#it's not like that NEVER happened but that certainly wasn't the focal point

[gothicprep]

i haaaaate when survey data about religious affiliation lumps atheist and agnostic together. the difference is between someone who's "not religious, but spiritual" or believes in ghosts (read: some sort of afterlife) and someone who has really sat with the idea of godlessness, and this life being the only thing there is. the french existentialists are a good example of that latter thing, although i'm assuming a lot of the people who hold to this are a bit less... dramatic than that.

if anything, it makes more sense to lump agnostics in with the "none" category. but that's just my gloss on a lay observation. i'm not telling anyone how to do their job lol.

[july-19th-club]

the thing is, there's this jarring push and pull between the narrating voice and the focal point of the narrating voice, like this - the narrator can say things like "feminism" (a word that's not used in britain until fifty years after the story is set) or use modern political terms and phrases, and that's fine, because when you're writing nonfiction (or fiction structured like nonfiction) about an event in the past it's customary to do such things; you're writing for a modern audience and it's expected that you will be using terms familiar to them. BUT the book also has a pretty consistent close-third point of view, and when using a close third-person, narration *usually* hews pretty closely to terms and vocabulary that the protagonist it's following knows and uses. which in this case is the vocabulary of a polyglot in the 1830s specifically, and so like i said, there's this uncomfortable push and pull between a contemporary nonfiction tone, warring for room with a novelistic close-third POV.

and it doesn't work out well; they don't complement one another easily and what happens instead is that the close-third feels, despite the fact that it is a pretty close perspective, oddly detached, distant, despite relaying everything robin thinks and feels. and the academic nonfiction tone feels disjointed because the reader, if they're versed at all in the subjects the book is built around, can't stop thinking about which parts of the narration don't fit into the close point of view. and sometimes it bleeds into the dialogue, too, so that the 1830s college students have conversations not out of place among 2010s college students, vocabulary and all, and i'm NOT the first person to say that this feels goofy in a book that's all about language and vocabulary, nor am i unaware that some readers defend it as a deliberate choice of language and vocabulary. what if the only two things that are different in this alternate history are a) silver magic and b) use of contemporary political lanugage? because the book is technically a fantasy, you COULD say, well, what if all those words and phrases were just invented earlier? it's an alternate history, anything's possible. but i think it's a lot simpler than that: i think this book could've just used a couple more passes before being considered done, and maybe then the people who are nitpicking (me included) would have less to nitpick about. a more consistent hand in terms of tone would've made a difference.

another thing: i certainly sympathize with the author's assertion that some readers need to be spoon-fed, and that those who balk most intensely at the book's occasional heavy-handedness are those who are interested in nobody saying harsh truths where they have to see it. but i'd also counter: those people are never going to like a book like this anyway. they'll be the people writing racist reviews and claiming that anyone who reviews the book negatively agrees with them but is just too liberal to admit it; this book is not ever going to reach those people, no matter how simply or thoroughly it structures its argument. for the rest of the audience, it can afford to have more nuance, and those readers will appreciate it. i hesitate to say it's condescending, but also, it's not...not condescending either.

so i wanted to like this book. god, i did. and i think if it had been through even one more editing pass, i might like it more than i do! but as it stands; with the awkward imbalance between tone and point of view, the fact that is very thin for 500 pages, and - this is just a me thing, because i'm an extreme stickler for voice, but it's still a thing - the prose was not near as rapturous as the best reviews led me to believe...i don't know. this book just wasn't it. or, at least, not all of it.

[sab3rto0thed]

every year has four seasons. four seasons, we spent together. eleven months.

in the summer, i don't think he liked me very much. he always looked at me funny, in the way i look at my ex-boyfriend, as in: why are you here? i don't think he wanted my snarky jokes to invade on his territory. he was the one that was supposed to deliver the snarky jokes. i had to find a different purpose, for he had existed longer and was better at lasting.

the fall was very much the same way: the strange looks, the loud silence, my inevitable and crushing break up and my foreshadowing naivety that would eventually end my entire career. it was only in the next few months, when my hands cracked from the cold, that he would stop looking at me like that.

in the winter, we became something like friends. i'm not sure it was entirely that, but it was more than acquaintances and less than love. all of my friends had gone away, and he had lived in the same place all his life, so he knew what it was to be left. i think he saw my loneliness in his past self, and that's why i think he tolerated me for so long. he still had his moments where he would give me those odd looks, but it melted away as the snow froze everything in sight. winter has a way of doing that, of making people come together for warmth. when i got my car, he was more excited than i was. when i got my tattoo, he listened to the story for an hour. he was the first person i said my ex-boyfriend's name to that year.

it wasn't that his actions were something special. it was just that i had nothing else, and so he became the most important person in my life. in the spring, when my cat died of cancer, he was the first person that noticed i wasn't smiling. instead of crying over a donut, he told me to tell him the story, because he knew how i was with stories. he told me to stop biting everyone's head off, because it wouldn't end well for me. i think he would've let me scream at him, but he was the one person i didn't want to scream at after my cat died. everyone else made me want to bash my skull in, but not him. he was the one focal point of calm in my personal storm.

in the summer, i spent weeks frantically freaking out about college and my ex and finances only to him, because i didn't want anyone else to know i had a weak spot. no one else had listened to me very much the whole year, and i can never give up my walls. he was the one that told me i had to go. i think he knew if i didn't leave now, i would never have, because the same thing had happened to him. it's easier to tell myself that he wanted me gone, but i don't think that's true. he was always in some odd internal conflict about it, that i couldn't be his favorite because i was leaving, so therefore i shouldn't leave, but i had to leave.

he never asked me to stay. i'm glad he didn't. i think i would have stayed there forever, as long as he kept asking me every summer. i think he knew that, too.

the day i left, at five in the morning, i saw him again. it was the first time we had spoken in a month, which is the longest time we hadn't spoken in a year. when he saw me, his entire face lit up like he was delighted.

