#no it's just a metaphor for a dad that doesn't want his son to be gay bc tradition

[brrdhouse]

ok this is getting LONG so i'm putting it under a readmore —

not what he seems + a tale of two stans

for that very reason, i do not want gideon to be there.

i know i knowww, it could be fun, but i don't want him to get in the way. i imagine he'd get in a fight with stan an episode or two before because of the mounting portal stress making them both antsy, and get dragged out of the picture for a little bit. he'd come back during dd&md though! he'd be in the "this game is for loser nerds" group but sit in the same room just to spend time with his dad. i still don't want him to be super important, so i don't think i'd involve him in the main plot, but he'd be there in the background before shit hits the fan, and he comes back after running errands or something to the family watching the ducktective episode. he could be in the main group, but i want to keep grenda as the main side character here because i love her.

family dynamic

i don't want to take away the dipper and ford scenes, so i'm adding them to the tension.

ford gets back and while he's obviously happy to see his son, he's kind of distant like he is towards stan, just a lot less upset. he also skews more towards involving dipper in his projects, and gideon's conflict for the rest of the season is if he even wants to be in gravity falls anymore if his dad's acting so weird towards him.

yeah, it was 30 years ago, but ford used to tell gideon everything about his studies. and it hurts that it feels like he's being replaced by dipper just because he grew up while ford was gone.

he'd spend more time with mabel, soos, and wendy, and accidentally feed into ford's isolationist worldview as well as the one he's projecting onto dipper.

(also because i feel it vaguely relates, something else goldsixer drew for this that i can't stop thinking about)

society of the blind eye + sock opera (+ into the bunker)

you're right, i wouldn't put gideon in into the bunker.

i would however put him in sock opera and blind eye!

sock opera, i'd give him the same place as everyone else: just generally unaware of what's going on with dipper and bill in this episode. i think he'd clue in when dipper gets possessed because wow that seems pretty familiar, if only you could put your finger on it. this would be the episode that makes him get that much stricter in watching the twins. he doesn't want dipper to end up like ford, and he doesn't want mabel to end up like him.

i'd have him in society of the blind eye big time. he'd get dragged in like soos and wendy, and just be really fucking sad hearing fiddleford talk about himself after being accused. same plot really, just with the added context that he's the anomaly being erased from people's minds and he's kind of pissed about it. ("is that why i have t'reintroduce myself every time i go to th' library? are you serious?!")

gideon gets briefly mentioned in fiddleford's memory tapes, but it's a blink-and-you-miss-it reference to "a visiting researcher and his son," which dipper obsesses over. (psst.. here's a quick thing for this btw..)

the last mabelcorn

again, gideon would choose to spend more time with the girls. he doesn't dislike dipper or anything, he just can't handle being around ford right now.

he comes along for the same reason wendy does, to keep an eye on the kids, but he also knows unicorns exist because he vaguely remembers seeing them as a kid, so he's not as cynical as she is about it. he's not 100% around for her goodness montage because i think it's funny for him to be like "wendy, i have t'go buy smokes, you're in charge for now." (🐦 <- also an older gideon smoker truther, especially in this au because he's not suffering from the amulet / a chronic illness metaphor to me)

he'd be there when mabel gets told she's a bad person and stick with her to comfort her while the other girls make their plan, and helps them take down the unicorns when it comes to it.

roadside attraction

i'm sorry i'm killing roadside attraction.

not entirely, but i'm making the dipper plot less important because i hate it. he'd still flirt awfully with girls and candy would still have a crush on him, but he wouldn't get ambushed, he'd just say something dumb and upset candy, and it'd end the same way.

stan would still get kidnapped because i like him being tied up. next question.

i'd replace the dipper plot with a ford and gideon plot back at the shack. i think it'd be fun to have them kind of stepping around each other and thinking "well that's not how i remember you acting" before they realize they're being dumb and apologize to each other. it's stilted and awkward and not quite bridging the gap yet, but it's a start.

weirdmageddon

if this takes a day or two to get posted, this is why. weirdmageddon in AUs, my worst enemy...

i think i want weirdmageddon to go SIMILARLY. not exactly the same obviously, but i think it'd be fun to still have gideon and the bikers be minor obstacles, only instead of them having the key and attacking dipper and wendy (iirc.. i haven't watched weirdmageddon in a while), those two find the key another way and gideon's just still really strict and doesn't want them to run into the action. they have a heart-to-heart along the lines of "you can't stop us from trying even if it ends up bad and you have to stop being a control freak about it" and he lets them go.

because he has less contact with bill, i don't think he'd get captured the same way, i think he'd either go back to the shack and help there OR stay on the outside and end up back at the fearamid somehow. pretty much every thing afterward would be the same, and then he'd regroup with the rest of the family after it all clears up. i think it'd be cute to have him talking stan through a lot of the last 30 years because he's the only other person who remembers them, and it'd be a healing/bonding moment for both of them 😊 i love family

okay i THINK that's all. i THINK. this took me a few days to think on lol

silly au from twitter:

+context lol

[transranp0]

whatever you do just know i do NOT play about this movie

[association-of-ideas]

The Batfam as Things My Family Has Said/Done:

Tim: *having a casual conversation w/ Bruce*

Damian, whispering just loud enough for Tim to hear: He's not your real dad.

Tim: What the fuck???

—

Bernard: *hugs Tim from behind*

Tim: *screams, falls to the ground, and throws his bookbag halfway across the hall, simultaneously*

Bernard: Are you okay . . ?

—

Dick, mad at Bruce and siccing Jason against ahim: I'm running away to Bludhaven and it's all B's fault. He said I have to go.

Young Jason, on the verge of tears: NO!

—

Dick: Yeah, I fell down the stairs today—

Jason: I'm not staring at you.

Dick: . . .

Dick: I fell down the stairs, Jason.

—

Damian: I think I have autism.

Tim, on 0.2 hrs of sleep in 4 days: I thought you were autistic.

—

Jason, crossing the street: Hit me with your car!

Dick: You have to stop doing this!

—

Jason: God, you're annoying.

Duke: This is why your mom doesn't love you and you're going to die alone. I hope you die.

—

Dick, trying to do the dance number from Newsies: *slips backwards and lands flat on his ass so hard he pees a little*

Dick: ahH—

—

Steph: I'm afraid of escalators.

Cass: Why?

Steph: Back in elementary school, I had a nightmare where I was an Asian man and one of my Crocs got sucked into the bottom part and I had to say goodbye to my girlfriend for the last time as I was slowly eaten by the escalator.

Cass: . . .

—

Tim: I'm this close to running away and being a hooker. This close. My fingers are touching.

—

Steph: I'm the metaphorical radish in chili; that unexpected spice no one wants.

—

Steph, splashing in the pool like she's performing an exorcism: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost!

Duke, splashing back: God!

Steph: Jesus!

Duke: Your mom!

Steph, seconds from pulling under the water: ColoNEL SANDERS!

[thewertsearch]

I guess everyone is reacting to their parents' deaths in this arc. Dave's relationship with Bro has always been a little... complicated, so this should be a very interesting conversation.

TG: oh my fucking god […] TG: we just got done talking and agreed it would be awesome if you didnt bother me for a while […] GC: OH GC: TH4TS R1GHT GC: 1 FORGOT! TG: it was five seconds ago

Girl, get your damn timelines in order!

GC: D1D YOU LOV3 H1M D4V3? TG: no

I believe you.

There's something about the Strider brothers which I noticed a while ago, but haven't had the opportunity to talk about. This is the perfect moment to discuss it, though, because it explains a lot about why Dave is the way he is.

So - let's talk about the Strife fights.

When John first attacked his father with a hammer, I decided to roll with the assumption that this fight was symbolic, rather than literal. John loves his dad, and it can be safely assumed that he doesn't want to kill the guy.

Instead, this scene serves as a stand in for the familial strife between father and son. John finds his father's parenting style to be mildly frustrating, and their interactions sometimes feel like a fight to him.

Likewise, Rose (probably) isn’t actually going for Mom with those needles. Instead, their fight represents Mom’s 'ironic' negligence, and the gifts that Rose refuses to believe are from the heart. The Lalonde relationship is clearly more fraught than the Egbert one, but I don't think Rose actually wants to skewer Ms Lalonde.

Jade doesn't really fight her Grandpa, but their Strife clearly demonstrated how deeply in-denial she is - not about his death, but about the fact that her life isn't normal. She's desperately trying to have the same childhood that John and Rose are describing, but she can't, because she doesn't have a parent to bicker with.

Now, I'm sure you've guessed where I'm going with this. What, exactly, did Dave's Strife scenes represent?

Well...

