#of pitfalls attendant on it.

[itspileofgoodthings]

also it’s interesting because. my family is deeply unsentimental (in a very powerful way) and society is divided into the pretty heartless or the pretty sentimental (generally speaking) and I’m sort of this walking heart wound of emotion trying to straddle these lines (and having a hard time of it!) but one of the things that does guard me from being more sentimental than I am is the secret cruelty and unfairness that lurks at the bottom of all sentimentality.

[soapyghostie]

Cipher from fogposting here, I have been thinking about the reader living in the slasher / dbd killer house idea!

And what I would be interested in is how chores would be distributed 😂 who does what? Do they let Bubba cook?

(not sure if this counts as request, but feel free to ignore it if you don't want to write anything about this!)

Horror House

Since there is a big group of them that live together, the slashers have a humongous house so it’s right that everyone has to pitch in (at Norman’s demand).

Jason handles the house’s exterior maintenance, ensuring the walls and gates are secure, and also takes care of the yard work. He’s actually really good at gardening if you mean by growing a never-ending supply of deadly traps and pitfalls.

Michael is in charge of plumbing, but his fixes often lead to eerie, dripping sounds, and he also handles the house’s lighting, but only installs dim, flickering bulbs that cast ominous shadows (he purposely does that to scare the shit out of Danny, Billy, and Stu). His cooking skills are limited to boiling water, but he insists on making everyone eat his infamous Michael’s Mac ‘n Cheese of Doom. 

Freddy manages the house’s electrical system, but loves to play tricks with the lighting to try and scare the others (it doesn’t work). He also helps with running the house’s music and entertainment with his razor-sharp glove-uitar (Freddy named it that). It’s just him running his glove blades over the strings of an actual guitar and it doesn’t sound that great.

Bubba cooks meals for everyone alongside Hannibal and it’s some of the most fine homemade cooking you will ever taste. He also helps Norman with the house’s cleaning. He is actually very good at doing laundry. He makes sure each piece of clothing is neatly folded and put in the right person’s pile.

Nubbins assists Bubba in the kitchen, but mostly makes ruckus and gets in the way. He does actual gardening, but is not very good at it. The plants usually die within 3-4 days and maybe a week if he’s lucky.  

ChopTop does a lot of carpentry and woodworking, but his creations end up looking sinister and unuseful. He ends up antagonizing Bubba With his creations by chasing him and waving them around in his face. He also helps Drayton with finances, but only embezzles funds to make more of those twisted projects of his.

Drayton oversees the house’s finances and handles the house’s decorating using human skulls and bones (Norman and Hannibal had to take them down because it was making some of the other residents sick to their stomachs and relieved Drayton from decorating duty). He tries to help out with gardening, but it always ends with him chasing Nubbins around with a broom, leaving the garden unattended for hours (maybe that’s why the plants die so fast). 

Thomas takes care of the house’s leatherwork and upholstery, but uses human skin, and also handles the house’s security, but only installs traps and alarms that have led to endangering some of the residents. He’s actually a pretty good cook, but prefers to let Bubba and Hannibal do the cooking so he can keep his eye out for danger. 

Bo manages any machine or car maintenance. Since the slashers have to use reusable stuff, Bo is there to make sure that everything is intact and working. He tends to be out in the huge garage-like barn in the back of the house for hours, with Amanda, always fixing something.

Vincent oversees the house’s art and decor with the help of Brahms. He’ll spend hours down in the basement (his art studio) creating pieces to hang up around the house. He also handles the music being played around the house with his radio. He finds Freddy’s attempt at making music annoying. He’ll help out with the laundry sometimes too. He treats laundry like he treats his artwork.

Lester doesn’t stick around the house; he’s out of the house early to attend his roadkill pile. However, whenever he is home, Lester will assist Norman with taxidermy and chores. He’s only tried helping cook dinner once and almost burnt the whole house down. Let’s just say he was never let back into the kitchen again.

Norman takes care of a lot of the house’s cleaning and keeps the house pretty tidy for an extremely worn down house. In his free time, he does a lot of taxidermy to put up for display around the house to give it more personality. He can cook, but no one likes house cleaning so that takes up a lot of his time. 

Hannibal is the main chief of the house. He prepares exquisite, gourmet meals. He’ll prepare separate meals for anyone who is no in favor for his special ingredient, *cough* human *cough*. He also runs therapy sessions for anyone who needs it. He’s a great listener and gives great advice. He also helps with gardening every once and awhile if he’s not busy with other things. Nubbins is trying to find Hannibal’s secret to growing a successful garden because his plants last for years. 

Amanda spends her time designing and building traps for pests and rodents that are crawling around in the house. She’ll help Bo out with his projects if he gets stuck on something because she gets tired of hearing him groan and complain. Listen, the girl needs her concentration okay? 

Billy Loomis refuses to do almost anything that requires him to be responsible: Norman was lucky enough to even get him to clean his room. However, he does like to pull pranks on the other slashers and make mischief. He may or may not have gotten his throat slit open by Michael once for it though…

Stu works with the technology and gadgets of the house. However, he only uses them to play pranks on the other residents of the house and nothing really useful. Hannibal and Norman had to provoke his technology privileges quite a few times because the others were complaining. 

Chucky only exists to insult and annoy the hell out of everyone. What is he gonna do? He’s literally a doll. Actually, he does help with organizing stuff. If he sees something misplaced or moved, he’ll put it back into its original spot. He also helps his wife Tiffany out with her fashion work. 

Tiffany handles a lot of the house’s fashion and style. She designs and creates outfits for everyone so no one has to go clothes shopping. She is also another one who is a really good cook and helps out sometimes. Her specialty is baked goods and always makes the best desserts for after dinner.

Brahms helps with decorating. He’s very picky with how the house is decorated and wants the house to be decorated with only the finest things. Most of the stuff he hangs up is Vincent’s art pieces that range from canvas art to sculptures.

Billy Lenz looks after the ‘household’ cat (it’s actually his cat) Claude. He feeds,waters, grooms, and plays with the cat. He makes sure that no one has to think twice about taking care of Claude. He likes to keep Claude with him at all times because Michael tried to kill and eat him a few times.

Pyramid Head is the guard dog of the house. He makes sure the younger slashers aren’t getting too out of hand and staying out of trouble. The slashers are really trying not to draw too much attention to themselves.

Carrie helps out with chores and does most of the laundry. She uses her powers to make the clothes spontaneously combust and move things around to dust the spaces underneath objects. 

Jennifer takes care of the house’s beauty and makeup. She critiques the other slashers on their work ethic and tightness around the house (It’s much appreciated by Norman). She’ll make sure that everything is put in its proper place and looks presentable. She does Bubba and Carrie’s makeup a lot and is your go to girl for when prom rolls around. 

Danny surprisingly is a very efficient cleaner and will get random bursts of energy that has him deep cleaning the entire house. He will disinfect the entire house in an hour and a half, insisting that Norman takes a break for the day since that’s literally all he does everyday 24/7 3/65. He also cares for the firearms and weaponry.

[problematic-yuri-poll]

Problematic Femslash Ship Tournament - Round 1

Catradora - Catra x Adora (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) VS. Nano Shinonome x Nakamura-sensei (Nichijou)

Info and propaganda under cut! This will not be spoiler-free.

Problematic elements for Catradora:

the fact the characters (catra and adora) were raised as siblings, their relationship is very abusive and toxic with the characters trying to kill eachother on many occasions. catra is very abusive toward adora. often blackmailing her and phisically harming her. the two end up in a relationship at the end and they have a future thing (idk what to call it) where they get married and the creator confirmed they have a kid together

Problematic elements for Nano x Nakamura:

Nakamura-sensei is the science teacher at the high school Nano attends. She can tell Nano is a robot, and wants to capture and study her. She spends most of her series screentime stalking and setting traps for Nano, from drugged coffee to digging pitfalls in the schoolyard.

--

No propaganda was submitted for Catradora.

Propaganda for Nano x Nakamura:

Nakamura-sensei is obviously a lesbian, I mean look at her. Her Team-Rocket-like obsession with Nano (and similar level of success), combined with Nano trying SO hard to keep the fact that she is a robot a secret, makes an excellent dynamic. Science teacher x secret robot student is such a great couple!

[bejeweledblondie]

You Don’t Send A Man To Do A Woman’s Job

Johnny “Soap” MacTavish x F! Reader

Summary: Heavily Inspired by the Fast Furious scene with Gal Gadot. While trying to figure out how to get intel on Makarov Y/N’s quick thinking & feminine ways help gain that intel much to surprise to Soap

Warnings: Sexual themes, seduction, mentions of female body parts

Being in the military definitely had it pitfalls sometimes it could mean sitting in a remote shack for days or even not having running water. But it definitely did have its perks. This was one of them. Drinking frozen Margaritas in the Bahamas Y/N, Soap, & Gaz all stood around a high top table staring at a group of Russians. They were given a tip that some of Makarov’s men were on vacation here. Soap & Gaz were bickering over what was the best way to gain intel off of them. Ghost & Captain Price were planted on the roof of the resort god forbid things went south.

