#one of the themes of the show is family and fraternity

[shitpostingkats]

Vrains was iconic for including two sibling characters, each of whom's character arcs revolved around protecting the other, who we get shown numerous childhood flashbacks of and basically their entire story of growing up together, only for one minor villain near the end of the show to reveal they're adoptive siblings and try to use that information to pit them against each other. And the sister just goes "Yeah, so?" and does a kickflip on his face and it never comes up again.

[prettyinpwn]

Stan Pines: A Masterclass in Character Writing and Symbolism AKA Stan is Godly, Literally (GF Writing Analysis Pt. 5)

If you're interested in reading a similar writing analysis on Ford Pines, please visit this page.

I've wanted to write a post on Stan for a long time, because I'm going to make a bold claim: he is THE best written character in Gravity Falls. I literally have never been able to find a flaw with his writing, and the reason? Not only does he have the markers of quality I mentioned in my post about Ford's writing (a want, need, character arc, realistic flaws), but...

I would also argue he is THE main protagonist and hero of Gravity Falls if I had to pin it down to just one, and his character arc matches the external conflict, that being Bill Cipher and the theme of growing up vs. staying in childhood and ego vs. selflessness, in ways that are just - and I'm not exaggerating - poetic. And the best part is, he had a lot more time and attention in the spotlight in the show than Ford, so everything I mentioned in the other post that was good about Ford's writing, ramp that up x100 for Stan.

His character also touches on multiple other fantastic themes: breaking generational trauma, healing broken familial relationships that seem unfixable, redemption, the misunderstanding of the family "fuckup" (although Stan is not that in the least, but that's part of his character arc), positive masculinity, true brotherhood, self-love, self-identity, and probably a million others I'm missing and will find out even just as I write this.

As for the godly part, well... you'll just have to read to the end. And no, I'm not kidding or exaggerating, either.

Okay, okay, gushing aside, let's get to the analysis. I'm not sure this will be as neatly structured as Ford's was, but there are just so many damn good things about Stan's writing that it's hard to stick to just one point. Let us begin.

Stan's Backstory: I Am Not Ford and That's Bad + Protecting/Providing for Family > Everything Else

So as I discussed in my post about Ford linked above, much of Stan's childhood revolved around Ford. His entire existence as a child was summed up by one question: how do I compare to Ford? This is especially emphasized in how their father, Filbrick, treated them. One of the end credits ciphers in the show reads as follows:

"A STUBBORN TOUGH NEW JERSEY NATIVE, FILBRICK WASN’T TOO CREATIVE, HAVING TWINS WAS NOT HIS PLAN, SO HE JUST SHRUGGED AND NAMED BOTH STAN."

Haha, very funny. But OUCH. Imagine knowing that your whole name is your name, was because your father only expected one son and was too lazy to come up with anything else. So literally, Stan doesn't even have his own name - his own identity - technically. Stan also was apparently the second twin born, so came in "second" even from birth, and being Ford's (either identical or very similar fraternal) twin, well... it's hard for someone to untie their identity from their brother's with those factors surrounding them as a kid.

There are many other factors that illustrate my point (Ford got Filbrick's name as his middle name, the way Filbrick literally put Stan on the lawn for sale as a kid for failing a test, etc). All in all, Ford receives their father's love, Stan does not, although we could argue that this isn't that great for Ford, not really, as I did in my post on his writing. Because it's a love that comes with a, "I'd also like to use you." attached (just like Bill, gee).

All in all, it's very obvious from all these context clues that Ford was the beloved one, and Stan was the unexpected one, from birth to the end of Gravity Falls, where he uses that to his advantage - albeit in a different context - to defeat Bill Cipher.

Worse yet, Stan happened to have a twin that was extremely smart and talented in a way that was easily noticed. Ford is a Golden Child, as I described in his own writing analysis post, and siblings of the golden child like Stan? Well... the other sibling(s) are often the Scapegoat. As the source in the last sentence states, the Scapegoat is "often blamed for family mistakes, discarded, neglected, and has been gaslighted into believing it was their fault. The scapegoated child is usually assigned at a young age and often carries this role through to adulthood and never loses the unfortunate title.". This can highly affect the Scapegoat's self-esteem, even into adulthood.

This page also covers the Golden Child vs. Scapegoat dynamic. Pay attention to these quotes from this source:

"You are the one the parent will come after when things are going wrong."

"You are subjected to their emotional and verbal abuse the most."

"You may even feel like you need to fix your broken family."

Also, take into account these panels from the comic, Lost Legends, released after Gravity Falls ended:

Yikes. A child doesn't say these things unless a parent has taught them that everything they do is wrong and they are lesser than their sibling. This kid's noticed how Filbrick looks with pride at Ford, but not him. And here's the thing: the item Stan stole in this comic that made Filbrick mad? Stan did it to clean it to make his father proud. Sound familiar? In the events of Gravity Falls, Stan works on the portal for thirty years and gets Ford back, and he gets... yelled at for it. Stan always has good intentions. Although, Ford has a point in the above comic panel: Stan does take shortcuts that get him into trouble. He did almost get jailed by the US government and end the universe to save Ford.

But this is a consistent theme with Stan's character throughout the show. Even WE as the audience first see Stan the way his family did - a conniving scoundrel and money-grubbing criminal - but through the events of the show, just as Stan's family starts to realize it, even when Stan does things that seem bad, like stealing radioactive waste, working on a portal described as a potential cause of the end of the world, has a ton of different identities, etc... we find out Stan had good intentions all along.

Even Stan's greediness? That need for money? That also stemmed from the same good intentions, because how ELSE was he going to afford Ford's mortgage to keep the Shack in order to keep working on bringing him home? It was also likely something ingrained into him from when he was kicked out. Because Filbrick told him, basically, until you make us the money that Ford losing his chance at West Coast Tech cost us, GTFO. Literally. :'(

So Stan... really IS not what he seems. He seems like a fuckup, a criminal, a liar, and a greedy conman. But really... he's a family defender, protector, and supporter. Want to have your mind blown? Intentional or not, let's look at the very first scene we see Stan in in the series:

"Oh look, I'm a monster!"

"Just kidding, I'm not. I'm someone else under what looks like a monster."

Yes. Stan's whole character arc is foreshadowed in like... three seconds in the first episode. The very first time we see him. Not just his arc, but also his role as someone that seems deceptively evil but is actually good. And not just the arc that Ford and Dipper take from distrusting Stan to finally understanding his good intentions, but also the realization WE as viewers have about Stan as we follow the story. Additionally - which we'll get into later - it's symbolic of Stan's internal character arc he takes across the series of realizing he himself isn't the monster that his father planted in his mind as a child, but a good person worthy of love.

All of that... in a few seconds of animation. If that wasn't intentional, then DAMN did the writing gods smile on the Gravity Falls team the day they planned this scene. Back to the point about who Stan really is: the family "fuckup" (not really, but we'll get to that later), and a family defender and protector. This is the true core of Stan's character throughout the whole series. Not only was he Ford's defender as a child, protecting him from bullies, but you know those scenes the fandom universally agrees on were Stan at his most badass? Ahem...

"Everything I've worked for, everything I care about, it's all for this family!"

"Turn around and look at me, you one-eyed demon! You're a real wise-guy, but you made one fatal mistake: you messed with my family."

Yeah. Look at what Stan is doing in EVERY single one of these scenes: protecting his family. And as bad as Filbrick was, just like I explained in the post I made about Ford's writing... Filbrick also passed down some things to Stan that make him the hero he is. And it's also stuff that Stan passes down to Dipper:

Yeah, it kinda sucked for Dipper at the time. Was it a perfect way of teaching a child to be tough? Er, no, although another mark of a well-written character is that they can make mistakes and have flaws; Stan's not perfect. And the fandom has criticized the way Stan passed down this lesson to Dipper, because it can be considered very similar to the way Filbrick passed it down to Stan. But look what it did: when the world fights and threatens his family, just like Stan, Dipper fights back. With punches, too:

So... to summarize this first part: Stan was taught from childhood "I'm not Ford, and that's bad. I am a monster unworthy of love that always messes up.", and his role is a family protector, which started with how he protected Ford from bullies as a child. This is the core of his self-identity. So let's get into the writing techniques that make a well-written character that I discussed in Ford's writing analysis post...

Stan's Core Want vs. Need

I'll quote my explanation of want vs. need from my own post on Ford I made about a year ago:

"When I took writing classes in college (and over years of writing in general and drooling over writing advice podcasts and blogs), I found that the best method for me, personally, when it comes to crafting characters is to focus on two major things:

1. Their want.

2. Their need.

On the surface, these look like the same things, but in character writing, they can be vastly different. For example, say that you have a character that greatly desires fame and recognition. They want these things.

But what’s the real reason behind it? Is it because they had a parent that was famous and want to live up to their example? Is it because they want to be adored by people? Is it because they were told they’d never amount to anything by someone and want to prove them wrong?

This real reason behind it all is the core need. Yes, they want fame and recognition, but they need it because, say, they have low self-esteem and need copious amounts of outside validation to boost it.

Tied to this need is usually a backstory reason (sometimes called their wound). Say your hypothetical character was bullied a lot as a child. Or abused by a parent. Etc. Whatever the wound was, it caused a big, painful hole in their heart that they try to fill and fix with their want.

So they go on a journey. The want is often the external journey. The need is often the core journey / character arc. Our example character seeks fame and recognition on an external journey, but deep inside, they realize they need something else, which is to understand that their past trauma/wound doesn’t define them, and fame and recognition will not be the balm they expect it will be. Often, they realize they had what they needed all along. They grow past their flaws associated with their seeking this want through understanding and instead pursuing the need."

I'll summarize Stan's character writing using these concepts right here, like I did for Ford in his analysis post:

“I want to be Ford because I want to be loved like he is, and I want to protect those I care about and do the right thing. But what I need is to realize is that who I am - not Ford, but Stan - was good enough all along, proven by how I've always protected those I care about, and I never NEEDED to be Ford in the first place. This stems from a wound from my childhood where I was a scapegoat child treated like a fuckup who never did anything right and could never measure up to Ford, and was conditioned to think that being like Ford was a ticket to earn familial love. I had what I needed all along: myself, because I am good enough and worthy of love, despite what my father taught me."

Stan's Arc: I Am Not Ford... and That's Okay

AKA Stan's arc is basically: learning to love yourself and be yourself, even when you were conditioned to think you have no value. Don't believe me? Guess what Stan does for thirty years: pretends to be Ford. And he literally does it by pretending to have died. He "kills" Stanley Pines AKA himself in a staged car crash to become Stanford Pines.

And guess how he defeats Bill? By pretending to be Ford. His greatest weakness is actually his strength, and then he flips it: he reveals to Bill that he's not Ford, he's actually Stan. And THAT'S when the antagonist of Gravity Falls is truly defeated - an antagonist that represents stasis, lack of change, and with The Book of Bill's context, an antagonist that never freed himself from his own past - is when Stan learns to accept himself and admit who he really is and learns to let the past go. And it's telling that this is what he says when he does it:

"Heh. Guess I was good for something after all." AKA: "Yeah, fuck what Pa said about me."

There it is. The moment of Stan realizing his father was wrong, and he was wrong for thinking himself a fuckup all those years. And this is the expression he pulls at this moment of realization; at the peak of his character arc, all while burning in flames like a phoenix reborn. It sounds corny when I put it that way, but LITERALLY, all the fire symbolism feels like it wasn't foreshadowing Stan's death, but his rebirth as himself after pretending to be Ford all those years. He's not burning who he is, he's burning away who he thought - who he was told - he was. Funny that it takes place in the mind, huh?

This is the face of a man who is at peace and finally loves himself for the first time in his life. That ain't just his mind burning. That's him punching his demon that's haunted him and his brother their whole lives, protecting his family as always, and, symbolically, punching a demon that represents the show's overall antagonist of the shackles of staying stuck in the past, forgiveness, and the value of moving on. He literally punches the antagonist - staying stuck in the past - to pieces and THAT'S when he wins.

Also, can we talk about how Bill and Filbrick share color schemes, and Filbrick even has a brick-like pattern in his suit (also, I mean... come on, he's got 'brick' in his name)? I'll let you make your own conclusion about what that means for Stan's character arc:

It's also telling that Bill Cipher's backstory is that he burned his home dimension and loved ones - including his family - to ashes. The Axolotl - Gravity Falls' equivalent of basically God, from what I can tell - says himself about Bill in one of the books released outside of the show:

"Saw his own dimension burn. Misses home and can't return. Says he's happy. He's a liar. Blame the arson for the fire."

Bill misses home. He wants the past and to hold onto his family, just like Stan and Mabel do. Isn't it funny how whenever Bill shows up... time stops?

And look what Bill says in Weirdmageddon: "This party never stops! Time is dead and meaning has no meaning!"

Time stopped. He just wants fun. He's almost like a child that never grew up. And... look at what it was that Stan wrecked in A Tale of Two Stans as a teenager:

A perpetual motion machine. That thing that's not supposed to stop, just like time. Stan 'breaking' time by wanting to hold Ford in the past, with him, instead of leaving him to go to college while Stan was stuck in the past/Glass Shard Beach? That's what broke their brotherhood.

But what makes Stan a hero, and Bill a villain, is that he lets go of the past and his childhood. Bill never does. And he's defeated when Stan lets go of the past, something Bill never did. Why? Because he has family to make facing the future easier. He has familial and self love. Bill doesn't, because he killed his own. (Sorry, got off track again, but Stan's arc and story ties so deeply to the other characters' and the main themes that it's hard not to take some detours, because it illustrates just how well-written Stan is. Gravity Falls' story IS his story.).

Wanna know something cute? Wanna know how Stan realized he had worth during that scene after he defeats Bill? Why I'm betting the show runners showed Stan clutching to a picture of Dipper and Mabel as this happens? I'll give you one guess why Dipper and Mabel are so important to Stan, and why he clutches to their photo even as his mind is burning apart in the finale:

They're the first family members since Ford (whose love he'd lost) who loved Stan for who he was, not for who they thought he should have been. Mabel trusting Stan in Not What He Seems is basically the first damn time Stan's heard in thirty plus years from a family member that, "Hey, I trust you have good intentions and aren't just a lying fuckup. You're not a monster. You're not what you seem.".

