE HIS FAMILY SUCKS. GOD (via @joelletwo)

i LOVE this take and i do think natori being able to ask for help and make connections is the point of the story (love when natsume thinks to himself "when he was little...and when he searched this empty house for the first time...there was nobody who saw what he saw. he must've felt all alone." 🥺) but tbh i'm still confused about why uncle natori said this. like it is true, but is it what the uncle was talking about? here's the progression of events:

uncle hides "the box for mitsuru" in the house when shuuichi is a child. source: can't be any later because it has to be before #2. can't be before shuuichi's birth because the box only came about because others in the family were upset about shuuichi being able to see youkai.

child shuuichi tells his uncle (beginning of ch 115) "the weird ghosts. the box for mitsuru. thery're gonna show me where it's hidden." this is how the uncle knows that there were youkai watching him hide the box and they know what it's for.

teen shuuichi (not sure of timeline exactly but this is not present-day shuuichi so i'll say teen for ease of telling them apart) calls his uncle and asks if he can come over to look for exorcism materials. the uncle tells him that there's a secret that only he among the family can find. we get most of this information from the phone call illusion near the end of ch 114, but natori had already given the broad strokes of it (that his uncle told him the house holds a secret that only he could find) near the beginning of the same chapter.

teen shuuichi comes over the next day and his aunt and uncle are gone along with their personal effects. he looks through the house but doesn't find anything. we also get this information from the phone call illusion, so its veracity is questionable. the only thing real!natori says is "i had an opportunity to search once, but i couldn't find anything." (presumably this means no youkai showed up to be like "hey wanna see a secret box?") natsume in the present day notes that the house looks lived in, with furnishings and belongings. so did the aunt and uncle really leave that day and take all their things, or was that part of the phone call illusion a lie? is the house actually furnished in the present day, or is that part of the general illusion on the house? unclear.

at some point during or after that day, teen or adult shuuichi drives the youkai out of his uncle's house and puts up barriers (beginning of ch 114). the operative thing here is that this must have happened after the uncle told natori about the secret, so the uncle probably thought (and incidentally was correct) that there were still youkai in the house at the time he said that. but for some reason they don't approach teen shuuichi, or maybe he drives them out as soon as he gets there, before they can tell him anything.

over time, the barriers he put up are removed by others (natori says this at the beginning of ch 114).

in the near present day, adult shuuichi attempts to exorcise a youkai. she sees into his soul and latches on to his memories of his uncle's house. she takes up residence there and pretends to be his younger cousin (who never existed). he decides to play along with the illusion because it gives him an excuse to go back to the house and look for the secret again. before he goes, he asks natsume to come find him if he's not back in a day.

he ends up getting trapped in the illusion. the next day (the present day), natsume and sensei arrive to snap him out of it. natori tells natsume he's looking for something and natsume decides to stay and help.

as they're walking around getting bombarded with illusions of child shuuichi's memories, he remembers that one of the youkai who told him about the box as a child had a six-eyed mask, and he thinks he's seen that mask on display in the house somewhere. they find the mask and realize it's the only one with an eyehole. natsume looks through the hole, which contains a lens pointed at a specific part of a nearby mural. natori moves his hand over the mural until natsume can see it through the mask, then presses that spot, which opens a hidden compartment containing the secret box.

so i think the uncle probably believed, at the time that he told teen shuuichi to come over and look at the house, that there were youkai present who would lead him to the box. but at what point (and why) did he set up the two-part mask/mural mechanism? as you said, that didn't require any special youkai-seeing ability to operate. anyone in the family could have operated it, as long as there were two of them. so why would shuuichi be the only one able to find the secret? did that mechanism not exist at the time he was talking to shuuichi, and he only set it up later? (doesn't seem likely. when would that have been?) or did he really mean that everyone else in the family is so incapable of working together and asking for help that shuuichi was the only one who could either a) be led there by youkai or b) find a friend who could look through the mask? but again if he thought the youkai would lead shuuichi to it, i don't know why he put the mask/mural thing together at all. and i don't know how he expected anyone to find the mask in the first place. what is your motivation sir!

and this does not even address the (possibly bigger) question of why the uncle wanted shuuichi to find the box at all...uncle natori you are so mysterious!!

