#pretty sure these are all coming from the same person and I'm pretty sure I know who

[jean47mclean]

I don't think it's niche by any means but I've ALWAYS wanted to write a Marching Band AU because man I suffered too much for 4 years to not make my comfort characters suffer either.

Been thinking about it here and there but I was in Color Guard so I'm not as familiar with their instruments lol

I would say for JJK though I've thought quite a lot about it. And yes I know this is an American thing but whatever.

Really wanna make Shoko, Gojo, Geto, Utahime, Haibara, and Nanami the seniors to the other student's sophomores + freshman. I'm thinking Yaga as band director

As for where they'd all go...

From what I know about band kids *cough* the rest of my family *cough* I'll try my best

Gojo: trumpet. I've heard all trumpets have HUGE egos. Any more to explain for that?

Shoko: percussion. They're all chill. Kinda knew everyone but also kept to theirselves a lot. If I didn't make her a student she'd for sure be one of the med tent people (shout out to the med tent people they literally keep the band afloat)

Geto: oboe. This one's a little harder for me to explain, but canonically he's just as exceptional and skilled as Gojo but more overlooked just because Gojo has two super special techniques. To be an oboe player, you have to be pretty dedicated to your instrument and good at it. The same isn't said for trumpet but I think Gojo also plays Oboe in class, just prefers trumpet while marching

Utahime: tuba. My sister actually plays tuba, and they're very important to the band. They're often very overlooked, but their written parts are integral to the overall music. Also according to my sister the tubas and trumpets have some beef so... yeah

Haibara: clarinet. Almost every single clarinet player I know is extremely friendly, talkative, and outgoing. It's not a necessarily hard instrument and it's often one of the most popular, but they're very social people. I think he'd be a great section leader :')

Nanami: trombone. Many of the trombone players I've met are very level headed people. They know what they want out of life and keep to themselves for the most part. I have personal beef with them but we aren't gonna get into that. Otherwise it just felt like the one that fit the most for someone as collected as him

Kusakabe: I'm actually gonna go an interesting path here so stay with me. We're gonna make him one year older and have him coach the Color Guard. As a CG graduate my section was pretty self-reliant, we didn't really need our coach that much. As soon as we had our choreography it was pretty much up to the captains to organize and lead sectionals, and I think Kusukabe's lazy bum would be more than cool with that. He'd be killer with the rifle and saber tossing, probably made it to nationals or something if he competed

(Side note but Mei Mei shouldn't be allowed in Marching Band for obvious reasons)

Megumi: flue. There's two types of flutes, and Megumi falls into the first category. He's pretty quiet and reserved, but insanely talented. Pretty reflective in nature and seems to know everyone more by coincidence than by choice. Level headed, precise, and only steps in when necessary

Yuuji: bass drum. Drumlime is super team reliant, everyone needs to know their part and they have a LOT of extra hours poured into their section, but it's very rewarding to them. They're obviously some, if not, the most important people to the band in general. I think he'd be too confused with the tenor drums (cuz there's like 5 or 6 of them) and the snare just seems to tiny for him. I think he'd like that it kinda feels and sounds like a heartbeat

Nobara: saxophone. My dad's main instrument is saxophone and oh boy. I can't really imagine my girl playing anything else. They're slightly self-absorbed and are extremely argumentative people, but they sound really good if played well

Kirara: majorette. It's a time-comitment for SURE, and even though they come off as kinda pompous people it's just because they HAVE to know what they're doing and being aware of each other. I've also kinda related their batons to twinkling stars if thrown high and fast enough, which is really cool. I've also found that the majorettes often felt like they had really strict rules that sucked and I dunno. Felt very Kirara coded lol

Hakari: trombone. I'm combining the two opposing trombone personalities I've interacted with. Some other trombone players I knew were self-absorbed, a little too horny, brash, and typically uninterested. They had their silver linings, but all in all not the type of people you'd really wanna befriend

Yuuta: mellophone. Purely because french horn is his main in class instrument and you have to be incredibly talented to sound good on the french horn. Mellophone/french horn players are often friendly but reserved. Nice to everyone but has a close knit friendgroup. Also apparently french horns often get very "melancholic tunes" in music

Toge: clarinet. Lots of clarinet players are jokesters, class clowns, memers, etc. I feel like the sections would learn JSL just for him and eventually almost the entire MB does just because like. Yeah clarinets have one of the two hugest sections of the entire MB and they're pretty peaceful people

Maki: color guard! Mostly because I relate her use in weapons instead of techniques as similar to the use of flags, rifles, and sabers instead of instruments. She'd 100% switch between rifle and saber, and would despise using the flags. Less personality based with this one, but you can't tell me she wouldn't itch to throw a saber or rifle instead of playing an instrument

Panda (yes I'm including him): snare drum. We're going with mostly the comedy of this huge tall guy, like 6'4 or 6'5 guy playing the tiny drum of all things. People are constantly wondering why he doesn't play bass and he plays snare purely because it's funny and he has a good time in drumeline

Todo: tenor drums. You need to be soooooooo friggin talented to play these drums man AND very fast. I swear I can't even see the stick moving sometimes when they play. Takes a lot of self control, knowing the beat, and being firm in what you do to play well. I think these suit Todo extremely well

Momo: piccolo. ugh I feel like she'd play piccolo because wind instrument and flying lol. But also I knew quite a few stuck up and rude piccolo players so yeah

Mai: color guard but flags and rifles. She's always so upset that Maki is better than her at rifle even though she's been practicing it for longer than Maki has. She doesn't touch sabers though the balance just feels too off, and since Maki doesn't like flags Mai is great knowing she's good at something Maki isn't

Miwa: color guard. I feel like this kinda goes without saying, but between the saber, Kusakabe being the coach, and giving most sword users a position in CG, it just fits too well. This one however is more based on personality, because everyone in my section was very kind and respectful to each other. She'd probably also do flags but she could totally do saber as well and be pretty good at it

Kokichi: tuba. It's a pretty hefty instrument, they're seriously no joke. Be a cool contrast to how in this universe he can play the heaviest instrument compared to his crippled body in the JJKverse. This is also the time whereI should mention that Utahime and Kokichi are kinda similar in terms of personality and I feel like they get along well

Tsumiki (guess you weren't expecting her): clarinet. Just read previous clarinet personality descriptions and I think you'd get why I put her here

Okay it's 3 am and I'm tired. Might make a part 2 of this or something later but hopefully someone out there enjoyed reading this. Would Be very interested to hear opinions and other instrument choices 👀 talk marching band to me lol

if you have a niche sport/job/hobby it’s your sacred duty to make the most specific incomprehensible AUs with the characters you like. no more coffeeshop aus no more college aus you have to put those guys in a microbial lab. your fave is a high school english teacher. that show is about bowling now sorry. THIS IS MANDATORY!!!

[wosospacegirl]

no such thing as a private life in Barça

Summary: Y/n's secret relationship with Ingrid is accidentally revealed when the team starts teasing her about something personal.

Warnings: lot of teasing <3 beware!!!

Word count: 2.2k

Notes: this was based on a request + concepts!! <3

Masterlist

..

The Barcelona Femení was once again gathered around a bar table, trying to fit every single player after an amazing win against Real Madrid. Alexia, Pina, and Vicky had scored, so the three girls were incredibly chatty throughout the night, recounting every moment of the game.

The conversation flowed easily, although all players were still high enough on adrenaline that the topics of conversation began to steen to more intimate, and to some people inappropriate directions.

The girls had no shame when talking about more private topics, though Alexia tried to tone it down as much as she could when things went too far.

"Ei, quedeu-vos quietes! No podem parlar d'això davant de les nenes," [Hey, stay quiet! We can't talk about this in front of the girls,] Alexia said, rolling her eyes.

The ‘nenes’ were technically all in their twenties, but for Alexia, anyone who had been at La Masia less than six years ago was practically a child.

"You know we have lives, right, Ale?" Jana said, taking a sip from her drink.

"We date, and, well… go out with people,"  Salma chimed in, casually stealing a fry from Y/n's plate. Y/n pretended not to notice. "You can talk about sex around us. We're not kids."

"Yeah, we’re not nenas," Vicky added, wrapping her arm around Y/n’s shoulders. Y/n immediately shrugged it off with a laugh.

"You’re literally nineteen" Y/n teased, raising an eyebrow "If anyone here’s a nena, it's you."

"Oh, va!" [Oh, come on!] Vicky shot back. "You're talking like you're not the only one at this table who hasn't gotten laid yet."

Everybody on the team knew Y/n had never been with anyone. It was a well-established fact, one that came with lighthearted teasing and amused grins. She always shrugged it off, laughing along with something like, "Yeah, I'm scared of pretty women. What can I do?" or some other excuse.

The girls would tease her in good fun, saying things like, "Don’t worry, we’ll find a nice girl for you someday." It was harmless, just another running joke within the team. It never bothered Y/n; she didn’t mind it.

But Vicky’s teasing hit differently this time.

