#maybe i'm misinterpreting this but i can't think of anything else that this might be about

[sinnettini]

... I thought you said you were nonbinary and not a guy?

... is this because i said "can't a guy even x" ? can't a not-guy even call themselves guy

[alchemistc]

Buck's halfway through his third cup of startlingly bad coffee when Josh pushes the door to the breakroom open, looking mildly concerned in the half second before someone else looms over his shoulder.

He's too numb to do much more than take another sip of coffee as he watches Josh usher Tommy in.

The door clicks shut behind him. Buck wonders for a moment if Tommy's ever actually been to the new dispatch headquarters before. If he ever went to the old one, charming grin on his face while he waited for Abby to finish up so he could take her out, drive her home while her car was in the shop - but no, Tommy would have worked on it himself, maybe.

Had Josh recognized him, that first time, with half of his soot on Buck's face, and just never said anything?

The silence is tense. They're in a fishbowl, no room to lash out even if either of them wanted to because more than half the people working in this place can see them if they just tip their head to the side.

"How can I help?"

It's - his voice is strained, scared, worried. Buck doesn't have a single guess as to how he knows. Maybe Bobby. It's the only person he can think of who would have -.

Buck snorts. "I rebounded with a serial killer who just kidnapped my sister and my baby niece or nephew. I don't - I'm not sure what you want."

He glances up just in time to see the end of Tommy's grimace. Good. He's not sure how much more disastrous of a choice he could have made to try to get Tommy out of his system, but at least it hurts him to know. At least...

"Do you want me to go?"

Buck can't remember anyone asking, before. Usually they just... leave. Get up, walk out, disappear. Tommy bubbled Buck five times in three months. Buck went through seven bags of flour before he drove Eddie to the airport.

His voice shakes on his "No," and Tommy is there, all of the sudden, his hand hovering just over Buck's shoulder, like he realized halfway there it might not be welcome. "Do you still think I need to keep looking for someone better than you?"

It'd been seeing Tommy out with a guy that'd prompted him to stop fucking baking and make an effort to just...get over it But with Eddie away, and the rest of the 118 so wrapped up in their lives, there weren't a whole lot of outlets for that. And it's been easy to willfully misinterpret Tommy's breakup speech. Or - interpret it in the most hurtful way possible.

"Is this what you want to do right now?" Tommy asks, even and measured. "Will this help?"

"I want my sister back!"

Tommy takes a step back. His hands shift to his pockets, and Buck just wants -

"Why are you here?"

He tips his head up. Holds Tommy's gaze. Tommy flounders in a way Buck's never seen before.

He looks - tired. Good. White Henley under a flannel Buck had always told him brought out his eyes. The jeans Buck had stolen once or twice because they made his ass look good. His hair's grown in at the sides, and the sprinkling of greys are more obvious than the last time he'd seen it this length.

"I just... didn't want you to be alone."

Tears threaten at the corners of his eyes. He wants to laugh, but he's terrified if he starts he won't be able to hold in the fear. "When did that change?"

Tommy gnaws on his cheek. "You have so many people, Buck. You have -."

"I don't want emotional repression Tommy here, so if you're just here to keep me distracted until someone else can be here you should just... go."

Something flashes in his gaze. Anger, maybe. Terror.

"Please let me stay."

It hurts, to hear it. It hurts to hear the trepidation in his voice as he says it. Buck just wants to pull him in, tuck his face into the curve of his neck, soak in the warmth of his arms.

Buck spends too long staring at his knees. Long enough for Tommy to shift, to sigh, to nod his head decisively out of the corner of Buck's eye.

The word is stuck in his throat. Has been for months, since Tommy looked at him with teary eyes and walked away.

"I won't be able to let you go again."

He's already half turned away. Buck can only see half his expression as his eyes dip closed. He swallows. Nods, again.

Buck can't watch him push back through that door, so he stares at the toes of his boots until his vision starts to blur.

A second pair of toes swim into his eyeline. A hand shifts through his curls, snagging on knots, digging towards his scalp, and he can't quite bite back the sob. The arms that reach for him are warm, big and familiar, and Buck gives himself over to the panic and the fear that have been clawing at his chest for hours now. Tommy says something - whispers it into the air above Buck's head over and over, but Buck can't - he just -

He presses his face into Tommy's stomach, digs his fingers into the back of his shirt, sucks in horrible, gasping breaths. It's not enough. Nothing will be until he's got Maddie in his arms.

But it's more than he had an hour ago.

"Stay," he manages, and Tommy's fingers curl around Buck's neck and hold.

[ronearoundblindly]

Dirty Water

Steve Rogers x deep sea mermaid!Reader

Prompt from this dirty ask game with our pairing from the Sun, Salt, and Shield series.

Summary: After a very long (but unofficial) courtship, where Steve is too shy to bring up your anatomy and his compatibility, a cultural misinterpretation quite literally sinks his resolve.

Warnings for smut (I'm gonna have to call this what it is and just say it's monster-f**king, or the one where Steeb gets maybe-CNC-boinked by a 'monster.' Sorry, babes. Ro's dipped a toe into the darkside for a smidge.) MINORS DNI. Poorly--or rather, not--edited and I have no idea the word count...

Steve swallows harshly and tries not to nervously splash his feet in the pool.

"What?" he chokes out.

He can't think of anything more articulate to say, not that it would matter when so much is lost in translation.

All you did was ask about the singing outside the doors of your 'room'--the retrofitted gym pool at the Avengers compound, the one is the basement without windows for your highly sensitive eyes--but he...could never have predicted why you were so curious.

"They're just enjoying themselves," he'd chuckled, shrugging like it was no big deal. "Do you sing?"

The look on your face, jaw slack and head tilting in contemplation, it should have warned him. You unfurled from your relaxed posture, the stance where your arms cross behind your back and fit atop the swell of your--he'd say tail, but it's more like your ass--rump, the rest of your body bent in a curve until your fin nearly touches the surface, and inched closer to his feet in the deep end.

"Yessssss," you hissed slowly through three rows of sharp teeth, crawling up his legs, out of the water, dripping over his lap as you braced large, webbed hands on either side of his hips.

Even in the very low light of damp room, he could see the lavender of your stare drop to his crotch.

"You sing too?"

Steve's an idiot. He didn't understand yet, so that dumbass actually began humming 'You Are My Sunshine' because nothing else occurred to him.

Then he noticed your tail glowing beneath the scales.

Then he realized you were pressing yourself to his legs.

Aaaand then Steve Rogers looked down your body to witness his knee disappearing in a spongy spot where the armoring swelled apart.

Oh god.

"What?" he now asks like an frightened teen seeing boobs for the first time.

"I make you sing?" Your broad green lips turn up in a smile. "Show me."

Suddenly, Steve's forgotten more english than you've learned. "Huh?"

Your flowing, textured hair, shapely even out of the water, sways when you cock your head to the side, looking through your lashes at him.

"How Stevie sing?"

He shivers for the first time in the cool water and lets an involuntary grunt leave his lips.

He's tried to stop himself from imagining your body and how it works to...ya know, and how he might...oh god, he's going to hell, but apparently, you've already been imagining that humans are either masturbating or fucking outside your door at all hours all the time--

--and oh shit, that means you sing as a part of sex.

He turns his head to the almost black ceiling and fails to think of anything else as the light from your body reflects in waves on every wall. He whimpers when he feels a ripple of muscle through the wet cotton of his jeans.

"Doll make Stevie sing?" Your voice is hoarse, and just as quickly as you say that by his throat, you flip back into the water. You can only breathe air for so long without hurting your throat and lungs.

He thinks he's off the hook, praying the tightness in his pants dissipates faster than they'll take to dry, but he lowers his head to find you peeking from the water, intent as ever on learning his ways.