[ID adapted from alt: Pages from chapter 115 of the Natsume's Book of Friends manga. Natsume kneels on a ladder to look through a small hole in a mask near the ceiling. Natori asks, "Can you see anything?" Natsume says, "It's fitted with a lens. The perspective is narrow…is it a picture? I see a white camellia flower." Natori, who's standing near a mirror, says, "White camellia…of course! That mirror must be visible from there. And…the mirror reflects the next room over. A wooden tile mural of white camellia on the wall…All the flowers look the same." He touches one of the flowers in the mural. Natsume says, "The eye only sees one. That one!" Natori says, "This flower…" as he pushes on it, and exclaims when it clicks. He says, "It becomes a handle when you push it in. A hidden cubby unique to this house…" /end ID]

so natori on purpose went to his uncle's house and put himself under the thrall of a youkai because he thought that the house held a secret that could possibly help natsume with the book of friends. as a failsafe he asked natsume to come snap him out of it if he wasn't able to break free, which natsume was happy to do. natsume then insisted on staying to help natori look for the house's secret (not knowing what natori wanted it for), and in the end the secret was hidden in such a way that it could only be found by two people working in concert - one to touch the wall, and one to look through the mask and tell them when they were in the right area. aw. the power of friendship! they really have come so far.

[troglobite]

re: my lrb abt autistic processing (copied & pasted from my rambling abt it in the tags of the reblogs, then i didn't wish to be Perceived so i bailed and am posting abt it here instead)

i'm also now thinking abt something v interesting

okay so part of the reason i pursued an english degree was bc i think this process make literature analysis intuitive to me? i'm guessing

in hs we were being taught how to write higher level analytical essays, and all of the steps and assignments to learning it and parsing out the different pieces of planning and writing the essay were actively detrimental to my ability to do so

i was like STOP MAKING ME GO THROUGH A BOOK AND PULL OUT QUOTES AT RANDOM STOP MAKING ME WRITE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT THESIS STATEMENTS STOP IT!!!

bc i could finish reading a thing, be given a direction for a prompt, and then go okay here's my thesis statement and entire essay concept

and to the traditional teaching and order of operations that was Wrong, bc How Do You Have a Thesis Without Evidence? but i DID have evidence, i just had to go back and find it now that i'd coalesced it into an argument

i did the processing of details and evidence WHILE READING. it made no sense to me that you would finish reading something and NOT have an observation or argument to make abt its mechanics and purpose.

luckily my teacher was really neurodivergent-friendly, even if neither of us knew that's what it was at the time, and he went yeah no problem you can skip these assignments or do them differently. you can already do this just keep practicing i don't wanna mess w your process.

so that was v nice, highlight of my young education. is this bragging? i'm not gonna put this in the tags i'm making a separate post.

okay copied & pasted section over

but the reason this feels like bottom-up autistic processing is--

none of the other kids would have a Clear Idea abt what the book was already abt. the way it was often taught was more open-ended in our classes that year bc the point was to encourage us to read critically ourselves and learn to develop this skill. and so to them, they go into a book and are lost in the forest bc they can't see/understand the trees. they get to the end and are like What Just Happened. then they have to go back and start looking at all the trees again, now that they have a rough idea of the size and shape of the forest, and maybe the type of forest it is (rain, temperate, conifer, etc.)

so i'm not a genius master at this, but i feel like the only "big" concept i need is Story, or Book, or whatever. and then i walk in and immediately start encountering and identifying trees.

by the time i walk out the other side, i've already collected all of that information as part of my journey. so as soon as i look back, i have all the information to make sense of the Larger Context of the forest, and i go "oh i see. so THAT'S why this thing/pattern happened."

that's what feels bottom-up to me

i was honestly worried and gaslighting myself like "no that's definitely top-down" but it's not. if it was, i would need to what kind of book or story beforehand, etc., and have that to guide me. but i think that's counterintuitive, personally. i think it can become obvious what someone thinks, really, when reading their writing (given that they are/were in a temporal and geographical context close enough to your own to have reference points). then getting extra information abt that later is further helpful.

anyway there's my little bit of reflection for the day.

which unfortunately isn't terribly helpful w my ongoing crisis of identity at the moment bc it doesn't answer many questions, but it does sort of offer empirical evidence that that is something i'm good at, that my brain likes to do.

and also i want to own up to the fact that sometimes i finish reading something and i go "idk wtf to make of that. goddamn."

and that could be bc it was poorly written or was trying to say a lot. it could be bc it didn't mesh w my brain. it could be bc i need the act of writing abt the piece of writing to understand it (the way i have to talk out loud to understand my feelings abt something). it could be many things. but point being: i'm not trying to brag that i'm some magnificent genius, and i'm not trying to say this particular thing should be Easy for all autistic ppl. the way my brain works w words and stories is such that the bottom-up processing applies here and works well, but it's not the case for everyone.

i wish i hadn't spent the last minute or two typing that up bc i guarantee no one reads this and less self-deprecatingly, i'm tired of feeling like i have to anticipate a negative reaction to something and i'm tired of being responsible for someone misreading this and taking it as an insult if they weren't good at this same thing or assuming this makes either me or them not autistic bc we're not the same on this point

i just need the baseline understanding to be that NOTHING IS UNIVERSAL and ppl talking abt their own experiences is JUST THAT AND NOTHING MORE. it is also an invitation for ppl to relate. but y'know. anyway.

how and why am i managing the feelings of hypothetical ppl who probably won't even read this? i'm v tired.