Pina and Claudia tried to stifle their laughs, while Salma and Jana exchanged looks, as if Vicky had said something wrong. Alexia, on the other hand, sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose like a tired mother.

This time, however, Y/n didn’t know how to respond. Because Vicky’s statement wasn’t true anymore. It hadn’t been true for over a month–thanks to a certain Norwegian who sat across the table from Y/n, a knowing glint in her eyes.

And that’s when Y/n flushed.

She never flushed.

Y/n and Ingrid had been secretly dating for two months now, but they hadn’t told anyone yet. They weren’t quite comfortable with the whole team knowing just yet–they were still getting to know each other better, figuring out their relationship.

Ingrid had mentioned a few times that they should just tell everyone one day, not make a big deal of it–just show up to training one day, holding hands, and let the team figure it out on their own. But it hadn’t happened yet, so of course, the girls didn't know.

Another thing they didn’t know was that Y/n, considered one of the "nenas" by Alexia's standard, had finally had sex. Y/n, however, wasn’t sure if this was the right moment to bring it up to the whole team, especially not at a bar table in the wee hours of the night in Barcelona.

Silence settled over the group for a brief second, the same one that comes just before something…changes. Y/n’s fingers tightened around her glass, her eyes darting anywhere but at her teammates, focusing on a pretty painting on the walls. 

The usual teasing energy of the team seemed to fade, and the others exchanged curious glances, especially Jana, Vicky and Salma.

"Is there something you wanna share with the team?" Vicky asked, leaning forward, an all-too-knowing grin spreading across her face.

Y/n froze, her throat suddenly feeling too tight to swallow as she held her glass a little too tight, "No." Her voice was a little too flat, and she cursed herself for that. 

Not casual at all.

But of course Vicky didn’t believe her, it only made her more persistent. They weren’t going to drop the subjects so easily this time.

Y/n could feel the weight of her teammates on her, some of them had a confused expression on their faces, others had grins. Ingrid's grin was still strong, but the girl was naturally quiet, so none of them were even paying attention to her.

Pina raised an eyebrow, her mouth curving into a playful smirk. "You’re acting weird, Y/n. What’s going on?"

"Nothing," Y/n muttered quickly, but the edge to her voice gave her away.

Ingrid, sitting across the table, studied her with a knowing look, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Y/n," she said softly, her tone more amused than anything. "Are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell them?"

Y/n opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She had never been good at lying, especially when it came to the girls. "I… I really don’t think this is the time," she mumbled, looking down at her drink.

"Is there something you’re not telling us?" Jana pressed, her tone light but persistent.

"Come on," Vicky chimed in, her grin widening as the realization started to creep into her mind. "We all know you’ve been acting strange lately."

Y/n shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She couldn’t stop herself from glancing over at Ingrid, whose eyes were sparkling with a mix of amusement and something else–something that only made the situation worse.

Now Y/n wasn’t sure if she was supposed to talk about the whole ‘I’m not a virgin anymore’ thing or if she should disclose the whole relationship.

She really hadn’t planned for this to happen when she agreed to take a couple of sangria after the match.

But before she could even decide how to handle either of those topics, it was as though a lightbulb had flickered on all at once, and the entire table erupted into chaos.

“No way!"

"Wait, really?" 

"Y/n, you're telling us now?!"

 “Yes, guys, it finally happened,” Y/n murmured as her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

She was suddenly bombarded with questions after questions about her from all sides. 

"How was it?" 

"When did it happen?"

Y/n looked at Alexia, trying to find refuge in her capitana who was, oh so protective of her nenas. But even Alexia wasn’t on her side.

"Okay, okay," Alexia finally said, shaking her head teasingly. "So, who’s the lucky person, huh?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the sudden chaos.

Y/n rolled her eyes at Alexia

“Look, it just…happened okay, it was a last month and–”

“Last month!” Vicky dramatically exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “Why didn't you tell us!?”

Y/n sighed, taking a slow sip from her drink to avoid making eye contact with the one person at the table who sat perfectly composed, as if she had no idea what was going on.

"Why would I tell you guys that?" Y/n countered, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Because we're basically family?" Vicky huffed, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You made me bring my first girlfriend to training on our first date."

Y/n blinked, momentarily taken aback by Vicky’s comment. The rest of the table paused, some of the girls snickering at the unexpected comparison, clearly agreeing with Vicky.

So what if Y/n wanted to know the girl Vicky was going out to make sure she was an acutely good person? That didn't give them the right to know details about her life.

"Okay, well, that’s... a bit different," Y/n muttered, trying to steer the conversation away from the awkwardness that was settling in.

"Tell us who it is!" Jana said , practically bouncing in her seat.

"Okay girls enough! Stop bothering Y/n," Alexia finally intervened, her captain voice cutting through the chatter as she wrapped a protective arm around Y/n's shoulders. "She doesn't have to tell us anything."

The younger girls groaned but relented, shifting into another conversation. Y/n exhaled in relief, thinking she was finally off the hook…until Alexia leaned in and murmured in her ear.

"You'll tell me, right?" she asked, her lips curving into a pout. “After the bar, actually we can pretend to go to the bathroom and–”

Y/n stared at her, her eyes eide. "No, Ale."

“What?” Alexia replied, her face showing genuine disappointment.

“I’m not telling you!”

“Why? You told me about your first kiss when you were fourteen in la masia!”

“Because this is way more embarrassing than me kissing another girl on the pitch during truth or dare!” Y/n said crossing her arms

"But do I know the person?" Alexia pressed, disappointment being changed into mischievous 

"No."

Alexia narrowed her eyes. "Liar."

Y/n barely had time to react before Alexia’s gaze swept over the table, studying every single face. "I'm almost sure it's someone from the team, actually…but who?"

Y/n scoffed. "What makes you think that?"

"Because if it was someone else, you wouldn’t be trying so hard to keep it from us." Alexia said, still swiping the table with her eyes,

"Since when do you notice those kinds of things?"

Alexia smirked. "I always did, alright? And I’ll find out who it is."

Y/n rolled her eyes. "Good luck with that, Capitana."

Alexia wasn’t as observant as she liked to think, because she surely missed the way Ingrid winked at Y/n after the table had settled down.

But Patri, who had been quiet the whole time, was quick to pick up on it.

Patri suddenly sat up straighter, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Wait, what was that?"

The entire table went silent, following the direction of Patri’s gaze.

"Ingrid... winked,” she said, staring at Ingrid who looked unbothered.

Y/n’s stomach dropped.

Y/n peeked at Ingrid through her fingers, both mortified and grateful for her directness.

The team, to their credit, actually let it go. But as Ingrid and Y/n stood to leave, Y/n could feel their amused stares burning into her back.

And, of course, just as they were walking away, someone wiggled their eyebrows suggestively.

Because, naturally, there was no such thing as a private l"Sh-she didn’t wink… she–blinked!" Y/n blurted, glancing at Ingrid, who remained utterly relaxed, an infuriating grin tugging at her lips.

"No," Patri countered, setting her drink down with conviction. "She winked. Because it was just one eye."

"Maybe you blinked while Ingrid blinked with the other eye," Y/n suggested.

Patri’s brows furrowed. "That would mean Ingrid has some weird eye-blinking pattern."

"Maybe she does. Not nice of you to point it out."

"But—"Patri’s argument was cut short when Pina gently placed a hand on her thigh. 

"Babe, just keep drinking. Yeah?" Pina said, her tone calming.

Patri frowned but complied, though not before pointing accusingly between Y/n and Ingrid. "There’s something going on between you two."

Y/n opened her mouth to protest, but Ingrid beat her to it.

"We’re dating," she said casually, as if she hadn’t just set off the biggest gossip at the table, completely unfazed by the attention suddenly directed at them.

The table went dead silent for a heartbeat. Then, it erupted in chaos.

"We knew it" Vicky and Jana screamed in unison, dramatically throwing their arms around each other. "That’s why you’ve been so close during training!"

Y/n gaped at Ingrid. "Ingrid!"

Ingrid only shrugged, looking entirely unbothered. "What, kjære? They were going to figure it out anyway. They can’t help being nosy–it's a Spanish thing."

Y/n could feel the heat in her cheeks. She was not ready for this. She glanced over at Alexia, hoping for some sort of support, but Alexia had gone unusually quiet, her expression both surprised and confused, still processing the information.

"Wait…" Alexia finally spoke up, her voice low as she tried to put the pieces together. "So Ingrid was the one you had your first time with?"

Y/n’s face burned, her brain scrambling for a way out. "I— we… well, you see—"

"Yes," Ingrid confirmed, her voice smooth and calm, almost smug as she leaned back in her chair.

Y/n groaned, dropping her head into her hands as the table erupted once more.

"But," Ingrid added, voice firm, "my elskling doesn’t want to talk about it, so let’s drop it, yeah?"

Y/n peeked at Ingrid through her fingers, both mortified and grateful for her directness.

The team, to their credit, actually let it go. But as Ingrid and Y/n stood to leave–together, Y/n could feel their amused stares burning into her back.

And, of course, just as they were walking away, someone wiggled their eyebrows suggestively.

