#ough. excited for this one too!

[sighonaraa]

🌹🌹🌹 roses for after finals - best of luck!

I AM FREE OF THE CONFINES OF FINALS AND NOW I AM MAKING IT EVERYBODY'S PROBLEM!!!!!!!!

from a gift fic that i haven't talked about much yet: the Roy Kent Gets Sick and the Team Uno Reverses Him Emotionally special! in which the title is almost exactly what the fic is about: plotless sickfic & comfort & team bonding & popcorn fights & watching the princess diaries until everybody's sleeping except bumbercatch who takes the opportunity to sharpie everyone's faces!

“Coach Kent is potentially dying, Captain,” said Moe, casual-like. “Or else he’s got a life-threatening allergy to fungal spores. Coin toss, honestly.” “Roy does not have a life-threatening allergy to fungal spores, and he’s definitely not dying,” Sam said in the sort of exasperated tone which informed Isaac they’d had this conversation before. He turned his big doe eyes on Isaac, all grave solemnity, and jabbed a finger at the paper till it crinkled. “He sneezed, Isaac. Four and three-quarters times during this practice alone.” “…Okay,” said Isaac. “So?” “So,” said Sam, “he must be sick.” Isaac blinked. That didn’t…that didn’t compute. Roy Kent didn’t get sick. He couldn’t get sick. He was immune to practically everything in the recorded universe, including bullshit and germs. “What’s the three-quarters for?” he asked, to avoid coping with the gradual falling apart of all he knew to be true in this world. “Ain’t possible to do a three-quarters sneeze.” “Yes it is,” Moe said viciously—far more viciously, Isaac thought, than strictly necessary. “He almost let it out, but then he squeezed his whole face shut like this—” Sam demonstrated, and Isaac did his best not to laugh because Sam was a sweetheart and laughing at him was like laughing at a clumsy baby goat, “—and managed to keep it down. Except for the squeak. He couldn’t hide the squeak.” “I didn’t hear a squeak,” said Isaac. He was mildly disappointed. Hearing Roy Kent squeak surely ranked top ten on a bucket list somewhere.

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

sorry im coping with aus again oopsie daisy. anyway here's my take on a fantasy au

it all started with me rewatching the D&D movie and thinking "hm. what (broad) classes would the neighbors have?"

and after much thinking i came to the conclusion: Barnaby = Bard / Eddie = Paladin / Sally = Sorcerer / Julie = fighter / Frank = monk / Howdy = Artificer / Poppy = Healer / Wally = 'Wizard'

those seem fitting! BUT i don't like restrictions or rules so in this very light worldbuilding for a casual (strongly glaring at myself here) CASUAL au, it's only dnd-esque. not actually dnd yk yk

in my head, they're not technically puppets for this au. they're flesh and blood, they've got bones, etc. they're actual Creatures, though they still look like Them! Julie's still pink w/ candy-corn-horns! Frank is still a gray tube! Barnaby is a big blue dog! they're just... not puppets. it's the same for the other beings in this fantasy world - they all keep the style, but they're all flesh n' blood if that makes sense. a cartoony fantasy world

so they have their little found family adventuring group titled, of course, The Neighborhood. because when they were first forming, Wally went "oh! are we a neighborhood? i've always wanted neighbors!" and it Stuck. so they all lovingly refer to each other as neighbors, even though the closest they get to being actual neighbors is pitching their tents next to each other & staying at an Inn in neighboring rooms

like your classic group of adventurers, they're almost constantly on the move. the longest they stay in one place is a couple of months - the rest of the time they're wandering! they take quests, get roped into general Shenanigans, etc. they adventure! and get into a lot of battles of varying severity

so Barnaby is still kiiiiind of a bard? best i can describe him is jack-of-all-trades moral support! he provides battle music, keeps the mood light, and stands off to the side to offer quips and tips. he prefers not to fight, and only Gets Involved when the others need Backup. even then, he usually takes the role of defending his neighbors. he has a good eye for whether or not physical support is needed - he never needs to be asked when there's a legitimate need for him! unless he's thoroughly distracted from the goings-on. he does have magic, but it's more for show / defense-based

Eddie's still pretty classically a paladin. healing powers, armor, there to be on the front lines and Protect! the group's sword and shield! he technically serves a god but he forgot who <3 he just makes the occasional general offering and mumbles some vague prayer. he's super friendly! super helpful! super willing to dive into the line of fire! Will disregard his own safety without a second thought! his magic is pretty much restricted to healing, and it's weak healing at that (maybe because he can't properly serve his god...), so it's mostly good for quick mid-battle heals and little wounds. temporary fixes!