[teruthecreator]

hows everyone doing my head hurts i havent left my house this weekend i dont have to work the last week of my shitty job and i just found out my ebt isnt in need of being renewed so i have money to buy a lot of groceries since my fridge and cabinets are empty. overall this is A Day :-)

[peachy-wolfhard]

He’s an asshole but he’s MY asshole (II)

a/n: …holy shit you guys liked part 1 here's part 2!!! this is officially a series!!!, I've been sparrowpilled, dialogue was again taken from the episode

Warnings bc I forgot this last time: swearing, the phrase “school girl” is used but only in a way to compare the readers actions and not calling the reader one, a couple sexual innuendos, reader is a little shit, kind of gore ig??

Word Count: 2,080

Part 1  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7

    “Ben?” you asked cautiously, laying on your shared bed desperately trying to focus on your book.

    “Yes, love? What's up?” Ben asked sweetly. You were the only one to see him like this, fully vulnerable opening his heart to you. 

    “Do you believe what one of them said? About us being dead?” asked in a small sad voice. “No.” he states sharply “Why? do you? You shouldn't I mean they're delusional. Appeared in OUR living room, saying that they grew up here and are his kids…you're really gonna believe them?” Fuck he got you there. I mean why would you believe them? Just because they said some things about you and your husband? Shaking your head no and going back to staring at the same page before; you couldn't shake the thought no matter how much you wanted to. The thought that to them you and Ben were nothing more than skeletons scared you. Getting up from your bed, you put your unread book away and start to look for your training gear, for the first time anticipating training.

    “Big one is strong but slow, possibly stupid. Some sort of… simian hybrid.” Marcus informs the group, making you breathe out a chuckle. “Who took the little jumpy guy?” Sloane asks in her usual peppy tone. How someone could be that peppy and cheerful is a mystery to you. “Me. Just gave him a spanking and sent him to school.” Jayme jokes as Alphonso fist bumps her. Chris speaks about the knife perv and how someone could be stupid enough to throw knives at him. The rest of the team continues talking about the umbrellas while you space off. How in the world did I die? Was Ben thinking this? Did he even care? You were just told that you were dead, that people MOURNED you and hes acting like nothing happened! 

    “What about you, y/n? Who’s ass did you kick?” Alphonso asked pulling you from your spiral of dread and questions. “The big one, real stupid one. He really tried to convince me not to beat his ass.” you joke, masking the dread still rearing its head. Before Jayme could respond to your joke Ben interrupted challenging Marcus as he always does. “Enough post-gaming. They disrespected us, Marcus. We need to be out there finding these freaks and taking ‘em out.” maybe he was thinking about what one of them said or maybe he was just being Ben. After that the mood shifts, becoming increasingly tense. “Can someone explain how you got your asses handed to you in 30 seconds?” Marcus asks exasperatedly. “Do you have any idea what would happen to our reputation if anyone had seen that?” he continues. “I mean we haven't faced decent enemies in years. This could be good for us.” He does have a point, since the Sparrows have become so big and well known there’s never any big enemies, just petty crimes and bank robberies.

    Marcus calls for Reginald and asks for an assessment. Reginald explains that they have no loyalty, are unimpressive, cried too much and showered too little, however he warned that we shouldn’t underestimate them given how they (somehow) saved the world in 1963. After hardcore training you decided to relax your mind and muscles with some yoga. Putting in a yoga tape and rolling out your mat, you begin. Only have around 10 minutes to yourself before you are interrupted by Sloane.

    “God all this talk of the umbrella academy has me tired.” Sloane says, sitting next to you while copying your position. “So what was all that with the big stupid one?” you ask smirking at the thought back to their interactions. All Sloane gives you is a big eyed look and glances toward the camera then back towards you. Understanding what shes saying you turn the T.V off. “Give me a bit to take a shower then lets meet in my room. I need to know.” you tell her whispering the last part. After your shower you head to your room, hoping that Sloane remembered. 

    “Psst! y/n!” Sloane whispered just outside your room. Pulling her in quickly and closing the door, making sure no one or bird saw. “Okay spill tell me everything.” As soon as you gave her the go ahead she wouldn’t stop. Talking about how handsome he was, how cute it was to see him visibly nervous from her presence and about meeting him in the hallway.