Also, he's protecting his family. That always makes him happy, too, of course.

Ego Death and the "Stan is Godly" Part

Yep, we're taking this analysis post train all the way to "damn this is deep and PrettyinPwn is likely crazy for noticing it" station. The only reason I'm tacking this part on is that I saw a Q&A with Hirsch recently that sparked my attention. He was on his The Book of Bill tour, and someone asked if there was anyone more powerful than Bill in Gravity Falls lore. Of course, Hirsch said the Axolotl, but what he said about what Bill vs. the Axolotl stands for caught my eye:

The video in question. The question and answer starts around 21:22. The quote I want to point out is, though, is what we learn about these two beings:

Hirsch: "Bill's weaknesses in terms of his overconfidence, his ego, and his lack of ability to focus on one thing at a time are things that a being that has no ego, thinks on a long scale, and does have empathy is actually stronger than him because of those things."

So when we boil the conflict of Bill vs. the Axolotl down to simple terms - what makes evil vs. good in the Gravity Falls universe - is this: ego and selfishness vs. no ego and empathy.

Guess which characters wrestle with these themes? The correct answer is: ALL of them. But especially Stan and Ford. This is really what their conflict is about at the core. They both struggled with ego and selfishness, and that's when - in the story - they lose most. But they win when they choose selflessness and empathy. When they... drum roll, please... partake in ego death.

Well, let's describe an ego death. First, we must define what an ego is (source for all of the following quotes):

Ego: "The ego is a sense of self that you develop at a young age." and, "-relates to your feelings about your own importance and abilities.".

*cough "I'm the family fuckup and poor man's version of Ford because that's what people taught me to believe in my youth." cough*

And an ego death "-is the (often instantaneous) realization that you are not truly the things you've identified with, and the "ego" or sense of self you've created in your mind is a fabrication. In some instances, it can offer a profound feeling of peace and connectedness with all that is, as the walls of separation the ego creates come crumbling down."

*cough "I'm not Ford's poor copy, I'm not a fuckup, I have worth, and I realize this in my literal mind as I pull this expression-

-of total peace as the walls of my mind literally BURN around me" cough*

And, "When one comes through on the other side having released all the things they've identified with, with only their true spirit left, Kaiser says, they begin to live from a place of pure love."

*cough "I'll hold a picture of the ones I love and realize self-love as my mind burns around me because this is who I really am: a man who protects and loves my family and my family loves me" cough*

Cheeky asides, well... aside, are you seeing what I'm getting at, folks? Look, I can't prove that Hirsch and crew intended all this, but in my opinion: you wanna know why there are so many gags of Stan or versions of him melting or burning in the show? Why fire is such an important symbol surrounding him? Why there are so many times he's killed his own identity and became a "new" man again and again and again, be it as a young grifter, or as a drifter who became his brother to bring him back again, or as an old man who "killed" his own mind to save the world and his memories returned?

Because it's ego death. The rebirth of true self from a lie you were living. That's literally what Stan's arc is a metaphor for. Even better, he reaches his character arc's zenith when he does this:

That's not an old man punching a stupid little bastard. That's an old man punching what threatens his family, punching his own past, punching his own demons, punching his brother's demon, punching his prior identity, and - given that we know that Bill is a symbol of ego now - punching the personification of literal ego and letting it burn. There are, let's count, seven symbolic meanings in that punch at the very least. Maybe eight if you count that the rightside-up triangle is the alchemical symbol for fire, and by Stan beating it, it's symbolism of his defeating the fire that's eating his memories AKA why he gets his memories back. I could find more, probably.

And yes, the chubby old conman we love so much - and is the opposite of spiritual both in action and in Hirsch's words (he's said Stan is an atheist as an adult) literally has a character arc where he attains spiritual enlightenment that aligns with the god of the Gravity Falls universe - the Axolotl, who has no ego as Hirsch said - hidden under many layers of symbolism. I don't know if Hirsch and the writing crew planned this with Stan, but holy damn... this is what I meant when I said that Stan is the best written character in Gravity Falls, even if this part was unintentional. There are just so many layers of meaning here.

And the best part? Stan was this hero all along. Everything we cheer him on for - be it punching zombies to protect his niblings or spending three decades of his life trying to get his brother back - is when he's being selfless and empathetic. We love Stan as a character because he has a big heart. He's a good person because, as we described above, he is - through beating ego in a universe where its god represents a lack of ego - godly.

No, fangirls, put the sexy Hunkle art down. I mean literally spiritually godly in the Gravity Falls universe, at least in the way good and evil is portrayed in the themes and worldbuilding. No, I'm not exaggerating, either. Let's return to that quote about the Axolotl's powers and why he's stronger than Bill:

"-that a being that has no ego, thinks on a long scale, and does have empathy is actually stronger than him (Bill) because of those things."

Well... guess what Stan does? He loses his ego so hard he regularly kills his own identity multiple times in his life and goes through a symbolic ego death, he thinks on a long scale (thirty years long), and is empathetic and selfless to the point of sacrifice. And the Axolotl in real life lore? Xolotl, the god of Aztec myth? Guess what he's a god of (source):

Why I highlighted "vulture"? Honestly, this is just a neat little thing I wanted to point out, and was a part of a massive theory I was writing about Stan and Bill that sadly never came to fruition (although I may return to it someday), but here's a hint: what was Stan and Ford's school mascot in New Jersey?

I'll let you take away from all the above what you will. Let's just say: there are a LOT of similarities between Stan and the Axolotl and its real life god counterpart, Xolotl. Does that that mean he's literally the Axolotl when I say he's godly in the Gravity Falls setting? Maybe not.

Here's one last odd something that caught my eye. This is also a leftover from that theory I mentioned above, but I'll just... leave this here, because I don't think anyone else has ever pointed it out before and it expands on what I've been talking about:

Stan in the opening. The first time we see this guy, technically. He's sitting in his favorite chair. And as we all know, he turns to look at something. But just where the hell does he turn to look?

Half of you are like, "Well, what? What's he looking at?". There's a blue glow to his right, and you know what that blue glow is? The tank, which happens to have...

Could be a coincidence, maybe unintentional, but it's... kind of odd, not gonna lie. To have a character that embodies the traits of the setting's god look over at the setting's god the first time viewers see him. Just... a bit strange... and Xolotl was also a shapeshifter god, and given that Stan goes through so many identities in his life... and axolotls are able to regenerate limbs and so are a symbol of healing and rebirth like Stan - whose whole story is about healing and having multiple "rebirths" - is...

Anyways, I've gotten far off track mentioning things from that theory just for fun that I never posted. I may still post it, so I won't spoil all of it or list any more of the very odd coincidences between Stan and the Axolotl, but all you need to know from this post is that Stan shares a lot of similarities with his setting's god in symbolism, and embodies the power of the Axolotl AKA godliness in the Gravity Falls universe: no ego, selflessness, and knowing how to play a long game, because those are exactly the traits he uses to defeat Bill, as well as the traits that help him resolve his character arc wound.

So... now what?

I'm not really sure what to put here, to be honest. This post was a lot more meandering than Ford's was, but that's because there are so many different aspects of Stan's writing that are amazing, especially in symbolism. I hope it was coherent and made sense. A part of me was considering leaving out the ego death and Axolotl parts, but I thought it interesting enough to keep in. Let me know your thoughts!

[fxtalitygod]

Wasteland. Prologue

Synopsis: Two unwilling participants in a peculiar arrangement. What are the chances they can actually form a bond?

Pairing: Gojo Satoru x Fem! Reader

Genre: Angst (eventual fluff), mature, suggestive, arranged marriage, Enemies to Lovers, Slowburn

Warnings: Dark Themes/topics, misogynistic themes, toxic household, mentions of night terrors, betrothal since birth, swearing/language, implications of pregnancy

A/N: I returned with a new series after a month's break. This is considered a sequel/spinoff to my prior series, Survival, a Historical AU with Trueform! Sukuna x Fem!reader; however, it is not required to read that story to understand this one. Taglist rules still apply to be added to the taglist for this series. With that...I introduce, Wasteland!

Word Count: 6k

•JJK Mlist•Taglist Rules• Prologue ↠ Chapter 1

Marriage is a beautiful ceremony in which two hearts become bound as one for eternity—at least, that is how all the storybooks tell it. When you were introduced to the concept of marriage, you were more than excited to be met with your one true love and have your fairytale ending.

That little fantasy you conjured in your head did not last long.

The moment you showed interest, your parents quickly told you that you had a husband waiting, a boy you had never met nor heard the name of. From what you could understand, he was from an influential family with significant influence and riches—it seemed desirable enough for a little girl of age five. Still, for some reason, it brought you a discomfort you could not name.

Since your birth, you had been assigned a suitor. You were not old enough yet to understand, but the notion that you were married off the second you left your mother's womb was a sickening thought. That the miracle of your birth was not the first thought on everyone's mind, but rather how they could put you to use to get ahead in their society.

None of the tales you had read mentioned your true love being assigned to you. You questioned your parents on the matter, and all they could say was that they were silly stories and that this was your responsibility to the family. Even as a young girl, you knew the situation was peculiar; the nauseating sensation you had received was proof enough, but you didn’t argue because you wanted nothing more than to satisfy your family.

The thought of a happy marriage was stripped from you instantly, but that did not rid you of ambitions for other things. There was always something new to hyper-fixate on: your future.

You wanted a job, a career, and a jujutsu sorcerer seemed desirable enough; it was a job. You knew very little about being a shaman, but seeing it as a typical career choice among your family members, it looked more than desirable. You remember running up to your mother and father and mentioning it to them, begging them to teach you, but the only response you got was faces of disgust.

You remember your brother being there, your fraternal twin, beaming with joy when he thought his sister would join him in his studies and training, but that smile was wiped away quickly at your mother’s following words.

“You are a lady, Y/n, and a betrothed one at that. Do you really think it appropriate for a lady such as yourself to run off into battle and come home bloodied and bruised to her husband? Do you think it is fair that your husband would have to come and see that nothing is set for his return after a hard day of work?”

That’s the day you realized that your family was traditional. The woman was meant to cook, clean, and give her clan heirs. The husband was intended to pursue exciting adventures and come home to dinner on the table with a breedable wife at the ready. Nothing more, nothing less. You were a lamb for slaughter. Nevertheless, being the naïve little girl you were, you wanted nothing but to please your family and responded with a weak…

“No, ma’am.”

“Good, I want to hear nothing more of the matter.”

That night, you wept in your pillow, wondering if you’d ever had a choice in your life if you would ever have a choice in your life. From the day you were born, it had seemed that everything had been set out for you—a life plan written by your parents. The situation upset you greatly, and although your mind was not mature enough to think that deeply, you knew you did not like the pang in your heart when your mother addressed you.

The next morning you had seemingly gotten over the situation, going on with your pre-planned life and doing as you were told. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into a year. A year had gone by and you still had not met this boy and sometimes you wondered if he was even real or if your parents were just telling you that to keep you in line. Why were you marrying someone who did not exist?

That was until that very afternoon when you unexpectedly caught a glimpse of the boy in question. You didn’t catch much, but he looked of your age and had snow-white hair. You hadn’t seen it yourself, but your mother had commented on his gorgeous blue eyes. Before your presence could be known, your caretaker had ushered you into a different room to continue your studies on etiquette.

For the entirety of that lesson, you could not focus—you were too curious. Who was that boy? What did he truly look like? What was his name? Was he truly the one you were going to marry? You had your suspicions, but you weren’t certain, and you would be damned to ask your parents. If they had wanted you to meet the child, they would have introduced the two of you already, right?

That afternoon, you could not help but be in your head until your brother approached you with a grin. You two loved to be around each other, and any chance you guys got to meet with one another, you both would hop on the opportunity. The young sorcerer would tell you about all the new things he had learned that day despite being told to keep that information out of your reach, the reasoning being that young ladies such as yourself wish not to hear such boyish stories; however, your sibling knew that was not the case for you, that was obvious enough seeing how your face would light up when he told you about his day.

Every story you were told made you desire your own studies in the subject, despite knowing your parents would never allow it. You restrained your urge, settling for what had already been planned. However, life had a different agenda for you.

You were nine when it first occurred…you could not remember what had happened, but what you knew was that you had woken up in the middle of the night, your breath heavy with tears streaming down your face as you had awoken from a nightmare that you could no longer picture. Your room was in complete disarray as if thieves had ransacked it. For a moment, you thought that could have been the case, but then you noticed nothing had been stolen?

It took you a minute, but you eventually noticed your brother standing at your door, a shocked look in his eyes. Your parents were quick to join him before mimicking the same expression. You did not know what was going on, and it caused you to break down unexpectedly. You had no idea why you were crying; everything was just so overwhelming, and you could not help but be upset.

Your parents did not move a muscle, almost as if they were afraid to do so, but not your twin. Without hesitation, seeing your emotional display, your sibling came over and embraced you, trying to calm you down.

“It’s okay, Y/n, you’re okay, I’m right here.”

You managed to calm your beating heart and breathing, your tear ducts now only secreting a couple of tears at a time versus the well before; however, you felt like crying again after looking to see your mother’s disgusted face. You almost let out the emotions again, but that was until you saw your father’s face. The man held no face of disgust yet nor sympathy or pride—his face held intrigue.

You didn’t know whether to be scared or relieved at that moment, so you reassured your brother that you were okay and that he could return to his bedroom. The boy was hesitant upon viewing your puffy features, but once he saw your gentle smile, he caved and allowed you your space. The boy stood, walking toward the door slowly as he looked at you, seeing your smile of reassurance, causing him to smile in return.

Your sibling walked out into the hallway, but not without a second glance at your figure, as if he were making sure that you wouldn’t change your mind, before walking off to his room. Your smile dropped when he vanished from sight, pitifully looking up to your upbringers only to be met with their cold expressions.

“You will not speak a word of this to anyone, you hear me, young lady,” your mother sternly instructed, pointing a firm finger in your direction.

You only nodded, holding back the sobs you were longing to let out. With one last warning glance, your mother made her way to her bedroom with your father; however, her face seemed less cold and almost fearful when she thought you could no longer see her. Did she fear you? You didn’t want that, quite the opposite— you did not want her to fear you; you wanted her to be proud of you. Why was this happening? What was happening?