Sally has innate fire/light magic, and she's very showy with it! she puts Flair and Pizazz into all of her casts and is very dramatic on the battlefield - she manages to turn her fights into a performance. She tag-teams keeping the Neighborhood entertained with Barnaby. he handles the humor/lightheartedness, she handles the escapism/encouragement. she writes scripts & stories in her off-time, and often reads them (or spins a new one) after dinner. when they have weeks / month breaks in one spot, sometimes she'll recruit local thespians to create a play

Frank is all about that hand-to-hand combat babey! he wants to feel bones break under his fists! he wants those split knuckles! he very often starts fights, and even more often finishes them - what he lacks in raw power he makes up for in vicious tenacity. he just Keeps On Going! he seconds as the group's Knowledge Guy. while his hobby is studying insects, he also catalogues/studies monsters and enemies and terrain so that the Neighborhood can always be prepared. the only time he stays out of fights is when he's researching or note-taking. he tries to micromanage the battle from afar anyway

Julie is like... put a druid, a fighter, and a barbarian in a blender. she's got a big sword! she's got seemingly endless energy in battle! she can talk to plants, especially flowers! her flora magic is very minor, so it's not like she's making giant roots burst out of the ground and strangle people. but plants can give her information, and if she asks nicely and they feel like it, sometimes they'll help her out. in battle she's a force to be reckoned with! nothing will stop her and her sword! she's usually the second (closely following Frank, with Eddie hot on her heels) Neighbor charging into battle - but she's the one with the stellar war cry! & where Sally and Barnaby tend to the Neighborhood's emotional wellbeing & entertainment, Julie keeps things fresh with Physical Activities during their downtime!

Poppy is a powerful healer! she draws on an individual's energy (often taps into her own as well) to convert it into healing power. it's draining but it's damn good healing! she also takes the role of the Neighborhood's cook (the others still like to help, especially Frank who is essentially her sous-chef) and makes sure they're all healthy. she hangs back during battles, waiting to (and hoping that she doesn't have to) heal a wounded Neighbor. if one of them is badly hit, she forces herself to run into battle and drag them to safety before working on their injury. she has a tiny bit of illusion magic, which she'll cast from afar to assist her Neighbors. she tries not to use it outside of emergencies - it takes a lot of energy, which she tries to conserve just in case.

Howdy has Zero Magic! none! four hands and none of them are magical! however, he's a damn good inventor & a whiz at potion making. he can Use magical items like there's no tomorrow - he just can't wield it himself. he supplies the group with potions, helpful items, all sorts of goodies - given that they can trade for it with anything he'd accept in-canon. the only exception is when they're mid-battle - he hands stuff out when needed without haggle. he supplies the group with their cash when they're not getting it from looting/quests - he has a magic backpack that can unfold into a fully-stocked merchant stall! he sells at towns, on the road, anywhere he can! In battle he hangs back with Poppy and, yes, supplies items, but he also uses ranged attacks - magical weapons that cast for him, magic 'bombs', that sort of thing! but there's a little secret - he's the Neighborhood's secret weapon. he invented fantasy guns! four magic revolvers that, when the 'second safety' is turned off, multiply into a giant clusterfuck of guns (with ammo ranging from magic 'bullets' to essentially rocket launchers). unfortunately he can only use this setting once & for a limited time before the guns overload & have to be manually repaired. so he either uses them off of the first safety (i.e, they're 'normal'), or not at all. you know shit is Really hitting the fan when he joins a fight

and Wally! Wally Wally Wally... you may have noticed that i put his class 'wizard' in quotes. that's because he says he's a wizard, but he's not! he just says he's one due to the automatic stigma and fear of what he really is - a Warlock! his patron is Home, an eldritch horror that many would classify as a demon. they have a very special, codependent pact that neither of them can live without - Wally wears their 'seal' as a house-shaped pendant on a choker (necklace) hidden under his clothes. Home is extraordinarily powerful, but Wally barely taps into that power. he has a grimoire that Home inscribed with a bunch of sigils that convert into spells when drawn & then cast in the air. the only other powers he uses are seeing-in-the-dark, seeing-magic, and opening teleportation doors! Wally can't sleep, but he can doze - though he's never fully unaware of his surroundings (its kind of like how dolphins only sleep with one half of their brain). he still eats with his eyes, which both feeds him & acts as a form of providing daily energy to Home, since Home can't exactly consume souls every day. If Wally uses too much magic, he has to rest inside of Home's house-form, which is the only time he actually fully sleeps. no one knows about Home, or that Wally is lying about his wizard status.

