#literally taking notes for my convention panel | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bobtheacorn · 2 months ago

Note

💥 This one please! :D

[from this!]

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you’re most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

Thing abt me is i ALWAYS got more than one WIP that i'm excited about. Hasn't made it into my 'top five' bc i got sucked into sth, but i'm still picking at it intermittently and I'm so hyped for it sdklfjsdlfk As part of my "witches hold grudges" series, I picked a Thing to effect Leo, Mikey, and Raph respectively, that Donnie then had to Deal With. Leo's was (obviously) the cuddle curse. Mikey's is [redacted]. But RAPH'S was 'stuck in a timeloop.

Here's the first 2k/premise: (subject to change)

"Raph?? Got a tattoo??"

"RAPH GOT A TATTOO!!"

"Yes but more importantly, why is it a different today?" Donnie asks, with the high-strung curiosity indicative of his fourth espresso before 9am, which is clutched in his hand as he and his brothers crowd together in the small foyer of their hotel room. This is the 11th consecutive Saturday morning symphony of 'Raph got a tattoo!' that Donnie has had the pleasure of partaking in. The novelty and shock have worn off, HOWEVER! This Saturday morning features a completely different placement and design of said tattoo. Donnie is pulling up his mental cork board and furiously jotting that down on a mental red sticky note.

"Pretty cool right?" Raph asks, as a cucumber.

He flexes his already-impressive bicep so Leo and Mikey can peep the simplified black Japanese-style dragon curled up there. It bears a toothy grin, much like Raphael himself. It's even throwing two peace signs with it's little dragon claws. Yesterday, and every Saturday before barring one where Donnie intervened, it was a small Hello Kitty on the back of his left hand with only the big red bow colored in.

"Dude, I can't believe you!" Leo crows. He seems much more impressed with this than he was with Hello Kitty, though he was still in disbelief. He takes Raph by the elbow and turns his arm slightly to get a different angle on it. "What possessed you to sneak out early and get one a these bad boys slapped on! This must've taken hours!"

Donnie, running the math, knows it only took about two.

Very quickly: some context:

This year Big Mama's Nexus Hotel is humbly hosting New York's third annual Mysti-Con, a convention, as one might guess, for the mystically inclined and (also for those who aren't but think It's Neat). The Con consists of three days of Highly Coordinated Mystic Shenanigans, sanctioned by both the Council of Heads and the City of New York; because after things like the Oozesquito outbreak turning hundreds if not thousands of people into mutants, the Shredder Incident, Battle Nexus New York, the Almost-Apocalypic Alien Invasion, there's essentially no point in pretending that yokai-kind don't exist.

People and creatures have crawled up from the Hidden City and traveled across States to pack themselves inside the block-sized mystic barrier that requires a pass to enter. Yokai are welcome to strut the designated streets in all their glory, provided they're not up to any villiany, and regular humans are welcome to match them freak4freak if they so choose. The catch: no coming in and out of the barrier unless cleared by authorized personel, until the Con is officially over. Precautions, damage control, etcetera.

The convention is also more or less a designated No Beef Zone, so there's an unspoken, multi-layer truce in effect between the turtles and Big Mama while they stay in her hotel (and also between the turtles and any other villians they happen upon).

Donnie purchased tickets for himself and his brothers eight months in advance.

Oh and, Donnie is trapped in a time-loop.

The first repeat of Saturday, he suspended his disbelief a little bit. His assertions that literally everything that was happening had already happened could be dismissed as genuinely being Too Exciteable and not wanting the fun, informative panels and pizza with his brothers and being out of the house surrounded by weirdness and new mystic tech and dance parties and impromtu conga lines to end. The SECOND string of exactly-identical series of events Specific to Saturday? Donnie might have assumed that his brothers were pulling an extremely elaborate prank, were it not for the iron-clad Mystic-Con itenerary and the irrefutable date on his (or anyone elses') phone calendar.

Donnie had jolted awake the third Saturday morning, roused his brothers, spent longer than he cared to admit arguing against their baseless 'demon possession' talk, ultimately decided Direct Action was best, and then attempted to power-arsenal his way out of the barrier into the city proper. Worse than solitary confinement in a small utility closet adjacent to the hotel security office with a mystic-suppressor cuff on his ankle and his tech confiscated and his brothers furious at him, they called his dad.

And they were officially kicked out of Mystic-Con.

And the loop reset at 2am anyway, with Donnie jolting awake next to Leo in the hotel bed they rock-paper-scissored Raph and Mikey for to be nearest the window, when he had gone to sleep in his own bunk in his own room, bitter and alone.

"S'matter, Tello?"

"Nothing. What day is it?"

Leo had fished his phone out from under his pillow and squinted at it. It wasn't even on the charger, the battery flashing 15%, and he had no doubt barely dozed off when Donnie sat up and startled him. "....Saturday? Obvi."

"Of course," Donnie had sighed, and gone back to sleep.

Since then, he's simply been Observing the Patterns.

Raphael, ever the early-riser, wakes up at 5:18 after snoozing his 5:15 alarm. He spends fifteen minutes in the shower belting out terrible jazz. He keeps one stale Everything Bagel in his mouth while he gets dressed. He brushes his teeth, grabs a bottle of water out of the Genius Apparel minifridge Donnie packed, and hums his way out the door while Leo is still yawning over his warm thermos of tea and Mikey is happily snoozing amidst a pile of pillows against the wall. He never makes a peep about his plans.

He always returns at 8:37 with a Hello Kitty tattoo.

Today is different.

Donnie compulsively checks his phone.

Still Saturday.

Everything up to this point has been identical to the Saturdays before it (as long as Donnie doesn't intervene), from the weather report on the hotel TV playing in the background to the flock of bird yokai careening past the balcony playing some sort of aeriel sports ball in the courtyard. But even this slight divergence doesn't upheave the entire track. Leo asserts that the tattoo is "badass" (he called the Hello Kitty one adorable), Mikey takes pics for his Instagram story, and Raph goes to put the little care package of lotion and bandages he got from the tattoo artist on the bathroom counter, step for step.

Donnie slams his way in there with him, much to Raph's dismay - it's a small bathroom - while Leo claps his hands and badgers Mikey into finally getting dressed because that Magician Apprenticeship 101 panel is starting in twenty-five minutes, letsa go!!

"What's up, Donnie?" Raph asks.

He's barely able to turn in the tight space, so Donnie gets an up-close-and-personal look at his brand new and definitely Not Hello Kitty tattoo. Donnie resists the intrusive thought he has to grab Raph's arm and rub his thumb over what is essentially an open wound to validate it's authenticity. He can see how red and irritated the area around the ink lines are, even on Raph's tougher, darker skin, and he can smell the antiseptic the tattoo artist used to keep it sanitized while inking. The plastic wrap and medical tape keeping it in down are expertly-placed and the lines themselves are clean.

Donnie burns every detail of this smiling dragon into his memory and tries very hard to keep his Cool. There are a number of Potential Whodunit Candidates currently at the Con and Donnie has been working double-time to figure out who to confront.

"Raphala, query: What drew you to this design, specifically?"

"Uh. Raph just thought - y'know, why not? go big or go home!"

"Interesting, you've spoken at length before about being open to the idea of getting a tattoo or three if you started off with something small and noncomittal. This seems a bit ambition for a first time tattoo."

"Uh." Raph's Lying Stink burns Donnie's nostrils. He chuckles. "Well, y'know what they say - what happens at Mysti-Con stays at Mysti-Con...?"

"NO ONE SAYS THAT!" Donnie declares, pointing an accusatory finger at his brother, "How DARE you try to gaslight me, Raphael, how long have you been aware of this accursed time loop debacle, it cannot possibly have been before Loop Six! After the Incident during Loop 3, I followed each of you passively for two entire loops to collect data points, and began making minor adjustments to each loop after that, switching between the three of you in rotating sequence, and I KNOW it couldn't have been earlier than Loop NINE, Raph -!!"

"Pizza supreme, Donnie," Raph cuts him off, in clear and obvious distress, "How long have you been doin' this?"

"I asked you first, Raph!!"

"This is Raph's fourth Saturday."

"Your FOURTH!!" Donnie does not like the laugh that bursts out of him at that. The way he looks in the mirror when he flaps his hands aggitatedly and catches the movement in his peripheral. He asks aloud, mostly to himself, "How is it that Raphael has been capital-A Aware of the time loop for three entire days and I never once clocked it until he came in with a completely different tattoo!!"

"Well, Raph had some serious dejavu the first day, but - but nobody else seemed to notice! I even talked to Leo about it and he said I was just hyped up about the con. And hey! You been acting exactly the same, too!!" he accusses, pointing a finger back at Donnie.

"OF COURSE I was acting the same, Raphael, I was adhering to the script!"

"Why!?"

"So that I might be able to discern a way to break the loop!!!"

"Hey, Donnie," Raph says suddenly.

Whatever he's about to say it cutoff by a knock on the door behind Donnie, which is abrupt enough of a disruption to make him jump. Leo's voice follows it, uncharacteristically hesitant, "Uh, is you two good? Because I don't wanna miss my panel? But it sounds like something's Happening..."

"Nothing's happening!" Donnie asserts loudly.

"We're good!" Raph agrees, "Just! Talkin' about stuff! You guys go on! We'll meet'chu guys after to hit up that froyo cart Mikey likes so much!"

"Okie-doke," Leo says, opening the hotel room door and audibly dragging Mikey out even while Mikey chirps, "Wait, there's a Froyo cart!?"

Raph winces.

The hotel door claps shut.

In the silence that follows it, Donnie realizes he's hyperventilating and, attempting to mask that, bursts out, "Rookie mistake, Raphael, Mikey doesn't discover the Froyo cart until 11:56am, when he wanders into the courtyard for the Street Art Design Contest!"

"Donnie," Raph says, "Can you open the door?"

#asked #rise donatello #rise raphael #rise fanfic #timeloop shenanigans are actually SO HARD TO COORDINATE #which is part of the reason i haven't pushed past more than the Set Up #like Wow overthink it much lmao #the way im SO excited to write more 'brain and brawn' duo tho god i love raph and donnie and they dont get enough

5 notes · View notes

reco-obsessed · 1 month ago

Note

HII HELLO its me again hc anon and i wan to know.....do u have any specific hcs for samurai yaiba era reko? :3 i love to hear your hcs a ton <3

hello hc anon, its nice to see you again, i thought i scared you off. im sure i do if i take a second to scrummage around. i have a pretty speculative view of samurai yaiba in general, so i think most of my thoughts on samurai yaiba era reko could be considered headcanons, but theyre a bit less fluffy than the last ones (most of the analysis-type ones are under the cut).

i think her eyeliner probably varied a lot just depending on how much of her eyebags she was trying to cover up or how much she messed up the other eye. i dont think she was going for a specific look as much and just kinda went with it.

i wonder a lot if her hair was dyed different back then. we can see with her wig she obviously has always had that weird part in her bangs as kind of her signature, but her character sheet notes how her teardrop eyeliner is a style shes favored 'recently', which makes me wonder what other aspects of her style were different back then. and then of course that line obviously indicates her eyeliner style was different as well, not just on stage but in general. i could see her with blond tips, or thin streaks similar to the spots of pink in her blue wig. maybe shed dye the underside of her hair? i should draw these at some point

Reko’s eye contact is very all or nothing. Either she’s staring you down, hasn’t blinked in five minutes with no signs needing to, or she turns her head completely away and closes her eyes like she’s got her social security number written on her eyelids and is trying to hide it. This is something i headcanon for reko when we see her in game as well but imagine how much worse it is when she’s got those electric blue contacts in and that annoyed look on her face.

while i doubt its the case, i think theres an argument you could make for SY reko still being closeted (this depends a lot on whether you also headcanon her as transfem. it doesnt make as much sense if shes closeted as a lesbian but out as a trans woman. then again, that would be extremely funny, and thats usually enough reason for me). shes been very rebellious before this and had her noted delinquent era, but seems to have been isolated and focused on music for pretty much her entire life. i see SY reko as someone who squandered most of her positive feelings about people away in general, let alone such intense ones like a crush. she definitely had some really obvious moments anyway, but she just... only focuses on music. she compresses what she feels into music instead. if she was, it would definitely be a situation where literally everyone besides her knows. i also like this interpretation because i think the idea that she kind of knows shes different from everyone else, doesnt get conventional norms about romance, and overall just suppressing such a huge part of herself probably contributed to her early rebellious phase and her short fuse. then again, you could easily argue her figuring out she was into women could have contributed to her rebellion in the first place.

i think she wore lipstick more often back then. not all the time, but on occasion. this ones just a hunch.

i like to imagine part of the way the stage outfit we see her in is designed is intended to prevent her from overheating (shorts, mesh paneling). its probably mostly a stylistic choice, especially since that doesnt seem to be a concern for the other members, but also consider shes singing, playing guitar, and probably even dancing as well, and shes already got enough reasons why she could fall over- she doesnt need her outfit to contribute (even though she ends up wearing heels anyway).

I see SY Reko as probably being someone who was in a bad place mentally thorough out the bands run. shes kind of in this in between spot, where shes made this big statement of having rebelled from her father and the industry she was forced into, but she hasnt completely shorn off every harmful thing she was taught from those years in actuality. shes 'free', and she thinks shes 'free', but in reality she keeps falling into habits and patterns of thought set up from earlier in her life and she doesnt even realize it and wont for a while, as she isnt in a place where shes self aware until later on. shes destructive- mostly to herself, but it doesnt look like that from the outside because theres so much collateral. this concept is kind of the foundation for a lot of my interpretation of Samurai yaiba era reko. the symptoms include:

I doubt SY reko took as good care of herself as she shouldve back then. maybe not skipping showers or not brushing her teeth type of not taking care of herself, but probably had a poor diet, a shitty sleep schedule, was overworking herself.

I can see SY reko being the type to exercise a lot. i imagine she had a thing about making sure she was always in peak performance. another part of how she disregarded herself in order to keep up to her own impossible standards. (theres also the fact her stage outfit shows off her midriff and legs, so its not impossible she felt the need to keep herself in check in that sense).

i imagine she hid not only her feelings about alice from him, but just her feelings on their band and stuff in general. her feelings about alice have always been complicated, and between desperately trying to not feel any love for him and failing at it, and her trying to put her all in samurai yaiba and making it the perfect successful band she thinks he wants, its easier for her to just try to interact with him any more than she has to.

similarly, i see SY era reko as being someone who was very lonely, but didnt process it enough to realize that. she was isolated from her peers at an early age by been tokenized as a 'gifted kid' and then later on even more so as a source of profit, and she lost out on a lot of key developmental stages socially. she throws herself into her music completely instead of even trying with people because its all she even knows how to do. even if she did try, she has this complex about how everyone is out to get her. she doenst think anyone really wants to be around her, and she tries to match that energy with something along the lines of 'well screw all of you anyway'. in spite of all that, she still has that base need to be with others and connect to them- partially shown thrown her love of music, and its probably part of why its such a huge coping mechanism for her.

SY era reko has issues with vulnerability. obviously self-esteem contributes to this, but i think its also a big symptom of being exposed to the music industry as child. she got used for profit when she was just a kid by the people who were supposed to protect her, and no one stepped in until she refused to keep going along with it herself. its no wonder shes learned to see everyone as an enemy.

SY Reko probably had something similar to a paranoid streak. shes canonically described as someone who antagonized everyone by Alice, which means she was probably constantly in self-defense mode, hence her angry outbursts. she likely saw everyone as hating her and wanting her downfall or at least inevitably leading to it, and based off the notes of ehr being 'alone' and pushing everyone away, was likely very closed off and incapable of thinking of herself in a positive light or even as thinking of herself as lovable at all. i think its very likely that with how her father treated her, his love became more conditional- like a goalpost or reward for doing well enough, if he even kept showing affection at all. i think it probably really scarred how she saw love, especially at this point in her life, and you can see a lot of it in the way she interacts with alice.

even though reko rebelled from making the music she didnt want to, i think she was still left with a lot of self esteem issues from abandoning the thing that made her valuable and lovable to her family. yes, she was doing what she wanted, but she mustve been very aware of the backlash that would come from not only her parents but her previous fans because of the drastic change, leading her to feel as if she was universally hated.

SY reko's self deprecating tendencies were likely a lot more pronounced. reko already somewhat has this habit (she refers to herself as 'pathetic' in game for not taking better care of sara) but between her being much harsher in general its not a stretch that that probably applied to- in fact came from- her view of herself.

i think thats all the major ones that come to mind right now, though more may respawn because reko yabusame of all eras haunt me . thus concludes my essay . i hope you enjoyed reading

#obsession propagation #obsession original #i dont remember if i used my ask tag for the previous ones... i have to go back...#reko yabusame #fuck it. putting this in the #yttd #tag #samurai yaiba #reko questions my beloved. so much enrichment in my enclosure #hc anon

4 notes · View notes

thessalian · 1 year ago

Text

Thess vs MCM Comic Con, Day 3

So before I start with the rundown of today, I will say this:

It was worth it.