You became overwhelmed, and in mere seconds, your liquid emotion appeared. You sobbed aloud before realizing you could stir the others in the home, quickly reaching for your pillow to stifle the sound.

Why could you not have been blessed like your brother, endowed with the features of a boy? He did not have an arranged marriage, he did not have to attend etiquette lessons, and he did not have to fear disappointing anybody. Everyone was proud of him solely because he was a boy. You could not think of any other reason; he was a boy, and that made him blessed, blessed enough to not elicit such a reaction from your upbringers.

That following morning, you treated the situation like nothing had happened, even though it lingered in your mind. Even if you wanted to talk about the matter or express your distraughtness from what happened, today was not the day to do so. Your family was having a "get-together," for lack of a better term. Your clan had branched out to multiple areas of the world. On every quarter and special occasion, they would come to your home to be in the presence of one another, informing each other of endeavors and discussing political matters that you would only understand later in life. However, there was one thing you understood about...

Your marriage.

Given past gatherings you had attended, it is the pinnacle of conversation. You were being married into the strongest clan, which followed by marrying the entirety of the family into the clan, meaning that your successful unity was vital for the gain of your family name. You were happy to do it so as long as you could satisfy those you considered loved ones. Even if you were unwilling to sacrifice that decision, you had no real say– you were only nine.

But why focus on that dreary subject when that was not what excited you about these gatherings? Your aunt was coming this time, and from what she told you previously, she had a surprise in store for you. To say that you had a strong relationship with her would be an understatement; if not for the fact that she had business in another continent, the two of you would be tied at the hip. You remember a moment when strangers believed you were mother and daughter from how the two of you interacted. She seemed to be the only one in the family, aside from your twin, who did not seem to care about your marital circumstance– she cared about you and your well-being.

The day could not have gone by any slower as you fiddled in anticipation of the nightly activities you were about to initiate. When the time finally came, you quickly prepared for the occasion. People began trickling in slowly, but as time went on, it was as if the floodgates had opened. People poured in; some people you recognized, and others you didn't. They were the least of your problems. You were looking for your aunt, but she had yet to show up in your line of sight; however, there was a glimpse of someone who had caught your attention, but you were quick to brush it off when you heard footsteps behind you. Before you could react, you were lifted from the ground with a yelp of surprise before being pulled into an embrace.

"There is my, Little Munchki- oh my goodness you’re getting too big for this!" The familiar voice huffed, still putting you in a better position to withstand your newfound weight from growing so much.

You could not help but laugh and return her embrace, "I missed you, Aunty!"

She pulled away for a moment, touching her forehead to yours.

"I missed you too, Y/n."

Your innocent eyes looked around the room, making sure no prying ears were around before motioning yourself toward your aunt's ears, your voice in a low whisper.

"What is the surprise?"

The woman chuckled, putting you back on the ground. She was still crouching down to your level to whisper in turn.

"Now, it would not be much of a surprise if I revealed it just yet. Just be patient, and all will be revealed in due time."

You sighed in disappointment, only to get your hair ruffled by the older lady. There was an attempt to hold your frown, but your stoic expression could only last for so long before bursting out laughing from the light touches of fingers rapidly attacking your midsection. Your aunt always knew how to put a smile on your face.

"Y/n!"

The moment stopped instantly as your mother approached, your sister standing close at her side. You hardly ever acknowledged the younger girl as she was not very present in your life. If your brother was a rare occurrence to interact with, your little sister was in your presence once in a blue moon. You had nothing against the girl as she was delightful to be around when you were in each others vacinity, but you hardly knew her and could not figure out how to talk to her.

"Stop that unladylike behavior; it is not very becoming, especially with the important company this evening."

You tilted your head, confused, as nothing seemed different from past occasions. You looked at your sister for hints but noticed that her typical, pleasant nature was replaced by a gloom you could not name. Was she alright? Had something happened? Maybe she was just not feeling well. A stomach bug, perhaps?

Before you could even speak to the little girl to ask if she was okay, you paused in advance, hearing your mother's tone change from the stern woman she was to someone you hardly recognized.

"Gojo-sama! I am so glad you were able to make it to this occasion. I hope everything has been comfortable for you."

Her voice was so high-pitched it hurt your ears to listen. The frequency was that of a dog whistle. You were relieved when it was over, only to hear your sister follow in turn with her even pitchier voice.

"Hello, Gojo-san! I'm (L/n) Akiko, but you can call me Akiko."

Her eyes were so bright they could put the stars to shame. Did she know this boy? No, certainly not; she only just introduced herself. Maybe he was important; his dad seemed influential.

You had expected the boy to be polite in turn, but he only “tsked” before rolling his eyes, looking up at his father and mother as if begging to leave. You were scowling in your mind at his behavior, but you dared not show it in fear of punishment. It would displease your family if you returned such impolite actions to the young male.

"Is this her, the one you have been informing me of? She is quite beautiful." The man smiled, silently greeting himself to Akiko.

"Oh, uh no, Gojo-sama. That is my youngest child, though only by a couple years. This is her, our pride and joy, Y/n."

You could see her hold back an expression when elaborating on you as the pride and joy, but you could not tell why. You didn’t think much of it, thinking it not of importance. Maybe she just swallowed a bug or smelt something off.

"Oh, dear...." The man stared at you in shock. You could not tell if it was bad or good shock, and it was starting to scare you. Out of panic, you bowed, afraid that you were showing impoliteness by not offering a greeting. It was silent, causing you more anxiety, before the man chuckled softly.

"Oh, my dear, there is no need for such formalities now. I apologize for staring; it was rude of me. I was only stunned by your striking beauty."

His comment caused you to become flustered, unable to come up with a coherent reply. You stood there like a deer in headlights, but your aunt gave you a slight nudge before you could go off and embrace yourself any further. You looked up at her only to see her clear her throat and flick her eyes toward the man who had made such a nice comment. Questions lingered in her mind momentarily before catching on to her hint.

"Thank you for the kind praise, Gojo-sama." You responded bashfully before bowing again.

Cough "introduce yourself" cough

"M-my name is (L/n) (Y/n), but you may call me (Y/n) if you would like." The introduction was spouted out so quickly you could hardly believe anyone could understand what you said.

You heard a soft laugh, but this time, it was not the man but the mother standing beside the boy. You looked at her and noticed she was a lovely lady. If God were a woman, you were sure that woman looked like God. She was absolutely stunning.

"Now, that was a very ecstatic introduction; I believe it is only fair that you give one in return, don't you think, Satoru."

The boy seemed surprised, looking up at his mother as if she had betrayed him. She only responded with an expression that urged him to continue with his greeting.

"Hi, I am Gojo Satoru, but it's best to call me Satoru." He did not seem panicky but rather bored. It was as if he could not loath anything more than to speak with you.

The woman sighed, shrugging her shoulders as it seemed that was the best she would get from her son.

"Well, seeing the young lady marrying our little man is certainly a delight."

The world seemed to freeze for not just you but for Satoru as well. This was the boy you were supposed to marry?! But he was so...tactless. He was nothing like your mother had described him. She claimed he would be like the prince charming from your old books, but it seems that was all a ploy to make him seem somewhat desirable to you, not that it really worked; however, it did make the impact of the circumstance lighter for you.

This is not what you had expected, and he seemed to feel the same way.

Before anyone could say anything, you heard your father call out to the family.

"If I can get everyone's attention to my sister, she has an announcement she wants to make."

The room set eyes on your aunt, but even she seemed taken aback but it left as quickly as it came, collecting her composure and smiling.

"Yes, first off, I would like to thank my brother for hosting this occasion. It is always lovely to be surrounded by familiar faces. I wanted to announce that I am pregnant, and for the sake of my family, I will be staying here in Kyoto."

The room filled with surprised gasps before erupting into a symphony of cheers and congratulations. You were also excited, but then you wondered if that was your aunt's surprise. Surely not. She made it seem so secretive. You lightly tugged on her clothing, giving her an inquisitive look, but she only responded with her index finger to her lips. Being the cooperative niece you were, you only nodded.

You watched as everyone crowded toward your aunt, well, almost everyone. You noticed your mother did not seem to be joining in on the celebration, nor did your father, though unlike your mother, your father did not seem unhappy but somewhat nervous. Your family truly confused you. As much as you wanted to enjoy the evening with your aunt, you did not want to deal with the overwhelming crowd around her, so you spotted your brother and ran toward him, opting to play with him, seeing that everyone was preoccupied. You had expected your sister to join, but it looked like she had rather be glued to your mother's side instead of playing with the two of you. You shrugged it off and enjoyed the rest of your evening.

The night had died, and everyone went home except for your aunt, as arrangements were made for her to stay at the estate. You said your goodbyes to the family before returning to the Gojo family. It felt tense as their son kept staring at you as if you had grown a third eye in the middle of your forehead, but his mother quickly stopped the behavior before gesturing for him to properly say goodbye. You both bowed and bid farewell before watching the adults do the same. Both parties seemed rather pleased, and you wondered why. Maybe it had something to do with your betrothal, but it was not like it was any surprise, was it?

"Psst"

You turned to see your aunt, gesturing you to follow her into a nearby hallway. No one was paying attention to your presence, so you quietly slipped out of the conversation that hadn't even involved you in the first place and snuck into the gardens with your relative.

"Are you going to show me the surprise now?"

"Patience, patience, my dear," she laughed, "The short answer is yes, but you need to give me a moment."

"But I-"

"No talking back, missy; now close your eyes."

"Wh-"

"Ah, ah, ah, no questions, and close your eyes. No. Peaking."

You followed her instructions this time, closing your eyes and folding your hands in your lap. It only took a few seconds before you felt something shoved into your palms. The best way you could describe it was that the trinket was cold and hard. It had some texture, but it was not overly lumpy.

"Now, open them."

You opened your lids and looked down to your lap, revealing a delicate-looking ring nestled in your hands. It was beautiful, and the jewels that adorned it even more so.

"Is this my engagement ring?"

Your aunt laughed, "No, sweety, it's just a family heirloom. Passed down from my mother and her mother before her."

"It's beautiful," you stared at it in awe, running your finger across the delicate item.

"In exchange for this ring, I want you to make me a promise."

"Okay!"

"Now, don't be so hasty, little one, I haven't even told you what it is yet."

You nodded in response, waiting to hear her following words.

"When this baby is born, I want you to treat and care for her as her older sister. You will love and protect her just as I protect and love you. Promise me you will do this for her.

"But she would be my cousin. How can I love her and protect her like my sister? Is it even a girl?"

"Boy, aren't you inquisitive," your relative chuckled.

"Whatever you would do for your brother, do for her? I don't know if it is a girl yet, but something tells me this child will be. So, do you promise?"

You paused for a moment, thinking over her words before making eye contact with the woman and nodding your head.

"I promise."

She smiled, hugging you before pulling away, looking at the ring.

"Why did you think it was an engagement ring?" she asked amusingly.

"Well, I met the Gojo boy for the first time today, and I thought that this ring was supposed to...I don't know, show that we're going to be married."

You heard the woman sigh, taking the ring from your palm and examining it. "Well, I am pretty sure an engagement ring is supposed to fit your first try, and from the looks of this one, it might take you a couple of years to grow into it." She paused a hesitance in her eye, before bringing her attention back to you. "Do you want to be married, Y/n?"

Her question was confusing, and you were not sure if you could give the correct answer, so you said what you had been saying for years, though you never understood the reasoning for this question.

"Yes, it will make everyone happy, so I am happy."

"Well, what if everyone else's opinion did not matter? Do you still think you would want to get married?

Your aunt had expected a hesitance, but you were all too quick to respond with:

"Yes."

"Would you still want to get married with Satoru?"

That was a better question; it made your heart race and caused you to sweat. You did not understand this reaction, but it was unpleasant.

"I don't know."

Another sigh.

"Y/n, I-" another moment of hesitance, "I know you feel like you need to marry Satoru to make everyone happy, but I do not want you to think of it that way. I want you to marry him out of necessity. Not for everyone else but yourself. You do not have to love him, but you need to rely on him because, in the end, you will be looking out for one another. Who knows, maybe you will grow to like him, maybe not as a lover but as a friend. For your sake, I want you to make me one more promise. Promise me you will marry him, not for everyone else, but for your safety."

You had no idea what she was talking about, but the desperation in her eyes scared you. It was as if she knew something you did not. You had so many questions, but you refrained. Your aunt had never asked anything of you until this day, and unlike everyone else, she cared about your well-being and everyone else's other than herself—her previous request proved that.

"I promise."

Another hug before leaving the garden. Hands were held as she brought you to your room for bed. Tonight would be a blissful night, a restful night, and you could not wait to indulge in it.

"AHHHHHHHH"

Another nightmare.

You awoke to your belongings on the floor, the state of your room appearing as if a tornado had blown through it. Tears were streaming down your face, and before you could adequately think, you began to feel around the bed. Feeling cold metal, you quickly grabbed the ring you had been sleeping with under your pillow, clutching it to your chest.

Your brother was the first to arrive, clinging to you the moment he reached your bed. He petted your hair and tried soothing you with words of reassurance. This was the second night in a row. Why was this happening? You just wished it would not happen again. Your parents could be seen at your doorway, standing there motionless as they looked at the state of your personal dwelling area. Then they looked at you with fear. It frightened you all the more; however, you found a sliver of comfort when your aunt pushed herself into the room, pausing momentarily at the condition. But it only lasted a second as she focused on you.

She quickly pulled you into her chest, keeping in mind your brother as she also brought him into the embrace. She held you close as soft sobs left your throat. She soothingly shushed you as she rocked you in her embrace. She let go of your form once your cries subsided into sniffles and choked apologies.

"Do not ever apologize for this. It is not your fault," the woman said, wiping the stray years from your cheek and offering a warm smile. "Would you like me to stay the night with you?"

You were ready to say yes, but you caught a glance at your parent's disapproving expressions.

"No, I am alright."

"Y/n, this is the second time this has happened; it would be good for Aunty to stay. I could stay, too."

"What do you mean second time?"