...first of all, it's worth noting that Dave is the only Player to explicitly describe the events of his Strife to a third party. We've never heard John reminiscing about bludgeoning Dad, but Dave's constantly complaining about getting beaten up by puppets.

And - rather more worryingly - Dave is the only Player to retain his Strife injuries, even after this ostensibly 'metaphorical' fight is over.

In fact, one of those Strife injuries still marks him to this day.

The point I am obviously dancing around is that I don't think Dave's Strife was a metaphor at all. Unlike his friends, there's no pretense to these fights. They're literal. Dave's brother routinely attacked him.

Odds are, this was Bro's way of 'preparing' Dave for the game he surely knew was coming - but you don't need me to tell you that he took it way too far. The guy might have been Dave's assigned Guardian, but he really shouldn't have been raising anyone.

[rootspiral]

Agatha All Along deep dive: episode 8 part 4

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][+1] ep5 [1][2][3][4][5] ep6 [1][2][3] ep7 [1][2][3][4][5][6] ep8 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] ep9 [1][2][3][4][5][6])

as usual, I'm billy. WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, JAC SCHAEFFER

jen filling the gaps with her own headacanons, i see you girl

they're kinda doing their own little agatha deep dive, lol. she's a fascinating specimen, okay? don't you just want to study her in a petri dish?

billy, who's definitely not been projecting his mommy issues on a whole coven (three dead, several unlocked traumas) and hasn't been following agatha around like a lost puppy in need of a mentor: it'S nOT LoYALitY It'S AnALYSiS

that's agatha's entire son, dear lord. 'maximoffs are so dramatic' my ass.

YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO VIOLENTLY SHOVE HER IN THE WARM EMBRACE OF A COVEN FOR THE PAST THREE TRIALS. for fuck's sake, william.

he's acting so mature and cynical when in fact he's so hurt about the people who died and about agatha's betrayal. he's putting up barriers, he's trying to trick himself into not caring, when crying and letting himself mourn would be much healthier responses! in other words, he's learning alllll of agatha's shitty coping mechanisms.

no but I won't shut up about this, it's the kind of psychological response that really fascinates me. billy has had to learn to lie and censor his true self because he doesn't want to upset his parents. he went through something EXTREMELY traumatic (reincarnating in someone else's dead body? hello?) and he can't process it with the kaplans, he knows it would hurt them too much.

so he finds agatha who is, on paper, someone who can absolutely understand what he's been trough and could totally help and guide him. he's tried to win her over, he's tried to open up, to understand her and to be understood in return. and agatha, DESPITE LOVING THIS KID SO FREAKING MUCH, is so EMOTIONALLY CONSTIPATED that she has rebuked almost every attempt at a deeper connection. and when you do that to a kid, not only you hurt them, you teach them by example. billy is not mature enough to be the bigger person, he sees agatha hurting him, he'll want to do the same. that's the kind of shit parents imprint on you that will be hell to unlearn as an adult.

agatha, who is - I promise you! - truly hurt by billy's words: ahahaha ouch!

I want to strangle her

one moment of silence for jen who's now alone and stuck in the middle between these two

agatha has somehow managed to sell billy's immortal soul to her ex wife while ALSO breaking her own heart AND said wife's heart in the process. and she's having A TRULY NORMAL ONE about it.

aaaaand she goes straight for jen (no pun intended). starts slow and bratty with some kindergarten insults.

OUCH, AGATHA. WHAT THE FUCK?!! AND TWIRLING YOUR HAIR?!

YOU FUCKING BITCH.

oh dear lord look at jen's face. this is actually the first time I see everyone's faces (fuck you lighting department) and it's making agatha's behavior even harder to stomach. and yes by the way, this scene is absolutely a metaphor for microaggression. knowing that jen's big moment is coming is only a half-consolation.

also agatha falling on her face, that's maybe a quarter of a consolation.

of course it is. this is the green witch trial, it's about the circle of nature, it's about life and death beginning and ending and beginning again.

here comes the tantrum!!!

now she yells at billy. and he scrambles to justify himself. this is funny but also SO FUCKED UP??

lilia when billy makes a mess: that's okay baby I got you.

agatha when billy makes a mess: oh are you having a problem? I'M GONNA MAKE IT ALLLLLL ABOUT ME! I'M GOING TO MAKE IT FUCKING WORSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(fuck she's literally my dad. jac schaeffer I'm sending you my therapy bill)

so, anyway. if a parental figure does this to you? they're being vile and immature. I don't care if they've got their own issues, this is abuse.

(and frankly, learn to recognize this pattern in friends and partners and family too. but it's especially egregious when it's done to a literal child.)

and billy going from apologetic to stone faced. barriers up. he needs to protect himself from her.

while agatha huffs and puffs, jen quietly gets on her knees when she sees the shoes. the camera goes from sharon's shoes to lilia's to alice's.

you guys, this episode is... it's so good? it's not in-your-face like episode seven, but it's doing a lot of subtle things that are getting under my skin

agatha of course plans to barrel through her problems like a rouge zamboni, and just look at jen's reaction! I'm astonished at what sasheer zamata is accomplishing in this scene. I admit the first time around I was too fascinated by hahn chewing scenery to look anywhere else, I got a poorer viewing experience for that. jen has had all her walls up, she's been doing her one note mean girl bit for seven episodes. look at her now. she is crumbling.

god I love me a show that takes very funny characters and let you enjoy them only to pull the rug from under your feet and go: now let's examine why all their funny traits are fucked up trauma responses!

JESUS CHRIST AGATHA

agatha notices billy looking at the shoes and of course mocks him about it. what are you going to do, pay actual respect? cry and properly mourn? like some weak baby???

pay attention now: billy gets mad, and agatha suddenly looks at him with interest and, dare I say, expectation? was she provoking him on purpose?

yes, yes she was. that's the evil of agatha harkness. and I'm not saying her tantrum wasn't real, she was absolutely upset and she relished pouring all her spite and anger and desperation into it. but agatha's theatrics are always happening for a reason. when she's alone she's much more subdued; when she's in public, she vents out her overwhelming emotions trough a big fucking show, so she can make it everyone's else problem. that's the equivalent of when an abuser throws a tantrum and somehow always ends up breaking your stuff, never their own. it's both self-soothing and a scare tactic, two birds with one stone. that's why she went after jen and immediately taunted her about lilia. her words were precise and on target. she enjoyed watching jen squirm.

and yelling at billy just now? it was another one of her calculated risks. what billy is going to do next is anyone's guess, but at least they're not stuck on the Road any longer.

I don't know if I'm making myself clear enough. it's like, how can agatha be so smart and such an idiot at the same time? because she's a coward. because she chooses to. because the alternative is facing her own fucking issues and admitting the truth.

and the truth is scary. the truth is too awful.

next up: billy lands them at the morgue.

great job there, agatha!!

go to episode 8 part 5

[mintmatcha]

cw: a weird vent piece lol, suicide mention, no quirks au, mentally ill reader

You always fuck with your shirt on. You'd wear more, if you could, but you haven't figured out how to do it with your pants on yet.

You pull the sheets over your sweat chilled legs and hope he didn't notice the spots you missed shaving. If he did, Natsuo doesn't seem to mind. His arm is tucked under your head, muscle fibers occasionally twitching underneath you and turning the soft mass dense.

Sometimes, Natsuo keeps his shirt on too. Neither of you have ever asked the other about it; there's a mutual understanding when a hand is stopped.

"Do you work tonight?" he asks.

You shake your head as his body relaxes deeper into the mattress.

"I'm gonna do laundry if you want to throw your stuff in," he mumbles, "I'll get you junk to sleep in."

The medical textbooks he was studying are still on the floor, flipped to random pages of different cycles and tissues, abandoned in exchange for you. If Natsuo fails his midterms, it'll be your fault. If he passes, he'll be leaving the city next semester for his hospital rotations.

Part of you wants him to fail. It's that dirty, evil part that no one else seems to have, the part you try to starve, but it keeps growing anyway. It nips at you whenever the room gets too quiet.

It's teeth are extra sharp today.

"You're so sweet." You speak into his skin, "I don't know how you're still single."

A sharp inhale is sucked through his teeth, cutting through his smile. Natsuo takes in all of your features and you know he's wondering why you're saying these things-- why you're purposefully bringing this up.

"Well, sweetie-" His tone is light, like he's avoiding stepping on glass, stepping on glass. With every word, he walks his fingers on your arm, spanning from elbow to shoulder, "I'm only single because you keep turning me down."

The overhead fan whizzes. The part you try to starve sinks its teeth into your chest.

"Natsuo, we've talked about this," you say, "I don't date."