I may not entirely believe that now, when everything fucking hurts and the stress and frustration of that level of people and noise and exertion and pain is still pretty much flattening me? But I know it was. The memory of how worth it this was will stay fresh long, long after the pain of the actual doing of it is gone.

So. Anyway. Day 3. Starting from after I made sandwiches and prepped to get an exchange on my d20-less gold sparkly dice.

We managed to get there in good time for the Critical Role panel. Now, obviously not in good time to get a seat in the main stage area where they were actually doing the panel, but giving it some thought, we didn't really want to be there anyway. We'd already been up close and personal with the Critical Role crew; we didn't need more than that. Plus the noise would have been way, way too much. So instead, we went over to one of the stages that was streaming the panel on their big screen. Which was better because the camera crew zoomed in when a question was directed at a particular person so we actually got to see them. And the panel was really good. It was so endearing when an audience member asked how they managed the whole thing with being business partners and friends and they talked about how Matt insists that they all hang out just as friends outside of the game space and the business space, and how Travis is this really supportive protective Big Poppa Bear of a CEO, and how it's easier with a group of friends than it is with a two-person partnership or trio because you've got people who can step in and mediate when tempers run a bit high ... and most of all when Ashley said she literally didn't know what she'd do without them (and then had to hand off the mic because she was about to start crying) and Sam said how he really just wanted them to be doing this - being the friends and family they'd become - for the rest of their lives ... and to wear a T-shirt with Matt's face on it at Matt's funeral. I honestly have zero worries about Critical Role LLC and its potential effects on their friendship. Seems like they're doing just fine.

There were no problems with taking my dice back. Thankfully, I got the same guy who sold them to me in the first place, though given the ambient noise and low light levels in the area, it was a bit of a struggle to get him to understand the problem. When he finally understood, he did go the extra mile finding me a replacement set. I repaid that kindness by stopping him when he went to put the dice set I was returning back into the box of merchandise for display / sale. Didn't want him to go through that again, y'know?

(Side note: turns out that the little golden shinies in my Alisaie-themed dice set are, in fact, small golden capital As. That's serendipity on a ridiculous level, right there.)

After that ... I admit it all caught up to me and on top of the body aches, spasms, and migraine, I remembered just how difficult it is to wander a convention hall with someone whose interests in terms of art and entertainment kind of vary from yours. So I suggested to Marion that we split up for an hour and a half, and meet up somewhere to devour lunch and see where we were going from there. I browsed a bit, but mostly I just found a place to sit down and watch the cosplay go by. I mean, I did make an attempt to go outside, partly for a smoke but mostly for someplace where I could be more than two feet away from any human being ... but it had started to rain and so I still ended up crammed under the awnings with my fellows who also wanted fresh air and/or nicotine.

By the time I met up with Marion again, I was getting to that "I am struggling to form coherent sentences" level of migraine, holding it at bay with some co-codamol that I took with the first can of A&W root beer I've had in years, and it was just what I needed, thank you. So we scarfed down lunch. I was honestly ready to leave right then, but Marion wanted one last turn-around to look for a couple of things she hadn't spotted in her first trip. I couldn't really deny her that no matter how much I wanted to go home, so we agreed to meet up in about an hour at the "Reset Room" (they had a room especially designed for people who just needed to decompress; probably the most useful thing they actually did in terms of accommodations, I have to say).

In that time, I caved and bought a copy of Flavours of the Multiverse - a D&D themed cookbook. It wasn't my only purchase of the day, mind you. I also got three pin-badges - one "That's How I Roll" one, one "Shiny Math Rocks" one ... and one that just reads "They/She". That and a "They/Them" nonbinary flag-coloured lanyard. At least there, I could wear those things without being too afraid. Anyway, after my few purchases and another trip outside (where, thankfully, it had stopped raining), I read my new cookbook until Marion rejoined me and we headed home. Unfortunately, on top of all the stairs at London Bridge and Elephant and Castle stations, there were a surprising number of people cramming themselves on the 363 at 5pm on a Sunday. So my Time of Squishening unfortunately got a little bit extended. Still, I am now home and have had coffee and more painkillers and I feel a bit better.

That was probably my last MCM Comic Con. It's definitely the last one I go to for all three days. The accommodations were insufficient (though in all fairness, that's entirely down to the organisers - the stewards were so nice and tried so hard to make things work when it was clear that the original organisational scheme was a shit-show), and the attendees ... well, most of them were really nice but I cannot count how many people I had to nearly throw myself at a wall to avoid because they were walking through a crowded convention hall while looking at their phones. Or just anywhere but straight in front of themselves. And public transport ... well, some of that "step-free access" is only on a technicality, put it that way, and it's actually easier to just struggle with the stairs if you can. I think the worst part of this has been that it's basically opened a window on another part of how hard my life is going to be now.

But never mind. I'm going to decompress a bit. I am going to make breakfast-for-dinner in the form of French toast and bacon, I am going to sit Marion down through the rest of Arcane, and I am going to enjoy my last evening with my houseguest. And at some point I am going to look into the work of the Hire A Bard guy I saw at the convention, who will set your character and/or campaign to music for a fee. This might be worth considering as a Christmas gift (however delayed) for the Cupcake Coterie.

Anyway. Yeah. I hurt. I am very much not at my best. But it was worth it.

#mcm expo

5 notes · View notes

kausatstolar · 1 year ago

Text

1-10

Okay, technically sovstuck's been out for a little while, but i've been thinking about it, and figured I may as well preserve my thoughts somewhere than the sovstuck discord. [shout out to you guys fr]! May as well use this blog for something. The prologue can go above the cut.. But the rest of it, not so much. Without further ado, our story begins.

The year is 5023

Not much going on with the text, so it's time to take a nice hard look at the panel! I think it's so fascinating how the planets from the beta kids' session make up this solar system, alongside earth, which-- Once again, appears to be the third planet from the sun. Which.. Is the light symbol. Could be artistic choice, could be literal. Either way, this is a gorgeous piece of art.

The place, Earth C. More colloquially known as AFTERRA.

Afterra... That's fun. Keeps up with naming conventions. Not much to say about this, other than the fact I can't help but notice the second moon...

13 years ago the OLD GODS came back to this world, 5,000 years after its birth, to much fanfare and to much dismay.

Huh. 10 years unaccounted for. S'probably nothing! This is a fun panel to look at, and it's also very fun to see that building's roof resemble one of the can city structures from homestuck proper.

But this story isn't about the Old Gods. And this story isn't about THE CONSTRUCTION, either, nor a new form of it.

points. hey who's that incredibly handsome carapacian in the foreground... [retris's dad!!] once again, this is beautiful to look at. neo kyoto... I haven't yet commented on it, but I love the texture of the prologue panels. Very edible. while The Construction piques my curiosity, this isn't that story.

No, this is a story about a boy, his friends, and a game they play together.

YEAHHHHH RONTIS... His house looks so nice. Goodbye paper texture. Not much to say, but I'm sure excited.

This is a story about you.

WOO. Not much to analyze about the text that's present, but plenty of panel to dig into. it's nice to see him so comfy.. However, his room is a smidge of a disaster. Peeping the 3ds, sure, but also... His clipboard, monster energy, and papers scattered everywhere. Shout out to the aspect wheel by his head, too.

There's a gif of retris at the computer, but it's a smidge too big. Behold page seven on your own. It's just damn pleasant to watch, seeing everyone's signs bounce so pleasingly.. Wait. What's with the iron cancer sign matched with the pieces sign. Hm. I'm sure we'll get there. I also like how the blue of SVURP's spirograph is an exact compliment of SBURB's spirograph.

Your name is RETRIS MORAGE, and you are tired. It's been a long and treacherous 18 MOVES since your OPENING, and 18 minutes since you've woken up from an incredibly long nap that you didn't mean to take. Whoops.

god i envy this very sleepy retris. It is currently 7 pm sharp on a wednesday, and I wish to rest. Not much to note as far as the art of the panel goes for this page! MOVES and OPENING... Chess terms. fun. Wonder if the whole of afterra uses these names, or if it's predominantly carapacian areas only.

The sunlight pours through your windows, unfettered. You take a moment to survey your various possessions as your brain wakes up. The gears of your mind groaned to life as you remembered yourself.

Hey! He's got a portrait of his parents on his nightstand. How sweet of him! And.. Monster energy cans everywhere. Lovely EVA merch too. On the note of the prose, I do quite enjoy it! Smth about the poetry of, "the gears of your mind groaned to life as you remembered yourself" sticks in the mind...

You, like everyone, have a variety of HOBBIES and INTERESTS. Among these are SWORDPLAY, WORDPLAY, and FOREPLAY. Don't think about the last one too hard. Don't think about that phrasing too hard, either. Get your mind out of the gutter. You have an ardent passion for ASTROLOGY and the science of MYTHOLOGICAL ROLES. You run a rather sizeable CHUMBLR blog dedicated to the subject. You wish you didn't. You know in your heart that you are a MAGE OF LIGHT, and are looking forwards to getting this proven to you. Sooner rather than later, hopefully. You're getting ahead of yourself, though.

Helluvah set-up he's got in his room, as far as his computer goes. mars on the back of his computer.. Very fun. Well kept room, aside from the cans and papers.

However, uh. Retris. Retris, what the hell do you mean you're gonna get your status as a mage of light proven to you. Swordplay, wordplay, foreplay.. I guess I'll have to pay a bit more attention to his phrasing, i suppose. Er. Not about the foreplay, let him layabout as it pleases him. Wordplay, however. Curious that Mythological Roles are a science, and that he's gotten too deep into running a tumblr blog about it. Surely that won't come back.

I'll get through the rest of the comic later; i've got things to do. Fascinating to see how it's begun, though. I can't wait to see where this's gonna go.

#sovstuck liveblog #okay its not a LIVEBLOG but i'll be using that tag hereon out.#in order of appearance:#rose_lalonde.chr #john_egbert.chr #dave_strider.chr #retris's_dad.chr #retris_morage.chr

3 notes · View notes

jodjuya · 1 year ago

Text

it should be mentioned here that AT ONE POINT during the discussions an email was sent from TLA saying chuck is allowed to come and wear his mask in the exhibition halls and smaller panels, just not at any of the big PAID PANELS i was once supposed to participate on. this was a confusing offer, but their explanation was that people who paid for something should have the option to not see chucks 'scary neurodivergence aid'. i tried to wrap my head around WHY they would make a distinction. maybe the exchange of money (rather than time) causes some kind of philosophical adjustment that i just cant grasp?

I can grasp it. I can see through this instantly.

The philosophical adjustment here is a gatekeeping of professionalism, a gatekeeping of performative humility/performative formality, to 'prove' that you are taking things seriously and respectfully.

It's the masking that neurotypical people do without ever even realising that they're doing masking.

And because it's so deeply ingrained in their psyche and culture, whenever anybody doesn't perform it correctly enough they take it to be a personal affront.

Because whenever the neurotypicals don't perform 'professionalism' (when and where they 'should' be doing so), they're almost always intentionally not doing so in order to convey contempt.

So, to their mind, that's the ONLY reason why somebody else would intentionally fail to perform 'professionalism', because that person thinks they're so much better than you that they can afford to spit in your face (metaphorically speaking) in that way.

This performative respect is usually for the sake of streamlining social interactions by way of conveying/policing conformity for the sake of it (to reduce unpredictability via having everybody stick to the script) and by way of conveying/policing explicit deference (to reduce conflict by not bruising the egos of authoritarians who will get Very Upset at this).

E.g.

"look at me when I'm speaking to you!"

"sit up straight when I'm speaking to you!"

(and so on and so forth; all the different things that adults command when giving a child a dressing-down)

"you have to wear a suit when you go to court!"

"you can't have fidget toys on your desk at work!"

using your 'Customer Service Voice'

Using "sir" and "ma'am" when speaking to people, or using someone's title rather than their name (I presume this is the case, anyway. I'm Australian and by and large we just Don't Do That down here)

Et cetera, et cetera

Heck, all of neurodivergent masking fits here under this category tbh.

But anyway, yeah, stuff like a panelist wearing a niqab is fine, because that doesn't violate 'professionalism'; Chuck Tingle wearing his mask in the exhibition hall and on smaller panels is fine, because those specific environments don't have the more formal atmosphere/Sense Of Importance that the headline events have, so 'professionalism' is permitted to be relaxed there; mascot suit folks perform 'professionalism' BY wearing their mask, that's literally their professional role they're being paid to perform; spiderbud wearing their mask for a costume event doesn't violate 'professionalism', because random members of the public aren't subject to the policing of 'professionalism' in the environment of Attendees at an Art Convention.

But yeah, as Tingle noted, it's kinda baffling as to why an artistic convention would be so uptight about artists Being Weird.

(Maybe it's also somewhat influenced by that pernicious, insecurity-driven, pretentious snobbery afflicting some people who are Into Literature, idk.

i.e. Being Weird And Silly is only for visual artists and musicians—those lowbrow """artists""" who cater to the great unwashed masses—not for us highbrow nerds who like reading books so much that we make "I don't watch television" into a core personality trait.

(see also: "things for youths" versus "things for adults". Whooole lot of policing going on around those boarders RE 'acceptable' interests/behaviours, and that probably comes into play here too, wherein Being Weird by wearing a Chuck Tingle mask isn't 'appropriate' because "that's just not what adults do" - it's not 'age-appropriate' behaviour (buuuuut let's be real here, the people who are uptight about this would still also be uptight about a child wearing a bright-pink sack over their head in public too; there is no age where "you need to act your age" stops being a valid criticism in the eyes of these uptight Fun Police (maybe toddlers are the one exception to this, maybe)))

(but it's probably just mostly the 'cowardly capitulation to fascist state governments' thing)

But through either ignorance or shame, they can't acknowledge any of those reasons, or admit that those reasons don't actually matter whatsoever, and so they reach for the nearest mealy mouthed excuse "oh it's for safety" to attempt to dodge accountability because they think that's an excuse which is immune to criticism (maybe because they've internalised the fascist government inclinations towards dismantling privacy and freedom for the sake of 'security' BUT I DIGRESS).

It's bullshit, all bullshit.)

THE TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION TELLS CHUCK TINGLE TO STAY HOME BUT WE PROVE LOVE ANYWAY

just when you buckaroos thought 2024 would be a break from book drama, here comes chuck tingle in the mix. recently i was asked to be a featured speaker at the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION annual conference. a few days ago they rescinded my invitation. here is what happened.

(EDITED TO ADD THIS LINK. if you have a hard time reading this on way of tumblr you can also read for free on chucks patreon)

i would like to start off by saying it is not my intent to start a fight, and all those reading this should know that the actions of a few misguided folks do not speak for the whole TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. i am sure there are many involved who will be very upset to learn what others at TLA have done in their name. there are many individuals here, so please do not paint them all as villains in your mind. besides, chuck loves the dang library everyone knows that.

the point of writing this is not to vilify. i am writing this is because MOMENTS OF DARKNESS are the best places to SHINE A LIGHT AND PROVE LOVE IS REAL. this is a perfect time for learning and growing and for us talk on some very important things that queer buckaroos and neurodivergent buckaroos face every day. this is an unfortunate moment that WE can turn around and use to prove love is real.

i am also writing this to understand some of my own personal feelings on the matter. for something that seems very simple on the surface, the trot is complex, and i am still working out my emotions on the whole dang thing. i am learning in this way.

PART ONE: BAG OF LOVE

a few months ago chuck was asked to be a featured speaker at the 2024 TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE. i have been asked to do things like the before and it is ALWAYS a fun time to meet bookseller and librarian buds. trotting around face to face and talking about my story of conquering chronic pain and overcoming my mental hurdles is VERY IMPORTANT to me. i say YES to these things whenever i can. (here i am with authors at CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS ALLIANCE conference. they are a WONDERFUL group and they proved love with their OWN invitation to chuck. this was such a moving event with so many amazing authors and stories. got very teared up during this photo)

ANYWAY BUCKAROOS i get the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION invite and say 'YES BUD LETS TROT'. we are then confirmed.

months pass. a few weeks ago i get a call from my manager and agent and publisher saying ‘the TLA have rescinded their invitation.’

turns out some things had been going on behind the scenes

at some point the TLA asked chucks INCREDIBLE HEROIC BAD ASS PUBLISHER if chuck would be okay with not wearing the mask, to which tor/nightfire/macmillan said ‘what the heck are you talking about of course chuck is going to wear his mask. this is how chuck presents himself’ (NOT EXACT QUOTE)

as you all know, my pink bag way is a VERY IMPORTANT SPACE. as an autistic buckaroo it is a boundary that allows me to express myself freely and relieve my chronic pain from neurotypically masking all day. i have talked about this for years, and it is why i consider my private identity a SACRED THING. it is literally a health issue.

fortunately THE PINK BAG is never really a problem when making appearances. i have spent years going on television shows, doing interviews, speaking at other conferences and conventions, hosting book events on tour, and even MEETING WITH LAWYERS in my pink face covering. it is always respected and that is very validating to my way.

when arriving anywhere i always take precautions. i always warn buckaroos ahead of time that there is a masked man coming. i always have someone go in ahead of me JUST IN CASE. again, there has never been an issue. at a big conference where i am a special guest there is ESPECIALLY not an issue because my face and bio are printed IN THE DANG PROGRAM

SOME FUN TIMES AT BIG EVENTS BELOW:

CHUCK ON TV SHOW NAME OF 'AT MIDNIGHT' BACK BEFORE I WROTE LOVE IS REAL ON MY HEAD:

well, there has never been an issue.... UNTIL NOW.