Home is a lovecraftian being with three forms. the first is the lowest power level - a cute one-room house with Eyes! i.e: Home Classic! Wally's pendant unfolds into it, and it's the main way Wally and Home physically interact & communicate. the second is possession - if Wally explicitly allows it, Home can completely take over his body and kind of 'tuck him away' to have a nice deep nap while Home takes the reins (Home can technically force this, but it's very difficult and would not go over well w/ Wally - it would also be an unstable possession). the third is Home's true form - a massive shadowy eldritch monster made of writhing darkness and nightmares that no one in their right mind would look at, let alone fight. Home has very complicated feelings about Wally & the Neighborhood. they are also, quite literally, Wally's heart - which is part of their pact.

i have some scene ideas & little Plot Concepts (most notably the times the Neighborhood learns two Very Big Secrets about Wally, one of which being the warlock/Home reveal).

but yeah that's moooostly it. basic stuff yk, not very in depth! just fun things to feed my maladaptive daydreaming & escapism

[definitelynotshouting]

Hello I’m here!!

Raaah I meant to talk about the latest chapter sooner but I kept forgetting :,))

But anyway! This chapter really hit home for me and I really resonate with Grian, and I feel so SO scared for him at the same time. The idea that he’s so dead set on hurting himself so badly and mumbo has no idea - along with the rest of the hermits - is very scary, and very effective.

And the fact that they’ve already witnessed him trying to hurt himself in such a way and they’re all trying to cope with that is so. It’s so good. The way you show how each person is dealing with Grian’s attempt is so good because you’re showing them all experiencing different forms of grief.

Mumbo yelled because he was afraid. Tango is trying to help Grian any time he can. Scar is trying to make him laugh. X is dead set on finding a way to save him. Pearl is upset with him. It’s such a good way of showing that grief can manifest in so many different ways, and no one is perfect- they do things like yell because they’re scared, or overstep because they want to help. No one prepares you for grief, and you do an amazing job of showing that.

I can’t express how badly I want to hold Grian’s hand. To me he feels like such a lost soul that feels there’s no hope for him. I have so much sympathy for this depiction of him.

It feels so.. “doomsday” to me?? If that makes sense? The way Grian talks about wanting to go outside and experience the sun and the grass and the sky for one last time before he leaves for good. I feel the bittersweet feeling he must be feeling; not wanting to hurt his friends’ feelings but simultaneously feeling like there’s no other option for him and he just has to do this, so he wants to have a good last day.

It pains my heart so much but in a good way- this is all extremely /pos I cannot express that enough. I think it’s so impressive that you’re able to capture such intense feelings through writing- that’s seriously incredible and if what I’m feeling when reading your story is what you’re after; you’re doing an amazing job!

Ok, I don’t want to overwhelm you so I’ll stop there- but needless to say I’m super excited to see where this story goes and I hope you’re doing well <3

- binge reader

BINGER READER ANON MY HEART....... ohhh this is such a sweet ask and im so unwell abt it /pos

Words cannot express how happy i am that you're resonating so hard with my fic 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 i feel so honored to be touching people's lives with this, i literally dont know how to articulate how much messages like these mean to me. And im just!!!! So pleased that you like what im doing with all these varying depictions of grief!!! From the start i truly wanted to explore different reactions and what i felt these characters would do when placed in such a fraught and urgent situation, and im indescribably glad im hitting the mark on what ive been aiming for.

Its been really enriching for me to explore all these myriad reactions to grief; i remember when i first wrote Mumbo in chapter 3, i was a bit worried about the potential reception-- but it felt so right to let him express his fear through anger. And with Pearl, ive loved taking a deep dive into her own fear and trauma and letting it play out in front of Grian during this situation. Literally everyone is so fun to dive into for all the reasons you've said-- Tango is in fix-it mode, Xisuma is pinning all his efforts on one desperate hope, and Scar is deflecting and trying to buy as much time as possible just to keep Grian alive a little longer. Their various reactions are so important to me, especially in how, like you said, nothing truly prepares you for grief-- and it often manifests in unconventional ways. Its been a real treat to depict that, and its something that i feel has some overlooked merit in the emotional realism department that im glad im able to bring to the table

Im truly so touched by this commentary, so don't worry about overwhelming me!!! Im just so genuinely happy people are getting so much out of my writing, its all ive wanted for such a long time, and finally being able to really reach people with it is a dream come true❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[carcarrot]

this time last year i was probably sitting in the kitchen while my dad started making an early dinner of chicken bolognese trying not to get too nervous about the concert i'd be going to in a few hours

[biohazard-inevitable]

When your partner knows absolutely NOTHING about one piece and has the tag blocked while you’re watching through so you can hit them with the full proper force of Ace’s death :)

[hickoryhorneddevils]

metal and sexuality/identity classes tmrw im so excited

[kellystar321]

.

[monstrsball]

wait. hold on a second. i'm connecting the dots. i'm connecting them. this means something (it doesn't)

[dragqueenpentheus]

had a monetarily bad con and nOW MY BILLS ALL CAME AT ONCE AND MY DIGITAL SALES WONT COME IN TILL WEDNESDAY. AND SO MY ACCOUNT IS IN OVERDRAFT BY LIKE FIFTY BUCKS. GOD. THAT CON WAS ROUGH.