You sit up and swing a leg over him, straddling his hips. A trail of white hair runs down his stomach and down under the sheets, disappearing where the two of you meet. He holds you by the hem of your tee, just tight enough to hold you in place.

"Would it be so bad?" he whispers.

"Here's what would happen, alright?" You brush your fingers through his sweat touched hair and it bounces right back into place the second you pull away. It makes you giggle a bit and he mirrors you, an unsure, foolish optimism in his eyes, "Let's just say I met this wonderful, beautiful boy and tricked-"

"Tricked?" he scoffs.

"Tricked him into loving me." You want to kiss him, but it feels cruel for both of you. Instead, you just cup his jaw in your hands and cradle him, letting the weight of him slump into your palms, "He'd treat me right and bring me home to meet his parents, 'cause he was raised right and, even though he's really smart, he'd think he's in love."

Fingers squeeze at your hips.

"But the second I left, his parents would tell him that he deserves someone prettier and smarter and, and, and better," you say, "And they'd be right."

“My mom’s nice," He drops your pretense with a whisper, ruining your not so careful charade. “She wouldn’t say that.”

He doesn’t mention his dad. There’s a silent sentence there. One that says, “But he might.” It’s hard to keep your brain from sticking to that point, from sticking your thumb into this metaphorical soft spot.

“I mean, she wouldn’t say it out loud, but she’d think it," you say, “She’d sit there and think ‘that girl's not good enough for my son' and she'd be right."

He scoff he lets out is uneasy, almost a songed laugh, more pained than annoyed. "My mom is nice."

This conversation is hurting him, but you can't stop yourself.

"And they'd tell you to break up with me, but you wouldn't listen to them, 'cause you're head strong like that. You'd probably date me in spite of them for while," you ramble, "But then you'd go away and you'd meet some pretty, normal girl and you'd realize they were right. They were always right. I was right."

The overhead fan whizzes.

"So, it's better if I just don't date at all,"

Natsuo's grip dissolves and you think you see it then - the moment whatever is between you dies. A hollowness passes over his features, empty eyes and sucked cheeks, as he ducks his head down to rest his face against your chest. Chin against the soft of your tits, he seems farther away than ever.

You could gloat. You could cry. You're a self-fulfilling prophecy once again.

Natsuo sighs and his words slip so easily from him that you almost don't process what he's saying. "You're so sad. I wish you'd get help."

That catches you off guard. The control over this conversation is ripped away, your curtain drops, and you suddenly feel very, horribly seen.

"What?" You try to laugh it off, leaning back to escape the way he watches you.

"Sometimes I wake up and you're not here," he says, "And I worry that's the last time I'll ever see you."

You understand the implication.

"I'm not gonna kill myself." It might be the truth, you think.

"Yeah," His arms wrap around your waist again, snaking the air from your lungs, "Touya promised me that too."

Touya is only ever mentioned over too many beers and tears you're not allowed to remember the next morning. He was only 16, only a couple years older than Natsuo, but the ghosts still linger to this day, always tucked into the back of the room, stalking, haunting.

Natsuo comes from money and fame. His apartment is paid for by his father. He's never had to work to afford food. At first, you resented him for that; you wanted that ease and safety his family afforded him.

But everything comes at a cost. Every unhappy family is unhappy in there own ways.

"I'm sorry that you keep loving things that break." That is the truth. You're just the end of a line of his mistakes, starting all the way at mom and dad and trailing through every girlfriend ever since.

"I do love you. And it's not despite the fact you're 'broken'," Natsuo takes your hand with a resounding firmness. It reminds you of that thing they say about golden retrievers; the smart ones can hold an egg in their jaws without shattering the shell. Natsuo holds you like he understands you in some deep, intrinsic way, "Or because of it or whatever."

He doesn't look away, those bright, wide eyes bluer than ever.

"I just like all your little pieces." He kisses your knuckles one by one, trailing from thumb to pinkie to thumb again.

The room is silent. The bad part of you is no longer begging to eat. Maybe it's full for now, but you know it's just out of focus, stalking in the dark, biding its time.

"You should study." You slip from him and reclaim your own space in the bed. After a long, simple pause, Natsuo gets up himself, collecting his boxers from the floor.

"Yeah," he says, "You're right."

The hurt you've caused is no longer comfortable to live in. Your mouth is dry, thirsty for a change you're not sure how to make. Recovery feels like a big leap-- loving and being loved feels every farther away.

All you can do is shuffle your feet against the sheets and take the tiniest step towards normalcy.

"Do you want to get brunch tomorrow before your classes?" you offer your olive branch, your silent promise, "I'll pay."

He weighs this, measuring it for sincerity, then smiles just wide enough your get a glimpse of teeth.

"Let me get you something to sleep in."

For now, it's enough.

[leashybebes]

i'm going to chew my own arm off, that magical realism thing from this morning on four hours of sleep is invading my brain and i do not have time, but now i'm imagining the breakup in this context, how buck saying he feels comfortable because tommy feels comfortable and tommy freaking out because what if? i will very likely not get around to writing this thing properly so in case, here's the contents of my brain

He's certainly never done it to Evan deliberately, but when he was younger it used to happen by accident that the feeling he'd clumsily pushed at people was the vague feeling that things were good - that they felt good - when he was around. He knows he's never done it on purpose, but what he's wanted this whole time was for Evan to be comfortable and it turns out he was so damn comfortable that they've stumbled across this huge, sudden scary thing that he doesn't know what to do with.

Thinking god, what if he did and this is where it's led, and if he didn't, what if he does because he wants to keep Evan so much, wants it more than he's ever wanted anything, more even than he wanted friends and a route out of the house as a child. He wants and he wants, and apparently Evan wants too, and it's the most terrifying thing that's ever happened to him in a lifetime of being afraid.

And if there's one thing Tommy Kinard has known his whole life, it's that his father's son cannot be a good man. There are other things that make him go, but the sudden, horrifying knowledge of how easily he could change those things is what makes him stay away. It makes him stay away for three miserable months in which he keeps it together and he goes to work and he goes to the gym and he aches for every single second of it.

And he really is his father's son - dad's a dog demon and there's more than a little of the canine in the way Tommy pines. Like a faithful mutt he'll curl up every night on the grave of his relationship, except the metaphor gets a little muddled because he's the one that killed the relationship. And just like dear old dad, he killed with fear, only it's his own, not something he's inspired in someone else with his bark and the threat of his bite.

But maybe he'd done it, even just a little, and if he hadn't maybe he would, some day. Both feel equally unforgivable.

Later, when they've fought their way back to each other, Tommy will find the words to tell Evan exactly what had made him so afraid, and Evan will look at him like he's an idiot.

"Seriously?" he'll demand and roll his eyes. "Tommy, I'm such a little shit with you. I'm so much. I think if you were gonna mind whammy me into anything it'd be to take it down a notch or five, not...whatever the hell you think you did."

Made you like me, Tommy will think.

Tommy will catch Evan's arm and pull the words out one by one because they communicate now, they are open now, they tell each other exactly how they feel now, and it's healing and important and a pain in the ass a lot of the time but this one will come easy as he tells Evan, "Hey. I love exactly how much you are."

Evan's eyes will go soft in that way Tommy has been half in love with since the first time he saw it, and he will say, "I'm so happy with you," and the precision of the wording will make Tommy's heart turn over in his chest, will be the latest in a long line of things that pulls honestly out of him hand over fist.

"I thought I made you like me," he'll say.

"You didn't make me do shit," Evan will say, and he'll kiss a smile onto Tommy's face. "I just like you, dumbass."

[eashgirl]

If anyone remembers that one episode from season nine where Peri got Mrs crocker for a godchild(slight spoilers for a new wish and Peri's relationship with Dev)

She was depressed because she felt like Crocker didn't love her back,and she tried to use wish after wish to quell that emptiness,leaving Peri so exhausted because no matter how many wishes he tried to grant she never seemed to get happy

It got so bad from what I remember they tried all ways to get her to break the rules just so Peri would be free from her,she only truly lost him when she reconciled with Crocker who admitted he did indeed love her

I can't help but compare this to Peri's new godkid in ANW, Dev tried to do something similar,all he ever wanted was to have his dad's love which he never got because Dale literally cares more about money and his literal boots more than him,hence similarly no matter how many wishes he kept asking for hardly any of them were able to geniunely make him happy beyond the surface level, I'd argue the only times he was truly happy was when he and Hazel were friends but that's for another post.