"i don't know if i can go," i told him. "are you sure i shouldn't just stay?"

he said the same reliable thing: "you have to go."

so i did. i always did what he asked, because he had never steered me wrong. i hadn't called the suicide hotline all that year, but i remember coming home from a road trip and realizing that i wouldn't see him every day now. i sat in the bathtub and sobbed until i choked on my own pain. i've always held onto things too hard.

he knew the little things about me. he knew that i threw up when i was anxious. he knew that i could be a little too bitter sometimes. he knew about my favorite teachers from high school. he knew i would get lazy on purpose, just because i could. he knew i could be foolish. i can't remember the last person that understood just how foolish i could be, but he certainly knew. at times, it was embarrassing, but being seen is the peak of the human condition. i was never unhappy about my flaws when he was looking at them.

i would never say the L word, not about him and especially not to him. but i saw him a few days ago, at five in the morning sharp. when he saw me, his entire face lit up.

i will never get used to that. it makes the enormous losses i have suffered this past year seem small.

[tommys-writing-dump]

First post to the blog. First 'segment' (I don't personally refer to them as chapters as they vary heavily in length and most are rather short) of an Elden Ring fanfiction I began writing shortly after the DLC's release. Fic operates under the pretense of the Tarnished, the main focal point for the fic, having only minimal knowledge of the world and lore and is primarily focused on Margit/Morgott and the Omen. Something of a character exploration. Intended as future romance but knowing me the romance will be easily interpreted platonically. Post-DLC content does not apply. Like all things posted to this blog, this is a project I've taken on for fun and as a writing exercise and may or may not be completed at a future date. Constructive feedback is welcome and encouraged, as are questions relating to anything present in the text.

Below the royal capital was a dreary sight. Not the sewers, no, those were certainly rank and the... Encounter with another Tarnished certainly left Morgan feeling less clean than he had before, but it was expected. Cities needed sewers, and after many years of a complete lack of any real substantive populace, of course they'd be crawling with giant rats and various beasties.

No, the true horror was in the Shunning Grounds.

Morgan had first encountered the area by complete accident; while making his way through the Capital he'd tripped over some particularly broken walkways and tumbled into a smaller residential district, which happened to have a ladder down into a well... And said ladder into said well just happened to lead to the Shunning Grounds. Morgan wasn't the most privy to the intricacies of the politics prior to the Shattering, but this seemed like something he would have heard about. It seemed too... Planned out, to be scrubbed from history completely. The architecture suggested this was connected to the crypts, but the complete lack of proper access paired with the only people being down here being Omen... It gave him pause, truly.

At first he'd thought it wise to ask one of the Omen about the place. They were perfectly intelligent beasts- quite flowery at times, actually, if Margit was any basis- so Morgan thought nothing of trying to start civil conversation with the Omen.

That ended with Morgan waking up at the last Grace he'd touched with a pained gasp. Dying never got more pleasant or any less sudden to wake from.

So direct conversation was out of the question. Unfortunate, since as Morgan saw it, the people living in a location would be the best to ask about said location, but it couldn't be helped. His other option was to ask around the Roundtable Hold, but Ofnir was so... Cagey with his information, more content to hoard it for himself than share it freely. Last time he'd tried to ask Ofnir anything he'd only gotten some vague nonsense, because apparently asking about the Demigod who died was 'taboo'. Never mind that it seemed rather important to know about.

Ofnir wasn't the only one with information, though. Hewg seemed a knowledgeable sort, having been in the Roundtable Hold for as long as he'd been. Not to mention any gossip he might have overheard as a blacksmith; most people didn't pay the Misbegotten any mind, so he would certainly have something to share. And if not, Morgan needed to get his sword upgraded anyways, so it all worked out.

With his mind made up, Morgan counselled with the Guidance of Grace and visited the Roundtable Hold.

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff: Invincible

Don't like throwing this word around, but is it wrong to say that this series is fresh? Refreshing to see a superhero series, a good one, that isn't DC or Marvel for once. Invincible is a series that seemed like no big deal at first, but this season alone has just hit differently with me in the best way. Keep in mind that I have never read Invincible, kinda wasn't aware of it for most my life, but this actually convinced me and more because this series is ballin'. Why and how is both simple and not.

If there is any downside to this, it's the romance.

Now I like Amber, apparently has the most change in character here than in the comics, but it feels too apparent that they're trying to set up Mark and Eve. Even when I can't hate the characters involved, not even Rex Splode, nothing about what's happening really had me as invested. Hell, I'm more concerned with Mark doing good for himself than I am with him trying to be in a relationship, and they did me no favors. But that is just a teaspoon to this pitcher of what I wanna say is an actual extraordinary show.

One thing that stands out the most to me about this series upon everything else is how despite being brutal and gory at times, it never feels like they overdo things. People die, but it's played straight and you're more surprised, and relieved, for whoever makes it. It does have the unfortunate downside that regular citizens basically don't have a say in getting stuck in the crossfire, no precautions or a sense that they care about the random attacks that can kill them easily. Maybe I'm just thinking of what One Punch Man does with its world, but in the least it gives our big bad of this season a nuanced point. Plus it feels natural, like the brutality and blood comes from someone putting up a genuine fight, or in Omni-Man's case show how effortlessly powerful he can be, as oppose to giving us gore/blood for shock value or to take the piss out of everything. Invincible gets his shit kicked in multiple times, but that makes his fights, and potential wins, feel more earned. Mark doesn't become the best super immediately, and you grasp that he's sincere when push comes to shove, willing to fight for his life and others. Same goes with the others, minimal as they are in appearance this season.

It's especially what makes Omni-Man such a well-faceted bastard

Another thing, and this what impressed me the most, is that it's the first cartoon I've ever known that has 40 minute episodes and they feel rewarding. From the action to the conversations, it never felt like they were wasting time. They certainly set up things for another time, but it overall allows every subplot thread to get enough of a spotlight while entertaining you well with the focal point of an episode. They allow things to slow down, but give you plenty popping off moments to make every episode move well. One could say this has some...