    “Yeah someone got a good hit on him, scratched his face but pretty bad.” Fuck I scarred up Sloane’s boyfriend. You thought hoping that she wouldn’t realize it was you. “So enough about me and Romeo whats going on with you and Ben.” she asks with a smirk. “I mean its going good. Hes started doing this thing where whenever i’m getting something like water he comes and just wraps his arms around me and gives me a hug from behind.” you say starting to giggle like a school girl talking about their crush. “That’s so cute! I could only dream that Luther would do something like that.” she borderline screams. “So Luther is his name huh.” teasingly “man you two sure had a lot of time all alone.” you continue teasing. “Oh stop it.” Sloane says while laughing at your antics. “I better get going just got to a really good part of my book. When I’m done you should definitely read it.” and with that shes gone.

    The rest of the day and dinner went pretty well, except for Marcus’ presence being missed; well mainly missed by you as much as he could push your buttons he was amazing and fun to be around when he wasn’t being a leader. After dinner you head to bed, Ben trailing closely along behind you. Opening your shared bedroom door and pulling Ben in by the wrist. “Oh okay,” he says with a smug smirk.

    Waking up to being shook awake by Ben, “Marcus is missing, he went to talk to one of the umbrellas and they kidnapped him.” Ben tries to tell your barely awake self. “Ben, honey, love, please give me a moment to actually wake up then retell me.” you say your voice full of sleep, rubbing your eyes. Ben nods and lets you get dressed for the day given that it was only 7:00 am breakfast wasn’t served yet so you had time to fully process the news and make a plan to get him back.

    Now here you were your plan coming together perfectly. Fei knew that Luther would be going on a run that morning and all of you decided that you, Ben, Sloane, Fei and Chris would go kidnap him. After watching him be blissfully unaware of Fei’s birds following him. Eventually he realizes whats going on and starts to run away until he runs into you, your family, and a light pole causing it to fall.

    “Hey, remember me,” you say giving your best little shit grin just before kicking him in the face as hard as possible. While walking back home you walked further back than the rest, still deep in thought about your supposed death. “I thought this would cheer you up,” Ben said with a small smile. “Oh yeah nothing like kidnapping and assault in the morning to really wake someone up,” you say sarcastically. That’s what made him fall so hard and fast for you, your ability to be a complete asshole, your ability to bounce off Ben’s snarky comments and joke with each other. “Well that’s what wakes me up and makes me feel better,” Ben jokes. “Yeah but that’s because you’re fucked up and weird,” you laugh out causing Ben to start laughing.

    Arriving at home Sloane drops Luther off with Grace to patch him up before walking with you and Fei to breakfast. “So how did it go?” Alphonso asks, mouth full of toast. “Did he even put up a fight?” he continues, giggling at his own joke. “Not at all, he just scurried around the park a bit until he hit a light pole,” Fei laughs. Laughing at remembering Luther running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Grabbing your breakfast and making yourself an iced coffee, you sit at your assigned seat next to Ben.

    “Ah there he is!” Alphonso announces. “Please, join us.” Fei says, gesturing to the seat next to her as Alphonso slams the chair. “Its okay. Nobody’s gonna hurt you.” Ben assures Luther. “I might,” you say, buttering your toast with a grin. Just about that time Sloane offers him a smoothie which he eagerly takes. Fei offers some breakfast before being turned down stating that he probably shouldn’t. That is until he notices all the different kinds of butter that is on the table. Taking a seat across from Ben he eagerly starts to eat before Ben introduces himself. “And this is my spouse y/n, number eight,” he says with a smile, always eager to show you off. 

    “It is so good to see you guys again,” he says with a chuckle before going back to eat. “Why does everyone keep looking at us like that?” Ben growls. “Because you’ve been dead for 15 years and they’ve been dead for a week,” he says sadly. HOLY FUCK YOU DIDN’T EVEN DIE TOGETHER! YOU HAD TO LIVE 15 YEARS WITHOUT HIM! Your stomach drops to your ass. “Dead? What do you mean dead?” Ben asks sharply. Damn, well there’s an answer to your question, Ben actually wasn’t thinking about being dead. Luther just shrugs it off with a “It’s a long story,” and the rest go about introducing themselves. Ben introduces Chris by saying he’s in a saucy mood something that sends everyone into laughter at the inside joke. Luther starts to laugh too, something that made you laugh harder.