Your brother looked at your aunt, opening his mouth to speak before being interrupted by your mother.

"This episode happened the previous night. It was nothing but a nightmare."

"Nothing but a-" Your aunt swallowed her words before looking at you. "Try to settle back into bed, and I'll be back to stay the night with you."

"But I-"

"Do not worry; your brother can stay with you. Just try going back to sleep for now."

You did not argue, and neither did your twin. He pulled you down onto the mattress and held you close as he tried the comforting methods your aunt had performed. You would be lying if you said it was not working. You tried to force yourself to stay awake in fear of having another terror, in fear of harming your twin, but it only took a few minutes until you fell back into slumber

You woke up from the feeling of a parched throat. You found yourself wanting to move from your spot, but your brother clung to you even tighter the moment you tried. You sighed, turning your head to look at your nightstand only to be pleasantly surprised by the glass of water sitting there, but where did it come fro-

"Why wouldn't you say something?! Everyone was here tonight. There was plenty of support. Fucking Christ, I WAS HERE!"

"Your crude language is not very becoming of you, but if you must know, it was no one's concern...especially you; we handled the situation."

"None of my concern?! Do you need a reminder of why it is my concern, or would you rather spare your pride? Last time I checked, you only came into this family when you married my brother, so you have no right to tell me this is not my concern."

"Look, there is nothing we can do but suppress it. We'll start giving her sedatives so she can sleep through these episodes."

"You have to be kidding me! You're going to drug her?! I might have a better idea; why don't you teach her how to control it?!"

"You do not know the damage it will cause if she goes around with this unstable ability."

"The only reason it is unstable is because you two have been focusing on ONE of the children. Would it really be so bad to just have her train with him? Did you guys go broke or something and are not telling anyone?"

"How dare you! We are financially stable."

"I love how you would rather feel insulted by your financial status than the actual problem at hand. Also, how cute it is to use the word we. When did you start contributing?"

"I'm the one who was able to set her up with the Gojo boy."

"How so, sister?"

"I talked to a few people. Originally, the Zenin wanted her, but the Gojo clan swopped in when that child was born with a deal that we could not refuse."

"You sold her?!"

"Gods, no! I made it known that we were looking for a suitor. I did not expect anyone to throw money at me. The Zenin certainly did, but the Gojo clan gave a better offer: a chance to sit at their table and have at least someone in this family bear the name of a Gojo."

"Well, I highly doubt they will be pleased once they figure out that you planned to let this fester."

"They won't find out because we don't plan to show or tell them of this situation. As I said, we will suppress these unpredictable abilities and be done with the matter. It should be easy enough; she is young and unaware of these episodes."

"Just teach her how to use and control it!"

"IT ISN'T FIT FOR A WOMAN OF THE STATUS SHE IS GOING TO ACHIEVE!"

"Excuse me..."

"Trust me, if I had a say, I would have had my younger one marry into the Gojo clan, but that girl was born first, and we had already accepted the offer."

"So because you married her off, you aren't going to let her fulfill her potential?!"

"Enough! I am tired of this bickering. The damage has been done, and we will all live with it. I wish to rest and move on with our lives. Besides, it is not good for the baby for you to be getting all riled up, my sister."

"Do not start acting like you're the clan head; that has yet to happen. As a matter of fact, didn't Father refuse to give you the title? Do not start getting cocky, brother. The man is still alive whether we like it or not, and if he finds out about your little secret, he'll damn you for it."

"..."

"Well, it is a good thing he'll never find out."

The room went silent, and you could hear something break. Footsteps began to approach your door, and because you were afraid of getting caught, you closed your eyes and pretended to sleep. The door opened, and you felt the bed shift as your aunt slowly settled onto the mattress.

"Cowards," she muttered.

Silence lingered for a few minutes before feeling fingers running along your scalp. The woman hummed a familiar tune while scratching your scalp. The song seemed familiar, but you could not recall where or when you heard it last. Where had you listened to this song?

It was a calming hum, but it did not stop the feeling deep in your chest and the rush of your mind from what you had overheard.

You initially thought your gender was a curse, and in a way, it was; however, there were plenty of females in your family who served their ambitions without the fear of submission, and your aunt was one of them. You were being held behind because of that arrogant and impolite boy who attended the gathering. Your marriage was a curse, restraining you from your most substantial potential. At this moment, you detested that you were getting married, despite your previous beliefs and fantasies of such an occasion, especially because, of all people, it was Gojo Satoru. His name was like a curse on your future, but as much as you wanted to hate him for it, you had to recognize he was just as much a victim as you. There was no intention to retaliate against the arrangements made because, as reluctant as you were, you still wanted to please those you cared for. The promise you made to your aunt playing a prominent factor. You would instead be ostracized than to disappoint the woman you looked up to.

However, as you drifted back into sleep, you had a pent-up emotion you could not name. For your sanity, you whispered something in your mind that you would never think to say aloud and did not truly mean. You were a kid struggling to manage this burning feeling, so instead of lashing out, you pinned it on something...or rather, someone.

I hate Gojo Satoru.

[vorfreudevortex]

redline | introductions

a street racer!ino takuma x f!reader fic

redline masterlist // next: chapter 1

✰ reader ✰

you could barely remember when your parents split, but you could recall your older brother suguru bawling his little eyes out when the lengthy custody battle resulted in him staying in tokyo with your father while you were to be shipped off to america with your mother. but throughout the years, you two stayed close. during breaks and holidays, suguru would come stay with you and your mother in america, and you in tokyo with him and your father. 

you always understood why your parents split. he was a quiet man, and often covered in grease, but he was kind to everyone and always happy when you visited. and, you were always happy to help him in the busy mechanic shop he lived above. meanwhile, it seemed your sophisticated and stoic mother could only show kindness to you and the long hours she spent at work.

suguru and his best friend satoru had taught you how to drive one summer in tokyo. you could barely contain your excitement, until you ruined the clutch in your dad’s car and earned you the double-sided nickname, “clutch”. that same summer, the two had brought you to a meetup in an underground parking garage, where glittering growls of car engines grabbed your heart and hadn’t let go since. 

college life has been busy and it’s been 2 years since you could visit your family. so when you finally got a free summer to return to japan, you demanded your mom to ship your new car with you. you didn’t tell her you might not come back if you decided to finish your college years in japan. luckily, she relented after weeks of pleading, and suguru and satoru were more than happy to pick you up from the airport in your shelby gt500 that had been shipped in just a few days prior.

your theme song? slay! - eternxlkz

✰ suguru geto ✰

suguru geto has always been protective over his little sister. how could he not, when his first best friend and only sibling lives on the other side of the world? and he just knows those nasty fraternity boys at your american college must go feral over a sweet girl like you… with a nicer car than anyone on campus, faster than anyone there, and too kind for your own good. he’s already heard all about the races you’ve won over lengthy facetime calls in the early mornings and late nights, when time zones aligned.

him and his best friend satoru are known as some of the fastest street racers in tokyo, and the leaders of the phantoms. their favorite pastime of creeping up on drifters in the mountains with their headlights off, only to beat them in the complete dark, earned the group its ominous name. at first, the phantoms were only known by their cars, but the small group has grown quite a name for itself among female fans since they first showed their faces.

it’s only fitting that the leader of the phantoms drives a honda nsx.

his favorite song to listen to while racing is 9mm - memphis cult

✰ satoru gojo ✰

the mouthy satoru gojo has been friends with suguru for so long, he’s practically a part of the geto family. if suguru isn’t answering his phone, he’s next in line for your chaotic facetime calls. having no other siblings himself, he thinks of you as his own.

he spends a lot of time in the shop with your father, tinkering and tuning cars, but mostly sitting there watching your father and nanami do it while he plays on his phone. he says he’s “good with his hands”. nanami usually hits him in the chest after a line like that.

satoru's baby is his nissan 180sx type x.

his favorite song to blast is phonky trap - suave lee

✰ kento nanami ✰

the tuner and only sane member of the phantoms. he became close with suguru and satoru when your father hired him as a young teenager to help out in his shop. that’s also where he learned to be a modern master of modifications (and safety). 

you’re not as close with kento, but he’s always been very kind to you. kento usually keeps to himself unless he’s reprimanding suguru and satoru for wrecking a transmission or burning through brakes too fast. he used to race himself, and was quite good at it, but has since decided to keep his nose under the hood of a car rather than behind the wheel after getting into a bad accident.

kento's retired racer is a nissan s13.

he claims doesn’t have a favorite racing song, but in the club - mishashi sensei always happens to be in his top 5.

✰ shoko ieiri ✰

you and shoko don’t know each other too well, but you think she’s so cool and she thinks you’re adorable. shoko knows the rest of the boys from school. she doesn’t drive, but likes to attend races and meetups. she’s usually the one to help supply the phantoms with race information, gossip, and cigarettes. she’s also not allowed more than 10 feet in the geto's shop after she almost blew the place up when trying to light a cigarette.

she loves when suguru and satoru play pink like suki - pebbles&tamtam  for her.

✰ takuma ino ✰

as the leader of the shadows, takuma often feels overwhelmed. he didn’t really mean to start the newest, most threatening team of racers in tokyo. he just liked cars and made friends with a few random guys who did as well. it’s not his fault that they’re all naturally gifted with intuition and reflexes like you can’t imagine. the group seemed to jump out of the shadows and into the streetlights, which earned them the name.

suguru geto in particular did not like the thought of takuma. and by proximity, none of the phantoms did. no one was sure whether it was takuma's good looks, expensive car, or race rankings that posed a threat to suguru and his team the most, but it made for a spicy rivalry and thrilling race nights. somehow, the rest of the tokyo car scene gained a questionable perspective on the shadows that skewed their reputation. takuma just kind of plays along with his given “edgy” persona.

in reality, he’s extremely kind. kind enough to even teach megumi and choso how to drift and modify cars. he first started loving the car scene when he stumbled upon a meetup after sneaking out one night, and his passion was further solidified when his father gifted him a manual when he got his drivers license. in his free time, he’s usually found at the skate park or in his mom’s sushi restaurant.

ino's pride and joy is his nissan skyline gtr.

his go-to playlist almost always starts with killka - ghostface playa

✰ megumi fushiguro ✰

he’s the epitome of “shut up and drive”. you won’t hear much more than a grumble from his mouth, but you’ll know what he meant to say when he’s flying past the finish line at 120 mph, no less than 80 feet in front of you too. he’s an aggressive racer, which he learned from his dad, who was one of tokyo's fastest before his son was born and his wife made him quit.

the shadows’ second best drives a skyline r34 gtt.

an aggressive racer loves an aggressive song to race to… shut the fuck up - ghostface playa

✰ choso kamo ✰

choso is the shadow’s newest member after moving to the area and his cousin, noritoshi, decided he’d rather focus on school more than dying. choso is more of a motorcycle guy, but drives more often since the tokyo car scene is so exciting. he’s a great racer and is really quite nice once you get past his intimidating face tattoos. his younger cousin yuji is almost always in his passenger seat, if he’s not already in megumi's.

choso loves cruising in his nissan 180sx 4k.

he can’t get enough of 6ixspeed - 7oh2

✰ aoi todo ✰

aoi is the biggest himbo you’ll probably ever meet, but is secretly stacking a world of car knowledge in his pea-sized brain. he can race, but prefers flexing his muscles and head under the hood of a car. as the tuner for the shadows, he likes to make his groups’ cars as flashy as they are fast. he most likely never has a shirt on unless he’s at a meet and he has to.

his favorite song to blast is obviously kitty phonk - soviss

✰ yuji itadori ✰

he doesn’t race, but hangs around with the shadows anyways. he’s more into baseball, he’s got a scholarship for it at a nearby university, but is always at meets and races when he doesn’t have a game. he’s choso's cousin and megumi's best friend, and is always in one of their passenger seats bothering them. the shadows tried to teach him how to race, but after wrecking one of toji's cars into a tree and earning a scar on his face, he prefers only using his feet to run bases rather than stomping gas pedals.

he likes to pretend he’s in a tiktok edit and constantly asks choso and megumi to play masquerade - siouxxie sixxsta 

✰ toji fushiguro ✰

toji knows your dad from way back, when they used to race each other in friendly competitions on the streets and mountains around tokyo. they became good friends over the years, and often laugh over what their kids are up to over some whiskey in one of their shops. he earned a scar on his lip after taking a turn too fast back in the day, which your dad had thankfully stopped and pulled him out of before the engine caught on fire.

toji's wife forced him to stop racing when megumi was born, but ended up in a years-long phase of drinking and smoking when she left them a few years later. that’s how he ended up with the 10-car garage and shop he has now- a shitfaced phone call during a 10 day bender after winning a million yen in a craps tournament at a nearby casino. he’s since calmed down. if he’s not down in his shop giving tips to the boys, he’s probably listening to megumi's older sister, tsumiki, complain on the phone about her college classes.

he has no idea what the hell those kids are listening to, but can’t help but bop his head along to rave - dark ダーク

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ ｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

redline masterlist // next: chapter 1

tag list // @stillnotherapy @rieamena

© vorfreudevortex | all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, repost, or otherwise share my work.

[navybrat817]

Study Habits

Pairing: College!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader Summary: You give Bucky a suggestion to help with his studies and he gives you a gift in return. Word Count: Over 2.1k Warnings: C-ock warming, brief insecurities, college AU, nicknames, slight feels (it's me), Bucky Barnes and he's smitten (yep, he's a warning) A/N: A little more of my out of order Falling for You AU (Time to Study and Strike a Pose) with Titan and Starshine. For Week 4 of Hot Bucky Summer for @buckybarnesevents! Theme - FREE WEEK, prompt starting with "C". ❤️ Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the talented @saradika. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

Bucky asked you to help him study for an upcoming exam and you naturally jumped at the chance. It was a good excuse to spend time with him. When he suggested his room for the session, you questioned exactly how much studying you'd accomplish. He argued that he would've offered to use the common room, but there wasn't much privacy or quiet with the guys constantly going in and out. And with Steve in class, the two of you had the bedroom to yourselves.

It didn't stop a few of the guys from whistling as Bucky took you upstairs.

"Fuck off! We're studying!" he called back as you giggled.

"I know you're into Science, but I didn't think Anatomy was your thing!" Sam yelled before Bucky shut the door.