He should be ashamed, so very fucking ashamed, of how badly he wants to take himself out of his pants and watch the wonder of those pretty eyes as he comes at the thought of you, but Steve's drowning in the hope that he can have you. It's been so long that he's wanted this, even in the most innocent ways.

Your final plea bubbles to the surface.

"Show?"

Steve inhales sharply, running a hand through his hair and licking his lips.

This is wrong, he thinks. You should not be doing this.

Yet he does it anyway because he wants to; he wants to so badly.

He sits up straight at the edge of the concrete, popping the button of his jeans and aches as he lowers the zipper. He can't meet your eye while he pulls out his semi-hard cock and fists it harshly.

You're so long that even looking away leaves your shimmering tail in sight, and he thinks he sees you rattle in excitement. It makes him shiver again, and the vibration shakes the moan escaping his tight chest.

Yikes, it does sound a bit like he's singing...

What the hell are you even doing?

Of course, he knows he's touching himself and he knows well enough how to do that, but he shouldn't be doing this in front of you, much less enjoying it. His blood is running so hot beneath his skin, though, the chilly pool feels soothing over his shins where he rolled up his pants (to no avail).

The heat floods his veins and mind to the point rational thought quiets, and Steve's eyes slither up your demure form.

Your eyes get wider and wider the more noise he makes, and his rampant imagination feeds off the sight of that gap in your scales visible as it undulates in the refraction beneath his feet.

He leans his head back and closes his own eyes at just the wrong moment.

Mid-whine, he misses the splashing sound that would have warned him you were coming, and instead Steve is pummeled by the end of your tail and topples into the pool, shocked and sputtering salty water until his body is pinned to the flat of the concrete wall he used to be perch on.

As he scrambles to toss his arms over the ledge, he feels claws dragging his jeans farther down his legs, and the fabric hangs like an anchor while the silky-slick webbing of your fingers glides up and down his thighs.

Then your tongue runs the length of his cock, making Steve moan embarrassingly loud and thrust his hips forward. If he weren't in the water, he'd be a puddle.

Pleasure races up and down his spine, fighting for dominance over the feeling of cold when he slips from the ledge and submerges briefly.

He barely registers the loss of your tongue and your quick lap of swimming before you're backing into him again.

It's on your ass, too, the soft entrance like you rubbed against his knee, but he could not have imagined what it could do--what you could do--how you could manipulate your muscles inside your tail.

He has no brainpower left to describe it. Steve just lets go, trusting your body to hold his weight as one hand grips the mossy softness of your waist and the other hand spreads over your lower back. Out of instinct, he tries to get leverage to push himself in and out of you, but that's useless.

There's a strong ripple of muscle that pulls him in, and in, and in, delicately tight on his sensitive cock and wide enough to slowly suck his balls into the massaging cavern.

Steve's eyes roll far into his head. He's going to pass out if this keeps up.

"Doll," he gasps, but it's too quiet in the slosh of the water. "Please, I'm--"

A clear, high note crescendos from the deep below, something disturbingly pure and paralyzing, and Steve can't move. He can only feel and experience a siren's song in action.

His body twitches violently before his cum is milked sensually, desperately, methodically from his cradled and ravaged pelvis, and never in Steve's long life has he ever been so fucking spent.

He whimpers when your cunt releases him, only faintly aware that he's propped on your back by his elbows as you swim to the shallow end and let him 'stand' on his shaky legs.

The screeching hinge of the door startles him.

"Cap," the junior agent yells over your hiss from the bright light spraying in, "everything okay? I heard..."

Yeah, I couldn't describe it either, Steve thinks.

He spits water from his mouth. "Fine," he huffs back, "we were...singing, and I fell in."

"Oh. Alright. Sorry to disturb you, Miss G." The man nods his apology at your hand-covered eyes and leaves.

Steve can't help but laugh like an insane person, laying to properly float in the water, uncaring what you're up to until he gently hits the stairs leading out of the pool.

Your head rises out of the water hopefully, and he cups your cheeks, still chuckling. He has zero words to describe...anything at the moment, but he can show you a human tradition of affection in return.

Shifting as easily as a feather in the water, he pulls you two together and sweetly presses his salmon lips to your seaweed pout, letting your long locs fall over his own shoulders.

Soon, he's gasping for air again, yet just before you dunk below the surface, you grin and coo at him.

"Stevie sings lovely."

[Main Masterlist; Dirty Asks Masterlist; Ko-Fi]

what...the hell have i done. *hits post before final two braincells protest*

@fandom-has-taken-me-hostage @leah2901 @blogbog710 @supraveng @patzammit @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @yiiiikesmish @ashesofblackroses @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory @brandycranby @buckysprettybaby @ellethespaceunicorn @late-to-the-party-81 @rogersbarber @bucky-fricking-barnes-reads @fallinallinmendes @jamneuromain

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for inquiring after a blog that got deleted?

This happened several months ago and my friends have told me that I wasn't in the wrong, but my stupid anxiety keeps bringing it up and saying actually they only told me that because they like me. Maybe the judgement of strangers will finally get my brain to put it to rest. Repliers, please use she/her pronouns only for me, I don't like being called by they/them.

I'm keeping this vague to respect the privacy of the others involved; if you somehow recognize the situation, please do not give further details. Feel free to ask for clarification if something is confusing, but I will not be providing additional information like what fandom it was as I believe that would just risk revealing who was involved, and I can't think of any additional info that would affect someone's judgement of what I did. I would like judgement of what I did without risking violating anyone else involved's privacy. Also, sorry this is so long. It's the ADHD. I hate it too.

I'm relating the dms involved as closely as I can, but they won't be word-for-word.

I follow several roleplay blogs in the same fandom. One day I noticed one that I particularly liked seemed to have been deleted. I wasn't sure if they'd made a goodbye post I didn't see before deleting or something, so I made a post asking if anyone knew if something had happened with their mod, as it seemed to come out of nowhere to me. No one ever interacted with this post, but I have no way of knowing if people saw it.

I messaged a blog that I had seen interact with them a lot asking something like "hey, do you know if something happened with [blog]'s mod? I noticed they had deleted and was wondering if something happened." They replied with the single word "no" and I thanked them and apologized for bothering them. This one word was the only thing they ever said to me. I took this to mean that they didn't know if anything had happened, but didn't try to investigate further. I was vaguely concerned that they seemed to have suddenly disappeared without anyone knowing, but it wasn't my place to try and dig things up.

A couple days later I was scrolling back through a different blog and I noticed an old post they'd reblogged from the person who deleted's sideblog, and the sideblog had also been deleted. I sent a dm asking something like "Hey, I noticed [blog] and [sideblog] were both deleted, and was wondering if you knew if the mod was alright" and received a response just saying that no one wanted to make what happened public, least of all the mod. I thanked them for responding, apologized for prying, and said I hoped things were alright, then deleted my post asking if anyone knew what had happened, so that people couldn't stumble on it, get curious, and try and pry themselves.

Very shortly after, I received an anonymous ask scolding me for prying into the mod's business when they wanted things kept quiet and continuing after being told no. I posted the anon and explained that I hadn't meant to pry - just was wondering if things were okay - and that I must have misinterpreted that first "no", apologized if I'd made anyone uncomfortable, and made it clear I would absolutely not ask further. That was the end of it, at least as far as I know.

I think I might be the asshole because: I didn't know the mod, we'd never talked beyond their answering some of my asks, but I asked people about them anyways. I was genuinely wondering if they were okay and was careful not to ask what happened, but I know I can have trouble finding the line between normal and nosy, and maybe messaging two people was too far, even if the first person seemed to not know anything.