Peri did try his best to adhere to the rules and to grant his wishes,but this in turn just made Dev get even more frustrated because in all fairness he doesn't really NEED a fairy to give him little things like a cupcake or something like a game he's rich he can get an AU pair to bring him that anytime,and the more riskier wishes that can be deemed as more fun is against the rules. Heck I'd even argue that initially Dev may not have seen Peri as anything besides an AU Pair but with magic given that he only really used him to make wishes. Dale probably just told him to ask the au pairs anything he wanted as a means of neglecting his own parental responsibilities. That and Peri wanting to do his absolute best at his first job to impress his parents and stick by the rules along with Dev's frustration and lashing out is the core reason why it fell apart so quickly.

This difference in opinion led to all of this, they're both at fault and both have legitimate reasons for it,Peri had the excuse that this really is his first job he's just doing what he was taught at the academy just grant the kid's wishes and make them happy,he probably did not anticipate the need for severe emotional understanding when it comes to troubled kids(honestly who decided to give a newbie a kid that needed way more help from a seasoned fairy godparent though? I blame whoever made that decision)he did care about Dev in the end but by that time it was too late.

With Dev it's he's a hurt kid and he lashes out at others which I'm not trying to justify it's still wrong,and people can get hurt because of that but given his circumstances I really understand him, he's not used to allowing people in and builds walls around himself even the slightest gesture is enough to make him to increase his guard even more like when he thought a single argument with Hazel meant their friendship was over and tried to go back to being his old self until Hazel pointed that out to him,the sunglasses being a literal metaphor for it,he takes them off a lot during his friendship arc with Hazel and starts putting them on all the time near the end during his downward spiral. He acts the persona of a bully as a means of gaining control of his situation,when it's obvious that is not how he truly is lost and founders day being a prime example,he was genuinely getting better until he found out about project H,and I can understand his reaction his dad who's always absent,hardly ever pays any attention to him literally won't look him in the eye unless it concerns bussiness,cares more about his son's friend then he cares about his own son,did Hazel deserve to get yelled at though?no she didn't, it's still not her fault.

Then immediately after Hazel leaves Peri comes back and tries a feeble attempt to cheer him up by persuading him to make a wish,which really wasn't the right call to make in that specific moment which further aggravates Dev into telling him to leave before having a mental breakdown.

And later in best of luck he ends up getting in a vulnerable position when Peri declares he's quitting,and Irep ends up being a bad influence,he gets manipulated and tries to take over fairy world as a desperate means of getting Dale to finally, finally pay some attention to him which he does initially until he immediately shifts his focus to Irep instead. Literally leaving Dev in the dust on the ground. Alone again.

(I really want to make this post a bit more detailed but I'm six days away from an exam so I can't find the time,any grammar mistakes is because of how rushed this one was might edit it later)

Cosmo phrases it best what he wanted was something no fairy could ever give him,he wanted a parent's love and that is something no amount of wealth or magic is ever going to amount to,which is ultimately the final straw in making Dev abandon everything and accept the consequences without any persistence.

Peri couldn't really relate to or understand Dev because he always had the love or his parents even when he was anxious of messing up they were always supportive and loving, I don't think it's a coincidence that the panel always shows the three of them hugging infront of Dev and Hazel the latter trying to talk to him after everything that transpired. A physical metaphor of what he doesn't have and has to see Infront of his eyes all the time. Again I don't really blame anybody(except maybe Dale but if I'm blaming Dale I'm also blaming Vicky),Peri is a rookie he just graduated so it's unrealistic to expect him to be the best right away, I actually think he might need to ask Wanda and Cosmo for advice in season two how they dealt with certain kids and how he can improve himself.

Because neither Dev or Peri were perfect they were horrible to eachother,but that doesn't mean they can't be better.

It's clearly setting up an overarching story, I actually have faith in the new writers they didn't throw in that scene of Peri saying he cared about Dev and leaving it ambiguous whether or not Dev actually still remembers because of that one theory for nothing.

My reason for bringing in Mrs Crocker is to point out that the only way Dev can really quell his own emptiness is by attaining the love he always wanted, I think by off chance he does indeed remember everything- which I believe is the better option to retain his charecter development-,he may have finally come to understand that no matter what he does his dad would never care about him the same way he cares about his Business and himself,maybe this will lead to him forming better connections with other people, reconciling his friendship with Hazel and befriending Winn and Jasmine and maybe even getting Peri back as his fairy.

Another reason slightly crack that inspired me to make this post is this

This is Peri's eventual state/reaction every time he gets a godchild, boy's been bad at this from the very beginning it's that and simultaneously always gets a hard case on his first try

[ilovechuuy4]

˚ೀ⋆｡˚ I Have an Excellent Father, His Strength is Making Me Stronger!

BSD boy/girl dad HCS/reasoning

Warnings; girl dad I GUESS. (Why are y'all so upset with bsd girl dad's.

A/N: UGH THEY MAKE ME SICK IN A GOOD WAY ANYWAYS!! Do enjoy! Just a drabble before dazais bday post!!!

ADAˏˋ°•*⁀➷

N. Atsushi - Boy dad - It's not that he isn't a girl dad it's just he def is rough-housing, he would still play dress up etc if he was a girl dad but boy dad seems more accurate.

D. Kunikida - Girl dad - If he was a boy dad I fear he'd be so hard on the poor boy. Not saying Doppo won't be hard on his daughter but he'd def have a softer side.

O. Dazai - Girl dad ALL THE WAY - He's going to play dress up with her, tea parties, daddy-daughter dates etc etc he loves it all (also just don't think he can handle a little boy running around.)

Y. Fukuzawa - Girl AND Boy dad - Take that he hypothetically raised Yosano AND Ranpo just proves he's a big boy and girl dad, taking them out and having fun with them anywhere they'd like.

PORT MAFIAˏˋ°•*⁀➷

N. Chuuya - Girl dad - Daddy-Daughter dates, take your kid to work, daddy-daighter dances etc etc. Even though he's busy with his work he still want a to put time and effort to have fun with his kid.

P. Verlaine - Girl dad - He would let his kid basically play dress up with him. He'd let his kid put plastic tiaras and princess dressed on him. Let his daughter braid his hair and try to put those fake plastic highheels on that refuse to fit but his daughter would still try to make it work anyways.

R. Akutugawa - Boy dad - Making little monster trucks out of Rashomon so they can have little truck battles. Making little fits out of Rashomon too.

S. Oda - Both, leaning boy - Let's be serious, dazai and oda were father and son. Oda would be such a good dad. When it comes to being a boy dad he's gonna help his son with everything like when he hits puberty and doesn't now how to shave facial hair he'll help. When it comes to his daughter he's going to try understanding minstruals and any drama she's having.

S. Ango (former) - Girl dad - He definitely reads his kids bedtime stories regardless if they ask or not. He also let's them pull at his glasses just as long as they don't break them.

THE GUILDˏˋ°•*⁀➷

F. S. Fitzgerald - Girl dad - It's canon, literally. But he's definitely spoiling his daughter, toys, candy etc etc spoiling her to death (metaphorically)

E. A. Poe - Both leaning boy dad - He def wouldn't know how to give much attention to his child since he's all too focused on his novels.

H. P. Lovecraft - Girl dad - I feel like he wouldn't want kids take he might be scared they would be scared of him cause of his tentacles but if he would have had one, it would be a girl. They would def braid each other's hair.

J. Steinback - Both, leaning boy dad - I just couldn't see him being a girl dad though if he had a diaghter he would treat her just the same as if he had a son.

M. Twain - Both, leaning boy dad - I feel like Twain wouldn't care all too much but I feel like he'd enjoy teaching his son how the sniper works when his son gets older (not me saying girls can't learn how guns work)

DOAˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Bram S. - Girl dad - Hes definitely very protective over his daughter (like how he was protective over Aya) He's definitely giving a Vlad and Mavis (Hotel Transylvania) relationship, he'd do anything to make sure his daughter is happy.

Fyodor D. - Girl dad - He doesn't purposely neglect he child but take he's a terroist and literally on the run he tries his best but when he's not home he definitely sends Nikolai over to go give his daughter attention and love.

Sigma - Girl dad - If he had to choose, he'd be a girl dad. Not saying he wouldn't be a good dad, he'd be amazing but he wouldn't know how to deal with the drama or menstruals for the very first time but he'd definitely understand as time goes by.

Nikolai G. - Girl dad - ALL. THE. WAY. GIRL DAD NIKOLAI CANON. He'd let his daughter do his makeup for dress up or just for his clown outfit. No matter how messy it was he'd wear it out if she wanted him to (to carnivals, circuses, fairs etc.) Also hair braiding and tea party's are a big thing with Nikolai and his kid.

HUNTING DOGSˏˋ°•*⁀➷

S. Jōnō - Girl dad - It may sound ridiculous but they are playing hide and seek but the only way that Jōnō was always able to find her was his daughters soft giggles through the house where she was hiding, he's a really good dad.