“And how do you propose we do that? We can’t exactly just plant a device wherever we wanted to.” Soap replied with attitude. Gaz rolled his eyes & before he could even respond Price came over the radio.

“Oi knock it off you two!” He shouted. “Figure a plan out and let us know.” He sounded beyond frustrated & rightfully so. Y/N kept staring at them brainstorming ways she herself could be of assistance. Then she saw a very attractive blonde woman flirt with the armed guards outside of the cabana. It clearly drew attention to her & the the Russians invited her in. She plopped herself down onto one of their laps & accepted one of their drinks. A light bulb went off in her head.

“Guys.” She said trying to gain their attention. They started to bicker again & completely ignored her. “Soap? Gaz?” She tried again to no avail. “Fuck it, I’m going in Captain. Just make sure you’re recording their conversations.” She said into her hidden ear piece & whipped off her leopard coverup to reveal a cheeky red bikini. As she started to walk away both Soap & Gaz stopped talking.

“Steamin’ Jesus.” Soap said. Ghost & Price both chucked at the expense of his reaction. Everyone knew Soap had a thing for you it was so incredibly painfully obvious to everyone except you. He couldn’t help but admire the way your bikini bottoms hugged your ass or the fact your toned legs stretched on for miles. He licked his lips at the sight.

As she walked towards the cabana she gained some unwanted attention from men scattered all over the pool, but it didn’t phase her. She was on a mission & was determined. Once she made it to the cabana she started to flirt with the armed guards. With her breasts pushed up in her bikini top & her famous smile she had gained the attention of one of the Russians.

“It’s fine Ivan, let the beautiful American woman in.” One of the men said. “Come sit.” He beckoned her to come in & sit down. She sat on the arm of his chair & he immediately grabbed a handful of her ass. Then he said made a remark to his friend in Russian about how good your ass felt. To his knowledge you had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. But after being part of the US Army’s psychological warfare division Russian was one of five language you knew.

Back at the high top, Soap was ready to fight the man who grabbed you. Gaz almost had to physically restrain him.

“Think of the mission, Soap.” He reminded him. Soap grumbled to himself & started to mope into his drink. Over the next hour she had gained some of the most important intel about weapons, imports, exports, hell the whole operation. Soon the Russians started to get up to excuse themselves for dinner.

The man she had been sitting with, whom she come to know as Andrei invited her to dinner. She accepted even though she wouldn’t be attending. A small piece of her felt bad for lying. But she quickly reminded herself these men were war criminals. They profited off of the murder of children, women, & families. Once all of them were gone she walked back over to the high top where Soap & Gaz were.

Soap took the time to take in the sight of her walking towards them. Her breasts bouncing with each step, & the way her hips swayed. He was undressing her with his eyes & imagined her without that damn red bikini. Once she reached the table she put the cover up back on covering her body.

“So how much intel did you gain?” Gaz asked.

“More then we needed.” She replied.

“I have to ask, how on the Earth did you accomplish that?” Soap asked. She turned to him & smirked.

“It’s easy MacTavish, you don’t send a man to do a woman’s job.” She replied.

[lets-try-some-writing]

Forbidden Sight is my favorite work of yours - I absolutely dig the religious horror and the excellent characterization of Bee’s terror. I feel like a huge downfall of a lot of works that do cosmic horror is ‘turning the lights on’ or so I say, when the writer says too much - but you avoided that pitfall MARVELOUSLY with the ending. Do you think you could shed some light on what inspired you for the fic and the characterization of Primus?

Oh absolutely!!! I hardly get questions like these and I am ALWAYS thrilled to answer them!! I too find that a lot of horror writers, even just for general horror, tend to reveal their hand too early. I've made that mistake before with a few drabbles and learned from a few other fandoms that oftentimes the most horrifying thing is that which you cannot fully comprehend. Thank you Warhammer 40k, Hollow Knight, and various analog horror series. There is a very fine line to walk for horror, and for me, I've always found inspiration for my horror through concept, not character or setting.

I am a highly religious person myself, and so in a moment of contemplation after attending philosophy class, I wondered what would be the most horrifying for a person of faith? Your world is crumbling. Reality is cracking, and all you have is your faith in something greater than yourself. And so you lean on it, you give yourself to it in hopes of the salvation your people preach. But through this you discover that the thing you worship, while indeed just as loving as the preachers say, does not know how to express that love in a way that does not cause pain. Would that not be horrifying? The god you worship is just as the stories say. All loving and perfectly loyal to you, it's precious child. But it is so much greater than you that you cannot understand it. Even its most tender touch and well meant action causes you pain because it does not know your mortal desires. Even if it does have the barest inkling of your pain, the way it soothes is so great and drastic that you have no choice but to plead to act in its stead. How do you serve a god who wants to love, but does not know how? You offer it everything. You become it's vessel so that, if nothing else, its touch will not break anyone other than you. There is equal horror to be found in learning that the god you've known lives beneath you feet is not just alive, but active. It schemes, it thinks and plans. It claims to love, but its actions tell a different tale. Everything it does hurt someone, even its most loyal devotee. Your god loves you. It loves you so much that it is willing to hurt you to keep it's people closer to itself. It loves so deeply and with such strength that it will listen, but only if you accept all that it has to offer. What would you do, if your god loved you enough to break you?

In essence, what is the consequence of a god's love? Can it be considered love at all? And beyond that, is what it claims to be love truly that, or is it simply selfishness hidden behind a veil of divinity. One cannot comprehend something so great, so all there is to do is guess.

Hope that answered your question! It was a lot of rambling on my end, but I do hope it makes a degree of sense.

[bikefuckersoftheworldunite]

«Pironi seeks victory to dedicate to Villeneuve»

[Notes: I used image to text converter to convert the scans to text but since the issue is from 1982 i had to clean up the text by adding the missing letters and stuff like that manually. so, there might be some mistakes. I also don’t speak Italian so this is google translated, but I attached the text version in Italian under the cut. The article is from La Stampa Sera; date: 12/06/1982; link to the original issue scans in source]

MONTREAL — Yesterday afternoon, during a moving ceremony, the Notre Dame Island circuit was officially named after Gilles Villeneuve. It was the mayor of Montreal himself, Jean Drapeau, who presented the official resolution of the municipality that renamed the track in memory of the late driver. The ceremony was attended by almost all the drivers and also by a large crowd that applauded the decision of Canadian politicians for a long time.

It is in this atmosphere that tomorrow, in memory of Villeneuve, the drivers will battle to the limit of their possibilities for the eighth round of the F.1 world championship. Yesterday the official tests were disturbed by the rain but there were still some indications of what could happen during the test.

And it is Didier Pironi himself who promises a fiery attack in tomorrow's race. "If the weather conditions allow it, that is, if it doesn't rain," says the Frenchman, "I won't do a race like the one in Detroit, on the defensive. I hope the tires work well and that I can make the most of the Ferrari's power. It would be the greatest joy of my life to get a victory on this circuit. It goes without saying: I would dedicate it to my late teammate. We argued, it's true, but that didn't mean I considered a friendship that had lasted a long time over. I'm sure Gilles would have liked to see me, him, winner, or in any case, see a Ferrari in first place. There are many pitfalls, many opponents, but I'm optimistic given how the last races have ended."

Pironi's statements are quite demanding. However, many drivers believe that the Ferrari "driver" is one of the favourites for the Canadian Grand Prix. The series of placings obtained so far, the excellent performances of the car that is growing day by day and is increasingly competitive, constitute a demonstration of quality that has never failed so far. Ferrari also has some small technical secrets with innovations that have been introduced in recent times. One of these, for a special type of cooling of the air that is expelled from the turbo, constitutes an authentic secret of the 126 C2. Many are now copying the system that evidently uses a pump that nebulises the liquid, i.e. water, in the air and allows it to be cooled and obtain significantly lower temperatures for the engine. In this way, the turbo engine prepared in Maranello almost never breaks down and offers very high level performance.

The Ferrari driver's main rivals should be Prost and Arnoux, Patrese with Brabham, Lauda and Watson with McLaren and, obviously, the Alfa Romeos of De Cesaris and Giacomelli. The driver from Brescia is trying to 'fine-tune' his car which yesterday did not provide excellent performances and relegated him far back in the grid. "I also want to have a good race - said the Italian driver - because I'm tired of hearing only accusations against me. If I'm not given a fine-tuned car, what can I do? It's just a matter of finding a balanced solution in the preparation of the car and then I'll show that I'm always a top-place man".