I think I might not be the asshole because: I wasn't asking for details on what happened, I was just wondering if they were okay or if I'd missed a goodbye post, and backed off immediately after being told it was private. I don't think it's really my fault that I misinterpreted the first person saying "no" to me asking if they knew if something had happened, since I thought they were literally answering my question.

Again, please do not try to figure out who was involved in this if you think you recognize it; I just want my brain to stop turning this damn situation over and over and maybe having strangers judge it will do that.

So. AITA for asking after someone who deleted their roleplay blog?

What are these acronyms?

[writesology]

in which ace gets lost on his way to class. thank the seven his dorm head is there to help him!

+ bonus drabble below the cut <3 happy valentine's to these losers

(takes place post-dorm ace vignette, but before book 2 aka right in the middle of ace's big fat crush on his oblivious dorm head)

"Shit, shit, shit, I'm gonna be late!" Ace dashes past groups of students in the hallway, magic pen gripped tightly in his hands as wind magic swirls around him. "And I don't even know where the hell I'm supposed to-"

"Ace Trappola! What do you think you're doing running in the hallways!" The first-year freezes at the familiar voice (and no, his heart didn't skip a beat) and turns around to find his dorm head glaring at him with crossed arms.

Two weeks ago, seeing Riddle would've added to his pent-up frustration, and he probably would've gotten his magic sealed (or re-sealed) by the end of their interaction. Now, they're at least on good enough terms that Ace has some hope he won't be arriving to class late and collared.

Plus, there are a few upsides to having his dorm head here at this very moment, none of which have to do with how cute he is.

"Dorm head! Sorry, but I really need your help right now," Ace says as he approaches Riddle. "My magic analysis discussion went overtime and then Trein switched his lecture hall last minute, and I was running because I have no idea where room 2408 is, and if I'm not there in five, I'm gonna be late again! Please, you wouldn't let me be late, right?"

Riddle thinks for a second, then nods. "In that case, it can't be helped. Very well, I'll take you there." Ace is just about to cheer and thank his dorm head for the directions, but then Riddle takes his hand and starts leading him down the hallway, effectively making his brain short-circuit.

Holy shit. Riddle's holding his hand.

The touch sends sparks through his fingers and up his arm, until all Ace can think about is the warmth of Riddle's hand in his and how perfectly their hands fit together and-

...he needs to think about something else. If he keeps going with this, Ace is fairly sure he'll burst into a ball of flames, never mind that fire magic is Riddle's specialty and not his, and so the first-year tears his gaze away from their hands and tries to look at the scenery.

Keyword: tries, because his eyes drift back to Riddle again and again. Eventually, he gives up and looks at Riddle's face instead.

His dorm head is saying something, probably about how he should have better manners than to run in the halls, but none of the words are registering in his brain.

Actually, Ace would be surprised if anything could register in his brain with the way he feels all tingly. Maybe he should just skip lecture at this point-

"-ce. Ace!" The first-year blinks, and suddenly Riddle's waving one hand in front of his face with a look of mild concern. "I said we're here. Didn't you hear me?"

"Oh." Ace glances up, and sure enough, they're standing in front of room 2408. "Th-thanks, dorm head."

Riddle frowns, and fuck, that should not look as cute as it does. "Are you alright? You look rather red."

"Fine. I'm fine, thanks." Ace does his best to give a relaxed smile, and thankfully, Riddle believes it.

"Very well. Just be sure to get proper rest if you think you're coming down with something." The first-year shoots a thumbs-up at him, and Riddle nods. "Right then, I'll be-"

"Wait!" His dorm head startles and turns back to look at him, his head tilted questioningly, and Ace internally curses the tremor in his voice. "I, uh... why did you, y'know... take me here yourself? I thought you would've just given me directions or something because you're such a busy guy."

"Well, there was a chance you might have misinterpreted, and then you really would've been late. I can't have one of my dorm members getting lost or being late, so leading you here myself was the only surefire way. And besides, I'm not so busy that I can't help you personally."

The answer is so honest and overwhelmingly Riddle that it almost hurts. "O-okay! Sure. Thanks a ton, dorm head."

"It was my pleasure." Riddle smiles lightly before he turns to leave. "You should head inside. And be sure to pay attention, or you know what's coming."

The smile tips him over the edge, and Ace hurriedly pushes the lecture hall doors open before plopping down in the first empty seat he sees and burying his face in his palms with a groan.

That beautiful boy is going to be the death of him. And Ace doesn't mind it one bit.

[fun-k-board]

Could you possibly write some dating headcanons for Ben Reilly?? He is such a himbo, I love him sm :D

Dating headcanons for ATSV Ben Reilly

Note(s) : The reader is a Spider from another universe!

I'm just gonna guess that you mean ATSV Ben! My bad if that's not the case, this might be OOC because I haven't seen the movie since it came out.

He feels like you're so strange and different to him, you don't speak out loud what your emotions are and that's so different from his universe, it's almost like a puzzle that Ben is desperate to solve, even if he can just ask you, audibly guessing is just that much more fun.

Ben isn't too smart with body language, in his universe, everybody says what they're feeling or doing, so if you're somebody who has very neutral expressions, he tends to get confused a lot and misinterpret your actions. He doesn't do this on purpose, and you can always correct him which he fully accepts.

Ben loves to give you things, usually it's a modified version of your web shooter, or maybe extra web fluid, if you're a spider that needs it, a gift that would benefit you and the missions you go on, but he also gives you matching clothing items.

While he'd never trade his blue hoodie for something else, don't even try it's not going to happen, he's willing to wear bracelets, rings, a new belt, etc, etc. Sometimes he makes them, which is usually from one of those crappy DIY bracelet kits, but usually they're one of those couple bracelets with magnets you can click together.

But he might wear a different hoodie for casual clothing, maybe on a date to another universe of one of your own, he's not a suit and tie, fancy dinner type of guy.

He's a clone of Peter, he's going to be broke.

Fully willing to give and receive PDA, the only times he won't is if you don't want to, he always says things audibly so you can know when he'll give you a hug or a kiss, and if you don't want one, then you can just say no or move away.

Ben despises beach dates, the sand gets everywhere, it triggers his spider sense whenever a beach ball gets near him, if you're in your universe or one that isn't like his, people stare when he narrates.

His ideal date is a pizza date, what does that entail? Either, you go to one of those places where you can customise your own pizza, or, you bake your own at home! He thinks it's fun to experiment with flavour and different kinds of pizza.

He just likes pizza, okay?

Specifically Hawaiian pizza.

Ben's a workout boyfriend, he's always lifting, fighting villains, or holding up a helicopter, he's buff, and he also likes to carry you. It doesn't matter how heavy you are, or if you're not heavy at all, he's strong enough to carry you wherever or whenever.

He gets sad whenever you have a mission and he's not paired with you, and vice versa for when he's on a mission and not with you. Sometimes he calls you mid fight, which means either one of you is running from a villain and being all 'awh, I love you!(⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠���⁠♡' but then a metal tentacle crushes your watch because you were distracted.

Let's hope Miguel finds your or Ben before your atoms dissolve.

Ben isn't too panicked when you're hurt, it all depends on how you're reacting, even if you've broken all of your bones, if you're chill, so is he. Obviously, he's always concerned, and you'll hear 'my beloved is injured, they're hurt and I can't do anything! But I must stay strong, so they can.' But besides that, he's cool.

Speaking of, he has a lot of harrowing memories, and while he doesn't rely on you, he will occasionally seek comfort. Ben will usually just sob into your shoulder for a few hours, and after that, will probably cuddle you and trap you into a snuggle buddy situation, not like you're complaining.

Whenever you're sad, he won't expect you to come to him, but he'll accept you with open arms if you do. Whether you just want to cuddle, or have him in the same room, or if you just want comfort food, or a drink, or whatever. He's fine with whatever you want, and he'll provide whatever you want.