Overall, Invincible is a sincere superhero series. Its up there with Megamind and Kick-Ass as a show that's as much a subversive series as it is one that revels in its identity. It has its serious moments, its brutal moments, but matter-of-factly enjoys the colorful costumes, the differing powers and aliens, the soundtrack that tells us exactly what it’s doing, and the campy nature of it all. The passion in the execution is front and center; it never felt like it wanted to play you for being invested.

If season 2 onward carries the same energy and heart as the first, I'll gladly call this one of the greatest shows of the 2020s. Invincible just does a lot right, simple as it is, and I can see why the comic was popular at the time. Even when, from what I've read, they make some liberal changes to the story and characters it's a well-executed adaptation. I love that Kirkman himself is a head of this series which tells me that it's truly getting the direction it needs. There can be moments hard to stomach but Invincible is a series that knows what it wanted to do and did it more than well.

5 Out Of 5. A Superb Series for the Newly Novel Hero

[softsebnbuckystan]

Soul ties - Part 5 (Bucky Barnes au)

“And I'll use you as a focal point

So I don't lose sight of what I want”

"Oh! I didn't expect you so soon after the wedding," Bruce Banner said as you  walked into his lab. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course, thanks for asking, though. I just ran into Steve, and he said you'd actually found something while I was gone?"

A spark lit in Banner's eyes as he went around all his papers and tablets, searching for the information he wanted to share with you. Working with someone who was as passionate about science as you were was delightful : there was never an unproductive moment. You two were always thinking, bouncing off each other's ideas and coming up with useful inventions. You'd once helped two S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists, Fitz and Simmons, design "icers". They were non-lethal guns who could knock out theoretically anyone.

"See, we were talking about neural termination restaurations the other day. We thought it was next to impossible, since neurons are gone forever. But I was thinking..."

And off you started... It would be hard to get you two to stop before dinner time. You were so caught up in your work, lab goggles over your eyes, that Bruce had to tap on your shoulder to show you someone was there. You shot your head up, ready to say you were busy, but your body froze as you saw Bucky. You  didn't expect to run into him so quickly.

"Hey! Need anything?" you asked as he leaned against the door frame, hands in his pockets.

"No, I just... You guys are impressive."

Bucky looked all around the lab and his mouth didn't seem to be able to close.

"All this...is you two?"

You let out a small laugh. "Stark helped out a lot, we have to admit. He provides us with the tech, and we handle the other sciences, you know."

"What's your area?" he asked, his eyes coming back on you.

"Biochem and astrophysics."

"So like...planets and stuff too?"

"Yeah, basically."

At the other side of the room, Bruce was trying not to smile : he could only imagine how hard it was for you not to get carried away by details and explaining how amazing and compelling constellations, solar systems and galaxies were.

"I love that stuff," Bucky breathed out.

"Alright, since you're not alone, y/n, I'll go grab some lunch."

"Lunch already?"

Bruce nodded and left the room after making sure you'd be up to work again in the afternoon. You  most certainly hadn't seen time go by and a sudden soreness in your eyes made you aware of what time it was.

"I should probably take a break as well," you admitted. You fiddled with your fingers, a little awkward now that you weren't busy working, before a brilliant idea came to your mind. "Do you want to see something, like...really cool?"

"Obviously I do."

"Okay, follow me."

You instinctively grabbed Bucky's hand and jumped with surprise at the texture of it. You lowered your eyes to look at it and he immediately moved his arm away from you. It was...metal. Well, you didn't expect that, but who cared?

"I didn't know you had this," you said in a what wanted to be a casual tone.

"Yeah, long story." His elusive answer proved he wasn't ready to tell you about it.

"I'll hear it anytime," you said with a smile to reassure him before grabbing his hand again. The last thing you wanted him to think was that it scared you off. "Let's go now."

He didn't pull back this time, and you dragged him a few floors down, taking the stairs so you  didn't have to wait for the elevator. You were walking fast, impatient as the thought of showing Bucky your passion made you.  You ended up letting go of his hand to open a big door and hurried him in.

"What is this room, y/n?"

Ignoring the sound of your name in his mouth, you closed the door, plunging the room in pitch black.

"Don't move, I just have to grab the remote."

You easily found it, then carefully made your way back to him. Hearing his breath picking up, you laid a hand on his back.

"Breathe. I promise you'll love this."

With the press of a button,  billions of stars surrounded you, lightning Bucky's  face as he stared in amazement.

"I told you you'd like this," you whispered.

"This...wow." Bucky was speechless. He'd been staying here for a while and had never seen this room before, apparently.

You went to sit on one of the bean bag chairs you'd brought  yourself and Bucky decided to follow you, unable to take his eyes off the fake sky in front of him.

"Are those...real constellations?"

"Absolutely." This was your time : talking about this always made you happy. "See  the ones that are kinda forming a V? If you look closely, they form the Capricorn constellation. Right above it is Aquarius. And on the left, that's Cernus, the one that looks like a whale. And then...sorry. I talk too much."

"No, no. Keep going."

Bucky leaned back in his chair, still looking up. A huge smile split your face as  you kept on telling him about constellations, showing him well known ones as much as others, less famous. You had no idea how long it had been when you got out, and a glance at your phone told you it'd been over an hour.

"I'm sorry if that bored you,"  you told him while closing the door. "When I start talking about stars..."

"Not at all. I get that. I could have listened for five more hours."

You chuckled nervously and gulped, joining your hand in your back as you  walked along the hallway to the elevator. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've got to get back to work, but if you want to see the stars again some time, you know where to find me."

---

"I'm eating at Brad's  tonight. I think there's pizza left in the fridge."

You'd been looking at Darren's text for five minutes : what were you supposed to say  to that? At least he had the decency to warn you...thirty minutes before your usual dinner time.

"You okay there?"

You looked away from your phone screen and gave Steve a bitter smile. "Not really. Darren bailed. Again."