PART TWO: RESCINDED

a few days ago TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION suddenly messaged my publishers and said that chuck tingle is no longer invited. my invitation was rescinded. the reason given was that people could possibly be uncomfortable with my mask

right out of the gate i would like to say this: it is absolutely the right of the texas library association to disinvite someone from their conference. it is their event, after all, and they can ban anyone they would like, for any reason.

of course, that doesnt mean other folks HEARING THIS NEWS wont have their own opinions the TLA choices. if the TLA disinvites someone, their reasoning for doing this can be discussed and analyzed. whether or not they follow their own guidelines can be questioned, and certainly their kindness and tact can be considered

there are a few BIG POINTS to make regarding this choice from the TLA

first and foremost, i just gotta say buckaroos, it is incredibly rude to invite someone to be a guest speaker at your event, have them confirm and mark off their calendar and turn down other offers, then rescind their invitation. this is maybe the simplest of the points, but it is an important one.

second, (DEEP BREATH HERE WE GO BUCKAROOS) i personally do not think of my autism as a disability very often, but i also KNOW that despite these feelings it ABSOLUTELY IS. autism is important to be listed as a recognized disability because of the help some autistic buckaroos need regarding government programs and things like that. ALSO just because my neurodivergence has helped me in some ways (hyperfocus and a unique artistic sensibility for example). i personally need to step back and remember my battle with stress and chronic pain from having to neurotypically mask all the time. for as much as i love being autistic it has made some things very difficult.

in other words, i am perfectly capable of speaking and interacting with folks without this pink bag on my head BUT WHEN I AM IN THE CHUCK TINGLE SPACE I REQUIRE IT. i can ONLY use this space while covering my face. is not a want. it is a need. holding this boundary is more important than i can ever say. i will not, and can not, let these spaces cross.

TLA not letting an autistic author wear the face cover theyve set up to express their neurodivergence in a safe, healthy way is--for lack of a better term--NOT A GOOD LOOK.

i cannot fathom them disinviting another author for using a disability aid. i cannot fathom them saying that a buckaroo who hears better with a hearing device cannot use it during their panel because it would make others 'uncomfortable'.

but here we are.

PART THREE: WHAT DOES A BUCKAROO GOTTA DO TO GET BANNED AROUND HERE?

this is the TLAs official stance on disability issues according to their website:

when poking around on the TLA website i noticed a few other things. i noticed a previous guest speaker wearing a niqab, and i was left wondering if the religious significance is what make that okay but chuck tingle banned. that made sense until i looked deeper and saw mascot buckaroos dressed up on the exhibition floor, and saw some kind of spiderbud in a costume contest. nobody around them seemed to be all that scared. their invitations REMAINED INTACT.

i wonder, would the author who wears a niqab ALSO be banned from the paid panels? i hope not

my answers trotted up short until i investigated deeper and found this quick moment from one of the TLA help videos. while some events DO require additional buckaroo cash, it actually appears that THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE IS TICKETED AND COSTS MONEY.

at this point i realized there is clearly no actual official policy about not covering your face (other than one from a few years ago saying that you HAVE to cover your face), and the addition of 'money' is a red herring. these excuses make no sense

PART FOUR: CLOSE THOSE GATES

it appears that my neurodivergence is 'scary' enough to get me uninvited, REGARDLESS what their disability and mask policies may say

BUT WHY? why is chucks preferred physical presentation valued SO little by the TLA that a THEORETICAL complaint is worth more? is my neurodivergent expression so awful? is my own safety as a queer activist such an afterthought?

is a pink bag with the words 'love is real' scrawled across the front REALLY going to frighten someone when the posters and pamphlets on the way into in panel would have a photo of my masked face saying THIS IS LITERALLY WHO IS ABOUT TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU.

if THAT accommodation is too much, would it really be so difficult to have someone trot out beforehand and make an announcement? to say 'there is someone on this upcoming panel who needs a mask to express this part of himself, if this makes you uncomfortable then this panel might not be for you'.

and really, i have to heckin ask, is this physical expression of my raw inner truth really so hideous and frightening that fear of making someone uncomfortable is a REAL problem?

(a terrifying display of autism. apparently)

i cannot imagine what kind of precautions they need to take before a stage play featuring costumes and masks.

you MIGHT think chucks queerness and left leaning politics could be the issue with this organization, but they have had drag queens as past speakers (also featuring some GLORIOUS makeup and hair that covers almost all of their faces. VERY CURIOUS). regardless, the TLA do not seem like a conservative bunch.

if you are bisexual or an autistic person who is good at 'passing' you probably already know where this is headed, your dang spiderbuckaroo senses are tingling at FULL ALERT. i will say i do not KNOW the real reason why i was uninvited, and i do not have enough information to make any concrete statement of the real answer. there is only evidence that masks have been fine at TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION events in the past, but not much else to go on.

so the FACTS part of our discussion ends there, but i think it opens us up to talk about some very important feelings that bisexual and autistic buckaroos know well.

THIS is where we take a unfortunate, hurtful moment and turn it into a discussion. this is where we prove love is real.

as someone who is constantly doubted and put through purity tests because of my unique way, we are pushing up against a subject i know well. thats right buckaroos: we are talking GATEKEEPING

AGAIN, i do not know if this is the answer, but someone in my position might be VERY STRONGLY INCLINED TO THINK that a few well-meaning left leaning buckaroos think i am a joke and that this is a character, and that there is something problematic about my work because i am not really a real person.

any upstanding left leaning organization would OF COURSE allow a mask for a neurodivergent buckaroo with an unusual visual presentation, an autistic buckaroo who conquered his chronic pain ONLY by creating this important space... but what about a FAKE autistic buckaroo?

any upstanding left leaning organization would OF COURSE allow a mask for a queer LGBTQ activist standing up for gay and trans rights against a torrent of scoundrels hunting for his legal identity. its a matter of safety... but what about a FAKE queer activist?

let me be very clear for the 100th time: i am a real person. this is not a joke. i am not playing a character. i am really autistic and bisexual. tinglers are sincere and they are not ‘so bad theyre good’. they are just good. camp damascus is not ‘my first serious book’ because my queer erotica is serious. my art is important and real.

when people tell me to unmask they often do not know WHY they want it, and of course one very good reason is innocent curiosity. but there are SOME cases where i start to get THAT feeling--that tingle all of us ‘passing’ buckaroos get when we can sense the real intent behind the poking and prodding. that is the feeling of stumbling into a gatekeepers crosshairs.

if i was to take off my pink bag, what about my face would you analyze to tell if i was REALLY queer. my eye color? my ear shape? if you learned my legal name, would you see if it sounded autistic? is my voice neurodivergent enough?

or is all of that utterly absurd? i am curious what the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION thinks.

PART FIVE: GENDERED

this will be the shortest of parts, but it has to be said. i have a very complex relationship with gender, as written about at length here and here. i understand these things can be difficult to parse for some, but i ask that you trust me when i say that the ONLY reason i have been able to talk about my gender and sexuality and learn these things about myself is because of this pink bag. this outward appearance is a direct expression and reflection of my gender journey.

if the texas library association does not care about my appearance as an expression of my autism, then i cant imagine them giving a dang about it as an expression of my gender and queerness. that being said, it is personally very important to me and i think it should be mentioned

PART SIX: SO YOU WANT TO REMOVE AN AUTISTIC QUEER AUTHOR FROM YOUR EVENT BECAUSE PEOPLE MIGHT FIND THEIR DIFFERENCES SCARY

there is a question to be asked here: how could the TLA have done this correctly?

i have one very big piece of advice i would like to shout from the rooftops. please, for the love of sweet barbara, DO ENOUGH RESEARCH to know if this appearance will be a problem and, IF SO, dont extend an invitation in the first place. unique buckaroos with different presentations are constantly left in this place of limbo because we are bombarded with careless actions like those of the TLA. before you consider extending a branch to an artist who might need more accommodations than usual, think to yourself 'CAN WE MAKE THESE ACCOMMODATIONS?'

putting all of this on the shoulders of a single 'buckaroo with a difference' is exhausting. as the TLA has shown, we currently live on a timeline where a buckaroo like myself never really knows if an invite is SOLID without doing a deep dive history lesson on how often a group discriminates and against who.

i did not want to spend my whole family holiday worrying whether or not i should say something publicly or just lie down and shut my dang mouth. i had to consider HOW i should say it. i had to worry whether or not its worth standing up for myself in the face of the largest state library association in the country. i think buckaroos with differences are with me when i say: WE ARE SICK OF HAVING TO DO THIS WORK TO COVER FOR THE POOR BEHAVIOR OF LARGE ORGANIZATIONS WHO TREAT US BADLY

another option would just be to use kindness and common sense and happily accommodate artists with unique presentations to your conventions

PART SEVEN: LOVE IS STILL REAL

i would like to close by saying THANK YOU to my publisher nightfire and editor kelly for standing up for me. they immediately stood firm and had my back. they are the real dang deal. THANK YOU to my management and agent buds dongwon and gino for trotting along beside me. THANK YOU to the folks at the texas library association who initially invited chuck with goodness in their heart and then likely got bowled over by someone else, and maybe even got knocked to the side by a big closing gate.

i hope there are librarians in texas who are still interested in carrying BURY YOUR GAYS when it comes out (which is ironically about someone who creates a space through art to express their queerness where they cant otherwise). libraries prove love is real and what they do IS SO IMPORTANT. it was SO IMPORTANT TO ME as a young buckaroo and i cannot thank you enough. i am not sure if me writing all of this will hurt my sales in some way, but this opportunity to speak about the reality of disability awareness and queer gatekeeping is too important to stay silent. (if you have not already preordered BURY YOUR GAYS then give it a preorder to make up for some texas library losses i guess.)

which leads me to my final thank you. THANK YOU to the buckaroos reading this. yes YOU. i am in the position to stand up and speak my mind against scoundrel forces ONLY because i have the might of you buckaroos by my side. the buckaroo trot is ALL OF OUR TROT and we are ALL HERE TO PROVE LOVE. i cannot tell you how much i appreciate the way you have created a space for me to express these important parts of myself. you have seen this pink mask over my face and saying YES, I ACCEPT YOU, you have literally saved my life. for that i am so thankful.

if you are UPSET by what youve read here, then turn it into something positive. you can support autistic creators, or make a donation to the AUTISTIC SELF ADVOCACY NETWORK

and besides WHO IS REALLY MISSING OUT? this is what it looks like when you invite the worlds greatest author chuck tingle to your event and treat their identity as valid. WE HAVE A DANG GOOD TIME

youtube

KEEP TROTTING INTO THE FUTURE. KEEP KICKING DOWN GATES WHEREVER THEY MAY BE. KEEP PROVING LOVE IS REAL AND PROVING IT TOGETHER. lets go buckaroos - chuck

UPDATE AN HOUR AFTER POSTING:

true buckaroo TJ KLUNE was set to be another author on panel chuck was removed from and has informed me he has now chosen to decline his invitation in support and solidarity with chuck. i am so deeply moved by this. thank you from bottom of heart buckaroo

to be very clear TJ has a huge platform and DOES NOT NEED TO DO THIS. these conferences are great for book sales and he is taking a hit out of pure solidarity. this is queer buckaroos standing up for eachother. i am floored by this kindness and love

please consider checking out his books if they are not already covering your dang bookshelf. chuck blurbed IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS and i was blown away i heckin loved it

MOST RECENT UPDATE:

here is more

#blogging #masking #scientists are yet to uncover the mysteries of there being anything that neurotypicals love more than conformity for conformity's sake #Chuck Tingle #TxLA #neurodivergent #also probably just good old fashioned busybodies being busybodies

10K notes · View notes

quietbluejay · 18 hours ago

Text

Spotlight: Doubledealer

on to part 3 of Revelations (sorry for missing yesterday. Arm problems)

yes, i too would like to know

what really happened to the first Ark?

why do Cyclonus and those guys have a touch that is literal Death

what do they want? how many more out there? what IS the Benzuli Expanse anyways?

so many questions and no answers

(Double)dealer: which is why we need the Magnificence

um wait okay so hot rod is on earth, looking for sunstreaker told hardhead "yeah tell optimus you couldn't catch up" and now dealer tracked him down

theres a crashed headmaster sunstreaker next to them, Dealer is confused

Hot Rod's just like, it's a dead end

he's not closer to finding Sunstreaker

Dealer: ahem

Dealer: Seems you need the Magnificence too

friend:

Dealer: can i offer you a nice Orb in this trying time

Hot Rod talks about how it's all coming full circle - him, Dealer, and the Magnificence again!

Dealer puts one hand on Hot Rod's arm

Dealer: and hey, look, if you can't trust me

Dealer, narrating: show one face to the world

dealer narrating: let no one in

let no one in, let no one see, be the good con you always have to be~

friend: Dealer is starting to remind me of some of the Werewolf games where the werewolf wasn't being very subtle but still won because all but 1 or 2 people failed their perception roll

Hot Rod says he'll take Dealer

Dealer talks about how this could be the solution to all their problems

"Not so fast…"

...Skywarp?

apparently not

Straxus tells Grindcore (the...truck?) to mind his own business and concentrate on getting the spacebridge running

they also grumble about their strict timetable

also, I would like to note, in this universe, Grindcore is also the name of a notorious Decepticon prison

they're more Dead Universe guys, they talk a bit about their eeeevil plan to bleed through into this universe, but they require lots of energon

luckily Earth has a lot, courtesy of Shockwave...

who was Jhiaxus' student

Cyclonus calls dibs on a passing spaceship. No, literally, he says "dibs on this one"

"and get me Jetfire!"

"I have a feeling we're going to need all the protection we can get"

security guys order him to stay where he is or they'll put him down

Nova just calls them pitiful and disintegrates them

honestly that panel of nova's feet is cool very ominous

Fort Max starts calling for reinforcements but Optimus tells him not to

conventional force isn't going to work here

Optimus: our destinies - his and mine - are intertwined, our fates...

Optimus: ...inseparable

look optimus just because you guys matched once on cybertronian bumble

and now we cut over to Gorlam Prime

Jhiaxus: I give you death on a massive scale and rebirth...all in the same tumultuous instant! A new universe...

Jhiaxus: a better universe!

Dealer hastily recovers and says that he's just surprised

He thinks to himself that he's gotta be careful here

dealer: the omega bunker

dealer internally: but why? also how the heck did these guys get here this fast i don't know why i keep expecting characters to move at speeds other than the speed of plot at this point you'd think i'd know better by now

Dealer wonders if Hot Rod suspects at all

ever since they came back here, he's (Dealer, not Hot Rod) been on edge, almost…guilty?

"surely it's a bit late in the day for that"

time to go into a giant hole in the ground. there's a lot of that going around recently

Dealer thinks about the other guys on their OG mission here

and how he killed them all

to make sure the Magnificence would be his

except, Hot Rod never came up where Dealer expected him to

meanwhile Hot Rod is thinking

about how it all doesn't add up, he still can't figure out how it went wrong

Dealer: Hot Rod…it isn't your fault

Dealer narrating: I put on my game face

(this is what Getaway should have been)

Hot Rod: thanks, Dealer

Dealer narrating: it's a talent

Dealer, narrating: in the end, they mean nothing to me

Hot Rod: this way…it's not far

Dealer, narrating: war is just a means to an end, faction for fools, friendship artifice

Dealer: a momentary lapse

Dealer: easily dealt with

and now over to the Technobots who are en route to the Benzuli expanse. Their best ETA is 6 cycles

I'm gonna tldr, they gotta get there soon or it might be too late for Cloudburst and the other, but rushing it is also bad

these are the pretender suits that Thunderwing was using

Jetfire tells Cloudburst, and then starts thinking about how Bludgeon was controlling Thunderwing. Perhaps...

"…we've been going about this the wrong way…"

meanwhile the wreckers are still fighting thunderwing

Over to Garrus-9, Optimus has gone to confront Nova

Optimus: it doesn't have to be this way, Nova

this whole confrontation is very cliche but it's fun cliche

Optimus: I sense…something coiled and venomous where there should be light and hope. What happened to you?

