#our verse in time to come

[shakespearenews]

Malik Work says of the project, “We didn’t just bring back Shakespeare. We brought back the issue of the prison system, how it affects Black people, and, most importantly, what all that has to do with memory.” The play itself begins with the release of an aging emcee known as SOS from a twenty-five-year prison sentence. Upon his diagnosis of dementia, SOS has one last chance to reconnect with his now grown twins, Vi and Will. What follows is an epic scavenger hunt infused with music, memory, and a touch of Shakespearean magic. On this journey, Vi and Will connect with their father’s friends and extended family and begin to understand who their father is and how his legacy will be remembered in time to come. Staged in the round, Our Verse in Time to Come received a full run at eleven different branches of the DC Public Library as well as at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in April of 2023.

[hippielittlemetalhead]

So I've seen a lot of 'Hop actively dislikes and distrusts Steve', 'Hop tolerates Steve because he's useful during UD shenanigans but doesn't like him', and the big swing to 'Hop has adopted Steve as his own and treats him the same/almost the same as he does El'

BUT, I present:

Hop pseudo adopts Steve because when he and Owens were trying to get the Harringtons to make any decisions about their teenager who saw some sketchy shit and may need government testing they legally gave Hop the rights to act in loco parentis and he takes that seriously because he doesn't want another Will Byers and he's pretty sure the Harrington kid has a concussion.

Hop who stays involved just enough in Steve's life season 1-3 that we the audience see Steve is getting attached. But Hop just sees an annoying kid who won't leave him alone when he's trying to deal with a rebellious psychic and her insane little friends and keeps asking stupid questions about highschool romance and teenage rivalry drama. Knows Joyce Byers doesn't like the kid but won't give a lot of reason why but he's mostly learned to trust that woman's judgement about people. Still gets him the job at Scoops when the kid's dad makes a stink about college and tells him if he survives a few months there he'll consider bringing him on the force, makes sense to keep him close and in a position to help should shit hit the fan again.

Hop who doesn't get it when Steve is one of the most relieved when he 'comes back to life' after Joyce and Murray bring him back from Russia. When Steve introduces him as "My Hop," (something he'd taken to calling him just before season 2 shenanigans) to his sarcastic, fidgety little friend like it means something. The girl, Robin, looks between the two of them and gets this sad look on her face for a second before smiling and shaking his hand and saying something about "Dingus has told me all about you".

Hop who complains to Murray one of the times The Party and assorted teens and adults are over at his renovated and expanded cabin (courtesy of Owens and shady government organizations recognizing these people are worth investing in, heavily if omens are to be believed) when the bald annoyance asks about what's up on there. Complains about having annoying teenagers who have nothing better to do but pester him legally put under his supervision cause their parents can't be assed to care and are spoiled little shits who are slightly more bearable versions of said parents cause he can stand toe to toe with one of those monsters they faced and the kids kind of listen to him. Complains about barely being able to breathe cause of regular visits and check-ins like Hop was still responsible for him. Says at least the extra hands are useful around the cabin what with the still healing up and El pacing herself after the showdown with Creel and still trying to find Max and the Byers not quite moved back to Hawkins yet.

Hop who doesn't realize that Steve hears every word cause he had gone looking for the older man when he disappeared for more than a few minutes, when he couldn't see him to make sure he was here and safe and alive. Steve who thought Hop actually had come to care for him in his own gruff way and had confessed to Robin that in a lot of ways the way Hop has taken care of him makes him the closest thing to the father figure he's always wanted but never thought he'd get to have. Steve who hears Murray hum and recollect a visit from Nancy and Jonathan where their romance officially started (he vaguely knows about the visit, didn't realize that's what happened, didn't realize she couldn't be bothered to even do the decent/considerate thing before moving on to something better) because it seemed it was a pattern he was seeing 'people liked Steve, but people didn't love Steve'.

Hop who hears a choked sound like someone taking a claw to the gut and turns to see Harrington. Steve Harrington his bandages just peeking out from the collar of his shirt and the opening of his sleeves. (He never did get the stories behind those, too busy being fussed over and being told about the kids and how they were doing as Harrington played babysitter) Steve Harrington a kid who went through hell and still managed to smile and laugh and stand tall and unyielding looking at him with a blank face his eyes misty and his shoulders starting to curl in on himself before he clears his throat, chokes out that he just wanted to make sure Hop was alright but looks like Murray had everything under control. He'd go now, get out of his hair, let him rest, let him breathe. Steve Harrington who walks away with purpose like a man on a mission and doesn't acknowledge the kids calling out asking if he's alright, make sure he has his walkie talkie on him.