Steve shook his head. You could tell he was angry at him. It's not like they had ever been wonderful friends, but you'd hoped Darren would make efforts to get to know Steve and the rest of the gang. They'd done their part ; Darren just never seemed to deem it necessary.

"I'm sure Wanda will be available for a pizza and movie night. You can stay here as long as you-"

Your ringtone interrupted Steve's sentence : Darren was calling you.

"Hello?"

"It's me, honey. Just wanted to tell you I'm staying over at Brad's. We had a few beers so I don't want to take the risk to drive."

"Oh, huh... Yeah. That's safer."

Your friend rolled his eyes – a thing he rarely did as bitterly.

"I'm not home either anyway," you said, hoping it would get a reaction out of him.

"Really? Where are you?"

"At the compound." You heard Darren make a mocking noise.

"I don't even know why I asked. Of course that's where you are."

You let out an angry breath and decided to end the phone call.

"I don't know what time you'll get home tomorrow, but don't worry if I'm not there. I'll probably come back late in the afternoon. Bye."

"By-"

You hung up. You didn't want to hear his voice any longer.  Steve grabbed you by the shoulder to comfort you.

"I'll get a room ready for you."

"Thanks, Steve."

"This guy is such a dick."

And that was your sister's reaction as she walked in, learning what had happened from your mind.  She sure was less civil than Steve, but have someone be as upset as you helped you understand that you were right to be mad at Darren.

"I'm sorry,  I know you married the guy, but-"

"No, you're right," you interrupted her as she sat at your other side. "He is behaving like a dick."

Wanda laughed as she pulled you in for a warm hug. "Men are the worst. Don't feel like it's your fault."

"You know I'm here, and a man, right?" Steve joked.

You and Wanda shot him fake ferocious looks and he held up his hands as a sign of peace.

"Fine, fine, men are the worst," he said solemnly.

--- Thanks again for the support y'all gave to the 4 previous parts. I hope this one is good! :) Tell me if you want to be added to the tag list ^^

Tag list

@ginger-swag-rapunzel @joscelyn02

[cursedfortune]

"I wont stop," Black laughed. "I wont ever stop."

@kneelbeforeagod

She knows this. She knows this so well. Words do not come forth.

The first time he revealed it her horror was there for but a moment and then she raged. Now he only confirmed his intentions - not that he needed to. But certainly because he wanted to.

In her silence she reached out, focused and searching. Not worried he may interrupt her. No. Zam--Black had made it apparent he wanted her suffering, fear stricken. Any ounce of it he sniffed out like a bloodhound. It was not often the witch was pushed into such a corner, when emotions she was so used to inflicting upon others (as was necessary) she then must face herself.

It's okay, that's how it is supposed to be. There's a comfort in that.

But history is repeating itself. Her breath caught for a moment. She couldn't sense the abundance of life that once thrived within the cosmos - narrowed down in his great genocide of sentient mortals. Plants thrived, nature was untouched - animals she suspected he wasn't offended by still went about their day-to-day lives. People? People were missing. People were dead.

The witch's jaw set as air forced its way into her lungs. The wide scope she had come to govern over the years he had significantly shrank. What was once an open field suddenly became a parking lot. And then a driveway. Now it neared becoming an outright cage.

The worst of it? He's the one with the greatest potential for life. And he's killing it. Killing parts of her. Ones she knows will be reborn, adapt - they must or she will cease to be. But her heart is furious, it aches even in the indifference her purpose feels towards his actions. Fed by what he could be, for the things he may do. That's the problem with gods or those of such a tier; the real reason she often despised most gods was because they upset the balance of the very life they sought to govern. So long as a single god of creation existed to make, all life in the universe could become forfeit.

It's happening again.

The elf of her past didn't know what this did to her the last time her world faced extinction. He didn't care. Black does, if only to see her hurt - in only to exact whatever revenge he concocted that she may deserve for existing so stubbornly. This isn't a thing that must be done - this is a personal vendetta under the guise of what must be done. The slight difference says plenty.

But unlike back then he's actually winning. There is no final deadline they must be met, no battle to win. It's total annihilation. Mortals throw themselves into war but to Black no such thing existed. Pest control, that's all it was.

And her purpose was fine with it. How it sang whether he won or lost - the great and final (for now) challenge of mortals and yet, potential still existed for their return. Nature still existed and therefore Mortem would too. Her fingers dug into either side of her face as she felt how small it all was becoming. For what her purpose may not notice the witch - often a manipulator, certainly did.

He's building walls and there's only one exit that lead straight to Black. But he cannot sever her autonomy. A witch can work under duress like this. Just because he may become the focal point of her purpose does not mean her will was bent in any way. Black may think he is locking her within a cramped dungeon but in truth, he was locking himself in here with her. And she could work with that. The witch knew dungeons. She knew imprisonment. Shackled and bound and bleeding - each dry breath burning her lungs. A woman veiled in white, glowing like a will o'wisp, reaching out to steal and force a will upon the witch that was not her own. Like their hands had done to so many of her people. She knows imprisonment, she knows loss of autonomy and she knows Black will never be able to bring her back to that point of her life again.

"You may be divine but even gods make mistakes. Someday, Black, you will see this as such." Her hands slipped off her face and in doing so, all the hurt and anger seemed to be taken with the simple gesture. Even in the pain he was causing her, that surely still was there - shining in blackened eyes, the witch looked at him with a smile. A knowing smile. An empathetic smile. Of understanding despite no such thing having taken place (yet). "And I will look at you like this." Mortem promised as her hands hung tiredly at her sides, tone as soft as the expression she wore. He wanted her pain, her suffering, her everything - he could have this too, then. And she? She will patiently await his.

[morganaspendragonss]

Bad Things Happen Bingo Masterpost!

And that's a wrap on my @badthingshappenbingo card! Thanks to anybody and everybody who requested a square - this has been so, so fun! I've had this card for years and have been actively working on it for a year and a half, so it's incredible to have finally finished it 🥰

Prompts and Fills listed below the cut:

Used in Sacrifice/Ritual - Filled

you would be the one to rescue me | BBC Atlantis | Jason x Pythagoras

When Jason wakes, Pythagoras is gone.