Nemesis: only what I wished to happen

awwww yisss kirby dots but also owo new matrix lore

Nemesis: has no limits!

he zaps Optimus with it

he talks about how it's the opposite of their creation force and it found him in the Dead Universe

and it will grant him dominion over everything that survives the fusion

back to Hot Rod and Dealer

Hot Rod starts climbing

Hot Rod: c'mon

Dealer narrating: I think about ending it here and now, but can't help wondering if this is just more smoke and mirrors

Dealer: and if it's me whose being played

as they climb, Hot Rod picks over what happened in the original mission

including why did they take Dealer prisoner but kill Backbeat, how did they find out about it and were ready, etc

so many questions...

his face here is great

hot rod vanishes into the clouds

Hot Rod's voice: and no answers

Dealer: Hot Rod?

Dealer:…Hot Rod?

love the gesture lmao

Dealer: ask it something, Hot Rod. Anything

Hot Rod turns around and picks it up

Hot Rod: sure, why not?

Dealer aims a gun at his turned back

Dealer thinks about how it could make him…omnipotent

Dealer's hand tightens on his gun

Hot Rod: um, let's see now…

Dealer narrating: be an island

he's flashing back to working with Hot Rod

Dealer: let no one in

Hot Rod immediately turns and fires his guns at Dealer

Dealer plummets down the mountain screaming and then hits the bottom and breaks apart into small pieces rip dealer he should have listened to his intuition

Hot Rod: take emotion out of the equation…and the answer was staring me in the face the whole time

and now, cut over to Ultra Magnus

yay the mcguffin is telling us everything

Hot Rod is talking here btw

bwuh? how'd jhiaxus do that to sixshot no, seriously how'd he do that to sixshot??? at which point i remember that the last time we saw sixshot he was lying unconscious next to Galvatron I guess Galvatron grabbed him???

"…is the weak link!"

meanwhile Jetfire is on a videocall with Springer

he tells Springer he's going to try and override the control on Thunderwing

but they're going to have to move fast when he does because he doesn't know how long it'll work

"Arise…Bludgeon!"

bludgeon is now here! and that's it for spotlight dealer! next up spotlight sideswipe and the end of Revelations!

#bluejay reads transformers #bluejay reads idw1

0 notes

benchtrioupdates · 2 years ago

Note

i used to run an update account on twitter and your frustration with people spamming with “missed updates” and with people being mad you don’t always update on time is SO felt. literally a fight for my life in the qrts some days. glad i’m free from that accursed site though

thanks for giving me updates in my retirement from twitter :] glad you’re keeping yourself and your time in mind <3 /gen

<3 you got it anon, we're always here for updates

and yeah i get it like. i'm a full time college student and SO MUCH of my minimal free time is taken up with updates now. i brought my laptop to a convention last weekend so i could post tweets in between panels. started bringing an ipad to class so i could post updates while looking like i was taking notes. like. this blog takes up a somewhat ridiculous amount of my time and i'm glad that at least most of the time people are nice about it. but in the beginning before we put that boundary out there,,, oh man i remember once i got off my phone for half an hour to take the bus home from school and opened tumblr again to see that someone had sent a full paragraph about what id missed in that time. it was WILD

#mod jay #not an update #none of these are jokes LMAO like. there's a reason updates that weekend were so spaced out #would love to talk about that con more but i'll keep myself from rambling just know it was fucking incredible #(even if i accidentally missed a bunch of tweets. Whoops)

28 notes · View notes

potteresque-ire · 4 years ago

Text

Commentary ~ Little Red Little Green Episode 18, “Fruits & Found Family”

Link to original post in Chinese, posted 2021/05/23. Link to official English translation.

(Disclaimer / Notes + Commentary under the cut!) (TW: possible eating disorder)

Disclaimer / Notes:

While the posts by Little Red Little Green (LRLG) are among my most favourite candies, I’d like to remind everyone that they are fake rumours, and should be read and enjoyed as such. ie, all CPN below!

The English translation linked above is the only one authorised by the Fake Rumour House; therefore, please treat all content below as a very casual, very *unofficial* convo between fellow turtle friends! ❤️💛💚

With Chinese being a highly region-specific language, my reactions to it is necessarily filtered through my background, which is, admittedly, somewhat removed from Gg’s, Dd’s and LRLG’s. However, it is not uncommon for even c-turtles (and several times, LRLG themselves) to be lost with what they read / heard due to regional differences ~ which reflects the reality of communicating in the Sinosphere. In fact, the regionality of the dialects used by different “characters” in LRLG’s dialogues is among the most critical elements that make these posts so authentic-sounding, and so difficult to replicate. A fun activity of following LRLG is to watch c-turtles patch their regional knowledge together, from local slangs to food choices, to make sense of what’s going on.

Okay, with that all said *phew* ... onto the commentary! “p. X” refers to the panel number in the official English translation (there are 7 total in the Twitter post).

p1. “Fairy”

Likely referring to the similarity between Gg’s current role for 玉骨遥 (The Longest Promise) and LWJ. Dd was praising Gg for being “fairy-like”; Chinese “fairies” (仙) have a certain style especially in visual media, similar to ... LWJ’s ~ otherworldly, white robes that billow in the wind, peaceful to the point of distant, scholarly, delicate. In between the lines, Gg likely said he was simply playing LWJ (hence, the ”act another me” in the translation), which Dd protested... and said Gg was simply playing himself. Whether that means DD IS NOT LWJ!!!!! 😡😡😡 or something else, we’ll know what we get to watch the show!

p1-p2. “Heat”

Yes about the Chang’e 嫦娥 reference!! Despite Houyi 后羿 shooting down 9/10 suns and saving the day, his wife is, indeed, more famous (and therefore the star, the more powerful one), because she’s frequently featured in Mid-Autumn festival art, along with her pet rabbit 玉兔 (”Jade Rabbit”),:

(Chang’e with her bunny, traditional Chinese painting. Source.)

Below is Gg’s rendition of Chang’e / Jade Bunny pair ~ Chang’e being the superman in the drawing while Jade Bunny is crouching on the planet!!

Guess of the missing convo from Gg’s side: Gg had wanted to bring something to Hengdian (where the filming of The Longest Promise was taking place) to cool himself down, and Dd had said it wasn’t necessarily. Hence Dd’s “My bad my bad” and the promise to send that something to Gg.

The loveliest line in this segment for me—and for many c-turtles— is the one about white hair. Turning grey a common, but very old-fashioned way of expressing worry and poor Dd, who hasn’t even turned 24, is claiming he was turning white because he got so worried every time Gg complained about the heat (Aww).

Turning grey with worry isn’t limited to romantic situations — it may happen to doting parents with wayward children, for example, or to ancient patriots over their crumbling kingdom. However, it’s also one of the more (very!) dramatic ways to communicate tragic love in Chinese fiction before Western influence allows “love”, as a term / word / character, to be used explicitly in writing romance.

Here’s a little example, a little diversion that may be of interest. Those who are familiar with the Wuxia classic Return of the Condor Heroes 神雕俠侶 by Jin Yong 金庸, whether it’s the book or its numerous visual adaptations, may remember how the hero, Yang Guo 楊過, went white at his temples overnight after his Shifu and lover, Xiao Long Nv (小龍女), didn’t show up at the cliff at the end of his 16-year wait for her.

Set photo from a TV adaption of Return of the Condor Heroes, 1995. Turtles may find the actress playing the perenially white-wearing, calm-to-the point-of-aloof Xiao Long Nv, Carmen Li 李若彤, familiar ~ she also played Lan Yi in The Untamed.

The 16-year wait, the invitation to Carmen to play Lan Zhan’s ancestor (when the two shared similarities in aesthetics and personality), were two of the three references from Return of the Condor Heroes I picked up from The Untamed (the last one was more specific—WWX mentioned Yang Guo’s master 獨孤求敗). This tribute is unconfirmed, but MXTX did say before that Jin Yong’s works were her inspiration. I also read a (small) discussion on whether LWJ’s hair carried a few pieces of white in the final episode, or if the lighter strands in it were a trick of the sunlight. (Here’s a screenshot of the approximate place to look!!)

While I lean towards the latter (the sunlight), turning white with worry, with love, is a tradition in Chinese storytelling. Here’s a little something I’ve noticed too, on this note ~ both in the actual interviews and in these fake rumours, Dd’s word choices, the way he conveys emotions are sometimes surprisingly traditional. It can be because of his background (which would require a study of how Luo Yang people and Koreans talk); it can be because the traditional way of talking allows for fewer words to be said, fewer things to have to be explicitly explained (example: LWJ), but the effect is that Dd has supplied the most romantic lines in LRLG’s posts because of that ~ romantic because it harks back to the rhythm, the themes of old poetry, of ancient stories that, as were true everywhere in the world, were about love.

Okay, back to the rumour (and hoping Dd won’t look like Bad Wig Yang Guo in a few more summers!) ....

The line after the one about white hair ... the way I understand the original Chinese sentence is “Heat is The Reason”: ie, anything Dd wants Gg to do and Gg disagrees, Gg would use heat as The Reason (R) to not do it. This anything may be eating, for example, which also has a strong possibility as conventional Chinese wisdom says that heat causes people to lose appetite. Dd’s worry would therefore be: Gg refusing to eat because he claims it’s too hot to do so.

“Corny joke” ~ the Chinese for this is, literally, “cold 冷 joke 笑話”, which becomes a pun as the gzry (team members)’s joke was about the (cold) winter and black hair. So... Dd threw a corny joke to combat a corny joke :D .

p3. “Apple”

The first half I also had to rely on c-turtles to help me interpret what it meant! Regional dialects aside, LRLG has captured dls’s very quick wit, the way his ideas freely hop from one concept to the next and this hopping carries traditional + popular cultural references that I know only a fraction of, not being a local after all.

I’ve read an additional interpretation of this segment: “big fruit” 大果兒 (as in dls: “Those are all big fruits, all big fruits”) is a Northern Chinese, traditional slang for women—dls might have connected that with the previous line in the convo about being Guowang, as explained in the translation, and “big and juicy” + “touch to feel” being suggestive phrases. Then, given the rare usage of the big fruit = women slang, dls expressed surprise that Dd understood what he meant, went on to say he expected Gg to know it (implying Gg could’ve taught Dd the meaning) ...

Which led to the entertaining part of this segment. Dd was like “You guys (= Gg + dls) talked?” Dls appeared to have thought of the scenario customarily inviting this question (scenario: someone on the verge of catching their spouse cheating) and began playacting that scenario, started to stammer ... as if he had just been got caught trying to chat up someone’s spouse ~ ”I-I-I....how to say it ...”. Dd caught on dls’s playacting and went along, continued with the “accusation”: “You’re stammering”. Dls then noted that Dd’s accusation was scary and Dd smiled, ending the playact ~ so, ah, readers, never mess with Dd’s spouse!! Dd gets scary!!

(BTW: ”nijia na kouzi” 你家那口子 was explained in the translation for a reason ~ It’s a warm, friendly term for a dear friend’s spouse. 😊)

p4. Lychees

Lychees. Has everyone tried them? It’s important not to over-eat them though...

In which the “Feeding Gg” saga continues! This segment is one of those that are wonderful for fic writers who wish to capture Gg and Dd in words. Gg, like many brought up in traditional families, has trouble saying “no” outright, which is often considered rude. As such, he resorted to delay tactics, something he had also done with the fried noodles in The Makeup Room BTS.

In the BTS, his delay tactics had been to argue that Dd hadn’t eaten his box of noodles and therefore, he couldn’t start (~2:35 mark)—as proper manners indeed dictated. In this dialogue, his delay tactics was to say he’d eat the lychees later, that the lychees would make him too full for the proper meal (rice).

A cute thing about this convo is that rather than pouting and grumbling his only being LWJ’s replacement (as he had hilariously done in the BTS), Dd had, apparently over the last three years, become an expert on countering such delay tactics. He peeled the lychees, which not only removed a major obstacle for eating, but also set a timer as peeled lychees get dry quickly (and Gg, despite being a picky eater, didn’t seem to like to waste food). He said the fruit could make appetiser. He got the help of their team members, who assured Gg that two lychees would be all right.

Gg’s response to the assurance... takes a little time to explain.

The original Chinese line for “Great, great, you’re so awesome” was 絕了絕了你們絕了。 “絕了”, a popular phrase used by Chinese netizens, was repeated three times.

絕, literally, means the extreme, the absolute, the end. 絕了 means pretty much the same ~ a thing that is 絕了 is standing en pointe at the edge of the cliff that is The Absolute End of a spectrum. It is the Ultimate. It can't be surpassed. It’s unbeatable.

絕了 is usually used in a positive sense, as in the English translation, with the positive being implied. If I say the LWJ photo above is 絕了, for example, I don’t need to specify that the extreme in 絕 stands on the good end. It’s understood given the audience of this post are mostly turtles (HELLO *waves*). We’re all heart-eyes here. We agree, without saying, that this photo is The Top, The Pinnacle; it can’t be better. 絕了 is higher praise than Excellent; it’s so good that there are no adjectives for it. Its own presence defines How Good It Is.

But 絕了 doesn’t have to be positive. If my audience is Su She ... he’s likely to take the same “This LWJ photo is 絕了” to mean the Mariana Trench kind of Absolute—the bottom of the bottom, the Unbeatable, Adjective-Defying Worst.

絕了 allows for that understanding too.

In this scenario, I interpret Gg’s 絕了 as taking the meaning of both extremes (which make it a fantastic phrase choice!): that Gg thought Dd and the team members were being both the Absolute Best (for thinking of Gg, caring for him) AND the Absolute Worst (for going against his wish to not eat!) Gg’s 絕了 also signals defeat; if Dd and his team members were The Absolute ... Whatever, then poor Gg had no choice but to yield to their wishes. I can already imagine his “I can’t believe I lose this way” Look (see: every rock-paper-scissors he lost, which was ... pretty much all of them), mixed with, perhaps, a healthy amount of bunny tooth warning (how dare Dd et al banded up against him)...

Those bunny teeth had to be taken care of, right? And so Dd went on to say lychees being good omen that ensure things would go smoothly for the eater... targeting Gg’s being a, as c-turtles call it, 小迷信 (literally, “Little Superstitious”, a young + adorable + superstitious person). Dd said that to help Gg justify the choice to eat, to make Gg feel better about his defeat.

(Of note: I had actually never heard of lychees being associated with good luck before, and a quick search online also didn’t yield any result. This could be a relatively rare association Google failed to catch ... or something Dd made up on the fly to make Gg happy.)

(Lychees have, however, been associated with romance. If Emperor’s Smile 天子笑 was The Love Drink in The Untamed, then what is Concubine’s Smile 妃子笑? Answer: it’s the RL name of a type of lychees, lychees being the fruit very much adored by Yang Yuhuan 楊玉環, the consort of the Emperor Xuanzong (685-762 BCE) of the Tang Dynasty and one of the four most beautiful woman in Chinese history. Since lychees had only been grown in southern China, the emperor had had the fruit couriered, in express mode involving many horses, to the palace up north to please his favourite wife. Lychees had become a symbol of love from that historical tale.)

Did Gg get Dd’s message then, the love and care packaged in those peeled, sweet fruit awaiting his bite? Yes, but not without a little more fight! “Eat eat eat, (I’ll eat) until you go bankrupt” is a literal translation of his final line. Tonally, I can see the following as being an alternative translation:

“Fine fine fine. I’ll eat, it’s not like I can bankrupt you by eating anyway!”

If it sounded a little sulky, that’s because it did ... a little sulky AND fiery. As expected from our favourite Chongqing Big Pepper 😂😂😂 (Poor Gg).

Dd smiled at that, needless to say. He won!!! He got Gg to eat!! The world shall rejoice!!

p5. “Showtime”

There’s a show coming up for Dd (the YH concert maybe?), and Gg offered suggestions.

The sweet point of this segment is about half-way down the conversation, in the piece of paper 📄 Gg gave to Dd (after “This is for you.”). Dd took the paper, noted the many words on it, and started saying 我把我整個靈魂, translated as “I bring my entire soul”.

c-Turtles have, based on these words, hypothesised that Dd was about to read out a quote that Gg had written on the paper, with the list of items Gg thought Dd should take, before Gg stopped him with a call of his name (“WYB”). The quote was included on the translation (”I give you my entire soul...only, a little good, love you.”) I have also talked about the same quote, in more detail, here.

I’m equally stumped on the final line of this segment. (Sorry!!)

p6. “Found Family”

It’s a heartwarming segment. While LRLG had previously noted that the TTXS bros had communicated with Gg, this segment made clear that they care for him like they do for Dd ~ as family.

* dls mailed Gg a lot of fruit for sharing with the film crew. “Family member needs to be impressive” is a rough translation, but this line does defy simple translation because 排面 a highly cultural concept that has much to do with the equally complex, Chinese concept of face (which this article explains... somewhat adequately). The message to take home is that dls cared enough about Gg that he wanted to make sure Gg wouldn’t lose face in front of the film crew; that, by having enough gifts (fruits) for everyone, Gg wouldn’t be viewed as cheap or inadequate or stingy, or whatever adjective that wouldn’t befit his top idol status. Because dls saw Gg as a member of his family.