Within reason, obviously.

Ben isn't dumb, yes, he's a bit clueless and tends to get distracted, but he's incredibly smart when it comes to fighting, and he was previously a teacher, (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) so he's completely capable of being a smart ass if you get something wrong. Not in a mean way, just a corrective 'uhm, well actually 🤓' type of way?

He likes to have double dates! Whether Peter is with MJ, or Gwen, or whoever Peter Parker managed to rizz up, given that Peter is sort of like his brother, he likes to spend time with him, and he also likes spending time with you.

[imjulia-andilikecats]

Why I Ship Mareven and Yes, I'm Aware that They're Toxic

I've noticed a couple of posts questioning how some readers ship Mareven given how toxic it was and proceed to list off all the terrible things that they did to each other through out the series.

Before I start my rant. Warning, this is long and I might just ramble at the end. Also please be reminded that these are MY reasons, as to why I enjoy this ship. I don't represent the whole Mareven shipping team. I made this post based on MY observation and the desire to absolve myself from the feeling of shame for liking Mareven.

We can't deny it. Anyone who read the series, even just the first book could easily tell that Mareven is toxic.

Which leads to the most common question for this ship. Why is Mare and Maven still being shipped even after Maven's betrayal and even past Glass Sword?

Simple, it's their unique and complex dynamic. They are both deeply flawed characters that have frightening similarities. Which could have lead to a wonderful friendship or a romantic one.

However, due to their social status and political beliefs. Mare joining the Scarlet Guard to free the Reds and Newbloods from Silver rule. Maven wanting to be king of Norta and was willing to do ANYTHING to keep his crown . They are of opposition to each other's goals, which lead them being sworn enemies. Causing severe pain and suffering to the other, when given the opportunity.

Yet, there would be moments between the cruel actions and harsh words. Where one of them would show affection in hopes of rekindling what they had and the other mourning the person that they thought they knew.

Even viewing them through the lense of a non-shipper. They have a fascinating exchange of dialogue and the uncomfortable amount of tension whenever they are near each other, even the mere mention of the other's name would momentarily push them off balance. There was simply no dull moment between these two.

The REAL question should be: "Is Mareven being a toxic ship REALLY the reason some readers dislike the ship OR is there something else at play?

Before I continue: It's understandable not to like a ship, if a toxic relationships between fictional characters aren't your cup of tea.

However! I don't think "being toxic" should be the daming reason to fully drop a ship and EXPECT everyone else to do so. Because I feel that those Mareven Ship "Dislikers" don't seem to detect the MAIN cause of their dislike for this ship.

I think the dislike of the ship could be attributed from some Mareven fanfics and shippers. Maybe they dislike how they treated Mare and Maven when paired together.

For example: Mare being seen as an object or tool in fixing Maven and making him happy. Void of any emotion or flaws, as she is simply an extension to the desires and fantasies of the writer. Other cases, some Mareven shippers openly trash Mare for not reciprocating Maven's affections, as they see him as a unloved child that needs a hug. Seeming to forget that Maven is completely capable of committing atocities against the people he "loves" and other characters that were unfortunate enough to encounter him and his mother.

The simplification and misinterpretation of both complex characters once they are viewed as a couple is frustrating.

Which is why I think the EXTERNAL FACTORS, such as SOME Mareven fanfics and shippers surrounding the Mareven ship, are MOSTLY the cause that ignited the dislike for the ship not just Mareven being toxic.

To put it simply, there is nothing wrong or shameful for liking a toxic ship like Mareven. It does not AUTOMATICALLY mean you have a twisted perception of what a functioning relationship should be nor have poor reading comprehension.

I also noticed that some of those post that dislike Mareven are also Maven fans, claiming that Maven is their favorite character and are also aware of his flaws (and crimes).

So, I can even throw the same argument to them.

What's the difference between liking Maven Calore, one of the main antagonist of the series that caused harm to a number of characters, and liking Mareven that is a toxic ship where both characters were toxic towards each other?

Note: Since it's a veey messy essay. I am more than open for a discussion.

[acourtofthought]

What would be your reaction if SJM said the next book was by Elain and Azriel?

It is...

What would be your reaction if she announced that the next book was Elain and Lucien?

(What kind of reactions would you have in these hypotheses).

If Elain and Az were endgame and announced as being next I would first apologize for what was clearly my misinterpretation of the books before it 😂

And I would probably like the book. I like every trope and I have loved every SJM pairing she's given us. I was excited for the continuation of Feyre and Tamlins story in book 2 only to ADORE Feysand. I really liked the idea of Dorian and Celeana, loved Celaena and Chaol but definitely understand why they weren't meant to be. Nesta is not one of my favorite characters however I do like she and Cassian together. I mean, I did like the thought of E/riel at one point so it's not like I don't see the appeal. I just began to notice things that I missed the first time around and my opinion changed after I started deep diving into the books but that's ONLY because it's what I think the author has been telling us and that's only because I began to really pay attention to how she has written in the past. But that doesn't mean if SJM turns around and says, "nope! E/riel is who I want!" I'm going to boycott her. If that's who she wants then I will allow her to lead me along in her vision. I'm not the one writing these characters so if she says, "E/riel is endgame and this is how I'm going to make that happen" then I'm going along with it because that's the story she's telling.

If that happens though, I would like for Elain to call out Az for a few things. I hope that things I consider "wrongs" between them are acknowledged moving forward, that she finds out he didn't support her searching for the trove and gives him hell, that he was interested in her for the wrong reason (three brothers / three sisters).

I would be sad over the missed Elucien opportunity. With Lucien and Elain, I do think SJM has a chance to give us a story that feels new and fresh, something different than we've ever seen from any of her other characters. Not only because their personalities are so different than others she's written about but because we've never gotten the POV from a character who has known with certainty that they have a mating bond with someone else. But again, if SJM wants E/riel than I believe in her ability to have it all make sense by the end.

If she announced Elucien, I might momentarily pass out 😂

I hate desperately wanting things, it's a very consuming feeling for me. As a result, I hate the feeling of disappointment, it's very soul crushing, so I try to be happy and content and accept things as they are. Which on one hand is a good thing (I think) but on the other hand, I could see how I might come off as complacent at times because of it. Like, maybe I could be doing so much more with my life but rather than pushing and failing, I live in a happy bubble where the stakes aren't too high.

With that said, part of me hates that I would really love to see Elucien happen because I know it's just a book and I know that it's not going to be anything that truly matters regardless of who is endgame and I wish I wouldn't have gotten so obsessed with the series because I hate knowing I might now be disappointed (this is why I like series AFTER they're complete and I can search for spoilers to better prepare myself) 😂. And I've put a lot of time into writing posts on my blog and I've spent a lot of time interacting with those in the fandom so if I'm wrong, that's a long way to fall😂. It doesn't help knowing that I now have people online who hate me and would love for me to be wrong.

So if Elucien is endgame, I think my heart will momentarily stop and I can't imagine how euphoric it will feel to not only know that I'd be getting to read an entire book about two of my favorite characters but also that I actually figured something out 😂. That I was able to pick up the authors hints and that I don't lack reading comprehension, that I'm not misogynistic for shipping Elucien, that I'm not "delusional". It's not that I believe any of those things however, I can't pretend like it's fun reading them.

At this point, I think we're probably all ready for news, regardless if it's the news we want to hear or not. I personally don't think she's been building E/riel as endgame since book 2 however I know E/riels do. And Elucien did become mates in book 2 but we still don't know what they'll do about their bond. That means both sides of the fandom have been waiting for answers since as far back as 2016 and that is a looooong time.