Oh, it's very much his thing.

"I think they're jealous because you're dating me," he said, pulling you into his arms so you could wrap your arms around his neck.

"They are not," you laughed a little. The fraternity brothers you met so far were all nice, which you were thankful for. "And even if they are, I'm only interested in you."

Only one guy outside of Bucky had hit on you and you made it clear that you weren't looking to date around.

A touch of pink showed in his cheeks, but he smiled confidently. "Good because they're animals. All of them," he chuckled.

"You may be in a house of animals, but at least you don't live like one."

Despite the stereotype that many fraternity members were sloppy pigs, Bucky and Steve kept their room relatively clean. The little touches of home with posters, knickknacks, and pictures of their families gave you a glimpse of the past and their childhood friendship. The boxing gloves and science books on your boyfriend's side of the room showed you the present.

What does the future look like?

"I'll be sure not to act like an animal until after we study. I'll behave," he promised when you raised an eyebrow. "And this isn't like the last time when I got everything done before we met up. Honest."

"If you say so," you smiled.

Overall, Bucky kept his word as you helped him make his flashcards. He only snuck in a couple of kisses here and there which he kept relatively innocent. You were almost on the last one when he asked you to go through them on his bed. With you in his lap.

"Me in your lap? We know how that ends," you argued.

It always ended the same way. Not that you were going to complain. There was still plenty of time before Steve got back from class.

"But I behaved," Bucky stated as you put the marker down, the corners of his eyes crinkling when you tried not to smile back. "And my lap is much more comfortable than this bed. Trust me."

"You did behave," you agreed as he took your hand and helped you up from the desk chair. "But I don't know. Your bed feels just fine to me," you added to tease him a bit.

"A 'just fine' bed versus my very good lap?" he asked, taking a seat on his bed and running his hands along your hips. "What do I need to do to convince you?"

Keep touching me like that and I'll melt.

You suddenly had an idea, setting the cards by his pillow. "You don't need to convince me, but why don't we make things interesting?"

An intriguing expression crossed his face as his hands froze, much to your disappointment. "Interesting? How?"

I hope he likes this idea.

"I could…" you tried to keep your voice light as you batted your eyes and prayed you looked enticing. "Keep you warm?"

His blue eyes darkened instantly at your suggestion, but he smirked as he considered it. "How exactly do you wanna keep me warm?" he asked, pulling you a fraction closer. "Tell me how."

He's going to make me say it.

Slowly inhaling, you tried not to stumble over your words. "I want your cock inside me while we go over the flashcards," you said, mentally patting yourself on the back for keeping your voice even when your knees were ready to buckle. "Please, Titan. Let me sit on it?"

The audible hitch in his breath was a win. "Since you asked so nicely, Starshine," he breathed.

Bucky didn't hesitate to reach under your skirt and hook his fingers through the waistband of your underwear. You shivered as they brushed along your flesh, his eyes on yours as he pulled the fabric down. Your neck and face warmed under his gaze, your mind still not used to the eye contact this man enjoyed maintaining. But your body was so responsive to his, already wet and aching.

"So, I'll get to appreciate the view while you help me?" he asked, unbuttoning his jeans as you stepped out of your underwear.

You shook your head before he lowered his pants and boxers enough to take his cock out. Your mouth watered as he wrapped his hand around it, watching it swell under his touch. He was thick when he wasn't hard and your core clenched knowing he was seconds away from stretching you with the length of him. "I think I'm the one appreciating the view," you simpered, barely able to resist putting your hand over his.

"You can look all you want," he said, settling back on the bed and motioning for you to join him. "It's yours."

He helped guide you to straddle him once you were close enough, closing the gap between you two to press your lips together. Your heart swelled as you kissed him back. His kiss was steadfast like always, each soft drag of his lips fueling the fire within you. But he stopped you before you could lower yourself down to take him in.

"Let me stretch you a bit first. I don't want you hurting later."

Your heart went from swelling to nearly bursting. While quickies were fun, Bucky only rushed when he absolutely had to. "Please, touch me," you whispered.

His thick fingers parted your folds to dip one inside, making you whine and clench around him. Letting him explore your body was easy. It always was. Opening your heart to him was just as simple and that should've given you pause. Both of you were young and still figuring out your paths, but everything about Bucky told you to take the plunge.

Just keep holding my hand as we fall.

Your eyes slipped shut as he added another finger and peppered kisses along your jaw. "I still don't get how you want me," you said, your eyes snapping open. You hadn't meant to blurt that out and didn't want to ruin the heated moment. "I don't know why I said that. I just meant-"

"You don't get it?" he asked with a frown, making you whimper as he took his fingers out. "You want a list of reasons why?"

"No, Bucky," you replied, but secretly, deep down also wanted a little praise. You just didn't want to ask for it, especially when there was no reason for him to give it to you.

"I'll give you one anyway so you know I'm serious," he said, keeping you hovering above his cock as he licked his fingers clean. The sight made you tremble. "You're delicious."

"That doesn't count as a reason," you teased, though you enjoyed hearing it.

"It counts," he winked. "You're smart. One of the brightest people I've ever met."

You closed your eyes again when he kissed your left cheek, your heart racing at the compliment. "Coming from a genius," you said.

"Hey. I'm complimenting you, not the other way around," he said, brushing his lips against your other cheek. "You're beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off you when we met. I still can't."

I couldn't take my eyes off you either.

"You take the time to talk to me about my interests, like boxing, or my day. And you make sure I'm not getting lost in my own head most days," he smiled gently as you opened your eyes. "I'm not ashamed to say I'm crazy about you."

"I'm crazy about you, too," you whispered.

Thank you.

"And, fuck, you feel perfect," he moaned, making you whimper as he helped you slowly sink down. It was an almost torturous pace as you stretched to accommodate him before he buried himself to the hilt. He felt perfect. He fit so well with you.

"Perfect," you sighed.

"You know," Bucky said after a moment. "I think you suggested this to punish me."

Your boyfriend pouted as you looked at him. He had an actual pout on his ridiculously handsome face. You wondered how much he got away with growing up giving people that look.

Probably everyone.

"How is this punishing you?" you asked, keeping your breathing even possible as you ran a hand through his hair. It was tough to concentrate with him inside you since he felt so good.

"Because I need you," he groaned, like it pained him to not thrust up into you. "I don't know how long I can stay still."

Neither do I.

You cupped Bucky's face with your hands, loving the way he leaned into your touch. "How about we focus on studying, then you can have me?" you suggested, kissing him gently before you settled back.

With a frustrated grunt, Bucky threw his head back. "Okay, but let me show you just how crazy I am about you first."

Careful not to jolt you, he reached over to where the cards were sitting. Instead of picking them up as you expected, he reached underneath his pillow and pulled out a small box. You almost avoided his deep blue eyes as he looked at you expectantly, your heart pounding so fast that you could hear the roaring rush of blood in your ears.

What is happening?

You gasped when he opened the box. It was a pendant made up of his fraternity letters. "Is this a lavalier?" you asked. You knew of the tradition. It was a sign of commitment and affection when a person gifted their significant other with their letters.

"It is. I was waiting for the right moment to give it to you," he said, glancing away for a second. Was he nervous? "And I realize asking while you're keeping me warm isn't exactly romantic and I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," you said. If anything, the moment felt more real because it was spontaneous.

It feels a bit like love.

"You don't have to wear it if you don't want to," he said, kissing the corner of your mouth. "I know we haven't been dating for that long, but, well, you're my girl and I don't want anyone else. I haven't since you smiled at me at that party."

He wasn't playing fair at all by lightly shifting underneath you, the moment drawing a whine from you. Pure joy settled over you at his words. Wearing his letters wouldn't just show that you were his girl. It would show everyone that he was your guy.

Titan and Starshine.

"But if it's too soon-"

"I would love to wear your letters," you smiled, wanting to assure him the way he did for you moments ago.

He smiled back, his shoulders relaxing as he removed the necklace from the box. "You said you don't get how I want you," he said, slipping it around your neck to clasp it. The letters rested right over your heart, where they belonged. "But I feel lucky because you want me."

"How could I not want you?" you asked, kissing him tenderly and taking an extra second to savor it. "Would you like me to give you a list of reasons why you're the best guy for me?"

"Later," he smiled, wrapping his arms around your waist and glancing at his letters on your chest. "For now, I want you to keep me warm while you torture me by going over those fucking cards."

You giggled, the action making you tighten around him. "You did tell everyone I was here to study. Besides, flashcards are an effective method because it promotes active recall in the brain."

"I think we should make this a new study habit," he said, nipping your bottom lip with a playful grunt. "Because whenever I see them, I'll remember being inside you and want to do it all over again."

"I'll remember that, too."

And with his letters around your neck, you'd never forget that you were his girl.

How can Titan not be crazy about his Starshine? Love and thanks! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[sepublic]

Expanding on my Irish Clawthorne reading; That just adds to the whole story and the colonialism aspect and how the Wittebanes are of British descent, and the British colonized the Irish while declaring them 'savages' and the like, sound familiar?

Big orange hair is such a thing for the family; Eda's hair can store objects in it, Lilith's was curly. And I dunno just; It's not just the angle of white folk colonizing America, it's also the Irish and we have Caleb learning to love Evelyn, whom people like to portray with orange hair. The consensus is that Dell, a ginger, is their direct descendant.

So there's also something to be said about Lilith as someone who was made to assimilate; In the Emperor's Coven, she was deliberately cut off from her family. She was 'taken in' by an older relative ashamed of his brother's fraternizing, who resented Lilith on multiple levels for her identity and for eventually scarring his face (in retaliation to manipulation and attempted murder).

Lilith was so blatantly abused in the Emperor's Coven, and there's a sick joke in how she wanted to be a historian, yet was made subordinate to Flora, who bastardized history on Belos' order, and also belittled Lilith. Lilith was constantly made to feel inferior and with how she was always more of a desk job than a field agent, unlike the coven heads, and it really feels like she was elected as a stunt, a prop to show off with; Look, see! Even a common wild witch like Lilith can rise to the top!

But Lilith still had to assimilate, she had to conform; People like her can still fit under the coven banner, so long as they fit the mold and cut away those 'ugly' bits. So she straightens and dyes her hair a dark blue, cuts it down. Lilith hides herself, even her own Palisman is forced to constantly stay in staff form; A reminder that nature can only be allowed to exist as a tool, nothing else!!! And that's also dark because the Clawthornes are palismen carvers.

So yeah, we have Lilith trying to engage with her past and heritage, yet being deliberately blinded from it, made to participate in her own ignorance and erasure. Forced to hide physical aspects of herself to blend in, mistreated as more of a prop to show how any wild witch can be 'tamed', to prove a point to Belos himself. His own sick victory against Evelyn; A trophy seized from the locals, separated from her family and trying to pull them in with her because that's the best Lilith can have, even as she belittles them and thinks she was improved herself.

Lilith obviously has personal agency and thus blame regarding the curse, and the finale's themes do assert that, as does Lilith’s effort to atone; But it was Belos' coven system that helped pit Lilith against her fellow witches and even family members, and estrange herself from them. Lilith WAS legitimately interested in magic, too... But because of the system, she cursed Eda.

And Lilith didn't use any old curse, she used one created by the Archivists, who came from another world to 'tame', that itself had reduced another wild, native creature to just a prop. That curse was used to dehumanize and delegitimize Eda's stance against the system. It reduced her connection to her bile magic, something also important to witches and Clawthornes, and especially Eda who loved and was great at it; And to mitigate the curse and take responsibility, Lilith also lost her bile magic.

But at the same time, she and Eda re-established contact with glyphs, thanks to Luz; And Lilith made the breakthrough of rediscovering glyph combos! So there's an ancient practice, older than even the Deadwardian Era she obsessed over, that Lilith found and brought back, for a time at least; But that will still apply once King's glyphs so in full-swing. And Lilith even got to visit the Deadwardian Era, scar her abuser after he scarred her and so many others, and come to a better understanding about her own ancestral past, something that continues with Lilith’s self-actualization as the historian she always wanted to be; So now she’s helping everyone better understand their past and origins!

Lilith and the Clawthornes as a whole are still cut off from knowing about Evelyn and Caleb, and they may never know; But at least they got back Hunter, whom Lilith was also pitted against in the Emperor's Coven, which really divided Caleb and Evelyn's descendants. And what tops it all off is Lilith having parallels to Philip, what with the Wittebanes and Clawthorne sisters; One more open-minded and outdoorsy, going against society, while the other is bookish and bitterly insecure and absorbs prejudice to feel better about themselves. Even their names are structured similarly!

They both wear blue coats and hurt a sibling they cared for but also resented... But Lilith grew beyond all that. She went above the hatred and jealousy. The system was more prevalent in her life, yet Lilith still chose to go against it, taking the chance to stop when it came and work for real happiness. She stopped needing to put down others to feel better about herself, Lilith made a friend with someone as strange as Hooty, who was once connected to the Titan and also forgot his past, but is now connected to Dell's old tower; Abandoned but given new life by Lilith's sister Eda. So the past is still lost to some extent and unrecognizable even, but it still lives on anyway.

Anyhow, Irish Lilith Clawthorne who is a victim of assimilation by British colonialism and that tried to erase her Irish features and make Lilith conform by cutting her off from her heritage and feeding her a bastardized, demonized version of her own past, while turning against her own people and culture and thinking herself superior for climbing up the ladder she left others at the base of; A promised justification of imperialism. But then Lilith breaks free from all of it and reconnects and re-embraces everything she lost, including her family and heritage, and just gets to be weird with other weirdoes like herself, so there's both blood and the covenant (not THAT type of coven tho).

[blanketorghost]

Okay hi hello I have seen a sudden new influx in EAH fans (hiiiii welcome <3) and while I am very happy to see this little fandom still be more than three pieces of lint and a paperclip, I am here to give y'all a list of already DEBUNKED EAH myths that somehow always show up whenever this happens every 1/2 years:

"Apple White and Raven Queen are related."