* The prescription from hg had been mentioned in a previous LRLG rumour. 方子 is a Chinese medicine prescription, which, unlike Western formulations, is individualised both to the discomfort / ailment and to the “body constitution” of the person who'll take it, the latter deciding the kind of ailments the person is susceptible to, and which ingredients are expected to be more effective. Chinese medicine also places a strong emphasises on long-term conditioning, whether it’s for recovery from a certain condition or for general good health. A good 方子 is therefore a far more complex and personal thing than, say, a scribble of “paracetamol” / “acetaminophen” on a piece of paper. :D

* fg’s gift for Gg (xx) is something for the waist. A brace support, maybe? For example?

My favourite line in this segment is when hg asked what will Gg and Dd do when they reach hg’s age. Given that the last two items (the prescription and xx) were health-related, I interpreted it as hg worrying about Gg and Dd’s health when they grow old... with all the health problems they already have. It’s the kind of thing a worried parent say to their children ~ my mom has said the same thing to me as well. 😢

p6. “The Cat Paw”

Not quite sure what’s happening here ... not sure what the cat paw is. (Sorry!!) But that é in the translation is Dd’s signature laugh (collection here), which is written as 鵝 (”Goose”) in Chinese 😂.

p7. “The Cat Toy”

Dd appeared to be shopping for a cat’s toy (something that can “hook the cat” in the translation, such that the cat can entertain itself and not rely on human companionship as much). Gg had already bought the toy though and sounded quite proud of it, told Dd to return the toy. The implied cat was, of course, Nut (堅果 Jianguo)... which had been repeatedly referred to in LRLG’s posts as Gg’s daughter.

p7. “Cool vs Cute”

Gg is often viewed as cute, and Dd as cool. Did Dd dislike Gg taking cute pictures for public consumption? Were they scheming an exchange of image? :D

And that’s it for this issue! Ooh, this took unexpectedly long ... I apologise for the ridiculous delay between the original post and this commentary!

(I wrote half of it, then RL struck and I forgot about it.) (I’m hopeless.) (I need a 方子 for poor memory!!)

#pie eats candies #pie metas #yizhan #bjyx #LRLG

189 notes · View notes

cooloddball · 4 years ago

Text

This is going to be a super long analysis of jib3 starting with the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony so brace yourselves.

Please note I believe in the breakup theory so maybe my opinion in this one might be biased so please don’t come for me, lol.

I will put it under the cut to avoid overcrowding your dashes with cockles shenanigans.

Also, watch out for profanities and mature language.

And so it begins...

Opening ceremony

The camera used to record the opening ceremony is shaky.

Misha, Jason Manns, and Jarpad seem to be having a lot of fun together and Jensen is just looking at his besties talking to the man he loves and he knows he can’t have that so he just stands there looking at them. Poor guy.

Jarpad asks who took Misha’s riffle? Things are awkward, I honestly don’t know what’s going on.

Misha kisses a plushie while making eye contact with Jensen and Jensen is like “oh, oh, wow” while making eye contact with Misha. LOL. Jack help me. This is a lot!!!

Jensen takes a plushie from Sebastian and Jared takes the one Misha had.

Are you guys flirting about trying to see whether you can keep plushies alive?

Misha throws something at the fans, I think he was throwing treats from earlier or whatever it was and Jensen says “Misha is still throwing” I mean why?

Cockles Panel

Jensen is so extra in this panel.

First of all, when he and Misha come out (no pun intended) a song starts playing and he starts dancing. Jensen is usually so poised while dancing but he is over the top throwing his back and shaking his tush for the mish. I think he was trying a little too hard. Misha spares his ex-boyfriend’s tush a glance smiles and looks away. LOL. The whole thing was cringey, tbh. It was so unlike Jensen.

When Sebastian touches Jensen’s shoulder and says something to Jensen, he [Jensen] laughs way too hard. I would say he laughs abnormally-it’s loud and he throws his whole body into it like he’s trying to prove what Sebastian was funny and it probably wasn’t. He laughs so hard he ends up right on Misha’s side. and Misha laughs at that though.

Rich says something about something in the sac that hurts(It’s incoherent) and Jensen says it hurts right here pointing at his heart (I can’t hear what they are saying exactly so if anyone knows please let me know)

I don’t know if Mark P. was going to hug Jensen or not or he was pointing at something behind Jensen, but at that moment, Jensen sees Sebastian going to hug Misha and whips his head away from Mark P’s direction so fast he almost broke his neck.

Sebastian humps Misha (these two are so playful I love them) and Jensen is just there acting awkward

There’s a comment by Rich about “It’s over, the convention’s over I’m no longer your bitch” I don’t know who this is about.

Now, now, now. This whole time Rich is doing a kissy mouth with his fingers on the monitor behind Jensen and Misha. His hand is right where Misha is standing (you’ll understand once you watch it) so Jensen makes a kissy face back and Misha is blushing? Ummm wtf is going on here?

Jensen also does something strange that he never does during cockles panels he pulls his seat away from Misha.

Misha makes a very weird comment about Sebastian’s libido drying up and they have a weird conversation about libido and Viagra ads. It’s weird.

It gets even more awkward Jensen talks about bringing a total stranger, and a blind date. And it goes downhill from there with them. The it wasn’t you it was me speech. It was special. So heartbreaking. It was clearly not about the show but about their relationship. I always have a difficult time getting through that part. It’s so awkward that the fans are just there wondering what the hell is going on.

They decide to take questions and the fan is all over the place so Misha interjects but Jensen won’t let Misha say what he wants to say so he says, “This is why you make it awkward. You never let people finish what they are saying.” Ouch. Domestic dispute vibes anyone?

The way Jensen is looking up at Misha when he’s answering that question. It’s like he wants to sear his face into his memory before they leave Rome.

Jensen is explaining to a fan how one of the four sound stages they had on set was full of furniture and Misha adds “and soiled mattresses” I mean what was the reason? Did they soil the mattresses with their [redacted]

A fan mentions something about Dean and Cas so these two adorable dorks smile and share a look. Things are starting to look up. Thank Jack.

The fan says something again (I can’t make out what he’s saying) but it must be something nice because they look at each other with smiles on their faces again.

Jensen playing with the head of his microphone. Is it just me or did the temperature rise a notch higher?

The way they look at each other when the fan says to help him choose the hottest female cast member on the show

Then something freaky happens they say the exact same thing as twins or bffs do sometimes. LOL.

When they start talking about the hot women with the fans Misha moves his entire body and now instead of looking at the fans, he is seated facing Jensen. The tension is simmering down.

A point to note is that in all their panels they always sit angled facing each other as opposed to facing the crowd save for this panel and DCCON 2019. But for DCCON I can understand that they weren’t comfortable being meant to be a J/2 panel and a creation event. So you know some people in that crowd are super mean to Mish and others to Jensen, so they had to tread carefully. But I digress back to the chaos.

They ask who wants to have a cockles panel the next year and they both raise their hands. I thought that was sweet

It’s adorable how Jensen keeps repeating everything Misha is saying.

Misha forgets himself and moves too close to Jensen to listen to the song on the phone. Jensen turns to look at Misha, I don’t know what that look is but Misha backs away laughing.

Jensen’s face journey while listening to that song is gold.

Misha moves closer to listen to the song. I have to say the way they are standing is not usually how two bros listening to music usually stand. If you know what I mean

Misha agrees that’s definitely Jensen singing. Of course, he knows because Mr. “Jensen sings to me all the time”

He looks so proud of him. I’d venture to say he’s happy to hear Jensen sing because he has always been so shy about that fact about himself. He even gives him a standing ovation. That’s so adorable. He loves him. My heart.

Jensen is so cute trying to deny it’s not him singing that song. Yeah, it’s you, Jensen. Even your ex agrees it’s you and we bet he knows how your voice sounds in all kinds of situations ;)

we get a tingly feeling so we know it’s you. Jensen’s adorable smile when Misha says that. Aww.

The way they are not even looking at each other but they are seated the exact same way.

Allow me to explain to my friend here. Explains how his parents didn’t know whether he was a boy or a girl. Misha with the steel chair, “when did they figure out that you were a boy?”

How many years did they call you holly?

For six to seven years

Is it just me or is this conversation a flashback of teenage twink-lesbian Jensen years?

Fan asks whether Dean will ever forgive Cas. Watch Misha’s body language, he is trying to pacify himself by rubbing the back of his neck and fumbling with his shirt.

When Jensen says “ No!” without a moment’s hesitation, Misha looks distraught? I don’t know maybe I’m reading too much into this but I feel like this hit too close to home being that they were most likely broken up.

Misha however has a different opinion, “I think he has”

Jensen says, “Wishful thinking” and that elicits a smile from Misha.

A fan asks about Dean giving Cas the trenchcoat back and things get interesting. Weirdly, that Jensen can’t say the word gay out loud. He literally uses the word “unmanly” in its stead in the guise of censorship? It’s not a bad word Jensen you can say it. However, Misha and the fans say the word so I’m wondering who is censoring Jensen’s use of that word. He eventually says it but super fast.

Jensen says that saying “I always knew you would come back” is not something he would say to another human being, especially a man. Jesus, there’s nothing wrong with saying that to another human being you care about. He’s the one making it gay. He was extra when answering that one.

They spent one and half hours making that scene just to end up not saying anything and it ended up looking gay anyway. Anyway, that’s interesting.

Jensen angles his body towards Mish and says in a very low soft and sexy voice “I guess I really hoped that you would come back some day” I would venture to say that Jensen at the moment in the panel was actually saying them to Misha. Who knows though?

They talk about it a whole lot for something that bothered him that much.

Misha being so excited about recreating a scene when a fan told Jarpad he’s amazing and Jarpad said "you are welcome.

“I think I understand what she wants. I’m not sure what she’s gonna get.” This is a very good line Misha. I will be using it often.

The way they awkwardly stand too close and whisper to each other. Umm…what is going on here?

Jensen folds over laughing because of something Misha says. They are back. The tension is almost 90% gone now and they are in their element.

The chaos of recording the alarm ringtone for the fan was just great to watch. They kept getting closer and closer and I think they might have shared spit at that point. Gross….LOL

The way Misha is sitting is he you know.

Jensen asking Misha whether he was saying anything or just screaming while they were recording. I think he just wanted to see Misha smile.

Jensen’s joy when a fan mentions that they have Misha’s résumé.

Jensen saying the word shit made my day. I curse a lot and it made me feel validated somehow.

Misha calls him dickhead in return and Jensen stops functioning and laughs instead . He also gets all hot and bothered trying to fumble with the lapel of his shirt. He does this a lot when he is turned on. He has a humiliation kink I think.

They start talking over each other about Misha’s special skills. Looks like Jensen might have known beforehand because he went straight for that. Or maybe he didn’t know but he knew since Misha is a mad genius there must be some amazing things in there. Either way, it was a good moment.

OMG Jensen is so excited and the way he motions to Misha to bring that résumé to him, LOL. This man was thirsty AF.

He even goes down from the stage to meet Misha and invades his personal space trying to reach the résumé. I think this is the moment the tension between them dissipated completely and they were back to some form of normalcy.

Misha holding Jensen’s shoulder trying to get his résumé back. Unsucessfully, I should add.

They read something funny and they fold over laughing and spin around like overjoyed seals. It is far removed from the mollusk family but at least it’s still a sea creature (I don’t know what I’m saying please don’t mind me)

Jensen is still on his knees laughing and can’t get up. As I said, he is being too extra in this panel.

Misha is trying to talk but they both can’t stop laughing. I think Jensen laughed so hard he got an extra set of abs that day.

Jensen is still laughing and you know what he is laughing at? Misha’s special skills being acting on camera. I mean it’s funny but man, prayforjensen.

They are still laughing. Jack, help them.

The way Jensen looks at Misha with pure adoration here makes me so happy and reminds me of the fictional characters they played being all heart eyes for each other.

Misha laughed so hard he cried.

Jensen trying to read the next ‘special skill’ Misha has but he can’t even talk because of how funny he thinks it is. He’s trying so hard not to laugh but he can’t help himself.

Jensen agreeing and also asking the audience to agree that Misha has a knack for certain accents. Accent kink anyone?

Jensen is so excited when Misha starts Tibetan throating singing and does the unicorn laugh facing away from the crowd. Bet he has experienced Misha’s Tibetan throat singing skills on a personal when they are (loud overhead helicopter noises followed by thunder rumbling)

Jensen falling to the ground after feigning a heart attack once he saw that Misha is a certified EMT. I mentioned before that I honestly, 100% think he wanted mouth to mouth. There’s no other explanation. He could’ve feigned a nose bleed or just about any other illness but he chose to fall on a dirty floor and lay down so Misha could either give him the breath of life or straddle him. Luckily for him his dream came true 7 years later at Jib9 when straddle gate happened. But I digress

Too bad Misha was still mad at him and heartbroken so he kicked him instead.

Jensen knowing that Misha kayaks seems to be part of his personal knowledge. Maybe they did it together sometimes.

Horseback riding. Hmm is it just me or do they seem awkward here?

Misha is so close to Jensen’s armpits. Must be missing his man’s musk and being held in those muscular arms again. Poor baby.

Misha can’t talk because of how funny he finds bicycle touring. I mean…I don’t see what’s funny but I guess he knows why it’s funny.

Misha laughing and raises his legs because Jensen is elaborating on the bicycle touring. Maybe it’s an inside joke or maybe it’s no longer funny to me because I’ve watched this panel like 5 times.

I think Jensen’s goal was to see Misha laugh and be happy because he turned to look at Misha who was still laughing hard and the joy on Jensen’s face. Aww.

Misha gravitating towards his man again. He must smell really nice Misha. And those arms. Bet he used to lift you against the wall and (this fucking thunder won’t stop rambling. Are chuck and Amara fighting again?)

Jensen marketing his man’s carpentry skills but then makes sure to make it ‘no homo’ by saying he would never sit on anything Misha has built. Sure Jan. Then he circles back and says that he knows that he can build things.

Misha walks away from him and he looks up to make sure where he is going. Maybe he was afraid Misha was walking out on him. (PTSD from their breakup?)

They mention acting on camera again.

And laugh

Jensen keeps talking about the acting on camera and watches to see if Misha is still laughing He still is and Jensen is happy that his baby is happy. He looks at him again and he is still happy that Misha is still happy. Then once the laughter dies down he starts talking about bicycle touring and checks again to see if Misha is laughing which he is so Jensen throws his head back unicorn laughing and then looks at Misha again to see that he’s still laughing. Then they look at each other and say something maybe it’s about that was a good laugh. Jensen is wiping tears from his eyes because of how hard he laughed Misha does the same. That entire thing was insane and they seemed to love it.

Jensen starts saying that being this happy or goofing around is how they are on set sometimes and have to take a 5-10 minute break and Misha doesn’t seem too happy at the mention of the set.

Jensen knowing that you can buy résumés on eBay. Did he buy Misha’s and then plant someone in the audience to bring it up or? Okay, yeah I know I’m reaching here but it’s probable.

I guess my theory wasn’t farfetched because Jensen says that he’s pretty sure that Jarpad put it on eBay the previous night so maybe he is the one who did all that to win Misha back?

Jensen knows the appellation clogging is a stretch. Seems like Misha has told him about it before.

Jensen looking at his watch to see if they have time for Misha to be telling a story about his high school sweetheart and now wife. I bet he wishes Misha could tell their love story so openly. He can’t stop looking at Misha.

The way Jensen is looking at Misha here. WTF man? He’s literally confused about what the question is.

The personal space question. This whole thing was just so many things. It was awkward, cringey, thirsty, funny.

when the fan asks whether there’s a funny fact between Jensen and Misha. I almost fainted. What? And Jensen repeats it. The two men are so stoic. They are not even looking at each other. They are looking at the fan like the way a statue stares at you, unmoving. Cringe.

The room is so quiet. Poor girl, I hope she didn’t feel awkward afterwards because if it were me, I would’ve cried from how stoic they looked and how quiet everyone was.

How they both scratch themselves, Misha on the head and Jensen on the nose. Maybe the question hit too close to home

Jensen turns to look at Misha as if to say ’help me out here man. We don’t wanna disappoint our fans.”

Misha gets it because he gets up. This whole thing is gold.

The way Jensen breathes out in anticipation. I know it was like they were playing a skit about personal space but why was he breathing like that? Shouldn’t he have been playing it as ‘uncomfortable’ not ‘turned on.’ Boudoir mannerisms.

Moving on Misha is unsure on where to touch Jensen 40.31. This is weird in and of itself because usually, they don’t have a problem touching each other’s faces, tush, eggplants, (jib4 anyone), backs et cetera. But now it’s weird? *cough* breakup *cough*

Misha touches Jensen’s ear and Jensen literally moans. He frigging moans people. In case it is not clear in the video, here is an isolated audio version of it. Jensen is also fumbling with his shirt like he’s all hot and bothered. Just like Misha did earlier. Was Jib3 their couple’s therapy that reminded them how happy and horny they made each other?