[connorconsumestrousers]

Im in the stage of the hyperfixation where I analyze anything and everything about this media.

the media being moral orel is. in and of itself something I am more than happy to analyze bc I know it's gonna be an emotional and moral rats nest /ref

also being aroace and being strict with the difference between attraction and love. will come in handy when screaming from the rooftops on why Bloberta and Clay's marriage is strictly based on some attraction and trauma. haha this'll be fun /hsrs

I'm. gonna put rambles abt that specific topic bc I have nowhere else to infodump abt my stange interest.

I'm telling you rn: this is all my opinion, so if something seems misinterpreted, then it probably was.

rambles are under the cut ↓↓

.

.

.

I think it's a bit obvious that Clay and Bloberta's marriage is NOT based upon mutual love. it's based on trauma both of them have. Bloberta's being feeling useless and unhelpful. she finally finds a guy that she has helped in some positive way. she immediately jumps to the conclusion of "this is it. this is the one." without thinking about anything else other than "he was the first one that has seen that I've helped, so obviously I have to get with him." and it's. a trauma response. she does have an attraction to him, bc obviously he's a handsome guy. but she doesn't know him. all she knows is that he said that she helped him. that does it for her. she doesn't need anything else.

and what she ultimately did was set herself up for disappointment. getting him drunk was a bad idea, obviously. so when he acts up and starts showing bad signs/red flags, she ignores it. or at least she tries to. leading to a sort of coping mechanism; cleaning. she thinks Clay is "filthy" so she goes to cleaning as her outlet.

this leads to her knocking Clay out, bc she can't take it anymore. once Clay wakes up, she helps him clean up, and talks to him abt what happened and proposes that they get married.

my genuine thoughts on why she did this so quick is, she doesn't want to get to know him. she doesn't want to see the red flags, or the bad parts. she also doesn't want him to say no. Clay is the first person that she had "helped" and she will not let this go. she won't let him go.

when Clay declines, she drops his head. this shows a bit of manipulation going on. a power imbalance. she's keeping him comfortable and safe, and once she lets go, he's not safe anymore. she did this on purpose, as I said before; she will not let this opportunity go. she has to marry him so he can make her feel wanted. that's all she's ever wanted. to feel helpful. to feel wanted by someone else. someone who would care about her and tell her she's useful.

when he finally "agrees" to her "proposal", she openly cares for him again. happy with the response.

they get married a bit later, the two having a service. you can see the emotion gone from Clay's face. Bloberta looks happy, but as soon as she sees Clay's deadpan face, her emotion drops as well. this shows that she might have genuinely liked him, in a love-ish kind of way. but we all know that they didn't know each other very well at this point, so she was probably hopeful for a happy wedding. and a genuine shared love with her husband. but she overlooked the possibility that maybe he didn't love her the way she loves him. because I think she did love him, at a time. at a time where she could look at him and love the man she saw. someone she barely knew.

this was probably the opposite with Clay. he barely knew Bloberta and he couldn't feel any real love for her. he doesn't try to fake this for the sake of a wedding because why would he? there's no reason to pretend to love someone you don't. and he was basically forced into this. being married to someone who practically manipulated you into saying yes isn't going to be the happiest decision of your life.

but I'm not saying she meant to manipulate him in this way. she probably just thought he liked her. and she liked him. so why not get married? two people who like each other. and when that takes place is a prime decade of unhappy marriages just because you liked someone and decided to get married. not getting to know them before holy matrimony is a fatal mistake, even now.

Clay's trauma is being worthless. this leads to him saying yes in the first place. hes told he's worth something. someone cares. someone is gonna marry him because he's worth something. and being very sensitive to any type of care, he'll take anything he can get. this specific scenario, a woman who is helping you is telling you that she wants to marry you. and you're supposed to say yes. you feel you have to. because she cares about you. she thinks you're worth it. who would say no?

also being hungover and not thinking straight, you're obviously not gonna have time to think before she leaves your life forever. and he doesn't want that. she's the first person to think he's worth hanging around and being with. it's a weird situation to be in. saying yes was the only logical thing for him to say, yk?

him being deadpan at the wedding. he knows he fucked up. he knows he didn't do the right thing, because he doesn't love her. not like you would love someone you genuinely want to marry. one: because he doesn't even know her well enough to grow and make a connection. two: because he doesn't want to be emotionally vulnerable again, being forced into something because your heart told you to.

.

.

.

BUT YEAH. that's my little. ramble I guess.

take all this with a. grain of salt. all of this is my opinion and how I view this!

[silver-wield]

Hey, so I saw this theory somewhere and want to build on that. Currently, we don't know what's up with cetras and how *exactly jenova works. All we know is that it can appear to look like something else. So, okay, someone brought up what if during the time where cloud attacks aerith later in the story, he actually Sees tifa instead, a jenova tifa. Maybe jenova made him see a hallucination. Sephiroth talking shit affecting his fragile mind. This is coming from the those you love part but he doesn't love aerith. Now, it could not be but I'm thinking this because of her "whatever you do don't.... it's just your imagination" maybe he sees a fake tifa in her and the hallucination is the imagination. Since we both know the mechanics don't do anything to the story, and according to nomura, the story is linear only to tifa, the rest is fan service. It means there's no build up for any other character, even if we take non optional into consideration.

Now now, he could just be trying to kill her because he's controlled and cetra etc but having that line in her resolution? Chekhov's gun points me to something sinister like this. Otherwise, the initial interpretation cleriffs or certain cloti has of it will only turn into unnecessary fans service and honestly what's the point of that other than BS? At least if it's the former, it's something life or death situation.

I think this would also make aerith's vagueness during that resolution as reasonable. Either she can't say that he'll be hurting "tifa" and in part 1 that's unimaginable so saying that will be pointless, or she doesn't actually understand why he attacked her but he did went "closer" to her , she misinterpreted that, and then he tried to kill her.

It can be said that he might have learned his lesson when he tried to kill tifa before, but he is unstable, unhinged, and that scene could only be a foreshadowing. I really just hope they don't twist this into " oh he l*ved her that's why he tried to kill her" BS or that "l*ve can also be platonic" BS. Because that really makes no sense with how they're really building up cloti. Tifa is the only one exclusive for that "love" while sephiroth is exclusive to "fear".

What do you think? Sorry if it sounds stupid.. I tried my best.

Aerith said that because she's an arrogant bitch who thinks Cloud has feelings for her when it's just her all on her own. The devs even stated she's mostly telling herself that rather than him because he's clearly never been interested in her.

Idky people think she's not a bitch when every opportunity she has she behaves like a bitch. Someone needs to turn the hose on her.

As for what cetra do, my older sister put it best. They're hippies.

[fish-bowl-2]

Heya :) For the fic ask, S, T, and maybe K (if you're ok with answering that)

Hiii

S. Any fandom tropes you can't resist? Idk if this is necessarily a "fandom trope" but having x character doing x mundane activity amuses me so much. Even if absolutely nothing interesting or noteworthy happens. I might have mentioned this in passing before, but I am always so tempted to write Edd just shopping for groceries or something. Maybe if I can find a way to make it interesting it will actually come to fruition. Who knows. I also really like it when storylines and events from canon are referenced. ESPECIALLY when they are expanded upon through introducing how a character feels/felt about said events, or offering another perspective to it. Also improving upon things that may have been rushed or not depicted well in-canon. I love seeing authors interpretations of that.

T. Any fandom tropes you can't stand? When canon, aka the basic foundations of the original story's plot-line and themes, is not respected. This does not go to say I hate ANY divergence from canon. I love seeing diverse and interpretive head-canons for characters. For a show like EEnE there is a lot of details that are left unsaid because it is not the central focus or intentionally left vague. It is really cool to see the ways other people in the fandom interpret that. Also these characters are kids and still figuring themselves out, so really you can make an argument for anything regarding their choices as they grow older. What really tends to get on my nerves is when it feels like an author does not RESPECT the canon they are writing. This can come from not knowing the source material they are tackling, and misinterpreting characters in a way that is fulfills what the writer WANTS to see in a character rather than what they actually are like. Basically, if you can take a character and replace them with someone else and the story still works, I don't think it is that good a fanfic.