They are not. In Chapter 2 Episode 11 "Blondie Branches Out" there's a throaway line explaining how the 'Prince Charming' role is distributed between multiple unrelated Charming families. There is also no mention in any of EAH media of Apple and Raven being related. The only related characters are:

Poppy and Holly O'Hair (Twins)

Giles & Milton Grimm (Siblings, Milton is the oldest)

Cerise Hood and Ramona Badwolf (Siblings, order not specified)

Daring, Dexter and Darling charming (Siblings, Daring is the oldest and Dexter and Darling are fraternal twins)

Briar Beauty and Rosabella Beauty (1st Cousins)

Gus and Helga Crumb (1st Cousins)

The Hood/Badwolf sisters, Sparrow Hood (Distant cousins)

In Apple White's 'Royally Ever After' diary, the retelling of the Snow White fairytale has Apple be Raven's personal assistant that later overthrows her rule, meaning familial relation and them sharing a royal bloodline is not a necessary part of the narrative.

"XYZ Background character is the descendant of ABC fairytale character."

Unless directly confirmed by a GURU media employee or mentioned in the show, none of the background characters have a direct counterpart.

Most of the most famous background characters are actually cameos/based off of animators (pictured below):

The fandom wiki is not a reliable source given the fact it has no edit protection and the moderators are no longer active.

Be carefulnot to confuse popular hedacanons or fan designs (more often than not fanart by red_red_heels, boots.caitlin and/or theprincessswan on instagram)

"XYZ's fairytale parent is dead."

Unless specifically stated, this is also not true. Certain stories have a loophole or workaround that prevent major character death. So far we have been given confirmation of:

Cinderella (Unknown loophole): shown to still be alive in 'Ashlynn Ella's Story'

The Swan Queen (Turned into a swan forever): It is not known wether or not Duchess' mom gave birth to her while she was still a human or if she was born from an egg. Raised by her grandmother. It is implied her curse is generational.

The Little Mermaid (Happy Ending): The first time this loophole is mentioned explicitly (Meeshell's diary). She was given a happy ending and lives under the sea, unlike the original HCA story. Story variation further explained in 'Fairy Tail Ending'.

The Big Bad Wolf (Unknown loophole): Self explanatory.

Baba Yaga (Possible Immortality?): Self explanatory.

The Candy Witch (Version recorded in the Storybook of Legends confirmed to be inaccurate): Explained in 'Kiss and Spell'.

"Descendants killed EAH."

Look, I am as much of a Descendants hater as the next guy, but the unfortunate truth is that EAH was never as successful as Mattel expected it to be. Their style was too 'childish and girly' for kids who were already into Monster High, and their themes were far too complex for younger kids to fully grasp. So their target audience was unfortunately not very interested. This is coming from someone who was around 11-12 when EAH came out. As an existing MH fan, I was turned off by it as at that time kids were entering their more 'edgy' phase and wasn't willing to give it a chance.

What dealt the killing blow was Mattel and Disney severing their contract over the Disney Princess doll line due to decreasing quality, and then after the release of descendants with Hasbro, one of Mattel's biggest competitors.

-

There's probably some other myths I missed, but these are the most common/widely believed ones. I'll maybe reblog/update later with more myths as I come across them.

[tokuvivor]

Due to circumstances beyond the control of any others, @violetganache42 and I are splitting duty on this week’s highlights post (Competition Night edition). She did it for the shorts and episodes, I’m doing it for An Extremely Goofy Movie.

So without further ado, here we go.

“Polar Trappers”:

We bring ‘em back alive

@puffyducks: bro where is pabo

Donald hunting a penguin, which is now illegal to do so

Not the kid!

The baby penguin’s tear becoming a massive snowball

“Need 4 Speed”:

QUACK PACK (Again!)

Disney Ducks meet The Fast and the Furious

@spamtoon: huey you guys aren't in phineas and ferb

Daisy appearance!

The idea of Comet Guy Night

@ducklooney and puffy going off about humans being in the Duckverse

Us calling Donald and the authorities to kill Rocky the Rocket Throttle

From Negaduck ass car to Ratcatcher

@writebackatya: "This is like the Family Guy of the Duckverse"

Ludwig appearance!

puffy: "where's dick dastardly"

Puffy, Missy, and I using 90s slang

Daisy seeing the triplets in the race:

RIP ethnically stereotyped racers

WriteBackAtYa: "DuckTales 2017 needed a car race episode"

Violet: "Would Huey and Launchpad be commentators?"

WriteBackAtYa: "Yes Always"

Violet: "SOLD!"

Ludwig's toy kangaroo winning the race

@tealottie: erection joke

“The Missing Links of Moorshire!”:

Webby giving Scrooge semi-permanent hearing loss

Launchpad: "This lake will be used for the swimming portion of the competition."

Huey: T_T

Violet: "Cue theme song!"

Missy betraying Della with Daisy

Tony the Tiger?!

The entire coin toss scene 🤣

Us praising Glomgold

Missy commenting how Scrooge and Glomgold can't tuck their tails for golfing

The audio glitching like CRAZY

Fluttershy and Bubbles the Kelpies

Webby: "Talking animals wearing clothes?! :D"

@fantasticenthusiasttale: "Webby…"

Violet, internally:

"Bologna. Trampoline."

THE MUSIC USED FOR THE MONTAGE!

Louie yoinking money out of Glomgold's sweater pocket

Emo Dewey

"You people are no fun."

Webby: "Not everything has to be a life lesson."

Violet:

Violet pretending to be turned to stone by the Medusa Mist (as I like to call it)

Launchpad ending the episode with a life lesson… before trying to devour golf balls

“Dog Show”:

puffy: "you know who else is an orphan"

Dreamy: "Everyone in this shit is an orphan"

The dog show people being dogs

Goofy literally begging

Pixar ball

Mickey unleashing his inner dog

An Extremely Goofy Movie

Calling out all the characters from the previous movie as they show up

The fact that Pete is celebrating his own son leaving💀

How is Goofy single?

Goofy having major rizz (this point comes up quite a bit during the movie, and for good reason)

Max’s character development from A Goofy Movie being undone

Sad Goofy☹️

HDL mention!

Bradley Uppercrust III

@kaitosduckmania: “god this shit is so pretentious LMAO”

Will: “I want this review on the back of the DVD”

Max/Roxanne vs. Max/Bradley on Tumblr

Beret Girl!

Puffy: “you know who ELSE is called tank”

Violet: “MY MOM”

Puffy: “they’re snapping at us…MENACINGLY”

Bradley having the same VA as Johnny Bravo (also, The Man with the Yellow Hat)

Max’s horrified face when he sees that he and his dad are in the same class

Bobby wearing pink panties/briefs

Hidden Mickey

Goofy’s mispronunciation of the word “trigonometry”

Puffy: “the WHAT decimal system”

Sylvia being adorable

Goofy does a Donald-esque voice

Kai: “WHAT THE FUCK GOOFY YOU CAN MAKE THAT VOICE?”

Will: “Max’s whole character is that he doesn’t want to be like Goofy but like he is so much like his father that he doesn’t even know it”

More cheese pull (pizza in the last movie, nachos in this one)

BONGO MUSIC

PJ has rizz, too

Goofy and Sylvia dancing to Shake Your Groove Thing

Papa Dog

Us dumping on the inherent cult-like nature of fraternities, sororities, and the National Honor Society

The German judge low-balling everyone

Dreamy: “Is this the olympics all again”

Puffy: “this is MY olympics”

Max shooting down Goofy in the worst way possible

Goofy’s weed/acid trip dream (plus the Goofy holler!)

More Goofy sadness

Meta humor about almost everyone wearing gloves

Missy betraying Daisy with Sylvia

CHEATING!!!!!

PJ flying off

Dreamy: “He went to visit Della”

“Mud! My only weakness!”

Will mentioning that the scene with the X crashing down was removed from the broadcast version of the movie after 9/11 (which we completely understand, because holy shit)

Also, sort of a Hindenburg reference

Goofy graduating! (And then telling Max he was getting a job at the school)

Sylvia having the same VA as Emma Glamour

Spam floating the idea of Max vs. Gosalyn for the X Games

Disco end credits!

Also, that was a goofy movie. Extremely, even.

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Jester Hairston

By Life Magazine via Google Images-Photographer Loomis Dean., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28896923

Jester Joseph Hairston (July 9, 1901 – January 18, 2000) was an American composer, songwriter, arranger, choral conductor and actor. He was regarded as a leading expert on black spirituals and choral music. His notable compositions include "Amen," a gospel-tinged theme from the film Lilies of the Field and a 1964 hit for the Impressions, and the Christmas song "Mary's Boy Child."

Hairston was born in Belews Creek, a rural community on the border of Stokes, Forsyth, Rockingham and Guilford counties in North Carolina. His grandparents had been slaves. At an early age, he and his family moved to Homestead, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh, where he graduated from high school in 1921. Hairston was very young when his father was killed in a job-related accident. Hairston was raised by his grandmother while his mother worked. Hairston heard his grandmother and her friends talking and singing about plantation life and became determined to preserve this history through music.

Hairston initially majored in landscape architecture at Massachusetts Agricultural College in the 1920s. He became involved in various church choirs and choral groups, and accompanist Anna Laura Kidder saw his potential and became his benefactor. Kidder offered Hairston financial assistance to study music at Tufts University. from which he graduated in 1929. He was one of the first black students admitted to Tufts. Later he studied music at the Juilliard School.

Hairston pledged the Chi chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity in 1925. He worked as a choir conductor in the early stages of his career. His work with choirs on Broadway eventually led to singing and acting parts in plays, films, radio programs and television shows.

Hairston sang with the Hall Johnson Choir in Harlem for a time but was nearly fired from the all-black choir because he had difficulty with the rural dialects that were used in some of the songs. He had to shed his Boston accent and relearn the country speech of his parents and grandparents. Johnson had told him: "We're singing ain't and cain't and you're singing shahn't and cahn't and they don't mix in a spiritual." The choir performed in many Broadway shows, including The Green Pastures. In 1936, the choir was asked to visit Hollywood to sing for the film The Green Pastures. Russian composer Dimitri Tiomkin heard Hairston and invited him to what would become a 30-year collaboration in which Hairston arranged and collected music for films. In 1939, Hairston married Margaret Swanigan. He wrote and arranged spirituals for Hollywood films as well as for high school and college choirs around the country.

Hairston wrote the song "Mary's Boy Child" in 1956. He also arranged the song "Amen", which he dubbed for the Sidney Poitier film Lilies of the Field, and arranged traditional Negro spirituals.[16] Most of Hairston's film work was in the field of composing, arranging and choral conducting. He also acted in more than 20 films, mostly in small roles, some uncredited. Hairston starred in John Wayne's The Alamo (1960), in which he portrayed "Jethro," a slave owned by Jim Bowie. In 1962’s To Kill a Mockingbird Hairston portrayed the uncredited role of the father of accused rapist Tom Robinson. In 1967’s In the Heat of the Night, Hairston portrayed the butler of a wealthy racist being investigated for murder. In both films, Hairston shot scenes along side men who won an Academy Award for Best Actor in those respective films for portraying white Southerners navigating their jobs through a racially divided culture.

In 1961, the U.S. State Department appointed Hairston as Goodwill Ambassador. He traveled all over the world teaching and performing the folk music of the slaves. In the 1960s, he held choral festivals with public high-school choirs, introducing them to Negro spiritual music, and sometimes led several hundred students in community performances. His banter about the history of the songs along with his engaging personality and sense of humor endeared him to many students.

During his nationwide travels, Hairston checked local phone books for other Hairstons and reunited many people on his family tree, both black and white. He composed more than 300 spirituals. He was the recipient of many honorary doctorates, including a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in 1972 and a doctorate in music from Tufts in 1977.

In his later years, Hairston served as a cultural ambassador for American music, traveling to numerous countries with choral groups that he had assembled. In 1985, he took the Jester Hairston Chorale, a multiracial group, to sing in China at a time when foreign visitors would rarely appear there.

Hairston died in Los Angeles of natural causes in 2000 at age 98. For his contribution to the television industry, Hairston has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard. He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.

[sweetangelanon]

Basic story-line for the Funtimes aka Elizabeth's anthropomorphic clown oc's with one (1) human being her clown sona. (Circus baby)

It starts off as a normal type of story that you wouldn't bat an eyelash at. Where Circus Baby runs the circus, all the other funtimes are just other furry's who work with her but also they're a huge family. They all love each other + protect each other. They all have varying tragic backstories that lead them to the circus in the first place then settling in then found family trope. It has a lot of themes of feeling loss, finding family, and that yearning for understanding. Because, Elizabeth wants to be understood. She's trapped in this false persona she's made and tries to make herself feel better by saying it's a game. That, she's pretending and tricking all these people for fun so that they never know.... Know what? Basically know who she really is even though that's her deepest desire. To drop the act, to be herself unapologeticly and her friends won't abandon her for it. Circus Baby is Elizabeths clown sona whose parents died in some tragic heart shattering way and that's why she started the circus because only her parents understood her so she wanted to be a person for others just like her. to show them that she can understand them too- to be weirdo's together!

Ballora is NOT human in this, she's an Otter Ballerina with three otter babies those being loosely based off of Bidybab, Minireena and Electrobab. The kids def act as a mix of clown/ballerinas that do silly dancer acts after their mom or they just sit around taking tickets and money. There rolls are interchangeable depending on what is needed. She ran away from her abusive husband and took her kids with her (he'll probably show up to try to threaten her later in the story before he gets killed) This storyline is based off of real otter behavior! Male otters will threaten to kill their own pups unless the female gives them more food. It's pretty crazy.

Bon-Bon and Bonnet are small married rabbit couple with their huge adopted... son Fredrick Von Müller. I went Dot dot dot because Fredrick is way to old to be adopted but it happens anyway. He's not an old man but he's more like peer age to them then son age. He has huge mommy and daddy issues. Funtime Foxy and Lolbit are fraternal twins that work as a PR team and Advertisement selling the circus to whatever town they travel too next always pulling in a crowd.

Funtime Chica works as the mystic of the group very flashy and a great smooth talker. Is in a very tremulous love affair with Carl whose just a random carnie... They're at each others throats sometimes while at others they are making out and it's gross Music man is the strong man act BUT also dabbles in music. Though music is more of his passion and he has a soft soul.

Ennard local bastard who refuses to leave.