Because, naturally, there was no such thing as a private life in Barça

..

Notes: Hope you guys liked it! <3

Masterlist

[lokisprettygirl]

Step Out Of Line (Bill Skarsgard! Eric Draven x Female Reader) (Alternate Universe) (18+)

Read chapter 6 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 7

Summary : Eric realises that you are not a dream but a fruition of his Karma.

Warning: 18+, smut, non consensual sex, mention of drug addiction, grooming, mommy kink, age gap relationship, emotional cheating, marital abuse, sexual abuse, consumption of weed

“And why are you suddenly so interested in this?” Dolly asked you so you chuckled. If there was an Oscar for acting in real life, you'd get one right about now.

“I have always been interested in that, you should know that, I'm your daughter” you began speaking, she was still eyeing you suspiciously so you groaned as if to get real with her..

“Fine ..the truth is-” you paused before you continued “Daddy really didn't leave much for me .. I lied. Sure there was some money, but it's going to run out sooner or later, especially now that i don't have a job..and its fucking expensive to survive on your own” you said to her as convincingly as you could “And then I heard you talking to your friend in the hospital and i saw my chance here”

“So this is why you had been clinging to him?” She asked you and you finally saw the opportunity to manipulate her further into this.

“Obviously, do you think I'm interested in him?” You laughed in her face as if it was a joke, the mere idea of you being into him.

“Why wouldn't you be? He's a pretty boy”

Well for once you couldn't refute her claim.

“Yeah but..if I had to choose between him and his money.. I'd take his money, the same way you would” you made dramatic gestures with your hands to prove your point.

“So you're blackmailing me now??” she asked as she crossed her arms.

“Call it whatever you want mother, i just need a significant cut from his trust fund and in turn I'll help you secure it from him” she scoffed as you said that.

“And then?”

“Then you two can fuck off, go live in one of his father's mansions or whatever” you answered and you could see the wheels turning in her head. She was just falling right into the trap you had laid out for her.

“Yeah well he'd need to sign those papers for that to happen”

“He will if you play your cards right. Just remember, you can't treat him horribly and expect him to still give you everything, he's not eighteen anymore so just do your best impression of being nice like you did in those three months before your wedding” you gave her a tight lipped smile.

“He told you?”

“Well he trusts me..he's gullible” you chuckled even though your eyes teared up, the sound of your own voice made you want to smack yourself. You sounded exactly like her.

************

As Eric heard your footsteps approaching he laid back down on the bed with a thud and pretended to be asleep. His cheeks were still damp from the tears.

As you reached near him you caressed his hair before you reached down to kiss his forehead.

“I'm sorry” you whispered softly before you moved to the couch, apologizing to your father as well as you had to lie on his name to protect Eric.

He turned his head as fresh tears spilled from his eyes. You were sorry? For what? For faking being sweet to him because you were interested in his money? For pretending to care for him all this time?

Your cruel words kept replaying over and over again in his head. A part of him still didn't want to believe it even though he had heard it with his own ears. The way you both spoke of him with such disgust and contempt.

Was he really just a tool to be used by you two? He was only valuable because he had money? Did he not deserve any kindness for who he was as a person? As a human being? Your words truly made him believe that, it proved that love wasn't real in this world, if it was he'd have been loved by his mother, by his wife. By you.

But it didn't exist.

Next morning Eric didn't come downstairs so you made his plate and were about to go see him when your mother blocked your way.

“I think i should go feed him today” she said to you, an evil smile lurking on her face “Just doing what you suggested” she winked at you so you smiled as you handed her the plate.

At Least this would ensure that she had no intention of hurting him right now.

As Eric saw Dolly entering the room with his breakfast he grimaced internally. The conversation between you and her still haunting his every breath. He just wanted to disappear from here, run far away so none of you would be able to hurt him anymore but he felt helpless in more ways than one.

“Hey baby boy i know you're upset with me” she began speaking as she fed him a bite of the scrambled eggs and toast before she placed it down on the nightstand and moved closer to him to cup his cheeks.

“Forgive mommy baby, I was just stressed and seeing you like this, I just lost my mind” she whispered softly as she kissed him.

It was all pretense, she planned this with you. You. Everytime he thought of your betrayal, his heart twisted and churned in a painful vice. Maybe this was what he deserved, that's why nobody ever really loved him, maybe his worth lied in what he could offer, that's why nobody wanted to be around him if it didn't benefit them..

In the afternoon Dolly was off to one of her lunches and you finally got the chance to go see Eric. When you entered his room you asked Taylor to rest if he wanted to so he stood up but Eric interrupted.

“Stay” Eric said as he opened his eyes “I need him to stay..” you looked at him confused as he said that. Usually he'd always perk up at the idea of you two spending time together so this request bothered you. You looked at Taylor and gave him a nod so he sat back down on the couch.

Approaching Eric's bed you sat down at the edge to caress his head but he tilted his head to the left to turn away from you.

“I want to sleep.. please go” he said to you, his voice lacking any emotion as if he was speaking to a stranger.

“Umm ok..i..are you okay? Did she hurt you?” you asked him, your voice was sweet as ever, it was all fake though. Just pretense. He had to remember that.

“No, she was fine for once, that must make you happy”

What was he even talking about? He tilted his head and closed his eyes so you decided to leave him alone for now. Was he upset with you because you didn't come see him for breakfast?

You knew you needed to speak to him later. As you left he broke down in tears again so Taylor immediately got up and was by his side.

“Hey man..what is it? Are you in pain?”

“Yess…i ..” he sniffled “Can we get out of here please? I need to get out of this house” he said between his heavy breaths, he was panicking, your words from last night constricting his every breath.

When you saw Taylor taking Eric for a walk you felt even worse, you wanted to join them but Eric asked you to not bother which only confirmed that he was upset with you.

Later that evening you finally entered his room with determination and asked Taylor to take a break.

Eric was standing near the window, his back facing you, just staring into the distance so you approached him.

“Hey what's going on?” You asked him nervously, you just knew something wasn't right with him and you wanted him to open up to you.

“Stop it y/n..just stop. You don't have to pretend anymore” he said to you as he turned to look at you,eyes tearing up with heartbreak and anger, but his words made you even more confused.

“Stop what?”

“This act.. pretending that you care about me”

“What are you talking about? Did my mother say something?” He chuckled as you said that.

“You know what the difference between you and your mother is?” He asked as he took small steps towards you , you had never seen that fire in his eyes before, not even when he was hurt by Dolly.. That pain, that hurt, it was haunting..

“What's the difference?”

“She's so vile that she can't hide it” he snickered “She tries to disguise her true nature but she can't do it for long-” he paused as he looked at you from head to toe “but you? You're so much worse, so vicious, you pretend so good you fooled me into believing that I mattered to you”

Your eyes welled up as he said that. Why was he saying that to you? What did you do?

“You do matter to me Eric..more than you'll ever know “ your voice broke as you spoke.

“No I don't. All you need is my money ..just like she does”

Your eyes widened as he said that. That's when you realised that he might have heard you speaking to her last night.

“No Eric no .. whatever you heard it's not true..I was lying to her ..not to you” you tried to explain but the look on his face made you believe that he didn't believe you one bit.

“No you're lying now y/n.. you made a fool of me just like she did and i fell for it” he said as he reached closer to you, his tears rolling down his cheeks, you brought your hand up to wipe them away but he turned his head.

“You really think I'd do that to you Eric? You have known me for seven years, do you really think I'm capable of it? Capable of being so cruel to you?” You asked him, lips trembling, voice shaking but you somehow kept your point. You won't be able to save him from her if he'd push you away from him.

“Well you're your mother's daughter it seems but somehow even worse if it's even possible” he spat at you. That hurt, it truly hurt in the deepest corner of your heart, but you didn't blame him, if you were in his place you'd have felt the same.

“Why? Why the fuck should I believe you now? After hearing how you speak of me behind my back, do you really think I'd believe anything you'll say now?” he asked, voice dripping with despair and anger.

“You have misunderstood me Eric..please believe me” you pleaded him with your eyes but it didn't faze him, he had heard enough.

“No you shouldn't, and if you don't believe me then I won't try to convince you otherwise, I won't manipulate you like she does, I won't say anything if you don't want to listen” you said as you broke down in tears.

“Then get out ..leave me alone” he turned around as he said that.

“I can't do that either Eric” you mumbled softly before you collapsed on your knees, it was too much, all these emotions , you had never felt this way before. You had never felt so scared of losing someone.

He looked at your broken form and something inside of him begged him to listen to you, maybe he misunderstood? But he clearly heard you telling your mother that she had to be nice to him so he'd sign the paper, that you were clinging to him because you were interested in his money too.

But maybe just maybe it wouldn't hurt to listen just once, even if you'd like to tell him lies or make up stories to pull him back in, he still wanted to hear you, he wanted you to look at him with care and love in your eyes. He wanted to forget the way you had spoken of him last night.

His feet moved closer to you voluntarily as he bent down on his knees to reach your level.