A race, therefore, that looks very heated. There are many contenders for victory and it must not be forgotten that the points up for grabs will also be decisive for the world standings. This year, as in the past, the standings will be drawn up on the basis of 11 results, that is, half of the scheduled races in the World Championship plus three. When this limit is reached, the discards will begin and then the best placings will be good. However, no one has yet reached an acceptable quota (Pironi has the highest number of placings in percentage with 4 results, among the first six in seven races disputed) while Watson is still the leader of the world standings. Even the Irishman, quietly, has begun to raise some hopes. But yesterday he was clearly inferior to his teammate Niki Lauda.

MONTREAL — Ieri pomeriggio, nel corso di una cerimonia commovente, il circuito dell'isola di Notre Dame è stato ufficialmente intitolato a Giles Villeneuve. E’ stato lo stesso sindaco di Montreal, Jean Drapeau a presentare la risoluzione ufficiale della municipalità che ha ribattezzato la pista in memoria al pilota scomparso. Alla cerimonia hanno preso parte quasi tutti i piloti e anche una numerosa folla che ha applaudito a lungo la decisione dei politici canadesi.

E' in questa atmosfera che domani, nel ricordo di Villeneute, i piloti si daranno battaglia al limite delle loro possibilità per l'ottava prova del campionato mondiale di F.1 Ieri le prove ufficiali sono state disturbate dalla pioggia ma si sono avute comunque alcune indicazioni per ciò che si potrà verificare nel corso della prova.

Oggi si tenterà di cambiare le posizioni anche perché se il tempo rimarrà bello tutti potranno scendere sotto i tempi ottenuti ieri. Molto attesa alla prova è la Renault turbo che su un tracciato da oltre 180 km all'ora non avrà difficoltà a mettere in fila le macchine ‘avversarie. La pole position è contestata sia dall'Alfa Romeo, che ieri è stata la vettura più rapida con Andrea De Cesaris, che dalla Ferrari ieri terza nella graduatoria finale.

Ed è lo stesso Didier Pironi a promettere un attacco focoso nella gara di domani. «Se le condizioni meteorologiche lo consentiranno, cioè se non pioverà — afferma il francese — non farò una corsa come quella di Detroit, in difesa. Mi auguro che le gomme vadano bene e che io possa sfruttare al massimo la potenza della Ferrari. Sarebbe la più grande gioia della mia vita ottenere una vittoria su questo circuito. Non c'è neppure da dirlo: la dedicherei al mio compagno scomparso. Abbiamo litigato, è vero, ma non per questo avevo considerato chiusa un'amicizia che durava da tanto tempo. Sono sicuro che Gilles avrebbe voluto vedermi, lui, vincitore, o comunque, vedere una Ferrari al primo posto. Le insidie sono molte, gli avversari tanti, ma sono ottimista visto come sono finite le ultime gare».

Le dichiarazioni di Pironi sono abbastanza impegnative. Tuttavia sono molti i piloti a credere che il «driver» della Ferrari sia no dei favoriti del Gran Premio del Canada. La serie di piazzamenti ottenuti sinora, le ottime pertormances della macchina che cresce di giorno in giorno ed è :sempre più competitiva, costitui scono una dimostrazione di qualità che sinora non è mai venuta meno. La Ferrari ha anche qualche piccolo segreto tecnico con delle innovazioni che sono state apportate negli ultimi tempi. Uno di questi, per uno speciale tipo di rof‘freddemento dell'aria che viene espulsa dal turbo, costituisce un autentico segreto della 126 C2. Sono in molti ora a co‘piare il sistema che si avvale evidentemente di una pompa che nebulizza il liquido, cioè l'acqua, nell'aria e consente di raffreddare la stessa e ottenere delle temperature nettamente inferiori per il motore. In questo modo il propulsore turbo preparato a Maranello non si rompe quasi più ed offre presatazioni di altissimo livello.

I maggiori rivali per il pilota della Ferrari dovrebbero essere Prost e Arnoux, Patrese con la Brabham, Lauda e Watson con le McLaren e, ovviamente, le Alfa Romeo di De Cesaris e Giacomelli. Il pilota bresciano sta tentando di ‘mettere a punto la sua vettura che ieri non ha fornito delle ottime performances e lo ha relegato molto indietro nello schieramento. «Voglio fare anch'io una buona corsa — ha dichiarato il pilota italiano — perché sono stufo di sentire soltanto accuse nei miei confronti. Se non mi sì dà una macchina a punto, come posso fare? Si tratta soltanto di trovare una soluzione equilbrata nella preparazione della vettura e poi dimostrerò che sono sempre un uomo da primi posti».

Una gara, dunque, che si presenta accesissima. Sono molti i pretendenti alla vittoria e non bisogna dimenticare che i punti in palio saranno determinanti anche per la classifica mondiale. Quest'anno, come già nel passato, la classifica sarà stilata sulla base di 11 risultati, cioè la metà delle prove in programma nel Campionato mondiale più tre. Quando sarà raggiunto tale limite cominceranno gli scarti ed allora saranno buoni i piazzamenti migliori. Nessuno comunque ha raggiunto ancora una quota accettabile (è Pironi ad avere il maggior numero di piazzamenti in per‘centuale con 4 risultati, fra i primi sei in sette corse disputate) mentre Watson è sempre il leader della classifica iridata. Anche l'irlandese, quatto quatto, ha cominciato ad alimentare qualche speranza. Ma ieri è stato nettamente inferiore al compagno di squadra Niki Lauda.

[theineffablesociety]

I'd like to plan a Good Omens meetup for Saturday October 19th, 2024. Poll below!

Edit: If you're looking for the Discord link, please message me!

We're currently looking at a hotel in Langhorne, PA that has a good bit of space. Just need to see about availability and cost.

For our immunocompromised and vulnerable fellow fans who plan to attend, we're going to include a masking policy in our event spaces and hallway/foyer outside those rooms. We'll have extras available.

All ages welcome; under 18 must attend with a guardian.

-

Start original message:

The Ineffable Society Meetup is a thought that's brewed in my brain since June 2023 when a bunch of local GO fans chanced to meet for the first time at the King of Prussia PA screening of series 2 episode 1 and 2.

It is time to stop brewing and let others contribute.

Here's my initial thoughts:

I'm willing to organize but not alone. We'll need to work together.

I live near Philadelphia, PA so this is the area I'm willing to do what needs doing primarily in Eastern PA, Central NJ, surrounding areas therein.

I'd want everyone attending to be 18 or older, please. I encourage those 17 and under to organize something together!

Taking suggestions for type of venues to host, think like a family reunion or larger.

I'm not interested in handling money, so would seek at least 2 people to oversee financials if that comes into play. (Finances might be needed to cover renting a space, any printed materials, little swag gifts.)

As mentioned, Saturday October 19th. Because it's close to the Earth's Birthday. :3

Afternoon through evening could be good. Maybe a 3 hour window on the small end; most of the day on the larger end. Will depend on location and on how many helpers step up.

Good Omens related fun: encouraging cosplay, script book readings, discussions, games, swaps. Maybe screening an episode together (there's copyright law to contend with here though). Depending on how much time we have together and space. Simplest plan would be an informal Good Omens afternoon mixer type.

If fewer than 12 people are interested:

We could just meetup at a restaurant that has a function room! (Not super ideal for allergies, as there's probably nowhere that's good for everyone. But does it in a pinch. And would probably not be a big up-front cost. Often there's a small room fee and then the assumption everyone will eat.)

If more than 12 up to 40 people are interested:

We might consider renting some conference rooms at a small hotel. (That does make it easier for people to find accommodations: already there! At a hotel! Downside is this will require chipping in.)

Any more than 40 people and uhhh... We'll figure it out.

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW FROM YOU

There will be more questions to follow, but most important one is below.

Please answer YES if you are:

A Good Omens fan

18 or older

In the Eastern PA to Central NJ area

Or are otherwise willing, able, and interested to go there

For transparency. A little about me:

I'm North (SeedsOfWinter). They/he.

Over the past two and a half decades, I've organized or been a member of organizations that planned meetups, game nights, reunions, and nerd events for friends and strangers alike.

I've been a Good Omens fan since June 2019. I run @rareomens. I am a mod for @ineffableeraszine and @bildadzine. I was a mod for the Our Side Zines, Pin Me Up 2, and many more. I was a founding admin for the LGBTQIA+ Fans of Good Omens groups.

I've been part of convention presentations for Good Omens at The Ineffable Con (virtual) and DragonCon (in-person, Atlanta GA). I love to organize fan photoshoots and meetups.

I know that any attempt at gathering people requires a team to make it happen; and that there's pitfalls and perils to all of it, especially when you're dealing with a bunch of possible strangers meeting for the first time! But the end result (you all getting a chance to connect together as fans) is feeling pretty worth it.