K. What's the angstiest idea you ever come up with? Omg...I'm not quite sure tbh. Even though I do tend to lean on the "angstier" side with my interpretations of the characters, I still don't think they are the "angstiest" things written about these guys. I guess something that could be considered angsty is that when Edd and Eddy do realize they have feelings for each other and try to have a relationship that reflects that, it is very rocky. Mostly a result out of them being inexperienced teens, as well as having LOTS of emotional issues that have not been adequately attended to. I feel like there would be a good degree of unhealthy codependence stemming from both sides. On the upside, I definitely like to have them get better at figuring that stuff out when they're a bit older : ) they just need some time.

[andswarwrites]

Day 24

The month is almost over.  Only six days remain.  I'm going to continue posting my writing in May, but infrequently.  I want to go back to writing unrestrainedly, without worrying about an audience.  When I write fiction, I tell the story to a reader, of course.  But journaling is different.  Because I'm sharing my thoughts and emotions directly rather than indirectly, void of the filter fiction provides, I analyze every sentence, every word, every idea, to try to make it as clear as possible, not open to misinterpretation.

I used to overanalyze, and overthink.  And is there such a thing as over-feeling?  Because I did that too.  I felt and thought too intensely.  And I feared misunderstandings.  That's why I would explain and explain and explain.  You know what I've discovered?  It's impossible to express ourselves so that everyone catches our meaning perfectly in every exchange.  You may mean one thing, and the other person understands something completely different.

In the world we currently inhabit, offending someone else is almost inevitable.  You know what?  If you're being as kind and tactful as you can, and they get offended anyway, that's not your problem.  If you're honest, truthful, if you apologize when you do something wrong, you're already doing really well.  Maybe you made a passing remark or a joke that struck another person differently from how you intended it.  First of all, they should tell you, giving you a chance to make amends. 

The expression "Fight fire with fire" makes me grind my teeth.  Firefighters know that if you light another fire, that's not going to do anything to extinguish the one that is already causing harm.  We fight fire with water.  You can use words that ignite, and you can use words that cool and refresh.  And sometimes the best response is silence.  Move on.  Let go.  Fires die down when they are not being stoked.  That approach takes time and restraint. 

You know the "fight or flight response" we keep learning about, how we're either wired to fight off an attack or flee from it?  I've been trained from my experiences to choose a third option: simply stand your ground.  Don't engage, but don't back off either.  Calmly, quietly stand up for who you are as a person and your set of values.  I've been in enough arguments and conflict to have learned that this method really works.  And if the conflict is online, I just scroll on by.  I do not get involved.

A discussion, on the other hand, that is hard to pass up.  But I prefer having a discussion in a one-on-one, face-to-face setting, because that way eye contact is possible, and you can hear the other person's tone of voice.  I like to reserve texting and chatting for being upbuilding and encouraging.  I try to avoid texting while angry, because I might vent my feelings and go overboard.  It's better to text that you would like to talk in person, and arrange when and where.

It used to torment me when I would suspect I had angered or offended someone.  Now I think of it as part of life, and the best I can do is work to resolve the matter on my end.  And if I can't, at least I did my best.  Knowing you are doing your absolute best is the antidote to beating yourself up.  You can't give more than what you are equipped with.  If someone asks you for $100, but you only have $50, and you give them the $50, if they get mad at you for not giving what they asked for, that makes them a pretty crummy person, and it does not reflect upon you in any way.

The thing is personalities crash and collide with one another like chunks of ice and rock floating in close proximity in space.  Yet from a distance all that mess looks like beautiful, serene rings, at least the ones around Saturn do.  What I'm saying is that human interactions are often messy; maybe someone is having a bad day and they lash out.  It's not your fault, and it was unfair, but can't you just forgive and move on?  Would you want to be held accountable for every rash thing you've said and done while annoyed and stressed?

Can you tell I think about this topic a lot?  I like to keep the peace in my family, but that doesn't mean I want to be a doormat.  I realize some conflict is unavoidable in every relationship, because nobody agrees perfectly about everything.  If I want my own point of view to be respected, I also have to display respect for the person with whom I disagree, and not dismiss what they say before they're done speaking.  It won't physically hurt me to listen to a differing viewpoint, in fact, I may see the validity of it, and adjust how I think as well.

Being open and flexible, instead of harsh and rigid, has stood me in good stead during my adult life, and the more I work at communicating, the more I see that conflict can be resolved.  I was told once that I would make a good mediator.  Honestly, a lot of parents would; peacemaking is necessary in a happy home.  And it is invaluable when navigating life, from spending time with friends to spending time on social media.  At times I've had something said to me that was like a shard being stabbed through my heart.  But I've learned that if I give it time, the pain from those words dulls, and I can forgive the person without any confrontation.  Moving on and getting on with life seems to me to be the best policy, nine times out of ten. 

[reginaldpatterson]

Fourth day of Descendants Week 2024 @descendantsweek

The Little Prince and the Mad Scientist

The next week is too quiet. On the first day when Chad doesn't show up at school, Izkandar doesn't seem to care much. After all that happened, he's probably just resting. But after a few days, it becomes more concerning. Once again, it's none of his business. Who is he to interfere in Chad's life? According to the prince, he already did enough. Iz can't really blame him, but he doesn't care much either. Except he cares a little. A little enough for Spin to notice. "Iz, your turn to spiral." She echoes her friend's words toward the prince from last week. "I don't." "You do, and I'm pretty sure it's because you're worried about your little prince." "He hasn't shown up in days. Not like he has a way to contact us, or he would. No need to worry." "But you do anyway." She pauses. "And I gave him your phone number so he could have actually." "And so, what? Why would he, and why would I care?" Spin sighs. "You can be very annoying sometimes, Iz. There are just the two of us; you can tell me." "Tell you what?" He closes his book. "That I'm feeling bad and that I 'm worried about his well-being? Well, I'm not, so..." Spinelle chuckles. "I 've never seen you so compassionate and concerned about anyone, Izkandar..." "Maybe I care a little. But it's not like I can do anything about it. Anyway, he's probably still mad at me or too proud to call." "Yes, or maybe he thinks you hate him, like everyone else would. You're not an easy one to reach." "I have standards." "And those are blond, with curly hair and green eyes." "Hazel-brown, actually, " he corrects. "But you never look, hum?" "I never said I didn't. I'm observant." "Then, what are Ben's colours?" "Why would I know that?" "Seems that you're only observant when it matters..." she notes mockingly. "Fine. Let's suppose I care. Now what?"

Meanwhile, in his castle in Cinderellasburg, Chad spent most of his days crying in his bed, alone. He felt really depressed for too many reasons. He was scared to death that he might go to a military camp or, more likely, a conversion camp or something similar. After all, all his grandfather wants is for him to be straight, find a fair girl, preferably a princess, marry her, and have kids. The perfect family portrait. And Chad will never give them that. He will always be the shame of the family -the burden. He always thought he was a great descendant of the Charming family. It turns out he's not. So, what is he? Nothing.

On Friday, a younger girl with long blue hair and tan skin comes to see Izkandar and Spinelle. All the VKs are surprised, as they never expected a visit from any AK, let alone a younger one.