This in itself is not so strange. What is strange, however, is that his cloak has been left behind despite there being a significant chill in the air. And when Hercules begins to wake, and there is still no sign, Jason knows.

Something's wrong.

Rage Against the Reflection - Filled

out, damned spot | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

TK wakes up gasping, choking on air. The sheets are suffocating him and, when he tries to free himself, they only seem to get tighter. The hands reaching out for him, trying to calm him, are the final straw; TK throws himself from bed and sprints to the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind him as he collapses against the sink.

On some level, he is aware that the hands were Carlos’s, that the sheets were theirs, that his hands are clean, and that the dream was just a dream.

But they weren't always that way.

Falling Through the Ice - Filled

ice in my veins | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

Carlos only turns away for a second, he swears. Unfortunately, a second is clearly ample time for his boyfriend to get into trouble because when Carlos turns back around, TK is no longer standing where he left him.

Instead, there’s a sizable hole in the ice.

Flashbacks - Filled

start again from the beginning | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK & Owen

Owen trusts his son. He’s watched TK fight his addiction and stay sober for the last six years, and he has faith that he can handle himself.

But when TK doesn’t show up for work the night after proposing to Alex, Owen knows that something is wrong. After all, they've been here before.

Branding - Filled

setting fire to our insides for fun | Supernatural | Meg x Cas

Cas had been prepared to find demons. Frankly, he would have been concerned if he didn’t find demons, given that that was his mission here. What he hadn’t been prepared for, however, was to find two demons torturing another, pressing the hot end of a branding iron into her forearm.

He killed the two torturers with practised ease, barely wasting a moment before they were both on the dirty, wooden floor, eyes burned out their sockets. Only then did he allow his surprise to catch up to him, breathing heavily as his gaze settled on someone he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Meg.

Memory Loss - Filled

focal point | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

Waking up in the hospital is becoming all too familiar. Being the one in the bed is less so, but Carlos has had his fair share of hospital trips. He knows the drill.

As soon as he sees him awake, TK breaks out in harsh sobs. "Carlos," he breathes. "I... I thought I'd lost you."

Caught in an Explosion - Filled

can we skip past near death cliches? | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

It’s the kind of call every first responder dreads. A bomb threat in an apartment block, civilian’s lives on the line, the whole situation a hair’s breadth away from disaster. And Carlos is right in the middle of it.

tw: explosions, bombs

Forced to Kneel/Bow - Filled

in case you don’t live forever (let me tell you now) | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

His teammates were still sitting in the communal area when TK entered, eyes glued to the tv screen. Paul was the first to notice him, and TK’s concern only grew as he got everyone else’s attention, their worried gazes falling on him one by one.

“There’s a hostage situation at that big, fancy hotel across town," Marjan explained. "Apparently it’s pretty serious, they’ve had to send police in, and, um, well…”

Marjan paused, and TK felt dread wash through him, knowing what her next words would be.

“Carlos is there, TK. He’s gone in.”

tw: references to gun violence

Be Careful What You Wish For - Filled

can you beat back the night? | The Witcher | Geralt x Jaskier

He misses the bard. Geralt won’t admit it, not even to Roach, but he misses him. After months—years—of Jaskier’s constant chatter and the sound of his lute, the silence, once valued above all else, is too much.

It’s been months since the dragon, since Geralt lost both Yennefer and Jaskier in one fell swoop. He’s cursed himself many times over for the words he said—to both of them—and cursed himself more for the mistakes he made to get in this position in the first place.

*

this is the lot of witchers, to be alone.

Blood From the Mouth - Filled

I Got You | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos, TK & 126 Crew

“I’m just sayin’,” Judd says, waving his arms around. “Somebody’s gonna get themselves killed in there one of these days. I had to come out here three times last year because of some idiots who think they know better than the ‘Keep Out’ signs.”

The team are called to an abandoned house where some kids are trapped. Everything is going smoothly, which, naturally, means that it won't be that way for much longer.

Trapped in a Burning Building - Filled

a little unsteady | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

9-1-1, What's your emergency?

'Please, help! My house is on fire and my husband’s inside!'

or

t.k. sometimes wonders if the universe is out to get him

Worked Themselves to Exhaustion - Filled

In Your Arms | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos, Michelle & TK

T.K. and Carlos agreed when they started dating to check-in on each other that they were both okay. Reassurance that nothing bad had happened. So, when Carlos hasn't replied hours after his shift is supposed to have finished, T.K.'s definitely beginning to panic. 

Locked in a Cage - Filled

running out of time | Shadowhunter Chronicles | Kit x Ty

When (if) they got out of here, Kit wanted the record to unequivocally state that this wasn’t his fault. Not that it was Ty's either, but it certainly wasn't Kit's.

or

kit and ty's first hunt together after three years goes wrong and they wind up trapped in a cage with no way out. naturally, this leads to a heartfelt conversation.

Demonic/Ghostly Possession - Filled

Haunting | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos, TK & Owen

T.K. is five when he first sees a ghost, though, of course, he doesn’t know that it’s a ghost. His name is Joey, and he lives in the playground, which T.K. thought was a little strange, but he doesn’t want to ask. Dad says it’s rude to ask questions like that to someone he’s just met.

Fingore - Filled

ease my mind | 911: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

Briefly, Carlos considers calling TK and telling him about the accident. But… He only broke two of his fingers and it barely even classifies as a minor injury in his book, so there’s really no reason to bother his fiancé while he’s still on shift himself. He pockets his phone then looks around to figure out where the exit is.

Only, an all-too familiar laugh distracts him from his task, drawing his attention to the nurses station.

Where TK is standing, smiling as a nurse swats at him for stealing one of their lollipops.

Carlos is, beyond doubt, fucked.