Jensen is really not answering the question, to be honest. He’s fumbling for words and trying so very hard to make sense but his word are incoherent.

Misha going in for the nose dip. I know friends do this all the time but you have to be very close and familiar with someone such as a friend friend or a sibling for you to poke a finger in their nose. I mean noses are slimy and eww…anyway. That happened. They seem so comfortable with it. Jensen I love you but please stop talking.

The way Jensen looks at Misha. He has the cutest smile on his face as if saying thank you for making that fun and making me horny, I still want you.

Misha wiping his pinky that touched Jensen’s nose on his pants. (I wanted to add something disgusting about what heshould’ve done with that pinky but I won’t so let’s move on)

Jensen wiggling his nose.

When Misha suggests that Spn moves to Nickolodeon. Jensen laughs a bit too hard.

Misha talking about spn being a puppet show reminds me of how he mentioned them having a puppet show in Jensen’s backyard after the show is over.

Jensen also saying that in a way spn is a puppet show. I mean is someone making snide comments about how their strings get pulled and sometimes they are not happy about it. Like how they fired his boyfriend. It seems like it’s an inside joke.

They named the plushie Zippy aww :))

For jack’s sake guys, the way they look at each other when they mention that the résumé was the highlight of the panel.

Jensen saying the more dirt you dig up on Misha, the more rewarded you are. Aww, someone’s trying to win his man back by any means necessary. You go girl…I mean Jensen.

He talks more about how he’s looking forward to next year when fans have more dirt on his friend Misha. Jensen didn’t want to leave the stage, he was lingering so he could spend more time with Misha.

It’s over guys.

Closing Ceremony

I know you didn’t ask for the closing ceremony but here you go. It’s a free gift.

Can I just mention how Jarpad is an overactive puppy? He has to play with anything and everything he finds.

The mc announces Misha twice for some reason. The second time Jensen looks in Misha’s direction with a small smile on his face. He [Jensen] is also chewing vigorously.

Jensen and Jarpad being typical dude bros and karate chop Rich. This is why the difference between his relationship with Jarpad and Misha stands out. He would be too busy making heart eyes to Misha to kick another guy. LoL.

Jensen hulking out when Jarpad is taking a video of everyone. Lol. This video keeps reiterating my point that his relationship with the two men is just different.

Jensen keeps looking in Misha’s direction, Misha who is busy talking to Steve and having fun. Let me also mention Steve is Jensen’s bestie and so are Jarpad and Misha, but I’m sure that Jensen felt some type of way, jealous when they were having so much fun with his man and he couldn’t. Jarpad also takes a while filming Misha for Jensen of course. They remind me of me having a crush back when I was in school. Wait, did Misha look at Jensen? It’s hard to see because the angle of the video is not expansive but I guess he was.

As soon as Jarpad gets back, Jensen takes the camera from him and starts filming fans. I’m sure he just wanted Misha to look at him

Rich mention’s Misha and something about acting on camera and Jensen licks his lips looking at Misha (I think).

Jensen then vigorously grabs the microphone from someone immediately and mention’s Misha. Jarpad’s reaction at that moment tells you everything you need to know about what’s going on between Jensen and Misha. It looks like he is pleading with Jensen in his head saying, “Don’t embarrass yourself bro. Please don’t” but it’s too late.

Jensen again talks about Misha’s résumé and specifically about acting on camera, the thing that made Misha laugh out loud during their panel. Someone’s smitten. Defending his ex-man.

Jarpad goes to whisper something to Misha. And they laugh while Jensen is thanking the jib staff for doing an amazing job. But when he sees the duo laughing, he loses track of thought and says “and they are all getting married” dude what ??? How do you go from thanking people who worked on the convention and in .1 seconds you are talking about they are all getting married? Who is? Are you okay? Do you need to sit down? No one gets it, he says he’s kidding and gives Jarpad the microphone, spares a glance at Misha and he seems distraught from that moment on. I wish I could see Misha’s face through all this.

He’s glancing in Misha’s direction again. Man’s got it bad. What?! Oh to be loved by Jensen Ackles. Misha must be a prize, I know he is a mad genius and gorgeous and sexy as hell with that golden skin that looks like it was dipped in gold and honey, big blue eyes that are bluer than the bluest blue, but Jensen wtf man? You are in public.

I think Jarpad is telling Jensen something maybe it has to do with what he and Misha were talking about earlier?

And it’s over people.

Overall, I agree with the breakup theory. I mean the way these two were acting around each other was very strange. If you watch Misha and Jarpad, they seem okay from the opening ceremony up till the end but Jensen and Misha are just being weird.

The panel was mostly fun but their body language told a story that something was definitely going on between them.

@littlewolf2703

#jib3 #jibcon 2012 #jib3 analysis #jib3 cockles panel #cockles #this was a doozy #glad to be done #there was a lot going on in that panel #cockles break up #cockles break up theory

230 notes · View notes

autumnalwalker · 2 years ago

Text

Empty Names - 2 - Back From The Looking Glass

Author's Note: The second chapter rough draft and second core cast intro for Empty Names. The previous chapter can be found here. Masterpost with table of contents here. Word Count: 3,043 Content Warnings: Violence/combat in the form of a wizard duel. What might qualify as mild body horror as a part of said wizard duel. Frostbite. Probably nothing in here that would be worse than a PG-13 rating. Once again, if anyone reads this and sees something that I should have included a content warning for, let me know and I'll go back and add it. Here goes my first attempt at writing a fight scene.

<-Previous Chapter Masterpost Next Chapter->

“I hate anime,” Ashan grumbles to himself for the second time that day.

No, that was not quite fair. He had some vague recollection of enjoying some show or another as a child. What was it called again? Something with magic cards and a girl on roller skates. An interesting concept for quick casting of spells, but unlikely to be practical with its reliance on bound spirits. There was also the one with the talking hamsters. That one had been fun.

Perhaps it is not so much anime itself as anime conventions that bother him. Even after being back on the world of his birth for a few years now, he is still not used to the sheer density of the crowds. And the novelty of convention goers stopping to ask him who he is supposed to be wears thin quickly. Even worse are the ones who mistake him for a favorite character and ask for a picture. And while he is used to being mistaken for a woman - and even finds amusement in it so long as the mistake is not repeated after correction - the well-intended compliments mistaking his white robes for a dress are beginning to test his patience.

All that is secondary though to the fact that such concentrated escapism and suspension of disbelief makes for a Masquerade breach waiting to happen. Coupled with the sheer number of cosplayers making it easy for outsiders to blend in, it was no wonder that there is nearly always an incident at these events.

An incident like one in one hundred event pamphlets listing an event in a room that the other ninety-nine in one hundred mark as not being in use.

At last, he finally extracts himself from yet another group wanting a photo - this one with costumes unsettlingly similar to his own raiment - and waves them off with a practiced smile. Almost always best to play along and blend in. Alone in the crowd once more, he double-checks the pamphlet.

Room 322. 2:00pm. Get Isekai’d!: An interactive panel to kickstart your magical journey to another world (without being hit by a truck).

Just around the corner and several minutes to spare yet.

Turning said corner feels like stepping into a new building. Empty and unadorned, save for two doors flanking the terminus of a dead end hallway. Through some quirk of acoustics the constant background noise of the crowd fades to a distant murmur after only a few steps down the hall. Even the lighting is perceptibly dimmer without the floor-to-ceiling windows of the main concourse. Room 322 has no sign outside to proclaim the event yet the door remains cracked open enough to catch a glimpse of the small audience already seated inside.

After a quick glance to verify no one else is coming down the hall, Ashan stretches to touch a finger to the top of the doorframe and begins tracing esoteric symbols. Wherever he touches, the surface takes on a glassy sheen.

Tapping the center of his work a final time, his breath mists in the air as he makes a quick chant with no literal translation. The drawn symbols shimmer in response then fade, now invisible to the untrained eye.

He blinks, observes his ward, finds it satisfactory, and rubs some warmth back into his hands before stepping into the room.

The room is a small one by convention standards. Only a few dozen plastic chairs lined up facing a small stage set against the far wall. Less than half the chairs are occupied, making for a lower attendance than Ashan had feared. Good. Fewer people to worry about getting hurt.

Up on stage a tall man in a turtleneck that strains against his bodybuilder proportions paces in front of a freestanding wooden door with a polished white stone inset into the top of its frame. The stage rattles with the weight of his every step. As Ashan takes a seat near the front the presenter checks his phone then walks over to a podium with a laptop. A projector comes to life and throws the title of the panel across a screen next to the stage.

As the presentation begins, Ashan only halfway pays attention to the words being said or the slides on the screen. Watching for signs of hostile spells and workings takes up too much of his focus for that. And besides, the history and greatest hits of a genre about normal people going on adventures in other worlds can only hold so much interest for one who has actually lived it. Although in his experience the real thing involved significantly fewer women of dubious proportions in impractical and revealing outfits.

Twenty minutes into the scheduled hour-long panel, Ashan begins to wonder if this is simply a case of a magically-inclined nerd using his abilities to skip out on paying the panel booking fees. True, the presenter’s body is obviously modified, but it would hardly be the first time a new mage transmuted himself in an ill-conceived attempt at “improvement,” and he has not really done anything incriminating yet. Still, the “interactive” portion of the panel’s title is worrisome and the door’s function remains forebodingly elusive.

“Show of hands: who here wishes you could get away from this life and start over as a hero in a new world?”

The sight and sound of a score of hands going up around him jolts Ashan’s focus back to the speaker’s words.

“Well then, do I have the chance of a lifetime in store for all of you.” The presenter saunters over to the door in the center of the stage and leans on the frame. A murmur of anticipation goes through the crowd. With a theatrical flourish, the presenter knocks four times and the door swings inward.

The door does not come out from the backside of the frame.

On the other side of the doorway everyone in the audience can see a trail coming out of a forest and meandering over rolling grassy hills. A castle can be seen in the far distance, white walls gleaming in the sunlight. A breeze blows into the room carrying the scent of flowers.

Several people gasp. Others start whispering, asking what is going on. Someone starts clapping at what they think to be a clever trick.

“Yes, yes, it’s amazing, I know,” the presenter says. “And to answer the question I’m sure you’re all asking yourselves right now,” he steps in front of the door and begins walking backwards, “this is very real.” To drive the point home he steps to the right, disappearing out of sight entirely before coming back into view from the left before coming back through the door and walking a circle around it on stage.

“So, who wants to go first?” he asks with a smug grin.

Hands shoot up. Chairs get pushed back as audience members jump to their feet. The questions of what is going on get louder. A couple of people with stronger survival instincts start edging toward the door.

Ashan sighs, gets to his feet, and calmly climbs onto stage before any of the over-eager fools can beat him to it.

“Now that’s what I like to see!” the presenter says as Ashan approaches the door. “Can I have your name miss…ter?”

“My name is mine to keep,” he replies, “but perhaps you would not mind answering a few questions? I imagine it would set the rest of the audience at ease to know more precisely what awaits them.”

“I’d be delighted. Although I assure you all that this is perfectly safe.”

“As we saw with your demonstration, I am sure.” Threshold wards rarely affect their casters. “But what about language? Will we be able to understand the people we meet on the other side?”

“Obviously. The portal auto-magically applies the standard multiversal translator spell used by all travelers. Would you believe I’m not even speaking English right now?”

“Fascinating.” Ashan mentally runs through the signs of the seven different translation practices common in this local cluster that he can recall off the top of his head. This man is showing none of them. “And what of the Autogenesis Principle? Do you have any advice for those here wanting to escape their failures from physically manifesting their own internalized inadequacies?”

The presenter’s smirk falters. “I’m not sure what fandom you’re roleplaying at right now, but that’s not anything anyone here needs to worry about. So either go on through or get out of the way so everyone else can get their adventure underway.”

“Just one more question, if you would kindly humor me.” Ashan places a hand on the doorframe and closes his eyes for a moment. He opens them and asks “Does this essence siphon function on infernal or necromantic principles?”

The presenter’s smile disappears altogether. “How did you - ”

“Necromantic then. I cannot imagine a patron willing to aid a novice who would fail to even recognize another mage in this blunder of a Masquerade breach.”

The necromancer regains his composure and shrugs. “Okay, you got me. But hey,” he snaps his fingers and spikes of bone erupt from the floor, barring the mundane exit from the room, “it’s not a Masquerade breach if the witnesses are all dead. So what do you say we split the haul seventy-thirty and you look the other way.”

The room goes silent for a moment before the dawning realization of the situation finally breaks and the audience starts shouting and rushing the barred exit, trying in vain to escape. Except, of course, for the handful of stubborn skeptics mocking them for freaking out.

Ashan looks at the crowd pressing themselves into the bars of bone and makes a tsk sound. He should have noticed that on his way in. Returning his gaze to the necromancer he says “I shall never understand people like you.”

“Fine, sixty-forty and that’s the best you’re getting unless you wanna help me herd the sheep in here.”

“I shall never understand those who believe the possession of knowledge and power makes the lives of those without expendable.”

The necromancer begins to back up. “So that’s how it is, huh? Fancy yourself some kind of hero?”

“No one has yet been hurt. I shall give you one chance to leave now and never try this again.”

“How very generous of you,” the necromancer replies. The words drip with sarcasm and venom. “With an offer like that I can only say…” he reaches the edge of the stage. “Get boned!”

The surface of the stage splinters and cracks. With a flick of the wrist Ashan has his pearlescent wand in hand. An ivory spear hurtles up at him from below. A quick looping motion with the wand and a transparent shield appears in the air. The spear is deflected through the portal. As are the next three after. Ashan follows up with drawing another, larger shield over the door. It would not do to fall in himself.

That precaution proves timely as the necromancer lets out a bellow of pain and rage and his right arm explodes into a tendril of muscle and bony spikes that darts across the stage before slamming into Ashan’s side. He manages to get his free hand up, palm out, in time to keep the tendril from making direct contact but now finds himself squeezed between two of his own barriers. Stabbing the wand into the barrier holding back the tendril he wills his conjuration away and up. The tendril swings away from him and out over the heads of the audience before retracting back into a semblance of an arm.

The audience is screaming now. Even the most skeptical have been made believers. The bars on the door still hold. Ashan’s breath mists in the air grown cold around him.

The necromancer wastes no words as he charges the wizard. As he runs, his other arm shreds its sleeve as it bulks up and grows talons over its fingers. A morbid parody of dance ensues back and forth across the stage. The necromancer rains down crushing blows and Ashan casually deflects them with shields that flicker in and out of existence. More spikes erupt from below and Ashan gracefully sidesteps. The necromancer’s face twists in rage and Ashan’s remains placid.

Eventually, the necromancer grows frustrated with this game and changes tactics. He extends the tendril of his right arm once more, sending it plunging toward the one audience member still seated. Ashan makes a slashing motion with the wand followed by an upward flick and a wall of what looks like glass rises to cut the stage off from the rest of the room. The tendril crumples on itself as it slams into the newmade wall.

The fact that the seated man in the yellow vest did not so much as flinch at nearly being impaled distracts Ashan enough that the followup swipe from the left claw manages to graze his cheek. Enough playing around to wear the brute down then.

Wielding his wand like a brush, Ashan visualizes the chains running from the floor to the necromancer’s limbs and then paints them into being. The next blow comes to a rattling halt midair. The necromancer has just enough time to look at his wrist in surprise before Ashan makes another gesture and the chains pull him down, forcing him to his knees.

“You have lost,” Ashan says in an even tone. He is no longer the only person in the room whose breath is condensing into mist. Every surface in the room now bears dewdrops from the rapid drop in temperature over the past few minutes. Ashan resists the urge to shiver before continuing. “And still, no one has been hurt. Come along quietly and I imagine you can still negotiate a lighter sentence than you deserve.”

“Who the hell are you? Some kind of cop?” The necromancer pants heavily, pausing for breath between sentences. “How did you even know I was here? And why is it so damn cold in here?”

Ashan cocks his head at finally hearing a question from the novice mage he might deign to answer. “Tis but a slight twisting of thermodynamics. Absent a local concept for ambient energy such as aether or mana, one must needs improvise. Only the inexperienced and the foolhardy draw from their own metabolism,” Ashan nods toward his shaking opponent, “as you seem to be.”

“Oh really…”

“Indeed. Although I would not advise such a technique to the untrained.”

“Cocky bastard, bragging about your secret techniques when you think you’ve won.” Frost begins to form on the stage around the necromancer.

“It is hardly a secret. And really, you should not attempt it. Especially in your current state.”

“You know.”

The spikes of bone scattered about the stage begin to shake.

“Where you.”

The necromancer begins shivering violently.

“Can take your advice.”

The spikes rise into the air.

“And shove it?”

The spikes all turn to face Ashan.