S. Tetchō - Girl dad - He'd teach his daughter how his ability works, a smile would almost always appear when he heard her laugh and cheer as he demonstrated.

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

Counting my blessings this week as these current shows continue to absolutely kill it. These are all streaming on Gaga or provided via fansub (feel free to ask if you don’t know where to find them).

Our Youth

This week we were treated to a series of relationship negotiation conversations, several scenes so charged with tension and meaning that I am still not done processing, and a metaphor that just about knocked me out. Hirukawa can see through Minase's weak protests and just keeps putting himself near him, and now with Minase's parents likely divorcing and his impending departure abroad, he feels like he has nothing to lose, so he may as well give in to his desires. I am attuned to the pacing so I assume within the next two eps we will be wrapping up this high school backstory (brace yourselves for the horrors) and then going back to the present to see how they come back together as adults. I can't wait; this show is just killing it.

Love is Like a Poison

We begin this week's ep with the sweet smell of vindication, because as I thought, Haruto did not leave Shiba. He simply put his ring safely away and went out on a mission. Our Battle Couple continues to thrive! After another terrible encounter with his father (another strong contender for worst dad in BL), Haruto comes home and finally comes clean about the last of his secrets with encouragement from Shiba. His backstory is just as sad and horrifying as expected, and all the details of how he approached Shiba come together seamlessly now that we know he's been seeking help to avenge his mom this whole time. As a cherry on top, Shiba's bestie backs him up with the boss, and now the whole squad is geared up to take that man down.

Love in the Air Koi

CW: abuse, intimate partner violence, sexual assault

This week we transitioned from Arashi and Rei's happy coupledom to the beginning of Kai and Fuma's love story, with the flashback to their first encounter and an efficient presentation of Kai's harrowing backstory. I appreciate that this show did not flinch away from the ugliness of Kai's history, but also didn't dwell unnecessarily in the trauma. I am also noting the absence of the first kidnapping plot from the original drama--I assume this version will be combining Rei and Kai's abductions into one event toward the end of the show, which for me is an extremely welcome change. Nagatsuma Reo is really solid in portraying Kai's trauma and the intentional distance he keeps in his relationships and the fear and tension warring with his interest in Fuma was well done. Looking forward to their story.

The Fragrance You Inherit

In this episode Sakura and Mone got the chance to reconnect and Sakura finally told her story. It's sad as hell that her devastation over Mone led her to a dubious encounter with a man she doesn't know or like, but at the same time it gave her Toki, who is clearly her great joy in life. I'm happy that she got to raise him with the support of a good friend in Ryosuke, if not a partner. Speaking of Toki, it's now clear that he knows about his mom's feeling for Mone, and he is feeling her out to see what she might be willing to tell him. I'm sure he's having a lot of complex feelings, but I didn't get the sense that he's angry with his mother or concerned about his own relationship as much as he is sad that Sakura has kept this huge part of who she is a secret from him. Sakura wants to shield him from things he already understands, and she's too caught up in her own past trauma to recognize that the very fact of queer people existing will not come as a shock to her son. I love that the show seems poised to tackle that generational culture aspect of this conflict alongside the interpersonal dynamics. You can find the show here, with big thanks as always to @isaksbestpillow for providing English subs.

[ghost-bison]

a christopher eccleston appreciation post

i will never say this enough because i don't know enough words, nor do i think such words exist, that could even begin to summarize how much i love christopher eccleston, but... i love christopher eccleston. and, more importantly, i have a deep-rooted respect for that man.

i started doctor who as, let's be honest, a sci-fi hater, forcing myself because i was obsessed with david tennant, and i was kind of dreading the first series because of this. but i was dead wrong.

he broadened my mind, gave me so many laughs, and so many cries, and i'm not the first to say that whenever eccleston is on the screen you just can't take your eyes off him, even when he's not supposed to be the main focus of the scene.

the way he can switch from silly goose to traumatized soldier in a matter of seconds will never cease to amaze me. or how he can play with both like he's on a swing by balancing it out with sarcasm?

i think whoever doesn't give him the title role in their shows/films is either an idiot, or they know the main character just isn't always the best.

i think it's downright idiotic and shameful that he gets rejected from ever playing some shakespeare just because of his northern accent (they're just posh elitist pos). now that he's older, and that times are evolving (i mean, i hope the world of theater is vibing with this evolution, but i'm not delusional), i hope we get to see him portray a character like leontes in winter's tale cause i know he'd be absolutely perfect for the role, and who better than shakespeare (this character especially, with his nuances and highs and lows and breakdowns and breakthroughs) to match acting like his?

saw an article where eccleston talked about how the moment he really knew he wanted to be an actor was when he had to wear mascara for a play, and had enjoyed it. i think he talks about it in his autobiography too (you should read it, btw, it's frankly affordable, and he happens to be a marvelous writer as well).

eccleston knows he is mistakenly type-cast, because of his background, as macho men and tough blokes in general. he's aware that it's kind of a big part of his culture. again, he talks about it i think in the very first chapter, how for instance he used to dress up as james bond, the pinnacle of "masculinity", which i think was a disguise in the metaphorical sense of the term, to mask his delicacy and femininity (or at least, that's my interpretation of it).

in his biography, eccleston talks about the differences between him and his dad, ronnie: he was surprised, as a child, whenever his father's affection manifested as a kiss or a hug, cause that usually wasn't his father's way of doing things. he compares it to how he, in contrast, has the habit of kissing his own son, albert, and telling him he loves him.

you can find it as well in how he talks about his anorexia, his body dysmorphia and, i think we can call it that, gender dysphoria. he's from a time when those concepts didn't even exist, they weren't a thing to the public eye. my father and my step-father, both feminine men in their own way, and both around eccleston's age, both told me about the struggle that it represented, not being the stereotype of the macho tough guy, and being surrounded by boys who didn't struggle with that issue. it made my dad a junkie, my stepdad a depressive artist, and, apparently, it made eccleston an anorexic actor.

i think it takes a lot of courage for people that age (the boomer generation as we call them), especially men, from whom we expect toxic masculinity, masculinity pushed to an extreme, to be able to openly call it out and dissect it into what it is: a ridiculous standard. but to be a PUBLIC FIGURE, in his 60s, and still find the strength to express it? damn. takes guts, i think.

most of us on this website, we're babies. most of us are at most in their thirties. the millenials and the gen z, and now the gen alpha, we take that for granted. or get offended and scandalized that being able to express oneself isn't yet a basic standard.

but then, i talk to my mum, and i realize that she had to stray from her catholic, sexist education, she had to make up her own mind about things in order for me to be born a free spirit. and that's just considering my mum's a cishet.

christopher eccleston expressed in other words that he doesn't fully consider himself to be cisgendered. i have mad respect for the way he talks about it, and for even talking about it at all.

then, there's his honesty. the more interviews i watch, the more it impresses me. he knows honesty goes hand in hand with dignity. i'm sorry but i'm tired of people who are nice all the time. you never know when they're being honest, and maybe some of them are, who knows. but i'm not stupid enough to think that so many people are just pure sunshine all the time (respect for tennant for lashing out publically about transphobia, i think he passed the test).

eccleston? he knows how to be both brutally honest and yet respectful at the same time. no ukulele apology from this man and holy fuck, it feels good!

i've seen him call russel t davies out for his lack of professionalism on the set of doctor who, and then list him amongst the great writers he's worked with. which makes me want to believe eccleston's side, because, if you're always either too polite, or too full of spite about eveything, who's to say you're not the problem? i've got way less trouble believing you if you can stay unbiased about a person you're having beef with than if suddenly everything said person does turns into shit just cause you don't like them. that's just maturity and wisdom.

one last thing i love about eccleston is that he is interested in other people's lives. there's a critic by marcus berkmann in his book that perfectly expresses my point: "you know what to expect from the autobiographies of most actors, i think: anecdotes, charm, more than mild self-satisfaction and faux-modesty by the bucketload. but christopher eccleston is not most actors".

and that's it. watch him in interviews and at convention panels, where he lets his younger co-stars speak before himself, and seizes the occasion when journalists ask him questions that are meant to make him talk about himself to praise his writers and other actors instead.

read his autobiography, which is both a love letter to his dad and a big let's-be-honest about the struggles of growing up poor and his personal struggles, because he thinks raising awareness is just as important as protecting himself.

look at his instagram posts where he unabashedly disses the monarchy and stays true and loyal to his background even after getting a taste of money. and his other posts where he shares his love for acorns and spending time with his kids.

i've seen him nearly break down in shame and regret on television for having stolen a kid's crisps in primary school. and not trying to find lame excuses for his behaviour. no ukulele apology, just facts, just christopher eccleston showing us what masculinity in its purest, most beautiful form should be about

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

"Dad?"