Verbal Abuse - Filled

this is a song about somebody else | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos, TK & Marjan

TK doesn't notice the 126's latest visitor until it's too late. He freezes as Alex smiles at him, knocked off balance by this sudden intrusion of his old life into his new one.

or

alex vists tk at the 126. luckily, tk has his family to help him through it.

tw: abusive language

Dying in Their Arms - Filled

can you hear me screaming (please don’t leave me) | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

As a cop, Carlos has to deal with all kinds of cases, and not all of them end well. But never in his life did he imagine that he'd have to respond to an incident involving his own boyfriend.

tw: major character death

Blindfolded - Filled

find you here inside the dark | Doctor Who | Thirteen x Yaz

Yaz has walked this room too many times to count now; she’s traced her fingertips over the walls, searching for any cracks or crevices to indicate where there might be a door.

If the Doctor were here, she’d have her sonic out by now, spitting out words, only half of which Yaz could understand. She’d find a way out in no time. Or, if not, at least she’d be here. Talking a mile a minute, probably annoying the hell out of their captors. Yaz can almost hear her now—

Wait.

She can hear her now.

Water Torture - Filled

soggy clothes and breezeblocks | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

Carlos wakes up slowly. He cracks his eyes open, wincing at the pounding in his head. He lifts his hand to massage the pain away, only to discover that his hand won't move, the cool metal of handcuffs biting viciously into his wrist.

After an undercover mission goes wrong, Carlos is forced to fight for his life. And to make matters worse, his kidnappers are making sure that T.K. is watching the entire thing.

tw: torture

Fighting from the Inside - Filled

and curse the gods | BBC Atlantis | Jason & Medusa

Jason knows what it is to be cursed.

Slammed into a Wall - Filled

mind over matter (matter over mind) | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos, TK & Owen

After a night out goes wrong, TK and Carlos are left to deal with the consequences.

tw: homophobia, hate crimes, hiding an injury

Suicide Attempt - Filled

be done with this now | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

Once upon a time, Carlos had thought that watching as his almost-boyfriend was whisked off in an ambulance, bullet wound in his chest, would be the worst moment of his life. Then TK had been kidnapped, and Carlos had spent hours not knowing where he was, if he was alive or dead, and he thought - this is it. Nothing can top this.

But, having to perform CPR on his husband, having to hold him as he slipped away in his arms?

That was worse than even his nightmares.

tw: suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, depression, drug abuse, overdosing

Bleeding Through the Bandages - Filled

pull you in to feel your heartbeat | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

The call comes at the tail end of Carlos’s shift, and he instantly hates whichever idiot decided to ruin his night by mugging someone.

What he's not expecting is to find his boyfriend on the ground, bleeding out from a stab wound.

Arm in a Sling - Filled

have you been involved in an accident at work? | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK & 126 Crew, TK x Carlos

T.K. was on his way to the hospital. Again.

At least this time he could say with absolute certainty that it 100% wasn't his fault.

Self-Harm - Filled

but god i wanna feel again | 9-1-1: Lone Star | TK x Carlos

Carlos blames himself for not noticing. It's not like he had much choice in the matter; he hasn't seen T.K. all week, and his texts have been going unanswered, but he can't help but feel like it's partly his fault.

If only T.K. would actually talk about himself, instead of keeping it all in.

tw: self-harm

[bluephoenixdruidicprincess]

A lot of people think Dean could be a great father. After all the seasons I saw, I'm not agree. I think dean is a terrible father. I didn't find him good with Claire or Jake. Even in season 5, he wasn't so great with Jesse (the antichrist in season 5). I didn't find Dean so good with Ben, even if he was right about the gun stuff, he didn't have to yell on ben this way. Most of this relationship feel like funny uncle/nephew. I just don't understand why people think Dean likes kids.

People (particularly Dean stans) feel like Dean would make a good father or is good with kids due to his raising of Sam as the baseline for it and I wholeheartedly disagree on that consensus. Even though it is true that Dean essentially raised Sam, he was not a good parental figure for Sam. Sam dealt a lot with low self-esteem and loneliness as a direct result of the manner in which he was raised. He felt isolated and there’s a reason why when we got a glimpse of his own personal heaven in Season 5, that Sam’s happiest memories were of him spending time with a family that wasn’t his. This was a direct result of the isolation he felt while growing up. He didn’t feel like he was a member of his own family and craved a sense of belonging that he never got with Dean or his father. Those feelings were a direct result of the manner in which he was raised. I also feel like Dean had very little patience when it came to raising Sam which is understandable as Dean was also a child himself so I certainly don’t fault Dean on the raising of Sam. However, this whole idea that Dean is good with kids and is a good father figure as an adult, I just don’t see it. As an adult, he is not a good father figure. He lacks patience, he lacks empathy towards these children, he’s too driven by his own emotions and they constantly get in the way of every single one of his relationships on the show. And a person who is constantly dictated by their own emotions and lets their emotions control them and allow those emotions to lash out at others around them, in my book, do not make good parents. And we’ve seen this multiple times with Dean. He lashes out at anyone and everyone and Dean stans will defend him each time and blame it on his trauma and “how he just feels so much and he should be allowed to feel things” but I can no longer accept that. While it is true that Dean has undergone a significant amount of trauma and trauma will stick with you for the rest of your life, it is NOT an excuse to be a shitty person, and it’s certainly not okay for a grown man in his 40s to behave this way. And you know, Sam and Cas have also gone through a great deal of trauma and when was the last time they lashed out at people they loved? Few and far between probably because Dean makes them feel like crap and that they’re not good enough when they don’t live up these impossibly high standards he sets up for them despite he himself not even adhering to those standards.

As you said, Dean is fine as like the “fun uncle” or something like that but is he someone that should be responsible for the raising of a child? Definitely not. He lacks the patience, understanding, and empathy necessary. I know I know, certain factions of the fandom are all about, “ Sam sympathizes but Dean empathizes” and I completely disagree with that. Dean’s only good with children when, like I stated earlier, they’re adhering to his impossibly high standards of being a good person. Let’s not forget that when Jack was first introduced, Dean was all for killing him. And he only warmed up to Jack when he realized Jack wanted to adhere to those standards. Whereas Sam and Cas believed in him from the start. They both genuinely wanted to help him even when he had essentially crossed the point of no return. I mean Jack straight up told Cas that he doesn’t know if he has the ability to love Cas and Cas told him that didn’t matter, that it didn’t change the fact that Cas still loved him and would continue to be there for him. 