[starryalpacasstuff]

Indian BL? FROM 2017????

There's an Indian BL from 2017 that I just watched. And I have incoherent thoughts

Before I continue, massive thanks to my bestie @anixknowsnothin for telling me about this show and proofreading the post for me. You don't even watch bl so I have no idea how you found this, but I'm incredibly grateful nonetheless

Here's the link to where I watched the show from, there's a glitch in the first episode subs where the subs seem to be from another show entirely, but it's only for the first ep and about 50% of the dialogue is in English anyways, so it shouldn't be hard to follow.(My ask box is also always open if there's a specific dialogue/scene in Hindi that you want the translation of)

Edit: The link seems to be region locked, so to watch it you can use a vpn and set your region to India, otherwise the episodes are available on youtube, albeit without subs

Note:- this post is going to have a few mild spoilers throughout, but I'll flag major spoilers in red

It's no secret that India is fairly behind when it comes to queer love shows if we compare it to other Asian countries. While it has a handful of great queer shows and movies, it's still quite a small quantity. Additionally, before this, I'd never watched an Indian show that felt like I was watching a bl (if you have recs, please send them my way!!). I'm not going to get into the technicalities of what feels like a bl and doesn't, because honestly, I'm not completely sure myself. For now, I'm just going based off of vibes and feelings, and this show felt like a bl through and through.

Titled 'Romil and Jugal' after its main characters, the story is a modern, desi, bl remake of the classic story...

Romeo and Juliet

Well, Bad Buddy was the first Thai bl I ever watched, so Romil and Jugal being the first Indian BL I watched just feels right, no?

I didn't actually know that the story was based off of Romeo and Juliet till the second episode, because I didn't bother looking for a synopsis, and jumped right in. However, it's links to Romeo and Juliet quickly became apparent, around the same time I started to see similarities between this show and Bad Buddy. I also did not know that this show came out in 2017 before I googled it, having already watched the entire thing, which was a pretty huge shock, because this BL is progressive by 2024 India standards.

Alright, enough of my rambling. Here's a synopsis of the show in case you haven't heard of it. (I couldn't find an official one, so I did my best to write a spoiler free synopsis)

Ramya happens to start talking to a slightly older woman at an airport, who believes that there is no romance in the younger generation. To prove her wrong, Ramya decides to tell the older woman her brother's love story. The story from the past is shown to us as Ramya narrates it to the woman in the present. Jugal is a closeted 19-year-old who lives with his parents. One day, a family moves into the house next door, and Jugal immediately falls for the son, Romil. The two of them attend the same college, and eventually become friends. The two of them eventually get together, but have to face the challenges of a homophobic society and having parents that hate each other.

I was a little skeptical of the show going in, but the show surpassed all of my expectations in the best way possible. It's no masterpiece, and it has its flaws, but it was far better than what I expected. It had both comical elements and darker themes, and it did not shy away from exploring the darker themes at all. Oh, and it has a few musical numbers. What did you expect? This is India after all.

The show is 10 episodes long, with 20 minutes per episode, and so it does unfortunately fall into some of the pitfalls that shorter shows tend to fall into, namely underdeveloped relationships and rushed endings. I did end up feeling a little bit like it didn't make sense for the pair to sacrifice and suffer as much as they did because they hadn't known each other for very long, and I felt like they should have been given more time to fall in love with each other. But it also could be argued that the show stays true to the play, and Romil and Jugal are dumb teenagers who make mistakes and stick with each other through them. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it.

One thing that I loved the show for was that it showed us that the relationship is not all sunshine and rainbows. They argue, they break up, they get back together, and they do argue even after that. But every time, they eventually work through the issue and reconcile. The show even depicts Romil dealing with internalized homophobia and struggling to reconcile with the fact that he will never be who his family wants him to be. Although I do wish they'd have had more time to explore this, I'd say it was decently depicted and handled. The show really delves into how children are forced to uphold their family's wishes and are constantly put under pressure to make them proud. Although it clearly affects both of them, it's more obvious with Romil, who is expected by his family to date and marry the daughter of his father's boss, whom they think he is dating. There's a metaphor along this theme too, where Romil pretends to like the mango shake that his mom has been making for him since he was a kid, even though he hates it, and when he tries to tell her, he has to act like it was a joke to spare her feelings. The show also goes into the communal mindset of basing your actions off "what will people think?", and you can see how a lot of the characters' actions throughout the show are haunted by this question. Some of Romil and Jugal's earlier disagreements are due to this very mindset.

The show also very candidly depicts the extreme homophobia of society in India. Romil and Jugal had to constantly hide who they were, always having to keep up a mask and I felt that reach somewhere deep inside me. When the pair come out, the show really shows how ugly homophobia can be in India. Their parents immediately disown them. They're mocked in college and wrongfully suspended for a fight that was provoked by other students. Very, very few people stand with them, and the pair very quickly realize that now that they are out, they simply cannot live in the city anymore. So with the help of Jugal's best friend and her mother, they flee to Mumbai, where they get jobs and live as paying guests with a friend of the aforementioned mother. But, even in Mumbai, the masks stay up. They have to act like cousins, for fear of being persecuted. The series depicted the worst-case scenario that so many of us live in fear of, so watching it was something of a cathartic experience for me.

Another thing that the show did quite well is showing how different people and their mindsets can be. Jugal's best friend, Ahalya, and her mom are very supportive, and they help the pair out quite a bit. Ahalya's mother provided a safe house for the pair and helped them find a fresh start. Meanwhile, Romil and Jugal's parents are incredibly homophobic. There was a scene that really stuck with me, (mild spoiler ahead, skip to the last sentence of the paragraph) where Ahalya's mother came across Jugal's mother, who prided herself on being educated and well-read, searching up how to cure homosexuality. Ahalya's mother then tells her off for calling herself educated yet believing that homosexuality is an illness. It is so important to me that the show depicted both the violent homophobia that permeates Indian society and the surprising, warm acceptance that one can find.

One final thing that I loved about this show so, so much is just how authentically Indian it feels. Asian cultures share a lot in common, but they also have their differences, so seeing a show where I can imagine encountering the characters in real life is really amazing. Rather than something big, it was little things sprinkled throughout the story that warmed my heart. The story felt like something I could hear the local aunties gossiping about. The way it depicts queerness in India hits incredibly close to home.

One thing I've learned watching Asian bls is that the ending of a show can make it or break it, but with this one, I'm stuck. The best way I can describe the ending is absolutely insane and incredibly Bollywood.

I believe this show was supposed to get a second season because the last two minutes of the show leave us with a massive cliffhanger. Now, it's been 7 years, so a second season is unlikely, so I'm simply pretending that the last two minutes of the show never happened. But the ending has so much more to it than just this (Major spoilers for the ending up ahead. I mean it when I say major, this is like going into Bad Buddy knowing that they're going to trick their parents in the end).

About halfway through the show, I remembered what play it was based upon and realized that there was a very real possibility that Romil and Jugal would die. The first half of the last episode leads up to this, telling us that they died when reconciling after an argument in the middle of the road when they were hit by a truck. We get a super emotional scene (yes, I cried) where the two families somewhat reconcile in their grief as they go to the police station to identify the bodies. Except... they're not dead, which is revealed when Romil's father hugs Romil's (not) dead body. They reveal that they planned this to show their family that they still loved their sons. I did say it was like PatPran tricking their parents in the end, didn't I? So the families reunite, Romil and Jugal get jobs in New Zealand and get married, and return to India for a wedding celebration (yes, I cried. again). The ending does feel slightly rushed, but if I'm being honest, it wasn't as terrible as it could have been. Believing that your child is dead for a bit is a somewhat justifiable reason for a sudden change of heart. There's a part where Romil and Jugal tell their parents that if they choose acceptance, they can reconcile, but if they choose to remain prejudiced, Romil and Jugal can simply get back on the stretchers, because they'll be as good as dead to their families anyways and it is *chef's kiss*.

All in all, the show was surprisingly heartfelt and poignant. It had me laughing, kicking my feet and even crying. There's a lot more about this show that I could talk about, but I'm going to stop here for now, and I'll try to write more on it later. This show really does deserve more recognition than it has, and I'm almost mad at myself for not knowing about it before. Am I being really biased when talking about this show? Absolutely. But I do think that this show is a worthwhile watch, and I'd really like to see what other people on here think of the show, especially because I'm aware that I am biased towards this show.

I'm tagging a few people who I know might be interested/have some thoughts about the show because this is a show that I really want to hear other people's opinions on and have conversations about, so I hope you guys don't mind!