"Mmh?"

"We haven't talked about dating..."

That alerted Fleamont. He knew his son was growing up, he was getting taller and taller each day. Fleamont noticed the way his voice was deeper and he no longer had a baby face. He was slowly turning into a man.

But Monty figured he still had time to enjoy his little boy. Time flew so fast.

"That's because you weren't interested about it before" he said, raising an eyebrow.

Monty remembered well how James declared he'd never have a girlfriend, back when he thought girls were weird and disgusting.

Oh how Effie and him had enjoyed those moments.

Now, James was noticeably blushing.

"There's this girl..."

"Oh, there's a girl..." Monty blinked as he prepared himself.

"I used to call her Carroty because she is a ginger" James explained as he pushed his glasses up "We used to fight a lot. She called me a toerag idiot...I love getting under her nerves, because she is cute when she is angry..." he grinned.

Fleamont smiled.

"Then at the beginning of this term, I asked her out and she tossed me a piece of pie in my face"

"Tough temper, ha?" Monty snorted "Probably you deserved it"

"I just simply asked her out!" James protested.

"Did you ask or demand?"

James frowned "There's a difference?"

Fleamont's chest glowed. It was adorable that James was naive and innocent about this matter. He was so young. Just fourteen. Fleamont remembered he didn't even think of girls at that age. His son had too much to learn.

"Oh yes" he said as he moved in his seat, getting more comfortable to face the boy "I know you, and you are not familiar with subtlety"

"Well, thanks for that!"

Fleamont smiled.

"What do you feel for this girl?"

James got even more scarlet.

"I think she's pretty, sort of..."

"Sort of?"

"And I like how she yells at me because she is cute when she's angry" he continued "And I think about her a lot... Not that often... But frequently... I don't know!"

James leaned closer with a bit of desperation.

"What's your advice?"

Fleamont wasn't an expert on women really. Both of the birds he had been with had flirted with him first. But when it came to giving advice to his son, Fleamont gathered all the wisdom he could.

"Listen, James" he started and the boy's eyes illuminated. When he was little, he used to think Fleamont was a genius and his dad's words were law. Fleamont was glad that he provoked that on him.

"You're a kid, there's a long way for you yet" he added "But a girl is not a cool item you spot in the market and want for yourself... It is like a trophy, you have to fight for her, you have to do things right in order to gain her attention. It requires patience and intuition"

"Patience?"

They both knew James wasn't an expert in that.

"Lots of it. But it is like rugby, you have to act when it is necessary, when it is your turn, not when it is not"

"So, I don't ask her out again?"

Fleamont giggled "I think you should go step by step first. Get to know her better, what she likes, what she doesn't. Test the waters, see if she might be interested... Then act" he explained "Like in rugby, you don't make a movement until you're sure it is beneficial for the game... Strategy, my boy"

"Strategy" James beamed.

"Yes..."

James raised from his seat. Sometimes it was overwhelming how much energy this kid had. He got it from Effie surely.

"Thanks Dad!" James exclaimed "I am gonna call the boys so they can help me plan a strategy to win Evans"

"It was a metaphor, James. She is actually not a bloody trophy" Fleamont explained but his son was already climbing the stairs.

"Yeah, yeah! Thanks Dad!"

Fleamont sighed "Ah, he'll figure it out eventually"

It was just the beginning. James was having baby steps yet. He had no idea what a relationship meant. What it felt like to actually fall in love. And to share a life with a woman.

James would grow up someday and would find the love of his life. And he would have to live new experiences, to mature and build a family.

But there was a long way for that yet. Fleamont was thrilled, he wanted to support his Jamie in every step of the way.

Aaah girls... Romance... Love... James had to learn a lot.

Effie was going to be thrilled as well when Fleamont told her.

[nat1lladx]

Ryomen Sukuna is the kind of husband who...

is VERY protective of you, he knows that no one would dare mess with his wife/husband... however, there is always the idiot that tries to get under his skin by hurting you.

Everyone would think that he is a shitty husband... but that is not the case, he is faithful and loyal to his wife/husband, since you are someone who managed to soften his heart enough to enter into it. His only red flag in the relationship would be that he doesn't know how to express his feelings towards you since he's new to this whole love thing.

In private he's a little clingier around you, he likes it when you caress his body and whisper how much you love him... it's like it's just you and him at that moment.

If you write poetry, he will read your text as if it were a letter full of secrets about the universe... oh, and if you write poetry with cannibalism metaphors, it will only be a matter of minutes before he starts worshiping you like crazy.

Sukuna has many hobbies and it wasn't expected that art would be one of them, he has several paintings of your face placed in every part of his temple just to look at you at any time of the day... you can't blame him, you are the cutest little thing his demonic eyes have ever seen.

Sukuna is someone who tries to improve every day just for you, you make him want to improve many habits that could intervene in your relationship. He doesn't want to lose you, you are someone special in his life that he is not willing to let go, he loves you with all his heart...

Uraume is like the son of the two of you, Uraume loves you very much and sometimes calls you mom/dad... you can't blame him, you radiate a feeling of motherhood/fatherhood.

You three are definitely a happy family... and he can't be more than satisfied.

This is my first publication in this application... so I don't expect much from this, an apology for my mediocre English, it is not my first language which makes it a bit difficult for me to write it. If I have mistakes, don't hesitate to correct them, I really need advice so that my English stops sucking (no, I won't use Duolingo)

[jujus-bizarre-blog]

SOC and CK allegories for the queer characters (and other thoughts)

I was going to make a separate blog to yell about books but I decided to do it here.

I AM NOT DONE CROOKED KINGDOM AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS SO EVERYTHING I SAY IS HAVING ONLY READ HALF THE BOOK SO FAR.

The Grishaverse doesn't seem to have any form of homophobia, but SOC and CK are chalk fulllllllll of what I can only see as plots that mimic queer experiences for the queer characters in the main group.

We have four queer characters (that I know of at the moment): Jesper, Wylan, Nina, Kuwei.

So let's start with the obvious, three of the four are Grisha. Obviously not all Grisha are queer, but all the Grisha in the party are. This gives them an automatic plotline of "hide who you are".

It could be said that since Nina is Ravkan she wasn't raised that way, and no, she wasn't. However since leaving Ravka she has been forced to hide for her safety, and not only that but she is frequently told she's "too much" which sounds a lot to me like what some people say about queer people when they think queer people should be less queer. Also Matthias is all about being "traditional" and "proper" and Nina's whole thing is that she is neither. Traditional and proper sound a lottttt like some people's arguments to be homophobic.

Jesper's I think is rather obvious. His father has a clear concern for his son being Grisha since it can put your life at risk. In Jesper's argument with his dad he goes off and asks his dad why did he never let him go to Ravka where he could be himself and learn about himself and his powers. Oh not to mention the fact that him and his dad talk around him being Grisha like it's some sort of virus that can be caught by simply speaking the word.

Kuwei's took a second to hit me but when it did I was like "ah yep, makes sense" and this is probably because it took me a hot second to realize Kuwei was queer. Yeah, apparently him being jealous that Jesper only looked at Wylan a certain way didn't tip me off... ANYWAY THOUGH. Kuwei is also told to hide who he is, but his dad goes the extra length of literally making a drug to help him hide himself. Is it giving anyone else Dorian's dad from Dragon Age vibes??? Blood magic for the gay son???

FINALLY, I will talk about my baby, the character I love more than anything else. Wylan. Here's the thing about Wylan, while I was reading SOC I wasn't sure if homophobia existed in this world yet and I was half convinced that his dad disowned him because gay. While his dad obviously didn't do that, I still think at the end of the day it portrays an experience that is very similar. Wylan is shamed, hidden, and ultimately his dad tries to have him killed, all because he can't read. His dad loathes him over such a stupid reason, especially since Wylan is absolutely brilliant at tons of stuff and the cutest lil guy. But I think it's that hatred of his son over something so trivial that really lends itself to being about something else entirely, Wylan being queer.

All four of our queer characters in the main group have different plots, but ultimately they all circle around the idea of hiding who you are and being ashamed of who you are. That sounds like a very common queer experience if you ask me.

I don't know if this was intentional or just a huge coincidence. As a writer myself I am all too aware of how easily accidental metaphors and symbols can happen. But I think about it a lot as I'm reading so I wanted to shout about it either way. I also have no clue if this is a common idea or not, I just know when I pointed it out to my friends who had read the books prior, one of who loves and reads them yearly, they both kinda went "oh damn, you right," but didn't see it before I mentioned it.