Hop, who realizes maybe he left behind two kids who missed (needed) him. Who wonders who took care of Harrington's paperwork when he was concussed and sedated because he was bleeding out and feverish from infection and Hop was busy at the cabin reveling in the comfort and warmth of his daughter and the woman he loved and her two sons who were fast becoming like his own. Hop, who realizes too late that maybe if he'd given the kid half a chance he could have had 3 sons to sit with him and his daughter and the woman he loved as they basked in surviving another end-of-the-world. Hop who has spent years barely giving a damn about Steve Harrington and realizes that he's no better than the kid's own parents.

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4.1

Part 4.2

Part 5

[godsfavoritedumpsterfire]

“When we loose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place.”

- C.S. Lewis

[regicidal-defenestration]

To carry on from my last post I'd also like to make something up entirely (possibly) and propose this curve, not applicable in a way even close to being universal, but it does illustrate my point right now:

How Much Does A Form Of Media Need To Explain Its Existence (eg, Framing Devices)?

Where in an established form of media, you don't necessarily need to explain why it exists. A modern book doesn't necessarily explain to you how the words are on the page, or why you know what the characters are thinking.

Compare this to older novels which tend to explain their existence much more. Don Quixote (and indeed, the chivalric romances it parodied) claimed to be translations of works from distant lands. Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde are epistolary.

And then, of course, once an idea gets established, people start playing around with it. You get your Houses of Leaves - a book made of an annotated manuscript of an essay of a film (if I remember all the levels correctly) - works that break the fourth wall or play with their own truthfulness.

We start by asking "why does this exist?" and we get told letters, a story found, a story told, and we grow comfortable in these answers for a while until once again we find ourselves asking "okay, but why?"

[novella-november]

Is this fanfic friendly? I feel like an outlier.

I guess this is my sign it's time to throw together a FAQ post to link to lol.

Yes, every event for this blog is fanfic friendly :D

Though as I mentioned on my Ominous October post, for events that include multiple short stories, I encourage everyone to flex their creativity and take one of their planned short story fanfics, and at least *attempt* to turn one of them into something entirely original; rebuilding a character and story from the ground up to stand on its own two legs is no easy feat, and that is what makes it so fun!

It really gets your creative gears turning, to make an "au of an existing material" to be something entirely original, and you can be pleasantly surprised about the things you come up with!

As a few people say, its not just a matter of "filing the serial numbers off" -- you have to add in just as much *or more* as what you take out when you are turning a fanfiction into something that is original and completely divorced from its original source material / inspiration, and that is a hard, but very rewarding challenge!

Obviously, this is not a requirement (there's no hard requirements for any of the challenges, other than no cheating, including no using AI),

but if you would like an extra challenge for the short story events and you're planning on doing entirely fan-fiction, I highly recommend trying it out at least once, and seeing where it leads you--

you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by what you find down that rabbit hole!

[arrowfleur]

Quinn spoilers:

I actually really like how the Quinn story ended up for a lot of reasons.

Firstly very few people were expecting it to go down this way, there were plenty of theories about Quinn attacking Darlin’ or the mates so this was a cool change/twist.

If Quinn had just gone ahead and attacked Darlin’, they would have felt like their was no point in all the effort they’d put in to get closer with the pack. A big part of their char development was choosing to stay with Sam after finding out Quinn was up North. It would have definitely ended up in a physical fight had Darlin continued to hunt Quinn down, so having Quinn be captured really helps to show that the work they put in wasn’t for nothing in a way.

Similarly if Quinn had attacked the mates/pack it would have driven Darlin’ away and it would again, (at least make them) feel like they should have just gone after him when they had the chance. (Which is an interesting point to explore but so is the one Erik went with!)

We know Darlin’ is good with physical pain and struggles more with being vulnerable so Quinn doing this really drives home just how absolutely EVIL he is. He admits himself that ‘there is no greater pain he can give them’. He knows he doesn’t have any leverage (since the girl was dead already) and even then, when he knows that he has already lost, he still tries to bring them down with him.

Looking at it from the standpoint that it is Boyfriend ASMR it makes a lot of sense to do it this way. 1. Not many people in irl have had fatal fights with their ex partners, so the comfort that Darlin receives from Sam being about emotions and vulnerability is a lot more helpful and personal to a larger base of people. 2. A lot of the fan base aren’t comfortable with watching violence (a lot of people decide not to watch the imperium au or the inversion arc for personal reasons) so having it end in a lot of violence would have meant that a large portion of the fan base wouldn’t have been able to watch it and this has been a long awaited arc centred around a listener character specifically so it makes more sense this way.