@waitmyturtles @lurkingshan @bengiyo @neuroticbookworm

[ad-hawkeye]

wow yeah, that newest artem ssr was definitely a return to form. it really felt like an older artem card, and it also averted like. several of the pitfalls of the newer cards.

artem wasn't just tossed a new skill, the first card art was mc's imagination. even the reality of the story just had artem as a random awkward customer.

there was an actual story with plot points that built on top of each other. one that actually made sense to the characters, their pasts (attending the same uni), and their personalities.

additionally, the "reveal" from the story ties into their older theme of the red string of fate. fate kept drawing them together, but it was up to them to act on it.

artem was in character! i cannot express this enough!! he's obviously comfortable in their relationship, but not at the cost of his characterization. he's still artem. a relationship wouldn't warp him into someone entirely different. i don't know why year three fumbled this concept so bad, but i'm thrilled to see it fixed in year four.

rosa had personality!! she joked around, reacted to plot points like a normal person, and was the catalyst for the majority of the plot.

they had cute interactions! they teased each other! artem is fascinated by rosa's nail polish and SUCKS at applying it for her at first! i didn't feel like i was reading a phone book with this card, and honestly? a major improvement over the previous ssrs.

no shoehorned fanservice! they just told a story from start to finish without having to fall back on the most abrupt, awkward, and convoluted fanservice.

i wouldn't even rank this card in my top five artem cards, but holy shit the experience of reading a classic feeling artem ssr is UNREAL. it makes me so excited for the upcoming ssrs i haven't managed to find a translation for.

[mxtxfanatic]

Any thoughts on what would have happened if the System didn’t demand SY throw LBH into the abyss, but LBH was still revealed to be a demon at the conference?

I’m inclined to believe things would not have gone well at all. CQM might have been willing to at least listen to SQQ’s insistence LBH wasn’t involved in the sabotage, but I expect the rest of the attendees would not be so kind.

You have a much better read on the characters than I, so I’d love to hear your thoughts!

If the system didn’t demand the Endless Abyss scenario to happen, Shen Qingqiu probably wouldn’t have let Luo Binghe attend that year’s conference at all to avoid hidden pitfalls lmao

But to answer your ask more closely, I think Shen Qingqiu would still protect Luo Binghe with the weight of the Cang Qiong Mountain sect behind him, just like the situation in the post-main story canon. They are, after all, strong enough to hold their own against the other sects and care more about their own people than their reputation amongst the other righteous sects. Add to this that Luo Binghe only has a good reputation at this point and the masters had actively watched him protect their disciples with his life during the whole conference, they would have way less leverage to demand that Luo Binghe be handed over for judgment. Leverage or no, though, Shen Qingqiu isn’t relinquishing his disciple, and his martial siblings are going to defend whatever he wants to do.

[nbofvoid]

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays~

Written for the dreamnblade christmas event @alterdnbweek is holding this year.

Day 1 Prompts: Fake Marriage; Fancy dinner

Warnings: referenced alcohol abuse, background character death, and mentions of a toxic family environments. I don't think they're too in your face, but you never know.

**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**

Techno opens the door, a fruit pop hanging from his mouth and raising an eyebrow.

Dream is standing on the other side which isn't that unusual. They generally treat each other's apartments as extensions of their own even if they still make sure to respect boundaries like locked doors. What is strange is Dream not bounding right past him to perch on the couch or rushing to the bathroom or trying to climb onto one of the counters.

He pulls the popsicle out as he drags Dream inside and closes the door, "So, what's wrong?"

Dream sighs, hand covering the parts of his face not covered by the mask, muttering, "I want to ask you to come with to a thing."

"Sure," Techno says. "When is it and what should I wear?"

There's silence as Dream refuses to pull his face from his hands. Techno frowns, tugs the other to the couch so they can sit down and settles the throw over his shoulders as he settles in to wait out the confusing embarrassment. It's been years since either of them were embarrassed to ask about attending some function, gala, or ceremony together. It makes it easier for both of them. Neither want to deal with the media dragging possible relationships through the mud, the pitfalls of other people's expectations, or the awkwardness of landmine questions on both ends.

"My sister called," Dream finally says, an eye peeking through his fingers. "Our grandfather died."

Techno blinks, chewing on the stick, "Dream, I think a funeral might not be something you want to drag me to."

Dream groans, hand falling as he pulls his legs up, "It's not the funeral. She told me that is going to be in a month cause of everything she has to get ready. I want you to come with for the will reading that's this weekend."

"...That's in two days," he says slowly.

"Yeah," Dream sighs. "She said father's plan was to not tell me and then argue that I clearly didn't care about grandpa since I 'didn't show up for anything' and was 'only included as a mistake' or try to argue it's an outdated will. We're both pretty sure that wouldn't work, but she still wants me to come just in case. I want to go to avoid a court case as much as possible."

Techno stares, thinking of his own family and how trying any of that shit would never be accepted, "That's fucked up, dude."

The laugh Dream lets out is slightly hysterical, "My father kind of hates me. So does pretty much everyone in the family except Drista and grandpa. Which, um, well, that's part of what I want to tell you before you make a decision."

He hums, leaning his head against the couch back.

"So the last time I visited," Dream starts, "was almost nine years ago. I'd left my phone along to help with getting the food in place and Tubbo happened to see some of the push notifications that came through. He was at that age where he was always asking questions which normally isn't that bad, but this time he asked why I had a guy labeled sweetheart in my phone. By yelling it to me from the living room. Everyone heard it and I swear you could hear a the silence from a mile away. And the yelling after it from ten." He presses the heel of his palm into his forehead, "Everyone kicked me from the family that night except Drista and grandpa. They 'didn't want a predator around them'."

"...You know, if you're interested I'm sure dad and mom would adopt you," Techno offers.

It makes Dream crack a smile even as he tries to glare at him, "Let me finish explaining the whole mess. Anyway, the argument was... bad. Like I've been called nicer things by the articles that drag me through the mud, bad. They practically said every line in the homophobic handbook and then some. Some were insistent that since I'd never once shown an interest in boys before, I couldn't be interested in them. A group of them kept saying I just wanted to create drama to tear the family apart since I'd just had that first major hit piece about me get published. Yelling about how I was going to corrupt the kids. Declarations they would have me arrested for molesting my younger cousins. I think one of them said something about getting a rifle and dragging me outside. My father kept screaming about how I must have touched Tubbo while my mother cried about how she 'couldn't have a son corrupted by the devil' which was great."

"You want me to call mom 'cause she'll-"

"PLUS I was yelling back at them," Dream speaks over him. Techno's jaw clicks shut, pressing his hand over his mouth. "I was doing my best to defend myself, but you can't argue with those kinds of people. Like one of their arguments was that I couldn't be gay since I would have brought how a boyfriend by that point which I may have screamed that the whole blow up we were in the middle of was why I hadn't brought my fiance to meet them and that none of them would ever meet him, see our wedding, or ever have a relationship with us. That shut some of them up, but others were still yelling and I was this close" Dream pinches two finger almost touching "to grabbing a knife and stabbing someone so I left. I'd driven cause I couldn't afford the plane ticket so I wasn't stuck there at least."

"Wait," Techno says, sitting up and pinning Dream under narrowed eyes. "Is this when you figured out Sam was cheating on you?"

Dream tilts forward, head falling onto Techno's shoulder and he automatically wraps him in a tight hug, "Yeah."

He hums, rubbing at Dream's back. That particular mess was already a pain in the ass to deal with, though knowing that Dream had just dealt with his entire family ganging up on him does shine a new light on it. He'd been more focused on helping Dream not drink himself to an early grave at the time to wonder about all the details and it simply never occurred to him to ask when Dream was doing better. They'd both grown past Dream's breakup by then.

"...So," Techno breaks the silence. Dream hums but doesn't make a move to say anything and he continues, "Did you ever mention the breakup to your sister or grandfather?"

Dream barks a laugh, pulling back from his shoulder and rubbing at his face, "No. All of it was too raw at the time and I wasn't in a place I could talk about any of it without wanting to drink myself to death. Neither of them brought it up, though, so I'm pretty sure they thought we, like, got a courthouse marriage and I didn't want to risk the chance of any information getting back to the others. Drista's mentioned a few times they've been running themselves in circles trying to find any information and, um, I really don't want to deal with them pressuring me about it."

Techno hums. That should be doable. He'll have to call his parents for some help getting things together. He'll have to explain at least the basics to them and ask his mom for advice on the jewelry they'll need. None of it can be obvious enough reports on either of them would have caught it on camera. Some of it they can get away with just because they are active enough a lot of the traditional pieces would get in the way.

"I get it if you don't want to, I wouldn't want to, and I won't hold it against you. We can keep going like we always have," Dream says, starting to ramble as he wrings his hands in his lap.

He blinks, "Oh. No. I'm down with going. I was just trying to figure out what  jewelry to ask mom to borrow. Gonna have to sell it, right?"

Dream's frozen, staring at him with wide eyes. Techno waits, laughing his head off when Dream launches at him repeating 'thank you' over and over. They'll get through this together and nothing will hurt Dream on his watch.