Anyway, if I missed things (or you wanna yell at me about how wrong I am, which is usually the more likely option) I'd love to know thoughts :)

AND BONUS THOUGHTS

This one is super obvious but I just wanna say it. Jesper is ADHD and no one will change my mind in the history of ever. This man cannot sit still, has been described as having limitless energy, and he seeks constant immediate gratification in the form of gambling and adrenalin rushes. COME ON MAN. I know I know, there's a lore reason, something something Grisha not using magic blah blah. No. No. He is ADHD and you cannot tell me otherwise. And I love him dearly.

Also, not a theory or anything but, y'all, I love Wylan so much. I just wanna give him a hug and a lollipop and tell him it's okay. He's so cute.

[psuedochakra]

Bradley Bradshaw (10th grade)

Rating: Teen (language) Summary: Erica Barnett (world history and advanced placement US history) noticed one of her students was repeatedly missing her last class on Thursdays. She just didn't know why. But his parents would be at the spring recital. Erica just doesn't know which man is the student's dad Tags: POV outsider, misunderstandings, fluff

The spring recital went off without a hitch. Four different bands (6th grade, 7th/8th grade, high school, and jazz), the high school choir, plus a handful of other acts. Nobody forgot their sheet music; nobody got sick. Erica considered that a win.

She wasn't the music teacher. Oh no. Erica couldn't carry a tune; she was just a history teacher. She drew the metaphorical short straw and helped the music teachers set up. Not that she minded. Plus, some of the choir girls had practically begged Erica to attend.

Erica had a secret third motive too. Bradley Bradshaw. He had a piano solo, and he'd been skipping her class. Not every single class; every Thursday class. For the whole semester. He was still passing the class, despite missing the latest project and half of his homework. Nobody in the office had any idea why. He had only started skipping his last class on Thursdays in November.

Erica's prevailing theory was that the teen just wanted to go home early. His world history class was the last one of the day. A lot of kids cut their last class. Bradley wasn't special. He'd been sent home with reprimands for his parents to sign. They never came back. The phone usually went unanswered at the house. Which was weird because last year, Mrs. Bradshaw had been to every single parent-teacher conference.

"You know," Brian Davis (algebra and geometry) hummed one morning in the teachers' lounge, "I've never even met Bradshaw's dad. And I had him in homeroom last year too. It's always his mom at conference time."

"A man has definitely answered the phone at the house a few times," Lauren Jacobs (office) pointed out.

"I've seen him get on a motorcycle with a man," Tina Lewis (10th & 12th grade English) said.

"The brunette who doesn't wear a helmet? I think I've seen the same guy pick him up in a car too."

"He doesn't wear a helmet? What an idiot," Brian rolled his eyes, "Enjoy the brain damage."

"Well, I hope his son wears one," Erica huffed.

"I've seen him pick Bradley up a few times," Jack Hartman (advanced placement literature) chimed in, "Bradley always has a helmet."

"I haven't seen the missus all year," Michelle Smit (biology and chemistry) said, "She was super involved with the PTA last year."

There were a few tired but agreeable murmurs from the teachers in the lounge.

"You think they'd know what's going on?" Erica wondered.

"No fucking way the PTA would tell us though," Barbara Gries (middle school social studies) laughed.

"None of his office notices have come back signed. But I think his dad is Navy," Lauren added.

"Makes sense," Michelle shrugged, sipping her coffee, "Bunch of parents are around here."

"Bradshaw got into it with the Knapp twins didn't he?" Brian asked.

"Mhmm, yeah," Lauren nodded, "But they hit first. Doug kicked them all off the basketball team."

Doug Rogers was the junior varsity basketball couch and one of the PE teachers.

"He has a piano solo at the recital," Rory Kellum (high school band director) said, "His mom never misses a concert."

"Is Bradley in band?" Erica asked.

"No, he must take private lessons. He's good though! And I always need help setting up the stage."

"Okay, sign me up. I was gonna go anyway."

Erica was just concerned. She had a big heart. That was part of why she wanted to be a teacher.

She spotted Bradley in the crowd of people leaving. He was with two men. Both brunettes.

"Mr. Bradshaw!" Erica called out.

The teen stopped first, then the adults. He turned around. The taller of the two adults had a camera.

"Hey, Ms. Barnett! Did you like the show?" Bradley grinned.

The taller of the two men with Bradley elbowed the other and mumbled something in his ear. The shorter rolled his eyes and smacked the other man in the chest.

"Your solo was great, Bradley," Erica told him.

"He's been practicing for months," the taller one said.

Bradley flushed and mumbled, "Shut up."

"Well, Mr. Bradshaw, we've been trying to contact you and your wife," Erica informed them.

The two men looked at each other, back to Erica, then back to each other. Erica frowned. Were neither of them Mr. Bradshaw? She glanced at their hands; neither of them had a ring. Idly, Erica wondered if they were together. It was extremely unconventional, but she had heard of that sort of thing. A gay man hooking up with a female friend to make a baby. Then the men raise the child or sometimes all three of the adults.

"You wanna be Mr. Bradshaw, Wood?" The shorter one asked, "You live there."

"I'm not his legal guardian, Mav," the other one, Wood, said, "This sounds like a legal guardian thing."

"Well, we don't know that," Mav scoffed.

Bradley didn't say anything.

Wood addressed Erica, "What'd he do?"

"Hollywood," Bradley groaned and rubbed his face.

"Well, he's had a ton of abscenes," Erica began.

"No I haven't!" Bradley protested.

It was an embellishment on her part. The adults narrowed their eyes at the teen. Erica felt bad. Students and parents started paying attention to the small group.

"Okay, not a ton," she corrected, "I'm sorry."

"I think we should talk about this somewhere else," Mav said, looking around at everyone else.

Erica nodded and led them to her classroom. She gestured for the men to sit. With a huff, Bradley flopped into a desk. The shorter man sat next to him. The taller one stood behind them, arms folded.

"I know your son has missed over half of his world history classes so far this semester," Erica began.

"And that's your class?" Wood clarified.

She blinked, a bit taken aback. Her room was covered in maps, flags, and the latest sophomore projects (World War II propaganda posters). But Erica nodded.

She continued, "The office has sent home notices with Bradley. Ones that need to be sighed and returned."

"And they never come home," Mav finished.

Erica nodded again. Bradley groaned and rested his head on the desk. She thumbed through her attendance records and listed off a few of the dates Bradley had missed. The men looked at each other. Bradley continued groaning.

"Those are all the days you've taken him to the hospital," Mav said.

It was Erica's turn to blush. Was Bradley sick? He didn't look sick. The office didn't have any doctor notes on record (that she knew of). Erica probably should have gotten some more information before she confronted the parents.

Wood leaned over and squeezed Bradley's shoulder. He crouched down on the boy's other side.

"Brad, you said it was fine," Wood mumbled.

"I'm not failing," Bradley huffed, still face first on the desk.

"Yeah, but the school needs to know where you are," Mav told him. He took the teenager's hand. "What if another one of those um…"

He fell silent. Erica shifted uncomfortably. A few weeks ago, there was a school shooting in Colorado. But Mav was right. The school needed to know where the students were in case there was an emergency.

"But I'm with Mom, so I'm fine," Bradley argued.

"The school clearly doesn't know that," Wood snorted.

"Wait, so are the notices from the office about his abscenes?" Mav asked.

"Um, some," Erica blinked.

Again, she wished she had more information.

"One of them was for a fight," Bradley mumbled.

"What was that?" Wood asked.

"Lift your head up, buddy," Mav instructed.

Bradley sighed, loudly, but lifted his head up. He repeated himself.

"A fight?!" the two men shouted.

"They started it!" Bradley snapped.

"When was this?" Mav demanded.

"Last year. Um in November."

"Is this why you got kicked off the basketball team?" Wood asked.

"You got kicked off the basketball team?!" Mav gasped, "You told Carole you quit!"

"Well, I couldn't tell Mom I got kicked off for fighting," Bradley rolled his eyes.

To be honest, Erica was starting to think neither of these men were Bradley's dad. They certainly acted like some type of parent. But the longer she looked at the three men, the more she noticed differences in their features. He could take after his mom. Erica couldn't really remember what she looked like though. Wood had called Mav the "legal guardian," but Wood seemed to know about the basketball team. Erica didn't want to keep speculating on the boy's home life.

"Excuse me," she cleared her throat.

The trio stopped arguing and looked at her.

"I think I should keep having this conversation just with Mr. Bradshaw," Erica said.

The adults looked at each other. Hopefully, she would figure out what happened from the man who remained. Except both of them stood up.

"Bud, you wanna stay here and keep talking to your teacher?" Wood asked.

Erica was even more confused. Bradley looked at her. His mouth opened into an "oh" shape.