“What are you doing to me y/n? Both of you” you wiped your tears as he questioned you, taking a deep breath so you could speak without breaking down again.

“That day of your accident when we were at the hospital, i heard her talking to that bitch friend of hers- Bethany” you began so he glared at you, still not willing to believe whatever will come out of your mouth next.

“She said that she was afraid you were dead and i thought that she finally felt remorse for how she had been treating you but then she said that she just had to keep an eye on you until you were 25 and that you could go to hell after that” you looked him in the eye as you continued, you really needed him to believe you.

“When you told me about the fund, I just connected the dots, i know my mother Eric, money has always been her most favourite thing in the world, that's why she married him.. my dad.. but when his business failed, she showed him her true colours”

He looked in your eyes, trying to find insincerity and lies hidden in those beautiful irises but all he found was genuine worry you had in them for him.

“I couldn't save him from her..i didn't know how, I was just a child..but I can't watch her take everything from you too” You sniffled between your tears, your breathing getting ragged because of how overwhelmed you felt.

“Last night..i …I heard you .. talking about me like that” he said as he looked down.

“I know..I'm sorry, but it's not what you think ..i swear on my dad's grave it's not what you think” you said to him as earnestly as you could.

“So I had been a jerk for no reason?”

“No no no..you had a reason..you had a very good reason Eric, I'd feel the same if it was me in your place..but I'm not fooling you or playing with you, I'm fooling her.. this way she won't hurt you on purpose and I'll be able to collect evidence against her” he looked at you all perplexed as you spoke of evidence.

“Evidence?”

“I'm recording everything..every conversation with her.. things I can use against her later” his eyes welled up with fresh tears again as you said that.

“All for me?”

“All for you”

Eric didn’t speak right away as you responded.

He just sat there, staring at you like he was trying to decide whether to reach for you… or run away from you.

You didn’t push him either. You let the silence sit between you both, allowing him to process the truth even if he didn't believe them as truth yet.

“She kissed me today,” he said, almost laughing, but it was bitter. “She kissed me like I was a child. Like she had ever cared for me” Your stomach dropped as he said that. You never wanted her to touch him again but you couldn't stop her either, as long as she wasn't hurting him you were fine with the pretense. “But i know she doesn't..I see it now”

He said to you, his gaze fixed on yours as he spoke.

“And i believed you..it felt.. real with you, your friendship, your care for me, your love, all of it felt very real” You moved closer to him as he said that before you held his cheeks hesitantly to wipe his tears.

“Every moment we have spent together in past seven years, all of it has been real for me Eric”

It has been real, it had to be, you had been with him through thick and thin, through bad and worse, you had seen him at his lowest, his most shameful state and still were by his side. You had offered nothing but kindness and acceptance to him since you returned into his life.

“I'm sorry i doubted you” he murmured softly as he placed his head between the crook of your neck so you let out a sigh of relief.

Eric stayed where he was, his head resting against your shoulder as your fingers threaded gently through his hair.

“I didn’t want to believe it,” he whispered, his voice hoarse from crying, “But hearing you talk like that last night, it broke something in me.”

“I know..i never wanted you to hear it..i should have told you about it” you caressed his back softly as you spoke.

“That's why you apologised last night? Because you pretended to be mean and cruel?” You hummed as he questioned you.

You allowed the silence to fill the gaps between your hearts, words weren't needed at the moment, he was willing to believe in you again, he was close to you again and that was enough.

Once your tears stopped coming you helped him stand up, then you placed a jacket over his shoulder since he couldn't really put on a shirt before you called a cab. You filled a bag with a bunch of stuff in your room before you helped him down the stairs.

“Where are we going?” He asked as you made him sit down in the cab and helped him with the seatbelt.

“It's a surprise” you said to him so he chuckled.

On the way he fell asleep on your shoulder so you reached for his head and caressed it gently like you always did.

An hour later the cab stopped with a gentle thud so you paid the driver. When Eric blinked awake, he found himself bathed in the sounds of rustling leaves and cool fresh air. Outside his window was a lake, the water still and peaceful. “My dad used to bring me here for a picnic when things got bad at home or school” you said to him as you helped him out of the cab. It was a starry night thankfully and the moon was full so you could clearly see each other. You took out a bed sheet from your bag and laid it on the grassy bank before you helped him sit down on it.

“It's beautiful,” he murmured so you stared at his beautiful face, moonlight reflecting on his sharp features.

“It truly is” you mumbled softly before you looked away “Even when I got older I'd come here sometimes when really needed to get away and when I needed to breathe..i thought maybe you needed that tonight as well” his eyes softened as you said that.

“You're trying so hard even after i said those horrible things to you”

He whispered somberly, feeling remorse for even comparing an angel like you to the soul sucking demon like Dolly.

“You were hurt and felt betrayed, my reaction wouldn't have been any different if I was in your place” you spoke gently, understanding his plight. He didn't mean to be cruel just for the sake of it. Besides there was a comfort in his anger, it meant that he cared enough about you to feel so hurt and upset.

“But I believed that fake version of you so easily. Like a part of me had been waiting for you to turn around and say psyche” You nodded as he said that.

“It's just how she had made you feel all this time”

A tear rolled down his cheek as he processed your words.

“I hate that I doubted you. You have done so much for me in the past few days. You made me feel sane again, kept me so safe, so protected that I clung to you like a lifeline and the moment I felt a little scared, instead of speaking to you I tried to cut you off instead”

“You didn't cut me off though, we are still here, aren't we? You're allowed to be scared” he nodded as you said that. You were so understanding, how could he ever doubt you? This morning he woke up with a heavy rock on his chest, he feared his heart would never mend again but being here with you now felt cathartic. You were doing it all for him.

“So this is what it feels like” He said as he turned his head towards you and smiled. Cold breeze running through both of your hair only made the scenery more beautiful. It wasn't really a question though.

“What?”

You asked him but he shook his head. Love. That's what he wanted to say but he held himself back..he was still married even if it didn't mean anything to him anymore. Even if the ring on his finger was like a noose around his neck now, he still was a married man and he had to abide by that.

Late at night as you both returned home, you found Dolly in the living room along with Taylor, who seemed genuinely concerned as opposed to your mother.

“Where have you been?” She asked as she got up from the couch and stormed towards you both.

“This idiot wanted to go out so I took him..i wouldn't have to if you had done your job properly” you stared at her intently, unaware of your double crossing games she smiled as she moved towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck so he placed his head down on her shoulder, he felt disgusted but he was going to sell the act. He wanted to fight for himself. And for you.

“That's not way to speak to your father y/n.. apologise” she said to you so you rolled your eyes in response.

“Sorry?”

“It's okay y/n” he said as he turned around to look at you before he gave you a small wink.

“He’ll sleep with me tonight” she said to him as she caressed the back of his neck possessively but you didn't want him to sleep with her. Not again, never again.

“Actually my arm hurts a lot so can I sleep alone upstairs?” He asked her softly as he placed his head back down on her shoulder, you could see her anger rising, the urge to control him and break him to her wim getting stronger.

“Be nice” you mouthed the words, pretending to be on her side so she rolled her eyes.

“Of Course baby.. whatever comforts you” she said to him.

“Thanks..mommy” he whispered in her ear before he pulled away from her and asked Taylor to help him upstairs. She kept her eyes on his frame until he disappeared. You could see the silent storm brewing in her head, she wasn't used to being defied, especially not by him.

“That was good.. you keep that up until his birthday and in a few weeks we would both have so much money, we won't even be able to count it” you said to her as you walked past her to go upstairs.

If there was one thing you knew about your mother, it was that she wasn't dumb. You had to be careful about this, too little or too much and she'd catch up on your act.

Later that night after making sure she was asleep you visited Eric, he was awake as well so you laid down next to him. He seemed a little distraught so you caressed his cheek.

“Are you okay?” he hummed as he leaned into your touch.

“Yeah, I had a dream of my mother after so long” your brows furrowed as he said that. You knew how horrible and toxic his relationship was with his mother.

“What did you dream of?” You asked him softly as you propped yourself on your elbows.

“Just her face” he chuckled “She was beautiful..the kind of beautiful that whenever she looked at me so lovingly i always felt as if everything was right in this world” he murmured “But she only ever looked at me like that when we were high together..rest of the time she'd be mean, she'd either hit me or ignore me”

Your eyes teared up as he spoke, this beautiful boy had suffered all his life, when he escaped his mother he ended up marrying someone that was somehow even worse than her.

“Nobody will ever hurt you again” you said to him, determination strong in your voice.

******

Days passed slowly and turned into weeks, he was slowly recovering from his physical injuries, but he was also healing in every other way as well. The casts from his arms came off after six weeks and he had to go to physical therapy so you accompanied him as often as you could.

In the meantime, you’d been quietly gathering evidence against Dolly. You had recorded every conversation with her, each time she shamelessly admitted that all she really wanted was his money. Bit by bit, you built a solid case, especially once you discovered she had been working with a lawyer to finalize the legal arrangements for the fund transfer on his 25th birthday.

She couldn’t even wait a single day.