-----_____-----_____-----_____-----_____-----_____-----_____-----

Dream is going to die this weekend and it's going to be his own fault.

He's sitting on Techno's parents' living room floor, watching him and his mom go through a huge jewelry box for pieces that will pass them off as married while being easy enough to have missed over the last nine years. She'd been extremely excited as soon as Techno got the start of the situation out and jumped at the chance to decorate them in the traditional gold and gems. His dad's been watching from a chair while offering suggestions.

None of that is why he's going to die, though.

He's going to spend an entire weekend playing spouses with Techno and all that entails. Sharing a bed, holding hands, kisses, the jewelry-

Dream shakes his head, thoughts skittering away from the image of Techno wearing the extensive draping jewelry traditional for such relationships. He knows there's variation in the amount and intricacy, but it's such a tempting idea he really can't let himself think about it right now. He's already going to have to somehow make it through the weekend actually seeing a version of it.

Probably not a good idea to ask the guy he's been in love with for six years to pretend to be his husband, but Techno was the first person that came to mind. He's not even sure if he would have trusted anyone else to know even a portion of the whole situation.

A hand presses lightly on his shoulder, Dream glancing back to see Techno's dad looking down at him with a gentle expression, "Things will work out. And if they don't, you'll have all of us behind you."

He ducks his head, staring at his lap, "I know."

And he does. They've always done things that make him fight back tears because even when he was on good terms with his family, none of them would have done half as much. They were his support after his breakup, blocking his ex when he kept harassing him and as Dream was struggling to not drown in alcohol. They were there cheering for both of them equally when they first made regionals, nationals, their first golds. They helped him move into his own apartment that he's convinced they helped him sign. They always include him in holidays and parties. They're constantly inviting him over for meals and to game nights.

His family didn't raise a finger to help with anything when he was first moving. Only Drista did and she was limited because of her own work. Then, well, the last message he got from anyone other than her or grandpa was someone asking if Dream could hook them up with an in to the entertainment industry two years ago.

"Okay, we've got all the pieces you two will need," Techno's mom says. "Dream dear, come with me. I want to make sure you know how these are done. None of us want you declaring yourself open for a dalliance accidentally."

"Mom. No one would even know that," Techno sighs, fingers already working at pulling his usual piercings out.

She waves a hand, "If any of them decide to play detective, they will. No risks, hun."

Techno smiles, shaking his head slightly as his mom pulls Dream into the bathroom. She gestures for him to sit on the counter, digging out mirrors she positions on the counter. By the time she's done, he can see nearly every part of his head and is seriously wondering how many pieces she grabbed because the box next to him is overflowing.

"I'll make sure these are organized for you before you two leave," she says, rooting through the box and quickly pulling certain ones out. "I'm going to show you how to do the plain ones. They're the easiest to start and if you're just showing up, they'd be the most likely you'd be wearing anyway. The more intricate ones will be up for you two to decide to wear or not and Techno can help with those."

He nods, tipping his head as she guides him to face a certain way. Her hands are steady as they run over Dream's ears, slowly sliding the first one though one of the holes. It feels weird as they reopen, but he's more focused on every move she's making. How the jewelry goes together into a gentle net over hie ear.

She pulls back and Dream tips his head back and forth. His hair covers nearly all of it and the little that is visible is the bottom stud where a single thin chain crops behind the lobe.

"I don't think I've ever seen one this simple," he can't help saying.

She laughs, guiding his head to get his other ear done, "They're usually accents for the others. It's fairly rare to have a couple or individual who's not interested in more decoration."

He hums, watching the second net take shape. It's a little different in the set up given Dream has different piercings on it, but is covered just the same when he shakes his head. The metal feels weird yet he can't help the small twist in his gut. This is going to declare him and Techno a couple. One that is serious and devoted to each other and would die for each other in the really old meaning of it.

"A couple more, dear," she says. "Just two up here" as she slides them into his eyebrow "and one here." Silde through side of his nose.

Dream, really doesn't look that different from when he's making a public appearance. His face is fully exposed, but he's never been shy about wearing his piercings when he's not going to a competition.

"There's a couple necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and torso chains in here," she continues, separating the jewelry when he looks down at the counter. "The number and which ones I'll leave up to you. They're more important when you're wearing the decorated ones and Techno can take care of that."

He nods, watching her for another moment, "Uh, thank you. You really didn't need to do all of this."

"Nonsense. We care about you and we can help so we will. For now it's the jewelry to hopefully avoid more drama than you need." She pauses, looks at him and he's very much reminded that her sister is called 'Lady Death' for a reason. "And if anything happens, you have us behind you. Got it?"

Dream ducks his head, face warm and he can't say anything. Words are stuck in his throat even though he's not sure what he would say to begin with. She smiles, pushing him off the counter and back to the living room.

Techno looks over as he enters. Gold catching the light from along his ears and he can't help tracking the rest of it.

Their jewelry positioning matches near perfectly. Two through the eyebrow, one on the nose, and chains netted along their ears. Techno, though, has two in his lip and what has to be the sort of bracelets and things his mom mentioned. It all looks lovely. Gorgeous. So much more than the times he's seen Techno dressed up before. He wants to see what it would look like if Techno were to wear the more decorated ones. If he were to wear the full body of jewelry. Maybe nothing-

"Looks good, teletubby," Techno drawls, grinning at him when Dream snaps his focus back to the present.

"Jackass." He smiles, feeling off step. He shouldn't be thinking about that kind of thing.

Techno grunts slightly as Dream flops onto the couch, back landing squarely in Techno's lap. He turns to look at the TV. A show he doesn't recognize is playing on it and there's sounds and smells of food cooking in the kitchen.

A hand rests on his knee, warm through his jeans and Dream relaxes into the couch a bit more. Maybe he'll be fine if the worst that happens this weekend is struggling to make words because Techno is so pretty.

**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**

Some AU Notes:

given different cultures have different marriage ceremonies and traditions, i decided to through that into this au. techno's family comes from one that is heavy on the jewelry aspect of things beyond a simple ring and dream's long said he basically wants to piss of his family so using that over a simple ring-

techno's admired dream since before they met which developed into a crush. given dream was in a long term relationship at the time, he was happy to just stay friends then, well, it wasn't a good time to bring it up

is the sam mentioned awesamdude? no clue! it's just a name in this i dropped in because it's what techno would say at that point.

i though it would be funny to make kristen and phil techno's aunt and uncle. they have wilbur and tommy as their adopted kids and they're currently fostering ranboo

speaking of techno's family, his parents would be totally down for tearing dream's family apart. they've done that before with dream's ex and wilbur's bio parents.

I do have some idea for what happens before, during, and after the will reading and if anyone's interested, might post that after the event

[apomaro-mellow]

Part 6

Things moved fast when you had money and power in the forest, apparently. It was how Steve found himself, dressed in drab gray clothes for his wedding quicker than you could say ‘I do’. The outfit reminded him of porcelain dolls and not in a good way. Their clothes always seemed so itchy and stiff which was exactly how he felt.

The music started and Steve looked around at all who were present. Rodents of all kinds, moles, voles, weasels, and rats, and others. None of which he knew besides Brenner, who was sitting amongst the audience. And of course, his husband to be, Henry.

Steve felt like he wasn’t even here; like this wasn’t happening to him. How could it? This couldn’t be his life! Marrying some random mole rat that he didn’t love?

He could still hear Eddie’s voice in his ear, whispering sweetly and promising to take him places he had never seen. Henry never left his tunnels. They were even getting married in one right now! It was a cavernous space, lit just enough for Steve to make out where he was and who was with him but it couldn’t compare to the warm light of the sun.

And Henry couldn’t compare to Eddie.

“And do you take Mr. Creel to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Steve was still partially in his reverie when he answered, “No”, eliciting gasps from all in attendance.

“I beg your pardon?”, the officiant asked.

“Steve”, Brenner said through grit teeth.

“I don’t love him! I can’t marry him!” Steve turned away from the altar, only taking a few steps before someone burst through the ceiling of soil and landed right in front of him.

“You can marry me instead”, Tommy smirked, already reaching for him.

“No! I’m not marrying anybody else today. I’m going home!” Steve swiped the toad’s hands away from him and then shoved him out of the way, running down the aisle and into another part of the tunnel.

Just his luck, waiting right there was none of than Billy.

“Hey there, pretty boy~”

“I’m not your pretty boy!” Steve pushed him out of the way too, booking it down the tunnels. He could hear a commotion behind him as he ran. It sounded like the entire forest was on his tail.

What he didn’t know was the part of the noise came from Eddie, who fell down one of the tunnels right in front of Tommy.

“Looks like we meet again”, Eddie said as he brandished his sword.