"These guys aren't my dad," the teenager said, "There's no uh I'm the only Mr. Bradshaw."

"Oh," Erica blinked.

"Oh! No, uh, fuck. Sorry! Pete Mitchell," Mav Pete stood up and came over to shake Erica's hand.

"Rick Neven," Wood Rick said. He didn't move away from Bradley.

"Legal guardian," Pete pointed to himself.

"Boyfriend," Rick pointed to himself.

Oh. Oh. Well, Erica wasn't terribly far off. They were a couple and they had adopted Bradley! At least one of them had.

"Okay, well," Rick stood up again, "I guess I need to inform the office when I'm pulling him from class then?"

Erica reeled herself back in and nodded, "Yes. We have a new policy. The kids need to be checked out by an approved adult. You can list up to four."

"That's good," Pete said.

"All this was sent home with your uh Bradley."

Both the men looked at Bradley. He set his head back down and groaned.

"I'll come in Monday," Pete said, "Will that work? To fill out whatever for the policy?"

"Yeah, of course," Erica nodded.

"We're probably gonna keep pulling him from your class," Rick said, "So is he missing any work?"

Erica pointed to the wall behind them, "The only thing I'm missing is our latest project. It was just due today."

"I started it," Bradley mumbled.

"Are those World War II posters?" Pete asked with a grin.

"Did you finish it?" Rick asked the teenager.

"Yes," Erica said with a nod.

"No," Bradley grumbled.

"Okay, buddy. Head up," Pete squeezed his shoulder.

Bradley sat up properly.

"I won't even count it late if you can get it to me by Wednesday," Erica told Bradley.

"Okay," he sighed, "Thanks, Ms. Barnett."

"May I ask why you're signing him out of my class every day?" Erica asked the men.

"You didn't tell the school?" Rick frowned.

Erica wasn't sure who he was talking to. Pete or Bradley. Both of them shrank in the desks under Rick's glare. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Carole, his mom, has cancer. All those missed classes are chemo or doctor appointments," Pete explained, "We uh… I sent him with a note. Which I now see didn't make it."

"Oh," Erica said quietly, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"We will talk about the missing notes at home," Pete sighed, "Thank you, Ms. Barnett."

"Yeah, of course."

"So is the poster the only thing he's missing?" Rick asked.

It wasn't. Erica looked at Bradley's sad doe eyes. She was such a sucker, but worksheets could be filled out at any time.

She nodded, "So far. He's otherwise pretty dilligent about his work. I'll get everything we'll do on Thursdays together for him to take home on Wednesdays. That is if neither of you mind helping him?"

Bradley's eyes widened, and he mouthed "thank you." Erica smiled back.

"No of course we'll help him," Rick said.

"I uh I can come in during lunch sometimes," Bradley offered.

Erica felt like a bobblehead with how much she was nodding, "We can get together Monday after class and talk about that, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you need anything else from us, Ms. Barnett?" Pete asked.

"Um, no. That was everything. Thank you for your time," Erica said.

"C'mon, buddy," Rick tapped Bradley's shoulder.

The other two followed Bradley out into the hall. Erica waited at her desk for a few minutes. There was a knock on her door. Erica expected it to be one of Bradley's… adult men. It was Lauren and Tina. Erica waved them in; they closed the door.

"So?" Tina raised her eyebrow, drawing out the sound.

Erica exhaled, "So there is no Mr. Bradshaw. There's a Pete Mitchell, legal guardian, Rick Neven, boyfriend, and Carole Bradshaw, mother."

Both women made a surprised noise.

"Pete Mitchell, legal guardian, is coming in Monday to fill out some stuff in the office."

"Like what?" Lauren asked, hopping up on Erica's desk to sit.

Tina followed suit.

"The student check-out forms at least. I think he's gonna drop off some stuff to excuse Bradley on Thursdays."

"Oooh, why?" Tina asked.

Erica glanced at her closed door and leaned in to whisper, "His mom has cancer. Bradley's been going to her appointments with her on Thursdays."

Both women cooed, "Aw."

"She's such a sweet lady," Lauren sighed.

"He's such a good kid too," Tina said.

They sat there in silence for a minute.

"Did you hear about Michelle's husband?" Lauren whispered, "She caught him with their babysitter."

"Oh my God," Erica exclaimed.

"No fucking way! Doesn't Beth Williams babysit for them? She's in my second period senior English," Tina gasped.

"She just turned 18," Lauren shook her head.

"Oh my fucking God!"

"What's Michelle gonna do?" Erica asked.

Lauren shrugged, "I have no fucking idea."

"I'd divorce his ass," Tina shook her head.

"She can't get divorced," Erica said, "She's Catholic."

"Well, she could!"

"She won't then," Lauren sighed bitterly.

"Fucking sick."

"Horrible!"

"Oh, guess what else I heard," Lauren said, wiggling her eyebrows.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Monthly Follower Recs

Monthly follower recommendations for the month of December 2024

blown again into instant flame (ao3) - jonsaremembers

Summary: Dan reappears in the corner of Phil’s vision, wearing the green suit.

I’m fucked, is all Phil can think.

Because Dan is awfully fit for someone stuffed bodily into a green morph suit. Even the way the hood squashes his curls down and out over his forehead is kind of adorable.

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Delicate (ao3) - easybubbyy

Summary: Phil reveals a hidden desire to be treated more femininely by Dan, particularly drawn to Dan's masculinity and how he looks in sleeveless shirts. Dan indulges Phil's desires, leading to a passionate evening of trust, affection, and deep connection.

Holding On For Just Tonight (ao3) - definitelynotczargasm

Summary: The night before Dan leaves for the American leg of WAD, he suffers a little crisis of faith. As always, Phil is there to help him through it.

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Impressions (ao3) - ottertrashpalace

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But one day they pass an inhabited asteroid field and the inhabitants cause a little trouble in his relationship to his fellow crew member Phil Lester. And, why did this space siren turn into HIM trying to seduce Phil?

Limerence (ao3) - cherryheartz

Summary: Limerence [ li-mer-uhns] noun

1 the state of being obsessively infatuated with someone, usually accompanied by delusions of or a desire for an intense romantic relationship with that person…

Phil Lester is popular. But Dan Howell is not. Dan Howell likes Phil Lester's raven colored hair and ice blue eyes. But so does someone else…

Love Comes Without a Warning (ao3) - beaniebopbaby

Summary: Phil Lester wanted nothing more than to find his soulmate, his other half.

Dan Howell could not care less about finding his.

of fated encounters and hand-made soulmates (ao3) - ShiwiSins (IetjeSiobhan)

Summary: He’s smiling at Phil, like this entire embarrassing scene is just the opening meet-cute of a low quality rom-com, and Dan dislikes him immediately.

Or: They keep running into the same guy. Phil thinks it's fate. Dan thinks he'd like to see him piss off.

our lips must always be sealed (ao3) - uhmyeah

Summary: dan and phil have silly tour sex

santa baby (ao3) - ShiwiSins (IetjeSiobhan)

Summary: “Tell me,” Dan purrs, “have you been nice or naughty this year?”

Or: Dan dresses up in a sexy Santa outfit.

Soccer Dads (ao3) - phantropolis

Summary: Dan accompanies Phil to their son’s soccer practice for the first time, only to discover that the soccer mums flirt with a very oblivious Phil in very obvious ways. Featuring jealous!Dan and their son, Jack, who is a surprisingly talented player.

the metaphors of desire (ao3) - cityofphanchester

Summary: The elbow of Dan’s jacket is smooth leather, stitched on, an unexpected contrast from the woolly fabric around it. His mouth is soft and his body is warm and Phil breaks away with a choked gasp of air.

“Shit,” Dan says, and his big warm hand drops away from Phil’s jaw, and he’s gone.

(in which they're both english professors)

The Nightmare of Chemistry (ao3) - Merrydith

Summary: Dan and Phil have amazing chemistry. They've built their entire lives around their dynamic. But Dan is lonely and decides to start dating to fill the desire in his heart - but everyone he brings home is too intimidated by Dan and Phil's connection. One day, Phil unknowingly gives him an idea that could change the game. Will Dan finally find someone comfortable enough to compete with what Dan and Phil have? Or will Dan have to realize that maybe what he has been looking for was in front of him the entire time?

The Very Thought of You (ao3) - thatgeekygirl13

Summary: His fingers whizzed across the black and white keys of the old piano. He smiled while sweat dripped down his brow. Dan had always felt like the piano was just an extension of himself, the music becoming a part of him.

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Or

1940s AU where Dan Howell is a struggling, but talented pianist and Phil is a literature/writing/linguistics professor and they meet by chance at a hidden gay bar and really uhh hit it off idk I'm still writing it