But what she didn’t know was that you and Eric had a surprise of your own.

On the evening of his birthday, she threw a lavish party in his honor, inviting all her bitch friends to revel in what she believed was her ultimate victory, that she had won this game. She played the doting wife flawlessly, smiling sweetly as she handed him the papers for him to sign.

“I need a return gift for everything i have done for you, you'd give me that right baby boy?” She asked him so he smiled and nodded.

She asked for a gift so he gave her one.

He gave her the Divorce papers.

😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏

Taglist @mariaenchanted @malenoradgn @loushaw131460 @wiseyouthinfluencer @muchwita @urmomsgirlfriend1

[june-sunsets]

Your response reeks of 'I will twist every sentence into something else'. First of all;

'How nice of you to accuse me of xenophobia because I believe that a book that hasn’t even been published shouldn’t be ridiculized. Very rational.'

I did not accuse you of xenophobia. Where on earth did I accuse you of xenophobia? You read 'you're going into these retellings without fully grasping the purpose and cultural value of Greek mythology' and what you got from it was 'xenophobia'? Are you kidding me? What I wrote is literally what it says on the tin (which is not xenophobia). And OP did not ridiculize anything; they made a humorous speculation on a future book and you couldn't handle it. Very mature.

'If you believe that the concept of ancient greek mythology retellings as a whole is disrespectful, that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. I just find it completely unnecessary to insult this woman’s intelligence and speak of her as if she’s an idiot to be led by the nose.'

In the conclusion of my 'rambling' I state that this isn't about all retellings being inherently bad:

I believe a good retelling can be done. It's possible. Unfortunately, they are extremely hard to find (or, apparently, extremely hard to write). Most myth retelling writers do the same mistake Miller does; looking at ancient myths through a modern lense, and judging them based on that. Then they claim they can 'fix' them (which is another level of insulting) and they end up distorting those myths to the point where they are completely different stories, unrelated to the original source.

Also no one insulted Miller's intelligence? No one called her an idiot. In fact, she might know exactly what she's doing. I just don't agree with it, I think it's wrong and she's being disrespectful to the mythology and the culture it originated from.

(There is a general misconception of Greek culture in general when it comes to Western academic circles. It's frustrating.)

'And how is that her fault? Anybody who buys a retelling and becomes convinced that they are reading the true and original version of the story is an idiot. Madeline Miller’s books are advertised towards adults.'

That's true, anybody who buys a retelling thinks they are reading the true of the story is an idiot. But there's a problem in Miller's attitude towards mythology as well. How is it also not her fault, when she says things like 'the ending of the novel is a huge pushback against mythology' in her interviews? Really, Miller? Are you comparing yourself to Homer? Are you saying your retelling is on a par with this thousands-of-years-old epic? Be for real.

Ultimately, the fact that she's a Classicist means little to me when she characterizes mythological figures -mortals and gods- in a way that reduces them to caricatures; she simplifies them so they can fit the boxes of modern character tropes.

That's when retellings become direspectful. And that's an instance where changing an existing character's personality is bad writing. Especially when this character was originally pretty complex and means something to the people of this culture.

As a Greek person, I have the right to call her out on that.

I didn't accuse you of xenophobia, but I'm pretty sure you accused me of being anti-art. So no, I'm not anti-art. I'm just Greek and irritated with Miller's BS. People are allowed to express criticism on art. All art, including Miller's.

So Madeline Miller is writing a Persephone retelling. So let's make our bets about the book.

The winners will win this picture of a brick.

So let's make a bet.

A.) She will potray Demeter as an abusive mother, whaile the kidnapping will be ereased, and Hades will be baby boyfied.

B.) Hades will be potrayd as eveil incarnate, and Demeter will be potrayd as a poor poor blorbo (similar to how she potrayd Circe)

C.) Both will be potrayd as the worst. Demeter, and Hades will be potrayd as abusive, and Persephone will be potrayd as a poor poor girl who always has to suffer.

My bet is that it will be C.).

[centrally-unplanned]

I've been watching Evangelion for the first time since my teens- which of the sequels/spinoffs/alternate endings would you say are worthwhile beyond the original show?

Hm, this is a good question! The answer is going to be very individual because most of the Evangelion additional content is varying degrees of wildly different from the original show? So it is really a question of "what genres do you like". And your tolerance for bullshit, because most of them aren't good.

I will assume End of Eva is just default-included in "the original show"? Just in case, if not obviously watch that. Otherwise I do think Sadamoto's manga adaptation is quite good - it is of course the "same" story, but tonally different enough to be fun while not so different that any Eva fan will probably get something out of it. Those are the "core" products one can start with.

Beyond that...

Where do you even start, you know?

Okay, so I think most people will say that none of the "big" spinoffs are like good-good. Your actual answer is probably none of them. But if you do wanna dig in, I think Girlfriend of Steel is a VN with a contained, coherent story that matches the tone of the original show pretty well? Sort of an alt-universe telling with a new girl in the mix who is essentially girl-Shinji (yeah, I know, isn't Shinji girl-Shinji? Life/Sadamoto finds a way):

The game is choppy in its presentation and ofc quite tropey, but it has heart, and gets more serious as it goes on.

I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that the shonen comedy manga Shinji Ikari Raising Project is, like, worth reading? But some people like it, I am sure. Gendo does Punch An Angel which kinda fucks:

Honestly I thought Campus Apocalypse was pretty neat? Alas the scans online are dial-up tier on quality, but if the idea of "Evangelion: but it is a noir school academy thriller" appeals to you it very much is that. And there is something inevitable to their being a version of Eva where they wield the Lance of Longinus like a person-sized polearm and the angels are hot goth guys:

Okay so I really like Princess Maker? Which Gainax made by the way, that is often forgotten - pre-Eva while Gainax's animation division was burning cash their video game side hustle kept the lights on. So Gainax took advantage of the synergy and made the Ayanami Raising Project - and Asuka Supplement Project to boot! Which is an incredibly cheap knock-off where you take our two main girls and plan out their days and grow their stats and abuse your inexplicable position of power over them to date them and dress them up in adorable outfits which is all I have ever really wanted:

These images ofc are from the supplemental artbook and strategy guide, which yes I do own - you asked for my opinion, I didn't fucking ask for yours, okay?

There are one million more of these things, I haven't read/watched/played most of them - when it comes to Eva you kinda just gotta grab one at random and dive in, see what happens. Go download a PS3 emulator, grab a ROM for Misato Katsuragi's Reporting Plan, and see if listening to her voice-synth reading the actual news to you while you spin her rendered polygon model around to give yourself an upskirt shot does anything for you:

Can't be any worse than the fucking Rebuilds.

[igglemouse]

The Name Game...

Now, before the regularly scheduled legacy posts hit the dashboard today I feel I must address something, normally I would ignore it. I've been here a decade, when have I been in any drama? Normally I would have just messaged this person, because again, I really don't care to do drama or anything like that, but I discovered it because of a reply I had read on one of my posts by a shared mutual. I thought it was funny and since they tagged the person, I wanted to go to their blog and see it for myself but I could not.

Odd, I can hover over the @ but couldn't go to the blog, it says it doesn't exist. I'm blocked I figure. Maybe it should have ended there and it would have been a shame if it had because I would not have seen the post claiming that I did things I did not do. I'll put the rest under a read more as I do love to type.

But this post just comes as a defense since in that post we have a lot of shared mutuals (its a small world!) and I do not want them to think that I stole a name or character from you and then that I deleted your post. Explanation below.

I did not steal the name.

Anyways, the nature of the drama is about a character's name. I have a character named Aurel Vasilescu and they have a character named Aurelia Vasilescu, which are obviously very similar names. It's completely fair that someone would see those two names and think someone copied someone else and since Aurel's actual name was introduced like a week or so ago it would naturally look like I did the theft.

It's some coincidence to be sure and one I would have happily laughed with her over and happily reblogged her story and posted the spider-man pointing meme and had fun with it but I wasn't even really given a chance to respond directly to her but more on that later.

I'm not sure how we both settled on those names, as I joked in the reply, great minds think alike? But for me I was looking for a Romanian surname since well, he's based in Ravenwood which is based on Transylvania and so I gave him a romanian surname. That we both have similar first names is pretty uncanny but given that there's a such thing as actual dopplegangers its really not out of the realm of possibility that someone creates a same or similar character name, but since I know leaving it at that would be my word against yours so I'll try my best to prove that it really was a coincidence.

Firstly. Absolutely no disrespect meant here but I don't know who you are. In your post you mentioned that we don't interact openly its because I didn't know about your simblr until it was mentioned in the reply in my post which was literally last night. That was the first time I heard of it. In fact if I had ran across your simblr I probably would have followed you and read your stories because they look good. I have over 300k likes, if I saw your posts I would have liked them. I like posts of people that are not my mutuals ever day. I'm not shy about liking posts. I've not liked a single one of your posts, not because they are bad, they clearly are not in any way, but because I have not seen them.