“Outta my way, you gnat!”, Tommy shouted as he reached for a flaming torch.

Steve couldn’t pick out Eddie’s voice in the crowd, nor was he planning on turning back to see who exactly was chasing him when he already knew. Billy, Tommy, Henry, Brenner, the whole wedding party too probably. He just kept running, shuddering past spiderwebs and avoiding the great pitfalls of the tunnels.

He could feel a warm breeze and that was what made him pause. Just up ahead, he could see it. Light at the end of the tunnel. He just had to climb a little and he would be out. But he had stopped for too long and the mob was in view again.

“Come back here!”, Brenner shouted.

“Shit!”, Steve started clambering up to escape.

Eddie could hear him, even as he was fighting off Tommy and knew he was in trouble. Time to end this. He was able to knock the torch out of his hand but then Tommy disarmed him as well and they started trading blows with just their fists.

He didn’t have time for this, he had to get to Steve. Tommy grabbed at his shoulders and Eddie tried to lift up with his wings but the imbalance had them falling over the edge instead, into the darkness.

Steve got close to the mouth of the tunnel. He peered back and saw the rest of them beginning to climb too. With a powerful kick, he loosened the gravel and rock below him, causing a landslide. There were cries of shock as his pursuants tried to get away lest they be crushed.

Steve finished his ascent, letting out a great big sigh as he felt the sun on him. His retreat had cause his wedding clothes to be torn and ruined, but he couldn’t find himself to care. That was just more skin for the sun to warm. He hadn’t felt freedom like this in a long time.

A shadow flew overhead and he looked up, his smile widening even more.

“Look at you! You made it out!”

“I made it out!”, Steve celebrated. When Dustin landed, he hugged the bird, burying his face in his soft feathers.

“Well, you’ll never guess what I found. I found out where your prince lives”, Dustin said proudly.

Steve immediately felt his mood dropped. Maybe where his prince had lived, but now....

“Dustin, just...just fly me home, okay? I just want to be home.”

Steve got onto Dustin’s back and while it was a bit awkward, he did manage to fly. From up above, Steve was able to see the lay of the land and give Dustin a few directions once he recognized his town. But he was still a baby bird and had to stop on a tree right on the edge of Steve’s home. 

He really was here. He couldn’t believe it. All this time and it was right here now.

Dustin rolled his shoulders, a bit tired from the flight. “So are you just gonna wait for Eddie now?”

Steve hit his fist against the trunk. “Dustin.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Dustin, Eddie is dead. He froze and now he’s dead.”

“Wait! You think Eddie’s dead?!”, Dustin squawked.

“I know he is”, Steve said. “I barely survived in that snow. There’s no hope.” He sat down on the branch.”

“Steve, Eddie is-”, Dustin’s beak snapped shut when he saw Eddie himself, lurking in the branches above.

Eddie put a finger to his lips, a look of pure mischief on his face. Dustin cleared his throat.

“So, uh, if Eddie was here, what would you say to him?”

Steve gave Dustin a soft glare before it melted away. “I would tell him that I love him. And that I’m sorry my foolishness got him killed. And, instead of letting him leave and promising to meet again tomorrow, that he should stay. I could’ve met his uncle then. He could’ve met my mom. We probably would have spent the whole night just talking and those damn toads couldn’t have taken me.”

“Hey what about that damned beetle and damned rat?”, Eddie asked from above.

Steve’s head shot up and he got to his feet, feeling for a moment like he was floating. “Eddie...”, he breathed out. “You’re alive!”

Eddie flew down and put his arms around Steve lifting him up and spinning on the branch. “Alive and kickin’ and ready for love.”

Steve’s arms went around his shoulders and held him tight, not able to get close enough, even as their foreheads pressed against each other.

“Don’t ever leave me again”, he pleaded.

“Oh Stevie, I’m not letting you out of my sight ever.” One of Eddie’s hands stroked his hair and everything felt right in the world again. Steve watched as Eddie’s eyes flicked to his lips.

“Steve, can I-”

“Please.” Steve barely got the word out before Eddie was kissing him. 

A warmth spread from every point they touched and filled him until he felt an even stronger sensation of his back. When he pulled away, Steve looked behind himself to find fairy wings, bright and shimmering to match Eddie’s.

Later on, Steve would enjoy a wedding leagues better than the first. Instead of a cold dark cave, it would be in his own backyard. Instead of anonymous faces, he would be joined by his mother, Dustin his steadfast friend, and Eddie’s lovely uncle. The outfit he wore would be made with him in mind, fashioned by his mother’s experienced hand.

And instead of trudging down a walkway, he would happily float with his new husband, waving to all the well-wishers as they approached a carriage prepared for them. It was being drive by a very beautiful butterfly, but they bypassed it to ride Honey instead, ever faithful.

Steve wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist as they took off. They had a list of destinations in mind for their honeymoon tour. But deep in his soul, Steve knew it didn’t matter exactly where they went. They could do anything and go anywhere, so long as they followed their hearts.

END

Tag Team

@telidina @novelnovella @ajeff855 @mars-the-witch @ceejay-955 @punctualhowell @child-of-cthulu @estrellami-1 @cupcakesnwhiskey @spectrum-spectre @just-a-tiny-void @breealtair

[problematic-yuri-poll]

Problematic Femslash Ship Tournament - Round 2

Nano Shinonome x Nakamura-sensei (Nichijou) VS. Harumiku - Haruhi Suzumiya x Mikuru Asahina (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

Info and propaganda under cut! This will not be spoiler-free.

Problematic elements for Nano x Nakamura:

Nakamura-sensei is the science teacher at the high school Nano attends. She can tell Nano is a robot, and wants to capture and study her. She spends most of her series screentime stalking and setting traps for Nano, from drugged coffee to digging pitfalls in the schoolyard.

Problematic elements for Harumiku:

power imbalance (haruhi is a god being monitored by mikuru and she's not allowed to upset her or disobey or the world might end lol) also lots and lots of sexual harassment

--

Propaganda for Nano x Nakamura:

Nakamura-sensei is obviously a lesbian, I mean look at her. Her Team-Rocket-like obsession with Nano (and similar level of success), combined with Nano trying SO hard to keep the fact that she is a robot a secret, makes an excellent dynamic. Science teacher x secret robot student is such a great couple!

Propaganda for Haruhi x Mikuru:

we get to see older mikuru in the show as she's a time traveller and she seems very affectionate towards her younger self and haruhi .. also could be read as a little one sided on haruhi's end because haruhi won't stop talking about how beautiful mikuru is and buying clothes for her and taking every opportunity to grope and touch her .. this is brushed off by the protagonist kyon as haruhi being ignorant but he is a famously cringe unreliable narrator lol

[coiledqueen]

actually, fuck it, we ball. another au verse, inspired by this pun.

professional athlete au. Instead of battling, Lucy has channeled most of her skill points into sports instead.

Sports provided Lucy with much-needed opportunity growing up on the struggling outskirts of Lilycove. Streetball helped her avoid the many pitfalls of delinquency, and--through a major stroke of luck--her talent (and build!) were recognized by a visiting coach.

Lucy attended Mossdeep Academy on a full-ride scholarship for multiple athletics. She played on the school's basketball, softball, volleyball, and track and field teams, but ultimately chose volleyball as her focus. Mossdeep went on to win the national championship every year she was a player there.

Coming out of the Academy, Lucy received countless offers to play abroad (in Unova specifically) but chose to stay close to home instead. Now a multi-year veteran, she is the ace opposite hitter for the LILYCOVE LIGHTNING (winning three pro championships) and has represented the HOENN NATIONAL TEAM in international volleyball competitions, as well as in track and field.

Lucy currently holds the league records for both blocks and spikes in a season. Her sheer power remains unmatched, and her deadly swing has earned her the nickname SPIKE QUEEN.

She is obsessed with the game. Lucy can't handle losing, and her notorious temper flares up when she does. In a low point, she was finally suspended all of last season after piling up numerous fighting violations on the court (and in the stands.)

[pumpkin-the-girlie-girl-vixen]

⚠️Agoraphobia⚠️

A Guide To Understand & Help The Experience Of Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is a term that evokes different reactions from people, often misunderstood or oversimplified. For those who may not know, agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an intense fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack or related symptoms. It can lead individuals to avoid places or situations that they perceive as threatening, often resulting in them feeling trapped in their own homes or limiting their activities to a significant extent.

Living with Agoraphobia

Living with agoraphobia can be a complex and isolating experience. It’s not simply a matter of being shy or introverted; it’s an overwhelming fear that can restrict daily life. Imagine waking up and feeling anxious at the thought of stepping outside your front door. For me, the world beyond my home feels daunting, filled with unpredictable encounters that can trigger anxiety or panic. Everyday tasks can become monumental challenges—grocery shopping, attending social gatherings, or even walking to the mailbox can provoke intense feelings of dread.