“‘Cause I’m about to show you!”

The spikes begin to move in on Ashan, gathering speed.

The necromancer falls over with a thud and the spikes clatter harmlessly to the stage. Ashan walks over to him and notes the white and blue patches of frostbite covering the fallen man’s skin. He bends down and checks for a pulse. He finds one. Unconscious, but alive. Beginner’s luck.

Ashan stands back up, exhales, lets his remaining conjurations dissipate, and allows himself to shiver.

A slow clap from the sole remaining audience member disrupts his reverie.

Wait. Sole remaining? When did the screaming stop? Where did everyone go? He whips around to see the man in the yellow vest leaning against the wall next to the exit door. The bars of bone now lay shattered on the ground.

“You certainly live up to your reputation, Ashan Glassheart.” The man stops clapping and looks around the ruined stage. “Well, maybe a little more collateral damage than I expected, but credit where credit is due, the rookie knew what he was doing with stashing unenchanted raw material for his trap.” He pauses to stroke his goatee in consideration. “Or maybe just dumb luck on his part.”

“Do I know you?” Ashan asks.

“I should hope not,” the man replies. “I try to keep out of the spotlight. The name’s Sullivan Bridgewood. At my service.” He gives a flourishing bow as makes the introduction.

“I thought the sorceress Bridgewood was a woman.”

“That would be my dearly departed wife, Void rest her soul.”

“My condolences, but that still does not explain what you want with me.”

Bridgewood puts a hand to his chest and feigns an offended gasp. “So suspicious. And after I helped and set all the normies free while you were giving your lecture. Nice job on the amnestic ward by the way. Always fun to watch them go from running for their lives to milling about confused.”

“You are avoiding the question.”

“Oh, lighten up will you, I’m getting to that.” He walks over to the stage and leans an elbow on it, looking up at Ashan. “Have you ever heard of the individual known as Road?”

Ashan arches an eyebrow in surprise. “The guy who runs around in purple armor fighting subway dragons and saving goth kids from vampire cults?”

“Among other things, yes.”

“From what I have heard they are a noble fool who just happens to be skilled and lucky enough to back up their reckless actions. But a fool whose heart is in the right place. Supposedly they used to be a big deal before disappearing several years ago.” Ashan stops himself and gets back to the still unanswered question. “Why?”

Bridgewood chuckles. “Because,” he drags out the word, “said noble fool just so happens to be an old friend of mine and recently got back to town. They’re looking to put a team together and could use a proper spellslinger.” He smiles just a little too widely and reaches up a hand. “So, interested?”

Ashan feels a shiver go down his back that is only partially related to the cold.

“Help me clean up in here and get this villain to the authorities in Crossherd and I shall consider it.”

<-Previous Chapter Masterpost Next Chapter->

#writing #original fiction #urban fantasy #Writeblr #WIP #Empty Names #serial fiction #writing practice #writers on tumblr #creative writing #literature #prose #writers #web novel #novel #fantasy #fiction #my writing #emptynameswriting

4 notes · View notes

ollie-oxen-free · 4 years ago

Text

it’s the small things

Entrapta is literally the love of my life and she is honestly SO fun to write for. anyways here’s the stereotypical season 3 entrapdak fluff

She had learned to take in the little things.

Machines, as they were, struggled to talk at first, and many times while being repaired or constructed they couldn’t speak at all. Machines could be easily figured out, though. Entrapta would run the list, check joints and wires and coding, and the problem was solved.

Organic forms were… much more complicated. Animals and such acted on instinct, and while such a thing could be predicted if enough of the variables were known, it was rare the outside world was as controlled as her lab. People were even more so. Some instinct, some higher thought, some mess of a cocktail of chemicals and neurons. People were hard to know, to predict. She loved it, of course, the messiness of it all, the seeming randomness of reactions that weren’t truly random, not like the number generators she’d been building since she could barely walk.

It could be frustrating, though, because people didn’t have a list she could go down, or a code she could read through for errors.

Hordak had flinched.

Entrapta had sharp eyes, of course, her mask she wore when focused on working improving it even more, and so when he had jerked away from her while she was making an adjustment to the shoulder of his support suit, she immediately stopped.

His right ear flicked. Annoyance, she recognized. An irritation? No nearby insects or anything brushing against it. Frustration, then.

“Why did you stop?” Hordak growled. She held down her excitement at her correct assumption.

“Did that hurt?” She asked. Such a thing could easily be fixed, of course. Pain could be remedied by a local anesthetic or an adjustment of the parameters of the suit.

Hordak became very, very still. “No,” he said, sharp, a warning to drop it.

She frowned behind her mask and looked at where her data pad was hooked to the suit, reading the recent signs of activity and the convention to the neural layers of the subj- of Hordak. Well, something was definitely off. No issue with the coding that she could see. Maybe an issue with the wiring? Connections not quite secure enough? She moved to the back of the suit, where it rested against his spine, taking off the outer panel and looking at the tech beneath.

Another flick of the ear. “What are you doing now? There was only an issue with the shoulder joint.”

She hummed, lightly running her gloves over the air just above the wires, checking where they met. “You had a physical reaction while I was re-calibrating the shoulder joint! If the suit is causing unwanted movements, even minor ones, we should really fix them sooner rather than later.”

Nothing wrong with wiring either. Maybe she’d missed something? Or the First Ones tech was starting to have a negative reaction to the rest of the suit? That thought sent a jolt of (Worry? Apprehension? Fear?) through her. She’d seen what corrupted First Ones technology could do firsthand, and imagining something like that taking over Hordak? Her lab partner? It… Scared her to think of what it could do to her friend.

Hordak sighed through his nose, catching her attention. His gaze was fixed on the opposite wall. “It… hurt,” he said, with great difficulty. “It always hurts.”

Oh. She closed the panels she had opened, taking her time, before she moved back to the shoulder, now very carefully adjusting the machinery inside to fix that little hitch she had noticed whenever he would reach for something.

“You know,” she said slowly, thinking on data and notes compiled that seemed far too incomplete for the situation at hand. “You can tell me. If it hurts.”

I don’t want to see you hurt, she did not say.

“I will consider it,” Hordak finally said, after a long pause.

She finished the rest of her adjustments quickly, taking great care to not cause him pain again. When she closed the panel he looked over at her, mouth a thin line. After a moment his features relaxed.

“Thank you, Entrapta,” he said.

“Thank you, Entrapta,” repeated Imp, perched on a table across the room. Hordak stood and stalked his way to the creature that had already flown out of his reach, repeating the phrase.

Entrapta didn’t mind. She found she kinda liked his voice when he said her name like that.

She filed it away, to think on at a later time.

#entrapdak #my writing #She Ra #spop #entrapta #hordak #imp #alternate title: HOT and SEXY gamer girlfriend comforts SPACE BAT #i just really like entrapta #and her interactions with hordak #also imp being a little bastard is enjoyable to me #she is just...... my wife

195 notes · View notes

queen-of-deans-booty · 4 years ago

Text

Your Stress Reliever

Pairing: Jared Padalecki x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.3k

Warnings: all fluff

Request by @jarpad24: I was wondering if you could write me a Jared x reader where it's the readers first con as a fan and she gets to ask a question to J2. She's fine up until it's her turn, she completely freezers and can't get a word out. Jared walks over and gives her a hug until she calms down. Then she asks her question (which you can pick what the question is)

Summary: It’s your very first Supernatural Convention, and you’re about to meet your idol, Jared Padalecki. Nothing can prepare you for the shock, no matter how much you think you’re ready. What everyone says is true: he’s a sweetheart, and his hugs make everything better.

Square Filled: traveling (2021) for @spnfluffbingo

Author’s Note: feedback is important!

You’re so excited that you’re literally bouncing up and down in your seat on the bus. You can’t believe you’re finally here at a convention that you’ve saved all summer for. You’re actually going to see your number one idol that has saved your life more times than you can count. You’ve traveled halfway across the country to come see him, and the fact that he's going to be in the same building as you when you get there blows your mind.

The bus stops and you eagerly grab your items, checking to make sure nothing was left behind. You leave the bus and look at the convention center that people are coming from and going to. There are going to be so many people here, which isn’t good for your anxiety, but you’re going to make it work. You’ve worked your ass off to be here, and you’re not going to let your anxiety get in the way of meeting Jared Padalecki.

There have been low-lows in your life to the point where you were considering suicide, but Jared has pulled you back from the edge every single time that you just want to tell him how grateful you are that he’s here making content for people like you. You’ve bought almost every single merch, follow him on every social media site he uses, and surround yourself with him as much as you can every day.

Some people think you’re obsessed with Jared and the fact that he’s so handsome, but really, you’re obsessed with how you feel because of him. He makes you feel good about yourself, and you want to feel good every single day. That’s part of the reason why you’re nervous to be here. He’s saved your life so many times and he doesn’t even know who you are. It can get a little overwhelming to think about that, but you try not to think too much.

If you do, you’ll end up leaving before you ever get to meet him.

After checking in with your pass, you head to the convention room where the Supernatural panel is going to be held. There are so many people here already, but you made sure to have assigned seating so you could get to the front. Most people here have been to conventions before, but this is your first time. You take your seat and immediately begin bouncing oyur leg to try and calm your nerves.

“First time convention?” the young woman says from next to you.

“Can you tell?” you chuckle nervously.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about. Jared and Jensen are complete sweethearts. They’re very funny.”

“Is this your first time?” you ask despite her saying how nice Jensen and Jared are.

“No, this is my fifth. I try to come every single time. I’m Gen, by the way.”

“Y/N,” you smile sweetly.

The convention room fills up quickly with the last of the fans until every single seat is taken in the room with some standing in the back. It takes only ten minutes before Jared and Jensen take the stage. Your heart swells when you see Jared standing there with a grin on his face and happiness in his eyes.

“Damn,” you sigh happily.

“I know, right?” Gen squeaks.

This convention room isn’t booked for long, so they get through the laughs and giggles before getting to the questions. A lot of people have questions for them, including you. A lot of people stand up to get in line behind the microphone placed in the middle of the room where the walkway is between the two sections of chairs. You’re only sixth in line, but the more you move up, the more nervous you get.

You got this. You got this. Don’t be nervous. He’s just a person.

“What’s your question, sweetheart?” Jensen says to the girl two places in front of you.

“My question is actually for the both of you. When there is a serious scene that you’re filming, what’s really going on behind the camera? Is everyone else serious, or is there a lot of joking going on to make you guys laugh?”

Both Jared and Jensen bust out laughing at the fond memories they have of those times. They whisper something to each other away from the microphone, so you’re not sure what they are saying.

“I can tell you right now, that if either one of us are behind camera when the other is doing a serious scene, I guarantee that there is some kind of fuckery going on to try and make us laugh. That pisses the director off, especially when we’re almost done with the day,” Jensen laughs.

“I bet a lot of weird shit happens,” the woman says.

“You have no idea.”

The woman leaves the microphone so that the person in front of you can have his turn. You’re up next, and your heart is racing. It’s a good race because you’re very excited to be talking to Jared face to face. You’re so excited that you don’t hear what his question is. All you care about is the fact that you’re up next. The man in front of you leaves, and you step up to the microphone with a smile on your face.

“Hi, what’s your name?” Jared asks kindly.

You open your mouth to answer, but nothing comes out of it. Your whole body freezes up, your anxiety taking over whether you like it or not. Everyone is staring at you, waiting for you to ask your question, and that makes your anxiety worse. Jared and Jensen whisper to one another when you don’t say anything.

“Um, m-my n-name,” you stutter, but don’t finish.

Tears well in your eyes from the pressure. You’re about five seconds from leaving the room when Jared gets up and heads for the stairs by the stage. He walks down them and over to you, smiling the whole time.

“Are you okay?”

“N-nervous, is a-all,” you sigh.

“Do you need anything? Water? A quiet room? Some space? I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable.”

Man, he truly is a sweetheart.

“Water, please.”

Jared motions to one of the security guards for some water who then hands it to you. You take three big gulps to calm yourself, and you look at him when you’re done.

“Are you okay?”

“A little,” you sigh.

“Can I give you a hug?” he asks politely.

“Yeah,” you nod.

Jared brings you into his arms, pulling you flush against his chest. His arms feel so strong around you, his chest is so firm against your ear, and his warmth spreads all over your body. You’re instantly brought back to reality because of him yet again.

“Are you okay now?” he asks as he pulls away.

“Yeah,” you smile.

Jared winks at you before leaving your side to join his best friend’s side on the stage.

“What’s your name?” he asks again.

“Y/N.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Y/N. What’s your question?”

“My question is for you, Jared. When you’re feeling down or just not like yourself, what do you like to do to make yourself feel better?”

“Good question. Mental health is so important, so I think it’s a good thing when people take the time to take care of themselves before taking care of anything else. I like to be with my animals. I think that they are a good stress reliever. If I’m not home, then I like to listen to music or write in my journal. I have about five that I’ve written about what I’ve been feeling. I think that it’s good to write those feelings down and get them out of you.”

“Thank you so much,” you say with tears in your eyes.

You go back to your seat and let the others after you ask their questions. Jared answers them to the best of his ability, but he seems to always look over to you from time to time. You made an imprint on him whether you know it or not. He doesn’t remember most people that come here, but he is definitely going to remember you.

You’re glad you came today.

Wanna get tagged? Add yourself to this document! If your tag doesn’t work, find out why!

@babypink224221 @fluffydanger @jennazeise @calaofnoldor @miraclesoflove @xxboesefrauxx @kendall-michele @007zada @nahigm @sandlee44 @a--1--1--3 @paintballkid711 @musiclovinchic93 @essie1876 @notyourtypicalrose @fuckwby @gh0stgurl @wonderful-writer @scarletmeii @mizzezm @fandom-princess-forevermore @katherine097 @posiemax @countrygal17a @knowledgefulbutterfly @justalonely-nerd @casseythebee @donnaintx @foxyjwls007 @thatmotleygirl @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @sritzthefirefly @stixnstripesworld @mylovelydame21 @samwinchestergf @confuscita

48 notes · View notes

justthehiddleswrites · 4 years ago

Text

Room For Two | Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Summary: After a long weekend at the Denver Comic-Con, you were just looking for a quiet evening. That plan is out the window when all the planes are grounded at the airport and Tom arrives at your door. With no other rooms available in the city, Tom asks to share your room for the night. Just one problem, there is only a king bed in the room.

Warnings: fluff

“Finally.“

The hotel door slammed behind you as you let a sigh go. The past three days had been a whirlwind of panels, interviews, and autographs. It was only through multiple cups of coffee you were still standing. The Denver Comic-Con was the latest stop in the unending promotional tour.

You throw your shoes off and flopped onto the king bed in your room. You contemplate what to do first, a hot shower or order food as you massage your sore feet. The growl from your stomach decided for you and you lean towards the nightstand to pick up the phone.

“Room Service,” a cheery male voice answered as you hit the auto dial button.

“Hi, can I get the grass-fed burger, Caesar salad, and the Caprese pizza, please?”

“Charged to Room 1415?”

“Yes, please.”

“It will be 30 to 40 minutes.”

“Thank you.”

You hung up the phone and allow your head to sink into the pillows. You seriously contemplated falling asleep right now and hope you wake up when room service knocks. But you decided to wash the layer of the day off your body.

As you head to the bathroom, you shed your clothes piece by piece, tossing them on the floor along your way. You make a mental note to make sure you pick it up before room service gets there. You flicked the shower water on and turned it up as hot as tolerable. Once the water warmed up, you stepped in and let the near scalding water pour over your body. The tension left your shoulders and neck and the grime of the day, both literal and figurative, washed away. You wanted to stay under that hot water for an eternity but after about ten minutes you turned the water off and stepped into a fluffy bathrobe. As you exited the bathroom, you got an insistent knock on the door.

“That can’t possible be room service,” you muttered as you look through the peephole.

Instead of your food, you see a lanky ginger-haired gentleman rocking from side to side in front of your door.

“Tom?” you questioned as you open the door.

Tom turned on that smile.

“I hope I am not interrupting your evening. Do you mind if I come in for a minute?”

“Yes, come on in,” you stepped aside to allow him entry to the room. You noticed he was carrying a small duffel bag with him. “I thought you were flying out tonight.”

He pivoted around to face you.

“Funny thing. They grounded the flights. Someone thought flying drones in the air space was a good idea. After four hours, they sent everyone away.”

“Didn’t that same thing happen at Heathrow in December?”

“The same thing. They are calling it a copycat.”

“I am so sorry. If I can help, just say the word,” you commented as you turn to let him out the door. Tom does not follow.

“Well, that is the other funny thing. Because of the comic-con and the big education convention, there is not a spare room in the entire city.”

“You’re kidding me?”

“I am serious. Not even my original room was available. I thought about sleeping at the airport when I remembered you were staying a few days…”

Your eyes widened, realizing what Tom was asking.

“You want to stay… HERE?!”

Tom looked at the ground, scuffling his feet on the carpet.