Since that reply in my post mentioned your character being in a newer story of yours I decided to check how new and the earliest I could find a post mentioning that character was December 31st 2024. A Happy New Years post that seems to be (happy to be corrected) the first time this character appears.

(And yes, agreed, that simblr who made that reply connecting us is one of the nicest people on this platform! I can agree with that!)

Well, I started to plan Elsie's story early. This includes making key characters that are not townies created by the game (since I play a legacy I makeover a lot of sims for whatever evil purposes I have) but Aurel was always going to be one since Elsie moves into a house with a coffin and him sleeping in it. I have proof of how early I had planned this...

Here is the scrivener file, a file I used to keep track of all character notes etc for my legacies, you can see the date on it...

Here is a snippet of him being in the file, can't show the character file as it would be spoilers but...

And lastly, since this doesn't prove that I didn't just create this now, here is the literal sim in S4TI since he happened to be one of the few sims I hand made for this legacy, this should prove when I made him in game, including his name.

And lastly, the link to Elsie's announcement post...

That is dated Jan 1st.

So, this proves I had made Elsie's story on the 30th and it proves that I had at least made my Vasilescu sim on the 3rd and it looks like, based on my search of their simblr, theirs debuted on Dec 31st? Is it really likely that I saw one post of your brand new story/character then nabbed the name right away only to reveal it months later? Why just steal a name any ways, if I wanted to steal, wouldn't I steal much more from that story and just change the name? Usually characters that are stolen the name is the main change while everything else remains the same, but reading those first few posts I can 100% confirm that my Aurel is a A LOT different from Aurelia. If I were this malicious stealer why not name him Aron or something if I were so eager to steal the name?

Also, I'm super collab friendly, if I knew your story it is much more likely I would have just asked for a collab then steal from you.

The truth is we both settled on what we thought were great names for these characters and they happened to be super similar. Yes, it is highly unlikely but it happened. I've done my best to prove though that I wasn't copying your OC by showing I had already created this character in my mind around the very same time you introduced yours and for me to steal I'd also have to know yours existed and I simply did not.

I did not delete any comments or replies.

I will try to assume the best because I do think a lot of issues people have comes from assuming the worst of someone then acting on those assumptions, but...I am very much a creature of habit.

When I reply, I always reply a day late, I do this because I like responding to EVERY comment made and doing it a day later makes it easier to organize and less likely that I will miss or skip over a comment. The exception is when people reply to a post I already replied to then yes, I will reply to those sometimes when I see them. There was a short time for this new legacy since I got more comments I tried replying when I saw them but it just didn't help my organization and again, I really try to reply to EVERY comment I see. Pull up any old post of mines, even from YEARS ago, you can see this.

I think anyone commenting on my stories can confirm that my replies will come at least a day later, days later if I'm on a break, rarely on the same day UNLESS there is something I see that I need to address. Proof of this is you can pull up recent posts and see that many don't have my replies yet, today I will reply to posts made March 28th for instance if I have time to reply, but again, if it feels like something I need to reply to and I happen to see the reply, I do so.

There was little chance of that happening for your particular comment that day because that day I received over 30 replies (THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT SERIOUSLY!). So I did not even see your reply to comment on or to delete and I think how you framed it makes it look like I was maliciously deleting your comments?

I'll quote from your post.

"A lovely moot very delicately mentioned it in the other person's comments while @'ing me, I replied with something like, "I'm curious as well!", and now they appear to be deleting and restricting comments rather than addressing the situation."

Well I am addressing the situation now so that should clear up the assumption that I wouldn't want to do that or that I'm a weasel who wanted to avoid it but how you've framed it, deleting comments, I was going to link the post but realized doing so would have your username and I don't want people outside getting into this and stirring up more drama, but that post has ONE comment deleted. Not comment(s). It has 17 replies on it, I don't think that sounds like me trying to delete or restrict comments on it. There is one comment on that post I have yet to reply to because it was made on the 28th and I'll reply to it later today or tonight even if I have t

But that one that is deleted I assume is yours? Well, my guess is when you blocked me it deleted this comment? Or you deleted the comment? I don't know, I don't know how tumblr works, I know I didn't touch the comment because again, I just started replying to comments on the 27th last night. Had I seen it I would have messaged you and replied to you. I think if this long post shows anything it shows I would have been very willing to message you.

I'm someone that had an entire pro-life and pro-choice (I was pro-choice) debate with a mutual in my comment section and didn't delete a single comment or unfriended them or treated them differently even though we very much disagreed. So no, I wasn't scared of confrontation or anything like that. I once asked people to openly criticize my stories anonymously if they wanted to. I have very thick skin.

But you said comments, as in plural, and that bothers me since it frames it in a way as if you made multiple comments and I deleted them all frantically running away from it.

Had you waited (and not saying you should have) I would have responded in my comment section and likely would have reached out and had you sent me mail or a message I also would have replied once I saw it, no hesitation. I don't see myself as above anyone here, I don't play clique games, I reply and interact with anyone that reaches out to me.

So, what now...

Well I dunno! I just wanted to defend myself since again, they have mutuals that I have and I did not want those mutuals to see those names and then think I am the thief and the one deleting comments and felt attacked and since her post clearly implicates me I must defend myself. If it were more vague, I likely leave it alone or maybe even created a tumblr just to send her an anon and tried to clear things up but the post is public and very clearly implicates me since again, we have shared mutuals and they will read her story then read mines and then make the connection.

I understand why she might feel frustrated and such, she felt I had stolen from her and reacted to that, so I'm not mad about that. If I saw someone with a Marisol Quesada I would have went hmmmm too but I do think I would have handled it differently but we are all different people with different experiences and such.

But, I will move on regardless. Since she has blocked me, I don't know if she will see this post (or want to see it) but I really hope more importantly the mutuals we share see it since that is the main reason I made this.

If you do see this post know there really are no hard feelings, I don't want this to come off as an attack against her or for it to escalate further. I'm just defending myself here from those claims and if you unblock me and want to chat I'd be open to that and if you delete your post about me, I'll delete this, and i've made this post non-rebloggable because I'm not trying to ever spread drama. I'll even reblog your story and promote it even because my main goals here are to share my stories but also share other's stories because I know most of us write and post because we want to share our stories and others seeing them, commenting, reblogging, liking, validates the work we put into each post.

I will make an exception about deleting comments on this post though, if there are any that seem directed at her in a negative way I will delete them, not that I expect them or anything, I have no idea what the reaction will be when this post goes live I might get tar and feathered but like I said I don't want this to be an attack towards anyone but if anyone has anything negative to say about me regarding this point, fire away, just know if you do it anonymously I will get very snappy...this is just me defending myself as an artist and a person. I didn't steal and I didn't delete any comments. I've done my best to prove both of those I hope. I dont want any of our shared mutuals picking a side, I just want to tell my side and defend myself because I again I felt attacked.

I've been here ten years, posting ten years, pretty consistently too! I'm just here in my little iggleverse corner posting, not bothering anyone, not engaging in any drama, and always trying to promote other simblrs big and small.

For those that made it this far...umm sorry this was long but I do type too much sorry T_T and hey, the defendant usually has to do a bit more...

But 10 years here, I just post, so, with all that said, the show must go on...

[kalinara]

So Scott's panic attacks are clearly Xavier related, right? The books dance around it but there's a clear throughline from the fall of Krakoa/Agnew and how Scott suddenly develops a new condition that can't simply be explained away by the pressures of leadership, since "leading mutantkind while on the brink of annihilation" has already been his thing for a while (not that he was the picture of mental health then either, but the panic attacks are def new). It's not hard to imagine how Xavier's betrayal would resurrect a shitload of other issues for Scott, and cause him to reframe whether this man who groomed him (just like the other men who groomed him) wasn't simply a flawed father figure but had been gaslighting him since the beginning. And is it any wonder that Xavier's Agnew revelation fell flat with Scott in that moment? "Nobody really died, you fool, I was gaslighting you again!"

They ALMOST acknowledge that the panic attacks were due to some sublimated trauma from Xavier, but they bait and switch it with some nonsense about "moving on from Xavier's dream (??)" and then framed as a personal grievance Scott just needs to get over. Which he probably will do! since I'm fairly sure we're meant to take it as a given that getting stabbed by Wolverine permanently cured his attacks, but who knows

I mean, you could argue that almost all of Scott's trauma, excluding anything caused by the plane crash, Sinister or Jack Winters, relate to Xavier.

I think it depends on where the story goes from here. And it's hard to say, of course, because X-Manhunt Omega only just came out, we don't actually know what, if anything, will be followed up on in any of the individual series.

I try not to make predictions too often, because I know what I want to see, but I also know that creators have their own plans, editorial mandates can be a thing, and there are often a lot of moving parts when it comes to comic creation.

But I didn't read it as though Wolverine stabbing Scott was meant to cure his panic attacks entirely. Mackay introduced that plot point a while ago, and hasn't followed up on it directly, but he's pretty strongly established a lot of the pressure that Scott's under, so I feel pretty optimistic that Scott's mental health will come up again.