    The mood is quickly dissipated by the mention of Marcus not being there. “Where is he?” Luther asks before Ben stabs the table “That’s what we’d like to know,” Ben threatens. “Are we playing a game?” Luther asks with a dumb smile on his face. Oh god Sloane likes them big and dumb. Ben explains that the umbrellas took your number one so you took him. Luther looks confused at the sudden revelation that they took Marcus. “Why would we do that?” “Act of war?” Jayme says followed by you saying “Death wish?” Sloane explains that the last time the sparrows saw Marcus they were with his sibling, the little one with big powers. 

    Ben further asks why he is the last to know about things given that hes their number one, coaxing him into giving you more information. “You’d think so, Ben. discipline has never really been our strong suit,” Luther continues saying “its pretty much a free-for-all over there.” Luther says that his siblings are probably worried sick about him and that if you free him, he’ll send Marcus over without a scratch. He goes to stand and leave however Ben pulls him back down and states “What’s the rush? Stick around till Marcus is back.” Luther makes an attempt to scare him however all it does is push him further, “Oh and if you try to escape Fei’s birds with peck your eyes out and make a nest inside your skull. And if you don’t like that option y/n could claw them out with their nails and rip you apart limb from limb just before ripping your throat out,” Ben says giving a fucked up little chuckle before leaving with you.

    Meeting in the living room later that day, Jayme and Alphonso inform the rest of the sparrows about the fight at the shop. Soon Luther is walking into the room, clueless about his family’s actions. Ben standing to meet him before he can sit with you, telling him hes free to go but must tell them to let Marcus go and that even if one hair is out of place, the sparrows will come for them.

[extantformoflife]

*holds up a megaphone* thoughts on ruby pokespe and also wallace being his mentor/role model/parental figure because norman is the worst

aha yes I have SO many thoughts about this!!!!

starting off Norman is indeed the worst and I have many many thoughts about how that impacted Ruby growing up and how we see that reflected in his behavior in the manga. like. the thing Ruby does, especially in the beginning of the rs arc, where he is clearly shown to refuse to let anyone know he's even semi capable at battling, even in situations where his life is at stake?? that's. that's not normal.

there's multiple ways to interpret these kinds of things obviously but to me a lot of Ruby's early behavior suggests that he does not feel safe telling people no, or at least does not feel that his refusal will be respected. but if it's not safe to tell someone that you don't want to battle (or you have reason to believe they won't listen to you) you know what you can do? you can pretend to be an idiot! you're not refusing to battle, you're just so prissy and materialistic that you'd never be able to even if you tried. you're not saying no, and no-one can get mad at you or hurt you for saying no.

but! that is actually not really what you asked so moving on. Wallace. we all love Wallace. hm. take that might be surprising to hear? I don't think he's a very good mentor. or, at least, not yet.

there's no doubt that Wallace is LEAGUES better than Norman (has not dangled Ruby off of a building) but also I think it's..... pretty clear? in his interactions with Ruby? that he doesn't. really know what he's doing.

specifically, I am talking about the scene near the end of rs where Wallace stages that thing where he posed as a fake competitor to make Ruby loose and then proceeded to tell him off for the way he's been acting. and, to be clear? I think that Wallace made some points! someone did need to talk to Ruby about that!!! my problem is specifically the way he went about it?

Ruby is a child! a conversation like that should have probably taken place in a space where he felt safe, and not. y'know. DURING an eco terrorist attack. also, personal opinion here, but again given that this is. an eleven year old. maybe offer him some support and stuff instead of just telling him what he was doing wrong? idk.

restating that I love Wallace and.... honestly of all of the clumsy attempts by adults in pokespe to scold a protag it's. one of the better ones we see (cough cough professor oak) I just do not think that? Wallace was working with all of the information in that moment.

anyways I guess what I'm trying to say is I think Wallace has the potential to be a good mentor figure for Ruby! but until he has all the information about Ruby and Norman that its gonna be extremely hard for him to handle situations appropriately. like. you handle a well adjusted child and a kid who's been the victim of some pretty long-lasting child abuse differently, y'know?

Wallace is doing his BEST and Ruby is ALSO doing his best and they may not!!! have everything worked out just yet!!! but they're already doing better than Norman and I think if they keep trying and learning that they can only get better :)

I would talk about this more but uhhhhh I'm on my phone so I can't reference anything. idk I might go into more detail at another time bc I love talking about Ruby he is my favorite silly fancy lad.

[birdsareblooming]

Infinite is connected to Solaris

This is gonna be a long one, strap in.

Infinite, Infinite, Infinite. The most recent in-game villain, and the most powerful in recent history as well. Despite being only around 3 years old, he’s become extremely popular. and half of that is because of the song.

Mephiles, Iblis, and Solaris. Villains over 10 years old that haven’t been used since their original game appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Or... have they?