And Dean doesn’t even really have that great of a track record when it comes to children and young adults, really. When Claire was first brought back into the story, Dean told Cas that he should abandon Claire. When Kevin Tran came into the story and was going through a full-blown panic attack, he told Kevin to basically suck it up and deal with the cards that were dealt. Oh and let’s not forget the straight up kidnapping at gunpoint of Kaia in order to use her abilities for his own purposes which ultimately lead to Kaia’s death. And of course killing a boy’s mother in front of the boy. If there’s any justice in the world, season 15 will start off with Sam and Cas holding Dean accountable for his actions in season 14...but I doubt it will happen.

I truly can’t understand why the show puts Dean with children so much, he’s absolutely terrible with them and even worse, they keep on trying to frame it like he’s a good parental figure when he’s really not. He’s only about what these children and young adults can do for him and not what he can do for them. Well, really, I can’t understand why the writers make Dean the focal point of 95% of the relationships on this show. They just have a real stan-itis infection with Dean. I guarantee that in Chuck’s book series about supernatural, this story is being told in 3rd-person-limited in Dean’s point of view. Because nearly all of the stories told in this show are framed in a way that directly link everything to Dean. And very little with anyone else. Sure, characters like Sam and Cas have active roles they play at times but it all leads into how it affects Dean’s life.

[giuliafc]

I'm not saying it will never happen. Anything can happen and surely the sentimonster theory could happen, like anything else. I'm saying it makes absolutely no sense. And I explain the reason here:

1. the Miraculous of the Peacock was broken when the series started. We don't know who broke it or how it got broken, but certainly this is the best kept secret of Miraculous (together with why Emilie fell in a coma and... the name of the hamster...)

2. We don't know if, when Nathalie found the two Miraculouses, the Peacock was already broken or if it was something the Agrestes did that caused it to break

3. We know, up to now, that there are very few things that can break a Miraculous and, up to now, the only thing that we have known in canon that can break a Miraculous is the Cataclysm. But the Peacock can't have been broken by it, because Plagg was dormant. As of the Rabbit Miraculous, I won't go into details about it because the story of it is quite complicated by itself, but my understanding from Timebreaker and then Timetagger, is that the Miraculous had been cataclysmed by Chat Noir in the future, which had caused it to malfunction. So Alix had given it to her ancestors so that during Timebreaker it would be repaired by the Miraculous Cure in time for it to be fully functional during the events of Timetagger. So the Miraculous was ALREADY DAMAGED when the events in Timebreaker finished to break it. It's not sure whether it would have broken otherwise. And I drop the reasoning about it here because this isn't the focal point of my post and just thinking about it gives me a headache!)

4. so what has broken the Peacock? The only thing that comes to my mind is that someone tried to use it for a use that was going beyond the power of the Miraculous. Now:

5. we have seen that creating a human sentimonster isn't something that can cause the miraculous to break. In fact, Nathalie created a perfect replica of Ladybug, the strongest Miraculous holder, and the Miraculous was already broken. Also, that wasn't an effort big enough to bring Nathalie to a coma. In fact she has up to now created at least 8 sentimonsters that i could count, at least 7 of which while the Miraculous was broken, and she hasn't gone in a coma. She's sick, but not comatose. So creating a human sentimonster using a broken Miraculous can't make you get to a coma. Besides, Shadowmoth has since created at least two human sentimonsters with the repaired Miraculous (sentinino and sentibubbler) and the Miraculous hasn't broken. Hence we can clearly assume that creating a human sentimonster cannot have cause the miraculous to break or emilie to get sick

6. they found the miraculous about 15 years ago, which corresponds with Adrien's birth. This could be evidence to sustain the sentimoster theory. However, there's a little problem nobody has thought about: WHO created Adrien? Emilie? if she created Adrien 15 years before, she wouldn't have been able to create any new sentimonster. Astruc has been clear, it's ONE sentimonster per holder at any given time. In order to create a new one, you need to release the other from reality. if Emilie released her beloved son from reality (basically killing him) every time she wanted to create a new one, Adrien would have NO memory of his past, which is definitely uncorrect, because he remembers of himself and Félix when they were little and he remembers of himself being a baby in his wish from wishmaker. So he has actually LIVED 15 years. This means that either Adrien isn't a sentimonster or Emilie hasn't created him, or she wouldn't have "overused" the Miraculous while it was broken. So who created him? Not Gabriel, or he wouldn't be Shadowmoth now. Not Nathalie, or she wouldn't be Mayura. So who? (and by the way, this has given me a major plot bunny and I'm trying desperately to keep it in my dungeons)

7. we have seen that having created a sentimonster doesn't drain on your living energy because Fu created Feast when he was 13 and he hasn't gone into a coma, but in fact has survived another 170 odd years and is still living.

So can someone explain to me how the sentiadrien theory is even possible? there's too much we don't know, this is a given, but it can go for the theory and against the theory. The facts that we have up to now make it quite unbelieavable, at least to me.

The Miraculous fandom mocking the "Adien is a sentimonster" theory, saying it's a stupid theory and it will never happen :

The Steven Universe fandom remembering how they laughed at the "Rose Quartz is Pink Diamond" theory, saying it was a stupid theory and it would never happen :

[fandom-rants]

Jesus, tumblr, when I block someone, block them.

You're obviously not excusing Pocahontas. You are obviously excusing the other films. Which is the point.

Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Aladdin are all in the Disney Princess line-up. Sleeping Beauty's and Snow White's kisses are things the films revolve around (not that it matters; racism and sexism isn't less simply because it's not the focal point of the story).