It is hard to say though what, if any, lasting effect we'll get from X-Manhunt until we start seeing how each series deals with the events (or doesn't) in their subsequent issues. So, I reserve the right to change my opinion later.

Ultimately, I appreciated that X-Manhunt actually did devote a lot of attention to the issues between Scott and Xavier. And that it didn't really magically make everything okay between the two of them either. I could have wished for more acknowledgment from Xavier about what he's done, but I also recognize that Xavier's fucking off to his own series. Maybe there'll be some room for emotional growth there.

I'm a little optimistic because Hickman's going to be writing it, and Krakoa-era Xavier was a very complicated man, practically venerated as a saint, the man who made Krakoa happen at all, but at the same time, the flaws were apparent really early on. I think he could do a lot with Xavier now, if he's so inclined.

But unless there are some significant guest appearances, I'm probably not going to read it for a long time. I've got a limited tolerance for all things Xavier when there isn't a Summers present, and I've never particularly cared for the Shi'Ar empire either.

[gofancyninjaworld]

The New Ninja Arc So Far (Review)

RIght, they do say that third time's the charm! I'm hoping that ONE and Murata are happy with how this falls on the page this time.

I am SKIPPING any summary: we've seen this enough times. Let's go straight to Meta, shall we?

Meta

Hard stop

So, in a Youtube video I can no longer find, some wag called Saitama a guy suffering from Premature Eradication Syndrome. It's pretty accurate -- he doesn't so much have fights as he has encounters that end when he decides to stick his fist out. The suddenness with which fights can end in OPM is something that really got me into the story. While Saitama is the guy who most often does this, it happens elsewhere, like with the unfortunate Sky King.

Rest in pieces. I'm sure you were a tough monster but, unfortunately, you were just in the way.

And alternatively, fights that you think will end quickly don't and turn into horrifying prolonged struggles that sap combatants' very will to live. So it goes!

This is why you see readers who have been raised on the choreography of shonen and action movies flipping out, alternatively ranting about how a certain 'monster' was 'wasted' and decrying fights that go on for longer than expected. Sorry! Life-and-death struggles aren't portrayed here as action pieces. [1]

I'm always down for some Premature Eradication Syndrome. I was personally delighted to see that right as Flashy Flash was about to shiskabob himself some Tenninto, Blast comes in and stops the whole fight, beating down the Tenninto himself when they try attacking him.

Now this is another definition of 'sudden death'.

The beliefs that enslave

With this, I see that the initial idea ONE had of the Tenninto surviving has come back, albeit in a different way. I'll start with another idea that has returned: the question of what freedom is. Initially, we had Flashy sparing them, first to gloat, second to show off his superior understanding of what the true purpose of the Ninja Village had been, and thirdly, out of a sense of pity for them having had their lives stolen. Which amused them greatly, as they saw freedom as lying in serving a master faithfully.

Gosh, that was so CREEPY.

This time around, as we see Flash turning over Sonic's words in his mind and wondering whether the idea of freedom was an illusion, the narration lets us know that despite being free of the Ninja Village, none of the fighting parties had the slightest idea of what freedom actually meant due to how restricted their upbringings had been: it's a much sadder affair, one of ninjas unable to escape the cruel fates they've been shaped to accept. In a way, it shouldn't surprise us that they fight: we've seen that each and every ninja is convinced that he alone is the best and is prepared to die proving that to be the case, no matter how hopeless it is. It's just lucky for Sonic that Saitama is as tolerant as he is strong.

Freedom is a lot more than merely not being in captivity.

A few chapters ago, we'd seen Blast musing on how ninjas seem fated to kill each other in a struggle for power, only to replicate the same cruel conditions that make more ninjas, and have the cycle repeat anew. Looks like he has decided to step in and try to break this particular cycle. Whether he will succeed is something we'll just have to see.

Fame, power, influence. Kill your way to the top and make more minions fit only for death. That appears to be the real ninja way.

I have many more thoughts on cages, but I'll have to leave it here.

Ohhh, it all starts to add up

ONE's simple observations are really freaking obvious, and yet surprisingly frequently overlooked. One of them is that for someone to share information with you, they need two things: first, to know what it is that you want to know, and second, a reason to share it with you. We were initially treated to the hilarious scenario of Genos popping out of Saitama's wall to smack Flash on the head with a cup of hot tea, having eavesdropped on the proceedings next door, and then the slightly cringe scene of him delightedly inviting Blast to come back to consult Saitama whenever he liked. Ah Genos, you are so crazy, like a cybernetic Oscar The Grouch.

Genos is so much like a proud mother sometimes. He thinks it's because he told the HA to call Saitama if they heard from Blast. Let us not disabuse him just yet.

But not so fast...

Blast knows where Sonic's hideout is: he has it bugged. However, some time after Saitama left, Blast came back to Saitama's, apparently in the hopes of finding a lead on where Sonic's current whereabouts might be. He did not see Flashy Flash get a challenge letter, and was in conference with Sicchi when the former left, so has no idea of where the ninja could have gone to even think of following him. Sonic has definitely not sent Blast a challenge letter as he didn't even know that the guy was around.

ONE has been diligent in not creating a plot hole of leaving Sonic possibly aware of Blast's presence.

Genos sure as hell doesn't know where Sonic might be. However, he knows a few things. One: that Saitama has a stash of challenge letters from Sonic. Two: where Saitama would have put those letters. Three: they have a freakish dog that just might be able to pick up Sonic's scent. And, most important of all, four: he really likes that Blast *has* come back to consult Saitama and so wants to help.

All of this is how Blast ends up presenting one of those letters to Overgrown Rover, sweat beading on his face as he thinks what an incredibly stupid idea this is, and how desperate he has to be even to be considering it.

if it's stupid but it works...

And how, despite its stupidity, it works: the monstrous scenting ability of the dog does lead him to the correct place.

...it's not stupid.

So, who's minding the shop?

This time around, Blast has not told Flashy Flash or Saitama anything about That Man; not his real name (Empty Void), not his relationship to him (former partner), and certainly not his strategic importance. It's clear that Void is still extremely important to some plan that Blast and Sicchi have, and that it is primary importance that Void is wrest from 'God's' clutches, no matter what he's done in the past and no matter the cost.

Ah yes, Void, former partner, ex-brother-in-law, serial child abuser, slave trader, assassin, and now avatar of an evil eldrich being. Totally the guy you want to stick your neck out for.

All Saitama knows about this guy is that he was an exceptionally cruel ninja, buying boys and brutalising them into being either killers to be sold onto criminals or turning them into minions to serve an evil entity called 'God'. He knows that Sonic is being menaced by this cruel ninja and a bunch of ne'er-do-wells, and he's gone specifically to save Sonic. [2]

Saitama...actually taking the initiative to reach out to someone out of empathy... well, I did NOT have this in my bingo list.

Currently, he's alone in Sonic's former hideout, where Void is going to be showing up sooner rather than later. And Blast isn't there to intercede.

Hmmm, I don't know about you, but I have a feeling this isn't going to end well for Void or Blast. I have some popcorn I'm dying to pop and munch on as I read the way this goes down.

Asides

[1] That said, when ONE is writing shonen, he knows the formula well and executes it beautifully: the fights Mob gets into and the sprawling battles of Versus are testimony to that.

[2] FUCK, I AM STILL SHOOK!!!! Like even the mightiest mountain is shaped by wind and water, Saitama is slowly changing! And in this case for the better. Wow.

[imaginariumwanderer]

So, a little update.

This reblog is about how I'm doing for those who care, to talk about my relationship with the crk fandom as of late, and to announce that I'm taking a vacation (to twitter) once I'm done with all the requests, I'll come back in May or at a later date, it's uncertain.

Honestly speaking this isn't anything big, I'm doing well. I'm making this post because I don't want people to worry lol Please be warned I'm going to rambles about my *eugh* feelings under cut, hope it's comprehensible.

Let's get the shorter stuff over first: About my life. Same ol' same ol' stuff. My life is a predictable chain of work eat rest+occasionally dealing w family stuff, and I like it that way. My job brought moderate stress like any job. It's my fluctuating, erratic mental health that gets in the way of finishing my tasks on time. So ya, kinda busy kinda tired but it's nothing I can't handle. It is how it is.

Now let's get down to business: So with the 4th anniversary and the arrival of playable smc, the crk fandom has blown up. I anticipated this long ago but when it actually happen, well... Things have gotten hectic quickly, eh? Eventually and inevitably, I ended up feeling overwhelmed. I've seen other fans, mutuals or otherwise, expressing the same sentiment. So I felt a bit less alone on that front, but it's still hard to deal with.

Last year, the amount of shadowvanilla fanfics on ao3 barely reached triple digits. Now it has over 600 fics and growing. At some point I realized the fandom surrounding this ship has irreversibly changed, whether it's for the best or the worse is yet to be seen, but that realization kinda sent me spiraling. The place which I've familiarize myself with for over a year now feel so alien. I got this sense that I don't belong. I'm not sure if I deserve to be here anymore. I wanted to check how my mutuals are doing, but lately just the thought of checking the shadowvanilla tag or logging onto tumblr at all got me feeling awfully, illogically, anxious. I felt disconnected from everyone.