Molten & Tangle: Investors of the circus who always bully them about how they aren't making them enough money. May or may not be murdered later.

Main story idea is that Funtime foxy gets murdered (mangled) and then it's a huge murder mystery trying to figure out who did it and why. Freddy is a huge suspect and you kinda learn he's very blood thirsty but he's the red herring of the story. Ennard is the second red herring of the story though he's done some super shady stuff too. It was obviously a crime committed from passion. My idea was that Mangled was romantically involved with Molten and Tangle mixing business with pleasure. but one of the two buissness duo got tired of sharing + heard that Foxy was thinking of breaking off with them to be fully with the other. Thus causing a confrentation, then murder of the fox. Thank you for coming to Elizabeth's ted talk there's a secret princess in the circus but I'm not telling you who it is.

[richincolor]

New Releases

This week's an exciting one for new YA books! Quite a few of these books coming out tomorrow are at the very top of my must-read pile, like Transmogrify! and Venom & Vow. What's on your TBR?

Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic edited by g. haron davis Transness is as varied and colorful as magic can be. In Transmogrify!, you’ll embark on fourteen different adventures alongside unforgettable characters who embody many different genders and expressions and experiences—because magic is for everyone, and that is cause for celebration.

Featuring stories from: AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy g. haron davis Mason Deaver Jonathan Lenore Kastin Emery Lee Saundra Mitchell Cam Montgomery Ash Nouveau Sonora Reyes Renee Reynolds Dove Salvatierra Ayida Shonibar Francesca Tacchi Nik Traxler

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.

In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems. Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?

Hurt You by Marie Myung-Ok Lee

Moving beyond the quasi-fraternal bond of the unforgettable George and Lenny from Of Mice and Men, Hurt You explores the actual sibling bond of Georgia and Leonardo da Vinci Daewoo Kim, who has an unnamed neurological disability that resembles autism. The themes of race, disability, and class spin themselves out in a suburban high school where the Kim family has moved in order to access better services for Leonardo. Suddenly unmoored from the familiar, including the support of her Aunt Clara, Georgia struggles to find her place in an Asian-majority school where whites still dominate culturally, and she finds herself feeling not Korean “enough.” Her one pole star is her commitment to her brother, a loyalty that finds itself at odds with her immigrant parents’ dreams for her, and an ableist, racist society that may bring violence to Leonardo despite her efforts to keep him safe.

Hurt You is a deep exploration of family, society, and the bond between siblings and reflects the reality that people with intellectual disabilities are far more likely to be the victim of a violent crime, not the perpetrator.

Last Canto for the Dead (Outlaw Saints #2) by Daniel José Older

Two gods-turned-teenagers wage simultaneous battles in the Caribbean and Brooklyn in this sequel to Ballad & Dagger.

Healer. Destroyer. Creator. Mateo Matisse and Chela Hidalgo are not just two teenagers in love–they’re powerful gods in human form. Powerful enough to have saved their Brooklyn diaspora community from the wrath of an ancient enemy and to have raised their once-sunken native island of San Madrigal from the sea. But soon they discover that their problems are far from over. On the shores of San Madrigal, two creature armies are battling for survival. And on the streets of Brooklyn, a once tight-knit community is divided, with two sides at each other’s throats. But worst of all, a heartbreaking prophecy rips these two young lovers apart, sending Mateo back to the city, where cops are now patrolling the streets, and keeping Chela tethered to the island, where chaos and death lurk around every corner.

Healer. Destroyer. Creator. As gods, their powers know no limits. But as teenagers–separated, desperate, grieving–what will become of them? And what will become of their people? Join their battle and witness their love in this thrilling conclusion to the epic saga that began with BALLAD & DAGGER.

Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliott McLemore Keep your enemy closer. Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother. Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana. Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect. Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.

Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person. Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade. And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.

Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra Graduation is only a few months away, and so far Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success is on track.

*Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University. *Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer. But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.

*Step 3: Never break the ban on baking. Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.

But some recipes are begging to be tampered with… When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there’s only one way to find out–even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.

As Long As We’re Together by Brianna Peppins A heartstring-tugging, uplifting, modern spin on Party of Five — a love letter to family, hope, and finding strength in unexpected places.

Even though she has six siblings, sixteen-year-old Novah still knows what it’s like to feel lonely. Her friends never remember to invite her anywhere because they assume Novah will be too busy overseeing dinner, baths, and homework — tasks that fall to her when her parents are at work. She wouldn’t mind it so much if her “perfect” older sister, Ariana, wasn’t always excused from helping out. She’s the star of the volleyball team, and their parents don’t want anything to jeopardize the scholarships she’ll need to become the first member of their family to attend college.

Needless to say, Novah feels like she’s been given a raw deal, especially when she’s forced to cancel a maybe-date with her crush, Hailee. Then one terrible night, their parents don’t make it back home. A car accident takes their lives and leaves seven heartbroken kids on their own. The Wilkinson siblings have no grandparents, no aunts or uncles. Since Ariana has just turned eighteen, she manages to convince the judge to give her temporary custody. If she can keep her family running smoothly, they’ll get to stay in their home. If not, they’ll be placed into foster care.

Novah will do whatever it takes to keep her family together but finds herself in a constant power struggle when Ariana refuses to take her advice, even once it becomes clear that they are all in way over their heads. Will Novah find her voice and summon the strength to do the impossible? Or will she be forced to say the hardest goodbyes of all?

[bathic]

⩥2025 Fic Set-List⩤

[Dates Undetermined]

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

◀ Belladonna's Blackest Blues

About Tag(s): Morbid Themes, Inspired by The Addams Family, Morticians and American Horror Story: Coven, Humor, Abnormal Romance, Macabre!Ateez, Resurrected!Reader, Goth!Ateez/Y2KBimbo!Reader.

synopsis: Death is said to be the epitome of peace. It is the eternal slumber after a long arduous life, the quiet end to a forever repeating television show, a red velvet curtain drawn in the wake of applause. That is what is expected. However, you are the unfortunate exception. Dug up twenty years after your untimely death by a bunch of death-obsessed college weirdos and brought back to the living where Juicy tracksuits and blinged out Nokia slide phones were left as remnants of a past best forgotten. How ever will you cope?

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

◀ Each Handmade Cup

About Tag(s): Mobile Teashop, Romance, Slice of Life, Hybrids Galore, Fluff, Humor, Magic, Hybrid!Ateez/Fem!Witch.

synopsis: Fern had a dream. One that started the day over freshly made tea and ended with the lingering scent of brewed leaves clinging to her sleeves. But dreams don't come easy, neither does love.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

◀ eight of swords

About Tag(s): Elves vs Humans Rivalry, Exiled/Banishment, Angst, Betrayal, Mass Murder, War, Infidelity, Conquered Kingdom, Fraternization with the Enemy, Former Knights Commander!Character, Elven Prince!Ateez, Child!Ateez, No Romance, Single Parent, Found Family, Past Trauma, Runaways.

synopsis: The last thing an exiled knight expected to become was a single parent to eight runaway princes.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

◀ Reaching the End

About Tag(s): Poly Relationship, Falling out of Love, San/Wooyoung/Reader, Mild Sexual Content, Excluded from Relationship, Lovers to Strangers, Angst, Hurt/No Comfort, Heartbroken!Reader, Woosan.

synopsis: Things were not always better in threes, and you come to realize that a little too late.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

[haveyouseenthis-childhoodshow]

Have you seen this childhood show: The Brothers Garcia (2000-2004), United States (English)

Commentary/Context/Memories: I loved the theme song. And they made a revival series last year for HBO Max but it got cancelled after one season.

[Mod A: I haven’t seen the show, but the vibes of the siblings remind me of the relationship I have with my sisters (particularly as the oldest sister haha)! This show was about a Mexican-American family and their children Larry (11), Lorena (Larry’s fraternal twin sister, 11), George (12), and Carlos (13) and how they clash against each other, learn from each other and grow together in San Antonio, Texas. Larry exhibits classic youngest child syndrome in his quest to get attention from his parents, but is overshadowed by Lorena (who is charismatic and draws attention), George (who is very smart) and Carlos (who plays on many sports teams). As a result of this, Larry struggles to find something that makes himself unique (in his own eyes at least) and the show is about him growing in that regard. The show is narrated by an adult Larry, so the recollections can be a bit biased, but it is clear that the family love each other despite the sibling rivalry (which from my experiance can be a form of love haha). This show is notable as being the first English-language sitcom to have an all-Latino cast and creative team!]

[fincalinde]

nie huaisang and/or nie mingjue for the ask meme 🧋

Bold! Very bold. Standard disclaimer that I'm aware not everyone is aiming for canon consistency in their fan content, but I find it disheartening that there is so little content produced where the end result is canon consistent. When I express frustrations it is in relation to trends and not specific fics or individuals.

Nie Huaisang

a song that reminds me of them

I honestly don't have any songs that remind me of him, beyond the very weak connection of the results of the impact he has on other characters. He's not a character with much interiority, so nothing really clicked for me in that regard.

what they smell like

I imagine he smells pretty good since he likes to dress well and wear jewellery and that implies he's relatively fastidious. I am guessing he probably smells like clean human in the early part of his life, and then maybe once he's clan leader he has more scope to have whatever incenses he wants floating through the Unclean Realm so then he might smell of those. And obviously there's various hair oils—he's got his signature look with his rings and his fan so it's possible he has a signature hair oil. But maybe it would be declassé to wear so much hair oil that everyone else can smell it and you'd only be able to tell up close and personal oh my god why have I written this many words about how NHS smells

an otp

There's certainly no one in the cast he makes sense with. My personal feeling is that he's really not the type of person who's ever going to work effectively in any kind of partnership, so I don't see him ever being in a relationship that would be a healthy and successful one. I imagine he does marry postcanon though - now is the time to sire heirs and keep the Nie on top.

a notp

The idea of NHS with JGY is particularly distasteful to me.

favorite platonic/familial relationships

Personally, I think the collective dynamic of the Venerated Triad isn't complete without NHS as the unofficial fourth member. LWJ, as is typical, opts out and doesn't give LXC the courtesy of referring to his sworn brothers with fraternal address (not that LXC minds, ilhsm). NHS however is all in on this bonus brother scheme. Not only does he address LXC and JGY as er-ge and san-ge, but he actually treats them like big brothers. He's pleased to see LXC, he's even more pleased to see JGY (omg presents), and it's quite nice that JGY in particular is trying to make up for NMJ's weaknesses in this area. That's not to say that JGY is correct to not make any demands of NHS at all, but he's certainly attempting to be a moderating influence and it's just all really interesting to me.

Of course once NMJ is dead, there's presumably not much time before his corpse first escapes its tomb and NHS concludes there was foul play. So we can't read too much into the way NHS runs back and forth to JGY and LXC, in the sense that obviously a large part of this is an act. But it's still interesting, and I think a lot of people forget that the narration says NHS is bothering LXC at the Cloud Recesses just as often as he's flinging himself on san-ge for fuss and support. This could become its own very long post, so I'll stop here.

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with

Obviously there are numerous 'headcanons' I disagree with, but to pick one of the most irritating ones, I really dislike this recurring theme I see of NHS showing his hand either postcanon or in divergences. This is a man who never broke character in all of canon—why on earth is he suddenly monologuing at length about his grievances in front of [insert characters here]? Canonically, all he does is obliquely confirm to WWX that he was behind setting the arm on the Mo family, manipulating MXY, killing the cats and luring the juniors, desecrating MS' body etc. But it's all implied and he does not ever relinquish plausible deniability.

It really makes no sense to me to think that NHS would drop his act postcanon, either in the canon scenario of dead JGY, or in a divergence scenario where JGY survives. As infuriating as it would be for him if JGY escaped, he's going to redouble his efforts rather than sabotage himself by confirming WWX's suspicions to literally anyone. He's held it together thus far even when it looked like his plan might go awry, and there's no reason to think he can't continue to hold it together through any further plans and/or confrontations.

NHS' greatest weapon is his ability to not break character, and we already know he doesn't break character in victory. So, a setback as basic as JGY surviving would just not be enough for him to relinquish his modus operandi. I really think he'd be privately furious and distressed, but would continue to disguise that and simply attempt to regroup. (Although, as I have also said before - in a divergence where JGY knows NHS is his enemy, NHS is toast. JGY outclasses NHS on every level and the only advantage NHS has is JGY's profound belief in his harmlessness. Once that is gone, it's game over.)

the position they sleep in

I've never really thought about this but I bet when he was little he would crawl into NMJ's bed and proceed to keep him awake all night by fidgeting.

a crossover au i’d love to see them in

Maybe one day I'll confirm how he fits in to my ATLA AU and write that. I do know where he is and what he's doing.

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn

I can't say I've ever paid much attention, but I definitely find the wardrobe of CQL NHS to be disappointingly bland and unmemorable, so maybe just his default official artwork outfit? Seems like it fits the canonical brief of being sharp and fashionable with bonus fan.

—

Nie Mingjue

a song that reminds me of them

Definitely Running Deep by Delara.

Looking deep inside my thoughts And reflected shit I thought I could control But I'm paralysed and terrified And it's killing me but maybe that is fine

what they smell like

Human being + something a little bit metallic.

an otp

He's canonically ace as in no interest in relationships or sex, so none. As a side note I do think it's interesting that he doesn't marry and father children - I assume before the war he thinks he'll have more time, and afterwards he realises time is too short for him to raise and train his own children. But there's just a whisper in there of the classic NMJ 'do as I say not as I do' approach, because it's still a choice he's made that was influenced by his own preferences rather than solely his duty as clan leader.

a notp

I cannot think of any ship I dislike more than Nieyao. If I get into this it will become a dissertation, so we'll just leave it there. Suffice to say:

Physical abuse and mortal terror are not things that interest me when I'm shipping.

I am not in the habit of ignoring canonical character dynamics for my own convenience.

favorite platonic/familial relationships

Perhaps weirdly, I really enjoy NMJ and LXC because of the layers. I really like that the affection between them is genuine but that they just do not get each other and you can see throughout the flashbacks the way their relationship is eroding. And it's not drastic, dramatic erosion like NMJ and JGY, but instead the kind of sad recognisable drifting apart of two people who became friends in their youth because they're from similar backgrounds and have unique and heavy responsibilities—but those similarities are just not enough the older they get, and the more time passes the more apparent it becomes that they have fundamentally different outlooks on life.