Now I want to say before all of this, this all could be coincidences, me being delusional, or something otherwise. It is ONLY a theory, but for something as crazy as I’m claiming I need to preface with this for my own sanity. 

But i’m gonna cut the bullshit. You’re here to see how I am going to bs my way to saying that Infinite the Jackal is connected to a dead god from what is regarded as the worst Sonic game. 

And, like most of these, I need to start with some house cleaning, some things you need to understand.

1. Time Eater is Mephiles

You might have seen me meme about this before...

...But yeah that’s exactly the situation.

I had theorized this before I knew Ian Flynn thought the same thing. Their identical color-schemes, almost identical aesthetic, and completely identical power-set. 

Even the name Time-Eater, that was Mephiles, and Solaris’s goal. To eat time. 

2. Ifrit is Iblis

Now i’m going to assume you have two questions

If Time Eater is Mephiles, than where’s his counterpart, Iblis?

Who the fuck is Ifrit

Long and Short, 

But, more importantly, 

Ifrit is what caused Silver’s Future post Sonic 06.

Ifirit was their retcon for keeping Silver’s future the way it is (even though they defeat it at the end of sonic rivals 2, causing the future to not be that way, hence why Silver was 3 conflicting backstories. Thanks guys.)

So, when it comes to fire demon that destroys the world and causes the future that Silver the hedgehog lives in, that’s a good amount of evidence already, especially with the preface that Mephiles is alive in the form of Time-Eater. If Mephiles was reborn, why wouldn’t also Iblis? and Ifirit is so uncannily similar theres no other candidate. 

also, might I add:

(thanks @zorloser​)

For you who don’t know, Ifrit’s story ended being re-trapped in it’s pocket dimension with Eggman Nega. 

3. The Phantom Ruby

The Phantom Ruby... Oh, the Phantom Ruby.

A very new addition to Sonic, and yet very important. It was the leading mcguffin of two games, and is made out to be very powerful. 

yes I know that’s a lot up there, but you need to understand the Phantom Ruby to fully understand this theory. 

It’s also very important that Eggman didn’t create the Phantom Ruby as he claims. He created Infinite, not the stone attached to him. Despite there being prototypes, which does confuse me, but from what info we’re given from the wiki the Phantom Ruby seems to have come from Classic Sonic’s universe, even retreating there after the events of Forces. This is also confirmed in Episode Shadow:

Although, Eggman did name it, seemingly on a whim.

~Tangent Time~

Despite being CALLED a Ruby by Eggman, the Phantom Ruby doesn't LOOK like a ruby, despite being magenta.

Rubies CAN be dark even to the point of being Black, but never connected. They’re usually just one shade.

(And don’t you dare say “The chaos emeralds don’t look like emeralds bc they’re not green. They’re all TECHNICALLY emeralds, they’re part of the beryl family, and even if only green beryls are called emeralds, they are all the exact shades of beryl.)

But what the Phantom Ruby DOES look like, is obsidian. 

note this for later.

4. Infinite

For those who don’t fully know Infinite’s backstory, it’s expanded upon on the wiki and Rise of Infinite 

Now that we’re all on the same page, lets continue to him now. 

Lovingly referred to as the “Masked Clown.” Infinite goes about the entirety of Sonic Forces revealing nothing of himself, the only things we know about him are from Episode Shadow and Rise of Infinite. We don’t even see his real face in-game. 

Although we have enough to know that his personality changed post Phantom Ruby, it’s even mentioned on the Wiki. Although how much of that change was spurred on by being beat up by a 15 year old, we’ll probably never know. 

Although his goal has always been the same. Starting the planet over as a desolate wasteland. What a fun dude to be around. Probably the life of the party.

5. Connections

(i’m using Mephiles and Time-Eater intermittently, same with Iblis and Ifrit.) 

Alright, now we’re all on the same page. Let’s move on.

I’m going to play a game we’ve played before. I’m going to name something about Infinite or the Phantom Ruby, and add something that’s eerily simmilar to Solaris (Mephiles + Iblis)

All of this Info can be found on the Sonic Wiki

Phantom Ruby: -It is an interdimensional gemstone of incredible power- Ifrit: It is an interdimensional, demonic fire-creature of incredible power- (wow those are, the same description huh)

Infinite: -After Infinite's fusion with the finalized Phantom Ruby prototype, he acquired the ability to generate, destroy, and manipulate virtual realities, which he could turn into virtual reality projections to interact with reality.[32] Said virtual realities are illusions, which Infinite creates by exercising control of one's visual and depth perception by feeding the brain false information- Ifrit: -Described as capable of binding one's soul, the Ifrit can enslave others with powerful mind control powers.- -Ifrit, which manages to use some kind of mind control on Sonic and/or Tails (or Knuckles and/or Rouge, depending on which team the player is controlling), but is defeated by the other teams, and is destroyed.-