And too add on to that, even if the video with Quinn and Darlin’ that we will be receiving some time in the future does turn violent it isn’t necessary to watch to understand what happened!

Anyways I’ll shut up now, thanks for coming to my ted talk /hj

[theangel-aziraphale]

you monster you made my beetle sibling cry :( take her with you or I will teach her martial arts

I beg your pardon, but I am not a monster.

Granted, I could have given everyone a bit more warning. However, I don't think it was wrong for the holiday to consist of just Crowley and I. We have more than earned time alone now, especially now that we're together.

Besides, Beetle had Samael, Asmodeus, the Bentley (who he met before any of us, might I add), Ben, Crowley's plants, Eric(s), The Lucifer Morningstar and so many more of our friends and family! They were safe (not necessarily happy, I'll admit) and surrounded by loved ones. I am back now, anyway, and I will make sure they are well cared for.

However, despite this, I will make an effort to mention we are planning a holiday much sooner next time.

[mediumsizedpidegon]

Imagine: you are Idril and you hate your cousin viscerally and this hate is later justified in every way possible. He is a monster and a traitor and as unlike your belovéd aunt as possible. And he dies, and he does not come to the Halls of Mandos and does not reembody. Perhaps you are horrible for thinking this: but you are glad. You are glad he is gone and unable to return. He was a nightmare who crawled into your stainless city and tore it down when it was least expected. He made your father love him, and then he betrayed him, and you will never forgive nor forget it. Now there is no way he can hurt you, your husband, your son, your people– and there is no one he can betray.

and then your aunt reembodies.

Your aunt reembodies and yes, she died for that monster, but she was blameless for she was forced to marry evil and birth evil and love evil. But now she's reborn without those cobwebs of enchantment and you are prepared for her grief and rage over having been controlled. She will not be the same. But she will be back, at long last.

Except. she comes back and none of these things happen.

She doesn't care that her son is evil and treacherous, more his father's son than hers. She doesn't care. She grieves for your city and in the next breath she wishes for her son's return. So you love your aunt and your aunt loves the creature of your nightmares– the betrayer that nearly killed your son and brought your home to ruin. So you love your aunt but she does not listen when you tell her to let her son go because she never saw–

and so your aunt leaves. and it feels like betrayal. like your cousin ruining your family further from beyond the grave.

she still visits, but no one in the family knows where she lives. She is strange– both the steely eyed aunt you remember and yet sometimes she looks like she has never seen you before. you try to break the enchantment that she must be under to keep looking for your Marred cousin, but there is nothing for you to find. all your trying does is send her into a rage the likes you have only seen once before: when she dragged your father away from following your mother in death for your sake.

you love your aunt, and most days, you are sure your aunt loves you.

but you cannot understand her, and in this you have lost her as surely as when she died.

[spider-man-2o99]

hehee.i unnersand it all now.

[mayxthexforce]

Just Know You're Not Alone || Drakka & Cirz

Starter for @gwiazdowe

"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi. Trust in the Force. Do not return to the Temple–”

Drakka wasn't sure how many times she'd watched the holographic recording of General Kenobi, playing it over and over as she tried to process everything that had happened in such a short time. The Jedi Order was no more. While logically she knew that she couldn't be the last one, there was a part of her that couldn't help but wonder. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the force, tried to feel anyone else who might be out there, feeling as lost and as helpless as she did. But the moment her vision was engulfed by darkness, all she could feel was the heat of a blaster bolt coming far too close to hitting her face, and the smell of burning flesh as her master seized their attackers' attention, driving it away from her, earning her a chance.

Her fingertips pressed against her scalp near the bases of her horns, the pain bringing her back to the here and the now. It wasn't the best way to bring herself back to the present, but it worked. It seemed to be the only thing that worked when her own will wasn't enough to free her from that descending spiral of uncontrolled emotions.

But neither her father nor her master raise her to be emotional. No, they raised her to be rational and that's exactly what Drakka was trying to be. Rational. This was a matter of inertia now: her master had died to keep her away from harm, so she had to keep moving forward, away from the threat that was the Empire and its minions, away from Coruscant, the planet that never quite felt like her home despite most of her life being spent there, but that filled her with such a deep ache in her chest now that she had no choice but to leave. Coruscant as a planet might not have been home, too much technology, too little of what truly interested her: ruins, history; but it was where the Jedi temple was, and the temple was– had been her home.

Her thoughts were interrupted by SOMETHING. A small, repetitive sound that came from one of the crates, her only company within the smuggler ship's cargo hold.