For many who experience agoraphobia, the boundaries of comfort shrink significantly. Over time, the once-familiar routines become sources of anxiety. Inviting friends over can feel safer than going out, yet it can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, and frustration. The struggle often intensifies when loved ones don’t fully understand what it’s like to live with this condition, which further complicates the emotional landscape.

Helping Someone Navigate Their Experience

If you know someone living with agoraphobia, your support can make a significant difference. Here are some ways to help them navigate through their experiences:

1. **Educate Yourself**: Understanding agoraphobia is crucial. Educate yourself about the disorder, its symptoms, and triggers. This knowledge will enable you to empathize and provide meaningful support.

2. **Listen Without Judgment**: Create a safe space for your loved one to express their feelings. Be an active listener, validating their experiences without minimizing their fears. It’s important for them to feel heard and understood.

3. **Encourage Gradual Exposure**: Instead of pushing them to face their fears head-on, encourage small steps toward overcoming those fears. This could mean taking a short walk outside or sitting on a porch. Celebrate each achievement, no matter how small.

What Not to Do

While your support can be invaluable, there are also pitfalls to be cautious of:

1. **Avoid Minimizing Feelings**: Statements like "Just get over it" or "It’s all in your head" can be damaging. Agoraphobia is a genuine mental health condition, and minimizing their feelings can lead to increased anxiety and shame.

2. **Don’t Force Situations**: Forcing someone to confront their fears without preparation can lead to panic attacks or worsen their symptoms. Respect their pace and boundaries.

Navigating a Crisis

If your loved one experiences a traumatic agoraphobic crisis, whether in public or at home, here’s how to help:

1. **Stay Calm**: Your calm demeanor can provide reassurance. Speak softly and avoid escalating the situation with panic or frustration.

2. **Create a Safe Space**: If they’re in public, find a quiet area where they can regroup. At home, help them retreat to a comfortable space free of stressors.

3. **Use Grounding Techniques**: Encourage them to focus on their breath, count their breaths, or identify objects around them. Grounding techniques can help divert their focus from panic.

What Not to Do in Public

When in public situations, be mindful of the following:

1. **Avoid Calling Attention**: Loudly discussing their agoraphobia or drawing attention to their anxiety can amplify their feelings of embarrassment and panic.

2. **Don’t Dismiss Their Feelings**: If they express discomfort, don’t downplay their experience or insist that they should be fine. Acknowledge their feelings and offer support.

Daily Support Needs

Support for someone with agoraphobia often requires understanding their day-to-day needs:

1. **Help with Errands**: Offer to accompany them on errands, or help manage tasks like grocery shopping or making appointments. This companionship can ease anxiety.

2. **Encouragement for Routine Tasks**: Simple tasks like housekeeping or meal preparation can feel overwhelming. Offer to assist or break these tasks into manageable steps.

Noticing Unseen Behaviors

People with agoraphobia may exhibit subtle signs that indicate their emotional state. Being aware of these unnoticeable behaviors can help you provide better support:

1. **Changes in Body Language**: Watch for signs of tension, like clenched fists, avoidance of eye contact, or fidgeting. These may indicate rising anxiety levels.

2. **Withdrawal from Social Interaction**: If they suddenly stop engaging in conversations or isolate themselves, it might signal an increase in their anxiety.

3. **Changes in Routine**: If they suddenly stop attending events or engaging in activities they once enjoyed, it may indicate a worsening of their condition.

Understanding these nuances allows you to anticipate their needs and provide a more supportive environment.

Agoraphobia can stem from various causes, often involving a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors. Here are some key contributors:

1. **Panic Disorder**: Many individuals with agoraphobia have a history of panic attacks. The fear of experiencing a panic attack in a public space can lead to avoidance behaviors, resulting in agoraphobia.

2. **Genetics**: Family history plays a role in the likelihood of developing agoraphobia. If you have relatives with anxiety disorders, you may be more susceptible to developing similar conditions.

3. **Personality Traits**: Certain personality traits, such as being more anxious, sensitive, or introverted, may increase the risk of developing agoraphobia. Individuals who struggle with low self-esteem may also be more prone to anxiety.

4. **Traumatic Events**: Experiencing a traumatic event, such as a serious accident or a violent crime, can trigger agoraphobia. The fear of having a similar experience can lead individuals to avoid situations that remind them of the event.

5. **Stressful Life Events**: Major life changes, such as the loss of a loved one, divorce, or job loss, can contribute to the development of agoraphobia. These events may heighten feelings of insecurity or vulnerability.

6. **Environmental Factors**: Growing up in an unpredictable or stressful environment can influence the development of anxiety disorders, including agoraphobia. Overprotective parenting or frequent changes in living situations may also contribute.

7. **Other Mental Health Issues**: Co-occurring mental health disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, depression, or social anxiety disorder, can increase the risk of developing agoraphobia.

Understanding these potential causes is essential for recognizing and addressing agoraphobia effectively. If you or someone you know is struggling with this condition, seeking professional help can provide the necessary support and treatment.

Conclusion

Living with agoraphobia can be an isolating experience, yet with understanding and compassion, we can help those who struggle with it navigate their challenges. Whether you’re directly experiencing agoraphobia or supporting someone who is, remember that empathy, patience, and education are key. By fostering open communication and creating safe spaces, we can contribute to healing and understanding, allowing love and support to thrive amidst the challenges. Together, we can illuminate the path toward hope and recovery.

[georgiapeach30513]

Peach, you're the best! Thank you for posting that amazing pasta art! (And thank you to the lovely artist who made it =)) - Mrs Pasta.

That being said...I have a few things to say. No words of wisdom, just some thoughts. Some people will disagree with my takes but if you're here reading it, read it carefully and really consider what I said before you disregard.

Every time something happens that gets a certain portion of fans excited that "it's coming to an end," it is nearly always (99.9) followed by something that completely disputes that hope and gets everyone angry, upset, and riled up. It's time to pick up on the patterns, guys!

Ramen and Soba attended the GG afterparty for Soba's agency but didn't show up for the red carpet or awards show. It's got some people thinking Ramen fell off on the HW hierarchy food chain but people. Please. Let's be honest with ourselves here. Did they not attend because he couldn't get an invite since he's "so irrelevant" now or did they not attend because them trying to act like they know each other in real time, for the camera, would be a feat harder than climbing Mt. Everest? Why else do y'all think Soba attended the GQ event with Cup of Noodles instead? You know, the one where she actually did pose for photos and walk the red carpet? And flash her loaned jewelry and "wedding ring" but refused to speak to reporters because she had nothing to promote? It's giving "a...weird face wife that will never do an interview" XD

Every time something happens that gives another portion of fans the chance to "gloat," something else happens to throw a wrench into the mix. You don't question why only one "director" got a random picture of soba and ramen in the same bowl but nobody else saw them? And they can only be mentioned in a throwaway line by a Condé Nast publication (Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ) and neither Ramen nor Soba could spring for a stylist this time? Looks like somebody doesn't want to make that red carpet debut...but why not? Aren't y'all married for the 50th time in a year and also expecting for the 20th time in the past two years?

Lastly. Just because Ramen has had a few pitfalls this past year does not mean that suddenly he's dropped to C-D list and that he's completely irrelevant in the industry now. I understand having critical flops can hurt your career. Of course it can. And in fact, I'm sure these pitfalls have hurt him. But remember that just because someone is doing well now doesn't mean they'll always do well, and just because someone is having a rough few years doesn't mean they'll never get a comeback.

I'd also like to close with a reminder to those gloating on about how RDJ is doing better and Ramen is failing in life...RDJ was once a drug addict and ended up in jail. My parents still mention this about him every time they see him on TV....people do remember when the biggest news of his career was him getting arrested. Also, after Endgame? Does anyone remember Doolittle? 15% on rotten tomatoes had people thinking RDJ fell off. And then covid hit and he was just doing his own thing for a few years. Now look at him. Looks like that awards campaigning worked! Because no disrespect, Robert, but your Oppenheimer performance was lukewarm at best. IMO, You deserved it more for Tropic Thunder and I say that as someone who genuinely admires you.

I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers. It's just tiring to see people ignore certain things for the sake of running with a narrative.

Love ya, Peach!

Mrs. Pasta, thank you for gracing us with your presence twice today. I honestly, have nothing to add to this great observation. I was just talking about a lot of these points earlier with some mutual about a certain even with a super shiny watch 🤭 I honestly never thought about equating Katt’s words about weird faced wife that will never give an interview to this 😵‍💫 but your’e on to something there!

Looks like someone reached into the depths of their closet to try and scrounge up a look last week, but what do I know?

Mrs. Pasta, I always look forward to your takes and observations.

@inshelliesworld created some cute little Mrs. Pasta art 😊