"I need your help." Iz looks up from his book and gazes at the girl with a very confused expression. "Why would we help you?" "Because I saw you at my brother's ball. " Izkandar and Spinelle exchange a look, and the scientist asks, "Chad has a sister?" "Chloe Charming. I'm worried about my brother. I think he's in trouble, and I saw you with him last week. I believe you're his friends." Izkandar shrugs. "I believed we were." He returns to his reading. "Were? What happened?" "I guess he might be a bit upset with me." He doesn't seem to mind much, but Spin knows better. It's not the first time her friend brings that up. Chloe frowns. "Why?" "Your grandfather misinterpreted my words." "He actually interpreted them well, and that's the whole point, " Spinelle argues. "Still, not what I said." Spinelle sighs. Chloe shakes her head. "Well, I'm sure Chad is in trouble, and I need help." "What does the little prince need from us, then?" Iz asks nonchalantly. "I haven't seen him since he went to see my grandfather. After what happened at the ball, I'm worried about what could have happened to him." "What can happen to him anyway?" Chloe takes the book from Iz's hands, and the scientist glares at her. "I know my brother, and from what I've heard, I'm pretty sure he's locked in his room. Grandfather told our parents Chad wanted to enrol in a military school and that he needs some space for himself." She explains, and the VK frowns. "The little prince to a military school? Sounds like a conversion camp if you want my opinion." "Is it true? Is my brother gay?" "How do you know about that?" Chloe smiles. "He is my brother; I live with him. You've seen him." Spin answers: " Oh, finally someone who notices! I was starting to believe all of you heroes are blind and stupid!" She gives a proud look at Chloe. "I like you." Chloe smiles back at her. "I really wanted to help my brother, but I don't know how. I doubt my parents will trust me. I have a feeling you'll help my brother. He needs your help." Izkandar sighs heavily. "Fine. But I don't see how I can help with your family problems." "Iz, I know you can come up with an idea because you're a genius." "Spin, I know what you are doing, and you know it doesn't work on me. And I guess I can't poison anyone, so I don't really see how I can be helpful..." "Please, I just want to make sure my brother will be safe." Iz exhales a long breath and pinches his nose. "Fine, I'll come up with an idea. But it's only because he’s grown on me a little bit..." Chloe jumps happily. "Thanks! I knew I could count on you! You know, my brother doesn't have as many friends as he would like us to believe..." Iz raises a knowing eyebrow at that statement. He hasn't seen the prince with many people except Ben, and if he really had that many friends, he probably wouldn't be staying with them. Maybe he thought he had before all VKs came into sight, but now, the prince might feel a bit lonely. He doesn't have such an easy-going personality, as he appears a little superficial and egocentric. However, Izkandar isn't bothered by this side of Chad's personality, being fairly self-centred himself and far from being as approachable as the prince. Does Iz feel lonely? Absolutely not. First, he has Spin and Caesar; plus, he really enjoys the calm of small groups with little talking, with plenty of time for science. In fact, with his projects, he doesn't even have time for socializing, let alone a relationship. However, Spin is convinced it would actually be good for him to be more social or even have someone. Someone who isn't her, because they tried that in the past, and it didn't work.

Now, Iz and Spin are stuck with a foolish mission to save a foolish prince. (Is he intriguing? Maybe. Is he stupid? For Iz, everyone is a little stupid, but he's not like his uncle if you ask. Don't mistake this; Iz loves his uncle; he's just not the sharpest tool in the shed). But the scientist is out of good ideas this time, so he's going to ask for advice from the only person he respects for her intellect: his mother. He knows she'll help him. VKs all have access to the isle they can use, and this seems like the best time for that. Spin and Iz are both going to meet Iz's mother: the great Yzma, in her lab.

They enter a lab, not taking the roller coaster entrance, but the secret back door. "Hi, Mother, " Iz says in a still monochord tone. "Izkandar! My son! I miss you, my little genius!" "I miss you too, Mother, but I came here for advice." They all sit at a table. "Everything you want!" Iz has always been his mother 's favourite. If Chad is his father's son, Iz is truly his mother's. "I made a 'friend' in Auradon." "Oh! Great! Tell me more!" Yzma comments. "He's a prince." He provides some context, and his mother's face contorts into a frown. "Oh... royalty." But Iz just keeps going, knowing exactly what she means. "And now he's in a bad position with his family. His grandfather locked him in his room and planned to send him to some sort of conversion camp. I believe they're not very open about his homosexuality." Yzma listens attentively, and the frown changes into a more reflective expression. "I see. I told you those people weren't good. They 're all very egocentric. And for what? Comfort, power, reputation? But what happens when someone raises them and they plan a knife in their back! FIRING THEM!" She starts getting angry. "Calm down, Mother. It' s not worth it. Anyway, I still need to help my friend, but his parents seem to trust his grandfather. They didn't have a chance to talk to him yet, and I'm running out of time." Yzma calms down and starts thinking again. "Sweetheart, I don't get why you want to help him so much." Iz shrugs. "Not sure yet, but he's not that bad, I guess. I enjoy his company." Izkandar has always been honest with his mother. "If you really want to help him, then you already know how to use poisons..." Iz sketches a smile and chuckles softly. "I don't think killing people will do any good, even if it's tempting. I still don't know how to do it." "I'm not sure about those heroes; parents can be really bad there, but if he has good parents, maybe they'll understand. Parents are supposed to love their child, especially when they are as exceptional as my little alchemist!" "Thanks, Mother."

Iz and Spin come back soon because time is playing against us, as Chad is supposed to leave the next morning according to his sister. It's now or never. "I hate you..." Iz states, and Spin chuckles. "Like it's my fault. You're the one caring about the prince. I just make sure you won't regret anything." She winks at her friend. The blonde sighs heavily, pinching his nose. "So, Mister Genius, what's the plan?" Izkandar looks away absently. "First, we should pick up the little prince; then, I have a feeling his sister can arrange something..." "You have a 'feeling. ' Wow, that's a new one." Iz gives her an unamused look. "Don't give me that stare, Iz. We both know you never act on feelings." Iz rolls his eyes. She's not wrong, but he's a bit out of time yet.

[the-firebird69]

That was a living nightmare. this guy, John Remelard, is close to death and is getting worse, not better. And people are allowing it to happen. so we're gonna use it against these people, the max and other people who think that it's really great. And they don't want any jobs. The guy's got all the money and stuff. They don't see the advantage of working even. BJA is saying, I'll just let him ruin his day and **** like that And our sense is, well, we have to stop him So he becomes a target, and he goes nowhere. And that's BJA. We're talking about. the people are stupid and You don't know clue what you're talking about. So we're gonna go ahead and we're going to. eliminate you from the competition.. We have several things to do today and it's a big list and we're gonna start getting it done. Fill. soon. And we will begin in. a few minutes. And in this work that has to be done here. online. And it is going to help us.