I like that NMJ refuses to engage with LXC's basic point about context mattering, yet before he's fully in the grip of the sabre spirit maxing out his worst instincts, he's still capable of being moved by human sympathy when it's LXC making the argument. I like that LXC is the only person NMJ is ever visibly pleased to see. I really believe NMJ cares deeply about LXC, his only actual friend.

And, conversely, I also really like that NMJ is able to see that LXC has a closer bond and rapport with JGY and is frustrated by that. I don't know that I'd go all in on the theory that he's jealous of how close LXC and JGY are as a primary motivation as that's a bit too basic, but I do think that feeling of exclusion is one of the many factors swimming around in the murky depths of the dynamic of their sworn brotherhood.

Finally, I just love the contrast between LXC's relatively clear-eyed view of JGY, where he has a very good understanding of who JGY is and what he's all about even if he's not aware of all the lengths JGY ultimately has to go to, with his absolute obliviousness to who NMJ really is. NMJ is literally trying to stab JGY to death in public and only LXC's intervention prevents murder and yet another inter-clan war, and LXC is still like oh dear, Da-ge really is under a lot of stress. LXC is drifting further and further from NMJ (see the excellent meta from @xiyao-feels for a breakdown of this). Yet he still thinks of NMJ as being at heart the youthful clan leader he first befriended, rather than the current worst self incarnation whose negative qualities have been turned up to the max and who is a lethal ticking time bomb, a danger to everyone around him.

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with

As always, do not get me started. I am absolutely baffled as to where cuddly wuddly giant teddy gym bunny biker Etsy crafter in touch with his fee-fees all bark and no bite NMJ comes from, because he certainly does not feature in canon. I'll stand by this for both MDZS and CQL. I've probably spilt enough ink on MDZS NMJ and we are given very detailed insight into his state of mind so that's a lot easier to reference, but it's worth noting that CQL NMJ is just as profoundly hypocritical and violent and it's vital to incorporate that into his character. Writing only his superficial righteousness, his love for NHS and his affection for LXC is really not enough. It annoys me when aspects of characters are excised in order to sanitise them for what appears to be mainly shipping purposes.

the position they sleep in

I think maybe it varies but he doesn't move much in the night unless he has nightmares. Which no one knows about because he always sleeps alone.

a crossover au i’d love to see them in

I also know what this guy is doing in my ATLA AU, and I'm super boring and not a huge fan of genuine crossovers—usually I prefer mashups where the characters of one canon are integrated into the setting of another without aping the original plot. I think it's really important to retain his arc of a) losing himself to all his worst qualities, and b) acknowledging that he's choosing to lose himself and handling it badly, but also it's not much of a choice when he can't opt out of the system he's in. I'm thinking maybe an X-Men AU where he has some kind of power that causes sabre-spirit-type degeneration and violence? It would need some kinks worked out of it but might be a decent shout.

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn

Obviously his best look is when WWX is flicking his naked disembodied torso. Iconic.

[theresattrpgforthat]

My family and I have been watching and loving the Lockwood & Co series on Netflix (and have the books coming in soon). My oldest - a Masks veteran, sees a ton of parallels between Mask moves and the action in the show, and longed for a game focused on the sort of eldritch investigation, but with the personal drama that a game like Masks or Monsterhearts or the like can bring. Any suggestions?

THEME: Eldritch Investigative Drama

Hello friend, you’re definitely describing one of the highlights of the Powered by the Apocalypse system. It’s probably not surprising that so many of my recommendations are PbtA!

Sunset Kills, by Hedgemaze Press.

Sunset Kills is a tabletop roleplaying game about a family or group of friends who investigate supernatural mysteries and fight the monsters trying to take over their town. It’s a little bit horror, a little bit drama, and a little bit campy comedy in the vein of shows like Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Sunset Kills uses a simplified version of the Apocalypse World system, perfect for new players or those new to Powered by the Apocalypse-style games.

This may be advertised as a great game for new players, although some prior GM experience with PbtA is probably going to be useful. This game is primarily focused on monster-killing shows like Buffy and (with the inclusion of my Stranger Hills playbooks), Stranger Things. However, if your characters end up getting mixed up in some kind of eldritch conspiracy instead, you might be able to pull upon each character’s Keys to cause all kinds of drama.

UnHaunt This House, by Kristen Chin.

Unhaunt This House is a haunt-busting tabletop game where you play spectre-hunters traversing a distorted nightmare building to find the source of the haunting. 

Snoop around the haunt, dodge shifting architecture or spectral inhabitants and gather clues to make the Final Pronouncement that might dispel the Haunt's ectoplasmic epicentre.

Built on the Down We Go system, Unhaunt this House also takes cues from Brindlewood Bay and Paranormal Inc.This style of game is more on-the-nose in representing ghost hunters, although it’s OSR history means that it doesn’t come with as many mechanics to replicate drama. The closest you might get to drama is the fatal flaw that plagues each hunter: what is it that may be your downfall? You might have to do a bit of home brewing if you want something to replicate the drama that can unfold between a number of hunters exploring a nightmare building. 

Moonlight on Roseville Beach, by R.Rook Studio.

Queer pulp meets cosmic horror! 

It's 1979 and you're spending  the summer working in Roseville Beach, the queerest little town on Rose Island. You might have come here looking for an escape, some fun, a little extra money, or even love, but now people are seeing phantasms, strange animals—and stranger old gods—wander the woods, mysterious monoliths appear randomly, and that strange music is coming from somewhere.

The drama of Moonlight on Roseville Beach is baked into the setting. As outcasts compared to the outside society, the folks of Roseville Beach can’t depend on outside law enforcement to deal with their problems, so when supernatural entities start to trouble your loved ones, you have to spend on yourselves. Your characters will have Troubles - people they’re indebted to, hiding from, trying to impress, or more. They’ll also have NPC allies and each-other to depend on. 

As Roseville Beach expects many interpersonal interactions, it can be easy to dive into uncomfortable territory. The game recommends that players sit down and discuss Lines and Veils before beginning play. 

Gunmetal Sonata, by Ashley “Winged” Moni.

Besides the world we know lie a myriad continuum of others, full of places and creatures that fill the world’s myths and legends. Life has gotten a lot more manageable in the last few millennia, but the occasional intruder still steps across the threshold to do innocents harm. 

You’re one of a long, loose fraternity of people around the world who’re both in-the-know and capable of doing something about it. You wear a lot of hats: you’re a soldier, a hunter, a detective, a scientist, a sheriff. 

You’re a slayer. It’s a living. 

Gunmetal Sonata is an urban fantasy RPG about monster hunting millennials tracking and slaying threats to humanity through a system that splits between noir investigation and highly-stylized anime action. It is inspired by PbtA and FitD games.

When it comes to interpersonal connections, Gunmetal Sonata includes a Trust track for each player, to increase over play. Each player also has a Promise, whether that be a personal goal or a commitment to a power outside themselves. Promises will give you power, but at a cost they can cause Stress, and wear down your emotions. This game is currently still in the design process, but future iterations intend to have Arcs, which will be personal stories that directly tie you into the plot. 

The Between, by The Gauntlet.

The Betweenis a tabletop roleplaying game about a group of mysterious monster hunters in Victorian-era London. They are residents of a place called Hargrave House, and their job is to investigate and neutralize monstrous threats terrorizing the city—threats that Scotland Yard won’t or can’t handle themselves. As the story progresses, they become aware of the plans of a Moriarty-style criminal mastermind they will eventually have to face in order to save Queen and country.

The Betweenis directly inspired by the gothic horror TV show Penny Dreadful, but also takes a lot of inspiration from British horror classics, graphic novels like From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and pulp-era stories. Mechanically, it’s Powered by the Apocalypse but also uses the mystery system from Brindlewood Bay.

This is a great game if you are looking for something to spook you. It’s also set in a Victorian-era setting, so the world feels darker and older. Your characters will depend on their backgrounds and personal struggles to help them navigate through this world of darkness and conspiracy. The Between comes with a number of scenarios to put your characters through, great for GM’s who don’t have time to write up an entire story from scratch or newer GM’s who want a bit of help exploring the possibilities of this game.

Paranormal Inc, by Alicia Furness Productions.

One day, the dead started returning to haunt the living. This was, as you would expect, somewhat disruptive to society. People started looking for ways to get rid of the ghost nuisance in their lives. Requests for paranormal investigators sky-rocketed. 

But times change. People adapt. Now, you are a struggling paranormal investigator with Paranormal Inc. doing your best to keep the equipment working, the lights on, and your belly full.  

Paranormal Inc. is a game about solving mysteries, struggling under capitalism, and making connections with living and dead alike. It's a game about pushing through your own personal hauntings to help others. 

This game most closely aligns with the theme of ghost-hunting, although your investigators aren’t necessarily hunting ghosts so much as solving mysteries. You won’t know what the answer to the mystery is at the beginning of play - you’ll discover it collaboratively, as Paranormal Inc is GM-less. This game is Carved from Brindlewood, but it’s parent game is heavily inspired by PbtA games, so expect character connections that mean something.

Monster of the Week, by Evil Hat.

Most people don’t believe in monsters, but you know the truth. They’re real, and it’s your task to bring them down. Monster of the Week brings that adventure to life.

Monster of the Week is a standalone action-horror RPG for 3-5 people. Hunt high school beasties a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer, travel the country to bring down unnatural creatures like the Winchester brothers of Supernatural, or head up the government investigation like Mulder and Scully. This book contains everything you need to tackle Bigfoot, collar a chupacabra, and drive away demons.

Monster of the Week is a well-loved, well celebrated monster-hunting game about kicking monster butt, taking care of friends, and getting answers to things that want to be hidden. If you want to get a taste of what this game can do, I’d recommend Monster Hour, a Monster-of-the-Week podcast that keeps the players involved and continuously falling into larger and larger problems.

Apocalypse Keys, by Rae Nedjadi.

As an Omen class monster, you are the only thing capable of holding back the apocalypse. Combat occult threats and investigate supernatural phenomena alongside your team of supernatural agents working for the shadowy DIVISION. But in a world that shuns monsters like you, only your deepest, most heartfelt bonds can grant you the power to stop those who seek to unlock Doom’s Door.

The apocalypse draws near. There are Keys to find, Mysteries to solve, Doors to unlock, and ruthless Harbingers to battle. It’s time to face your fears or become fear itself.

This is the game I think of when I think of messy drama. You’re monsters with great responsibility, great power, and a great opportunity to lose everything you care about. The game will push you towards caring about something or someone, while battling a piece of you that threatens to take that away.

Alongside moves such as Unleash the Dark, which encourages manipulation and harm, you can also Reveal Your Heart to someone in a moment of vulnerability. The organization, DIVISION, is a great resource, but it’s also a strict overlord, and its true nature will only be figured out through play, as players answer questions about it. If you want a game that’s full of action and intrigue, while also pulling at your emotional heart-strings, I strongly recommend Apocalypse Keys.

[tenshiharmonia]

So, I went to see the Super Mario movie saturday afternoon and I must say, I had an absolute blast. Don't get me wrong, it was far from perfect. And I'll have to agree that it could have used ten or fifteen more minutes to pace things a little more organically. But really, I had a smile on my face the entire time. As a Bowser fan, the film was an especially exhilarating treat. From enjoying himself at a heavy metal concert, to bashfully trying to woo the princess, writing her an exquisitely awkward love song and rehearsing his proposal with Kamek, to ruthlessly tearing into the hero after they saved the day ruined everything he worked so hard towards, he walked such an astounding line between adorable and intense (also, I'd like to add that he was really, really sexy :3 ). Not that the other characters weren't delightful too, of course. I must admit, I'm actually quite surprised that they chose to address Peach's origins. I mean, even back when the brothers being from Brooklyn was a staple of the series, the incongruity of a (seemingly) human princess leading a nation of mushroom people never really came into question. If a sequel there is, I'd definitely like for that point to be explored a little more... Also, I'm particularly fond of the way the Kongs were integrated into the story. To tell you the truth, I've never really cared for the DK side of the franchise all that much. But really, the visit to the Jungle Kingdom was quite a riot, both in terms of action and worldbuilding. And let’s not forget the sheer insanity of the Koopa General... Really though, that movie was just, so much fun. Bright, colorful, light-hearted, unadulterated fun. Which is not to say that it was without emotions. The brothers' feeling of inadequacy, both expressed in different ways, their tearful reunion, the need to prove themselves to the world and to each other... Truly, fraternal affection is the crux of the film. In fact, family as a whole is an omnipresent theme throughout the story, from Peach's devotion to the Toads, to DK's own issues with his dad. And I'm not even talking about the love that was poured into all the little details. It's already been said a thousand times, but there are so many Easter eggs* hidden in the film, be it in the picture or the score. I've seen the movie being described as a "love letter" to the franchise and its fans, and really, I feel like there is no better way to put it. In a sense, I'd say it's like a puzzle : watching all the different little pieces fall neatly into place is also part of the fun. Sure, it wasn't The Last Wish, but then again, it didn't need to be. In its case - and I insist on the word "case"** -, the world is the plot. And the film executes it spectacularly. Anyway, this accolade is probably long enough (unlike the movie, which could afford to be much longer, if only because what we got was so good already :p ). Still, let me emphasize one last time what a joy it was to see the Mushroom World come alive this way, in such a luminous and bustling manner. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if instead of a sequel, we were to get a whole-ass show, in the vein of the first three cartoons. A mix of slice-of-life and adventure to explore this beautiful version of the Mario universe and everything it has to offer. I think it would be great. With that being said, thank you for listening to my divagations on the matter. As always, it was nice to get those thoughts out of my system. I mean, it was such a wholesome movie ; I needed to share my giddy excitement with the universe. ^_^

* Quite fitting for the season, now that I think about it. Although the film is so rich in references, that I'd almost be tempted to refer to them as "Fabergé eggs". XD ** I know better than anyone how good at storytelling the franchise can be - as recently demonstrated by Sparks of Hope -, so don't take this statement as a generalization it isn't meant to be.