And finally, no, Pocahontas is not about "real life" anything. It's fictional. It was stupid enough to use real names, but it's fictional. Hell, Pocahontas 2 was the one that tried to be more realistic to actual history, and it bombed because no one wants to watch that shit. Movies don't exist to tell real life stories 24/7.

This movie taught kids about racism, and how white people are racist, without showing kids graphic violence and murder, because believe it or not, no one is oblivious to what happened in real life! We don't need that in every single film with native people, not even ones about the past. We can and should have films that do show these things, but are you seriously suggesting they be shown in a kid's movie??? And for some reason... you people are angry about the fact that they shouldn't. Because it's Woke now to demand the death of good movies like Pocahontas instead of rehashing the old problems in other films that others have pointed out.

Except... Dumbo and other movies have been altered! You're right! They've been altered because people have demanded only the bad elements be taken out instead of pretending the entire movie is garbage. Unlike how children on this site have treated Pocahontas, in which they've whined about the entire thing instead of the actual bad parts - which is using real peoples' names (which is something that's been contested both ways since the film's airing, though the creators of Pocahontas consulted with the Powhatan tribe before airing the film, used only native people for voice acting, and got applauded by many groups defending native culture in film at the time because of how it depicted white people, I still agree it shouldn't have been done, since they clearly created a fictional story) and having the native people call the white people "savages," which, though there was a clear message in the song (that this generation apparently lacks the comprehension skills to even recognize), still shouldn't have been done.

Now, since you're "just asking questions," I've given you my answer and you can shove off, since tumblr is apparently allergic to honoring my demand to have you do so.

Edit: I said the film was 'okayed' by the Powhatan tribe, when in reality they were merely consulted and liked the snippets of film that were shown to them; whether or not they okayed it is something I haven't been able to verify, but I don't think so. What can be verified is that the chief wasn't happy with the romanticism of Pocahontas' story after viewing it. Those who did okay it were several Native American advisors and film groups, who lauded its positive representation of native people, which was never before done in cinema.

The largest complaint for the film is the same as what everyone's saying - that it's not historically accurate, especially the depiction of John Smith. I also want to be clear that defending the film itself doesn't mean acting as if using real peoples' names was acceptable, and certainly doesn't mean I want the truth of the past to be whitewashed. Realistic films have their place. Happier, if fictional, films also have their place. Quite frankly, it's upsetting that they used real peoples' names, because if they hadn't, there wouldn't be any great reason to dislike the film, any more than a person could complain about The Musketeers having a woman put in charge of the Musketeers. It's anachronistic and not true to the time period or the original material. That's what makes it cathartic.

Sources:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-02-09-ca-29997-story.html

https://lakotachildren.org/2015/09/reservations-about-films-disneys-pocahontas/

Gonna have a take that's gonna piss off a lot of kids on this site - if you still say that Aladdin, Dumbo, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Pinocchio, and/or the Aristocats are still good, entertaining movies despite the misogynistic, morally dubious, or racist moments and viewpoints in them, then you need to shut the fuck up about Pocahontas.

The movies all have awful moments in them. Every. Last. One of them. It's important to talk about those. It's also important to talk about what Disney got right, and to demand they do more of that in the future.

It's also maybe a good idea to not throw the baby out with the bathwater, but this is a take that most kids can't get because they're trapped in the either-or fallacy.

[thehermitsacedia]

Ok I feel like oversharing (and the various responses to this post are really interesting!) so here we go.

God I was expecting to like the movie but certainly not to the point of being obsessed with it and yet here I am, deep in chuckletown since my first viewing at the end of october, all because of arthur fucking fleck. I fell for him from the start, first scenes, bam, I was hooked. He was so vulnerable and broken and real and everything around him was just so awful, it was impossible not to relate. I wanted to protect him so badly. And it never stopped, during all the film, scene after scene i was more drawn to him and to the story. The political/social message obviously was a big part of me liking the film so much, as much as the theme of mental illness, and Arthur was an embodiment of all that, of all the things I really loved in the film: the reality of the class struggle, the grittiness, the need for revolt, and the pain, the feeling of loneliness, of being different, never really belonging anywhere. Arthur just felt familiar, the kind of character you've known all your life. It felt like home, in a harsh but comforting way. And his arc, it was like watching a birth, a becoming: he's trying to find who he is, very literally, he's trying to be born, and he's trying to be free, even if it's in death or self destruction. I think I deeply relate to this kind of tragic self discovery narratives and identity crisis. Anyway, everything is very layered, but I know I didn't just fell for arthur, I fell for the whole movie, the whole package, and arthur was the focal point of it. It wasn't just a moment it was the succession of every one scene, all the different facets. And at the end the bloody smile happened and I was crying. I was rooting for him all the way long.

So I was shooked when I first saw it, and it stayed with me, I couldn't think of anything else. Arthur has haunted me since this day and never left. At first it was exclusively an emotional thing, deep identification and empathy and protectiveness. I remember seeing all the horny posts and tweets and thinking: I love this fandom, but for me I don't think it's sexual? Well, actually it was, it was just underneath everything else, so I discovered I was a clown fucker too after all. But I wasn't into joker more than arthur? For me joker is a big part of arthur so I don't really distinguish between the two. It's just different flavors of the same guy, if I can say so.

So yeah basically arthur became my muse, my emotional support clown, a little part of myself I guess. It's really the identification/empathy that did the trick for me, from the very beginning, and the special way joaquin plays him, with this softness, quirkiness, and also this kind of wolfish energy that just makes him so graceful, childish and raw at the same time. It's all the contrasts that I'm drawn to I guess. He's both incredibly vulnerable/innocent and dangerously unhinged. I think that's this precise combination that works for me. I love the villains precisely because they're violent, ferocious and wild, and I'm a sucker for complex characters that have all the layers of humanity and emotions that I desperately need to feel alive. So bam, I fell for arthur.

joker fandom,,, what’s the one thing that made you fall in love with Arthur Fleck?? or when did you decide you were in love with Arthur Fleck?? It’s for science,,,