With soundless, calculated steps, Drakka stepped towards the crate, lightsaber in hand. Anything could fit in those crates, from a scrap rat to a spy droid and she wasn't going to take any risks– or she didn't mean to take any risks, but the closer she got, the more that repetitive sound began to sound to her like a heartbeat and, while scrap rats definitely had hearts, they didn't tend to be so loud even for a Zabrak's enhanced senses.

It was that heart that made her reach the crate with her empty hand instead of pushing the blade of her saber through it.

She knew the code. Macter always used the same code for all the crates he transported. But she didn't need it. SOMEONE had already forced the clock. All she had to do was push the lid back and there he was, lying with a large shipment of now squished meiloorun fruits. A CHILD.

"Oh..." It'd been a long week. It was taking her brain longer than Drakka was proud to admit to process this. There was a child in the crate. Her lightsaber found its holster faster than she could think of what she would do next, which was and get the child out. "OH! Force, you shouldn't be here. Why- oh..."

The boy's clothes, Drakka would recognize that sort of outfit anywhere: Padawan robes.

[munamania]

um i miss them i miss queer joy and the gay churchism of being at a concert etc i miss being in a room with them and a bunch of other dykes

[sweetlesson]

✿ Semi-plotted starter for @opportunistic-chicanery ✿

✿*❀*✿

It wasn't uncommon for the Academy to receive visitors from outside of the region by any stretch. However, most of those visitors were there to see the professor or perhaps the director, and this often meant that Saguaro never saw or interacted with any of them. It was rare for any of them to ever come near his room, but this guest must have been a special case.

"My apologies, sir," Saguaro rested a hand on his hip while he rolled over the information in his mind again. "You mentioned you were the owner of a chain of restaurants, was that correct? And what was it you wanted me to do?"

Taste test, or something along those lines? Not that he couldn't. Saguaro was someone who loved food and cooking almost as much as he loved pokemon. Among all his work in home services, working in the kitchen had been his most favorite of jobs. That being said, he did have his tastes, and he was sure he could be biased about some flavors or others. He didn't want to sabotage this poor man's business with a blind taste test...

Though if he could help, why wouldn't he?

[cecenyss]

God I just fucking love Percy Jackson so much like as a franchise it’s so beautiful and inclusive but also it’s just such a flexible world and it’s so workable as a fanfiction writer and it fits into pretty much any crossover because it works as a light, fun story but it’s also so horrifying but because the actual books don’t lean into those aspects as much you don’t have to either but you can if you want to and it’s so OC-friendly and there are so many gods with potential for parenthood and even the parts of the world that aren’t quite mythology accurate can be edited because it’s gods are concepts not people and they can be plenty of things all at once and it’s not like the actual books are all that consistent either and whdlwodjkwnd I love this series so much it’s incredible and beautiful and Rick Riordan did so much good by publishing the entire franchise

[arcanaaa]

h…hewwo…

[im2tired4usernames]

I want their fuckin freedom they have no chores no responsibility they can go out with their friends when ever they want for however long they want they can sleep in there bed all day they eat drink drive vehicles use the phone have a home with no bills no expenses they can spend their money on stupid things that bring them joy with no worry of the gas they burned in someone else's vehicle or if there's dinner at home they have no worries about laundry no worries about dishes no worries about the messes they make because they know I'll clean it up always I want to be viewed by my family and by my friends as someone who is an actual person with limits and boundaries and who has goals and dreams they'd like to accomplish in the day besides laundry for 16 people and not a tireless cleaning machine. I want to be able to rest and have hobbies I want to be able to do things with my partner and my friends again I want to be able to fuckin daydream and make up stories again for Christ sake I want to feel like a person and not a corpse forced into playing "tradwife" I want the freedom they all have while I'm in the background doin they're dishes.

[sweetcobaltblue]

Cue Joey appearing, a warm smile upon his face, a bouquet of white roses in hand along with a small, nicely wrapped gift box. Leaning up to give Seto a gentle kiss upon the lips.

"Heya, hot stuff. Happy Birthday." He said, gently placing the gift box into Seto's hand as he spoke. If one were to look inside, the gift box contained a necklace with a Blue Eyes White Dragon pendant, along with a small, silver key.

@sxcondchxnceduelists

Kaiba leans in kissing his love on the lipa back before taking the offered gifts. He was slow to take it out carefully eyes wid at the pendant and key.

"I love it, Joey.." tone soft as he went to put it on. He treasure this like he does the locket with mokuba in it. 5I love you, never doubt or forget that..alright?"

"Thank you so much."