“If you don’t mind.”

You looked to the single king bed in the room. Tom followed your gaze and then both of your faces reddened.

“I could sleep in the chair.” Tom gestured towards the armchair in the corner.

It was at least half his size and looked uncomfortable.

“No, that is not fair… We can…”

A knock interrupted your thought.

“SHIT!” you hissed as you pulled the bathrobe around your body, “that is room service.”

Tom held up his hands.

“I will handle it. Why don’t you go into the bathroom and make yourself decent?”

He made the last remark with a slight smirk on his face as his eyes raked over your still robed body. You throw him a dirty look as you grabbed your pajamas and shut the bathroom door.

Tom thanked the person who brought the food as you pulled a comic book t-shirt and well-worn pajama pants.

“Were you expecting company?” Tom yelled through the bathroom door.

You remembered your hunger induced over ordering.

“Are you judging me?” you retorted as you opened the door, smiling.

“Nope. I have always appreciated people with a healthy appetite. I must admit I am famished myself. Airport food is not my favorite.”

You suppressed a giggle as Tom eyed the burger. You gestured for him to dig in. Tom dug into the burger without a second thought and moans of satisfaction escaped his lips.

“Enjoying yourself?” you mumbled as you shove a forkful of salad in your own mouth, “I also appreciate a man with a joy for food, even such a high esteemed actor as yourself.”

Tom rolled his eyes. This was an ongoing joke between you two throughout filming. You mention his fame and him shutting you down every time.

“Please. None of that tonight. I am far too hungry and weary to fight you off.”

“Fair enough.”

***

The two of you eat the rest of the food in relative silence. Tom regal the tale of his ill-fated trip to the Denver airport and you shared crazy fan stories from the con. After every morsel and you bellies were full, the matter of sleeping arrangements came up once.

“So…” Tom started, looking once again towards the bed. “I am taking the chair.”

Your face once again reddened. You screwed up your courage to be an adult rather a hormone raging teenager.

“No, that is silly. You are like twice the size of that chair and it looks uncomfortable,” you wrinkled your nose, “Plus it is not like you and I have never shared a bed before.”

Tom had been a perfect gentleman and did everything in his power to make you comfortable during your first ever love scene. At the end of the day, the scene had made the film a hit. After that, you harbored a crush on the dashing Tom Hiddleston.

“True. So sharing the bed.”

You swallowed and nodded your head as if solidify your decision.

“Yep,” you get up and move the empty dishes to the door, “do you need to use the shower? You are more than welcome to use any of my toiletries. I promise there is nothing too girly smelling in there.”

“Thank you.”

Tom headed into the bathroom, taking his bag with him and the shower started soon after. You attempted to contain the mess of clothes on the bed. Not that it mattered.

You shoved all the clothes into the drawers and when the water stopped, you jumped underneath the covers. Tom strolled out. His shaggy locks were wet, and he was wearing pajama bottoms with a plain white tee. You could smell your soap wafting off of him. It was intoxicating.

“I took the right side. Is okay?” you commented, while playing with the edge of the sheet.

Tom laughed. “It’s fine, it is your room and I am the interloper.”

Tom slid into the bed on the left side and adjusted the pillows behind him.

“Would you like to watch a movie or something?” you picked up the remote.

“No thanks, darling. I am tired from the day. I bet you must be too. This is your first comic-con circuit, right?”

“Yeah, I guess I am tired too,” you lied.

You leaned over and switched off the light and plunged the room into darkness. You settled yourself into a night of sleeping. You arranged the pillows behind your head and then took one of the extra pillows and tucked off to one side to lie on. You turned towards Tom’s side to see him propped up on an elbow, taking in your sleep ritual.

“What in earth are you doing, Y/N?”

“I am getting ready for bed. What are you doing?”

“Watching you getting ready for bed. Do you always hug a pillow while sleeping?”

You made out a hint of a smile on his face.

“It is not hugging, it is for support,” you huffed down and wrap your arms around the pillow.

“For emotional support?” Tom countered.

“No.” you said, “I thought you were tired.”

“I am. But I am not too tired to watch this ritual. It is adorable. If you need to snuggle something, I am available.”

You reached over and smacked Tom in the chest.

“You are incorrigible. I’m fine. Go.. to.. sleep, Tom.”

“Suit yourself.”

Your sleep was fitful that night, tossing and turning all night. Around midnight, you threw the pillow to the ground and the comforter off your feet. Tom breathed heavy next to you. Tempted to elbow him in the ribs and wake him, you decided against it.

***

You woke the next morning to something warm and solid pressed up against the entire back side of your body. You attempted to roll over, but you realized something pinned your legs to the mattress. Craning your neck around, you see Tom pressed up against your back and his legs intertwined with yours.

Tom’s body was radiating heat, and you snuggled close to his body. You could feel his breath on your neck and you sighed to yourself.

If this is a dream, I never want to wake up.

As you continued to sink into his body, you inadvertently ground your ass into Tom’s crotch. You feel his erection through his thin pajama pants. Not even the great Tom Hiddleston was immune to morning wood. A soft moan escaped Tom’s lips, and he reached around your waist, pulling you in closer. Tom’s chin nuzzled into the crook on your neck and his hot breath tickled your skin.

You tried to extract yourself from his grip but only turned yourself around and now you were face to face with a sleeping Tom. His long lashes threatened to touch his cheeks and you let a sigh out at the sight of him.

Damn, why does he have to be so handsome!

The change of position caused Tom to stir and you see his eyes flutter open. With sleepy eyes, Tom noticed the space, or lack thereof, between the two of you and smirked.

“Morning, darling.”

“Morning, Tom.”

“I see you abandoned your pillow and went for something more satisfying.”

You scoffed, attempting to pull away from his grip but not trying too hard.

“I woke up with you wrapped around me. Perhaps you have a crush on me,” you joked.

Tom looked you dead in the eye.

“Perhaps I do. Perhaps I have been hiding away a secret torch for you since you first walked onto set. And perhaps I fear you would not reciprocate my feelings.”

You lied there in disbelief. Was Tom confessing his affections towards you? You didn’t know how to react.

“Perhaps you are wrong.” you parroted him, “Perhaps I would reciprocate your feelings. Perhaps I have been hiding a secret crush for you since the day of that bedroom scene.”

You looked up at him, again attempting to wriggle away. This time with more effort. Tom yanked you forward until the two of you were chest to chest.

“Perhaps I will just kiss you and see what happens.”

You opened your mouth to come back with a snappy comment but Tom leaned in and his lips met yours.

The kiss was everything you had imagined, but better. A warmth flowed through your body and you snaked your arms around Tom’s neck and pulled him closer. The two of you parted, breathing heavy.

“Wow,” Tom smiled with pride, “your breath smells.”

Both of you burst out into laughing.

“Your breath isn’t minty fresh either, darling,” Tom placed a quick peck on your lips. “Let’s get up, get dressed, and head downstairs for breakfast, Y/N.”

“Okay but you get ready first. I am not ready to get up.”

“Fair enough.”

Tom bounded out of bed and rustled through his bag before finding clean clothes. Just as he reached the bathroom door, his phone buzzed.

“Do you mind checking that, darling?”

You nodded, and he disappeared into the bathroom.

You picked up the phone and saw a text from Luke.

Tom?! Where are you? You didn’t answer your phone last night. It took some persuading, but I got your suite back at the Hyatt. Please call me back. I hope you didn’t end up sleeping in the airport.

That little liar! Tom had manipulated you to spend the night. What a sneak! Your initial anger gave way to mischief and joy. If not for Tom’s little subterfuge, the two of you may have never gotten together. Still, you couldn’t let him get away with his little scheme scot-free.

You seated yourself at the edge of the bed, legs crossed and his phone in your hand. Tom came out in jeans and a shirt, a toothbrush in his mouth. He looked at you confused.

“Who was it?” he questioned, taking his toothbrush out of his mouth.

You smirked, “Oh just Luke.”

“What did he want, love,” he came over and placed a minty kiss on your forehead, “everything all right?”

“Yeah,” you wiped the remnants of toothpaste off your face, “he was just worried you slept in the airport, instead of your old suite in the hotel.”

Tom’s smile fell from his face.

“I can explain…”

You stood up and walked until you were toe to toe.

“Oh? And what is your explanation for lying about your sleeping arrangements?”

You suppressed a smirk and giggle and you can see Tom scrambling to come up with the right words.

“Well..” Tom held his hands up in defense and then sighed, shoulders slumping, “I couldn’t think of any other way to get you into bed with me.”

His blue eyes sparkled back you, hopeful. You let a Cheshire cat grin spread across your face and you pulled up onto your toes to place a kiss on his lips.

“You are lucky you are so charming, otherwise I might be more mad. Besides, we need to discuss this.” you waved your hands between the two of you.

“We are?”

“Yes. Now excuse me but I have to get dressed…”

Tom settled onto the bed as though you would strip off your pajamas right in front of him.

“… in the bathroom.”

Tom’s face fell.

“You wound me.”

“You lied.” “I promise I will never make that mistake again, darling.”

“Good, now call Luke back while I get dressed.”

You closed the door and got ready. Tom dialed in Luke’s number.

“I’m fine, Luke. I promise. No, I didn’t end sleeping in the airport; I stayed with a friend. No, a female friend. Yes it is her, if you must know. Yes, Luke. I understand. Oh by the way, I will spend a few days in Denver, clear my schedule.”

Tom could hear Luke grumbling through the conversation. He couldn’t resist send him into a tailspin before re-engaging in radio silence.

“Oh and Luke, if you hear any rumors about me, they are true. The photos too.”

With that, he turned his phone off. The next few days were for you and you alone.

#tom hiddleston fanfiction #tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston fluff #tom hiddleston imagine

159 notes · View notes

yurimother · 4 years ago

Text

LGBTQ Comic Review - Amongst Us Book 1

A masterful combination of comedy, subtle romance, and incredible sensuality

I make no attempts to hide my complete admiration and infatuation with Shilin Huang's Yuri webcomic Amongst Us. The slice of life AU featuring reimagined versions of the lead characters from fantasy series Carciphona as a lesbian couple has held a special place in my heart for a long time. I named the series one of the best Yuri works of the past one-hundred years, can frequently be found lurking in the author's Twitch streams, and even have a wall in my office dedicated to the artwork of the main couple (or I did before my office became a remote classroom). So, when a Kickstarter by Shilin and Hiveworks Comics launched promising a print version of the work, I was eager to support it financially and promote it with my humble platform. The Kickstarter took place in March, and books were initially estimated for release in May of 2020. However, as you have probably realized by the dates alone, the world went very South around this time. A combination of disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, a healthy amount of bad luck, and what I am inclined to believe, for various reasons, was some awful mismanagement by Hiveworks led to numerous delays. Indeed, by the time the book finally shipped, I had moved, so my copy arrived a little later as it had to be forwarded. But, at the end of this frustrating and anticipation-building event, I finally have the volume in my hands, and it was worth the wait. While I adore the webcomic, this gorgeous print volume completely enthralls me. The book is absolutely the preferred way to read this spectacular comic.

Before getting into the exquisite details of Amongst Us Book 1: Soulmates, I need to take a minute to praise how well this book is put together. The paperback binding is thick and features amazing spot glass that sparkles in the light. This feature only accentuates the fantastic and bright the cover illustration of main characters Veloce and Blackbird loving holding each other is. The back cover has a simpler but more imaginative illustration of the two flying through the sky, and the character's expressions tell you everything you need to know about this fantastic, odd couple. There are a few things you will notice upon opening the volume. The first is how well Amongst Us made the challenging transition from vertical webcomic to the page. The assembly and paneling are fantastic and clear, and chapters feature stylized illustrations and title cards. You will then see the inside cover, a powerful display that perfectly contrasts the front's glowing and tender love. Finally, there is Shilin's presents moving forward and dedication, where she lovingly dedicates the book to her partner, Kristen.

I assure you, as good as the book's presentation and assembly is, the contents within are even better. Amongst Us follows Veloce and Blackbird's bombastic relationship. The two women are eccentric and striking musicians in their early twenties, and I swear you will never forget them. The slice of life storylines are, per the genre's definition, mundane and include events like shopping at the mall, riding the train, and having lunch with a friend. The charming simplicity of the story serves well to the reactions of the characters. Shilin effortlessly transitions from adorable moments of affection to explosive and hilarious comedy and irresistible and delightful moments of sexual tension; Veloce's neck and jawline alone could topple a monarchy. Often, slice of life works can become dull or repetitive, but these stories and the frequent changes in tone help the reader stay engaged and excited.

Putting slice of life aside for a moment, it is also important to note that Amongst Us is also has an interesting place within the Yuri genre, or "Girl's Love/GL" as it is often called in webcomic circles (originally an analogous term of Boy's Love). Webcomics have often been a bit more adventurous with their storylines and styles than Japanese manga. While the genre rose to popularity in the space thanks to digital manhwa and manhua, some (not all) of the Yuri tropes did not carry over between the similar mediums. Many modern webcomics and webtoons take their inspiration more from manhwa and manhua GL, which has developed its own canon and tropes over the years. However, even for a webcomic, Shilin's work feels somewhat divorced from most other worlds of Yuri. This first volume exists mainly against the Yuri genre's expectations. However, the next book, which flashes back to the couple's origin, undoubtedly is more in line with convention, for better or worse. It feels like the author decided to screw the norms and write a work that she would enjoy, and I am so glad that she did. Veloce and Blackbird are young adults, out of school in an established relationship with no drama. This (sadly) unconventional setting is made all the more irregular because of just how distinctive, and unwonted Blackbird and Veloce are.

Blackbird and Veloce, originally from the fantasy world of Carciphona, take on a new life, literally, in this wonderful modern reimagining and homage. You do not need to be a fan of the original work to enjoy their bizarre and larger-than-life personalities. Indeed, when I read Amongst Us online for the first time, I had not ever even heard of Carciphona. Veloce is the quieter and more stoic of the two, although she is not afraid of showing a more relatable and human side as she reacts to Blackbirds wild antics. Veloce's (not)straight man approach is hilariously sobering. But, her best moments are in those when she lets loose a little bit, like when she is rendered drooling by the promise of her favorite smoothie or in her stoic yet alluring flirtations with Blackbird, only to get close enough to steal a healthy chomp of ice cream.

Blackbird, on her part, is completely insane. She continuously pulls of wild antics like jumping on Veloce to surprise her or singing an especially threatening song after a glorious battle over lunch. However, she is perfectly capable of showing her love and admiration for Veloce in her own cheeky way. However, true to form, each softer or more personal moment between the two is often immediately and perfectly juxtaposed with comedy, with the apparent exception of the book's touching and thoughtful finale. Veloce and Blackbird will both more than please readers individually, but you will fall in love with them as a couple. I must have read this at least a few dozen times between the webtoon and the book, and I am just as enchanted as ever by their loud and unapologetic love.

The ordinary misadventures of Blackbird and Veloce are accompanied by genuinely astounding artwork. No, that statement does not do Shilin's illustrations justice. Veloce and Blackbird lead from the page thanks to stunning, full-color illustrations that detail every moment of hilarity. Every movement from the slightest smirk to the over-the-top dramatizations of regular events thoughtfully and beautifully sprawl across the pages and invite you to stare for hours. Shilin is the only person possible who could make something as simple as someone softly singing Happy Birthday so epic and sultry. Speaking of which, my goddess of Yuri is this work titillating. No, there are no gratuitous scenes, but just the characters leaning over each other or touching the other's chin makes my hands shake. My only small complaint is that some early chapters show their age slightly with noticeably lower quality linework and flatter colors than the dazzling and dynamic work demonstrated towards the end. Still, even on its worst day, Amongst Us looks better than most of its peers and the entirety of its many inferiors.

Amongst Us is nearly the perfect work. It has a uniquely compelling and mirth-inducing way of displaying a young yet very unordinary couple's everyday life. Its characters, from design to personality, are instantly memorable and striking. Despite being ready to rip each other's heads off at the drop of a hat, or rather because of it, Blackbird and Veloce feel the perfect and natural couple we so rarely witness. Shilin's masterful combination of comedy, subtle romance, and incredible sensuality is astounding. This book is worth it for the outstanding and vibrant artwork alone, but its combination with excellent writing create a sonorous and majestic modern romance unlike any other. I believe that Shilin has created something genuinely special here, and I can confidently say that out of the hundreds of webcomics I have read, this one is the pinnacle of its kind and my absolute favorite.

You can purchase Amongst Us book 1: Soulmates exclusively on Shilin's online shop and read the webcomic now for free on Twitter, Webtoon and Tumblr @okolnir.

Ratings: Story – 9 Characters – 10 Art – 10 LGBTQ – 8 Sexual Content – 5 Final – 10

#yuri #reviews #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtq+#queer #gay #anime #manga #amongst us #shilin #lesbian #gl #wlw #girls love #comics #comic #webtoon #webcomic #cute #funny #lol

269 notes · View notes