Infinite: -Infinite's newfound strength proved so great that he was able to effortlessly defeat figures like E-123 Omega and Silver the Hedgehog, and ultimately best even Sonic the Hedgehog twice. He was even able to single-handedly overwhelm the entire Resistance army during Operation Big Wave. His power was such that not even the Miles Electric was able to give an accurate reading of his capabilities.[31] Time Eater: -the Time Eater has demonstrated immense super strength; even in its incomplete form, it easily knocked Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic unconscious with a single hit. After being completed, the Time Eater was able to effortlessly repel both Classic and Modern Sonic's and knock them out using brute force alone-

Phantom Ruby:  Its powers can also warp the fabric of space-time,[1] allowing it to create pocket dimensions such as Egg Reverie Zone and Null Space, as well as teleport entities from place to place. When used alongside the Chaos Emeralds' time-space powers, it transported Classic Sonic and itself to another dimension, and later sucked Dr. Eggman into a rift- Time Eater: Its signature skill however, is creating "Time Holes",[8] spacial rifts that lead to any point across time and space, including alternate timelines and across different dimensions.

Infinite: When everything you know has come and gone (You are at your lowest, I am rising higher) Only scars remain of who I was (What I find in the ashes, you lose in the fire) When there's no one left to carry on (This is an illusion, open up your eyes and...) This pain persists, I can't resist But that's what it takes to be infinite Solaris: -Much like his two halves, Iblis and Mephiles, Solaris is immortal and virtually indestructible.- -As a transcendent life form, Solaris possesses a unique state of existence that lets him exist in the past, present and future simultaneously, making him omnipresent throughout time and virtually impossible to defeat unless he is attacked simultaneously in all eras-

Possible reach:

Phantom Ruby:

Solaris:

(I’m refering to the odd red-stone in the middle, also that the wings somewhat resemble Infinite’s sword.)

~Tangent Time~

remember the first tangent? Where I meantioned that the Phantom “Ruby” looked more like obsidian than a ruby?

Well someone else looks like a certain type of obsidian, Snowflake Obsidian to be exact:

Alright Reaching time over. 

Now you might have noticed that the Ifrit-Infinite connections seemed to fit just a bit more-Maybe it was just me- even down to the Phantom Ruby and Ifrit’s OPENING DESCRIPTION being almost copy/paste, which i’m still amazed at.

This get’s to the next part of my theory.

6. Where are they (Mephiles/Iblis) now?

Welcome to~ where are they now!

Mephiles, or Time-Eater, So far is undocumented. It’s said they were “Destoryed” at the end of Sonic Generations, but for all we know it was just the machine additions, and Mephiles was “destoryed” over 10 years ago and he started kicking again.

Iblis, or Ifrit, was locked in it’s own pocket dimention along with Nega, and hasn’t been seen since...or have they?

haha that’s a callback! Do you remember the beginning of this post or is it too mindbogglingly long for your brain to comprehend in one sitting? 

7. The Phantom Ruby is Iblis/Ifrit

let’s talk about the power set of the Phantom Ruby. Interdimentional, very powerful, capable of some kind of mind fuckery.

Ifrit is, Interdimentional, very powerful, capable of some kind of mind fuckery, immortal and is constantly on fire,

You may be wondering about this “Fire” thing. “Solaris was a sun god and infinite has no connection-” WRONG! 

sorry that was forceful.

Infinite used a very specific and strange method to destroy the planet. He made an illusion of the sun, and set it on the planet. Out of all the methods, and interesting choice to be sure. But not for a sun god.

also: “What I find in the ashes, you lose in the fire”

“What are you saying you dumb bitch?” You might be thinking. First of all, rude, second of all, I’m saying that the power inside the Phantom Ruby IS Iblis/Ifrit, hence their connection.

Before I get to timeline and other stuff, some minor things:

The decision to have Infinite take on specifically Silver, and showing Silver being able to withstand a fight against him for a good amount of time, as well as giving them a minor repertoire, which no other seemingly “unconnected” Resistance Fighters get. 

the name “Infinite” fitting the naming scheme if “Iblis and Ifrit” and you know how this franchise is about naming schemes.

Now, where we last left Ifrit he was trapped in a pocket dimension with Nega. 

Where we first find the Phantom Ruby is “In Sonic Mania, the Phantom Ruby appeared on Angel Island after a dimensional breach occurred in the atmosphere.” (via sonic wiki)

Now, it is kinda hard to connect those two lines, but the dimensional causation is there. 