[moe-broey]

Reposting something my sister sent me BUT I NEED TO TALK ABOUT!!!! HOW EXCITED I AM FOR THIS UPDATE!!!!!!!!! Being able to choose How your clothes fit your guy/how they wear it!!!! THIS IS GOING TO MAKE SO MANY SHIRTS WEARABLE. TO ME‼️‼️‼️

[cheemken]

About the newest Champion Villain AU, you asked about which organization would Hau join since there is both Team Skull and The Aether Foundation. I think him joining the Aether Foundation would make more sense if we go with the direction that he wants people to respect him

The Aether Foundation is a front for Lusamine’s ultimate goal of opening a portal to Ultra Space. While they are a Pokémon sanctuary, they also conduct experiments on Pokémon and even cloned a Pokémon which they named Type: null. And if I remember correctly then in the first game when Hau and the player first meet Lusamine, an ultra beast nicknamed UB-01 appears though a portal before quickly leaving

Now think of Hau, a boy who wanted to be respected by others but was laughed at for being a child who was “trying to hard”. Almost the same reason as Iris. But seeing the powerful Pokémon appear in front of him, he knew at that moment that he needed to get his hands on one of them. He’ll prove he’s better than staying in his grandfathers shadow by showing all of Alola how strong he truly is

Lusamine accepts his deal, his strength in exchange for letting him capture an ultra beast. She honestly only accepted because he’s close to the player and Lillie, the latter who stole “Nebby” from her. And Nebby is needed to even open the portals in the first place. She was just going to discard of Hau once she finally got Nebby from Lillie

But luckily for Hau, people tend to underestimate children. And Hau’s team is no pushover, even without an Ultra Beast

(Also I know he isn’t champion yet at this point, but imagine if instead of Kukui being the final challenge, it’s Hau. And he wins the title for Alolas Champion with the help of the Ultra Beast he caught)

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Oughghghbhfjxhd there's just smth abt Hau playing all dumb and such when he's not to trick people and I fucking love it ncncnc

Like he's friends w Lillie and such ofc, but despite that he never told her abt Lusamine and her own plans bc it's ruin his and he won't get that cool and strong Pokémon he just saw

Oughfjxsn Hau also double crossing Lusamine?? Or when he sees Lusamine w Nihilego and helping Selene stop her, he also wanted to help Selene hunt down the other Ultra Beasts just so he can have one for himself. And ofc, Selene let him help, it's better than to just do it on her own. The two of them went on their ways, and just chmdnd idk idk but like, the thought of Hau having Guzzlord is dope hahaha

Idk smth smth symbolism of being gluttonous, an insatiable hunger for not only food but power.

Like cbdmdn can you imagine this tiny boy as acting champion, down to his last Pokémon, and he pulls out a Beast Ball, calling out the pkmn within, letting out this huge ass mfer of a pkmn, it's thunderous cry was heard in all corners of Alola, and he smiles at the challenger, smiles at his friend, and just "let's make this a fun battle, Selene!"

And ofc Selene's fucking vibing, no wonder, no fucking wonder, Hau insisted on keeping that one. Guzzlord may not have the best attacking power of the rest of the Ultra Beasts, but it's sure as hell tanky as shit, even w the quad weakness to Fairy. Selene only has one pkmn left, and while she has no problems losing, there's smth abt the glint in Hau's eyes that made her determined to try, that she should ateast put up a fight, that she must win. So she calls out her Primarina, she has faith she can win this fight, they've battle the other Ultra Beasts, and they've won. But,, unlike before, Guzzlord now has a trainer, a very skilled and strong trainer, a battling prodigy, and she knows better than to underestimate Hau.

[roboromantic]

there was this local toy convention that started up in 2018 and then uh. had to cancel in 2020, said they hoped to be back in 2021, then went silent for a couple years BUT!!! I looked it up just now and TURNS OUT they'll be back in September!!! fuck yeah!!!

[justabunchofdragons]

o... .. .,,, ! !!! i am very happy with where i am in this moment

[seafoam-taide]

in other news i finally am watching wendell & wild. im already. ooouh im already in love with this god its been too long since i watched a stop motion animated film. and im already in love with these characters augh. fuck

[floralovebot]

deebeedee released the new killer and survivor ptb today and oh boy is it giving me sooo many ideas for the winx/dbd crossover. sick of them actually </3

[dingdangit]

apparently if i want my psych to take me seriously about my autism suspicions, i have to disclose the embarrassing parts (i.e. the diagnostic criteria). what the fuck. did y'all know about this