Make no mistakes, this is no one's fault. From when I made my first crk post up until now I've yet to receive a single negative comment, nor did I have any bad interactions with the fans. Every person I've come across have been nothing but welcoming and kind, my time on tumblr have been incredible so far (aside from those annoying porn bots-) It just that I can't help my intrusive thoughts. I still question my place in this fandom sometimes. Please rest assured, I've done my own crashouts back in late January-mid February (yah, I crashed out twice) and is currently in the getting over it/processing my feelings phase. Drawing is still fun, I still wanna have fun talking about silly cookies with my like-minded pals again c:

If you're new to this blog: hi, thank you for being here. Um, dw I don't tend to get all weird and personal like this that often, it's as a special occasion.

If you're an old follower or a moot: thank you for everything, really. I once mentioned before how I don't like bringing irl stuff or negative feelings onto this blog, but I think all of you deserve a bit of honesty from me. Moving forward I'd like to be a bit more open, if that's okay with you. I'm a pretty negative person in real life (haha)

As said above I'll move to twitter temporarily in the future/April. My twitter is fairly small and new, so it feel nice posting whatever is on my mind without fearing how many people will see it. Feel a bit calmer there too. I'm extra awful truthful there, if any adult crk fans reading this would like to chat, feel free to reach me there! (not in DMs tho it's the anxiety ok sorry sorry-)

Sorry for not being more active on the reblog/interaction department these past few weeks. I gave in to the sus on twitter and then art block hit me like my dad's belt (on top of other irl shenanigans..)

The inbox is open for asks again, anon is allowed too, I'm not confident on my reply rate but I'll do my best! As of now art request is not officially open yet. I do really want to get started but it's impossible with current irl stuff getting in the way. Hopefully I can start doing requests in May, I hope. Shadowvanilla-related art request is welcomed though, I don't have enough mental strength for most things lately but doodling them revitalize me(?) So please feel free to make requests for smilk and vani!

Some rules:

Please specify whether you want them in humanoid or cookie form. If there's no specification I'll draw it randomly.

Slightly suggestive is ok, they can kiss as a treat, but no outright nsfw please. Any graphic requests will be rejected/blocked.

A little bit of blood or light gore is ok👍

(angst prompts is encouraged their suffering fuels me-)

*Waiting time is 3 weeks, if there's no answer by then please consider the request rejected or I somehow didn't receive it. Thank you for your understanding.

Edit: request is now officially closed.

[deoidesign]

Hi, I kind of have a question, Adam said that can't walk in the sun when doesn't drink blood, but what exactly happens? Do vampires just burn immediately, begin to be more sensitive to sunburn or is it another kind of thing?

so, in time and time again I really wanted blood to be something of a medicinal need for vampires. it's not a 1:1 metaphor of course, please don't try to think of it that way, but it's how I conceptualize it.

He needs blood to go in the sun, to heal, to "be something of a human again" and it also grants him the ability to time travel, shapeshift, compel others...

Without blood, he can't do these things. So, to be honest, without blood vampires would just... die. They can't exist without it. being in the sun uses blood, its dangerous. it wears you down. it makes you weaker. it can kill you!

I realize this ends up making my vampires feel weak, but... it's a metaphor for chronic illness. They have limited energy and if they do not take the time and the 'medications' they need to recover, they'll become weak or die. They have to manage their limited energy.

there's extreme privilege for vampires who have steady access to blood, like Adam does. His access to blood lets him time travel, transform, go in the sun constantly, etc. Vampires without as much access have to become nocturnal, they get stuck in one place, they have to be careful because even a small cut can cost precious resources...

A desperate vampire might end up hurting someone for what they need. a vampire with people who are willing to help them can get by, or even thrive. a vampire with none of these will die.

I know it's not the most satisfying answer, but it is my answer! My experiences being chronically ill are very much at play here.

[mjrdm]

.

[wosospacegirl]

Would you be interested in writing a first time fic? Either in the way where it’s reader losing her virginity to another player (obv she would be of age in this scenario) or where reader loses it so someone else and the team finds out (this could be teen reader), and then the younger girls are all obsessed and the older girls get all protective and make sure she’s alright

-🦦

Hii!! Yes of course to both ideas, for an adult reader and a teen one!!

Adult reader idea

For an adult reader, i thought it could be something like... Everybody on the team knows she's never been with anyone and lightly teases yn about it and yn always shrugged off and laughed along like "yeahh, I'm scared of pretty women. What can i do?

Then, one day, the team gets into the topic of sex and they are once again like "poor yn... don't worry, we'll make sure to find a nice girl for u to get laid someoday"

But instead of laughing along like the other times...yn flushed (she neves flushes)!! And they are like....hmm. Is there something you wanna share with the team?

And yn is like 🧍🏻‍♀️ no

And then the team pulls the pieces together and teases her even more.... the banter gets worse when they realise the person yn had sex for the first time with is also sitting at the table w them <3

Teen reader - let's think lionesses for this one

Maybe teen reader is a player for a club outside of England, so the only time she really gets to talk and interact with the lionesses is when she's on camp.

And maybe they are all very protective of her because she did her debut when she was fifteen, and now she's seventeen, so they do see her as a baby

The younger girls, though? The ones that are in their early twentys like Aggie, Laura James, Grace Clinton, and Khiara? Complete manaces to poor yn they all tease each other...it's their love language.

One day, yn makes this whole plan to sneak put in the middle of the night to some beach while they are in Portugal, and she tells the younger girls that she had sex with someone from the U18 team of her club and the girls are like yay girl!!!! 💃💃💃

The next day, the young girls pretend nothing happened, and they go on and have breakfast, not saying a single thing about their outing.

The same day, during the night, lucy and millie decided to make a little game between the players because maybe they noticed how little the older players knew about the younger ones? Or maybe because they want the team to interact a bit more, have more bonding time.

Because yn is the only 17 year old there, they try to keep the conversation light, but of course the topic of sex would come up <3

It's yns time to draw a card and the topic that she's absolutely didn’t want to talk about was in there.

"When and how was your first time?" Yn says out loud.

"Oh pick another one baby" lucy says, waving off, "maybe the next card will have a topic you can talk about"

Yn stared at lucy for a moment, holding herself not to say that she can talk about sex thank you very much.

But Grace, confused by the whole interaction, just says

"What do you mean? Why can't she talk about her first time?? it happened like two weeks ago???"Grace tilts her head and looks at yn.

Aggie is mouthing 'shut up!!!' To Grace while Laura James face palms herself and Yn just groans, feeling her cheeks heat up.

The older girls look confused...does that meant that yn....

"I'll just take another one–" yn says quickly, throwing the card into some corner of the room

"Not so fast, lover girl," millie said, frow on her face. " i mean...is is true?"

Yn gather the last bit of dignity she has and says confidently–and maybe a bit defensively.

"Yes! Why? Is there a problem?"

"Hey mate calm down," leah chimmed in from the corner of the room. "We're not judging we–"

"Where did you come from, leah???" Yn asks confused. "You said you weren't going to play, that you were going to your bed??"

Leah waved off, "yeah, i was, but georgia told me that was this big revelation happening–"

"Big revelation?" Yn says exasperatedly. "Guys, I'm old enough to have sex. It's normal, isn't it? Everybody has it."

"No you're right," lucy says. "It's normal, especially in your age we were just..."

"Caught off guard," millie finishes Lucy's sentence.

There was silent for a moment

"Was it good?" Millie asked, slightly blush on her cheeks. "You know you should've tell us that earlier when it happened, right?"

"How? Do you expect me to text about it in the lionesses group chat?" Yn laughed, but the smile dissappeared from her face as all the girl agreed that yes, she should've texted it,

"It's a big moment in your life! It would be nice to know about it!" Millie says

"We could have... bought a cake for you!" Lucy adds.

"I don't want cake!" Yn says.

"Ok, sorry..." lucy said. "We can have pie too, no problem–"

"Lucy, you're missing the point completely, omg," Aggie says. "What yn means is that she didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

"But it is a big deal!!!" Lucy says again

"No, it's not!" Yn says, "and i don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Ok ok..." lucy says, giving up. "But you were like... safe, right"

"Oh god," yn says before getting up from the little circle they were gathering in. "I'm going to bed."

"Just so you know that are thing called dental d–"

Yn threw the deck of cars on Lucy's face and went to her room to recover from the awkward conversation that had just happened <3

[theflyingfeeling]

the love of my entire life

[oozeandgoo-art]

everyone is sooo in love with vakori on account of le is so cool and smart and deeply pragmatic and is also completely batshit insane

[ourceliumnetwork]

people?? being niceys to me???? for no reason except loves me?????????????

it's more likely than i think, apparently.

[pop-n-schlock]

link via Nitter: https://nitter.net/charred_lizard/status/1693662672066167281#m

link via Twitter: https://twitter.com/charred_lizard/status/1693662672066167281#m

guys!!!