(I could add an ENTIRE subsection of me trying to connected Mephiles to the time-traveling nature of Little Planet, therefore connecting Solaris to Classic Sonic’s world ((and “fun is infinite)) but this theory doesn’t need to be any longer and I cannot physically do any more research.) 

it’s possible Ifrit would be trapped, Mephiles was trapped in the Scepter of Darkness, so it’s more possible than impossible. 

But, Imma be fully honest with you guys, Most of this is because of the song.

If you haven’t heard “Infinite”, What is wrong with you. Go listen to it. Oh my god. 

But, some of the lyrics, don’t totally make sense knowing Infinite’s backstory. But it makes more sense seeing through the lens of the added Ifrit influence.

“And after all this time you're back for more“ (If talking about Shadow, it wasn’t a “long time” inbetween Infinite’s defeat and his rise. And Infinite has no stated relationship with Sonic. However, Solaris and subsequently, Iblis, do.) “When everything you know has come and gone“ “But that's what it takes to be infinite“

Even the name “Infinite.”

He chose that name after fusing to the Phantom Ruby and “ABAndoNiNg hIS pAsT SeLf” 

But, the Phantom Ruby has no connotations of immortality. None specified. it’s possible it’s power could be used to trick the user into immortality, but it’s never specified. You’d think he’d be called “Phantom” or, even, “Zero” (his working-and possibly true-name) But no. Infinite.

Now, think back to the connections earlier, and the info I took from Solaris’s wiki.

“Omnipresent throughout time and space”

Sounds pretty “Infinite” to me.

Am I saying Infinite is the new Iblis Trigger? Yes.

Ok my fingers hurt from writing this sorry it’s so long 

bye

[lunatic-fandom-space]

Just went for a walk, time for episode 16

Aphmau is just hangin out in the forest now for A While w/ this wolf child so yknow. not ideal but she manages to comfort them a little and calm down herself

Idk what time of day it is at this point, if its night time we could maybe get a cool scene of Aphmau fighting some mobs or smth

After a while she realizes that she saved this kid just now bc John told her if she did it he would help, but now shes just in the forest and doesnt really know what to do, so she decides to sneak back to Brightport bc Time Is Of The Essence

So shes hangin out at the outskirts of town (with the wolf child still) and tries to figure out how to approach this, bc she cant exactly just walk in there again after everyone saw her but she needs to talk to John. For a while Aphmau is basically just pacing around, trying to think of way to sneak into a village thats on high alert because of werewolves with a wolf child in her arm

Once again, she starts getting more anxious and is just about to just go "fuck it, Im just gonna shoot my shot", trying to not think about what happens if she fails, when John comes crawlin out of the bushes or smth being all like "Oh man, thank god I found you! I heard that someone was running through the village with a wolf in their arms, did you get Lowell?!??"

Aphmau sets him down and the two kids have a cute reunion thingy, maybe John says smth about how his mom is gonna be really pissed at him but its totally worth it to save his friend

She then asks what to do next, and its to bring Lowleen back to his parents (not sure who gets the line of dialogue for that yet) that they can meet at the docks(?) idk that seems kinda weird to me and a bit too close to Brightport, I'll probably change the meeting place to somewhere else

They make their way to this meeting place, meanwhile Lowleen and John can have a cute lil convo as friends in the background until Aphmau realizes that she hasnt been given any information about the missing Lord and asks about that

He basically says what he says in the OG about Lowleens parents knowing more and Aphmau responds the same way, but this time both of the kids deny it and defend the werewolves obvs. I'll probably use the "Why does everyone think the werevolves are the bad guys here!" line, but change some of the other dialogue here

Aph doesnt have her interaction w/ Merida since she never return to talk to John, but I might make her be resentful of Aphmau for endangering her son later on, if she appears again after this

Im also cutting Aphmaus interaction with Azura

I'll need to insert the exposition from Azura here somewhere else though, particularly the stuff w/ Zenix bc that could be especially important

They arrive at the docks, maybe they could have talked some more on the way, maybe reveal a bit about the werewolves idk yet

(Aphmau also doesnt get that house in Brightport ofc)

They meet the wolf parents, Aphmau doesnt get attacked in this bc shes w/ John here, Im cutting all of the wolf's dialogue until we get to "Human, thank you for returning or pup, its not often we find people as kind as you", from then on the dialogue is the same as it is in the OG

Aphmau turn to John and tells him to hurry along and get back to his mom as soon as possible, before going to follow the werevolves

Mannnnnnn why does it take me so long to do these, I powered through 10 episodes the day I decided to do this