- Firstly, we are not here to be your Mommy or your papa, or any of this weird stuff. He keeps. saying, you haven't hooked us. You have not done a good job. We are not going to help you but you think. we are not going to. and we can't afford it.

and we can't afford it.-

- We're going to begin by explaining our son is not here for your use. We have a parallel if you don't even use him for that, we have to cut through you to get your people who will. And what you decide to do is make it a hostage situation. And he was talking about something else. So let's hope that you didn't misinterpret what he was saying You see, you do that **** **** This idiot next door. believed it. And Tommy F. is part of the problem in the Mac proper who have a real fleet but you'd rather do the hostage stuff to ride them for the two fleets So you're both doing it. Both parties and the foreigners do it a little too. So where does that leave him? He knows where it leaves him. So he's not gonna do much at all. You're gonna sit here with nothing.. He had a discussion this morning about this. car. But it keeps saying is I think it's a kit car because it came as something else. Something else, and it was modified And he thinks it's this can am or Polaris. It's really a Polaris. But people keep saying that it's the trank. and he doesn't think so. And the new Polaris has an engine in the front but it has Yeah, we can go again. It has two wheels. in the front and should have two wheels in the back. So I started to look at it. and I said what if it's an electric trike? And he says I don't want this stupid E bike. It's it's very slow and my brother never had anything much faster. Might not be true. And he had other types of wheeled vehicles. But then we're not combustion and they were not steam. It's still a horse drawing. So I started to examine it. And I'm right. What the hell is it? And that's what he says. He says I'm right. We don't know what it is either It's not true, but it's, it's a hard one. He's gone through a lot of interest. The events and designs most of them see. And it's kind of like this quiz. So he said, why don't you figure out what vehicle it is? to John Renelard And he goes. It's an electric trike. When he says maybe and it's more powerful. The motor is shrunken down and it's more efficient. But still like a combustion engine. So I started thinking that might be it. You start to work on small. high performance engines. But that would be a trike So I started to say I don't think we wanna wanna try. We don't wanna. We do not want him on a trike and Someone else would wanna try. But really, we do not want that. He doesn't. want it either. It's very unsafe. It's too fast. and it is. too dangerous. And you're on the open and you can go flying or hit things And they wanna put a wire up and also to **** **** to try all the time here with this bike and a lot of these guys died every day now. We're killing them as soon as we can It's a big number. It goes up. Thankfully, people are noticing they're having some relief. We're getting them hell out of cities. That's another thing too. These cities are kicking them out. right now. it is the tune of about 60% of the cities and city areas are completed with the walls And they're still hiring security and The people that built the walls. are kicking the people out. inside about 60% of them have left already. and they keep going into this area and getting kicked out. It's a war between the Overlords and their underlings. and it's fierce It's ongoing and there's a lot of casualties. So our son says do John Remalard It's all or nothing. And this is the game you're playing with me. So get the **** out and go take your chances. out there in your cities. It's gonna be exactly like what you've been doing to me. You have to go there and succeed where you're going to die. It really is what you needed because the max are gonna kill

[eimearkuopio]

On Autism and Morality

I'm autistic. I'm very good at languages; both comprehending and speaking in a way that feels to people like they understand me fully. Unfortunately, that perception on their part is often inaccurate, on account of the whole "autistic" thing. We're not native speakers of the same language (or the same dialect, in the case of the vast majority of my fellow NDs), and the fact that you think you recognise my accent only increases the risk of faux amis in your interpretation of my words.

I have recently begun to explain autistic struggles with social interactions in terms of jigsaw puzzles where I don't have access to the lid of the box. It's a good first step, but the thing is... We all exist in this kind of world. We are all constantly grabbing puzzle pieces and slotting them in to match the pattern.

Neurotypical people think they have the lids of the boxes their puzzles came in. They fit them together and ignore the places where they had to jam the pieces a bit too hard and bend them out of shape to put them together; or where most of the pattern fits a very noisy part of the design, but a single line isn't quite right. Sometimes, that single line just happens to stop at the edge of the piece. Sometimes, what looks like a sign to an autistic brain really is just part of the background noise that you ignore and we interpret as signal.

And sometimes, we're right.

When I point out these flaws, I'm not claiming that they completely invalidate the picture you have made. I'm asking you to engage with me, so that I can comprehend why the pattern looks "wrong" to me. Most of the time, we'll find that I was misinterpreting something, or the light wasn't good enough and it makes sense in the end. Sometimes, the piece used to be jammed into the wrong place, and the resulting distortion makes it look wrong to me even if it's in the right place now, and we can talk about that.

But sometimes, I've taken the jigsaw you have shown me, and stared at it in mounting horror, because IT CAN'T MEAN THAT. HOW CAN YOU THINK IT MEANS THAT. And I tear the whole thing to pieces, and try to put it back together, better. Maybe with some extra pieces I've found elsewhere that ye didn't know belonged in this puzzle.

And you might get mad about that. That's why I'm trying to only pull out the parts that are dangerously wrong; when I was young, I would have torn it to shreds and started from scratch, but I have more patience and compassion now.

But you have to remember: none of these puzzles came in boxes. There's a reason the first thing I wrote down as part of this process was "I might be wrong".

Every "lid" you have is something drawn by someone who did a really good job of putting a puzzle together, and then people drew it. You craft the smaller puzzles of your everyday lives based on how that lid looks; but the lid is just as much as interpretation of someone's solution to the puzzle as anything else. The closest as a species can come to a "complete" lid is probably the entire Jewish religious experience, because to them, tearing the puzzle apart and trying new solutions is part of the experience. There's a reason so many of the most successful religions are offshoots of Judaism in some sense. It's not because they got everything right. It's because they never stopped failing better - or at least, in some cases, failing worse but differently.

If I was going to remove the potential for humanity to grow and thrive as a species, the first thing I would try to do is exterminate all Jewish people. (To be clear: I am not endorsing EITHER of these actions/outcomes; merely drawing a line between the two.)

And if that didn't work, I'd engineer a conflict that finally made them the oppressors so that their failures would have terrible consequences and nobody would take them seriously as a moral authority any more.

I'm not Jewish. But I am autistic. And I have recently made it clear to members of the Roman Catholic clergy that if I don't see marked improvements in certain key factors of the institution I grew up in and never left because I believe they can be better than they are, I will begin to speak my version of the puzzle. And they can listen, and do with it as they will; or they can officially kick me out, but that will need to be their choice.

And if it happens... Well, I've already asked about becoming Jewish twice. Didn't even know what that meant at the time. But my God and I are fine. I'm sure of that.

[ceph-the-ghost-writer]

Happy STS! Is there a story that haunts you? Something you never finished, or something you wrote but lost somehow? Something you’d like to revisit but haven’t, for whatever reason?

Resurrecting more asks from yesteryear...

I've lost tens of thousands of words due to crappy computers or damaged discs/thumb drives, but most of those stories have already morphed into something very different from the initial concepts to form in my teenaged brain. I have plenty of unfinished old drafts of things, of course.

There is one short story idea I keep thinking about even now, though. It basically goes like this:

A soldier is killed in a battle. Maybe the American Revolutionary one, maybe at Gettysburg, it doesn't matter really. But he experiences the so-called afterlife, which is pretty much just ghosts. Ghosts that howl and rage against their fate, that try to reach out to the living comrades who no longer perceive them. Or ghosts like him who sort of just hover near their bodies for lack of any better ideas. He follows his corpse as it's shipped back to his family, prepared, and buried. There's still no sign of angels or demons or anything that might give him a hint as to what's supposed to happen next.

Eventually, he starts to experiment. He finds he can sink into the ground and lay down over his moldering body, but there's no "connection"--he can't make it move. But he can sort of connect with the scavengers eating it, which lets him experience life through their senses a little. This leads to vibing with grass, with the small creatures that eat the scavengers, and the huge tree growing near his grave.

He likes being a tree the best. Feeling the rain and breeze through the branches, tasting sunlight through its leaves, having roots anchored in the dark, cool earth. He's not alone either--aside from the multitude of creatures that call the tree home there are traces of other, older spirits who came before, adding their own energy and peace. He decides to stay too.

Like a century passes, and the coffins and grave markers are moved somewhere else to make room for a home/farm? The tree is cut down and some of its wood is made into toys or a bed or some part of the new house. That doesn't destroy it or the spirits, though. They're still there, whispering to generations of pets, small children, and adults with a knack for sensing these things. (Not spooky whispers, to be clear, though some could misinterpret them that way.)

I dunno. I like the concepts in general, but I'm not sure about the execution, I guess. It's not a ghost story in the usual sense, or something with a plot/point. Just an atmospheric idea and an excuse to be wordy. Maybe I'll get around to writing it, maybe not. Either way, it still hangs out in my brain.